Darwyn Cooke: A Remembrance of His Work

I had a completely different, much lighter piece planned for yesterday, and I'll probably post that recommended reading next Friday, but when I heard the new that Darwyn Cooke, easily one of my favorite cartoonists in comics, had entered palliative care for aggressive cancer,  I decided to pull back and write an appreciation of Cooke's work and post it today. Sadly, it was just confirmed that Darwyn Cooke has passed away, and while part of me wanted to wait a little longer, I decided instead to just pour out my feelings right here and right now.

I picked up Batman: Ego, a prestige format one-shot that Cooke both wrote and drew the week it came out, and that was a comic that completely blew me off my feet. It was an examination of Batman's psyche, diving into the dark recesses of why Batman does what he does, and when I put it down, I looked at the name of the creator and I though, "This guy is going to be huge." I found out he had next to no comic credits before that. but had worked with Warner Animation on Batman: The Animated Series and Batman Beyond, and you could see the influence of those shows' designs on his work, or vice verse, but everything Cooke touched had its own special Cooke feel as well.

Cooke didn't stick to one genre. While he drew amazing superheroes, he didn't even stick to one universe. His work on DC was usually reminiscent of the Silver Age, with bright, bold panels, but he drew the first arc of Ed Brubaker's Catwoman, one of the most noir influenced of any Batman title, and Cooke wrote and drew the original graphic novel Selina's Big Score, a prequel to that run that was an absolute noir. While he wrote two charming, Silver Age-inspired Spider-Man stories in the anthology title Tangled Web he also pencilled an issue of the late X-Force series, a character spotlight on U-Go-Girl, a comic that was very modern in theme and tone, as well as a the spinoff mini-series Wolverine/Doop.

It was clear from his work how much Cooke loved crime stories. Not only did he do Selina's Big Score, but he resurrected Will Eisner's The Spirit for DC, following Eisner's mystery man/crime formula, folding Denny Colt into a more modern milieu without losing what made the series what it was. And his adaptations of Donald Westlake/Richard Stark's Parker series were a delight, these gritty noir stories adapted perfectly into comics, with style that matched the content; I write a recommendation of them very early on in this blog's life, and those books are some of the best adaptations of prose into comics that I have ever read.

There's so many other things Cooke did, that it wold take a series of posts to discuss them all. His Before Watchmen: Minutemen spotlighted his attention to historical detail. His work on Jonah Hex and All-Star Western showed he was just as capable with Westerns as he was with crime stories. He drew countless covers for all manner of comics. His last work (to date anyway. We can hope for some remaining work to make it out as a tribute), Twilight Children, was a sci-fi or fantasy piece with Gilbert Hernandez that was a strange little tale of a town in Latin America that is nothing like anything Cooke had done before.

And I've left one piece off this post until the end, because it was something that is so special to me that I wanted to thing a bit before I wrote. DC: The New Frontier was a retelling of the origins of the Silver Age of DC Comics set in a more or less historically accurate late 1950s. The Red Scare is in full swing, and racism is a day to day fact. But, despite all of that, it is a story of hope, of the dawning of a new age, of heroes, and of possibility. It is a comic that is filled with every DC hero you can imagine, and many an obscure Silver Age appearance. Martian Manhunter is a huge part of it, and Cooke captures the lost soul/stranger in a strange land thing better than most. Hal Jordan, the test pilot, is the standard bearer for the age, as he was a hero in both identities, but ti doesn't skimp on the big three either; as a matter of fact, his Wonder Woman in the series is one of the most physically intimidating and fascinating portrayals of the character I've ever seen. I not only bought all six issues, but I have the gorgeous, slipcased Absolute Edition with tons of research and background, and it's one of my favorite graphic novels in my collection.

I sadly never got the chance to meet Darwyn Cooke. I read all sorts of stories about him; some said that he could be prickly, others said he was a warm, pleasant soul. I think that just makes him human. He was the number one artist I would have wanted to get a commission from, and would have paid top dollar, and although I probably would have asked for the Batman Beyond suit to stay with my Batman theme, it would have been hard to resist asking for Martian Manhunter. Sadly, that will never come to pass. I wish he could have done a couple more Parker adaptations. I wish he could have released the Image mini-series, Revengeance, that was announced last year. I wish his family could have spent more time with him. My condolences to the Cooke family, and I hope you know how much his work touched me and his other fans. Thank you, Darwyn Cooke.

In his memory, the Cooke family has asked for donations to be made to the HERO Initiative and the Canadian Cancer Society.

It Came From Kickstarter: Die Kitty Die #1

Die Kitty Die #1
Story and Art: Fernando Ruiz & Dan Parent
Inks: Rick Koslowski & J. Bone
Colors: Gelnn Whitmore
Letters: Janice Chiang
Additional Art: Gisele Jagace, J. Bone, and Shouri

I contribute to a lot of Kickstarters, mostly comics and games (both RPG and board), and I do my best to use The Matt Signal Facebook Page (like it if you haven't, please) to spread the word on the projects before they're complete. But I have been very lax about actually writing about the finished products, and I'm looking to remedy that with a recurring column featuring the projects I've crowdfunded. On Sunday, I received the digital first issue of a new series, Die Kitty Die, from creators Fernando Ruiz and Dan Parent, and so today I'll be sharing a review of that issue!

If you're not familiar with either Fernando Ruiz or Dan Parent, these are two very talented guys. They were both regular contributors as both writers and artists to the classic Archie line for quite a while before the recent reboot. Fernando's name might be familiar to a wider audience at this point, as he was the artist on the wonderfully bizarre Archie Vs. Predator (and hey, wouldn't it be awesome to see him do Archie Vs. Alien. C'mon, Dark Horse and Archie, make it happen). These are two masters of the Archie house style, which you can see reflected in Die Kitty Die. But trust me, this might look similar in style to classic Archie, but it's its own thing and a little less all ages.

Without giving too much away, the basic plot of Die Kitty Die is that Kitty is a Sabrina the Teenage Witch type character, only one who exists both in the comics and the real world; she survives on the royalties of the comics based on her life. With sales on her comics not what they used to be, her publisher decides to reboot the Kitty comics, but they need a hook and a publicity stunt, so they decide the death of Kitty is the way to go. Only not the death of the comic character, oh no. What better publicity than the death of the actual, real life star?

The first issue of Die Kitty Die is actually three or four comics in one. The issue opens with a classic Kitty story from the comics. It's a funny little story, sort of a PG-13 version of a classic teen romance comic like Archie or Patsy Walker. The dialogue is bawdier than would have been allowed in the '60s, especially in regards to Kitty's... ahem... endowments, but it's a very funny little short.

From there we enter the main story, where we meet the real world Kitty (not quite as buxom as her comic counterpart) at a comic shop, her friends, and the status quo, that Kitty is worried about what the comic company is going to do with her in the comics; they've married her off and had her fight zombies, and there's a hint of meta-commentary on the comic book industry in this scene. It's a charming little bit, where you get to see Kitty show off her powers, see someone else use magic, and get to know the world of Kitty.

