The Secret History Book 7: Our Lady of the Shadows

Written by Jean-Pierre Pécau
Art by Igor Kordey

I've written before about the depths of my interest in the First World War, and really, it was this issue that had me most interested in reading The Secret History from the beginning.  The Archons found their power base much diminished in the flight from monarchy that happened during the later 1800s, and had little influence left in Europe before the coming of war.  With the outbreak of hostilities though, all four Archons get involved, as does Dyo's partner William of Lecce.

The result is a bloodier and more vicious war than we are used to reading about.  In addition to the hideous new weapons man invented on his own, we have dragons and other creatures fighting on the side of the Germans.  Actually, the early scene where a dragon goes after a biplane reminded me a little of the Busiek/Pacheco classic Arrowsmith series, which I miss.

This volume suffers from the same fault as the earlier ones - it jumps around and never gives characters enough time to be developed.  It seems that the Archons are always making use of earnest young men who get paired up with mercenaries - there is an extended scene at the Somme that reminds me of the Nostradamus issue.

At the same time, setting a comic in some trenches is always enough to make me happy...

Hellblazer #265-266

Written by Peter Milligan
Art by Simon Bisley

If there's one thing that Milligan brings to Hellblazer, it's a sense of authenticity.  This book needs to be written by a Brit that lived through the Thatcher era.  I imagine that Milligan is about the same age as John Constantine, and is putting some of his own experiences or impressions of the world into the character.

This two-part arc has Constantine hooking back up with his old friend Faeces McCartney, who has an effigy housing the spirit of Sid Vicious.  Faeces has been keeping up the good fight against the Conservatives since the punk days ended, and has with him a small commune of young believers.  They are being recruited by a dark wing of the Conservative party to help them return to power, and Faeces needs John's help to put a stop to it.

This means that Constantine has to shave his head, and immerse himself in this sad little scene.  While the story has John examining his past on the eve of a return to power for the party he hates, it also gives Milligan a good reason to further examine the blossoming relationship between John and Epiphany, who is an interesting character.

The guest art by Bisley is quite nice (I don't usually like him at all), although I felt that his Constantine is a little boxier and more burly than is usual for the character.  I'm starting to reconsider having dropped this title.

Insomnia Café

by M.K. Perker

I loved this graphic novel.  To begin with, it's the only comic I've ever read that has name-dropped Richard Brautigan's classic novel The Abortion, a favourite of mine from high school which I had kind of forgotten about, and now want to read again.

This comic, by Air and Cairo artist M.K. Perker is not really what I was expecting.  His work on those other two titles with G. Willow Wilson tend towards the magical realist, while this piece is a little more Kafkaesque in its plot and execution.

Peter Kolinsky is a disgraced expert on rare books.  He's been stuck in a dead-end publishing job since being fired from a prestigious auction house, and he is not very happy about it.  When a gangster rare book collector (of course they exist) comes to him to get his help in authenticating a book, he is forced to go on the run.  His journey takes him to the Insomnia Café, where he meets Angela, a worker there.  She ends up taking him into the Archives, a rare library that contains only books that haven't been published yet.  They appear on the shelves of the Archives as they are being written, and disappear once published.  There is an extensive Salinger collection, of course.

Okay, this aspect of the story is a little magical realist in a Borgesian fashion, but not in what happens next.  I don't want to spoil anything, except to say that the ending was not what I expected.

Perker is a sharp writer.  His characters and style in this book is more angular and piercing than his Vertigo work, but I like this change.  The prickliness of it suits characters like Kolinsky, who aren't very nice.  I would definitely like to see more work from Perker in this vein.

The Secret History Book 6: The Eagle and the Sphinx

Written by Jean-Pierre Pécau
Art by Igor Kordey

Much like the previous books, this issue is a mélange of characters, real and imagined, mashed into a story without enough backstory or identification for the casual reader to easily follow.  I feel like this series has been a disappointment to me, as I had expected a great deal from it.  I love the central concept - that four immortals have been guiding the hand of Europe over centuries as they war with each other.

