Still on the Shelf #66 – Fallen Angel
Most of you know that I also write the weekly newsletter for X-World Comic, and some of my comments a couple of week’s ago drew some attention from fans of the title, Fallen Angel, as well as Peter David, the writer. To recap what was said-
“Fallen Angel #13, $2.95. Written by Peter David, Art by David Lopez. Is this title cancelled yet? I appreciate DC’s dedication to its titles, but it might be time for this one. I really don’t know anyone who has read it, and very few people seem all that excited about it, except for the hard core Peter David fans out there. Since I am a pretty avid fan of the man’s work myself, it is clear that not even that group of people seem all too excited about this book. Shame really – the guy does seem to have lost a step lately… 32 Pages.”
Well, I think it is safe to say that I have now heard a great deal of comments from people who are excited about it. Whether they are, as I termed them, “hard-core Peter David fans” or not is still a bit of a question, but they did speak in very highly glowing terms about the book. And more than a few of them seemed pretty agitated that I essentially called for the cancellation of a title that I hadn’t ever read.
While I don’t apologize for anything I said, the fact that so many of them stepped up to defend the title (and with much civility, something I really appreciate), I felt I owed it to them to give this title a fair shake. So I went out, plucked down $30, and picked up the trade of the first six issues, as well as the remaining seven, and set down to seeing for myself whether or not this title was indeed as good as they claimed, or if my list of Peter David’s top ten works would be safely intact.
Cast of Characters
Lee, the Fallen Angel, just appeared in Bete Noir one day, and set up shop in a local bar as someone who the people could turn to for help. Her real name and history are a mystery (there are those who believe her to be Linda Danvers), one that she is completely unwilling to share. She has demonstrated a wide array of abilities beyond that of a normal human – she is near invulnerable (though can be hurt, if hit hard enough), has exceptional strength, and has demonstrated a degree of telepathy and telekinesis. One interesting tidbit that is a bit unusual – her feet never touch the ground.
Doctor Juris is the Magistrate of Bete Noir, which essentially means that he runs the entire town. Though not your typical political leader, Doc Juris is also involved in just about every criminal action inside the city – he runs it all, on both sides of the “law.” It is also clear that he works for a higher order, which grants him one day off per year. Though at constant odds with Lee while at “work,” the two of them have shared a much more intimate relationship in private.
Dolf, the German bartender at Furors Pub is probably Lee’s strongest ally. He is the one who came up with the name (which she rarely likes to use), and provides her with a booth where those seeking her help can find her. Furors is something of neutral ground, where just about anyone can enter, as long as they don’t upset the barkeep. Even though Dolf encourages Lee’s “mission,” he never seems to like any of the clients she gets, always suspicious of their motives.
Benny is a pickpocket who wonders through the occasional panel from time to time, plucking valuables from unsuspecting victims. Little to tell about this guy, aside from the fact that he is there, and seems to be on speaking terms with Lee.
Boxer is one of Doc Juris’s main enforcers, and is very much the mold of your typical muscle. He is exceedingly loyal, and quick to offer the use of his “skills” against those who have wronged the ones he is close to. Though totally outclassed, he is always itching to get a piece of Lee, both for her actions against his girlfriend, Black Mariah, and his boss.
Black Mariah is another of Juris’s agents, and someone who has run afoul of Lee a couple of times. There are many references to Black Mariah’s first encounter with Lee prior to her appearance in issue #7, something that really unravels itself in the third arc. Mariah has a power she called “the rot,” the ability to suck the life out of someone by making skin contact. This ability lead Lee to cover her usually bare feet and arms with a wrap, to allow her to make contact with Mariah should they ever encounter one another again. Black Mariah was run out of town by Lee after she placed a “bad luck curse” on her, and Mariah only returned once she discovered a means of having the curse lifted.
Asia Minor is a drug distributor whose operations are based in Bete Noir. Though he is clearly not on the “side of the Angels,” he does seem to have something of a precarious working relationship with Lee. He speaks in pigeon English, though many think that is a front to make people believe he is not that bright. He tries on occasion to work with Lee, to his own advantage, but usually ends up the raw end of the deal.
Thoughts
Well, I suppose it is time to answer the question – now that I have read the series, am I singing a different tune? Though I might not have said things the same way when describing this title, the general idea behind my comments really would not have changed much. Peter David has far more impressive credits to his name than Fallen Angel.
This title is not all bad, I do have to admit. The setting is very imaginative. The ambigious nature of Bete Noir, a city that is run in an extremely unusual fashion. I have never heard of a “magistrate,” at least, not in a normal American city – and if there were, I believe it would be crawling with feds considering some of the shady things that goes on there. Doctor Juris and his organization have all the earmarks of something a little otherworldly – be it magic or something else. So is Bete Noir a traditional city, or something a little more mystical? I might be reading a little too much into things, but the setting of Fallen Angel is one of the more interesting aspects of the title. The fact that it could be anything, anywhere really adds to David’s flexibility when telling his story.
Now comes the question – is Lee actually Linda Danvers, Supergirl? I have read for months that there are those who actually believe this, and Peter David has done very little to counter that claim. Month after month, after a new issue comes out, there are those who look for hints to prove that Lee is actually Linda, and there is a wealth of them. In my opinion, this is one of the title’s biggest failings.
Look, I loved David’s work on Supergirl, but to constantly look at this title as an extension of that story is a bit farfetched and, I think, damaging to the book. And David hasn’t helped matters- in his words or his writing. If Lee was ever revealed to actually be Supergirl, that would deal a serious blow to this title. The very nature of Lee is that of the “mysterious protagonist.” You are never meant to know that much about her, and that is one of the aspects of her character that are so appealing. If you were to suddenly discover everything about her, that aspect of the title would forever be destroyed, and the story would suffer as a result. So, then, why constantly tease the audience by hinting that she is indeed Linda Danvers? It is clear that Peter David is doing this – her powers are the same, there is the “angel” reference – there was even a line in issue #12 (a flashback issue) where Lee was asked her name by Juris. Her reply – “My name’s L- – … Lee, I was going to say Lee.” Can’t you just hear the “Lee is really Supergirl” contingent crowing about that one?
