Showing posts with label classic comics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label classic comics. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 23, 2020

Book Review - Hal Foster: Prince of Illustrators, Father of the Adventure Strip by Brian M. Kane

I absolutely adore early newspaper comic strips by the great masters like Milt Caniff, Roy Crane, and Hal Foster. And I find the story behind the comics and their creators tend to be worth exploring.

Hal Foster: Prince of Illustrators, Father of the Adventure Strip by Brian M. Kane is a biography of the man and his work. It is available in both hardcover and paperback editions.

The Good


Telling of the Story. Biographies can be incredibly fascinating or painfully dull depending on who is doing the storytelling, and this author did a good joy of keeping the story moving while including a lot of information, details, and background information to set the story in the proper time and frame. While there is a ton of info, I never felt bogged down by it because of the quick page, conversational tone, and numerous visuals.

Artwork. This book does an incredible job of including a lot of photos and artwork, especially photos and artwork that have probably never been seen outside the family or since they were produced. I was really impressed with all the Christmas cards, sketches, doodles, advertisements, paintings, etc. and the quality of their reproduction.

 

The Bad

 ...


What I Would Like to Have Seen

While I appreciate all of the extra matter included, it would have been nice to see a few more examples of the actual comics Hal Foster was so famous for. There were a few panels in black and white from his color comics run on Tarzan, but no full page comics which would have been really nice to see.


Overall


Hal Foster: Prince of Illustrators, Father of the Adventure Strip by Brian M. Kane is a biography of the man and his work. It is available in both hardcover and paperback editions. Biographies can be incredibly fascinating or painfully dull depending on who is doing the storytelling, and this author did a good joy of keeping the story moving while including a lot of information, details, and background information to set the story in the proper time and frame. While there is a ton of info, I never felt bogged down by it because of the quick page, conversational tone, and numerous visuals. This book does an incredible job of including a lot of photos and artwork, especially photos and artwork that have probably never been seen outside the family or since they were produced. I was really impressed with all the Christmas cards, sketches, doodles, advertisements, paintings, etc. and the quality of their reproduction. I highly recommend this book and give it 4 out of 5 eReaders.


  

 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B086G6FKRV/





Monday, March 25, 2019

Book Review - WildStorm Summer Special (2001)

I wasn't a fan of WildStorm or Jim Lee back in his heyday, but after he sold his company to DC, a few titles caught my eye and I decided to get my feet wet in the WildStorm world.

WildStorm Summer Special is an anthology of comics book stories from Gaijin Studios. It is available as a 48-page Prestige Format comic book.

The Good


Orbital. This story by Warren Ellis, Cully Hamner, Karl Story, Brian Stelfreeze, and John Costanza is basically Jack Hawksmoor going for a jog across different cities on different continents using a "magic portal" type device. The words are narration in his head. While there isn't much plot, there is a lot of story exploring Jack and his view of his life and job. The art is really nice, and the format is different for a comic book.

Apple Read. This story by Brian Azzarello, Brian Stelfreeze, Karl Story, and John Costanza is a fun experiment in storytelling. The art evokes Oriental brushwork in a black, white, and red palette. The words are written in poetry, with the plot being as simple as Zealot buying an apple but the story containing much more. This is another fun experiment in storytelling.

Behind the Scenes. This section was the most interesting for two reasons. One, I didn't even realize there was such a thing as Gaijin studios and two of my favorite artists were part of it, and two, I love behind-the-scenes material. It's the reason I used to buy so many DVDs.

The Gallery. The gallery had some nice pinups of various WildStorm characters from several different artists that were fun to look at.

The Bad

Cover. The cover by Adam Hughes has some pretty colors that make it stand out, but otherwise is kind of a mess. There's no rhyme nor reason. Other than featuring a few characters from the stories, it has nothing to do with the issue. It's not particularly well drawn, and the design is poor.

Isolation. This story by Paul Jenkins, Georges Jeanty, Karl Story, Brian Stelfreeze, and Kathleen at Fishbrain is very disappointing, and this from a big Paul Jenkins fan. The art is fine, but the story reads like a bad erotic novel with no real point.

