Creator-Owned Heroes #1

Written by Steve Niles, Jimmy Palmiotti, and Justin Gray
Art by Kevin Mellon and Phil Noto

Before even discussing this book, I think we should take a moment to absorb the notion that this new series, so dedicated to creators' rights to own their own comics that they gave it the clunky name Creator-Owned Heroes, debuted on the same day as the first of DC's Before Watchmen comics.  Intentional?  Coincidentally awesome?  It's all good.

This is perhaps an example of the concept being better than the product, but I'm still relatively happy to plunk down $4 for something like this.  This is a thick issue, which opens with two 11-page comics, and is followed by some magazine-style backmatter.

The first series is American Muscle, by Niles and Mellon.  I'm not usually a big Steve Niles fan, but I have liked some of his books, and I enjoyed Mellon's recent work on Heart.  This series is about a group of friends crossing a post-Apocalyptic America in classic cars, aiming for the West Coast.  Niles explains that the catastrophe that finally more or less wiped out humanity was internal, involving the failure of our immune systems.  It's a bleak little tale that reads like an homage to B-movies about cars.  It's cool.

The second comic is by Palmiotti, Gray, and Noto, and involves some sort of assassin called a Trigger Girl.  We follow this one as she is awoken from some sort of pod, and sent on a mission that involves a US senator on an airplane, and two fighter jets.  It's good, but it doesn't do much more than set the tone for what is to follow.

The backmatter, which includes an interview with Neil Gaiman, is pretty much all forgettable.  Its clear that Palmiotti and company haven't fully decided where they're going with this title, and that's fine, but everything in the back half of this book felt very self-serving.  I like to support creator-owned work, but the concept is not all that new or groundbreaking, and probably shouldn't be discussed as such.

Anyway, this is a book worth supporting.  The two strips are not bad, and together they still make up more content than you would get from a $4 Marvel comic, even if you don't read the stuff at the back.

Heart #4

Written by Blair Butler
Art by Kevin Mellon

More and more lately, I find it's good policy to sample just about everything that Image is publishing, unless I know for certain that I'm going to hate it.  I don't watch G4TV (I'm not even sure if I have access to that channel or not), and only know of Blair Butler because she is sometimes covered in the comics press, so her name was not a draw in getting me to buy this book.  Similarly, Kevin Mellon is an artist whose name I recognize, but I couldn't name another comic he's worked on.  Thirdly, I have no interest in mixed martial arts, wrestling, boxing, or any other sport that has grown men pummeling each other.

Still, I thought I'd give the first issue of this series a try, and I was interested enough in the story and career of Oren 'Rooster' Redmond to stick around and see this series through to the end.

Butler's story is one of ambition, drive, and finally, the recognition of one's limitations.  That this story plays out against the canvass of MMA is almost inconsequential.  Oren is an interesting character - he goes from being a bored office worker to a man obsessed with training in the first three issues, and this final one covers the end of his career, and the life that he builds for himself afterwards.  There's a level of self-awareness and drive in Oren that is rare in people, and I found it interesting to watch him have to reassess his dreams as age and the inevitable realization that someone is always younger and faster than you are crept up on him.  It's a well-written story, and is nicely complimented by Mellon's scratchy pencil work.  This will be a good read when it's collected in trade.

Heart #2

Written by Blair Butler
Art by Kevin Mellon

Heart is a surprise.  Normally, I would have no interest in a comic about the world of mixed martial arts.  The actual sport holds no interest for me, ranking somewhere around Nascar and scrapbooking on the list of pursuits I hope to never learn anything about, yet there is something very compelling in Butler and Mellon's story about a young man who is driven to push himself physically and mentally to go as far as he can in this world.

This issue covers the beginning of Oren's professional career, as he decides to pursue what began as a hobby full time (quitting his job over his haircut makes it a little more easy to spend time in the gym).  What motivates Oren so far seems to be the pursuit of the endorphin rush he got after winning his first bout, although I have to expect that there may be a little more going on than that.

One thing that has surprised me so far, in the portrayal of Oren and his 'team', is the utter lack of female characters in this book.  I'm not suggesting that a female writer would necessarily need to have female characters in order to fully communicate her story, I just assumed that so many straight guys in peak physical condition would attract a certain element of female to them, and so far, that is utterly lacking here.

I'm enjoying Mellon's stripped down art as much as I am the story.  I'm sure actual fans of the sport would enjoy this comic much more.

Heart #1

Written by Blair Butler
Art by Kevin Mellon

I've heard of Blair Butler, but have never watched her on TV or the internet, and I'm not entirely sure of who she is or what she does, beyond knowing that it's something to do with comics reviews or journalism.  I have even less familiarity with Kevin Mellon, and I have absolutely no interest in mixed martial arts and cage fighting.

So why buy this comic, I'm sure you're wondering.  Basically, I like to give most Image mini-series the benefit of the doubt, because for the last number of years they have been giving us more winners than losers, and I am always on the look-out for a new favourite writer or artist, or a concept that hasn't been done in comics before.

I don't know if Heart is that book, but it is well-written, with some nice art.  Oren Redmond is an MMA fighter.  The book opens with one of his matches, which does not go as he expects.  From there, we flashback to Oren before he began fighting, and we learn why and how he got involved in this brutal and popular sport.

Really, that's all that happens in this issue.  There is no hint towards some sort of larger plot, but Butler's development of the character is such that I found myself interested in what was happening anyway, and am probably going to be back for the next issue.

Screamland #1

Written by Howard Sipe and Christopher Sebela
Art by Lee Leslie and Kevin Mellon

I loved the first Screamland mini-series, and am very excited to see that it has returned in a new (on-going?) series at Image.  The notion behind this series is that all the old monsters in classic Hollywood monster movies were in fact played by the real creatures.  Now, however, as digital effects have taken over movie magic, these original actors can't find work, and have been relegated to the convention circuit, bad porn movies, and desperately scrounging for any attempt to regain their fame.

In this new series, the Wolfman is hanging out with his old friend, an actor who plays a "Scotty on Star Trek" type, at a convention when they get some disturbing news.  The Devil Fish, the Screamland version of the Creature From the Black Lagoon, has died.  Apparently, he was in possession of a film made of an orgy that took place back in the 70s, featuring many different members of the Hollywood monster set.  The Invisible Man is planning on using this film to return himself to the limelight, but  Carl, the Wolfman, is desperate to stop this from happening.  He goes around trying to recruit a number of freaks to help him.

This book is frequently very funny, and has a nice, new perspective on the underside of the fandom world.  While I miss original (and cover) artist Hector Casanova, new artist Lee Leslie does a decent job of things.  The Invisible Man back-up is informative and gives us a different, more serious, perspective on the shenanigans.  Recommended.