Writer: Steve Vance; Pencils: Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez; Inks: Joe Rubinstein
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
One of the people on the Lunaticks online mailing list (at Yahoo Groups) suggested that I review the new Deadman series from DC Comics. I'm not particularly interested in the character, so I replied with a "Maybe, we'll see." However, shortly afterwards, I spotted the latest issues of Deadman in the comic shop, and I saw that none other than Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez was the guest penciler. As I mentioned in a past column, I quite like Garcia-Lopez's work, and I usually pick up those all-too-seldom comics that his art appears in. So, with a shrug, I bought Deadman #s 5 and 6.
I was pleasantly surprised by these issues. The story by Steve Vance was very well done. Vance previously wrote the animation-inspired Adventures of the DC Universe. His stories there were decent, but a tad too simplistic, even for an all-ages title. Here, however, Vance pens a tale that is both sophisticated and easy to follow.
I'm not too familiar with the character Deadman, other than the basics. I know he is Boston Brand, a trapeze artist who adopted the ironic name of "Deadman" to spice up his act. Shot dead during a performance, Brand's ghost remained on Earth in order to find his killer, a man with a metal hook in place of a hand. Eventually Brand avenged his dead. But instead of going onto the afterlife, Brand's spirit remained on Earth to redress other injustices. He is invisible to the living, and can only become physical by possessing the bodies of others. Vance covers pretty much all of this background in these issues in a natural fashion, effectively bringing casual readers up to speed without resorting to clunky exposition.
The plot of these two issues revolves around Brand's loneliness. His is a solitary existence, and he finds himself missing human company and friendship. While drifting about the city, he learns that the police are futilely searching for a mysterious serial killer who has already claimed seven victims. Brand decides to investigate in his own unique fashion. In the process, he encounters, Irene, the ghost of one of the victims. Irene's spirit will remain trapped on Earth until the killer is stopped.
The lonely Deadman, coming across the ghost of a woman who can see him and interact with him, is naturally smitten. Irene, too, trapped for weeks in her apartment, alone in death, is drawn to Boston Brand. As the two find themselves becoming attracted to one another, Brand begins to feel uncomfortable. He realizes that if he catches the serial killer, then Irene's spirit will be free, and he will once again find himself alone. But Deadman knows he cannot turn his back on justice, or condemn Irene to an eternity in a limbo-like state, merely because he is lonely.
And so Deadman pursues his investigation, tailing the lead police detective, trying to sort out all the increasingly contradictory facts and evidence of the case. All the while, Brand's thoughts keep returning to Irene. It's a well-done blend of crime investigation, romance, and the supernatural.
Vance also wisely incorporates a certain degree of humor to the story to offset the suspense and horror. As far as I can recall, Deadman has always possessed something of a dry wit and self-deprecating sense of humor, which he uses to help cope with his tragic state of existence. Here, Irene offers up an additional source of humor, as she good-naturedly pokes a little fun a Brand. Looking at his Deadman's flamboyant costume, she asks him "What's with the clothes? You get hit by a bus while trick-or-treating?"
Of course, the best aspect of these two issues was the art by Garcia-Lopez. He does very rich, detailed, illustrations, and offers up some striking layouts. The inking by Joe Rubinstein suits his work very well. And the cover for issue #6 is very striking.
In closing, I definitely recommend checking out these two issues of Deadman. That's why I was rather sparse in discussing plot details, as it would be unfair to reveal any more. The fact is, I enjoyed this story so much that I might decide to pick up future issues of the series. Vance writes Deadman as a pretty engaging character. I guess I'll see what happens next.
Double Take #2, $2.95 US, published by Funk-O-Tron
"Tommi Trek" - Writer: Brian Miller; Artist: Mike Worley
"Tales of the Realm" - Writer & Penciller: Matt Tyree; Inker: Serge LaPointe
Rating 2.5 out of 5 stars
Double Take is a book with an (appropriately) odd, convoluted history. Its origins were in Image Comics' anthology flip-book Double Image, which folded after only five issues. One of the features, Joe Casey & Charles Adlard's "Codeflesh," still had three chapters to go. Meanwhile, over at Funk-O-Tron, there was a completely different anthology flip-book, this one entitled (yep, you guessed it) Double Take. The first issue of Double Take came out shortly after Double Image was canned. Funk-O-Tron then decided to pick up where Image left off, and finish publishing "Codeflesh" in Double Take. They even jumped from issue #1 to #6, to take up the Image numbering.
I wasn't too enthusiastic about "Codeflesh," but I decided, what the heck, I might as well see how the story ended. So I picked up Double Take #s 6-8. Whatever weaknesses "Codeflesh" had were more than made up for by the flipside feature, the irreverently hysterical "Rex Mantooth: Kung Fu Gorilla."
Anyway, having wrapped up "Codeflesh" and "Rex Mantooth," Funk-O-Tron evidently decided to jump back to issue #2 and fill in the blanks. Which, at last, brings us to the present!
