Still on the Shelf #77 – The Symbiotes
While at Comicon this year, I happened by Drive Comics’ booth, where they were debuting their new title, The Symbiotes. Some of you might have caughtAndrea Speed’s advance review of the title, and my later review after the convention. Well, the second issue is about to hit the shelves, so I thought it an ideal time to take some time and talk about it again.
Sci-Fi is a tough genre to do in comics, and good sci-fi books are very rare. The late CrossGen had a few, most notably Negation, which was one of their top selling titles. In general, however, sci-fi books tend to only be released as minis, and very few can sustain an ongoing run in this market for very long.
The Symbiotes is solicited as a mini, but as it is from a new publisher, you might expect that. And much like Negation, it is a sci-fi action story that revolves around a group of super powered individuals who are “fighting for their existence.”
And, as if sci-fi wasn’t a unique enough angle, this comic is produced entirely in CGI. Though CGI has been around for quite some time, it is still extremely new in the comic medium, and Drive is one of the first to make a comic exclusively in that style. It is an impressive outing, and aside from a few production problems in the first issue (I’ll talk about that later), the art on this series has been simply breathtaking.
Cast of Characters
Khalid Ketsuzoku is a police officer in the city of Lemaneh on a planet in the Human Empire. He is good at his job and though he may have the skills to follow his dream, to become one of the elite Raiders, his heritage stands in his way. The Human Empire is made up of those that prize the human species above all others, and the only kind of people that are below aliens in their eyes are those who are mixed breeds. Khalid, much to his dismay, is a product of mixed breeding (his great, great grandfather was Palgan), and could never hope to become a Raider with a racial background like that.
Of course, in such a wide empire of oppressed aliens, it is only natural that there would be those to oppose that oppression. The Symbiotes are one such group. It is comprised of a large number of alien individuals, each of which possess some kind of superhuman ability (my guess is that this is tied to being a “half-breed,” but there is no proof of this yet). The Symbiotes are struggling against the Human Empire, and hope to one day overthrow it with the help of the one called Abhi-es-Jhiv, or the Hand of the Infinite. Few details about the individual members have been revealed (TheSymbiotes.com has a nice character section that can provide a few more details, however), but the team (and potential team members) is quite large.
Vah’hrats are strange creatures that are unusually strong and resilient. These fierce creatures are, for some reason, found on every single planet that the humans have chosen to colonize, even though they possess no technology for traveling between worlds. They are also only hostile towards humans – ignoring those from other species even in the midst of battle. Where they come from, and why they attack humans is a complete mystery.
Thoughts
I was a bit skeptical about this title, at first. CGI art in comics is a very new thing, after all, and totally untested. Add to the fact that it isn’t exactly the easiest thing to do, technically, and the potential for some hack who happened to have the right software passing himself off as a real artist was quite high.
But I have to say that George Lippert impressed me in the end. The art is rich, vibrant, and colorful, and he has managed to convey three dimensional and realistic scenes on the pages. The characters did, at times, have the usual problem of looking slightly unnatural in their poses, which I have found to be a common problem in even the most well done CGI movies. As such, I am not going to complain really about that.
When I reviewed the first issue of this series, I did note that the art was extremely dark As it turns out, this was due to a printing error, and will hopefully be corrected for this second issue. Even so, the art was stunning, you just had to read it under a bright, direct light to really see what was going on. It did take away from the enjoyment of the first title somewhat, but the overall quality was good enough to overcome even that pretty drastic problem.
It is easy to focus on the art here, as it is really the thing that sets this title apart from other comics on the shelf. But as most of you know, I am a story guy, and story is the most important aspect of a comic, for me. The Symbiotes is a pretty big story, with a lot of different characters taking different paths to what I think will be a pretty explosive conclusion. Some of the story aspects are a bit tried – there is the quasi-Nazi Human Empire (with a modified swastika emblem) which subjugates an unwilling populace, and a group of heroic rebels who fight against that repression based on some sort of prophecy. Some people might have a problem with overly familiar themes, but if the resulting story is exciting, and the characters are interesting, then personally, I don’t mind. And The Symbiotes does accomplish that.
