John's last post of 2004...

Since Ed didn't do a comics "best of" list, I thought I'd offer up one, only it's not really a "best of" list either.  As I've said in the past when I've done other year-end reviews, my lists are really only reflective of my favorites (so emphasis on the subjective rather than any pretense of some objective 'best'), and even then my picks are further qualified as out of the things I managed to read.  (There are lots of good comics I either didn't purchase or haven't gotten around to reading yet.)  So with all of those disclaimers out of the way, here are (in alphabetical order) some Pretty Good Comics I Enjoyed in 2004:

Carnet de Voyage - Craig Thompson's travelogue was a visual delight.  Although I haven't been to all the locations Thompson chronicles in this book, his experiences triggered pleasant memories of my own travels.  The book isn't perfect -- the ending is abrupt and Thompson's self-pitying persona is extremely grating at times -- but it's still a wonderful book to get lost in:  lost in the wonderful drawings, as well as the fond memories it may inspire for those who have traveled to other cultures.

Complete Cartoons of The New Yorker - I'm not qualified to comment on the sociological analysis some have offered in reference to the impact of the New Yorker cartoons over the years, but I do know that the cartoons almost always amuse me.  What that says about me I'm not sure, but I'll bypass the armchair psychoanalysis and instead continue to enjoy working my way through the nearly seventy-thousand cartoons reproduced on the two CD-ROMs included with this oversized hardback book.

Complete Peanuts - I've never really considered myself a fan of Peanuts, but I decided to check out the first volume to see what all the fuss was about.  Wasn't Peanuts just a cloying comic strip whose primary purpose was to push product ranging from greeting cards to insurance?  Perhaps it was in later years, but reading these early strips reminds one what a subtle wit and pleasing style Schulz had before Peanuts became universally commodified.  I doubt I'll collect every volume of the reprint series, but these early collections are a great look at an American institution that actually deserves attention.

Doom Patrol TPBs -  I'd sold the original issues years ago and from time to time I'd had the urge to read some of these stories, so I was excited when DC announced they were finally releasing new volumes collecting more of Morrison's run.  Yet at the same time I was somewhat apprehensive:  Would I find that the stories hadn't aged well -- that they now seemed dated and quaint?  I needn't have worried:  These comics still represent some of Morrison's best work, even if some of the weirdness doesn't seem quite so weird now that we've been exposed to other odd works from Morrison.  Still, the stories collected here are easily more exciting and imaginative than any of the superhero comics published by the "Big Two" in 2004 (which is a bit of a sad thought to think that superhero comics haven't improved at all since 1989; if anything, they've gotten steadily worse).

Eightball #23 - I wasn't as apeshit (I'm sorry -- arctic apeshitknife) over this as some others were, but it was still a damn good comic from one of the (all-too-infrequently contributing) masters of the form.  Yes, there were superpowers and spandex, but this wasn't really a comic about superheroes.  It was an examination of unhealthy unhappiness and how anger and hatred can destroy one's own life.  Plus, it was cleverly told, with varying styles (different pages look like different stories from an anthology comic, but it all works together to tell one cohesive tale) and a non-linear structure that enhances rather than obfuscates.

Hikaru No Go - Ah, the unintended benefits of pre-ordering.  I'd ordered the second volume of this manga series before I'd read the first, and I'm glad I did, since things really pick up in book two after an uninspiring first installment.  This is a charming manga series that somehow manages to make a board game exciting.  Much of the series' appeal is due to Takeshi Obata's slick, appealing artwork:  I'm hard-pressed to think of another series where I've found myself spending so much time admiring the various characters' hairstyles, but Obata's stylized character designs are so pleasing it's easy to get caught up in such details.  In addition to the delicious artwork, writer Yuni Hotta has crafted a compelling story that chronicles several characters' determination to become the national Go champion.  Yes, the trope of "young boy determined to become the best there is at X" is a familiar (and wearing) formula in shonen manga, but Hotta manages to come up with enough new twists to keep the basic structure entertaining.  (Check out the sample chapters available online to see if Hikaru No Go is something that might tickle your fancy.)

Hsu And Chan Vol 1 - Fun, video-game-themed madness.  Except having very little to do with video games, actually.  Look, just go here and here and see if the humor appeals to you, OK?

Kid Firechief - I've always enjoyed Weissman's cute, quirky cartooning style in his "Yikes" series, and this collection is another delightful offering from the creator.  I could try to explain why the antics of Olaf Oedwards, Kid Firechief, are so appealing, but why bother when Tom Spurgeon has already expressed appreciation for Weissman's work better than I ever could?

Scrapbook: Uncollected Works 1990-2004 - A wonderful collection of Adrian Tomine's unpublished or little-known work.  Over half the book consists of illustrative work or sketchbook material (which is great in its own right), but there's also a fair amount of unpublished or rare comics work that's worth reading.  Much of it revolves around stereotypical altcomix material (self-pitying slacker gripes about work and relationships) but Tomine has enough style and self-awareness to keep the stories from becoming unbearably pretentious or self-absorbed.  And if nothing else, everything is a treat to look at.

