American Vampire Anthology #1

Written by Scott Snyder, Jason Aaron, Rafael Albuquerque, Jeff Lemire, Becky Cloonan, Francesco Francavilla, Gail Simone, Gabriel Bá, Fábio Moon, and Greg Rucka
Art by Rafael Albuquerque, Declan Shalvey, Ivo Milazzo, Ray Fawkes, Becky Cloonan, Francesco Francavilla, Tula Lotay, Gabriel Bá, Fábio Moon, and John Paul Leon

When American Vampire first started a few years ago, despite its coming out in the middle of the vampire-related glut of the post-Twilight world, it really stood out as a well-considered, and excellently-executed new approach to the genre.  I liked how Scott Snyder (and early collaborator, Stephen King) grounded the vampire, and other mythological creatures, in biology and history.  There was a strong emphasis on character, and under Rafael Albuquerque's pencil, the book looked terrific.

As the series continued, as new characters were added to the mix, and as spin-off mini-series became more exciting than the main title, I felt that things needed a bit of a shakeup to keep my interests.  I wasn't all that upset when I learned that the series was going on hiatus for a while, as I was considering dropping it.

Now, though Snyder and Albuquerque have headlined this anthology, which has gotten me excited about the property again.  First off, just look at the talent involved in this book, with names like Cloonan, Bá, Moon, Lemire, Francavilla, Rucka and Leon showing up on the cover.  In their numerous short stories, many of which were too short, they explored other aspects of this world, and I loved it.

Jeff Lemire and Ray Fawkes took us up to James Bay to see what the Canadian Vampire would look like, while Jason Aaron and Declan Shalvey revisited the early colonial days of the United States in a similar tale.  Regular series artist Albuquerque writes a story about a small town in Kansas, which is painted by the very interesting Ivo Milazzo.

Some of the stories feature characters we've met before, as in Gail Simone and Tula Lotay's 'Hattie' tale, and in Becky Cloonan's exploration of why Skinner Sweet came to Hollywood.  Skinner shows up in Greg Rucka and John Paul Leon's story too, which explains what happened to him after Las Vegas, back in the second or third arc of the series.

Francesco Francavilla looks at the vampires' influence in Hollywood, while Gabriel Bá and Fábio Moon take us into a seedy nightclub.

This is a very nice looking book, which has managed to whet my appetite some for the return of the series, which is what it's supposed to do I guess.

The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys #1

Written by Gerard Way and Shaun Simon
Art by Becky Cloonan

A while back, I skipped reading The Umbrella Academy, the first series by Gerard Way, because all I knew about him was that he's in a band I'd heard of but never (knowingly) listened to.  Later, I went back to that series because of the art by Bá and Moon, and discovered it to be strange and rather wonderful.

Now, he has a new series with wonder-artist Becky Cloonan and co-writer Shaun Simon, and I was not going to miss out again.  On Free Comic Book Day there was a preview of this series, which intrigued me but didn't make a whole lot of sense.  This first issue makes things more clear, but there is still a lot to be explained.

We know that Battery City is not a fun place.  It looks like it's run by a company called Better Living Industries, and that it employs Scarecrows and Draculoids to keep the peace.  The Scarecrows look like astronauts (of course), while the Draculoids are created by putting a white mask over a victim.

Outside of Battery City, in an area that used to be protected by a superhero team known as the Killjoys, people seem to live in resistance to BLI.  We meet a young girl who was a companion to the super-team (in fact, they saw her as some sort of messiah).  She meets a group of rebels, who are quickly found by BLI, and stuff happens.

There is a lot of material in this book, as Way and Simon work hard to establish the strangeness of their vision of the future.  The main story hasn't really started yet, I don't think, but the issue stays interesting throughout, as the reader tries to piece everything together.  I'll need to give this a second read to really absorb anything.

Becky Cloonan's art is fantastic, but then we knew that it would be.  She's great at this kind of dystopian story that uses some aspects of the superhero aesthetic, but is not strictly grounded in it.  This book feels a lot more serious than Umbrella Academy did, and I'm very curious to see where it leads.

