Reviews of Comics from Wednesday 4/20

Criminal 10th Anniversary Special
Story: Ed Brubaker
Art: Sean Phillips & Elizabeth Breitweiser

The world of Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips's Criminal is not a world for children, either to read or to live in. It's a world where the good and the innocent alike are likely to wind up dead, and where the innocent are few and far between. For the tenth anniversary of the series debut, this double sized one shot revisits the series two most popular characters, Tracy Lawless, the soldier turned hitman, and his petty crook father, Teeg. Set in 1979, the stories from this era usually focus on Teeg, but this is a Tracy story, narrated by a young Tracy as his father takes him on a road trip. Of course, being Teeg Lawless, this road trip has to do with Teeg hunting for a criminal associate, and he's bringing Tracy along because cops will look less at a father and son together than a man travelling alone. And while there's crime in the story,it's mostly off panel. The story instead is of Tracy left alone as his father hunts his cohort, and Tracy making a friend. This sounds like a simple enough story for a twelve year old, but there's nothing simple about Tracy. His father has forbidden him to make friends, after all, because that could get them remembered. But Tracy meets a friendless girl named Gabby, probably a little too smart for her own good, and they develop a friendship. It's a coming of age story in the style of Stand By Me, as Tracy and Gabby just act like kids, which you get the immediate impression is not something Tracy gets to do much of at all (and if you've read other Criminal stories about the Lawless family, you know it for sure). But in the end Tracy learns the hard lesson that just being good isn't enough to survive in his father's world, and he makes the hard choice to protect his one friend, and any innocence he might have had left is gone. Every time I think Sean Phillips and Elizabeth Breitweiser can't get any better as an art team, a new series or story comes out, and I'm blown away. The sheer pathos of Tracy as he rejects Gabby is one of the most emotional scenes I've seen in a long while, and the fact that the kids look like kids, not just small adults, a flaw in a lot of comic art, is impressive as all hell.

As with the last Criminal special, this issue has interspersed in it pages from an in-universe comic. And while the previous comic was a Savage Sword of Conan knock off, this one is a combination of horror and the 70s Kung-Fu craze, "Fang, The Kung-Fu Werewolf." Let me just go on the record as sayong that, if the Brubaker/Phillips/Breitweiser team wanted to do a full on Fang comic for an issue or two, I would be all over it. And also as with the previous Criminal special, this issue comes in both a standard comic and magazine sized format, and while either is a fine, the magazine is such a great package, I would highly recommend it for all readers to pick it up that way.

Divinity II #1
Story: Matt Kindt
Art: Trevor Hairsine, Ryan Winn, & David Baron

Valiant's first Divinity was the first series from the new Valiant to star a new character, Abram Adams, the Russian cosmonaut sent out into deep space during the height of the Cold War to return decade later with god-like powers. The sequel picks up a thread left hanging by the last series: what became of the other two cosmonauts that traveled into space with Adams? This opening issue of the new Divinity series follows Valentina Volkov, one of the remaining cosmonauts and a loyal Soviet. Volkov was a street kid who was taken off the street and raised by a doctor, a man who truly believed that the Soviet system was the best. The story moves back and forth between Valentina on Earth before leaving and her and Kazmir, the third cosmonaut, trapped on the Unknown, the strange world that transformed Adams. We see how loyal to the Soviet state Valentina was, not just in the flashbacks but on the Unknown, where Kazmir tells her he loves her and she shrugs it off, possibly the only person she will ever see again, because it is against the program they were in to develop attachments. And when she removes her helmet and is transformed as Adams was, she mercilessly kills Kazmir to power the pod that will return her to Earth because that's what she must do for the State. Valentina isn't evil; it would be easier if she was. What she is is a true believer,and in many ways that is more dangerous. As she returns to Earth and receives the radio and television signals beamed into space that tel the story of the fall of Soviet Russia, she returns home and goes immediately to Vladimir Putin, who clearly is ready to set her loose on the world. The issue is dense with history and symbolism, as "Little Myshka, " Little Mouse, the endearment that Valentina's adoptive father used and the one Putin knows, the mouse they experimented on to make the perfect Soviet, is prepared to head off and once more help the USSR to rise, or so it seems. Trevor Hairsine's art is gorgeous, both in the realistic and gritty world of the Soviet Union and the amazing foreign landscapes of the Unknown. Valiant has done a great job with their self-contained four issue mini-series, making them easily accessible; everything you need to know from the original Divinity is summed up straight away in this issue, so Divinity II would be a great place to try out Valiant if you haven't yet.

Harley's Little Black Book #3
Story: Amanda Conner & Jimmy Palmiotti
Art: Joseph Michael Linsnner & Hi-Fi

If the Harley Quinn monthly is a fun comic, Harley's Little Black Book, Harley's bi-monthly team-up book, takes everything that makes the monthly great and amps it up to eleven. It's a broad, kooky comic, and this issue has Harley meeting Zatanna as the magician comes to perform at the club that is in Harley's building to get away from the magical chaos of her superhero life, while Harley has guests, the London based super team she met back in issue one. But things aren't that simple, as a trio of ghosts, trapped on the Coney Island boardwalk, wind up taking up residence in Harley's building to avoid a ghost-demon that is hunting them. Zatanna agrees to help the ghosts stop their tormenter, and we learn that Harley can see ghosts for an as yet unexplained reason. The story continues with Harley and Zatanna travelling into the afterlife to find the ghost-demon who is hunting the spirits, and to find the demon who cursed him to stop the whole thing. It's a clever, fun superhero story, made all the better by Jospeh Michael Linsner's art. A famed "good girl" artoist of the '90s, Linsner is best known for having created Dawn, but his work here is lovely. Not only does he draw a stunning Zatanna and Harley, but his demons and monsters are also great, creepy and slithery or demonic. There's a funny gag with the demon behind the whole thing, a name that comes out to the fore with Ztanna's backwards speaking magic. And as a real plus, Zatanna is back in her traditional costume! A comic with magic, comedy, and bunnies hopping around. What more could you ask for?

Jim Butcher's The Dresden Files: Wild Card #1
Story: Jim Butcher & Mark Powers
Art: Carlos Gomez & Mohan

As the wait for Peace Talks, the new Dresden Files novel, stretches out, it's the short stories and original comics that are keeping me sane. The new mini-series, Wild Card is set deep in the thick of the novels, at the height of wizard-for-hire Harry Dresden's powers and friendships, with most of his staunchest allies at his side: his apprentice, Molly; his brother, Thomas; his friend at the M.E.'s office, Waldo Butters; and his police contact; Sgt. Murphy. The exact timeline seems to place it after the events of the novel White Night and the last comic mini-series, Down Town, and before my favorite Dresden Novel to date, Small Favor. One thing the comics can do that the first person narrated novels can't is show things that Harry doesn't see, as this mini-series begins with two women fleeing some sort of supernatural threat that seemingly removes their souls. This seeming is made more evident when Harry, Murph, and Molly go to the morgue where Butters shows them the perfect corpses left behind with no cause of death, Harry begins his investigation with the first soul sucking monsters he can think of, the succubi and inccubi of the White Court of Vampires, of which his brother Thomas is one. The set-up allows readers not familiar with the books to get a feel for Harry and his friends and family as we see Molly's growing skills as a wizard, Harry and Thomas's brotherly affection (and through that, details of the White Court), and Harry and Murphy's sometimes strained relationship, although they are the best of friends in the end, always, which I hope we get to see as well. There's also a great scene with Harry and Molly talking about power and the right and wrong ways to use it, a central theme of the Dresden Files novels. Artist Carlos Gomez has drawn the last handful of Dresden related comics, and his feel for the characters has grown with each one, and the characters are resembling Jim Butcher's descriptions more and more. I'm also very excited for this story because I've read about the series in an interview and known the identity of the big bad, the threat who de-souled the women at the beginning of the issue and attacked a police office in the middle, and it's a character from myth and story I've been waiting to see appear in the Dresdenverse since the Faeries became a major presence back in book four, Summer Knight. I won't say the name here, but, well, lord what fools these mortals be (a little hint if you know your Shakespeare). The Dresden Files universe is rick with story, myth, and character, and these original comics do a great job of telling smaller stories of the adventures of Harry Dresden.

