I Reads You Review: ROCKETEER ADVENTURES VOL. 2 #1

"More tears than rockets"
ROCKETEER ADVENTURES VOL. 2 #1
IDW PUBLISHING

WRITERS: Marc Guggenheim, Peter David, Stan Sakai
ARTISTS: Sandy Plunkett, Bill Sienkiewicz, Stan Sakai
COLORS: Jeromy Cox, Bill Sienkiewicz, Dave Stewart
LETTERS: Robbie Robbins, Bill Sienkiewicz, Stan Sakai
PIN-UP: Arthur Adams with John Rauch
EDITOR: Scott Dunbier
COVER: Darwyn Cooke (alternate cover by Dave Stevens)
28pp, Color, $3.50 U.S.

First appearing in 1982, The Rocketeer is a superhero created by the late writer/illustrator Dave Stevens and inspired by the Saturday matinee movie heroes of the 1930s and 1940s. Set mainly in Los Angeles in and after the year 1938, the series follows Cliff Secord, a stunt pilot who discovers a mysterious jet pack that allows him to fly, leading to the birth of The Rocketeer.

After a long absence from comics, The Rocketeer returned last year in Rocketeer Adventures. This four-issue miniseries was an anthology comic book edited by Scott Dunbier and published by IDW Publishing. Rocketeer Adventures features Rocketeer short stories (about 7 to 8 pages in length) from some of the premiere creators in American comic books. Now, the fun is back in Rocketeer Adventures Vol. 2.

Rocketeer Adventures Vol. 2 #1 opens with “The Good Guys,” story by Marc Guggenheim and art by Sandy Plunkett. While the wounded Rocketeer slumbers in a bed on the second floor of a farmhouse, the locals discuss his fate: turn him over to the law or not. But a child shall lead them. Peter David gives the Rocketeer a Looney Tunes spin in “The Ducketeer,” with art by Bill Sienkiewicz, who executes a graphic riff on Chuck Jones and Maurice Noble. Stan Sakai takes the Rocketeer to a small-ville and the Rocketeer takes a kid up, up, and away in “A Dream of Flying.”

Rocketeer Adventures Vol. 2 starts off nostalgic and quaint with this first issue. The stories are sweet and sentimental, with in-jokes for comic book and cartoon fans. These pop culture references and riffs will make even the most jaded pop culture buff smile.

Marc Guggenheim’s tale (“The Good Guys”) treads on familiar territory. Are there enough good people to fight evil and what is the nature of vigilantism are two real-world questions with which this story grapples. Guggenheim’s story is timely in light of a FOX News affiliate in Orlando, Florida referring to Neo-Nazi group, the National Socialist Movement, as a civil rights group, something the FOX News website later repeated.

This story is also a welcomed return of seldom-seen comic book artist, Sandy Plunkett, whose style is ideal for this old-timey, rural pastoral story. Like Rocketeer creator, Dave Stevens, Plunkett is apparently also influenced by the American book and magazine illustrators of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

That aside, these new Rocketeer comic books are rapidly becoming showcases for artists that don’t regularly produce comic book art. These stories are also too sentimental, and, as much as I enjoy a dose of “Disneyana” with my comics, The Rocketeer’s origin comes out of adventure movie serials. This character needs to bust out in a miniseries – one complete with cliffhanger endings at the end of each issue. New Rocketeer comics should not be treated as if they are part of a eulogy to Stevens. All this pretty art and quaintness makes Rocketeer Adventures seem like a funerary item.

I appreciate the new Rocketeer comics, but they can be more than what they are. I must admit, of course, that I think the Art Adams pin-up is awesome.

B+

Itsuwaribito: The Kokonotsu

I read Itsuwaribito , Vol. 5

I posted a review at the Comic Book Bin (which has FREE smart phone apps and comics).

Review: MORIARTY VOLUME 2: The Lazarus Tree

MORIARTY VOLUME 2: THE LAZARUS TREE
IMAGE COMICS

WRITER: Daniel Corey
ARTISTS: Anthony Diecidue (pp. 5-55, 76-126), Mike Vosburg (pp. 56-75)
LAYOUTS: Mike Vosburg (pp. 31-52)
COLORS: Anthony Diecidue (pp. 55-76, 103-126), Perry Freeze (pp. 5-52, 79-100)
LETTERS: Dave Lanphear
COVER: Anthony Diecidue
ISBN: 978-1-60706-490-9; paperback
140pp, Color, $14.99 U.S.

