If you lovely people have noticed, I've been a little silent lately! It's because I've been working on this! A new Podcast called TOM AND MAT ATTACK!
If you like listening to English and Welsh people, talking about Video Games, this podcast is for you! Listen to it here, and please like it on Facebook here!
Nasty things, cigarettes. Oh sure, you can argue they make you look cool, or they help you stay thin, and not forgetting you can usually get an extra 5 minutes break to smoke one, but that's neither here nor there. Despite all the branding in the world, you can't get away from the fact they smell and taste horrible, they yellow your teeth and nails, and they cost a small fortune in tax.
That and they kill you, one drag at a time.
So imagine the irony, that John Constantine, The Hellblazer, a man with a demon's blood literally coursing through his veins, risking life and limb daily to spit in the face of hell and help those who need him, that those tiny white sticks he smokes were the things to finally do him in.
Garth Ennis' himself writes in the foreword, that this book was his big break. And with the previously mentioned goings on of John Constantine's day to day, Ennis felt he needed to make a big splash with Hellblazer: Dangerous Habits. He felt he needed something ballsy and unexpected, so naturally Ennis did what the legions of hell could not, he killed Constantine.
Will Simpson's illustration is much like that of John Ridgway's in Original Sin, in that it is firmly routed in it's time. But what Simpson achieves stretches beyond that of his predecessor, while it surely encapsulates both the early 90's view of Britain and even the style of comic book art at the time, the book still feels fresh. Whether this is because of how well Ennis wrote the story, or that Simpson's line is so crisp, his palette so well selected, that it harkens to great artists currently working in comics such as David Aja.
While the previous books reviewed on this blog are the way into Constantine, this is a book that will make you fall in love with the character. You see a man brought to his knees, clinging to desperate attempts to stay alive, who still throws a middle finger up to those who appose him. Be it through stubbornness or a twisted sense of pride, it is Constaine's desperation that makes him seem almost human.
Hellblazer: Dagerous Habits is not only a testament to how brilliant a writer Ennis is, but is more importantly a crucial indicator into how well formed a character Constantine is. While Alan Moore is celebrated for his work on The Watchmen and V for Vendetta, he is not often enough championed as the man behind everyone's favorite trench coat wearing Liverpudlian. Which is a shame, as maybe if he was, then we would have got a movie this story deserved, rather than one staring Keanu Reeves...
Once upon a time, there was a man who walked a very thin line between the service of heaven and hell. He was neither angle or demon, but a man from the north of England, a city called Liverpool. His name was John Constantine, and he had a habit of finding himself in sticky situations...
Delano's Constantine is bitter, working class and always ready to throw a one liner. While the anti-Thatcher sentiment clearly situates the comic in the 1980's, Constantine himself almost feels as if he could exist in any time, anywhere, which is probably one of the main appeals of the Constantine. His ability to exist out of time and still be a relevant character.
John Ridgway's (and for the last two issues, that of Alfredo Alcala) artwork however, for better or worse, does not keep with the idea of timelessness, and is firmly rooted in the 1980's. More than simply suiting the comic's macabre story-line, the artwork is itself an artifact to the time period. Offering the reader a twisted and dark view of Britain at the time, echoing the sentiments of the writing perfectly.
The story (much like that of Rare Cuts) is a perfect gateway into the world of Constantine, and while some of the book's tension and mystery may have been taken away by knowing the 'Newcastle Incident' before hand, this reviewer believes this knowledge makes the book more enjoyable. This is not simply because you know the identities of the spirits haunting John, but because it gives the burdens Constantine faces a lot more gravity and dare it be said, realism. In understanding these events, we see why Constantine is the man he is, like all of us, he is a product of his environment. One who just happens to have a few tricks up his sleeve and a sharp tongue.
If you like the works of Neil Gaiman, or the idea of the occult in everyday life, you need to get Hellblazer in your life. Whether you start at Alan Moore's fantastic Swamp Thing, skip ahead to Rare Cuts or with Original Sins, you will no doubt be pleased. But as this book is the 'first' in the long running 'Hellblazer' series, it should be ideal for those looking for a Constantine 101... Just don't watch that bloody film!
