RIP Rory Root

I'd like to offer my condolences to the family and friends of Rory Root, comics activist and owner of Comic Relief, one of the finest comic stores in America. Rory died a few days ago from complications stemming from a hernia operation.

I visited his store a few times during my visits to the Bay Area, and bought many a graphic novel from his giant booth at the San Diego Comic-Con. Both the store and the booth were always well-stocked, well-organized, and full of knowledgeable, helpful people, not the least of which being Mr. Root himself.

So thank you, Rory, for all you did for my medium. You will be missed.

Who Is Wonder Woman?

A long time ago, I talked about how much I love me some Wonder Woman. I also lamented the lack of great stories starring this character. Thankfully, DC recently released a collected edition of a story that reinvents and redefines the character for new readers as well as long-time fans.

One of the best decisions DC made is to hire the team of Terry & Rachel Dodson to provide the art for this series. Terry is unparalleled at drawing sexy heroines and sultry villains, but still managing to render them in a tasteful manner, thanks to the influence of his inker/wife, Rachel. Together, they make Wonder Woman (the heroine and the comic) beautiful.

Of course, art this good deserves an excellent story to match. Allan Heinberg does an amazing job taking 65-years of back-story and paring it down into 5 issues of a story that educates new readers, rewards the faithful readers, and takes the character in a new and unexpected direction.

Recommended For: Women who owned Wonder Woman Underoos as children, girls who love the character on Justice League, men who like seeing catfights, women who are turned off by overly exploitative depictions of women in comics.
Not Recommended For: Greek History majors.

All-New! All Different!!!

And now, the reboot.
When I started this blog over 2 years ago, I wanted to bring new readers into the medium that I loved so much. Most comics aren't exactly new reader friendly, and I wanted to provide jumping on points for the casual reader. Unfortunately, I got a little derailed.
First, I got a little discouraged when I realized that the original title of my blog, "Gateway Comics", was also the name of a chain of comics stores back east, and my blog would be pushed to the third
page of Google Links.
Second, I was wondering if I was really the best person to bring the casual comics reader into the hobby, since the majority of what I read is continuity-laden superhero titles that have become more and more entrenched in their own backstories.
Turns out both of these problems are relatively easy fixes.
My partner-in-crime Jessica is firmly entrenched in the online knitting community, and it seems that most of those people name their blogs "So-and-so knits." It amuses me for some reason, but it also gets its point across. "Here I am and here is what I do." Hence the new name, "Dan Reads Comics."
As for the other problem... there are a couple of diamonds in the proverbial rough. Who better to find them than someone who spends most of his time wading through the mire?
So here's the deal. I buy comics every Wednesday after work, and if something in my weekly pile strikes me as high quality AND new reader friendly, I'll post about it. If not, I won't. Simple as that.
So on to the next page...

X-Men: First Class

Premise: What were the original 5 X-Men like back in high school?

My favorite X-Men have always been the originals: Cyclops, Beast, Angel, Marvel Girl, and Iceman. My biggest complaint about the X-Men comics is that they seem to be walled off from the rest of the Marvel Universe. Apparently, writer Jeff Parker feels the same way, since this series features the aforementioned heroes and often has them interacting with the other heroes and villains of the Marvel universe. In one issue, they fight the Lizard (a Spider-Man villain). In another issue, Marvel Girl teams up with the Invisible Girl from the Fantastic Four. Doctor Strange, the Scarlet Witch, and Thor also make appearances over the course of the series.

Casual fans will also enjoy this series because each issue is self-contained (with the occasional two-part story). And most of the stories are told from a single character's point of view, which gives a fresh take on the interpersonal dynamics of the team, and also helps the reader empathize with these characters.

Recommended For: Old-school Marvel fans, kids of all ages.
Not Recommended For: People wondering why Wolverine isn't in this book.

The Illustrated Dracula

This isn't a comic, per se, but it IS an item of interest to comics fans and non-comics fans alike.
Penguin Books has published a new edition of Bram Stoker's classic novel Dracula with illustrations by noted comics artist Jae Lee. The presentation is stylish and the illustrations are excellent. This book would look cool on anyone's coffee table or bookshelf.
Oh yeah, and the book ain't bad either...

Recommended for: Fans of classic literature, Jae Lee, and or White Wolf products, goths, book collectors.

Not recommended for: anyone who already owns a copy of this novel.

The Exterminators: Bug Brothers

Premise: An ex-con gets hired as an exterminator, and lears that it's a dirty job on many, many levels.

Simon Oliver and Tony Moore have put together a sharp, funny, and twisted series that works on two levels. On one level, you have cheap laughs, unsettling visuals, a little bit of sex, and lots of explodo. On a deeper level, this is a satire that touches on subjects such as poverty, local politics, big business and human nature. The characters are colorful without being too broad. The art is vivid and evocative (penciller Moore is particularly adept at depicting LA as it really looks, not how you see it on TV).
On top of that, it's one of the least expensive paperbacks on the market, so give it a whirl.

Recommended For: people with a dark sense of humor; Southern California natives; fans of Repo Man, Men In Black, Training Day and/or Six Feet Under.
Not Recommended for: people who are freaked out by bugs.

Detective Comics

Premise: The World's Greatest Detective starts acting like a detective again...