I occasionally read articles in which the writers describe Professor James Moriarty as the first super-villain. Moriarty is Sherlock Holmes’ archenemy, although he only appeared in one story written by Holmes’ creator, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. He was a background player in another.

Published by Image Comics, Moriarty is a comic book series that stars Professor Moriarty as its central character. This alternate take on Moriarty is brought to readers by writer Daniel Corey and artist Anthony Diecidue.

The trade paperback, Moriarty Volume 2: The Lazarus Tree, collects Moriarty #5-9. The story picks up in the wake of The Dark Chamber (Moriarty #1-4) and finds Professor Moriarty trying to decipher the unsettling dreams that plague his sleep. Holmes and Watson are the featured players in these dreams, but other figures include a faceless man and a young boy being birthed from a stranger flower of the banyan tree.

Moriarty adopts the guise of Latimore of East India Company and sets sail for Burma in search of Eustis Morley, a missing friend and employee (or sorts). Arriving in the city of Kyauktada, Moriarty lands in the middle of unrest that varied interests are trying to turn into a full-fledged revolution. With Blair, a troublesome Imperial Policeman, as an ally, Moriarty searches for Morley, an investigation that takes Moriarty back to the beginning of his career and the early days in which he built a secret business empire. Waiting for him is a tree hidden deep in the Burmese jungles – a legendary tree that offers resurrection and the secret of Moriarty’s destiny.

When I received a copy of Moriarty Volume 1: The Dark Chamber for review last year, I admitted that I was not happy. I simply was not interested in another Holmes pastiche, but feeling obligated to review the damn thing, I eventually started reading and then, couldn’t stop. I also wrote that I found The Dark Chamber to be every bit as fun as the first Guy Ritche/Robert Downey, Jr. Sherlock Holmes film, with a Moriarty that was every bit as interesting and as fun to follow as Downey’s Holmes.

I enjoyed reading The Lazarus Tree, but not as much as I did The Dark Chamber. The reason is simple. In The Dark Chamber, Moriarty is a brilliant man, but he is destitute and desperate. The entire graphic novel has the sense that Moriarty might not survive. He has a lot to lose; he has everything to lose, and there is conflict and dilemmas galore.

In The Lazarus Tree, Moriarty is a man in full. There is conflict and cliffhangers, but writer Daniel Corey plays Moriarty as something like a superman who is simply rebuilding his empire. The Lazarus Tree has some interesting philosophical and scientific ideas, and it does show an interesting side of Moriarty (friendships). However, the threats that Moriarty faces in The Lazarus Tree don’t come across as having a sense of impending doom.

The art by Anthony Diecidue retains its woodblock sensibilities and expressionistic inking. Not only is Diecidue a good storyteller, but he is also good at giving this story grit and darkness so that it doesn’t come across as some kind of over-dressed Victorian fantasia. Mike Vosburg does a good job drawing the flashback story.

B+

Cross Game : Ko and Akane on a Date

I read Cross Game, Vol. 6

I posted a review at the Comic Book Bin (which has free comics).

Marvel Comics' "Daredevil" Leads 2012 Eisner Award Nominations

Nominees Announced for 2012 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards

Selections Reflect Wide Diversity in Industry

SAN DIEGO - Comic-Con International (Comic-Con) is proud to announce the nominations for the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards 2012. The nominees, chosen by a blue-ribbon panel of judges, reflect the wide range of material being published in comics and graphic novel form today, from nursery rhymes and World War II battles to high school angst and pulp fiction.

Topping the 2012 list with 6 nominations is Marvel’s Daredevil, with nods for Best Continuing Series, Best Single Issue, Best Writer (Mark Waid), Best Cover Artist (Marcos Martin), and Best Penciller/Inker Team (two nominations: Marcos Martin, and Paolo Rivera/Joe Rivera). Close behind with 5 nominations is Jim Henson’s Tale of Sand, an original graphic novel of an unproduced, feature-length screenplay written by Jim Henson and Jerry Juhl, adapted by artist Ramón K. Pérez, published by Archaia. The book is up for Best Graphic Album-New, Best Penciller/Inker, Best Coloring, Best Lettering, and Best Publication Design.