The second chapter takes the meta-commentary of the first chapter and puts it front and center. Here we meet the publisher of "Kitty Comics," as well as the editor and chief, and one of the creative staff. Each of them is a stereotype of a faction of the industry. The publisher is in it just for the money, and doesn't care about the art. The editor-in-chief is the biggest dude-bro you could imagine, and is excited for the reboot because he can bring in a Hollywood writer and that will mean attention and plenty of "likes of Space Book." And the executive wants to bring in a trendy indy artist whose work is sketchy and slow, but it's got indy cred. It's not the subtlest of commentary, but it's pretty darn funny. And with the decision that killing Kitty is the best way to build buzz since their new PR friendly creative team will need a couple years of lead time to get the book set, the plot is in motion.

The final chapter of the issue is right out of a classic '70s or '80s horror movie. Kitty gets home, and undresses down to her skivvies, only to be interrupted by Dippy the Dead Kid, a Caspar analogue we met in the comic shop earlier who was bemoaning the cancellation of his comic. Only Dippy isn't the friendly ghost, and we quickly see that he is a little creep who isn't friendly to Kitty at all. It's a great set-up for some real horror next issue.

Along with the main story, the issue has a bunch of bonus material, including"Kitty's Katwalk" a fashion spread like in old issues of books like Millie the Model with art by J. Bone, pin-ups from Gisele Jagace and Mike Rooth, and some parody ads. It's a great package, and has more pages than your average for a $4 comic.

I also have to applaud Ruiz and Parent for getting their Kickstarter out on time. For those of you who don't usually do the Kickstarter thing, when you get a projected release date of February, you expect April if you're lucky (I still have a project that expected a hardcopy of the book in December 2014 that still hasn't paid off). And lo and behold, issue #1 of Die Kitty Die had a projected date of February and arrived in February.

There are a lot of comics published through Kickstarters these days, from creators of varied level of experience and skill. Fernando Ruiz and Dan Parent are great creators, and their book lives up to the pedigree of its creators. If you're looking for a comic that's fun, a little bawdy, with some very nice art, and a fun story, you should definitely check out Die Kitty Die.

The first issue of Die Kitty Die is available for digital purchase at Gumroad right now. If you're a person who prefers their comics in physical format, a trade of the four issues will be released this summer under a cover by Matt Signal favorite Darwyn Cooke, so keep your eyes open for that.

Reviews of Comics from Wednesday 12/11

Batman #26
Story: Scott Snyder
Art: Greg Capullo

"Zero Year" continues in this issue, with Batman dealing with Doctor Death and the GCPD. The deeper into this new version of Batman's origin we get, the more I like it. While it does borrow bis from earlier stories, it's not a greatest hits version, trying to strip mine elements from all the different Batman origins. Scott Snyder  is creating a new story that still stays true to Batman's history, and that adds some new elements. The big change this issue is the revelation of exactly what Bruce's problem with Jim Gordon is. After the fakeout with Lucius Fox from the end of the previous issue, and knowing Gordon and Batman's relationship is what it is in the present, I'm sure Snyder has something up his sleeve, especially especially since John Layman's Detective Comics "Zero Year" crossover focused on Gordon's incorruptibility. It's interesting to add this wrinkle into Batman's past, giving him a reason to distrust Gordon instead of Gordon distrusting Batman as in Year One. Meanwhile, the Doctor Death storyline is a great little Batman versus a mad scientist story, and using Doctor Death, the first "name" villain in Batman's history, is a nice nod; I also have to say the new visual for him is creepy, and something not seen in Batman comics in the past. The flashbacks to Bruce's journey to become Batman and the sensory deprivation ritual takes touches of Grant Morrison's run and adds them in; frankly, Morrison's work is usually so quickly retconned out of continuity or ignored, it's nice to see an element hearkening to it. I hope we get some resolution with Death in the next issue, so we can move back to the Riddler, but Snyder is playing with a large canvas, and that scope is part of what makes "Zero Year" an interesting Batman story.

Batman: Li'l Gotham #9
Story & Art: Dustin Nguyen and Derek Fridolfs

Batman: Li'l Gotham is proving itself to be more than just a way to read stories that feel like they could have taken place in the pre-Flashpoint DCU; it feels like a spiritual successor of Batman: The Animated Series. This struck me this issue not only because it featured a cameo by Simon Trent, the Grey Ghost, a character from one of the best episodes of B:TAS, "Beware the Grey Ghost," but also because it took that element and worked it seamlessly into the world that creators Dustin Nguyen and Derek Fridolfs have created. That sort of synthesis is what made B:TAS great; it took the best elements of Batman and mixed them together to create something uniquely its own. The first story in this issue has Batman and Robin chasing Clayface into Gotham Comic Con. There's a lot of con and fandom humor, but none that is mean spirited towards the fans. Damian's plan to draw Clayface out at the end of the issue is a hilarious moment, and perfectly suited to Damian's personality. Nguyen gives Batman a speech at the end to Damian when Robin is upset about changes made to his favorite comic character that perfectly reflects the best attitude one can have about continuity, one I share. The second story, a Labor Day story for The Carpenter, contractor to the supervillain set, is a cameofest, with appearances by most of Batman's rogues, plus some others from around the DCU. Paul Dini created The Carpenter during his run on Detective Comics and Batman: Streets of Gotham, and being a Dini creation, she fits perfectly into a world that is heavily influenced by his animated series work. This title is starting to wind down, with only three issues left, and I am going to miss this breath of fresh air every month.

Lazarus #5
Story: Greg Rucka
Art: Michael Lark

The second arc of Greg Rucka and Michael Lark's dystopian future series, Lazarus, kicks off with the fallout from the first arc still being felt. Forever Carlyle is still regretting the death of an innocent man, something a Lazarus, a family enforcer, probably shouldn't, and her evil brother (More evil? More overtly evil?) is on the run. When Forever arrives at a border with another family's property where he might have fled, she is confronted by a group of serfs serving the other family as guards. They immediately begin to be verbally abusive, and Rucka makes a quick and very matter of fact comment about rape culture and rape threats; he doesn't dwell on it, but makes his point and moves on. As the scene ends, Forever is shot from behind by one of the men, and instead of massacring them herself, she uses her words, wits, and the fear of her powerful family to get the others to execute the man themselves. This level of intellect is part of what makes Forever such and interesting character. There are new characters introduced, and we get the first look at what it's like to be a person in this world who has no connection to the ruling elite, and its not a pretty picture. The other scene in the issue that left a strong impact was seeing a very young Forever sparring with a teacher, and the callousness with which her "father," the head of the Carlyle family, treats her. The world of Lazarus is being built brilliantly, and each issue gets us closer to a turning point for Forever. There are plenty of dystopian stories out there, but Lazarus is top of the heap, with a grounding in reality and characters who are well rounded.

Richard Stark's Parker: Slayground
Story: Donald Westlake as Richard Stark; adapted by Darwyn Cooke
Art: Darwyn Cooke

I think I said about as much as I could about the excellence of Parker and these adaptations as I could in my recommended reading on Parker but a new volume is something to be looked forward to, and Slayground lives up to, and exceeds, it's predecessors. In an interview, I believe Cooke said that Slayground was one of his favorite of the Parker novels, if not his favorite, and from nearly the first page, I could see why. Not only does this put Parker in the place where he works best, behind the eightball with only limited resources, but it is a visually impressive story. Parker is trapped inside a closed amusement park with men hunting him, and so the set pieces that the story is set against work perfectly with a medium with a strong visual component. The mostly silent sequences where Parker slowly sets up traps for the mobsters and crooked cops that are going to come after him are some of the best Cooke has ever done, and it makes the payoff as Parker springs these traps all the more satisfying. It's a tour de force from both Westlake and Cooke, and it's probably my favorite graphic novel of the year. Also, this book contains the short story, "The Seventh," originally available only in the beautiful oversized hardcover collection Parker: The Martini Edition. You should still check out The Martini Edition for its gallery of extras, but its nice that if you don't have $75 to drop, you can get to read this gem too.