A comics event where every participant takes five pages from the original AKIRA manga, to collectively redraw the entirety of Akira, in our own styles, with characters from The Simpsons.
I saw Ryan Humphrey’s incredible Bartkira piece and realised ‘ok, this needs to be a whole book’. So...
Authors Note: As the fastidious amongst you will have already have noticed, I've updated the way that posts are titled. This will hopefully make my tagging a little easier, but also help create clear sections of reviews, articles and exciting things to come! Now back to our regularly scheduled review...
So after last weeks jaunt into Neil Gaiman's Books of Magic, I had a bit of a revelation. I despite enjoying tales of the macabre and dark humour, really not explored the background of everyone's favourite Liverpudlian Occult detective.
John Constantine, a character original created by the great Alan Moore for Swamp Thing, is a British working lad done good... If by good you mean dabbling in the affairs of heaven, hell and beyond on a daily basis. The character, often regarded as one of the great Anti-Heroes of the comic world is one that seems to be completely polarizing. Some love the character's sudo-political antics, that breach into the lands angels fear to tread, while others seem to view him either as a little too 'out there' or (and I quote) 'a bit of a bore'.
So after a quick word with some of the folks in the office (cheers Chris!), I decided to give Hellblazer a chance. Now, some more versed in Constantine than I, may scratch their heads that 'Rare Cuts' is my entry into Hellblazer, but this is what I was told to do. Why you ask? Because this book covers 'the Newcastle incident', which when I later read 'Original Sins' (Constantine Vol. 1), made the book a more enjoyable experience.
Rare Cuts was released to capitalize on the release of the Constantine movie, and as such, acts as a kind of 'greatest hits' of Constantine. Giving the casual reader (myself included) a look into the Hellblazer universe, and arming them with the knowledge to fully enjoy the previous trades from the off. And with a power house of comic book heavy hitters in its pages, including Jamie Delano, Grant Morrison, and Garth Ennis, it is worth the trip to hell and back.
While the book's content is for the most part choice picks of Constantine's past, it also allows you to sample all elements of the Hellblazer series. From the classics, through the 90s and beyond, the stories act as an appetiser to the over all series, but that would have probably left a bitter taste of those expecting the same thing from that God-afwul movie...
But do you need to buy 'Rare Cuts'? As I mentioned, it really did help me get into Hellblazer a lot easier than if I'd gone straight into Original Sins, but as it is a 'Best of', if you're really sure you're 'into' J.C, it can easily be overlooked.
I've been reading some Hellblazer! Reviews are on route, but as I'm back in Wales it's rather hectic. It will be up at some point tonight, bare with me :)
I'll be honest from the get go, I have a burning hatred of most comic book based game tie ins. For those who know me well, this may seem a bit of a shock. I am, for all intensive purposes, a big gamer who puts a lot of focus on story and visual narratives, so any effort to expand upon the story of a game should be somewhat of a blessing. But I think here in lies the problem, for the most part these tie ins are usually based upon games that have a wafer thin story to begin with.
I've read the first volume of Wildstorm / DC's Gears of War series (Wafer thin plot is an insult to wafers in this instance), Marvel's various Halo books (I enjoyed them, even though they were bite sized), as well as some of the Capcom works (Dark Stalkers, Resi, Megaman, Street Fighter...) that have all left me wanting. And while I have heard that good comic books based on games do exist (Dark Horse's Mass Effect books for example), I was yet to read one.
So assuming that my prejudice to gaming comics could lie within my prior knowledge to a games story (or lack there of), I saw reading IDW's Crysis as a bit of a challenge. After all, a video game comic must really be trying to serve two purposes. First and foremost of course is fan service, but surely the second priority of a video game / comic crossover must surely be to draw in new users to a franchise?
Crysis for those unfamiliar with it, is a first person shooter franchise, originally on the PC, and now in it's 3rd iteration on both PC and console. Now this doesn't sound like grounds for a breath taking story, but to Richard K. Morgan's credit, the story of this book is somewhat compelling.
It follows Major Laurence 'Prophet' Barnes and soldiers of his team through deployment on the Lingshan Islands, as they battle The Ceph. A hostile alien race looking to invade earth. While the story is a little paint by numbers in it's narrative, it really does have some interesting ideas. Whether this is the work of Morgan's or the folks at Crytek, it remains to be seen.
