Wednesday, October 06, 2010
Thor The Mighty Avenger Comic
Having just reread the first four issues of THOR: THE MIGHTY AVENGER comic by writer Roger Langridge & Chris Samnee, I can confidently say it's my favorite new superhero comic in 2010. If you're a fan of classic superhero comics, I urge you to pick up a copy.
Samnee's art is elegantly deceptive. At first glance, it looks unassuming... but when reading or studying his illustrations it becomes clear that he's becoming a master of narrative structure. The story from panel to panel is clear. Your eyes focus on exactly what they need to see. Samnee knows when to let a moment breath with either a large panel or by stripping away unnecessary detail. It's also amazing how much life he's able to convey with the minimum number of lines. Character designs are consistently strong and iconic. The overall atmosphere of the comic feels timeless and current. Every character pose is full of life and consistent with the characters' personalities.
Part of what makes Samnee's art shine is the wonderfully executed script. Langridge (who is an excellent cartoonist in his own right) delivers stories that convey the uniqueness of each character that are straightforward and engaging. I like how the main plot of each issue is resolved in the same issue... but how subplots allow Langridge and Samnee to take on a larger focus in subsequent issues in a manner that educates readers on their interpretation of the Marvel Universe. For example in the first issue, we focus on an amnesiac Thor, but a subplot involving Mr. Hyde leads to a story focused on Mr. Hyde in issue 2. Issue 3 logically introduces Giant/Ant-man and the Wasp through subplot elements introduced in the Hyde story. It's a simple to understand approach that is easy to follow but naturally allows the story to expand.
Thus far, THOR: THE MIGHTY AVENGER is a perfectly executed comic series. As many of the mainstream comic series attempt to become sprawling event-driven epics with huge casts, Langridge and Samnee effectively demonstrate a "less is more" approach where characters take precedent in a manner that showcases the charm and heart that caused many long-time fans to fall in love with the Marvel Superhero universe.
Tuesday, October 05, 2010
Nash Nike Zoom Go Low Shoes
I think I've found my next pair of basketball sneakers! I've already gushed praise for the Nike Cradle Rock Low shoes I purchases earlier this year. Beyond looking super fresh with their Skate/Retro style, they've given me tons of support and comfort while I play basketball. I loved them so much that I bought a second pair. The Cushlon midsole gives a nice bouncy step and more than makes up for the lack of any air unit.
My love of low top basketball shoes and strong design has me really looking forward to Nash's NEXT shoe, the Nike Zoom Go Low. It's a nicely designed shoe, but the colorways shown thus far have not done a very good job of showcasing the more interesting attributes of the shoe. That's about to change with the Nash black colorway.
I've done some obsessive digging for information on the shoe. Fortunately that paid off with me finding a high quality picture of the Nash away/black version of the shoe. Thus far the only photo shown of the shoe was a poorly shot flash version of the back of the shoe (with the Steve Nash logo). The photo of the shoe I found is a professional grade image that showcases some tastefully applied patent leather on the front of the shoe... and a subtle touch of orange in the front shoelace holes.
A combination of cushlon midsole and a forefoot zoom air unit assures these will be even more comfortable than the Cradle Rock Lows. I also love how elements of the design pay homage to the Huarache 08 and Air Max 90 shoe designs.
Hopefully these shoes will show up at some shoe retailer in the US. If not, I'll have to import these from Asia or Canada.
Friday, October 01, 2010
Empowered Vol 6
I just finished reading Adam Warren's EMPOWERED volume 6 TPB. As with most things Adam Warren, it was a delight to read. Warren was a bit ahead of the curve when it came to bringing manga/anime stylings to his American comics. He was doing it in the early 90s with his DIRTY PAIR and BUBBLEGUM CRISIS comics... at a time when the only thing people thought of when hearing the word 'anime' was AKIRA. The explosion of manga and anime in the US market came and (arguably) went... but fortunately Warren's still making his comics the way he always has: sexy, funny, and beautifully illustrated.
Empowered is Warren's purest iteration of a superhero comic. He had done previously critically acclaimed superhero runs on GEN13 and a TITAN one-shot, but EMPOWERED feels purer than both. Having read the majority of Adam Warren's work I've come to understand and appreciate his quirky sensibility. More mainstream american superhero comics have this weird way of pretending to be very pure and wholesome while subversively being erotic and sado-masochistic. Superheroes fight for "justice" in scantily clad costumes... but their sexual and (possibly) kinky motivations are rarely explored.
While the universe in EMPOWERED is genuinely a superhero one, it's one that is sexualized and constantly made fun of. Warren goes crudely far with the sexual, kinky, and absurd situations. In and of themselves, they could make a reader feel a bit uncomfortable... but Warren has a way of deftly undercutting the sexual awkwardness of his scenarios by constantly having his characters make fun and complain about the weirdness of it all. Oddly, with some thought, its easy to recognize that the sexy/kinky/erotic world of EMPOWERED is far closer to mainstream superhero comics than you'd ever care to admit.
This particular volume is a fairly dark one as we learn about a character named DEATH MONGER, a villain that has found a way to repossess the deceased bodies of superheroes. I am not sure if it's intentional, but its an interesting parallel to DC comics' last big superhero event: The Blackest Night.