Sherlock Holmes: Moriarty Lives #1
Story: David Liss
Art:Daniel Indro

Dynamite Entertainment's newest Sherlock Holmes related series is one focusing on Holmes's archenemy, Professor James Moriarty. For a character who appeared in only one story, and who was mentioned in only one other, by his creator, Professor Moriarty has taken on a life of his own. He's appeared in countless movies, short stories, novels, and comics. I've read more than a few stories of Moriarty surviving his battle with Holmes on the Reichenbach Falls, but I was curious to see what writer David Liss would do with it. Liss impressed me with his Marvel work on Mystery Men and Black Panther, with a great noir sensibility, and while this isn't a noir, it is a well rounded portrait of Moriarty. Moriarty is brilliant, conceited, and the perfect match for Holmes. Told through his internal monologue, we see exactly to what degree of contempt and respect Moriarty holds his great nemesis; Holmes hangs over the action, despite not appearing. The story picks up directly as Moriarty pulls himself from the river after being swept away from Holmes, and he immediately sets out to return to power. He demonstrates his own skills of deduction, and his cruel calculating nature. But Moriarty seems to have a soft spot for a pretty face, and when he falls afoul of locals in protecting a pretty barmaid, Moriarty makes a pledge to protect her prized possession when she is felled by the local Baron, an alchemist. While the world of Sherlock Holmes is one of pure rationality, it is often mixed with the supernatural in pastiches, and so Moriarty versus an alchemist is not jarring. With the issue's end, Moriarty is on the run, and has a very different prize with him than he expected. The people pursuing the Professor should know that the prey with nothing left to lose is the most dangerous, and I have a feeling Moriarty will be far more than they can handle.

A Monday Hodgepodge of Reviews and SDCC News

So, after spending a week in San Francisco (and alas not San Diego), I'm quite a bit behind in my reading, with a week and a half's books waiting to be read, but I will try not to leave the Matt Signal faithful without something to read. So, I'm tossing out three reviews for new Image Comics first issues from the past month, and then some of the news that got me the most excited from San Diego Comic Con this past weekend.

Lazarus #1
Story: Greg Rucka
Art: Michael Lark

This book was one of my things to look forward in 2013 and it is as good as I expected it to be. Greg Rucka is a writer known best for his strong female protagonists, and our new lead, Forever Carlyle (or Eve for short) looks to be the next in a line that includes Kate Kane, Renee Montoya, Tara Chace, Carrie Steko, and Dex Parios. The world of Lazarus is a dystopian future ruled over by powerful corporate families. Eve is the Lazarus of the Carlyle family, a member of the family whose duty it is to defend the family interests, and has been equipped with extra normal abilities to do it, mostly the ability to heal any wound and to rise from the dead. The book opens with Eve being killed, and then returning to exact revenge on those who killed her. We see her relationship with one of her brothers, which is a cold one at best, and see him more or less sic her on the people who might have leaked family information with the same care that Montgomery Burns sics his hounds on any of the townspeople of Springfield. That might seem like a funny analogy, but this world is one where everyone who rules is a Mr. Burns, so it's more chilling than that. It seems that the series is going to be about Eve finding her way when she realizes just how corrupt the system is, and how unloved she truly is by her family, how she is simply viewed as a tool, which is a strong thematic core, but after only one issue there's only so much I can infer. Michael Lark is one of my favorite artists in comics, and his work here is some of, if not entirely, his strongest. The world is gritty, hard, and there is an edge of desperation to the common people that is so at odds with Eve's family that Lark makes so clear. The first issue of a series set in another time or another world is an exercise in world building, by both writer and artist, and Lark does a tremendous job, both in the intense violence of the early pages and the quieter moments as Eve does her job efficiently back with the family. The second issue of Lazarus arrives this Wednesday, and it is one of the most anticipated books of the week for me.

Ghosted #1
Story: Joshua Williamson
Art: Goran Sudzuka

Ghosted is a supernatural caper title, something like Thief of Thieves meets The Haunting. Jackson T. Winters is a master thief rotting in jail and waiting to die. The opening prison scene is brutal, showing rape, murder, and violence as if they are everyday occurrences in jail, which they are. But when he's broken out of jail by an eccentric rich man and his gorgeous fixer, he's given an opportunity to escape all that. But he has to pull off something he's never done before: he has to steal a ghost. Despite a firm belief that there's no such thing as ghosts, Winters takes the deal, assembles a team of expert con artists and crooks, picks up a psychic he doesn't trust, and heads to a big mansion that's about to be torn down to find a ghost for his benefactor. By issues end, the whole party has arrived at the haunted house, and are inside. We see through the eyes of the psychic that this house is indeed very haunted, although her response to that proves that she has her own agenda. While we haven't gotten to know any of these characters except Winters too well, there's great potential in this odd and diverse cast, and writer Joshua Williamson has done a great job of setting the scene. Goran Sudzuka, probably best known as one of the artists on Y: The Last Man, has done a beautiful job with this issue, and the spirits as he draws them are creepy and perfectly in tone with the horror end of the book.

Sheltered #1
Story: Ed Brisson
Art: Johnnie Christmas

At a survivalist camp, as the end times near (or so its inhabitants think), the children rise up and kill their elders, leaving them to move forward in what will be a new world. That's the premise behind Ed Brisson and Johnnie Christmas's Sheltered. While we don't get to the thrust of the arc of the series until the end of the first issue, we get a very solid issue, starting with a typical day in the life at the camp. We meet people, mostly teenagers, and see what it's like living off the grid. Only at issue's end, when a seeming attack from the outside turns into one from within, do we see what's really going on. Ed Brisson, whose Murder Book back-ups in Near Death fit perfectly with that neo-noir, and whose sci-fi mystery Comeback was one of my favorite Image minis of of late last year, does a great job of making these characters three dimensional; these aren't your stereotypical redneck anti-government whackos, but people who care about their families and children, only to have it go horribly wrong. Johnnie Christmas has an angular style, somewhere closer to realistic than a Bill Sienkiewicz or Ashley Wood, but still lanky and somewhat off kilter, which works for a story where the world is upside down. Next issue is when the series will really shift gears into what it promises, a story of youth trying forge a different world, something that I have a feeling will not end well.


Now, as for San Diego, well Marvel and DC didn't announce a whole lot of new comic related projects, and Image had talked about all their new projects during Image Expo, but still there were a few things to get excited about:

-  Firstly, we have a December release for the next of Darwyn Cooke's brilliant Parker adaptations, Slayground. New Darwyn Cooke is always something I'm excited for, and Parker is the height of his craft, so this is big news.

- Jimmy Palmiotti and Amanda Conner are going to be cowriting a Harley Quinn title. Frankly, DC probably doesn't need another Bat related title, but Harley is a fun character, and Palmiotti is one of their strongest writers. While I haven't read much Amanda Conner has written, the Supergirl short in Wednesday Comics, was charming and fun, so I look forward to seeing what she can do in a longer form. We don't know the artist yet, but the first cover at least is by Conner, and is her typical wonderful.

