Down The Line - Previews review for August 2003 - Part Two by Randy Lander & Dave Farabee No, it's not another summer sequel, it's just part two of the August edition of Down The Line, with Randy and co-host Dave Farabee. This time out, we're covering the back half of the Previews catalog, which is where a lot of the really interesting (and often very weird) stuff happens. The high concept of these Previews reviews and part one can all be found HERE. As with the first part, my comments will be the normal type, and Dave's will be in yellow. Pre-ordering is your friend. If there's stuff you want in August, letting your retailer know before the end of June is the best way to make sure you get it. INDY PICKS OF THE MONTH: Gyo Volume 1 TP (Viz) - DAVE: If there's one thing I've learned from horror stories, it's that seaside towns are evil, EVIL, EVIL! The latest evidence: Gyo Vol. 1, the first in a two-volume horror manga about strange sea creatures rising up from the briny depths to plague the Japanese city of Okinawa. Creator Junji Ito is the twisted genius behind last year's Uzumaki, which is quite possibly the best pure-horror comic I've ever read. He's a master of both Lovecraftian atmosphere and in-your-face shock horror, and I've come to conclusion that he can do no wrong. Fans of the macabre...seek this out without a moment's hesitation. RANDY: I fell absolutely in love with Junji Ito's work after Uzumaki creeped me out in all the right ways, so I'm really thrilled to see another two-volume set of horror being published by Viz. Dave and I are both picking this as our indy pick of the month, which should tell you how much enthusiasm we both have for it. Gyo sounds like it's in a similar vein to Uzumaki, which is fine by me, because the elder god/monster from beyond vibe is one I can certainly get into. Astronauts in Trouble TP/HC (AIT/Planet Lar) - RANDY: Given the amount of material AIT/Planet Lar has published up to this point, it's easy to forget that it started out by publishing Larry Young's "action movie with a brain" Astronauts in Trouble. I have all of the story contents here in various trades, but I'm still intrigued by a sort of "complete" trade that includes all of the Astronauts in Trouble stories, hopefully a prelude to the Astronauts in Trouble: Citizen Dave story that Larry has been teasing. I'm even more intrigued by a hardcover collection, just because I'm a sucker for a good hardcover. DAVE: So...I should finally check this out, shouldn't I? $19.95 for a 228-page hardcover sounds like a pretty terrific deal. RANDY: Definitely. This one's got it all: terrorists, newsmen, crazy industrialists, moon bases, robot bartenders, the mafia, nuclear missiles and even space-worthy cows. Farewell Georgia #1 (Amaze Ink/Slave Labor Graphics) - DAVE: Even though I normally shy away from the extreme variations in quality that inevitably mark anthologies, this one's got a pretty intriguing theme: folk legends and tall tales from the American South. RANDY: Can't you just hear that banjo playing? And Ned Beatty squealing in the background? Nah, it's not that kind of tall tales from the American South, but it does sound like Ben Towle's tales of the South lean toward the weird, with a raccoon hunting monkey, or at least the eccentric, as it promises "an aging and cantankerous Ty Cobb." The last time I took a chance on a Slave Labor series, I got Halo & Sprocket and My Monkey's Name is Jennifer, so I'm inclined to sample another one. The Waiting Place Volume 3 TP (Amaze Ink/Slave Labor Graphics) - RANDY: Sean McKeever is currently making a splash at Marvel with Sentinel and the Inhumans, but he got his start with this dramatic story, an exploration of teen angst in a small northern town that is one of the best teen dramas in comics. And it certainly kicks the hell out of most of what passes for teen drama on television. This is, I believe, the final volume of Waiting Place, and altogether it's a pretty solid read. DAVE: Heard good stuff about this. I'm embarrassed to say that I only know McKeever from his Marvel material - which I've generally liked - so I'll be curious to see him working the unfettered indie angle. There'll be mutants, right? RANDY: Um... suuuure. Mutants, giant robots, alien civilizations on the moon... okay, I can't lie to you. But there's sex, violence and foul language! Good enough? DAVE: (dejectedly) I guess. Knuckles the Malevolent Nun Volume 1: No More Mrs. Nice Nun TP (Antipodes Publishing) - RANDY: OK, I know nothing about this book, but you've got to love the title. Right? Right? Anyone? DAVE: ... Soulfire #1 (Aspen Entertainment) - DAVE: I'm kind of unclear on how all these new Michael Turner projects work. Turner was a decent standout at Top Cow, and his Fathom series a solid read, but the multitude of projects coming from his new Aspen line seem to be more of a marketing exercise than a true creative venture. For instance, this first issue of Soulfire is solicited with no less than four variant editions, including a $24.99 signed copy! I just think that drawing attention to ancillary merchandising over story is a bad way to launch. Nevertheless, with Jeph Loeb handling the writing for this new fantasy series, it may be worth a gander. RANDY: If it gets past the stumbling blocks of a