Steampunk #2

Last issue ended with Cole Blaquesmith saving a child, destroying a steam powered garbage truck and publicly shouting his name.  To you or me, that's no big deal - but in 1830's Absinthian England, that's a big no-no.

After a chat and a shave from Randy, Cole learns he was underground for 100 years.  We are treated to a writing lesson w/ Cole and a mysterious blonde woman (in flashback) until Cole is snapped back to the present by a man named Robert Peel - a freedom fighter, who is also a member of the aristocracy.  He tells Cole that he is to be the hero of the people.  Cole, still reeling from the shock of the length of his sleep, storms out.  Randy goes after him...

... and we cut to Absinthe talking to a member of the Church (he has a head like an old diver's helmet - creepy) and discover that Absinthe is working for something for the Church.  Rikk, our freedom fighter who got captured last issue, is rolled out sans arms and legs, and Absinthe reveals a switch on the back of Rikk's head marked soul...

... Cole asks Randy how things got that way - Randy says Absinthe came to power about 90 years ago.  Before he came to power there was no steam; ever since, the smog has blanked out the sun.  Cole visits a statue of Absinthe and realizes he knows the Monarch.  Flash back to our mystery blonde, coughing up blood and Absinthe saying he can save her.  A mysterious woman attacks Cole and they fight.  She revels herself as as Victoria, Queen of the savages, and tell Cole that there's a bounty on his head she is there to collect.  They fight until Cole drops over for some unknown reason.  Victoria is about to claim her prize when a mysterious voice introduces itself as Faust and says that the prize is his.

All around a solid issue - so packed with information my synopsis doesn't do it justice.  This series is so well thought out - from the subtle references to the 1800's to Absinthe's way of speaking - that it still (after a couple reads) leaves me felling satisfied.  The story is so bizarre, so out of the mainstream that it feels like reading a story by Pynchon.  Awesome.  One small complaint - some of the panels are so filled with detail, you loss the focus of the action.  That's not to say the art is bad - it's sometimes so good the brain has trouble processing the important parts.  This is a exciting issue that needs to be read like a post-modern novel - slowly and with the utmost joy.

Well, until next time - happy reading!


Credits

Joe Kelly - Writer

Chris Bachalo - Artist

Steampunk #1

In our last issue, Randy and Sköm dug up a mysterious man with a mechanical arm.  But this issue opens with a clean cut man walking down a street, heading to a reading lesson with a lovely lady who is hanging out on the back of a 50's style car...but, remember, this takes place in 1837.

And we're snapped back to the present, which is actually the past but that's all a matter of opinion, and our mechanical man has some butt to kick.  He beats the crap out of a half lizard man, a guy with a bazooka, and a floatng hear before collapsing in front of Randy.

We see a scene with two rebels (freedom fighters who oppose evil Lord Absinthe) on the run being trailed... something.  All we know is that it's heralded by haunting flute music.  Rikk, one of our rebels, injures his leg and is cut down by a mysterious glowing sword.  Laslo, our other rebel, is allowed to live to spread the word that "all belong to Absinthe...body and soul."

Our recently awakened man wakes up underground; Randy and Sköm try to keep him in their hovel.  He makes his way out and up to the surface - where he saves a child from what can only be called a street sweeper for children.  He perches on top and screams "I am Cole Blaquesmith and I will not be broken!"

Good issue - sets up all the players very well.  Joe Kelly really knows how to interweave flashbacks so that they do not feel forced.  The story is complex and full of questions; keeps me coming back for more.  The art is phenomenal - if at times a bit too busy.  Chris Bachalo fills every page with huge amounts of details so that when he decides to go with something sparse, it really jumps off the page.

So, until next time - happy reading!

Credits

Joe Kelly - Writter
Chris Bachalo - Art

Steampunk: Catechism

Snap Judgment: Promising

So, I decided to take a break from Spider-man, went digging through my long boxes and came cross this issue.  It's a special kind of book that might not be everyone's cup of tea, but I really enjoyed it.

The book opens with a series of mysterious quotes with dates that don't add up.  From these, we're told our tale is set in the 1830's, but this ain't not your great-great-great-great-great-granddad's Victorian England.  Mechanical bugs fly through the air, people are augmented w/ animal parts, and steam powers the entire land.

We're introduced to Sköm and Randy, two unlucky grave robbers, who are digging for "spare parts".  Their hole collapses with a startling boom and they find themselves in a weird cavern with a clock coffin counting down to who knows what.

