Review: Violent Cases

The new reissue of Violent Cases has three introductions and an afterword, each pulled from earlier editions: its original 1987 release and the 1991, 1997 and 2003 reissues. So this isn’t a new comic, but maybe you haven’t seen it before. There aren’t many comics like it, even so many years after it was originally published. Violent Cases is written by Neil Gaiman and, much like his Sandman comics, it reads like a half-remembered dream (or a long-forgotten memory), but it wouldn’t be nearly as effective without Dave McKean‘s illustrations. It’s a graphic novella, or rather an illustrated short story about memory, childhood, magicians, and Al Capone: the sort of unlikely combination of themes that Gaiman is known for. 

The plot of the comic revolves around a man remembering events from his childhood. The story is pretty simple, but the way it’s told is interesting. Details of the story emerge as the narrator remembers them, and he changes them as he goes. The most obvious example is the face of the osteopath. The narrator can’t remember if his face looked one way or another, so combines the two images to create a new (admittedly fabricated) appearance of the man, and changes his mind again later in the story. As for the writing, it’s pretty good, but it’s always apparent in Gaiman’s comics that he has a background in literature, and that isn’t always good. He tends to rely on narration and delivering exposition through text rather than art, and that emphasis is very heavy in Violent Cases.

Luckily, the artwork more than makes up for that, putting the details of the story together into disparate images that are just as shaky as the narrator’s memories. The artwork is rough like a sketch, with images scattered through different panels. The original 1987 printing of the story was in black and white, but each reissue since then been in color. Still, there’s very little color in it. It’s only there as punctuation, to draw your eye to a detail. It’s an unusual choice, but it’s effective. This story only needs so much color; anything more seems unnecessary. Besides, I’m sure the narrator doesn’t remember what color everything was. The lack of color, if anything, helps tie together the artwork and the text.

Besides the heavy narration, I’ve only got one complaint about this book, and that’s the lettering. I know it’s supposed to look handwritten and perhaps it’s intentionally hard to read, but it’s an obstacle between the reader and the text. Maybe the printed version looks better than the digital one I’m looking at, but I don’t know. Other than that, Violent Cases is a solid book, and it holds up just as well in 2013 as it did in 1987.

taken from http://www.darkhorse.com

Alan Moore‘s introduction from 1987 talks about comics “growing up” as an art form, but that process doesn’t seem to have gone very far since then. A book like Violent Cases is still unusual in comics, as is anything else that attempts this kind of story, without action and superheroes. However, I think there’s still room for both paradigms in comics, superhero comics and cartoons as well as more serious storytelling. They both do something that the other can’t provide, but it’s true that comics still aren’t always taken seriously as an art form. Books like Violent Cases can change that perception somewhat, but it’s a very slow process and might require a change in the way we think about (and buy) comics. I won’t speculate about that any more than I have; that’s not the purpose of this review, and it’s very likely that I’m talking nonsense at this point.

Which is probably a good sign that I should wrap up this review. If you haven’t run into Violent Cases before now, go ahead and pick it up. The cover price of $24.99 is pretty standard for a hardcover book like this. The story is pretty short, but it’s worth it just for the artwork. If you’ve ever read Sandman before, you’ll know what to expect broadly in terms of the writing and style, but this is still a very different comic from most others you’ll read.

Danilo Culibrk, aka Augustus, is a staff writer for the Red Shirt Crew. He doesn’t think a violent case is a good place to store a violin, or a typewriter for that matter. You can follow his ramblings through his own memories on Twitter at @Augustusing.

Review: Grindhouse: Doors Open at Midnight

I can’t figure out if this is the end of the story or not… but I guess I’m getting a little ahead of myself.  This issue of Grindhouse continues the story of the Bee Vixens From Mars and is mega action packed.

I’m not even sure where to start with this comic.  I guess I should start off by saying that the first issue didn’t even begin to express how bad-ass Garcia is.  She kicks some major ass in about four different ways in this issue and it’s pretty boss.  She’s Ghost Rider, the Punisher and Hercules, in a package that looks like a female, tattooed Nick Fury.

In my last review, I talked about the visual design of the Bee Vixens, and this time we get to see their queen and she is every bit as beautifully designed as the drones, just the right combination of alien and insect.  I am a little disappointed because the first third or so of the comic is monotone orangey-pink.  I don’t have a problem with mood lighting, which is effectively what this is, but it goes on just a little too long.  I don’t know, maybe I’m being over picky.  A little later they add some purple and then quickly some green which is still a limited pallet, but much more tolerable.  Yeah, I’m probably juts being over picky.