Three titles have 3 nominations: Vertigo/DC’s iZombie (Best Penciller/Inker and Best Cover Artist for Michael Allred, Best Coloring for Laura Allred) and The Unwritten (Best Single Issue, Best Writer for Mike Carey, Best Cover Artist for Yuko Shimizu), and IDW’s Richard Stark’s Parker: The Martini Edition, by Darwyn Cooke (Best Short Story, Best Graphic Album-Reprint, Best Publication Design). Sixteen titles had 2 nominations, and the remaining nominations were spread among nearly 100 books and comics in 27 categories.

Joining Tale of Sand in the Graphic Album-New category are Bubbles & Gondola by French cartoonist Renaud Dillies (NBM), the animation-industry-based Freeway by Mark Kalesniko (Fantagraphics), the critically acclaimed Habibi by Craig Thompson (Pantheon), Ivy by newcomer Sarah Oleksyk (Oni), and the experimental One Soul by Ray Fawkes (Oni).

DC and Marvel tied for the most nominations for a publisher, each having 11 nominations plus 2 shared. For DC, Vertigo had the lion’s share of nominations, led by iZombie and The Unwritten. In addition to the Daredevil nods, Marvel had 2 nominations for Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips’ Criminal: The Last of the Innocents under the Icon imprint. IDW also had 11 nominations, dominating the Best Archival Collection, Comics-Related Book, and Publication Design categories. Close behind with 10 nominations (plus 1 shared) is Dark Horse, including 2 each for Dark Horse Presents, Jeff Jensen’s Green River Killer, and Stan Sakai’s Usagi Yojimbo. Next, with 9 (plus 1 shared) is Fantagraphics, including 3 nominations each in the Archival and International categories.

Other publishers with multiple nominations include First Second and NBM (6); Abrams ComicArts, Archaia, Drawn & Quarterly, and Oni (5); Image (4 plus 2 shared); Candlewick (4); and Pantheon (3). Eleven publishers had 2 nominations: Abstract Studio, Action Lab, Archie, Atheneum, Bongo, BOOM!, Chronicle, Top Shelf, the University of Mississippi Press, VIZ Media, and Yen Press. Another 15 publishers have 1 nomination each.

Although the judges have honored the superhero series Daredevil with the largest single number of nominations, they have selected a wide range of works from other genres and smaller presses, including nominations for several non-American creators within non-international categories. These creators include French cartoonists Dilles, Émile Bravo, Philippe Coudray, Nix, and Sylvain Savoia; Japanese creators Naoki Urasawa and Shiguru Mizuki; Croatian artist Tonci Zonjic; Argentinian artist Eduardo Risso; Spanish artist Marcos Martin; Italian artists Francesco Frankavilla and Sara Picelli; Polish author Marzena Sowa; Iranians Amir and Khalil; and over a dozen Canadian and British creators.

Named for acclaimed comics creator the Will Eisner, the awards are in their 24th year of highlighting the best publications and creators in comics and graphic novels. The 2012 Eisner Awards judging panel consists of reviewer Brigid Alverson (Graphic Novel Reporter, CBR, Robot 6), retailer Calum Johnston (Strange Adventures, Halifax, Nova Scotia), librarian Jesse Karp (LREI, New York), cartoonist Larry Marder (Beanworld), comics historian Benjamin Saunders (University of Oregon), and Comic-Con board of director Mary Sturhann.

This year’s judges added two new categories: Best Publication for Early Readers, and Best Educational/Academic Work. They also dropped four categories from the previous year: Best New Series, Best Adaptation from Another Medium, Best Writer/Artist-Nonfiction, and Best Painter/Multimedia Artist. According to Eisner Awards Administrator Jackie Estrada, "The judges chose to not have the New Series and Painter categories this year because they didn’t find enough contenders that reached the level of quality they were looking for." However, Estrada says, "the extent and quality of the material submitted in the Kids and Teen categories was so high that the judges felt dividing these books into three categories was warranted."

