Legion World Forums LEGION COMPANION Dr. Gym'll's Cultural Rarities Vertigo Title Review (R.I.P.)

^^^ Sold. I've been meaning to get into Air for a while and that's just the push I need.

On another note, I noticed the first Unwritten TPB has now been released. I was wondering if anyone who had bought/read/flicked through it could tell me whether it includes those text/info pieces that CK (I think) mentioned upthread?

Blacula, I haven't seen the TPB myself but I would think it would because usually they are spread troughout each issue, not just at the end.

This is probably the most exciting Vertigo has been since before it was officially Vertigo. Everytime I turn around another great series pops up.

I just read the latest Madame Xanadu myself (#18); I do agree that its not quite as strong as the prior arc, but this latest issue picks things up and kind of gets the story on that level of quality a bit IMO. It was a bit of a slow starter (when compared with that last really excellent two arcs) but hopefully we're cooking again.

Morgaine Le Fay (Morgana here) is a character I usually hate in comic books when she's used but she works well in this series and her return is welcome. Meanwhile, Dr. Occult, whom I've always loved, is also great to have. The main plot hasn't really been explained but I'm hoping there's a bit more to it.

The art by Amy Reader Hadly and Richard Friend is really spectacular stuff--full of energy leaping off every page. They also do a great job having Madame Xanadu appear very powerful and strong on some pages and then very vulnerable and almost "little girlish" in others. Its a great back and forth.

I think its still a solid comic and while this story isn't quite as striking as the earlier ones, its still a pretty solid one--a great ending could be all it needs.

With the Human Target television series about to begin, it reminded me of the totally excellent Human Target series by Vertigo a few years back (I remember Stu and I collected by not sure who else). It was an excellent, incredible series, and I put it in Lash's "Top 5 Comics" thread I believe when that thread started (2004?).

Peter Milligan wrote the series and it was Milligan at his finest. Each story had some poignant, powerful scenes and was loaded with in depth characterization that went to some pretty dark places. Milligan took the concept of the Human Target, a long time DC property, and made it a series about constant self-discovery. I remember it came out not long after 9/11 and Milligan went right ahead and addressed 9/11 right in the story, not batting an eye or sugar coating anything. He was probably the first writer to do that in a non-tributary way. All of his stories were like that.

This was also the series where I discovered Javier Pulido, who is one of my favorite current artists in comics these days. His work is a little like Darwyn Cooke and Marcos Martin though its completely his own. He also has a very action-oriented, dynamic style despite the clear, crisp lines. He actually is drawing a great Spider-Man story in ASM right now (which reminds me, I'll post something there next).

If you have never checked this series out before I think its totally worth it.

Daytripper #2 is out. And a great story to read. It's a done in one type story, as we get a glimpse of a couple of men on vacation, making the most of their trip. I'm not quite sure the tie in to the first issue, but I'm still interested in reading more.

Picked up Northlanders Vol. 1 at the library. I would echo Lardi's review of the book (on page 9 of this thread). The language and expressions are pretty much contemporary, but I think that's a lot better than clichéd Viking speech. You really do get a sense of the harshness of their lives. I'll look for Volume 2.

I also read Cairo, by G. Willow Wilson (writer) and M. K. Perker (artist). A pleasant surprise; I was expecting a story about some Americans in Cairo, with interesting visuals of the city. However, the story was a bit more complex, mixing in the fantastic with the everyday events.

There was a good mix of characters: a young Lebanese-American on a spiritual quest, an Orange County girl looking for a meaningful life, a female Israeli soldier stranded in Cairo, a drug smuggler, a journalist, a rather earthly djinn (who doesn't grant wishes but manipulates probabilities), and an assortment of bad guys - who all get entangled with one another. Throw in an Underground Nile Realm and you've got a captivating combination of caper, chase and romance.

^^Cairo--yet another TPB I'll need to check out (on what appears to be a never-ending list ). Your above summary makes it seem much more interesting than I originally thought it would be when it was solicited.

I had decided to end Comic Book Review month with a bang, saving up the TPB's I was most looking forward to. Things got a little busy so its spilled into most of Feb, but now I've finished and can review. What took me these last few weeks was I reread the first TPB and then read (for the first time) the 2nd, 3rd and 4th TPB's of Scalped, which as anyone who reads it knows, is a contender for the very best series currently in the comic book industry.

