After witnessing the demise of most of her StormWatch teammates, Jenny Sparks wants to create a new super hero team dedicated to protecting Earth against threats of a global scale. Joined by former StormWatch members Jack Hawksmoor and Shen Li-Min, Jenny recruits four new members, the Doctor, the Engineer, Apollo, and the Midnighter forming the ultra-powerful Authority. Collected in this edition are their first two missions, battling a nation of super-powered terrorists and stopping an invasion from a parallel world.

• Written by Warren Ellis
• Art by Bryan Hitch and Paul Neary
• 192 pages
• Color
• Softcover
• $17.95 US
• DC / Wildstorm
• ISBN 1563896613
• Order online: Amazon, AbeBooks
  

This is 192 pages of action, non-stop.  We’re treated to two full storylines while introducing us to a superhero group unlike others, at least for 1999 when this volume was first published.

This is a globally spanning team with outrageously powerful members working inter-dimensionally.  I hate to draw parallels but it’s Wildstorm’s Fantastic Four but with a lot more ass kicking.  First assignment is to battle a nation of super-powered beings; along the way we learn about each team member in a slick and easily digestible manner.  No wasted talking head pages of flashbacks get in the way of superb storytelling, solid dialogue and an overall riveting tale.

We’re not complicated by gray areas and emotions: the bad guys are distinctly evil and The Authority does what’s needed to bring them down.  Read the two pages above and you know that Gamorra needs to be crushed: a nation “built on terrorism” and “a wolf in a world of sheep”.

Let you felt that wasn’t large enough is scope the second storyline deals with a planetary attack from another dimension by an alien British Empire.  More great characters and engrossing story.

Another layer is added to the cast as their backgrounds are revealed amongst their latest threat.  Massive battles and individual fist fights: The Authority is all about action and delivers it page after page.  It’s a standout book that every fan of team comics should read.

Originally published at Comic Book Daily.

Triumph and tragedy are the name of the game in this 192-page trade paperback reprinting CATWOMAN #12-19, plus the 6-page Black Mask story from CATWOMAN Secret Files #1! Catwoman has crossed the Black Mask — now he’s making her pay!

• Written by Ed Brubaker
• Art by Cameron Stewart & Javier Pulido
• Cover by J.G. Jones
• 192 pages
• Color
• Softcover
• $19.95 US
• ISBN 1401202187
• Order online: Amazon, AbeBooks

I can’t believe how solid this book is.  This is a team book with a solo title, as Catwoman shares the stage with her on and off again boyfriend Slam Bradley, the toughest private eye I know.  Plus Selina Kyle out of her costume looks after Holly in an older sister type role.  Fighting crime, hard-boiled action and tough relationships provide a solid and slightly dark world.  Kyle tries to get out into the sun and build something good but gets thrown back into the shadows.  It’s classic Brubaker, or possibly just Brubaker getting into gear since these stories were first published in 2003.

It’s light, funny, dark, moody, brooding, violent and touching all within a few pages.  Stewart gives wonderful expression to the characters and solid storytelling through the varied panel sizes.  Gotta love the old costume flashback.

And then Pulido gives something even more stripped down.  It’s an abrupt change but it looks great.  Real life moments of love and uncertainty, plus Catwoman kicking ass.  Not sure why he thought Slam should look like Robert Mitchum but it works, and I can see this as a film noire.  Maybe Ava Gardner as Selina; she’d do the costume justice.

Yes this book was published in 2005 and seems to be out of print but there are lots of copies on Amazon for cheap.

Originally published at Comic Book Daily.

A formidable group of mercenaries accept a secret mission for the Empress of the Byzantine Empire. Their skills, wills and courage are fully tested as they search for a legendary treasure hidden in the heart of the ancient underworld. Highly recommended for fans of CONAN THE BARBARIAN and RED SONJA.