Ballots with this year’s nominees will be going out in mid-April to comics creators, editors, publishers, and retailers. A downloadable pdf of the ballot is available online, and a special website has been set up for online voting: www.eisnervote.com. The results in all categories will be announced in a gala awards ceremony on the evening of Friday, July 13 at Comic-Con International.

Voting in one Eisner Awards category, the Hall of Fame, is already completed. The judges chose the nominees earlier this year, and voting was conducted solely online.

The Eisner Awards are part of Comic-Con International, a nonprofit educational organization dedicated to creating awareness of and appreciation for comics and related popular artforms, primarily through the presentation of conventions and events that celebrate the historic and ongoing contributions of comics to art and culture. Jackie Estrada has been administrator of the Awards since 1990. She can be reached at jackie@comic-con.org.

More information about the Eisner Awards can be found at http://www.comic-con.org/cci/cci_eisners_main.shtml.

2012 Eisner Award Nominees - The Complete List

EISNER AWARD NOMINEES 2012

Winners to be announced, Friday, July 13, 2012 at Comic-Con International in San Diego:

Best Short Story
"A Brief History of the Art Form Known as Hortisculpture," by Adrian Tomine, in Optic Nerve #12 (Drawn & Quarterly)

"Harvest of Fear," by Jim Woodring, in The Simpsons’ Treehouse of Horror #17 (Bongo)

"The Seventh," by Darwyn Cooke, in Richard Stark’s Parker: The Martini Edition (IDW)

"The Speaker," by Brandon Graham, in Dark Horse Presents #7 (Dark Horse)

Best Single Issue (or One-Shot)
Daredevil #7, by Mark Waid, Paolo Rivera, and Joe Rivera (Marvel)

Ganges #4, by Kevin Huizenga (Fantagraphics)

Locke & Key: Guide to the Known Keys, by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez (IDW)

Princeless #3, by Jeremy Whitley and M. Goodwin (Action Lab)

The Unwritten #24: "Stairway to Heaven" by Mike Carey, Peter Gross, and Al Davison (Vertigo/DC)

Best Continuing Series
Daredevil, by Mark Waid, Marcos Martin, Paolo Rivera, and Joe Rivera (Marvel)

Naoki Urasawa’s 20th Century Boys, by Naoki Urasawa (VIZ Media)

Rachel Rising, by Terry Moore (Abstract Studio)

Ultimate Comics Spider-Man, by Brian Michael Bendis and Sara Pichelli (Marvel)

Usagi Yojimbo, by Stan Sakai (Dark Horse)

Best Limited Series
Atomic Robo and the Ghost of Station X, by Brian Clevinger and Scott Wegener (Red 5)

Criminal: The Last of the Innocent, by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips (Marvel Icon)

Flashpoint: Batman - Knight of Vengeance, by Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso (Vertigo/DC)

The New York Five, by Brian Wood and Ryan Kelly (Vertigo/DC)

Who Is Jake Ellis? by Nathan Edmondson & Tonci Zonjic (Image)

Best Publication for Early Readers (up to age 7)
Beauty and the Squat Bears, by Émile Bravo (Yen Press)

Benjamin Bear in Fuzzy Thinking, by Philippe Coudray (Candlewick/Toon Books)

Dragon Puncher Island, by James Kochalka (Top Shelf)

Nursery Rhyme Comics, edited by Chris Duffy (First Second)

Patrick in a Teddy Bear’s Picnic, by Geoffrey Hayes (Candlewick/Toon Books)

Best Publication for Kids (ages 8-12)
The All-New Batman: The Brave and the Bold, by Sholly Fisch, Rick Burchett, and Dan Davis (DC)

Amelia Rules: The Meaning of Life ... And Other Stuff, by Jimmy Gownley (Atheneum)

The Ferret’s a Foot, by Colleen AF Venable and Stephanie Yue (Graphic Universe/Lerner)

Princeless, by Jeremy Whitley and M. Goodwin (Action Lab)

Snarked, by Roger Langridge (kaboom!)