So the problem I get is it feels both final, and like there should be more to Garcia’s story.   Like she’s done with this adventure, but she deserves another, you know?  I want to see her kick more ass, but there just really isn’t much ass left to kick in this little town anymore.  The comic ends with “The End” followed by the comment “Next month: Hot girls do hard time in outer space in Prison Ship Antares” , so I guess we’re moving on.  Unless Garcia’s a prison guard or something…

I recommend this series you can find part 1 here, and part 2 here, both for $3.99.  If you aren’t going to read both, it’s not worth it, but I think the whole story (64 pages, nearly regular comics in length) is worth the eight bucks.  Here’s to looking forward to their next story!

Matthew Bryant, a.k.a. Baker Street Holmes, is a writer and the lead editor for the Red Shirt Crew.  He would not like to meet an angry Garcia in a dark… well anywhere dark really… or sunny for that matter.  Not alone.  Not without and army, or at least a mech.  You can join his army on Twitter at @BStreetHomes or email him at HMCrazySS@gmail.com.

Review: Occultist #2

The Occultist continues to be exceptionally well done.  Which is quite an accomplishment when the issue is almost entirely plot development.  Actually might be one of my favorite plot development stories because you can just see the collapse of all things good coming.

Okay, first I want to put a huge “Hells yes” to the writer, Tim Seeley.  Why?  Because I also read X for the Red Shirt Crew reviews, and he made a reference to the series!  It really made me want to go back and look through the first series to see if there were any hidden references in that one.  I just like the other series as well, and it’s really cool to see that Seeley is a fan too.

Of course, the comic in its own right does deserve praise for the writing, not just for referencing something else I like (otherwise they could just reference jelly beans in every issue and I’d be elated).  Like I said in the intro, there isn’t much action in here: Rob meets some fellow college students, they hang out, they also use magic together.  In a nut shell that’s all that happens.  But you get enough glimpses of threats and things possibly to come that it still holds your attention.  I get bored easily when a comic doesn’t have action (assuming the genre is action oriented to begin with), but that didn’t happen here.

We also get to see a little more of Anna and Mr. Charles.  They only have brief appearances, but they are both enlightening and curious.  Not too much.  There is still a considerable focus on Rob, as there should be, but there is enough of the other two that we learn something new and (those of us who are new to the Occultist characters) don’t forget who they are.

I have a feeling this was super obvious already, but total recommendation.  I was shaky regarding my recommendation from the last issue, but now that things have gotten moving, I am totally on bored.  Grab yourself $3.50 and get to a comic store.

Matthew Bryant, a.k.a. Baker Street Holmes, is a writer and the lead editor for the Red Shirt Crew.  He’s writing this article very late at night, as he was distracted by YouTube.  We’ve all been there, haven’t we?  You can follow him on Twitter at @BStreetHolmes, or email him at HMCrazySS@gmail.com.

Review: Akaneiro – the Path of Cloak and Wolf

Each review we’ve done of individual Akaneiro issues has been by a different author, so I was asked to do this one. The Path of Cloak and Wolf is actually a hardcover collection of those three issues together in one volume, so naturally I’m going to compare my thoughts about this comic to those of my fellow Red Shirt Crew writers and discuss a few of the points they brought up. I guess you could just read their reviews, but they each focused on one issue. I think this miniseries as a whole ends up greater than just the sum of its parts.

The other reviewers already mentioned that Akaneiro: the Path of Cloak and Wolf is a prequel to a video game, Akaneiro: Demon Hunters, but they didn’t really talk about the influences on Akaneiro except that it’s an adaptation of “Red Riding Hood.” Well, most of the inspiration for the setting and mythology of this comic doesn’t come from that story, but from Ainu mythology and Japanese folklore. So that’s not just made up, but I think the Red Hunters are, as well as the karma crystals they collect. I imagine the crystals only exist because of the video game, but I wouldn’t have noticed that if I didn’t know about the game beforehand. In the end, this comic is better than most video game tie-ins though. It stands up pretty well as a comic by itself, not just in relation to the game.