• Philippe Thirault (Writer)
• Christian Højgaard (Line art)
• Drazen Kovacevic (Line art)
• Roman Surzhenko (Line art)
• Color Trade Paperback
• 196 pages
• 7.5 x 10.25 inches
• ISBN 9781594650253
• USD 19.95
• Order online: Amazon

I’m not sure where the recommendations are coming from but I can’t say they help.  This is an exciting adventure tale based historically in the 6th century but embellished with magic and mysticism.  Originally published as L’Enfer, four issues with three different artists but collected in English as one volume.

A group of mercenaries are reunited to claim a prize.  Lots of cinematic feel to it as we visit each in their current state and they get the call to gather again; reminded me of Silverado.  Over its 196 pages we get a full feel for each character, their motivation and interpersonal relationships with the rest of the team.  Real character development and exploration.  Dialogue is heavy enough to propel the character development but it’s no talking head book.  There’s a lot of action: this is a buddy action story at its heart.

The story is solid, right until the ending where it seemed to veer off.  We’re fed text when needed but Thirault also lets the artists develop the story through their panels.  Unfortunately we have four artists telling the story as Højgaard dropped out after the first two issues of the original series.  The pages displayed are his and I found his style to be my favourite.  The others don’t vary wildly away from this classic European style but it is apparent.

This is a solid lost in time tale of magic and swordplay set in real places with a quasi-historical background.  Fast paced action story, quality dialogue and overall enjoyment make The Hounds Of Hell a great take on “getting the band back together”.  No extras included but it’s a great value.

First published at Comic Book Daily.

This project was put together by Byron Preiss, the leader of graphic novel production during the 1970s and 80s.  He provides a wonderful forward that defines what a visual novel meant to himself and the creators, Samuel Delany and Howard Chaykin.

Not a graphic adaptation but a science fiction novel written expressly for this new medium.  Chaykin handles the art as fully painted scenes reminiscent more of Hal Foster’s Prince Valiant than any comic books of the day.  The dust jacket states “over 300 full-color illustrations”, promoting this work to book readers in general and not comic collectors.

In its 9.25×12.5″ glory Empire was offered as a softcover, a hardcover and a limited signed hardcover edition.  It appears one had to order the limited edition directly from Berkley Books for $24.95.  I was fortunate to pick up the limited signed edition on eBay in 2003 for #39.95.  Currently signed editions go for around $75; all seem to have some dust jacket wear.  The interior pages are thick stock but the dust jacket is a thin paper that doesn’t seem to stand up to the test of time.

No illustrated signature plate, just this page indicating 1500 copies and the signatures of the creators.

Empire is an important work as the first visual novel and true graphic novel, making it a must have for all.

Empire
Berkley / Putnam, 1978, ISBN 399-12245-1 (hardcover)

First published at Comic Book Daily.

Fallen king Elias is on a quest to reclaim the face that was stolen from him by the mighty sorcerer Melchior. With the help of an unlikely gang, of all fantastical shapes and sizes, and amidst magic both good and evil, Elias The Cursed will attempt to save his face, and perhaps his soul.

• May 2011
• Humanoids Inc.
• Trade Paperback
• 168 pages
• 7.5 x 10.25 inches
• Color
• ISBN 9781594650239
• USD 19.95
• Order online: Amazon

I was really on the fence about this book since all I knew about it was the blurb and cover image.  I decided not to order it but then it shipped and I asked my local comic shop to order me a copy; it turned out to be an excellent decision.

It’s an interesting story: a world conqueror is bent on destroying all magicians through the use of an ancient card game that casts magic spells when the card is recited in its ancient tongue.  He falls to a magician and has his face stolen; from there bent on revenge and getting back what’s his.  Along the way he forms an odd band of characters and action ensues; it’s not a new plot by any means but the manner it’s presented makes it fresh and appealing.  Corgiat gives us characters and dialogue that connect with the reader and propel us and the story along.

Mastantuono has a style that reminded me of Adam Kubert, in a good way, in the lines of the characters and their expressions.  In fact there are many panels of faces and dialogue that are extremely engaging yet it never feels like we’re losing out on the action.  It’s a fantasy tale so there was lots of opportunity for unique designs and he rose to the challenge and delivered an engaging world filled with dramatic and expressive characters.  Some interesting page layouts with panels on top of full-page illustrations, like he had too much art for the book.  I’m hoping for more Mastanuono works in English; this work ends with a big invitation for a sequel.

