We finally have two winners of the nerdyshirts contest! First Gayle, for being the only entrant of Round 1 and now, through the entirely arbitrary actions of my little friend here:
... who chose the enigmatic Doktor Andy as the winner. So: thanks to all who entered, thanks to nerdyshirts and thanks to polygons.
Hooray!
Okay, maybe not death. Intense discomfort, though. See, this week marks the point in the Nova Scotia Summer when the average temperature started being at or over thirty degrees (Celsius. That's right suckers: METRIC SYSTEM) and that means two things for ol' Johnathan. 1) Wanting to do absolutely nothing at all times because otherwise I will overheat and die like a cheap laptop. 2) Restraining myself from erupting in murderous rage every time someone equates higher temperatures with better times, especially when you can tell that they will keep doing it no matter how hot it actually gets.
I know that someone from a more southerly place will pipe up and tell me that I am being foolish, but I swear I'm not. If I lived somewhere tropical then I would be an invalid. My family would have to wheel me around in a Victorian bath chair and would eventually go bankrupt from the ruinous expense of hiring kindly old ladies to moisten my feverish brow. I'd probably end up donated to the local medical school.
In short, I'm hot, so the following will read very oddly because I started writing it on my air-conditioned lunch break and am finishing it in my hot hot living room. Enjoy!
Oh! Also: t-shirt contest ends tomorrow, so get a comment in saying that you're entering before then!
Casanova: Luxuria I
I came late to the Casanova party. Like, this year late. I definitely don’t own anything near all of the original not-quite-black-and-white issues. Ergo, this is just perfect for me.
But here I am talking like everyone knows what the hell Casanova is. Sorry about that. Casanova is the tale of Casanova Quinn, thief and son of spymaster Cornelius Quinn. Casanova is kidnapped to another dimension by the mysterious Newman Xeno of criminal organization W.A.S.T.E., there to take the place of his more altruistic and deceased double and thereby worming his way into E.M.P.I.R.E., his father’s spy organization. So, uh, extremely complex but in a very good way. It’s like… if Nick Fury, Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. had a kid that was equal parts James Bond, Batman and young Keith Richards, and they fought international terrorism together, but Batbond Richards was secretly working for Hank Scorpio, head of COBRA. And also about a hundred other insane things are happening AND it’s a well-told narrative rather than the horrendous mess I just made it sound like. Twice.
The big news about this reprinting is the addition of colour to the equation. Casanova used to have exactly one colour per page, applied in extremely cool ways. I guess that it’s up to the individual to gauge whether they prefer the new scheme to the old, but I like it. The old colours still predominate, and some elements – say, creepy big-head Fabula Berserko, who gets a yeechy green flesh tone – are definitely enhanced. So hooray for Cris Peter and her magic pigments!
Hit Monkey No. 1
This picks up from the one-shot that came out earlier this year and features the continuation of the Hit-Monkey’s quest for vengeance against the people responsible for killing his tribe. Oh, and now the monkey is haunted by the ghost of the assassin who was killed in the last issue and together they are going after the leadership of a conspiracy against the Japanese government.
This book is seriously pretty weird, but in the best of ways. I'm sincerely glad that a haunted assassin ape is a part of the Marvel Universe. If this is a just and fair cosmos and in the unlikely event of another Marvel/DC crossover I eagerly look forward to the Hit-Monkey/Detective Chimp teamup.
Beasts of Burden: Animal Rites HC
Okay, so it came out last week, so sue me. I flirted with letting this one pass me by because I already have all of the individual issues and the Dark Horse Book of… series, but ultimately I could not resist. And then I got it as a birthday present (thanks, Cal!).
And who could resist this, really? It's a Dark Horse hardcover, which means that it looks fantastic and reminds you of something from your childhood - I really have no examples to back this up but still swear that it is true. In any case, having the four original stories at a larger size is a big plus, as it lets you see even more of Jill Thompson's fantastic art.
