Still on the Shelf #59 – El Zombo Fantasma
Over the past several weeks, I have spent a great deal of time discussing various small press titles, and very little else. This does not mean that I don’t appreciate books from larger publishers, as evidenced by my column two weeks ago. You might recall some time ago I did a pair of columns on a couple of Rocket Comics titles, specifically Go Boy 7 and Syn. Both of those titles are still around, but Rocket seems to have shifted a bit from the ongoing titles to the occasional mini. One Rocket title that is getting a great deal of attention lately is the much anticipated book from Peter David – Spy Boy, but this week I thought I would shift the spotlight to another title that might go unnoticed, El Zombo Fantasma.
The whole concept of this title was silly enough to draw my attention. The premise is simple enough – a masked wrestler by the moniker El Zombo is brutally murdered. In order to atone for some of his more shady actions while he was alive, he is assigned to guard a young girl who is about to be brutally murdered. El Zombo has little choice but to accept, but in this task, he sees something of a perk – the chance to get even with those who had him killed.
Cast of Characters
El Zombo Fantasma was a heel wrestler (bad guy, for those who are deficient in “wrestling lingo,”) who was “asked” to take a dive in a match against the word champion. Though he did end up losing the match, he did so by beating the champ so severely that he was disqualified. Apparently, this was not good enough for those who were trying to fix the match, and he walked into three bullets after leaving the arena, which took his life. After “falling,” a disembodied El Zombo encounters his spiritual caseworker, Angelo, who lets him know that he is a borderline case. In order to cross that line into “good,” and gain entrance into heaven, he must return to earth to guard a little girl. If he fails in his mission, he gets a one-way ticket to Hell.
Belisa Alejandra Marguerite Consuela Chi-Chi Montoya, or simply Beli, is the girl El Zombo has been “hired” to protect. She lives in a slum in East Los Angeles with her Grandmother, who she moved in with after the death of her parents. She had a strange habit of visiting a cemetery and picking out a random tombstone to “hang-out” with for an evening. It was one such night that she met El Zombo, fresh from the grave. The meeting was just in time, as she was about to be attacked by a roaming pair of gang-bangers with little else to do.
Thoughts
I have to say that two issues into this short three issue mini, I am already sad that it is about to end. There is so much they could do with a concept like this that three issues are barely enough to do it justice. As it is, in the next issue we can expect whatever “bad” thing that is to happen to Beli to occur, and that El Zombo will either be there to save the day, or fail miserably. I almost wish the latter – because then there may be a reason to continue the story further down the line.
As is the case with a lot of original comics that have appealed to me of late, the art is the final piece that completes the perfect puzzle. No, it is not the super-fine detailed, hyper realistic stuff that some good comics rely on – the art style is exaggerated and unique, and absolutely perfect for the story. The colors are dark and foreboding and the characters themselves are exaggerated and distinct. El Zombo himself is a mountain of a man, with a muscle bulging in every possible place – just like a super popular wrestler should be. And the effects when he performs his “devastating maneuvers,” like the Super Death Rocket, are almost super-heroic in affect. The art really is one of the biggest draws of this title, and it really completes the package.
Not to detract from the writing – not in the least. There really isn’t a complicated story here, but some of the best stories are those that avoid overly complex themes. The plot is simple – El Zombo has taken this second chance on Earth to tie up some lose ends, and the little matter of Guardian Angelship ends up getting in the way more often than he would like. El Zombo and Beli have a love/hate relationship – while it is clear that he would much rather be doing other things, he has taken his role as her protector to heart, and is often overzealous in ensuring her safety. It makes for some comedic situations when he comes in guns blazing protecting her from things that are not really dangerous in the least.
Bottom Line
The series is winding down, and is set to conclude with issue #3, but I think it is worth the extra effort to track down the first two issues at your local comic shop. It is not a huge investment – three issues is hardly something that is too tough on the wallet if you end up hating the series, though I am certain that you will enjoy it as much as I have.
My praise for the Rocket Comics line continues – this title is more all-ages friendly than a comic for kids. No matter how old you are, and whether or not you are a fan of wrestling will have nothing to do with whether or not you enjoy this title. Trust me on this one – if you are interested in a light, funny read with a few dark moments here and there, this one is the book for you.
Credit Where Credit is Due –
El Zombo Fantasma is
Written by Kevin Munroe,
Penciled by Dave Wilkins,
Inked by Wilkins and Theron Jacobs,
Colored by Michael David Thomas,
Edited by Dave Land,
Published by Dark Horse/Rocket Comics,
And created by Dave Wilkins and Kevin Munroe.
