Jim Aparo

Most of you know by now that Jim Aparo passed away a couple of days ago. Many bloggers have already posted their appreciations for the man's work, and I pretty much agree with everything that has been said (Tegan has a good rundown over at Bloggity-Blog-Blog-Blog). I do have a couple of thoughts to add:

1. Growing up I was always more of a Superman fan than a Batman fan, so I didn't really encounter a lot of Aparo's early Batman art (on B&B or BatO), although I understand that for many Batman folk Aparo holds a similar place of reverence that Curt Swan holds for we Superman fans. Aparo always struck me as a true professional, some to whom an editor could hand a script and be assured that 3 weeks later he would have the story done, to the writer's specifications, and it would look good. Never flashy, but solid. I also recall reading some of the Aquaman stories he had done (I think in the DC Digests) and finding those pleasing to look at.

2. When I did encounter Aparo's work, I had various reactions depending on where I was in my comics reading growth stage. As a kid, I appreciated his clean lines and solid storytelling (even though I would never have been able to identify it as such). As I got older, it began to look old fashioned and stiff. But as my tastes matured even further, I could once again appreciate the same qualities in Aparo's art as I saw when I was younger. Whet helped most, I think, was seeing Aparo teamed with the inks of Bill Sienkiewicz (on the Batman: GCPD mini-series); by taking away the smooth line inherent in Aparo's art and making it more gritty, I was forced to realize what a strong storyteller he was and appreciate the level of his craft.



(covers for Batman: GCPD #1-3 by Jim Aparo & Bill Sienkiewicz courtesy of the GCD. Click on images for larger versions.)

Quick First Issue Reviews

Hell, Michigan #1
by Dan Jolley & Clint Hilinski

In the town of Hell, it's not just one house that's haunted--it's the whole town! Regina, newly moved into town, suspects that Hell is possessed, and after an incident she teams up with Dixon & Diana Cole--her real estate agents--and a few other town notables to determine what exactly is going on and how they can rid their town of its evil. Jolley sets up a strong story with several interesting, though at this point largely two-dimensional, characters. But the comic is hampered somewhat by Hilinski's art; while his storytelling is strong, his character work is stiff and struggles to avoid being influenced by bad mid-90's Image-style, a struggle he doesn't always win. In addition, while the backgrounds are rendered fine, they are incredibly generic; this could be any old suburban community. When naming a series after a place, that place should be a character in its own right, and that needs to come across in the art.
Rating: 2.5 (of 5)


David: Shepherd's Song #1
by Royden Lepp

Sitting in solitude on his throne, the biblical King David thinks back to simpler days when he was but a shepherd, before the prohpet Samuel came and changed his life forever. This is a faithful retelling of the well-known story from I Samuel, greatly expanded upon to give depth to the characters and provide a little drama. Lepp has a talent for characters, storytelling and setting. David is presented as a scrawny kid, but still one you believe could herd a flock of sheep and wrestle with a lion. The scenes with David are mostly silent, but you never have trouble telling what is going on, and the fight between David and a predatory lion is exciting and tension-filled. Reproduced directly from pencils the art gets a bit scratchy at times, and while the color palatte is a bit drab, it does serve to heighten the sense that the Israeli countryside where David watches over his flock is a harsh and unforgiving place. There are so few good comics with religious themes that it is a pleasure to see one that is done well. Community Comics, publishing through Alias, has as its mission "to package professional, high quality, entertaining comic books with a Christian focus"--if all of their products are as strong as David: Shepherd's Song I'll have no complaints.
Rating: 3.5 (of 5)


The Middle Man #1
by Javier Grillo-Marxuach & Les McClaine

Wendy Watson thinks that her temp work at A.N.D. Technologies ("Scrambling Your D.N.A.!") is going to be just another receptionist job. But it turns out that A.N.D. is one of those crazy laboratories that you only find in comics (e.g. STAR Labs), and when a huge ugly alien beastie escapes and wrecks havoc she is saved from certain destruction by The Middle Man, a mysterious agent with a high tech weaponry. The Middle Man is impressed by Wendy's coolness under pressure, and before she knows it she is being recruited into whatever mysterious organization he works for. It all makes for an entertaining story with plenty of action, and while so far it's all set-up, Wendy makes for an intriguing character. The art by McClaine is strong, although there's an overreliance on one single zip-a-tone pattern which I found annoying. Still, it's a good debut for this Viper Comics series, one that makes me want to read more.
Rating: 3 (of 5)


