Wasteland #32

Written by Antony Johnston
Art by Brett Weldele

Amid the usual trickle, and sometimes deluge, of announcements about new graphic novels and comics series that have been heralded over the last year, one of the ones that most caught my eye was the expected return of Wasteland to a monthly schedule.  Wasteland has been around for a while, and was at one point the most reliable of monthly independent comics.  And then it hit a few snags, as the last arc was released on a schedule that has more in common with sightings of particular comets than it does a monthly comic.

That's just about all over now, as in January, new series artist Justin Greenwood is set to arrive, and the book will be beginning a new arc.  In the interim, Antony Johnston decided to give us this one-off issue which addresses the fate of a couple of very minor characters.

The issue opens with a young woman, who we may or may not have seen in Sultan Ameer's camp (I don't remember if she was a character or not, or is just your generic escaped slave), reveling in her new freedom, and traveling to what she hopes is a city.  Along the way, she runs in to a group of Sunners going the other way, led by what looks like a familiar figure.  We quickly learn that this is the group that left Newbegin some time ago, under the supposed leadership of Golden Voice.  As it turns out, the man leading this group is an imposter, chosen a while back to make it look like Golden Voice had left the city.

The rest of the book follows this group as they face the hazards of Johnston's broken future world.  As always, Johnston provides a fully-realized science fiction environment, but keeps his story grounded in the strength of his characterizations.

Brett Weldele, of the recent mini-series Spontaneous, provides the art, so of course the book looks good.  He is a good artist to continue the minimalist aesthetic Christopher Mitten began on this title.

This issue is a nice introduction to new readers who may want to sample this series before the $1 issue next month, but it is also a reward to loyal readers on a number of levels.  If you haven't read Wasteland, you're really missing out on a terrific comic.  If you abandoned the book during its scheduling troubles, it's time to come back to it.

Spontaneous #5

Written by Joe Harris
Art by Brett Weldele

Spontaneous is one of those mini-series that comes straight out of left field.  It features a bizarre topic, characters with questionable motives, and an unconventional approach to art and colouring.  It could easily have been a total flop, but instead, it's a very impressive comic, showing tight plotting and some very nice character work.

Melvin Reyes has dedicated his life to investigating the reason why former employees of Grumm Industries have a tendency towards spontaneous combustion, starting with his own father when Melvin was quite young.  He's been accompanied by a young wannabe journalist with delusions of grandeur, Emily.

Now, much more has been revealed, and we learn that Melvin may not be as innocent as he seems.  There are a couple of confrontations in this issue - Melvin is pursued by the FBI, and Emily and the local sheriff face old infirm Mr. Grumm, who has more going on than anyone is aware.

This has been a very cool comic.  Weldele employs the same style of art as he used in The Light, washing just about everything out gray, green, or sepia tones, which gives the light of the fire some extra warmth and menace.  Joe Harris also wrote the recent Oni series Ghost Projekt, and so far as I'm concerned, he's 2 for 2 with his work at that company.  I hope he something new waiting in the wings.

Spontaneous #4

Written by Joe Harris
Art by Brett Weldele

There are a few unexpected things that happen in this month's issue of Spontaneous, the terrific mini-series about spontaneous human combustion, and the young man who has been investigating it in his home town.  We've known for a while now that there is a connection between the victims of this horrible phenomenon and Grumm Industries, a military contractor for whom they all worked in the past.

The issue opens on a flashback to a time when Melvin's dad had to meet with Mr. Grumm (it would have been nice if the art had somehow made the flashback clearer), and the rest of the issue is spent having characters put together some of the clues that Harris has been dropping since the first issue.

This is a very good comic, with some unexpected twists along the way.  Weldele's art is great, and I am looking forward to seeing how all of this is going to turn out.

Spontaneous #2

Written by Joe Harris
Art by Brett Weldele

It's been a while since Free Comic Book Day, so I sort of forgot about this title, but was very pleased to see it scheduled for release this week.  The way this issue was structured made it very easy to slide right back in to the story, which is pretty interesting.

