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DARK HORSE COMICS

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DC Comics from Diamond Distributors for August 14 2013

DC COMICS

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JUN130210 BATGIRL #23 $2.99
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JUN130167 KATANA #7 $2.99
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MAY130230 NIGHTWING OLD FRIENDS NEW ENEMIES TP $14.99
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JUN130239 SUICIDE SQUAD #23 $2.99
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Graphic Novel Review: RIGHT STATE

RIGHT STATE
DC COMICS/VERTIGO @vertigo_comics

WRITER: Mat Johnson
ARTIST: Andrea Mutti
LETTERS: Pat Brosseau
COVER: IAAH, Daymon Gardner, Nessim Higson, Lizzy Margiotta
ISBN: 978-1-4012-2943-6; hardcover
144pp, B&W, $24.99 U.S., $27.99 CAN

Right State is a new graphic novel from Mat Johnson, the author of the non-fiction book, The Great Negro Plot. The award-winning author currently teaches at The University of Houston Creative Writing Program. Johnson has been writing comic books since the 2005 miniseries, Hellblazer: Papa Midnite. He has also written the graphic novels, Incognegro (2008) and Dark Rain: A New Orleans Story (2010). DC Comics’ imprint, Vertigo Comics, published all three of these works.

Drawn in black and white by Italian artist Andrea Mutti, Right State is a political thriller that involves an apparent plot by a militia group to assassinate the second African-American President of the United States. The focus of the story is former Marine, Ted Akers, a conservative media pundit and an activist for military veterans. Asif, a Muslim-American who is an agent for the U.S. Secret Service, convinces Akers to infiltrate the Roots of Liberty, a military group based in rural Pennsylvania. This group is apparently planning to assassinate the second black President during a speech he will give on the Lincoln Memorial. When Akers accepts the assignment, the speech is four days away.

Infiltrating the militia group is a relatively easy task for Akers who is popular with conservatives and right-wing types because he is a frequent guest of Jay Bremen, who hosts his own conservative television talk show (on a FOX-like network). What is difficult is making contact with Ezekiel Dutton, a Gulf War marine and Department of Homeland Security agent who has apparently gone rogue or native and may now lead the Roots of Liberty. As the day of the speech grows closer, Akers discovers that the conspiracy is more complicated than Asif and his agency imagined and that there are also all kinds of shady types involved in the assassination plot.

First, Right State, for all its timely political commentary and pertinent satire, is a pure summer potboiler. Right State is like the proverbial John Grisham thriller that people supposedly take to the beach with them. It is a page-turning thriller that keeps you guessing with a number of twists and turns that actually make sense, instead of seeming contrived for cheap thrills. This is one of those times when I understand what it means to tear oneself away from something. I thought someone would have to tear this book out of my hands, as that would be practically the only way to stop me from reading it. Talk about some riveting reading.

Johnson weaves several themes throughout Right State, including depictions of the ways in which prejudice and bigotry impede progress in a complex society, which is what the United States is. The dominant theme concerns the characters inability to see the bigger picture of anything: the future of the country, their own lives, and even their own plots and schemes. Their racial animus, class resentment, and stereotypes blind men and women. The characters, both protagonists and antagonists, carry so much ignorance and bigotry about people who are different from them or groups of people that they just don’t like. Ultimately, the survivors have to see beyond their preferences, and if they want to win, they have to view things from a new perspective.

It is a testament to Mat Johnson’s ability as a storyteller that he can fashion complex characters that are too complicated to fit easily into the molds of heroes and villains. Artist Andrea Mutti turns Johnson’s story and characters into one of the edgiest non-fantasy comic books in years. Mutti offers a bleak interpretation of the contemporary American malaise. Rather than just draw a comic book, Mutti offers up modern fiction and proves that comic books can grapple with contemporary issues with genre flair. Right State also proves that Mat Johnson is the great emerging graphic novelist.

A

http://www.vertigocomics.com/

Leroy Douresseaux on RAGE #3

RAGE #3 (OF 3)
DARK HORSE BOOKS

SCRIPT: Arvid Nelson
PENCILS: Andrea Mutti
INKS: Pierluigi Baldassini
COLORS: Michael Atiyeh
LETTERS: Michael Heisler
COVER: Glenn Fabry
32pp, Color, $3.50

“After the Impact” Part 3 of 3

So Rage, Dark Horse’s comic book miniseries based upon RAGE, the upcoming first-person shooter game from id Software, has ended. I enjoyed it, but I was left wanting more post-apocalyptic shoot ‘em up. In some ways, this series is a bit thin.

This comic book series is written by Arvid Nelson (Rex Mundi) and drawn by Andrea Mutti. Entitled “After the Impact,” it is an original tale set in and an introduction to the world of Rage. I hope this duo returns if there is a second Rage comic book.

Rage takes place on an Earth that was struck by Asteroid 99942 – codename: Apophis – on April 13, 2037. Five billion people died within 24 hours, but a tiny fraction of the population survived the devastation by living in “burrowing cryo arks.” They emerged to find Earth a wasteland controlled by a global military dictatorship called the Authority. It is 2095 when scientist Dr. Elizabeth Cadence is revived. The Authority brings her to a research facility in a vast necropolis where she hopes to discover the full extent of the Authority’s deceptions.

