Very Big Terman Reviews
Mutant for Hire
week I actually have spare time, so I'm going to do the whole kit and
caboodle. This review column also tries to explain, when possible, the
background and characters in the titles, so people wanting to jump in
know when to do so. Let me know how it works. Feedback is always
wanted
on this stuff.
Reviewed on 4/25/92
A1 #6a
Cheval Noir #29
Cry For Dawn #7
Doom Patrol #55
Hellblazer #54
Incredible Hulk #394
Lobo's Back #1
Sam & Max Freelance Police
Sandman #38
X-Factor #79
Ratings and artwork are broken up into separate ratings, with a scale
of zero to four stars for each, four stars being top of the line, and
zero stars meaning I could do a better job, and less offensively as
well to the reader.
=====================================================================
A1 #6a
Writer: Anthology
Artist: Anthology
Publisher: Atomeka Press
Writing: ***
Artwork: **1/2
A1 is an anthology title, a six issue limited series that now seems
destined to go to seven issues, having broken up the last issue into
6a and 6b. The series has accumulated in its time an impressive list
of contributors, such as Alan Moore, Eddie Campbell and others. It is
also famous for being incredibly late. This issue was due about a
year ago, but the creators of the series pushed for quality over
getting the thing out on time, and so we waited. The stories are too
many and too short for in depth looks, so here are some micro-
summaries and trust me when I say they're good.
Jamie Hewlett, "Tank Girl: She's Fucking Great!" A modern retelling
of the Frankenstein legend in a post-holocaust Australia starring a
rather punk tank driver. Rather crude jokes and humor/
Archie Goodwin & D'Israeli "Rescue": Four men go after a cult leader
and their followers to rescue their children and one learns some
awful truths about their mission and its *real* purpose.
Hilary Barta & Doug Rice "The Competition": A bar owner will go to
any length to draw drinkers away from his more successful competitor.
Unfortunately the schemes don't work very well. Complete comedy.
Martin Hand "The Happy Angel of Death": Sort of a warped version of
Gaiman's Death, about an angel who goes around killing people and
sending them to Heaven.
Warren Ellis & Phil Winslade "harlequin bones: dada 331" deals with a
cyberpunk world and a woman who hires the hero to test out a
dangerous drug named dada 331, or so it seems.
Bob Burden "Dreams of the Taco Fiend" is another one pager about the
strange dreams of a man who eats tacos before going to bed.
Serge Clerc "Paris is a Ball" is a story of tsarist rulers surveying
the part of their empire that is Paris and what they think of and do
to the local art celebrating freedom and liberty.
Eddie Campbell "Obsession" deals with Alec MacGarry, a wine devotee
and his clashes in will with a collector who doesn't especially care
about his collecting, even his wine cellar.
Chris Smith & Glenn Fabry "Blacktop: Fish" is the last of a multipart
story dealing with strange aliens, a bizarre group of scientists, and
a motley lot of English characters.
Garth Ennis & Steve Dillon "And They Never Get Drunk But Stay Sober"
is a story about a man who goes to a pub and drinks with friends and
returns to a loving wife. Hellblazer fans will experience severe deja
vu with this story and the Christmas issue of the horror series.
The stories are incredibly varied, from comedy to tragedy, with all
sorts of settings and times. The one thing they are is all above
average quality. Artwork varies a lot. A1 is a series worth getting,
back issues are worth hunting down. Why do I like each story?
Different reasons, too long to go in here. A1 has a lot.
"But no matter, for the true goal of the obsessed is very modest as
you know. They only want to get some sleep soon."
=====================================================================
Cheval Noir #29
Writer: Anthology
Artist: Anthology
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Writing: **1/2
Artwork: **1/2
Here's the other anthology title. Cheval Noir is a title made up
primarily of European writers and artists. Unlike A1, it maintains a
fairly regular schedule. It has less material, three short stories,
two part of longer storylines, and two one page comedies. It tends to
be a showcase for those who normally don't get much circulation on
the western side of the Atlantic.
The first story "The Flower in the Rifle" by Jacques Tardi is set
during the first world war, and centers around a young man who is
repulsed by the idea of war and has been forcefully inducted into the
French army. During the war, he sneaks away and hides with a like
minded crowd, only to have the war intrude on them.