The Symbiotes is, thus far, a fairly effective blending of the sci-fi and superhero genres. The Symbiotes act like a standard superhero team, each using their powers in concert to achieve certain goals in their missions against the Human Empire. Khalid’s story is progressing a bit more slowly than the others – it seems as if he will have a chance to join the Symbiotes at some point (he may even be this “Hand of the Infinite” they are seeking), as he is already, after 2 issues, butting heads with his human “allies,” but where his allegiance lies is impossible to predict yet.
A lot gets thrown your way in the first issue – there is a ton going on in several different storylines, but things do start to settle down in the second issue. Even so, the stories don’t seem that rushed, and with careful reading, you don’t get lost in the “clutter.” The characters are all very unique – both Vaughn and Lippert effectively avoid a common problem in comics – characters that are too similar to distinguish. Perhaps it is the advantage of sci-fi, being that you can make aliens as different as you please, but after two issues, I haven’t once found myself mistaking one character for another. And with the sheer number of characters introduced in these first issues, that is indeed a feat.
Bottom Line
If you like Sci-Fi books, or even if you just miss titles like Negation, I strongly recommend that you give The Symbiotes a shot. Even if you just pick up a single issue to check out what is among the most stunning comic book art you will see all year, this is a title you have to buy at least once. And don’t worry – though the CGI art makes this title unique, the creative team did not succumb to relying only on the art. It has the story to back it up, and for that I am thankful.
Issue 1 is available now in stores, and the second issue is set to be released this Wednesday, October 20th. For more info on The Symbiotes, you can check out the Drive Comics website, or The Symbiotes site. Both are good resources if you want a little insight as to how the comic is made, info on some of the characters, and samples of some of the art in the title. Check them out before this Wednesday, so you know what you are looking for!
Credit Where Credit is Due is.
The Symbiotes
Written by Davis R. Vaughn,
Illustrated by George Lippert, with
Additional Modeling and Effects by Kelly Nelson,
Additional Modeling and Compositing by Matt Metzker,
“Invisible Sound Effects” by Bill Reiter, and
Published by Drive Comics
Post your comments in the Forum!
Off The Cuff – Edition 5
Off the Cuff – Edition 5
By Eric Barrett
Comics, Cartoons, and all things related
* I think it’s only appropriate that this column starts out with a moment of silence for Christopher Reeve….….
In many ways Superman is person we all strive to be. Brave, strong, courageous and dedicated. Ironically, Reeve got a chance to actually become a superman of sorts when he became injured in a horse riding accident. Out of that tragedy, he inspired countless people to fight no matter what the odds. He will be missed. RIP 1952-2004.
* Well I’m sure a lot of you have heard by now that there will be a Wolverine movie. Hugh Jackman is expected to fill the roll of Wolverine as he did in the two X-Men movies.
Now as much as I dislike the X-men and think that Wolverine is overexposed, I still can’t wait! What can I say, I like the character.
* The first place I head when I go to my local comic book store is the bargain bin. I have my choice of the $1.00 bin (each book even comes with it’s own bag!), the $0.50 bin, and the $0.25 bin. I’m an equal opportunity guy so I shop from all 3. Frankly there isn’t a difference in quality among the bins; I guess it’s sorted by demand. Or possibly by the whims of mystical elves. At any rate, I love looking through the bins.
You see, I used to collect comic books back when I was younger…okay so I’m still young but you know what I mean! And looking through the bins is one of the ways to walk down memory lane. I can often find books that complete parts of series I had collected. Or more often parts of series I wished I had collected at the time.
So this week’s lucky winner was about a dozen issues of Dr. Strange. Now these books aren’t interesting enough for me to pick them up at cover price, but for $0.25/issue. Heck yeah!
