Reading Material

During my little absence I did have the opportunity to get some long delayed reading done.


First up is one of Brian K. Vaughn's Marvel projects, The Hood. I picked the entire run up for about three bucks, and it was worth it. I'm glad I didn't buy the trade, or the issues, when they originally came out, because frankly it was slightly disappointing. Vaughn's characterization is great, he even breathes new life into three washed up villians (Shocker, Constrictor and Jack O' Lantern), and the art more than does the job, but the plot seems a little thin and cliched. Parker, the main character, is, in my opinion, a typical "misunderstood bad guy" with a few exceptions, and is probably the least interesting person in the book. He gains his "powers" after a botched robbery where he apparently kills some sort of mystical demon, then takes his cloak and his boots. An interesting spin on origin stories, but it still doesn't bring much to the table. I get the feeling that Vaughn had a deeper tale in mind, maybe a follow up, dealing with the mystical side of it, but one has yet to surface. All in all not a bad story, especially for the price, but like I said, I hardly think it was worth the covers, or even the trade price.

Next!

Three Fingers $14.95

Wow. Rich Koslowski crafts a truly haunting tale in this graphic novel from Top Shelf. It's the story of Ricky Rat and his rise to world wide fame. Obvious comparisons can be drawn from other cartoons, the Mickey Mouse gang comes to mind first, and the parodies of Warner Bros. Looney Tunes characters are fantastic. I won't spoil anything for anyone who wants to read it, but I'll say it's one of the best damned stories I've ever read. If you see this anywhere, do yourself a favor and buy it. The art is excellent, making it feel much more like a documentary than a graphic novel. There are times (especially the Foghorn Leghorn parodies) where I wasn't sure if I should laugh or be nervous. Truly, one of the best stories ever crafted in the medium.

Open Space #0

This was a Wizard Special, featuring Alex Ross' very first Marvel work. Unfortunately it never saw print. The story has a great Twilight Zone-like feeling to it. You're never sure exactly what's going to happen, but you know there's bound to be a twist. However, by the time the twist does come it's bothe obvious and somewhat annoying. The writers name escapes my memory at the moment, but Ross' art is good enough. You can definitely see the beginnings of something very unique, but like I said, the story just lets you down. I think I spent a quarter on it, and it was damn well worth that.

Y, The Last Man #22 $2.99

Now, anyone looking to check out B.K. Vaughn work should definitely check this series out. Dr. Mann is taken hostage by a group of militaristic females, Yorick is left alone with a new friend (where a very humourous sex talk occurs) and 355 sets out to rescue the good Doc. We finally get a few answers to what Mann was working on before the plague, and another damn fine cliffhanger of an ending. Great, great stuff.

That's about it, but I've got tons more to read. In the meantime, feel free to check out Cinescape.com's new Comicscape, along with a few tasty comic book reviews.

-L