Elias The Cursed is a solid graphic novel that tells a great fantasy story full of great characters and great imagery.  At $20 for 168 pages it’s a bargain.  For extras the original series’ three covers are included: two at the back and one as a break in the story.  I don’t know why they didn’t go ahead and great the story into three parts then as it originally appeared.

First published at Comic Book Daily.

All that remains of a prosperous, warm planet destroyed by the madness of its inhabitants many years ago…A living piece of metal, adrift in the cosmos, howling in its infinite sorrow…Sometimes, crossing the sky of one of the countless inhabited planets, it shares its sorrow with a conscious being…

Alexandro Jodorowsky, collaborating here with an international panoply of artists, steps up to the challenge of the short graphic novel story format.

• May 2011
• Humanoids Inc.
• Deluxe Hardcover
• 124 pages
• 6.625 x 10.25 inches
• Color
• ISBN 9781594650215
• USD 24.95
• Order online: Amazon

I have to admit that I ordered this book sight unseen based on the artists mentioned.  This is almost always a bad thing, since art is very subjective and I like to have a “thumbing” through any book before I commit cash.  In my defense Humanoids doesn’t show interior pages, or much else, on its website or send out preview copies for reviews.

What we have here is a collection of eleven short stories written by Jodorowsky and drawn by eleven different artists, all for Metal Hurlant, the original and French version of Heavy Metal.  We’re given a nice two page introduction by the author with some background about the project.  It’s dated 2006 so I’m guessing this first appeared as a French collection that year.

Before each tale Jodorowsky gives some background on the story or artist; it gets a little weird as we learn a lot about his take on life.  The stories are unique and entertaining with lots of thought provocation.  They all end on a down beat so don’t look for upliftment here, just solid storytelling.  With short stories you have little space to provide the framework but Jodorowsky gets it done mostly; there are some standouts that I thoroughly enjoyed and others that didn’t do anything for me.  They were published over a two year period so the author gets into a groove and I did enjoy the later tales, although they’re not in chronological order in the book.

Art is all over the place with seven unique styles: each was well done and presented the story in a compelling manner.  As I said earlier I picked Screaming Planet up based on artists I recognized like Adi Granov, Ladronn and J.H. Williams III.  While I enjoyed their stories those unknown to me were exceptional, like Igor Baranko, Jerome Opena and Carlos Meglia.  Every short story is fantasy or science fiction but they are each unique and captivating.

No extras included other than the introduction.  This is a standard comic sized hardcover, a real break from form for Humanoids.  At $25 for 124 pages it’s a bit of a stretch for the budget but it hits the spot if you’re looking for something different.  See if you can catch the grammatical error on the last page.

First published at Comic Book Daily.

Cartoonist Saverio Tenuta writes and paints a twisted tale of a masterless Samurai named Raido searching for clues to his bloody past in a feudal Japan ruled by spirits and beasts. Highly recommended for fans of Samura’s BLADE OF THE IMMORTAL, Koike/Kojima’s LONE WOLF & CUB, and HEAVY METAL magazine.

I don’t read a lot of manga so Humanoids recommendation had little effect on me.  Tenuta has crafted a wonderful Japanese samurai myth tale that keeps one interested.  Like all great stories we have a down and out hero, varied love interests, revenge, hope and despair.  Wrapped around that is the world of mythological feudal Japan, presenting that sparkle to the story.

The characters and dialogue were engrossing and well-developed.  Any translated work loses some nuance but the dialogue flowed smoothly.

What makes this a standout graphic novel is the stunning art, painted by Tenuta.  Every page jumps out at you with its bold use of colour.  Again the myth or magical elements allow for fantastical characters; unique and captivating.  It’s a joy to turn the page and see what lies ahead.  The art feels to me very Asian: it suits the story perfectly and entices those of us who don’t read manga.

This is a solid value at $30: a 192 page 7.75 x 10.5″ hardcover.  For extras we have the four covers from the French issues, which are very nice.  It’s a well-developed and engaging tale that allows for return reading.

