Captain Marvel: R.I.P.

Hello Chums,

I've been busy reading trades this week (and last week) and I neglected to post my review. However with the past multiple review posts, I'm currently ahead of schedule on my target of 52 reviews this year. I'll try my best to stay on track (when I can.)

This time around I thought I'd talk a little about The Death Of Captain Marvel. I never read it when I was a kid and I thought I'd give it a try now. Could this Jim Starlin story that's referred to all the time, stand the test of time?

I won't go into all of Captain Marvels past history, this is his story at the end. Early in this story we find that Marvel is sick and diagnosed with what people of Titan call the Inner Decay, we call it cancer. Yep, the BIG "C". There is no cure for it in the Marvel universe either.

To say the Captain is well liked is an understatement. When the diagnosis comes to light, all of Marvel's big brains look for a cure. It's a race to save the Captain. But nothing seems to help. After spending time with friends and lovers, Marvel realizes it's the end and he makes peace with it (and with some enemies) before the inevitable end.

About every major Marvel character is at Captain Marvel's bedside at the end. After Marvel is gone we see part of his journey into "the light." A fitting end to a well liked hero.

Okay this isn't Brian's Song, but it is an effectively sad story.

Rating: Story and Art: A-

K.R.C.

D.L.

Spys spying on spys who spy on spys

Hello Chums,

Okay the title of this post is a little misleading. It should be: Spies who track and kill spies who track and kill spies (or something like it.) Super Spy, by Matt Kindt, is broken up into thirty seven small stories. These stories intersect with each other in many ways and they're presented out of order. Several spy missions overlap each other and characters who are already dead make appearances in later stories (this helps to explain plot points.)

The stories takes place during World War II in Germany, France and Spain. Throughout the story, we're introduced to multiple agents trying to complete various tasks that might include: stealing documents, sending messages in code, eavesdropping, surveillance and assassination. All solid acts that you would expect any spy to preform.

What's it about? The Germans are working on a secret project that could turn the tide of the war. Meanwhile the Allies are using their agents anyway they can to get any scrap of detail about the project. The story starts off slowly as we get hints that there is something going on. As the story progresses, agents that have been used are eliminated (usually brutally.)

I liked this story but it's not for everyone. It has a lot of very graphic violence, but that's what we expect in the world of super spies isn't it?

Rating: Story: (including out of order chapters) A

Art: Stylized ink brushed strokes with usually one (different) color per chapter B+

K.R.C.

D.L.

Who is Scott Pilgrim?

Hello Chums,

What can one say about Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life? Bryan Lee O'Malley has crafted a very different type of story with his Scott Pilgrim character.

At first, Scott Pilgrim appears to be your average (high school) slacker dude, but he's something more. For one, he's not in high school, he's twenty three, but he's dating a high schooler (Knives Chau, age17). Is that kind of creepy? His friends think it's wrong thats for sure. Scott also plays in a rock band and has a few fans.

But what's the meat of the story? It's a love triangle. Scott basically stalks a new girl (Ramona V. Flowers, age unknown) until she agrees to meet him at a gig. That's cool until Knives Chau shows up. Of course he does what anyone would do. RUN. Run and hide backstage until his band plays.

When Scott's band takes the stage, he's attacked by Ramona's first ex-boy-friend (Matthew Patel). The fight that brakes out is like a video game with plenty of reversals and multiple hit combos. After the fight is considered a draw, Patel brings in flying demon girls to do his bidding. Scott, his band and little group handle the demons easily. When Scott decks Patel he dissolves like any video game villain. He even leaves behind a couple of (video game) tokens.

Volume #1 ends with Scott and Ramona on the train talking. Ramona tells Scott she will date him but he has to defeat her seven ex-boy-friends. Is he okay with that? We'll find out in vol. 2.

K.R.C.

D.L.

Grab Bag of books since Kansas City

Hello Chums,

Since the Kansas City Comicon I have been reading quite a few books, I thought I'd let you in on a few of my favorites.

First up is The Art Of Walter Simonson (DC art, no Marvel). This book features stories about Batman, Doctor Fate, Hercules and the Metal Men. Going into this book and not knowing much about the Metal Men, I thought their stories might be the weakest in this volume. However, I was pleasantly surprised, I really enjoyed the five Metal Men stories included in this book. Give it a shot. If it's still in print that is. My copy is dated 1989. Stories by various writers. Art Rating: B+

Year's Best Graphic Novels, Comics & Manga (03-04). Why read this? Well it has samplings of great sequential art that is still available today. This book contains exerts from Blankets, Blacksad, Owly, The Originals and La Perdida to name a very few. What better way to try something new?

