Comic Reviews and discussions

[Faust]

Running out of Kelly Sue's Captain Marvel, (my fault for starting a series that's not finished).

It's tooooooo good. Kelly Sue Sue DeConnick is an excellent writer and I wish there were more women like her writing comics.

[Ben Shapiro]

The new 52 detective comics is fucking good. The villains are awesome. Batman as always butt hurt.

[Ben Shapiro]

Slowly reading Sandman. I stopped reading Crossed.

[Faust]

I enjoyed that after issue twelve. I don't like the Tony  S. Daniel stuff. Man's an amazing artist. Not so much a writer.

[Faust]

I'll try put some more effort into writing these

Beware The creeper



Beware the creeper is a comic set in post world war one france focussing on the art scene, and surrealistic movement in particular.

The Titular character takes her name from a sixties superhero with a vaguely similar appearance with sallow skin and a shock of red hair the similarities end there, apart from a shared freedom of spirit and chaotic nature.

What drew me to this title was Cliff Chang's art. I've harped on in the past about his work on Wonder Woman, but it goes without saying at this point that he is an accomplished artistic and a master of his craft. With that in mind when I was presented with the premise that he would be drawing a swinging Parisian city I couldn't pass this up.

I wasn't familiar with the Writer Jason hall and wished to give him a chance, the concept seemed unique enough to pique my interest and i was not disappointed.

The story captures Paris in a post war spirit of liberation and vibrant creativity, where artists, musicians and actors flock, throwing decadent sex crazed parties and focussing only on the joy of life. We are introduced to Judith Benoir, a carefree painter, adored amounts the surrealist community.
Sadly such wellsprings of decadence attract hangers on and bad eggs. Judith is attacked, following a prophetic dream of the devil raping and the Creeper springing forth.

At which point the creeper is shown laughing maniacally and carefree, throwing herself from rooftop to rooftop and so begins a series of pranks and vandalism on the old staunch artistic community but the surrealist superhero The Creeper.

There are some heavy themes of sexual violence and sexual liberation, we see the violence against prostitutes and the mistaken interpretation of creepers that a woman who is sexually liberated and has many partners is a whore and that they are entitled to her.

The title "Beware the creeper" is very direct in this regards.

Despite the dark themes of sexual violence, or more probably as a direct counter to it the vibrancy and joy of the creepers antics dismantle the sexual attackers and put the emphasis and agency back with the women of the story. The story and the main character are manic, switching from frenzied joy and mischief, to the sorrow of the exploitation and violence against women. Ultimately culminating on a sad but triumphant note.

I wonder why the original male creeper was chosen as the template for this new one?

The joy of an unexplored character, or maybe the manic essence was an inspiration for this story.

Why France and the surrealist movement?
The surrealist movement could be inspired by the otherworldly insane nature of the protagonist.

There is a twist to this story, and though it felt a little obvious, the motivations and reasons why this twist occurs, are not, and these are not revealed until the final moments.

First time I've given much thought to the review format, gentle criticism desired.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

Cool Bobby,

Same offer I made roger stands for yourself or anyone else who wants. If you want to advertise on the front page just give me a shout.

That's awesome, thank you very much!  I'll absolutely be in touch.

Hard copy only.  PM me for details.

Will do!

Got your cheque.  Will mail the comic on Friday morning.  You should have it by the middle of next week at the latest.  I will be sending it to the return address on the envelope unless you tell me otherwise between now and Friday.

[Pope Pixie Pickle]

i recently went back and reread House of Mystery. I'd forgotten how well-written it was, and even the big twist towards the end(fake spoiler alert: the butler did it, Vader is Luke's father, there's a lot you can learn from a good piece of ham) still felt clever and appropriate, havign read it through already. It's the same kinda thing i felt reading novels as a kid, where you can reread the story and find new things you like about it

Vertigo was the first publisher to make me wanna read a series all the way through and i find stuff like HoM and Sandman and Lucifer excels at delivering deep, personally engaging stories without having to compromise fun for story or vice versa.

I thought constantine was a Scouser by birth?!? Chas was mos def a cockney, but...