Zita the Space Girl, by Ben Hatke (First Second)

Best Publication for Young Adults (Ages 12-17)
Anya’s Ghost, by Vera Brosgol (First Second)

Around the World, by Matt Phelan (Candlewick)

Level Up, by Gene Yang and Thien Pham (First Second)

Life with Archie, by Paul Kupperberg, Fernando Ruiz, Pat & Tim Kennedy, Norm Breyfogle et al. (Archie)

Mystic, by G. Willow Wilson and David Lopez (Marvel)

Best Anthology
Dark Horse Presents, edited by Mike Richardson (Dark Horse)

Nelson, edited by Rob Davis and Woodrow Phoenix (Blank Slate)

Nursery Rhyme Comics, edited by Chris Duffy (First Second)

The Someday Funnies, edited by Michel Choquette (Abrams ComicArts)

Yiddishkeit: Jewish Vernacular and the New Land, edited by Harvey Pekar and Paul Buhle (Abrams ComicArts)

Best Humor Publication
The Art of Doug Sneyd: A Collection of Playboy Cartoons (Dark Horse Books)

Chimichanga, by Eric Powell (Dark Horse)

Coffee: It’s What’s for Dinner, by Dave Kellett (Small Fish)

Kinky & Cosy, by Nix (NBM)

Milk & Cheese: Dairy Products Gone Bad, by Evan Dorkin (Dark Horse Books)

Best Digital Comic
Bahrain, by Josh Neufeld, www.cartoonmovement.com/comic/24

Battlepug, by Mike Norton, http://www.battlepug.com/

Delilah Dirk and the Turkish Lieutenant, by Tony Cliff, http://www.delilahdirk.com/

Outfoxed, by Dylan Meconis, www.dylanmeconis.com/outfoxed

Sarah and the Seed, by Ryan Andrews, www.ryan-a.com/comics/sarahandtheseed01.htm

Best Reality-Based Work
Around the World, by Matt Phelan (Candlewick)

Green River Killer: A True Detective Story, by Jeff Jensen and Jonathan Case (Dark Horse Books)

Marzi: A Memoir, by Marzena Sowa and Sylvain Savoia (Vertigo/DC)

Onward Towards Our Noble Deaths, by Shigeru Mizuki (Drawn & Quarterly)

Vietnamerica, by GB Tran (Villard)

Best Graphic Album - New
Bubbles & Gondola, by Renaud Dillies (NBM)

Freeway, by Mark Kalesniko (Fantagraphics)

Habibi, by Craig Thompson (Pantheon)

Ivy, by Sarah Olekysk (Oni)

Jim Henson’s Tale of Sand, adapted by Ramón K. Pérez (Archaia)

One Soul, by Ray Fawkes (Oni)

Best Graphic Album - Reprint
Big Questions, by Anders Nilsen (Drawn & Quarterly)

The Death Ray, by Dan Clowes (Drawn & Quarterly)

Richard Stark’s Parker: The Martini Edition, by Darwyn Cooke (IDW)

WE3: The Deluxe Edition, by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely (Vertigo/DC)

Zahra’s Paradise, by Amir and Khalil (First Second)

Best Archival Collection/Project - Strips
Flash Gordon and Jungle Jim, by Alex Raymond and Don Moore, edited by Dean Mullaney (IDW/Library of American Comics)

Forgotten Fantasy: Sunday Comics 1900-1915, edited by Peter Maresca (Sunday Press)

Prince Valiant vols. 3-4, by Hal Foster, edited by Kim Thompson (Fantagraphics)

Tarpé Mills’s Miss Fury Sensational Sundays, 1944-1949, edited by Trina Robbins (IDW/Library of American Comics)

Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse vols. 1-2, by Floyd Gottfredson, edited by David Gerstein and Gary Groth (Fantagraphics)

Best Archival Collection/Project - Comic Books
Government Issue: Comics for the People: 1940s-2000s, edited by Richard L. Graham (Abrams ComicArts)

The MAD Fold-In Collection, by Al Jaffee (Chronicle)

PS Magazine: The Best of Preventive Maintenance Monthly, by Will Eisner (Abrams ComicArts)

The Sugar and Spike Archives, vol. 1, by Sheldon Mayer (DC)

Walt Simonson’s The Mighty Thor Artist’s Edition (IDW)

Best U.S. Edition of International Material
Bubbles & Gondola, by Renaud Dillies (NBM)

Isle of 100,000 Graves, by Fabien Vehlmann and Jason (Fantagraphics)

