My Dropping of Comics Strikes Again!

Cutting Comics Redux
Not too many months ago I did a multi-part look at how I was dropping many comics, and keeping others. It had four parts and I'll link to that at the end of this article should you desire to read it. The basic message was that comics that were merely okay wouldn't be able to keep coming home with me, as for $2.99 I can maybe do "basically good," but once you hit a cost of $3.99 you have to be pretty damn snazzy to be something I want to keep buying. Well, I said then I would eventually get to cutting more stuff, and lo and behold I have. Let's examine some choice examples and how they represent what I do and don't want to keep. I know I'm cutting a lot lately it seems, but don't worry, I'll still review comics even as I keep cutting, along with all the other stuff I enjoy discussing. I just thought you all would find it interesting to see more of my thoughts on what is right and what is wrong with comics. Let's proceed!

Stuff I Kept:
Various One-Shots/Mini-Series/Series That are Ending

You're just three issues and a good read? Sold!

A one-shot is a short little tale, why not give it a chance? If I don't like it, I only lost that amount of money, so one-shots are quite appealing. Also, if something is a generally self-contained mini-series from an independent publisher, and the story is pretty good, I don't flinch at maybe getting the six-issue run and then being done with the comic. I don't have to commit a ton of time and effort to understanding back-stories, or a bunch of money to a whole bunch of issues for a series that I may not even like at some point. Through being just a small number of issues, I don't hesitate to read "Absolution: Rubicon" or "Resident Alien: The Suicide Blonde".

By the same point, if there were a series I happened to be following and was considering dropping, but it has om;y a few issues left, I figured I would get those last issues and not replace it with something else, still clearing out space in my wallet, just at a later time. A series such as "Avengers Arena" which is nearing its conclusion is an example of this.

Beautifully illustrated comics

Yeah, "Green Arrow" is worth keeping.

"Green Arrow" and "Clone" may not have incredible stories, but Sorrentino and Juan Jose Ryp are killing it on each respective book. Therefore, as long as they are illustrating those two comics, I definitely want them.

Well-Written Stories with Great Concepts
This is kind of an obvious point, but it deserves stating that if a comic has a great "hook" and is written extremely well, I will of course want to read it. "Saga" springs to mind as a book I couldn't live without, and even though I'm not reading any other Spider-Man book I am loving "The Superior Foes of Spider-Man". Also, even though I dropped some books by Joe Casey, one of his current works, "Sex", is just spectacular in its weirdness and has some great art too. Also, "X-Men Legacy" is something I shall keep reading as long as it is coming out with Si Spurrier doing his amazing work.

Dumb but Fun Comics
The "Justice League" comics tend to be kind of dumb and silly, and "Forever Evil" is a bit absurd too, but they are a fun sort of stupidity that makes them worth reading because even if the comics aren't making a deep and insightful point, there still is something awesome to seeing super-heroes smash each other up.

Stuff I Dropped/Won't Start Getting
Boring/Impossible to Understand Comics

"Lazarus" makes even a cool scene of someone coming back to life from wounds boring.

A comic can be dumb and still be enjoyed by me if it is fun, if a comic is just boring though--regardless of how clever or stupid it is, I just would rather give it a pass. "God is Dead" was kind of a snore, and "Indestructible Hulk" was slowly losing me too. "Lazarus" started out with a great concept, but all the pages of people talking, and talking, and talking about little of interest made me want to pull my hair out. Also, some comics weren't boring, they just made no sense. I love Joe Casey but I was having trouble understanding much of "Catalyst Comix" so I gave up on that.

Comics that were just "okay" and therefore not worth the price
This probably made up the largest number of comics I cut. From "Superman Unchained" being decent but uninspiring, to "Uncanny" having some good ideas but just seeming to lack a spark, so many comics I cut were by no means bad, they just weren't at that level of "good" I need with the lesser amount of money I want to spend on comics. As much as "Fatale" could be interesting sometimes, there were plenty of issues that had me saying, "And, that's it?" so I had to let it go. "Suicide Risk" is a perfectly fine comic by the talented Mike Carey, but it just wasn't really leaving me satisfied in a way that had me feeling my money was well-spent.