As Rage #3 opens, Elizabeth has learned the Authority’s dirty secrets: that they murdered her husband and son and that they are responsible for the creation of the rampaging mutants. With her old colleague, Dr. Antonin Kvasir at her side, Elizabeth prepares for her final showdown with brutal Authority officer, Colonel James Casey.

If Rage the game is as fun to read as Rage the comic book, gamers will be quite satisfied. Writer Arvid Nelson’s tight script and Andrea Mutti perfect-match art should get them a second chance at returning us to the world of Rage. Overall, this is good military and monsters science fiction, although I wish there were more to this in terms of the length of the narrative.

I’m not into video games, but I enjoyed reading this video game adaptation in a way I never do when it comes to video game comic books. Are there any other good ones out there?

B+

Leroy Douresseaux on RAGE #2

RAGE #2 (OF 3)
DARK HORSE BOOKS

SCRIPT: Arvid Nelson
PENCILS: Andrea Mutti
INKS: Pierluigi Baldassini
COLORS: Michael Atiyeh
LETTERS: Michael Heisler
COVER: Glenn Fabry
32pp, Color, $3.50

“After the Impact” Part 2 of 3

Rage, the upcoming first-person shooter game from id Software, is also a comic book. Dark Horse Comics is publishing the three-issue comic book miniseries, also entitled Rage, based on the game from the developers of Doom and Quake. Written by Arvid Nelson (Rex Mundi) and drawn by Andrea Mutti, “After the Impact,” is an original tale and an introduction to the world of Rage.

Rage takes place on an Earth that was struck by Asteroid 99942 – codename: Apophis – on April 13, 2037. Five billion people die within 24 hours, but a tiny fraction of the population survived devastation by living in burrowing cryo arks. They emerged to find Earth a wasteland controlled by a global military dictatorship called the Authority. It is 2095, and Dr. Elizabeth Cadence is revived. Now, she is the scientist determined to discover the full extent of the Authority’s deceptions.

In Rage #2, Elizabeth believes that the radiation from Apophis is not the cause of the mutation that has turned survivors into mindless, bloodthirsty marauders. She confronts her old colleague Dr. Antonin Kvasir, a fellow survivor who is also working for the Authority, but whatever he knows, he is afraid to discuss for fear of being murdered. Meanwhile, Elizabeth discovers just how much of a bastard Authority officer, Colonel James Casey, is.

I’m not sure if Rage the comic book will make anyone want to play Rage the came, but if they read Rage, they’ll be getting a good read. The streamlined script by Arvid Nelson offers deft characterization and engaging conflict. The excellent art by Andrea Mutti is ideally fit for science fiction comics and has a graphic style that captures this story’s grittiness. I don’t know about the game, but the comic book is certainly good.

A-

http://www.rage.com/

Leroy Douresseaux on RAGE #1

RAGE #1 (OF 3)
DARK HORSE BOOKS

SCRIPT: Arvid Nelson
PENCILS: Andrea Mutti
INKS: Pierluigi Baldassini
COLORS: Michael Atiyeh
LETTERS: Michael Heisler
COVER: Glenn Fabry (alternate cover by Stephan Martiniere)
32pp, Color, $3.50

Dark Horse Comics is publishing a comic book based upon Rage, the upcoming first-person shooter game from developer, id Software, creators of Doom and Quake, and publisher, Bethesda Softworks. The three-issue comic book miniseries is written by Arvid Nelson (the creator of Rex Mundi) and drawn by Andrea Mutti, and the story, entitled “After the Impact,” is an original tale and an introduction to the world of Rage.

In the back story of Rage, Asteroid 99942 – codename: Apophis – strikes Earth on April 13, 2037. Five billion people die within 24 hours. A tiny fraction of the population survives the attack by living in burrowing cryo arks, but they emerge to find Earth a wasteland controlled by a global military dictatorship called the Authority.

In Rage #1, Dr. Elizabeth Cadence emerges from her life-sustaining ark and is immediately confronted by murderous marauders. She is rescued by Authority forces and taken to their home base, The Dead City. Cadence is also familiar with an Authority officer, Casey. As a scientist, Dr. Cadence helps the Authority, but discovers that what she has learned is not the truth.

Between the title page synopsis and this first issue, comic book readers will have a nice introduction to the world of Rage, and they will certainly have an entertaining read in this comic book.

The script by Arvid Nelson is clean and streamlined, and Nelson manages to introduce the personalities of and the conflict between the two characters that are the focus (at least at this point), Dr. Cadence and Casey. The only problem here is that this first issue seems like a prologue to the real action, which, in the context of a three-issue miniseries, suggests that there may not be a lot of story in the series. [Of course, I could be wrong.]

Artist Andrea Mutti’s graphic style is perfect for this science fiction tale. Mutti’s clean compositions make for good storytelling, and Mutti has a knack for drawing faces that convey personality traits and complex emotions. Cover artist Glenn Fabry may be the big name here, but Mutti’s interior art is the star.

B+

http://www.rage.com/