Blackest Night #1

Death and superheroes are a tricky thing; there’s an old joke about superhero heaven that it has a revolving door at the front, instead of pearly gates.  While this has always been a part of superhero culture, it seems to have really taken root at DC in recent years, with long-time corpses such as Jason Todd, Barry Allen, and Kara Zor-El all returning for various reasons.

Blackest Night seems to be set up to explore that, while at the same time serving as the next (final?) chapter in the epic “War of Light” storyline that’s been running through the Green Lantern books in recent years.  While the other Lantern Corps (aside from Green) have been content to identify themselves with differing emotions, the Black Lanterns are instead the living dead, brought back to consume the flesh of the living  Despite that naming structure, though, what this story really is is DC Zombies.

As if regular zombies weren’t enough of a threat, though, what we see with the Black Lanterns is superpowered zombies, as was also seen in the recent Marvel Zombies series of miniseries.  Here, though, the zombies aren’t played for laughs, nor are they hidden away in an alternate reality.  These facts, combined with the multiple character deaths in the first issue, help provide the level of peril necessary for any good zombie story; ironically, this is the same level of real peril that most ‘event’ comics lack, so it’s a good mix to have the two together.

Writer Geoff Johns does a really good job in this issue of exploring how constant rebirths of characters would affect the way people would look at death, especially in the scenes featuring Barry Allen, the Silver-Age Flash.  Allen seems to suffer from a fair amount of survivor’s guilt centered around his returning to life while other less marketable characters stay dead, and the rising of the Black Lanterns allows that inner struggle to be matched nicely against the larger outer story.

Hopefully, the remainder of Blackest Night will live up to the rather unique premise of superpowered zombies being empowered by extraterrestrial forces.  There’s a chance that, by the end, it will become another attempt by a DC writer to use a crossover event as a reset button to undo previous character deaths, but for now at least it should be an intriguing tale.

The Rainbow Orchid

JE Towey talks to cartoonist and author, Garen Ewing, creator of The Rainbow Orchid.

At some point in our childhood, or perhaps only in our mythical childhood, didn’t we all spend winter Sunday afternoons, curled up beside a roaring log fire with tea and toast and an Asterix or Tintin book, doing our utmost to ensure that the warm butter dripping down our chins didn’t sully those precious pages?

Now Egmont, who still publish the Tintin books, have taken a punt on a young Briton, called Garen Ewing, to bring us The Rainbow Orchid, a new take on that experience. I thought you’d like to know what makes a 21st century cartoon artist do such a thing. So, off I went on my travels down Southern England’s A roads once more, to find Garen and have a chat.

Now, the first thing you discover about Garen is he’s a gentleman. My car was reporting an external temperature of 28.5 degrees when I arrived; Garen offered me a choice of cold drinks, ushered me to a comfy sofa in his front room and opened the conversation with the kind of selfless questions that immediately puts someone at ease.

And there is something quintessentially gentlemanly about Garen’s attitude to his art too. He combines a quiet confidence in his graphical abilities with an almost unnerving modesty about his command of colour. Indeed he confesses that the limited palette used for The Rainbow Orchid was a product of his own uncertainty and a suggestion from his wife to keep to the Dulux Heritage range of colours! For my part, I don’t care how he got there. The combination of simple, but assured, line drawings, and flat, muted colouring is what gives The Rainbow Orchid its exquisitely enchanting quality.

But, please, don’t be misled by all this talk of colour palettes and enchantment, nor even the title, The Rainbow Orchid. For this is not some saccharine tale of fairies or cutesy magical flowers. This is a fast moving adventure tale, with action and intrigue, mystery and suspense, a plucky young hero and a beautiful heroine, an ancient, priceless sword and a mythical plant.

The story opens in the 1920s at the home of Sir Alfred Catesby-Grey and immediately the reader is plunged into a Conan Doyle world of wealthy amateurs living in elegant London terraces. Young Julius Chancer, Sir Alfred’s assistant, has just returned from an eight month assignment to recover the manuscript of a lost Purcell opera; an assignment, we learn, that has been fraught with the kind of difficulties and danger a modern audience would associate with the Raiders of the Lost Ark and Mummy film franchises.

