Batman # 852 to 854 - Dark Knight Dark City

Writer: Peter Milligan
Artist/Inks: Kieron Dwyer/Dennis Janke
Publisher: DC
Published: 1990
Cover: Mike Mignola

Batman's back. Back again.

Grant Morrison has finally returned us Bruce Wayne from the hands of time. In the process he has reinvented the Bat Origin Mythos, inspired/based on the 3 issue Batman story Dark City. I'm not going to get into too much detail on this connection as other blogs will do a much better job than me. However a quick recap is necessary to help understand the opening pages of Batman and Robin #16. In Dark City a bunch of cultists have prepared a woman for sacrifice in a hidden basement of a barn. This ritual is to summon the demon Barbathos...but the cultists chicken out, bolt and seal the trap door to the ritual room, leaving the woman to perish.
 
During the final issue of the Dark City mini series, Batman has been manipulated into returning to that same room where he frees the ghost of the woman. Take a look at the below image...take a good long look at this climatic moment of the Dark City run that Grant Morrison has used to usher in the New Batman of the 21st century...


Pretty good right...good guys win...but wait...why, in the last panel, is Batman not wearing any pants?! I can picture it now: 


Batman: "So before I rescue you from this burning inferno, I'm gonna need to slip into something comfortable." Zip "Goodbye pants - hello freedom!"


And there you have it...the story that set the stage to re-define our beloved Batman; our beloved Pants-less Batman.

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Fan Expo 2010 - Hellblazer # 250

Writers: Brian Azzarello, Jamie Delano, Dave Gibbons, China Mieville, Peter Milligan
Artists: Rafael Grampa, David Lloyd, Sean Phillips, Giuseppe Gamuncoli, Stefano Landini, Edie Campbell
Publisher: Vertigo
Published: February 2009

This should be my final entry on the Fan Expo...I think so at any rate...

Before the discussion with Darwyn Cooke, another popular crime writer hosted a talk: Brian Azzarello. I enjoyed the discussion. I've only read a few works of his, namely, The Joker, Broken City, a few other stand alone stories, and this issue. Overall I wouldn't call myself a dedicated fan...it's nothing personal...his writing overall just doesn't connect with me...however his work ethic is admirable and he comes across as a nice and opinionated guy.

From what I gathered in the discussion, he's a hard working chap who enjoys writing down-and-dirty crime stories. Some things of note during his talk were his dislike of continuity comics, his dislike of the Joker becoming a popular anti-hero, and his approach to making sure his stories have an invisible plot. In regards to his Joker statement, I'm glad I went to the discussion, considering after I first read his and Bermjo's take on the Joker I was left confused, dissatisfied, and unable to appreciate it.

Which was a subtle goal of theirs.


Azzarello and Bermjo don't like that the Joker is becoming so popular and well-liked that he's almost becoming an anti-hero. The Joker is not being recognized as the psychopath, schitzo killer that he is and thus as a character he's losing credibility. Knowing this was their intention, I now realize that my initial distaste after reading The Joker was not because of a poorly conceived book, but because unconsciously I wanted to root for the Joker, when in actuality, the Joker is the last person you want to root for.

Anyway, enough on Brian and Bermjo...I'm sure they're doing alright for attention!

I picked up Hellblazer #250 because of R. Grampa. He's the shit. His art is graphically insane! Over the next year or so I can guarantee that in the world of comics, it's going to be Grampa, Grampa, Grampa!

In Grampa and Azzarellos tale, John Constantine has been hired to remove a decades old curse. All he needs are some dedicated fans and a goat. Let the magic begin!

The rest of the comic has a variety of solid tales that are pretty awesome - but don't take my word for it! Go get it because once Grampa really hits it, his back log is going to be super hot shit!



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Fan Expo 2010 - The Bomb

Writer/Artist: Steve Mannion
Publisher: Asylum Press
Published: August 2008

One of the comic book creators I was most excited to see at the Fan Expo was Steve Mannion. A few months back I picked up The Bomb on a whim. When I saw Steve I mentioned this,... well I said this: "I had never heard of The Bomb, but based off the cover I picked it up, and well, it's the bomb!"