Absurdly Over-Priced New Comics

Everyone has heard the big news that Marvel is going to start publishing the famous Marvelman/Miracleman comics again (which took forever, I mean they bought the rights how long ago?), but a point less discussed is how expensive these issues are going to be. We're talking something like 5 dollars for a comic that is a reprint of some admittedly great stories, but how can Marvel think charging me that much for a comic that lacks anything super-special (extra pages, some silly gimmick like fold-out pages) will make me want it? A comic such as this or others will not be in my pull-box, that's for sure.

Most New Comics
Part of the problem with cutting comics is that there will always be new things coming out I might want. However, if I make sure not to start getting new comics unless there is something really special about them--or I cut something I currently get if I add something new--then I can keep my amount of comics I read down to a more wallet-friendly level.

"All-New X-Factor" is one of the few upcoming comics I will be buying.

Marvel has announced a new "Punisher" series, and that sounds great, but unless I hear it is absolutely amazing I am probably going to skip it. The "All New X-Factor" comic by Peter David is of course something I want, however, because Peter David is awesome, but another "Ghost Rider" comic is a title I won't lose sleep over missing. As long as I avoid adding much and letting what I currently have run its course, I can be more fiscally responsible and still enjoy the comics I truly like.

So, What Does It All Mean (Again)?
The first time I did my big dropping of comics I got rid of many of the same sorts of things I cut this time. Comics that were okay but not really worth the time they took to read, boring comics, and of course things that cost way too much for what I was getting. I kept stuff that was  written well, fun, had good art, and basically made for stellar comics--which sounds so easy yet seems to be so rare.

As I continue to cut things and read only the stuff that I feel is really worth my time, I hope to get more enjoyment from reading comics as there will only be ones I really treasure, and I will save a lot of money too, which can be used for other things that I hate to admit is more important than comics, but are--like food, shelter, and clothing. Anyways, there you go with what else I decided to drop and why.

Articles from the first time I did a big cut of comics:
Part One
Part Two
Part Three
Part Four

"Everything and a Mini-Series for the Kitchen Sink, Understanding Infinite Crisis" AKA I Read a Snazzy Short Book About Comics

"Infinite Crisis". Those two words inspire fear in some readers of comics, joy in others, and a mixture of emotions in even more. It was arguably one of DC's biggest "event" comics ever, with numerous lead-in mini-series and tie-ins from ongoing titles, and then more tie-ins for when the event itself was happening, resulting in what was basically a gigantic epic of a tale that maybe was a bit too big for its britches, but which at least did something impressively gigantic.From its meta-fictional commentary with alternate-universe heroes talking about how horrible the DC Universe was, to its multiple plots all intertwining and breaking off at various points as needed, to the Universe-spanning threats, "Infinite Crisis" could be accused of many things, but never being small. Something so big deserves a breaking down of what worked and what didn't, and why. This is where the organization Sequart and the book I read comes in handy.

I enjoy reading books along with comics. I also enjoy combining the two into books about comics, and if anyone does such a topic well, it is definitely the Sequart Research & Literacy Organization, or "Sequart" for short. A non-profit dedicated to, "Advancing Comics as Art," the organization has put out books on topics such as numerous Grant Morrison titles, "Watchmen", and works by Warren Ellis. They also have a forthcoming book about DC comics and its cross-overs which will contain a chapter that is currently available as a "single"/smaller book focused on the aforementioned Infinite Crisis event, in all its glory and faults.

"Everything and a Mini-Series for the Kitchen Sink" examines many of the comics that led into "Infinite Crisis" along with the books that occurred during it, and the event-comic itself too. Writer Julian Darius is very thorough in pointing out the intriguing things DC did that paid off, and what attempts fell flat. It breaks down the complexities of a mini-series that definitely bit off more than it could chew, but points out how the parts that did work made for quite a delicious plot. From the once-heroic Superboy Prime becoming the sort of ultra-violent villain he started out protesting to all of the best and worst aspects of the most-popular heroes (Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman) being displayed, Julian Darius argues (and I agree with him) that there was a lot to like in "Infinite Crisis" and its related comics. Plus, it led to the stellar "52" series so that's another plus.

Sequart is a great organization and their books tend to be pretty stellar too. I greatly enjoyed reading, "Everything and a Mini-Series for the Kitchen Sink" and am excited to read some other books of theirs I've purchased. I'd recommend this title which you can see more of at this link, and checking out some of their other books.
4.5 out of 5 stars.