Top Cow lawsuit against Turner's use of characters from Fathom in his other books, and if Turner can overcome his reputation for late artwork (one that plagues many Top Cow guys). The name that catches my attention here is Jeph Loeb, not Michael Turner, which leads me to suspect I'm not so much the target audience for this one. Those who love Turner's artwork, though, should be excited by the possibilities of some new work from him. Gun Fu: The Lost City #1 (Axiom) - RANDY: Yay! The first Gun Fu one-shot was a bit of light fun, sort of like the kind of thing you'd find on Cartoon Network's "Adult Swim," so I'm glad to see this back for another go-round. Wish the one-shot was still in print as well, or being reoffered, but I still hold out hope for a trade collection of that story and this mini-series at some point. Marvin the Dragon One-Shot (Behemoth Books) - RANDY: Brian Clopper writes comics for younger audiences, which isn't a financially rewarding thing in today's market. However, he keeps trying, which I admire, and I always enjoy his unusual ideas, whether it's the "comics for schools" of Brainbomb and Imagination Rocket, the kid's book format of Norton the Vampire or this one, a new combination story/birthday card format. Space Ace: Defender of the Universe #1 & Dragon's Lair: Singe's Revenge #1 (CG Entertainment/Code 6) - DAVE: Okay, I admit it - I'm looking forward to these. As a kid, I obsessed over the beautifully animated Don Bluth video games that inspired these two miniseries, and cringed when they were spun off into sub-par Saturday morning cartoons. Thankfully the preview art I've seen looks phenomenal, and honestly, the story won't have to be too brilliant to impress me given the video game origins. Hell, I'd buy a book of nothing but 22 pages of the heroes dying in all those hilarious ways they did in the games! But, um, I still hate all nostalgia books. RANDY: I have fond memories of pouring quarters into the Dragon's Lair (and to a lesser extent, Space Ace) machines to watch the heroes die in amusing fashion, but these particular properties don't have much of a nostalgic hold on me overall. Still... if done with the right sense of knowing humor, these could be a lot of fun. Probably not for me, but maybe for others. Way of the Rat Vol. 2: The Dragon's Wake TP (CG Entertainment) - RANDY: I quite enjoyed the first Way of the Rat trade, but I held off on reading any more issues because I wanted to read the book in trade form. It wasn't easy when the clever Chinese dragon interlinked covers kept drawing my attention, but my patience is now rewarded as the story of Boon's encounter with a big old Chinese dragon (among other things, one presumes) is told in this second trade. DAVE: I was losing some of my interest in this series when the dragon story came tromping in, and it really reinvigorated my enthusiasm. Very fun stuff, and of course, beautifully drawn. More Fund Comics (Comic Book Legal Defense Fund) - RANDY: This one benefits the CBLDF, which is always a good thing, but what draws my attention is some of the big names attached to the book, like George Perez, Geoff Johns, John Romita, Michael Oeming and Scott Kolins, as well as the mention of a glimpse into the sketchbook of some of these artists. This is an all-star production with some big names behind it, and at $10 for 128 pages, doesn't seem like a bad deal at all. DAVE: It's a damn impressive line-up, and here are a few more names from it: Frank Cho, Jerry Ordway, Adam Hughes, Stan Sakai, and J. Scott Campbell. They'd have to work pretty hard to screw-up this gathering of talent. Shaolin Soccer #1 (Comicsone) - RANDY: The guy wants to spread the teachings of the Shaolin... so he marries it with ultra-popular sport soccer. The result? Kung-fu soccer! I've heard several people telling me that the movie of Shaolin Soccer is hilarious fun, and given the premise and the fact that it's from the same folks who have brought us the quirky and fun Iron Wok Jan!, I'm looking forward to seeing this one. DAVE: Goooooaaaaaaaalllllll! (translation: very interested) Damned GN (Cyberosia Publishing) - RANDY: For the longest time, I've been wishing that Steven Grant and Mike Zeck's underappreciated crime series Damned would get a trade collection. Cyberosia has stepped up to the plate, doing what I think is their first full-color graphic novel, and if you're a fan of current crime books like 100 Bullets, you owe it to yourself to pick this one up. DAVE: Okay, Randy, I've heard you praising this book enough times in the past for me to be pretty curious, and since you know that lending me anything means you'll never get it back, I'll probably have to pony up for this one. The Changers Volume 1 GN (Dream Chocolate Confections) - RANDY: This is a graphic novel, one of two, about men from the far future come back to our society to give it an evolutionary kickstart. I've read it already, and it's absolutely fascinating, full of sociological exploration, strong characterization, big ideas and intelligent, engaging writing with solid artwork. It's the kind of thing that would be the favorite graphic novel I picked up at a con like Small Press Expo or APE, and it points the way to a big future for creator Ezra Claytan Daniels. Transformers/G.I. Joe #1 (Dreamwave