Legend Of the Scarlet Blades
Humanoids, April 2011, ISBN 978-1-59465-020-8

First published at Comic Book Daily.

Drazen has completed his training as a Magician and is determined to fulfill the mission given to him by his Caste: track down and defeat his own father, the renegade magician known as Lancaster. An epic tale of sorcery, love, and adventure similar to the HARRY POTTER books.

La Neve crafts a story that feels familiar but reads refreshingly new at the same time.  Within our “normal” world is one of magic, sitting on the outside and mingling when necessary.  The story revolves around a family and its pitfalls: Drazen the boy taken away to a magical tower versus Lancaster the father fighting “the establishment”.  Add in Anja the love interest and the death of the mother and we have a full cast of emotion: love, hate, passion, determination and grit.  It’s a tale of loss and renewal, how we deal with them and each other.  Dialogue is a bit stiff but I’m not sure if that’s La Neve or the translators.

Nizzoli provides a European Manga influenced art style to the work.  He creates wonderfully rich environments for the characters as they move between magic and the everyday.  I especially enjoyed the character designs: great variations and unique facial expressions for a host of characters.

The only extra is an odd introduction by Jodorowsky: he talks about why he loves Nizzoli’s art but never mentions the story.  As well it contained a spelling mistake.  Hmm.

This was a great read: solid and captivating.  I really didn’t expect the depth I found.  At $30 for this 268 page softcover with the odd Humanoids wide format (7.3 x 10.25″) it’s a solid value.

Day Of the Magicians
Humanoids, May 2011, ISBN 78-1-59465-035-1

First published at Comic Book Daily.

THE WAY HE INVESTIGATES IS A CRIME IN ITSELF.

Nick Archer isn’t much of a detective, but he’s managed to get himself one pretty sweet surveillance gig: once a week he sends a jealous millionaire the photos that prove his wife is faithful, leaving Nick plenty of free nights to spend making a liar of both himself and the client’s wife. But when the client turns up dead, his cheating wife is the prime suspect and it’s up to Nick to clear her—except Nick has an agenda of his own, and connections to this case that go deeper than anyone realizes. An amazing crime noir debut! — A 120-page deluxe hardcover graphic novel, 6″ x 9″.

This is my first exposure to the creative team of Eric Skillman and Jhomar Soriano; in fact this may be my first Top Shelf purchase.  It’s a crime drama with some whodunnit thrown in for good measure.

Skillman creates a nice framework for us quickly with a private investigator, a damsel in distress, cruel cops, a handful of possible suspects and a few choice clues dropped hither and fro.  The crime noir label fits as the reader doesn’t get a chance to like any character, just relate.  Dialogue is a little too hard-boiled but the clichés are witty in their integration.  It moves and reads quickly: no time to get muddled or over think the details.

Soriano presents the art in a compelling and engaging manner.  Black and white obviously works well here but it’s punched up by great use of shadows and blacks.  The main story is presented as the pages above but flashbacks are softer and just better looking, as the title page above illustrates.  Soriano’s background seems to be in manga and that style comes through even though he’s trying hard to use a North American look.  Panel layout was pretty standard; it did seem to emphasize the contrast of background versus no background in a lot of the story, which would probably have worked better in colour.

This is a solid read but it’s quick: I would have liked a little more cat and mouse to the tale, more clue chasing.  It’s a 6×9″ hardcover and I haven’t warmed to the format size; I know it’s “novel” proportions but we need to emphasize the “graphic” portion of graphic novel more.  $15 seems a steep for a story with little re-readability. Liar’s Kiss is a fun book for fans of crime dramas.

Liar’s Kiss
Top Shelf, 2011, ISBN 978-1-60309-070-4

First published at Comic Book Daily.

Dixon & Zaffino’s long out-of-print classic is finally collected! In a bleak and desolate future, when our world has been encased in ice from pole to pole, an amoral adventurer and an orphaned girl form an unlikely alliance-and together fight tooth and nail to stay alive. This features the stunning, groundbreaking artwork of Jorge Zaffino.