Blackpool #1
by Jonathan Helland & Terrell Bobbett

Another horror series named after the town in which it is set. This time it's the fictional Blackpool, Vermont, the sleepy home of Dunsany College. New freshman Annabelle MacAleister has been having nightmares about being murdered ever since she was seven-years-old, and on her first night at Dunsany she dreams about being the subject of a human sacrifice, her heart cut out of her body while she lies immobile on a stone slab. But the next day a heartless body of a fellow student is discovered on the college grounds, and Annabelle begins to think that there might be more to her disturbing dreams than she previously thought--what if she is dreaming of actual murders. Annabelle ends up confiding in one fo the FBI Agents assigned to solve the ritual murder, and the story is off and running. It appears that Blackpool is a town with many secrets, and as a horror story set in a small New England town you know that some of them will end up being Lovecraftian in nature. Helland brings strong characters and a good main story, and it appears that he has put thought into the background of the town and stories of the side characters as well. Bobbett's art is strong, reminiscent of Humberto Ramos, although not as exagerated. The only misfire is the reproduction of the color art; the paper is too cheap for the dark colors, and the whole affair ends up looking murky. This Phenomenon Comics production needs better quality paper.
Rating: 3 (of 5)

New This Week: July 20, 2005

Based on the NCRL list for this week's comics shipping from Diamond, here are a few things to look for at the local comic shop tomorrow:


Although it's not a bad week, nothing really stands out head-and-shoulders above the rest. So I guess for Pick of the Week I'll go with Marvel's Defenders #1, from the ICBINTJL team of Keith Giffen, J. M. DeMatteis and Kevin Maguire. Should be funny.


In other comics:

AD Vision have what would have been my other choice for Pick of the Week: the funny parody manga Cromartie High School vol. 3. They also have the second volume of Yotsuba&!, which I hear that many people have enjoyed although I haven't read it yet myself.

Antarctic have Ben Dunn's return to Ninja High School (#130) and a new issue of Fred Perry's Gold Digger (#65).

Dark Horse have new issues of Conan (#18) and Eric Powell's Eisner-winning The Goon (#13).

DC have the eigth volume of the collected 100 Bullets; the debuts of JSA: Classified and Mad Classics; and new issues of Authority: Revolution (#10, Birds of Prey (#84), Detective Comics (#808), Ex Machina (#13), Lucifer (#64), and Plastic Man (#17).

Exhibit A have the Supernatural Law 1st Amendment Issue, produced in conjunction with the CBLDF.

Fantagraphics have a new issue of Love & Rockets vol. 2 (#14).

Graphix have the second Bone color volume.

Image have the Invincible Ultimate Collection Hardcover vol. 1, which I guess is a large oversized collection of a chunk of Invincible.

Marvel have the final issue of GLA (#4), the long-delayed eleventh issue of Astonishing X-Men, the second issue of the surprisingly enjoyable X-Men: Kitty Pryde - Shadow & Flame (due in a large part to art by Paul Smith), and new issues of Ultimate Spider-Man (#80) and Ultimates 2 (#7). Plus they have the hardcover collection of Ed Brubaker's first seven issues of Captain America.

Oni have the debut of Northwest Passage.


And that's pretty much it. If you're feeling the need to drop $3 on one of the multiple Mouse of Him alternate covers or crossovers, consider instead picking up a copy of the first issue of Banana Sunday, last week's Pick of the Week which more than lived up to its billing. Go-Go will thank you.

