Free Association: Highlander, Christopher Lambert, Tom Skerritt, Mark Hamill, Duran Duran, via CGS

In their latest episode, Comic Geek Speak did a retro movie review of one of my all-time favorite films --- Highlander! In fact, Highlander is my #3 film, all-time. I love it! And I enjoyed the episode, even if a majority of the geeks were less than enthused by its quirky attributes. 

Certainly, Highlander can be seen as a low-budget cult classic, but there's so much more to it, for me. The romance of the film, the settings, the over-the-top craziness (especially from The Kurgan, as played by a young Clancy Brown), and the questions they leave unanswered, particularly surrounding the origins of the immortals. It's all fantastic in my book! 

Highlander co-stars Sean Connery, who was only available on set for seven days, meaning they needed to get all of his scenes done swiftly. Despite that small window, they manage to imbue Connery's character of Ramirez with a breadth and depth that is impressive. It is also noteworthy--as noted on the movie posters--for music provided by Queen, a fact pointed out rather out of the ordinary by Adam Murdough on the CGS episode noted above. But it makes sense, in a way. Highlander was a new property, directed by Russell Mulcahy whose only other film credit was an Australian movie titled Razorback, and MTV (in 1986, when Highlander debuted) was in its ascendancy. Duran Duran noted in an interview that they could tell where MTV was readily available, in those early days of the channel, because sales of their albums were far higher in those areas than the rest of the United States. MTV basically made Duran Duran the superstar band they became. So, tapping into that ready-made audience enjoying music videos, by spotlighting Queen's involvement with Highlander, makes complete sense. And Russell Mulcahy would have been able to make that connection easily, since he started out directing music videos. 

Of course, Highlander stars Christopher Lambert as the titular Highlander, Connor MacLeod. His distant stare (a result of his myopia) and intriguing accent (brought about in this film as much from his French heritage as his then lack of English language skills) made him an engaging star, launching a successful action star turn for Lambert, which led me down the rabbit hole of seeking out his movies at the local movie rental store. From Fortress to Knight Moves to The Hunted, I saw them all for a short while, there in the 90s, and I still like to check in on Lambert's work, most recently watching him in the Criterion release of Claire Denis's White Material. Most of those action films were enjoyable shlock, with some memorable scenes, though I wonder how they would hold up today (Knight Moves is a film I would certainly like to revisit, as I appreciated the premise and felt it was a fairly competent thriller with some good acting on the part of Lambert, Diane Lane, and Tom Skerritt). 

Watching these films--and making note of Knight Moves--led me to a theory that Tom Skerritt is a terribly underrated actor who elevates just about any film he stars in (though he couldn't save Wild Orchid II). Knight Moves sparked that idea. From there, you look at Alien, Top Gun, A River Runs Through it -- all great movies, but Skerritt certainly brings a special something to his roles in these films and adds to what is being produced. Whenever Skerritt pops up on something, I'm excited. 

A second, parallel track I followed, with Lambert's low-budget science fiction and action thrillers in the 90s were similar films from another sci-fi hero, Mark Hamill. After Star Wars, Hamill seemed to fade away a bit. Sure, I watched the episode of Amazing Stories Hamill starred in (Amazing! pun intended), and I was excited when he played the Trickster in the 1990 series, the Flash (which, it should be noted, is my favorite superhero of all-time), but there wasn't much in theaters starring Hamill. For that, I needed to peruse the shelves at Blockbuster, seeking out Time Runner (a title with a "coincidentally" similar sound to a science fiction film starring Harrison Ford) and The Guyver, a live-action adaptation of a Japanese manga series. These films . . . were not that good, but I loved Hamill in both of them. The Guyver, especially, suffered from a dichotomous tonal juxtaposition, with Hamill playing his character hard-edged and straight, while his co-star Jimmie Walker played his part as if he were just reprising J.J. from Good Times. A bit of a mess. But still, I'm glad I saw them so I never have to again. 

