Results tagged “Superman” from Birmingham Mail - Speech Balloon

BIRCH'S BARK at Speech Balloons continues to discuss graphic novels, this time focussing on solo outings and super teams-ups.

Invincible
By Robert Kirkman & Cory walker (Image)

Mark Grayson is a teenager who starts exhibiting superpowers just as puberty sets in. Perhaps not too surprising when one considers that his old man goes by the name of Omni-Man.

So begins a bitter sweet adventure of a well adjusted lad learning to deal with his powers, teaming up with fellow kids in the Teen Team and fighting villains who once in a while even end up being school teachers.

Detractors might say it's about as relevant as The Cosby Show was to working class blacks in America but hey, not everyone has it bad. Of course there are those superhero lovers who pontificate that the hard edged post modern variety is the only relevant format these days, but those dudes can't see the irony of that.

What we have in this book is a feel good story that is well written in a clear manner with art that looks like John Byrne got inked by Kevin O'Neill and the results turned out surprisingly well.

Superman: Red Son
By Mark Millar, Dave Johnson, Killian Plunkett + (DC/Titan)

This is an Elseworlds tale wherein Superman crash-lands from the planet Krypton not in Smallville, USA but Russia.

As usual for an Elseworlds book all the familiar faces are gathered on the chessboard just set up in different position, eg. Lex Luthor is an indifferent snob of scientist married to Lois Lane. There's novelty value inthis to some degree.

It has moments, gives some world views that Americans are usually guarded from by their leaders and popular news services, has standard well executed art... But, and this is a mighty big but, I can't help recalling that Howard Chaykin said all this kind stuff in some squiffed way within a few issues of his old American Flagg! comic book series a decade or so back, infinitely better and in an manner that still stands up as being cutting edge were you to read it again today. Whereas, the feeling I get from Red Son is that I'm reading the Secret Alternative Life of Colossus from the X-Men.

It's a pretty wordy book for a contemporary mainstream comic book, but then it was supposedly written a while back. It is not my cup of Russian tea. Russia, and its former Soviet states was and is increasingly becoming an entirely more interesting place than the stereotype offered within this fictional work.

Superman: True Brit
By John Cleese, Kim Howard Johnson, John Byrne & Mark Farmer

I had the very special opportunity of seeing a number of these pages before they were inked and while they were rough around the edges in places there was no doubt I was looking at a craftsman doing what he does best, efficiently and without being precocious. John Byrne put all the bits and pieces were where they should be to make the damned thing work.

In fact Byrne opted for a slight cartoony feel that reminds me of those off beat adventure strips with a bit of humour that guys like Mike Western would draw in countless British anthologies much missed from back in the day. And well it should do as the book is set in Blighty with all its sunny seaside postcard joking, self-depreciation, class-consciousness campness and desire for anonymity that combines to make the people who populate this nation.

It's obviously more Johnson than Cleese but it hits some amusing home truths along the way, adds metaphors to a changing British society and, "cough", even dares to suggest the grass may be greener in America - if only because Lois Lane lives there! As a whole it is rather hit and miss but worth more of a read better than Superman: Red Son because it doesn't take itself too seriously. Even so, it is still an Elseworlds book
And it holds to many of the conventions of those types of books rather than letting rip from the mother's teat of them. Oh, it should be noted that there is a thanks to a John Hodgkins the credits, this is a typographical error and should be James Hodgkins who assisted Mark Farmer on some of the pages.

The Incredible Hulk: Return of the Monster
By Bruce Jones, John Romita Jr & Tom Palmer (Marvel/Titan)

Mr Jones stacks his Hitchcockian thriller style high in this scenario suitable for The Fugitive as the Hulk is blamed for a child's murder and becomes pubic enemy number one. As events unravel the plot gets deeper and deeper. Cool is the only word to describe this. It is so well done.

Teen Titans: Family Lost
By Geoff Johns, Mike McKone & Marlo Alquiza (DC/Titan)

Collecting Teen Titans #8-12 and an #1/2 of the recent new millennium era series. The back cover tag reads: "The Titans have never been in better hands." Well, that's not only hyperbole it's misguidedly insulting.