"The Man From the Ciguri" is written and illustrated by Moebius, and
is a bizarre tale about a man who owns a space ship named the Ciguri
and seems to be trapped in one of many alternate dimensions, and is
trying to find a way back, before his enemies go after him. Its one
small fragment of a longer storyline.
"Tree-Heart" by Comes is a strange tale about a woman suffering from
multiple personality disorder who must deal with her neighbors, her
conflicting personalities, and the truth about her past and the
father who abused her. It leaps from within to without her mind in a
way that is confusing and disturbing.
The two one pagers are a reviewing of the Paul Bunyan legend from a
more ecological viewpoint, and David Lynch's almost-funny-but-rather-
lame "The Angriest Dog in the World" strips.
The Tardi story is yet another cynical commentary on war, but since
it is one of a series of stories set around this character retains
more interest for the long term reader. The Moebius story doesn't
stand at all on its own unless you have the other parts. Even then
its more something to marvel at art-wise than from an actual story.
Comes' story is interesting and features a rather alternative view of
the world. The one-page stuff is sort of funny. Not really.
Overall, the issue isn't as good as past ones, but is needed for past
collectors to figure out what is going to happen next. If you're
interested in learning about European material, this series is a good
place to start, but maybe not with this issue. Since it breaks up
stories into multiple parts, buying single issues doesn't work. Its a
long term commitment.
"One day, after laying waste to yet another ecosystem, Paul Bunyan
and his cohorts were marching through a new forest..."
=====================================================================
Cry For Dawn #7
Writer: Joe Monks, Joe Lisner
Artist: Joe Lisner
Publisher: Cry For Dawn Productions
Writing: **1/2
Artwork: ***
Cry For Dawn is a horror series with great artwork. The series tends
to focus less on the magical/demonic/undead type of horror and goes
more into horrors that come out of contemporary life. Artwork is very
good, and since these stories aren't continual slasher fests, they
aim at a slightly less juvenile audience.
The first story, "Corporate Ladder" is the story of the man stuck in
his job, missing the big promotion, and wanting to do something about
it. When his mother dies and he inherits the family diaries, and
learns his grandfather's true past. He gets inspiration and promptly
moves up in life, using the material he learned from his ancestor's
work in the concentration camps....
The second story is about a guy who's been forced to give up his
dreams because he got his girlfriend pregnant. He resents the child
and tries to work through what's he's going through, only to have an
ending that he didn't anticipate, or really want.
No demonic elements, and the first story the writer claims he came up
with before Duke started his political career. Very nice art, the
lead of the first story looks demonic without horns. Very expressive,
which helps for horror comics. The stories show that there is terror
without the need for the fantastic. Recommended.
"To have your goal in sight and yet not able to attain its fruition
is the most painful thing I have ever known."
=====================================================================
Doom Patrol #55
Writer: Grant Morrison
Artist: Richard Case
Publisher: DC Comics
Writing: **1/2
Artwork: ***
An issue that needs a bit of background. The Doom Patrol is a group
of characters too strange to be anywhere else. The three field
members are Cliff Steele, a human brain in a robot body, Rebis, a
strange creature made up of a combination of a man, a woman, and a
radioactive energy being, and Crazy Jane, who is a woman with sixty
four personalities, each one having their own power. Then there is
the support team, which is the Chief, a scientific genius who created
the Doom Patrol, Joshua Clay, a man with energy projecting powers and
acts in a medical capacity, and Dorothy Spinner, a teenage girl who
has awesome mental powers but a lack of control over these powers.
Last issue, Rebis went to the moon to start the metamorphosis into
some new life form. This issue takes place at the same time, and
indicates the breakup of the rest of the team.
Crazy Jane was sexually abused as a child, and has already lost one
of her personalities. She returns to the church where she was raped
and brought back her memories of abuse. What she plans to do is very
uncertain, but it doesn't look pleasant. There is conflict between
her personalities about what to do. She is visited by the ghost of
her destroyed personality. Things are building to the breaking point
for all of her.