And as you might imagine by that above statement, they were beyond excellent. I’m just blown away by how good this series is, that whatever I say really won’t do it justice. Writer Jason Aaron is proving himself to be one of the very best writers in all of comic books and the artists contributing are able to provide a gritty, noirish landscape for the story that adds more layers. In the 2nd or 3rd trade, Garth Ennis provides the introduction and he sums up some of what makes it work so well: the sheer confidence the creators have in the storyline just comes across in spades. They truly believe in it and its made me believe in it.

This is probably the best “crime” comic book to come out in years, though “crime” kind of pigeonholes Scalped a little. Certainly it is the most “noir” comic book on the market, when you consider noir isn’t really about style or plot but is more a certain spirit of the storyline and characters.

And the characters are what make Scalped just so damn interesting. Each one is a complicated, multi-layered person who you can’t help but love, hate, pity, try to distance yourself and always remain utterly fascinated by throughout. While Dash Bad Horse is (was?) the main character of the series, I can’t help but be incredibly fascinated by the secondary players: particularly Dino Poor Bear (the young teenager father who gets himself into trouble in the fourth trade) and Catcher, the old drunk (who at this point is heavily suggested for committing one of the major crimes of the series but I don’t have real confirmation yet). Diesel and Nitz are also fascinating, and though I hate them and cannot wait to see them brutally murdered, I’m glad for the dynamic they bring the series.

Of course, besides Dash the major character is Chief Red Crow and by the end fourth trade he’s emerged as the most fully developed and to me the most fascinating character of all—he’s certainly my favorite though I cannot help but be partially disgusted with myself for thinking that (another tribute to how well Aaron writes the series). Everything about Red Crow, his long history, conflicting emotions that blend together and constant struggles with everyone and everything around him, is one of those rare comic book characters that has just become a force of nature. Every time he appears on the page, everything else must react to him because that’s how strong of a character he is.

Something else else that really is another incredible thing in the series is the usage of flashbacks by Aaron to help flesh out the history of the series as well as create an ongoing storytelling technique that keeps things fresh and exciting. Its probably the best use of flashbacks I’ve seen in a comic book. It mimics Lost in that way—the flashbacks don’t feel forced but feel like an essential tool to the way the story is told. It feels like there is a never-ending amount to them and each time they all seem to fit without leaving you feeling like you were always missing a piece.

Scalped is certainly not a feel good comic book. You don’t walk away feeling all that optimistic about humanity; of course, that’s what a noir story does. But it is powerful and its moving. I’m hard-pressed to name comics that are clearly better than it, as it certainly ranks as high or higher than the very best in the industry.

Hmmm, I have a slightly different take on it. I too had some trouble figuring out how Milligan's story meshed with Constantine's character. Most jarring was John's obsession with Phoebe both pre and post mortem. John's had others in his life a lot closer to him than Phoebe, so why did he go off the deep end for what was a nice, but relatively early relationship?

Then it hit me, John's going through a sort of mid-life crisis. He's reaching out for someone or something to give himself some kind of meaning, and that led to this obsession with Phoebe. Not because he loves her so much, but because he's starting to realise he's runnign out of chances to make a connection. Epiphany more or less says this outright at one point (add to that the age jokes Milligan's been piling on). The John of the Dleano years would never act this way, but that John is 15 years or more younger, not a guy stuck in a rut pushing 50.

Given that take, I think Milligan's doing something very interesting with the character: letting him age.

I've caught up on recent issues of House of Mystery (#21-22) which kicked off a new storyline, "A Change in Management" (or something like that). And I'm quite glad this storyline has arrived because its kind of reinstalled my faith in the series. The last arc wasn't doing it for me and kind of dragged on a bit IMO; this one returns the series to the style I'm looking for.

