Matt Wagner (1)Recensioni

I tried to continue with the series but I realized that each volume is basically the same story but with a different killer. I'm ok with stopping at this volume and not finishing it. I understand the origin of The Sandman and that's cool. But I can't keep reading the same story over and over again. Life is too short.

I liked this volume much better than the second one. In this one, there is a female serial killer targeting and killing men in extreme and weird ways. Once again, Wesley a.k.a. the Sandman is on the job to find out who the killer is and bring them to justice. This time I figured out the killer pretty early on but it was still a great story. Good graphics. The only thing is that Dian is getting a wee bit annoying in this one and I hope she calms down in the next volume.

Not as good as the first volume but I will continue on with the series. Two stories in this one. One called the Face where the bad buy can alter his appearance and the second one is called the Brute. My favorite of the two was the Brute. Good graphics. The reason why I took a half star off was due to the extreme amount of racism, especially in the first story. I get it that happened a lot in the past but it was a little too much for me to enjoy the story.½

My review of this book can be found on my YouTube Vlog at:

https://youtu.be/HsyGXYHBHTc

Enjoy!

Well, this was different than the other Batman comics I have read so far. But mainly due to the strange Villain. Many of the themes I have seen as common to the Batman comics are also within this volume. Batman still struggles with the question of whether or not his existence causes the existence of all these increasingly psychotic villains who often, in turn, also dress in elaborate costumes. He struggles with the idea of how to manage the fear he must instill in Gotham. And he struggles with the knowledge that anyone close to him is inevitably in danger’s way.

In this particular volume, Batman and the Mad Monk, there has been a string of murder victims whose blood has been completely drained from their bodies, along with having strange teeth marks on their necks...could it be what it sounds like? Meanwhile, Madison is becoming increasingly paranoid and terrified that Batman will connect him to his darker past and seek retribution. This leaves his daughter, also Bruce’s girlfriend, Julie to seek help for her spiraling father.

I loved the allusion in this one to Dick Grayson, and the foreshadowing of the Bat Signal. Also, you gotta love Batman’s ability to get out of any situation and that certainly comes into play with some very close calls in this volume!

Grendel was one of those indie comics I heard about when I was younger, but being indie published, they were too hard to track down and I missed out on reading them back in the day, which I think worked to my favor, as I don’t think I’d have appreciated the story for what it is. Matt Wagner’s epic is an art deco-influenced crime noir extravaganza. While you’d think Grendel is the hero of the story, that’s misconstrued; Grendel only exists to push the limits of his own mind and ambitions, by whatever means possible. As Hunter Rose, he’s this world’s Bruce Wayne, but as Grendel, he’s a ruthless killer who will stop at nothing to get what he wants. The “hero” of the story, Argent, has no qualms murdering petty criminals to try to get to Grendel and stop him. It’s all very dark and atmospheric and may not be for everyone, but I found it engaging and unique.

Written entirely by Wagner with art from a veritable who’s who of comic artists, this first volume tells the entire Hunter Rose Grendel tale in chronological order.

#darkhorsecomics #mattwagner #grendel #comics #graphicnovel #book #books #bookstagram #bookreview #comicbooks #frommybookshelf #frommybookshelfblog

613

813

1165

1177

I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. Save a few of the ridiculous dialogue the writer gave all three at times, it was a fairly good read.

Not really all that good.

• [Untitled - "My palms sweat."] / John Ridley, writer; Clayton Henry, artist
~ 2 stars ~
In an epilogue to World's Finest #192-193 from 1970, Clark Kent is anxious when he has to interview a man who tortured him years earlier when he was in a powerless state as Superman. A realistic downer.

• The Measure of Hope / Brandon Easton, writer; Steve Lieber, artist
~ 2 stars ~
A dead mom? More depressing mopiness about the limits of Superman's powers.

• The Boy Who Saved Superman / Wes Craig, story & art
~ 3 stars ~
So powerlessness is definitely a theme here. When Superman is down and out, it's up to a young immigrant to get him back into the fray. The right kind of inspiring.

• Human Colors / Dan Watters, script; Dani, art
~ 2 stars ~
A silly, if well-intentioned parable about the importance of color to humanity.