Which brings me back to Highlander (I stated this was "free association" in the title). I love this film, unabashedly and unironically. Despite it not being "a hit," it managed to spawn four sequels (three of which starred Lambert), a television series (in which Lambert reprised his role for the initial episode), an animated series, and an anime film. I've seen some of these -- the second and third films are trash, the TV series is pretty fun, the animated series didn't intrigue me, and I never realized there was an anime -- but it's noteworthy that the advice that should have been taken (artistically, if not fiscally) was in the tagline for the first and best film:  "There can be only one."

Love & Rockets, by Los Bros Hernandez

Spurred by the recent Previews episode from CGS, here are some thoughts on one of my all-time favorite comic series:  Love & Rockets.

Los Bros Hernandez--Jaime, Gilbert, along with Mario, at times--have crafted some of the most poignant, affecting, brilliant, and beautiful comics over their thirty-plus year careers. I didn't finally read L&R until the first giant omnibus came out, roughly ten years ago, collecting (to that point) Gilbert's Palomar stories. They. Are. Awesome. And, I would argue, the best way to introduce yourself to L&R. More soap operatic, telling the stories of myriad characters in the small, Mexican town of Palomar, Gilbert's early work in this series is more assured than his brother, Jaime's, whose earliest issues suffer a bit from strange anachronisms and a tendency to be wordy with his dialogue.

Which isn't to say the early Locas stories from Jaime are not enjoyable. He quickly finds his footing and launches into one of the most real friendships in all of comics, and, it could be argued, one of the best in all of literature. Hopey and Maggie fall in and out of love, struggle through hardships together, and apart, while continually moving forward, seeking answers about life and what it all means. (and if that sounds like hyperbole, there certainly is a pinch of that included, but, for the most part, I'd argue my description stands up)

The real strength of this series comes from its longevity. Jaime and Gilbert have taken each of their collections of characters and allowed them to grow old, to have families, to lose friends and loved ones, discover new friends, have adventures, feel pain and sorrow, and love and joy, and experience lives that feel genuine, feel real, feel lived in. And their age has not diluted their storytelling abilities on bit. One of the most heartfelt and heartbreaking moments came a few years ago, in Jaime's "Browntown," which was built on the stories that had come before. It was an amazing piece of comic storytelling and comic art, that could not have been done without the accumulation of stories, over the prior decades, that came before. It was an exclamation point, driven into readers' (or, at least, my own) heart(s), and it's one of those handful of comics stories that has stuck with me, since I read it.

But it's not just their storytelling. Jaime & Gilbert are two of the best cartoonists working today, and two of the best ever, in my opinion. Their ability to evoke emotion and replicate body language utilizing an economy of line is beyond impressive. This, to me, is some of the most beautiful artwork I've seen in comics. Really incredible.

Now, I know it can be daunting to start a book that has this much history (see: Cerebus). But Fantagraphics has a page that can help you find where to start reading, here.

And the collections they've done for Gilbert & Jaime's work are great--a good size, with a healthy collection of stories, at a good price. Well worth picking up, here. Or on Amazon or at In Stock Trades. Or, if you want, see if your local library can request them for you through their Interlibrary Loan department, which allows libraries to borrow items from other libraries, across the country.

These are, seriously, some of the best comics ever made. Do yourself the favor of seeking them out and reading them. Now.

-chris

CGS Secret Santa - process part 3

So, here is the final piece I did for the CGS Secret Santa "event." I've gathered some comics to ship off with it and will drop it in the mail Monday. This is the second year I've participated, and it is a really great experience. I had a lot of fun.

CGS Secret Santa time - Process part 2

Here's the inked version for my Secret Santa sketch.

CGS Secret Santa time - Process part 1

I'm a regular member of the Comic Geek Speak community, and every year they have a "Secret Santa" thread where members sign up and agree to send a comic-themed package to the member with whom they are paired up.

