Image of Success: CHOKER by Ben McCool and Ben Templesmith

 

We briefly mentioned Ben Templesmith and Ben McCool's Choker in our last blog, but our adjectival use of 'excellent' barely suffices to describe the comic's cool factor - or its quality - or it's fun.  

In a nutshell, Choker's a gritty and dark, noir-ish police drama, set in the  dystopian future life of former policeman turned private dick Johnny Jackson. Jackson's new profession is his own private hell and punishment,  but he's about to be offered a dangerous redemption - locate and bust an escaped,  notorious drug dealer that he'd somehow succeeded to apprehend during his time on the force when all others had failed.  Of course, Jackson's determined - but desperate, and a pale shade of his former self.  In a very Blade Runner -esque Shotgun City, where drugs enable junkies to become vampires and mutant humans are society's dirty, lurking underclass, Jackson's decision seems to promise him not success , but certain suicide. 

But -- how good (or fun or cool) is Choker? Ultimately, that's for you to decide -- but, as Christopher Butcher points out on Comics212,  Choker's first issue  (of what will be a six-issue limited series) was promoted with an unprecedented six-page preview by its publisher, Image Comics.  That should tell you something; we'll let you check it out for yourself:

  

 

Choker is artistically reminiscent of one of our other favorite Templesmith-drawn series, Fell, also from Image and written by the ever-awesome Warren Ellis.  But Ben McCool's writing differs in flavor and tone from Ellis' - equally intelligent yet more straightforward in approach, and superbly paced throughout.  Having no previous exposure to McCool's stuff, we are impressed. As a recent transplant from the UK, McCool chose the life of a freelance writer after setting down in the US, and between Choker, an original Superman tale hitting the stands on Saint Paddy's Day, and possibly a few other projects, 2010 looks like its going to be a very McCool year.

  

Templesmith and McCool are kicking off the year - and Choker's February 2010 launch - with a Choker Tour. Beginning last weekend in the New York City area, the pair are at A Comic Shop in Orlando tomorrow, then get a short reprieve before hitting Seattle's Emerald City Comic-Con during the ides of March.  The Tour schedule is at the top of the blog and more information can be gleaned on Choker's own website HERE. If you're anywhere near these locations or plan to be in Seattle for the Con, abbracadabble your way to see these guys pronto -- and pick up a copy of Choker on the way.  (Or order it through the mail from Midtown Comics HERE.)

Linkage

Ben Templesmith's blog [ben1]

Ben McCool's blog [ben2]

Comic Stuffers: None Better Than 'The Stuff of Legend'

A proud, deceptively fierce Indian princess. A jack-in-the-box Jester skilled with hatchets. A pig with a wealth of information and little faith. A wooden duck named Quackers and a Teddy Bear with fangs. A boy's beagle and a fallen toy soldier. These are the characters of Th3rd World Studios' The Stuff of Legend, a brilliantly told story that borderlines as Guillermo del Toro fairy tale fashioned within a mythic context not too different from Tolkien's Hobbit.

Legend's about as far from what anybody might think of a usual comic book fare; at 52 pages formatted more like a storybook than a comic, and only the conventional use of word bubbles and the beautifully rendered illustration with colors that reflect the books World War II backdrop between its covers gives any hint that it might be. The story centers around a group of toys who venture beyond the confines of a their bedroom world when their owner, a young boy just on the verge of growing up, disappears without a trace. It's when the boy's not around, of course, that the toys come to life -- as they did in Pixar's Toy Story -- and as they set out to find their lost owner, the adventure that awaits them as darker than anything Disney would dare put on the silver screen. Literally and figuratively, the boy's brave band of toys will risk life and limb as they venture into the realm of The Dark, to reclaim and save a young child from the clutches of an all-too-real Bogeyman.

Definitely not intended for young readers, Legend otherwise has a universal appeal, regardless of gender or age. It's at once warm and scary, and its creators produce as fine of writing and artwork that we've ever seen. Considering Th3rd World is not Marvel or Disney, the book's distribution doesn't come close to mainstream superhero comics, so finding a copy might be a little difficult. Legend #1 was published in August, and the current second issue came out in October. Issue #3 is scheduled for an early Spring 2010 release.

