BEST SHOTS: BONUS EDITION

[MattBrady]

From the Cast and Crew of ShotgunReviews.com
Reviews by Troy Brownfield

Although we started with a nice-sized bonus section in this week’s regular column, I promised more coverage on a variety of other titles that I and others have seen lately. This time, I’ve got books from three companies to look over. We’ll be sorting these by company after I deliver the first review, which covers one of the best historical tomes released this year.

George Perez: Storyteller
From: Dynamic Forces
Written by Christopher Lawerence
Stuffed full to bursting with Perez art

Any regular reader of Best Shots knows that I’m a huge fan of George Perez’s work. I really started following him on Avengers, then Justice League of America and New Teen Titans. My favorite single issue of a series is still #200 of the original run of JLA, a book for which Mr. Perez contributed stand-out framing sequences and the final battle between the League and the alien invaders. Obviously, I’m not the only fan of the man in the world, or else we wouldn’t have this wonderfully crafted look at his life and work.

Dynamic Forces did a stellar job on all levels of production with this piece. The selected art is, of course, exceptional, and even those early, rougher drawings make sense in mapping the evolution of Perez’s talent. Things are presented in sharp color, and relevant photos supplement the drawn art as needed. The text by journalist Christopher Lawrence is outstanding, including as it does miles of memories from Perez and key associates like Marv Wolfman and Kurt Busiek.

Part of the reason that the book works so well in covering Perez’s career is that the man himself is very candid about what he perceives to be his own faults. He discusses the reasons for the art switch on Infinity Gauntlet, for example, in a straight-forward manner, noting that story choices and other elements killed his enthusiasm for the project midway. Similarly, he’s very honest about his disappointment with War of the Gods. This self-examination greatly benefits the book.

Overall, this is a great look at the career of an important artist. It’s a must for any Perez fan, and certainly a good primer for those curious about what makes an artist last in the industry. The irony is that even as this book has arrived, Perez is set to tackle a very high-profile book: DC’s relaunch of The Brave and The Bold, with Mark Waid writing. This is one history book that I’ll be happy to see expanded in new editions for many years to come.

ALTERNATIVE COMICS

Numb
by Joshua Kemble

Kemble’s debut is a 2006 Xeric Award winner, and it shows. With an art style that falls somewhere between “traditional” alternative first-person illustration and Tony Harris, Kemble readily depicts a young artist’s search for inspiration. The story follows Seymour, who is desperately trying to use the absent muse of his former girlfriend to channel some creativity. This leads him to a project that is ultimately fraught with irony, but offers some hope of resolution.

Of this there is no doubt: Kemble is a talent to watch. He’s a sharp writer and an even better artist, and he’s already drawn raves from the likes of Alex Robinson and Shannon Wheeler. This book only costs $3.95, which isn’t much at all to see a strong new talent make his debut. Make sure you check out panels inside the front and back covers; they’re a nice little joke on the occasional futility of the creative process.

The Mother’s Mouth
by Dash Shaw

Lynchian in the most positive sense, The Mother’s Mouth plays with time, emotion and imagery to convey a tale of love found in the face of personal tragedy. I immediately felt for Virginia as she copes with her mother’s descent into the later stages of Alzheimer’s disease; indeed, much of my wife’s past year was spent dealing with her own mother’s struggle with the early-onset version of the same. For that reason, I know that Shaw brilliantly captures the helplessness and loss that overtakes family members in that type of situation.

If the book were that simple, it would still be good. Shaw goes several steps further, and incorporates bizarre imagery (the soul as Pac-Man ghost?), intrigue (is there a connection between Virginia’s new love and her long-dead childhood friend?), and sliding scales of time and meaning. What’s perhaps most interesting about the genesis of the project is that it was originally meant to be a companion piece to a concept album. As it stands, one can see the amorphous quality of shifting music in the pages, even if now CD now exists to accompany them. This is good, strong work, best suited for those who don’t mind their material to be a little challenging.

Sam Henderson’s Magic Whistle No. 10: But You Already Knew That
by Sam Henderson (and occasional others)

If you are I were in Sam Henderson’s head for a few minutes, we’d get hopelessly lost. The best thing among this collection of humor strips is how he ricochets from one societal topic to another, leaving laughs and destruction in his wake. I suppose we can expect subversive goofiness from a guy who used to write for [i]Spongebob Squarepants[/b], but this is sublime subversive goofiness.

My favorite bit in here is a corrected version of a ’02 strip that ran in The Comics Journal, “Baby Baby! Music Isn’t Just for Kids Anymore!” Using music as a metaphor for the comics industry, it manages in one fell swoop to skewer speculators, retailers, fans, anti-fans, crappy music, overzealous musicologists, and big business. No one is safe, and that’s what makes it brilliant. Long-time comic readers will immediately recognize their own arguments and justifications, and the fact that it’s refracted through music makes it all the more amusing. If you’re into offbeat humor and aren’t afraid of a little offensiveness (the Hitler’s anus routine comes to mind), check it out.