Demeter

by Becky Cloonan

One of the best things about attending TCAF (the Toronto Comics Art Festival), and there are many of them, is that Becky Cloonan has, for the last three years, had a new mini-comic for sale.  This year, that book is Demeter, and it fits well with its predecessors, Wolves and The Mire.

This book tells the story of Anna and Colin, two lovers who live on a remote island or promontory.  Colin fishes while Anna looks after their farm.  We learn at the start that, seven months prior, Colin was almost lost at sea, and did lose all memory of his life before that moment.

As the story unfolds, we learn that Colin only lives because of a bargain that Anna struck, and that the period of time she negotiated is drawing to its close.

I am a huge fan of Cloonan's art, and see that she continues to grow as a writer.  Her characters are believable, and I like the casual approach she takes to magical realism in her story.  This is a pretty straight-forward story, but Cloonan's wonderful art elevates it to a new level.

Conan the Barbarian #7

Written by Brian Wood
Art by Becky Cloonan

Two Becky Cloonan comics in the same week?  It's like the comic book gods knew it was my birthday this week or something...

This issue begins a new arc on Conan - Border Fury - which has everyone's favourite barbarian return home to Cimmeria, because he has heard rumours that someone is going around killing his countrymen and putting the credit for it in his name.  Of course, being Conan, he's there to track down and kill whoever this person is.

What makes this issue interesting is that Conan has brought Belit with him.  While in the south seas, and while on her boat, Belit is feared and revered in equal measures, but here in Cimmeria, she is just a foreign girl, ill-suited for the environment.  Wood and Cloonan do a terrific job of conveying the discomfort and rage Belit feels, and also do well at showing the conflict within Conan between his loyalty to his people and his need to protect his lover.

This arc feels much like Wood's Northlanders to me, but that would be because I'm not all that familiar with Conan, and so immediately read the cold and harsh landscape as being somewhere Vikings would have lived.  As always, this is a very entertaining and beautiful comic.

The Mire

by Becky Cloonan

The Mire is a new mini-comic by comics goddess Becky Cloonan, which had its debut at TCAF last week-end.  This 'TCAF Edition' is slightly different from the version sold by Cloonan (buy it here, and get Wolves while you're at it!) in that the cover stock is not of the same quality as what the official release will have.  Knowing that I already bought this comic as a preorder when it was first available months ago, I found I still couldn't resist buying a copy from the lovely Ms. Cloonan in person.  That this edition has a very limited press run added to that desire.

Like Wolves, the mini-comic she made last year, this is a gorgeous little book.  It's set in some medieval period, and it involves a young squire, Aiden, being sent by his knight to deliver a message on the eve of a great battle.  Aiden has to be sent through something called The Withering Swamp, as any other passage takes him through enemy lands.  This swamp is known as a haunted, supernatural place, and Aiden is forced to face his fears as he journeys through it.

This is a strange, creepy story, with some wonderful art.  There is a bit of a twist at the end of the book that I thought I could see coming, but I still found myself swept up in the story, and I enjoyed it quite a bit.  Recommended.

Conan the Barbarian #3

Written by Brian Wood
Art by Becky Cloonan

There is a languorousness to this title that I really didn't expect.  When I think of Conan (despite not being very familiar with the character, having read only a handful of comics that feature him over the years), I always imagine large scale battles and things of that ilk.  This is basically a talking heads comic, and I found it pretty satisfying. 

Conan has found himself under the spell of Belit, the titular 'Queen of the Black Coast'.  Her men have killed all of Conan's new companions, and because she is attracted to him, Conan is spared.  He becomes her lover, which also makes him second in command of her vessel.  He spends some time talking to an old shaman, and with N'Gora the subchief of the boat.

All of this serves to help establish these characters, and why they go around pillaging and plundering other ships and small villages, but it is ultimately all talk (except for the steamy scene between Conan and his new woman).  It's an effective issue, but a strange conclusion to a story arc.

Of course, the biggest strength of this comic is Becky Cloonan's wonderful artwork.  I've long been a fan of her work, and I feel this is some of the best stuff she's ever produced.  It's a very lovely comic (especially that love scene).  Unfortunately, she will not be drawing the next three issues of this title, but James Harren, whose work on BPRD I've been enjoying, is going to be coming aboard, so hopefully things continue to run smoothly.