Included in the Secret Santa package is a sketch of a character chosen by the receiver and at least 3 comics from your collection that you no longer wish to keep. Last year was the first time I participated, and it was an incredibly fun experience. So, of course, I couldn't wait for this year's list, which got started a few weeks back.

The person for whom I am a "Secret Santa" wanted, for a sketch, either a comic character in an unusual costume/scenario OR any X-Men character of my choice. Not being overly artistic, I initially went with the latter - knowing I could find some good reference and, at the very least, do a pretty good copy of an image - but, as I thought about it, I came up with an image of a couple of X-Men - Wolverine & Nightcrawler - in an unusually festive scenario.

So, since I did this last year, here is my initial sketch for this year's Secret Santa thread @CGS.

ESSEX COUNTY volume 3

With the third volume of the Essex County Trilogy – all of which is collected in a single omnibus edition from Top Shelf, if you weren’t already aware of that – Jeff Lemire fulfills the creative promise exhibited in the first two volumes. Lemire’s storytelling is magnificent, the narrative touching, and he manages to pull everything together, despite the unorthodox manner in which he chose to tell this story. Lemire jumps back another two generations from the previous volume, showing us the roots of the LeBeuf family, which we discover is more closely tied to that of Anne Quenneville, the nurse who has taken care of Lou LeBeuf in his waning years.

There’s little more I can add that I haven’t already said about the first two volumes. This is a moving tale amplified by the evocative imagery provided by Lemire’s loose, yet consistent artwork. Essex County is one of the most moving comic stories I’ve read in a long time. I would challenge anyone to read this and not come away with the realization they had watched an amazing new talent emerge over the course of these three volumes.

Buy this book.

Read this book.

You will not be disappointed.

And then, once you’ve finally remedied that character flaw, check out the interview Comic Geek Speak did with him a couple years back. It’s really a great conversation, and will enhance your reading experience.

Enjoy,

chris

From the Longbox: Green Lantern/Superman: Legend of the Green Flame part 2

So, yesterday I started discussing this little superhero gem, published in 2000 by DC comics with a script from Neil Gaiman and art by an amazing array of talent. But, I never got into the actual story. Rather, I found my missive running along the interesting tangent of the genesis of this book - a story shared with much more detail in the introduction to this volume by Gaiman and the afterword from Mark Waid, then-editor at DC.

Anyway. The story itself. As Adam Murdough - host of his own CGS spin-off podcast, Murd's Time Bubble - said when he was reviewing the book on his latest episode, reading this book is like being "punched in the gut by the fist of excellence."

I am an avowed fan of Gaiman's work, but until listening to the recent Time Bubble episode, I had forgotten about this comic sitting in my Gaiman longbox. I re-read Sandman and his Miracleman on a fairly regular basis, and there are a number of books with short stories by Gaiman that I enjoy revisiting as well. But this one, for some reason, has sat for years. And, after reading it again last week, I don't know why.

This was a really fun comic. It had a Silver Age sensibility, particularly in the ease with which Hal Jordan (Green Lantern) and Clark Kent (Superman) get along in their human identities - which was the main continuity problem DC editorial had with this story when it was initially written in 1989. And that Silver Age sensibility is enhanced by artist, Mike Allred's, depiction of this initial chapter. Hal has a problem, and he's come to Metropolis to seek out Clark in order to talk things out. Hal is bothered because there is no Green Lantern Corps anymore after the Guardians left and the main power battery was destroyed (which may have been fallout from events in Millennium, but I can't say for sure).

