Casanova v1 TPB

I have had Matt Fraction's Casanova: Luxuria for about a year or so. I have tried to read it a few times prior to this and just wasn't able to. The very beginning of it is kind of dense. What i understand now is that instead of getting confused and setting the book down, you just need to give it a few more pages. Don't stress out if you don't fully understand it as it starts out pretty fast and gets the confusing stuff out of the way pretty quickly. It quickly turns into a sort of joyride if you just go with it.

Casanova is another thing that I will call a love letter to comics. You really get a sense that Fraction just loves the hell out of comics in the way this is written (including the statement 'I love Comics' actually appearing in the book, but that isn't what I am talking about). You get a lot of fun comic conventions all over the place in this. Mad scientist, evil mastermind, super spy, robots, giant robot, time travel(time/space/dimensional travel), life model decoys, multiple earths, death that isn't final, psychic duels, advanced civilizations, and much more are packed into this story.

Casanova Quinn is the son of the leader of the big law enforcement organization E.M.P.I.R.E. His sister Zephyr is also a super spy/agent. After his sister is killed, Cass is pulled into another timeline where the Casanova there had been killed, and the Zephyr there had not. From that point he is enlisted by Newman Xeno to be a double agent, and to run missions for W.A.S.T.E. The AIM to EMPIRE's SHIELD. The missions are sometimes just piggybacked onto his EMPIRE missions, but are often counter to the objectives. He is constantly facing off against his sister and Xeno and other elements. When the volume ends he is in a good position to start anew, with a base of operations and a freshly assembled team.

It's a romp, a wild ride, it's a well done story with a lot of humor and a great deal of cleverness about it. The art is by Gabriel Ba and works very well with the story. If you've never read it, here is a link to a good CBR article on it that includes a preview of the entire first issue

Lucifer, the first 4 Trades

I think I have re-read most of the first volume of the Lucifer trade about five times. I have enjoyed it every time, but for some reason I have waited to read any further than that, even though I got the first three trades for my birthday a while back, and have had volumes 4 and 6 since last year (half priced trades at Heroes I think, and I still need to pick up v5.

In the past five days I have read the first four trades. This amounts to issues 1-28 of the comic. If I had the fifth volume right now, I wouldn't be writing this.

Lucifer is a spin off from Sandman. Lucifer was a character in certain storylines in Sandman, and one of the things that happened there was that he abdicated Hell, and had Dream, of the endless, cut his wings off. If you have read any Sandman at all, you know that not only is it very well written, but it is also a very dense and I would say fertile work. It is very thick with characters and worlds and possibilities. As you read Sandman, you get a feeling that all of those places existed outside of the storyline, that they were real things with their own histories and futures, and that

whatever we saw in the comic was just a glimpse. It is a very rich work in that regard. There are a lot of possibilities for stories that could be picked up and told. Some of them have been, and many have not. According to the introduction in volume 1, Lucifer is the character that Neil Gaiman most wanted to see 'spun off'. I think it was an ideal choice for that honor, and I think it is clear that Mike Carey really was the right person to do it.

The character of Lucifer is one that I think would be hard to write well. He is clever and sly, he is an individualist, as well as a being of great power. He is called the prince of lies, but as the comics make very clear, he keeps his word. His intellect and his cleverness are such that he seems to operate exclusively in the 'very big picture' view of things. You may think you have him at a disadvantage, but you can't be sure he hadn't already allowed for that, and built it into his plan before you even started to formulate yours. He is a master of negotiation, a master of the bluff, and he is always aware of the true rules that govern any situation. He also commands respect, and may not tolerate it when people don't know their place.

The beauty of this series is in the telling. When you are reading it, you are always seeing multiple angles. You are never perched on Lucifer's shoulder for very long, but you see the plot building through the points of view of a great number of supporting cast. Sometimes the supporting cast are recurring characters, and sometimes they are almost just incidental. In one, we see two unfortunate 'pilgrims' who happen into Lucifer's home uninvited, in another we get a wonderful story of a female centaur that was born in Lucifer's realm outside of creation. She sees the future and seeks to warn him as he is their creator.