This statement could have gone two ways with him: awkward silence or laugh. I got a laugh. Nice. I knew right then this guy's alright. We talked for a few minutes. He struck me as a goofy guy who easily breaks a grin. These qualities definitely come through his work. I asked if he plans on continuing his Fearless Dawn run, upon which he responded yes, and flipped to a drawing of Helga and her Nazi buddy on the moon!

The Bomb is a collection of great looking goofy stories ranging from a Jungle girl and a dinosaur, to a juiced up pirate, to nazi shenanigans, to zombie robots. It has a swimsuit edition that is nice play on Archie Comics. Anyway, I can't express how much I like this collection of comics. There just good ol' fun comics...

As an final note, at the Expo, his sketchbook was the best purchase of the day. As far as sketchbooks go, for $10 you won't find a better deal. I have a feeling he'll be realizing this and the price will go up...but good for him!




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Fan Expo 2010 - Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne # 3

Writer: Grant Morrison
Artist: Yanick Paquette
Ink/Color: Michel Lacombe/ Nathan Fairbairn
Publisher: DC
Published: August 2010

Part 3 of The Return of Bruce Wayne has Batman visiting ye ol' pirate days.

What stands out in this particular issue is Yanick's stellar artwork. The guy's a pro! I also had the chance to meet him while at the Fan Expo. Of all the artists/writers I met, he was certainly the most lively and open with his thoughts. Yanick hails from Quebec, and when I arrived he was knee deep in a conversation with another fan regarding the state affairs of European and French comics. I had no idea what they were talking about, but it was fun to listen to nonetheless.

While perusing his original artwork for this issue, I asked him how long it takes him to do a page. He told me he does a page a day. I was taken aback and expressed my amazement. His response, with a diabolical hammed up glee: "I'm a machine!"

I then went on to express how much I enjoyed the look of this issue, especially his attention to the skulls and bones bridge. Yanick said he had created a 3d model to figure out the angles, which makes sense, because his bridge of bones is the most mechanically solid bridge I have ever seen rendered. In the above credits I see that Michel was the inker on this issue, but when I saw the originals, they were already inked. I never thought to ask how the two of them collaborate, but let me just tell you, his black and white originals for this issue are outstanding! They look fantastic! (Check this link for an idea of the level of skill Yanick is at.)

Yanick then went onto discuss his working relationship with DC and Grant Morrison, which is startling/fascinating unto itself. If you ever get a chance to meet Yanick, let me just tell you, he's an interesting/fun guy.

Fan Expo 2010 - Girl Comics # 2

Writers: Various
Artists: Various
Colours: Various
Publisher: Marvel
Published: July 2010

While at the Fan Expo in Toronto, I had the opportunity to meet Jill Thompson! She's a nice person who is a wicked artist. Our conversation was brief and a bit stunted, but enjoyable nonetheless.

I mentioned how much I liked her cover for Girl Comics 2, what with the spin on a fairytale using Marvel characters. She said she "got to do a Marvel cover" and so she wanted to cram as many characters as she could on it. All the better in my mind - I think it's the best cover of the 3 issues.

We then turned to a discussion on her technique. She is a master artist in my mind. She can write, draw, illustrate, paint, letter, and color. She mentioned that one of the draw backs of digital coloring is how easy it is to create a flat looking image. She's totally right. Now, just to clarify, she's not saying digital coloring sucks, just that it is very easy to create a flat image, whereas with paint, depth and perspective can be explored more thoroughly. By having the color trail off, recede, or fade out, an illusion of depth is created, which makes the art all the more interesting. Another thing she mentioned was on her Scary Godmother series, she uses her own font, which has since been made into a digital font. I'm not sure why Marvel didn't just use her font for her Inhumans story...but that's the corporate machine at work I guess. Man she's a wicked artist though! I only wish I had the cashonies to buy a copy of her sketches...I'll be kicking myself over that one....