The action cuts to the current leader of England - one Lord Absinthe - who is upset about the noise.  He's malformed and speaks with a modern tongue.  He's...well...he's creepy.

Cut back to our grave robbers and the coffin, which opens up to show a bearded man with a mechanical arm and a furnace in his chest.  Awesome!

Then it's over - what a tease.

The story sets a mysterious stage - a time in our past where things aren't quite right.  And it's done in a fantastic way.  There are quotes from Kant and Franklin mixed in with quotes from our Lord Absinthe.  This book poses more questions than it answers and pulls the reader in.  The art is a real treat - meticulous and at times overwhelming.  It takes a lot of work just to look at one panel.  All told, it's a great read and a nice beginning.

Well, since I own the rest of this series - I'll see you back here next time for issue 1 of Steampunk.  Until then - happy reading!

Credits

Joe Kelly - Writer
Chris Bachalo - Art

Spider-man's Tangled Web #11

Snap Judgment: Awesome

So, I should have posted this review about 3 days ago as it is a Valentine's Day story; but, this last couple days have been filled with fevers and a throwing up 2 year old.


Well, happy belated Valentines Day.

In this issue, it's Valentine's Day and Spider-man is spending it with the Vulture high above New York.  Spidey gets his butt kicked and passes out in a alley.

Back at the Bugle, the staff is making plans for their evening.  Turns out Peter Parker has 2 dates for the night.

There's more to it, but I don't want to spoil this one.  Needless to say, hilarity ensues.

I love this issue - another gem in this series.  Wonderful art, just look at the cover; there's one scene where Cooke emulates 70's style Marvel art that  made me smile.  The story is unassumingly sweet without being artificial.  The way character's lives all intertwine by the end of the issue shows a real handle on plotting; and there are lots of laughs. 

Poor Peter Parker just can't seem to win.

Go out, get this issue (and the one before it) and have a nice night with our friendly neighborhood Spider-man.

Until next time, happy reading.

Credits

Darwyn Cooke - Writer & artist

Spider-man's Tangled Web #10

After the last 3 disappointing issues of Spider-man's Tangled Web, we come to an issue I consider a modern masterpiece of comic book story telling.  Blows me away every time I read it.

The story opens with two brothers in their apartment, the older one on the phone, the younger watching Insectman cartoons ( in a nice touch Insectman is a parody / homage to Spider-man).  The older brother is ticked off because their life kind of sucks: Mom's always sick, Dad's not around, and he's stuck watching his little brother.  They get in a fight over whether Spider-man's really a hero when the wall crashes in.

Lying on the floor, in a red and blue ball, is our titular hero and standing above him is Electro.  The younger brother tries to stop Electro from hurting Spider-man, and finds himself on the receiving end of a little shock.  Big brother steps in and sticks up for his sibling.  Electro talks to the boy about being an outcast - and Spider-man webs up Electro's hand and kicks the snot out of him.

The older brother yells at Spider-man for breaking their wall and, in one of my favorite scenes ever, Spider-man hands the boy an envelope labeled "Rent" and tells the boys to never lose hope and swings away.  The two boys then sit down and watch TV together.

Everything about this issue is perfect.  The art is painted, the faces show genuine emotion.  The panel framing is brilliant.  This is what happens when an artist has a clear vision for the story he wants to tell - and is given the freedom to do it.

This is a gem in my collection - not because of the monetary vale, but because of the sheer joy this story brings me.

Well, enough gushing over this issue - until next time, happy reading!


Credits

Kaare Andrews - story and art

Spider-man's Tangled Web #9

This issue opens with the heist being carried out, some jewels are stolen, and our gangster friends are promised their other pay off - Spider-man.

In a clever twist, Charlie (our cabbie hero, who knows who Spider-man really is) leads the gangsters to a Spider-man convention.  Swimming through a sea of web-heads, the gangsters eventually run out a fire escape and get caught in a well placed web.

Our cabbie gets way w/ enough money from the heist for the surgery.  But it's not his surgery Charlie risked his life to fund, it's a surgery for his son.

The issue ends with Charlie in a coma - which flashes back to the day Spider-man saved Charlie's son.

Now, the pay off is nice.  It's a well crafted story are, but it's too long.  This story could have been told in a single issue.  And it's boring.  The flash backs to the flipped car incident just didn't draw me in enough to make me care about any of these characters.  The art is static and at times even cold.  There is no life about it - like the artist was just going on autopilot. 

This 3 issue story was probably the weakest entry in this title so far.

Don't worry - Tangled Web is like this, hit or miss.  And on this one, it was a epic miss.