The filmic references are not out of place. Garen is a fan, particularly, of the early silent films, whose combination of story-telling imagery and written titles, bear more than a passing similarity with comic books. He cites an example from Chaplin’s 1931 film ‘City Lights’ where Chaplin plays a tramp who falls for a blind flower girl, as illustrating how Chaplin, as both writer and director as well as actor, uses emotion and gesture to tell the story. It is a technique he uses to great effect in his book: he seems to take particular delight in the use of eyebrow gesture, for example. (A particular favourite of mine is the sequence of scenes where one of the secondary characters gets his hand stuck in a Phoenician vase.) And this interest in early films is, he confesses, one of the reasons for setting the story in the 1920s.

All of this is, of course, a far cry from the vast majority of comic books currently available. US, superhero and manga comic books all make use of a bold and vivid colour palette. They shout at the reader, especially when depicting action and violence. Garen shows violence too, but he uses restraint and economy of line. There is, for example, a subtly simple panel showing a fist ramming into a man’s jaw and making his head vibrate. The violence implied by a few, apparently, casual lines is breathtaking and far more memorable than the Wham Bam violence with which we are all more familiar.

Talking to Garen, though, it is clear, that the differences do not just lie in the subtlety of line and colour. There are huge differences in how the books are conceived and created too. Garen is wedded to the idea that a comic book should be the product of one creative personality. This concept came to him over twenty years ago when he was pitching his portfolio at a comics festival, and realised that he could never achieve what he wanted if all he did was make drawings for other people’s words. So he builds up his books, bit by bit, partly with a script, partly with a few sketches until he has a firm hold of what is happening in each scene. This is a far cry from the more usual, almost production line, process where even the art content is broken down into pencil, ink, colour, etc and each is carried out by a different person.

I could go on a lot longer telling you more about the story of The Rainbow Orchid or outlining Garen’s biography. But there really is no need. You see, another aspect of Garen’s gentlemanly nature is his generosity. Take a look at his web-site. There you will find excerpts from Volume 1 and 2, fascinating video footage of Garen creating one of the strips, chunks of biography, links to interviews and reviews and a members section where you can sign up for newsletters and the opportunities to win original art work. Have a browse and I think you will see what I mean.

All that’s left for me now is to tell you that Volume 1 of The Rainbow Orchid is to be published on August 4th. Volume 2 will follow early next year, and Garen is soon to start work on Volume 3. So pop that date into your diary and make sure you get a copy. And if the cover alone doesn’t make you think of hot buttered toast, then you must have had a pretty miserable childhood!

To view the issue, by writer Ed Brubaker and artist Luke Ross, click here.

BALTIMORE, MD (June 29, 2009) — The 2009 Harvey Awards Nominees have been announced with the release of the final ballot, presented by the Executive Committees of the Harvey Awards and the Baltimore Comic-Con. Named in honor of the late Harvey Kurtzman, one of the industry’s most innovative talents, the Harvey Awards recognize outstanding work in comics and sequential art. They will be presented October 10, 2009 in Baltimore, MD, in conjunction with the Baltimore Comic-Con.

Nominations for the Harvey Awards are selected exclusively by creators – those who write, draw, ink, letter, color, design, edit or are otherwise involved in a creative capacity in the comics field. They are the only industry awards both nominated and selected by the full body of comic book professionals. Professionals who participate will be joining nearly 2,000 other comics professionals in honoring the outstanding comics achievements of 2008. Thank you to all that have already participated by submitting a nomination ballot.

Final ballots are due to the Harvey Awards by Friday, August 28, 2009. Full details for submission of completed ballots can be found on the final ballot. Voting is open to anyone professionally involved in a creative capacity within the comics field. Final ballots are available for download at www.harveyawards.org. Those without Internet access may request that paper ballots be sent to them via mail or fax by calling the Baltimore Comic-Con (410-526-7410) or e-mailing baltimorecomicccon@yahoo.com.