We checked, and both issues to date are available at Th3rd World Studios online shop, but the website notes few #1's remain, and that's already the issue's second printing as well. Legends earned nothing but praise from reviewers across the web, and it'll get the same from whomever you intend to find it in their stocking. With only two issues out, and two left to go, its the perfect size, and more than ideal adventure, for anyone on your list.

We've got the covers of both books for you below, as well as a few pages from The Stuff of Legend's amazing second issue. To buy The Stuff of Legend online, use our link at the bottom, tonight! Ho, Ho, Ho!

The Stuff of Legend, Book II: The Bogeyman!

Cover: The Stuff of Legend, Book I

Detailed reviews on both issues of The Stuff of Legend found at ...

High Five Comics [link] Broken Frontier [link] The Weekly Crisis [link]

Want to stuff someone special's stocking with

The Stuff of Legend?

Th3rd World Studios' online comic book shop is here: 3rd

PageTurner: Skottie Young Makes 'OZ' Marvelous Fantasy

Noel Langley's screenplay for the 1939 MGM adaptation of L. Frank Baum's The Wizard of Oz begins with these words:

For nearly forty years, this story has given faithful service to the Young in Heart; and Time has been powerless to put its kindly philosophy out of fashion. To those of you who have been faithful to it in return...and to the Young in Heart...we dedicate this picture.

Seven decades later, one hundred eleven years since the world was first introduced to Dorothy and her friends, those same words could very well appear in the foreword of Marvel Comics' The Wonderful Wizard of OZ, for they ring just as true. Written by Eric Shanower and illustrated by Skottie Young with colors by Jean-Francois Beaulieu, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is one of Marvel's best publications of the last year - and certainly the most distinct.

Imagination is the heart of The Wonderful Wizard of OZ. Capturing the original's essence is the challenge of adaptation, and though Baum's original fantasy wasn't written in verse, few if any would claim Judy Garland voice didn't succeed doing exactly that.

Yet where MGM takes its musical detour, Shanower's story follows far more faithfully, a conscious effort that results in tale that is straightforward without being simple. This gives the comic book its All-Ages rating -- though in OZ's case, the better descriptive would be Universal. It's got that much appeal, and true to best comic book form, the words provide a framework so the pictures can deliver the experience. It's an awesome responsibility for any artist, and Skottie Young nails it so well his OZ is as uniquely fresh and imaginative as the film. Beaulieu's colors seal the deal; OZ is almost as synonymous with color as it is with magic, and a flip through OZ's pages is evidence that he brought both to this project.

Marvel's OZ has been incredibly popular with readers no matter how old they may be. The book's been a huge draw for younger girls -- a demographic too often overlooked by most comics -- as well as for Oz fans and readers who prefer the fantasy of Vertigo's Fables, Th3rd World's The Stuff of Legend, and Harry Potter.

The comic does forgo the darker side of fairy tales, those themes inherent to Aesop's works and which run through Baum's story as well as the MGM musical. The movie, while done in color, distinguished its Land of Oz from Dorothy's more mundane reality by filming on Sepia Tone, like so:

It's easy -- and even kind of cool and downright interesting -- to imagine the rest of The Wizard of Oz portrayed in this way. The movie would quickly become a horror film, and as a guy with a film degree, believe me when I say that's exactly from where today's horror movies evolved: musicals.

But Shanower and Young's OZ doesn't need these darker elements to grab an older audience; the art is enough.

Considering that the 1939 movie captured the visual 'reality' of Oz for generations, that Marvel's OZ succeeds in its own fairy tale reinvention speaks volumes both about the series and especially Skottie Young's contribution. It's all enough to overlook the occasionally abrupt chapter endings of the monthly, which in new formats may not be as evident.

I enjoyed every one of the eight issues in the limited series, which began last year and wrapped in July. Comics PageTurner takes its recommendations seriously, and books reviewed under this banner should be considered experiences worthy of your time, your attention, and your money.

Marvel's OZ hardcover collection was published in September and debuted at Number 9 on The New York Times Best Seller's list. You'll still find it there...which means you can also find it inside Present Magic Comics Amazon.com bookstore, and at our always-magical discounted price. Look for it this week!

Marvelous Land of Oz - Issue #1 (Nov '09)

Shanower, Young, and Beaulieu returned last week with their comics adaptation of L. Frank Baum's The Marvelous Land of OZ.