- Joe Hill's new comic project, his first after the end of Locke & Key, will be NOS4A2: Welcome to Christmasland, a prequel to his most recent novel, the brilliant and decidedly creepy NOS4A2. With art by Stuff of Legend's Charles Paul Wilson III, and with covers by Locke and Key's Gabriel Rodriguez (who did chapter art and the inside covers for the novel), this looks to be another great horror story from Hill.

- Marvel had a couple interesting X-Men items, and of special interest is Wolverine: Origin II, a project that I wouldn't be excited for except for the fact that Kieron Gillen is writing it, whose Uncanny X-Men run was one of the strongest in years, and it will feature Mr. Sinister, my favorite X-villain, and one who Gillen wrote masterfully. I also find myself curious about Amazing X-Men almost in spite of myself, since I don't want to buy another ongoing X title, but Jason Aaron and Ed McGuiness are a great team, and Nightcrawler's return is a plus, as I feel he has been missed more than any other character in the X-titles.

- Finally the superhero movie news. I'm curious to know where Thanos is headed, now that it's been revealed Avengers 2 is called Age of Ultron and there's no sign of him in Guardians of the Galaxy, which I'm feeling more confident about as more is revealed. But the big one is a Batman/Superman movie. That just speaks to my inner fanboy in ways that I can't begin to describe.

Reviews of Comics from Wednesday 1/16 Part 1

I have had weeks where I've struggled to get three to five comics to review on here, but this past week there were so many good comics I actually am going to divide the reviews over two days. So check out today and stay tuned for more reviews tomorrow.

Archer & Armstrong #6
Story: Fred Van Lente
Art: Emanuela Lupacchino

In the original Valiant days, my favorite title/character was the Eternal Warrior, so I was glad to see him back in the title of his brother, the warrior/poet Armstrong, and the story has been as well paced and fun as this title has proven to be in its six issue run. Last issue established the conflict between the brothers (and Armstrong's companion, the naive young assassin Archer) and the character of the Gilad, the Eternal Warrior. This issue spends little time with our protagonists, but instead focuses on Kay McHenry, the spokeswoman for Zorn Capital. Kay is having a problem: the dying houseplant in her office is talking to her. It's not hard to figure out from there that Kay is the new Geomancer, the voice of the Earth that our heroes are searching for. Over the course of just one issue, Van Lente gives the reader a good view inside Kay's head, making her a sympathetic and interesting character. Van Lente ties Kay's origin in with The 99%, a group of villains established in the first arc, and The Null, a new faction of The Sect. With her life in danger, Archer, Armstrong, and the Eternal Warrior come on the scene, but Kay saves herself, showing our first glimpse of the power of a Geomancer. Van Lente doesn't slow down in this issue, packing a ton of great story and character in it. I like that it seems Kay has accepted her mantle of Geomancer without a lot of hemming and hawing, but instead embraces it, although we'll have to see how that works out next issue when she's out of mortal peril. And if none of that has convinced you to check this issue out, how about this: Monkey dressed as Mother Nature. Resist that.

Batgirl#16
Story: Gail Simone
Art: Ed Benes & Daniel Sampere

What could have been Gail Simone's final issue of Batgirl instead simply becomes the final issue of the series crossing over into "Death of the Family"  and would have been a great issue one way or the other. Joker has brought Batgirl to a church so he can marry her, and take her off the chessboard of Gotham so she is no longer a hindrance to Batman. And he is holding her mother hostage to insure her cooperation. But a factor Joker had hot planned for comes into play: James Gordon Jr., Batgirl's psychopathic little brother. James comes in telling Batgirl he has saved their mother, and allowing Batgirl to move against the Joker and her men. The opening scene of the issue is a flashback to a Barbara shortly after she was shot and crippled by the Joker, and we see her recurring dream of killing the fiend, and throughout the issue she comes close to embracing this homicidal urge. Simone has a wonderful handle on Batgirl, giving her so many layers, and more rage than she has ever been presented with. I don't want to say anything about the end of the issue, about the final confrontation between James Jr. and the Joker, because I have to say I can see James becoming the next Joker, a character without remorse and with a gamesman's mind. When James Jr. was reinvented by Scott Snyder, I wasn't sure if any other writer could handle him just right. I'm happy to say Simone hits all the right notes to make him a character who is equally as creepy as the Joker.

Batman #16
Story: Scott Snyder/ Scott Snyder & James Tynion IV
Art: Greg Capullo/ Jock

The end game begins here. Everything Scott Snyder has been building to in "Death of the Family" starts to play out as Batman enters Arkham Asylum to confront the Joker on turf both of them seem to view as a place where they have an advantage. The issue is a tense trip through Arkham, with Batman's narration adding to the tension. He address himself as Bruce the whole time, speaking to himself in the third person. He seems more worried than he ever has, moving through the Asylum, working his way through the Joker's traps, and using everything he has to keep edging forward. He uses his brain to save Arkham guards Joker has had dancing non-stop for days and he uses his brawn to defeat a legion of armed maniacs. Joker has Dollmaker imprint images on the skin of a group of tied up men, showing scenes from Batman and Joker's history in a creepy living tapestry. After facing down some of Arkahm's more famous rogues, in the end, Joker is waiting in a room. Within that room, Joker waits with three of Batman's other greatest rogues, Penguin, Riddler, and Two-Face, and although Batman seems to be able to stop Joker from killing his victims, Joker has one final scheme. He shows Batman his family, all waiting for Joker to kill, and this proves Joker right: the allies and family Batman has made make him weak, make him susceptible to Joker's scheme. In the end  save his allies, and seems to be dead, although we all know there's more to come from that. Still, the final moment sends shivers up my spine. The back-up this month mainly features Joker dealing with the one rogue in his court not spotlighted yet: Two-Face. When Two-Face wants Batman just killed after the final scene of the main story, Joker stands him down. He addresses Two-Face as Harvey, showing contempt for Two-Face. He points out to Two-Face that his coin, his view of justice, is pointless, which he views as perfect for Gotham. Joker leaves even the greatest rogues behind, and is left alone with Batman holding the mysterious covered dish that he holds on the last page of each of these final "Death of the Family" tie-ins. With one part to go, the stakes have never been higher, and I have never been more excited.

Batman and Robin #16
Story: Peter J. Tomasi
Art: Pat Gleason

Damian is a character who has been evolving and growing since he was first introduced. This issue seems to be a turning point for the young Robin. Facing down a man who he believes is Batman, controlled by a psychotropic Joker venom to kill him, Damian does his best to not kill his father. The verbal abuse and taunting from the Joker continues, trying to convince Damian to cross the line. Damian leads "Batman" on a merry chase through the Gotham Zoo on another of Joker's little merry chases. In the end, when Joker tells Damian it is either Damian's life or Batman's, Damian is willing to sacrifice himself. Joker is disappointed, naturally, and a little surprised. And while Damian does let his temper slip when he faces down Joker, he still is acting more controlled, and has come to understand self-sacrifice. While the story is impressive, what really blew me away with this issue, as with the last, was the art from pat Gleason. His Joker is equally as creepy as those from Greg Capullo and Jock, but his use of the flies that surround Joker's rotting face is extra disturbing. His Joker is bizarrely gangly, moving like a marionette on strings controlled by a mad puppeteer. And the look on Damian's face as he thinks Batman has died is heartbreaking. To be able to do that with a character who is wearing a mask and has no visible eyes shows a mastery of his craft. Tomasi and Gleason are a team that have worked together for some time, and at this point they are one of those teams whose work blends together to form a whole even stronger than the sum of their parts.