Sgt Frog - One of my favorite comics of all time, ever, which is somewhat strange when I stop to think about it.  At first glance, there seem to be a couple strikes against this book:  the gratuitous fanservice; the cutesy characters; the over-the-top/hyperactive/ADD style (which I happen to know did put off at least one person whose taste in comics I generally respect).  Yet somehow the overall work manages to overcome all these potential pitfalls and pull off some of the funniest bits I've read in years.  Much of it is due to Mine Yoshizaki's incredible skill as an artist:  He really knows how to construct a gag so that it pays off big, and his clean, distinctive style makes panels so memorable I'm able to visualize them clearly when I think back on some of my favorite scenes (such as the image of Tamama disguised as Keroro washing dishes in the sink; or the sequence where Keroro bursts in on Natsumi's bath to warn her about the dangers of cleaning the tub with a nylon scrubber; or the scene where multiple-personalitied Momoka reintegrates her separated selves through the perfect harmony of synchronized swimming):

In many ways, Sgt. Frog is like the modern manga equivalent of old Bugs Bunny cartoons:  You have adorable little creatures that possess a definite dark side, and while they may cause a lot of mischief, they always manage to maintain their diminutive appeal.  How can anyone stay mad at alien invaders whose nefarious plans to take over the world inevitably become sidetracked by mundane pleasures such as birthday celebrations, radio shows, and Gundam models?

She-Hulk: Single Green Female - A nice antidote to all of the interminably long and depressingly dark superhero comics coming out from Marvel and DC these days.  Writer Dan Slott wisely uses the rich history and backdrop of the decades-old Marvel universe to enrich his stories and have fun, not to needlessly strip-mine the past or cynically reveal "everything you know is a lie!"  Instead, Slott tells straight-ahead superhero stories that actually amuse and entertain.  What a novel concept!

Street Angel - The best superhero comic published by a non-superhero publisher.  The best manga published by a non-manga publisher.  The best small-press/alternative comic published by a small-press/alternative publisher.  Whatever clever description you want to come up with for this series, it simply comes down to the fact that it's one of the best comics being published today.  Some have been put off by the scattered nature of the stories (including me, at one point), but this is still a stellar comic with a ton of heart, humor, and style.  If you've missed the early issues, keep your eye out for the collected edition sometime in 2005. 

Superman Man Of Tomorrow Archives Vol 1 - I can't help it; I'm a sucker for Silver Age superhero silliness.  At least it seems I'm in good company, as Grant Morrison has also come out as an admirer of the goofy comics from this period.  (In addition to several dozen other bizarre stories, this Archive also includes the surreal tale of "Superman's New Power" that Morrison discusses at length in the recent Newsarama interview.)

Superman Secret Identity - And in a completely opposite direction from the Silver Age Superman stories comes this "realistic" tale about a young man from "our" world who develops super-powers exactly like Superman's.  Writer Kurt Busiek serves up a plausible examination of what might happen if someone in the "real world" gained super-powers, and the tale is further grounded by artist Stuart Immonen's naturalistic-yet-stylized artwork.  The plot's a bit thin (real-world Supes works to protect his secret identity from the government and the media), but that's not what makes this book work in the first place; rather, it's the characters Busiek and Immonen have crafted -- characters we come to care about as we get caught up in the unfolding of their lives together.

We3 - I know it's only two-thirds complete, but this series has already outshone most other comics not only in how it depicts action but also in its emotional impact.  I know I'm not the only one who choked up a bit whenever 1 questioned whether he was a "gud" dog.  Morrison and Quitely have created a shockingly good story, and I'm confident the ending will maintain the high level of quality already established by the first two issues.

And in other categories...

Biggest Disappointments:

• CBLDF SPX 2004 Anthology - Not up to the same standard of quality offered by previous years' anthologies.  Several times I picked this year's anthology up, thinking I hadn't read it yet, only to discover that, yes, I had; it just hadn't made much of an impression on me.

• Prophecy Anthology - I suppose I should have known better after all of the difficulties Prophecy went though, but I was still optimistic about the prospect of an oversized color anthology featuring "ground-breaking" artistic endeavors.  Instead of creative innovation,  Prophecy Anthology offered unfocused, amateurish experimentation.  Plus, the anthology ended with several incomplete samplers, exhorting readers to log on to the Prophecy website in order to purchase the complete graphic novels (which never materialized).  Overall, a tacky, unprofessional effort that left a bad taste in my mouth.

• Mcsweeney's Quarterly Concern: Issue Number 13 - A beautifully designed and packaged book, but I felt like I was reading a series of unsatisfying samples for the full works rather than complete stories or things I'd already seen published elsewhere.  This is the kind of thing that annoys me in other collections (see above), so it doesn't get a pass here just because of the pedigree of the assembled creators.

• Wonder Woman - I had high hopes for the new creative team of Greg Rucka and Drew Johnson, but the slow pacing of events killed any interest I had in the series.

• Steve Rude's The Moth - It's Steve Rude!  How could it go wrong?  Answer:  Just like this.  I guess it goes to show that not even great art can save a painfully bad story.

• Love Fights - Mainly a disappointment because I'd come to expect more based on Andi Watson's earlier work.  This comic just didn't click for me, which is a shame because the premise seemed so promising.

• Bombaby Screen Goddess - I was won over by the gorgeous preview art, but the story never seemed to gel.  Perhaps it'll all come together in the final chapter, but I'll never know because the originally-solicited fourth issue was subsequently cancelled and now only those who buy the trade paperback will get to read the ending.  Yet another lesson in why one should pass on the singles and wait for the trade.

• Top Shelf Conversations - Five bucks for around fifty panels of trite observations on creativity and art?  It's like the most-overpriced mini-comic ever.  So is it safe to assume that Christopher Butcher came down on the side of "great big wank"?
  

• Jack Staff Vol. 2: Soldiers - What worked in the first collection frustrated me in the second:  For whatever reason, this time around Grist's recaps every chapter felt as though they were simply treading water and wasting time rather than advancing the reader through the storyline.  In the end, I felt as though I'd read about 22-pages worth of story stretched out over 160 pages.
  