My favorite character in the stories is Elaine Belloc. When we first see her she is a young girl whose friend was killed, only to remain her friend as a ghost. Elaine sees ghosts, and is able to call on the spirits of her Grandmothers to give her guidance. We learn a lot more about Elaine as the story goes on, and due to his saving her life and always being honest with her, she is considers Lucifer her friend.

Ultimately the stories relate to Lucifer's rebellion against heaven, and his desire to have a creation of his own where no-one bows down to anyone, and religion is the only thing that is truly forbidden. He makes a lot of enemies in the process, and their machinations are rolled into the story as well, creating a compelling and interesting series of stories and events.

I truly believe that this series is brilliantly done. I would say that it is every bit as good as Sandman, but I think it's standing as a byproduct of that series makes it hard say that. It's the flawless heir in my opinion, a very worthy offspring to a very good comic. It takes the character (and some of the supporting ones) and continues them in a way that just moves naturally from everything we saw about them in the first place.

I strongly recommend giving this a read if you haven't already. If you aren't a Sandman fan you should give it a read anyway. (If anything, just give Sandman: Season of the Mists a read before you start this).

Heartbreak Soup

I am not sure that I have given Gilbert Hernandez and his work the love they deserve. Since I first fell in love with Love and Rockets (in the mid to late 80's) it was more about Jaime and the Locas stories. I read a good bit of Palomar stuff, but I never REALLY read it. It could be argued that I did that with a lot of the Love and Rockets stuff I had in general, at first, anyway. I got the Locas hardcover when it came out a few years ago, but didn't pick up Palomar, and then felt stupid when it was no longer available. A few months ago I picked up the lovely 2007 Heartbreak Soup paperback. and last week I ordered the second volume that covers Palomar stuff, Human Diastrophism.

I think a lot of my dismissiveness in the past is probably due to a lack of maturity on my part. When I was first encountering this stuff I was maybe 17, and the punk edge of Maggie and Hopey appealed to me more than the goings on in a small town. Twenty-two years later I must have matured enough to appreciate it. I started reading it and could barely put it down until I finished. It was a good meaty read, and not something you could just speed through. It's about 285 pages of comics, and it is very dense with dialog and characters and intertwined plots. There are also very helpful little pronunciation guides at the bottoms of the pages that help with character names. I am ok with Spanish pronunciation, but still found it helpful.

In this volume there isn't really a single theme, a single steady plot that drives the volume, etc. We get a good number of individual stories that all exist in the same basic setting, using some amount of the same characters at various points in their lives. It really functions as a window on a small town in Mexico and focuses on the lives, loves, heartbreaks and triumphs of the people that live there. I was trying to think of something that it brings to mind, and I guess two things really struck me as being evoked in the stories. The first is the Eisner's Contract With God Trilogy, and how it really highlights a location as the central focus and we see the world that revolves around that spot, and the people that come and go. The other is the Andy Griffith Show. Palomar could be Mayberry. Both are filled with characters you might find in any small town, and both, despite their size and distance from a big city will not tolerate being made to look like bumpkins or let their 'simple country nature' be taken advantage of.

Gilbert's art is a masterwork of cartooning skill. Palomar comes across as a fully populated, 'living' town. Every character is distinct. Every character shows a real range of feelings and emotions. Faces are expressive, but body language is also clearly communicated through the art. If there is one place that I personally believe he excels the most, it would be in his portrayal of children. The stories are filled with children. If not in the foreground, then in the background. They are delightfully, and perfectly portrayed. There is that sense that kids can be kids regardless of where you put them, or what situation they might be in. I just found them to be real.

I can't speak highly enough of this. If somehow you have made it this far in your life and you haven't given this a read, then you owe it to yourself. The paperback is 14.95 and can be picked up online for less. I can't imagine that anyone has captured the human condition any better than this. The stories are sweet and sad and sometimes optimistic, and sometimes not. It's a lot like life, only with better writing and art.