Quick Comic Reviews

Marvel Adventures Spider-Man #4
by Jeff Parker, Patrick Scherberger & Norman Lee

Unlike previous issues, which were cribbed from classic Lee/Ditko Spider-Man stories, this issue features an all-new all-ages tale teaming up Spidey with the Human Torch. Parker, best known for his OGN The Interman, puts the fun back in everyone's favorite Webslinger with a story that's in the classic mold yet still fresh. The two heroes team up to stop the giant villainous Street before he tears up New York and finishes telling his boring origin story, and contain the giant monster Goom, accidentally freed by Johnny from the Negative Zone. The art by Scherberger & Lee is slightly cartoony and fits with the style of the story, and the fight scenes are easy to follow. This is good solid all-ages super-hero fun.
Rating: 3 (of 5)


City of Heroes #3
by Mark Waid, Nakayami, Basaldua, & Oback

I'd love to be able to tell you the full names of the artists who drew this, but there's nary a credits box to be found anywhere. Probably a good thing though, because in the years to come no one associated with this comic will want to have their names remembered. Oh, the art was competent enough for a standard super-hero book, but the problem is with the 'story.' Although I read the previous two issues leading up to this conclusion, I read so many comics per month that there's no way I can keep track of every continuing plot. But as with the credits box, any sort of recap is absent as well. So what we get are 20+ pages of generic characters in costumes hitting each other for reasons that aren't clear. In other words: extreme boredom. Meh--I expect better than this from Waid; hopefully the paycheck was large enough.
Rating: 1.5 (of 5)


Desolation Jones #2
by Warren Ellis & J. H. Williams III

While the first issue led us to believe that this was yet another take on the usualy Ellis archetypal main character, this second issue explores Jones further and proves him to have greater depth than we might have previously realized. Namely, this protagonist has something that other Ellis types do not: empathy. He also has a sense of compassion, all expertly realized in the extended scene between Joens & Emily Crowe, the woman whose body has been modified to produce fear and revulsion in every person (except for Jones). It's downright touching, something I wasn't expecting. If Ellis can keep playing against expectations, combined with the superb art by Williams (which I could go on about, but I don't have to since Jog does such a good job of praising the art on his blog) we might have another winner on our hands.
Rating: 4 (of 5)

Previews-o-Rama part 2: The Middle

We continue now with the second half of our monthly stroll through the lastest Previews for items scheduled to come out in September (for certain values of 'September'...)


Matt Howarth is on a roll, and now he's got a one-shot from Aeon: Those Annoying Post Bros. in: "Sex & Drugs & Heads Will Roll". Sure to be plenty of senseless violence--in full color!

AiT/PlanetLAR hits it out of the park with not one but two can't-miss GNs: the second Colonia collection from Jeff Nicholson: On Into the Great Lands; and a book I've really been looking forward to: Smoke & Guns by Kirsten Baldock & Fabio Moon.

Sure it'll be full of barely dressed women with impossible figures standing in disfiguring poses, but Alias's Victoria's Secret Service has one of the greatest titles in months. Alias also have the start of a new Lullaby series, a new issue of Opposite Forces, and the debut of David Alvarez's Yenny, which at 75 cents might be worth a look.

I figure that the folks who do Vampirella comics (Anarchy Studios/Harris Comics) must have a ton of money to throw at creators; why else would otherwise talented creators agree to work on such dreck all the time? This time out writer Mike Carey cashes in a payday with a 25 cent Zero issue of Vampirella: Revelations.

Arcana continue Adam Gallardo & Todd Demong's 100 Girls (#7).

Antarctic have a color manga colelction of Fred Perry's entertaining Legacy: First Inheritance, and a new Gold Digger Pocket Manga (vol. 6) as well. They also have new issues of Oz: The Manga (#4) and The Science Fair (#2).

Archie have a new issue of Sabrina (#70), and also debut a new Sonic the Hedgehog series: Sonic X. It just floors me that an old videogame character like Sonic the Hedgehog can not only have a comic series that's up to #154, but also have a spin-off series debuting.

Jeff Lemire's Xeric-winning Lost Dogs GN premieres from Ashtray Press.

Is it some sort of rule that every Avatar series must have at least five variant covers?