This will be the fourth year for the Harvey Awards in Baltimore, MD. Our Master of Ceremonies this year will be Scott Kurtz (www.pvponline.com). Look for more details soon on how you can attend the Harvey Awards dinner.

This year’s Baltimore Comic-Con will be held October 10-11, 2009. The ceremony and banquet for the 2008 Harvey Awards will be held Saturday night, October 10.

Without further delay, the 2008 Harvey Award Nominees:

BEST WRITER

Kyle Baker, NAT TURNER, Abrams books
Ed Brubaker, CAPTAIN AMERICA, Marvel Comics
John Gallagher, BUZZBOY, Sky Dog Comics
Jeff Kinney, DIARY OF A WIMPY KID, Amulet Books
Grant Morrison, ALL-STAR SUPERMAN, DC Comics

BEST ARTIST

Gabriel Ba, UMBRELLA ACADEMY, Dark Horse Comics
Kyle Baker, NAT TURNER, Abrams Books
Jimmy Gownley, AMELIA RULES, Renaissance Press
Jason Kruse, WORLD OF QUEST, Yen Press
Frank Quitely, ALL-STAR SUPERMAN, DC Comics

BEST CARTOONIST

Lar deSouza, LEAST I COULD DO, www.leasticoulddo.com
John Gallagher, BUZZBOY, Sky Dog Comics
Al Jaffee, TALL TALES, Abrams Books
Jeff Kinney, DIARY OF A WIMPY KID, Amulet Books
Thom Zahler, LOVE & CAPES, Maerkle Press

BEST LETTERER

Jimmy Gownley, AMELIA RULES, Renaissance Press
Rob Leigh, THE SPIRIT, DC Comics
Doug Sherwood, LOCAL, Oni Press
John Workman, MARVEL 1985, Marvel Comics
Thom Zahler, BUZZBOY, Sky Dog Comics

BEST INKER

Rich Faber, BUZZBOY, Sky Dog Comics
Jamie Grant, ALL-STAR SUPERMAN, DC Comics
Jeff Kinney, DIARY OF A WIMPY KID, Amulet Books
Mark Morales, THOR, Marvel Comics
Ryan Winn, THE DARKNESS, Image Comics

BEST COLORIST

Frank Cammuso, OTTO’S ORANGE DAY, Raw Junior, LLC
Jamie Grant, ALL-STAR SUPERMAN, DC Comics
Laura Martin, THOR, Marvel Comics
Wil Quintana, THE MICE TEMPLAR, Image Comics
Dave Stewart, UMBRELLA ACADEMY, Dark Horse Comics

BEST COVER ARTIST

Frank Cho, BUZZBOY: SIDEKICKS RULE!#3, Sky Dog Press
James Jean, FABLES, Vertigo Comics
Jay Lynch, MINDSHAFT #23, Mindshaft Publishing
Ken Rocafort, PILOT SEASON: CORE #1, Top Cow
Alex Ross, JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA, DC Comics

BEST NEW SERIES

THE DREAMER, IDW
ECHO, Abstract Studios
HIGH MOON, www.zudacomics.com
NIGHT OWLS, www.zudacomics.com
SUPERTRON, www.zudacomics.com

BEST CONTINUING OR LIMITED SERIES

ALL-STAR SUPERMAN, DC Comics
CAPTAIN AMERICA, Marvel Comics
DIARY OF A WIMPY KID, Amulet Books
MICE TEMPLAR, Image Comics
UMBRELLA ACADEMY, Dark Horse Comics

BEST BIOGRAPHICAL, HISTORICAL OR JOURNALISTIC PRESENTATION

DRAW!, edited by Mike Manley, Twomorrows Publishing
HOW TO MAKE WEBCOMICS, Brad Guigar, Dave Kellett, Scott Kurtz, and Kris Straub, Image Comics
KIRBY: KING OF COMICS, Mark Evanier, Abrams Books
SCORCHY SMITH AND THE ART OF NOEL SICKLES, edited by Dean Mullaney, IDW
WORDLESS BOOKS: THE ORIGINAL GRAPHIC NOVELS, edited by David A. Berona, Abrams Books