CBD 08/26/2009 - a really good week for #comics

Invincible Presents Atom Eve, Detective Comics, Batman & Robin, Wednesday Comics, Shazam

Billy Batson and the Magic of Shazam #7 - I am pretty sure I asked my LCS to cancel this for me, but I am pretty happy they ignored me. Each time I see it in my stack, I can't bring myself to not get it. This issue may be the best in the series so far. It just has everything going for it. It is fun and has real plot and action and humor in it. The art is very good, and the overall style just works for the sort of comic it is. I think this is a kids comic that embraces that fact and at no point talks down, or has any other agenda than to tell a good story and entertain. Dr. Sivana is at his evil genius best in this. I sometimes think Baltazar and Franco should just write every kids comic. Byron Vaughns art is also just perfect.

Batman and Robin #3 - This series, despite the lack of Bruce Wayne as Batman, is probably my favorite Batman treatment in a long time. It has the true spirit of Batman and Robin in it, but also the dynamic of trying to fill big shoes, and a sort of reluctant partnership. We know what Dick Grayson can do, but being Batman is another thing entirely. This issue continues with the two main characters not working together. You know they should be, but they aren't. It ends with a better understanding of why the partnership is important. The story continued to be really creepy and edgy, without being too far over the edge.

Detective Comics #856 - JH Williams makes this title worth getting even if they stopped putting any words in it. The layouts are every bit as lovely as the art itself. The writing in this is no slouch either. I've seen reviews that speak a bit critically, but I just don't see where anything is being done wrong in this title. Developments in this issue ramp things up even more, and I am excited about how this is going. We get to see a little bit more of Kate as a person in this one, and it is very well done. I think Rucka is portraying his characters as real and fairly rounded people. We have a main character who is a lesbian, but I don't think we are getting just a caricature or a stereotype or worse, a school boy fantasy, we are getting a complex character. I know this is another Alice in Wonderland themed villain, but I don't have any issue with it, and kind of love it, regardless. I am loving this so far.

Wednesday Comics #8 - I will be really sad when this is over.

Kamandi - still the prettiest thing ever.

Adam Strange - Very well done, still liking it more than I want to

Wonder Woman - Still not trying to read it yet

Green Lantern - I do a shot every time he says Dill. I thought this week was better than most. Green Lantern is in it and there is something happening.

Flash - still a solid story.

Teen Titans - Maybe the best week for this. Still should be way better, but I do want to love Galloway's art.

Supergirl - Honestly, I think it's humor and awesomely cute art make this one of the best entries in a field of strong entries.

SGT Rock - I like the art a lot, but the story is a bit underwhelming so far

Superman - I like the art and the scale of this, but it is pretty slow moving. I don't hate it though

Demon/Catwoman - I LOVE this this week. Maybe it's picking up. I want to like this, and haven't really until now.

Metal Men - Not a big fan of them, but I liked this week, and may enjoy the rest of it

Metamorpho - This is another lazy writer installment. Instead of a game board we get a periodic table... part one of two...

Deadman - I am really enjoying this. The art and writing pair perfectly. It's fun stuff.

Batman - still solid

Hawkman - Still pretty crazy good. I am not a fan of everything Baker does, but I like this

Invincible Presents Atom Eve (collected edition) - I picked this up when it came out as a two issue... series of two issues. I like this format better. I like the heavy cover and having the whole story in one piece. Definitely pick this up, especially if you didn't read it yet. You do NOT need to be a regular reader of Invincible to appreciate this. This is good comics. I swear I got a lot more out of this by reading it again. It is very funny and very well well written. The art is also well done and very expressive. This story also has a pretty sad element to it, and that is done very well, balanced nicely with the humor. Benito Cereno and Nate Bellegarde are talents very much deserving of recognition. Look for their upcoming continuation of Eve's story in the Atom Eve and Rex Splode mini series coming out in October, and Hector Plasm: Totentanz coming in November. Benito is also going to be writing the new ongoing series for The Tick which starts in November as well.