Hal is feeling lonely and a bit in need of some sympathy. This conversation brings readers up to speed with the current (or retro, as the case may be) status quo. And with this scene, it is obvious that Gaiman is having fun with the opportunity to write these heroes. As Hal is talking, we see a quiet "meow" in the background, and then Clark - still in his suit - takes to the sky, only to return, two panels later, with a cat that was obviously stuck in a tree. It's understated and it's that cliche many think of when considering Superman, but it works terrifically because Gaiman doesn't bring any more attention to it than Clark does. Nothing is stated. Hal continues talking. And Superman does what Superman does - rescue cats from trees. Hal also mentions Mogo during his discussion of the remnants of the Corps, stating that "Mogo doesn't socialize," which is a nod to Alan Moore's short story of the same name (if you've not read this one or are unaware of Mogo and what type of entity he is, then seek out either Green Lantern Corps Annual 2 or 3, where the story originally was published, or you might find it in the Alan Moore DC collection) and, again, a little tidbit thrown in by Gaiman to give readers in-the-know a smile.

Clark and Hal foil a mugging - directed at them - quite easily and head to an art gallery, which is having a big opening that night. In the crowd we see Gaiman, speaking with two others who might be Mark Buckingham (the artist for this portion) and possibly Bob Schreck, who was the editor for the story. Clark and Hal discover a green lantern, similar to Alan Scott's, down a side hallway - a green lantern discovered in the prologue by the Blackhawks in 1949 - drawn in a moody style by the great Eddie Campbell. The two decide to investigate, Hal hoping to charge his ring with this lantern, and *boom* the heroes are sent into limbo in a burst of green flame.

There the two meet up with Deadman. This part is drawn by the inimitable John Totleben, and his style fits beautifully with this section. Deadman has some sarcastic quips while relating to the two heroes where they have ended up, and then he tries to leave. But Superman is in front of him in a blink, to which Boston Brand (Deadman) says, "you really are Superman. Jeez." Again, it's a fun little bit that evokes the traditional characterizations of these heroes, but with a modern sensibility that does not bog down in needless exposition or stilted dialogue. It's a nice mix, and it's something that seems to be missing from modern comics and has been for some time.

We then get a brief interlude with the Phantom Stranger - engimatic and mysterious, as we would expect with this character. It is wonderfully illustrated by Matt Wagner and gives readers all they would need to know about this character if this were their introduction to the Phantom Stranger. And yet, it does not feel like those first few pages of every Marvel comic in the early eighties, when the characters would have a conversation about everything they'd experienced in the prior issues. Like Frank Miller during his Daredevil run, Gaiman is able to re-tell the necessary details of these characters without it feeling forced an unnatural. It's a tough thing to accomplish, and Gaiman does it with aplomb.

Next we get Superman and Green Lantern in hell, as drawn by Eric Shanower and Art Adams (an inspired artistic pairing). And again, Gaiman characterizes these characters so well, and in a manner that feels fresh. Superman as he hovers above the fiery pits, is unable to move, anchored there by his human sympathies. With his supervision, he is able to witness the suffering of all the tortured souls in hell. And his inability to do anything paralyzes him, a single tear trailing down his face. Meanwhile, Hal is trying to wake up Clark, to get him to help take them out of there. But nothing works until one of the demons in this realm tries to pierce Superman's flesh in order to feast on him, and pulls Clark from his reverie, as Hal falls toward the flaming pits - having been unable to hold on to Clark's leg. Hal uses his ring again, and the mixture of his power with the magic of the lantern (which has been causing all this mayhem with Hal's ring) sends them away again.

We then find the Phantom Stranger, drawn elegantly, by Jim Aparo, who has made his way to the art show where Hal and Clark began this strange trek through the magical realms of DC. He finds the hallway that Hal closed off to the others, and investigates.

And, we return to Hal and Clark, who are now inside the lantern. This section is drawn by Kevin Nowlan, and it made me wish he was doing more work today. But I digress. They meet the entity that lives within the lantern. It tells them how they can return to the land of the living. And then the Phantom Stranger joins them. He tells the heroes they are being duped. The lantern (its entity, a green flame) wants their power so that it might wreak chaos across the world. The Stranger tells Hal that he can control the flame's power, that Alan Scott did it. And then Hal realizes what he must do.