The Marv Wolfman and George Perez series that first appropriated the New to the series made the group book hugely successful. It brought readers totally unexpected stories with lavish art, and became a zeitgeist of the moment to counterpart Marvel's The X-Men, that in so doing not only revitalised DC across the board as a company but also made them an awful lot of money.

That historical incorrection aside, this is a damn good collection.

Some of the aforementioned Woflman/Perez created team have gathered together yet again with new kids on the block, specifically a new Wonder Girl and Kid Flash. Meanwhile, Raven's threatening a comeback but whether as enemy or friend we're unsure.

The new group have characters and old enemies like Deathstroke and a new Ravager dip in and out, while an old nemesis but in a new guise, Brother Blood, makes his pitch to wed Raven and a back-up story is revealed. The book moves briskly. It is a really good superhero adventure with a purposeful quest that's conclusion doesn't fail to deliver.

Justice League: Another Nail
By Alan Davis & Mark Farmer (DC/Titan)

Following on from the popular The Nail book wherein it was postulated what would happen in the DC universe if there were no Superman? We now have the big guy as junior partner in the JLA.

It kind of reminds me of those old stories about Superboy's training in the Legion of Superheroes and I know inker Farmer's a big fan of that stuff. It's all a race against time to prevent the late Darkseid's legacy destroying the world and beyond. It's so wrapped up in 70s concepts and derivations of storylines only an old fogey like myself could see where Alan Davis' subconscious must have gleaned some of these ideas and transformed them to work in a hell for leather more modern adventure... while younger folk can just sit back and enjoy it!

Davis's art really puts his Aparo influences through hoops to produce some really cool figures stretched out in anguish, while his Adams style is more evident in a little more panel experimentation than Davis usually cares for. Initially it's odd to see the bucksome babes Davies presents to appeal to the presumed modern reader but one becomes accustomed to it all.

Overall, it's a safe book and while there are no genuine surprises it is a superior feel good adventure in the classic manner.

Superman: Secret Identity
By Kurt Busiek & Stuart Immomen (DC/Titan)

Derived from DC Comics Presents #87 when writer Elliot S! Maggin came up with a Clark Kent for Earth Prime (the one we were supposed to live on prior to Crisis On Infinite Earths blowing it apart non-continuity freaks). Busiek takes his template; fine tunes it, adapts and adjusts, then teases a few surprises in for good measure.

The four issue mini-series that this book collects told how a Clark Kent discovered he had superpowers as a teenager and kept it a secret, for nearly all his life. It starts with an adolescent outsider dealing with his emotions and slowly chips away at that isolation as loved ones enter the picture.

What's most interesting is the only part that breaks from the traditional myth, because this Clark Kent doesn't seem particularly close to his parents.

It's slow moving, emotive occasionally if not exactly thought provoking. Sure it's just an Elseworlds/What If/Imaginary story and I think I've duly expressed my personal problems with those (good idea in principle but too often play safe and so lead to predictability). It's also a tad Marvelman like in approach albeit with the added revision of hindsight for our modern times.

Despite all this, I have to say it works. Whether it works for the young as much as it might for grouchy middle-aged warriors is another matter.

Immomen's art catches every nuance of Busiek's printed words and dances with them gracefully with understated power on the page. That it is digitally coloured from his pencils is a technical detail, the results are what count. If you find yourself restless one night stay up and read this until the sun comes up as I did, you'll feel tired but good.

The story takes some familiar routes and a couple of inevitable points develop but the journey is a good one. It doesn't strain the mind but its gets the heart pumping once in a while.

HEROES COME in all shapes and sizes. Most of them are fictional characters but they can inspire you in real life... Birch's Bark, worse than its bite?

The Speed Abater (NBM Comics Lit)
By Christophe Blain

An award-winning European book and deservedly so.

The exact time is not given but we presume this to be set in the early part of the 20th century, during the first or second world war. There are new recruits to one of the last monster sized vessels that roamed the earth in those days and they prepare to set sail and face the enemy. Who would have thought that getting seasick could cause so much trouble?

The author (and the translator?) have a wonderful ear for dialogue as the very humanity of it all comes across mundanely and joyfully in equal measures. The art, like some weird cross between Harvey Kurtzman and Popeye's Elzie Segar, evokes both easy passion and startling menace. Very readable, an easy read in fact and all the more impressive since it works on multiple levels.