* From November 1 – December 5, Cartoon Network will run 67 episodes of Teen Titans. 67 episodes! That’s more than 2 episodes a day. Don’t you think that’s a bit much?!
* I have a confession to make. I’m hesitant to do it because I’ve bad-mouthed this thing on more than one occasion. But I try to be fair and admit when I’m wrong, so here goes: I like Smallville. There, I said it, and I feel better…okay not really. But I do like Smallville again, I think.
You see, while traveling I caught the season premiere of Smallville. Now normally I would have found something else to do or watch, but being in a hotel with only 12 channels limits your options a bit. So I watched the episode and was pleased. I loved the first season, but during season 2 Smallville got away from telling a story about Superman and instead began to focus on Clark’s relationships. In essence it became a teen drama. Now that’s okay if I’m watching Dawson’s Creek (which I don’t actually watch by the way) but I want a story about Superman!
So hopefully with the new season it will show some more promise. It’s always been well written with good acting, but hopefully it will move away from being a teen drama. Or at least not every week!
* Incidentally, when did Smallville become soft-core port?
* I’ve been looking forward to the Tomb of Dracula miniseries for a while now. And finally I got around to reading it. I have to say, that I’m digging it right now. I’ve always been a Blade fan and a vampire story fan, so what could be better?
It did seem a little on the short side – but that’s okay. This is a mini I’m definitely looking forward to finishing.
* While I’m on the topic of minis (that’s miniseries, not mini skirts), Sabertooth is another one I’ve been interested in getting. I’m not a huge Sabertooth fan, but I thought I’d give it a shot anyway; after all it’s only 5 books.
Now that I’ve read it, I have to admit that I’m a little disappointed. I liked the artwork, but the first issue seemed pretty slow to me. I basically feel like I didn’t get a whole lot for my $3.00. I’ll give it another issue to see what I think – maybe I’ll change my mind.
* Another Superman item. This is not only a moving testament to Christopher Reeve, but also one of the best ‘defenses’ of Superman that I’ve ever read. Check it out, you won’t be sorry.
* Can you imagine the repair bill on Titans Tower? It seems like every episode of Teen Titans has the building being destroyed or damaged.
* That last item makes me wonder: How do they afford the repair bill? Does Bruce Wayne bankroll the Teen Titans? Do they have some secret fund? Do they rent out the tower for parties? Maybe they are a non-profit group!
* I’ve been reading a lot of older comic books recently. Not so old as in ‘classic’, but old as in 10 years or so. Y’know, the stuff from the bargain bins I mentioned earlier. Well it seems like the older books take longer to read. I’m not sure of this, but it seems that way. Maybe it’s just the set of books I’ve been reading. Or maybe, and more likely, it’s the style of the books I’m reading.
It seems to me that newer books have a lot more full page or 1/2 page panels. Now I like this approach visually, at least most of the time. But bigger panels usually mean less action and less dialogue. Whereas the older books it wasn’t uncommon to see 6 – 8 panels per page, with each panel having dialogue.
Maybe it’s just the books, but I think it would be interesting to take a bit more of a ’scientific approach’ and see what the real scoop is.
* Okay I couldn’t resist, one comment about Batman…but hey, it’s about “The Batman” and not the War Games arc. Count your blessings! It’s extremely difficult to animate a true martial arts fight. The moves are complex and often times subtle. It’s much easier just to show a punch ‘landing’ then show how the opponents parried, and attacked. Heck, it’s hard enough to do a good fight scene in a live action movie. That’s why The Batman deserves so much credit for their animation. They have some of the best fight sequences I’ve ever seen in any animated show.
* Of course in another venue this show’s fight sequences deserve a rating of 5 halibuts out of 5.
* And now for the Awards portion of our column:
Samurai Jack won an Emmy for ‘Best Cartoon Program’. It’s a shame that the show is cancelled. Truly one of the most brilliantly designed and scripted and animated cartoons.