By this time, I think I've figured out what I'm looking for in this series. Some earlier complaints about HoM in the thread mentioned the small stories within the issues were distracting and some people wanted more on the larger plot. I think I'm the opposite: the last storyline, which was largely about the larger plot and had several big consequences (including deaths and other characters joining/rejoining) was good but actually distracting to me. I like the idea of a series with an ongoing, larger plot but with weird, offbeat stories within; it creates a nonsensical type pacing to it that makes it unique among the series I collect. I'm reminded of Gaiman's Sandman volume, "At World's End" which has various characters telling stories (and often stories within stories) and how intriguing and well done that volume is. You can really read that one completely on its own at any time; it stands out. I love the idea of an ongoing series in that style, and that's what House of Mystery is. I thought the Argones story in #21 was terrific--offbeat for sure, but terrifically fun.

That all being said, I am enjoying the larger plot; I like it as it is here, as only partially the story. I like Cain coming on and the subtle changes to the cast. Cress and Ann remain favorites and Blind Buck is a welcome addition. Strawberry should make for some creepy dynamic scenes.

The series veered for a minute, but IMO its back to where I like it. Weird as hell in all ways .

BTW, anyone reading and loving Madame Xanadu (like me), I posted a review about Matt Wagner\'s Zorro series by Dynamite in the "Any Recommendations" thread. I picked it up on the strength of Wagner's writing and thus far have been blown away by how good it is. I think Madame Xanadu fans will highly enjoy it.

Des, I'm overjoyed that you feel so strongly about the book, and that really justified my going out on a limb for it in my recommendation, especially considering how aggressively I went about it. What's even better is that you absolutely get what the series is about in that it's not so much getting from Point A to Point B but more about getting into these characters heads. As you exemplify with Red Crow and Dash, these are far from stock characters--no black or white to be found anywhere, only indistinguishable shades of gray. This is the very definition of what a noir should be!

And in the midst of these character studies, you get so much more. There are plot twists and other surprises, tragedies, social commentaries, crazy action sequences, history lessons, sex, violence......but Aarons takes his time getting around to these things. He's foremost concerned with characters and getting into their heads and showing us the dark places they go.

This method is established very quickly. The first trade ends with a significant murder of a cast member. Does the second trade pick right up from there? No! It rewinds and shows what was going on among all the characters that very same day, including the one who ended up being killed. It's a tour-de-force arc that I think is one of the very best ever to grace the medium. Each of the four or five stories connect but also stand alone as excellent, involving character pieces.

Eventually and methodically Aarons unfolds the uber-plot, but he takes his time. He knows that it's the journey here that's most important, and Aarons intends to bleed every nuance and character bit out of it in the process. Trust me: this is a GOOD thing in the case of Scalped!

And Chief Red Crow is one of the very best characters ever to grace a comics page. Heck, he's probably one of the very best characters period!

Agreed about Red Crow.

You also bring up a great point. There are tons and tons of trades I could round up as "greatest trades to introduce a reader to a series"; Scalped Vol #1 certainly numbers among them. But the second trade is equally as awesome: I'd rank it as one of the very best--top 5 certainly--of the second volumes of a series that really ups the ante and showcases some damn fine storytelling. Not many series have as strong a showing with the second collection.

Another update on a series: I'm still reading Unwritten by Mike Carey, which if you're not familiar with the title, its a bit hard to explain. Its maintained a level of quality as it enters the latter half of its first year and I'm still not 100% sure where the story is going--which is a good thing. Its such a fascinating notion that I continue to be intrigued. Harry Potter fans should really give this a shot to see a somewhat-similar take on that type of franchise.

And one more: I picked up Joe the Barbarian #1 because it was $0.99 and hey, I'll buy almost anything for that price. Its by Morrison, whom I am a major fan of, so I was curious to see what this offered. Well, by issue's end I've decided I will not follow-up on the second issue and keep going on the title. While Vertigo is just plain freaking brillant these days with like a dozen really great series, there are a few that just aren't my cup of tea, like Greek Street, and now, Joe the Barbarian. It just took way too long to get to where Grant is taking this title and I needed more bang for my buck (literally) with a first issue. And to be honest, I'm a little burnt out on Grant's approach; I've loved his work for years but the latest Batman & Robin stories aren't wowing me and Final Crisis was probably my least favorite of all his work. I'm sure I'll be there for his next series...just not this one.

Joe the Barbarian #1 is intentionally slow to do two things:

1) Illustrate the banality (or perceived banality) of Joe's life

and

2) Give you an extremely detailed look at the House.