The Power of 6: The Twisted Apples, Part One
by Jon Lewis

Those of you longing for a cross between Grant Morrison’s Doom Patrol and James Kolchalka’s Super-F*ckers need long no more. Jon Lewis, best known for True Swamp and a run as writer of Robin, delivers a supremely weird team book for people that don’t necessarily like super-heroes or team books. Honestly, it carries the feel of satire with a deceptive sheen of earnestness, yet played for laughs. Yeah, it’s kind of hard to explain. The art is fairly basic, but whimsically entertaining. Unfortunately, this first installment feels a bit short. I’d check out more, but I’m of the mind that the stories need to be longer (maybe OGN style) to be more memorable.

Pizzeria Kamikaze
by Etgar Keret and Asaf Hanuka

Here is a truly terrific book about doomed relationships, the afterlife, and how our decisions can haunt us even after we’re dead. Originally serialized in Bipolar, the extremely well-written and well-drawn Pizzeria Kamikaze plays on the notion that suicide only gets you more life, typically a fairly bland and numbing afterlife existence. Protagonist Mordy took his own life in a fit of heartbreak; now he’s got a crappy job at the titular establishment. His daily routine looks a lot like post-collegiate malaise; he spends a lot of time hitting bars with friends that he may not really like very much, but who are just as dissatisfied as he is.

Writer Keret has built a huge following in Israel, particularly among young people, and the reasons why are evident as he skillfully builds a realistic portrayal of humdum life while holding some of the more fantastic elements at bay for most of the story. Artist Hanuka does champion work, but I suppose that’s to be expected from someone whose art has appeared in Time, Rolling Stone and Forbes.

As the book progresses, the story evolves into a bicameral love story and a quasi-hybrid spiritual/romantic quest. There are some interesting, surprising, and occasional puzzling turns as Mordy tries to find one love even as a new one may be developing. The characters are deftly handled, and the ultimate resolution echoes life in that there is no ultimate resolution. This is great work, and this collection should certainly get more notice.

ARCHAIA STUDIOS

Mouse Guard #5
by David Petersen

This book is truly a gift from the comic gods. Tailor made for fans of Brian Jacques or Richard Adams, Mouse Guard follows the rodent members of an elite group trying to protect their medieval home from conspiracy and the threat of war. Beautifully drawn and smartly written, this series plays like either the best children’s book you never got to read or the distant cousin of Tolkien by way of Spiegelman. I’m sure that this will read fantastically as a collection as well. This is also one of those books that would make a great gift, particularly for slightly younger readers. Just great, great work.

That’s all for this bonus round, but expect another soon, with more books from Dynamite, several from Fantagraphics, and a few from Boom! Take care.

Best Shots team leader Troy Brownfield writes for Newsarama and Fangoria Comics, and runs ShotgunReviews.com. He’s also a professor of English, journalism and communication. Anyone wishing to submit their titles for review can contact Troy at psikotyk@aol.com. If you’re interested in taking a class with Troy via the miracle of Distance Learning, check out the program here http://www.smwc.edu/cgi-bin/site.pl?futureDistance , and specifically mention him or his areas (Journalism, Professional Writing, Creative Writing, Film Studies) when you call. The other plugs: www.shotgunreviews.com and www.myspace.com/shotgunreviews

[render man]

Yeah I dig these little off the beaten path reviews. Would love some covers to go along with the reviews, but I can deal. I am definitely going to pick up the Jon Lewis book, but havent seen any reviews or talk about, so its nice to see that here. And that Dash Shaw book sounds great, but he is usually hit or miss with me, so I dont know about this book. And also nice to see a review about Numb, as I was curious about this book and wanted some objective reviews of it before buying. Thanks guys!

Also, can I suggest some reviews? Maybe some reviews of the most recent issues of Strange Girl, the new American Splendor series, and Apocalypse Nerd?

[Troy Brownfield]

Originally Posted by render man

Yeah I dig these little off the beaten path reviews. Would love some covers to go along with the reviews, but I can deal. I am definitely going to pick up the Jon Lewis book, but havent seen any reviews or talk about, so its nice to see that here. And that Dash Shaw book sounds great, but he is usually hit or miss with me, so I dont know about this book. And also nice to see a review about Numb, as I was curious about this book and wanted some objective reviews of it before buying. Thanks guys!

Also, can I suggest some reviews? Maybe some reviews of the most recent issues of Strange Girl, the new American Splendor series, and Apocalypse Nerd?

Good suggestions; I know that we've covered some recent Splendor issues in the regular column, and at least one issue of Strange Girl, but it never hurts to get some more titles into rotation. I'll kick it around the group. Thanks!

[Rebis]

Anyone know if (when?) Mouse Guard is getting a trade?

[artiepants]

Originally Posted by Rebis

Anyone know if (when?) Mouse Guard is getting a trade?

that's what i was going to ask, this sounds like it begs to be in a collected volume...

[Graeme McMillan]

Originally Posted by Rebis

Anyone know if (when?) Mouse Guard is getting a trade?

April, I think.

[Jeffrey D. Smith]

Originally Posted by Rebis

Anyone know if (when?) Mouse Guard is getting a trade?

According to Amazon.com, there is a hardcover edition April 15 for $24.95 (current Amazon price: $16.47).

[L'Zoril]

Pizzeria Kamikaze was a really good book; limbo for those who comitted suicide. And I got a kick out of how the main character made fun of Kurt Cobain.