Vaguely intriguing twist on the superhero genre, but characterization and storytelling are just too stagy and clunky and generic for the whole thing tVaguely intriguing twist on the superhero genre, but characterization and storytelling are just too stagy and clunky and generic for the whole thing to actually work....more
Charles Burns� X'ed Out-The Hive-Sugar Skull Trilogy feels to me like an amalgam of all my personal obsessions, which Gorgeous, Obsessive, Nightmarish
Charles Burns� X'ed Out-The Hive-Sugar Skull Trilogy feels to me like an amalgam of all my personal obsessions, which in itself is a little scary: thick, clean, stripped-down lines � check; lots of soothing black ink � check; a fragmented narrative that subverts this soothing effect by messing with my mind � check; neurotic and obsessive compulsive behavior � check; doomed romance and psychological horror � check; punk rock and visual culture � check; some postmodern reflexivity � check. No surprise, then, that I am the story’s protagonist� or at least that my GR profile picture has been incorporated into the story in the form of a comic-book panel. Wait, or was it the other way round?
Anyway, what is the story all about? The plot is easily summarized: a young artist named Doug tries to work through mysterious, traumatic events from his past, while sliding into some kind of parallel world. What gives the story its hypnotic impact, though, is the way it is told. The reader is not provided with a reliable, stable perspective on Doug’s difficult situation, but is instead sucked right into the vortex of his struggles by a narrative that undermines conventional notions of reality and identity, blurring the line between external and internal states of being, between surface and depth. The narrative’s disorienting effect is supported by the artwork’s dense black ink and hard straight lines that take on a character of their own.
Gorgeous, obsessive, nightmarish - Burns at his best. ...more
How do you follow up the ultimate Thor story? The cosmic scope of the spectacular two-parter that was The God Butcher and Godbomb obvDisney Takes Over
How do you follow up the ultimate Thor story? The cosmic scope of the spectacular two-parter that was The God Butcher and Godbomb obviously cannot be topped, so the one shot that opens this third volume wisely shifts gears to tell a much more low key story. Gone are the ambitious meditations on the changing status of religion, gone the travels though time, gone the sweeping landscapes and epic battles. Instead, the reader is invited to sneak a peek at Thor’s personal and surprisingly quiet interactions with various people whose problems cannot be solved with a giant hammer. Yet while the change of pace in theory certainly makes sense, I did not find the actual results quite as charming and touching as I was supposed to.
The real problems, however, start with the main storyline that follows - by far the weakest Jason Aaron story I have come across so far. It feels forced and out of place, as if Aaron reluctantly phoned it in at Disney's misguided request to superficially link the series to the awful Thor: The Dark World movie. The reintroduction of the generic villain Malekith (that coincides with the character’s appearance in the movie) appears arbitrary to say the least, the fantasy plot and its characters underdeveloped. Ron Garney’s artwork, though not bad when compared to your average superhero comic book, also looks rather pedestrian next to the scope and grandeur Esad Ribic established in the first two volumes.
To make things worse, "The Accursed" contains dangerously naïve overtones of America’s recent military operations. We are introduced to a society of so-called dark elves who are portrayed as notoriously incapable of self-rule, and who are thus in desperate need of Thor's divine intervention. When this intervention - due to the dark elves' "unteachable nature" - does not show the desired results, Thor nevertheless receives reassurance that he has done the right thing for all the right reasons: “You saved lives, Thunder God. Do not doubt that. You ended the bloodshed... If there is ever a lasting peace made between the realms, they may say that it began here, with us. With you.� It is the kind of fictional justification for hawkish militarism gone haywire you'd expect from Disney but not from Jason Aaron.
So why did I still cough up a second star for this book? Well, it concludes with a second one shot, and this one � illustrated by Das Pastoras in suitably gritty yet colorful fashion � marks a surprising return to form for the title. Battling a devastating hangover and covered in vomit, the young, Viking Age Thor comes to his senses in the mouth of a befriended dragon, desperately trying to recount the events of the previous day. It is a funny and ultimately touching story that ties into some of the themes of the previous volumes - here's hoping it also sets up a return to these themes in the next volume! ...more
I did not much care for plot and characters during the book's first half. A bunch of young female fantasy characters designed by male creators to be pI did not much care for plot and characters during the book's first half. A bunch of young female fantasy characters designed by male creators to be perceived as emancipated based on their cooler-than-thou attitudes and on their ability to commit "manly" acts of senseless violence, I thought. Not my kind of feminism.
In the book's second half, however, the female protagonists are further developed and become much more likable and engaging, a shift in tone that also opens up new opportunities for more subtle, character-based humor. Some of the fantasy tropes, especially the extended fight scenes, are still not really my thing, but they are executed competently enough.
What I appreciate most about the series, though, is its attempt to create a less "epic" and symbolically meaningful, more tangible, character-based, often touching and funny fantasy world. Not that there is anything wrong with epic landscapes and symbolic significance, but after five Lord of the Rings / Hobbit movies and countless imitators, this is a welcome change of pace....more
Would you be interested in the drug-induced hallucinations experienced by Conan the Barbarian? If so, this trippy sci-fi adventure might be for you.