Brian Miller & Mike Worley's contribution to Double Take #2, "The Terrifying Tales of Tommi Trek," is an obvious homage to the classic, long running cartoon series Johnny Quest. Now, I've never been a follower of Johnny Quest (I'm more a Scooby Doo and Tom & Jerry fan), but I have seen reruns of the show on Cartoon Network. Maybe if I had first seen the series as a kid, I would have become a fan. It's hard to say.
Anyway, Miller & Worley certainly do capture the spirit of Johnny Quest. Perhaps a bit too closely. There are so many parallels between young Ms. Trek and the Quest kid that the lines between "homage," "parody," and "imitation" do get a bit blurred. Perhaps I'd have enjoyed Tommi Trek more if I were an actual fan of Johnny Quest.
Miller's writing for Tommi Trek is fun, I'll grant you that. He slips easily into the feel of the Johnny Quest cartoon, adopting the lighthearted, adventuresome, larger-than-life atmosphere of those old episodes. It was charmingly nostalgic seeing Tommi, her pet cat Outlaw, and her father's associate Race, er, Chase battling oddball super-criminals in a seaweed-choked graveyard of ships. Miller ends the story on something of a cliffhanger, one that left me wondering what happens next. So obviously I must have liked Tommi Trek. That, and I'm too anal retentive to abide by loose ends…
Worley's art for Tommi Trek was quite charming. He definitely captured the look of the Johnny Quest series without slavishly copying it. Worley appears to have a more angular style (or something along those lines) making his art a bit more stark and dramatic. I'd definitely like to see further work from this artist.
According to the credits, Worley is also responsible for "visual instruction." That probably means he gave descriptions of what he wanted to Hi-Fi Design, who were responsible for the colors and hues. The results show, as Hi-Fi produce tones of the same feel as those seen in the Johnny Quest cartoon. This is an example of what happens when computer coloring is utilized properly, with an understanding and appreciation of the story & art. Hi-Fi Design's work here fully compliments Miller & Worley's story.
Would that I was able to compliment Matt Tyree's "Tales of the Realm." Not to damn with faint praise, but the best that I can say it that it is an okay effort, just rather pedestrian. Tyree's story introduces us to a trio of protagonists in a sword & sorcery setting. The three adventurers do the usual stuff: hunt for treasure, fight off lizardmen, and get involved in a brawl at the local tavern, all the while trading insults with one another.
The problem with Tyree's writing is that there isn't any hook to engage the reader. The characters are all rather one-dimensional, and the situations are somewhat cliched. Tyree himself writes on the inside front cover "In 14 pages it's hard to fully introduce the personalities behind the characters…" and I will grant him that. But it feels like he doesn't even make much of an effort to do so. He foregoes several chances to develop the characters, instead using most of the story to set up comical situations where the trio can spout off clever, sarcastic dialogue. The characters seem to be just as much ciphers at the end of the 14 pages as they were at the start of the story.
Admittedly, writing in the fantasy genre is somewhat difficult. There's a temptation to either write a blood & guts, Conan-style pastiche, or to set up an overly ambitious, Tolkien-esque epic quest. At least Tyree doesn't fall back on either of these formulas with "Tales of the Realm." He clearly wants to have fun with this material. Unfortunately, I think he goes too far setting up the comedy, to the point where it becomes almost a farce, a sitcom set in a Dungeons & Dragons campaign.
The artwork by Tyree and LaPointe is decent. Like the writing, it is passable, but that's about it. There just is not anything distinctive or dynamic about Tyree's work. Nothing about the art catches the eye. It just feels rather flat.
I hate writing such critical things about creators who are probably newcomers to the comic book medium. I certainly am not doing this to be nasty and mean-spirited. But, honestly, "Tales of the Realm" just did not do anything for me. I certainly hope that future projects by Tyree will see an improvement in quality.
Oh, yes, a note about the covers to Double Take #2. There were actually several variants, five for "Tommi Trek" and three for "Tales of the Realm." There are thumbnail images of each variant on the inside front cover of each respective feature. Judging by them, I definitely lost the luck of the draw, at least as far as the Tommi Trek ones go. The only cover that was left in the store was the Dan Jurgens one. It's a rather undistinguished piece, with literally no backgrounds to it, and a rather bland layout. Quite honestly, it looks like Jurgens phoned it in, so to speak. The other four covers, by John Byrne, Phil Hester, Dick Ayers, and Steve Lightle, all appear to be much more dynamic and interesting. At least the Lightle cover appears as a pin-up within the issue. It's an incredibly dramatic illustration by one of my favorite artists. So I'm happy that it was included inside the comic.
As for the three "Tales of the Realm" covers, well, I really don't care. Three different artists (Tyree, Mike Wieringo, and Randy Green) came up with three nearly-identical covers: the trio of protagonists in rather standard poses, weapons drawn, stern looks etched on their faces. If I didn't know better, I'd think all three artists had somehow managed to channel the spirit of Boris Vallejo when doing these illustrations. In the end, the covers for "Tales to the Realm" are about as undistinguished as the story itself.
The Megalomaniacal Spider-Man #2, $2.99 US, published by Marvel Comics
Writer & Artist: Peter Bagge
Rating 3 out of 5 stars
I'm at something of a loss, trying to figure out exactly what the point of The Megalomaniacal Spider-Man is intended to be. Oh, it's quite obviously a farce, a send-up by Marvel Comics of their flagship character. But what is the specific message that Peter Bagge is attempting to bring across with it? As Dionne Warwick asked, "What's it all about, Alfie?"