And Hal and Clark return to the world of the living, and the Phantom Stranger takes the lantern for safe keeping, because it is an object of magic, and one that he can tame, or at least keep in check.

And so, finished with their metaphysical adventure, Hal and Clark go up to the top of a skyscraper to finish their discussion and eventually go on their way. This part was drawn by Xeric award winner Jason Little, and doesn't fit so well with the rest of the book. But it is a testament to Gaiman that he gave Little this opportunity (it is assumed that it was Gaiman). And, as he did with the opening, Gaiman gets cute (or Silver Age-y) with the story. Hal and Clark return from the top of the skyscraper, and land in front of a movie theater that is havinga Michael Douglas retrospective and played "Fatal Attraction" that night. And, as the camera pulls in closer to Hal as Clark flies off, the marquee in the background eventually only shows the final six letters of the movie title - action - in a panel where Hal tells Clark, "The place is all yours. If you see what I mean."

And that would have been the wrap up of the Action Comics Weekly experiment as the reins were handed back to Superman as the only character in Action Comics.

As I said, this is a really fun story and is well worth checking out if you've never read it.

Hopefully, I wasn't too long-winded. I plan on making this a semi-regular series here. We'll see how that goes. It all depends on me finding time to read old comics and write about them. And, if you have any thoughts on that, one way or the other. Let me know.

thanks,
chris

From the Longbox: Green Lantern/Superman: Legend of the Green Flame

Comic Geek Speak is my comic podcast of choice, and each of the members of this great group have their own spin-off podcast, which means more content for my iPod - great!

One of the spin-offs is from Adam Murdough, known as Murd, titled Murd's Time Bubble. The conceit of this podcast is that Murd, who came to comic collecting relatively recently, has compiled this massive stack of back issues in his quest to "catch up" with the decades of history of this medium - and, in particular, the collective mythologies of DC and Marvel. And, he has piled up his comics in chronological order, so that he can read them in the manner in which they were published to get a better overall feel of the universes of DC and Marvel. And Murd is roughly ten years behind in his current comic reading (though he does dip into earlier books as well as current ones in order to add his own point of view to current episodes of CGS). Thus, Murd's Time Bubble was born, allowing Murd to discuss his "current" comics with the CGS audience, and allowing us to enjoy - or discover - some older books we hadn't considered for some time. It's a lot of fun.

Anwyay. The latest Time Bubble had Murd discussing Neil Gaiman's superhero story - Green Lanter/Superman: Legend of the Green Flame. This was a story that had been commissioned for the culmination of the year-long experiment of Action Comics Weekly back in the mid-80s, which was an attempt to do a weekly anthology book incorporating Superman (who had a two-page continuing strip drawn by Curt Swan each week) Green Lanter, the Blackhawks, Deadman, Phantom Stranger, and various other DC comics characters. After a year though, it was obvious the book was not selling well, and DC chose to return to the monthly iteration of Action Comics with Superman starring in the book.

But, they needed a final issue to tie up all the loose ends. So, Neil Gaiman - who was still a year away from debuting his revolutionary Sandman series - was tapped to write this issue, and Bob Schreck was fortunate enough to have that as his very first editorial assignment upon moving over to DC. Gaiman had fun writing the story and suggested Mark Buckingham - a then-unknown creator with whom Gaiman was collaborating on Miracleman for Eclipse - as artist. Things were all set to go, and then Mike Carlin, Superman editor at the time, read the script and realized that it did not work within the new DC continuity post-Crisis on Infinite Earths.

The main problem was that, in Gaiman's tale, Hal Jordan and Clark Kent were good friends and knew each other's secret identities. But, with the new DC reality, editorial had decided that too many people in the pre-Crisis DC continuity knew Superman's secret identity and they wished to change that. Thus, Hal Jordan could not know Clark Kent was Superman, and the main thrust of Gaiman's story - the reason that brought these two heroes together - was now unacceptable to the mandates of continuity. They asked Gaiman if he could change that portion of the story, but the rest of it did not work without that friendship and Gaiman politely declined. And the story went into the file cabinet. And the script was lost.

