Scarlett's Stuff

I always read these books together. They may still just be leading into their crossover storyline but they’ve been unofficially intertwined since issue #1. Also, they’re two of the best series going right now. Creepy, unsettling, intense imagery and great stories.

ANIMAL MAN #0
Written by JEFF LEMIRE
Art and cover by STEVE PUGH
On sale SEPTEMBER 5 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T+
• What is the secret history of Animal Man?
• Learn how Buddy got his powers!
• Plus: A terrible secret is revealed as “Rotworld” draws closer!

SWAMP THING #0
Written by SCOTT SNYDER
Art by KANO
Cover by YANICK PAQUETTE
On sale SEPTEMBER 5 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T+
• The mysteries of Alec Holland and Anton Arcane revealed!
• Throughout history, Arcane has slaughtered the champions of the Red and the Green, and only Alec has escaped death – but for how much longer?

Top Ten Comics on my Pull List in No Particular Order

7. Swamp Thing / Animal Man

Did I just cheat and put two titles in one entry? Yes. Yes, I did.

Did they cheat and totally tie their two books together long before their upcoming crossover? Yes. Yes, they did.

If you’re not reading both books then there’s no reason to have thought that they had anything to do with one another until a brief line in their latest issues. If you have been reading both, however, then you’ll have seen this shared villain and looming threat as something that would simply have to draw them inexorably together. And, if you follow their Twitter accounts, then you’ll have seen their adorable (occasionally drunken) flail about getting to crossover these stories.

Animal Man has been an amazingly powerful horror story. Creepy, disturbing, art that unsettles, and a plot that makes you uneasy. Swamp Thing has been doing that wonderful slow-build thing that Snyder does so well. He just builds a story layer by layer. It’s a pleasure to watch unfold.

Both are excellent.

January 2012 - DC Comics Solicit Covers - 6 Comics in the DCnU’s Supernatural World

I love the cover of “The Shade #4” by Tony Harris. The retro dime-store novel style is just done perfectly. I love the concept and the execution of it. Everything has a dated feel to it and the woman bursting through the page intrigues me. It’s a great cover.

I love the Batsignal in the background of the cover for “I, Vampire #5” by Jenny Frison. The distance of it works perfectly to both root the character firmly the the DC universe and in a recognizable environment like Gotham, but it’s also far off enough to make these feel very separate from the goings on in the traditional superhero books. I love the boarder art and the creepy collection of skulls along the bottom of the page.

Fuck. The “Animal Man #5” cover by Travel Foreman is like something out of a nightmare. All his covers on this series have been disturbing at set the perfect tone for this really creepy horror book. I don’t quite think I’ve seen anything that gross within the pages of the Walking Dead yet.

Ryan Sook’s bright colors and clean lines on his cover to “DC Universe Presents #5” still manage to convey a creepy element. I might not need my blankie & my mommy the way I do after looking at the cover to Animal Man but it’s definitely got an unsettling vibe. It’s also just really interestingly drawn.

“Resurrection Man #5” by Ivan Reis & Joe Prado is probably the best cover that series has had yet. The image is interesting and the art and colors are really well done. I love the light streaming through her wings. There’s a lot of interesting detail on this cover.

Last but not least is the cover to “Swamp Thing #5” by Yanick Paquette. I don’t think I’ve ever wanted to look at a big, green plant monster more. The creepy, disturbing and monstrous force that’s invading Swamp Thing’s story has definitely invaded its cover and it’s just… icky. Which is exactly what they seem to be going for… so, well done.

MY COMICS FOR THE WEEK OF OCTOBER 5th

Action Comics #2: Superman called Lois “Miss Lane.” Superman calling Lois “Miss Lane” is quite possibly one of my favorite things ever and always. Other things happened in this issue though, that I’m sure most readers would find far more significant. I think we got a lot of story and a lot of hints as to where the story is going. Definitely one of my favorite books of the relaunch.

Animal Man #2: I’m gonna need my mommy and a blankie if this keeps up. This book is so fucking creepy - and I love it. The way the family is written is my favorite thing though. They feel real in the midst of all the horror which always makes it just a bit scarier.