Someone might correct me on this one, but I have heard that Fallen Angel is a creator-owned property, which would make it very difficult to have Lee actually be Linda Danvers. It has also been said that Bete Noir is NOT inside the DC Universe. So if having Lee be Linda Danvers would be destructive to the nature of this story in the long term (would make a great short-term story, but it would kill the title’s longevity), and if things have been set up from a legal standpoint so that it would be impossible for Lee to be Linda, why drop so many hints? Why make the characters so similar? I think it is a failing on the part of Peter David to make a character that is in some aspects most original, but at the core a pale copy that will forever be in the shadow of Linda Danvers. I think if David were to make a solid statement, and show in the story that Lee is, in fact, her own unique character, that would go a long way towards improving this title.
Don’t get me wrong, the Supergirl/Fallen Angel “controversy” isn’t at all the biggest problem I have with this title, but it is the most visible. The thing that really hurt my enjoyment of Fallen Angel was the way that the story is put together. I have heard this book described as “experimental,” I can only assume this is in reference to the way that Peter David has structured the story. Now I am all for experimentation, a writer must experiment from time to time to keep his work fresh. Plus, as an art form, there must be some experimentation for storytelling to evolve. That being said, if the experiment isn’t working, I feel it is a wise move to recognize its failings and work towards correcting them.
We have all read stories that began in the “middle of the action.” Well, Fallen Angel took that to a new level. This title began in the middle of EVERYTHING. The best example of this is the whole Black Maraiah/Fallen Angel conflict. From the very first issue you are told of their encounter, and how it resulted in Mariah being run out of town. But you don’t learn the specifics until issue seven, when Mariah makes her appearance. Until that point, many questions are raised about the nature of these past events, and the gaps are filled in later as they become pertinent to the story at hand.
The problem here is, specifically in the case of Black Mariah, the story of the first “encounter” ends up being told simultaneously with the second, which results in lessening the impact of both. This is not an isolated problem. The way that David is unfolding this story negatively impacts just about every important aspect of this story. Another example of this is the relationship between Lee and Doctor Juris.
Without warm-up, with some very cursory conflict establishment between the two, the fact that they are sleeping together is just kind of thrown at you. Had we been given a few issues of story to show that in the public eye, these two are adversaries, this revelation would have been quite stunning and powerful. The first issue was simply far too soon for this fact to be known.
Then, of course, we are treated to the occasional scene with them together, then, their apparent break-up. Immediately after, we are treated to a stand-alone flashback story which tells how they met, and first got together. This was a good story, but had we known about it before the “break-up,” it would have made the scene that much more powerful. It was already good – perhaps the best blending of artistic storytelling and writing to date in the series, but it seemed to lack the history that would have driven it home. Instead, after reading the stand-alone, all I could think of was that I wished I would have known about all of this before. David seems to be going somewhere with this, but he hasn’t given me much incentive to want to see what happens next. The moment has already been spoiled.
Bottom Line
It was frustrating reading this title. There is a fantastic story here, it is just told completely wrong. I appreciate the fact that Peter David seems to be trying something new here, but I just don’t think it is working out very well at all. There is clearly a large group of fans out there that swear by this title – and I am not about to fault them for it, and I do hope this title does avoid cancellation for their sake. I am forced to wonder, however, how many of those readers enjoy this title simply because they think (or hope) that Lee ends up being Supergirl. Not a good reason to cling to a title, I think, and I really hope those who are of that mind are indeed few.
The title is worth a look to anyone who is curious. Peter David is standing by his work, very much to his credit, and has challenged anyone to pick up a copy of issue #14, and has essentially guaranteed that you will be sold on Fallen Angel based on that issue. Though I have now read the entire series and am not completely sold, I am still going to take him up on that. If he is that confident in the quality of his story, I will give this series one last chance.
The first Fallen Angel trade, collecting the first six issues, is available now, as is issue 13. Issue 14 is due out August 18th. Issue 14 does have a unique plot, at least according to DC’s solicit. As they describe it – “Every single cast member comes wandering through Dolf’s bar, each caught up in their own problems…not realizing they’re interrelated, and only the Fallen Angel can solve them in one stroke!” I am curious to see what Peter David comes up with here – hopefully this story is up for the difficult task of overcoming my already less-than-glowing opinion of the title.
Credit Where Credit is Due
Fallen Angel is
Written by Peter David,
Illustrated by David Lopez,
Inked by Fernando Blanco,
Colored by Nathan Eyring, and
Published by DC Comics.
Post your comments in the Forum!
July 19, 2004
Still on the Shelf #65 – Other People’s Heroes
Those of you who read my column last week might remember that I promised another comic-related novel this week – well, that is not completely accurate. Not all heroes get their start in the funny books, as I am sure many of you know. Some original super hero stories spring up in film – Unbreakable comes to mind. Heck, even Buzz Lightyear could well be considered a superhero, though he doesn’t strictly fit into the traditional mold.
Well, this brief series of Still on the Shelf deals with comic novels, and I really do feel that novels featuring wholly original heroes are very much worthy of being counted among novels based on pre-existing comic characters. Though this is a comic book column, I do feel that most of us really enjoy stories about heroes, else we wouldn’t be reading comics. Novelists have the advantage of being able to tell a deep and involved story without having to wait an entire year for their story to run its course.
There could be no other choice for an original hero book besides Other People’s Heroes by Blake M. Petit. Not only is it a damned fine novel, but it also fits into the typical Still on the Shelf mold – in other words, not nearly enough of you have read it!
To avoid spoiling things too much, Other People’s Heroes is the story of a reporter in a city filled with superheroes and villains who finds one day that he has powers of his own. Of course, the natural thing to do would be to make up a costume and go join the fray. Quite unexpectedly, “The Great Pretender” finds that the world of Capes and Masks is nothing at all like what he had grown to believe.