Like a Sniper Lining Up His Shot, by Jacques Tardi and Jean-Patrick Manchette (Fantagraphics)

The Manara Library, vol. 1: Indian Summer and Other Stories, by Milo Manara with Hugo Pratt (Dark Horse Books)

Night Animals: A Diptych About What Rushes Through the Bushes, by Brecht Evens (Top Shelf)

Best U.S. Edition of International Material - Asia
A Bride’s Story, by Kaoru Mori (Yen Press)

Drops of God, by Tadashi Agi and Shu Okimoto (Vertical)

Onward Towards Our Noble Deaths, by Shigeru Mizuki (Drawn & Quarterly)

Saturn Apartments, vols. 3-4, by Hisae Iwaoka (VIZ Media)

Stargazing Dog, by Takashi Murakami (NBM)

Wandering Son, vol. 1, by Shimura Takako (Fantagraphics)

Best Writer
Cullen Bunn, The Sixth Gun (Oni)

Mike Carey, The Unwritten (Vertigo/DC)

Jeff Jensen, Green River Killer: A True Detective Story (Dark Horse Books)

Jeff Lemire, Animal Man, Flashpoint: Frankenstein and the Creatures of the Unknown, Frankenstein: Agent of S.H.A.D.E. (DC); Sweet Tooth (Vertigo/DC)

Mark Waid, Irredeemable, Incorruptible (BOOM!); Daredevil (Marvel)

Best Writer/Artist
Rick Geary, The Lives of Sacco and Vanzetti (NBM)

Terry Moore, Rachel Rising (Abstract Studio)

Sarah Oleksyk, Ivy (Oni)

Craig Thompson, Habibi (Pantheon)

Jim Woodring, Congress of the Animals (Fantagraphics), "Harvest of Fear," in The Simpsons’ Treehouse of Horror #17 (Bongo)

Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team
Michael Allred, iZombie (Vertigo/DC); Madman All-New Giant-Size Super-Ginchy Special (Image)

Ramón K. Pérez, Jim Henson’s Tale of Sand (Archaia)

Chris Samnee, Captain America and Bucky, Ultimate Spider-Man #155 (Marvel)

Marcos Martin, Daredevil (Marvel)

Paolo Rivera/Joe Rivera, Daredevil (Marvel)

Best Cover Artist
Michael Allred, iZombie (Vertigo/DC)

Francesco Francavilla, Black Panther (Marvel); Lone Ranger, Lone Ranger/Zorro, Dark Shadows, Warlord of Mars (Dynamite); Archie Meets Kiss (Archie)

Victor Kalvachev, Blue Estate (Image)

Marcos Martin, Daredevil, Amazing Spider-Man (Marvel)

Sean Phillips, Criminal: The Last of the Innocent (Marvel Icon)

Yuko Shimizu, The Unwritten (Vertigo/DC)

Best Coloring
Laura Allred, iZombie (Vertigo/DC); Madman All-New Giant-Size Super-Ginchy Special (Image)

Bill Crabtree, The Sixth Gun (Oni)

Ian Herring and Ramón K. Pérez, Jim Henson’s Tale of Sand (Archaia)

Victor Kalvachev, Blue Estate (Image)

Cris Peter, Casanova: Avaritia, Casanova: Gula (Marvel Icon)

Best Lettering
Deron Bennett, Billy Fog, Jim Henson’s Dark Crystal, Jim Henson’s Tale of Sand, Mr. Murder Is Dead (Archaia); Helldorado, Puss N Boots, Richie Rich (APE Entertainment)

Jimmy Gownley, Amelia Rules! The Meaning of Life ... And Other Stuff (Atheneum)

Laura Lee Gulledge, Page by Paige (Amulet Books/Abrams)

Tom Orzechowski, Manara Library, with L. Lois Buholis(Dark Horse); Manga Man (Houghton Mifflin); Savage Dragon (Image)

Stan Sakai, Usagi Yojimbo (Dark Horse)

Best Comics-Related Journalism
The AV Club Comics Panel, by Noel Murray, Oliver Sava et al., www.avclub.com/features/comics-panel/