The truth is though, the comic is a little boring.  The four main characters, the Archons, have never been developed to the point where a reader might care for them, or be able to distinguish between them by their personalities (with the exception of Dyo).  The other characters that flit in and out of the book are equally ciphers.

It's too bad, because like I've said a few times, the concept is killer.  This issue has Napoleon breaking from the Houses and trying to amass power for himself by traveling to Egypt and the site of the battle in the first issue.  The next issue is set during the first world war, which is a favourite topic of mine, so we'll have to see how that works.

The Sixth Gun #1

Written by Cullen Bunn
Art by Brian Hurtt

I have to say that it's pretty classy of Oni to use Free Comic Book Day as a way of starting off a new series.  As a small publisher, the cost of producing a colour comic for free must be immense, and I hope it pays off for them in terms of garnering sales for this new book.  I think it's smart that the second issue was only solicited in the most recent issue of Previews, making it more likely committed comics readers will pre-order it (I know I probably will).  On the other hand, new readers unfamiliar with the workings of the industry who liked this book today will probably not be around come June for the next issue, so it's a gamble.

This is a pretty decent comic book.  I wasn't all that fond of Bunn and Hurtt's Damned series, but the world they've created here is much more intriguing to me.  The comic is set in a Reconstruction-era United States where magic and hauntings are common.  The movie treatment for this could be Jonah Hex meets Madame Xanadu I suppose.

There is a rich widow who has hired a group of Pinkertons (man these guys are everywhere in comics these days) to track down a number of enchanted objects, chief among them being 'The General's' gun.  There is another guy looking for this same gun.  They find it (and almost each other) on a small farm where its owner is able to protect himself for a while, before the gun 'bonds' with his daughter, and she is abducted.

I am curious to see where this title is going, and appreciated the opportunity to sample it free of charge.

Unknown Soldier #19

Written by Joshua Dysart
Art by Alberto Ponticelli

This issue marks the beginning of a new story arc, 'A Battle of Little Note'.  It begins where the last issue left off, with Moses involved in a guns for medicine deal between the army and a group of local tribesmen, the Karamojong.  Moses's voice has every intention of taking the guns and killing everyone else, but Moses decides to take control and destroy everything, including the guns.  It's an interesting fight being carried out inside his head as he struggles to determine his own destiny.

One aspect of this issue that was particularly interesting is that much of the narrative is made up of a report filed in some level of the American military about the events in Gulu, but they refer to Moses as Subject 9 throughout the document, confirming that he is the project of some sort of Black Budget operation.  This isn't really a shock to a long time reader, but it does foreshadow a meeting between Moses and someone from the US soon.

Ponticelli's art is as great as ever, there is an interesting text piece by Dysart on witchcraft in Uganda, and Dave Johnson's cover, modeled after Eric Skillman's cover for the Criterion release of Berlin Alexanderplatz is one of the coolest covers I've seen in ages.

Crate Digging: Chrome Children

presented by Peanut Butter Wolf

It's been a while since I listened to this 2006 Stones Throw Records compilation cd, although it still feels as fresh as it did when it came out, with a few exceptions.

The first half of the disk is mostly given over to the Jackson family (Madlib and his brother Oh No) and the then-recently departed J Dilla.  The whole thing starts off with Oh No's 'Oh Zone', before sliding into a couple of Dilla tracks.  'Clap Your Hands' is still my favourite Guilty Simpson piece, because of the awesome Dilla beat.  The third track is a Jaylib bit (although not credited as such), with Madlib going over Dilla's minimalist beat, which is a little like the one on 'Nothing Like This', from the Ruff Draft EP.

There's a nice Koushik track in the middle of all this Dilla stuff, which is followed up on by an annoying James Pants track (I don't know why they push this guy at this label).  From there, we go into a long string of Madlib-produced joints, featuring himself (as himself and as Lord Quas), MED, Dudley Perkins, and Percee P on the mic.  In the middle of that is the track that first introduced me to Georgia Anne Muldrow.