Cast of Characters
Josh Corwood, a reporter for Powerlines, a news magazine dedicated to following the exploits of Siegel City, wanted nothing more than to be a superhero since he was a young child. Far from the normal dreams and aspirations of a boy with a vivid imagination, Josh’s dream was born after being saved from a burning building by Lionheart – the hero he has looked up to ever since. Though Lionheart had long since vanished, Josh carried his dream with him.
A series of close encounters with a group of “Capes and Masks” (Heroes and Villains, as Siegel City calls them) helped him realize that he had a superpower of his own – the ability to mimic the powers of anyone near him. He decides to use his newfound ability to strike out on his own as a hero, and he runs smack into a world he realizes he knew nothing at all about.
Sheila Reynolds, copy editor at Powerlines and close friend to Josh can only watch as he gets sucked deeper and deeper into the world of Capes and Masks. She grows frustrated with Josh’s silence on that matter, and with a small bit of snooping discovers the secret that Josh is hiding. Can he convince her to keep quiet? Does he really want her to?
Doctor Noble – hero to Siegel City, defender of the peace – and a tubby to boot! Doc Noble, though a hero in name, becomes one of Josh’s chief rivals in the Cape and Mask game, for no other apparent reason than they both rub each other the wrong way (in other words, he’s a *#^@ing *#$%!). Doctor Noble is also particularly sensitive about an incident with “Photon Man,” something Josh learns much more about as the novel progresses.
Doctor Noble’s girlfriend, Annie (or Miss Sinistah), is the classic case of an abused girlfriend – always apologizing for her boyfriend’s rude behavior, and always sticking by him, no matter how terrible he treats her. Josh, of course, falls for the super-strong beauty (oiy, I can hear Dr. Laura screaming about the knight-on-a-white-horse complex now!). Tom, Annie’s younger brother, comes into the picture after Josh saves him during his first “mission.” Without spoiling too much, Tom becomes a much more important character as the novel progresses.
Gunk and Goop, another pair of “Capes” in Siegel City, are a pair of gelatinous blobs attached to otherwise normal skeletons. Though Gunk is fairly known by the populace, Goop, his sidekick, has more mysterious origins- in fact, not even the rest of the Cape and Mask community really know much about where Goop came from.
Lionheart – well, what else can be said about Lionheart other than the fact that he was a true hero? From a time in Siegel City before the Cape and Mask game was perverted into the shame it is now, Lionheart was the embodiment of the ideals that Siegel City’s protectors held dear. So what happened to Lionheart? Through the course of Other People’s Heroes, you find that he may not have simply died like most believe.
Thoughts
The “Cast of Characters” for this novel is much bigger than the few that I mentioned, but I do believe that I nailed just about all of the major players. The diversity in the cast is one of the strengths of this novel. Petit shows a very active imagination and a real love for the superhero genre in his novel, creating a wide array of heroes and villains with many varying powers and power levels. The fact that a key part of this novel is indeed a mystery is really helped along by the diversity of characters – the more possible “suspects” there are, the more intense the situation becomes.
The story itself is very engaging. More than a simple superhero story, Other People’s Heroes really breaks down into a pretty complex mystery, which is so well structured that clues to its unraveling can be found before the first chapter ever comes to a close. In short, before you ever even know to look for it. And there is a lot to look for. Unanswered questions pepper this novel, and for every mystery there are tons of clues scattered throughout the book, things that make you slap yourself for not noticing when they all come together in the end.
I know that having Blake here on staff might lead you to believe that I would be less than honest in my opinion of his novel, and that I might skew my criticism in a positive light. That really is far from the case – and it would not be fair of me to analyze anything and not give you the good with the bad. And there are a couple of things that I thought could be done better here. Specifically, the suddenness of Josh’s transition from average Joe to “superhero” stuck out for me the most. Normally, I am not the kind of guy that likes needless fluff in a novel (I about go crazy when reading all of the puff and fluff in “romantic” novels like The Hunchback of Notre Dame”), but I also don’t think things should be needlessly rushed. Petit zips through the introductions and right into the action with Other People’s Heroes, and I do think that the characters could have used a bit more “get to know you” time before the action really got going. I would have also liked to see Josh ease into his role as a superhero a little more slowly, going from deciding to be a hero to discovering the big secret of the Cape and Mask community happens so fast that the impact of both on his life end up somewhat muted. This is far from a fatal flaw in this novel, but it is something that stuck with me at the very beginning. As a sometime writer, I know that beginnings can often be the toughest part of writing, especially when you have a fantastic idea for the meat of a story. This is Petit’s first published novel, and I have no doubt based on the skill with which the rest of the novel was put together that any choppiness I perceived in the beginning of this story will be improved upon in later works.
The rest of the story proceeds at a very appropriate pace, and I was sucked right in. In fact, I read this book in a single sitting, something I consider to be the highest of praise. If a novel has me engaged enough to shut out the outside world and forget about all else (sleeping and eating included), the author has a good thing going, and I very much appreciate it. (Well, maybe not so much the next day, after only a few short hours of sleep…)
A book with a concept like this one just begs for a sequel, and thankfully Petit has that covered already. On his website, Evertimerealms.com, the first eight chapters of 14 Days of Asphalt can be found. This story continues Josh’s adventures as Copycat, but this time on the open road with his friend Sheila, away from the Cape and Mask community where he got his start. No telling how far Petit is going to take this one, but it is a fun ride so far, and very much worthy of the novel that the idea came from. While I am not so sure that reading Other People’s Heroes is absolutely necessary before diving into 14 Days, I do think it is a good idea to read the novel first, so you get the whole history of just who Annie, Shelia, and Josh are. And naturally, since 14 Days takes place after Other People’s Heroes, certain key story elements might be spoiled for you if you read the sequel first.
Bottom Line
Even though this novel deals with Superheroes and Supervillains, you might wonder why I would cover it in a comic book-related novel. Well, the very fact that those two words are trademarked by Marvel and DC (Superhero and Supervillain) says all you need to know. The whole idea of super-powered people fighting the never ending battle between good and evil is so intertwined with comic books in general that it is safe to say that without the contributions of comic books over the past several decades, a story like this might not exist.