Batwing #2: The art! Ben Oliver is drawing this book so amazingly. It’s right up there with Batwoman for having my favorite art in any book DC’s putting out right now. The man somehow manages to beautifully draw some of the most gruesome, violent scenes. The story is still really compelling and building on what issue one brought. It remains a really pleasant surprise. A character that’s practically brand new has one of my favorite titles right now.

Detective Comics #2: Some charming man showing up in Bruce’s office and stripping down to work up a sweat with the billionaire playboy sure ain’t a bad way to start a comic. The rest of what follows is a pretty good comic with some creepy villains and the looming where-the-fuck-is-the-Joker factor. Bruce is also, apparently, doing that thing where he’s trying to have a semi-normal relationship with someone. This time a television reporter. I liked the art as well. Tony Daniel is doing great with the double duty of writing and drawing this book.

Green Arrow #2: I’d actually liked JT Krul’s run on Green Arrow before the relaunch but I can’t say I feel the same this time around. I don’t care about the villains. Ollie’s team doesn’t interest me. The Q-Core angle could have been kind of interesting but right now just feels like it’s nothing but meetings that he skips out on. I’d probably have dropped this one but next month teases Black Canary and what can I say, I’m curious to see them together. And it’s a new writing team come issue four so I’m hanging in there for at least two more months.

Huntress #1: The new Huntress mini-series has some really good art. I think the book looks solid. The story itself feels kind of generic so far. A little: insert crime into Tab A; insert hero into Slot B. But it’s definitely not bad. And it is just the start. I think there’s room for the story to take off and I’ve basically enjoyed what I’ve seen so far.

Static Shock #2: There was a very sweet little tribute to Dwane McDuffie in it that brought a smile to my face. The rest, however, ended up being pretty disappointing. I’d liked issue one more than this and I hadn’t even really been sold on it then either. The entire thing is narrated and exposition’d to death. The characters’ dialog sometimes literally explains what they are doing while we can clearly see them doing it. And the art has kind of slipped a bit in quality from issue one. Sadly, I think this book is going to be joining “Batman: The Dark Knight” on my removed-from-pull-list list.

Stormwatch #2: It’s good but a bit crowded. There’s a lot of characters in the book and a LOT of stuff is happening. It makes it a bit chaotic and hard to get much time with each character. The characters are all interesting to me though. The story is ridiculous and over-the-top but in the best of ways. I think this one will be worth coming back to from month to month for the larger story. I’m going to need some quality Apollo & Midnighter time sooner, rather than later, though.

Swamp Thing #2: I liked this issue way more than issue one. This really feels like things are taking off and the story is going full steam ahead now. The art is great. And we’re able to get caught up on the history of this character and what the current plot is with a really creepy and compelling exchange between, well, the Swamp Thing and the Swamp Thing. Snyder’s a great storyteller and I can’t wait to see where he takes this.

My Comics for the Week of September 7, 2011.

Easily one of the best stacks of comics I’ve picked up from the store in a while. Not a bad one in the bunch and they ranged from good to really good to great to asdfghjklasdfhjla;dsfkjd.

Action Comics #1 was everything I wanted in a reintroduction of Superman. It’s very much him finding out who “Superman” is going to be and who he wants to be. You can see he’s making up what a superhero is going to mean as he goes along. He’s a little angrier and a little more vulnerable at this stage. But he’s also still easily wowed by, and this just made the whole book for me, the strength and courage of the average person. He stands up for the little guy and the poor and is a hero of the people again - in a way that maybe that whole Grounded arc that took up a year of Superman’s book last year wished it could be. Morrison does in one issue what JMS never really accomplished in a year of plodding plots. All the characters are here and present and are themselves… but they’re also all fresh and new and we don’t entirely know what’s coming next. And as a huge Superman fan, that’s really exciting.

Animal Man #1 starts off with a lot of bright, simple, clean art that (based on that cover) isn’t quite what I was expecting… and then it takes a turn into wanting my blankie and a nightlight. The book is simultaneously a very down to earth regular guy, regular family story and a creepy, unsettling horror book. It’s basically awesome.