"Angelic Wars" Comic Review

At Saint Louis' own Project Comic-Con I acquired all sorts of interesting comics from independent comic-makers. One of those bunch of comics were the first two issues of the series, "Angelic Wars" by Marcus J. Mosley. Considering how sometimes comic stories can seem a bit repetitive--even in the supposedly more creative smaller publishers--I enjoy how in the more independent-field creators can feel free to really go wild and do whatever they want for their stories, often resulting in quite original concepts such as the one contained within the pages of "Angelic Wars".

I don't know too much biblical history so I can't comment too well on how much is drawn from the bible and how much Mosley himself created, but the comic has an interesting story in being about the famous devil Lucifer before he went against God. The story centers on Lucifer as he helps fight demons for God whilst slowly becoming more and more disillusioned--especially after an angel he loves dies. Honestly, the first issue was a bit confusing due to utilizing multiple flashbacks, and while the art isn't bad, Lucifer at times looks like a female character. The 2nd issue is much stronger however, with more focused issue that spends a lot of time on one of Lucifer's lieutenants, Lavarius, as he is held captive by the forces of evil due to another Angel being a traitor. Plus, when Lucifer does appear he looks more male-ish so you don't get confused.

"Angelic Wars" has fine writing and presentable art, but the most interesting aspect of the comic is probably the extremely creative concept of showing what happened before Lucifer became the big-evil folk think of him as now, and also seeing Lucifer grow more and more despondent, angry, and evil. In flashbacks we see a paragon of virtue and in the present we see someone prepared to slaughter anything in his way in a misguided attempt to bring back a lost love.

"Angelic Wars" isn't perfect, but the extremely creative concept carries the book quite well even when the art or method of storytelling can be a bit confusing (flashbacks are a hard-to-use tool for sure). I would recommend checking it out if you're in the mood for something different and unique. You can find the comic in various Saint Louis-area shops or order it online at Mosley's website at this link.
Issue #1: 3 out of 5 stars
Issue #2: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Haunted Houses and the Joy of Faux-Fear

I went to a haunted house last night (well, more of a big warehouse) called "The Darkness" with a friend of mine and we both had fun. I've discussed horror movies on the blog before and have never made it a secret how much I enjoy Halloween and the month of October in general (its cool but not cold, the leaves are beautiful, I love pumpkin-flavored items, etc.) so I thought it would be worth sharing my thoughts about it and why it seems we as a human population enjoy being scared (as long as it is in a safe way).

I call the way that some people like being scared while not facing an actual threat, faux-fear. I think of it as meaning you are jumping and screaming as if you are afraid of something, and your body may very well react physically with an increased heart rate and sweating, but the logical part of you knows there is no real danger, and in a weird way that is comforting. I think in this era of life sometimes being dull, we like to occasionally give our bodies a jolt with a scary movie, horror book, or haunted house. Watching/reading/going into one of these items puts you in a world where you aren't just going about your life, you are instead running for it. You get to be startled and terrified, but also enjoy it because you know you aren't really going to die at the hands of some monster or cannibal-mutant.

When we see "A Nightmare on Elm Street" we get to live a world where nightmares can kill you and sleeping means dying a  bloody death--but once the credits roll we are free to go back to our safe lives. Going into a haunted house is like the next step up from just watching or reading something scary. You are actually in the horror story. You feel the cold air blowing on you, your eyes struggle to adjust to the dark, every step you take could mean a piece of the floor shaking or a window popping open to reveal a ghoul--its horrible and extremely fun all at once. Hence, when I heard about "The Darkness" I was excited to visit it.

"The Darkness" is often one of the top-rated haunted-houses on various websites that rate those things. Nearly a million dollars is spent every year completely renovating the attraction to keep it fresh, and between the amazing set-design and over 50 actors in terrifying make-up jumping out at you, "The Darkness" is quite a treat. The people behind it actually have two other haunted-attractions in the region, and I've been to the outdoor one, but for my money "The Darkness" is probably the best in terms of sheer scares.