With the exception of a very few of us, we all love these stories, else we wouldn’t be reading comics. We all line up to see X-Men and Spider-man at the movie theater, and I know there is a bunch of buzz out there for The Incredibles, which has nothing at all to do with any existing comic property. So it is safe to say that each and every one of you would have some interest in this novel, being a story about superheroes, and I do feel it is my duty to let you all know that you will love it. I promise.
Other People’s Heroes can be ordered online at a few different places. I recommend Barnes and Noble, though it is also available through Amazon.com and PublishAmerica.com. It carries a cover price of $19.99, and well worth every dollar. Come on now, why aren’t you ordering? You do still read books without the pictures in it, right? Also, be sure to keep an eye out for Blake’s next novel, The Beginner, which is due out within the year.
Credit Where Credit is Due
Other People’s Heroes is
Written by Blake M. Petit, and
Published by America House Book Publishers
Post your comments in the Forum!
July 12, 2004
Still on the Shelf #64 – The Flash: Stop Motion
You wouldn’t be reading this column if you didn’t enjoy comics in some form. But what is it about comics that we enjoy?
Sure there is the art – that is a huge part of comics. Especially with super-hero books – one of the best parts of the comics is seeing what those super-powered people can really do on the page.
To me, anyway, more so than the art, I read comics for the story. I have said time and time again that no matter how good the art is, if the story isn’t there, I can’t get into the comic. I have a feeling that almost all of you are the same way.
That is one of the reasons I decided to take yet another break from the norm and talk about comic book novels. No, not graphic novels, but proper “no pictures” books. I am sure you have seen them. Granted, they are not as prevalent as other pop-culture type books like Star Trek and Star Wars novels, but they are out there, and some of them are pretty good.
Now in my experience, there are a few basic types of comic novels, one of which is the “original story.” This is a novel that, while using a character already established in comics, has a completely original story that is not an adaptation of an existing comic story. One such type of novel, Mark Schultz’s The Flash: Stop Motion, follows the exploits of, you guessed it, the Flash.
I happened along this book by an interesting twist – while attempting to order Blake Petit’s novel, Other People’s Heroes on Amazon (which I still haven’t received – Amazon can’t seem to figure my address out right!), they were running a special that gave you free shipping if you ordered one of a trio of other books. Well, at $6.99, it was a decent deal, and I am always in need to books to read, so I went for it. And darned if I didn’t enjoy it.
Stop Motion is the Flash entry in a series of Justice League of America novels. Of course, the rest of the League makes appearances in the book, but it wouldn’t be a Flash story if the villain wasn’t unique enough that only the Flash had a chance of defeating it.
Cast of Characters
The Flash, Wally West – what more do you need to know? This speedster resident of Keystone City inherited the mantle of the Flash after his mentor, Barry Allen, died saving the universe way back in the Crisis on Infinite Earths. Wally thinks of Keystone City as his city, much like Batman thinks of Gotham, but the difference is that the citizens of Keystone adore and celebrate the legacy of the Flash, sometimes to an extent that Wally is uncomfortable with. Still trying to fill the big shoes of his mentor, sometimes Wally feels he is less than accepted by his comrades in the JLA, and often feels left behind when a crisis arises that the heavy hitters in the League are best suited to take care of. As such, he is very possessive of his more “local” problems, and is reluctant to turn to the League for help, even when it seems like that is the best course of action.
Iris West Allen is Wally’s aunt, and inspiration. As the widow of his late mentor, Iris continues to serve as a source of strength and a reminder of the legacy of the mantle he carries. He would do anything to protect her, and in Stop Motion, he finds that he may just have to. Or is it the other way around?
Detectives Jared Morillo and Fred Chyre, both originally from LA, are prime examples of the type of police found in Keystone City (am I the only one that finds “Keystone Cops” funny in this context?). Somewhat bitter and suspicious of the Flash, eager to prove that they do not need the speedster to help solve crimes, do grudgingly admit that there are times when the Flash is needed, and welcome his help when appropriate. This being one of those times. When a string of murders with similar M.O.’s start occurring in Keystone City, at almost the exact same time, they logically determine that a speedster must be behind them. Naturally, the Flash is a suspect, but more importantly, he is the only person who can stop the murders if he is indeed innocent, so they bring him into the case. Of course, the culprit turns out to be something much bigger than they expected, and it may take more than the Flash to take “it” down.
The Superluminoid – well, if I told you too much about it, it would kind of ruin the novel for you, now wouldn’t it? As its name suggests, the Superluminoid is a being which can move faster than light – but how is the question. If you want to know more, read the novel!
Thoughts
The first thing I suggest when reading this book, or any other comic novel, for that matter, is to forget all about continuity. It frankly does not exist in novels related to comics. Sometimes you just have to grant an author a little artistic license in things like this. Granted, if he went and made Wally black, or something outrageous like that, you might have cause for complaint. But no writer is going to be able to include every detail of a character’s comic history, nor should they even try. Aside from that, it is quite natural to expect that anything in “current” comics is not going to find a place in the novel. So Iris isn’t exactly a “blood” relative of the Flash, and a good portion of this novel deals with the fact that she has West DNA. That is a pretty obscure fact, so just get over it already!!!
That being said, there are some continuity issues in the book, but suspending your disbelief for a time, it is still a pretty engaging read. One of my favorite parts of the book was the way it dealt with the Flash’s feelings of inadequacy amongst the rest of the JLA – the feeling that they didn’t quite believe he was really one of the group, that he hadn’t earned his wings. That played so much into how he handled himself in the rest of the book that it was nice to see that Schultz handled that aspect so well. He even quite deftly handled the real feelings of the League, from Superman and Wonder Woman’s denial that they felt that way (but secretly kind of did), to Batman’s outright admission that that was the way things were, right down to the moment when they had no choice but to rely on the Flash for the sake of not only this universe, but countless others. Oh, and the build from a simple string of murders to an entity that could wipe out entire universes? Brilliantly done.