And Dan Grote reviews the new special about everyone's favorite Luchador rooster...

Chew: Demon Chicken Poyo

Story by John Layman

Art by Rob Guillory

First, he saved an English village from a mad scientist making it rain livestock. Then, he freed a faraway fantasy realm from the tyranny of mutant vegetables and was crowned king. He also did a bunch of awesome stuff in between.

Now, after having his neck snapped, everyone’s favorite cybernetic luchador rooster assassin (and all-around badass motherf$&#@%g bird) has taken his rightful place as a lord of hell.

As John Layman and Rob Guillory wind down their amazing, hysterical Image series, they’ve given us one last one-shot featuring Poyo, the poultry-turned-psycho government agent who steals fans’ hearts a little more with each successive two-page spread of him fighting some equally ridiculous monster animal or vegetable (Pengthulu remains my favorite, but this issue’s two-pager against Galaxseal is another feast for the eyes).

In his latest adventure, Poyo stars in his own Christmas-themed children’s tale, in which he takes down a disgruntled Santa Claus and his Seussical henchman, the Grumpass, after Santa declares war on Christmas and breaks the hearts of the children of Blun, as a narrator details Poyo’s adventures in not-necessarily-always-rhyming couplets.

But this children’s tale is a distraction from the framing sequence, in which a priest attempts to exorcise a little girl possessed by an ancient Sumerian demon and of the ability to vomit pea soup with firehose-like force. Poyo arrives in this sequence as well to mete out justice and generally be awesome.

But as always, Poyo disappears to his next adventure before he can be properly thanked for saving the day via ultraviolence.

And also as always, Rob Guillory’s art is a sick delight, brightly colored but with the gross details of John Kricfalusi animation. No one in Chew is attractive, even the people who theoretically are supposed to be. And how could they be with all the vomit and blood and missing limbs and gross food-based powers?

I’m behind on the trades – the last thing I read was Detective Colby snapping Poyo’s neck in issue #45 – so I think a key plot point from the series may have been spoiled for me, but if you just want to read a story about a robot rooster killing all manner of creature with gleeful abandon, well, really, you don’t have any other options.

15 Reasons You Should Care About … POYO

SPOILER if you haven’t been keeping up with Chew!

If you have been keeping up with the Image series by John Layman and Rob Guillory, then you, like us, are likely in mourning over the apparent death of Poyo, the cyborg luchador rooster strategically employed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to kill and cluck things up as is necessary.

Poyo’s side adventures in Chew are the stuff of legend, and in fact at one point take place in a fantasy world. The double-page spreads of Poyo fighting horrific mash-up monsters are one of the best gags in a book filled with them.

So in tribute to the robot-eyed rooster, here’s every badass thing Poyo ever did.

Issue 8: First appearance. Poyo at this point is just a normal luchador rooster caged by cockfighting gangsters on the island of Yamapalu. FDA Agent Tony Chu – on the island investigating a mysterious fruit that tastes like chicken – rescues Poyo along with the island’s chief of police, who in turn steals the bird.

Issue 12: Ex-Chief Kulolo is found near-fatally beaten in an alley, Poyo stolen by a cockfight organizer named Butcher. Says perennial FDA informant D-Bear: “Listen, I seen Poyo fight. That f----- bird is a demon. A demon.” Chu frees Poyo from his cage, and the bird in turn claws and pecks out the eyes of his captors. “Told you, yo. A demon.”

Issue 18: Poyo is unleashed during a mission for the USDA, which pairs cartoonishly busty humans with cybernetically enhanced animals. Poyo stays hidden in a crate until such time as he is needed, at which point he proceeds to do what he does best – peck and claw the faces of the enemy, in this case a North Korean military analog. When a general appears to shoot him to death, Poyo gets up, leaps at him and tears out his heart with his beak. Chu describes Poyo as “Concentrated mayhem. Feathers, rage and hate.” Or, as a narration box puts it, “Poyo is just really, really badass.”

Issue 25: Poyo, the USDA’s “only agent with a 100% mission success rate,” is teamed up with Chu’s then-ex-partner John Colby, who at this point was working for the USDA while Chu had literally been busted down to meter maid.

Secret Agent Poyo one-shot: A flashback shows how the USDA gave Poyo his cybernetic bits. It also tells the story of how Poyo defeated the legions of Hell and Satan himself before being brought back to life because, as Satan puts it, “That is one badass motherf----- bird.” It is in this one-shot that the legend of Poyo starts to become a series of epic adventures against forces even stranger than those confronted by Chu and his human allies, such as the Irradiated Zookeeper’s Revenge, the Viltrumite Interstellar Mustache Wars, Ghenghis Condor and his Mutant Mongol Tyrano-Riders, and Icons Affiliated, which apparently was that time he teamed up with ’90s Image characters such as Spawn, Savage Dragon, Witchblade and Shadowhawk. The one-shot’s main story, however, is about Poyo working with the British government to take down a mad scientist who’s found a way to make it rain livestock. Poyo gets zapped by Dr. Regenbogen’s device, finds himself falling from the sky, meets a cute chicken on the way down who gets zapped by lightning, turns his cybernetic wing into rocket thrusters and sets a course right for Regenbogen’s head, which explodes upon impact. After Poyo gets up, his human British partner declares, “Yeah, f---ers, POYO!!!”

Issue 28: Bites off Chu’s sister’s index finger for getting cutesy with him. Takes out a squad of E.G.G. terrorists, rending arms, eyes, ears and jaws.

Issue 29: The first of the, “Hey, where’s Poyo?” double-page spreads: “Terror in Tokyo: Poyo vs. Mecha-Turducken!”

Issue 33: “Hey, where’s Poyo?” – “Antarctic Annihilation: Poyo vs. Pengthulu!” (Imagine a red-eyed penguin with the head and tentacles of an octopus, and its many, many children)

Issue 36: “Hey, where’s Poyo?” – “Grocery Grotesquery: Poyo vs. Mutant Corn and Superfish!” (Why, yes, it is an ear of corn with rock-hard biceps and a fish that shoots laser beams from its eyes)

Issue 41: “Hey, where’s Poyo?” – “Eve of Extinction: Poyo vs. Unisaurus Rex!” (Possibly my favorite of the double-pagers, a pink T-rex with a yellow-and-pink Mohawk, a unicorn horn and a My Little Pony tail that roars rainbows)

Issue 42: “Hey, where’s Poyo?” – “Maritime Malice: Poyo vs. the Quacken!” (Half-duck, half-squid that dresses like Donald Duck, who fights alongside his three nephews and his gold-hoarding uncle, a woo-woo!)