• DC's CMX manga line - I know others were skeptical about DC's ability to do manga successfully, but I was encouraged by the hiring of Jake Tarbox, who previously worked on Gutsoon's now-kaput Raijin Comics.  Raijin always seemed hampered by non-creative considerations (marketing, distribution, etc.), so I figured having Tarbox's savvy backed with Time-Warner's resources would equal a winning combination.  According to Heidi, CMX is a modest success so far, but in my book that's still somewhat disappointing.  A comic publisher with DC's experience should have been able to launch a manga line that got people excited, but so far I've barely heard any buzz about CMX from anyone, and that includes the non-superhero-reading manga devotees.   As for my impressions on the line so far, From Eroica With Love is the only series that interested me enough to pre-order the second volume.  Madara read like a bad cross between 3x3 Eyes (male and female leads paired together in mystical quest to restore one character's true nature) and Berserk (main character has replaceable mechanical limbs and fights grotesque demons); while Land Of The Blindfolded had an interesting concept that wasn't developed enough to hold my interest.  Hopefully 2005 will see some stronger releases from CMX.  (Any chance of rescuing Slam Dunk from the limbo of Raijin Comics?)

Best (or at least Biggest) Book I Haven't Gotten Around To Reading Yet (tie):  Locas and Bone: One Volume Edition.

Best Oldies Read in 2004:  Paul Gets A Summer Job.  Drawn & Quarterly Anthologies 3, 4, and 5.  Various volumes of Finder.  Palomar.  The Complete D.R. & Quinch.  The Complete Ballad of Halo Jones.

Guiltiest Pleasure:  Essential Super-Villain Team-Up.  I just loved the disturbing revelations about what goes on in Latveria when Doom has a little down-time between plots to take over the world and/or destroy the Fantastic Four.

Guiltiest Pain:  Identity Crisis.  I knew it was bad after reading the first two issues David and Johanna sent me for free, but I continued to buy the rest of the series just so I could see how horrific of a train wreck this "event" could be.  Now I regret contributing to the sales success of this thoroughly awful comic.  As penance, I'm going to pass on DC's "Countdown" event, even if the first issue is only a buck for eighty pages.

Closing Comments:  I think everyone should do one of these year-end wrap-ups, even if they don't have a blog or a website of their own.  It's a revealing exercise, examining all of your comic purchases from the year and trying to figure out if you really enjoyed what you were reading or if you were just throwing your money away.  This year I once again fell into the trap of buying stuff I wasn't particularly interested in simply because I could get it at a steep discount through DCBS.  I suppose I could try to justify such purchases by arguing that sampling popular mainstream (read: superhero) works allows me to stay in touch with the pulse of the industry, but in my heart I know that argument is weak.  I don't need to actually buy top-selling comics to know what's "hot"; I can simply follow the blogosphere to see what's being said about the latest shocking revelations or relaunches.  And I worry that reading stuff I don't enjoy wears me down in the long run, diluting my enjoyment of comics overall.  So my personal comics resolution in 2005 is to buy less stuff simply because it's cheap and to focus on reading works I expect to be good.  I know it sounds like common sense, but -- judging by the amount of complaining that occurs on various blogs and message boards -- it seems I'm not the only one who has problems with this concept.  So maybe this is something we can all work on for next year:  Stop investing time and money in works you don't enjoy or don't expect to enjoy.

Ed's last post of 2004...

I fear that everything will fall by the wayside now that I have both a SIRIUS Satellite Radio and a ReplayTV (like Tivo, but more generic!). While I'm often the last person to accept new technology because of my congenital aversion to things that whir and buzz, these almost make me want to be a tech geek (although my big fear is now that my wife can watch her As The World Turns whenever she wants, I'll end up becoming hooked on that as well, and I really don't need to be watching three different soap operas). The upside is that the ease of recording means that I'll be able to finally catch up on Justice League Unlimited while the wife is at work/school/wherever, as she absolutely refuses to watch it.

While the ReplayTV is handy, the satellite radio feels necessary, and makes me wish I had jumped on the bandwagon months ago. I spend at least thirty hours a month in my car, with my long commute and perpetual cabin fever, and I often tire of the albums I own. Unfortunately, I don't live in an area with good radio. I know it sounds quaint, but I've got more than a little love for radio broadcasting. Growing up in northeast Pennsylvania, I lived in a radio nexus point where I could find broadcasts from the local area, New York City and Philadelphia. The mornings I spent working in the Pocono resort industry during my summers off school (which I miss greatly - perhaps the reason I often tire of real jobs is because I spent five years getting paid to play ping pong, read, flirt with strangers, and listen to music) were spent with WXRK, one of NYC's "alternative rock" stations and home to the Howard Stern morning show, and WQHT ("Hot 97," radio home of Funkmaster Flex, Ed Lover and Dr. Dre at the time), and three different NPR stations, including WRTI (Temple Public Radio, which may well have the most jazz programming of any NPR station in the country - and right now, their site has a list of the top 100 jazz tracks of 2004, while we're on the "Best of 2004" tip). As a pretentious high school kid, radio was essential - it was much easier to scribble in marbled composition books while listening to the radio than it was with a television set blaring in the background.

All these thoughts and feelings are surfacing now that I'm faced with - and daunted by - the stations that SIRIUS offers. Despite the risk of sounding like I'm plugging them (and it's not like they sent me free comics or anything), I still feel compelled to talk about it. The channel listings dominated my lunchbreak, which normally would have been spent reading comics-related stuff. The unit the wife bought me has space for thirty presets to make changing channels easier while commuting, and I didn't think I'd be able to fill them all. However, with four hip hop channels, two NPR channels, five jazz channels worth listening to (one listed Kenny G in the "artist frequently played" note, so I felt confident that the "Jazz Cafe" station wasn't for me), and other assorted music, news and entertainment stations, limiting my choices to thirty made me almost appreciate the struggle some comics fans must face when looking at the seventy-five or so X-Men titles they have to choose from... well, maybe not so much. I was sad to see that neither of the NPR stations broadcasts Morning Edition, which I've used to pass the first half of my commute for three years - part of the reason I chose SIRIUS over XM was so I wouldn't lose NPR halfway through that show - but having Fresh Air in the morning makes up for it. Right now, though, I'm just happy they have Backspin, which plays non-stop old school hip hop.