Towards the end of the disk, things get a little wilder, as Wolf showcases artists like Gary Wilson, Aloe Blacc, Pure Essence (via SoulCal), and, unfortunately, Baron Zen.  The disk closes with a Young Jazz Rebels (ie. Madlib) free jazz number.

This cd does a lot to show the mindset of Stones Throw in the mid-00's, and while there is a lot that still represents their catalogue, I feel like the label has become even more diverse and open-minded.  This is a good, strong compilation with a lot of great tracks (and some best left skipped).

Scalped #37

Written by Jason Aaron
Art by Davide Fuornò

 This issue concludes the two-issue look into Shunka, Chief Red Crow's right-hand man and enforcer.  Last issue, Shunka was sent to Michigan to deliver a message from Red Crow, and ended up getting mixed up in some dirty tribal business for the casino owner he met with.  It was also revealed that Shunka was gay and very very closeted.

When the former chief, and man he had an 'encounter' with turns up dead, Shunka acts out of character, and goes about avenging his death in this issue.  It's a very unexpected side of Shunka - not his homosexuality, but his lack of self-control and sudden flux of emotion.  This is a very careful, organized man who has usually been able to keep his darker impulses in check.  To see him run wild is impressive and a little frightening.

As usual, Aaron gives us very complicated characters, and I love the ending of this book.  I wonder if Shunka is going to start taking more risks now, or if he'll be content to return to being Red Crow's man.

Shuddertown #2

Written by Nick Spencer
Art by Adam Geen

Where the first issue of Shuddertown drew me in right away, this issue keeps me squarely interested in Detective Hernandez and his difficult case.  Actually, nothing happens on the case of the murders that appear to have been committed by other dead people at all in this issue.  Instead, Hernandez spends the issue recovering from the beat down he received last time around, and talking to a local priest about urban decay and the history of the Shuddertown neighbourhood.

Hernandez is one messed up guy, taking drugs and getting involved with strippers.  It's clear that he's losing his grip, and seems to be stuck on a squirrel-hunting incident from his childhood.

I have no idea where this comic is going.  We keep being told on the back of the book and in interviews with the writer that 'nothing is as it seems', and I'm very interested in finding out what is going on in this story.

Green's art is growing on me even more, and I love his David Mack-esque cover.

Northlanders #27

Written by Brian Wood
Art by Leandro Fernandez

This is a pretty brutal issue of Northlanders, as Hilda must struggle to regain her daughter from the grips of Jens, the man from Gunborg's group that is in love with Hilda.  Meanwhile, Boris faces Gunborg in a challenge, and the two fight for most of the issue.  And, this being Northlanders, the fighting is pretty rough.

This arc has been an interesting exploration into the psychology of a town under siege (from plague, not enemies), and the lengths to which people will go to survive, or to protect what matters to them.  What has always made Northlanders work for me is that Wood uses the historical setting as a way of telling stories that could almost fit into modern times.

Good stuff.

The Hellboy Project: Hellboy Vol. 5: Conquerer Worm

by Mike Mignola

As much as I've enjoyed the short-story collections, I was very happy to read an extended narrative with Conqueror Worm.  This volume has Hellboy and Roger trekking through some Austrian mountains to get to Hunte Castle, the original home of the Nazi space program.  It would seem that the entire goal of the Nazis was to send a dead body into space so it could be inhabited by ethereal aliens which will then turn into a worm and destroy the world.

Mignola has always worn his Lovecraftian influences on his sleeve, yet with this story, he dives into space aliens and some of the other things that live in space unknown to mankind.  This volume also features the (sorta) return of Lobster Johnson, and a cyborg ape.  Truly, I'm loving this stuff.

The ending of this book sets up the BPRD series, and explains Hellboy's absence from their adventures.  I've been having a good time working my way through these comics, and I'm looking forward to seeing what Hellboy is like without his entourage and support network.

The Great Unknown #3

by Duncan Rouleau

I'm really happy to see that this book is back, as I thought the first two issues were terrific, but it has been close to a year since we last saw the book.