The Black Beetle: No Way Out #1
Story & Art: Francesco Francavilla

In my recommended reading for Dark Horse Presents I talked about the serial I was most excited about, The Black Beetle: Night Shift, and how I was looking forward to the mini-series featuring Francesco Francavilla's pulp inspired crimebuster. And now that the first issue has come out, I can say that anticipation was well deserved. What seems to be a simple mob meet up turns into something more when the location blows up, killing all inside and nearly taking Black Beetle with them. As Beetle digs into the explosion and who might be behind it, he finds the killer, although who (or what) he is remains a mystery. The beauty of the pulps and stories inspired by them is that they are seemingly simple formula stories that are made distinct by atmosphere and style. Francavilla's use of page layout is jawdropping. The double page spreads flow beautifully. The setting is lovingly researched, with all the touches and the characters looking perfectly 30s. I like the fact that we never see the Beetle unmasked, adding to his air of mystery. This is an excellent first issue, with no baggage to draw it down, no continuity to hamper it. If you like crime and mystery comics, this should be at the top of your buy pile.

Creator-Owned Heroes #8
Story and Art by Various

And sadly ends the experiment that was Creator-Owned Heroes. The combination comics anthology and comics magazine was an admirable attempt, and I have enjoyed all the issues and all the stories. This issue does nicely wrap up the two serials that have been running. Steve Niles and Scott Morse's "Meatbag" is a sci-fi/horror/noir mashup, where the PI finds out what happened to his agent, and faces down the people who hired him, and as happens to many noir detectives, winds up on the wrong end of the story. Palmiotti and Gray's "Killswitch" has been my favorite serial, and this conclusion leaves the character with room to appear, as the game of death among hitmen is resolved and Killswitch proves to be as brilliant a manipulator as he is a killer. "The Spirits of the Harbour" is the final piece for the series by Matt Signal favorite Darwyn Cooke, a peice he originally crated as a gift to guests at his wedding. It is a touching story about a man, a talking dog, and finding love. Wrapping the series up with profiles of some of today's hottest creators and a couple of legends of the industry, I'm sad to see Creator-Owned Heroes go. I can only hope that Palmiotti & Gray come back with more in this vein soon.

Reviews of Comics from Wednesday 12/5

Creator-Owned Heroes #7
Story: Various
Art: Various

I reviewed the first issue of this anthology/comics magazine when it came out, and have thoroughly enjoyed each subsequent issue, but as things go, never got around to featuring another issue here. Tragically, the most recent issue was released the day the cancellation of the series was announced. And this issue was hands down the best issue so far. Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray continue with their serial, "Killswitch," my favorite of the various serials that have appeared over the seven issues. The hitman called Killswitch is trapped in the middle of an open contract on himself and all hitmen. Artist Jerry Lando does a great job with this action packed story, and the writers are developing a great, multi-faceted character, with some really unusual mental quirks, who I hope has a future beyond this serial. Steve Niles and Scott Morse start "Meatbag," the story of a PI who seems to have gotten involved in a case with something supernatural. Niles does a great gumshoe, and Morse's art is beautiful, a style all his own with gorgeous splash pages. There are some fun interviews with Witch Doctor's Brandon Seifert and the always entertaining Evan Dorkin (C'mon Dorkin, I'm dying for that Eltingville collection you talk about). Aside from the main comic features, there are a couple short horror pieces very much in the style of classic EC Comics, with nice twists at the end. "Blood + Brains" by Jerry Burandt with art by Dean Haspiel is a zombie story with a nice little narrative twist. But the highlight of the book for me, not shocking to anyone who knows my love of certain creators, was "The Deadly Book," a five page horror/crime story by Darwyn Cooke. A thief steals a book that supposedly kills whoever reads it. Between Cooke's masterful art as the thief flees the site of the theft and the history of the book, and his clever narration, this is a perfect short story. And there's a bunch of other stuff in the issue I don't even have room to talk about! I'm going to miss this series after it ends next month.

Detective Comics #15
Story: John Layman
Art: Jason Fabok & Andy Clarke

The "Emperor Penguin" storyline meets the Batfamily crossover "Death of the Family" in another outstanding issue of Detective Comics. Batman spends much of his time on page fighting Clayface, and then using those all important detective skills to figure out exactly what Poison Ivy has done to Clayface. I really am loving how Layman is spotlighting Batman's nature as the world's greatest detective. The tie-in to the crossover was fairly minor, picking up some threads from the back-up in Batman #14, but Layman's use of the Joker is excellent. His presence just looming in the background of Penguin's office, half in shadow, made me initially wonder if he was really there, or just metaphorically. He doesn't say anything, but those mad eyes and wide smile standing out against the darkness, so well drawn by Jay Fabok, sent a chill up my spine. The best part of the issue for me, though, was seeing Penguin's seemingly loyal right hand man, Ignatius Ogilvy, come into his own and decide it's time to start running the show himself. Layman has spent a couple issues developing Ogilvy, so to see the end of the issue, and his decision, was a great moment. His conversation with Poison Ivy, and the logic he showed in working out how to deal with her, was excellent, proving Ogilvy to be possibly on par with Penguin, whose return after he's done with Joker is going to be not as good for him as he hoped. The back-up story shows Clayface's "courtship" by Poison Ivy, and gives a sympathetic look at the big ball of walking clay. Between what Layman is doing here and Snyder is doing in Batman, I feel we have most of the Batvillains back in fine fighting shape in the New 52.

Doctor Who #3
Story: Brandon Seifert
Art: Philip Bond

I'm not as big into the tie-in material with Doctor Who as I am with, say, Star Wars, and I've only been reading the IDW comics occasionally. However, this newest series, using some pretty A-list creators, was something I had to check out. The first two issues, by Andy Diggle and Mark Buckingham, were a fun story that sets up the arc of the series. This issue feels like the beginning of a fun one off episode of the series. Amy Pond is sick of "her boys," The Doctor and her husband Rory, sniping at each other, so she orders them to go to a pub without her and spend some time together. Of course, the pub happens to be in 1814, because this is Doctor Who and why not? Well, since neither of them want to do it, the Doctor tries to jump the TARDIS a few hours into the future and... well, you know that isn't going to work, and the usual hijinks ensue. Writer Brandon Seifert has the dynamics between each of these characters down pat. Rory is one of my favorite of the Doctor's companions (probably second only to the inimitable Donna Noble as played by Catherine Tate), and it is nice to see him and the Doctor on an adventure where it's just the two of them and Amy is not in peril (well, ok, maybe by the end she is, but its not the whole thrust of the thing). Amy is also perfectly written, jumping into something with her usual confidence. Philip Bond is an artist I feel like we should see more of in general, and I like his work here. The characters are clearly in his more cartoony style, but they are all clearly them. The issue ends with the London Beer Flood, which is a real historical event. I can't wait to see how Amy gets out of this one...