Alright, now that I've got that little nerdgasm out of the way, on to comics stuff. Everyone's doing year-end wrap-ups, but I don't feel qualified to do a comprehensive "best of" list, because this hasn't been the best comics year for me. Sure, there were comics that made me remember why I still dig on the medium, but I can't say my reading is as comprehensive as it should be to give any weight to what I'd say.

I did spend more time than ever reading about comics, though. This whole blogosphere thing has been a lot of fun, and as silly as it may sound, I've gained more of an appreciation of the whole comics things through the way the medium has gotten so many people to assume the pundit hat (a garish accoutrement, but one some of you wear very well).

Yes, I get maudlin at the end of the year, "Auld Lang Syne" and all that crap. Shut it. If it's too "yearbook-y," my apologies - I'll go back to being a bastard next week.

So, here's my informal list of blogs and such that have rocked my cock this year:

The Comics Reporter: When Tom Spurgeon first started blogging, I think I said something along the lines of "well, us comics sites can pretty much pack up and call it a day," and I still stand by it - Tom's view of the comics industry is the most catholic and the least likely to be swayed by PR, fluff or hype. His "Sunday Magazine" gives me a reason to hit the internet on Sundays, when I should be doing other things.

Fanboy Rampage: Graeme's given me hours of enjoyment, and has me addicted to some message boards the way I used to be enamored with Weekly World News. I still miss his "Grim Tidings" column, though, because his brand of humor and insight works even better in longform than it does in shorter snippets. He's also one of my favorite people on the planet, but that's a post for another day.

Thought Balloons: Like Tom's site, Kevin's blog is essential for someone who wants more out of his comics news than "Woo hoo! This is kewl!" His sparing use of snark gives his occasional barbs a stand-up-and-notice vibe, and I'm always pleasantly surprised when he bares his teeth just so. Now that he's branched off into covering more than just comics, Kevin's turned me on to a bunch of things, and I also have a list of things that I still need to get around checking out (that Jonathan Strange novel at the top of that list). Also, our likes and hates overlap nicely.

Precocious Curmudgeon: Like John Jakala before him, David makes me want to read more manga. His manga obsession, though, isn't so dominant that it makes him a one-trick pony; his comics-reading is varied enough to command my attention when he says something is really good. Also, his new column at Comic World News (along with Shawn Hoke and Rich Watson's columns) makes me miss the bigger involvement I used to have with the site, as it is finally starting to develop into something worth reading.

BeaucoupKevin: I kind of want to be Kevin when I grow up. His comics tastes run more towards superhero stuff than mine do, but he's funny as fuck, has fabulous taste in music, and a lot of his personality comes through his posts. Just a joy, generally.

Comics.212.net: I just have to say I fucking love Chris Butcher. I can't think of anyone in the blogosphere as fearless as Butcher - of all of us, he's the least likely to parse comments to appease morons. Also, his Previews Review is more essential reading - it gives equal time to both the front and back half of the Previews catalogue.

Yet Another Comics Blog: Really, it's anything but - David Carter seems to read more comics than anyone I've ever known, and writes about them cogently. His quick reviews have been essential in getting me to try new things.

Near-mint Heroes: Shane's got this link-blogging thing down pat. What I like best probably isn't the comics-related stuff, but that he links tons of other things that I otherwise wouldn't notice, particularly design-related stuff. He's on my short list of people I wish would post more.

Cognitive Dissonance: You know, I prefer Johanna's blog to her main site. She's brash and funny, and a good writer on top of it. Also, she didn't give me too much grief when it took me months upon months to send her something I had promised her.

Comics Should Be Good: Joe, Alex, Brian, Paul(s) and Tadgh made December for me. Overly passionate and often scatalogical, they openly embrace their fanboyhood, and it shows. The tone there borders on schtick, but it's schtick that almost always works.

Peiratikos: Steve and Rose are the other people on my short-list of bloggers I wish would post more, but when they do post, it more than makes up for it. They go beyond simply looking at plot, which is an increasingly rare trait in comics talk. I hope 2005 brings more interviews to their blog, because the Bryan Lee O'Malley interview was easily my favorite interview of 2004.

Progressive Ruin and Postmodern Barney: These two are linked in my mind, but it might be doing them a disservice by listing them together. Even though our tastes in comics are often radically different, reading their retail-related posts is always a joy. They're funny, opinionated fuckers, and I appreciated it in 2004.

Highway 62: I hope Matt finishes whatever it is he's working on, because I miss his blog. Somehow, Matt manages to be highly opinionated without ever (or, at least, not often) coming off as abrasive. Also, he's the one person who can get away with breaking-into-the-industry related posts without my brain instantly switching off, because he does it with honesty and humor.

This, of course, is just a short list. There are others, so if I missed you, apologies. Maybe next year, if I'm still doing this.

Unless I hate your blog. That might be a reason, too.

Local comics scene profiles rock my socks.

• Courtesy of the lovely Tom Spurgeon, here's a profile of some artists fairly local to me. There's also a brief listing of the artists mentioned (that's a picture - I'm bad at coding). Also, if you aren't reading Tom's site, you should - I still say, a few months after its inception, that it is the premiere place to find actual comics news.

For another local artist profile, check out Rich Watson's last Small Press Nation, which focuses on artists in the San Francisco and the Bay Area.