The Building by Will Eisner is another great look at life in a big city. In this book Eisner tells a story about four very different people and the building that they share. When their old building is demolished and a sparkling clean new one is erected on the old site, what does this mean for the people or their ghosts? Rating : Story and Art A

Last on this list is Alias vol. 1-4 written by Brian Michael Bendis with art by Michael Gaydos. Alias tells the story of Jessica Jones. Through fashbacks we learn that in high school she had a thing for Peter Parker. But he had his "accident" and she had hers. After her accident, Jessica becomes a want-to-be super hero for a time. But that didn't work. Now she is a private investigator working in the Marvel universe. During her story, she dates Antman and has a fling with Luke Cage. And oh yeah, confront her worse fear. Going up against her old nemesis The Purple Man. Rating: Story A- Art A

Keep Reading Comics

D.L.

Hanging with Mr. C. --- (Capote)

Hello Chums,

One of the books on my buy list when I was in Kansas City was Capote In Kansas. I almost bought it there last year, but left without it. And of course I've been wanting it ever since. Since the writer (Ande Park) and the artist (Chris Samnee) are there every year, I waited and got it there, and got it signed. YES.

The story starts with Truman Capote kicking around the idea of going to Kansas to write a non-fiction novel. The novel will be about a family who were gunned down in their own home. After some debate on the merit of the book, Capote and a friend (girl) go to Kansas.

Upon arriving in the small town in Kansas, Capote and his friend aren't exactly welcomed by the town. The town's folk don't take to kindly to Capote being from New York City, the way he dresses or even the way he speaks. This of course makes it hard for him to interview anybody for his book.

After his friend leaves Kansas, Capote is down and out by himself. He decides to investigate the house were the murders took place. Up stairs in a bed room he begins talking to a girl (who is the ghost of the sixteen year old girl that was killed). Capote starts to see her as a real person. Because of her he starts dressing differently and begins to fit in with the Kansas people. Capote is then able to interview friends of the family and the two assailants.

After much time, all the interviews were done and Capote left Kansas for home to write his book. Capote did return to Kansas to see the execution of the men who committed the murders. He also went to the girls grave to tell her bye.

And of course his book was a huge success.

Rating: Story B- Art A

K.R.C.

D.L.

A Ride with a Pride (of Baghdad)

Hello Chums,

One of the most highly acclaimed graphic novels of 2006 was The Pride of Baghdad. This story, by Brian K. Vaughan, is based on the true story of a group (or pride) of lions that escape the Baghdad zoo after the bombs fall. The small group contains four lions: Zill a full grown male. Safa an old, one-eyed female. And Noor, the brains of the bunch with her cub, Ali.

After the zoo is rocked by numerous blasts, the zoo keepers leave the animals to fend for themselves. Of course the walls fall and the terrified surviving animals make a run for it. The lions being at the top of the food chain, simply walk off.

Although the animals talk to each other, this is no Disney story. The lions deal with nasty monkeys, avoid men in tanks, and fight a huge bear all while looking for food and shelter. During their walk through the streets of Baghdad and vicinity, there are moments of love and compassion for other animals. We realize these lions aren't just killers but they are a family on the run.

Can this story end on a happy note? Come on, they are lions in the middle of a war zone.

The art by Niko Henrichon really makes this story special. Without his fantastic art, I probably wouldn't have picked up this book. Give this book a shot. You won't regret it.

Rating: Story A-, Art A+

K.R.C.

D.L.

How About Something Different...

Hello Chums,

I know I usually review a superhero type of story, but I though I would talk about something completely different today. Comics aren't just about superheros and zombies you know. A few years ago I decided to branch out and try other genres of comics. I'm glad I did. There are some great works out there that would appeal to just about anybody.

This weeks review is of a nice little graphic novel named Shutterbug Follies. Written and illustrated by Jason Little, Shutterbug Follies tells the story of Bee, a nice single girl working at her monotonous job.

Bee is a film developer at Mulberry Photo. Her job is so boring and repetitious that the only way she can stand it is to print duplicate customer photos to show to her friend. Some of these photos show nudity and dead people.

After developing some particularly gruesome photos, she decides to investigate the photographer. How did he get so many shots of freshly dead individuals? The story really becomes a page turner from here.

By using his address from the film he dropped off, Bee stakes out the photographer at his house. His activity there just makes her more suspicious of him. As the story moves along, we find out the photographer is having a show of his work in a gallery. Although this legitimises his work, Bee still suspects he's up to no good. As Bee digs deeper into the photographers business, she meets his sexually repressed assistant, a helpful cab driver and (oh yeah) his wife ends up dead.

I won't spoil the ending of this book for you. Track it down. Read it yourself.

The Art and coloring really set a nice mood for the story. While at 153 pages long it's not a short book, but it could have been 20 pages longer to tidy up some plot points.

Rating: Art: A+ Story: A

K.R.C. (keep reading comics)

D.L.