Popgun Vol. 4

Edited by DJ Kirkbride, Anthony Wu, and Andrew P. Knave

There's nothing better than a thick, heavy, well-produced book full of comics.  The Popgun series of anthologies has garnered a lot of attention for their ability to bring greater exposure for emerging and lesser-known cartoonists and artists, and placing them next to some of the biggest names in the industry (although to be fair, in this volume, that's just Erik Larsen).

This five hundred-plus page fourth volume has some seventy-three contributors, which is amazing.  Some of the stories in here are great, and I've found a few people whose careers I'm now interested in following (such as Anthony Wu, Frank Stockton, Darren Rawlings, and Stuart Livingston).

It also has some work from creators whose work I've been enjoying for a while, like JM Ken Niimura, Tom Scioli, and Salgood Sam, who we don't see enough from.

I have some problems with the book though.  In a book this full, there are plenty of very short stories, and that has the cumulative effect of making none of them feel very consequential.  I found that most of them had left my memory almost before I'd started the next one.  As well, the level of diversity sometimes works against the book.  I support a wide range of comics, and like to see a lot of variety in books like this, but don't understand why stories that are so obviously for young children are included in a book with nudity and strong language.

Still, in the overall, I got a lot of enjoyment out of this book, and should probably read the two volumes I haven't gotten ahold of yet.

I Kill Giants #7

Written by Joe Kelly
Art by JM Ken Niimura

This book is the perfect example of why Image is my favourite comic publisher. It must have been a strange pitch from the beginning - young girl fights giants and bullies and carries around a gigantic mystical hammer named after a baseball player in her little purse, but also runs from something bad going on at home. It's by a superhero writer who has critical acclaim (if sporadic commercial success), and a European artist who is basically unknown in North America, who draws in a manga style. Most comic companies wouldn't touch it. I can't see this title working at Vertigo or Dark Horse - it's too different from everything else they do. But it found a home at Image, and I'm grateful for that.

This has been a compelling series from the beginning, and its ending here is riveting. Barbara is a fascinating character, with great strength. The cast of characters Kelly and Niimura put together are interesting and enjoyable.

I could go on at great length about my enthusiasm for this series, but it's been said better than I could at the Comics Should Be Good blog at CBR. I agree with Greg Burgas completely - more people should have been reading this book, and they should definitely pick it up in trade if they can't find the single issues. It's a very rewarding series.

I Kill Giants #6

Written by Joe Kelly
Art by JM Ken Niimura

This is the all-action issue of this title. Basically, it turns out that Barbara was right all along about the giants, but not their purpose. I'm not sure exactly what happened at the end of the issue, but I'm looking forward to the next, final issue explaining it all.

Niimura really shines in this issue. His art has been very fluid all along, but he does a fantastic job of showing the battle. The design for Barbara's hammer, Coveleski, is fantastic.

I don't have much more to say - this one was a quick read.

I Kill Giants #5

Written by Joe Kelly
Art by JM Ken Niimura

I continue to love this book. In this issue, we start to figure out what's going on with Barbara's family, as both Sophia and Mrs. Molle make efforts to reach out to Barbara. We also start to see that Barbara might be a lot more disturbed than we originally thought (what all is that in her garbage bag?).

The story resists the impulse to sink into psycho-babble though, and the final few pages make us wonder if maybe Barbara hasn't been right all along.

Niimura's artwork is perfect for this story. The atmosphere that he creates helps push along the feeling of doom that I got from this book. I love the way he draws the sky.

I Kill Giants #4

Written by Joe Kelly
Art by J. M. Ken Niimura

I'm glad to see Joe Kelly making a return to comics - especially creator-owned books through Image.

This series tells the story of Barbara, a very disturbed young girl who apparently kills giants with the help of her mighty hammer Coveleski, which she keeps in a purse at her side.

We see, as the series progresses, that there is something seriously wrong with this kid. What at first seems like an amusing magical-realist fantasy story is in fact a comic about a little girl who's life has some dark, terrifying secrets, and she is dealing with them by retreating into her own fantasy world.

This issue starts to shed some light on what is really going on here: the school psychologist and Barbara's older sister both talk about her parents, but we don't know what they are saying, as their dialogue is blacked out and obscured (and not like in All-Star Batman and Robin - we really can't read it). As well, Barbara pulls out her hammer to finally deal with the bullies that have been plaguing her since the start of the series.

This comic is subtle and well-paced. The art, which is often cartoony, aids the story immensely. I especially like the way Niimura adds in the fantastical elements that only Barbara can see (we assume).

Highly recommended.