• It's more Year-End-Wrap-Up Madness! BeaucoupKevin has his list of 2004 comics and music posted. David P. Welsh listed his a few days ago. I kind of want to do one now, but I'm never good at making lists.

Ok, I lied. More updates to the tune of linkblog.

• Rich Watson puts up his own "Best Comics of 2004" list, along with some political-related stuff and a look at the industry in 2004. I have to say, I like that Rich makes note that these aren't necessarily the best comics published in 2004, but the best that he's read. It's why I always have a problem with best of lists - often, it's canonical without having any real basis for canonization - so when someone goes out of his/her way to note that the list is subjective, it always makes me happy.

Also, Rich shares a bit of a plea:

I was extremely fortunate this year to have been able to attend all four of the major small press conventions in America- what I refer to as the Small Press Grand Slam: APE, SPACE, MoCCA, and SPX. And the one common denominator all four shows have is diversity- of product, of creators, of fans. That's what's going to keep the industry alive as long as there are creators to make the books and fans to buy and read them. I have plans of my own to contribute to that spirit of diversity, which I'll reveal very soon, but seeing such a bounty makes me once again plead to Fandom Assembled: there's no reason for you to settle for mediocrity in the comics you read. If you can honestly say you liked Identity Crisis and "Avengers Disassembled," well, good for you, but if you didn't, and if you swear off Marvel and/or DC forever (like I saw so many people claim to do this year), and if you don't open yourself up to other books out there- because from the looks of it, those so-called events will lead to even bigger and more bloated so-called events next year- you’re doing yourself a disservice.

I always dig Rich's year-end wrap-ups. This one is no exception.

• While I'm not ready to get all biological because of the news (sorry, guys), I - like many others - am really looking forward to Morrison and Quitely doing Superman comics. I may even give the Simone/Byrne ACTION COMICS a look.

• Did anyone else see Closer? I wasn't aware of the theatrical production of it, but I enjoyed the movie. It made me think of comics, though... When people say/write/opine that "nothing happens" in a comic book or whatever, does nothing actually happen? There's a lot of motion in the movie, but it's not kinetic motion - it's interpersonal motion. If this is an example of "nothing happens," then I'm all for it. It's the kind of realism I'd want to see from a mainstream

Also, I can now see where Heidi is coming from on her fascination/crush thing on Clive Owen.

More random crap

• Kevin Melrose has posted a list of best cover artists of the year. I wish I was qualified to comment on his two part list (click for Part One and Part Two). I will say this, though - as I usually just breeze through the superhero titles on the rack without paying much attention, I was pleasantly surprised seeing some of the covers Kevin posted (last time I really paid attention, everything was "Generic Pose of Title Character #4"). In particular, Dave Bullock's Teen Titans Go! covers struck me as well-designed. It's ashame the only person who has commented so far is an anonymous asshat. I'm really starting to not like people who don't sign their names to things.

• More contests. I already mentioned Johanna's Owly contest, but Mike Sterling is giving away some kind of Man-Thing rip-off (I kid), and Kevin is giving away a copy of Julius. I'll have to do a new one soon, because I don't want to be the big jerk that Kevin says I am.

• David P. Welsh, blogger extraordinaire, has started a new column at Comic World News called Flipped. I'm happy that my last act as an official whatever there was bringing on another good columnist and diversifying the focus to include manga. CWN's coverage of manga has been sorely lacking, save for a few reviews, since we ended our last manga column. David even finds a way to make those dreaded introductory columns interesting, damn his eyes. Between David and John Jakala, my already miniscule comics-related budget is going to have to make room for more of this stuff.

• Ken Lowery makes his monthly post or two. I agree with him on the "support our troops" jingoism, but I don't agree with this:

Let's put a moratorium on using the word "mature" to positively describe a comic, all right?

Instead, I'd rather see a moratorium put on the word when used incorrectly, which I'll gladly admit is most of the time. Also, "edgy," which seems to mean "we couldn't do good comics, so we went for shock value to make things interesting." Really, many words people use when describing comics, because it complicates things.

Also, he asks for one comic that made people happy in 2004. Mine is Scott Pilgrim, which came at the exact right time for me. That book was just ridiculous fun, and I'm looking forward to the next volume in February. Tough to choose, though, seeing that this year saw Eightball #23, Street Angel, Aprendiz, New Frontier and other good stuff.

• I'm at work now, and I'm coordinating the satellite feeds through the Christmas holiday. Somehow, I can't bring myself to type in the official title of this Brett Favre special FOX is airing Friday on the record sheets. Not that I have anything against the guy, because it's football and I don't care. Of course, to share my frustration, I'm going to have to type it here: Brett Favre- 4 Ever. Please, say he's #4 or something, because if not, should we be expecting Zombie Bill Hicks: LOL ROFLMAO from HBO this fall?

Yes, I'm one of those people who gets irritated when he sees "thru" written for "through," and many other words needlessly butchered for convenience.

• Also, updates may be completely random or nonexistant through the end of the month. So far, I'm only halfway through with the portfolio I need to complete for my MFA application deadline, so that's going to be taking up any at home time I spend in front of a computer. So if anyone has some kind of gnawing desire to say something outside their normal blog, let me know, and you can play here.

• Is this blog ugly? I'm starting to hate how it looks, so I may do some kind of different look for it for 2005. Also, the focus of it may change somewhat around that point and time.

More random notes and whatnot while the wife watches ONE LIFE TO LIVE on the Tivo...

If none of this makes sense, I'm sorry. I just got back from the dentist, and I'm loopy, sore, and tired.

