Omnivoracious

Graphic Novel Friday: Man or Mangaman?

It’s February and love is in the air—but in the town of Castleton, there’s a different kind of energy crackling. At the opening of Mangaman, written by Barry Lyga and illustrated by Colleen Doran, there is a tear in the fabric of Castleton’s reality and from it drops a strange creature. He’s lithe and two-dimensional, with oversized eyes and a waist as small as his tiny mouth. Essentially, he’s a typical manga dreamboat (perfectly named “Ryoko”), except he’s misplaced here in a Western comic.

This is no ordinary fish out of water. Instead, like a graphic novel Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, Lyga and Doran use the Western perceptions of manga to play with the medium. Ryoko enrolls in a typical American high school, where he is ridiculed by the school’s jocks for his unusual looks and actions that would otherwise be normal in manga. Lyga sets up Doran with plenty of opportunities for visual in-jokes. While at recess, Ryoko leaps for a volleyball, all speed lines and exclamation points—again, completely typical in an Eastern comic. Yet in this American high school, the kids freak out: “Hey! Watch your speed lines!” When Ryoko eats a hamburger in the cafeteria, he morphs into a muppet, his mouth opens too wide into an exaggerated grin that pushes his cheeks so far up his face that his eyes become thin lines. It’s a stereotypical manga expression of glee, but the Castleton residents steer clear of him. The janitor grumbles, “Like I don’t have anything better to do all day…” as he sweeps up the drawn lines that trail Ryoko's bombastic movements (in manga they simply disappear, but here they fall and collect on the floor).

More (but Not Moore) Watchmen on the Way

In a medium where no character ever truly dies, and where even the grandest continuities can be rebooted every other decade, superhero comic fans were still surprised to wake up this morning to the news that DC Comics will publish prequels to one of its most sacrosanct properties: Alan Moore's Watchmen--and they will do so without the involvement of Mr. Moore. 

Now, the latter bit of news is not much of a surprise. Alan Moore has famously distanced himself from Watchmen and superhero comics in general. What is surprising is this bold, wake-up-in-a-cold-sweat move on the part of DC. Given the reverence for the original work, a re-opening of the mythology will be met with the highest scrutiny, so DC smartly tapped some of the best writers and artists to lend weight and excellence to the project, including Darwyn Cooke, Brian Azzarello, Amanda Conner, Jae Lee, and Adam Hughes.

The Before Watchmen series will launch this summer in single issues, with a new issue every week.  Full details and covers are below:

Before Watchmen includes:

• RORSCHACH (4 issues) – Writer: Brian Azzarello. Artist: Lee Bermejo

• MINUTEMEN (6 issues) – Writer/Artist: Darwyn Cooke

• COMEDIAN (6 issues) – Writer: Brian Azzarello. Artist: J.G. Jones

• DR. MANHATTAN (4 issues) – Writer: J. Michael Straczynski. Artist: Adam Hughes

• NITE OWL (4 issues) – Writer: J. Michael Straczynski. Artists: Andy and Joe Kubert

• OZYMANDIAS (6 issues) – Writer: Len Wein. Artist: Jae Lee

• SILK SPECTRE (4 issues) – Writer: Darwyn Cooke. Artist: Amanda Conner

--Alex

P.S.  For more on Watchmen, see also our Omni spotlight on the book as well as the to-die-for Absolute Edition. 

Graphic Novel Friday: X-Man vs. X-Man

As if the title weren’t enough of a clue, X-Men: Schism spotlights a pivotal moment in X-Men history: a rift in ideology between its two biggest guns--Cyclops and Wolverine. In the wake of a mutant extinction-level event, perennial team leader and wet blanket, Cyclops, rallies the X-Men to an island dubbed “Utopia” in order to establish a sense of community. His plan, however, doesn’t account for any villain who might want to wipe out mutantkind in one fell swoop and who possesses enough skill to hit a target the size of a giant island. And that’s exactly what happens in Schism.