James Bond 007: The Man with the Golden Gun
By Ian Fleming, Jim Lawrence & Yaroslav Horak (Titan Books)

This newspaper strip collection also includes the shorter The Living Daylights story. They are adapted from Ian Fleming's novels by Jim Lawrence who adds his own spin with near-impressionistic art by Yaroslav Horak.

First published in The Daily Express in 1966 they still hold up well being fast-paced but with some surprising cerebral connotations for Bond to figure out about his own character along the way.

Batman: The Collected Adventures: Volume 1
By Various (Titan/DC)

This collects the original Adventures issues. They're well plotted although you wish editor Scott Peterson had been a better proofreader, and some of the dialogue could have been made better in places. Fortunately, it's clearly drawn by, and then charismatically inked, by Rick Burchett.

Okay, there is the feel that we're looking at strips that could have been done in half their page count but the irony there is that you'll have a couple of silent action pages that turn out to be the best in each story. 7/10 for effort and 8/10 for something that entertains all age groups.

Trenches
By Scott Mills (Top Shelf Productions)

Designed so that you view the pages in a landscape format but more oversized than your standard newspaper strip collection. Also the pages in no way conform to that 3-4 panel set-up to punchline format but a general four panel (2 at the top, 2 at the bottom) grid, and that's not rigidly established either, but suits the loose cartooning style presented within the panels.

Set during World War I, two very different brothers from up north, in England, join up to serve king and country. Lloyd Allenby is the more timid brother, David, or Davey, the have-a-go permanently mouth-engaged one. To this set-up add Officer Jonathan Hemmingway, a professional soldier - likewise he leaves his nice home to lead his men. From thereon most of the story takes place down in the trenches of No-Man's Land in France.

Hemmingway and the Allenbys start to integrate, initially arguing, there are possible court-martials, a Queensbury Rules punch up and a poison gas attack. To anyone regularly picking up one of the eight monthly 64 page digest Commando comics, published by Scotland's DC Thomson, they might wonder what any commotion could be about and why the hefty price tag. Well, I guess the fact that it's produced by one of our cousins across the Atlantic makes it all the more intriguing.

Mills has done his research but doesn't bog us down in it. Sure it tends towards whimsy at times, but there are heartfelt moments realistically done. The Germans aren't portrayed as evil, just guys on the other side, the world waited until the second time round for a specific group known as Nazis to fit that bill.

Brotherly love, human understanding battling on in the face of adversity - no different from what your average superhero comic used to be, except in this book they wear mud on their face instead of a mask.

Superman: Adventures of the Man of Steel
By Scott McCloud, Paul Dini, Rick Burchett, Terry Austin & Brett Blevins (DC/Titan)

I guess you could describe the Dini debut story as fast-paced, introducing characters along the way and Lex Luthor as a major villain who is as much a chancer come risk-taker as a mastermind tactician and scientific genius. Truthfully, the cartoon Adventures' story editor gives us the equivalent of the opening establishing scenario before the credits roll up. There's little subplot, no subtext, superficial emotional value and little to make us return for next issue save Burchett's captivating art.

When McLoud takes over scripting it's a completely different story with all the aspects missing in Dini's story standing present and correct with some fun, twists and turns. Villains include Metallo (always naff), Brainiac (super cool design) and Livewire plus the best emotional story going to the one about Krypton.. There is depth to the stories and they are also simple entertaining adventures suitable for kids off all ages. I have to say I preferred this to the Batman one I mentioned.

But, is Luthor meant to be inferred as being gay? He's preoccupied by his appearance, his eyebrows are plucked, and there's a strange dividing line between the macho and the camp with a constant use of female bodyguards that comes across as a poor foil to avoid showing his true self? It's an odd one. Interesting, but unnecessary. Other than that Perry, Lois & Jimmy stay in the classic mould and do well by it.

Isolation And Illusion
By P Craig Russell (Dark Horse)

Subtitled Collected Short Stories 1977-1997, this book has a line somewhere that it's the first such collection of Russell's work. I thought an American book publisher who he had been doing illustration work for on books such as The Arabian Knights had bought an album-sized collection out, possibly in the late 80s, but maybe I'm mistaken. It doesn't claim as such in the list of other books available. I suspect if it did come out any long-term fans of Russell's work will have that in their collection.