* Who loves a good contest? Me, that's who. Especially when it's a great reviewer giving away a great book. Go to Johanna's blog and send her pictures of Owl for a chance to score some Owly.

* I fixed the name of Comics Should Be Good in the blogroll sidebar thing. However, somewhere along the way I forgot useful information, like how to organize things alphabetically. I'm leaving it that way for a while just to remind myself to stop being a careless moron.

* If you want to try new music, go to BeaucoupKevin and download the the music thing. It made my morning commute a happy thing today.

While I really, really hate the year-end wrap up thing...

Alan David Doane does one that's fucking brilliant. Not only does Alan provide his "best of" list for the year (including this note on Eightball #23: "All right, my review of this issue was a little over the top, arctic shitknife and all. Forgive me for being a little excited, great comics just have that effect on me."), but he talks to a variety of comics-related people to get their thoughts on the year that was (and technically, still is) 2004, including Eric Reynolds, Bryan Lee O'Malley, Tom Spurgeon, Chris Butcher, Shawn Hoke, Jim Rugg, Brent Warnock, Rob Vollmar, Jason Marcy, Dirk Deppey and Chris Allen. I'd provide some comment on it, but it would be a lot of "yes, yes, I agree," so that would be a waste of time. And yes, that goes to show that Chris Allen is right, in this roundtable, when he says "there's a little too much of THIS guy's comments about THAT guy's comments about THIS meaningless hype item rather than a lot of serious discussion about important issues. That's hard to do when you're geared towards instant, daily commentary rather than giving longer thought to a topic before responding."

If you read one year-end wrap up, make it this one.

A Sure Sign Comics Have Arrived

(From the Dec. 13, 2004 issue of The New Yorker)

Thursday morning notes

• Well, it's official - I'm officially free of Comic World News in any real capacity. Not like I was doing much - between work, family and getting my portfolio together, I haven't had time for much else. I may still do the odd interview with independent comics creators, and I've promised to e-mail nasty missives to everyone still involved in some kind of "advisory" capacity. Added side benefit - I can talk much more smack on stupid comics people now, without fear of tainting anyone else's "reputation."

• Also, Shawn Hoke is now the Columns Editor for the aforementioned site. That much I knew. But, shit, when did he get so funny? This week, Shawn becomes the anti-Pipeline with his look at the behemoth known as Previews. Some highlights:

Stormbreaker: the Saga of Beta Ray Bill #2 (Page 38): Why the hell has Thor turned into a donkey and why is he crying?

X-Men Phoenix: Endsong #3 (Page 59): This is a touching cover with Wolverine about to kiss a dead woman. Another Greg Land cover, and the 50th Marvel cover in this book to feature Wolverine.

Shawn also points to some comics he's actually interested in, including Kramacher and A Strange Day from Alternative Comics, Ed The Happy Clown reprints (yay!) from Drawn & Quarterly, Essential Luke Cage from Marvel (I'll be buying this as well), and some other various and sundry comics. Also, he makes particular mention of an upcoming issue of The Comics Journal:

The Comics Journal #266 (Page 276) Alright fanboys and Marvel geeks, this is your chance to see what the rest of us love about TCJ. The cover interview is with Brian Michael Bendis. I promise you it's more than the usual three-page interview published each month in Wizard. Just fork over the $10 bucks for this one, kids. Actually, stay tuned, because maybe I'll be giving this issue away to someone who has never read the Journal. That might be a good contest.

I'm hoping this ends up reading like Gary Groth's interview with Todd McFarlane.

• Update your side-bar thingies: BeaucoupKevin got his own domain name: BeaucoupKevin.com. Pretentious assfuck¹. Also, he looks at Birth of a Nation and Howard Dean.

• 20th Television are a bunch of bastards. For some reason, Ally McBeal isn't on DVD in the US. This is poop. I love Ally McBeal to a level I can't express. I'd be ashamed to admit that, if my love wasn't so strong. However, the first four seasons are available in the UK, on some different region coding thing I don't actually understand, but fellow geeks hooked my ass up, and I'm incredibly grateful.

• I'm finally getting off my lazy ass and picking up my backlog of comics this week. I haven't bought anything for a month, and I'm starting to feel guilty about it. So I may actually talk about comics for a change. I'm not even sure what I've got in that stack, so it will be a surprise. I have decided, though, to kill the majority of my pull list, and to start buying the Previews thing to order stuff on a case by case basis.


1. I kid, of course. Yay, footnotes!

Back from shopping...

It was a good weekend, generally speaking. I got into New York around eight in the morning, and met up with an old friend for breakfast and conversation. From there, I hit Jim Hanley's, where I spent approximately an hour and change waiting for former CWN editor Rachel Gluckstern to show up (not that I'm complaining. You could spend many more hours in JHU and still not see everything). I picked up the Haunt of Fear hardcover collection for the wife, making me the best geek husband in the world. The rest of the weekend was spent in New Jersey with my best friend, his wife, and their daughter.

Friday, though... I got into the Poconos around 5PM. Although she had said she'd be taking the night off, my mother was still at work, prompting me to toss in the DVD of Love Actually (yes, I'm a sucker for Hugh Grant). On the chair, I noticed a small, self-published book my grandmother had written. I knew she was planning on putting together her "life story" for family and friends, but I didn't know she was going to have it printed up, chapbook style. Having yet more time to kill, I read through it. Although it borders on sentimentality more often than not (I'd particularly like to hear more of the difficulties - that's where all the good stuff is - rather than triumphs), it was comforting to see stories I had heard before set in print. It's the new details, though, that got my attention.