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May 10, 2004
Still on the Shelf #58 – Marvel Age: Fantastic Four
Marvel Comics has, over the past few years, made an effort to reach out to a younger audience. Many will remember the Tsunami line, which has since come and gone. Tsunami was a decent start- an effort to put out all-ages books in a manga-type style that the “kids” these days really enjoy. Though a lot of those titles did have something of an avid following, they, in the end, missed the mark. Many of them (like Namor, which was aimed at young women, and in the end really didn’t appeal to anyone, save art fans) were well produced, but didn’t serve to bring in the new, young audience that Marvel had hoped.
Surprisingly, when you look at it, most of the Tsunami books are still around today, even if the Tsunami imprint is no longer with us. That really is a testament to their quality, and popularity among current comic fans. While a good many of the Tsunami titles were based upon current Marvel Universe characters, most didn’t have the broad, mainstream appeal that Spider-Man or the Fantastic Four have among typical, non-comic readers. As such, their ability to draw in new readers was pretty limited.
This, of course, leads to a problem. Just what kind of title could Marvel put out that would not only appeal to today’s comic fanbase, but has the name recognition and style that would attract (and be appropriate for) today’s young reader?
I think the answer to that was so simple that it was easy to miss. Anyone who read some of the old, classic Marvel issues can attest to the fact that those stories were both good and all-ages friendly. Unfortunately, in this day in age, they are far from contemporary, and almost everyone save the avid comic fan has the patience to read ad enjoy those outdated tales. The solution Marvel came up with was elegant and simple- a re-telling of these classic Marvel stories, with contemporary dialogue, and a manga-esque art style that would appeal to today’s younger readers. Despite my initial skepticism about the idea, so far, the result has been nothing more than brilliant.
The first thought I had about this idea was –“What about the Ultimate universe?” Quite frankly, upon reflection, that concept is ill-suited towards bringing in new readers at this point. The Ultimate Universe already has a few years of continuity under its belt, and in the end, tended to appeal towards more contemporary comic readers, instead of completely new ones. Marvel Age books should be different in that they will re-tell stories from a time when today’s heavy continuity was not such a big issue, and you could enjoy a single issue for what it was, regardless of what happened 10 issues ago.
I mentioned before that the Marvel Age books would appeal to current readers. The reason for this is the extended continuity of the regular Marvel Universe. Many of us might know of the origin of the Fantastic Four, but very few of us have actually read it. Make no mistake- these may be “retellings,” but in all ways that matter, these ARE the original stories that are so central to the histories of these storied characters. More modern technologies might be used, the “slang” may be more modern, and the women might act more assertively and are treated more as “equals” than they were once upon a time, but the core of the stories remain intact. And that is an amazing resource for today’s reader, who might not have the time, money, or patience to read these stories in their original forms.
So out of all of them, why Marvel Age: Fantastic Four? The reason I picked this one out of the bunch was that it was the first one I actually put aside my preconceptions enough to sample it. And in the end, boy I am glad I did. I was not as thrilled with the Marvel Knights “4” as I had hoped to be, and the regular Fantastic Four title is still a bit intimidating for me to jump into. Marvel Age: Fantastic Four has me reading a FF title, and that is a good start.
Cast of Characters
Reed Richards was developing an interstellar aircraft for the government. Just prior to its first test launch, the White House decided to cut funding for the project. Reed assembled his three friends, former air-force pilot Ben Grimm, his girlfriend Sue, and her brother Johnny Storm, and proposed stealing the ship and testing it on their own, so years of his work would not be wasted. All three reluctantly agreed, and the four broke into the facility and launched the ship.
Unfortunately, the radiation shields of the craft were not yet complete. Though they had their suits as back-ups, they were still affected by the cosmic rays once they reached the Outer Van Allen Belt. Forced to abort, they crash-landed somewhere in New Jersey.
Of course, the cosmic rays had an affect on each of them. Sue found herself becoming invisible, Ben transformed into a giant, rock-looking “thing”, Reed discovered that he could stretch his body in the most fantastic ways, and the hot-head Johnny found that he could burst into flames and fly through the air.
Of course there was some hard feelings, especially from Ben, but the four decided that they could use their powers for “good.” They dubbed themselves “The Fantastic Four,” and gave themselves code-names – Human Torch, Invisible oman, Thing, and Mister Fantastic. But then again, most of you already know this story.
Thoughts
On its own, I really cannot adequately express how refreshing it was to read a comic book like this. First off, the stories are, so far, self-contained in each issue. I remember, once upon a time, Spider-Girl prided itself in having self-contained stories. That is one thing I was really sad about falling by the wayside- now a single-issue story in Spider-Girl is a rare thing. I feel this approach is extremely important when trying to attract new readers. More often than not, they are not as informed as you or I are about comics, and how to find out what point in a story arc a title is in. So far, with Marvel Age: Fantastic Four, I think a new reader could easily walk in, pick up their first issue at #2, and not only completely understand what they read, but walk away wanting more. That is just something you don’t see anymore these days – comics today cater to those who the publisher knows will be back issue after issue. There is very little room in today’s market for the occasional reader. That is something that is really going to have to change if anyone is going to expect an influx of new readers anytime soon.