Meanwhile, in an earlier adventure, Dorothy called upon one of her
childhood imaginary playmates to destroy a creature called the
Avatar. This figment in her mind isn't pleasant, and has been called
upon twice before. It wants out and to do that Dorothy must call it
out a third time. She goes to Joshua for help, and they decide to go
visit the Chief to see what he can do. Joshua goes, but finds an
overturned wheelchair. He's promptly shot and killed, by a figure off
the panel wearing a white glove. Then the issue ends.
Seems to be starting for a total breakdown of the team. Apparently
Morrison will be leaving the series at some point. If so, I'd like
the comic to end most likely, though how, I'm not sure. Morrison was
starting to become stuck in a rut, and there are foreshadowings of
yet another assault on reality to muddle through.
There is some extremely powerful stuff in this issue, the Crazy Jane
sequence. In past issues one occasionally forgets this is a woman
with severe problems and they appear with a vengeance. The multiple
voices in her mind, shouting, arguing, the powerful symbolism of
events in the Church. In some way, Morrison deals better with raw
symbols than with people. In recent issues he's had a tendency to
create characters who were more symbols for some idea than people.
Dorothy's problems have been foreshadowed for some time, it will be
interesting to see what happens. The spookiness of childhood friends
come alive is certainly disturbing. Its recommended for strangeness
fans, but many of them might be lost at the current issue.
"You wish on a candle and the devil comes."
=====================================================================
Hellblazer #54
Writer: Garth Ennis
Artist: William Simpson
Publisher: DC Comics
Writing: **
Artwork: **
The current storyline deals with a member of the royal family that's
been turned into Jack the Ripper via the good graces of a demon, and
John Constantine has been called in to sort the mess out. He held a
seance at the Caligula club, a club for very important people so that
they can indulge in their every perverted whim and where the demon
got accidentally bound into the prince. After a mess, John got the
name of the demon, and this issue prepares to drive it out.
This issue, John and Nigel, the latter a psychic anarchist needed to
help pull the exorcism off, discuss the history of Jack the Ripper,
giving the Freemason theory that Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell are
retelling in their From Hell series, serialized in Taboo and well
worth reading. John then adds a demon into the lot and explains that
the demon is back. They agree to work on driving it out.
Meanwhile, the higher ups in the high and mighty are deciding that
John and Nigel are useful now, but after this exorcism is done, they
are expendable in the extreme. John and Nigel show up, and for that
matter, the possessed prince also shows up soon after. The issue ends
with John blacking out, prince at his throat.
"That seance last night, that's what started the trouble-- when those
mortal pricks started sniffing around and set the man thinking-- and
if they believe they can get off with that, they've got a shock
coming."
=====================================================================
Incredible Hulk #394
Writer: Peter David
Artist: Andrew Wildman
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Writing: *1/2
Artwork: **
A short story, started and finished in one issue. For those not
familiar with the title, the Hulk was originally green and dumb, or
Bruce Banner, smart and wimpy. However these personalities were only
two of three. Soon a gray, streetsmart Hulk appeared and the green
Hulk was locked away in Banner's mind. This Hulk went around and
fought the Leader, worked in Las Vegas as an enforcer, and other
things. Eventually the green Hulk got loose, and a power struggle
started as gray, green and Banner started battling for control. This
battle ended when Leonard Samson integrated all three personalities
into one, leaving a green Hulk body with Banner's intelligence and
the gray Hulk's aggressive personality.
No sooner was the new Hulk created than he was recruited into a group
called the Pantheon. The Pantheon is a group of superpowered beings
who believe in doing good, and are not above extreme measures in
achieving that goal. Banner is not aware to the full extent to which
these people are willing to go to in order to stop evil. The Pantheon
members are named after and have powers pertaining to various Greek
and Roman heroes of mythology.
This issue, one of the team members accidentally goes down in the
Arctic. A rescue team is organized to search for her, including the
Hulk. Atalanta, the downed member, is desperately fleeing a guy in a
battlesuit of incredible power. The Hulk stumbles onto the guy, named
Trauma, but is shot and left for dead. Trauma finds Atalanta and
confesses that while he wanted to kill her originally for the death
of her brother, he's in love with her now. She laughs at him.