Check below a pic I took of the printed copy vs. the original artwork from Girl Comics 2. (I still think Girl Comics 2 is a terrible title. All the more considering I have to think of Jill Thompson and the phrase 'Girl Comics' in the same sentence. Just seems wrong...anyway, enjoy the art!)




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Fan Expo 2010 - Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne # 1

Writer: Grant Morrison
Artist: Chris Sprouse
Inks/Colors: Karl Story/Guy Major
Publisher: DC
Published: July 2010

As only Grant Morrison can pen and Chris Sprouse can envision, the first issue of Bruce Wayne's return from "the dead" hits like a rumbling thunder storm. Near the conclusion of Final Crisis, Batman was hurled back in time to the dawn of civilization. It is at this point where The Return of Bruce Wayne kicks off. Essentially, issue # 1 is an action packed cave man yarn staring Batman. I know - Awesome.

So as the title above mentions I recently attended the Fan Expo in Toronto and I had the opportunity to meet Chris Sprouse. He comes across as a real nice guy. I think I may have gotten a small reaction out of him when I said his version of Batman was "a manly man's man." I sincerely meant this as a compliment, because Batman is normally a clothed figure, shrouded in darkness, so it's a interesting change to see him shirtless, but still wearing his leotards. Plus, Chris Sprouse has got the whole alpha male look nailed down. It don't get more manly than his drawing of men. (Again, that's a compliment.)

Our conversation then turned to how the internet is essentially a stomping ground of negativity. He mentioned that some complaints on the internet of his book were that one of the cavemen was blond, and that there was a giant bat thingy in the book. I don't read comic book message boards generally, but I wasn't surprised to hear this. If there is one thing the internet has encouraged, it's complaining. Which is fine in of itself, but due to the sheer quantity, it can be a bit much. So as Sprouse mentioned, he just turns it off and does his thing.


With this in mind, I sometimes wonder if comic creators read comments, reviews, or reactions to their work? I think they would almost have to, considering it's vital to their success to know what is working and not working with their audience; but at the same time, where do they draw the line? I know when I was in elementary school, I used to read and re-read my report card comments. I was obsessed with knowing 'my areas of improvement'. But then one day I just turned off that side of my personality. It wasn't getting me anywhere. In the end it was a relief. I think many comic book creators also feel this sense of relief once they turn off the message boards. No point getting charged up just because some fanboy didn't dig your version of a cave man, even if he is the manliest man of cave mans...





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Cover Artist: Travis Charest
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Cover Artist: Simone Bianchi
Publisher: Marvel

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Cover Artist: Sergio Ponchione
Publisher: Fantagraphics

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Fan Expo 2010 - The Man with the Getaway Face

Writer/Artist: Darwyn Cooke
Publisher: IDW
Published: July 2010
Adapted from Richard Stark's Parker: The Man with the Getaway Face

This past weekend was the second time I met Darwyn Cooke. He was at Toronto's Fan Expo where he had a booth setup along fellow comic book artists; he also hosted a one hour discussion on comic book layout and construction. As ever I was beside myself when I talked to the guy. It's hard not to let my fan boy-ness out, but overall I think I did well, even considering the fact I was sporting a Frank Miller Dark Knight t-shirt.

During my meeting with him he was as nice as ever. He spoke a little about his long term plans with his Parker series of graphic novels. He would like to finish them up just in time for his 50th birthday, and then after he was done with them he would take a break - *boo-urns* - but then again, it is a much deserved break.

As I mentioned I also went to his page composition layout discussion. I love these type of events. Not only do you get some tips and ideas on how he works, but you get a chance to actually hear his opinion on a wide range of subjects. One thing that stood out in my mind was his comment that he was limited in 'really conversing' with us fans due to the times...ie. everything is recorded, videotaped, and posted...which he's completely right about considering here I am writing about his discussion. The only difference is I have enough tact to not go into everything...I'm just not interested in stirring the pot as it were. He also mentioned he was a big fan of Dan Clowes, and especially of his book Ice Haven. This surprised me at first, but upon reflection, makes perfect sense. They're both awesome comic creators.

