Feeding Ground #4

Written by Swifty Lang
Art by Michael Lapinski

This continues to be a pretty cool comic, as the main characters continue their trek across the border to America, and deal with the strange transformation that their daughter has undergone.  They are detected by the Border Patrol just as a group of werewolves attack, and things get chaotic fast.

And therein lies the book's main problem.  Lapinski's art, which is very good for establishing shots and dialogue scenes, quickly becomes hard to follow in some of the action sequences, and at times, it's not clear at all who is doing what.  Add to that the anonymity of the Border Patrol guys (one of whom seems to waffle in personality), and the whole fight scene, which is a major part of the book, comes off as a bit of a mess.

There's still a lot of reasons to support this book though.  There aren't many horror comics that also interact with social issues.  That, and the fact that this entire issue is printed in Spanish on the flip side, could bring some new readers to the medium.

American Vampire #12

Written by Scott Snyder
Art by Danijel Zezelj

How do you take a comic that I'm already enjoying a great amount and make it even better?  You stick Danijel Zezelj on for a one-off issue, that's how.  I love Zezelj's work (and can never understand why he hasn't been given more high-profile work), so this issue is a real treat for me.

The story is set between the events of Stephen King's and Snyder's stories in the first arc, as the book's resident bad ass Skinner Sweets visits a Wild West show in 1919, and discovers that his apprehension by Book is dramatized, and that his old girlfriend is in the show.  This leads to a lot of reminiscing on Sweet's part, and the passing of a few more legends from the Wild West.

Snyder uses this issue to help flesh out Sweets a little more, and to comment on how, even by 1919, he is a man cut off from his time period, as America embraced the twentieth century.  This is the perfect type of issue to use Zezelj on, and the book looks great.

Turf #4

Written by Jonathan Ross
Art by Tommy Lee Edwards

Regardless of how late it may be, this is one book that just keeps getting better with each new issue.  From the beginning, Edwards's artwork has been wonderful (one would expect nothing less), but Ross's writing was a little rough at the start, and has only improved with each new installment.

Almost this whole chapter is devoted to lining up the various interested parties in this sprawling gangster/vampire/alien Depression-era turf war, so that the next issue can wrap up the various sub-plots and character arcs properly.  Ross has managed to compress a lot in this series, and this issue in particular.  It would be easy, with so many characters running around, to spend the issue simply moving chess pieces around on the board, but he works in some nice character development, like at the end of the book when Susie, the reporter who has gotten involved in events, takes a moment to phone her mother to say good-bye, knowing that her chances of surviving are not good.

I'm very interested in seeing if Ross can pull off an ending that can be as good as the middle of this series has been.  I also hope that the book comes out sooner rather than later...

Superior Showcase #1-3

by Nick Bertozzi, Mike Dawson, Dean Trippe, John Campbell, Maris Wicks, Joey Weiser, Farel Dalrymple, Jim Rugg, Brian Maruca, Laura Park, and Dustin Harbin

So, here's the thing with a lot of independent cartoonists who have 'indy cred' in certain circles:  they just want to write regular superhero comics.  With a couple exceptions, these are pretty much just normal superhero stories, and don't do much to say anything new or unique about the genre.

The perfect example is the brilliant Farel Dalrymple's story about Hollis, an overweight Batman-type.  If you read this as a Batman story, it would not be even the slightest bit different from how it appears here.  I'm not sure what, aside from Dalrymple's wonderful art, makes things indy.  I'm also not sure why I'm bothered by this, though.  I think I just feel like complaining a little today.

So, to focus on what I liked in this three-issue mini-series.  In the first issue, there is an Ace-Face story that I'd already read by Dawson, and a cute enough Robin-esque story by Trippe.  The second issue had that Dalrymple story, and really, that was about it.

The third issue is by far the stand-out, starting with a cool Street Angel story by Rugg and Maruca.  Street Angel is a cool comic general.  This story has her dealing with a Japanese monster movie creature in a ninja hospital.  It's always fun when she's around...

The best story in this whole series though comes from Laura Park, an artist I am completely unfamiliar with.  Her quiet little piece about young siblings who appear to be raising themselves is understated, evocative, and just about perfect.  It is a very sweet story, and it makes me want to learn more about Park and see more of her work.

