Not too much to say on this issue as it is more of a bridge between the first part of the storyline and the big boom coming up very soon.
Fox’s story is the last of the origins of our mystery characters. Watch for their return in chapter 8.
More from Titan soon. Stay tuned.
Double Cross is a mix of seventies-style biker characters (specifically the TV movie version of Captain America) and aging wrestler Terry Funk. He is easily one of my favorite characters in this saga, and you can expect to see a lot more of him as he plays an essential roll in the history of the entire MHP/Quadrant Universe.
Pay attention to the fate of Archibald Griffin.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Obscure Heroes: Charlemagne #1
Produced by Jim Shooter and written by D.G. Chichester (Daredevil
), Charlemagne #1 is one of the best offerings from the eclectic, short-lived Defiant line of comics. Adam Pollina (later artist of X-Force and Angel: Revelations
).
Like many of Defiant’s offerings, Charlemagne has a complicated origin with a shade of mystery. Back in 1973, Charles Smith is told his older brother is dead in Vietnam. Twelve year old Charles refuses to believe his brother could be dead, and sets out to go to Vietnam to find him.
It takes him months of struggle, but the young boy makes it across the world and in the process learns a lot about the culture of the country under attack. Eventually he finds his brother (nearly half way through the double sized issue), but their reunion is cut short by an explosion that catches them both. His brother dies, Charles loses his legs, and he slips in to unconsciousness for twenty years.
On February 23, 1993, his doctors find that his body has suddenly grown not only in muscle mass, but also gained a new pair of legs. Charles awakes moments later, after nearly twenty years unconscious. He immediately sets out for home, only to have the cargo ship he uses for transport attacked by pirates.
Angered, Charles lashes out and destroys the pirates with relative ease. Charles is superhumanly fast, tough, and strong and he has little trouble jumping from ship to ship or attacking the aggressors.
By story’s end, he has made his way home and reunited with his parents, but it’s clear that Charles the Great, Charlemagne, has only began his adventures.
Nothing incredibly special in that origin, but it is the writing of Chichester that really elevates the comic past just another superhero story. He wants all the characters to feel real, and he makes every effort to make both his protagonist and the supporting cast, both home and abroad, real people. It’s a nice touch that recurs regularly in Shooter’s post-Marvel projects, but Charlemagne may present it at its most well defined.
While the rest of the series begins to fade in to crossover monotony, Charlemagne is well worth the price of admission, especially since you can find it for well less than its original $3.25 price tag. Highly Recommended.
), Charlemagne #1 is one of the best offerings from the eclectic, short-lived Defiant line of comics. Adam Pollina (later artist of X-Force and Angel: Revelations).Like many of Defiant’s offerings, Charlemagne has a complicated origin with a shade of mystery. Back in 1973, Charles Smith is told his older brother is dead in Vietnam. Twelve year old Charles refuses to believe his brother could be dead, and sets out to go to Vietnam to find him.
It takes him months of struggle, but the young boy makes it across the world and in the process learns a lot about the culture of the country under attack. Eventually he finds his brother (nearly half way through the double sized issue), but their reunion is cut short by an explosion that catches them both. His brother dies, Charles loses his legs, and he slips in to unconsciousness for twenty years.
On February 23, 1993, his doctors find that his body has suddenly grown not only in muscle mass, but also gained a new pair of legs. Charles awakes moments later, after nearly twenty years unconscious. He immediately sets out for home, only to have the cargo ship he uses for transport attacked by pirates.
Angered, Charles lashes out and destroys the pirates with relative ease. Charles is superhumanly fast, tough, and strong and he has little trouble jumping from ship to ship or attacking the aggressors.
By story’s end, he has made his way home and reunited with his parents, but it’s clear that Charles the Great, Charlemagne, has only began his adventures.
Nothing incredibly special in that origin, but it is the writing of Chichester that really elevates the comic past just another superhero story. He wants all the characters to feel real, and he makes every effort to make both his protagonist and the supporting cast, both home and abroad, real people. It’s a nice touch that recurs regularly in Shooter’s post-Marvel projects, but Charlemagne may present it at its most well defined.
While the rest of the series begins to fade in to crossover monotony, Charlemagne is well worth the price of admission, especially since you can find it for well less than its original $3.25 price tag. Highly Recommended.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Super-Powered Comics: Amazing Adventures of the Escapist volume 3
Just a note that this is the ONE HUNDRED FIFTIETH post on this blog! Yay me!
Volume 3 opens with a tale by Will Eisner where the Escapist and the Spirit meet. The tale isn't a spectacular one, and Eisner lacks much of the style he used back in the fifties, but the fact that this was his LAST WORK does add a bit of poignancy to it.