Melvin's father died of spontaneous human combustion (SHC) when Melvin was a small child.  Since then, he's made a study of the phenomenon, and has become very good at predicting who may be a candidate (for reasons which start to become clear over the course of this issue).  He's partnered up with a freelance (read unemployed) journalist, who is questioning whether he should simply predict SHCs, or try to help people.

Harris is setting up a very compelling little story, with hints of cover-up and collusion at some level, and lots of great character work.  Melvin is a pretty complicated guy, which Harris suggests very well.  There are a couple of bizarre elements in here, such as the police chief who brings her young daughter to work with her without explanation, but I am definitely engrossed by this story.  I love the Erin Brokovich references.

Brett Weldele deserves a lot of credit for this book working so well.  Like he did with electric light in The Light, he makes excellent use of colour to convey the harshness and danger of the fires.  It's surprising to me just how much Weldele has grown on me as an artist - I pretty much hated his work on Julius back in the day.

Spontaneous #1

Written by Joe Harris
Art by Brett Weldele

I think Oni has a winning formula for dealing with Free Comic Book Day.  Instead of giving out short anthologies, or previewing upcoming books, they give the entire first issue of a new series.  It worked last year with Sixth Gun (which is an excellent series), and has now definitely gotten me interested in reading the rest of Spontaneous.

Although, to be honest, I would have bought this if it weren't free.  Spontaneous is written by Joe Harris, who impressed me with Ghost Projekt, and is drawn by Brett Weldele, an impressive artist whose last work, The Light, put him into my must-buy category.

Spontaneous is about a young man who has a system for tracking down people who are going to spontaneously combust.  He attempts to interview a man in a mall foodcourt before he goes up in flames, a case which draws the attention of a plucky young wanna-be journalist.  Together, they start working the guy's system to find the next potential victim.

Harris hints that there may be something about SHC that makes it not so spontaneous, although at this early stage of the series, we have no clue what that might be.  Weldele uses the same digital colouring techniques he used in The Light to add an unearthly quality to the pages, and to use light to draw the reader's eyes into his scenes.  He's grown a lot as an artist in the last few years.

As with Sixth Gun, this first issue is being offered for purchase alongside the second issue of the series in the latest Previews, if you're interested in reading it but missed your chance at picking it up for free.  It's worth ordering.

The Light #5

Written by Nathan Edmondson
Art by Brett Weldele

This was a very cool little mini-series.  The Light is an interesting variation on the typical zombie story.  Something in transmitted light (streetlights bad, headlights good) is infecting people and burning them up.  Coyle, a drunk and wife abuser, is trying to keep his teenage daughter Avery alive, despite the fact that she hates, resents, and even blames him for everything that is going on.

In this issue, Coyle is being chased by one of the men he had been traveling with, but is also still hoping to knock out a major power plant in the hopes that it will protect anyone still alive.  The issue is fraught with suspense, but it is the truly dysfunctional relationship between father and daughter that makes the book work so well.

In the textpiece at the back of the book, Edmondson talks about the usual portrayal of light in literature as being inherently good and beneficial.  It's very cool that with this series, he and Weldele flipped that idea, and made light something to be feared.  This title should read great in trade format, and I highly recommend giving it a chance.

The Surrogates: Flesh and Bone

Written by Robert Venditti
Art by Brett Weldele

I really liked the first Surrogates collection, and although I knew that this volume was pretty much only created to tie in with the movie (which I haven't seen), I figured it was worth checking out nonetheless.

This story, structured as a four issue mini-series, even though it was only released in this collected format, serves as a prequel to the original comic.  As such, it covers the backstory of many of the key players in that book, while telling the story of the Hayes case and how it was used to build the power and profile of the Prophet.

Had I read these two books close together in time, I'm sure I would have found this story rather unnecessary and frustrating, as it would have been going over familiar ground.  Since it's been almost a year since I read the other book, I was able to enjoy this on a more individual level, although I did always have a sense of knowing what was going to happen next.

Venditti makes good use of this retroactive opportunity to lay the groundwork of the world he's constructed, I just don't know how essential it really is.  To read this followed by the other book might be a better way for a new reader to experience the story.

As is increasingly the case, Weldele does a great job on the art, turning in some of his clearest and most easily followed work to date.  This has been an interesting property, but I think there is little more to say on this subject or about these characters.