Warrior Chicken Poyo one-shot: Poyo is transported to a fantasy dimension to help thwart an evil wizard who can turn vegetables into monsters. In this realm, he teams up with many a knockoff of the Fellowship of the Ring and Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz. Poyo defeats the wizard by jamming himself down the wizard’s throat and ripping out his skeleton from the inside. For his heroics, Poyo is made king of the land, but the rooster they see before him is only a lookalike, for the real Poyo is needed “Wherever there is evil. Or injustice. Or just some rotten sonofabitch needin’ his f----- ass beat.”

Issue 43: “Hey, where’s Poyo?” – “Parisian Peril: Poyo vs. Escargoat!” (Half-snail, half-goat. Nuff said)

Issue 44: “Hey, where’s Poyo?” – “Twin terrors: Poyo vs. Oyop!” (A metal plate on Oyop reads, “Property of Opposite World! In dog we trust!!”)

Issue 45: Colby takes Poyo out for drinks after a fight with Chu. Upon being tossed from the bar, Colby looks into Poyo’s eyes … and snaps the bird’s neck for reasons as yet revealed. Live badass, die badass.

Dan Grote’s new novel, Magic Pier, is available however you get your books online. He has been writing for The Matt Signal since 2014. He and Matt have been friends since the days when making it to issue 25 guaranteed you a foil cover.

Reviews of Comics from Wednesday 10/29

Archer & Armstrong #25
Story: Fred Van Lente & others
Art: Clayton Henry & others

Credit where credit is due, Valiant does up a heck of an anniversary issue. The (for now, anyway) final issue of Archer & Armstrong is chock full of different stories that sum up the relationship between our two leads perfectly. The lead story, "Back to the Beginning," reunites the series original creative team of Fred Van Lente and Clayton Henry, to tell a story that ties up many of the series loose ends, including the identity of Archer's parents, Archer's relationship to The Sect, and the origin of the Archer cult from earlier in the series. More important is the scene where Archer asks Armstrong to show him more of the world, and Armstrong sets him straight about exactly what that will mean. It's a thesis on judgement and what it means to really live, from someone who has lived longer than pretty much anybody, and if we never hear another word from these character by Van Lente, it is a perfect send off. The second long form story in the issue, "Immortal Combat,"by John Layman and Ramon Villalobos, is much lighter. An immortal returns to fight Armstrong, and thanks to Armstrong's... pickled brain, he has little recollection of someone who has spent hundreds of years planning his demise. This story is just pure fun, which has been something that this book does and gets right every time. Also included is a short that leads into the upcoming one shot that features A&A enemies the 1%, and three time hopping stories that show Armstrong at different points in his immortal life. This is exactly what I feel an anniversary issue should be, one that celebrates all the aspects of a title, and gives long time readers a reward for picking it up. Van Lente and Henry will soon be starting a new Valiant series about Armstrong's time travelling brother, Ivar, Timewalker, so they'll be hanging around the Valiant Universe some more, but I'm glad they got the band back together to tell one more story from what has been my favorite Valiant series from the new line.

Marvel Comics 75th Anniversary Special
Story: Various
Art: Various

And here's another anniversary issue. I have to give Marvel credit, while I'm a DC guy, Marvel has done more with this 75th Anniversary one shot than DC has done with most of its big 75th anniversaries. A series of short stories, taking place throughout Marvel history, all the pieces have some feeling of history. The Spider-Man and Wolverine stories are fine and interesting, but it's the other three that really grabbed me. The opening story is a meditation on when the world changed, when the Fantastic Four got their powers and created the new heroic age. Narrated by Ben Urich, this story, written by James Robinson and drawn by Chris Samnee, is just so beautifully drawn, showing where many of the great heroes were when the FF took their space ride. Bruce Timm then adapts the Captain America prose story from Captain America Comics #3 that was the first Marvel work by The Man himself, Stan Lee. Any new work from Bruce Timm is worth celebrating, and this classic Stan Lee story is a fun throwback that's 40s setting works really well with Timm's style. Finally, Alias creative team Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Gaydos tell a story of Jessica Jones helping a little old lady find the fireman who saved her the day the original Human Torch debuted. It's a sweet little story, and feels like it's setting up a new Jessica Jones series, which makes sense with her Netflix TV series on the horizon. Along with all of this, we have a series of pin-ups with concepts by Bendis and art by various A-List artists, my favorites being a 90s X-Men one, featuring such luminaries as Marrow, Stacy X, and Adam X the X-Treme, with art by Joe Quinones, and a Groot Attorney-At-Law with art by Francesco Francavilla. The whole issue is a fun tribute to Marvel's past, with some great creators doing some top notch work. I know issues like this often seem a shameless cash grab, but this one is well worth your time.

Rasputin #1
Story: Alex Grecian
Art: Riley Rossmo

One of my favorite Image series of all time is Proof, the story of a Sasquatch who knew Thomas Jefferson and now works with a government organization investigating cryptids, things like Sasquatch and chupacabras. The creative team of Proof is back at Image this month, with the debut issue of Rasputin, a historical fiction based around Russia's mad monk, Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin. This opening issue is a solid done in one of sorts, starting as Rasputin sits down to dine at the dinner that, for anyone who knows his story. will end in his seeming murder, and flashes back to his youngest days. Rasputin is already being fleshed out as a full character, not the mad, licentious figure he is often portrayed as in fiction, but someone with a backstory. The issue specifically show the conditions Rasputin grew up in, with a father who had little trouble savagely beating his wife and son. By issue's end, we have seen that this is a world where the supernatural will play heavily, and one where violence is going to be as central, and not in a graphic way, but in the sense that life started with pain, and will probably not get any easier. As good as Alex Grecian's story is, and it is very good, Riley Rossmo's art adds something to it that makes is all the better. In pure text, a first person narrator is only as trustworthy as your impression of him or her, and if you know anything about Rasputin, he isn't someone you should trust. However, the graphic element of art in flashback adds a dimension. You see Rasputin use his power to heal (or resurrect?) his mother after a beating, and you see the expression on his face. You see him make the cold hard choice after his father is attacked by a bear. Rossmo is one of my favorite artists in comics, his work on series life Proof, Cowboy/Ninja/Viking, and Bedlam showing the breadth of his talent, drawing character moments with the same strength he draws monsters. I've said it before and I'll say it again, Image is producing the widest variety of interesting new comics on the racks right now, and a supernatural historical fiction is a great addition to that. If you like history, magic, and bears, you should check out Rasputin. Oh, and Riley Rossmo, in case you read this, I read you bit in the backmatter, and yes, there is still an audience waiting for more Proof. Give it to us and I'll preach it to the mountains.