You see, my grandmother was always a career woman. She started out working with Fred Waring at the height of his popularity (so, yes, this is going back quite a way). When she decided to settle down and marry, she left his music enterprise and went to manage the resort he owned in the Poconos. This much, I knew. I knew that she had met all sorts of celebrities and quasi-celebrities through these jobs, but there was one section that stood out to me:

It's the only autograph I have of all the celbrities I have met, except for autographed sketches by a couple of cartoonists. They came to Shawnee for an annual outing which Mr. Waring hosted every June to celebrate his birthday.

When the National Cartoonists came to Shawnee, it was a time they all came together for a busman's holiday - golf and tennis during the day. After the evening entertainment provided by Mr. Waring, they charmed all of us with their inimitable style of humor and talent demonstrations. All the greats in that art field were there - Mort Walker, Stan Drake, Milt Caniff, Charles Schulz and many others. I can still visualize Hal Foster, on one of their trips, standing before a large easel in the lobby of the Inn drawing his famous "Prince Valiant." In fact, I treasure a copy of that drawing which is truly more art than cartoon. We were so fortunate to witness such talent.

It goes on for a while longer, detailing how the cartoonists would draw on the tables as part of their time at the resort, and that these sketches are available for viewing at Penn State's Fred Waring America Collection, which means I'm going to have to make a trip to the campus sometime in the near future.

Perhaps geekdom is genetic.

Grotesque Guest-Blogging: Last Month's Comics - Special All-Superhero Edition!!

Hello there.  My name is John Jakala.  You might remember me from my old blog Grotesque Anatomy, which I shut down a couple months ago.  (Eons ago in Internet time.)  Ed asked me to blog-sit while he's out of town, but I'm a little rusty when it comes to this whole blogging thing.  I'm not sure what the current hot topics in the blogosphere are, so to kill time I'll subject you to my scattered thoughts on outdated comics.  When Ed gets back, we can pretend like this never happened, OK?  (And hopefully Ed will forgive me for devoting so much space on his blog to superhero comics.)

JLA Classified #1:  An okay set-up but a bit disappointing as a debut issue from the man who gave us such dense JLA epics as "Rock of Ages" and "Earth 2."  Not much happens and it all seems to be over much too fast.  (McGuinness's art probably contributes to the sensation of a speedy pace, with its large, open panels.)   If Morrison's intent was to mimic the empty entertainment of comics such as Ultimates, he largely succeeded.  Then there's the issue of Batman's characterization.  Yes, the idea of Batman as the Tom Strong science-hero equivalent of the DCU is rather removed from the idea of Batman as a street-level urban detective, but did the discrepancy take me out of the story?  Not really.  If anything in the story struck me as jarring or incongruous, it was Morrison's all-too-knowing meta-wink at the reader via Batman's line, "I'm opening the sci-fi closet, Alfred.  Don't tell my friends in the G.C.P.D. about this."  Because, you know (wink-wink), Batman's depiction in Gotham Central is much less superhero-y.  In any event, the nod to the reader ultimately isn't too distracting, mainly because the line is actually funny, unlike similar efforts in other over-the-top superhero comics.

JLA #108:  The second issue for the new creative team of Kurt Busiek and Ron Garney and things are still in the "slow build-up" stage.  Which is fine, because things are actually happening along the way.  My only complaint with this issue is that the abrupt shift in focus to the political situation on planet Qward robbed the story of its momentum.  Going back, I was surprised to find that only six pages were spent on this subplot before the CSA showed up again, since the scene seemed interminably long when reading it.  I'm sure Busiek included this scene for a reason, as I imagine the characters and situations introduced will somehow play an important part in the overall storyline, but the pacing here still felt awkward.

Superman/Batman #14: I had low expectations for this comic, buying it sheerly for the Carlos Pacheco art, and I was still disappointed.  Part of it was the order in which I read my comics:  I read this right after finishing JLA #108, so yet another comic featuring evil versions of Superman and Batman felt much less fresh than it might have otherwise.  (Some elements were so strikingly similar that -- if these books had come out further apart -- I might have suspected one of directly copying the other.  Consider the respective scenes of the evil Superman analogue using his heat vision to incinerate an opponent right in front of the evil Batman analogue; or the fascistic slogans in each dystopian world: "Obey or pay the price" and "Obey or die.")  However, the book still would have faced a huge problem even without comparison to other comics:  the annoying first-person narration alternating between the two title characters.  From what I understand, Loeb has been using this device throughout the entire series (this is the first issue I've actually read).  Has it always been this bad?  The voices of the characters aren't even distinctive (only the convenient color-coding of the captions distinguishes them), and the narration doesn't provide anything that isn't otherwise evident, so I'm left wondering what the point of the voiceovers is.  Is Loeb getting paid by the word or something?

Identity Crisis #6:  This is the first issue of the "shocking" and "controversial" series that I've enjoyed at all, and only because I got a small kick out of a certain Dark Knight Detective being in the dark for once.  (Hey, why should Bats be the only one who can impose his will on his fellow heroes?)  I have a feeling any entertainment I find in this series will be fleeting, however, especially when next issue's reveal of the real killer may very well bring us right back to the shoddy treatment of female supporting characters that kicked off the series.

JSA #67:  That'll teach me to buy something just because Dave Gibbons is illustrating it.  Supposedly an Identity Crisis tie-in, but the issue doesn't really offer anything you didn't already get in the main series, unless you really wanted to see Dr. Midnight conducting the autopsy on Sue Dibny in costume rather than in the surgical garb shown in IC #6.

H-E-R-O #22:  And so it ends.  I'll miss this series, but at least writer Will Pfeifer was able to wrap up all the threads he'd started in this series.  Some might say that things were wrapped up a little too neatly (especially with the one character who suddenly discovers he has an amazing one-time power that can take out the unbeatable villain), but I'd prefer a series that resolves everything to one that simply stops abruptly with a ton of unanswered questions.  And the final scene -- in addition to being a nice nod back to an earlier story arc -- gives the overall series a satisfyingly self-contained (and self-reflexive) feel.