If I had any complaints about "The Darkness" it would be that at times the artificial-fog was so thick you couldn't see the amazing sets well enough to truly admire them. Also, while some of the actors are great, a few seemed to not really have their heart in it, although some were quite good at eliciting scares. I was a little offended when one lady playing a demon-clown called me "Fattie" however and asked if I "Had any candy." Seriously lady, I came here to be scared, not insulted.

Going into a good haunted house is like stepping into your own horror movie, and going into a bad one is like stepping into your own lame horror movie. Thankfully, "The Darkness" is not just good, its stellar. As someone who enjoys seeking out faux-fear I am pleased to say "The Darkness" is definitely worth going to if you live in or are going to be around the Saint Louis area this October (and first 2 days of November). You can learn more about it at its website (warning if you are somewhere quiet, a loud audio clip with a creepy voice automatically plays), and buy tickets online too if you so desire to skip that line and just have to worry about the main que to get into the place. In closing, I give "The Darkness":
4.5 out of 5 stars.

"Avengers: Endless Wartime" Review AKA Warren Ellis Needed A Paycheck So He Jammed Super-Heroes Into One of His Pretty Good Sci-Fi Stories

Some Background on the Book
This book, "Avengers: Endless Wartime" is notable in its release not just because it has a popular writer who doesn't always do work for Marvel (Warren Ellis). Nor is it because of how it features a forward by the extremely-popular (at least among fans of Marvel movies) Clark Gregg, of "Agent Coulson" fame. No, this is an especially notable release because it is an original graphic novel (OGN), set in "normal" Marvel continuity. DC has mucked about with OGN's some (see the highly popular "Joker" book, but that wasn't even canon), but generally it seems they and Marvel shy away from releasing stories set in their super-hero Universes (at least within the last couple of decades) that instead of being serialized just come out as one book.

There are some current exceptions to this usual state of affairs, such as Marvel's "Season One" releases, but even those are merely origin stories of popular characters not set in the "current" continuity of Marvel's Universe. Plus, those books didn't have any huge names on them to non-comics readers. Whether that was because they were geared more toward the bookstore-market where readers wouldn't know comic-teams well anyways, or some other reason I lack the knowledge to know. Ellis however is a bit more known, for reasons I'll discuss shortly. Plus, it is pretty clear this book is a much bigger deal than those "Season One" books the way Marvel has promoted it.

The back cover has a pretty striking design,
 also that supposed "afterword" by Stan Lee is mentioned nowhere
on my copy of the book, so it must have been cut before it went to press

So, on one-hand we've got one of Marvel's first big-deal original graphic novel releases in recent memory so you know there was effort put into it (does, "God Loves, Man Kills" count as an OGN?), a popular-writer among both comic-nerds and regular folk, and very nice art by Mike McKone. On the other hand, this book is really, really depressing.

About Warren Ellis

It is worth noting I have never seen or been able to find a picture of Warren Ellis smiling.

Warren Ellis is one of my favorite writers. The man is very talented in a variety of ways. He loves writing prose books, exploring sci-fi concepts in his comic-book stories, and otherwise creating tales that carry a quite-dark edge. Ellis occasionally will write comics that relate to super-heroics but they tend to hold a very dour view on such a concept (just read "No Hero" with its lines about how people are idiots and need heroes to look up to, then tell me Ellis doesn't have some strong feelings). Occasionally when it seems Ellis needs a bigger paycheck to help find his smaller projects you'll see him do something for Marvel or the mainstream DC Universe (this does not count his Vertigo-label books as it is clear he enjoys those).

Ellis is getting to be a bit of a big name. With the success of the first "Red" movie based on a comic Ellis did artist Cully Hamner and Ellis' story "Extremis" being used (albeit in a tweaked form) in the movie "Iron Man 3" even non-comic reading households are starting to know of him. Plus, folk who maybe have never picked up a comic but have enjoyed his books "Crooked Little Vein" and "Gun Machine" could very well be interested in a book such as this--a comic which is a self-contained story with supposedly little outside knowledge needed. Marvel getting Ellis for their first big OGN in awhile displays how they are pursuing this plan in a pretty dedicated-to-succeeding manner.