I never expected that I would be eagerly looking forward to new issues of a Conan comic, but Brian Wood is also not giving me the Conan comic I expected, so it's all working out rather nicely.

Conan the Barbarian #2

Written by Brian Wood
Art by Becky Cloonan

I've come to realise that I have to read this new Conan series differently than my original expectations of it would have allowed.  When I hear that Brian Wood and Becky Cloonan are collaborating on a comic, I expect a very literate comic, such as the two volumes of Demo, or, closer to this material, their collaboration on Northlanders. That's not what they're going for with Conan; in fact, this comic is closer to Cloonan's sadly unfinished East Coast Rising than it is to anything else the two have done together.

Basically, Wood and Cloonan are having a good time giving us an action movie of a comic.  The pirate Belit is drawing closer to the vessel that Conan is on, having befriended its owner.  Most of the issue is spent with Conan firing arrows at his enemies, before boarding their boat and fighting with almost the entire crew.

Wood keeps the story moving, and Cloonan's art is divine.  While she is an artist I always associate with the urban experience first, she is very comfortable drawing barbarian action at sea.  Her Belit is gorgeous, and I found the way she drew (and Dave Stewart coloured) the African pirates to be very interesting.

I'm not getting the cerebral high that I thought may be possible from this book, but I am getting a visceral one, and that's just as good.

Conan the Barbarian #1

Written by Brian Wood
Art by Becky Cloonan

I think that putting Brian Wood on Conan is a strange choice.  When I think of Wood's writing, I think of the extent to which he places real locations front and centre in his stories.  DMZ and Local are obviously very grounded in their settings, but so are many of the stories in Demo, and Northlanders.  Usually, Wood is a very urban writer (I would argue that Northlanders, with its frequent themes of progress and change is full of pre-urban urban stories).

Now, I'm not terribly familiar with Conan, either in comics form or the original books, but I'm willing to snatch up anything that Wood writes.  Add to his name that of Becky Cloonan's and I'm on board for sure.  Whenever they work together (Demo, Northlanders, Jennie One), the result is pure comics gold, and Cloonan is one of about four or five artists that I would consider my absolute favourites.

This story looks terrific, and it has some good moments.  Conan narrowly escapes the constabulary of one coast town by jumping onto a ship at sail leaving the harbour, after having gotten himself in some pretty big trouble in the town.  He quickly wins over the crew of this vessel with his charm and tales of his exploits, and soon the captain is telling him about Bêlit, a dangerous and slinky pirate witch woman. 

I enjoyed this comic, but it kind of feels to me like a waste to have someone as talented as Wood work a story that is just an adaption of an earlier novel.  Not knowing the source material though, I have no idea how faithful he is being, or if he's been given the freedom to move off in his own direction.  This was perhaps not as mind-blowing a comic as I had hoped, nor as introspective and beautiful as previous Wood/Cloonan collaborations, but with these two working on it, I'm going to be sticking with this title for a while.

The Guild: Zaboo

Written by Felicia Day and Sandeep Parikh
Art by Becky Cloonan

I came very late to The Guild, Felicia Day's web TV show about a group of strangers who have bonded over an online fantasy game, but once I finally watched it, I was quickly hooked.  Dark Horse published a comic book mini-series a couple of years back (which I haven't read yet), and then started creating a series of one-shots focused on each character in the Guild, which I guess this is the last of (despite the fact that Day's character, Codex, hasn't gotten her own one-shot yet).

This issue is all about Zaboo, the over-mothered guy who caused the Guild to meet for the first time in Season One, when he showed up at Codex's apartment to declare his love for her.  In this issue, we get to see just how he escaped his mother (she makes Tiger Moms and Helicopter Parents look like social services neglect cases).

Much of the issue is designed around computer mini-games, which can increase the reader's XP.  At one point, you have to help Zaboo pack for his escape from home; at another, you have to choose the correct dialogue path that will result in Zaboo getting a bus ticket.  It's pretty amusing.