The Beat, produced by Heidi MacDonald et al., www.comicsbeat.com

The Comics Journal, edited by Gary Groth, and The Comics Journal website, www.tcj.com, edited by Timothy Hodler and Dan Nadel (Fantagraphics)

The Comics Reporter, produced by Tom Spurgeon, www.comicsreporter.com

TwoMorrows Publications: Alter Ego edited by Roy Thomas, Back Issue edited by Michael Eury, Draw edited by Mike Manley, and Jack Kirby Collector edited by John Morrow

Best Educational/Academic Work
Alan Moore: Conversations, ed. by Eric Berlatsky (University Press of Mississippi)

Cartooning: Philosophy & Practice, by Ivan Brunetti (Yale University Press)

Critical Approaches to Comics: Theories and Methods, edited by Matthew J. Smith and Randy Duncan (Routledge)

Hand of Fire: The Comics Art of Jack Kirby, by Charles Hatfield (University Press of Mississippi)

Projections: Comics and the History of 21st Century Storytelling, by Jared Gardner (Stanford University Press)

Best Comics-Related Book
Archie: A Celebration of America’s Favorite Teenagers, edited by Craig Yoe (IDW/Yoe Books)

Caniff: A Visual Biography, edited by Dean Mullaney (IDW/Library of American Comics)

Drawing Power: A Compendium of Cartoon Advertising, edited by Rick Marschall and Warren Bernard (Fantagraphics/Marschall Books)

Genius Isolated: The Life and Art of Alex Toth, designed by Dean Mullaney (IDW/Library of American Comics)

MetaMaus, by Art Spiegelman (Pantheon)

Best Publication Design
Genius Isolated: The Life and Art of Alex Toth, designed by Dean Mullaney (IDW/Library of American Comics)

Jim Henson’s Tale of Sand, designed by Eric Skillman (Archaia)

Kinky & Cosy, designed by Nix (NBM)

The MAD Fold-In Collection, designed by Michael Morris (Chronicle)

Richard Stark’s Parker: The Martini Edition, designed by Darwyn Cooke (IDW)

I Reads You Review: AVENGERS VS. X-MEN #1

"Come back to the Five-and-Dime, Secret Wars, Secret Wars"
AVENGERS VS. X-MEN #1
MARVEL COMICS

STORY: Jason Aaron, Brian Michael Bendis, Ed Brubaker, Jonathan Hickman, and Matt Fraction
SCRIPT: Brian Michael Bendis
PENCILS: John Romita, Jr.
INKS: Scott Hanna
COLORS: Laura Martin
LETTERS: Chris Eliopoulos
COVERS: Jim Cheung and Justin Ponsor
40pp, Color, $3.99 U.S.

Rated: T+

Marvel Comics’ latest big, event series is Avengers vs. X-Men. This planned 12-issue miniseries pits the Avengers and the X-Men against each other over the return of The Phoenix and its likely host, the Mutant Messiah, Hope Summers.

As Avengers vs. X-Men #1 begins, The Phoenix force makes itself known. Meanwhile, the Avengers deal with a crisis over New York City that threatens both civilians and landmarks. This crisis, however, is merely a harbinger of things to come concerning The Phoenix, a threat that both the Avengers and the White House take seriously. What they decide to do about it leads straight to the X-Men. When Captain America approaches Cyclops, will the mutant leader want to hear what the Avenger has to say?

I found the prologue to this event, Avengers vs. X-Men #0, to be surprisingly blasé. Avengers vs. X-Men #1 is a bit more exciting, mainly because its focus is conflict, whereas #0 offered character vignettes (and not very interesting ones, at that). From the destruction depicted early in this issue to the New York City disaster scene to the designation of the X-Men as a nexus point, this first issue clearly presages a superhero “pay-per-view” wrestling match.

One thing that certainly surprises me is how simply told this comic book is. None of that sophisticated, faux-Mamet drama here: this is Secret Wars-like in its punch-to-settle-differences ethos. Even John Romita, Jr.’s pencil art is retro-cool, lacking photo-realism and exaggerated detail in the figure drawing (especially on the musculature).

There is no telling where this narrative will go when new writers and artists take over in the later issues, but for now, I find this straight-forward superhero battle to be quaint, but fun to read. I won’t lie and say that it is great, but Avengers vs. X-Men #1 is nice.

B