Shawn Martinbrough draws another of Kevin McCarthy’s excellent stories that keep the Escapist in true comic form while also utilizing challenging plot ideas. This time, Escapist travels to a North Korea-style dictatorship that wants Escapist dead for the values he may give to the society. Good art, good writing, a good adventure.
An extended version of Roy Thomas’ Alter Ego article comes next, followed by a slight improved Howard Chaykin story. I love Howie, but he seems to lack relevance in today’s comic world. Maybe it’s time to stick to art chores?
One more Escapenot story is the volume. Meh.
Eddie Campbell draws a beautiful but not overly well written story of the Escapist’s day at the fair. Is this becoming a recurring theme? So-so stories by guest writers?
No, maybe not, as Paul Grist of Jack Staff fame gives us Doc Hypnosis. The tale falls right in line with his previous work, and gives us a clever and well written adventure tale pitting the Master of Elusion vs the Physician of Illusion. Great stuff!
Novelist Chris Offutt writes a unique tale of the Escapist set during Viet Nam (supposedly for an unmade Eclipse revival of the character) drawn by Tom Yeates. A tricky, well written, and taut in all the right places that combines superhero conventions with war effectively.
We move in to some indy creator work with a short by Jason. Slightly above the Escapenot stuff, but nothing great here either.
We follow that story up with a romance/crime-inspired piece by Steven Grant & Norm Breyfogle that has little or nothing to do with The Escapist. Decent story, just odd ball placement.
Howard Chaykin comes back for a third time, this time with his Bite Club colloborator David Hahn on art. A weird little short based around music, it still fails to capture any sense of excitement for this reader.
Jeffrey Brown gives us a rather unique look at the Escapist in an above average short.
Finally, “The Final Curtain” has Jason Hall team up with issue one’s Eric Wight with another so-so tale from Escapist’s past. With the exception of the first couple storiez, this volume seems the dullest yet. But at least the price tag was dropped to a more reasonable $14.95. Mildly Recommended.
Volume 3 opens with a tale by Will Eisner where the Escapist and the Spirit meet. The tale isn't a spectacular one, and Eisner lacks much of the style he used back in the fifties, but the fact that this was his LAST WORK does add a bit of poignancy to it.
Shawn Martinbrough draws another of Kevin McCarthy’s excellent stories that keep the Escapist in true comic form while also utilizing challenging plot ideas. This time, Escapist travels to a North Korea-style dictatorship that wants Escapist dead for the values he may give to the society. Good art, good writing, a good adventure.
An extended version of Roy Thomas’ Alter Ego article comes next, followed by a slight improved Howard Chaykin story. I love Howie, but he seems to lack relevance in today’s comic world. Maybe it’s time to stick to art chores?
One more Escapenot story is the volume. Meh.
Eddie Campbell draws a beautiful but not overly well written story of the Escapist’s day at the fair. Is this becoming a recurring theme? So-so stories by guest writers?
No, maybe not, as Paul Grist of Jack Staff fame gives us Doc Hypnosis. The tale falls right in line with his previous work, and gives us a clever and well written adventure tale pitting the Master of Elusion vs the Physician of Illusion. Great stuff!
Novelist Chris Offutt writes a unique tale of the Escapist set during Viet Nam (supposedly for an unmade Eclipse revival of the character) drawn by Tom Yeates. A tricky, well written, and taut in all the right places that combines superhero conventions with war effectively.
We move in to some indy creator work with a short by Jason. Slightly above the Escapenot stuff, but nothing great here either.
We follow that story up with a romance/crime-inspired piece by Steven Grant & Norm Breyfogle that has little or nothing to do with The Escapist. Decent story, just odd ball placement.
Howard Chaykin comes back for a third time, this time with his Bite Club colloborator David Hahn on art. A weird little short based around music, it still fails to capture any sense of excitement for this reader.
Jeffrey Brown gives us a rather unique look at the Escapist in an above average short.
Finally, “The Final Curtain” has Jason Hall team up with issue one’s Eric Wight with another so-so tale from Escapist’s past. With the exception of the first couple storiez, this volume seems the dullest yet. But at least the price tag was dropped to a more reasonable $14.95. Mildly Recommended.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Super-Powered Comics: Amazing Adventures of the Escapist volume 2
The second volume of The Amazing Adventures of the Escapist takes a step up in quality from volume one. We start the book out with a supposed EC-created Escapist story, written by Marv Wolfman and drawn by Joe Staton. The two legendary creators channel EC right down to the page design and lettering as they tell the story of an undercover Nazi who seeks to unleash the mind of Adolf Hitler on the world during the fifties. His battle with the Escapist makes a far superior tale of fifties-era corruption than the previous volume’s Chaykin story.