Batgirl #1 has a lot of great character stuff to it. I liked seeing the establishment of Barbara Gordon’s new status quo. I liked meeting her roommate. I am definitely kind of having to readjust to this younger version of the the character. I’m used to Babs as a lot more experienced and in charge, rather than being a bit younger. The uncertainty does work though, as she’s been out of the role as Batgirl for a while and it is taking her a bit to get used to it again. The new villain seems creepy and Hughes’ covers own my heart.

Batwing #1 was such a great surprise. One of the really new characters of this whole relaunch got off to an amazing start. This book has, hands down, the best art of any of the new 52 that I’ve seen so far. It manages to introduce a supporting cast that I’m intrigued by without feeling like the introductions were shoehorned in. (Kia Okuru left an impression and I like her quite a bit.) There’s an interesting mystery left to unfold, a hell of a cliffhanger and GAH, did I mention the art? Cause applause to Mr Ben Oliver for that.

Detective Comics #1 was exactly the right kind of story to reintroduce the Bruce-as-Batman story to this relaunch. It’s was exactly the kind of classic Batman vs. the Joker story that gives you the who, what, when and where of Batman in the new DC universe. When I was reading it, all I was focused on was the plot, the case, the villains, the action and the story. Looking back on it, I’m surprised at how much exposition we got in this story too. It gives you a great sense of the State of the Batman Universe while creeping you the fuck out with one hell of a disturbing Joker story.

Green Arrow #1 was a solid book that introduced us to the new Green Arrow status quo. I wasn’t quite as blown away as I was by some of the other books but that’s not at all an insult. This was still a good issue. I think I just want to see a little more of it before it sucks me in. I’m not quite feeling the supporting cast just yet and I think their intros are that’s the only thing holding me back from really grabbing onto the story. I’m still glad I bought it and am still looking forward to the next issue.

Static Shock #1 did a good job of introducing a teen superhero living in New York that made his family life feel genuine and his super-life feel exciting. Pleasantly surprised to find the art pretty decent… considering I’m not much of a fan of the artist from the stuff I know him from, that was a relief.

Stormwatch #1 was a lot of fun. I love, love, love that we’re going to see the Apollo/Midnighter relationship unfold from the beginning. Much like with Lois & Clark, by the time I came to comics all of that courtship and whatnot was already in the past and everything was long since established. I really liked the new characters they introduced, like The Projectionist. Her Google-like powers were fun and filled with fandom goodies. I love the abstract nature of the characters names and powers. This book seems fun and exciting and the art is far better inside then the covers would have you believe.

Swamp Thing #1 relied a little bit more than I would have liked on history and external characters to get things going but I still liked it quite a bit. I have a feeling I’m going to like issue two a lot more than I liked issue one just because it will probably focus more on Swamp Thing and Alec rather than having the distraction of another visiting character in the book. That said, the art, dialog, story and tone were all good and I’m hooked for issue two for sure.

I also read two of the books my roommate picked up:

Hawk and Dove #1 set up a good bit of mystery yet to unfold and I’ve already got my theories as to what Dawn’s secret may be. All I hear about is how horrible Liefeld’s art is and I seriously don’t get it. Like… he’s not great or anything. I’m not twirling in a field, clutching his art to my bosom and singing his praises but I’ve definitely seen worse. I liked this one. Solid first issue.

Justice League International #1 had an excellent “building the team” scene. I’m a total sucker for a let’s-put-a-team-together scene. So that will always be something I enjoy. I like Booster’s characterization so far. He’s still got that PR-hungry, bit of a joke to others quality but also has a lot of actual skill to back up his selection as team leader. I enjoyed it. But with any larger team book that relies heavily on the personalities of those involved, it will only improve with time as the characters get to know one another and form relationships.

These are the four covers for the monster/horror comics coming out in November.

When reading the announcements for the books coming out in the new 52, I certainly didn’t expect Frankenstein to be bringing it with the cover art month after month. But low and behold who’s sitting in my favorite spot this month. Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E. #3 (by J.G. Jones) is a really gorgeous piece of art. The clear, sharp detail in every inch of this cover is just awesome. I love the colors. I love everything about this cover.

