By @Joe Molloy
Written by Kieron Gillen and drawn by Jamie McKelvie
Published by Marvel Comics
This could be the coolest comic ever made, not the best (although it is very, very good) but the coolest. It’s that cool kid at school who’s going to gigs before you are allowed out past ten, has a serious girlfriend long before you get chest hair but still manages to remember your name and give you a smile as you struggle not to hate him.
Killen and Mckelvie are compatriots from the trenches of creator-owned comics in England (one day I will write about the pop drenched glory of their book Phonogram) who have been steadily rising through the ranks at Marvel. Finally the band is back together and their new tunes are outstanding.
The Young Avengers are a group of teen heroes who have disbanded and sworn not to fight crime again. However as one of them so keenly puts it, “I’m not going to spend the rest of my life in the phone booth.” This trade collects the origin story of the group and puts the pieces in play of what I hope will be a long-running series.
No previous knowledge of these characters is needed. I had no idea who most of them were, the exceptions being Kate due to her role in the excellent Hawkeye and the Norse God of Mischief, Loki. Miss America is the powerhouse of the group and demonstrates it by punching everyone. Hulkling shape-shifts, Wiccan casts spells and Marvel Boy runs up walls like a cockroach while shooting lasers and looking great with his shirt off.
The art is near perfect. McKelvie has the cleanest, surest line in modern comics and uses it to draw great looking young superheroes (helping Gillen to address the elephant in the room of such books-these kids will be wanting to have sex with each other). There is a faux realism to his art, the people look real and even nearly normal sized, even if they are green, godlike or from another dimension. Fashion and haircuts play a role in adding to the teen texture of proceedings but not so much as to put off old geezers like me.
Mention must be made of the panel layouts. Most of the storytelling is through simple, clear structured panels but as soon as the action starts it gets interesting. Mckelvie is doing great things with panel inserts to display movement. Marvel Boy (or Noh-Varr as he prefers to be called) features in an amazing double-page, numbered action sequence that displays a fight scene in a way I haven’t seen before.
Loki seems to be pulling the strings of this group and Gillen uses him to explore the power of story itself. There is a great sequence where Loki* explains (while talking to a previous, less evil version of himself) that Gods are creatures of story and because Evil Loki now inhabits the body of Less-Evil Kid Loki this limits not only his power but also his malevolence. It’s that sort of added depth that lifts this book from being just another good-looking adventure comic.
Should I buy it? If you think you are past teen super-heroics then, well you’re wrong. This is yet another great comic from Marvel, its wicked fun to read, the dialogue is whipcrack smart and the art gloriously pretty.
Next time: It’s a return to classic adventure storytelling and art in a very original way with Five Ghosts: The Haunting of Fabian Gray by Frank J. Barbiere and Chris Mooneyham.
*For a full exploration of how the traditional grown up, evil god of mischief (like the one portrayed in the films by Tom Hiddleston) becomes a pre-teen Trickster check out Gillen’s exceptional run on Journey into Mystery. It too is bloody good comics.
Follow Joe on twitter @JosephJMolloy or check out his website: joeblogscomics for more comic reviews!
Posted on October 31st, 2013
Category: REVIEWS, TRADING UP
Tags: Comic Reviews, Jamie McKelvie, Joe Malloy, Kieron Gillen, loki, marvel comics, Trading Up, Wiccan, Young Avengers Review
By @Joe Molloy
Written and drawn by Sean Murphy
Published by Vertigo/DC Comics
It’s surprising the idea hasn’t been used before: a reality TV show where a corporation creates a clone from DNA contained in the shroud of Turin. A teenage girl (virgin of course) is implanted with the embryo and then gives birth to Jesus Christ, Chris to his friends. Watching over them is Thomas ‘The Cemetery’ McKael, an ex-IRA assassin and high level bad ass, he is kept busy by constant attacks on the compound by the NAC (New American Christians). This is the story of Chris’s creation, upbringing and what happens when the Saviour discovers Punk Rock.
Being late to pick this comic up, I had heard how good it was. That lead to expectations about the art and particularly the story. They of course were all wrong. The story went to places I didn’t anticipate and the art was even greater than I had hoped. It was much more action packed than expected, and I didn’t think the main character would be the body-guard.
It’s surprising the idea hasn’t been used before: a reality TV show where a corporation creates a clone from DNA contained in the shroud of Turin.
My man Thomas is like an Irish version of the Punisher. He might in fact be harder than Frank Castle and is infinitely more likeable, using the trauma from years of killing to turn away from murder. But not violence. No way, he is violent as hell, and very good at it. Although he has sworn to never take another life, that doesn’t mean he won’t maim you if you make him.
My man Thomas is like an Irish version of the Punisher.
Sean Murphy is best known for his artwork for Vertigo comics, primarily Joe the Barbarian (with Grant Morrison), Hellblazer and American Vampire. I have not read any of his stuff before, but will be rectifying that error because his art is exceptional.