The art, so far, in this series has a manga flavor, but is not the highly exaggerated variety that I find somewhat annoying. I may not like manga in general, but I am also a realist. I understand that the “kids” these days love the art style, and I am all-for using that approach to bring in a younger crowd to comics. I might not like the style when it appears in other Marvel books (like the Kia stint on Uncanny X-Men), but I find its use on titles like this completely appropriate, and a real plus for the book. We have seen a pair of artists on this title so far – Gurihuri and Makoto Nakatsuka, and they have done a fantastic job of creating distinct and consistent characters. The color work is equally impressive, and I have come to expect no less from Chris Sotomayor, and anyone else he chooses to work with (J. Roberts and J. Keith on issue #2).
Now the story- that is the real balancing act. How does one live up to the classic Lee & Kirby tales, while still giving it a unique feel that is both contemporary and all-ages friendly, while being true to the original version? Thankfully, Sean McKeever is up to the challenge, and succeeds on all fronts. I am glad Marvel tapped him for this project- I can’t think of too many other writers out there that could have handled this with the deftness he has thus far managed.
Of course, Marvel Age is not just about retelling classic Marvel Tales – there is a bit more to it than that. On top of Marvel Age: Spider-Man and Fantastic Four, we are also going to see a Mary Jane title, and a series of digest-sized six-issue trades of titles like Spider-Girl, Sentinel, and Runaways, at the low price of $7.99. At just over a buck an issue, that is right on the mark for the kind of pricing a “kid” these days can afford. Now if Marvel can get these suckers in the newsstands, along side the Archie Digests, I think we will have a real winner here. There is also a planned “third leg” of the Marvel Age imprint, but Marvel has not really been very forthcoming yet about what with will entail.
Bottom Line
I do my fair share of criticizing some of the choices Marvel makes- I think it is only fair that I am just as forthcoming with the praise when it is deserved. Normally, I spend a great deal of time dealing with outstanding small-press titles, but it is just as important that titles from the larger companies get the same positive attention when they are doing something right. This is one of those times.
Sure, we all like our MAX and Marvel Knights brand of “adult” storytelling, but stories like this are what comics are supposed to be about. Without these stories, comics as we know them would not exist today, and I think that Marvel is paying these classic a great deal of respect by re-releasing them in this fashion. Yes, Fantastic Four is a hard-sell to a new reader these days because of the continuity, but it is not enough to offer an “Ultimate” alternative for those who are unable to get caught up. Marvel Age: Fantastic Four is ideal because you can read these issues alone, in any order, and still enjoy them just as much as if you read the story from the beginning. All of that extra continuity, story arc, new direction, new creative team, epic crossover nonsense goes out the window – with a title like this one, it is all about the issue in front of you, and nothing beyond that. You would be surprised at exactly how refreshing that is when you read it for yourself.
There is an added perk in all of this. I, personally, do not have any children, but I know of several people who do. My boss’s son is just getting to be old enough to be able to appreciate comics (and I don’t mean the bag and board, protect at all COSTS appreciate), and I have taken to passing on some of the kid-friendly titles to him that I come across. Let me tell you, comics are not lost on kids of this generation. This boy is all about “superheroes,” and quite frankly – I would never dream of recommending that he read most of the superhero books on the market today. Too much sex, too much blood, and some terrible language do not make for something that a child his age should be reading. That makes this all-ages format all the more appealing to me. All of my copies of Marvel Age books have gone to him as soon as I have finished them, and let me tell you, he eats them up.
That is the kind of thing that is going to give comics a larger audience in the future- the kids. All the glossy pages in the world- all of the high quality art and deep, realistic storytelling you can muster will not get a kid to read a comic. Nor will it chance comics from something that is solely the realm of the “geek” into something more mainstream. Kids already love superheroes- but they can easily get their fix from cartoons and movies, which are everywhere these days. But very few have the chance to read a comic book, and now that this line is available, they just might.
So buy a copy of Marvel Age: Fantastic Four or Spider-man, and enjoy it for yourself. After you are done, take it out of that bag and board and give it to a kid you know. I think, in the end, you will find that you will enjoy seeing them read it over and over again than you ever would having it in a box, forgotten along side the hundreds of other issues in your collection. Share the joy, my friends – I already do, and it is worth it. And I have to thank Marvel, for giving me yet another way to do just that.
Credit Where Credit is Due –
Marvel Age: Fantastic Four is
Plotted by Lee and Kirby,
Written by Sean McKeever,
Pencilled by Gurihuri and Makoto Nakatsuka, and
Colored by Chis Sotomayor, J. Roberts, and J. Keith.