Land is OZ's sequel, and the only one of Baum's many OZ stories that didn't feature Dorothy as a character. Since I'd never read the original OZ , Marvel's comic series was a fresh read, and introduced me to his world in ways MGM did not. If you've read Baum's first book -- as a fair number of folks have -- then your experience of Shanower and Young's world will probably differ from mine. But its likely more of us are unfamiliar with The Marvelous Land of OZ, and ass we all know, being a stranger in a stranger land can have its ups and downs.

The immediate nostalgic attraction to anything that reminds of us of The Wizard of Oz we all grew up watching won't be along for the Marvelous ride -- and this element alone might have an impact on its appeal to the newer and younger readers of the first series. Many of the familiar and creatively re-imagined characters will be still be present, chief among them the Scarecrow and Tin Woodsman.

The setting won't have changed, either; and Marvelous' tale begins in the magical Land, not Kansas, and readers experience this Fantastic from page one. To me, that's a definite plus. It'll be fun not knowing where the Yellow Brick Road goes and who we'll meet along the way.

The darker scenes of tornado-wrought Kansas are replaced by darker themes in the OZ sequel, and considering they're meshed with character and plot, should be more evident in the new limited series. The story belongs to Tip, a young boy who's motivation isn't to return home, but to run away from a life of slavery. To that end, Tip's tale will be his own journey to Oz and his quest for his future. He'll be joined by his homemade friend, Jack Pumpkinhead, and a few of Dorothy's as well.

Shanower and Young bring the hallmark of consistency and quality to their first issue of Marvel's next limited series, and essentially use every page to reintroduce us all to Baum's world as if for the first time. There's not a lot of action or forward movement, but the stage is set well and set brilliantly.

The Land of OZ is a definite monthly PageTurner, so don't wait for the trade. Marvel earns their $3.99 here. And besides, the joy is in the discovery, and its marvelous to watch it unfold in OZ. Read Marvel's official solicitation for their new eight issue limited series here.

Comics PageTurner's scores for Marvel's OZ hardcover and The Marvelous Land of OZ Issue #1 can be found at the bottom of the blog. On your way down, enjoy a look at Issue #1's variant cover art (by Eric Shanower) as well as the first seven pages of this latest Oz adventure . Plus, we've got a sneak peak at Skottie Young's Issue #2 and Issue #3 covers that you won't find anywhere else!

* * * * *

EXCLUSIVE!

SCOTTIE YOUNG SNEAK PEEK

Coming Marvelous Covers

Marvelous Land of Oz - Issue #2 (Dec '09)

Marvelous Land of Oz - Issue #3 (Jan 2010)

Comics PageTurner Scores

The Wonderful Wizard of OZ

The Marvelous Land of OZ

COMICS PAGETURNER: The Perils of "Doctor Voodoo"

Portland-based Rick Remender is no stranger to the criminal element. We sort of take that for granted, and even introduced him to you earlier this week as the man responsible for The Last Days of American Crime as well as the scribe of the Marvel MAX mature reader's title, Punisher War Journal.

With this Wednesday's launching (or perhaps, re-launching) of Marvel Comics' new series Doctor Voodoo: Avenger of the Supernatural, our buddy Rick's pitting that criminal savvy against his understanding of darker arts.

To his credit, Rick Remender has had plenty of experience in the magical arena: his Fear Agent, Night Mary, and the ominous superhero tale The End League are all books no one should read when they're alone. Add his other creator-owned titles, Image Comic's XXXZombies or Black Heart Billy from IDW Publishing, into the mix and Remender comes across as nothing short of a nightmarish pro.

Now Remender's taking his black magic know-how one notch further as he faces the challenge of Doctor Voodoo.

Voodoo (alias Jericho Drumm) isn't a new character in the Marvel Universe; Len Wein and artist Gene Colan created the hero, then Brother Voodoo, for Strange Tales #169 back in 1973. [Interestingly, you can read a back-up essay of Brother Voodoo's creative origins in Doctor Voodoo#1. The off-the-cuff manner is which new superheroes sometimes make it onto newsprint is worth the read by itself.] Brother Voodoo then became the lead character of Tales, although the run lasted just over a year.