Saga #24
Story: Brian K. Vaughan
Art: Fiona Staples

Ah, the pre-hiatus issue of Saga. The last issue of an arc on Saga usually steps away from the family who are our main protagonists and instead spends some time with one of the other characters, be it The Will, Prince Robot IV, or Gwendolyn. This time, the issue's driving force is The Brand, freelancer (bounty hunter) and the sister of bounty hunter The Will, who is looking for the person responsible for her brother being in a coma, and her partner, Pretty Boy, who's a big dog. The Brand crosses paths quickly with Gwendolyn and Sophie, as well as series favorite Lying Cat, who are seeking a cure for The Will. The first scene, where they retrieve the scroll with the cure's ingredients on it, has the best Lying Cat moment since the heartwarming scene between the cat and Sophie. Vaughan develops these characters further, giving us a bit more of The Brand, exploring Gwendolyn's roll, showing more than a force hunting Marko, but as the honorable warrior she is, and starting to see Sophie come more out of the shell she was forced into by her horrible past. Aside from the A-story, we also get a great flashback to The Will's time with his ex-lover, The Stalk, and see more of the complexity of their relationship, as we learn we will soon be visiting The Stalk's home planet. And that final page cliffhanger, the thing that Vaughan does better than anyone in comics, has me ready to tear my hair out in the best kind of frustration from the wait until early 2015 to see where it goes.

Southern Bastards #5
Story: Jason Aaron
Art: Jason Latour

No one is the villain of their own story. And even the villain usually has his reasons and his backstory. Sometimes, I feel this is unnecessary, like with The Joker or Hannibal Lecter, but in most cases, that backstory makes for a much better character. Jason Aaron proved to be a master of the well rounded villain with Lincoln Red Crow, Agent Nitz, and so many others in Scalped, and this issue of Southern Bastards begins an arc focusing on the background of series villain, Coach Boss. The story flashes back and forth, from the present, where Coach Boss is heading to the funeral of Earl Tubbs, the protagonist of the first arc and the man Coach Boss killed at the end of the previous issue, and a young Boss working to make the football team. The Boss of now is a cold, calculating bastard, the kind of guy who goes to that funeral knowing full well everyone knows he killed the man, and who by issue's end shows that he wants the town to remember that. The young Boss, while not a tough guy physically, still shows the will that will make him Coach Boss one day, although here he comes to a bad end by not knowing when it's best to let a bully mouth off. We get to see Craw County from Boss's point of view, an insider's view, versus the outsider that Tubbs was. I'm a northerner, and can count the number of football games I've watched on one hand, but it's a credit to Aaron's writing that I can see where the mania for the game in these southern town comes from. This arc will continue to fill out Boss's history, and while I don't think he's ever going to be a character we like, it's going to be an interesting journey to see if he's a character that I can understand.

Reviews of Comics from Wednesday 8/21

Batman and Nightwing #23
Story: Peter J Tomasi
Art: Patrick Gleason

The Batman team-up title wraps up its initial post-Damian arcand its exploration of the five stages of grief with, "Acceptance." I've enjoyed the use of Carrie Kelly in this title since Damian's death, but I think writer Peter Tomasi made the right call in not having anyone or any plotlines in this issue other than Batman and argueably his two most important supporting cast members: Nightwing, the grown-up original Robin, Dick Grayson, and Alfred Pennyworth. Batman's mental state has been fragile since he lost his son, and this issue we see Bruce using Internet 3.0, one of Grant Morrison's concepts from his Batman Incorporated series to run simulations of his actions during Damian's final minutes, trying to prove to himself he could have saved his son. This kind of self-flagellation is not uncommon in Batman's character, or in anyone who is grieving; the question of what you could have done differently is the most haunting one a person can entertain. Eventually he succeeds, but only when Dick joins him in the simulation, reinforcing the concept of family and that some burdens need to be shared. Dick also gets a great speech about how Bruce needs to use Damian's death in the same way he used his parents', as something to drive him forward, not something to wallow in. But its the very end of the issue, where Alfred uses the machine to see what he might have done to keep Damian from ever leaving the Batcave that night, when the full emotional weight of the issue strikes. After Alfred does indeed stop Damian from leaving, thus saving him, he comes out of the simulation to find Bruce waiting. Bruce realizes that he isn't, "the only one who lost a son that night" and he and Alfred embrace. Bruce has not just finally accepted the loss of Damian, but come to see the pain in others, which is pretty big step for someone so tightly insular. Now I want to see this level of empathy and acceptance reflected in the other Bat titles, hopefully moving Batman forward as a character.

B.P.R.D.: Hell On Earth #110
Story: Mike Mignola and John Arcudi
Art: Tyler Crook

B.P.R.D. is one of those comics that is so consistently good that it's hard to pick out one issue that is exemplary; it's just a remarkably solid comic. But the new issue, beginning a five part arc, "Lake of Fire," jumps out at me for two important returns. Firstly, artist Tyler Crook returns. Since Guy Davis left, Crook has drawn the most issues of B.P.R.D., and his art this issue is outstanding. Not only are his monsters in top form, but the moments featuring this issue's other return are just as well done. The other return sees Liz Sherman return to the pages of this comic. Since Liz started the current Hell on Earth by using her power to wipe out a threat but also triggering devastation she has only appeared briefly in a story that was pretty much a Liz story. This issue feels more like Liz returning to the world. While she hasn't encountered any of the rest of the cast yet, I feel like we're moving in that direction, especially as the hospital where Liz is currently laid up in has a new doctor, one we have seen has certain sinister leanings, ones that will surely put Liza back in a situation where she will have to take action. Fenix, the psychic who has caused her share of trouble, has now arrived at the Salton Sea, where the last arc of the Abe Sapien series took place, and has encountered the same group of monster worshippers Abe did, something that I can't imagine is going to go over well with the volatile Fenix. After the past few short arcs, this longer one seems to be a story that is going to have some major ramifications, and I'm excited to see where it's going.

Chew Vol. 7: Bad Apples
Story: John Layman
Art: Rob Guillory

The seventh volume of John Layman and Rob Guillory's Chew begins the second half of the series, and events are really picking up speed. While series protagonist Tony Chu has been through a lot, and gone on a lot of assignments, he has often been a passive character, with events and people acting on him, and him not acting on them. All that has changed. After the end of the last volume and the death of someone close to Tony, he is done with that. Tony is using his powers in new ways and becoming something of a badass. He's storming compounds, using baseballs as deadly weapons, and calling The Vampire out. It's also a sure sign of Tony's evolution to see him finally stand up for himself with his tyrannical boss, Mike Applebee, finally giving him a piece of his mind. This sends a teary Applebee right into the arms of his sometimes love interest, Tony's partner, John Colby, who also shines in this volume. Colby does have a realization about Cesar and Savoy's relationship, which does show just how clever he can be, but at the same time winds up in a real pickle with his personal life, involving both Applebee and USDA director Penya, which leads to some of the funniest pages of the entire series. I won't say anymore, as not to spoil a brilliant page or two. But for all its humor, there is some serious plot momentum and darkness in this volume too. The Vampire continues his collecting of food powers, and is bracing for war with Tony, and the mystery surrounding the Church of the Immaculate Ova only deepens, as it seems they are playing a similar game. The volume ends with something that could lead to answers, or to even bigger questions. Oh, and there's a big two page spread of Poyo versus Pengthulu. Because what would a volume of Chew be without Poyo?