Due to the manner in which Ellis writes, he sometimes doesn't match as well with mainstream super-heroes because his style of making everyone crack wise and come off as slightly-cranky can make perfect sense with some heroes (Tony Stark), but seem odd coming out of the mouth of Captain America, a man who is supposed to be a somewhat eternal optimist. Also, as this is an Ellis' comic you know there is going to be science-fiction concepts in here, and there sure is. In fact, sometimes it feels like Ellis came up with a sci-fi story and decided to tack heroes onto it. Thankfully, it is a pretty good sci-fi story and having heroes adds to the tale instead of detracting from it.

The Book Itself

Everyone seems to talk to each other as if they were mad,
even though I don't think they are.

"Avengers: Endless Wartime" is not a bad book, it is quite good. However, I would not say it is enjoyable. I would state such a thing because the overall comic has such a bleak and depressing tone a reader might want to self-harm after finishing the comic. It is strange because the forward by the aforementioned Clark Gregg talks about the wonderment and joy he gets from Marvel comics, and sets you up to feel amazed and peppy...then writer Warren Ellis drops a big bomb of "sad" on you. Now, Ellis writes plenty of "downer" stories, but for something meant to appeal to a more mainstream audience you would have thought Marvel would prefer injecting more levity into the proceedings, sort of how the "Avengers" movie was actually pretty light-hearted in a lot of ways.

 Whether it is all the heroes coming off as cynical (and bitter), the plot with its commentary on the United State's somewhat-poor foreign policy (due to our desire to often bomb the Hell out of nations who don't agree with us), or the fact that in the end the current threat is defeated but it is clear little truly has been won, this is a pretty bleak book--and that's perfectly alright because this is Warren Ellis we are talking about. It is just odd when taking into account this is supposed to be the kind of book you give to people who enjoy Marvel movies with their generally-lighter tone but don't read comics. The plot basically is about these strange new drones that seem to be made out of a mythological monster, resulting in these children that are half-machine and half-monster being used by the US Government and S.H.I.E.L.D. to fight wars. This is where the Avengers come in.

A handful of the Avenger from the movies and other more recognizable Marvel properties that can't appear in an "Avengers" film (Wolverine) or who don't yet have a movie but were added to the cast because Ellis must like the character (Carol Danvers in her Captain Marvel role), go off and investigate these creature-machines. We get some fighting, some political commentary on how the US can be a bit of a secretive jerk, Captain America and Thor learn how this ancient threat ties them together, and Tony Stark says a lot of great quips that would be just as at home coming out of Robert Downey Junior's mouth (which I imagine is the point).

It's a solid story that I could see working spread out over a variety of issues in one of the myriad "Avengers" books, but which works even better as a complete work that you can set on your bookshelf and give to someone who says, "Hey, I like those Marvel movies but have nary a clue where to start when it comes to reading the comics (and yes, I imagine some people still say "nary")."

The monster-machines are interesting in their surreal design.

Marvel has a good team with Ellis and McKone together, because McKone is just equally at home illustrating talky-scenes full of dialogue or showing the Avengers fighting other-worldly beings and blowing stuff up. Plus, with Ellis' dour outlook it is good to have artwork that is grounded enough to have things look "realistic" but still loose enough that the ancient monster-machines don't look out of place either--something too "real" would be jarring and too cartoony would mesh poorly with the tone)

In Closing
"Avengers: Endless Wartime" is a success if the goal was for Marvel to make an original graphic novel that stands pretty-well on its own even in the bog of continuity that are super-hero comics--whilst also telling a canon stand-alone story. It is a failure if the plan was to create something with the same fun and breezy feel as many of the Marvel flicks, because tonally this is much closer to the darker "Iron Man 3" with its political commentary and cynical dialogue than it is to "Avengers" with its at-times-serious but often fun story-telling.

I would say the book mostly fulfills the idea of there being an "Avengers" comic you can give to your friends and family who are intimidated by all those stacks of comics about super-heroes but would enjoy reading about the characters they found so fun in the Marvel movies--and see some on the same "screen" that currently wouldn't be possible due to Marvel's confusing contracts with various studios for assorted characters. Sure, this may be a pretty depressing book--especially when compared to most of the Marvel flicks--but it's a good yarn and in the end that is the main thing people ask for in any medium, a quality story.
3.5 out of 5 stars.