Though Voodoo's not a new name, Remender nevertheless will be charting new and somewhat perilous territory with Doctor Voodoo. None of Marvel's African-American heroes -- from "Hero for Hire" Luke Cage to the many attempts of keeping Black Panther afloat as a monthly title -- fare well in the long run. Marvel's two most popular black heroes -- Storm from the X-Men and the Ultimate Comics version of SHIELD super-spy Nick Fury (a name audiences will get to know quite well when Samuel L. Jackson portrays the character in at least three of Marvel's upcoming super hero films) -- have consistently lead their respective title's supporting cast, but have never moved into the front seat.

But Remender's putting his guy right behind the wheel. Doctor Voodoo, freshly plucked from the storyline which re-introduced him in Marvel's best-selling New Avengers series, promises to add the City of New Orleans to the Marvel U map, as well as Voodoo mythology to its mystic pantheons. Before the first issue even begins, Voodoo has assumed the mantle to be Marvel's newly reigning Sorcerer Supreme, a title once held by the more well-known hero Dr. Stephen Strange. In an appropriate turn of phrase, Remender's character prefers to be called 'Houngan Supreme' - the voodoo term for 'sorcerer.'

That's just the first of many differences large and small with which Remender fills the first issue of his new series. And it is, frankly, a lot to adsorb. The prospect of voodoo's obscurity coming to the mainstream is intriguing, and the first issue is packed with information to render it less obscure. Jefte Paulo's pencils and Jean-Francois Beaulieu's color designs definitely add extra flavor to the voodoo Remender's doing, and also serve to delineate this Sorcerer from the more traditional renderings of Doctor Strange. Even Doctor Doom makes a cameo to challenge the new Doctor, and in doing so, validates the book's editorial stance: We're not kidding. This guy's really here too stay. Just ask Doom!

The issue's broad exploration of Voodoo's many magical tenets also serves the purpose of differentiating the title character from Doctor Strange. Strange, an early Stan Lee and Steve Ditko creation that also made his appearance in Marvel's Strange Tales (Issue #10, 1963), has become aged not just in his comic books, but as a concept that's not weathering the times as well as, say Iron Man's Tony Stark. Marvel seems quite sincere in their intention to retire the wizard and welcome his replacement.

In fact, readers familiar with Marvel's current story lines will know that the publisher's been updating their 'Universe' across several of their titles. From the 'superhero side' (The Marvels Project, Captain America, Dark Avengers, Amazing Spider-Man: One More Day, Civil War) to the 'cosmic side' (War of Kings, Nova) and now to the 'supernatural', Marvel's been bringing their large mythology into the twenty-first century. It's a re-invigoration that has gone well with readers, retailers,

critics, and obviously, super-large corporate investors.

Doctor Voodoo is a series that brings with it an undeniable learning curve, which both comic book writer and reader will have to endure. Eve for longtime Marvelites, Doctor Voodoo is a course adjustment of a different kind. But because it is, I'd prefer to see Doctor Voodoo join The Punisher as a Marvel MAX title; it seems a fitting home. There's much promise to its premise, and for a writer like Remender whose storytelling strengths excel in matter of esoterica, Jeremiah Drumm's outer limits - and those of the Marvel U -- should be right up his alley.

I'll stick around to see what new tricks Rick Remender has up his sleeve. With talent, support, and perhaps just a bit of luck, he's just the guy to keep Doctor Voodoo from becoming Doctor Voo-Did.

'The Last Days of American Crime' defines "Radical Comics"

You'll probably remember me mentioning Portland-based Rick Remender as I was giving y'all a tour of Springfield: My Nice Little Town. Rick's been writing Marvel's The Punisher titles for the past couple years now. [Not being much of a Punisher lover myself, though, I've never read 'em. Sorry, people. Sorry, Ricky. I'll let you know what I think when I finally sample your stuff next month with your one-shot, Punisher: The List.]

Anyway, Rick pretty much put himself on the map with his two Dark Horse Comics series, Fear Agent and The End League. That's how I found him, and I've got good hunch that Rick'll be discovered by a whole lot more folks when his new Radical Publishing title, The Last Days of American Crime, starts up this December.

The Last Days of American Crime tells the story of Graham Brick, a petty criminal never quite able to hit the big score. In a grand scheme, Graham intends to steal one of the charging stations, skip the country and live off unlimited funds for the rest of his life. But the media has leaked news of the anti-crime signal one week before it was to go live... and now Graham and his team have just a few days to turn the heist of the century into the last crime in American history. [To read Radical Publishing's press release for Last Days, go here.]