This concludes the Awards portion of our column
* I have a bunch more for you guys, but I think I’ll have to cap it right here for this week. If you want, stop in at the forum and let me know what your mind.
* Actually I take that back, one more tribute to Christopher Reeve. I’ll just let it speak for itself… Just scroll down to the bottom of the page to view it (I don’t know how long it will stay there, but it’s worth the mention).
Post your comments in the Forum!
October 11, 2004
Still on the Shelf #76 – Daisy Kutter: the Last Train
Ever since the very first issue of Viper Comics’ Dead@17 series, I have made it a point to mention it as often as possible. Aside from the fact that I really did enjoy the series, I was impressed with the way that Viper handled itself as a company, and I wanted to see it grow so that I could eventually get a few more series beyond D@17.
Maybe some people thought Dead@17 was all that Viper had to offer – this is not uncommon in comic publishing. Abstract Studios, for example, rests pretty much everything on a single hit title – Strangers in Paradise. What some people might forget, however, is that Dead@17 was never alone at Viper. Back before Dead@17 was ever released, it was being promoted along with another title, Moonrush, which was to be released at the same time. That title may was dropped before its first issue ever saw print, due to low orders. As a result, Viper has been a one-trick-pony since they started, but this was something that was inevitably going to change.
Enter Daisy Kutter, Viper’s second miniseries. Kazu Kibushi, editor and creator of the Flight anthology for Image, and host of his own web-comic site, BoltCity.com, handles the art and storytelling duties for Viper’s newest outing. Daisy Kutter follows the adventures of a former gunslinger who must saddle up once again, one last time, or else lose everything she has.
Cast of Characters
Daisy Kutter hung up her six shooter in favor of the quiet life of a general store clerk. But though her career is over, her reputation, through stories of her exploits, live on. Daisy is known as a dangerous gunslinger who once shot down sixteen supply frigates in under three minutes using only a shotgun during York’s War. Daisy is quiet, if sometimes grumpy, is a sucker for a good game of poker, considered the best strategist who never served in the military, and is something of a racist when it comes to working with “machines.”
Tom, the sheriff of the small town where Daisy has settled down, once was something of an outlaw himself. He ran with Daisy back in their outlaw days, and clings to the hope that he can get her to walk away from that life, and join him as a deputy. He is extremely patient with the wild Miss Kutter, willing to overlook his “duties” as sheriff in order to protect her. Daisy and Tom seem to have some uneasy romantic tension – I do think that is another story, however.
J.C. Winters wanted Daisy for a job, and he wouldn’t take no for an answer. He sent Morris and Bloom, a pair of robbers, to solicit Daisy’s help for an unusual heist. She declined, in part because she wanted to leave that life behind, and also because she didn’t want to work with Bloom, who is a robot. Winters took matters into his own hands that evening and found another way to force Daisy into his employ. Is his job nothing more than a “test” for his new train security system, or is it something much more?
Thoughts
I have to say that this series really took off for me after the last issue. I thought the first issue was good, but it did have a rather lengthy “poker scene,” that was well put together, but not something I wanted to see issue after issue. And as I pointed out when I reviewed that issue, cowboys (and girls) play 5 card draw, not Texas Hold’em! But that is a minor gripe. This story, so far, does have the feel of a graphic novel that has been broken up into pieces, which may work to the advantage of anyone looking to pick this one up in trade format.
The art is a perfect fit for the story – and it should be. Like Dead@17, Daisy Kutter is written and illustrated by the series creator, Kazu Kibuishi. He has his own unique art style that just clicks with his story. The characters are almost overly simplistic, but seem to fit perfectly with some amazing backgrounds. And I have to say that I love the way he handles rain. And, of course, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Daisy’s outstanding hairstyle! Makes me wonder if they have hairspray in this quasi sci-fi western world.