Hellboy in Hell #1
Story & Art: Mike Mignola

Mike Mignola back on Hellboy with story and art. Do I really need to say anymore? I probably don't need to, but I will anyway. I'll get the heaping of massive praise out of the way first: Duncan Fegredo and Richard Corben have been excellent hands at it, but Mignola was born to draw Hellboy, and it shows. The look of the issue is tremendous, using color, light and shadow, and all the tricks in an artist's bag to make a visual symphony. Special shout out to a scene where Hellboy witnesses a marionette performance of the scene from A Christmas Carol where Jacob Marley comes to Scrooge to warn him that he can save himself. Hellboy also fights an armored adversary last seen back in The Wild Hunt, sees all sorts of tentacled monstrosities, and is aided by a mysterious cloaked and masked man. Monsters, magic, and a protagonist with a surly sense of humor: this is Hellboy as it is meant to be.

Legends of the Dark Knight #3
Story: Steve Niles
Art: Trever Hairsine

When people talk about inspirational superheroes, there's usually a lot of talk about Superman, and even some of Spider-Man, but Batman doesn't usually make the list. This issue, "Letters to Batman," touches on how Batman effects the lives of the people he encounters. After the Joker escapes from custody again, Bruce begins to wonder exactly what it is he's doing, and if he's just part of a revolving door. But when Jim Gordon gives him sacks of mail that have built up at GCPD headquarters mailed to Batman, Bruce reads them and begins to see things is a new light. Back in the 90s, there was an annual issue of Superman under Dan Jurgens where Superman read letters sent to him over the course of the year and tried to help the people who really needed it. This isn't the same grandiose formula, but it has the feel of a hero trying to do more than just pummel a bad guy. All the letters wind up tying into each other in the end, and Batman helps the people in a very simple, day to day sort of way. I like to see the humanity of Batman, see that he still considers the people that he interacts with; that is what makes him different from the Punisher. I also want to give a shout out to artist Trevor Hairsine, who draws a creepy Joker with his face still attached. I'm glad to see the anthology Legends of the Dark Knight working, and hope that it keeps going for a while; Batman is one of the most malleable characters out there, and I like seeing these different interpretations.

Stumptown Vol.2 #4
Story: Greg Rucka
Art: Matthew Southworth

As the second volume of Stumptown races to its conclusion (you'll pardon my pun if you have or plan to read the issue). Dex has found Baby, the guitar belonging to rockstar Mim, but it's currently in the hands of a pair of skinheads, and so the chase is one, in this case a car chase that would make the Duke Boys pass out. Rucka gets off some great zingers throughout the issue, but this issue os artist Matthew Southworth's star turn. As the story moves, the issue transitions from a normal portrait design to landscape, making you flip the comic on its side. Whenever Dex is in her car chasing the skinheads, the comic is landscape, and when she gets out it flips back to portrait. It's a great effect that takes advantage of the different layouts to draw some really dynamic action scenes. I love that Rucka can write both intelligent, fun characters, engaging mysteries, and then these great action issues, and I hope that he and Southworth enjoyed working on this issue as much as I enjoyed reading it. With one issue left, I'm curious to see exactly what's going on. I have to say I don't know exactly what's going on, and I look forward to getting the answers.



A couple notes:

I was sent this excellent novel about what I like to call myth of the fake geek girl over on cracked. Great reading.

I also am sad to see Gail Simone off of Batgirl, and so I plan this Friday to be a recommended reading of some of my favorite Gail Simone work. Gail, I hope to see some new books from you soon!

Reviews of Comics from Wednesday 11/18

Batman Beyond Unlimited #10
Story: Derek Fridolfs & Dustin Nguyen/ Adam Beechen/ JT Krul
Art: Dustin Nguyen & Derek Fridolfs/ Norm Breyfogle/ Howard Porter

DCs anthology of stories from the world of Batman Beyond continues with the conclusion of the first arc of Justice League Beyond. Writer/artist team of Derek Fridolfs and Dustin Nguyen have a great feel for all the characters on their team, and while there are some nice character beats in this issue, with Superman saying goodbye to an old friend, Bruce having a brief moment with a surprise old flame, and the reunion between Big Barda and Mister Miracle, the story was more an amazing and gorgeous action piece. While half the team fights the Kobra cultists, Superman and The Demon Etrigan face down the giant serpent they have summoned. Nguyen draws an excellent Demon, and watching him cut loose on the giant serpent is awe-inspiring. In the Superman Beyond segment, Superman is settling into the new identity he has taken up as firefighter Kal Kent, but a mysterious alien pops up that seems to have not so good intentions for the man of steel. The Batman Beyond segment continues the "10,000 Clowns" story. The Batman family is all back, with Dick Grayson helping the future Batman, Terry McGuinness, and Catwoman Beyond on the street, while Tim Drake runs the Bat computer. Taking story elements from the first Batman Beyond comic mini-series and from Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker, the story is full of action and character. While the heroes fight off a legion of suicide bombing Jokerz, the Joker King gives his frightening world view, and heads to the hospital to have a final talk with his family, including his sister, Terry's girlfriend, Dana. But Bruce Wayne, dying of liver failure, happens to be with the Tan's, and the issue ends with Bruce smiling as he plans to fight one final Joker. Aside from the breakneck pace and great story, the Batman Beyond segments are drawn by Norm Breyfogle, one of my favorite Batman artists of all time, whose work is always something to look forward to. There are few comics that cram as much good stuff between their covers than Batman Beyond Unlimited, so if you're looking for more bang for your comic buying buck, this is great place to start.

Batman Incorporated #5
Story: Grant Morrison
Art: Chris Burnham

This issue of Batman Incorporated sees a return to the future from Batman #666, and if you thought things couldn't get worse from their, you were wrong. Framed around Bruce telling Damian he must return to his mother to avoid the dark future, and seeing Damian's heartbreak, we see the vision of the future Bruce had while travelling through time on The Return of Bruce Wayne, the one he has been trying to prevent all along. With a Joker plague on the loose, the only sane people in Gotham are left stranded in Arkahm Asylum, surrounded by armies of the mad. Damian finds a baby that he thinks might hold the key to curing the plague, and brings it to Jackanapes, one of the villains who cameoed in the previous future story, who seems to be a superintelligent molecular biologist gorilla. The story ends with the twist of a metaphoric knife, where the scheme of Leviathan comes to fruition, with the destruction of Gotham. This series seems to be taking the loosest view of New 52 continuity, with appearances by the Outsiders, and with the appearance of Dr. Hurt, a character who is inextricably linked to Darkseid, a character whose interactions with the heroes of the DC Universe seem to have changed greatly. But I take this as an example of one of those cases where continuity doesn't matter as much as the story were being told. Morrison is telling a story of Batman and Talia playing an intricate chess game  with Gotham as the board and Damian as a piece, and I'm curious to see who is put into check next.

Before Watchmen: Silk Spectre #4
Story: Darwyn Cooke
Art: Amanda Conner

The first Before Watchmen to reach its conclusion, the final issue of Silk Spectre does a good job of wrapping up all the threads that the series has built. While Laurie Jupiter, the young Silk Spectre, deals with her boyfriend disappearing from her life, Hollis Mason, the original Nite-Owl comes to talk to her and bring her home. Meanwhile The Chairman moves to get rid of all the evidence of his scheme and anyone who might know anything about it. The whole action part of the series, with the manipulation of the flower children, has struck me as secondary to the more personal story of Laurie trying to start a new life away from her hovering mother, and that has been the parts of the story that have interested me the most. Cooke does a great job of portraying Sally Jupiter as a woman who cares about her daughter, but is completely unable to show it, and more who just doesn't understand how to not say the wrong thing. It doesn't make the reader forgive Sally's needlessly cruel and confrontational attitude, and maybe not even understand it, but you don't see her as a monster either. The series ends with the first meeting of the Crimebusters, a scene directly from Watchmen, and a scene that has been featured in nearly all the series so far. It's interesting to see the scene told from the point of view of each of the characters involved, and I wonder if that was something that each writer was asked to do. The art on this series by the always excellent Amanda Conner was outstanding. I can think of few artists who draw better and more expressive faces, and so the scenes that are talking scenes are visually interesting. This has been one of my favorite of the Before Watchmen mini-series, and one I recommend highly.