Reviews of Comics from Wednesday 7/31

Detective Comics Annual #2
Story: John Layman & Joshua Williamson
Art: Scot Eaton, Szymon Kudranski, Derlis Santacruz

Some years ago, Dan Slott, best known for his work on Amazing/Superior Spider-Man as well as other Marvel books, wrote some great Batman stories, mostly in the animated series title, Batman Adventures. But he also wrote a really creepy mini-series called Arkham Asylum: Living Hell, which not only had some great uses of classic Bat villains, but introduced a bunch of new ones, most of whom have been underused or not at all used. This years Detective Comics Annual takes one of these villains and introduces her into the New 52: Jane Doe, who has no identity of her own and takes the identities, skins, and skills of her victims. Its a very Batman villain concept, and John Layman, regular Detective Comics writer, and co-writer Joshua Williamson, don't change the formula. Instead we get Batman playing detective, trying to find out who Jane has replaced while also dealing with the Wrath killings that are happening in the main story in the monthly series. What I really enjoyed was the annual was divided into interconnected stories. The first is the traditional Batman versus a villain story, which is a well orchestrated little piece. The others deal with the ramifications of what happened in that story. One story deals with Jane Doe in Arkham, and we get a little more a view of exactly what she in from her own point of view. The last story deals with Jane's surviving final victim, and how he or she deals with seeing what Jane did with his or her life. I don't want to say who it is, but it was a great reveal at the ending to the main story, and seeing exactly how one's life is affected by supervillains is something we usually don't see from more common person, so its a nice touch, especially in an issue that deals so much with identity.

Five Ghosts: The Haunting of Fabian Gray #5
Story: Frank J. Barbiere
Art: Chris Mooneyham

The first arc on the now ongoing Five Ghosts: The Haunting of Fabian Gray wraps up with our title hero making peace with his past and the ghosts that haunt him, both literally and metaphorically. While Fabian faces down the Vampire, who seems to have his sister, imprisoned, in the final test, Shangri-la is under siege, with Fabian's friend, Sebastian, at risk from the attacking sorcerer. The inner battle Fabian has with the Vampire is less important than the peace he makes with the loss of Sylvia, his sister. Not that Fabian has given up his quest to find her, far from it, but he now has a drive to do good beyond that. If this had been the end of the series, it would have been a great place to leave him, but knowing that more is coming makes it all the more exciting, especially with the hints of the mysterious cabal that has been hunting Fabian. Chris Mooneyham's art, which has been excellent so far, kicks up into a new and even more incredible gear. The scenes in the dreamscape, as Fabian fights the Vampire and sees his sister are ethereal and gorgeous, and his battle in the real world with the swordsman/sorcerer is one of the most dynamic fight scenes I've seen in comics in a long time. While I'm trying to keep my comic consumption at a stable level, I'm very excited that I can add this book to my list of ongoing titles; Five Ghosts is a definite keeper.

Indestructible Hulk #11
Story: Mark Waid
Art: Matteo Scalera

Indestructible Hulk has been a solid book since its inception, but has stood in the shadow of Mark Waid's excellent run on Daredevil for me. This new issue, the beginning of the "Agent of T.I.M.E." arc, feels like the start of the breakout arc. This book has been a mix of superheroics and sci-fi, so a Hulk heading into the timestream to help fix the mess that the Avengers made of the it in Age of Ultron fits with the book's mission statement.  Before the time travel and Hulking-out, we get some great scenes between Bruce Banner and Maria Hill; Hill and Banner butt heads pretty much constantly, and I really enjoy the adversarial relationship between them. The appearance of Arthur Zarrko, a C-List Marvel time travel villain also known as the Tomorrow Man sets up the plot, and explains some of the interesting things Waid has been doing with Hulk. I haven't read a lot of Hulk since Peter David left, with the exception of an arc or two here and there, so I don't know exactly what the relationship between Bruce and his ex-wife Betty is right now, other than the fact that she's a Red She-Hulk, but Waid puts her to an interesting use in the issue. And the idea of Banner's consciousness travelling in a robot with the Hulk, and the two having to interact, is a very cool one too. Mark Waid made good use of time travel in his legendary run on The Flash, so I'm excited to see more of what he does in this arc. Oh, the above cover is the variant, by the way, but as a Revolutionary War buff, I had to choose it. Can't you just picture the Hulk screaming, "NO, John Hancock! Hulk will sign first!"

Scartch 9: Cat Tails #1
Story: Rob M. Worley
Art: Shannon Eric Dento, Justin Casteneda, Caanan Grall, Mike Roll, Jason T. Kruse

Scratch 9 returns with an anthology featuring a story for each of house cat Scratch's nine lives, each with a different artist. The original Scratch 9 series was a charming, action filled romp perfect for all ages, and the new incarnation is just as much fun, but the short story format allows writer Rob M. Worley to stretch his artistic legs and tell different kinds of stories. Each of this first issue's four tales have a completely different flavor, which makes sense as each cat is very different. The story of D'Argent, the black and white French cat who can spread both good and bad luck, is a sweet story of him helping a human friend find love. Ix, the cat from the far future with the hyper-evolved brain, breaks the fourth wall and shows the reader some fun interactive number/letter games and optical illusions. Gargogga, the smilodon (that's sabre-toothed tiger in layman's terms), wanders the cold winter of prehistoria, where the last of the smilodons shows just how big his heart is. And in my favorite tale of the issue, Bektah, the guardian cat of a young Pharaoh, must save his young master from his own ill chosen words when a demon takes him up on an offer made rashly. And all of that is framed by one page intros featuring Scratch's supporting cast in homage to all manner of classic TV hosts, from Rod Serling and The Twilight Zone to Masterpiece Theatre. I have an affinity for all ages comics, anyone who has read more than a couple posts on here knows that, and the original Scratch 9 really grabbed me, so I was glad to get my hands on this new issue. If you are a cat lover, or a lover of any fun animal story, this is a comic well worth trying.

Reviews of Comics from Wednesday 7/3

Batman Incorporated #12
Story: Grant Morrison
Art: Chris Burnham

As Grant Morrison's multi-year, multi-series Batman epic nears it's conclusion, Batman makes his move against Leviathan, the terrorist organization headed by Talia al Ghul, daughter of Ra's al Ghul and mother to his now dead son, Damian. The Batman segments of the issue are mostly the Dark Knight in combat with The Heretic, the clone of Damian who killed Robin. This is the issue that most of the stories post the death of Damian have been leading to. This is a Batman at the very edge of sanity, one who is savage and brutal. But by the end, when the Heretic is unmasked, and Batman looks into the face of what Damian might have been if he had not come to his father, he stops, unable to take a life. This is juxtaposed against the new Knight, the former Squire, Batman of England. The previous Knight was also killed by Heretic, and she is more than willing to kill the Heretic. Meanwhile, much of the rest of Batman Inc goes to rescue Wingman, Jason Todd, and discovers the identity of the leader of Spyral, the superspy organization that has infiltrated Batman Inc. The final scene sees Talia going to confront Batman for one final fight. Morrison has set up a lot to pay off in his final issue, both between Bruce and Talia, but more with Spyral. There are references to a bigger game being played, of which Batman Inc and Leviathan are small parts. As Morrison has said this is pretty much the end of his run in the DCU, with the exception of Multiversity, I wonder if this is something that Morrison is just toying with or is something that he's going to fully address. But in the end, Morrison has spent this whole arc breaking down Batman and rebuilding him. So we have one issue until we see exactly what this new creation is going to be when he rises from the ashes.

