Kelly Sue DeConnick: A Writer to Watch

I usually focus my reviews on a particular book or series. But right now I’d like to talk about a particular creator, in this case a writer.

Her name is Kelly Sue DeConnick.

Kelly Sue is currently the writer on Captain Marvel as well as the Dark Horse series, Ghost. She has also begun writing Avengers Assemble beginning with issue #9.

Although her list of writing credits is impressive, I’m a newcomer to the Kelly-Sue fan club, but I am quickly becoming its most devoted member.

What is it that makes her a great writer? 

Maybe its how her dialogue sequences feel so natural, or the way she is able to convey the emotions and personality of her characters through their words and actions instead of  a narrative exposition.

She writes about believable people in a believable way, but manages to make them larger than life.

A good example of what I’m talking about is the conversation that takes place between Carol Danvers and Steve Rogers in issue #1 of Captain Marvel. Steve (Captain America) explains to Carol (still going by Ms. Marvel) not only why she deserves the title of Captain Marvel, but what she has done to earn that mantle. Her eventual acceptance of his quiet logic is a moment I found both moving and exhilarating.

Another example would be the diner scene in Ghost #1 when Mary (if that’s really her name) explains why “…wherever I come from, I’m preeeetty sure it wasn't heaven.” We see apparently normal people discussing decidedly un-normal events in the sort-of matter-of-fact manner that only those who have experienced such events, can do.

When I learned Kelly Sue was taking over as writer on Avengers Assemble – well, let’s just say I haven’t looked forward to an “Avengers” comic with this much anticipation since Roger Stern’s “Masters of Evil” story-arc that destroyed the original Avengers mansion back in the ‘Seventies. I enjoy finding comic creators that re-kindle that kind of excitement in me.

Over the years, I have had the pleasure of seeing many writers, who’s work I admire, become icons of the industry, writers like Warren Ellis, Grant Morrison and Ed Brubaker to name a few.

Kelly Sue DeConnick is destined to join that group.

I hope she keeps writing for a long, long time.

You can find all of the great titles mentioned above, as well as many more cool comic books at http://www.superherocomicbooks.com

What's New at Zenescope Entertainment: A Wise Editorial Decision

I would like to applaud Tony Brusha and Ralph Tedesco, co-founders of Zenescope Entertainment for their decision to include a non-cheesecake variant cover for all their comics.

While I don’t mind a little cleavage on my covers, I can see how some people might think that the content of the books is just more of the same, when in fact they are anything but.

This marketing decision should go along way toward making Zenescope's entire line more accessible for everyone.

One Zenescope series that you may have overlooked is Wonderland.

Wonderland and its accompanying collection of one shot and min-series, chronicles the life of Callie Liddle, daughter of Alice Liddle whom we all know so well from the writings of Lewis Carroll.

But this is no children’s tale.

The characters may seem familiar, but writer Raven Gregory puts a sinister, even deadly twist on them that will make you shudder 

Callie managed to escape Wonderland but its denizens want her back, and if abducting her daughter Violet is what it takes than that’s what they’ll do.

Wonderland #4 comes out on Halloween and you should be able to find the earlier issues at your local store or on line.

I highly recommend that you give this one a try.

You can find Wonderland and lots of other great comic books at http://www.superherocomicbooks.com

Review: Godstorm #1

Godstorm #1 Zenescope – This issue introduces us to one of Zeus’ children, a young man named Julian, who works as an enforcer for a crime lord. It soon becomes apparent that he doesn't like his job or his boss. Its just as apparent that he is unaware of his lineage or the fact that he is more than human.

We are given glimpses of his earlier life that do well to illustrate his character and his motivations. The prologue then offers us a hint of trouble to come and sets things up nicely for issue #2.

Despite the previous zero release this still feels like a first issue. Pat Shands writing is on par with the earlier one-shot prequels; I’m really interested to see where he takes this.

Jason Johnson’s pencils somehow manage to be tight and sketchy at the same time, in a style bordering on cartoony, but it works well with the storyline. I especially liked the “school bus” scene. It was very realistic.

Overall, Godstorm #1 is a good “first” issue that whetted my appetite like a first issue should. 

8 lightning bolts

Find all of Zenescope's great titles and lots of other cool comic books at http://www.superherocomicbooks.com

Series Review: Unwritten

Unwritten DC Vertigo – What can I say about this series that hasn’t already been said by writers much more talented than I am. 