Point number 2 is extremely important because for the rest of the story Joe will be literally fighting for his life to make it from the attic to the kitchen in his altered state of mind. As the house transforms into his Fantasy/Nightmare Kingdom, the reader will need to know where he's at in his journey.

Issue #2 picks up the pace considerably as Joe makes it as far as the Bathroom, but steadily loses ground in his fight to keep his hallucinations at bay. It was really quite riveting and you develop a real sense of fear that this might not end well for Joe.

Although, I'm a guy who REALLY likes Greek Street, so maybe I'm not the right one to make the recommendation .

After writing up Scalped in the post above last night, I read #34 shortly afterward (35 came out yesterday, but I won't get to that for a few weeks). In a word: Whoa!

34 was the conclusion of the latest arc entitled "The Gnawing". This issue is very significant to the series. A character who's been there since the beginning meets his or her end. And the way that character dies is really hardcore and significant to the storyline of another character. Also, Red Crow has another defining moment that resolves another recent plotline very nicely, and things are set up for even more shit to hit the fan than usual!

All the big character exploration that I've touted Scalped for having leads to issues like this one where the dominos fall and the plot catches up. I'm not really into the Sopranos, but I've heard that the show would go through long slow spells until everything it's been spinning just suddenly explodes. Well, that's what happened here! One important character dies, several minor ones follow suit, two others who haven't crossed paths suddenly are at odds when a discovery is made and another character learns some life-changing news. It's one great memorable issue (and arc) from a series that keeps me guessing!

"The Gnawing" is one of the best arcs yet in this series. The arc is well-titled also as it begins with a Native American parable about a great tree...and a beaver. Great, great series!

Hellblazer: Pandemonium by Jamie Delano and Jock.

The back cover of this book describes him as "silver-tongued con man, blue collar mage, sneering punk - ABSOLUTE BASTARD" - but he's about as far from absolute bastard in this story as he could get.

Attracted by a chador-clad woman in the British Museum, Constantine falls into a well-sprung trap and finds himself volunteered for a special mission in Iraq. A prisoner is causing unbelievable mental trauma for his interrogators and Constantine is the guy they want to sort it out.

He has no choice but to do the job - but manages to handle things in his own way, with little regard for military orders, policies or threats.

A trip to the underworld and a game of poker for souls (including his own) is a bit clichéd for this character, but that's neither the core nor the best part of the story.

Caught in a world of surveillance and brutality (different versions in London and Iraq), he acts with a hard compassion, matched with hard justice at the end. A dose of evil for the evil-doers and an extraction of reward for a couple of good guys delivers a satisfying ending.

The Unwritten lagged a bit for me with the story about the warden's two kids, but picked up with the unintended excursion to a ghostly Nazi Germany.

It's partly that I don't really like comics with young kids as a big part of the story - but the latest issue got more into the concept of fiction versus reality, which was more interesting.

Cinderella hopped to another realm, Ultima Thule, looking for the stolen magic artifacts. The polar bears reminded me of The Golden Compass, but maybe the legend of a king who's a polar bear is an ancient one. Everybody forced to smile - was that a dig at Disneyworld? I was happy to see a group of malcontents, albeit a small one. Surprise ending. I was half expecting the Snow Queen, but <span class="spoiler_containter"><span class="spoiler_wording">Click Here For A Spoiler</span><span class="spoiler_text">The Fairy Godmother</span></span> was a nice twist. Although that may well be a diversion, with the real dictator someone else, like one of Cinderella's step-sisters.

Just when I think I can’t possibly be collecting another Vertigo comic book, Vertigo does it again. In addition to Air, Scalped, Unknown Solider, Unwritten, Fables, Madame Xanadu, Day Tripper, Cinderella, potentially DMZ and the coming I, Zombie, I have now picked up American Vampire #1 and I enjoyed it so much, I will certainly be picking up future issues.

American Vampire is, as you’d obviously guess, a vampire comic book with full-fledged horror senses, but it’s a bit more high concept than that. First, there are two different storylines, running in different time periods. The first, starring Pearl Jones takes place in 1920’s silent-film era Hollywood, a period I find interesting and am glad to see more of. The second, starring the horrific Skinner Sweet takes place in the 1880’s Old West. And apparently both storylines (and they may eventually combine, which I’m not sure) will enter into different time periods in American history, dealing particularly with the history of the two vampires and vampires in general.