Second favorite of the bunch would go to Swamp Thing #3 (by Yanick Paquette). The effect of the woman shooting him and it looking like grass clippings spraying from a lawn mower is really cool. I love the creepy, symmetrical boarder edging the bottom of the cover, possibly representing the encroaching “forces of decay” the solicits mention.

Third on the list would be I, Vampire #3 (by Jenny Frison). It’s a very soft, pretty cover when it comes to the muted colors and shading, the frame around the image. Of course the image itself is an axe chopping into a vampire’s torso. So there’s definitely a contrast there. I don’t like it quite as much as the cover for issue #2. This one reminds me a little too strongly of the artist’s covers for “Angel” but it’s still a nice cover.

I’m not quite sure what the end result of looking at all the covers for Animal Man is going to be but there’s a good chance I’m going to be physically ill at some point. Animal Man #3 (by Travel Foreman) is my least favorite cover of these four but if the artist is going for unsettling (and I hope he’s not going for sweet and cuddly) then he sure as hell is accomplishing his goal. Can Buddy maybe absorb some pretty butterfly powers next? A puppy? A bunny? An angry bunny? And suddenly I’m imagining this artist doing a rendition of Frank the Rabbit from “Donnie Darko” and I’m never coming out from under my covers again.

These are November solicits for the monster/horror comics.

Animal Man #3 (written by Jeff Lemire): Maxine and Buddy swim to the heart of the Life Web and come face to face with the Totems…caretakers of the Red. But before they can get answers, the Hunters Three attack. Meanwhile, Ellen and Cliff fight for their lives back home. The Hunt heats up!

Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E. #3 (written by Jeff Lemire): Frankenstein and The Creature Commandos crash-land on the invading alien planetoid and all-out mayhem ensues, but nothing can prepare them for the coming of The Titans of Monster Planet! And just when they thought things couldn’t get worse, Father Time receives a troubling message from his past.

I, Vampire #3 (written by Joshua Hale Fialkov): Across the country, bodies litter the streets as the Queen of Blood builds her army. A weakened Andrew must seek the aid of an old ally, but the game of death has a new wild card who may help Andrew tip the balance of power – or decapitate him.

Swamp Thing #3 (written by Scott Snyder): The forces of decay are summoning their servants, and the Green alone cannot protect Alec Holland – but one woman can! Alec may not know her, but he should! And only he can help her before the darkness finds its key to spreading across the world unchecked. But unfortunately for Alec’s mysterious benefactor, that “key” is part of the family… 

These are the four covers for the monster/horror comics coming out in October.

This is a really excellent and unique group of covers (as befits their very twisted titles) and it was hard choosing my favorite among them. In the end I think I have to give it up to both the art and concept behind Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E. #2 (by J.G. Jones). If all this cover had consisted of was the very detailed portrait of Frankenstein, then I think it could have been a favorite anyway. The art is excellent. The shadows and light playing across every detailed line is really well done. Having his entire team coming out of the top of his head, so well rendered, is like a monster-cherry on top.

My second favorite cover belongs to Swamp Thing #2 (by Yanick Paquette). I love everything here. The symmetrical boarder around the bottom of the book with the little flourishes. The green leaf back drop. And the twist on the classic creature-carrying-away-his-bride imagery as the Swamp Thing attempts to claim his human host. I think it’s an interesting and beautiful cover. It’ll be brutal that they have to put a barcode on this thing eventually.

Third favorite cover belongs to I, Vampire #2 (by Jenny Frison). A quick glance and all you notice is a sexy vampire walking out a door. A second glance lets your eyes drift to the walls, the floor, the door. The bloody rag and scratches through the blood and wallpaper. I love the inset portrait of the other vampire with the almost old fashioned detail around it.

Fourth favorite goes to Animal Man #2 (by Travel Foreman). That is just a huge glob of horror and ick up there and it’s impressive on a level that most imaginary monsters could only have nightmares about. It is very gross and I want Buddy and his kid to run real fast… so I think that’s a mission accomplished for what the artist intended.

These are October solicits for the monster/horror comics.