As danger looms, Cyclops sends the usual heavy-hitters across the globe to stop various enemies, leaving the island’s defense up to him, Wolverine, and the latest batch of young mutants who came to Uptopia to train to be X-Men. Therein lies the issue: Cyclops declares the new recruits fit for battle, while Wolverine declares the very idea to be ludicrous. Writer Jason Aaron presents both sides of the argument with equal footing, but it’s still difficult to take Wolverine’s position seriously. This is Wolverine, after all--the hot-tempered Canuck with the beserker rage and fangs; he’s the runt who’s always spoiling for a scuffle. Yet, here he tells Cyclops that maybe the better idea is to evacuate the island, because someone needs to think of the children. Really, it’s all an excuse to get Cyclops and Wolverine to clash, and Schism definitely delivers. This isn’t a shoving match or a harsh exchange of words soon mended by standing against a common enemy (although there are plenty of verbal barbs, especially on the subject of Jean Grey). No, here are two classic X-Men at each other’s throats. It’s an extended, bloody fight that ends a friendship and divides an entire race.

Jim Henson's Lost Project Found in the New Year

Lost for over forty years, the late Jim Henson’s Tale of Sand is “the only feature-length screenplay written by Henson that he was never able to produce during his lifetime,” according to the back cover copy. Thanks to publisher Archaia Entertainment and artist Ramón K. Pérez, Henson’s generations of fans can finally experience what may be one of his most singular projects.

A few pages into Tale of Sand, it’s easy to understand why the script never made it to screen: this is a frenetic, crazed, and of course imaginative story that would be troublesome to film with any sort of audience comprehension. Its chase scenes are strung together by phantasmagoric logic; the narrative is so visually focused that whatever thin dialogue exists does so only to move protagonist Mac from one spectacle to another; and characters are mostly unnamed and shift haphazardly in motivation and identity. Thank goodness for artist Ramón K. Pérez, who does more than just adapt and illustrate the lost screenplay, he brings it to vibrant life in this new graphic novel.

Anticipation by Design: More Details on Chip Kidd's Batman Book

Attention, Bat-fans! Back in October, we were thrilled at the news that award-winning book jacket designer and author Chip Kidd would write his very own Batman graphic novel, Batman: Death by Design, in 2012 with artist Dave Taylor. At this point, DC Comics had released precious few details about the project besides a cover (a page for the book didn’t even exist yet on our site). This week, however, DC’s blog The Source unveiled a behind-the-scenes look at Taylor’s artistic process, along with a few more plot details:

Set against the period backdrop of an expansive Gotham City construction boom, the unique take on the Batman mythology is brought to life by acclaimed writer/designer Chip Kidd and fan favorite artist Dave Taylor. Together, they weave a singular tale that captures the flavor of the city as it’s never been seen, while also creating a new look at Batman that re-imagines both the caped crusader and his iconic nemesis – the Joker.

We have a villain! No surprise that it’s the Clown Prince of Crime, but I look forward to Kidd’s take on the iconic nemesis. Plus, there’s no shortage of enthusiasm from Taylor:

“The amount of research I did on its own shows that I was into something way bigger than I’d first thought. I now know more about 1939 than I do about the year of my birth! The book contains some of the truth behind how a city is built, literally. The corruption, and misplacement of power rings true to the point of making this book a timely record. But what this book does above all is show how easy it can be to bring that corruption and power down, all you need is one hero!”

This spring release ranks among the most anticipated Batman books in 2012. For more plot points, be sure to visit the book’s newly built page on our site and check out the artistic evolution of a Death by Design panel sequence below (click images to enlarge).