BEST SYNDICATED STRIP OR PANEL

BREWSTER ROCKIT: SPACE GUY!, Tim Rickard, Tribune Media Services
GET FUZZY, Darby Conley, United Features Syndicate
MUTTS, Patrick McDonnell, King Features Syndicate
THE NORM, Michael Jantze, Uclick Gocomics
PEARLS BEFORE SWINE, Stephan Pastis, United Features Syndicate

BEST ANTHOLOGY

COMIC BOOK TATTOO, edited by Rantz Hoseley, Image Comics
FLIGHT VOLUME 5, edited by Kazu Kibuishi, Villard
MOME VOLUME 10, edited by Eric Reynolds, Fantagraphics Books
PIXU #1, edited by Gabriel Ba and Fabio Moon, Self-Published
POPGUN VOLUME 2, edited by Joe Keatinge and Mark Andrew Smith, Image Comics

BEST GRAPHIC ALBUM – ORIGINAL

BOTTOMLESS BELLY BUTTON, Fantagraphics Books
DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: RODRICK RULES, Amulet Books
ESSEX COUNTY: THE COUNTRY NURSE, Top Shelf
SKIM, Groundwood Books
TOO COOL TO BE FORGOTTEN, Top Shelf
WORLD OF QUEST: VOL. 2, Yen Press

BEST GRAPHIC ALBUM – PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED

AMELIA RULES!: FUNNY STORIES, Renaissance Press M, Abrams Books
NAT TURNER, Abrams Books
THE MICE TEMPLAR: VOL. 1, Image Comics
QUEEN AND COUNTRY: VOLUME 3, Oni Press
SKYSCRAPERS OF THE MIDWEST (HARDCOVER), Adhouse Books

BEST SINGLE ISSUE OR STORY

ACME NOVELTY LIBRARY #19, Self-Published
FIRST BORN: AFTERMATH #1, Top Cow
LOVE AND ROCKETS, VOL. 3 #1, Fantagraphics Books M, Abrams Books
NASCAR HEROES #5, NASCAR Comics
NAT TURNER, Abrams Books
THE AMAZING REMARKABLE MONSIEUR LEOTARD, First Second
Y: THE LAST MAN #60, Vertigo Comics

BEST DOMESTIC REPRINT PROJECT

ASTOUNDING SPACE THRILLS, IDW
COMPLETE PEANUTS, Fantagraphics Books
COMPLETE TERRY AND THE PIRATES, IDW
SCORCHY SMITH AND THE ART OF NOEL SICKLES, IDW
WACKY PACKAGES, Abrams Books

BEST AMERICAN EDITION OF FOREIGN MATERIAL

GUS AND HIS GANG, First Second
POCKET FULL OF RAIN, Fantagraphics Books
RED COLORED ELEGY, Drawn and Quarterly
SOLANIN, Viz
WITCHBLADE TAKERU MANGA #’s 11 & 12, Top Cow

BEST ON-LINE COMICS WORK

BLACK CHERRY BOMBSHELLS, Tony Trovarello and John Zito, www.zudacomics.com
HIGH MOON, Scott O. Brown, www.zudacomics.com
LEAST I COULD DO, Lar deSouza and Ryan Sohmer, www.leasticoulddo.com
NIGHT OWLS, Bobby & Peter Timony, www.zudacomics.com
PVP, Scott Kurtz, www.pvponline.com

SPECIAL AWARD FOR HUMOR IN COMICS

Lar deSouza, LEAST I COULD DO, www.leasticoulddo.com
John Gallagher, BUZZBOY, Sky Dog Comics
Al Jaffee, TALL TALES, Abrams Books
Jeff Kinney, DIARY OF A WIMPY KID, Amulet Books
David Malki, WONDERMARK, www.wondermark.com