But for a series that is famed for being 'the' game to show of your gaming pc in terms of visuals, the comic does feel at times a little run of the mill in terms of it's visuals. Peter Bergting's pencil work while not bad, seems pretty run of the mill, and Michelle Madsen's colouring does little to lift this (though again, in their defense, FPS games generally have generic backgrounds in bland colours...).
However, what was very interesting in the book was what is done with the speech bubbles. Instead of tails on the bubbles, small lines connect the bubbles to the speaker, which not only adds a digital feel to the book, but unlike some other attempts at breaking speech bubble conventions, is un-distracting and dare I say it, even a great alternative to the usual tails. Whether this is the work of the letters (Richard Starkings / Albert Deschesne, who do fantastic lettering throughout) or the artist remains to be seen, but it is a novel an wonderful idea.
Overall, I believe Crysis achieved what it set out to do. It got me intrigued enough about the story to keep reading (and consider purchasing the 1st game on XBLA), but all in all, was an entertaining book. While possibly not to everyones tastes, if you fancy a book with a bit of action sci-fi, you could do a lot worse than picking up Crysis, it could be a way into an enjoyable FPS experience, that, or it's good enough to sucker you into buying a related piece of software. Either way, you should be reasonably entertained.
Around a year ago when I moved to Denmark, I was discussing with some of the guys I worked with about a cool comic books we liked. The usual names popped up. Batman, Dredd, Spiderman, then one I wasn't so familiar with: The Rocketeer.
Everyone looked at me in amazement. "You've not heard of The Rocketeer? There's even a film of it!" was the general gist of the outcry. Of course, after a quick google, I realized that I had seen Dave Steven's high flying rocket-man, I'd just never read it.
Fortunately for me, this weekend's 3 day sale on Comixology is not only Steven's original Rocketeer stories, but also the Rocketeer Adventures / Cargo of Doom books published by IDW. So naturally, I took a look the opportunity to see what I was missing.
Steven's original Rocketeer story tells the tale of Cliff Secord, a stunt pilot who finds a mysterious jet-pack in the cockpit of his fighter plane. The book is set in the 1930's and as such, has WW2 espionage as a main plot point. But never does this story feel tired of dated. The book feels very much like the pulp stories of the 1930's and 40's that inspired it, but that is what gives the book it's charm.
Secord is not some superman, he is not an alien, or does he have any secret powers, he's an underdog pilot thrown into a random situation, and that's what makes him compelling as a character, even if he does feel at first a little under developed. It is seriously a tragedy to have lost Steven's, as by the end of the book the character of Secord is up there with Peter Parker and Bruce Wayne in terms of his roundedness as a character.
But what is clear from the start is Steven's mastery of illustration, Not only is each panel beautifully rendered, but his grasp of form (especially that of Betty (semi NSFW link here), based off of the late Bettie Page), motion and his ability of inking are truly breath-taking and inspired.
But thanks to IDW, The Rocketeer lives on. Both Volumes of Adventures contain 16 short stories by various artists and writers, all self contained, showing how much inspiration Steven's truly had on the world of comics, and how truly missed he is. The highlight of the book personally was Tom Taylor / Colin Wilson's story, 'Work to do', a bitter sweet tale of The Rocketeer fighting the Nazi's in WW2.
Overall, I believe that The Rocketeer is a great read, especially at this price. If you're into digital comics, I strongly recommend you pick this up while you can! If not, you owe it to yourself to get at least Steven's original 8 issues collected in this TPB. You can find out more about the creator here, as well as
When you are handed a book like Starman - Night and Day, there is a moment of hesitation. As you can see from the cover, the book looks like it falls on the side of 1990's comic books that most try their hardest to forget. You'd imagine that from the cover, it should be something hidden away like Azrael's Batman costume or The entirety of the Spiderman Clone Saga, but you'd be wrong.
For those who took a look at the cover, you'd spot the name James Robinson, who has by all accounts written a boatload of good comic books. If this wasn't reason enough to forgive the cover (which admittedly did win an Eisner Award... Don't ask!), Tony Harris's pencil work inside the book is fantastic. It feels ahead of it's time, feeling more like a mash-up of traditional costumed hero physicality with the fantastic line-work of Charles Burns.