What I Would Like to Have Seen


For an anthology, this really had everything you could want.

Overall


WildStorm Summer Special is a really fun artistic experiment. It contains three stories of three different characters from the WildStorm Universe, with each story told in a different style both in format and approach. Two of the stories are great successes with beautiful artwork by Cully Hamner and Brian Stelfreeze. The pinup gallery and behind-the-scenes materials are great additions. I give this book 4 out of 5 eReaders.


   

Monday, February 4, 2019

Book Review - Will Eisner's The Spirit: The New Adventures HC

I was late boarding The Spirit train. I was aware of the character, but never had any real interest in him until the Frank Miller film. Despite popular opinion, I loved it and have watched it dozens of times. I purchased a trade paperback of Spirit stories and loved those. That lead me to purchase one of DC's Archive Editions. I was so disappointed by it, I didn't pick up another Spirit story. Until Things From Another World had an incredible sale...

Will Eisner's The Spirit: The New Adventures is a collection of Spirit stories published by Kitchen Sink Press that weren't written or illustrated by Will EisnerIt is available in Hardcover.

The Good


The Most Important Meal. This takes place during the last supper of one of The Spirit's greatest foes talking to another of his greatest foes. It's an interesting variation on the origin of the characters. It's by Allan Moore and Dave Gibbons, two people whose work I don't normally enjoy, but they knocked this trilogy of stories out of the ballpark.

Force of Arms. This is another story that plays with the origins of the characters, especially the Spirit's archfoe.

Gossip and Gertrude Granch. This is the third in a trilogy of origin stories that explores the fate of a minor character.

The Return of Mink Stole. This is very meta about screenwriting for movies.

Sunday in the Park with St. George. The art is atrocious, but the story is a lot of fun if not a little too convenient.

Sphinx the Jinx in The Game of Life. This is a high concept story that feels like it came from Will Eisner's newspaper work. Probably the most "classic" of the collection.

Ellen's Stalker. This feels very much like The Spirit newspaper strips, but not as concise and clever.

Dr. Broca Von Bitelbaum. This wasn't great, but kind of fun.

Cursed Beauty. This had an interesting twist, but the way it dealt with racism was very bland and overdone. It didn't feel like the writer really understood what he was talking about.

Swami Vashtibubu. The art was lousy, but the twist was interesting.

The Pacifist. The story was fine, but the concept was pretty strong, and reminded me a lot of the Rat-a-Tat story from the newspaper comics.

Sweetheart. This was one of the strongest stories from an original concept to strong art, to a tight plot, to a twist I didn't see coming.

Black Opal. This story wasn't in the original comic book series (probably because it was cancelled) but has great art and a pretty decent story.

The Bad

Last Night I Dreamed of Dr. Cobra. This is clever, but miserable to read. It reminds me of 2001: A Space Odyssey--it's a wonder of technical achievement but a complete failure in entertainment.

The Samovar of Shooshinpoor. This isn't a bad story, but the art is amateurish and the story very ordinary.

The Weapon. This was really boring, generic, and obvious.

Baby Eichbergh. The concept wasn't bad, but it was so dully executed I just couldn't care about the baby and what happened to him.

Golf Anyone? The concept wasn't that strong, and the execution did nothing to help it out.

The Ghost of Tiger Traps. The concept and plot were both really weak. And the art by Paul Pope was nowhere near his usual level.

Binding. This book looks beautiful, but started to fall apart on my second read thru.

What I Would Like to Have Seen


Better binding.

Overall


Will Eisner's The Spirit: The New Adventures is a mixed bag that contains classic stories I have read and reread numerous times as well as stories I can't believe they wasted paper to draw and then print. But despite the less than stelar stories, each one was so different and unique and most attempted something pretty wonderful, so I give this book 5 out of 5 eReaders.