Brian K. Vaughn, author of Y: The Last Man said it was “A wish-I’d-thought-of-it premise...”, and that “Mike Carey and Peter Gross are doing the very best work of their lives.”

Ed Brubaker, writer on Captain America and Winter Soldier and creator of Fatale said that it “…makes me jealous.”

Eisner Award winning author Bill Willingham said, “ by the first page… I was intrigued…by page 3, I knew I’d be finishing the issue. Two pages later I knew I would be a fan and loyal reader…”

That is high praise to earn from one’s peers, and it is well deserved.

Carey and Gross have crafted a tale that turns history on its ear, exposing a conspiracy that has existed for millennia; one that has managed to control the world by controlling how people perceive it.

But Unwritten is much more than that.

It is a treatise on the power of stories and the collective beliefs they engender.

Its an adventure story about a boy wizard who overcomes incredible odds to survive a secret society's attempt to discredit, then kill him.

Its an allegory about what can be accomplished with the strength of belief.

It’s a chronicle of great men and moments of literature as seen through the eyes of one man.

Unwritten embraces the future of writing while paying homage to its past. If you are a writer, a reader or just some one who enjoys having their way of thinking prodded repeatedly, “Unwritten” is the book for you.

You can find all of DC's comics at http://www.superherocomicbooks.com

Review: Ex Sanguine # 1

Ex Sanguine #1 Dark Horse -  I found this story to be a bit puzzling at first, but the characters were interesting enough to make me want to know more. Thankfully, my curiosity was rewarded by the end of the book.

Tim Seely with the help of Josh Emmons, weaves an intricate tale of murder and blood-lust. The plot builds up layer upon layer, with each turn of the page taking us deeper into the world of the story.

Tim’s art - which is every bit as good as his writing - is perfectly suited to the subject matter, as well.  I especially liked his rather unorthodox portrayal of a vampire; no sparkles here. In fact, this vampire is down-right ugly. 

Ex Sanguine is a sort-of romance, sort-of detective story, that puts an interesting spin on the currently popular trends involving vampires and their behavior. In Mr. Seely’s own words it is “Kind of Dexter meets True Blood…”

Overall a good read. I’m definitely on board for issue #2. 8 corpses.

You can find all of Dark Horse great Horror comics at http://www.superherocomicbooks.com

Review: Phantom Stranger # 0 & 1

Phantom Stranger # 0 & 1 DC Comics - The Stranger has always been one of my favorite characters, so I was pleased when I learned that DC was giving him his own book. 

The Zero issue was spun directly of last May’s New 52 FCBD Special. The origin story is well done, and though It never comes right out and says so its pretty obvious who The Phantom Stranger started out as. 

Fast-forward to the late twentieth century, and we get a front row seat to the birth of another well-known mystical DC character.  The Stranger’s connection to and the cosequences of this event are important story points that I will not divulge here, but Dan Didio has crafted a intriguing tale steeped in religious tradition as well as DC Universe history.

Onto Phantom Stranger # 1. It’s now present day or recent past, and this time we are re-introduced to not one but two of DC’s mystical characters. Another solid read and if I haven’t said so before, gorgeous art by Brent Anderson and Philip Tan.

I’m starting to feel like I have a handle on this series… and then I read the last two pages!

“This is a game changer”, I say to myself as I gather up my brain matter.

Sorry, no spoilers here.

Buy it.

You won’t regret it. 

Story and Art 10 pieces of silver (each).

You will find Phantom Stranger and lots of other great comic books from DC Comics at http://www.superherocomicbooks.com/dc-comic-books

Review: Point of Impact

Point of Impact # 1 Image Comics - This is an intriguing crime noir piece, very suited to the black & white art. I found the characters to be well defined and their motivations, for the most part, clear. It is the murdered woman at the center of the story that is apparently much more than those who know her are aware of. That is where the mystery lies as the lives of three people who knew her - but not each other - collide at the “point of impact”.

The meaning of the title itself evolves with the story and recurs throughout the tale, both visually and thematically. The writing and the art meld in a way that makes you forget you’re reading words and looking at lines on paper, until it becomes almost cinematic. If this were to be made into a movie, the opening sequence, alone, would have the critics standing on their seats.

Author Jay Faerber is an established comic creator with an impressive collection of credits, too numerous to list. His most recent work is his currently running series, Near Death, another crime drama, also from Image - and one my personal favorites. He has a good feel and the right voice for this genre, and I hope he keeps at it.