Until next time (soon, I swear) - happy reading!


Credits

Bruce Jones - Writer

Lee Weeks - Artist

Spider-man's Tangled Web #8

I really wish I had something good to say about this issue...it's not bad, but it's nothing to write home about either.

Charlie, our cabbie who knows who Spider-man is, gets a new job as a security guard in a jewelry store, calls Spiderman to save a man on ledge, and visits his son.  He has a attack and his estranged wife starts to get concerned.

Our gangsters try to rob a bank, get cold fee and go and mug some teenagers on make out point.  They get interrupted by Charlie - who has a proposition.  He asks for their help in robbing the jewelry store.

Now, I know this seres is supposed to be more about how Spider-man affects the lives of those around him, but this issue is just plain boring.  It's all build up to the next issue, where hopefully this story will come to an end.  The art and story are both just so-so.

All in all a totally forgettable issue of a forgettable story.

Well, next time we'll see the end of this mediocre story - until then, happy reading.

Credits:

Bruce Jones - Writer
Lee Weeks - Artist

Spider-man's Tangled Web #7

What is the true value of a secret?  Are we honor bound to keep certain things that we learn to ourselves if it puts someone else at risk?

That's the premise of this 3 issue story - this first issue sets the stage rather well, giving enough hints to leave the reader wondering where this story is going.

It opens with a gunshots and a man pinned under a flipped car.  We then are introduced to a cabbie named Charlie, who has brain cancer - and keeps having flashbacks to that shoot out.

He goes to see another doctor, who mentions the procedure would cost half a million.  Later that day, our cabbie witnesses a robbery and makes a phone call...to the Daily Bugle!

We are then shown a poker game with some low-lifes, and Charlie talking to a priest about his secret and how, if he told it, it would destroy one man's life but save someone else's.  The issue ends with Charlie getting in his cab and driving off.

This is a decent issue, but an all together forgettable story from this anthology title.  There are way better one's further down the road.  And why this story takes 3 issues to be told is beyond me.  But, I'm getting ahead of myself...this is a good first introductory issue - it sets up all the players very nicely.  The art is typical late '90/ early '00 Marvel art.  Not terrible, but not terribly exciting either.  I actually think the cover is the best part of this issue.

More on this story in the coming days.  Until then - happy reading.

Credits:

Bruce Jones - Writer
Lee Weeks - Artist

Rare Personal Note

Sorry for disappearing for a bit - the holidays are really busy for me and the Fam.  Also, Santa was good to me and brought quite the large stack of comics for me to read.  So I took some time off to just enjoy building forts with the boy, staying in my PJ as long as possible and reading comics.

I'm back and hope to continue reviewing Grendel, Tom Strong, and anything else I come across in my long boxes.

Thanks for stopping by - hope I can point you in the direction of some good reads.

Spider-man's Tangled Web #6

The last issue ended with the Rhino, after being spurned by his newest infatuation - a mob boss's daughter named Stella - undergoing a treatment to enhance his brain power.

Brains and brawn you say?  All in one package?  What could happen?

Well, in short, Rhino wins Stella back, breaks out some of his buddies, and goes on a crime spree.  And is surprisingly successful!

He goes on to live a life of wealth, culture and luxury - and eventually all the things that brought him joy (Stella, the theatre, poetry...weird to think of the Rhino reading Yeats or Elliot) have lost their luster...the world, it seems to the Rhino, is now an extremely boring place.

Stella, claiming the passion of their relationship has faded, leaves the Rhino, and he sets up a meeting with his long time enemy, Spider-man.  The Rhino revels to Spider-man that he's discovered Peter's secret.  Cut to the Brooklyn Bridge, where a revelation occurs.

He needs to be dumb again.  So, he goes back to the Doctor, has the operation reversed and by the end of the book, he's happily running through walls again.

This is a great little two part story about a villain who is mainly used as a punching bag for either Spider-man or the Hulk.  The art is a bit odd - it treads a line that is at times very realistic and at times very stylized.  But it can't quite seem to make up its mind.  I'll admit, a very cartoony portrayal of these events would not have worked, as the subject matter necessitates a more true to life feel.   It really shows the potential Rhino has...but on the other hand, just how unhappy that potential can make us.  Is ignorance really bliss?  Are we better off being dumb and joyous or smart and miserable?

But - hey - it's just a comic book...they can't possibly illicit these kinds of deep questions, right?

Until next time - happy reading.

Credits:

Peter Milligan - Writer
Duncan Ferredo - Art