I've a passing familiarity with Bagge's work, having read a couple of issues of his Hate series. That was an odd book, to be sure. One of those "highbrow" alternative titles that ostensibly has some deep point about society, but is mostly concerned with jokes about smoking weed and masturbation. You know, the type of series Fantagraphics loves to publish.
Bagge's humor is more restrained in The Megalomaniacal Spider-Man (i.e. no drugs or self-gratification). Actually, it's quite a hysterical story that pokes fun at Peter Parker's endless fights with supervillains, his overwhelming angst, his rocky relationships, and his dealings with J. Jonah Jameson. So, yep, it's humorous. But, as I said, what precisely is it that Bagge would like to communicate to the reader?
From the dedication on the last page, it's apparent that Bagge's story is inspired by Spider-Man co-creator Steve Ditko. But is Bagge paying homage to Ditko, spoofing him, or both?
Ditko is decidedly one of the more unusual comic book creators of the twentieth century. A notorious recluse (he's been referred to as the J.D Salinger of the comic biz), Ditko refuses to offer interviews, preferring to either let his work speak for itself, or communicating solely through rambling essays in which he expresses his outlooks. Ditko's is heavily influenced in his thinking by philosopher Ayn Rand.
The founder of Objectivism, Ayn Rand possessed a very absolutist outlook. Morality is a black & white affair, where something is either right or wrong, with no in-between. Rand championed the ideal of the individual who succeeds by his will and intellect, rising above the masses to achieve great accomplishments. Rand was also a champion of capitalism. In her writings, Rand lifted up capitalists upon a pedestal as representations of the greatness of the individual. She regarded them as intellectual giants who helped raise humanity from the mire of pre-industrial times.
In The Megalomaniacal Spider-Man, it's 1968. Peter Parker, after fighting Doctor Octopus for the umpteenth time, decides he seriously needs to reconsider his direction in life. Hoping for inspiration, he decides to look through Ayn Rand's novel Atlas Shrugged, which Gwen Stacy lent him. Reading it, Peter comments "This book… is really inspiring. It's about people who survive and thrive on their own terms. If only I could pull off something like that."
(To digress, it seems a bit odd that Gwen Stacy would even be reading Ayn Rand. At one point in the issue, Peter, in a fit of anger, refers to Gwen as a radical protester who is willing to let the country go to "the commie dogs." Rand possessed a seemingly pathological hatred of socialism in any way, shape, or form, so it's strange that someone with Gwen's liberal stance would subscribe to Objectivism . Of course, given Peter's wild fits of anxiety in this story, it's quite likely he was exaggerating Gwen's left-wing views!)
Peter, inspired by Rand's writings, turns over a new leaf. He adopts the Randian belief that society's expectations of altruism are unjust, and hangs up his Spider-Man costume. Flashing forward to 1984, we see that Peter has become a super-capitalist. He has bought up the Daily Bugle newspaper, becoming an iron-fisted, power-hunger tyrant who makes former owner J. Jonah Jameson look like a nun in comparison.
At this point it seems that Bagge is definitely skewering Ayn Rand's regard for capitalism as intrinsically good. Rand seemed to view the intellectual giants of capitalism as having reached a mental pinnacle wherein they would always follow the path of reason, rather than that of irrationality and emotion. She was not willing to admit that capitalists are just as susceptible to the lures of greed and power as any others. Which is just what happens to Peter Parker in The Megalomaniacal Spider-Man. He embraces the capitalist system, climbs the ladder of success through his will and intellect, and becomes a complete and total bastard.
However, things now become confusing. Fast forwarding ahead another fifteen years, we see a middle-aged Peter Parker who has given up his wealth and has become a cantankerous recluse. He hates talking to the press, preferring to communicate his thoughts through a lengthy, convoluted "manifesto." In other words, Peter had become Steve Ditko. Hell, he even looks like Ditko!
Bagge lost me here. I was clueless as to his intentions at this point. Is he parodying Ditko's notorious disdain for publicity, and his convoluted philosophies? Or is he critiquing the news media's incessant, intrusive nature, it's desire for quick, digestible soundbites, and its unwillingness to actually take the time to read through and consider the works of individuals such as Ditko? Both? Neither? All of the above?
Then again, maybe I'm attempting to read a bit too much into Bagge's story. Perhaps he did not intend for it to have as many subtexts as I am assuming. It's difficult to say. Your guess is as good as mine!
Anyway, The Megalomaniacal Spider-Man, while somewhat choppy in its flow, is nevertheless an amusing story. Bagge's zany artwork ably suits his script. He throws in some incredibly wacky images. Bagge's strength as a humorist comes through most clearly in his art.
For those who are interested in learning more about Ayn Rand's philosophies, I recommend reading her essay "For The New Intellectual." In it, she lays down the tenets of her Objectivist views. It's thought-provoking reading, even if you don't agree with her philosophies. And, believe me, I found plenty to disagree with!