As a special bonus, this hardcover also collects the never-before-published sequel, Wintersea!

A page in and I was hooked. Chuck Dixon created a world of eternal winter where survival is all that matters.  Immediately we’re introduced to the protagonist and his foil: the unwanted sidekick.  It’s classic and overused but that’s because it works well.  Slick and simple storytelling gets things moving and keeps them there.  Dialogue is well done: witty and rough between our lead characters and broken English from the locals.

The art is solid, angry, and black and white.  As Dixon mentions in his introduction Zaffino draws men you don’t want to meet: life is hard in Winterworld and only the strong survive.  The detail contained within the inking is stunning: take a look at that first panel above and just let it wash over you.  Colour would only detract from this marvelous art.  Panel layout is to the point and nothing fancy to get in the way of the storytelling.

A little back story.  Winterworld was originally published by Eclipse in 1987 as a three issue colour mini series; Wintersea was never published.  Jorge Zaffino is no longer with us so what you see is what you get.  This was released in hardcover last year and softcover last month: both are readily available.  This is a solid value and a must read.

Winterworld
IDW, 2011, ISBN 978-1-60010-914-0

First published at Comic Book Daily.

Gwendolyn “Gwen” Dylan is a 20-something gravedigger in an eco-friendly cemetery. Once a month she must eat a human brain to keep from losing her own memories, but in the process she becomes consumed with the thoughts and personality of the dead person – until she eats her next brain. Gwen sets out to fulfill the dead person’s last request, solve a crime or right a wrong. Our zombie girl detective is joined by her best friend, Eleanor, who happens to be a swinging ’60s ghost, a posse of paintball-blasting vampires, a smitten were-dog and a hot but demented mummy.

It’s hard to assign a label to this work: on one hand it’s teen angst title as they work through the social awkwardness and on the other it’s a monster title.  The opposite of Buffy I’d be willing to suggest.  We’re introduced to a world where the undead and arcane appear everywhere but are presented as the boy and girl next door.  Everything is tongue and cheek, including a werewolf that turns into a terrier lycanthrope and an undead hunter that just wants to get a life.

The characters are quirky and easily likeable in this off framework that’s established; what’s not to like about an attractive zombie who works and lives in a graveyard to keep herself on a steady diet of brains?  Dialogue is fast and snappy, coming off whitty and original like everything about this series.  Sustainability comes from our lead Gwen’s ability to absorb a dead person’s memory when she eats their brains: this will lead her on a regular series of mystery adventures and allows for a long running ongoing series.

Art is solid Mike and Laura Allred.  Mike presents clean lines and thick outlined inks while Laura gives her muted and slightly blurred colours.  Great looking character design and right up their alley; odd monster type characters are the norm in their creator owned Madman.

This is a solid value at $15 for 144 pages.  It’s a fun read, plain and simple.

iZombie: Dead To The World
Vertigo, 2011, ISBN 9781401229658

Originally published at Comic Book Daily.

Taskmaster has trained henchmen for every terrorist organization and criminal cartel in the Marvel Universe. So when the rumor starts that he’s turned traitor and now works for Steve Rogers, a billion-dollar bounty is put on his head. Now, every cadre of costumed fanatics — A.I.M., Hydra, Ultimatum, the Sons of the Serpent and more — is looking to collect. Taskmaster must fight hordes upon hordes of his psychopathic students while at the same time uncovering who framed him — which requires him figuring out who he really is! That’s right, the man with the photographic reflexes has no memory of his true identity — and you’ll learn the unexpected truth along with him! The action-packed secret origin comes courtesy of New York Times bestselling writer Fred Van Lente (AMAZING SPIDER-MAN) and acclaimed artist Jefte Paolo (DOCTOR VOODOO)! Collecting TASKMASTER #1-4 and material from AGE OF HEROES #3.

Someone at Marvel went all out with that one.  Fred Van Lente has crafted an excellent story about a relatively minor villain and his search for himself.  We’re treated to a full origin, a deep background and genuine character development, all the while maintaining a wry tone with come great comedic moments.  Good twists and unexpected opponents round out the tale.  Van Lente takes a clean slate approach and builds Taskmaster into someone I want to read about; lets see if he can work on Paste Pot Pete next.