The kicker here, is while new writer Scott Snyder does the first story, the master of the macabre himself, Stephen King is writing the second story. And oh yes, it is beyond awesome. I’ve become a very big King fan in recent years and there is no doubt he is truly one of the greatest writers, well, ever. My personal favorite story is Salem’s Lot, which I consider his best & scariest and the best & scariest vampire story I’ve ever read (I admit though I have not read all of King’s books). His half of American Vampire, does not disappoint. It is frighteningly real, which is an apt way to describe King’s brand of horror. It’s never in your face and always feels realistic. I’m really looking forward to reading more.

The first half, by Scott Snyder, was also excellent, and it also had a very eerie feel, with a growing sense of tension within.

I like the notion of two split stories, so you feel like you’re getting double the amount of story you’re paying for. Both felt jam-packed as well with no padding.

Artist Rafael Albuqueque provides great artwork for both stories (artistically tying them together) and pencils and inks have a very grainy sense of realism as well as a dark sense of malice. His art accomplishes what the series sets out to do: feel both like a horror story and an American story.

I know with the heavy prominence of vampires in pop-culture these days there are many who might feel slightly anti-vampire. Have no worries then, because this might just be what you needed. There are no sparkly, loving vampires here. There are only ones that want to rip out your entrails (as it should be). Skinner Sweet, the lead character in King’s story is already shaping up to be one of the most malevolent characters in comicdom and that’s only after one issue. He does not sparkle; he does not have manners. He’s brutal and he’s the perfect response to all these respectable vampires in pop-culture these days.

I give this a recommendation to pick up for anyone looking for something a little more horrific and a little darker. The premise is “if vampires immigrated to the Americas, what would there history have been like” (I believe), though with only one issue the series hasn’t quite gotten there yet. I’ll check back in when I have more to comment on the premise itself; until then I can only praise the substance from #1.

And following up on a few comments by FC, I'm a bit behind on my reading of Cinderella and Unwritten but agree with a lot of your feelings on recent issues.

In Unwritten the Warden/kids kind of slowed that story down and it was dragging a little for me, but the recent Nazi-centered story has been pretty fantastic so far. Joseph Goebbels is one of those real life figures who I find very terrifying because of what someone like that could accomplish. He works very well here.

I've not caught up on Cinderella hopping to another realm but I am still really enjoying the series. Cinderealla-as-spy is just a really kick-ass concept; and the execution has been terrific. This could easily be an ongoing series so the fact that its a miniseries just leaves me relishing every second of it.

Vertigo has got to be the best place for variety in comic books.

Madame X, Fables, House of M, Daytripper - all interesting reads. Except for Fables as a trade, I get these books each month and they are always among the best reads.

I just picked up the first trade of Air- it's got me interested. Like Fables, this will likely become a regular for me.

Read the latest Madame Xanadu story and I'm really digging the current history of Madame X & Morgan Le Fay, and even moreso, the history of Camelot and Merlin. This is an origin I've read in at least a dozen different versions--several of them quite excellent--and Wagner is able to present yet another new way to tell the origin which I'm finding very pleasing. And the art is just incredible. Can't recommend this excellent title enough.

I calso caught up on Cinderella and continue to love it. As I say above, it's a kick-ass concept. It's probably the best spy series out there with Captain America.

I agree completely about Madame Xanadu this current storyline has been nothing short of excellent. Also if anybody is still missing the Martian Manhunter; John Jonzz (or Jones) has been featuring in the last few issues as well.

I also read the latest House of Mystery last night and I'm still loving this series. Of all the Vertigo titles its usually the last I read (except for maybe Unknown Soldier which is so heavy I need to be in the right mindset), but whenever I read it, I'm glad I'm still collecting.

As I said in the past, the narrative structure is my particular favorite part of it, with the oddball horror stories in the middle of the title (this latest "under the bridge" one being especially creepy and good). But lately, I'm enjoying the main characters just as much--particularly Cain, who I'm glad to see as part of the regular cast. Cress & Ann remain scene-stealing favorites.