Detective Comics #22
Story: John Layman
Art: Jason Fabok/Andy Clarke

The Wrath is a fairly obscure Batman villain. Created by Mike W Barr for the Batman Special in the early 80s, he has only appeared twice since; once in an arc of Batman Confidential, and once in an episode of The Batman. The Wrath is one of the characters who was created as an anti-Batman, whose origin is intentionally a mirror of Batman's; his criminal parents were shot and killed by a police officer (namely Jim Gordon) while he watched. This issue introduces this character into the New 52. He maintains the original modus operandi, targeting police officers for death, but seems to have a sidekick, Scorn, who appeared first in the cartoon. But there's more to this new Wrath, as he is cold and calculating, and seems to have no compunction about the death of allies in his crusade. We are also introduced to a new billionaire on the Gotham scene, E.D. Caldwell, a weapon manufacturer who also seems to be a humanitarian and who has his eye set of acquiring Wayne Enterprises. The end of the issue gives hints to a connection between Caldwell and Wrath, and while in most cases I would see this as a clear indication they are the same person, I wonder if John Layman, who is a craftier writer than that, has a surprise up his sleeve, and even if he doesn't, I'm sure he'll give a thorough and interesting background to this new vision. Layman has done an excellent job of fleshing out and creating villains in his run of Detective Comics, and this is another winner. Coupled with Jason Fabok's great new design, I'm looking forward to more stories featuring the Wrath.

Jim Butcher's The Dresden Files: Ghoul Goblin #5
Story: Jim Butcher & Mark Powers
Art: Joseph Cooper

Nothing ever really works out for Harry Dresden. He was called to the town of Boone Mill to deal with a series of mysterious deaths, and not only has he failed to stop them, but now he's locked up as the one who has done it. Despite all of this, Harry is willing to stand up for the little guy. This series has done a great job of demonstrating one of Harry Dresden's main character traits (or flaws, as some would have you believe): Harry is always going to protect the innocent, always going to do what is right. With the Talbot family caught between a Ghoul and a Goblin, and with the Naga that is refereeing the competition unwilling to step in, it's up to Harry, sick, wounded Harry, to protect the three remaining Talbots. Harry stands up to the Naga, a being that could obliterate him with an eyeblink, and tells her exactly what he thinks of her inaction. Harry has always spoken truth to power, and it has often gotten him into trouble, but this creature seems to respect him for it, and gives him a hint. By issue's end, Harry has learned the secret of Boone Mill's mayor, and might have an ally to help him make his stand. But the ghoul and goblin, two creatures that can easily take Harry physically, are preparing to make their final attack. Harry Dresden is at his best when the odds are stacked against him, and next issue, the series finale, those odds have rarely been stacked as high against him; let's see how he gets out of this one.

Reviews of Comics from Wednesday 3/5

Detective Comics #18
Story: John Layman
Art: Jason Fabok/ Henrik Jonnson

Since John Layman took over Detective Comics, it has quickly risen to be one of the best Bat family titles on the stands, probably second only to Batman itself. After a brief diversion into "Death of the Family," despite using the crossover to forward some of the plot threads already established in the book, this issue returns the Emperor Penguin story to center stage. Having been released after his abduction by Joker, Penguin finds that his major domo, Ignatius Ogilvy, has taken over his empire and has styled himself Emperor Penguin. Layman has done a great job of really developing Penguin, a character who appeared as nothing more than a plot device for much of the early New 52. You almost feel sympathy for him when you see how Ogilvy has destroyed much of what he has tried to do to benefit Gotham, even if it was for his own self-aggrandizement. Meanwhile, Batman is hunting Zsasz, the homicidal slasher, who escaped Arkham during Joker's reign of terror. Zsasz is a favorite villain of mine, (his earliest appearance in Alan Grant's "The Last Arkham" is an excellent story) but one I feel isn't aways quite gotten right. Layman's take, while not initially as clever as the original Grant version, has the motivation right, the air of madness and belief that all people are mindless zombies that need to be freed of this existence. The backup story features Zsasz, and details his escape from Arkham and what his connection is to Ogilvy, which makes sense of why Zsasz, who tends to work alone, is working with Ogilvy, and ties nicely in with his origin, which has always had ties with Penguin. The issues does also feature a small tie in to the death of Robin, with Bruce visiting Damian's grave, and even tying back to a scene in an earlier issue. Layman has a lot of balls in the air, and keeps the flying nicely. He makes you want to know where Ogilvy's schemes are going, and I'm hoping for some payoff in next issue, the comic that would have been Detective Comics #900 if the renumbering hadn't occurred.

Hellboy in Hell #4
Story & Art: Mike Mignola

This issue concludes the first arc of Hellboy in Hell, and answers some questions about this new world that Hellboy inhabits. I don't think the fact that Hellboy's mysterious guide through Hell is Sir Edward Grey, the Witchfinder, is particularly shocking to anyone versed in the world that Mike Mignola created, but Mignola's tale of how Grey wound up in Hell is excellent. He and Hellboy's discussion about Hellboy's fate and the nature of freedom takes up one of the central themes of the Hellboy series, the question of Hellboy being able to make his own fate. While the mystery of when and how Hellboy killed Satan, and his memory of it, is glossed over, with Grey telling Hellboy some things are better not remembered, I believe there will be more to this down the line. In the end, Hellboy wanders through the abandoned Hell, feeling free, despite the quiet revelation by Grey that his freedom is not exactly what he thinks it is. Mignola's art is as stunning as ever; nobody draws Hellboy like his creator. The reveal of the form that Edward Grey is in sent a shiver down my spine, done in a perfect horror story manner. Mignola's return to writing and drawing Hellboy has just begun, and if you haven't given it a try yet, it's not too late to catch up. Trust me, it's worth it.

 

 

Swamp Thing #18

Story: Scott Snyder

Art: Yanick Paquette

 

Scott Snyder wraps up his run on Swamp Thing with an issue that also wraps up the "Rotworld" event that tied Swamp Thing, Animal Man, and Frankenstein together. While a good portion of the issue is the final battle between Swamp Thing and his archnemesis, the avatar of the Rot, Anton Arcane (or as much of a final battle as any superhero has against his archnemesis, especially one who has a history of cheating death like Arcane does), the highlight of the issue is the emotional side of the story. The farewell between Swamp Thing and his one true love, Abigail Arcane, niece of his nemesis, is stirring and beautifully executed. Snyder has been dealing with issues of choice since his run on the series began, choice and denying or excepting your destiny, and with this issue, both Alec Holland, the Swamp Thing, and Abigail Arcane accept their fate. Swamp Thing finally seems at piece with his place in the world in with The Green, the force of nature and plantlife, and Snyder leaves him in a place of peace that he has not been in for many years. Yanick Paquette returns for this final issue, and his work is at its best. His design for Abigail's new form, as well as his vision of the different incarnations of Arcane are stunning, but it's the beauty of the Swamp Thing's vision at the end, of the Parliament of Trees and his final conversation with Abigail that stir real emotion. The new creative team on this book will have a lot to live up to after a finale as grand as this one.