Of course, all of this works so well because the art on the book is by the incredible Becky Cloonan.  She's long been one of my favourite artists, and this comic helps show how diverse she can be, drawing realistic scenes (the first page is a bit of a hint as to what her Conan could be like) and amusing, cartoonish ones with skill.  I love the double-page spread of Zaboo running through his house.  This is good stuff.

Pigs #4

Written by Nate Cosby and Ben McCool
Art by Breno Tamura and Will Sliney

Pigs is a very interesting comic.  It's about a group of Soviet sleeper agents who were hidden in Cuba to wait for orders.  The original members of the cell raised their children to carry on their mission, which has now actually begun.

The core members of the group have come the United States to carry out their mission, which so far has remained shrouded in mystery, except for some scenes in the first issue which are finally picked up on again in this fourth issue involving one of the original members of the cell being interrogated about the whereabouts of the President.  They have his hand it seems - it's just the rest of them that's missing.

Anyway, most of this issue continues from the last, where the cell have attacked the vacation home of an American senator.  Felix, the one member who had left the cell and made a life for himself in the US, before being forced back into this mess, is still reluctant to use lethal force (despite the fact that we have been led to believe that he killed a gun shop owner last month).  There is tension in the group, and we learn that the Senator may not have been targeted for information, but for another reason.

It's all very mysterious, this book.  What is clearest are the flashbacks to Cuba in the early 90s, where Felix and his associate killed some boys who were picking on him, despite the fact that it led the cell exposed to discovery.  Each issue lately has been showing us more about Felix's unhappy childhood, and it is clear that the writers are expecting to make a lot of use of this character.

I like the way so much is being played close to the vest, while enough information is being dribbled out to make the reader continue their interest.  Tamura's art is looking stronger with each issue, the Will Sliney-drawn flashbacks work nicely, and amazingly, so far this book has kept to a monthly schedule (check out Ben McCool's track record on his other titles, if you are curious as to why I think that is remarkable).  Also, this month's issue has a Becky Cloonan cover, so you know it has to be cool.

Minis

by Becky Cloonan

I've made no secret of the extent of my comic book crush on Becky Cloonan.  I'm sure she gets that a lot, being the poster girl for attractive, intelligent comic book artists who can also throw down and write a good story when she needs to.

I've been slowly trying to amass a collection of her entire back catalogue (I think all I'm missing now is her Dracula adaptation), and so picked up this self-published collection of some of her mini-comics when I saw her this year at TCAF.  Minis contains fourteen stories she originally self-published between 2000 and 2002, and it is an interesting look into the creative mind of an emerging genius.

The stories are all quite short, and seem to revel in their indie-ness.  They are also disarmingly charming.  It's not hard to look at these pieces and see why creators like Brian Wood were able to recognize what a talent Cloonan is.  Sure, this book doesn't really stand up on its own, but when read as part of the bigger picture, it becomes indispensable.

Wolves

by Becky Cloonan

If this were the only comic I picked up at this year's Toronto Comic Arts Festival, I would have considered it a worthwhile trip.  Becky Cloonan is a favourite artist of mine, and I love having the opportunity to pick up something like this self-published, limited mini-comic.

Wolves was originally written and drawn for inclusion in a Japanese anthology, but now Cloonan has fleshed it out further, and had it printed on high-quality paper.

It's a story about a man (perhaps a soldier?) in a medieval town, who has been into the woods to kill a werewolf.  It's a pretty straight-forward tale, but it is beautifully illustrated.  Cloonan puts a lot of detail into her period piece artwork (see her recent arc on Northlanders), and these pages are virtually dripping with black ink.

This is a cool little book.

Northlanders #36

Written by Brian Wood
Art by Becky Cloonan

You know, one thing that I always get out of an issue of Wood's Northlanders is that the Viking world is almost impossible to romanticize if you pay attention to the details.  It looks like such a cold, miserable existence, especially in this issue.

This comic finishes the two-part "The Girl in the Ice" arc, featuring art by the incredible Becky Cloonan.  The old man we were introduced to last night returns to the ice to exhume the body of the girl he'd found once again, only this time he is discovered in his endeavors, and is captured and taken to Reykjavik, where he stands accused of the girl's murder.