One thing that struck me about this series was the quality of the story. I have something of a “law” in comics when it comes to stories written and drawn by the same creator. I try to be as forgiving as possible in regards to the story – I find that usually that aspect of the one-man-show comic is usually the weakest. It makes sense to me – the art of drawing is a very different skill than the art of storytelling. And while an illustrator can be very imaginative and come up with a great story concept, sometimes the execution can be lacking, and I try to be forgiving in cases like that. Here, though, I found that wasn’t necessary. Kibuishi has skillfully woven his tale, with all of the imagination I expected from an artist, along with all of the writing sophistication that I didn’t. It was a welcome surprise, and it is the story that, in the end, makes this title a complete package.
In a first for Viper, each issue of Daisy Kutter has featured a back-up story. Viper is a growing house, and I think this is a great way to give new creators a “try-out” before committing to a new title concept. The first issue featured a bit by Phil Craven called “Mongrel: Trixie, Come Home.” This was one really out there tale – a mix of a Noir mystery and Dogs Playing Poker, this story finds a dog detective in the middle of a domestic squabble between an abusive bulldog and a “hooker” poodle. I don’t know if that story concept has what it takes for it’s own series, but it was an entertaining read.
Issue 2’s back-up was more along the lines of something I would like to see again – Jake Parker’s Lucy Nova, S.E. Briefly, Lucy is an intergalactic agent sent to catalogue planets for her agency. She stumbles through the alien worlds, haphazardly dropping in and out of trouble, trying to meet the impossible deadlines that the I.R.G.A. has set for her. This story was imaginative and full of potential – I look forward to seeing more of this one sometime in the future.
Bottom Line
I mentioned before that I was anticipating Viper’s next series concept since before Dead@17’s first mini concluded, and thus far, I am happy with what they have come up with. With the success of Dead@17, you might expect Viper to put something out that is all-too-similar to that initial success, but thankfully, Daisy Kutter has turned out to be something completely different, and successful on it’s own merits. In fact, the two titles really have very little in common at all, and that is encouraging to see. Viper already has a third title lined up – Oddly Normal, which is set to be released next year. Thus far, Oddly Normal looks as if it too will be totally different than its predecessors. This bodes well for the future of the publisher – the fact that they are able to grow beyond their initial success and branch out into other types of stories indicates some good long-term potential.
If Dead@17 was Viper Comics’ harbinger, Daisy Kutter is proof that they are here to stay. And while it is almost impossible to talk about Daisy Kutter in-depth without comparing it to Dead@17, you can rest assured that it more than stands on its own merits. Each issue is 48 pages, perfect bound with grayscale art. The second issue (of four) is available now, with issue three due out this month. If you want to check out a bit of Kazu Kibushi’s style, head over to check out BoltCity.com, his web comic site. There you can find a few sample pages of the first Daisy Kutter issue, as well as some of this other work.
Credit Where Credit is Due
Daisy Kutter: The Last Train is
Written and Illustrated by Kazu Kibuishi, and
Published by Viper Comics.
Post your comments in the Forum!
Off The Cuff #4
Off the Cuff – Edition 4
By Eric Barrett
Comics, Cartoons, and all things related
* I thought I’d lead off with a bit about the Bat family. No, not the ones that eat bugs the one’s that protect Gotham City. As I was reading Robin #128 it dawned on me just how cool it would be to be a member of the Bat family. Sure this isn’t the first time I’ve had this thought, but it doesn’t make it any less cool!
The two coolest aspects of being in the Family: Uber-detective skills and the ability to disappear without a trace.
* I loved the contrast of Superman and Mr. Majestic sitting in an empty diner sipping coffee: two all-powerful (or very close to it) beings just having a relaxed conversation, despite the tension around them.
As they say in the Guinness commercials: Brilliant!
* It was irritating, on the other hand, that Majestic defines ‘conservatism’ as militant, aggressive, arrogant and condescending behavior. And ‘liberal wishy-washy’ types as those that use judgement, reason, follow the rule of law, and are generally seen as the ‘good guys’. Sigh.