Artist, Koray Kuranel, a newcomer to the field, displays a strong sense of composition and storytelling. His panels flow nicely and his line work is excellent. He uses negative space and lighting to convey motion and sound in a way that I found remarkable. If I had to find one flaw, it would be that his perspective is sometimes a little flat. Otherwise, this is a great effort from a young talent with a long career ahead of him.

Overall Point of Impact was so good I read it twice.

Story 9 cuts; Art 8 bruises.

Now, I’d like to say a few words about crime comics in general. In the early days of comics, genres other than superheroes, commanded a much wider audience, Westerns and crime dramas were two of the most prevalent. Over the years the “capes” audience grew until these and other types almost disappeared from the shelves. Thanks to some great writers and artists they are beginning to make a comeback. Crime comics especially are becoming popular with fans that have become jaded by constant crossovers, re-boots, re-launches and resurrections. I believe there are a number of other reasons as well for their rise in popularity. Too begin with; most are set in the real world, or a reasonable approximation. A good example would be Sin City, set in an imaginary town yet there are no fantastic or supernatural elements that come into play. Some currently popular crime comics are the above mentioned Near Death, Robert Kirkman’s Thief of Thieves, and IDW’s Steed and Mrs. Peel. Anyone of these is worth looking into if you need a break from capes and code-names. I’m sure your local comic book shop owner could suggest some others as well.

You can find Point of Impact and many other great crime comic books from Image Comics and other publishers at http://www.superherocomicbooks.com

Review: of Evil Ernie #1

Evil Ernie #1 from Dynamite Entertainment - As origin stories go, this one was serviceable but not remarkable. The plot was easy enough to follow and the writer does not insult the readers’ intelligence by over-explaining or filling in all the details, but he didn’t break any new ground either.

As far as the character of Ernie, I never read the original Chaos Comics series by Brian Pulido and Steven Hughes, but I know that his initial origin involved Lady Death who was also a Chaos character back then. Since she is currently owned by Boundless Comics, Jess Blaze Snider had to rework the story without her.

The opening sequence needed to be expanded a little, I would have liked to see more of a transition as the father was apparently possessed by a demon. I actually had to re-read that before I got it, and I’m usually pretty quick on the up-swing.

As for the art, though it was decent, I found it to be a little inconsistent at times. In some of the tight panels, I wasn’t entirely sure what I was looking at. And when some of the characters were shown from odd angles, I had a hard time telling them apart.

Overall Evil Ernie # 1 was a fast paced read that didn’t really sell me on a second look. 

Story & Art 5 stabs out of 10.

You can find Evil Ernie and all of Dynamite Entertainments great comic books at http://www.superherocomicbooks.com

Why You Should be Reading Zenescope

Myths, Legends, Fairy Tales and Folklore.  Without most of us even being aware of it, these things help to shape our society and direct our moral compass. Even more inspiring than our history or our laws are the stories that we pass down from one generation to the next. Some are cautionary tales designed to reveal the consequences of wrong actions.  Some are heroic sagas that demonstrate the value of good deeds and self-sacrifice. They are stories of archetypal characters that recur time and again in our literature and other art forms.

It is these stories that are the meat and mead of Zenescope Entertainment. Within the pages of Zenescope’s “Grimm Fairy Tales” and its companion titles, they are redefining the stories that we all know so well, that we have come to take them for granted. In each issue, beloved characters like Goldilocks, Red Riding Hood, Alice, Peter Pan and many others, get sinister revisions that make them more suited to these modern times. In addition, there are tales reveal the secret histories of places like Wonderland, Never Land and Sherwood Forest, fleshing-out the backgrounds of many of the iconic characters that dwell within these magical locales.

Now Zenescope is poised to do the same for Greek Mythology as they have for European Folklore.  With recent one-shots featuring the likes of Zeus, Aphrodite, Ares, Neptune and others, as well as the new Godstorm series, they have begun to weave a tapestry of intertwining destinies, and schemes within schemes as they and the other Gods of Olympus vie with one another for ultimate power and control.

But they’re not stopping there. Be on the lookout for Zenescope versions of Robin Hood, Sleepy Hollow and more in the coming months. And White Dragon Comics will be bringing it all to you. Check out Zenescope Entertainment now. We have dozens of Zenescope titles in stock and dozens more available for pre-order.

http://www.superherocomicbooks.com