Outraged, he gets ready to kill her.
Hulk shows up and a battle starts between the two of them. The Hulk
gradually gains the upper hand as he bashes weapons on the suit.
After ripping off the helmet, it is revealed that Trauma is an alien
from another planet, explaining the advanced battle suit. Just before
the Hulk is going to smash Trauma, Atalanta steps in and stops him.
Trauma is delighted until he discovers Atalanta wants to finish him
off instead. Trauma goes down, and is eventually buried under a ton
of snow. Naturally, like any good villain, he survives....
The villain isn't all that great. A walking battlesuit with a fatal
attraction complex. Why an alien would have human standards for looks
is also beyond me. The artist is decent, not at Keown's standards but
good, and I can't remember Atalanta having this large a bust before.
Its a typical Marvel comic with slightly better dialogue. I prefer
more complex and developed villains myself. The other storyline
dealing with Rick Jones and his long lost mother is more interesting.
Not one of the stronger issues of the Hulk.
"By your standards I'm a hideous freak. Then again, I wasn't born on
this planet. What's your excuse?"
=====================================================================
Lobo's Back #1
Writer: Keith Giffen, Alan Grant
Artist: Simon Bisley
Publisher: DC Comics
Writing: ***
Artwork: ***
Okay, I'm going to probably get a few people wondering why I like
this comic so much. Let me explain Lobo. Lobo was created not as a
Punisher/Wolverine clone, but rather as a parody of the same. Since
everyone was into tough, bloodthirsty heroes, Giffen made up a
character that was the ultimate expression of the word "macho"
carried to the extreme form of insanity. The Lobo Paramilitary
Christmas Special is needed to understand where the gorilla and the
killer penguins who cruise with Lobo came from. It was a warped,
twisted and extremely sick concept which Giffen has kept going along.
This is the reason I like the comic so much.
Now Lobo may guest star all over, but truly, he's been best done by
Giffen who keeps the character portrayal consistent. Like in this
issue, where Lobo having given up doing assassinations due to his
contract to work for LEGION, is in need of money, a life of immoral
depravity costing big bucks. So he goes bounty hunting instead. He
hauls in one wanted criminal, and is then sent out to track down
another criminal named Loo.
Going to Loo's last whereabouts, he finds that the locals are even
more terrified of Loo than they are of Lobo. After murdering some
small cute aliens who speak in rhyme (after a page of that stuff, I
was cheering Lobo on) Lobo returns to his room frustrated. But Loo
shows up to deal with Lobo first, and a battle supreme starts between
the two of them.
The battle starts with them standing there pouring bullets into each
other. Standing there. Just punching holes in each other until their
skulls are filled with bullets and their torso's resemble swiss
cheese. We're talking MACHO here, folks. Then they run out of ammo
and start swinging at each other with knives. They're having loads of
fun, you can tell that. Then Loo gets tired of the mess and has his
brother kill Lobo. A few shots and Lobo is cut in two, dead. Next
issue we see what happens to Lobo in the afterlife.
This comic is a parody comic, and doesn't hesitate in using extremely
dark, sick and twisted humor. If you're not into mindless violence
done for the sake of parody, you're not going to like this comic. Its
a little gory as well. Bisley is a wonderful artist for this type of
work, big muscular guys swinging and shooting at each other. The
jokes and dialogue also fit in perfectly. If you like this type of
humor, which is incredibly juvenile, then you'll like the comic. I
certainly do.
"Haw! Whatta rush! I just love guys that try t' frag me! Yer my kinda
guy Loo. Almost makes me feel sorry fer the brutality an' carnage
that's about to go down! Almost!"
=====================================================================
Sam & Max Freelance Police
Writer: Steve Purcell
Artist: Steve Purcell
Publisher: Epic Comics
Writing: **1/2
Artwork: **1/2
Sam and Max are a dog and a rabbit. The former wears suits, the other
one doesn't wear anything. Sam is a consistent wisecracking type of
character, Max has a certain childish glee and a habit of continually
talking. Their relationship can best be described as a series of
vicious wisecracks to each other. They deal with intelligent talking
animals of various sizes and get into all sorts of toonish silliness.