--Alex

 

Graphic Novel Friday: Happy New Year with Comics, Beer, and the End of Days

So long, 2011, and hello, Apocalypse. Much has been made of our collective demise in the coming twelve months of 2012 (John Cusack starred in a film adaptation, after all), but nothing has been crafted quite like the combined creative and delicious efforts of publisher Fantagraphics, Elysian Brewing Company, and artist Charles Burns. Together, the three forces are ringing in the new year with the “Twelve Beers of the Apocalypse,” celebrating the Mayan calendar’s predictions with thematically grim beers, brewed especially for the occasion and released every month in 2012. Elysian’s bottles will feature Burns’ artwork from his seminal Black Hole (one of our Best Comics of the Decade) in the limited runs of each handcrafted treat.

On the 21st of each month, Elysian will toast the release of that month’s beer at their Seattle locations and Fantagraphics’ storefront in Georgetown. “These limited brews will be available in bottles and draft and at select bars and bottle shops,” Fantagraphics announced, so order ahead—because once they are gone, folks, they are gone.

In January, the end time festivities begin with "Nibiru" (see label at left, click to enlarge), a “Belgian-style Tripel, flavored with an infusion of yerba mate,” followed by "Rapture" in February and "Fallout" in March. Each brew promises decadent flavors and collector appeal.

Fantagraphics published three of Burns’ earlier collections, El Borbah, Big Baby, and Skin Deep—all three in magazine-sized format and full of unsettling stories riddled with anxiety and doom (but every bit must-reads). Black Hole and Burns' latest, X’ed Out, came from Pantheon—the latter was also one of our picks for Best Comics and Graphic Novels in 2010—and present disaffected youths with problems far exceeding their respective suburban abodes. The kids are not all right.

A trifecta of this magnitude only forms once a Ragnorak, and comics and beer aficionados will have much to salute whether or not everything we hold dear collapses in 2012. For more on the individuals releases, ingredients, and brew plans, visit Fantagraphics' FLOG! blog.  

Happy New Year!

--Alex

Holiday Gift Books for the Superhero Reader

Holiday shopping for the superhero fan in your life is a tough gig. There are often alternate universes, timelines, and eras for a single character, and that special someone may have a preference for one while despising another. What follows below is a quick guide to a few high-end, sure-fire holiday releases that any superhero fan will treasure this season.

Go big: It’s always the thought that counts when gift giving, but if you want to hedge your bets and impress that loved one with sheer weight and size, there are a few great, recent options--starting with The New 52. Without a doubt, the biggest comics news this year was that DC Comics planned to reboot their entire universe, restarting 52 series at issue #1. This gigantic, 1,200-plus page tome collects all the first issues in a time capsule hardcover. It’s the perfect gift if you are at all unsure of which superheroes he or she follows since this one collects them all. There is a wide variety of contributors, from superstars like Jim Lee and Geoff Johns to artists’ artists like J.H. Williams III. The individual series will not be collected until later in 2012, so think of this as a shiny, historic sampler for teens and older.

If that superhero fan has a sense of humor and appreciates a good satire based on his or her favorite hobby, then the long-awaited X-Statix Omnibus is your go-to gift. This clever, gorgeous, and enormous hardcover (it also clocks in at over 1,200 pages) rounds up every appearance and piece of comics miscellany that involves the X-Statix team, from the original series (X-Force), to mini-series involving Wolverine, Dr. Strange, Gwen Stacy, and more. Plus, it features the stylized artwork of Mike Allred, Darwyn Cooke, Paul Pope, and others. The individual collections are long out of print and hard-to-find; this one is a winner and a real boon for collectors.

Graphic Novel Friday: Batman Gazes into the Black Mirror

Batman: The Black Mirror is the best Batman arc in years and was one of our Best Comics and Graphic Novels of 2011. In it, writer Scott Snyder crafts a multi-part storyline that captures the menacing essence of Gotham and the viral impact on its inhabitants, be they superheroes, villains, or civilians. With the company-wide reboot looming (see The New 52), Snyder closes the door on decades of storytelling in DC’s longest-running single issue series, Detective Comics, and does so with a haunting, dark finesse.