Bongo's latest Bart Simpson's Treehouse of Horror (#11) features work by industry greats John Severin, Angelo Torres, Al Willimson, Mark Schultz, Len Wein & Berni Wrightson, and Marv Wolfman & Gene Colan.

You know, I look at the cover for Jim Balent's Tarot: Witch Queen of Halloween Previews Exclusive and really worry about the sort of people that find that attractive. Then I'm somewhat comforted by the fact that such people are using this comic for their, um, attentions and not actually contributing to the gene pool.

Woo Hoo! Paul Sizer is back with a new OGN from Cafe Digital Press: Moped Army, vol. 1.

Not only are the annual Small Press Expo anthologies one of the best showcases of small press & indy comics around, but the proceeds benefit the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. That's two good reasons to buy the 2005 edition, do you need any more? Okay, how about Charles Burns, Chester Brown, Scott Morse, Seth, Andy Runton, Mat Brinkman, and many more. So buy it!

Del Rey continue their string of interesting manga releases with Ghost Hunt, about a group of high school students who investigate the paranormal; and Moyoco Anno's Sugar Sugar Rune about young witch princesses.

Digital Webbing Presents #25 has a new Firebirds story from Jay Faerber.

Drawn & Quarterly have a relist of Drawn & Quarterly vol. 5, plus an anthology of Japanese Alt Comics from legendary manga-ka Yoshihiro Tatsumi: Push Man & Other Stories.

Evil Twin Comics have another issue of fun & informative philosophy comics from Fred Van Lente & Ryan Dunlavey: Action Philosopher's Self Help for Stupid Ugly Losers, featuring Sigmund Freud, Joseph Campbell, and Carl Jung.

Fantagraphics have the fourth colume of The Compelte Peanuts, plus two collections from Richard Sala: Mad Night Featuring Judy Drood, Girl Detective and The Chuckling Whatsit.

Gemstone's Donald Duck and Friends #332 features a full-length halloween story from Carl Barks.

iBooks have a third volume of Blacksad from Juan Diaz Canales & Juanjo Guarnido, one of the best-drawn comics today. They also relist the long-delayed second Mister X collection.

Shadowplay from IDW is a flip book, with Amber Benson & Ben Templesmith's "Demon Father John's Pinwheel Blues" on one side and Christina Z & Ashley Wood's "Shunt" on the other. Also of note is a comic adaptation of F. Paul Wilson's The Keep, written by Wilson himself. And those of you waiting for the trade on Grimjack: Killer Instrinct can wait no more--it's here!

Also for those waiting for the trade, Illusive Arts' Dorothy gets its forst collection; now there's no excuse for not picking up this intriguing photo-comic reinterpretation fo the classic OZ story.

Carla Speed McNeil's Finder #38 from Lightspeed Press kicks off a new storyline: "Five Crazy Women."

Moonstone have a 320-page anthology of Kolchak: The Night Stalker Chronicles, just in time for the new ABC tv series.

NBM have third volumes in their Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew OGN series, and they also have discounted two-pack collections of Marini Smolderson's Confessions of a Cereal Eater and Nabiel Kanan (the Birthday Riots and Lost Girl).

More Banana Sunday (#3) from Oni Press! Plus they debut Ted Naifeh's Polly & The Pirates, which will undoubtedly be worth reading when collected in a trade.

Pantheon have a hardcover colelction of Chris Ware miscellany in The ACME Novelty Library, and a hardcover collection of Charles Burns's masterful suburban horror story, Black Hole.

Amelia Rules #15 is resolicited from Renaissance Press.

The two new OEL manga from Seven Seas both look interesting: Captain Nemo by Jason DeAngelis & Aldin Viray is about a young Captain Nemo; and while Unearthly's premise is just like any number of high school romances with alien girls, it's written by Ted Naifeh (and drawn by Elmer Damaso) which means that it's definitely worth a look.

Speakeasy's new series Shotgun Wedding by Marc Bryant & Jason King looks like it could be interesting.