The appeal of this comic is rather hard to describe. Then again, so
is the comic book for that matter.
Sam and Max are recruited by the police commissioner to go to the
moon and stop whatever bad things are going on there. So they go to
the moon, where they discover that it is inhabited by man-sized rats.
They go to the chief rat and discover that the rats are in trouble
from creatures from the dark side of the moon. So they go there and
discover fifty-foot cockroaches that consume the rats. After a whole
bunch of escapades, a deal is made and the rats on the moon are saved
from consumption.
Now, none of this captures all the humor in the books. The dialogue
is hilarious, jokes abound, visual kinds mostly, which makes it hard
to capture the flavor of this book. Its a rather bizarre trip, and
its well worth reading. Recommended for zany humor types.
"You rat kids are lucky you're being arrested. If we wanted to, we
could sell you to a science lab where you'd most likely be shaved and
peeled before they got around to the really horrible stuff."
=====================================================================
Sandman #38
Writer: Neil Gaiman
Artist: Duncan Eagleson
Publisher: DC Comics
Writing: ***1/2
Artwork: ***
A new arc of issues starts, and the theme has yet to be determined,
and this issue certainly doesn't give many clues, only many
possibilities. For those who haven't been following the series, there
are a group of figures called the Endless who each control an aspect
of the universe. Sandman focuses on Dream, who lives in the realm of
dream, which is where everyone goes to when they fall asleep.
Morpheus, as is one of his other names, also deals with stories, and
in some way, is the keeper of stories. Neil Gaiman is a master
storyteller and uses the series to tell stories about mythology and
folklore and culture. Often Morpheus only appears in a minor, almost
inconsequential role in the comic. He appears often as a catalyst or
a backdrop than as a lead.
This issue is about an old man from the old country explaining to his
modern young granddaughter a story about the People, the people that
they both are from. It is a story of a young but honest hunter who
gets a locket of the beautiful daughter of the Duke and falls in
love. He desires to visit her, and in his quest succeeds. At the
start he meets an old woman with a sack full of goodies, and along
the way meets many people from Russian myth, such as Baba Yaga.
Characters from the Sandman mythos also appear. Lucien, who is the
keeper of Dream's library appears, as does Morpheus himself.
Interesting discussion about value in this comic. A gem can be
totally useless in terms of what you can do with it, but it becomes
valuable because it is desired. Perhaps Gaiman was getting at the
value of the Duke's daughter because she was desirable, when in fact
she was totally unsuited for the life he lived. Fragile, not up to
the forests. And the hero would have been equally unsuited for the
sort of life that she lived.
There is a rhythm to eastern European and Russian folklore that
Gaiman manages to catch quite nicely. There are literary conventions
that are used in such stories that Gaiman has a good feel for. Such
as referring to their tribe as the People, which is a common
convention. The way that Gaiman hints at their nature without really
revealing it until the very end. Its a masterful work, and I'm still
looking into the depths. Highly recommended for people interested in
mythology and culture, as well as masterful storytelling.
"In the black shadow of Baba Yaga babies screamed and mothers
miscarried; milk soured and men went mad. Below them Jews were burned
in their houses and gypsies were beaten to death. Nightbirds screamed
and owls hooted and wolves howled."
=====================================================================
X-Factor #79
Writer: Peter David
Artist: Jim Fern
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Writing: **1/2
Artwork: *1/2
X-Factor is Peter David's other title for Marvel in production, and
this issue succeeds where Hulk fails. X-Factor is a government team
of mutants that is there to promote good relations between humanity
and mutants and to serve the government interests along the way. The
team is run by Valerie Cooper, a human who has to somehow keep the
team and the US Government from declaring war on each other.
The team proper is lead by Havok, brother to Cyclops who leads the X-
Men. Havok is best described as a walking plasma cannon of the power
of a small nuke. Polaris is Havok's girlfriend, sort of, and has
control over magnetic fields and can fly. Wolfsbane wants to be
Havok's girlfriend, and is a wolf-girl, between human and wolf. (long
history there, I'll let someone else explain)
Guido aka Strong Guy is big and strong and tough. He also converts
kinetic energy to strength and toughness. He's one of the two jokers
in the group. Multiple Man has the ability to split into multiple
people when absorbing kinetic force, up to forty people. He's a real
practical joker. Then there's Quicksilver, who has the power of going
incredibly fast and moving at high speeds. He doesn't have much of a
sense of humor.