But the reviewer digresses. For those of you who haven't heard of Starman, the story goes something like this: Our would be hero, Jack Knight, son of the original Starman, Ted Knight, has reluctantly taken up his Father's old costume after the death of his brother, David. But apart from being unconventional, Jack is a great hero. He doesn't abide by a real costume, he is witty and much unlike any character of his time.
How many other comics do you know, that in the heat of a fight, will have the main character explain in detail, his love of Eero Saarinen's Womb Chair. Robinson's writing is, while unconventional, very readible. The world of Opal City presented to us, feels as rounded as Gotham and Metropolis, and while this may be the second volume of this run, there was no point in which I didn't understand what was going on in the story.
There is no conventional reason why more people don't know about Starman, other than nobody has successfully picked up the torch and run with it with Robinson's flare. The book is fast paced, wonderfully written and at times, laugh out loud funny. In this reviewer's experience of 90's DC, there are almost no ongoing series' that are that this enjoyable a read, other than those published on Vertigo. I cannot recommend it enough.
The year is 1993. Somewhere in the British Isles, a story is written about a black haired, spectacled boy. On the surface, he appears to be an ordinary teenager, but soon he is visited by a stranger who tells him that he is anything but ordinary, but a powerful magical force. And no, this is not Harry Potter.
Neil Gaiman's The Books of Magic tells the tale of Tim Hunter, a ordinary boy turned wizard. In Tim's quest to discover the world of magic, he is taken on a journey by The Trench-coat Brigade through not only the beginning and end of our world, but amongst the occult elite of the DC Comic world. Gaiman's knowledge of these characters is to be expected from the man behind Sandman, but it is how these characters contribute to the story, that shows the masterful writer Gaiman is. Whether it be Constaine's tour through the world or Zatanna taking Tim to meet DC's dark magicians, their inclusion never feels forced, and helps the world woven in the tale feel lived in and unique.
Gaiman's world is masterfully illustrated by some of the biggest name's in the 90's comic scene. John Bolton, Scott Hampton, Charles Vess and Paul Johnson, create a visual smorgasbord, that not only helps to ground Gaiman's writing in both reality and a world beyond the reader's wildest dreams, one that arguably only realized by the truly magnificent artwork that accompanies the words.
All in all, The Books of Magic is a fantastic read. While there certainly are comparisons to be made with Rowling's Potter Series (which Gaiman clearly predates by around 4 years), this should not inform your opinion of the piece. As with Gaiman's other work, the story is pepper with mythology of many cultures and faiths, that leaves one salivating at the literary knowledge on display. If you like modern fantasy, then you are sure to love this book.
Well, dear reader. They'll be back soon! This is what I will later refer to as the transition period I guess haha... But in the 30 something days in which I read and REVIEWED (I'm still planning on reading them), I realised one bold truth... That not only does reviewing comics take an awful lot of my free time, but it was also prohibiting me from doing what I started reviewing comics to get a better understanding of. Writing and creating my own work. But already, a month and a little bit into reading a comic a day, things have changed. Not only have I seen the first page of a collaboration drawn (and it looks amazing Ryan!), but have began writing some other things, as well as putting together some ideas myself. Hopefully, this increased creativity continues, but I intend to seize the day and work on it, while I have the drive to do so. But this means I will not continue reviewing a book a day... (well possibly in less detail), but there will still be reviews! While I know people have been enjoying the reviews, I want to move BEYOND that. There are things I'd like to write about that deal with comics as a medium, comic book lettering and a whole host of other things, as well as using the blog as a forum to post my own creative work, be it solo or collaborative. Just probably not every day... This weekend, I'm going to redesign this Tumblr, get a proper domain and possibly a Blogger account for longer written reviews (that I've previously posted here). Until then, there'll be reblogs and the occasional comment from me, but keep your eyes peeled... It should be exciting!
As day 2 of me being ill draws to a close, I think I'll have to re-evaluate this blog in the morning... While I will continue to read books, doing 1 a day and reviewing them is getting in the way of writing/drawing my own strips, and life in general... Not to mention it's super tiring! I'll keep you posted
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