Archie Comics and Their Intriguing Ability to Stay Relevant

Archie Comics, Kevin Keller, and...Zombies?
Back in the days of my childhood and early adolescence I would enjoy reading Archie Comics. Whether it was about Archie and his eternal conflict of whether he should commit to Betty or Veronica (by the way, I'm fully team Betty because she is much more pleasant even if she isn't rich), Jughead and his incomprehensible ability to eat anything and everything, Sabrina casting spells, Reggie being a total jerk, or any other member of the gang, I always had a moderate level of fun with Archie Comics.

Eventually I just sort of tapered off and stopped reading their stories as I switched more to super-hero related comics and then a variety of independent publishers. I thought Archie Comics made products that were cute, but a little outdated and definitely not topical or especially relevant to today. Seeing as how I'm talking about Archie Comics, clearly that changed at some point.

Kevin Keller, a pretty cool guy.

I would say when Archie Comics first started getting more attention from the "mainstream" comic-book crowd (and media in general!) would be when they announced and introduced Kevin Keller. He was the first gay character (at least openly, I've always had suspicions about Reggie, he tries a little too hard to get ladies) to ever appear in the publisher's comics, and suddenly a company that looked stuffy and old-fashioned was doing something quite progressive.

There was the whole fiasco with some homophobic group known as "One Million Moms" trying to protest the comic (folk may also recognize them as the the organization that urged a boycott of JC Penney due to their having an openly-gay spokesperson in the form of Ellen DeGeneres, a move which actually boosted sales at the company), and it seemed some folk took a whole, "Think of the children" platform, even though I've never understood why teaching children to hate gay people is a supposed family value to some people. In the end however, Kevin Keller was introduced, became quite popular, and actually has his own series with Archie Comics right now.

A lot of thanks for Kevin's success as a character goes to the fact that he is well-written (Dan Parent pretty much always writes Kevin and does a great job) in a way that does not play into any gay stereotypes, or which makes him little more than a token "cause" character. Kevin is just another likable person in the Archie-verse who gets into various misadventures and also happens to be gay. Kevin Keller is popular, Archie comics is getting more press attention, and then things get even more interesting with a new comic that just came out that I at first thought was a joke when I heard it announced. Yes, I'm referring to "Afterlife with Archie".

"Afterlife with Archie" is a comic that feels like it shouldn't exist in within our universe yet thankfully does. It is not all-ages appropriate and therefore only found in comic shops due to its darker and more violent content. You see, it features zombies invading Archie's town of Riverdale. Yes, you read that right, zombies. With amazing art by Francesco Francavilla that carries an amazing amount of dread, it is absolutely goregous. Plus the weird mish-mash of normal everyday Archie conflicts (will Archie take Betty or Veronica to the big Halloween party?) and gruesome horror of zombies attacking people actually works in a surreal way that boggles the mind.

Jughead, Hot Dog is not your friend anymore, run!

Basically, Jughead's dog is sadly run over (we later learn by Reggie) and Sabrina the Teenage Witch tries to help make things better by bringing "Hot Dog" back to life, but instead a monstrous zombie rises. Before long Jughead is infected and not long thereafter he's a shambling flesh-eater making his way to the Halloween party, with a cliffhanger on the last page of his arrival to said party making it clear we need to read the 2nd issue to see things really get nasty. It is all extremely weird yet incredibly fun.

All these factors result in the panel for Archie comics this year at NYCC apparently being absolutely jammed with fans eager to hear what 's next. Oh, and what is next? Apparently, Betty and Veronica may be disappearing in some manner in the main Archie-verse to be replaced by two other female characters. To this news I can only be surprised and also kind of wonder how long such a change this major sticks. Sure, introducing a new character such as Kevin Keller can last forever, and a mini-series set in another world where Archie faces zombies could go on for a bit, but getting rid of Betty and Veronica, how can that work? Then again, just a couple of weeks ago I would have asked how in the world an Archie & zombies comic-book could be possible, so perhaps we shall see.

A publisher I once had pretty much written off as obsolete is now more topical than ever, and making quality stories to go with the boost in relevancy. Archie Comics is producing some good stuff and I wholeheartedly look forward to seeing what comes next.

This Is The Newest Rant--Peel

This is The Newest Rant. We're very careful with our scissors here.

And yes, I am still playing way too much "Grand Theft Auto V" when not working which has made posting a bit harder. I've got some drafts of neat stuff that'll be going up soon enough though, so don't worry because I am still alive.