While the story benefits from the inclusion of Japanese folklore, it doesn’t require you to know much about that. There aren’t really any interesting surprises in the plot itself. It really is just a classic story with a twist, but I don’t really mind that. Justin Aclin‘s writing is pretty good for the most part, but he does rely too much on narration in some sections where the artwork could have shown events in a more clear and concise way.

So the story isn’t exceptional, but at least Vasilis Lolos‘ artwork is interesting. He has a pretty unusual style; his characters are very stylized, with exaggerated expressions and features. The artwork might not appeal to everyone; I didn’t really like his artwork in issues #8 and #9 of Conan the Barbarian, but I think it works in Akaneiro. It’s a very different story; Lolos’ style is better suited to it, and Michael Atiyeh’s colors probably have something to do with it too.

All three issues of Akaneiro are together in this book, and the complete miniseries ends up being better than the individual issues. I’ve read this kind of story a hundred times before, but Akaneiro isn’t the worst retelling of it. The story isn’t interesting or surprising, but it works well enough, and the artwork is good enough to hold up this comic by itself. Provided you like the art style and don’t mind the clichés in the plot, Akaneiro is a decent comic. Of course if you already like the video game, this will probably appeal to you, and for the cover price of $14.99 it’s not a bad deal.

Danilo Culibrk, aka Augustus, is a staff writer for the Red Shirt Crew. He’s definitely not a werewolf disguised in human form. You can follow him past the waterfall to the Akane camp on Twitter at @Augustusing.

Review: The Star Wars #3

Despite it being a fresh start for the series, an alternate universe taking just the main ideas and reusing them in a different context, there’s just one thing that I can’t get away from with regard to Star Wars, even in this series. For the second issue in a row, I’m not entirely sure what to make of it, and I have a lot of that for the series itself. I love the potential that it has, but I’m never quite sure what to make of what they actually do with it. With that in mind, let’s look at The Star Wars #3 (written by J. W. Rinzler, illustrated by Mike Mayhew).

As I mentioned in the previous review, a number of more familiar elements are starting to show up in this series. While they provide touchstones to know where we are in the storyline, the fact that the story has been changed so much from what it was before almost makes it more disorienting than anything else. I’d call it something like the Uncanny Valley of adaptation – there’s an odd mix of the old with the new that’s too much new to be a recreation, but too much old to be a re-imagining, and it just seems to be lacking a real identity on its own. One particular scene in this issue is drawn almost exactly like it was shot in A New Hope, and that serves mostly to throw me off from finally being able to see this as truly separate from the original. Recreating scenes almost exactly while an entirely different story we never saw is playing out in other parts of the issue gives me a sense of whiplash when reading.

I think that what’s bugging me the most, if anything, is that there are a few too many storylines going on all at once. When I get to the end of an issue, while each story there may have come to a good stopping point to be picked up again in the next issue, the issues don’t feel like they’re full, standalone stories. Good or bad, this series is being written for the trade, at which point it should make a lot more sense. As for now, there’s a bit too much going on.

Also, I mentioned something that might be controversial among Star Wars fans in the last review, and I can talk about it here, as it continues on in this issue. I’m talking about R2D2 (or, as he’s called here, Artwo Detwo). In this, he can talk. Not just in beeps and whistles, but actual speech. Honestly, this doesn’t bother me at all, but I expect that there are going to be a lot of fans who react badly to this. So long as he and C3PO (I mean Seethreepio, since this galaxy was so long ago they never heard of shorthand) continue their banter, which they do, I’m okay with it.

I’ve mostly gotten used to the art in this series, which sets aside the fears I had early on that the art style just wouldn’t click right. What stuck out at me is that C3PO seems to have a slightly changed design – he was always intended to look like Maria from Metropolis, but it’s even more pronounced in this design. Again, it’s a change that I don’t really mind, but it also seems like it was a change made for the sake of making a change. 

Overall, I’m still a little torn on this series. I’m going to continue to follow it, since I’m enjoying it so far, but not enough to give it an unconditional recommendation. It’s also a little more difficult to make the recommendation at $3.99 for the issue, so I’ll have to leave it up to you: How much do you want to read good but not great alternate universe Star Wars? That’s what it ultimately comes down to.

Zac Kandell (known mostly on the internet as Mischlings) is far prouder of a single joke in this review than he ever should be – hasn’t stopped laughing at it all day. If you find what he says interesting, follow him on Twitter at @Mischlings or check out his personal blog.