    

Friday, November 30, 2018

Book Review - Gen 13: A Christmas Caper

Back in college I saw a small ad in the back of a WildStorm comic where writer and artist Tom McWeeney described the wonder and magic of Christmas specials (like Santa Claus is Coming to Town, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and other) growing up before the days of home video and cable television. They were only shown once a year so you had to check the TV Guide carefully and plan accordingly, or you would miss it and have to wait a whole other year. It reminded me of

Gen 13: A Christmas Caper by Tom McWeeney, Richard Friend, Jeromy Cox, and Todd Klein is a full-color 48-page Prestige Format comic bookIt is available in print. I don't know why this isn't available digitally. It's a CLASSIC!!

The Good


Concept. The concept is Gen13 as small children used to lure Santa Claus to a black-ops base to punish him for the coal he delivered to a certain Director of IO. The purpose of the comic was to capture the magic of the classic Christmas specials from the 60s, 70s, and 80s. The writer/artist said he wanted to create something that would be classic, that readers would pull out and read every year, because it just wouldn't be Christmas without it. He succeeded. This book perfectly captures the feeling of those Christmas Classics.

Art. The art is beautiful. It looks very modern while incorporating elements of classic children's storybooks.

Writing. The writing is part classic poetry and part modern prose. There's humor, angst, fear, cheerfulness, romance, danger, and excitement. Even after nearly 20 years, it's still as fun and enjoyable as ever.

The Bad

Ummm...

What I Would Like to Have Seen


Tom McWeeney do more specials.

Overall


Gen 13: A Christmas Caper by Tom McWeeney, Richard Friend, Jeromy Cox, and Todd Klein is Christmas classic I pull out and read every year. It just wouldn't be Christmas without it. The writing, the art, and the overall presentation is as good as it gets. This is a true classic. I give this book 5 out of 5 eReaders.


    

Monday, July 23, 2018

Movie Review - Smurfs: The Lost Village

I've been a fan of The Smurfs for as long as I can remember. I loved reading books of their adventures and watching the classic Hanna-Barbera cartoon in the 80s. I was very disappointed by their first movie, The Smurfs and The Magic Flute, and was equally disappointed by the next two movies that were live action and cgi hybrids. When I heard the latest film was more true to the comics and cartoons, I became very excited.

Smurfs: The Lost Village is a 2017 fantasy, cgi, family movie based on the classic comic by Peyo. It is rated PG and is appropriate for tall ages.

The Good


Animation. The animation was beautiful. The characters all looked like they should, the scenery was gorgeous to look at, and the movements were all perfect.

Story. The story was strong, well paced, had lots of good action, comedy, drama, and emotion, and was very linear and focused.

Focus on a Few Characters. This movie included many of the Smurfs, but wisely chose to focus on only a handful so they could be fleshed out and the story remained solid and focused.

Brainy's Smartphone Bug. The inclusion of Brainy's bug that can take dictations, take pictures, print, and more was really clever, fun, appropriate, and made this show feel very contemporary.

The Bad


Voice Acting. I just do not like most of the voices Sony chose for the characters, especially Papa Smurf and Gargamel. Granted, I am very bias towards the Hanna-Barbera voices, but the voices in this film aren't just different--they just don't fit. 

Female Smurfs. A lot of people don't understand what a strong woman is. They confuse that with witch (but with a "b") and think it's the same thing. But it's not. The female Smurfs were portrayed a lot more witchy than they needed to, and then they became weak flower children. They were unlikeable.

Gargamel's Incompetence. In the comic and cartoon, Gargamel is actually pretty competent and a real threat. He loses more because of the Smurfs' virtue, their teamwork, and his own bad luck. In this film, he was such an idiot that I had a hard time taking his threat seriously, and when he does manage to capture the Smurfs, it is so out of character and you know he's going to blow it quickly.

What I Would Like to Have Seen


I wish this film had been a little more clever for the adults. It was a cute, fun, entertaining cartoon, but it really only had stuff for kids and those nostalgic for the classic Smurfs, which I enjoyed and was glad about, but there may not be more films like this because it didn't get better ratings and wasn't more popular.