Actually, I'd say most long-time admirers of his work have already got most of these strips in the irregularly published Night Cries series of yesteryear (or should that be decade now?) from Eclipse Comics, and a few rarer places. One presumes this collection is for the newer P Craig Russell fans that have come to his work via his contributions to comics like The Sandman but those older ones won't complain at having a nice new compilation.

As those older fans will tell the newer ones, Russell has been doing his fantasy shtick for quite some time, 30 years or more. But aside from that genre there are also literary adaptations and science fiction material. There is also much seriousness and despair but there is also a tip of the hat to comic humour now and again, although it doesn't always work.

Some may say Russell seeks to make comics highbrow art but if so one has to admit that his visual material reaches in that direction well. He is strong on overall page composition and design while his classic approach to figure work is ever present (although photo reference becomes a dominating effect in the more recent stories collected). His penchant for page boy hair-styled angels can begin to grate after a bit and I'm constantly reminded about the Frank Frazetta meets William Blake look that emblazoned the old Swan Song record label.

The texts are frankly too long. This is a man whose original claim to fame was as collaborator to wordy writer Don McGregor on the Killraven series in Marvel's Amazing Adventures back in the 70s, it should be noted. For the most part, that worked because of the emotional context that prevailed in McGregor's work. Here, they largely read as too verbose and do not interact with the pictures to any great capacity, leaving one unfulfilled. Comics is the magic of words and pictures interacting to become something more than either. Too often I found the choices of strips collected here too dull or too lengthy. Some beautiful images and very appealing colour when used make it something I may return to as an art book rather than a comic book.

Witchblade featuring Tomb Raider: Coda
By Various (Top Cow/Titan)

An odd mix this. Not the combination of Witchblade and Lara Croft but that their particular story team-up takes up the first half of the book and ends up abruptly presumably unfinished. The remainder of the book is taken from the regular series of Witchblade, the last page of the book also having a cliffhanger, meaning you don't know the outcome .Two stories without resolutions isn't good.

In the first story, by Charles Holland, Lara finds the Sword of Lucifer for an old wizard called The Master. His apprentice, the well-stacked Daria, gets hold of it, kills him and brings back Sir Lancelot from the dead with the promise that he can kill his old enemy, Merlin. There are some nifty interpretations of the Arthurian legends that pad out the pages, whereas Miss Croft is in and out over fewer pages either doing her Indiana Jones with boobs bit or packing her clothes for a couple of pages, before briefly teaming up with Sara Pezzini (Witchblade) and Jackie Ecatatado (The Darkness) to play cops and robbers chasing after Daria.

There must be at least another issue not collected here. Why? It's madness. It pleases fans of neither character and has got to put off the casual purchaser coming back for more (I'm big on crime fiction).

Dwayne Turner's art is what kept me along for the ride - it's like some hyper-Philippines style with the odd flourish of John Buscema in a WildStorm! mode.This stated there is the odd panel here and there that's below the standard of the others and it gets me begging some uneasy questions about artistic boredom and swiping.

The Witchblade issues have Christina Z and David Wohl nailing the Witchblade scenario in their dialogue to make it both accessible to new readers and at the same time pushes the plot along. It sees one story arc concluding and another's opening chapters begin in Pezzini's life as she is pushed out of the NYPD after defeating demonic forces to take up a position in some Black Ops set-up that in fact sets her up for what looks to be a more science fiction/potentially mainstream superhero styled scenario and ends with her about to be killed.

The Michael Turner/D-Ton art doesn't really keep my attention and dates in style and substance before my eyes.

Overall the collection is fun enough superficial action, but badly mispackaged.

Batman: Castle of the Bat
By Jack C Harris and Bo Hampton (DC/Titan)

Brother Scott and Bo Hampton were promoted as being something rather new and exciting when they first broke onto the American comics' scene. They invested some of the storytelling qualities of Will Eisner (who they had briefly studied under as apprentices) then add the world of painting to their styles. It takes a better man than me to tell the brothers' styles apart I fear.