To be honest – and we all know this to be true – most everything out of Pocket Books (and similar publishing houses) is pretty much trash, when it comes to these pop-culture series, that is. I mean, I have read several of the Star Trek and Star Wars books, and they were severely wanting. I know I am going to get rocks thrown at me by the Star Wars novel fans out there, but truth be told, most of those books are pretty low on the scale of literary excellence. I am not making any grand pronouncements about the quality of Stop Motion – if it came down to it, there are hundreds of other books I would recommend to you based on quality alone. But among comic related books, this one was quite good. And you aren’t reading a book like this for the writer’s literary prowess, you are reading it because you like the character and want to read a decent story presented with a minimum of skill.
Using that as a guideline, it is safe to say that this was an excellent book, which I can recommend to you all. Even if you are not a fan of the Flash- and even if you know next to nothing about the character, the book eases you into things in such a way that a total Flash “newbie” would be able to follow it. I would even urge anyone who is curious about the Flash to check this book out – its self-contained nature is an excellent way for the curious to see if the Flash is a character they would be willing to read in comic form.
Bottom Line
This, as with most comic related books, I found to be an enjoyable, light read. As much as we all enjoy comics, I am surprised that comic novels don’t get more play amongst this community. The ones that are well done deserve praise – after all, they are written primarily for us.
Justice League of America – The Flash: Stop Motion is a pat 325 pages long, and carries a cover price of $6.95. It is the third book in the Justice League of America series from Simon & Schuster’s Pocket Books division, and is written by Mark Scultz. You can order it from Amazon here or you can look for it in your local bookstore.
Next week – another comic related novel! In the meantime, check out StillontheShelf.com for my own archives, as well as tons of other swell features. Enjoy!
Post your comments in the Forum!
July 5, 2004
Still on the Shelf #63 – Free Comic Book Day Rundown
In my “real world,” my nine-to-five life, the fact that I am a comic book fan makes me something out of the ordinary. As most of you probably do not know, I am a licensed realtor, and I have been working most all aspects of real estate for the last few years (as well as a few wildly unrelated jobs thrown in the mix). As such, the type of people I see most often would have nothing at all to do with a comic book. As such, my little hobby has become something of a “dirty little secret” that only a chosen few know about.
Oh, I don’t really go out of my way to hide it, by any means. There are times when I do my small part to “spread the word.” There is my undying struggle to get my girlfriend to read just one comic (beyond Strangers in Paradise, which she seems to be able to separate from “comics” all together). There is my boss at work, who is the type of person who will never, ever read comic, but does happen to have two small boys who simply adore the occasional Marvel Age book I bring to the office for them every month or so.
Then there is Free Comic Book Day. The one time a year I will tell just about anyone about. And believe it or not, amongst the non-comic fans of the world, FCBD is something that they can hardly believe.
“You mean you get free comics?” Yup.
“Any comic you want?” Now this is where it gets tricky – No, not really – there are special ‘FCBD’ comics they put out that are made for the occasion.
“Oh, so you get a couple of cheap, crappy little comics…”
I can’t tell you how nice it is to be able to tell them that it is not the case – that for the most part, the comics that are given out are decent quality, full-sized comics. Especially this year, on top of the quality, there is a real variety of comics, making certain that there will be something that would appeal to everyone. You would be surprised to hear how many people actually said they might “check it out.” Not that I think they would go out of their way to do it, but if they happened by a comic shop this past Saturday, I know that they would be curious enough to stroll in and see what the fuss was about.
This year I have also come to realize that I go to one damned fine comic shop. I have heard tell of comic stores that only give out the FCBD books “with purchase.” To me, that is missing the point entirely. There are also those out there that limit the number of titles you can take – and while I can sort of appreciate that rule (have to make sure there is enough for everyone, after all), it is still something of a downer. That was not a problem I had this year – any and all of the comics were there for the taking – no limits, and no purchase required.
This Free Comic Book Day I made the drive to my usual haunt (Nuclear Comics, 28985 Golden Lantern # B107 in Laguna Niguel, (949) 363-1263, for those in the area who want a good shop), and was greeted by a large sign in the front proclaiming “Free Comic Book Day” for all to see. It was very welcoming to start with, and the smaller print invited those who were curious to come in and see what it was all about. And damned if people didn’t. We all can tell when someone walks into a comic store who has never been there before, and I saw two groups wander in my local shop in the short time I was there. The owner (unlike many I have encountered over the years) was very welcoming and was right there with any questions they might have. Even if they end up never reading a comic again, it is nice to see that FCBD is helping to improve the image of a medium that has something of a taboo, “for geeks only” reputation.
So what kind of comics did we have this year? It really wouldn’t be a “Still on the Shelf” if I didn’t describe a comic to you, and tell you what I thought, so that is exactly what I will do!
—
The Adventures of Barry Ween, Boy Genius: Secret Crisis Orgin Files, by Judd Winick.
In the first of two Oni Press releases this year, Winick shows off his range to anyone who is only familiar with his work on titles like Batman. As with most Oni books, this is a great story through and through. It can be deliberately crude at times, hard to avoid when your protagonist is a foul-mouthed, horny, genius of a child. This books provided good insight into not only Barry as a character, but also how and why he and Jeremy are friends. A fun little read, but hairstyle similarities aside, this is no Gus Beezer. In other words – not for the kiddies.
—
Arcana Studio Presents – Free Comic Book Day, Written by Sean O’Reilly, Mario and Tina Gully, Art by Allan Otero, Mario Gully, and Alfonso Ruiz.
I have to admit that this was the first comic I actually looked for this FCBD – it is no secret that I am a huge fan of the Ant series, and with the promise of an original story here, I couldn’t help but be interested.
In the end, Arcana put out a nice, solid book here. Three original stories featuring Kade, Ezra, and Ant, a tough task at a mere ten pages a piece. But they did a great job – we got a real good look at who Kade is and what he is all about in a single fight scene, Ant, well, we finally got a look at how exactly Hanna will become Ant, and what her suit is made of, and Ezra – well, Ezra is still a little new yet, so to be honest, her story, while entertaining, didn’t really reveal much of her character to me. Perhaps I just missed something there. It was an entertaining few pages nonetheless.
