Comic Picks By The Glick

Charles Soule and Alberto Albuquerque’s sci-fi crazy train rambles on a bit more unsteadily than it did in the previous two volumes.  That’s because of the two stories being told here, one of them is handled in a more entertainingly dumb fashion than the other.  This would be the story that takes place on Earth, in the middle of WORLD WAR III!  The conflict set up between President Blades and the U.S. along with Ex-president Carroll and his A.F.E. coalition has come to pass and the two sides are busy duking it out for the fate of the world, unaware that there’s a bigger threat on its way to them.  What keeps this entertaining is how Soule manages the constant shifting of the momentum between Blades and Carroll.  Both men are capable of consistently surprising the other, with some new twist showing up to tip the balance back in the other man’s favor just when you think that they’ve won.  The surprises do get ridiculous after a while, and the war is depicted in just enough strokes to make it appear credible and nothing more.  Toss in bits like the First Lady’s “Lady MacBeth” moments and the reveal of Carroll’s master plan and I hope it’s clear why I think the story being told here is kind of dumb.  It is, however, great fun to see unfold.

Then you have the exploits of the crew of the Clarke spacecraft and I want to start throwing “dumb” around again -- this time in a pejorative sense.  Having been taken in by aliens whose tech is demonstrably superior, you’d think that the crew would do anything to antagonize their hosts lest they be vaporized in the blink of an eye.  Kidnapping and dissecting one of the smaller beings in the hope of using its tech to send a message to Earth is not a good idea regardless of the situation.  Even if you do get the message out, I doubt that the aliens are going to look too kindly on the human race as a whole after your actions.  Then you’ve got the ridiculous soap opera dramatics between some of the characters here that just makes me think, “And THESE were the best people for this job?” all over again.  I would’ve preferred to see more of the aliens, or the sci-fi shenanigans involving Gomez’s transformation and Hayden’s kid than most of the interpersonal drama we got here.

Albuquerque’s art continues to fit the story well.  He’s great with the scenes of global conflict on Earth and the sci-fi look of the alien tech.  The man also manages a moment with Gomez that gets my vote for “Best Death Scene That Cable Hasn’t Had Yet,” and feel free to make of that what you will.  Some might have issue with his characters and how he gives them an exaggerated look -- especially when they get almost bug-eyed with surprise -- that can take you right out of the story.  I give him a pass on that aspect because, like most of this series, it’s the right kind of crazy in my book.  At this point, “Letter 44” still isn’t what you would objectively call “good,” but it is entertaining.

jason@glickscomicpicks.com

What do "Nimona," "Terror Assaulter," "Black River," "Killing and Dying," and "Shaft" all have in common?  I ordered them all together to see if they deserved a spot on my "Best of 2015" list.

I consider it the crown jewel of Tokyopop’s publishing efforts.  Fans of “Sailor Moon,” “Fruits Basket,” “Love Hina,” or their many CLAMP titles may disagree, but that’s how I roll.  (Can I get a shout-out for “STONe?”  Anyone… Anyone… Bueller…)  One of the rare manga published here that manages to combine hard science with serious character drama and development, it kicks off with a gripping sequence that beat “Gravity” to the punch by over a decade.  It shows the devastating effect that the smallest of space debris can have on a commercial spacecraft before jumping to the present day of the title and showing how one of its survivors, Yuri, deals with the fallout.  Most of the first part of this omnibus deals with how the crew of the Toy Box, basically an outer-Earth-orbit garbage scow, deals with the unglamorous-yet-dangerous work of trash collecting in space as well as the more mundane bits of day-to-day life and survival in this harshest of environments.  No, it doesn’t have the grab-you-by-the-throat drama of mangaka Makoto Yukimura’s “Vinland Saga,” but it is a showcase for his immense talent with character building and attention to detail.  Not many other mangaka would think to build a fate-of-the-Earth scenario out of one character’s desire to have a smoke in space, let alone pull it off in gripping dramatic fashion.

These kinds of stories are great, along with the arc that dominates this volume’s middle part.  That would be Hachirota “Hachimaki” Hoshino’s quest to get on the crew of the first manned mission to Jupiter and how terrorism and love complicate it in ways you wouldn’t expect.  Hachi’s odyssey effectively makes him this volume’s protagonist, and while he has the skills to make it happen the real question becomes whether or not his head is in the right place.  This makes for a captivating struggle when he’s pitted against individuals who can see right through him -- either due to their commitment to a cause or love -- yet less so when he’s left to puzzle things out for himself and confront his own indecision.  That’s where this volume leaves off on and I can imagine some readers not feeling that compelled to see where Hachi’s journey ultimately takes him.  My memory says that it’s still a worthwhile journey, though I had forgotten how existential this series gets.  I could go back and read my old Tokyopop copies to refresh my opinion, but the best parts of the story from this omnibus edition -- complete with brand-new color pages -- were good enough to convince me that this is the version that I’ll want to have on my bookshelf.

You should all know by now that I didn’t think Brian Wood’s last creator-owned series, “The Massive,” lived up to its potential.  “Misguided” is the word I’d use to describe its mix of character-driven eco-political conflicts with a sci-fi/fantasy concept bolted onto the side of it.  The concept for “Starve” is a lot more straightforward in the sense that it’s about an immensely popular chef who walked away from the cooking show he created and the life he knew only to be dragged back into it and forced to compete on the monstrosity that his program has now been warped into.  I’m not sure if the world is ready for someone to combine “Transmetropolitan” with “Iron Wok Jan,” but that’s what Wood has done here.  It’s an approach that appeals to me, and the energy of the first volume really makes me want to like it.  That’s, “want to,” not “actually” because there are a few issues here that really drag the book down.