Reviews of Comics from Wednesday 1/9

Dark Tower: The Gunslinger- Sheemie's Tale #1
Story: Robin Furth
Art: Richard Isanove

After four mini-series directly adapting the novella "The Little Sisters of Eluria" and the majority of the first of the Dark Tower novels, The Gunslinger, Marvel has returned to the world of Stephen King's magnum opus with the oft delayed tale of young Sheemie Ruiz, the sweet but simple boy with the amazing psychic powers. While I've enjoyed many of the new tales of the Dark Tower world that Marvel has released, I feel like this mini-series, as well as the earlier one shot, Sorcerer, are stories better suited to this format than additional stories of young Roland; stories that fill in the backstory of some of the myriad supporting characters King introduced over the course of the now eight books and one novella of the Dark Tower series. There's a large gap in the narrative about young Sheemie, the boy who become squire of sorts to Roland, the titular gunslinger of the series, and who was eventually met again in the Devar Toi, the prison at the heart of End World. This issue fills in some of those lost years, showing Sheemie's time in the prison, seeing how sweet he is, and how, when he learns the evils that he and his fellow Breakers, the psychics used by the servants of the evil Crimson King to destroy the beams holding up The Dark Tower, he does his best to stop it. Sheemie is an innocent abroad, trapped in a world he doesn't fully understand, and is at odds with the demonic world he is in. King's word tends to be one of relative light and dark, where good and evil blend together; Roland is a hero who is far from pure. But Sheemie is one of the few purely good characters we meet in the course of the series, and seeing him trapped in this prison is painful, and seeing the faith he has in Roland hurts, knowing that Roland thinks rarely of Sheemie, driven as he is by his quest for the Tower. Yet still, his hope is something that also stirs warmer feelings, ones of amusement and happiness. There are appearances by some of King's other characters, including Sheemie's fellow Breaker Ted Brautigan, who first appeared in Hearts in Atlantis, and Marten Broadcloak, King's most recurring villain, also known as Randall Flagg of The Stand and by many other names. Richard Isanove's art is perfect for this series, mixing the horrors of the mutants creatures of End World and the taheen, the human/animal hybrid guards, with some of Sheemie's visions of great beauty. There is a second issue of this series next month, and I hope more issues series follow it focusing on Sheemie and the other minor characters of The Dark Tower before Marvel dives into more adaptations.

Detective Comics #16
Story: John Layman
Art: Jason Fabok/ Andy Clarke

In Friday's recommended reading for Gotham Central, I commented that one of the best parts of the Joker story in that series, "Soft Targets," is to see how the police and the common people of Gotham react when the Joker appears. This issue takes a similar concept, but one twisted into a much stranger shape. This issue shows how Gotham's lunatic fringe reacts when the Joker returns. The idea of Joker inspired gangs isn't a new one; The Jokerz in Batman Beyond popped up in the first episode and are featured in the current arc of the series featuring that branch of the DC Universe. But John Layman gives them a very creepy air, not making them just Joker fanboys, but a psychotic, if inept, threat. These aren't just muggers and vandals who put on makeup, they're actual killers who give into their baser instincts. As Batman takes out each of the pathetic gangs, each whose name is a worse humor based pun than the one before it, we cut to scenes of another group of Joker imitators, these ones far better organized and far closer in style to their purported idol. One such Joker, Rodney the Torch, an arsonist, has teamed up with a group of others and are preparing to massacre the gathered families of some Joker victims. Rodney's fate is tragic, after he has a bout of conscience, but the rest of his group, who he tells Batman are called the League of Smiles, escape to their leader, the Merrymaker, who dresses as a plague doctor, a costume that I've always found particularly creepy. The backup once again features Ignatius Ogilvy, the man calling himself Emperor Penguin. Layman has done a great job of tying the backups in with the main feature, and after seeing Ogilvy leave corpses of his enemies looking like they had been killed by Joker in the main story, we see him explain his reasoning to some of Penguin's allies in the backup. Ogilvy is proving clever, and I'm curious to see what happens when (if?) the Penguin makes it out of Joker's party in Arkham how he will react to his former assistant taking over his rackets.

Jim Butcher's The Dresden Files: Ghoul Goblin #1
Story: Jim Butcher and Mark Powers
Art: Joseph Cooper

The second original mini-series set in the world of Jim Butcher's best selling Dresden Files novels kicks off with a very solid first issue. Back in October, I recommended the first original Harry Dresden comic series, Welcome to the Jungle, and while this series takes place deeper into the novels, in between book 2 (Fool Moon) and book 3 (Grave Peril), it is still remarkably continuity light, making it a perfect entry point for new readers. Harry Dresden, wizard/p.i. for hire, has been called to a small town to help save a family who are seemingly cursed by mysterious deaths, many of them perpetrated by things that could only be monsters. New readers will get a good introduction to who Harry is and how he operates, both his mind and his magic, and will get to meet one of Harry's regular support staff, Bob the talking skull. There's some great action to start, with harry fighting the Creature from the Black Lagoon's steroid using cousin, and then the story moves into more of the private eye mode, which is how a Dresden story works. While the plot of the mini-series comes from series creator Jim Butcher, the script is by Mark Powers, who has been adapting the Dresden novels for Dynamite, and I'm happy to say that Powers has Harry's voice down pat. I could have read this issue with no knowledge of the scripter and thought it was coming right out of Butcher himself. One interesting difference between the novels and the comics is that the series opens to a flashback set in 1917. The Dresden stories are all written first person, so these scenes are something we don't get in the books, and while I found it an odd choice, it's one I'm willing to accept as part of a different medium where having a long sequence of exposition about an event is tedious when you can show, not tell. Since Adrian Syaf, who drew the first original miniseries and the first half of the adaptation of the first Dresden Files novel, Storm Front, left for the greener pastures of DC Comics, the art for the second half of that novel and the adaptation of the second has been inconsistent, but I feel Joseph Cooper, new artists for this series, has a good feel for the character and has a good visual sense. If you've heard of the Dresden Files series from me or from its ever growing legion of fans, this is a great place to give it a shot and see if you want to try some of the novels. Trust me, once you start, you won't be able to stop.

Star Wars #1
Story: Brian Wood
Art: Carlos D'Anda

The time in between Star Wars: A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back is one of the most thoroughly mined of any span of time in the Star Wars universe. It's probably also the span of time that most non-hardcore Star Wars fans want to see, since all the classic characters are in play. Dark Horse's idea for the new, ongoing series being a continuity light series seemed like a good idea to entice in new readers, but I wanted to see how it felt to me, a die hard fan. And I have to say, this first issue was a resounding success. Brian Wood, best known for gritty dystopian sci-fi and vikings, slips right into the galaxy far, far away with ease. The issue starts out with Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, and Wedge Antilles on a mission to find a new home for the Rebel base after the events of the original movie, and quickly turns into an action packed dogfight between their X-Wings and a TIE Fighter wing. By the issue's end, we've seen Han Solo and Chewbacca on a mission for the rebellion, and Darth Vader confronted by the Emperor about his continued failure to stop the rebels. All the elements that are easily recognizable to the public are there for a good Star Wars story. Wood does toss in some nods for those of us who know the lore well, including appearances by less well known movie characters like Wedge and Mon Mothma, as well as pilot slang from the X-Wing series of novels, but its all so minor that there's no way it could alienate a new reader. Carlos D'Anda does a great job on art as well, capturing the looks of characters that are a major part of the public consciousness while still making them dynamic. While I'm still concerned about the future of the Star Wars license, I'm going to enjoy this series while it's here. May the run be long and the Force be with them.

