Mike Carey's One-Sided Bargains

Written by Mike Carey
Art by Mike Perkins and PJ Holden

This prestige format collection of three pieces that Mike Carey once published through Caliber came out in 2006, but I saw it for the first time a couple of weeks ago, with a nice $1 price tag.

I've been admiring Carey more and more over the last few years.  His Lucifer was brilliant, as is his Unwritten. I even found myself enjoying his long run on X-Men, although not always to the same degree. Anyway, this book has three parts to it.

Doctor Faustus, drawn by Mike Perkins, is a retelling of the classic story of the Professor who made a deal with the Devil to gain knowledge.  In Carey's vision, the story is told through the testimony of Faustus's young servant, who had great love for the man.  Carey incorporates modern understandings of astrophysics into the story, and it is amusing to watch someone from a distant time try to understand such new concepts.  It's a very well-told, and well-illustrated story.

The second story, Suicide Kings, drawn by PJ Harvey, concerns very similar circumstances.  A group of meat packers who play cards regularly are irritated by the fact that one of their number always wins.  He strikes them as a bit of a religious freak, so they come up with a practical joke which involves an actor dressing up as the devil and playing for the man's soul.  This is a very effective horror story.

The final story in this book is a bit of prose (with a spot illustration by Michael Gaydos) about a book reviewer who becomes the target of a writer whose work he panned.  This eventually leads to gigantic Arcade in Murderworld-style deathtraps.  It's good stuff.

Battlefields #3

Written by Garth Ennis
Art by PJ Holden

This issue closes off the 'Happy Valley' story in Battlefields. The crew of B-Beer goes on their last mission before they finish their tour, and as is to be expected, things don't go exactly according to plan.

Ennis has given us an excellent example of a story that celebrates the camaraderie of warfare, and the bonds that grow between men placed in dangerous situations. Running in the background is the implication that the Commonwealth soldiers' sacrifices were especially poignant, given that they were not fighting for their own country or security, but instead for some rather abstract notions of duty to their former rulers.

Holden's art looks great in this issue, especially in the scenes in the back of the Wimpy. Those pages reminded me of Joe Kubert, which is high praise. I don't know what was up with the undershirt on the pilot during the scene in his dorm room - it's obviously been added on by the colorist, but I can't imagine why.

Battlefields #2

Written by Garth Ennis
Art by PJ Holden

When reading this latest Battlefields story, you can really feel Ennis's affection for his characters. The Australian Wellington bomber crew this story is centred on consists of your usual assortment of characters: the earnest, talented newbie pilot, the irreverent, wise-cracking but skilled second pilot, and the other crew members who sort of blur together, but are all good chaps.

The story itself is pretty standard - the experienced crew is close to finishing up their tour, the Brits look down their nose at the guys from the colonies, etc., etc. Like I said, nothing you haven't read before, if you've only just glanced at some previous war comics or stories. But, since it's being written by Ennis, when he's not just trying to shock you or gross you out, it's pretty compelling and enjoyable stuff. I'm becoming quite fond of Holden's work too, and would like to see more from him.

Battlefields: Happy Valley #1

Written by Garth Ennis
Art by PJ Holden

Garth Ennis's war series returns, with another well-crafted tale of the Second World War. I feel like that's all I have to say about the book - Ennis really knows how to write these things.

This time around, he's focusing on an Australian bomber crew flying missions into the German industrial zone, dubbed 'Happy Valley' by the bombers. This particular bomber crew has flown together for a while, and have only three missions remaining in their tour. However, they receive a new pilot to replace their injured former one, and he's right out of flight school.

At first, the veterans are loathe to take on a newbie, but they have no choice, and he proves himself to them. It's the standard war story stuff, but Ennis elevates the material through his strong attention to technical detail (I learned a few things about bombers), character development, and humour.

Holden's art is nice. His characters look a little cartoony, but he draws military equipment and flight suits in a more detailed, almost Kubertesque style. This is a good book.

Phonogram: The Singles Club #6

Written by Kieron Gillen
Art by Jamie McKelvie, with PJ Holden and Adam Cadwell

Sometimes the comics industry can operate in very mysterious ways. This week saw the publication of Phonogram, which was originally solicited for August, as well as the latest issue of DC's Adventure Comics, and they are remarkably similar in theme, if not execution.

Both comics focus on an overly serious late teenager. Superboy Prime's comic collection becomes his kryptonite. Black Lantern Alex Luthor tells him, "Others find hope and inspiration between these pages. They find a community to belong to. But you're not like the others. You claim ownership, but you have no control. And you hate what you can't control."

For Lloyd, it's all about 'Passion, Devotion, Commitment, and Intelligence'. He is passionately devoted to music (specifically Dexys), but his intensity has consumed his humour, like a black power ring drawn to rage or love. He toils away at his 'Master Plans' and fanzines, but with no real satisfaction.

I think both of these comics could hit pretty close to home for more than a few comics readers. Geoff John's attempt at confronting these issues is pretty self-referential and in-jokey, while Gillen's examination is much more heartfelt and soul-searching. His accompanying text piece is in many ways more gripping than the comic, as he explains how Lloyd is a reflection of his most obsessive period in life. This issue is interesting in the way it experiments with format - using the structure of a self-published fanzine to convey its story. There is less McKelvie than normal in this issue (perhaps explaining why it arrived so soon after the previous issue), but that only strengthens his pages.

The two back-up pieces are quite nice, and they both feature David Kohl. "Your Song" is my favourite of the two, as Kohl plots revenge on someone who behaves similarly to how he often does, albeit with vastly different motivations.