But, in 2000, with Gaiman a bona fide superstar in the comics field - and a New York Times best-selling author as well - it was thought that this story could finally be printed in a one-shot special. And so, after going through some hoops to find a copy of that original script, DC published Gaiman's Superman/Green Lantern with art by a who's who list of stellar talent:

Eddie Campbell
Mike Allred
Terry Austin
Mark Buckingham
John Totleben
Matt Wagner
Eric Shanower
Art Adams
Jim Aparo
Kevin Nowlan
Jason Little
with a cover from Frank Miller

I'd actually planned on discussing what was inside the book in this post, but I felt I've gone a bit long, so I will save that for next time. For now, just know that, if you enjoy Neil Gaiman's writing and like a good superhero story, this book is right up your alley - a modern comic tale with a Silver Age feel.

I'll be back tomorrow to discuss the actual story.

Thanks,
chris

Guesting on CGS

So,

I had the good fortune to be a guest on the latest Comic Geek Speak PREVIEWS episode where the guys go through Previews to see what looks interesting to order for comics being published in the coming months (2, if they're on time). It was a lot of fun and they were gracious enough to let me talk about Warrior27, which is still available for order at Discount Comic Book Service this month. I rambled on for about 8 minutes, am not really sure if I got the concept of the book across, but am thankful for the opportunity. The episode can be found in the link below

Previews @ CGS

And you should check out some other of their recent episodes, including a fantastic interview/discussion with artist/writer Jeff Lemire. Author of Essex County, The Nobody, and Sweet Tooth, he will be writing the upcoming Superboy comic for DC and he is an incredibly funny guy. Definitely worth listening to.

chris

Jeff Smith's Bone pt.4

Even as he was approaching the end of this fantasy epic, with characters we had come to know dying as a result of the evil of the Lord of the Locusts and the distrust and betrayal from some of those in power within the city of Atheia, Smith would still inject some humor into the narratives in order to keep that balance and not allow things to become too heavy. A couple of my favorite examples from later in the story are:





Smith also knows when to allow the images to convey the story rather than overwrite things (as was seen with the scene from issue #16 when Thorn, Gran’ma, and Fone Bone were fleeing the rat creatures in the night). The final confrontation with Mim and the dragons was incredibly powerful, and carried out with no dialogue or captions whatever.



Smith’s artistic ability really conveyed the majesty and the gravity of the situation incredibly well, and made for a fitting climax to a wonderful story.

Some final thoughts:
When Thorn was moving through the Ghost Circles, particularly that final time, it reminded me very much of Aragorn’s trek through the “Paths of the Dead” from Tolkien’s Return of the King.
It had been so long since I first read BONE that I’d forgotten a lot. Many of those who died, I did not recall. The Crown of Horns was as much a surprise on this reading as the first. And, though I ultimately knew good would win out, I did not remember how it all went, and I found it even more satisfying this time than how I remember it feeling the first time I read BONE. Smith, in creating a personal story like this, imbued his story with a tension that wouldn’t be available in a mainstream book. You don’t know who will die because anyone could die at any time. It adds a level of enjoyment that I often (note, I did not say always) find missing in the mainstream.
I loved how Smiley was trying to convince Fone Bone to come with him and Phoney when they leave at the end, and the use of the “TM” symbol after all the delicacies he uses to entice his cousin.
And when I got to that last page, it was sad to think it was over.

Go, find this book, read it, and enjoy.