The story is quite touching, as we explore the man's need for truth, which is revealed to him before his inevitable execution.  What really makes this comic work though, is Cloonan's wonderful art.  She is one of my favourite artists, and this issue is a good example of the breadth of her talent.  She shows us a bleak and unforgiving Iceland through a number of generous landscape and establishing shots.  By contrast, the panels of scenes set indoors are small and cramped, suggesting the claustrophobic conditions in which many people must have spent their winters at that time.  Wood and Cloonan compliment each other very nicely, and I hope to see them work together again very soon.

Northlanders #35

Written by Brian Wood
Art by Becky Cloonan

I had completely forgotten that the new issue of Northlanders was going to feature art from Becky Cloonan, so this became the nicest surprise of the week for me.

This issues sets off a new, two-part arc called 'The Girl in the Ice'.  It's set in Iceland around 1240, and focuses on an old man who lives alone in an isolated valley.  Wood establishes quickly that this man lives according to a pretty strict routine, and has an uneventful life, separate from the constant warring and drama that takes place between local clans.

One day, the man discovers the perfectly preserved body of a young woman who appears to have died a suspicious death.  He removes her from the ice and takes her home with him, where he attempts to learn all he can about her.  His examinations are interrupted by local soldiers, who demand that he billet two of them to protect the village.

The story is an interesting one, playing on themes of isolation and obsession.  Cloonan's artwork, as always, is fantastic, as she shows us the depths of the old man's isolation, but also the kindness in his face.  I love it when Wood and Cloonan work together, and always enjoy the shorter arcs on this title the most.

Crate Digging: A Piece of Strange

by CunninLynguists

Whenever a conversation turns to discussing someone's "top ten" albums, or which cds you would take with you to a desert island, this album is on my list.

It was with this disc that I first became familiar with the CunninLynguists (a rather unfortunately-named rap group from the south).  Their earlier releases were a little more jokey and frat-party ready, but this album was a sea change for the group.

This is a very mature, thoughtful example of hip-hop at its best.  It is almost a concept album, with a string of connected tracks that tell the story of a father with a mixed-race daughter.  This cycle, which features Immortal Technique and Tonedeff is brilliant, as it progresses into all instrumental tracks that show producer Kno's versatility.

The rest of the album is just as wonderful.  The disk starts rather conventionally, but Kno's more soulful production helps push rappers Deacon the Villain and Natty to challenge themselves.  The last three tracks of the album are very beautiful.

The other thing I wanted to mention that I'd never noticed until tonight is that the cover artwork is done by Becky Cloonan.  It doesn't really look like her usual style, but I think that's incredibly cool.  I love it when some of my disparate interests line up.

Demo Vol. 2 #6

Written by Brian Wood
Art by Becky Cloonan

This is a title I'm really going to miss.  I have gotten, over the last half year, used to a monthly Wood/Cloonan fix, and while Wood has two other monthly books to satisfy me, I have no idea what Cloonan is working on next (more East Coast Rising would be nice though).

The last issue of their return to Demo is thoughtful and enjoyable.  Kris and Jack have a bond that makes it impossible for them to be apart.  If they are, they both become very ill and suffer great pain.  As you can imagine, their relationship is not a happy one.  They have tried to arrange their lives so that they always remain within a safe proximity to each other, but live with little contact or intimacy.

The best of the Demo stories are grounded in relationships, and this is one of them.  That these two need to be together, and have a deep, biological love for one another, without actually liking their partner is at the heart of this story.  I imagine you can make any number of comparisons to the comics industry here - the uneasy symbiosis between mainstream comics and more artsy enterprises like this one; the unhappy codependency of comic stores with Diamond, the list can go on and on.

At the end of it all though, this is a great comic, which has come to its end.  I only hope these two perfect collaborators work together again soon.

Myspace Dark Horse Presents Vol. 3

Various creators

To be honest, there's not much to say about this volume that would be different from my thoughts on the first two.  Dark Horse appears to be using their Myspace digital platform as a way of advertising existing properties or upcoming series through short pieces that work as a sampling menu of the greater Dark Horse line.