Art is solid and highly enjoyable.  This is my first experience with Jefte Palo and I came away impressed and entertained.  I enjoyed the approach taken to Taskmaster’s mimic ability: when he was using someone else’s fighting technique the character would overlay as shown in the two pages above.

Taskmaster has been a throwaway character or “mort” for a few decades but with his new origin in this well crafted softcover by a refreshing creative team he’s become one to watch.  Extras include covers, Marvel Handbook style info pages on characters and groups featured, two script pages and art breakdowns and completions.  At $15 for 96 pages it’s a bit light but a great read.

Taskmaster: Unthinkable
Marvel, 2011, ISBN 978-0-7851-5260-6

First published at Comic Book Daily.

Beginning an epic adventure showcasing the God of Thunder as you’ve never seen him before! The vassals of Asgard are in armed revolt…Odin is missing…Balder is dead…and the entire continent is battered by a years-long winter. How can Thor put the empire back together, especially with his mighty hammer Mjolnir mysteriously denied him? Collecting THOR: FOR ASGARD #1-6.

I’m going to dispense with the criticism right away: Robert Rodi’s story is full of holes and doesn’t feel complete.  We start with not enough information and end with few resolutions: it seems we have the middle with beginning or ending.  Bad things are happening in the nine realms but we don’t learn about why or how.  Thor is ruling while Odin seeks one of his wives and there’s strife between the gods, leading us to a realization that those in charge need to provide for all their people.  No character development but decent dialogue and a plot I enjoyed, what their was of it.

In its oversized 7.5×11″ hardcover format Thor: For Asgard is all about Simone Bianchi’s artwork.  It is stunning: lively, detailed, beautiful.  I couldn’t stop admiring Odin’s hair and beard; it’s that intense.  Inks and colours are a bit soft but they’re consistent and a creative choice.  Panel layout is very dynamic; lots of interesting choices like those above.

At $25 for 144 pages I’m on the fence about this book’s value: weak story and strong art.  For extras we get a one page Thor movie poster, my first add in a collected edition, and a three page article about Rodi which reads like an ad for Thor & Loki: Blood Brothers and Astonishing Thor.

Thor: For Asgard
Marvel, 2011, ISBN 978-0-7851-4445-8

In this first collection of the new SPIRIT series, an international crime syndicate wants to help Central City’s villain, The Octopus, consolidate control over the underworld. They’ve offered The Octopus the services of one of their finest assassins to take The Spirit’s breath away for good. Collecting THE SPIRIT #1-7.

From this softcover’s title and the publisher’s information you’d think this entire trade paperback was a story arc called Angel Smerti, but it’s actually only half the book.  The second half is called Frost Bite and is written by David Hine, and for pure story I thought it was the better of the two.

Let me backtrack a bit and look at both stories.  After finishing the book I felt both writers darkened the characters: there was tension and angst where I had previously read friendship and support.  No humour present this time around.

For the first arc we have Mark Schultz present us with a tale of a foreign assassin coming to Central City to take down the Spirit.  It’s gripping and somewhat predictable but works well because of the supporting cast.  My big issue is the assassin pretends to be someone else and speaks perfect English, but once emerged as their true self the assassin is constantly using Russian intermixed with English that lacks tense.

The second story arc from David Hine presents us with Central City being overrun with a designer drug that’s killing people.  We’re introduced to a new member of the Octopus crime family and are taken for a ride through his rise and fall.  Again it plays out dark and at odds between the Spirit and police commissioner Dolan.  Hine added enough twists to keep it interesting and as always the Spirit plays the straight man to his supporting cast.

Art for the entire book is handled by Moritat; that’s right, a one name artist.  It’s a great style that seemed fractured this time around; sharp crisp panels contrasting with loose scratches.  A few times I checked to make sure it was the same artist: hit and miss sums it up.  Moritat does draw beautiful women.