-chris

Jeff Smith's Bone pt.3

Smith sucks readers in with the cute Bone creatures and the comic aspect of the tale early, and then slowly turns the narrative toward the more epic and fantastical tale he is telling. This is not a simple funny anthropomorphic tale, but a traditional fantasy with hidden royalty and swords and evil spirits. And somehow, Smith manages to keep a good balance between the heavy, darker aspects of his story and the comic moments. He never forgets to temper the darker sections of the narrative with some levity. And, in the same way Smith utilized the comic page to relate his comic timing, he also understands how to use it to create tension and dread in his audience. A prime example from issue #16 comes when Thorn, Gran’ma, and Fone Bone are skulking through the rainy forest in the dead of night trying to evade the rat creatures:


































This is a brilliant use of the comic page to convey the emotion he wants readers to feel.

Smith can do creepy too:
































Smith also takes everything about the comic page into account when crafting his stories. Like Dave Sim, who may be the master of this, Smith utilizes his lettering to convey emotions in pages like this one:

Jeff Smith's Bone pt.2

I was also impressed, on this re-reading, how much of the broader story was laid out so early in the series.

On page 9 of issue #1 readers get their first glimpse at the Dragon.


The signature phrase, “Stupid, Stupid Rat Creatures!” shows up in issue #2.


- Issue #3 introduces the map that becomes important later.
- In issue #4 we first see the Hooded One.
- And issue #6 offers the first mention of the 50ft. balloon of Phoney, which is only a throwaway line meant to elicit smiles in this context, but becomes so much more when readers reach the final act of the story.

All of these important points are laid out in the very first trade collection. Like any worthwhile storyteller, Smith sets everything up well in advance for a great payoff later.

Something else I noticed (after my wife pointed it out) was how Smith drew Thorn and Gran’ma Ben with a definite, though subtle, family resemblance. It’s little details such as this, that many people might not notice, that add so much to this book.





Look at those chins.

Jeff Smith's Bone pt.1

Another "Book of the Month Club" @ CGS that I gave some serious thought was the examination/discussion of Jeff Smith's Bone (the episode's here). It's a great, epic story that has humor, pathos, drama, and tragedy all mixed together with Smith's beautifully emotive and meticulous artwork. Brilliant book. If you haven't read it yet, you should definitely do yourself a favor - get it and read it.

I discovered BONE with issue #10. Before then, I hadn’t seen a copy of an issue on the shelf, or not noticed it. But I’d heard good things about it, and the clincher was that the first letter in the letters’ page was from George Perez. My favorite artist. No way could I put that issue back. I also picked up the first trade that day, and from there I was hooked.

One of the best things about Jeff Smith’s BONE is the comedy, which is all about timing. And Smith’s timing is impeccable, something made more challenging by the medium he’s chosen to tell his stories, comics. Not only does Smith need to conceive funny scenarios, but he needs to writer and draw it in a way that leads his audience to read it in a way that achieves the comic effect. Some of my favorite examples:

- In this first issue, everyone has been telling Fone Bone that he needs to think about getting out of the valley before the first snow comes. Once that hits, he'll be stuck. It's mentioned a few times, keeping it fresh in readers' minds. Fone Bone really doesn't think much of it, until the final page.


Then there's this page where Fone Bone calls out the Dragon:


And Fone Bone trying to show off for Thorn by telling her he should be the one to chop the wood:

More later.
- chris

Miracleman v.2 notes pt.I

So,

One of my favorite podcasts is the CGS (Comic Geek Speak) one. Mainly a mainstream comic-cast, it delves into indie and classic comics and has provided interviews with a multitude of great artists and writers. Well, thanks to one of their listeners, they are finally tackling one of my all-time favorite comics, Miracleman (originally Marvelman). Their first episode, covering the first trade collection, ran in late December, and the plan was to follow with each subsequent collection roughly every two months. In preparation for this, I pulled down my second MM trade - The Red King Syndrome - and re-read it, jotting down notes for each chapter. I offered them up at the CGS forums, and now I offer them here for posterity (or until we decide to let the domain name lapse, which isn't happening any time soon).

the notes became copious, so I'll be splitting them up into three posts, roughly 1000 words apiece. Here, for your reading pleasure, is part one. Enjoy:

- Prelude: Red King Syndrome pt.1
o Did they use John Ridgway because Alan Davis needed to catch up? Whether yes or no, having a different artist for this flashback works well to separate from the story proper, while giving us some background.
o I love Gargunza’s characterization. He’s a genius – smug and unable to suffer fools, even if those fools are working with him.
o Interesting concept of having Mickey Moran heap bizarre and far-fetched ideas on top of one another to shock his brain out of the dream-sleep they have been subject to.