Zach Feld, our hero, is a man with a great deal of creativity, but all of his ideas have been stolen from him and marketed on the imind website, an Ebay for intellectual property.  He's now hooked up with a trio of imind victims, and they are working to bring the organization down.  They even have t-shirts that profess their dedication to the memory of Ayn Rand's John Galt.

These Galt-anistas, for lack of a better term, are on a recruitment drive, and have Zach along for the ride.  Also, the reality TV crew continues to poke into the Felb family's life, while Zach's old girlfriend thinks she's figured out what's going on.  It's the middle issue of the story, so the plot is really just chugging along.

As with the previous issues, it is Rouleau's amazing art that really binds the book together.  He's doing a lot of cool things with layout here, and has expanded the colour palette beyond the monochrome look of the first issues.  Good stuff.

The Walking Dead #71

Written by Robert Kirkman
Art by Charlie Adlard and Cliff Rathburn

After having spent months on the run, in constant danger, Rick and crew have now found a safe haven, a small community that is, for the most part, accepting them with open arms.  Kirkman uses this issue to examine how they are all reacting to the change.  Some people, like Maggie, are embracing normalcy - she's even happy to be washing dishes again.

Others, like Carl and Andrea, can't feel safe, and are wary of becoming weak when surrounded by so many comforts.  It's this level of realism in these characters that makes this such a great book.  Kirkman really knows these people inside and out, and as they have the chance to take on new roles or duties in this community, their different personalities are really coming to the fore.

Having read their stories for so long, I want this stuff to work out for them.  They deserve some peace and quiet, and the chance to be safe.  At the same time, that's not too dramatic, and as we learned when they were living in the prison, it's only a matter of time before something goes wrong.  Of course, as we learn on the last page, Rick is prepared for that...

Garrison #1

Written by Jeff Mariotte
Art by Francesco Francavilla

I picked this up because, while Mariotte can be hit or miss (loved Desperadoes, found Fade to Black was not my thing), I really like Francavilla's art.  He has a style that reminds me of a lot of older comics from the seventies (think Giordano a little), but still feels very fresh and new.  His work on books like Sorrow and Zorro has always caught my attention (disclaimer:  I did drop Zorro, but had wanted to keep with it for the art).

This new series is about a guy who has been going on a murder spree for about nine weeks.  It's set slightly in the future, and agents of the National Bureau of Surveillance have no idea who he is.  The NBS calls in support from the Homeland Intelligence Agency, and while the two agents in charge head out for dinner, the mystery man shows up and kills the HIA man, and identifies himself as Garrison, before taking off, leaving the female NBS agent with a ton of questions.

It would seem that our man has some kind of intuitive ability, but Mariotte is playing everything close to the chest in this issue.  I'm definitely intrigued, and will be picking up next month's issue.

The Last Days of American Crime #2

Written by Rick Remender
Art by Greg Tocchini

The first issue of this series was interesting, but I found that Remender didn't do as good a job as he could have explaining some aspects of the general concept, especially with regards to the American Peace Initiative.  This issue, however, is just about perfect.  This is a comic about bad people doing bad things to each other, and it's pretty much glorious.

Graham is working his last big job, and although he knows he can't trust his two partners on the heist, he can't resist getting closer to Shelby.  Kevin, her boyfriend, is using his last days before the API signal makes it impossible to commit a crime to settle some old scores, and to visit his family.  Actually, there are a lot of people out to settle scores, and Graham is visited by his former partner, who he attempted to burn to death at the beginning of the first issue.

Pretty much everyone loves a good heist movie, and the way in which the scheme is laid out is quite entertaining.  Graham works at the bank they are going to be robbing, so he has some access to places most people couldn't get to. I particularly like the way in which he decides to deal with his superior on the security detail.

This is a nice, meaty book with fantastic art.  The $5 dollar format that Radical has gone with is a winner in my eyes, and this is the best book Remender has written since the early days of Fear Agent.  If you like his Marvel stuff even just a little bit, you'll be impressed by what he is doing here.