Review: Catalyst Comix #5

After a month with an extra Wednesday, Catalyst Comix has returned, marking one of my favorite times of the month. I made the mistake of looking at the solicits, however, and now have seen that this is a limited series, not an ongoing. We’re now at the halfway point here with Catalyst Comix #5 (written by Joe Casey, illustrated by Paul Maybury, Ulises Farinas, and Dan McDaid), which is rather depressing since I want this series to just keep on going, but we just have to appreciate what we have, especially when what we have is this good.

Amazing Grace continues to surprise me with how good it turned out to be. Even though this is the awkward second act of the main story, which isn’t quite as good as the previous issue, it still has a surprising amount of wit and really good dialogue. It does feel a bit like it’s setting up the final issue of its run as the main story more than telling its own story, but the dialogue and even the narrator makes up for that. Yes, I’m praising the yellow text boxes and the narrator, who has become irreverent and just plain bizarre, which is what I loved about the narrator from the beginning but, for some reason, was missing early on in this storyline. 

Wolfhunter and Elvis Warmaker – I mean, Agents of Change – seems to really be building up for when it takes its place as the lead story. Looking back on previous issues with this idea in mind, the rough spots at least make sense. Unlike I’d assume from the beginning, my nickname for this series seems to be mildly inaccurate – I’m not giving enough credit to Ruby, who’s being positioned as possibly the de facto lead character – though that is a difficult label to give someone when the story is more of an ensemble piece, she’s gone from afterthought to basically front and center. While the story by itself here isn’t the greatest, it does sow a lot of seeds for the run as the lead story, and on those terms, it does a really good job.

Ballad of Frank Wells keeps going in different directions that I expect it to each issue. When I think that there’s somewhere they’re specifically going or a concept they’re going to take and go with until the end of the series, they change things up slightly. Last time, I was slightly confused and disappointed by the ending, since it seemed like something intended for fans who already knew the characters, which locked me out of getting what might be a twist at the end of the issue. They pick back up with that in this issue, but only after yet another different direction they take the plot in – this series somehow manages to be really dense despite just 8 pages an issue – but they don’t fully explain who the new character is, so they’re either leaning too much on previous knowledge or waiting to put in more detail later. Those issues aside, the fact that they keep taking it in new directions even with the limited space makes the story really interesting, and it seems to have evened out the somewhat rough transition to the shorter format that the last issue struggled with.

Overall, I definitely recommend this issue like I have with every other issue in the series. They just keep doing a great job, even when there’s the occasional stumble in storytelling. I’m still surprised that Dark Horse is only charging $2.99 for this comic – it could easily be $3.99 given the number and consistent quality of the stories. It’s basically a steal for $2.99, so just buy it. Pick up the back issues if you haven’t been following them, too. They’re all worth it.

Zac Kandell (known mostly on the internet as Mischlings) isn’t sure how, but he managed to keep the running gag count to a minimum in this review. If you find what he says interesting, follow him on Twitter at @Mischlings or check out his personal blog.

Review: Baltimore – the Infernal Train #3

The first page of Baltimore – the Infernal Train #3 shows Lord Baltimore delivering one-liners as he kills vampires while on top of a moving train. I don’t really need to say anything else about this issue, but I guess you expect a full review. I did miss reviewing last month’s issue, so I guess I should make up for that. If you’re interested to see what I thought about the first issue, you can read my review here. Alternatively, you could read MaristPlayBoy’s two reviews of earlier Baltimore comics. But if you’ve never read Baltimore before, the very first issue is currently on sale for only $1. Baltimore started out as a pretty great comic, and it’s only gotten better with new issues.

I did read issue #2, and it was pretty good. We finally got to see Baltimore face-to-face with Judge Duvic. This month’s issue resolves most of the mystery surrounding the train, but opens up a whole new can of worms with some more information about the Red King and a hint as to why Baltimore is so good at killing monsters. Issue #3 is of course the last issue of the Infernal Train, so I don’t think we’ll be seeing much more of Signora Fulcanelli and her furnace, but there’s an interesting development with Judge Duvic toward the end of this issue. I don’t want to say anything more detailed, but this particular twist has been foreshadowed for a few issues now.

Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden‘s story and dialogue are as great as they’ve always been in this series, the highlights of course being Baltimore’s lines as he fights off the undead, as well as the descriptions of the ancient vampires and the Red King. Added to the exposition from last month’s issue, the big picture behind the vampire plague is really starting to develop, and it’s pretty cool.