* One problem that shows like Dragonball and YuYu Hakusho have is what I refer to as ‘exponential growth’. In each of these shows you have an initial great storyline. This usually involves the hero training and overcoming some fantastic obstacles. Usually the villain is superstrong, and the odds are stacked against our hero. Eventually through training the hero overcomes the odds and wins. (Yay for us!) So what’s the problem? Well you can only do this story line so many times before the whole concept becomes ridiculous. This was DBZ’s problem. The show had established Cell as the greatest and most powerful villain, eclipsing Freeza. So when Gohan defeats him they have to come up with a villain that is even stronger so the show can continue. This cycle repeats itself over and over (or else it wouldn’t be called a cycle). See, exponential growth.
Now this would be okay, but you can only increase the power levels so much before the viewer/reader says, ‘wait a second.’ And if you can’t change the dynamics of this cycle the show will absolutely jump the shark and you end up with a truly awful cartoon like Dragonball GT. You find yourself wishing for the thrill of the old show. And before you know it you are writing a column complaining about it.
* One thing that drives me nuts about the Bat family is that they use their real names when talking over their headsets. Sure they also use their code names, but that only makes it worse. What happens if someone can pick up on the signal? Codes can be broken and radio waves intercepted. Heck, even if a villain took out a member and listened to the radio they could figure it out. When they hear Oracle say, “Bruce” and watch Batman respond…
This might not be as big of a deal if Batman didn’t go to such lengths to obscure his identity and even his existence.
* She-Hulk # 6: I love the subtle humor in this book. One of this issue’s amusing incidents involves the capture of Electro, Tiger Shark, Sandman (my personal favorite) and Eightball. I wish all battles ended this way!
And if you don’t know what I’m talking about, then you should go pick up an issue. You’ll thank me for it later.
* Don’t you love how easy it is to hack into computers in the comic book world? Just press a few buttons and BAM! You’re hacked into someone’s mainframe. Need to create a virus; well you can in 10 seconds or less. Sometimes I don’t know what’s more unrealistic…superpowers or computer programming ability.
* Speaking of computers, everyone must have super-fast machines. Have you ever noticed how quickly things are uploaded and downloaded from computers? I wish my computer were even half that fast!
* So by now everyone’s probably seen the pictures of “The Thing” from the upcoming movie. Some have said they like it, other’s not so much. I fall into the later group. To me the ideal Thing was from the mid-90’s TV show. Nice and rocky and light orange, just the way he should be. The movie Thing is more lumpy or possibly crusty. He’s also a dirty orange color. It’s not the Thing I picture in my mind’s eye.
However, this movies interpretation of The Thing is interesting because it gets directly to the heart of the name. I could never understand why The Thing was so horrified by his looks. Sure he wasn’t going to win any beauty contests – but compared to other superheroes (Nightcrawler, Hellboy, Spawn, etc…) he wasn’t that bad looking. But the movie version makes him truly horrifying and I can see why he’s concerned about his looks.
The movie Thing has an added dimension to his character that I think was lacking from other versions. Well done.
* Does this mean I’ve changed my mind and like the new look of Thing? No.
* One of the things that I like best about War Games is that Batman himself is showing signs of the strain and stress of the situation. Very few stories do you get to see Batman look as if he might crack. Now I don’t want to see this side of Batman all the time, but sometimes it’s a nice change.
*A little toy news? With the resurgence of TMNT it’s funny to see new Turtle action figures. It doesn’t seem like that long ago I was asking for TMNT figures.
* Hmmm. A little bit of extra Batman stuff this time too. Well I’m going to go out on a limb and say that the odds of getting another column filled with Bats is very likely. Hey, this is what happens when I get into a cross-over!
Only one more act to go though!
Post your comments in the Forum!
StillontheShelf.com - no frills, just content. Powered by WordPress
©2003-2010 Craig Reade and Mad Cow Disease