Arcana clearly put a lot of effort into this year’s FCBD submission, and it turned out to be among the best of the books this year. Hopefully this will translate into some new readers for them – as a fan of Ant, I certainly hope so.
—
Archie, FCBD Edition #2, Written by Craig Boldman, Art by Jeff Shultz, Rich Koslowski, and Barry Grossman, Letters by Vickie Williams.
Believe it or not, this was probably one of my favorites this year. This comic stars Chuck Clayton, perhaps one of the more “minor” characters in Riverdale. He is an aspiring cartoonist, and he is very passionate about his hobby. So much so that Capp, the owner of Archie’s comic shop, can barely stand to talk to him. Until a couple of comic shop owners, Buddy Saunders and Bill Liebowitz, as it happens, are in his shop talking about all of the comic creators who visit their comic shops. Not to be outdone, Capp proclaims his store plays host to a wealth of “up and coming talent,” and how he plans to print and sell the next comic Chuck puts together. Well, who is going to write it? Archie of course! In the end, Chuck proves that Archie’s life is far more interesting a comic than anything they could come up with on their own, and the comic is a big hit. A great, easy read through and through, and a perfect story for free comic book day. There is indeed a reason that in this world of superheroes and dark, uber-serious stories that Archie still stands strong…
Interested in another Archie mainstay, Betty and Veronica? Check out Still on the Shelf #5 – http://www.stillontheshelf.com/sots…es/sots005.html for more info!
—
The Ballad of Sleeping Beauty #1, Written by Gabriel Benson, Art by Mike Hawthorne and Mike Atiyeh.
Beckett has surprised me a great deal of late with the quality of the comics they are putting out. Some of you might remember the column I did on another Beckett title, Ruule. It is safe to say that The Ballad of Sleeping Beauty does indeed live up to that high standard. It is basically the fable of Sleeping Beauty with more of an old-west twist. The presentation is pretty original as well – and even though most all of us know what to expect from Sleeping Beauty, there is plenty here to surprise you. The pencils by Mike Hawthorne are just as solid as those on “Ganglords of China” which really goes a long way to giving this title a good look. Once upon I time I used to talk about the individual artistic style that CrossGen comics had – well Beckett seems to be carving an equally solid look of its own. I can’t wait to see what they come out with next.
Want to know more about another Beckett comic, Ruule? Check out Still on the Shelf #61 – http://www.stillontheshelf.com/sots…es/sots061.html !
—
Back in Black:Brian Pulido Unleashed at Avatar, Written by Brian Pulido, Art by Clint Hilinski, Paulo Sequeira, Datty, Di Amorim, Wddy Barrows, and Walter Geovani.
Well, it is nice to see that Brian Pulido is getting work after the CrossGen ship has seemingly sunk. On the bad side, it seems that all of the legitimacy he has earned from changing Lady Death from a mostly naked fan-boy drool-fest to a respectable character in a solid story has been chucked out the window.
Avatar is gearing up to release five new Brian Pulido projects, all of which so far seem to fall into the mold that the original incarnation of Lady Death fit into. In other words, naked girls. I am sorry, no matter how good the story is, am I supposed to believe that in the British Isles of all places that a woman could wear something like that and NOT die of frostbite? Please! To top things off, three of the five comics previewed in this title only displayed the art pages – no hint of Pulido’s story whatsoever. So you got to read half of this one, and then flip through the last half, going – “nada nada nada, naked chick, nada nada…” A real shame.
I have tried on many occasions to give Avatar a chance. They are constantly coming out with great ideas (I was more than excited about the Stargate comic, and look at that mess), but they always seem to drop the ball. Just like they did here. So why turn back the clock on Pulido’s career and pervert his stories with over endowed, under clothed heroines? I can see why he would go for it – work is work. Shame on Avatar nonetheless.
Curious about Brian Pulido’s respectable work? Check out Still on the Shelf #31 – http://www.stillontheshelf.com/sots…es/sots031.html !
—
Duel Masters #1, Written by Brian Augustyen, Art by Jeremy Tiongson.
A good selection by Dreamwave. Yes, it is a reprint, but it certainly has some wide appeal to the “kids” these days who are all about but Manga, and those battle card games. Dreamwave’s bread and butter these days is Transformers, true, but it is nice to see them using this day to try and broaden their fan base.
Now Duel Masters is not really the kind of comic I go for, because I neither enjoy most typical manga books, nor do I really enjoy those “battle” card games. But the issue was well put together, and should be enjoyable to those that fit in the target demographic.
—
Dungeons and Dragons, Crisis in Raimiton, Written by Matt Clarke, Art by Scott Roller and Matt Phillips.
This one had me somewhat confused – it does seem that instead of an ongoing comic, this is more an ad for the D&D role-playing game. I am not sure how I feel about this. First off, the comic was pretty terrible. I remember when I was younger there was a D&D cartoon which I enjoyed a great deal, and I was kind of hoping that this comic would be along those lines. Instead it is more of a “how-to” guide, walking you through the process of creating and playing a character in D&D. Sadly, unless you have actually played an RPG in the past, most probably their easy guide would go right over your head.
But that is off topic. The comic was poor on its own merits, and there seems to be no indication that there is going to be a D&D comic of any kind. From Wizards of the Coast’s own website, this comic was intended to “teach those new to the game what role-playing and adventuring is all about.” Look, I am not going to berate a company for attempting to use FCBD as an advertising vehicle – heck, that really is what the day is all about. But if it is a company which doesn’t even make comics, and is going to attempt to do so only to sell a slightly related product, at least make certain the comic is of decent quality, and you can read it without falling asleep. The team here failed on all counts. Count this one as a dud.
—
IDW FCBD Sampler, by various.
Sorry to say it, but this one was a real disappointment to me.