After the death of Bruce Wayne, original Robin (and later Nightwing) Dick Grayson assumes the cape and cowl of Batman to protect Gotham City and continue the Bat-eared legacy. Grayson’s Batman is much more acrobatic, illustrated as such by the artist Jock, who showcases this Batman’s circus performer past as he somersaults from the tops of skyscrapers with arms spread wide. It’s a flourish, unnecessary when fighting crime but every bit an act of entertainment. Grayson may be unaware of this tic, but just as Bruce could never escape his parents’ demise, the former Robin cannot help but put a little “show” into his nightly patrol. The book is filled with similarly subtle character moments, but Snyder isn’t shy with grand strokes of horror, as when the Gotham Bank opens to a dead killer whale beached in the lobby. Gone are the days when mobsters left severed horse heads between the sheets; in Gotham, criminals have their flourishes as well.

Down Memory Lane in the Iron Age

In an age of company-wide reboots and crossovers leading into crossovers leading into half a year’s worth of tie-ins, superhero comics can be a chore to follow. All it takes, however, is an ambitious, self-contained mini-series to rejuvenate that rush of fandom—enter The Iron Age.

Plucked from present-day continuity woes, Iron Man stars in this excellent trip through Marvel Universe nostalgia, as he escapes a mad scientist’s world-ending plot (what else?), by stealing away in time. While searching for the various pieces he needs to return home, Tony Stark encounters his past self and must relive key moments in his life, including the Demon in a Bottle days, where he battles alcoholism. The plot also allows him to cross paths with teammates who are no longer alive in present day Marvel continuity, and Tony struggles between altering the past and staying the course to right present-day extinction-level events. Underused and unsung B and C-list heroes like Captain Britain and Luke Cage each have chapters devoted to them in this oversized hardcover, illustrated and written by a variety of talents, including Christos N. Gage, Louise Simonson, Lee Weeks, and Ben Oliver.

Yet, it’s not all about Tony Stark, no matter what his ego would like to believe, as he makes a stop during a pivotal moment in X-Men history: The Dark Phoenix Saga. There he enlists the aid of Dazzler of all characters, who has not yet graduated to full X-Man status. She proudly sports her classic disco look: plunging neckline, a disco ball for a necklace, and yes, those roller-skates. Together, they infiltrate the Hellfire Club just as the X-Men come crashing in. It’s a fun, unexpected team-up, capable only thanks to the outlandish (but often used) time-travel plot device.

The allure of superhero comics is escapism, and The Iron Age makes it only too easy to slip into the world of capes and tights, dialogue riddled with exclamation points, and SHRZZAK! sound effects. It’s a welcome diversion, over too quickly but with a finish successful enough to remind readers of the inherent escape when reading about a man flying in a suit of armor.

--Alex

Graphic Novel Friday: Classic Comics Made New

If you are at all a fan of classic comic strips, then chances are great that Pogo: The Complete Daily & Sunday Comic Strips, Vol. 1: Through the Wild Blue Wonder has long been on your wishlist—emphasis on “long,” because, as fans know, this special project from publisher Fantagraphics has been in the works for years. The good news: it’s here, it’s real. The better news: it’s incredible. Walt Kelly’s lively, robust, and poetic world is faithfully and lovingly produced in this, the first of a proposed twelve volume series. The hardcover is printed horizontally, maintaining the integrity of the “strip” format, with ample margins to avoid any gutter-loss. Fantagraphics knew this first volume would be scrutinized by hardcore Pogo fans, and they’ve outdone expectations, dating each strip, providing historical context for the more esoteric 1940s references, and even reproducing the color Sunday strips. This volume even collects the earlier New York Star strips, where Kelly is still laying the groundwork for his world and finding bits that he liked enough to later rework into the proper Pogo run.

Through the Wild Blue Wonder is one of our Best Comics and Graphic Novels of 2011, and there might not be a better gift this holiday for the historical and literary comics fan.