Adam Warren isn't for everybody. His illustrations are always gorgeous, but his dialogue heavy stories tend to ramble and move slower than a conventional comic. Warren's dialogue is always a treat but it may frustrate readers looking for a quick read with pretty pictures. He also tends to focus on using characters expressions and bodies to tell his story. The few times Warren illustrates environments, they are done beautifully. But he tends to rely heavily on characters from panel to panel. Since Adam Warren's characters are beautifully drawn, the panels always look gorgeous. But I notice that the over-emphasis on figures makes the reading experience a bit more tedious. Also, women may find Warren's sexy interpretations of the female form a bit offensive. Warren has a genuine affection for the female form but it's obvious from they way he writes women that he loves the personalities of females as well.
A preview of the comic can be found HERE.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Zone of Enders Second Runner
Having recently beaten GODHAND (a great game, through and through), I've continued my commitment to playing and beating the many Playstation 2 "classics" that I have purchased over the years and never finished playing. Zone of Enders 2nd Runner was the next game I intended to conquer (on "Easy" mode so don't give me too much credit!); a snazzy looking robot mech action game.
Zone of Enders 2nd Runner is one of those cult favorite PS2 games. It's made by Kojima/Konami (the same guys that developed the uber-popular METAL GEAR SOLID series). Many praise the game for its sexy graphics (supposedly some of the best seen on the PS2), slick controls, and intelligent updates to it's predecessor, Zone of Enders.
If you're a METAL GEAR SOLID fan, you may be familiar with the first Z.O.E. game. In a bully-like move to piggyback Metal Gear Solid hype onto the, at the time, newly developed game series, Konami packaged the first Zone of Enders game with a preview version of Metal Gear Solid 2. Many people liked the look of the first Z.O.E. game... but HATED the whiny teenage boy protagonist and complained that the game was both short and repetitive.
Second Runner replaced the whiny kid protagonist with a cool white-haired male character. Although still comparatively short by typical gaming standards, Second Runner gave the game a bit more variety and a slight upgrade to the graphics.
So far, I'm probably half way through the game and must admit I'm a bit disappointed. For all the praise the game gets in the play control department, I found maneuvering very awkward and tiresome. Many of the levels are intentionally designed with large open rooms to hide the wonky controls but when you're trying to maneuver your mech into a small doorway you quickly realize that the controls aren't all that great.
The game has a pretty nice cel-shaded look to it... but the style of combat detracts from a player's ability to appreciate the details. Similar to the problem I have with shooter games like Halo, I found the style of combat incredibly impersonal. From a strategic standpoint, you're able to defend yourself way more by shooting enemies with plasma blasts from a distance. The problem is you can't really see your enemies from that distance. You end up just shooting at white dots with circles around them until they explode. Your close range plasma sword attack is way more exciting, but it opens you up to significant damage. So you can either progress through the game by boringly shooting at little dots on the screen or get your ass handed to you by jumping into battles with your plasma sword and getting destroyed by the enemy. Its a disappointing conundrum.
The coolest thing about the game is it's attempt to connect the Zone of Ender universe to the Gradius Universe. One of the major supporting characters is a robot mech called Vic Viper that transforms into a ship that looks curiously similar to the Vic Viper spaceships in the Gradius shoot-em-up series.
After all the hype and years of sitting on my personal copy of Z.o.E. 2, I'm a bit disappointed that the game doesn't meet the high expectations. I'll be sure to beat the game, but once I do it'll be going up on eBay.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Tikitis Diecut Hardcover
Here's a look at Fabien M and Jerry Frissen's final design for the TIKITIS hardcover collection. Jerry came up with the idea of a die-cut hardcover after he got his hands on Fantagraphics beautiful collection of POPEYE comics. The main elements that Jerry encouraged Fabien to utilize are a Tiki-inspired outside cover with a cut-out that revealed the cast of the Tikitis. I don't think Jerry had an idea of how beautiful and far Fabien would go with the idea.
It may be a little hard to imagine since this isn't the print sample of the book... but the Tiki's mouth will be cut out to reveal the image on the first page of the book. I look forward to seeing how it will look in it's final printed form.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Paul Grist Comics
I recently reread Paul Grist's KANE comic. Boy, are those good. At it's best, they're the finest examples of comic narrative pushed to its effective limits. Grist has a way of telling stories in a manner that reminds me a bit of a puzzle. Visual cues suggest clues or foreshadow integral parts of the story that pay off later at the story's conclusion. It's like a mix of Frank Miller's Dark Knight and Daredevil narrative with an artistic style that mixes Alex Toth with Snoopy.
Paul Grist's been working steadily on his JACK STAFF comic but, for me, his KANE comics are way better. Grist can sometimes underscore the drama of his work with silly humor. Since KANE is more of a cop/crime book it forces Grist to scale back the humor a bit and showcase his amazing storytelling. Volume 3 (HISTORIES) is probably my favorite complete TPB collection. My favorite single issue store is the first one in Volume 4 (Thirty Ninth) as it tells a complete story from the singular perspective of a Police Patrol car.