[Faust]

i recently went back and reread House of Mystery. I'd forgotten how well-written it was, and even the big twist towards the end(fake spoiler alert: the butler did it, Vader is Luke's father, there's a lot you can learn from a good piece of ham) still felt clever and appropriate, havign read it through already. It's the same kinda thing i felt reading novels as a kid, where you can reread the story and find new things you like about it

Vertigo was the first publisher to make me wanna read a series all the way through and i find stuff like HoM and Sandman and Lucifer excels at delivering deep, personally engaging stories without having to compromise fun for story or vice versa.

I thought constantine was a Scouser by birth?!? Chas was mos def a cockney, but...

He is. Which kind of shatters the cool image of him most people have in mind. I prefer to willfully ignore that he is from liverpool and imagine his accent as either like Alan Moore's Northhamton accent or a clean David Bowie, depending on what the art is like.

[Pope Pixie Pickle]

I always imagined it as a softened scouse accent. he is a right dodgy bastard, so scouse seems to fit in my brain.

[Q. G. Pennyworth]

Faust: really appreciate the effort on the review! I wish I had more comics budget.

[Demolition Squid]

A friend of mine recently lent me No Man's Land.

If Civil War was the worst of comics reflecting political events, No Man's Land has to be an example of it done really, really well. I might throw up an in depth analysis of it later if people are interested. Seems like a nice way to unwind when I get back from work tonight.

[Bobby Campbell]

IGarth Ennis once called the idolised manchilds vision of Captain America's false role in WWII the most insulting thing that could be done to the veterans who served

That could be true, but it seems like a strange thing for the writer of "Adventures in the Rifle Brigade" to say.  I love the Rifle Brigade series and most of Ennis' work, but c'mon, he has made a career of turning war into adolescent burlesque.

Kelly Sue Sue DeConnick is an excellent writer and I wish there were more women like her writing comics.

I just listened to a nice long interview w/ her on the Nerdist Comics Panel that, along w/ your glowing recommendation, has persuaded me to give Captain Marvel a try.

Got your cheque.  Will mail the comic on Friday morning.  You should have it by the middle of next week at the latest.  I will be sending it to the return address on the envelope unless you tell me otherwise between now and Friday.

Can't wait to read! and yes, the return address on the envelope is correct.  Thanks again!

First time I've given much thought to the review format, gentle criticism desired.

Very nicely done!  Certainly makes me want to tryout the creeper.

I really really enjoyed Sandman Overture #1.  I kinda forgot that I actually enjoy Neil Gaiman's writing.  He's such a mainstream brand name now that I forget he also writes the weird kinda junk I like.  Not that it would really matter what he wrote w/ JH Williams III drawing it.  Holy smokes! The art in this book is perfect.  Somehow managing to combine being completely reliable and clear w/ also being wildly inventive and bizarre.

[Faust]

I really really enjoyed Sandman Overture #1.  I kinda forgot that I actually enjoy Neil Gaiman's writing.  He's such a mainstream brand name now that I forget he also writes the weird kinda junk I like.  Not that it would really matter what he wrote w/ JH Williams III drawing it.  Holy smokes! The art in this book is perfect.  Somehow managing to combine being completely reliable and clear w/ also being wildly inventive and bizarre.

I saw a single page of this and I was drooling. I'm going to do my thing of not reading it until it's finished but it's bi monthly so even if it's just six issues it will be a year before I read it. The sandman seems like the perfect story to have JHWIII doing the art for.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

IGarth Ennis once called the idolised manchilds vision of Captain America's false role in WWII the most insulting thing that could be done to the veterans who served

That could be true, but it seems like a strange thing for the writer of "Adventures in the Rifle Brigade" to say.  I love the Rifle Brigade series and most of Ennis' work, but c'mon, he has made a career of turning war into adolescent burlesque.

Dunno.  War Stories was pretty good.

[Faust]

If I recall, his problem wasn't that they were portraying fictional soldiers, it was that Captain America was an infantile fantasy written by people who had no experience and more importantly, no understanding of what combat was like. That he was more the Charles Atlas style bullied kids fantasy then what a "Super" soldier could be.

But maybe I'm putting words in his mouth or misrepresenting him. If I can find where I read it I'll dig it up.