First there was the whole “alternate cover” thing. A total waste, if you ask me. The only thing that alternate covers have ever been good for is to add to the collectibility of an issue, and that is something that has no place whatsoever in Free Comic Book Day. Yes, there were four previews in this issue, but there was no cause to go and make a cover for each. I am sure there was some way to incorporate all four stories on the cover, somehow.
Then there was the selection of the stories – well, more previews of issues than anything. 3 of the four were comic adaptations of TV shows. Yes, CSI, 24, and The Shield all have mainstream name recognition, but in my experience, almost all comics based upon TV shows end up being far weaker than the show itself. Plus, I can’t see non-comic fans picking up a comic just because it adapts their favorite TV show. Why buy a comic of CSI when you can watch it on TV for free?
IDW is slowly making a name for itself right now, and it isn’t 24 or CSI that is doing it – it is the Steve Niles-type horror works that they are coming out with that is giving them the most acclaim. Why then devote a mere quarter of this book to 30 Days of Night? IDW is coming out with some of the most original horror products on the market today – show it off, darn it!
Through and through, a real dud here. Hopefully they will do better next year.
—
Image Comics Summer Special, Written by Robert Place Napton, Robert Kirkman, and Erik Larsen, Art by Francis Manapul, Brian Buccellato, Ryan Ottley, and Bill Crabtree.
Mixed feelings about this one. Probably one of the best things about Image’s contribution this year was the nice run-down on Spawn in the front of the book. I have never been the biggest fan of Spawn, mostly because the character never appealed to me. Well, the character still doesn’t appeal to me, but it is nice to know about the wheres and whys of his back-story. The summation was fantastic – and it read like a mini “Secret Files” for Spawn – an excellent way to introduce new readers to the character.
The second story was fairly confusing – and I am not at all sure if Image intended for it to be an introduction to a future story/crossover idea, or if it was just a simple, easy way to introduce a whole bunch of titles. Witchblade, Tomb Raider, and Strykeforce all get page time in these short 8 pages. Image certainly writes it as a teaser for a larger crossover – but it is really impossible to tell. More self-promotion would have been helpful here, Image!
The third story was another original, Invincible – a character I know nothing at all about. The general theme of the series, from what I gathered, was a young man who takes over as a hero after his father is killed in action. The story did have something of a Spider-Man type feel – the kid who sacrifices almost everything in his real life for the job of being a hero. A decent story on the whole.
Finally we are treated to a Savage Dragon story – a little crisis moment for Jennifer, soon after she loses her powers, in true Savage Dragon style. It isn’t every comic these days that a villain crashes into the hero’s house while he is watching a movie! Savage Dragon has always been a fun title mixed with some pretty serious moments, and this short really captured that.
In the end you get four pretty decent original stories, all of which (save the Witchblade, et al story), did a pretty good job of establishing for the new reader what each title was all about.
Want to know more about Savage Dragon? Check out Still on the Shelf #8 – http://www.stillontheshelf.com/sots…es/sots008.html !
—
Love Fights #1, by Andi Watson.
Wow – a pair of books by Oni Press this year? That might be a LITTLE overkill, but to their credit, they put out to wildly different titles. One thing I have found about Oni Press books over time is that a lot of their books seem fairly uninteresting on the cover actually turn out to be great reads. The first issue of Love Fights turned out to be no different. This is, of course, a reprint, but it was a great way to introduce people to the style of Oni, and I rather enjoyed the issue. The back side of this comic also featured a preview (pencils only) of Greg Rucka and Scott Morse’s upcoming Everest, Facing the Goddess. The art is still in a pretty rough state, but it is finished enough to get a pretty good idea of the theme of the story.
Love Fights turned out to be my favorite of the two Oni releases – I am certainly going to look into picking up more of this series.
—
Marvel Age: Spider-Man #1, Plot by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, Written by Daniel Quantz, Art by Mark Brooks, Danimation, and Simon Yeng.
Obviously a reprint of the original Marvel Age: Spider-Man #1, which was, in turn, a re-make of the old Amazing Spider-Man #2. I have praised the whole concept of Marvel Age a great deal over the last few months, but I have to admit that I think this series started off on a bad foot. Why start a new series which re-tells the classic Spider-Man tales, and not start with Amazing Fantasy #15? Regardless, it was a good choice for FCBD. A lot of publishers were putting out some original material, but for the big comic houses, I think that would have been an impractical way to go. If they were to put out an original Spider-Man story, there would be loads of Spidey-fans that would get upset if they couldn’t get a copy. Since this day is primarily supposed to be for the potential new reader, it is far better to put out an issue that all of the existing fans have already read. A great choice for FCBD, but certainly nothing new here for anyone.
Interested in reading more about Marvel Age? Check out Still on the Shelf #58 – http://www.stillontheshelf.com/sots…es/sots058.html !
—
NBM Free Sampler, by Richard Moore, Patrick Atangan, Joann Sfar and Lewis Trondheim
Now this was another one that really surprised me, particularly the first two of the three stories – Boneyard and Silk Tapestry. The latter especially – Silk Tapestry is a collection of comics adapting some traditional asian tales. The look and feel of the strips perfectly matches the subject matter, I was quite impressed. Boneyard was just plain silly, but on the whole fantastically done. This sampler was one that many of you might have missed or just plain left at the shop, and if so, I think that was a mistake. I am sure someday something from NBM is going to find its way into one of my columns at some point – they really were that good.
—
Slave Labor Stories #2, by various.
Yeow – this thing was a train wreck through and through. While an extra-big 40 pages, they cram 13 stories into this monstrosity. While there were a few gems in the rough, most of the stories found within were pretty poor. Either the theme of the story on the whole was bad (Milk and Cheese was pathetic), or the art/lettering style was so difficult to look at that it made the story impossible to follow. Man, I hate that.
As I said, however, there were a few decent stories in this one. If you picked it up and were unable to make it past the first story (which I suspect may be most of you who got this), you might want to flip back through it and read the second story, Legend of the Bat, which was fairly silly, but in a very good way. Also Street Angel, Bear, and Little Gloomy were all decent reads, and worth taking a look at. The rest? Well, unless you want a headache trying to follow them (and it really isn’t worth it), give them a miss. I have already done the footwork for you!