Anything with a Beanworld story in it can't be too bad, and while this is a nice little bit about recycling, it doesn't add much to the Beanworld mythos.  I also liked Becky Cloonan's (I know, shocking that I liked this) short story about a man plagued by nightmares, Chris Onstad's Achewood piece, and the Serenity and Buffy the Vampire Slayer shorts.

Some other pieces had potential, but didn't go very far.  The Mister X piece and the Applegeeks story are good examples of this.  One piece that stood out for weirdness and originality was the Creepy: Om Nom Nom story by Andrew Mayer and Lukas Ketner.

Overall, this book is enjoyable, but not particularly memorable.

Demo Vol. 2 #5

Written by Brian Wood
Art by Becky Cloonan

Basically, with this issue of Demo, Wood and Cloonan reconstruct the old Freedom 55 commercials, however the young woman who goes back to visit herself in the past is not that concerned about her financial security (because she's already used her time travel abilities to deal with that issue).  With this, Wood and Cloonan tap into that very basic human wish: to know then what you know now.

Elisabeth is a seriously unhappy woman.  She has great success in business (because of her ability to travel through time somehow), but has not had a relationship that has lasted more than two months, and has great difficulty connecting with people.  Her teen years were pretty brutal, mostly due to her father's mistreatment of her, and her biggest regret has been that she let go of her first love, Evey, a classmate who was always there for her.

Demo is always a pretty interesting comic, and I'm sad that there is only one issue left in this volume.

Demo Vol. 2 #4

Written by Brian Wood
Art by Becky Cloonan

I find it hard to describe the feeling I get right before I start a new issue of Demo.  I never read the solicitation text for comics like this, and avoid all hints of what might be inside them before reading.  The reason for that is so that I can experience the comic with as few preconceived notions as possible.  Looking at the cover and the title, it didn't take much to guess what the 'hook' for the story would be - that someone is able to breathe underwater.  It's what Wood and Cloonan do with that hook that is so amazing.

The book opens with this guy, Colin, stuck in traffic on a bridge.  When his car overheats, he jumps off the bridge into the water below.  From there, we flash back to his childhood summer vacation at a run-down trailer park, where he becomes the target of a group of local bullies.  It is through their dumping him into a lake that he learns of his ability, and uses this new knowledge to engage in a very adolescent form of revenge.

While many of Wood and Cloonan's Demo characters are haunted by their actions, few have them stick with them the way Colin's do him.  There is clearly so much more to his story than what we are given in this short comic, but that is the beauty of their work - that they are able to strip a story down to its barest elements is what makes their stuff so interesting.

Cloonan outdoes herself with her water-based scenes.  Having read tons of Sub-Mariner and a good selection of Aquaman comics, it's clear that very few artists get water the way she does.

Demo Vol. 2 #3

Written by Brian Wood
Art by Becky Cloonan

We're halfway through the second volume of Wood and Cloonan's Demo, and once again, the duo give us an amazing comic.  Like the original Demo, the concept of superpowers or mysticism get abandoned completely here, as the focus is on Marlo, a mildly obsessive-compulsive LA girl who relies on an elaborate system of post-it notes to make it through her day.

In the beginning of the book, it just seems like Marlo keeps the notes to her apartment, but as the story unfolds, we see that she has left them throughout her neighbourhood.  As she says after leaving her therapist, they make her happy.  But as it turns out, she's not the only person looking at the notes, and a new element is introduced in the form of another person who starts leaving her notes.

The story here reminded me a great deal of two different issues of Local, Wood's masterpiece comic series with Ryan Kelly.  The first was the 'Polaroid Boyfriend' story, where a girl communicates with her partner through Polaroid photos.  The second is the Park Slope issue, where Megan's roommate makes elaborate lists on her computer. I don't mind one bit that Wood is returning to the same themes over and over, since his work is so excellent, and he is adding something new with each new story.

Cloonan's art is once again inspiring, as she works to add a cuteness factor to Marlo and her surroundings.  I really wish this wasn't just a six-issue series...