SPECIAL AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN PRESENTATION

COMPLETE LOCAL: HARDCOVER EDITION, Ryan Kelly and Brian Wood, Oni Press
KIRBY: KING OF COMICS, Mark Evanier, Abrams Books
QUEEN AND COUNTRY: VOLUME 3, Greg Rucka, Mike Norton, Steve Rolston, and Chris Samnee, Oni Press
TALL TALES, Al Jaffee, Abrams Books
WONDERMARK, VOL. 1: BEARDS OF OUR FOREFATHERS, David Malki, Dark Horse Comics

BEST NEW TALENT

Matt Cassan, NASCAR: HEROES, nascar comics
Bryan J.L. Glass, THE MICE TEMPLAR, image books
Laura Innes, THE DREAMER, Idw
Tim Sievert, THAT SALTY AIR, top shelf
Bobby Timony, NIGHT OWLS, www.zudacomics.com

Congratulations to all the nominees! If you know a nominee, please pass on the good news!

The Harvey committee and the Baltimore Comic-Con will make every effort to contact all nominees. If you are a nominee and do not hear from us by the end of June, please contact us at baltimorecomiccon@yahoo.com. We would love to discuss your involvement in the ceremony and the Baltimore Comic-Con.

For additional information about the Harvey Kurtzman and the Harvey Awards, visit www.harveyawards.org.

For additional information about the Baltimore Comic-Con, visit www.comicon.com/baltimore.

For additional information about the Harvey Awards Master of Ceremonies Scott Kurtz, visit www.pvponline.com.

Irredeemable

One of the oldest and most popular concepts in literature is that of the ‘folk hero’; a hero who has had stories told about him over many centuries, media, and settings.  I’m thinking here of characters like Robin Hood, Arthur, and Hercules.  These are heroes for which there is no one, true version, for they have transcended from story into myth, and as such have become eternal.  A good argument could be made, I believe, that Superman has joined the ranks of those folk heroes in a lot of ways, as the archetypal form of the superhero.

The main difference, of course, between these other folk heroes and Superman is that he is currently under copyright, and as a result only certain authorized interpretations of the character have been allowed.  What has arisen over the years, in response to this, is a series of pseudo-Supermen who have allowed for other less orthodox interpretations of the character.  These have ranged from Fawcett’s Captain Marvel, to Robert Mayer’s Superfolks, McDuffie’s Icon, and most notably to Alan Moore’s work on titles such as Miracleman and Supreme.  In fact, as great as many of those stories were, there has been so much work done with pseudo-Supermen over the years that one could argue that it’s become its own genre in danger of overexposure.

Boom Studio’s Irredeemable is the latest title to add itself to that history.  The superman this time around is The Plutonian, and the story being told is one that is rarely seen in the capes-and-tights crowd: what is the process by which a hero becomes a villain?  While the idea of heroes becoming villains and vice-versa is an old one in and of itself, it’s usually something that happens as the result of a single, defining moment.  Waid’s thesis in Irredeemable is that it’s not so simple; while everyone seems to have their theories as to why the Plutonian turns to the dark side, it seems as though we are lead to believe that it is corruption by a thousand cuts rather than through one dramatic gesture.  While that thesis may seem more in line with David Carradine’s monologue in Kill Bill about Superman, rather than any of the recent material dealing with the character himself, but a case can be made that the Superman from the Kill Bill monologue is the version of the character that more individuals would be familiar with.  The Plutonian’s enhanced senses and other abilities make him exceedingly familiar with those around him, and, as often happens, that familiarity all too easily turned into contempt.

Waid has said in interviews that he felt that Irredeemable was the kind of story that could not be told within the universes of the traditional superhero publishers.  In many ways he’s right; in a Marvel or DC title, the force of the events in the book would have been limited by the inevitable abandonment and retconning of the Plutonian’s actions to make them more acceptable..  Waid also seems to avoid the plot twist of the hero only pretending to be evil to serve some better purpose by showing the full extent of the Plutonian’s actions.  He wantonly kills children, betrays the heroes closest to him, and commits acts of sexual violence.  While the book is rather graphic and violent at times, that violence is done to cement the new status of the Plutonian, rather than to just gratuitously show that violence for its own sake.