• The School of Hard Knock-Knock Jokes / Marguerite Bennett, writer; Jill Thompson, artist
~ 2 stars ~
Kindergartener Clark Kent stars in a heavy-handed afterschool special about shunning and friendship.

• Own / Steven T. Seagle, writer; Duncan Rouleau, art
~ 2 stars ~
Martha Kent rips her coffee clique when they make a slight about adoption.

• Into the Ghost Zone / Chuck Brown, writer; Denys Cowan, pencils; John Stanisci, inks
~ 2 stars ~
I'm not familiar with the Earth-2 Superman, Val-Zod, and this silly action piece does little to properly introduce him.

• Patience / Dan Panosian, story & art
~ 2 stars ~
Lex Luthor futilely attacks Superman with some new red kryptonite, including a boxing match. I grew up with Muhammad Ali clobbering Supes in glorious, full-color, treasury-sized Neal Adams art, and, friend, that is not a comparison you want to invite.

• My Best Friend, Superman / Stephanie Phillips, script; Marley Zarcone, art
~ 2 stars ~
Another obvious and heavy-handed afterschool special set on a playground. Or maybe it would be more at home on the corny old Superfriends TV show.

• S Is for Cyborg / Jason Howard, art & story
~ 2 stars ~
Cyborg Superman Hank Henshaw needs to be forgotten forever by everyone. Just stop with him already, DC.

• Deadline / Jesse J. Holland, writer; Laura Braga, artist
~ 3 stars ~
It's a little awkward, but I like this story of Bruce Wayne and Diana musing whether or not a busy and constantly distracted Clark Kent will make his newspaper deadline and their dinner date.

• Kilg%re City / Michel Fiffe, writer & artist
~ 2 stars ~
Nearly unreadable nonsense, but the art is sort of fun.

• A Man Most Saved / Brandon Thomas, writer; Berat Pekmezci, art
~ 2 stars ~
I like the premise of a man who has been saved by Superman repeatedly getting the chance to pay him back, but it felt like it needed a few more pages or a slightly different angle of attack to succeed.

• Something to Hold on to / Nick Spencer, writer; Christian Ward, art
~ 2 stars ~
Superman invites the kids from a group home to his Fortress of Solitude for a field trip. Toyman crashes. I zone out.

• Little Star / James Stokoe, story & art
~ 2 stars ~
I like the concept of an asteroid on a collision course with Earth hiding a special little mystery, but the end left me cold. That's not how Supes would've handled it.

• Namrepus / Mark Waid, writer; Audrey Mok, artist
~ 3 stars ~
A classic throwback sort of tale with Superman deciding to show up in the Fifth Dimension and prank Mr. Mxyzptlk. Funny and clever.

• Prospect of Tomorrow / Francis Manapul, writer & artist
~ 2 stars ~
Superman goes to Mars to play matchmaker with exploration drones? Bizarre.

• A Little Is a Lot / Robert Venditti, writer; Alitha Martinez, artist
~ 3 stars ~
A simple story of everyday heroism being a match for Superman's extraordinary abilities.

• For the Man Who Has Nothing / Michael W. Conrad, writer; Cully Hamner, artist
~ 2 stars ~
Oh, no, another bad Bizarro story.

• #SavedBySuperman / Rich Douek, writer; Joe Quinones, art
~ 2 stars ~
A cool concept wherein social media idiots start throwing themselves off things as part of a viral challenge to have Superman save them. But it goes for a preachy ending instead of something realistic or clever.

• Fetch / Judd Winick, writer; Ibrahim Moustafa, artist
~ 2 stars ~
Krypto arrives on Earth and makes Clark Kent happy. Ho-hum.

• Deescalation / G. Willow Wilson, writer; Valentine De Landro, artist
~ 3 stars ~
A crime is committed, and Clark Kent gets to save the day for once. Nice.

• Your Favorite / Josh Williamson, writer; Chris Sprouse, pencils; Karl Story, inks
~ 2 stars ~
Jimmy Olsen is a screw-up, and a pretty boring one at that.

• Red Sun . . . Blue Dot / Mark Buckingham, story & art
~ 2 stars ~
Baby Supes flies in a rocket while his Kryptonian parents have a morose voice-over dialogue.