Detective Comics is my current favorite comic. Here's why.
First off, the covers are stellar. Simone Bianchi renders Batman in a style reminiscent of the 1920's German expressionist horror films that influenced the look of the original Batman comics. The above image is from last week's issue (#822).
Secondly, the scripts are being written by Paul Dini, former head writer of Batman: The Animated Series. The stories are intelligent and fast-paced, with healthy doses of black humor and a hint of sex (the S&M dungeon scene from last week's issue).
Finally, each issue is a self-contained story. During his time on the Batman cartoon, Dini proved he could tell an epic story in only 22 minutes. It appears that he can do the same in 22 pages. Each issue has a beginning, a middle, and an end, which is more than you can say about most of the comics on the market.
All that having been said, I highly recommend going out and gambling $3 on an issue.

Recommended for: fans of mystery novels and detective shows; the poor (and/or the cheap).

Not recommended: people who don't find bondage at least a little funny.

Superman Returns (and so does this blog)

Premise:
You can't go home again... Or can you?

I write a lot about Superman on this blog for one very simple reason: He is the gateway superhero. Batman and Wolverine may be cooler, Spider-Man may be more sympathetic, and the Flash may be faster, but none of them have truly grasped the public consciousness like the Man of Steel. People who have never read a comic in their life can tell you what his powers are, what planet he comes from, what it says on his driver's license, and who he's in love with. He's been around for almost 70 years, and people still watch the movies & TV shows, buy the toys, sing songs about him, and laugh at all the jokes (two words: "mean drunk").

I think he's endured so long because his legend is more open to interpretation than any of the aforementioned characters. He's been used as a metaphor for the American dream (his creators were the children of Jewish immigrants). He's also been used to represent what is wrong with America (Frank Miller's Dark Knight stories). Kingdom Come used Superman as the embodiment of the troubled comic-book industry of the mid 1990's. The TV series Smallville uses Clark's emerging powers and how he chooses to use them to represent the journey through adolescence into maturity. Finally, the films portray him as an allegory for the Judeo-Christian Messiah (a case can be made for him as both Moses and Jesus, as well as the promised Messiah that the Jews are waiting for).

The makers of Superman Returns built their film around both of these assumptions, and delivered a great movie. It wasn't bogged down with exposition, because we already know how Lex Luthor, Lois Lane, and The Daily Planet fit into his life. It has various subtexts that touch upon religion, family, love, and society. And it's got plenty of explodo to boot.

Recommended Reading:
(In addition to what was mentioned before)

All-Star Superman (bi-monthly comic): The two most imaginative men in comics, writer Grant Morrison and penciller Frank Quitely, pack each issue of this new title with the same kinds of crazy ideas that happened in the Superman comics of the 50s and 60s, while still taking the character and legend into uncharted territory. And each issue is self-contained, so new readers can just pick an issue up and enjoy.

Up, Up, And Away: This recently completed story arc (which will be collected into book form in a couple of months) explores similar themes to the film: In the comics, Superman went away for a year because he had lost his powers (Clark Kent continued to work at the Planet). This story concentrates more on Superman's reintegration into the heroic community, as well as what his enemies were doing during his absence. A great re-introduction to the mainstream Superman titles.

DC Universe: The Stories of Alan Moore: This collection of odds and ends by one of the most respected writers in the industry features two of my absolute favorite Superman stories:

• "For the Man Who Has Everything...", where Superman learns what his life would be like if Krypton hadn't exploded (this issue would later be turned into an episode of the Justice League Unlimited cartoon);
  
• "Whatever Happened To The Man Of Tomorrow?", a fitting ending to the Superman legend.
  

It's A Bird...

Premise: A comic-book writer ponders the impact of Superman on his personal and professional life, as well as the lives of those around him.

Former Superman writer Steven T. Seagle draws deeply from personal experience in this painfully honest tale of a man who is offered the career opportunity of a lifetime in the midst of a personal crisis. Over the course of the story, he dissects all of the major elements of the Superman legend and thoroughly examines them in the hopes of finding something, anything that he can relate to. Unfortunately for the protagonist, as he struggles with his assignment, he is also forced to face problems with his family, his friends, and his girlfriend; problems that are only exacerbated by the creative pressures that come along with writing one of the most famous fictional characters of all time.

Seagle is ably assisted by artist and frequent collaborator Teddy Kristiansen, who renders the story in a variety of artistic styles. From understated watercolors to four-color pop art, his pencils, Kristiansen does an excellent job of switching the tone of the story with his art in a way that is not jarring (unless it's supposed to be).

Recommended For: people who wonder why adults still read comics; people who appreciate symbolism; people at a crossroads in their professional lives; anyone who has ever lost a loved one due to disease.
Not Recommended For: people who are not approaching middle-age;people who aren't interested in the creative process and just want to see Superman save the day.

Torso

Premise: Elliot Ness hunts for a serial killer in 1930's Cleveland.

Comic-book creators and Cleveland natives Brian Michael Bendis and Marc Andreyko originally conceived this thriller as a screenplay (their attempts to pitch this film to studios is amusingly chronicled in Bendis' Fortune And Glory). While waiting to see how successful the pitches were, Bendis wrote and drew this comic, which is a taut, gripping piece of hard-boiled detective fiction based on actual events. The characters speak in a 1930's lingo that is almost poetic. The art is spare and stark. Characters are rendered simply, and shadows are used to great effect. At times, he uses actual photos taken from archives, but this effect is used sparingly.

Of particular note is Bendis' portrayal of Ness. Over the years, he has become an almost mythical figure. Here, he is seen as a good man who may have bitten off more than he can chew. Bendis does an excellent job of humanizing this historical figure while at the same time taking nothing away from his accomplishments.

Recommended For: Fans of Seven, Silence of the Lambs, The Untouchables, and/or James Ellroy novels; history buffs; people who are fascinated by serial killers.

Not Recommended For: the squeamish.