Seedless Vol. 1

by Corey Lewis

I really want to like Corey Lewis's work.  Glancing at his output, in books like Peng! and Sharknife, he would seem to be a frenetic, hyperactive comrade in arms of people like Brandon Graham and James Stokoe (whose King City and Orc Stain, respectively, are pure genius).  The problem is, he doesn't seem to be able to pull off the interesting plotting and visual thrills that the other two produce on a regular basis.

Instead, his work comes off as simply trying too hard, and emotionally flat (not to mention frequently hard to follow).  So, if that's my opinion, why give him another chance with Seedless, his collected web comic about sentient grapes?  After having read it, I have no idea.  I also have no idea who the audience for this book is supposed to be.  I think maybe it's a kids' comic, but I'm not sure that any of them would like it all that much either.

The story, such as it is, revolves around some seedless grapes.  One of them, named Crazy, is trying to destroy or take over the grape world, and for some reason has journeyed to Earth.  Three other seedless grapes (Crazy can take control of the minds of grapes with seeds) named Dash, Pulse, and Funky (seriously), have come to Earth to stop him, using mechanized Robo-Stomp things.  Oh, and for some reason they are hanging out in the kitchen of a half-android human girl who has an older lesbian stalker (but it's not creepy).

This comic is just about as awful as you can get.  Plot devices are introduced at random, and the dialogue is as bad as the character names.  Apparently this project was designed when Lewis was only twelve, and I suppose if he had drawn it at that time, I'd be a little impressed by everything but the plotting, but as it stands?  No.

Since I like to try to extenuate the positive in my reviews, I will say that there is a very nice pin-up by Brandon Graham in here.  Yah, that's as upbeat as I can get...

Homeless in Sacremento

by William T. Vollmann

In this lengthy article, Vollmann addresses, as only Vollmann can, the issue of homelessness in America today.  He starts the article by discussing the problems he has had with people choosing to camp in the parking lot adjoining his home.  Being William Vollmann, and therefore a soul of heart-breaking gentleness and need for approval, he is reluctant to run these people off his property, or erect barriers to make it harder for them to camp.  Instead, he puts up with having to wash excrement off his doorstep, and the occasional act of minor vandalism, not to mention the threatening presence of the authorities.

From here, Vollmann begins to examine the Safe Ground movement; a concept whereby groups of homeless set up orderly, safe camps in national parks or out of the way places where they hope to remain undisturbed by the authorities.  Again, in typical Vollmann fashion, instead of simply visiting these places, he makes a habit of camping in them, living and eating with the inhabitants on a sporadic basis over many months.

Through his experience, we are given a window on a group of people who defy the usual image of the homeless.  These are not depraved, insane individuals (but for the very rare exception), but are instead people who have slowly found themselves in this unfortunate situation.  There is no pointing of fingers; I expected at least one diatribe against sub-prime mortgages, or the other typical evils of American finance, but this is nowhere in evidence in this article.

What there is, instead, is an abundance of beauty.  Vollmann portrays people at their kindest, and takes pains to also paint a portrait of the natural beauty with which they surround themselves.  There are a few typical Vollmannesque diversions, such as his discussion of the nature of dogs, and how homelessness brings out the best in them, but for the most part, this is a more restrained (and perhaps space-conscious) Vollmann than I'm used to reading.

I believe that much of the first half of this article appeared in his book Poor People, but I enjoyed reading it again, especially in the context of the latter part of the article that deals with Safe Ground.  In all, this is a balanced piece of reporting, that does not pretend to have any solutions for the problem of homelessness.

Content #1

by Gia-Bao Tran

I pulled this gem out of a bargain box, and was interested by Tran's linework, which reminded me a little of Dave McKean's Cages.

The story is about Elin Ohmart, a young man who participates in a psychological experiment involving his dreams.  He's not entirely sure what the purpose of the experiment is, and mostly is there to talk to the pretty woman who is running things.  When he drifts into his dreams though, Elin finds himself talking to his younger self, and their conversation effects some change in Elin's memories.  In short, he realizes that he can change his past, and so he insists on being able to return to the experiment again and again.

Tran paces the story very well, as we see Elin become both more and more obsessed, but also happier than he has been in some time, as he starts a relationship with Stef, the woman conducting the experiments.  It is Elin's insistence that he correct the problems of his past that threaten the happiness he's now found in the present.

Before I read this, I was interested in checking out Tran's new book Vietnamerica; now I really want to read it.