• [Untitled - "Matthew 3:17"] / Daniel Warren Johnson, writer & artist
~ 2 stars ~
Jonathan Kent's a good dad. Yup.

• Streaky the Supercat in: Hissy Fit / Sophie Campbell, story & art
~ 3 stars ~
Cats, amiright? Hee.

• Scoop / Matt Wagner, story & art
~ 3 stars ~
Clark Kent's a damn good reporter.

• The Special / Tom King, writer; Paolo Rivera, artist
~ 3 stars ~
Clark Kent's a good man too. Yup.

• Son of Farmers / Darcie Little Badger, writer; Steve Pugh, art
~ 2 stars ~
I was a son of a maize farmer too. Didn't find any of these lessons shaping my life.

• "Ally" / Rex Ogle, writer; Mike Norton, artist
~ 2 stars ~
Nice, but really?

FOR REFERENCE:

Contents:
• Superman Red & Blue #1 Cover / Gary Frank, illustrator
• [Untitled - "My palms sweat."] / John Ridley, writer; Clayton Henry, artist
• The Measure of Hope / Brandon Easton, writer; Steve Lieber, artist
• The Boy Who Saved Superman / Wes Craig, story & art
• Human Colors / Dan Watters, script; Dani, art
• The School of Hard Knock-Knock Jokes / Marguerite Bennett, writer; Jill Thompson, artist
• Superman Red & Blue #2 Cover / Nicola Scott, illustrator
• Own / Steven T. Seagle, writer; Duncan Rouleau, art
• Into the Ghost Zone / Chuck Brown, writer; Denys Cowan, pencils; John Stanisci, inks
• Patience / Dan Panosian, story & art
• My Best Friend, Superman / Stephanie Phillips, script; Marley Zarcone, art
• S Is for Cyborg / Jason Howard, art & story;
• Superman Red & Blue #3 Cover / Paul Pope, illustrator
• Deadline / Jesse J. Holland, writer; Laura Braga, artist
• Kilg%re City / Michel Fiffe, writer & artist
• A Man Most Saved / Brandon Thomas, writer; Berat Pekmezci, art
• Something to Hold on to / Nick Spencer, writer; Christian Ward, art
• Little Star / James Stokoe, story & art
• Superman Red & Blue #4 Cover /John Romita Jr. and Klaus Janson, illustrators
• Namrepus / Mark Waid, writer; Audrey Mok, artist
• Prospect of Tomorrow / Francis Manapul, writer & artist
• A Little Is a Lot / Robert Venditti, writer; Alitha Martinez, artist
• For the Man Who Has Nothing / Michael W. Conrad, writer; Cully Hamner, artist
• #SavedBySuperman / Rich Douek, writer; Joe Quinones, art
• Superman Red & Blue #5 Cover / Amanda Conner, illustrator
• Fetch / Judd Winick, writer; Ibrahim Moustafa, artist
• Deescalation / G. Willow Wilson, writer; Valentine De Landro, artist
• Your Favorite / Josh Williamson, writer; Chris Sprouse, pencils; Karl Story, inks
• Red Sun . . . Blue Dot / Mark Buckingham, story & art
• [Untitled - "Matthew 3:17"] / Daniel Warren Johnson, writer & artist
• Superman Red & Blue #6 Cover / Evan "Doc" Shaner, illustrator
• Streaky the Supercat in: Hissy Fit / Sophie Campbell, story & art
• Scoop / Matt Wagner, story & art
• The Special / Tom King, writer; Paolo Rivera, artist
• Son of Farmers / Darcie Little Badger, writer; Steve Pugh, art
• "Ally" / Rex Ogle, writer; Mike Norton, artist
• Variant Cover Gallery / Lee Bermejo (#1), Yoshitaka Amano(#1), David Choe (#2), Brian Bolland (#2), Derrick Chew (#3), John Paul Leon (#3), Alexander Lozano (#4), Walter Simonson (#4), Arthur Adams (#5), Miguel Mercado (#5), Gabriele Dell'Otto (#6), and Kevin Eastman (#6), illustrators
• Cover Process / Gary Frank, Nicola Scott, Amanda Conner, Evan "Doc" Shaner, and John Paul Leon, illustrators

Chapter 41? I am clearly missing something. I want to know more about this Grendel. I am intrigued.