Harris was a new latter-day editor at DC in the late 70s early 80s and also wrote, doing similar at other companies. He adhered to the regimentation of the old school of DC editing but seemed to look and appreciate new ideas if they worked. He may well have been the man who brought Brian Bolland to US comics and from thereon the whole British invasion.

Here in Castle of the Bat they bring those old traditional values to play and try to incorporate the odd new twist. It's an Elseworlds book and that too often means an imaginary Superman or Batman that goes on for too many pages.

This is a slim volume and a reworking of the story of Frankenstein and his monster with the Batman legend tagged onto it. It is suitably gothic in feel, uses the comics medium's strengths and while in conclusion it isn't the greatest comics story ever (there's tense drama intended rather than slam bang action excitement, kids) it's a well structured one with its short length working to its advantage.

Dr Thomas Wayne as the reborn monster that is Bat-Man is actually off panel more than one would expect allowing character studies to be given more time. Is that what the kids want though?

I would rather that Harris and Hampton had developed something completely of their own but this is a commercial world we live in and at the time of their creating it, the Elseworlds series wasn't quite a flogged dead horse.

Superman Exile
By Various (DC/Titan)

Collecting various Superman titles first published between 1988-89 we're in the second phase of rebirth for the character (after John Byrne had rebooted him).

Blaming himself for the unfortunate death of others Superman goes into self-imposed exile in outer space, and goes through the various points of conflict that make up Joseph Campbell's Hero of a Thousand Faces (you can picture the writers' summit with them ticking off all the relevant sections covered). In brief he becomes a slave, forced into gladiatorial combat but refusing to kill - this all ties in via flashback memories for both himself and an ancient alien called The Cleric who had visited Krypton in its dim distant past.

There are some curious comments upon the subject of (anti) cloning given by The Cleric and you wonder what the thought processes were back then in the 80s while now it's just round the door if not already in proliferation under our noses by the rich and powerful for use as spare body parts. The writers also revisit an old Superman story from the 70s where lack of sleep caused problems - that's what I don't like about reigning characters' histories: once it's done every other writer that comes along feels they have to put back the original idea, but with their own spin.

For me, space opera can be boring, especially in comics and with superheroes shoehorned into them. They used to do this with Green Lantern by sending him out into space for a year but black skies with twinkly star bits get boring after a bit. Fortunately we also intercut with Earthbound tales of Superman's friends and family as they go on about their business doing their best to live up to his credo. Well-drawn characterisations of personality are given to many - standouts being Lois whose few appearances though they are ensure her importance to the legend.

The fact that Mongul's seemingly left to fight someone else while Superman rushes back to Earth leaves an empty unfulfilled feeling - and that he returns to Earth to deal with an even bigger menace, Darkseid's Turmoil robot... only it's secretly Desaad (the real best 4th World creation Jack Kirby came up with).

Superman is Superman - an icon, good guy, symbol of truth, justice and truthfully the humanitarian way. I wish this was available in b/w and sold cheap to kids so they could pick it up but Superman stories don't really date, no matter what editors and publishers think.

From Garfield to Batman comic books and their characters have a pedigree and a history that make them a tried and tested formula to become successful films.

There's a whole roster of major movie stars including Nicholas Cage, Halle Berry, Sean Connery, Robert Downey Jr, Morgan Freeman, Angelina Jolie and Keanu Reeves who have willingly put their names forward to feature in comic book silver screen sagas, confident that they will reach an eager audience.

Wanted, The Fantastic Four, Ironman, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Superman, The Crow, Batman - the titles literally leap out and mug you at the cinemas these days.

But, when at the end of a movie, those screen credits roll on half as long as the actual film itself, consider for a moment that it might take a handful, or less, of creative individuals to deliver similarly exciting adventures on a regular monthly, or even weekly, basis.

On the 4th- 5th October some of the best of those writers, artists and editors will be congregating in England's second city to appear at the Birmingham International Comics Convention 2008.

From Judge Dredd to The Beano's Little Plumb, there will be comics and creators galore and from all around the globe. With talks, signings, competitions and much more besides it promises to be a show to remember.

If you want to know what's going to be the next Wanted, Iron Man or even The Incredibles, then The Birmingham International Comics Show is the happening place to be this October.

For further information & to reserve tickets visit: www.thecomicsshow.co.uk