Gambit #6
Story: James Asmus
Art: Diogenes Neves & Al Barrionuevo

The new Gambit ongoing (his third, if you can believe it) has proven to be a fun superhero-meets-crime comic. James Asmus has a good feel for crime, as evidenced by his cowriting the current arc of Thief of Thieves with Robert Kirkman, and this issue sees Gambit involved in what might be the biggest heist of his life. As I mentioned in this past Friday's recommended reading, MI13 is appearing in this arc, so its not too surprising that Gambit, who has fallen afoul of international criminal mastermind Borya Cich and is currently strapped to a bomb, has to go steal Excalibur, still in the possession of MI13 agent Dr. Faisa Hussain. This doesn't go well, and leaves Gambit to the not too tender mercies of Pete Wisdom, who wants to know exaclty what Gambit was up to. But with international criminals, things aren't always what they seem, and pretty soon Gambit and MI13 are in the middle of a firefight with Cich's henchmen, and the real object of their raid becomes clear. Asmus is writing a Gambit who is the perfect rogue (no pun intended), with a devil may care Han Soloesque grin and just enough scruples to know that working for Cich is something he needs to get out of not just because it's someone controlling him, but because Cich is a really bad guy. He also handles Wisdom well, having the protective Wisdom particularly miffed that Gambit went after Faisa, once of Wisdom's people. Things end with Gambit in a bad place and Wisdom on his heels. I kind of now want a series with Wisdom and Gambit doing The Odd Couple thing, only with more trenchcoats and accents.

Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi - The Prisoner of Bogan #1
Story: John Ostrander
Art: Jan Duursema

John Ostrander has been doing some great work on Agent of the Empire, but he's never more on fire than when he's working with one of his regular artistic collaborators, so seeing him and Jan Duursema together again for  the second Dawn of the Jedi mini-series is a treat. Picking up shortly after the previous series ended, most of this issue is spent with Xesh, the Force Hound who crashed on the Jee'dai (the name of the order that will someday become the Jedi) homeworld of Tython last arc. Xesh has been banished to the moon of Bogan, where he encounters Daegon Lok, a former Jee'dai who the order banished when he had a force vision and seemingly went mad. It seems Lok's vision was correct, presaging the arrival of The Rakatan Infinite Empire, but that doesn't mean he hasn't fallen to the Dark Side. Xesh is an Ostrander protagonist, pulled in multiple directions and unsure of what is right and where he should be going. Xesh and Lok are off on a Butch and Sundance mission to assemble a Force Saber, the weapon of the Force Hounds, but its clear that before this is done, the two will come to blows. Aside from these two characters, we stop in to see the three Jee'dai journeymen who confronted Xesh in the previous arc, and the Rakata and another Force Hound who are preparing to hunt down Xesh and his masters. Ostrander and Duursema are setting up a lot of action for this arc, and moving the pieces of what will most assuradely be war between the Jee'dai and the Rakatans into place. I just hope that, with the probable changes on the horizon for Lucasfilm Licensing and comics due to Disney's purchase of Lucasfilm, we get to see the payoff.

Reviews of Comics from Wednesday 8/29

American Vampire #30
Story: Scott Snyder
Art: Rafael Albuquerque

The current arc of American Vampire continues, taking us deeper into the 50s and one of the title vampires Pearl's hunt for the coven of vampires who attacked and nearly killed her human husband.  Pearl continues working with her sire, the first American vampire, former wild west outlaw Skinner Sweet, who is now forced to work with the anti-vampire organization the Vassals of the Morning Star. The fight between Pearl, Skinner, and the vampires is a beautifully choreographed fight sequence, and artist Rafael Albuquerque does an amazing job with it. The fact that the vampires now know the one weakness of the American breed makes the battle all the deadlier, and makes Skinner's treachery all the worse. Scott Snyder does a great job of balancing the incredible action scenes with the more personal moments of Pearl's time at Henry's bedside, her flashback to when he proposed, and the choice she makes at the end. The cliffhanger is heartrending, not an action based one, but one that has deep resonance with the personal lives of all of the principal characters of the series. Snyder promised in interviews that this is the arc that will change everything in the world of the series, and it looks like he's not pulling any punches, and I can't wait to see where he goes with it.

Before Watchmen: Minutemen #3
Story & Art: Darwyn Cooke

 Darwyn Cooke is a master storyteller, and this, the third issue of his written and drawn Before Watchmen: Minutemen mini-series, showcases his talents as both writer and artist. The issue is told primarily in a classic nine panel grid, which is used so infrequently in modern comics, but was the way Dave Gibbons structured the original Watchmen, making this issue as much an homage as a prequel. The issue also uses an interesting narrative; part of it told by Hollis Mason, the original Nite Owl, through his recollections and memoir, while it is also told by a narrator who is not revealed until the end of the issue. Cooke plays with expectations on the second narrative, starting it off as seemingly a sexual encounter before using the story to reveal it's something else entirely. While Cooke is clearly using Nite Owl the most, being he is the narrator of much of the story, he has done an excellent job of fleshing out Silhouette, the female vigilante who was one of the minor characters from the original series. Her quest to protect children from those who would abuse them is noble, and she is dedicated to doing real good far more than most of her teammates. Knowing Silhouette's tragic end just makes the development of her character more tragic, and the story all the more engaging.

Locke & Key: Grindhouse
Story: Joe Hill
Art: Gabriel Rodriguez

Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez's Locke & Key is one of the best modern horror comics on the market, and the inspiration for the best un-picked up TV pilot I have ever seen (Thank you IDW and NYCC 2011 ), and one of the comics I look forward to most when it comes out. This is a book that is going to get a full recommended reading come November, when the final mini-series chronicling the current generation of the Locke family is released, but I had to do a review of this one shot. Locke & Key is a series that has always done an amazing job of balancing the truly frightening with the very human, a coming of age story with magic keys and things from beyond reality. But as the title suggests, this is not a story that is going to be full of tender moments. In the 1930s, a trio of criminals attempt to use Keyhouse, the home of the Locke family and the magical keys, as a point to escape the law, and when they take the family hostage, things go poorly. For the criminals. The comic has the feel of a classic, pre-code horror comic, with the criminals receiving their due comeuppance. Artist Gabriel Rodriguez's style, while clearly recognizable as his own, has an edge here that fits the grittier tale he's telling. The backmatter in the issue is a treat for any fan of the series: architectural layouts of the entirety of Keyhouse, with views of the interior and exterior, with annotations from series writer Joe Hill. If you like horror comics and have never tried Locke & Key, or have already visited Key House, this is an issue not to be missed.