Productions) - DAVE: Weird. Not only is this a massive licensing crossover, but it's a sort of "Elseworlds" as well, in which both the Joes and the Transformers come into being not in modern times, but...during the second World War. Again...weird. Individually, I can see where the crossover idea has "guilty pleasure" merit and where the WWII retrofit idea could be fun, but rolled into one, it seems a little much. John Ney Rieber (Captain America) writes and Jae Lee (Inhumans) draws the gothy pictures. RANDY: Oddly enough, even though Ney Rieber's work on Captain America was painful for me to read, and Jae Lee hasn't clicked with me lately either, I'm curious to see this project. Perhaps it's because they could have easily done a "soldiers and robots fight" story with Pat Lee on art and guaranteed themselves more sales than this more experimental take, or perhaps it's my fondness for alternative history/future scenarios talking, but this strikes me as kind of a fun idea, and the kind of thing you should do if you're going to go ahead and do goofy nostalgia crossovers. Paleo: Tales of the Late Cretaceous TP (Empty Sky) - DAVE: I had a lot of fun with the miniseries this trade collects. It's a series of self-contained stories, each one focusing on a particular dinosaur thrown into some sort of dramatic survival scenario, and all lovingly rendered in a detailed style reminiscent of Art Adams. Scattered narrative captions and pure visuals tell the tales, but don't expect cutesy, talking dinos in the Disney tradition - this is strictly Wild Kingdom stuff, with death always lurking around the corner! I'd happily recommend Paleo to anyone with an interest in dinosaurs and especially to kids in the 10 to 14 age group, as long as they can remember that sometimes dino-carnage is just "nature's way." RANDY: Who amongst us doesn't love dinosaurs? In a strictly platonic way, of course. You'd have to be some sort of super-scientific genius to love dinosaurs any other way. And really, building the dinosaurs out of genetic material left in mosquitoes trapped in amber is nothing compared to trying to seduce one with cheap wine. I'm sorry, I drifted off there. What were we talking about? Oh, right. Paleo. Dinosaurs good. Trade paperbacks good. Rock. I Was A Super-Hero Survivor (Epoch) - RANDY: The latest in a series of one-shots from creator Rick Lundeen, whose stories venture from neat ideas to spoofs. This one is one of the latter, a goof-off of reality shows with super-heroes in the mix, and it should be fun as usual. DAVE: As novelty comics go, this one sounds pretty good. The question is: can it out-funny the real upcoming show, Who Wants to Be a Superhero?, produced by Stan "The Man" himself? RANDY: I'm afraid that Who Wants to Be a Superhero? is going to be funny in that "laughing so as not to cry" kind of way. Reality shows about super-heroes, Stripperella... come back to us, Stan! DAVE: Err, actually I think he left for good sometime in the 70's, but I still love the guy. How can you not? Giant THB Volume 2 #1 (Horse Press) - DAVE: I don't know how approachable this 96-page volume will be to folks who haven't read previous installments of Paul Pope's THB, but as a longtime fan of all things "Pope," I'm excited to see it. THB, for you newcomers, revolves around the adventures of a girl named H.R. Watson on a colonized planet Mars in the not too distant future. There's always a lot of energy coming off of Pope's shadowy, brilliant art, and the setting is as well thought out as the settings of Pope's future-noir books for Vertigo (100% and Heavy Liquid). RANDY: I've discovered a real fondness for Pope thanks to 100%, but given his propensity for lateness, I'm more inclined to try THB in trade paperback format. Although at 96 pages, this pretty much qualifies as an OGN anyway, doesn't it? DAVE: Yeah, I'm hoping it'll be approachable, and even total newcomers should certainly give the material a look. At the same time, I'll absolutely get behind a call to collect all the pre-existing THB material in trades. The logistics will be rough, though, as THB has been produced in two or three different formats over the years, including as an oversized magazine ala Rolling Stone. The Shameless "1963" Six-Pack! (King Hell Press) - DAVE: If you missed these six issues when they were originally released in the early 90's, then you owe it to yourself to nab them now. 1963 is Alan Moore's homage to the swingin' Marvel style of the 60's, originally published to show the wild dichotomy between Stan Lee's innocent Silver Age tales and the frenzied, violent style of the then-new Image Comics. Fans of classic Marvel are likely to dig these, and I also recommend the series to folks who've enjoyed the video game Freedom Force, itself immersed in the vintage Lee/Kirby style. Oh, and Moore's mock advertisements from the era are hilarious. RANDY: I bought these when they came out and they weren't my cup of tea, but that was also the time when I was able to look at Youngblood #1 without my eyes bleeding. So maybe I should pick these up to re-evaluate. At any rate, fans of comic parody will no doubt want to check this one out. DAVE: I don't know that I'd use the word "parody." Despite the gag ads, these stories struck me as sincere, creative homages. RANDY: Dude... one of the characters has a planet for a head. It's either parody or really, really out there. But it is Moore and Veitch, so I guess either one is equally possible. Subatomic GN (Mad Yak Press) - RANDY: Subatomic features an intriguing graphic image to draw the eye, and the solicitation copy contains a pretty interesting premise. "What happens when the U.S. government agents decide that the greatest threat to America is its own population?" Pretty apropos given the political climate these days, and it falls into one of my favorite genres, espionage, as well as one of my favorite formats, the original graphic novel. I'm unfamiliar with the talent involved, but this is a solid solicitation that gets my attention. Testament GN (Metron Press) - DAVE: Hardboiled Bible stories?! That's sort of the vibe I'm getting from this original graphic novel featuring Old Testament stories told from the POV of a "mysterious bartender." The talent line-up is what really caught my eye, including Bill Sienkiewicz, Steve Rude, George Pratt, Kent Williams, and Sergio Aragones. It's 120 pages in full color for a very reasonable $12.95. Really sounds like it's worth checking out. RANDY: Certainly the book is unusual, the talent line-up is impressive and the ads are well put-together. I'm not generally one for Bible stories, but this one does catch the eye, doesn't it? One Bloody Year: Fall (Michel Lacombe Illustration) - RANDY: This is part one of an ambitious 160-page vampire romance by a new talent, Michel Lacombe. I've actually read this one already, and Lacombe has some amazingly polished writing and art skills for a guy I've never heard of before. The art in particular reminds me of some of Bendis's work. Jason & The Argobots Volume 2: Machine Ex Deus TP (Oni Press) - RANDY: Boy gets giant robot and becomes a celebrity. Not just wish fulfillment, but the premise of Jason & The Argobots Volume 2, which skips the mini-series format and goes straight to trade. The first mini was a fun series that bordered on all-ages super-hero in genre but had plenty more to offer, and the follow-up should also be a lot of fun. One Bad Day GN (Oni Press) - RANDY: Speaking of Oni original graphic novels, they're following up their line of home-run OGNs with One Bad Day by Steve Rolston. I still can't believe that I wasn't blown away by Rolston's work when I first saw it on Queen & Country, because I love it every time I go back and reread, and I love his work now. Just like the other Oni OGNs, this one has a great high concept, and the quality of those graphic novels has been across-the-board fantastic, so I have no reason to expect otherwise from One Bad Day. DAVE: I can't claim to be the dedicated Oni follower that you are, Randy, but Rolston's an artist whose material I'll always look into. The premise here sounds like a modern updating of Hitchcock's classic "innocent man caught up in deadly doings" theme, only the innocent man in this case happens to be a girl named Marie. Mortal Coils #1 (Red Eye Press) - RANDY: Don and I have reviewed two issues of this "Twilight Zone"-esque series, including issue one (the one solicited in this issue). You can find that review HERE, and it's pretty complimentary. Wahoo Morris #4 (Too Hip Gotta Go Graphics) - RANDY: I'm shocked to see this one coming back, but I'm even more pleased. Craig Taillefer's story of a struggling band, a budding romance and witchcraft (yes, you read that right) hit all the right notes for me, but it didn't seem to resonate with a larger audience, and the original self-published series and brief Image run both vanished beneath the waves. Here's hoping he can make more of a go of it this time. I know I'll be buying as many issues as we get, and hoping for a long run so Taillefer can really explore these characters. DAVE: Although I missed this when it first came out, I recently came across the first issue from its Image run and was very impressed. This is definitely one of those "labor of love" books, and Craig Taillefer's art has more detail and polish than a lot of Marvel and DC art. That the book's got such a likeable cast of characters seals the deals for me. Voice of the Fire HC (Top Shelf) - RANDY: Honestly, I don't have a lot of interest in reading Alan Moore's novel, but that doesn't mean it's not really cool of Top Shelf to be bringing this hard-to-find bit of Moore work into print. Given the numerous Moore interviews and story companions being published this summer, there may be more of Moore's work and thoughts in print than at any time in the past, and given his reputation and skill in comics, that can only be a good thing. DAVE: Alan Moore discussing magick is both enthralling and terrifying. Enthralling because Alan Moore could make reading the phone book interesting; terrifying because the reader must constantly ask himself if Moore's genius has finally crossed over into full-blown madness. Voice of Fire has Moore finding magick synchronicity in the lives of twelve different characters who lived in central England over the course of 6,000 years, and sounds like a must-have for fans of Promethea and Moore's other magick-minded excursions. Me? I'll be hiding in the bushes. Email Randy Lander comments about this review, or discuss it on the Fourth Rail message board.