Two tales of the Escapenot, a young cartoony version of the title character, fill this volume. I don’t have much to say about them other than they’re beyond bland.
Stuart Moore and Astounding Space Thrills’ Steve Conley combine forces for another great tale: The Escapist 2966. The future Escapist lives in a giant key shaped space station and he is summoned from it to battle the threat of Roboputer. I don’t want to give any of the twists of this one away, but it is fun stuff harkening back to Weird Science or Mystery in Space.
Matt Kindt writes and draws an odd little story that alternates between the Escapist’s comic adventures and the story of one of its creators. An okay piece, but nothing as moving and telling as I think it was meant to be.
Scott Morse draws a cute little short called “The Boy Who Would Be the Escapist”. A fun little tale of a kid who finds a key and thinks he has become his favorite hero. Probably the best of the non-Escapist Escapist stories in any of the first 3 volumes.
Roy Thomas comes up next for a prose piece, as he writes a supposed Alter Ego article about the fictitious Fab Comics Group. Easily the best of the fake history stories in any of these collections.
Dean Haspiel draws a rip-roaring story in the style of Jack Kirby where Luna Moth comes under attack by a Fourth World-style alternate of herself. She finds herself in a fascinating alternate look at where her life might lead.
Brian K. Vaughan and Roger Petersen conclude volume two with a story of the Escapist’s ally Big Al as he is confronted by the Iron Chain with his own significance in the world. A good breakdown of what it means to be a “sidekick” in modern comics.
Unlike volume one, volume two takes the Escapist and uses his fictional history to craft a plethora of fine examples of superhero storytelling. Highly recommended.
Two tales of the Escapenot, a young cartoony version of the title character, fill this volume. I don’t have much to say about them other than they’re beyond bland.
Stuart Moore and Astounding Space Thrills’ Steve Conley combine forces for another great tale: The Escapist 2966. The future Escapist lives in a giant key shaped space station and he is summoned from it to battle the threat of Roboputer. I don’t want to give any of the twists of this one away, but it is fun stuff harkening back to Weird Science or Mystery in Space.
Matt Kindt writes and draws an odd little story that alternates between the Escapist’s comic adventures and the story of one of its creators. An okay piece, but nothing as moving and telling as I think it was meant to be.
Scott Morse draws a cute little short called “The Boy Who Would Be the Escapist”. A fun little tale of a kid who finds a key and thinks he has become his favorite hero. Probably the best of the non-Escapist Escapist stories in any of the first 3 volumes.
Roy Thomas comes up next for a prose piece, as he writes a supposed Alter Ego article about the fictitious Fab Comics Group. Easily the best of the fake history stories in any of these collections.
Dean Haspiel draws a rip-roaring story in the style of Jack Kirby where Luna Moth comes under attack by a Fourth World-style alternate of herself. She finds herself in a fascinating alternate look at where her life might lead.
Brian K. Vaughan and Roger Petersen conclude volume two with a story of the Escapist’s ally Big Al as he is confronted by the Iron Chain with his own significance in the world. A good breakdown of what it means to be a “sidekick” in modern comics.
Unlike volume one, volume two takes the Escapist and uses his fictional history to craft a plethora of fine examples of superhero storytelling. Highly recommended.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Epsilon 23 Notes
The traitor stands revealed and the final battle between Nephthys and Epsilon begins all in one chapter!
I planned Thief versus Air Raid since the beginning of the Epsilon story, and although it played out somewhat differently than I originally planned, I like the idea of the battle of the lost loves.
When I first determined the members of Nephthys’ Apostles, it never dawned on me how BIG this fight would need be. A battle involving over a dozen combatants comes off far more difficult in prose than it does in your average super-team book. I hope I handled it as well. Though busy, a lot of people needed to be taken out of this story before I felt it sufficient to come to an end.
One of my goals is to really up some of the Epsilon 3.0 characters and get them ready for a more full-fledged status on the changing team. I think Wave and Solid do pretty well in this chapter. I really like the dichotomy of these two characters and I definitely plan to utilize them a lot more after this story comes to an end.
I planned Thief versus Air Raid since the beginning of the Epsilon story, and although it played out somewhat differently than I originally planned, I like the idea of the battle of the lost loves.
When I first determined the members of Nephthys’ Apostles, it never dawned on me how BIG this fight would need be. A battle involving over a dozen combatants comes off far more difficult in prose than it does in your average super-team book. I hope I handled it as well. Though busy, a lot of people needed to be taken out of this story before I felt it sufficient to come to an end.
One of my goals is to really up some of the Epsilon 3.0 characters and get them ready for a more full-fledged status on the changing team. I think Wave and Solid do pretty well in this chapter. I really like the dichotomy of these two characters and I definitely plan to utilize them a lot more after this story comes to an end.
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