The Sixth Gun #24
Story: Cullen Bunn
Art: Brian Hurtt

"Winter Wolves" the new arc of The Sixth Gun, begins with this issue, and it seems like the cast of this weird western are in for a hard road. The Sword of Abraham, the order of warrior priests attempting the stave  off the apocalypse, are given a prophecy of doom from the mouth of the corpse of General Hume, the undead villain who has sought the six magical guns. Gord Cantrell, separated from the rest of the cast, continues to try to find his allies, while something has found him. But it's our hero and heroine, ne'er do well Drake Sinclair and possessor of the titular Sixth Gun Becky Montcrief, who are in the worst way. Drake and Becky are being pursued through a suddenly (and mystically) winter environment by the namesake of the arc, frightening mystical wolves. Cullen Bunn and Brian Hurtt are one of those great writer/artist teams who work together seamlessly. The story moves at a breakneck pace without seeming rushed, and the art is clean and cool, mixing both realistic looking characters with a great ability to showcase magic and monsters. They produce a great comic that blends horror and western into a dish that leaves you wanting more. Comics have always done a great job of blending these genres (DC's Jonah Hex stories over the years have been key examples), but The Sixth Gun takes it to a new level, building a continuing narrative and mythology that deepens with each arc.

Recommended Reading for 7/13: Richard Stark's Parker

If I have one favorite creator currently working in comics, it would be Darwyn Cooke. Attaching his name to any project is a sure fire way to get me to buy it; a comic company could put out Darwyn Cooke's The Phone Book, and I would snag it first day (on an unrelated note, what will we as a culture do when we don't have the phone book to reference as the object of boredom?). Cooke is a double threat as one of comics' premiere writer artists. His pacing in both aspects of his career is impeccable; his plots know when to take their time and expand on a plot point and when to barrel forward at top speed. His art style is clean and detailed, with dynamite action and prefect flow from panel to panel. Some of his best works (especially DC: The New Frontier) harken back to a nostalgic 1950s and 1960s, with an art deco design that feels so real you could walk into it.

Donald Westlake was one of the great writers of noir and hard-boiled fiction; his name is mentioned in the same breath with Raymond Chandler, James M. Cain, and Dashiell Hammett. He wrote in an era where men were hardcases and women were dames, and the world was a place of shades of grey. For a genre that often has cardboard cut outs for characters, Westlake knew how to create a fully formed character who was still a noir protagonist. Westlake and Cooke's styles line up perfectly in that they both know exactly how to pace a story, and one of Cooke's first original graphic novels, Selina's Big Score, has the feel of one of Westlake's great capers. So it's only fitting that Cooke's current tour de force and opus is a series of adaptations of some of Westlake's best known books; under the pseudonym Richard Stark, Westlake wrote over 20 novels starring the criminal Parker, and Cooke has set out to adapt four of the best.

While Parker stories have been adapted for other media before, Westlake never let the filmmakers who made those films call the protagonist Parker. One aspect of these adaptations that is especially cool is that, Cooke so impressed the author, he was given the blessing to use the Parker name, and Cooke has not let Westlake down in his faithfulness. Cooke does not use any word that was not from the original novels. He does not put in all the narration, since the art does so much of that storytelling, but Cooke does not stray from Westlake's original blueprints. And why would he need to? When you have a perfect gem, there's no reason to cut it.

Parker is a career criminal, and completely unrepentant about it. He does whatever he needs to to make a buck, and doesn't particularly care who might get hurt along the way. Not the least bit a hero, Parker doesn't even really qualify as an anti-hero, except for the fact that he's usually knocking over guys who are even worse than him. He has few friends, and as for the women he is with, well he might care about them, but they don't exactly have a great life expectancy. Parker is the prototypical noir protagonist; a loner who just looks out for number one . Despite this (or at some times maybe becasue of it), you can't help but root for Parker, wanting to see him get even or get what he deserves, and to see him put paid to the other bad guys.

So far, Cooke has released three full length Parker adaptations, all published by IDW publishing: The Hunter, The Outift, and The Score. The first chapter of The Outfit was a highlight from another Parker, The Man With the Getaway Face. He also released a short adaption from another Parker novel, The Seventh. Any of the three graphic novels are readable on their own, so feel free to start at any point, but I would recommend starting with The Hunter, which is the first Parker novel, and gives you access to Parker's version of 1962.

The first two Parker adaptations are stories of Parker getting even. The Hunter sees Parker, having escaped a betrayal by his wife and his partner, seeking them to exact his revenge, while The Outfit has Parker escape a mob hit just to rip the mob off and exact his revenge. Parker is usually cast in the roll of the underdog at the beginning of the stories, but always comes out on top by outthinking and outshooting his targets. The Parker novels are all elaborate capers. A pleasure of them is how elaborate the capers are, but without being so elaborate as to be confusing to the reader. Parker plays every side of every situation against the others, and does it with a cold precision.

Cooke draws Parker looking like none of the numerous actors who have played him; he is Westlake's Parker come to metaphoric life. He is a handsome man with a glint of malice in his eyes. Cooke does a great job of making the reader see those gears turning in Parker's mind. Even after Parker gets plastic surgery to help him escape his old life, he is still the same Parker, and there's things in his facial expressions and in the gestures and poses that Cooke gives him that make it clear that this is the same man. All his characters have a great look about them, and he does a great job of capturing Westlake's characters.

Cooke is an artist's artist, and he does some great things with style throughout the series. He has thoroughly researched the era, and everything, from the architecture, to the cars, to the clothes are authentic from the early 60s. Especially noticeable is the sequence in the middle of The Outfit where we see Parker pulling off a series of daring heists against the mob. Each of the capers is drawn in a different style; one is a magazine article from a Time-like magazine, one is a cartoon, etc. It's a testament that while each of these short pieces are very different, they are all clearly from the same artist; they're all so different from Cooke's distinct style, but all fit within the world that the story's are set in, and all are part of one man's vision.

One of the hardest aspects I have found for many comic book artists to really get right is a good fight. Not a battle between titans, but the chase between two guys before they start punching and kicking the hell out of each other, and the aftermath. And while Cooke can draws gorgeous cityscapes and beautiful women reclining seductively with the best of them, he is also one of the best fight artists I have ever seen. Parker is a tough guy, and he often settles things with his fists and gun, and when Parker is having a throwdown with someone, Cooke's knowledge of continuity on panel shines through. You can absolutely follow the fight from punch to punch, and it's brutal. The fights aren't gory, but they are real, and you can feel your face ache when Parker lands a good punch.

Another aspect of Cooke's art that really stands out in the Parker adaptations is the coloring. Coloring is usually for me one of those arts in comics that I don't notice unless it's shockingly terrible or amazing. The Parker adaptations are two color, and not just black and white. The coloring has a yellow to it that makes me think of old newspapers and magazines, which does a great job of adding to the nostalgic feel of the books. The page quality is also a lovely weight and feel. These are BOOKS, something to be looked at, held, and enjoyed. No glossy stock or quick binding that will fall apart. These are volumes to put on your shelf and go back to look at later to appreciate the work IDW put into producing them.

This week saw the release of the third of the Parker adaptations, The Score, with the final one, Slayground, announced for next year. The Hunter, The Outfit, and The Score should all be available at any comic book shop, and if they're not right there, ask your local retailer to order them. And if you fall in love with Parker like I have, see if you can track down the Parker Martini Edition, reprinting the first two volumes in an oversized, slipcase format, with the original short from The Seventh, and a gallery of all the actors who have played Parker as drawn by Cooke. It's worth the look, trust me.