Overall


Smurfs: The Lost Village is a fun family flick that reminds me of the classic Hanna-Barbera cartoons and the comics by Peyo. It has a solid story that focuses on a handful of characters, is beautifully animated, and has fun adventures and a clever smartphone bug gimmick. I give this film 4 out of 5 boxes of popcorn.

     

Friday, June 22, 2018

Radio Drama Review: The Adventures of Superman (Episodes 1-27)



I've been a fan of Superman for as long as I can remember. Some incarnations of the character and his adventures work better than others.

Superman on Radio collects the first 27 episodes of The Adventures of Superman radio show first broadcast in 1940. It's available on Cassette, CDs, and Digital Downloads both paid and free.

The Good


Bud Collyer. Bud Collyer portrayed both Clark Kent and Superman. He was the first to give both characters different voices. He portrayed both characters as intelligent, ambitious, heroes--a huge departure from the weak milksop of the comics and later adaptions. Clark Kent was as much the hero and as impressive as Superman, which made the adventures much more fun.


Lois Lane. Most portrayals of Lois Lane either make her a sappy, love struck accessory whose only contribution is getting into trouble so Superman has someone to save, or a feminazi who is such an obnoxious, irritating witch the viewer has no idea why Superman has any interest in her. This version of Lois Lane is strong while still being feminine. She is capable but not overbearing. She is a perfect match for Superman and someone listeners are rooting for.

Realistic Adventures. The first episode begins on Krypton, but beginning with the second, the adventures deal with problems that were a concern in that world--sabotage, kidnapping, extortion, etc.

The Bad


The Final Story. The final story goes into juvenile silliness. It involves an atomic beam machine, some nonsense sci-fi MacGuffin. It's a shame the producers changed tracks from the exciting, real-world problems to this silly work of fiction. The sense of danger and peril that made these shows so exciting was lost.


What I Would Like to Have Seen


The first 21 episodes are sheer perfection.


Overall


Superman on Radio is a wonderful collection of some of the best Superman stories ever told. The voice acting is excellent, the adventures deal with serious real-world dangers, and the villains are interesting characters that actually pose a threat. The portrayal of Clark, Lois, Perry White, and Superman are all spot on and as interesting as any version. The only downside is the last story that moves into silly sci-fi gimmicks. Otherwise this is pure perfection and entertainment. I give it 4.5 out of 5 microphones.


    


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Friday, June 16, 2017

Movie Review: The Spirit (by Frank Miller)

I'm a huge Frank Miller fan and have been since Sin City: Hell & Back, 300, and the Dark Knight Strikes Again! I also enjoy classic comics from the early 20th Century, so combining the two should create a masterpiece, right? Right?

The Spirit is a 2008 action comic strip noir film from comics legend Frank Miller based on The Spirit comic strip which appeared in newspapers throughout the late 30s and 40s created, written, and drawn by Will Eisner. It's rated PG-13 for language, violence, and nudity, and is appropriate for teens and up.

Overview


The Spirit is a cop who everyone but the police chief thinks is dead. He battles a wild villain, The Octopus, and a former lover.

The Good


Style & Visuals. This film is absolutely beautiful to behold. It looks like nothing else you have ever seen with an amazing mix of Frank Miller's chiaroscuro artwork and classic Hollywood film noir. The style alone makes this movie worth watching.

Actors. This film features a lot of really great actors from Gabriel Macht to the father from Wonder Years to Beckett from Castle. Their acting is really good, but is marred by bad dialogue.

San Serif Story. Half this film features a story taken from the comic strip about The Spirit's first love, and it is a really good story. Unfortunately, it isn't the only story.

Credits. The credits are Frank Miller's storyboards which are works of art and make a really unique and fun credit sequence that I've watched several times.

The Bad


The Octopus. Samuel Jackson plays the Octopus, but instead of following the comic strip version, which was pretty cool, he was written and directed to portray the character as a live action Wile E. Coyote from Looney Tunes, which did not work at all. Ridiculous and unwatchable doesn't even begin to describe this character. In fact, I usually just cue past all of his scenes, and it makes for a pretty good movie.