Overall Cooke strikes me as a humble guy, but also a guy who has definite opinions and interesting thoughts. My only wish is that we lived in a society where he could really share his more "controversial" thoughts without it coming back on him due to some fan boy posting it to youtube. I just know he has a unique perspective on the comic industry and it would be great to hear some of those thoughts in more detail.

One detail he mentioned that was quite exciting is that in his next book, The Outfit, Cooke has homaged/parodied the old Hanna Barbara cartoons to visually represent one of the many heists. This alone has me excited for The Outfit.


The Man with the Getaway Face was originally intended to Cooke's second adapted work by Richard Stark's series of Parker novels. Cooke opted to reduce it to a prelude for the Outfit (dropping Oct.5.2010), because it was his least favorite of books and he didn't want to spend a year of his life working on a book he doesn't really care for. I see his point. It's essentially an armored truck robbery, and as Darwyn put it - it gets a bit boring see a bunch of crooks talking about how they're going to pull off the heist - they're are only so many angles you can depict of guys sitting at a table.

However, that being said, don't let this comic pass you by. Although story-wise, it may be Cooke's least favorite of the series, what makes it stand out is it's printed about 95% the size of the original artwork. Most artists work looks better reduced to standard comic size, but in my opinion, Cooke's work looks better at original size. Even though he says you can see the rough passes and 'mistakes' when it's kept close to original size, I think it actually makes his work look better. Each brush stroke or color pass is magnified, and it's just charming as hell...

Here's the final page from the comic, and a Jonah Hex print I bought from Darwyn while at the Expo.




****Note: Over the next week or so, I'll be posting comics of the different artists I visited with, as well as sharing info on our conversations****


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Sin City

Writer/Artist: Jack Chick
Publisher: Chick Publications
Published: 1998

I watched Jesus Camp a few months back. One of the kids in the film was reading a Jack Chick comic, so I felt I'd share another of his comics. I've also been thinking of Frank Miller's Sin City lately. Lo and behold, Jack Chick wrote a strip titled Sin City. But that's about the only element the two have in common.

Jack Chick's Sin City is about a pastor who is protesting homosexuality. Due to his "radical stance", he is nearly beaten to death. While recuperating, he meets a gay priest who harbors a demon, which of course clouds his judgment. After some choice words of wisdom involving Sodom and Gomorrah by the pastor, the demon is excised, and the priest repents his sins. The End.

Not a very uplifting tale, and a bit one sided,...man I don't have the energy to even go into this one. Check the link to read the actual comic...OR... check this link for some tight pants sinning.

Art & Beauty # 2

Writer/Artist: Robert Crumb
Publisher: Fantagraphics Books
Published: 2003

Art & Beauty is not so much a comic book, but a picture book of drawn ladies by Crumb in a comic sized book, each captioned by either himself or other writers/artists.

I was first introduced to Crumb when I was in Toronto several years ago. I wandered into a book shop and I saw the R. Crumb Coffee Table Art Book on display. After a quick peruse, I noticed here's a guy who definitely likes to draw, especially the darker side of life. After some more research on Crumb, I was inevitably drawn towards the movie Crumb.

The movie Crumb covered many aspects of his life, ranging from his obsession with old timey music, family trauma, to his sex life. Now, here is a guy who has a split persona when it comes to sex. He is clearly obsessed with sex, and he comes off as both a victim and benefactor of his compulsions. Crumb's attitude toward women is a mixed bag as well. On the physical level he is enraptured, but overall some of his work is extremely misogynistic. Needless to say, that dichotomy has earned him his fair share of praise and criticism.

However, his Art & Beauty comics show a brighter attitude towards women. And boy can he draw!