MattBrady
06-28-2003, 09:31 AM
<img src="http://www.newsarama.com/sangiacomo/FFB.jpg" width="200" height="296" align="right"><i>by Mike Sangiacomo</i>
There’s a lot of talk about high quality, independent comics that go unnoticed on the stands. To be honest, there are not huge numbers of diamonds in the rough, and some are more rough than diamond, when you dig, you will find some real gems.
<b>Fade From Blue</b> is one of the good ones. If, like a lot of people, you missed the first five issues of <b>Fade From Blue</b>, from Second 2 Some studios, you’re in luck.
Myatt Murphy and Scott Dalrymple’s comic book dramedy will be collected into a trade paperback in July for $12.95. But then readers will have to buy issues 6 and 7 (and 8 if it’s out) to read some of the best issues of the series.
<b>Fade From Blue</b> is the story of four half-sisters with strange first names who form their own family after their mothers’ died mysteriously. Their polygamist, ex-bounty hunter father skipped town and the women have been hoping/dreading his return ever since. Dalrymple is an amazing artist, too bad these books are not in color to really bring out his work.
What writer Murphy has done is to take everywoman and break her down into four component parts: beauty, brains, anger and innocence. There is a tendency among writers to have different characters embody a single emotion or characteristic: the strong one, the stupid one, etc.
While the four women in <b>Fade From Blue</b> have strong personalities, there is more to them than a single catch word can describe. The youngest is Elisa, sweet, child-like and optimistic about life. At the other end of the scale is Marit, Clint Eastwood with breasts. She’s a driven police sergeant trying to solve the case of their mothers’ deaths and father’s disappearance. Marit is so mannish in dress and attitude she sometimes can be mistaken for a guy.
Christa is a gifted magazine writer and all-around pain. She can be fun when she wants to, but seems happier stewing in her own anger. Last is the most beautiful sister, Iya, (as I said, weird names) a troubled woman with no self-esteem who is a doormat, or worse a punching bag, for the men in her life.
There is a familiar realism to the stories that makes the work ring true. Scratch the surface of the women you know and you might find these kinds of stories, alternately silly and serious. These are the kinds of stories that will stay with you.
<img src="http://www.newsarama.com/Other_Publishers/cover_t.jpg" width="200" height="300" align="left"><b>Johnny Jihad</b>
<b>Johnny Jihad</b> (http://www.newsarama.com/Johnny_Jihad.htm) (NBM. $9.95) It’s a story a little too close to reality for comfort. John Sendel is a kid that comes from a loveless home, a cruel father and a weak mother. He’s a little odd which makes him the victim of bullies at school. What happens when he finds acceptance among a group of people who give him an outlet for his seething anger and rebellion?
This is the story of the terrorist next door, an uncomfortable look into a world where hate is the fuel that keeps the heart burning. Writer/artist Ryan Inzana delivers an unflinching look into that exclusive society, and perhaps tells the story of people like John Walker Lindh.
This is by no means a patriotic romp; there are no heroes in this book, and more victims than villains.
Michael Sangiacomo is a statewide news reporter for the Plain Dealer newspaper in Cleveland, Ohio. His syndicated "Journey Into Comics" weekly column on the state of the comic book business, can be found in newspapers and at the Newsarama website. His monthly comic book column appears the first Saturday of each month in the Plain Dealer Arts page and is syndicated through Newhouse Newspapers. He also writes a twice-monthly audiobooks review column covering crime thrillers and mysteries that can be seen at <a href="http://www.audiobookstoday.com" target="_blank">www.audiobookstoday.com</a>. He currently is developing Nowhere Man...er, <b>Phantom Jack</b> for Marvel’s Epic imprint.
There’s a lot of talk about high quality, independent comics that go unnoticed on the stands. To be honest, there are not huge numbers of diamonds in the rough, and some are more rough than diamond, when you dig, you will find some real gems.
<b>Fade From Blue</b> is one of the good ones. If, like a lot of people, you missed the first five issues of <b>Fade From Blue</b>, from Second 2 Some studios, you’re in luck.
Myatt Murphy and Scott Dalrymple’s comic book dramedy will be collected into a trade paperback in July for $12.95. But then readers will have to buy issues 6 and 7 (and 8 if it’s out) to read some of the best issues of the series.
<b>Fade From Blue</b> is the story of four half-sisters with strange first names who form their own family after their mothers’ died mysteriously. Their polygamist, ex-bounty hunter father skipped town and the women have been hoping/dreading his return ever since. Dalrymple is an amazing artist, too bad these books are not in color to really bring out his work.
What writer Murphy has done is to take everywoman and break her down into four component parts: beauty, brains, anger and innocence. There is a tendency among writers to have different characters embody a single emotion or characteristic: the strong one, the stupid one, etc.
While the four women in <b>Fade From Blue</b> have strong personalities, there is more to them than a single catch word can describe. The youngest is Elisa, sweet, child-like and optimistic about life. At the other end of the scale is Marit, Clint Eastwood with breasts. She’s a driven police sergeant trying to solve the case of their mothers’ deaths and father’s disappearance. Marit is so mannish in dress and attitude she sometimes can be mistaken for a guy.
Christa is a gifted magazine writer and all-around pain. She can be fun when she wants to, but seems happier stewing in her own anger. Last is the most beautiful sister, Iya, (as I said, weird names) a troubled woman with no self-esteem who is a doormat, or worse a punching bag, for the men in her life.
There is a familiar realism to the stories that makes the work ring true. Scratch the surface of the women you know and you might find these kinds of stories, alternately silly and serious. These are the kinds of stories that will stay with you.
<img src="http://www.newsarama.com/Other_Publishers/cover_t.jpg" width="200" height="300" align="left"><b>Johnny Jihad</b>
<b>Johnny Jihad</b> (http://www.newsarama.com/Johnny_Jihad.htm) (NBM. $9.95) It’s a story a little too close to reality for comfort. John Sendel is a kid that comes from a loveless home, a cruel father and a weak mother. He’s a little odd which makes him the victim of bullies at school. What happens when he finds acceptance among a group of people who give him an outlet for his seething anger and rebellion?
This is the story of the terrorist next door, an uncomfortable look into a world where hate is the fuel that keeps the heart burning. Writer/artist Ryan Inzana delivers an unflinching look into that exclusive society, and perhaps tells the story of people like John Walker Lindh.
This is by no means a patriotic romp; there are no heroes in this book, and more victims than villains.
Michael Sangiacomo is a statewide news reporter for the Plain Dealer newspaper in Cleveland, Ohio. His syndicated "Journey Into Comics" weekly column on the state of the comic book business, can be found in newspapers and at the Newsarama website. His monthly comic book column appears the first Saturday of each month in the Plain Dealer Arts page and is syndicated through Newhouse Newspapers. He also writes a twice-monthly audiobooks review column covering crime thrillers and mysteries that can be seen at <a href="http://www.audiobookstoday.com" target="_blank">www.audiobookstoday.com</a>. He currently is developing Nowhere Man...er, <b>Phantom Jack</b> for Marvel’s Epic imprint.