Dialogue. The dialogue is awful. It is stiff and feels like an amateurish attempt to capture classic Hollywood detective movies. The narration is pretty good, but everything else is terrible.

Pacing. This movie is very slowly and unevenly paced.

What I Would Like to Have Seen


I wish the Octopus had been portrayed more like he is in the comics, as a mysterious hand controlling crime in the city with a big reveal at the end. I wish the movie had better dialogue and was edited more tightly with more exciting music. There are a lot of great elements and great story that just aren't presented well, but could be.

Overall


The Spirit is a beautiful film with more style and gorgeous visuals that almost any other, a great story, and great actors. Unfortunately, it is mired by a lousy second story, an overly cartoony villain, and dialogue that will make your ears hurt. I give it 3.5 out of 5 boxes of popcorn.



  


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Friday, April 14, 2017

Movie Review: Ghost in the Shell (2017 live action film)


I've read a few manga and watched quite a bit of anime, but I've never read nor watched Ghost in the Shell. I'm aware it exists, but other than that I couldn't tell you much about it. So I went in with few expectations.

Ghost in the Shell is a 2017 trippy science fiction live action film based on the Japanese manga and anime adaption of the same name. It's rated PG-13 due to violence and appropriate for teens and up.

Overview


In the future, cybernetic enhancements to humans are all the rage. One company finally succeeds in transplanting a human brain into an android body. She joins a law enforcement group who investigates the murder of several people from a major corporation and attempts to hunt down the perpetrator and discover why he's targeting them.

The Good


Solid Science Fiction Flick. This is a solid story told in a fairly standard way. The characters are about as well developed as a typical, non-Star Trek scifi show. There is a mystery that is solved one clue at a time with action and a couple of twists thrown in at the appropriate times. If you like shows on SyFy channel, you'll probably love this.

Straightforward Story. Sometimes movies try really hard to be "visionary" or "revolutionary" by presenting the story in a very convoluted manner. The producers don't waste their time with that. This story is told in a very linear, straightforward fashion.

Didn't Overexplain World. One of the most common aspects of science fiction to get mocked is the author or director's need to explain the world to the reader or viewer as if it were a travelogue and to label things with overly descriptive names. Ghost in the Shell doesn't fall into this trap. Things happened, and the viewer is expected to be smart enough to figure out what's going on.

The Bad


Indifferent Characters. The characters were fine and had some development, and the casting choices were fitting, but none of them were very likable, compelling, or even hateable. They were little more than useful plot devices.

Lack of Originality. Something that really caught Western audiences' attentions when manga and anime hit the US during the Japanamation era was how different it was from American comics and animation. The style was unique, the subject matter contained so much never even touched on in Western comics or animation, and the way the stories were told was so fresh and different. Unfortunately, every time someone tries to adapt and anime or manga property into live action film, they follow the typical Hollywood formula instead of trying something completely new and original. (Scott Pilgrim vs. The World and 300 are two exceptions, and both were masterpieces.)

Visual Look. The visual look of this film is like every other space opera or dystopian future show currently on SyFy. It doesn't stand out or inspire.

What I Would Like to Have Seen


I wish the filmmakers had realized that Ghost in the Shell was such a beloved cult classic because of how unique it was and looked when it came out and tried to create a movie just as unique in terms of storytelling and cinematography. This movie is shot like any other Hollywood film with a visual look and feel straight off the SyFy channel. There are definitely fans of that kind of film, but not in the kind of numbers needed to make this profitable and inspire a sequel.

Overall


Ghost in the Shell is a solid science fiction flick that looks like most of the current series on SyFy channel. It's entertaining, but nothing special. The characters aren't especially likable, the design and look of the film are pretty typical, and it wouldn't hurt my feelings to never see a sequel made. I give this film 3.5 out of 5 boxes of popcorn.



 

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