I’m currently reading DC’s The Spirit Archives series so I may be unfairly comparing this work to Eisner’s run in the 1940s and Cooke’s relaunch of the series but it doesn’t feel true to the characters.

The Spirit: Angel Smerti
DC, 2011, ISBN 978-1-4012-3026-5

This was a huge book for 1990: Frank Miller had collaborated with Janson and Mazzuchelli to produce epic runs on Daredevil and Batman, but his solo work with his wife Lynn Varley on Ronin didn’t get the commercial success the rest did.  Now Miller was returning to his creation Elektra doing the writing, penciling and inking with Varley painting.  Elektra Lives Again received a huge amount of press at the time: I remember drooling over preliminary pages.

Epic, Marvel’s first adult imprint, released the hardcover for $24.95; it was a huge success with a giant print run so you can still find sealed copies for cover price.  As well it’s received a fair share of reprints, the entire story included in Marvel’s Elektra Omnibus.

At the same time Graphitti Designs released a signed and numbered limited edition of 2500 copies for $39.95 and $49.95.  I can’t give a definitive price as I own three copies myself: all ISBN 0-936211-27-X printed on the inside flap of the dust jacket and the indicia page but two have $39.95 printed on the inside flap and one has $49.95.  Two of them are A/P or artist proof editions and one is numbered 2168/2500.  One of my A/P copies has the dust jacket signed by Miller and Varley, an eBay purchase in 2002 from the Comic Book Legal Defence Fund for $46.

This is an important hardcover because it’s part of the limited Graphitti Designs line and is exceptionally difficult to find in good condition.  It seems the dust jackets are always of a lackluster condition, much like my signed copy shown above.  I was unable to locate a copy to determine current price range so your mileage will vary.

Elektra Lives Again
Epic/Graphitti Designs, 1990, ISBN 0-936211-27-X

Ian Edginton and I.N.J. Culbard have teamed up again to create a visually compelling graphic novel adaptation of Arthur Conan Doyle’s masterpiece. And the superb writing and beautiful art takes Conan Doyle’s supernatural tale to new heights. All the elements are here for a thrilling tale: A gnarled walking stick, missing boot, neglected family portrait, convicted killer on the loose, and the ancestral curse of a phantom hound. The great detective himself, Sherlock Holmes—with the help of Dr. Watson has his work cut out for him in a dramatic mystery that will keep readers guessing until the very end.

This is a graphic adaptation of a very famous work by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and as such Ian Edginton had his work cut out for him.  Details and descriptions of people, environment and background are left to the artist and the writer distills what’s needed to give the readers an excellent story.  In that Edginton has done a wonderful job.  We have 127 pages of story that deliver the Sherlock Holmes tale of murder, mystery and the supernatural.

Having read and re-read all of Holmes adventures I wasn’t expecting many surprises from the story but the art was what I looked forward to.  Culbard has a wonderful style and sense of style that brilliantly captures and presents 19th century England.

The characters all have a roundness in their head and faces that don’t feel cartoonish because of the wonderful expressions illustrated.  More than any other element colour tells the story for us in its wonderful use from page to page.

It’s handsome book: 6.5×8.5″ softcover, heavy paper stock, a solid work.  For extras we have Culbard’s character studies and a preview of the next Holmes adaptation.  This volume was published by SelfMadeHero in the United Kingdom but distribution for North America is handled by Sterling.  A solid work from a creative team to watch.

The Hound Of The Baskervilles
Sterling, 2009, ISBN 978-1-4027-7000-5

This is the second Love & Rockets book but it’s published in 1988 by Titan Books in out of the United Kingdom, by way of an arrangement with Fantagraphics.  It’s a great black and white story, 160 pages that really showcase how talented Jaime Hernandez is.  After several reading sessions I noticed on the first page a signature and a very bad stamping job.

The signature says “JAIME 88″ and the stamp “1103″.  So what I had in my hands was a signed and numbered UK edition of a very popular indie book from the 80s.  Searching for other copies led me to numbers below 1000: I can’t find out how many copies were signed and numbered.  Titan Books published Love & Rockets in 1987 but there doesn’t seem to be a signed and numbered edition of that volume, and that’s all they did.