The Light #4

Written by Nathan Edmondson
Art by Brett Weldele

With only one issue left to go in this mini-series, it's hard to find new things to praise The Light for without repeating what I've said before.  The thing is, the book is really good.  It's a refreshing take on the disaster story - one half zombie book, one half plague book.  Think The Stand meets The Walking Dead, but set in Portland (like all good comics are these days, it seems).

In this issue, Coyle and Avery make it into the city, where Avery is convinced her mother is alive and well, and where Coyle is planning on disrupting the power grid, hopefully shutting down the way in which this disease is transmitting itself.  There is a lot of inter-personal conflict between the not so happy father and daughter, and the two brothers who the duo started to travel with are not too interested in dealing with it.  Just as things start to get intense, there are a couple major revelations, and the book shifts gears a little.

Edmondson has impressed me with his ability to keep this story fresh and original, and Weldele's art and colouring look great.  Good stuff.

The Light #3

Written by Nathan Edmondson
Art by Brett Weldele

I think this has to be one of the most effective horror comics I've read in the last few years, and one of the most original.  Edmondson's story of an infection or virus that is traveling through power lines takes something that we depend upon and view as intrinsically beneficial, and turns it into something that is dangerous and malevolent.  The characters in the story don't know what's going on, and are reacting based on instinct and luck.

In this issue, Coyle and Avery meet up with a pair of survivors who have armed themselves, and who wear Oakleys that they've taped to their faces as a way of protecting themselves from any stray light.  The two groups join up, and have plans to knock out power for most of Oregon as a way of hopefully protecting themselves.

Weldele's art has been great throughout the series, but it is in his use of colour that he really stands out.  He captures the gray light of dawn perfectly, and it adds an ominous feel in this book that has trained the reader to regard any hint of brightness as sinister.

The Light #2

Written by Nathan Edmondson
Art by Brett Weldele

The second issue of Edmondson's new horror comic continues to impress.  Coyle and his daughter, Avery, continue to flee the strange goings on in their town.  Basically, it's becoming more and more apparent that people who look into electrical light are getting infected with something, and burn up within minutes.  It seems that light sources that are not connected to the grid, like car headlights and airplanes, are safe.

Coyle wants only to keep his daughter and himself safe, while Avery wants to go to Portland to look for her mother.  A plane crash on the road in front of them changes both their minds, and they settle to look for some place safe to hide out, presumably until morning.

I really like this book.  Edmondson is great at building up a sense of suspense, while Weldele continues to draw some of the best work of his career.  I particularly like the way he is colouring this book, and allowing the light to become a tangible thing on the page.  Beams of light feel like they have weight to them, and the reader becomes very aware of the luminosity of each page.

The only complaint I have about this issue is that it doesn't make sense to me that Coyle wouldn't be scanning the airwaves for a radio station that might be able to tell him (and us) something about what's going on.  Even if most stations are off the air (I don't imagine any DJ other than Venus Flytrap broadcasts by candle light), it seems like it would have been a necessary scene.

The Light #1

Written by Nathan Edmondson
Art by Brett Weldele

I pre-ordered this comic based on the strength of Edmondson's recent Image series Olympus, which was an enjoyable look at updating some Greek myths.  I've also read a lot of Weldele's work, some of which I enjoyed a great deal (Couscous Express, The Surrogates) and some of which has left me kind of cold (Julius, Shot Callerz). 

Anyway, I was quite impressed with this first issue.  Coyle is an alcoholic, wife-beating welder who loses his job at the beginning of the book.  He makes his way home to be avoided by his teenage daughter and lectured by his mother, who he is living with.  Things look rather bleak for this jerk, and he doesn't feel like the type of hero comics are usually centred on.  Then he hears his neighbour screaming for help, and admonishing him to not 'look at the light'.  Suddenly, this guy glances at a street light, and is quickly burned up in a strange white fire.

Coyle still has his welding goggles around his neck, and is therefore safe.  He goes home to rescue his family, and the book suddenly becomes an interesting variation on the typical zombie/apocalypse type of story.  What makes this interesting is that it is impossible to avoid light in our modern society, especially at night.  When Coyle tries to steal a car, he realizes that the dome light in the roof makes it a hazard.