Remender teams up with artist Greg Tocchini for this three issue, 64-page per issue series. Radical Publishing's one of the relatively new kids in town, but as far as the smaller third-tier publishers go, they've been turning out quality books with regularity as well as drawing some top-notch industry talent their way. Last Days is one of three titles Radical's going to be pricing at $4.99 an issue -- an experiment to find the consumer comfort-zone between cost, quality,

talent, and the page-count of a single monthly comic book.

This is the Big Issue here, abbracadabblers. [I'm even taking an extra paragraph to illustrate this fine point, notice?]

As most of you know, the standard monthly title -- and when one says standard or typical, the main referents are comics from DC Comics and Marvel -- is a whopping 22-pages of story, plus advertising. Both of the Big Two have made price increases for many of their monthly books, from $2.99 to $3.99, the majority of them also being the most popular books, too. This economic snafu, of course, has heard considerable fanboy outcry. To counter, Marvel and DC have both attempted to add page-count to their own books; DC by supplementing many of their mid-selling titles with a 'Second Feature', and Marvel by either publishing their best-sellers like The Amazing Spider-Man more frequently or tweaking the page-counts of their other books.

Radical's decided to throw an extra dollar onto the much-maligned $3.99 that's plaguing DC and Marvel, but they also stand alone with their decision of nearly tripling the 22-page industry standard. Most collectors, including myself, will by-and-large find this quite acceptable. The cost is logical, and I believe it's a five-dollar pill collectors would swallow no matter who published the 64-page whopper.

Plus, third-tier publishers like Radical are allowed much more leniency with their costs in the first place. They're expected to have to charge more: they incur substantially greater printing and production costs, likely pay more for talent, don't enjoy widespread distribution, their books have far fewer readers than any of Big Two's, and they see little to no marketing revenue from licensed products.

Radical's been aggressive from the get-go, thanks to its President and Publisher Barry Levine. Levine's drawn some high-profile folks to his line lately, like the prolific Warren Ellis' Hotwire: Requiem for the Dead. Using this approach, Levine has been enlisting high caliber story lines for his comics, and ensuring that those same comics hit the stand as a pre-formatted cinema-style package, primed for Hollywood adaptation. Levine's no stranger to the movie business, and hasn't made a secret of his approach of marrying 'widescreen comic book storytelling' to that of 'widescreen' movie making.

As much as I (and, obviously, a legion of other folks) enjoy seeing their comic books on the silver screen, Levine's approach veers too closely to the lane of pre-mediation for me to be completely comfortable. That discomfort I feel may also cast me as a 'fanboy in denial' or even as a hypocrite. It's a fact that comics, intentionally or not, are already serving this purpose for the bulk of Tinsel Town's producers, from Ron Howard to Michael Bay. Whether the greater purpose of DC and Marvel properties is that of mass-market consumerables is debatable, too. So, I ask myself, why the problem?

Maybe I'll wait until Remender's The Last Days of American Crime is in my hot little hands before I render a verdict. I mean, I've discussed it here, dabblers, because I know it's going to be a good read. And, as a matter of fact, it's already been primed for the screen, too.

To that, I say kudos' to you, Mister Remender just up the I-5 in Portland-town, and hats-off to the Radical folks as well. Abbracadabblers, you've got two months to save the five hundred pennies Last Days first issue will cost you. Give it the read it deserves, and even if it's not to your liking (which I think to be very unlikely, but it's possible), I assure you, the book in your hands may very well become a true modern-day metaphor.

Not of The Last Days of American Crime, mind you, but of the comic industry. I'm not one to be pessimistic; I'm no doom-sayer. I love me my monthly comics, no matter the cost. But I do keep my ears to the ground, and usually my feet along with 'em. In the end, I'm just saying what I'm saying.

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Read more about Rick Remender and The Last Days of American Crime on Ain't It Cool News here, Comic Book Resources here, and on MTV here.

Radical Publishing has placed a fifteen-page preview from Last Day's first issue at their MySpace page here, and if you'd like to try supercomputing with Last Day's B-Cover (as seen below), it's here.