—
Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures, Written by Welles Hartley, Art by The Fillback Brothers and Sno Cone Studios.
I could be mistaken, but it looks as if this was a completely original story for FCBD as well. And a pretty darned good one too – very worthy of the normal cover price of this comic, if you ask me! Those who are not familiar, Clone Wars Adventures is a comic series in the style of the five minute micro-series that was done on Cartoon Network. Now what I saw of that was pretty good, sadly, my life is a little too busy to set aside TV time for a 5 minute show. Nonetheless, this comic was pretty darned good, especially for Star Wars fans out there. The Star Wars titles that Dark Horse puts out are probably their most universally known franchise, so putting this out there for potential new comic readers was a great idea.
—
Teen Titans: Go! #1, Written by J. Torres, Art by Todd Nauck , Lary Stucker, and Brad Anderson.
Another excellent choice this year. Marvel put out its all-ages friendly title, and DC does the same with this. Personally, I think if you are going to do this, you really should release books that are kid-friendly, if you make them. I am sure parents wandering into a comic shop on this day would be mortified to see what is inside some of the more popular books these days, and it is really important to show them that there are some kid-friendly alternatives.
Teen Titans: Go is, of course, based on the Cartoon Network series, and this reprint of the first issue features the brand-spanking new Johnny DC icon on the cover (DC’s new all-ages imprint). I had never read this title before (preferring to stick to the regular Titans series), but I was rather impressed with how similar to the cartoon this comic really was. Aside from the art style, the overall feel of the story was very true to the series. Anyone who watches the cartoon should have no trouble at all picking this series up.
—
Top Shelf Tales, by various
This one was format quite similar to the Slave Labor book, but it was a much better production. At first, it felt pretty thick, but it turned out to be a standard 32 Pages on much thicker paper. Quite surprising.
Top Shelf does specialize in cartoon strips, which made this anthology much easier to read. Instead of a couple pages of story introducing characters, we were treated to a few pages of “strips,” and the occasional short story. Much easier to follow. And though not all of the strips were that great, they were drawn in a much simpler style that made them much easier to read. I didn’t get frustrated reading through this one like I did with the Slave Labor book – already a real plus.
I got the sense from reading this one that Top Shelf is really only about the fun little stories, and that they really pay little heed to quality art. In strips, sometimes that is ok. Some of the funniest cartoon strips I have read have totally horrid art, and they are still worth it for the laugh. I get the impression that Top Shelf is really willing to give anyone with a somewhat decent idea a chance, and I have to respect that.
—
Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse and Uncle Scrooge, Written by Carl Barks and Eleanor Packer, Art by Carl Barks, Color by Susan Daigle-Leach.
This one being a mostly Carl Barks special should make one columnist/editor here pretty happy. First there is the Mickey Mouse story – “Riddle of the Red Hat,” which has the distinction of being the only Mickey Mouse story that Carl Barks ever drew. Though the story was decent, it was far surpassed by the Uncle Scrooge story in the back called “The Second-Richest Duck.” This was the story that introduced Flintheart Glomgold, the South African (sometimes Scottish) multiplujillionaine that often serves as an adversary for Scrooge McDuck. The build for this story is fantastic – it starts with Scrooge lecturing Donald about wasting money on ice cream sodas, and ends with Scrooge traveling to South Africa to pit his fortune against Glomgold’s, just to see who really is the world’s richest duck. The very fact that Barks can make you excited to see which duck has the biggest ball of string really shows just how much of a genius he was. Walt Disney Comics tend to carry a hefty price tag, but sometimes you have to suck it up and pay the price for quality stuff.
Interested in learning more about Disney comics? (Namely Walt Disney’s Comics and Stories?) – Check out Still on the Shelf #0 – http://www.stillontheshelf.com/sots…es/sots000.html , by our very own Blake Petit!
—
I am sure there were a few that I missed – one that I was sad to see not at my comic shop was Astonish Comics #1 – I make no secret about being an unabashed Herobear and the Kid fan. But, I am certain that it was a rare comic shop that carried all 22 titles this year – and please, if anyone caught the ones I missed, feel free to share your thoughts about them here! And if someone is feeling really nice, they can send me their copy of Astonish #1! Pretty please!
So was this year’s FCBD a success? Impossible to say, yet. Some publishers struck out swinging, while a good many of the hit it out of the park. The only real way to see if this year’s event was a success is to wait and see if sales figures climb over the next few months. That means our job is far from complete.
We are all comic fans already. It has been said before, but Free Comic Book Day is not for us. It is for those who are not reading now. Even though that is the case, almost all of us went to our local shops this weekend and got a few freebies. Well, now that you have read them, it is time to pass them on. You heard me!
I challenge all of you to find people who don’t read comics, and pass on your copy of one of the many great books we got this year. I plan to do it. It costs you nothing – the books were free anyway. We all know that otherwise these comics are just going to suffocate needlessly in their bags and boards in your box, or on a shelf, or wherever you keep your comics. What a waste.
My column has been, for the most part, dedicated to bringing to your attention comics whose sales are not where they should be. We all hate to see the Captain Marvel’s of the comic industry cancelled due to low sales. We hate seeing Spider-Girl on the cusp. We hate seeing our favorite book, that might not be the best written but we like it all the same, cancelled because not enough people are buying it. We ALL hate seeing the cost of comics rise to cover the costs of lower print runs.
And this is how Free Comic Book Day ties into Still on the Shelf – the more new readers we all bring into comics, the better the chances a future Captain Marvel will have. More readers means more income for publishers – which means not only more titles, but also more diversity in the kinds of comics that are available. So do your part, and pass those books on. Every little bit helps the cause, and makes all of our comic reading experiences that much better.
Post your comments in the Forum!
StillontheShelf.com - no frills, just content. Powered by WordPress
©2003-2012 Craig Reade and Mad Cow Disease