Wesley Dodds is my favorite kind of comics super-hero: he isn't. Zero superpowers, not even the "power to cloud mens' minds" like The Shadow. All he has is a trench-coat, a fedora, a gas gun, and a WWI gas mask. Which means, when he goes to work, just like Super Man or the Green Lantern, he's about as inconspicuous as a cockroach on a wedding cake, only unlike them, no powers, like I said.

Don't expect to find Morpheus here except when Mr. Dodds uses his not-so magic gun on you. And death isn't some cute chick either. Its a brutal kick in the throat. Wesley Dodds's Sandman is a resurrection of the real DC Sandman from the 1940s. He likes to leave bits of poetry on pieces of origami. I like that.

The artwork is updated old school comic style. The story is pretty much straight 1940s noir which isn't effective all the time, but pretty fun nonetheless. Like all good noir (as opposed to mystery) nobody really cares about the plot but instead the characters, the setting, the ambiance of quiet anxiety and despair, are what matters. There is a lot of incest, bondage, torture, and murder for those who like that sort of thing, so don't leave it around for the kiddies to read.

Two fairly mundane mysteries don't really add much to the development of the series which is something I've come to expect in sophomore efforts. There is way too much gratuitous bigotry displayed in an effort to establish the era and the "hard boiled" nature of the stories, and in an attempt to emphasize the enlightened attitude of the good guys: Dodds et. al. I felt the pedophilic rape was unnecessary to the plot and am not sure why it was inserted. Anyway don't leave this one around for the kiddies to find. I do like the fact that no matter how dire the situation the Sandman NEVER kills.

Artwork is fairly uninspiring typical comic fare and seemed to make the protagonists as unattractive as possible in another effort at realism.

I do have a sneaking suspicion where this is going but I like the path so far that the story has taken. Kevin Matchstick is an everyman, with nothing to really live for when his life changes when he meets a mysterious man who appears to be a beggar but is in fact a mage who introduces him to the world of magic and the power that he can access.
An interesting story with some interesting characters. I'm looking forward to more of this.

Good revisitation of the Shadow, metafictional reshuffling and reshaping of story conundrums over the years now made into one easy-to-read collection. Recommended if you've ever wondered what made fans of the pulps tick...

This was an anthology series set in the Miracleman universe. And though it's nice to dip into that universe again, these stories really can't hold a candle to Alan Moore's original series.

I am a Matt Wagner fan. The Spirit I don't care for. But Matt Wagner did a good job with this character that I don't care for.

The worlds of the Endless' Sadnman Morpheus and Wesley Dodds (crime fighting Sandman) meet momentarily in 1939 when Dods is lef to Burgess' mansion in search of the murderer of a family friend. This story is largely fluff and is obviously more connected to the Wesley Dodds storyline than to that of Morpheus, but it almost explains how the two characters are connected. Though really it just hints, because what's the fun in a story where everything is completely explained?

Builds on the first set of stories in a really satisfying way. Guy Davis really comes into his own artistically here as well - there's a slight refinement on the designs from the first volume that's really nice. (Although Wagner's original pitch at the end of the book feels like we missed out on an even more over-the-top version of this, sadly.)

A bit of a mixed bag. The first story, The Tarantula, is really excellent - Guy Davis's style is kind of unusual compared to other comics I've read (it reminds me more of the cartoons you'd see in The New Yorker or something), but it fits the story really well. Matt Wagner's switching between the perspective of Dian, The Sandman, and Dodds (who really feel like two different characters despite being the same person) works really well.

The later stories are a bit of a mixed bag. The Face has a great concept for a villain, but sticks him in a plot about Chinatown gang wars that's not very interesting and often feels like it's walking the line between a period piece and another yellow peril story. The Brute just turns up the dials on all the worst parts of The Face, and that's all I'll say about it. An interesting start based on the strength of the first story alone, but there's a lot of room for improvement.

The trippiest part of this book isn't Brother Power. It's seeing Tampa get blown up by a falling satellite.

Visit my blog The Itinerant Librarian to read my review. Click on the link: http://itinerantlibrarian.blogspot.com/2013/09/booknote-green-hornet-year-one-om...