The Apostate

by Lawrence Wright

This has to be one of the best articles I've read in the New Yorker in months.  Lawrence Wright, in twenty-six full pages, thoroughly examines Scientology.  The article is centred on Paul Haggis, a filmmaker who has recently decided to leave the church after some thirty-four years in the organization.

Wright does not limit his reporting to Haggis's story though.  Instead, he digs into the history of the religion, the myths surrounding its founder, L. Ron Hubbard, and layer upon layer of hypocrisy and deception.

Again and again, we read stories of Scientologists being assaulted by David Miscavige, the head of the organization.  We also learn about people held in confinement for years on the Gold Base, the headquarters of the Sea Org, the militant branch of the faith (where teenagers sign billion-year contracts to work for slave wages).

Much of what Wright reveals about Scientology is deeply bizarre, even to someone who has seen the episode of South Park where Scientology is eviscerated.  The intergalactic cosmology of the faith is ridiculous, but even stranger is the willingness of educated, talented people, to buy in to this stuff.  At the same time though, Wright makes some of the tenets of the faith, such as the way people can apply Scientology to disagreements and debates, fully credible.

I'm sure that the New Yorker is going to receive a lot of flack from the Church for printing this article, but I feel that in addition to being a stunning piece of reportage, it is important to expose this 'faith' for the cult that it is.

Strange Science Fantasy #1-6

by Scott Morse, with Paul Pope

Somehow this series stayed completely below my radar until I saw the last issue.  Luckily, I was able to get the whole set during a sale at my comics store, as this is one very cool comic.

Basically, Morse is playing around with pulpy strange science stories, with each issue telling a done-in-one story (except for the last issue, which manages to bring all the different issues together).  We get characters like The Headlight, who leads a rebel group of Gearheads, the Shogunaut, G.I Gantic (a soldier who can grow to great heights), and Rusty Irons, a boxer who becomes a Plastic Man knock-off.  My favourite issue is the third, which features the Projectionist, a man with an old reel-to-reel movie projector as a head.

Morse has structured each page with three horizontal panels, with narration written between them.  He is definitely going for a wide-screen look, as his panels are as frenetic and bombastic as his writing.  The art is a cross between Darwyn Cooke and Frank Espinosa, while the writing feels like it may have been written by Stan Lee after a three-day binge on cocaine and poppers.

Each issue also contains a one-page back-up story by Paul Pope, which is in itself very cool.

Cyclops #4

Written by Matz
Art by Luc Jacamon

This series feels a little predictable, but I'm enjoying it nonetheless.  Our man Pistoia, who has become the central star of an independent military reality show is becoming ever more suspicious of his corporate masters, but is at the same time becoming ever more complicit in their shady dealings.

He's beginning to question the purpose of the secret mission he was sent on a couple of issues back, especially in light of Multicorps' winning of another UN contract in Argentina (although his assertion that he speaks neither Turkish nor Spanish rings pretty false, as everyone knows a little Spanish).  While this is going on, he's being systematically seduced by a Multicorps press agent, and generally set up for blackmail.

Like I said, there's nothing particularly original or groundbreaking about this book, but the story is being told very well by Matz and Jacamon's work looks great.

Fables #102

Written by Bill Willingham
Art by Mark Buckingham and Steve Leialoha

I thought this issue was going to continue to look at Blufkin the former flying monkey's adventures in the Greater Oz Area, but apparently not.  Instead, we spend most of the issue in Haven, where it's "six months later", conveniently helping us to avoid all the settling in of the various Fables (farm and country) that had to flee to Flycatcher's land after the events of issue 100.

This issue opens with Bigby being recalled to Haven from some mission to take part in the community's planned attack on Mr. Dark.  It would seem that Ozma is putting together a squad of people who have no fear, and Pinocchio has convinced her to model it after traditional superhero teams (complete with costumes).  He's even taken to rolling around in a wheelchair, to complete the Professor X/Niles Caulder role.

This is a pretty good issue, as it brings readers back up to speed with everything that's been going on, and demonstrates quite credibly why Mr. Dark is a current threat, and not something that can be ignored until later.  I like the way that Willingham is poking fun at superhero books, but maintaining his usual feel for this series.

