So, I'll be implementing a grading system for my weekly comic reviews as follows:
Highly Recommended
Recommended
Good
Disappointing
Poor
I suppose it's the equivalent of a grading system using stars and, perhaps, at some point, I may switch to something with wiggle room for half-stars and what-not, but for now the above standards will be used.I'll also be focusing on the stuff I'm digging and not spend too much time on the pedestrian or downright disappointing fare. I have a quick trigger finger these days with dropping books that bore me, so there's little use writing about it if I'm not sticking with it. So, this week we have some thoughts on my "pick of the week" from last week's haul as well as some thoughts on other purchases.
PICK OF THE WEEK
Planet of the Apes by Daryl Gregory and Carlos Magno and published by Boom Studios has been a standout comic over the course of its first year. It takes place around 80 years before the original Planet of the Apes movie at a time of uneasy tension in ape/human co-existence.
Planet of the Apes is a great example of serial monthly comic writing. Gregory’s plotting during this inaugural storyline has been tight and focused. Wonderfull compact, increasingly complex, and always full of surprises it’s been a humdinger of a ride so far. It begins with the assassination of the great leader and the apes response focusing on the relationship between Alaya, the great leader’s niece and Sullivan, the human mayor of Skintown, who were raised together during a more peaceful time. #12 is the culmination of that storyline. It's a taut, brisk read without a standout fight sequence by Magno between Bako, a leader of the human resistance and Nix, a gorilla commander. As the epilogue demonstrates the events of the past 12 issues will continue to resonate in the next storyline. Since it's start a year ago PotA has been one to look forward each month. (I'm working on a larger piece covering the full run of PotA to date, which will hopefully be completed soon.)
Highly RecommendedNoteworthyDark Horse Comics has the distinction of having the two runners up to the coveted Colbinski Chronicle's "pick of the week."
Ragemoor, a new 4 issue series by writer Jan Strnad and artist Richard Corben, spins an exceptional tale of a castle with its own sentience. And it seems evil to boot.
I'm a sucker for haunted house stories and
Ragemoor takes a haunted concept and runs with it. Corben's cartoony art adds to the gothic atmosphere and he does some incredible things in protraying the castle as alive and malevolent. Look at that cover.
Ragemoor wasn't on my "to buy" list and then that cover just screamed at me from the shelf (as if it too had its own [hopefully, not malevolent] sentience) The first issue concerns a relative's return to Castle Ragemoor with plans to swindle it from the current occupants, who assure the newly arrived guests that he doesn't remain in the castle by choice and, why would you come back, you're just causing trouble for yourself. And that's enough for me. I'm hooked.
Recommended
I'm still working my way through
Eerie Presents: Hunter, a new hardcover collection of the Hunter stories from Warren's Eerie magazine in the 1970's. I've read the first 6 stories and it's pretty mind-blowing stuff. Hunter is a "demon hunter" tracking demon mutants in a post-apopalyptic world. There's some interesting world-building in each 8-page story (each of which can also stand on their own) culminating with an intense 2-parter that completes the "Hunter" portion of the collection. Next, on to Hunter II stories! The purple-prose, standard for the 70s comics of this type I've read, can be a bit much, but I forgive that indulgence as Paul Neary's art compliments the overwrought narration perfectly. The heavy ink lines Neary implements brings out the dread and chaos of Hunter's world. The writing is definitely the product of the anxiety of the times, like much doom-inspired sci-fi of the period showing humans on a collision course with terror of their own making. However, the dark shadows of the demons, the innovative panel arrangements, and the iconic attire of Hunter (spacesuit with helmet, staff in hand, fur shorts around the waist) make this a timeless tale. The opening tale has Hunter seek sanctuary in an old monastery only to come face to face with his prey. Information flows on a need to know basis, which only adds to the suspense, and the art reeks of desperation, isolation and misery. I would love to see a new Hunter series that takes the various germs and kernels of these stories to re-create this character and his world with modern sensibilities. Paul Neary may even be available to draw too.
Highly RecommendedOther ThoughtsWonder Woman #7 revealed some interesting things about Paradise Island and Amazonian history, but definitely felt like a bit of a placeholder issue as Wonder Woman's quest to rescue Zola from Hades has yet to begin. Lennox seems to have way too much influence over Diana's decisions the last few issues. Interested to see where this goes.
GoodJustice League #7 was almost dreadful and I'm not sure where this book is going or what it's trying to do. I get it, Batman is serious, Hal Jordan/Green Lantern isn't. And that pretty much summed up the heroes interaction with each other.
Disappointing
Speaking of being blown away, Ragemoor #2 (Dark Horse) simply blew me away. The first issue was sort of a closed, inclusive issue, so I was eager to see the direction this issue would take. It begins with a tortured Poe-esque love poem that Herbert writes to Anoria, who survived the castle attack. It then introduces a new, brilliantly conceived character, Tristano ("that poacher"), that lurks outside the castle, and pushes the plot for the rest of the issue, even if he appears only in two panels. The lovesick Herbert attempts to prove his manliness to Anoria, and in doing so more secrets about Ragemoor are revealed, and, of course, many, many more mysteries deepen. I'm not even sure we've even arrived at the heart of what the series is about yet. There's plenty of moving forward here and so does my anticipation. Jan Strnad's script crackles throughout and here are some choice quotes, sans context, to give a taste: "Servent venom is nothing to be taken lightly" and "Those wretched baboons - why does Ragemoor tolerate them?" Richard Corben's art continues to exude dread, terror, and the gothic ridiculousness of it all. I'm saddened that we're halfway through this tale. Highly Recommended
SHADE's prison. This son is the cause of strife between Frank and Lady Frank and Lemire deftly handles the charged emotions throughout the book between Frank and his ex-wife. Lemire deals with similar issues of familial loss and tragedy in his exceptional Sweet Tooth and mines the same potent material here. Lemire leaves his writing duties on Frankenstein with next issue, I believe. But I won't be leaving as the highlight of each issue has been Alberto Ponticelli's art (High praise indeed as Frankenstein is one of the tightest and intriguingly plotted books I read each month. Also one of the most fun). Ponticelli's scratchy-lined work works great within this monster-populated universe. Walden Wong came aboard with issue 7 to provide inks for Ponticelli's pencils and it threw me off as it was too clean and formed. Wong remains here on issue 8 and the pair seem to have found their groove together as the art is eye-popping an dynamic throughout. Highly Recommended