InWould you be interested in the drug-induced hallucinations experienced by Conan the Barbarian? If so, this trippy sci-fi adventure might be for you.
In the distant future, John Prophet awakes from cryosleep to a vastly changed Earth populated by bizarre, menacing, alien creatures. A mysterious voice in his head guides him to a city that is actually the slowly rotting copse of an organismic space ship. Here he learns about his mission: to climb the towers of Thauilu Vah and awaken the Earth Empire.
Word and image are perfectly matched to create a disorienting, dreamlike tone that is at the same time archaic and strangely advanced - an ambivalent state of suspension anchored only by the story's very contemporary and relevant underlying themes of alienation, ecological devastation, and struggle for survival.
Highly recommended to the fearless explorer in you!
Well, this was one gorgeous-looking mess. Combining alternative history with steampunk, the world of Grandville features humanoids with various animalWell, this was one gorgeous-looking mess. Combining alternative history with steampunk, the world of Grandville features humanoids with various animal heads, a few servants who look like Tintin, robots, steam-powered carriages, airships, Tarantino-esque violence, countless literary references, and a political conspiracy that echoes 9-11 and the so-called War on Terror. Some of these ingredients actually serve the plot, but most are just designed to look pretty - which they do, as Bryan Talbot's ridiculously detailed and polished artwork clearly is the main attraction here....more
While companion volume Boxers tells the story of the Boxer Rebellion in China from a rebel's point of view, Saints chooses the perspective of Four-GirWhile companion volume Boxers tells the story of the Boxer Rebellion in China from a rebel's point of view, Saints chooses the perspective of Four-Girl (alias Vibiana), a Chinese girl who converts to Christianity and thus comes to be cast as a "secondary devil" by the rebels. The result is a less action-packed and patriotic, more character-driven and tragic narrative.
What I love most about this book is its protagonist, Four-Girl, whose independent, logic-defying way of thinking and sheer will power reminded me of the children in Gilbert Hernandez's beloved fictional Latin American town called Palomar. Growing up in strange and unpredictable yet completely organic and comprehensible ways, Four-Girl is one of the most intriguing characters Gene Luen Yang has created to date.
Centered around the experiences of a Chinese peasant boy whose village has been plundered and abused by Westerners, Boxers combines historical fictionCentered around the experiences of a Chinese peasant boy whose village has been plundered and abused by Westerners, Boxers combines historical fiction with magical realism to tell the violent story of China's struggle against colonialism around the year 1900. It is Gene Luen Yang's first graphic novel to be set in China, though it deals with themes that have always dominated Yang's writing: the relationship between Chinese and Western culture, religion, the supernatural, youth, identity formation, family, moral obligation.
Boxers may not be as brilliantly conceived and complex as Yang's earlier American Born Chinese or his more recent The Shadow Hero, but it does provide colorful, engaging and mildly informative entertainment that should appeal to young teens in particular....more
Animal Crackers collects early, originally self-published comics by Gene Luen Yang. Like its teenage protagonists, the book is sweet and funny but alsAnimal Crackers collects early, originally self-published comics by Gene Luen Yang. Like its teenage protagonists, the book is sweet and funny but also still a little clumsy and awkward. The very endorsable "be yourself" message that is clearly close to Yang's heart already permeates these stories, but will be delivered more effectively in his later masterpiece American Born Chinese....more
The world of pirates seems pretty awesome when you are a kid! No rules and parents, just treasure hunts and palm trees and lots of laughter and maybe The world of pirates seems pretty awesome when you are a kid! No rules and parents, just treasure hunts and palm trees and lots of laughter and maybe a colorful parrot on your shoulder - that's the life!! The genius of One Piece is that it perfectly captures these childhood fantasies, turning them into a rollicking adventure that is anchored by relatable characters while bubbling over with fun and enthusiasm. It is no surprise at all that One Piece has been one of the world's best-selling comic-book titles for years - great stuff! ...more
I liked Gene Luen Yang's The Shadow Hero a lot, so I had to finally check out the author's most well-known graphic novel, American Born Chinese. Both I liked Gene Luen Yang's The Shadow Hero a lot, so I had to finally check out the author's most well-known graphic novel, American Born Chinese. Both books are about the immigrant experience, a topic difficult to write about in ways that are (more or less) politically correct but not too obvious and predictable. In both cases I had my doubts early on as to whether Yang would be able to pull it off, but both times he eventually won me over with surprising plot twists and a flood of well-observed details.
Yang's willingness to take the risk of boring or disconcerting the reader during the early stages of the reading experience is testament to his confidence and maturity as a storyteller, as it allows him to ultimately undermine the reader's expectations and preconceptions--often to astonishing effect. In the case of American Born Chinese, story elements that initially seemed offensive miraculously fall into place when Yang finally weaves the book's three narratives into one. The results feel unique, down-to-earth yet highly imaginative--wonderful stuff!...more
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