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May 3, 2004
Still on the Shelf #57 – R.Q.W.
Sometimes silly can be good.
That is probably the best way to describe Ray Friesen’s R.Q.W., silly. And there is sure nothing at all wrong with that! Sometimes when you get too wrapped up in a bunch of “serious” books, you forget that comics are supposed to be fun. And R.Q.W. certainly fits that bill.
R.Q.W. is published more or less quarterly by Friesen, under the label Don’t Eat Any Bugs Productions. What is most impressive about the book is that Ray is only 16. If he is putting out books like this one now on his own, I am curious to see what he will be doing in ten years.
Cast of Characters
Raymond Q. Wonderful, the title character, finds himself sucked right into “adventure” moments after he is dropped off at his Uncle’s Detective shop. Professor Eggner Von Shmoodledike convinced he and his cousin Fidget to deliver a secret package to King Houngadounga, and, of course, hilarity ensues during the journey. Ray is impulsive, and really enjoys comic books, some of which we get to see in the pages of R.Q.W.
Figdet, his cousin, is a bit of an eccentric. One of her quirks is an obsession with organization, and an unusually large light-bulb collection. Throughout R.Q.W., the two are so far inseparable.
Melleville is, at times, more of the “main character” of this title than even Ray. Melleville is a penguin with a taste for the finer things in life. A voracious eater, Melleville only flies “First Class,” and gets distracted by food easily. In the end, he has a good heart and never looks down on his friends or does anything to directly harm them, though if there is an anchovy pizza anywhere around, he might just forget about them.
Jarvis Van Chickenheimer and the good Professor Shmoodledike have been rivals for as long as they can remember. While their rivalry might be seen by some as somewhat silly and low key, they certainly don’t take it lightly. On occasion, that rivalry serves as an obstacle to the “quests” of our heroes.
Thoughts
This is just one of those titles that you really have to read to understand at all. It is pretty random, bouncing around between the plot, as loose as it is, to various flashbacks and scenes from Ray’s comics. The loose plot really isn’t a detriment to the book – its very nature places more importance on slapstick humor and puns than something as silly as a coherent and logical plot. Friesen pretty openly acknowledges the more ridiculous plot points in his writing, and that just helps add to the humor.
One interesting thing about this title is its serial nature. So far, each of the four issues of R.Q.W. has ended in a cliffhanger – and an extremely silly one at that. Whether it be dangling above a pool of piranhas (by some hapless owls on a quest for world domination), or being kidnapped by the mildly evil Jarvis Van Chickenheimer, the cliffhangers have an almost “Batman: The TV Show” silliness to them. More ridiculous than the situations are the manner of their escape, and that escape usually serves to set up the events in the entire next issue.
The art? Well, that is something tough to judge for a title like this. No, you are not going to find ultra-beautiful Turner-esque characters here. Nor are you going to find overly artsy drawings. You find cartoon art, and that is exactly the sort of thing a book like this needs. Friesen does demonstrate some consistency – the characters are uniform in their appearance and highly distinguishable. The consistent appearance of the characters is a real mark of maturity that you don’t see in a lot of cartoonists his age. He also has a pretty good knack for setting a panel. There is little worse than reading a comic and not really understand what is happening on the page.
The humor stands up very well, and there are some real laugh-out-loud moments in this title. About the only problem I have with the humor is the overabundance of “homage,” particularly the Monty Python bits. The occasional reference is ok (like Strong Bad’s “Do you use them for good, or for awesome?”), but Friesen makes a habit of spending at least a page at times re-enacting a Monty Python bit. The original humor he comes up with for these issues is strong enough to stand on its own, I think he just needs to learn to have more confidence in his own material, and back off on the homage stuff a bit. It is a minor point to be sure, but it stuck out for me.
Bottom Line
All-ages books are making a comeback, and this one certainly qualifies. It should appeal to fans of the strip-style comic like PvP (though it is in a traditional comic format), and to anyone else who is simply looking for something silly to read.
As it happens, anyone interested in sampling R.Q.W. before going out to buy it can check out the title in strip format over at DontEatAnyBugs.com, where there are about 50 R.Q.W. strips posted in the archive, as well as some other information about the title and its characters. A good first stop before venturing out to find this one.
R.Q.W. is solicited in Wizard, so you should be able to order it from your local shop. Otherwise, you can order all of the issues online at the Don’t Eat Any Bugs website. It is worth checking out, especially if you have kids you want to share comics with. There are too few kid-friendly books out there today, and this is one that you can enjoy along with them.
Credit Where Credit is Due –
R.Q.W. is
Created, Written, and Drawn by Ray Friesen.
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