Thick as Thieves Productions has Zack Gardner's Xeric Award-winning Fauna

TokyoPop bing on the OEL manga with I Luv Halloween by Keith Giffen & Ben Roman; Svetlana Chmakova's love-at-the-anime-convention Dramacon; and Rivkah's Steady Beat--all of which look to be worthwhile. They also have an adaptation of the Square/Disney crossover video game Kingdom Hearts.

Top Shelf have a third Owly volume from Andy Runton: Flying Lessons. If you're not reading Owly, what's wrong with you? It's all-ages fun! They also have the second isse of Surrogates.

New from Viz is the Shojo Beat GN Socrates in Love, plus the latest volumes of Banana Fish (vol. 10) and Hikaru-no Go (vol. 5).

W. W. Norton pick up the Will Eisner Library with a massive hardcover collecting A Contract with God, A Life Force and Dropsie Avenue.

In the magazine section, the final issue of Wrapped in Plastic (#75) has a David Lynch interview.

In the books section, Neil Gaiman's long-awaited new novel Anansi Boys comes out; and Tom De Haven's It's Superman! A Novel has been getting great notices for its literary retelling of the classic Superman story in its original 30s milieu.


So much to buy, so little money. It'll be hard weeding the pre-orders this month. Best of luck!

New Library Comics: Week of July 11, 2005

Here are the comics we got in for our library collection last week:


Abel, Jessica. La Perdida. Seattle, WA : Fantagraphics Books, c2001- no. 5

Azad. A very Sammy day /Orange, CA : Image Comics, 2004.

Baudoin, Edmond, 1942- Piero /[Paris] : Seuil, c1998.

Bell, Gabrielle. Lucky /[San Francisco, Calif. : The Author, 2003?]- no. 1-3

Corman, Leela. Queen's day /Boston, MA : L. Corman, c1999.

Fred. Le mystère de la clairière des trois hiboux /Neuilly-sur-Seine [France] : Dargaud, c2003.

Fred. Y'a plus d'saison /Neuilly-sur-Seine [France] : Dargaud, c1978.

Hino, Hideshi, 1946- Hino horror /Tokyo : Cocoro Books, c2004- v. 1-13

Il velo di maya Marjane Satrapi o dell'ironia dell'Iran /Ravenna : Associazione Cultuale Mradam ; Lizard, [2003?]

Kosiak, Géraldine. Jours de pêche /Paris : Seuil, 2002.

L'important, c'est de participer! Paris : Cornelius, 2005.

Metaphrog. Louis : the clown's last words /Glasgow : Metaphrog, 2002.

Morrison, Grant. Seaguy /New York : DC Comics, c2005.

Schrag, Ariel. Likewise /San Jose, CA : SLG Publishing, 2002- no. 1-3

Sury, Caroline. Tourista dibujos : une compilation de carnets de voyage /[Marseille] : Le Dernier Cri, [2004]

Tsuge, Yoshiharu, 1934- L'homme sans talent /Angoulême : Ego comme x, c2003.

Willem. Anal symphonies /Paris : Éditions Cornélius, [1996]

Žeželj, Danijel. Caballo /[Zagreb] : Petikat, [2004]

Žeželj, Danijel. Small hands /[Zagreb] : Petikat, [2004]

Flytrap

As a rule I don't write reviews for works by friends, but I'm certainly not above promoting the heck out of the good comics that my friends do.

So when Steve Lieber offered to send along a copy of the new chapbook/mini comic that he and Sara Ryan did, I was more than happy to accept.

If the phrase "Steve Lieber & Sara Ryan have a new comic out" makes you joyous, then you've no doubt read their Eisner-nominated previous comic, Me and Edith Head. Flytrap looks to be a continuing (if irregularly published) series about Maddy, a PR specialist who loses her regular gig with an agency and ends up representing the independent Flytrap Circus. This first issue, "Juggling Act," introduces us to Maddy and sets up the situation. I enjoyed it and look forward to reading more.

It's 2 dollars (postpaid) for a fourteen page story with a cardstock cover, and well worth your while. You can order it directly from Steve via PayPal. (And while you're there you can grab some other great stuff from Steve and/or Sara too.)