Shadow is well used to create mood and he is very detailed when drawing the technical stuff, the buildings, boats and bikes that fill this script. Murphy manages to capture the flow and feel of a sketch into his finished line-work and maintains a fantastic energy to his characters as they flow through the panels. The panels themselves are great and then he’ll drop an epic splash page on you.
I would have loved the hell out of this book at fifteen and enjoyed re-reading it down through the years.
While Murphy has justifiably gained recognition as an artist, the writing here is impressive. The characters are all believable and driven by their different motivations. He captures the anger, angst and know-it-all feel of being a teenager so well. I would have loved the hell out of this book at fifteen and enjoyed re-reading it down through the years. I hope it draws some angry young punks into reading a few comics.
It also impresses as a look at a possible future,capturing that dark, anarchic edge that society gets when pushed too far. This type of ominous, near future science fiction is hard to do well as it’s closeness to our reality makes us all experts. Murphy pulls it off by only adding a few tech elements (holographic classrooms and cloned polar bears) but pushing aspects of society to their brink.
Should I buy it? This is a must buy for my money. Even if the story doesn’t interest, then there are Murphy’s epic skills as a cartoonist to consider. I’m off to buy Joe the Barbarian and won’t be making the mistake of sleeping on any of Sean Murphy’s books again.
Next time: I haven’t written about any cape comics in a while so it’s time for some superheroes. Just not the nice ones you usually read about. It’s a dark and insightful look at costumed vigilantes and what drives them in The Victories by Michael Avon Oeming.
Follow Joe on twitter @JosephJMolloy or check out his website: joeblogscomics for more comic reviews!
Posted on July 17th, 2013
Category: REVIEWS, TRADING UP
Tags: Comic Reviews, DC Comics, Joe Malloy, Punk Rock Jesus review, Sean Murphy, Trading Up, Vertigo
By @Joe Molloy
Written by Brian Wood
Art by Kristian Donaldson and Gary Brown
Colours by Dave Stewart
Published by Dark Horse Comics
The Massive is the tale of a group of eco-activists called the Ninth Wave and their struggles as the World collapses around them. Spurred by a string of environmental disasters, society is bordering on collapse and the crew of the environmental-action ship Kapital (think the Sea Shepherd) battle to survive, find their friends and keep their ideals.
Because the Massive is also the name of a boat, a boat that barely appears in this story. Contact was lost during a huge storm and the Kapital has been searching for her sister ship ever since. A search that is hampered by the fact the world has descended into chaos.
This could be the smartest book that Brian Wood has ever written. Amongst a body of work that contains Demo, DMZ and Northlanders that is saying a hell of a lot. I’m a big fan of Wood and his political thrillers and very glad that this time he has expanded his scope to the entire world.
This could be the smartest book that Brian Wood has ever written.
At times Brian Wood reminds me of Warren Ellis (not too surprising they worked together at Marvel early on in Brian’s career). He creates these strong characters and then throws them into some very tricky situations. There is a strong Global Frequency vibe from the Massive, which is never a bad thing. Here too is a team of highly skilled and dedicated individuals brought together to save the world. The difference is in the Massive it is too late, the world has already gone to hell and they need to save themselves while still holding on to their ideals.
Because this is also a story about character. How it is formed and how it can be tested. How what we have done can become who we are. Callum Israel, the Captain of the Kapital and leader of Ninth Wave is an ex-mercenary who listened when the ocean spoke to him and then dedicated his life to protecting it.
Callum Israel is an ex-mercenary who listened when the ocean spoke to him and then dedicated his life to protecting it.
Artist Kristian Donaldson has an almost clinical cleanness to his linework but one that he never allows to become sterile. He excels at drawing the technical stuff that this book is stuffed with: boats, guns, oil rigs and sinking cityscapes. But he still manages to imbue his characters with real life, warmth, and great haircuts, (the selection and quality of the hair do’s in this comic wouldn’t look out-of-place in Melbourne’s most hipster riddled cafe).
Gary Brown takes over art duties for the second story arc. He has a rougher sketchier style than Donaldson but it has great energy and at times reminds me of R.M. Guera’s work on Scalped.
Artist Kristian Donaldson has an almost clinical cleanness to his linework but one that he never allows to become sterile.
Colourist Dave Stewart is generally regarded as being the best in the biz and has a string of Eisner awards to prove it. The book relies on flashback to fill in the back stories of these characters and the colouring does a vital job of letting the reader know the when we are looking back through time. Stewart changes the colour palette for the flashbacks and uses a pastel wash over everything to tie it together.
Captions are used well to keep the reader informed of just where the action is happening. The story whizzes all over the globe and I loved how new locations are indicated with latitude and longitude as well as by name. New characters are introduced with a tidy list of their name, date and place of birth. This is a comic that could fall victim to over complexity but the creative team fight that well with the tight structure they keep in place.
Part of what I love most about the Massive is that it feels like a global book.
Part of what I love most about the Massive is that it feels like a global book. The action takes place all over the world and the crew of the Kapital is multi-national. To those of us who live in Not-America it is nice to see, as it can feel as though the American comic book industry has no idea we are out here. Wood addresses this directly in the script with a great exchange on the Antarctic ice that says much about how he sees Americas role in the world.