I think that Beasts of Burden is quite possibly my favourite new thing in the last ten years or so, which is especially impressive in light of the fact that "dogs and cats fight the supernatural" is a plot that could have gone so very wrong. Thanks heavens for the Dorkin/Thompson team. (Gratuitous link to free online Beasts of Burden stories)
Ghostopolis - Another book that's been out for a while, kind of. At least, I saw it in bookstores about a month ago but it just arrived at the comic shop. Anyway: Doug TenNapel tells the tale of a terminally ill boy who is accidentally banished to the afterlife and the washed-up ghost hunter who has to get him back. Oh, and there are crazy insect guys and a ghost tyrant and quite a lot of mummies. As is common in a TenNepel comic, it's pretty much equal parts heartwarming and super strange. As is uncommon, it's in colour!
Hellboy: The Storm No. 1 - New Hellboy comic! And there's a recap of recent Hellboy activities, so that this is... not really a good jumping-on point. But hey, if you stopped reading after Conqueror Worm and are way too lazy to pick up a couple of trades? Maybe then.
Batman: Odyssey No. 1 - Neal Adams does some Batman. This is one of those ones that I'm writing in the heat, so I'll just wait until issue 2 to weigh in. In short: a lot happens, and I like it. Batman has some guns. Multiple Man-Bats? Well, huh.
Kill Shakespeare No. 3 – I am pleased to report that this is still great. The only problem with this book is that I feel like the biggest nerd ever when I'm reading it, all giggling about Shakespeare jokes in a comic book. I feel like someone who likes wrestling comics is going to beat me up.
Secret Six No. 23 – Here is a pro tip for anyone who is interested in hunting a bit of the ol’ “most dangerous game”: if you are thinking about using a homicidal mercenary who has gone toe-to-toe with Batman (let alone three-plus) as your prey, try to reconsider. It won’t go well.
Chimichanga No. 3 – Eric Powell is just plain good at being weird on paper. This heart-warming tale of a little bearded girl and the bizarre creature that she hatched out of an egg going up against the witch-inspired machinations of Big Pharma is about medium-rare, if I may use the meat-cooking scale to represent comic book weirdness.
Yes, time has marched on and John has grown just a little bit older, with a bit more junk in the trunk (er, forward-mounted, European-style trunk) and presumably a greater tendency for aching bones on cold Winter mornings, though that last one is hard to confirm as It is currently murderously hot here. Cantankerousness levels are definitely rising though.
As with last year, I have looked back at the past to see just what was going on in comics on the day of my glorious Johnativity. There was no end to the celebrating!
CUE MUSIC!
Cue musical back-up: The Amazing Jor-El and his Giant Floating Harmonica!
Bring out the entertainment! First, the strongman!
Bring out the Amazing Comedy Stylings of the Batman!
Followed by the even more crown-pleasing Shirtlessness of the Batman!
How about some presents? Super Friends, did I hear you say that you had a selection of themed henchmen to delight my just-barely-Gen X love of pop-culture folderol?
The Matador Mob? Delightful! And what's this?
You know, I went three decades without knowing that I was missing something. Now that you've shown me that Chronos once employed three bumbling henchmen named Hour Hand, Minute Hand and Second Hand, well... I feel complete.
In a similar move, Superman has brought forth the Orbitrons, possibly the most adorable of all Hostess Twinkie distractees.
Keep on caving in to kidnappers' demands, Superman - you know what's right.
Oh, and Judge Dredd claims to have one final, secret present for me. What ever could it be?
Uh... thank you for the lovely vest. I'll treasure it, I'm sure. Tell you what, you put it over there and we'll watch the dancing girl that you've arranged. I must say, I never really expected something like this, especially from you. Oh, here she comes!
You've made me sad, Judge Dredd. You've ruined my birthday.
Well, until next year, I remain,
JOHNATHAN "APPROVED" MUNROE
So... that contest, with Nerdyshirts?
I've had one winner, but also one entrant. None o' youse guys want a shirt? Whatsamatta, our free shirts not good enough for you?
Anyway, I'm extending the contest, only now I'm making it even easier to enter. All you have to do is enter, via comments or email. I'll give it a week and pick someone randomly.
What has the Internet come to?
Because I got completely sidetracked and didn't write anything, here are last week’s comics, the highlights:
Bullet to the Head No. 1 – It’s hard to go wrong with a comic that kind of looks like a Seventies movie, featuring a pair of likeable cops trying to solve a crime committed by a pair of likeable hitmen. We saw the crime take place at the top of this issue, now it’s time for some Colombo-style trying to figure out how/if they’ll solve it.
Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne No. 3 – Time Travel Batman plus pirates equals megafun. That a series that started with Caveman Batman could keep getting better like this is a real achievement.
Power Girl No. 13 – You know what? For a regular issue of a series that commits the cardinal sin of spending a quarter of its pages reiterating what happened in another comic, this wasn’t bad. Of course, it looks like Winick’s next move is going to be the classic “completely explode everything that has been developed in the run up until now so that I can tell my own story” manoeuvre, but I won’t condemn him before he actually does it. In short: not as bad as everyone feared… yet.
Sea Bear & Grizzly Shark No 1 – I have a firm belief that some of the best and funniest ideas in the world start their lives as stupid jokes in friend-style conversations, so my affection for this comic started out a notch above where it might have been. “Bear in ocean, shark in woods – they got mixed up!” is just about all the background detail you need for a one-issue humourous comic. Add on the ridiculous background story and you’re done!
Superman No. 700
Batman No. 700 took some flak for not being the best anniversary comic ever, but never fear: like the best bat-pal that he is, Superman will distract everyone with one that is downright terrible!
Not that the quality of the art or writing is that bad – here’s a rundown of the contents:
1. Story in which Lois and Clark reconnect and go on dates and stuff, wrapping up the last Superman event.
2. Story about Dick Grayson as Robin teaming up with Superman.
3. Story setting up next Superman event.
So, the two ends of the ongoing story arcs and an adorable story that was mostly about Robin and which, honestly, is just like a dozen other stories from the last five or six years. Terrific.
This Week:
Joker’s Asylum II: Clayface
I keep starting to type something about how it’s a shame that this is the final entry in this series, because it’s the weakest, but then I hesitate. I certainly enjoy Kelley Jones’ rendition of Batman, and there’s nothing wrong with the exploration of Basil Karlo’s motivation. Heck, I even like the ending better than I did the first time I read it.
I think that it’s the Joker’s role in the story, in that he has none. All of the previous issues of this series have featured him as an incredibly unreliable storyteller, someone who sets things up, puts his own spin on the issue, etc. This time, it might as well be the Cryptkeeper, except he doesn’t even get to deploy terrible puns. Bah, I say.
Werewolves of Montpellier
Odds are pretty good that you either love Jason or have no idea who he is. If you fall into the latter camp… Remember in Strange Tales, the one where Spider-Man wants to get into a bar fight, and also everyone is dogs and birds and dogs? Yeah, that guy. Everything he does is so… melancholy, but with moments of hilarity. And also, everyone is dogs and birds. He’s one of the most unique creators in comics today and I can’t believe that it took me so long to start picking up his books.
Werewolves of Montpellier is about a thief who dresses up like a werewolf, his unrequited love for his gay friend/neighbour and the real werewolves who object to the high profile that he’s bringing to their kind. It’s melancholy and hilarious and everybody is birds and dogs. Honestly, if you're not convinced already i don't know what to say.
Abe Sapien: The Abyssal Plain No. 1 – I just read Charles Stross’ The Jennifer Morgue again, so I’m already all skeezy about the very things that this comic is about: death and danger at an unhealthy oceanic depth. The Peter Stejbjerg/Dave Stewart visuals here are only serving to freak me out further. Good job!
Atomic Robo and the Revenge of the Vampire Dimension No 4 – I declare this series a resounding success! Heck, even if it hadn’t been a complete joy to read and set up half a dozen sure-to-be-entertaining plot hooks, the Dr Dinosaur issue alone would have justified a series 5 to 7 times the size of this one.
Captain Swing and the Electrical Pirates of Cindery Island No. 2 – Why is it that I can be so excited by electricity in a comic book while simultaneously being completely surrounded by it at home? Maybe I need more visible blue arcs in my life.
Green lantern No. 55 – We all know that the best new character in DC Comics over the lat few years has been Larfleeze, the Orange Lantern. I think that the heart-warming/rending origin in this here comic cements Red Lantern Dex-Star as number two.
Turf No. 2 – Is it going to surprise anyone if I describe a comic that features gangsters and aliens versus vampires as completely awesome? No? Probably for the best.
It's going to be a hoot! Take it away, Captain Canuck!
Everyone get your submarine and helicopter ready, because it's gonna get PATRIOTIC in here.
Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to get myself a beer.
Living Between Wednesdays is a place for people who love comic books and superheroes.