Zuda - August competition - Vote Rogue Royal

As is true every month, there is are a lot of great entries in the competition this month. My vote this month goes to Rogue Royal. It is a comic Sci-Fi space adventure strip, and it is awesome. The art is cute and stylish and fun. The strip is extremely funny and well done. The first 8 pages introduce us to our heroine, Ember Zeram, Space Princess, and how she acquires her weapons. Go check it out, and vote for it if you like it. I recommend reading all the entries, but this one gets my vote

CBD 08/19/2009

Wednesday Comics, Tiny Titans, Atomic Robo Shadow From Beyond Time

This week I also picked up Empowered V5. I am not including a picture. But if I did, it would double the number of hits I get here. I haven't read it yet, but I had meant to pick it up for a while, and they were out of my first choice which was Planetary V1.

Wednesday Comics - Another good, enjoyable issue. Notable this week: Metamorpho isn't a cop out writing-wise, and Green Lantern appears in more than one panel of the Green Lantern strip. Kamandi continues to look like a frame-worthy homage to classic newspaper strips. Supergirl gets another extremely funny and cute page with Aquaman, Deadman is also striking this week in it's full page layout, and looks sort of like Eisner designed a page and had Kirby draw it. Strange Adventures and Hawkman continue to be very good comics. I think they should make this year round and sell it for 2.50. That would be a comics revolution. Do it in X #week runs, and switch up at the end of each run while continuing to focus on Art and design coupled with good writing and 'classic comic strip' sensibilities.

Atomic Robo Shadow From Beyond Time #4 - If Atomic Robo is on the cover, it's like a written guarantee that you will enjoy the contents. That isn't hyperbole. Even taken out of context with the series it is in, I have not read an issue yet that didn't make me laugh, and didn't leave me feeling satisfied about how I spent my comics dollar. That isn't hyperbole either. It may actually be understatement. This series moves through time, making each issue like it's own separate thing, even though all of them contribute to the whole. The best part of this one is Carl Sagan as a kickass Rambo... of SCIENCE.

Tiny Titans #19 - This is another sure thing for me. It is sweet and nice and fun. It is geared toward young kids, but makes me smile as much at 40 as it would have when I was a little kid. My daughters routinely read this before I get my hands on it, and enjoy it at ages 10 and 15 too. at $2.50 it's perfectly priced as well. This issue focuses on friendships, and highlights Bumblebee and Plasmus, as well as Monsieur Mallah and the Brain. Lovely stuff as always.

Age of Bronze: Betrayal, Part One

I picked up the hardcover of this Eric Shanower comic at the library a few days ago because I wanted to finally give Age of Broze a read. I had picked it up a few times and was scared off by how dense it seemed, and the historical aspect of it, even though I am a big fan of mythology(Greek and otherwise) and generally like things about ancient civilizations and the warfare of those times.

I was at the library and resolved to give some things a chance that I had avoided in the past for whatever reason. I am sort of running out of things I haven't read from the comics collection at my local branch and figure that I should broaden my scope even more than I already have. I borrowed this book, as well as a Star Wars graphic novel, Ranma 1/2 , 2 Justice League themed audio books on CD, and a Cartoon History of the Universe.

What I didn't realize at the time is that I sort of had the wrong book in my hands, and had picked up not Age of Bronze #1, but Age of Bronze Betrayal #1. I still want to pick up the initial stories, but my lack of background on this was no barrier to enjoying it.

Age of Bronze Betrayal starts with the Trojans and the Achaeans on more than just the Brink of war. All the gears are in motion, and preparations on both sides are in full force. We get a very good 'story so far' recap and detailed maps to help make sense of everything that's happening. It helps a lot, especially since I haven't read the previous installments. This is apparently part 3 of 7, but again, It is a great read on it's own. It reads like a history, but it is shown in a way that keeps the humor and drama and intrigue at the forefront. There are a TON of heavy hitter type characters, and all are dealt with as individuals. I think this might be the best format for this sort of story.

The art is clean and beautiful, and even though the story contains at least a hundred dark haired guys with beards, all of the characters become easily identifiable as you get farther into the book. It was engrossing and compelling and made me keep my eyes on it until I had finished reading it. It's an excellenty done historical fiction account of the Trojan War. I recommend it if you like any of the sort of elements that it is composed of.