Fantastic Four / Iron Man: Big in Japan

Written by Zeb Wells
Art by Seth Fisher

When I buy super-hero books, I usually prefer them to be more serious than this, and in-continuity. I completely dismissed this book when it came out, but have since come to appreciate the art of the late Seth Fisher, and decided that it was worth giving this title a shot.

The story is silly - the Fantastic Four are invited to the grand opening of a monster museum in Japan (Tony Stark just shows up), and then, of course, all the monsters go nuts, and a bunch more show up and attack the city. The heroes all jump in, and hilarity ensues. After Reed talks to one of the monsters (with the help of the mummified trachea of a 3-million year old monster mummy), they learn that there is a much larger creature coming from another dimension to destroy the Earth. From there, of course, the action moves to Antarctica, and then Monster Island, with a nice guest appearance by the Mole Man.

Like I said, the story is silly, but it's just a vehicle for Seth Fisher's insane artwork. The strange locales provide him with the opportunity to create some amazing backgrounds. His monster museum is incredible, with its monster-benches and strange design. This is topped though by tooth, finger, and eyeball-heavy design of an old temple the heroes discover in Antarctica, and by his cut-away drawing of Monster Island, which is actually a large syringe.

Fisher uses a number of strange perspectives in his drawing, occasionally reducing the main characters to a scale usually used on the X-Babies, to show the size of the monsters they are facing. His Moloids are awesome too.

This was a light read, but a very enjoyable one at that. It did make me wonder though - if both Marvel and DC gave Fisher the opportunity to play with some of their most iconic figures, why haven't they extended the same offer to Brandon Graham? I could see him doing just as good a job on a book like this...

Tokyo Days, Bangkok Nights

Written by Jonathan Vankin
Art by Seth Fisher and Giusseppe Camuncoli & Shawn Martinbrough

I didn't pick up the original Vertigo Pop! mini-series, because at the time they came out, I was trying to cut back on my purchases, and because I wasn't very familiar with any of the creators involved. Since then, I have gained an appreciation of Seth Fisher (too little, too late), and have been following Camuncoli's career since his work on the brilliant "The Intimates".

This trade presents two mini-series, unrelated to each other except by themes and hemisphere. The Tokyo story is about Steve, an American in Japan who gets swept up in a weird tale of pop stars, Yakuza, family stife, and hot teenage girls. It's a fun story, and Vankin makes good use of Fisher's strengths - namely kooky detailed settings, bizarre action, and cartoon expressions. This half of the book was highly enjoyable.

The Bangkok story is about an American girl, the American actor boyfriend she treats horribly, Thai prostitutes, Western sexual exploitation, and sacred elephants. While on paper it sounds almost as madcap as the Tokyo half, it's a much darker tale, lacking in satisfying outcomes for anyone (except maybe the elephant).

What's interesting about placing these two tales together is the way in which they portray Americans as insensitive, greedy tourists, who expect that the entire world should adhere to their values and social mores. While I would never defend the things that go on in Bangkok, it can't be a coincidence that Tuesday, the main character, identifies best with an elephant, as she is the one that is trampling all over everyone and everything she sees.

This is a great collection, worth the price just for Fisher's artwork, although I think it is the Bangkok story that will stick with you much longer.