Recommended Reading for 12/28: Chew

Welcome back to the Matt Signal, one and all! I hope everyone had a great Christmas/Yule/insert winter holiday here, and that you're ready for a new comic recommendation. This week's pick is tied into one of my favorite parts of the Christmas holiday: food. I love all the wonderful Christmas foods. and I love stuffing my face with them. And when I think about food and comics, the title that immediately pops into my head is Chew, published by Image Comics and created by John Layman and Rob Guillory.

Tony Chu has a special ability: he's a cibopath. This means that when he eats something, he can see its entire history (except, for reasons unknown, beets). Tony uses his ability quietly to help in his career in the Philadelphia PD until he's discovered and winds up getting fired, and then hired into the big leagues. No, not the FBI or CIA; it's the FDA, the Food and Drug Administration. You see, in the world of Chew, the bird flu got out of control and was a major epidemic. Poultry was outlawed, and the FDA became a major branch of law enforcement.

Chew embraces the absurdity of it's particularly odd world, a world of food superpowers, Chogs (genetically created frog/chicken hybrids), and where buying chicken and buying heroin earn you similar penalties. For all the darkness, and trust me, there's plenty of darkness, it is a singularly funny comic. At times the humor runs into the macabre, and you might be a little uncomfortable laughing at it, but you're still going to be laughing pretty hard. Tony's large family, his partner and coworkers, and many of the criminals he encounters are strange and quirky, and these personalities lead to all sort of comedy, but never to the point that is makes them unrealistic

 

The cast of Chew

Tony is one of those unfortunate hardluck heroes who things never seem to work out for. Every time things seem to be going his way, they turn out wrong. Oh, great, he's got a job at the FDA! Oh, his new boss hates him and gives him the worst duty he can. He and his new partner are working well together! Oops, he turned out to be a murderer and he bit off Tony's ear. He gets fired from the FDA, and becomes a meter maid, but everyone at the parking authority likes him! Argh, a group of meatheads beat him with baseball bats, kidnap him, and start feeding him dead baseball players so that they can write tell-all books about the players' sex lives! It's not an easy life, being Tony Chu.

While there are issues of Chew that are traditional crime stories, even if they do often involve crime involving illicit poultry, there is a complex mythology at work. At the end of an early issue, we see a planet in distant space explode. There's no real context at the time, but as the series progresses, something is happening on Earth that might tie in. Strange alien writing appears in the sky, just like on the destroyed planet. Bizarre otherworldly poultry tasting plants begin to pop up. And there are more and more people with a variety of food related powers. Coupled with the still mysterious bird flu outbreak, something that some firmly believe was not natural, you never know what is going to happen in any issue of Chew, and never know what is going to be an important part of the overarcing plotline.

Tony is not the only cibopath in the series. His first partner at the FDA, Mason Savoy, is one as well. Mason is cultured, intelligent, and not everything he seems. He has been investigating the bird flu, and he is one of the chief voices that say it was more than just a chicken related illness. As Mason has no problem working outside the law and killing to get answers, he becomes something of an antihero after his investigations are discovered and he leaves the FDA. Mason is ruthless, yes, but he seems to feel the ends justify the means, and that he is working towards a greater truth. There is also The Vampire, a mysterious Eastern European cibopath who has filed his canine teeth to points and puts on the air of a traditional, Draculaesque vampire while using his powers. He is the series most recurring villain, and the exact endgame of his plans remain unknown, although it has something to do with eating and taking in the powers of others. And then there's Tony's daughter, Olive, who might be the most powerful of them all, but we're still learning exactly what she's capable of.

And what a variety of food powers pop up over the course of the series! The sheer ingenuity displayed by Layman in coming up with different food based powers is another of the series's charms. There's saboscrivner Amelia Mintz, Tony's love interest, who can write about food so well that you feel like you're eating it. There's Toni Chu, Tony's twin sister, who is cibovoyant, able to see the future of any living thing she bites.There's a voresoph, who is the smartest man in the world, as long as he is eating. And my favorite, Hershel Brown the xocoscalpere, who can carve chocolate, and only chocolate, so well that he produces perfect, functioning replicas. And there are more. I wish that other comics and comic companies put so much thought into the abilities of their new characters.

Not only are there superpowered people in the Chew world, but the technology available means there are also a couple cyborgs. John Colby, Tony's Philadelphia PD partner, gets cybernetic replacement parts and works with Tony again after Savoy flees the FDA. But the other cyborg, the series's breakout star, is... POYO! Poyo is the world's deadliest rooster, champion cockfighter, and all around badass. You don't &^%# with Poyo. After sustaining injuries, the USDA rebuilt Poyo (who had spent his time in the afterlife beating up the devil), and made him their top animal agent, eventually partnering with Colby, making them a team of asskicking cyborgs. Poyo got a spinoff one shot, and any time he appears, you know you're in for some brutal action.

I've talked about a lot of characters, and frankly, I've barely scratched the surface. All of these characters fit together in the same way all the instruments of an orchestra do; they look like a random collection, but when put together just right, it's a symphony. The rest of Tony's family are a collection of bizarre and angry people, most notably Tony's bitter brother Chow, a famous poultry chef who is out of work thanks to the chicken ban, and who Tony has told in no uncertain terms that he will be locked up if Tony catches him breaking the law again. Caesar Valenzano, another FDA agent, has some secrets form Tony that tie him to other members of the cast and reminds me of a character in a favorite movie of mine curious about what a quarter pounder in France might be called. And Mike Applebee, Ton'y FDA boss, is the kind of boss that you look at and are grateful that you have any other boss in the world.

One of the things that I find interesting about Chew is that, despite all the humor, it can be a very serious comic that rarely takes violence lightly; the only time it ever seems to is some of the over the top sequences with Poyo, which take on an almost cartoonish feeling since we're dealing with a superdeadly chicken. Tony suffers a lot of abuse, and he pays for it. He spends issues in a coma, and others recovering from the abuse he takes. Characters who get hurt stay hurt, with scars and the results of the violence clear, and blood is used liberally but realistically. This gives the book a sense of real danger, where characters can suffer and die and you know it's not going to be pretty when they do.

Artist Rob Guillory has a very distinctive style, and one that perfectly suits Chew. His art isn't completely realistic, with characters body's and expressions being a little beyond what you would see in most work from, say, mainstream superhero comics, but he never moves into the realm of the surreal. He presents excellent facial expressions and character scenes are great under his pen. His action scenes are equally excellent, with great continuity from panel to panel, making the scenes easy to follow, even when massive chaos is ensuing (I'm looking at you, Poyo).

A couple additional fun Chew facts. Most character names have some pun or tie to food and eating; Tony Chu, Amelia Mintz, Olive Chu. They do get more esoteric than that, so its fun to pick up the references. Also, if you're a cat person, you might find it fun that the letters pages at the back of each issue (yes, letters pages! I love that Image still has letters pages in so many of their books) have pictures readers have sent in with their cats and issues of Chew. I've been meaning to get a picture of my cat with my trades. I might have to put that up here one way or the other.

Chew is a comic that really defies category. It's has something for everyone, and can leave you scratching your head, doubled over with laughter, or with a tear in your eye. It's a mystery with science fiction elements, or maybe a science fiction story with humor. Or maybe it's the ultimate culinary mystery. But what it is, at its most basic, is great comics, and well worth checking out.

There are six Chew trades available, collecting up through issue #30, the halfway point of the series. Issue #31 is due out in late January.