There’s a new teaser from Marvel going around with the words “Dead No More” and a background that indicates it’s “Spider-Man” related.  So who’s it going to be?  I honestly wouldn’t put it past Marvel to do something crazy like bring back Uncle Ben.  I’d bet money on that being the case if Dan Slott is handling the event, if only because he’s the kind of writer who knows that’s the kind of setup you lead with to get everyone interested/excited/angry about things before serving up the twist which reveals that this isn’t what’s actually happening.  Hey, if it is Uncle Ben they’re bringing back, then maybe this is all a cover for the return of Doctor Octopus!  It would make sense for Slott to bring him back after “killing” the character at the end of “Superior Spider-Man” and if he still has all of Peter’s memories this would be the perfect way to really mess with his arch-nemesis.

Or maybe I’m completely wrong about all this and it’s Gwen Stacy they’re bringing back.  We’ll likely find out in a couple months.

Vol. 5 was where this series finally started living up to its potential, leaving me actually looking forward to the next volume for the first time ever.  The good news is that vol. 6 keeps the excitement high as it starts off with an accounting of where everyone in Wausau is -- both physically and mentally -- after the reviver-instigated explosion at the town hall.  Things ramp up quickly as the new military officer, General Louise Cale, sent to contain the chaos instigates a manhunt for Blaine after his murder of May in the previous volume.  This is only one of several plot threads that writer Tim Seeley sets in motion that play out in high drama in the backwoods as most of the title’s cast come looking for the demonologist/exorcist/snowbike repairman who is now heading up a militia that believes he’s their chosen one.  By the time the dust has settled, a few people will have been shot, a couple will be dead, and one of the title’s biggest secrets will have found its way out into the open.

Yes, this is the volume where EVERYTHING CHANGES!  Starting with the power structure in the city, to the dynamic between the Cypress sisters, which morphs into an obliteration of their status quo within the story.  The relationship between Dana and Emily Cypress has always been key to this series, and even if the means by which it’s fleshed out here are somewhat heavy-handed, the actions of the sisters still spring from a believable place.  Expect lots of heartbreak, anger, and even a bit of redemption as well.  By the end of the volume, the Cypress sisters are in a much different place than where they began, but also a more interesting one with a clear purpose for the next arc.  Excellent work from Seeley in this regard, slightly less so from Norton as he begins this volume with a more exaggerated style that eventually settles down into his (better) usual one by the end of the volume.  I have to imagine this series is past its halfway point by now, so it’s good to see it getting really good as it goes along.

jason@glickscomicpicks.com

I had no idea this existed before I saw it for sale at a Book-Off in La Jolla a few weeks back.  A graphic novel about the fall of the Templar order published by First Second and by “Prince of Persia” creator Jordan Mechner -- how did this fly completely under my radar?  Regardless of missing this when it came out in 2013, I’m glad I picked it up.  While the cover promises action and “An unforgettable tale of love, gold, and glory” according to the creators of the “Game of Thrones” TV show, that wasn’t what sold me on it.  Rather, it was the irreverence in describing its protagonist Martin on the dust jacket.  Though most of the Knights Templar are known to be noble knights of God whose fighting skills are matched only by their purity, Martin and his friends don’t quite follow the order’s doctrine to the letter.  This turns out to be a good thing after Martin’s friends get him drunk and sneak him out of the grounds for a midnight trip to Paris’ red-light district and they wind up missing the mass arrest of the entire order as orchestrated by the King of France and his chancellor.  It isn’t long until he meets up with another former Templar and a friar who have found out an incredible secret:  The location of the treasure of the Templars.  It’s theirs for the taking if they can solve the mysteries of its vault and manage the not inconsiderable task of smuggling out of a city that wants them all dead.

That’s right, this is a heist story set in feudal times and it’s just as fun as you’d expect from a premise like that.  Mechner creates a likeably flawed protagonist in Martin and surrounds him with a cast that would appear best suited for comic relief, but eventually reveals itself to have more dimension than that.  The low-tech mechanics of the heist are carried off quite well, and the social engineering Martin and his friends have to employ is also very entertaining to see unfold.  Mechner also integrates the plight of the Templars into the story in a fairly seamless fashion, adding some well-wrought historical drama and intrigue to the proceedings -- which look great thanks to the art of the husband-and-wife team of Leuyen Pham and Alex Puvilland.  The art captures the look of the times, features impeccably clear storytelling, along with characters that you can’t help but like after seeing them in action.  As good as this all is, the story does take a while to really get going, and I would’ve liked to have seen more done with Salim, the saracen who converted to join the Templars.  That’s an interesting backstory, but we only get to see his (admittedly impressive) scientific knowledge on display here.

At a cover price of $40, the price of admission may seem a bit steep.  Except it really isn’t.  Yes, I got my copy for half of that and it was an incredible deal.  Yet the story “Templar” tells, and the way it tells it, is easily worth the price on the cover.

Is this it?

Kodansha Comics has already gone on record as saying that this will be the last volume of “Vinland Saga” published in the U.S. unless sales pick up.  So if you like this series and haven’t already picked up all seven volumes, you’d better go do it now!  If you haven’t, then vol. 7 serves as one more reason for you to start.  It’s a smart, bloody, invigorating, and even occasionally humorous look at viking life in its heyday with a protagonist determined to go against its grain even if it kills him.  If you’re concerned that “Vinland Saga’s” uncertain future in the States means that you’ll be left hanging after this volume ends, don’t be.  The current arc is wrapped up in moving fashion as Thorfinn and Canute meet again for the last time.