I also have really grown to like the art of Luca Rossi, who does a bang-up job of adding excitement to the panels where most characters are just talking. There is always the feeling of tension in the series which adds to the effect.

Like the Cobester (on the previous page), I also picked up American Vampire #1, lured by the promise of a rare Stephen King comics script. I found it a very strong debut and was pleased by both stories.

Scott Snyder is not a writer I've ever heard before, but he already shows a lot of potential in his half of the story. During the course of Scott's entry we meet two struggling actresses in 1920s L.A.'s silent picture era. They both come across very three-dimensional (though potentially a little too modern-sounding in their speech and attitudes, perhaps), so we feel like we get to know them, especially the brunette who we follow thru the whole story.

We start his story with an ominous ending point, then backtrack to see how things got there. She lucks in to what looks like her big break, but things take a horrific turn.

King's story tells the origin of a character who appears in a couple of scenes in Snyder's story. This one has more action in it, but also has some great interaction between the characters in it. It takes place about forty years prior to the first story and centers around the common character, Skinner Sweet, and his being transported to face being hanged for various crimes. We have several telling scenes to give us a good picture of what this guy's like. The action occurs when Skinner's gang derails the train in an attempt to free him. By the end of King's story we learn why the character belongs in a book with the title 'American Vampire' and see him turned in an unusual way.

Taken together, a bigger picture begins to form. I've a feeling a good part of the larger plot, at least initially, will center around a conflict between a rogue Skinner and a more established, hierarchal vampire group. Neither side seems particularly honorable, though.

The art by Rafael Albuquerque is stunning! I also like how he adjusts his style slightly between both eras to set the appropriate tone. He shows a lot of talent, and I hope he's on the series for its duration. Can't wait to see more!

I think King's on the first five issues, but I think the title will still be fine if Snyder carries on by himself, based on what I saw here. I'm definitely giving the title at least those first five and anticipate I'll be on beyond if they continue to hook me.

Bought #2 today but won't read it for a few weeks. When I do, I'll definitely chime back in! Could be Vertigo's next big thing!

^Glad to see you're reading it too Lardy! I agree that the potential is there for this to be Vertigo's next big thing.

I figure I'll also plug another series I've been loving since day one (though I think at this point its clear I'm the only one buying & reading), and that is Unknown Soldier. The latest issues are more of a mystery story but refined by the setting and conflict surrounding the Unknown Soldier. The series remains very heavy and not something you want to read when you're in the mood for something light-hearted. But I think it's pretty powerful stuff. I recommend some of you pick up the first trade and tell me what you think.

I wonder if Drysart, the writer (who I would have put in my best writers list if he wrote more than this one series that I was aware of), will add any light-hearted or humorous elements to the series, even if only for an issue. It would help relieve the heavy tension, but I guess it would contradict the honesty Drysart pours into each page regarding what life is really like over there. I'm sure he's thought about it before.

^I have the first Unknown Soldier TP, Des. I bought it months ago along with several others during a big eBay splurge. Like Battlefields, I just haven't gotten around to it. When I do, I'll let ya know what I think.

Meanwhile, I just read Scalped #36 today. This was an excellent issue that is the first of a two-parter focussing on Red Crow's right hand man, Shunka. There is a very surprising revelation about him (no, he's not another mole!) that is presented in a very interesting way. I'm not going to give it away, but it's a terrific device on writer Jason Aaron's part to highlight how Native Americans deal with a certain cultural/societal/social issue that is often on the mind of posters here. I also like how Aaron gives us some historical background on it and contrasts how it's changed since whites imposed their culture on Native Americans. Those bits were just utterly fascinating.

I dunno if y'all can read between the lines and realize what I'm talking about, but I refrained from spoiling it directly so some of you who are reading thru trades or still may give this excellent series a shot may be as surprised and entertained as I am.

Aaron really does a great job of loading this book with slices of American culture, particularly how it is suffering and declining in modern times. The previous issue, 35, was a standalone featuring a couple unrelated at all to the central storyline as they struggle with poverty and trying to remain self-reliant and free from taking government welfare. It was a beautiful story that was both entertaining and revealing of poverty on the reservations.

If you're not reading Scalped or at least giving it a look...why the hell not?!?