New Eras, Purple Icons.
The amount of iPhone posts on WordPress right now isn’t a surprise. What does astound me is just how many of these fails to mention the incredible amounts of issues which have accompanied that new doorstop (talk to Wu about that) to the market. But the fucking “bloggers” don’t want to talk about that… oh no, because they’ll live and die by the Apple flag as long as it’s “cool” to. I’m not saying Apple isn’t innovative, but there’s steps beyond innovation. Does anyone understand that? See, what the vandals should be doing is tagging all over the Apple stores; hit the fucking “Genius Bar” for extra points. I hate how they call their technical help station that; I really just fucking despise that. As a company, how self-centered is that? Talk about liking the smell of your own asshole…
I got my BIG THREE comics yesterday, each of which actually are quite important in the overall grand scheme of things (to its own book).
WALKING DEAD #50.
I can’t believe Robert Kirkman’s zombie comic steeped in as much realism as horror has lasted this long; that is so damn great, and a sign that American pop culture isn’t headed down the tubes after all. Sales of this book have quadrupled in the last 2-ish years. It’s a growing, growing movement: The Walking Dead. It seems like every new issue that comes out attracts new readers (the newer books keep breaking TWD sales record). It’s a real treat to read this book in the long run; this is the longest I’ve ever read a comic consecutively, and I get fairly invested in these characters as I’m sure many of the readers do. Kudos though to anyone who’s deciding to purchase the book monthly, and NOT wait for the trade paperbacks, because that’s really the best way to read any comic long-term; and Walking Dead is very much so “long-term”.
Which brings me to this newest issue: a milestone of a mark known as issue #50. This issue especially drives home the “long-term” point. What we’re seeing here, and hopefully will see for many many years to come, is a small boy turning into an adult in the pages of this book. Everything is accelerated though, because of the extreme circumstances. Carl, the young boy of the book (he’s around 10), has seen more people he knows die than the commoner of our world. He’s seen more horrific scenes and been in more dangerous situations than again, any commoner. The problem is that how does growing up so utterly fast effect someone’s personality? How does growing up in an environment so full of death and violence mold the adult little Carl will become (and is becoming)? Will he be completely ruthless and only looking out for himself by the time he’s 18? How much of his Dad, Rick, is in him? Would he be willing to kill ANYONE in order to protect himself and/or his family?
Issue 50 chronicles Carl’s growth more so than anything else we’ve ever seen. And after the slaughter of almost EVERY character this book was built on in the last couple of issues, it’s becoming clear that Carl’s evolving into the main character, taking the place of his father in more ways than one. In this issue, Carl comes face to face with his adolescence in the form of three biters bearing down on him. Rick taught Carl how to use a gun when he was pretty damn young, they’re two sides to that: he helped Carl become stronger in the face of horror and Carl’s a better survivor because of it, on the other hand, putting a deadly weapon in the hands of such a young boy can have dire consequences as well. The status of Rick is finally revealed here also. My how the tables have turned between this father and son, though. I suppose, like any father/son relationship changes over time; it’s just that, like I said earlier, under such extreme circumstances everything’s amplified. Charlie’s art continues to be breathtaking, this is such a great read.
ASTONISHING X-MEN #25 – Ghost Box.
As a new era begins over in the Walking Dead-verse, so it goes with what once was Marvel’s premiere X-Men title Astonishing X-Men. As I understand it, they (Marvel) are trying to shift the attention of X-Readers over the the flagship title Uncanny X-Men. And I don’t blame them. Soon enough one of the best new writers on the scene will be joining one of the best mainstream writers on the title: Matt Fraction and Ed Brubaker respectively. I’m totally fine with this. The new writer for Astonishing is a little less family-friendly than Joss Whedon is; I speak of course of Warren Ellis, who slowly but surely is becoming a legend of the industry before our eyes. He runs an insane amount of both independent and popular comics. But his style will work perfectly with Astonishing’s shift to sub-spotlight.
This grittyness, and at the same time otherworldliness, can be seen about half-way through this issue. While the team is investigating a corpse, which may or may not be mutant, Hank asks Logan to dig out a piece of the body for closer inspection in the lab. With his “pointer” claw out, Wolverine of course obliges him. What he rips out of the torso looks like something from Ellis’ Doktor Sleepless or even a 70s horror comic. Not so much for the mainstream X-Reader. Again- I’m totally fine with this new status. Let Mr. Ellis do his thing without too many angry letters and complaints. Simone Bianchi’s art as always is hit and miss. He’s a wonderful penciler, with a style all his own, but he does have consistency issues. With that being said, I did like the art on this first issue, and I liked what he showed on smaller characters (like Nightcrawler) in the preview issue of his art for Astonishing.
A big big accolade should go out to the colorist and inker of this book. In a way, their touches make Bianchi’s art fit Warren Ellis’ writing more perfectly. The look of the book is dark, VERY dark. Actually without proper bright light I was having trouble reading it yesterday. But the colors need to be dark, strange, obtuse. With what Ellis is cooking up, I see no need for the uber-bright colorizations of Whedon’s run. That stands on its own, and I hope Ellis’ will also. Only time will tell. Oh and it’s nice to see an even stronger woman, like the now Queen of an African nation, stand up to Emma. There’ll be lots of friction there, can’t wait.
BATMAN #678 – Zur En Arrh.
If Grant Morrison wasn’t so crazy he might be dead by now; this could also be said about his version of Batman he’s been writing for some two years now. Could anyone have predicted the direction he’d take the industry’s most popular character? Seriously… THIS. SHIT. Is. CRAZY. In a good way. It’s really a testament to mind-expanding drugs, the writing of Morrison; like Sgt. Peppers or Salvator Dali. The comics of this run will never be mentioned in the same breath as the Beatles or Dali, so I might as well here. This is bold, bold story-telling as only Morrison can deliver. This issue marks the 3rd installment of the arc entitled “R.I.P.”. In it, the Batman we’ve come to know and love over these 60 years meets its demise, in a way.
I love love love the way it starts off. We’ve been given glimpses into what actually is inside Batman’s “Black Casebook” for many issues now, but we’ve never actually seen it. In the opening pages of this issue, Tim Drake’s reading out of the book. Along with pictures of aliens, monsters, and distant environments, Tim reads Bruce’s writing:
“It would be fair to consider this a dream, but how can I?? After this last year, the boundaries between what’s real and what’s illusion have come to seem as threadbare as moldering shroud. How do I learn to think like these monsters I’ve chosen to fight?? And not let my own mind be mangled out of all recognition in the process? I don’t want to know what goes on in the Joker’s head. I HAVE to know. But when I imagine how it must feel to be him, I think of a snake with a broken back, flipping and tracing intricate, agonized arabesques in the dust. Does he KNOW what he’s doing? Is he goading me to follow him deeper into his rabbit hole of derangement, hoping I’ll break? Some of the experiences I’ve committed to these black casebooks are so utterly bizarre as to defy logic and sanity. Five years into the mission and it feels like a ghost train ride. I didn’t expect costumed psychopaths, regular contact with hallucinogenic compounds or seemingly alien interventions. If it wasn’t Robin’s humor and forthrightness, I’d be… DEAD”
Keep up the great work Grant. Same goes for you Tony Daniel. You’re one of the best new artists I’ve had the pleasure to read in a long time. Keep it up. Up next: The Club of Villains rips through Gotham! Criminals Beware of Zur-En-Arrh! Boy Wonder vs. Son of Batman! Enter the Joker! Batmite’s Wisdom!
-Sonny
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