- Chapter 1: Catgames –
o I like how Moore uses the metaphor of the leopard to accentuate the main thrust of the narrative, which reintroduces us to all of the main characters
o Though this really is a chapter in which Moore is catching readers up to speed with the various characters, it doesn’t fall into the expositional pitfalls so many other comics seem to.
o Liz and Mike’s argument foreshadows what comes later in this book. Her remark that Mike changing to Miracleman in order to continue the conversation is “running away” helps to accentuate the reality of his character, and is an interesting – and, if not new, at least little used trope – of the “secret identity.”
o Sir Dennis’s idea of how Miracleman must think of “us,” of humans is novel, especially for this time, and will be played out in Moore’s story. A nice bit of foreshadowing – only one panel – that may not resonate on a first read, but has far more resonance upon re-reading. It also reiterates the point made by Liz two pages prior, regarding Mike’s vulnerability and the vast difference between his two alter-egos.
o Johnny Bates and Kid Miracleman within Johnny’s mind is a great bit of character play – well conceived artistically, as well – and sets up the possibility of KM returning. Again, Moore laying the groundwork for what is to come.
o The caption boxes once Mike Moran changes to Miracleman is Moore being flowery, unlike some of the prose from the first volume, this adds little and feels a bit over-wrought.
o Final page of this chapter: what the hell took out that leopard? We’ll find out soon.

- Chapter 2: One of Those Quiet Moments –
o I really enjoyed this 6-page chapter. It gives us a bit more characterization of Miracleman/Mike Moran (he revels in showing off his strength to Jason, showing that Mike is still within the mind of MM).
o The remarks about “gays” and “fairies” firmly ground it in its time – the early eighties – and feel out of place in our more educated, PC world. But they do capture the feelings of a large sector of the population at the time, and it doesn’t feel so much prejudicial as ill-advised or statements made from a lack of education/experience, which certainly does not feel out of place for a story written in 1982-83.
o I really like how Moore utilized the quiet/innocent interaction between MM and Jason to accentuate that final page. It really gives more weight to what MM finds back home than if the entire chapter had revolved around his Liz’s abduction. This way, the reader is also in MM’s shoes – we don’t know what has happened to her any more than he does. Really adds tension.
o Neil Gaiman wrote a short story that played off the event of this one (the first 5 pages), which basically was he and Mark Buckingham’s “tryout” before taking over the title after Moore was finished.

- Chapter 3: Nightmares –
o Page 2, as Liz is waking up and we get the various computer readouts of her body is impressive from an artistic standpoint, and these, with the voiceover captions, keeps the mystery alive of where she is and who has her.
o The lines (on page 2): “Wait a minute. Is that something around the womb area?” and “. . . pulse and respiration normal again. That’s very sudden isn’t it?” are important to the larger context of Moore’s story. Panel 6 gives readers more foreshadowing, if they are reading carefully/slowly, and is a nice example of the words and images juxtaposing with one another to give a different understanding of the scene.
o Gargunza. He is just creepy.

- Interlude: Red King Syndrome pt. 2 –
o Was this broken up in the original Warrior serialization? It picks up directly from the prelude and feels like it could have been one chapter initially.
o The psychological battle between Miracleman and Dr. Gargunza is nicely done. And, though simple, the “and they woke up from a dream” scenario is inspired, especially the way that Moore wrote this chapter. And everything is all right – except that MM’s costume has changed, as it did in their “dream.” This is not good for Dr. G.