While Irredeemable is a very story-driven book, it’s worthwhile to take a moment to mention the art, as well.  Series artist Peter Krause draws characters that look like they would exist in the real world, with a realism to their costumes, postures, and facial expressions that at times is reminiscent of Dave Gibbon’s work on Watchmen, which is fitting given the content of the book.  That realism is coupled, as well, with an ability to be big and epic when the script requires it.

With its central mystery being used as a wrapper to contain these character analyses of heroes, villains, and the mass of humanity that lies between those two poles, Irredeemable is going to show up on a lot of “Best Of” lists at the end of the year; if you’re a superhero fan, you owe it to yourself to check it out sooner rather than later.

This advance cover-art from Amazing Spider-Man #600 suggests the wedding might be back on the cards.  The full Marvel press release follows.

Official Press Release

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #600 (MAY090484)
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #600 ROMITA VARIANT (MAY090485)
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #600 QUESADA VARIANT (MAY090486)
Written by DAN SLOTT, STAN LEE & THE REST OF SPIDEY’S WEB-HEADS
Pencils by JOHN ROMITA JR., MARCOS MARTIN, MARIO ALBERTI & MORE!
50/50 Wraparound Cover by JOHN ROMITA JR.
50/50 Cover by ALEX ROSS
Variant Cover by JOHN ROMITA SR.
Wraparound Variant Cover by JOE QUESADA
All-New/Rated A …$4.99
FOC—6/25/09, On-Sale—7/15/09

To find a comic shop near you, call 1-888-comicbook or visit www.comicshoplocator.com

Marvel Entertainment, Inc. is one of the world’s most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of over 5,000 characters featured in a variety of media over seventy years. Marvel utilizes its character franchises in licensing, entertainment (via Marvel Studios and Marvel Animation) and publishing (via Marvel Comics). Marvel’s strategy is to leverage its franchises in a growing array of opportunities around the world, including feature films, consumer products, toys, video games, animated television, direct-to-DVD and online. For more information visit www.marvel.com.

Ultimate Wolverine vs Hulk #5

Now don’t get me wrong – I’m a fan of the Ultimate Wolverine vs Hulk mini-series, but man, I wish writer Damon Lindelof would hurry up and show us the actual “vs” bit. Actually, after reading this issue, I wouldn’t be surprised if there isn’t going to actually be a “vs” bit at all.

A quick recap for those who haven’t been following the story so far… After Bruce Banner escaped from a high-security S.H.I.E.L.D. prison, Nick Fury sent Wolverine to track him down. Wolverine tracked him down. That – aside from an brief glimpse of She-Hulk – is about the sum of it, plot wise, up until now.

There have been plenty of memorable moments – Hulk surrounded by a bevvy of semi-naked concubines, Logan being literally torn in half – and a smattering of dark, sometimes bizarre, humour, but as far as story goes there has been a lot of talking about the action, but very little action actually taking place. Which isn’t to say this is necessarily bad. As one of the writers on TV’s Lost, Lindelof plays to his strengths, jumping between flashback and the present with the practiced ease of a veteran.

His dialogue is good, if sometimes a bit gimmicky, and he has a solid grasp on the characters themselves. Leinil Francis Yu and Dave McCaig’s artwork is pitch-perfect for the series, somehow managing to look messy and tight at the same time. From the bizarre action of Wolverine’s fight with a talking panda, to the quirkiness of Forge’s surprise appearance, the art team get each panel just right, and every page is a joy to look at.

I’m honestly not sure what I think of this issue. It feels a lot like a filler chapter, designed solely to position the cast for the big climax, and as such it was never going to rate too highly. Still, despite the lack of action, and the fact the Hulk barely appears at all, it was quite an enjoyable read.

Yes, it’s flawed, but it’s a reminder of how fun the Ultimate Universe can be, and for that I can’t rate it too low. Whether Lindelof can pull everything together in the last issue remains to be seen, but I’ll definitely be picking up #6 and finding out for myself.