This issue is illustrated by the good Weldele.  His stuff has its customary Ben Templesmith feel to it, and it is much clearer and easier to follow than it often can be.  I find whenever his work is coloured, it is much easier to read, and more enjoyable.  This is a fine looking book.

Edmondson's essay on interconnectivity at the back gives the reader some hints as to his theme, and I'm very curious to see where he takes this story next.

Resurrection #7

Written by Marc Guggenheim and Aubrey Sitterson
Art by Justin Greenwood and Brett Weldele

This is another strong issue of Resurrection. Guggenheim's story takes some time for character work as the two Secret Service guys watch over the armored car our protagonists and Bill Clinton are sleeping in, although they don't do a very good job of guarding it.

Guggenheim also introduces a new element into the story in the form of a group of people who have been worshiping the bugs, which has had the effect of keeping Baltimore safe throughout the invasion, and making it the nicest city in the world (which is ironic, since there are large sections of Baltimore today that look like the rest of the world does in this comic).

The back up, but Sitterson and Weldele is a nice little exploration of the 'Burns', the people that had been experimented on by the Bugs. Weldele colours his own work here, strengthening the comparison I usually make between him and Ben Templesmith.

Julius

Written by Antony Johnston
Art by Brett Weldele

In this graphic novel, Antony Johnston takes Shakespeare's 'Julius Caesar' and updates it, setting it amidst the organized crime world of modern-day London.

Julius is a crime boss, running the most powerful of the 'companies', and looking to unite all of the companies under his rule. Brett, Julius's close friend, and other 'gov'ners', decide that Julius's reach is beyond his grasp, and gun him down. From there, things take the predictable route, as the different bosses turn on each other, or descend into paranoia, culminating in a Scarface-like battle in a ritzy mansion.

Conceptually, the transfer from ancient Rome to modern England is a very appropriate one; however the writing is often stiff, as the characters seem to flit back and forth between contemporary speech and Shakespearian oration. It makes some scenes read tortuously stilted.

Weldele's art has always been a bit of an acquired taste. I loved his work on The Surrogates, but found this earlier effort to also be a little stiff in places. This is a book that is almost six years old, and I'm glad to see that both creators have surpassed it in their more recent work, although it does showcase their creativity and their ingenuity.

The Surrogates

Written by Robert Venditti
Art by Brett Weldele
I remember seeing a couple of random issues of this book on the stands when it first came out, but the first issue or so were missing. I kind of forgot about it, until I recently saw some press for the upcoming movie, and realized this was the same book I'd wanted to read when it came out in trade.

I have no real expectations that the movie will be much, but the book is excellent. Venditti, in five issues, pulls together a very complete and thought-provoking vision of the future. The notion of surrogates - remote-controlled robotic bodies which are used as stand-ins for just about everybody in America is an interesting one. As we become ever more sedentary, it's hard to avoid the allure of being able to lie on one's ass all day instead of working. In Venditti's future though, people really do begin to take it too far, to the point where the protagonists wife won't come out of her bedroom, because she doesn't like how she looks. One is tempted to tell her that she'd look a lot better if she got off her ass every now and then....

What really fleshes out this whole concept is the existence of the Dreads - an anti-Surrogate personality cult built around the Prophet. They provide the threat to everyones' comfort, but also hold up the mirror to society.

As the story begins, a mysterious figure starts 'killing' surrogates and stealing industrial secrets. This figure, Steeplejack as he is dubbed by the lead investigator in the case, is a surrogate with certain technological advantages over everyone else. They mystery lies in discovering who is operating him. Detective Greer is the heart of the story - an old-fashioned guy who is beginning to see through the shiny facade society has hidden behind.

The author manages to balance many story elements - mystery, action, and real science fiction, making this a very compelling read. Weldele's art suits the story fantastically. He takes a 'Ben Templesmithian' approach to his drawing and colours, and is just as effective portraying dialogue as he is high-flying adventure. I love the design of Steeplejack - it's never quite clear what we're looking at.

I'll probably see the movie version at some point, but don't trust that anything put out by a Hollywood studio could be as entertaining and thought-provoking as this book.