This issue starts with a woman who turned into a mutant being charged
with murder of the man who was responsible for her losing her
teaching job. She has the power to cloud people's minds with music,
as well as fly. The police can't deal with her, so MM and Quicksilver
are sent in to capture her. When they get there, they find the people
ready to scream for her blood because she's a mutant, and the heroes
are viewed with a certain amount of prejudice themselves.
They then go after the woman to find out what's going on. She manages
to beguile Quicksilver and MM and MM with her music, but the other
duplicates out of range catch on and cover their ears. During the
dream sequence MM was going under while influenced by her music, he
becomes convinced of her innocence and convinces Quicksilver to help
him prove her innocent.
The thing that I like the most about this comic is that it actively
looks at superheroes from ground level, that of the common people. X-
Men are either in the mansion or out battling equally bizarre people.
X-Factor is out talking to people and trying to deal with mutant
prejudice and its far more interesting because of that. The people
are just more interesting here, with Quicksilver being handled in a
way that makes him a total jerk and yet interesting to read as well.
One of the few superhero group titles I'll read, and certainly the
only mutant title I recommend.
"You stand there in the face of their bigotry and ignorance, and you
have the nerve to tell me to calm down?"
=====================================================================
--
Martin Terman, Mutant for Hire, Mad Scientist, Priest of Shub-Internet
mfte...@phoenix.princeton.edu mfte...@pucc.bitnet ter...@pupgga.princeton.edu
The above text is disclaimer challenged, flaming it isn't politically correct
"I must be making progress, she's biting my leg." - Martin Terman
Lazlo Nibble
> Bob Burden "Dreams of the Taco Fiend" is another one pager about the
> strange dreams of a man who eats tacos before going to bed.
A great little page. I've always wondered who Burden's style reminded me
of, and now I know. :-)
--
Lazlo (la...@triton.unm.edu)
POPPIES SAY GRRR!
jeremy holstein
> I've always wondered who Burden's style reminded me
> of, and now I know. :-)
.....
WEEEEELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL?
WHO IS IT?
Ken Small
That would be Windsor McKay, cartoonist behind "Little Nemo" and "Dreams
of the Rarebit Fiend."
--
Ken Small RIP Stephen King, 1992.
ke...@umich.edu You will be missed.
Consulting and Support Services, University of Michigan
Lazlo Nibble
>> I've always wondered who Burden's style reminded me of, and now I know.
>
> WEEEEELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL?
>
> WHO IS IT?
Windsor McKay, natch. "Dreams Of The Taco Fiend" is an homage to McKay's
"Dreams Of The Rarebit Fiend".
--
Lazlo (la...@triton.unm.edu)
The Ahkond of Swat
>jhol...@scott.skidmore.edu (jeremy holstein) writes:
>
>>> I've always wondered who Burden's style reminded me of, and now I know.
>>
>> WEEEEELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL?
>>
>> WHO IS IT?
>
>Windsor McKay, natch. "Dreams Of The Taco Fiend" is an homage to McKay's
>"Dreams Of The Rarebit Fiend".
That's "Winsor McCay", no "d", no "K". I've seen two posts naming McCay
on this thread, and both got the spelling wrong; so I saw my duty clear.
-Ovyy Furezna, aka Spelling Boy of the LSH
(I should also point out to r.a.c that "Liefeld" has only one "i", but I
don't expect this to have any effect. And I don't even like Liefeld,
whereas McCay is a god. Go figure.)
--
Bill Sherman S^1 `--> S^(2n+1) -->> CP^n she...@math.ucla.edu
"Now what?" -Gen. Amos T. Halftrack
The Secret Man
How's THAT for brief recapitulation?
It may already have occured to some... but after have read Trevanian's THE
LOO SANCTION (some years ago, actually), it occurs to me that LOO is 007
backwards and upside-down... who else could be as indestructible as Lobo?
--
The Secret Man
t...@digex.com
"Accept no substitutes."