DMZ #62

Written by Brian Wood
Art by Riccardo Burchielli

After a few months of flashbacks and one-off issues, Wood has brought us back to the current situation in Manhattan, as the United States Army enters the city in large numbers.  They have finished their massive bombing campaign, and are now making their way through the city with the goal of taking control of it, and then coordinating their entry into Free States territory.

Matty Roth, the usual main character of this series, is traveling with them in his new role as embedded journalist.  Matty's been used by Liberty News and the army before, but he agrees that an independent, impartial record of the invasion needs to be kept, and that he is probably the only person able to do the job.  It's amusing that for most of the issue, the soldiers don't attempt to make use of Matty's superior knowledge of the territory, and he doesn't volunteer it.

This series has been about Matty's growth more than anything.  Here, he reflects on the attitudes and actions of the soldiers entering the DMZ for the first time, and recognizes in them his own earlier self.  What remains to be seen is how Matty will leave this particular part of his journey, especially after an old, familiar face shows up towards the end of the issue.

I feel like, as the series nears its end, Wood is finally able to put into play some things he's been planning for a long time, and that makes this series exciting again.  It's very nice to see regular artist Burchielli back on the book, as he's been gone for a little while now.

Wet Moon Book 2: Unseen Feet

by Ross Campbell

I'm a little surprised by just how absorbed I found myself in the second volume of Campbell's bizarre punk college girl series.  I liked the first volume, and love Campbell's art, but found, with this volume, that I didn't want to put the book down, and stayed up way too late to finish it off (I only wish I had the next three volumes handy).

This book picks up right where the last one left off.  Cleo and her friends are working their way through their various minor dramas, and just generally getting by and living their college life.  Cleo becomes close to Myrtle, the girl she literally ran in to in the last book, although some questions are being raised as to the nature of their friendship.  Trilby gets closer to her boyfriend, roommates eat peoples' food, and so on.  In a lot of ways, this is New York Four set in the south, populated with chunky girls with ambivalent sexuality (except that it came first).

What makes this book so charming and beguiling is the strength of Campbell's characterizations and artwork.  He does such a good job of conveying Cleo and the others through their physicality and facial expressions, that it is obvious what they are thinking at different moments.  There are some truly bizarre choices made in this book, like when a random cat plays with its food in its bowl, for no apparent reason, but scenes like this only add to my enjoyment of the series.

I don't see this as the type of book to have a wide readership, but at the same time, I think it deserves a lot more attention than it has received.

Wondermark Vol. 2: Clever Tricks to Stave Off Death

by David Malki

Having become mildly obsessed with Malki's Wondermark site, and having thoroughly enjoyed the first volume of Dark Horse's collections of the strips, I eagerly enjoyed this second volume. 

Malki, for those unfamiliar with his approach, takes old Victorian images and repurposes them to create newspaper-style comics strips, with a decidedly contemporary outlook.  Much of the visual humour in the series comes from seeing people in petticoats and top hats discussing the Internet or modern celebrities.

Malki's sense of humour is very strange, but always funny.  I felt that this volume is much more consistent than the first, which often seemed to feature strips that ended, rather than concluded.  You can trace his growth as an artist in this book, especially when he includes a few out-take strips that were never published on-line (because they aren't good).

This book also includes Ransom!, his first long-form comics story told in this style (originally published in a volume of Myspace Dark Horse Presents).  Personally, I didn't enjoy this story too much, as I felt like it was pretty forced (until the ending, which redeems it).

Overall though, this is a very funny book.  Check out the website, and then do yourself a favour and give this a try.

Stupid Comics #1

by Jim Mahfood

I feel like I really need to track down more of Jim Mahfood's work.  I've read the Phoenix Edition of his Stupid Comics, basically a collection of a strip he did for an independent paper, and I read his Grrrl Scouts, but this is the first I've read of this series, which looks like it lasted three issues, spread over a number of years.

Anyway, this issue is made up of a number of one-page strips, with a couple lasting two pages.  Mahfood is a comics creator after my own heart - he listens to hip-hop, funk, and afrobeat music, and writes about jazz, the War on Terror, the War on Drugs, Catholicism, celebrity worship, technology obsessions, and gender relations.  He takes street kids to task for being boring, but also rails against hipster 'loop diggas'.

His pages are crammed full of his angry comics goodness, making this single issue a lengthy, complicated read.  I'm not sure what he's been up to lately, but I feel like I need to find out.