Ben Stenbeck gets to draw bloody action scenes and explosions in this issue, and Dave Stewart is left with the choice of several shades of red in the Red King sequence (and of course all the blood and gore). In particular, the gruesome scene in the last few pages of the comic really stands out, and throughout the issue Stenbeck’s art is very efficient, showing a lot of action in just a few panels.

When Baltimore began, I was worried that it might end up being too similar to Hellboy or BPRD, or that it might end up like Lobster Johnson – full of cool action, but without much substance (I liked the Iron Prometheus, but the newer issues don’t seem as interesting). Thankfully, Baltimore is shaping up to be one of my favorite recent comics. Sure, it has some similarities to Hellboy, but Baltimore has carved out its own niche, with a unique setting and characters that are more interesting than you might expect at first.

Baltimore – the Infernal Train #3 is definitely worth the cover price of $3.50, and I highly recommend it to anyone reading this series. If you’re new to Baltimore, you should probably start from the beginning; a lot has happened up to this point in the story, and a few plot points won’t make as much sense without earlier events. Besides, the first issue is back for a while at a low price. If you like that, you’ll probably like the rest of the series.

Danilo Culibrk, aka Augustus, is a staff writer for the Red Shirt Crew. He’ll never rest until he tracks down the ancient vampire that cursed him with insomnia. You can follow him on the wings of giant bats on Twitter at @Augustusing.

AoaRD #10: An Orc’s End

After much postponing, the adventures of Urbal gro-Dushnikh begin again.  Skyrim is a strange and fantastical place, filled with mystery, adventure and surprises, but Urbal just want to learn how to smith and for the rest of the world to just leave him alone.

Flashback     Part 1     Part 2     Part 3     Part 4     Part 5     Part 6     Part 7     Part 8     Part 9

3rd of Heartfire, 201

Uthgerd and I left not long after the incidence with the ghost.  Neither of us could sleep with it babbling on about his soldier friend.  Markarth was near. We made it to the gates just as the shops were opening for the morning.  It was a quick visit, only long enough to buy supplies and assure those we’d promised to help that their requests had been completed.

After we’d set out for Riften, we were attacked by another dragon.  I still don’t like these fiddly bows, but I have a hard time arguing when Uthgerd can knock a dragon from the sky with one.  I’m getting more comfortable with the prospect of fighting dragons, although I still wish they’d simply leave — they can go to Elsweyr and bother the Khajit.  Sounds like most of them’ve left anyhow.

Started to rain late afternoon. Chose to duck into a little cave to keep dry. Some sabre cats in there, but nothing we couldn’t handle.  We also found an old sword, still in great condition.  There was a note with it that said it was the sword of the last Blade, the old king’s guard in Cyrodiil’s Imperial City. I doubt it. The skeleton next to it wasn’t clad in blade’s armor. Still fine craftsmanship, none the less.

We’re staying the night in the Sleeping Giant Inn in Riverrun. I like this inn. The locals leave me alone.

Urbal gro-Dushnik
________________________________________________________________

4th of Heartfire, 201

After deliberating with the innkeeper and Uthgerd late into the night, we decided the southern mountain pass would be the faster route to Riften, even if the weather might slow us down if it turned ugly.  Following the river North just seemed like it would take forever and I have already delayed the start of my Journmanship too long.

As we climbed through the mountains, we met an Orc standing sentry by the roadside. I inquired as to his purpose, but he told me he had none, that he was past usefulness. There is an old Orc saying Ghorza used to say all the time — that an object without use should be destroyed.  He was waiting for a worthy assailant who could give him an honorable Orcs death in combat.  For all her battlelust, I doubt Uthgerd will ever understand why he and I crossed swords.  

May Malacath exalt his soul.

In the afternoon, we were struck with a blizzard, as we had feared we might.  We took refuge in a cave, which turned out to be the home of a vampire coven.  As we delved deeper, we found the old dog Barbas and a great statue of Clavicus Vile.  Like his dog, he seems able to speak to my mind.  I’m not fond of these mental invasions.  He wants me to bring him an axe from the other side of Skyrim.  As if all of the dragons weren’t enough of a problem.

We’re resting in the small town of Ivarstead for the night, just on the other side of the mountains.  We’re almost to Riften.  Looking forward to working with Balimund with great anticipation.

Urbal gro-Dushnikh