This is a collectible volume for one reason: it’s an obscure signed and numbered Love & Rockets collection.  Unfortunately it doesn’t go for much beyond it’s $25 cover price: the real issue is tracking down a nice copy of a twenty-five year old foreign softcover.

Mechanics: A Love & Rockets Graphic Novel
Titan Books, 1988, ISBN 1852860219

What are the most important days of your life? Fábio Moon and Gabriel Bá answer that question in the critical and commercial hit series that took the industry by storm, winning praise from such comics veterans as Terry Moore, Craig Thompson and Jeff Smith. Follow aspiring writer Brás de Oliva Domingos as each chapter of DAYTRIPPER peers in at a completely different moment in his life. Moon and Bá tell a beautifully lyrical tale chronicling Domingos’s entire existence – from his loves to his deaths and all the possibilities in between.

The is the story of a man’s life, told in ten chapters.  Each chapter deals with a moment in his life, and ends with his death and obituary.  I could end there as a nice summation, but that wouldn’t define the power of this work.

We first meet an aspiring writer, Bras de Oliva Domingos, working at a newspaper writing obituaries.  That lays the context for why we have one at the end of each chapter, summarizing what had been accomplished at that point in his life.  Each chapter presents a moment in time, moving forward and backward from youth to old age and beyond.  A detailed look at a turning point in his life, when an event or decision steers him in a different direction.  It’s a great premise and is pulled of exceptionally well by the team of Fabio Moon and Gabriel Ba.

The story, dialogue and characters are all well crafted.  You’re brought into this living breathing world and never question it’s framework.  It works so well because this could be a story about yourself, the everyman.  More than that we come to feel and care about Bras and his family.

The art is great, coming from this established team.  It’s modern and has a “today” feel to it; stylized enough to let you know it’s a graphic novel but naturalistic enough to keep you tied into it.

This isn’t an action story or a “talking head” comic with nothing but dialogue: it’s an engaging graphic novel that tells a great story about people and their relationships to each other and the world around them.  As you can tell I’m having trouble putting it into words what makes Daytripper such a great read.

Daytripper
Vertigo, 2011, ISBN 978-1-4012-2969-6

In our ongoing quest to showcase the wide range of Jacques Tardi’s bibliography, Fantagraphics reaches all the way back to one of his earliest, and most distinctive graphic novels: A satirical, Jules Verne-esque “retro-sci-fi” yarn executed on scratchboard in a stunningly detailed faux-woodcut style perfectly chosen to render the Edwardian-era mechanical marvels on display. Created in 1972, The Arctic Marauder is a downright prescient example of proto-“steampunk” science fiction — or perhaps more accurately, and to coin a spinoff genre, “icepunk.”

I must first admit that I don’t click with the writing style, which Fantagraphics describes as “Told with brio in hilarious slabs of vintage purple prose, The Arctic Marauder works both as ripping good adventure story and parody of same“.  That said the awkwardness seems to adeptly fit a period piece.  This was Tardi’s first published work and it feels rough in it’s slightly zany dialogue, but again that’s covered.

The characters are ridiculous, over the top, caricatures really.  Easy to identify with or against.  This must have been told originally in serialized chapters, as page numbers are part of the art and the story is broken into seven neat chapters.  The story quits suddenly and I really don’t know it that’s on purpose, because it seems to drop mid sentence.

The art is wonderful.  Tardi has this rounded style that is unique and easily identifiable, all at once his signature.  The level of detail is astounding, in the background and mechanical details as rendered faux woodcuts.  The 9×11.75″ pages present the art in gloriously large detail: be sure to drink in every inch of this black and white work.

No extras included: I would have really appreciated a one page history on the material, especially since Kim Thompson is a co-publisher at Fantagraphics and handled the translation himself.  At $17 for a sixty-four page oversized hardcover this is a great value: while the vintage prose was lost on me it stands as a great period work with wonderfully detailed art.

The Arctic Marauder
Fantagraphics, 2011, ISBN 978-1-60699-435-1