The constantly changing locations suit the rotating roster of artists and it doesn’t feel like a disconnect when we get a new penciller. We also get to have the mighty JP Leon on covers. I love his art more every time I see it ( it also reminds me to build up the courage to write about the Winter Men).
The constantly changing locations suit the rotating roster of artists and it doesn’t feel like a disconnect when we get a new penciller.
Should I buy it? If you like Brian Wood then it’s a must. If you haven’t tried his work yet then this could be the start of something beautiful. Without really meaning to I have accumulated over Brian Wood 20 trades and I still haven’t picked up any of his Marvel, Star Wars or Conan work. The man has quite the back catalogue of fine comic books.
This collection is tidy package. You not only get first six issues but also the preview short stories that ran in Dark Horse Presents and fill in the back story on our main characters.
Next time: A tale of a cloned baby Saviour for the 21st Century. Punk Rock Jesus by Mr Sean Murphy.
Follow Joe on twitter @JosephJMolloy or check out his website: joeblogscomics for more comic reviews!
Posted on June 19th, 2013
Category: REVIEWS, TRADING UP
Tags: Brian Wood, Comic Reviews, Dark Horse Comics, Gary Brown, Kristian Donaldson, The Massive review, Trading Up
By @Joe Molloy
Skillfully tying fifty years of Godzilla movies into one focused narrative, the Half-Century War tells the tale of Ota Murakami and his encounters with the famed lizard.
Story and Art by James Stokoe
Published by IDW
During thirty years of indifference to Godzilla I had managed to avoid nearly all contact with the legendary beast. Barring the odd glimpse across the channels of his 90′s American movie, I knew little and cared less. Turns out all it took was the work of one very talented cartoonist to get me deeply involved in the world of rampaging radioactive lizard monsters and the men that struggle to contain them.
Skillfully tying fifty years of Godzilla movies into one focused narrative, the Half-Century War tells the tale of Ota Murakami and his encounters with the famed lizard. It begins with the first time Godzilla stomps out of the sea to destroy Tokyo and continues as he rampages across the planet while pursued by the AMF (Anti-Megalosaurus Force!).
It begins with the first time Godzilla stomps out of the sea to destroy Tokyo and continues as he rampages across the planet while pursued by the AMF.
My only previous exposure to James Stokoe was his Orc-Stain comic but that made me a fan for life, he is firmly on my must-buy-no-matter what he’s producing list. His hyper-detailed art style is a skillful blend of Japanese and Western influence. Reading his work makes me want to put some serious time studying Asian comics, a favourite touch is how he has everyone break into the classic manga sweat when under pressure.
Stokoe is a very detailed artist who crams a ton into each panel and also combines dynamic lettering and explosive SFX seamlessly on the page. Godzilla’s sound effects are amazing, it looks like he’s emitting a force field of screeching sound. Explosions (of which there are many) and the resulting dust clouds are used to great effect. Often with the massive lizard looming out of a cloud of dust to spew forth a cone of violent force from his mouth. It turns out Godzilla has Radioactive Blast Breath.
Stokoe is a very detailed artist who crams a ton into each panel and also combines dynamic lettering and explosive SFX seamlessly on the page.
Each issue starts with a large panel containing an overview/map of where the action takes place, be that Tokyo or Bombay. It’s great at setting the scene locally and often has smoke billowing out over the trail of destruction but it’s also perfect for establishing that this is a global threat that storms the planet wreaking havoc.
The AMF have to develop their own crazy tech and crackpot science weapons to try and take down Godzilla as he is immune to conventional weaponry. And then we meet the others. I am by no means a Kaiju scholar but it seems many of the most prominent are included, Mothra, Megalon and King Ghidorah among them. We are treated to many epic battles between the mighty beasts, intercut with the puny humans scrambling around trying to stop or at least divert Godzilla.
We are treated to many epic battles between the mighty beasts, intercut with the puny humans scrambling around trying to stop or at least divert Godzilla.
Should I buy it? If you are a Godzilla or a Stokoe fan then this is a must. If you think you might enjoy reading a magnificent looking comic about rampaging giant monsters then it’s for you too. If you don’t like any of that then you might need to re-examine your priorities.
Next time: Godzilla is a hard act to follow, so I am going to take things in a completely different direction and write about The Massive by Brian Wood, Kristian Donaldson and Gary Brown. A look at the world after the water levels have risen through the eyes of an enviromental activist group. A tightly written eco-thriller with sharp art that might be the smartest thing Brian Wood has written, which is saying something.
Click HERE to view Godzilla comics
Follow Joe on twitter @JosephJMolloy or check out his website: joeblogscomics for more comic reviews!
Posted on June 4th, 2013
Category: REVIEWS, TRADING UP
Tags: Brian Wood, Godzilla, Godzilla The Half-Century War, IDW Publishing, James Stokoe, Joe Malloy, King Ghidorah, Kristian Donaldson, Mothra, Tokyo, Trading Up
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