My latest monthly shipment of comics also included what is, for me, a large number of Marvel comics (I blame DCBS's too-good-to-pass-up specials):

Captain America #1:  Another new number one for ol' Flag-Head, but this one may actually be justified.  New series writer Ed Brubaker serves up a story that actually feels more appropriate in tone as a post-9/11 take on Cap than Rieber's abortive attempt.  The scene with Cap disarming the terrorists on the train felt plausible (others might object to a Cap that kills -- even indirectly -- but I found Cap's actions believable given the situation), and Steve Epting's detailed art delivers an action sequence that is energetic, exciting, and easy-to-follow.  I'm sure that same scene in many other artists' hands would have been a jumbled, unintelligible mess.  Kudos to Epting for actually taking the time to stage the scene so it's readable.

As for the ending, I actually thought it worked.  For one thing, it nicely deflates the whole "über-villain ranting about how he's puling all the strings" scene.  And for another, it sets up the new villain as a formidable threat -- one who's willing to look past all the traditional, stereotypical bad guy behavior and get straight to the point.  (Do The V have an equivalent "Captain Sensible" concept for villains?)  Besides, I don't think we have to worry that the pronouncement on the final page will be permanent.

So, my interest is piqued.  I'll definitely consider getting the inevitable TPB if word on this series continues to be strong.

Iron Man #1:  To my surprise, I actually enjoyed this issue.  I'm not a big fan of either the character or the creators, so I didn't expect much from this relaunch.  But the scene midway through the issue where Tony Stark is interviewed (or ambushed) by a documentary filmmaker was simply riveting:  Stark's history as an arms dealer / weapons manufacturer is addressed directly rather than simply shoved under the rug.  What's more, Ellis writes the scene so that Stark doesn't defensively wave away the many morally troubling concerns surrounding Stark's past with some trite comic-book speech.  By the same token, the scene never becomes some embarrassingly bleeding-heart condemnation of technology or its military applications.  It's a very well-done scene, and one that contains more dramatic tension than any superhero slugfest.  A subsequent scene showing a young Stark striking up a conversation with an attractive woman at a bar during a work conference is similarly gripping.  Together these scenes go a long way toward imbuing Stark with an interesting personality.  If Ellis can maintain this level of quality, I may find myself following Iron Man for the first time since Busiek's run, and I may find myself enjoying the character for the first time ever.

New Thunderbolts #1 & #2:  I enjoyed Kurt Busiek's run on the Thunderbolts' first volume, so I thought I'd try out his second shot at the series.  Only it turns out those original solicitations were wrong and Busiek isn't actually writing this new series; Fabian Nicieza is.  (Busiek is listed in the inside credits, but it's unclear what his involvement is.  According to this Newsarama article (which I wish I'd seen before placing my pre-order), Busiek was the "grand-poobah advisor and fountain of all good ideas" on the opening arc.)  Not to say that Nicieza's name on something is an automatic negative sign, but I don't have the same positive associations with Nicieza as I do with Busiek.  As for the actual first two issues, they weren't horrible, but they weren't particularly engaging either.  I didn't find myself caring about any of the characters, and the art wasn't anything especially exciting either.  Grummett's art is kind of hit-or-miss for me:  With the right inker (such as Wade Von Grawbadger on Power Company) Grummett's art can be pleasing enough; but here with Gary Erskine on inks, everyone appears somewhat lumpy and misshapen, especially in their faces.  So, not for me.
 
Marvel Team-Up #1 & #2:  I've always enjoyed team-up books, and the original MTU was one of my favorite comics as a kid.  This two-parter teams up Spider-Man and Wolverine as they deal with a teen whose mutant powers have just started developing.  There's the requisite misunderstanding and fight between the two heroes, but thankfully it's not dragged out or belabored upon.  In fact, Kirkman offers up a nice take on this superhero cliché.  Kirkman also does a good job writing Spidey's banter, which is fittingly light and corny.  I'm not sure I'm sold on the artwork, though, but that may be due mainly to the odd mix of bright and murky in the computer coloring.  It may not have been the best creative decision to complicate Scott Kolins' loose, open pencilling style with an overabundance of shading and highlighting effects.

She-Hulk Vol 1: Single Green Female:  The critics were all right about this one:  It's great fun.  Not much more I can add, so I'll just reiterate what others have said:  It's refreshing to read a comic that offers humorous, well-written, strongly characterized, self-contained stories as an alternative to all the overwrought, poorly plotted, badly characterized, padded-out comics out there today.  And Juan Bobillo's quirky, cartoony art (which reminds me of a more manga-esque version of Kyle Baker's early style) gives the series a distinctive look to match its charming tone.  (Paul Pelletier's fill-in art for the last two chapters in this collection is fine but the result is that the book suddenly feels more like a standard superhero comic.)  If you're looking for something a little more light-hearted in your superhero comics, I'd definitely recommend She-Hulk.

OK, that's enough for now.  Hopefully Ed will be back soon, normal service will resume, and we can put all this spandex behind us.  [Ed - next time I'll write about manga or something more respectable.  I promise!!]

The Low Road is, er, going on the road...

I was hoping to have more time to post this week, but work is kicking my ass left and right. Also, I'm headed out of town tomorrow, first to the Poconos and then to NYC saturday to do some Christmas shopping at Jim Hanley's Universe (I'm buying the wife one of those Russ Cochran EC Comics slipcase hardcover thingies). However, there may be special posts from another person, but I can't promise it.

I almost hope he doesn't, because he's loads more interesting than I am.