CBF Quick Picks #8 : Peter & Max
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Welcome to 2010! Tastes like chicken…
Today, we go into the first novel of Bill Willingham’s Fables line that talks about the sibling rivalry between Peter and Max Piper of the pied piper lore. I’m constantly amazed at Willingham’s talent, especially in how he writes this out in novel format as opposed to the monthly comic format he’s used to writing in. And the origin tales of the pipers fit so well into Fables continuity that I’m hoping we’ll see them show in the monthly series. A good page-turner (though a bit tedious in the beginning if you already know your Fables concepts) and definitely recommended for both long-time Fables fans and fantasy fans overall.
CBF End of Year Podcast
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Mike and I recently wrapped up the decade with our 2-part Wizard Decade Edition podcasts (latest one is here if you want to check it out), but I figured to also provide one focused particularly on 2009 as well. A lot went on this year alone, which explains why this was probably the longest podcast I’ve ever done solo. Some highlights on the podcast:
- DC was the big publisher this year in my eyes with Grant Morrison and Geoff Johns leading the charge on the major story arcs.
- Vertigo continues to innovate with their new Unwritten and Daytripper series
- Marvel’s Dark Reign storyline dominates the year, but hear why I believe it lost its focus as the year went on.
- Image and Dark Horse continue to put out quality work in spite of the domination by the big two publishers
- 2010 will see more excellent books and a more focused direction on both DC and Marvel’s sides.
- I lay down challenges as to supporting independents and why comics should never be considered as just “spandex” books
A happy and safe New Year’s to all and we’ll see you on the other side of 2010!
Comic Book Fury 5: Fables, First 5 Graphic Novels
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This week’s podcast is all about Fables. Well at least the first five graphic novels. Fables is on ongoing Vertigo series with characters from fairy tales and folklore, such as The Big Bad Wolf, Snow White, Boy Blue and others, who have left their Homelands to escape an enemy known as the Adversary, whose identity is revealed in a later issue, but not in the first five graphic novels.
Fables is written by Bill Willingham, who also wrote another new favorite of mine, House of Mystery.
We talk a little about Sandman, John Constantine, and I yes I know, it’s Jack Ketch, not John.
Enjoy!
Anatomy of the Comic Book
I routinely get asked what’s so fascinating about reading stories of spandex-clad super-heroes in the comics. I’ll get remarks that it’s just “nerd” material, just for kids, or that I need to get outside more. Granted, I do question at times why Superman wears red underwear outside his costume, but hey, he’s still fully clothed and that’s all that matters…
There’s a lot to be said about the comic book itself and what it brought to the table throughout history. When people were first introduced to Captain America in the 40′s, it was a response to our fears about how the U.S. will fare in WWII. When the X-Men were introduced in the 60′s, it spoke volumes about the racial prejudice prominent to that period. Then there were the stories that brought things down to a more personal scale. Spider-Man brought us a character that not only fought crime, but dealt with real-life issues most high school and college students could relate to. The Fantastic Four showed us that even super-hero families have relational issues and can still work them out. Combine these with the sci-fi aspects that comes with being super heroes and you can see why comics have outlasted economic turmoil and critic bashing over the years.
Of course, being that comics have been a visual medium for the longest time, there comes a time when the emphasis on art is stronger than emphasis on writing. Enter the early 90′s. Artists became superstars. Publishers produced hundreds of covers for almost every single issue. It was the “in” thing to collect and sell at later times. Storytelling took a back seat while artwork helped rack in the dough.
Then the market became saturated with thousands of useless issues that weren’t being collected. Consumers realized the deteriorating value behind these issues. Retailers and publishers lost millions. Marvel declared bankruptcy in 1996. The bare-bones storytelling became more noticeable and many fan-favorite characters suffered via cancellations. The industry started to re-think the direction behind its heroes as well as other areas they can explore.
The mid 90′s started to show the potential of the medium through Neil Gaiman’s Sandman, which Mike touched upon in our first podcast.
It was a different approach, delving into and re-inventing the mythologies Gaiman wanted to play with. It went away from the conventional super hero books and showed that comics could be as just a respected reading medium as any novel on the bookshelves. DC took notice and created its “Vertigo” line to accommodate creator-owned lines and new universes.
Fables, Y: The Last Man, Ex Machina, and more would help in grabbing old readers disenchanted by the old superhero stories and new readers looking for innovative storytelling. The superhero books would follow after DC and Marvel discovered a new crop of writers that could re-invent their images. And while today’s sales numbers may not reach the numbers the 80′s and early 90′s brought, comics are getting a new kind of respect that has resulted in writers being offered TV gigs and comic properties becoming high-grossing movies.
My next few posts will highlight the books I feel are helping to realize the medium’s potential. Feel free to suggest any you feel deserve to be up on that list. Enjoy!
Comic Book Fury 4: Blackest Night Preview
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Tim and I tease a little bit about X-Men Origins: Wolverine
We discuss Free Comic Book Day, when I picked up Blackest Night Zero. It’s a fantastic primer for what’s happening in the Lantern Corps and the coming Blackest Night story arch which we think will be THE story of the summer. Tim gives us a little history on the Anti Monitor, because he’s very important to the Blackest Night story. See if your local comic shop still has some copies of it.
Everything begins this July with Green Lantern 43 and Blackest Night 1.
And you must get this T Shirt right now:
Black Lantern
We finish up the Neil Gaiman Batman story. It was an odd ending and we don’t get where this fits into the rest of the Batman stories, especially with what happened in Final Crisis. One of the problems with getting a guest writer like Neil Gaiman is you expect a lot, maybe too much. Plus, his style is very different than what Batman readers are used to. It’s still a good story, but we’ll wait to see what happens before we place
Tim reviews the latest Green Lantern, how mixing blue and green is pretty dang powerful, and his battle against the Orange Lantern. I might be done with Ghost Rider already. It’s a little too campy for me right now. I will check out Jason Aaron’s other book Wolverine Weapon X though.
Tim has found a great comic, which unfortunately has been pulled from production, called Manhunter. Think Law & Order with super villains and a lawyer that turns vigilante when the system breaks down, but not like DareDevil.
We end the show with a little talk about Fables, which we’ll really get into in a few weeks.
What’s happening this week
Comic Book Fury Episode 1: Origins and Watchmen
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Show runs 49 minutes.
Tim and I talk about how we got into comics, some favorite story lines, authors, and artists. We then review Watchmen, no spoilers, and a little bit about what Neil Gaiman is doing with Batman.