Valeninto's timing it perfect. As the industry's fans, pros and salespeople alike gather in San Diego for Comic-Con International, the premier comics convention, the one-time publisher of Image Comics offers up this scathing look at such industry gatherings and the people who keep comicdom going. Valentino pulls no punches in this unforgiving parody of an industry that's feeding on itself. The strongest -- and my favorite -- statement in the book is actually on the book. In an over-the-top but perceptive comment, the front cover makes it clear that the fans, the professionals who create and publish comics and the retailers who sell them are all one and the same.
It's been years since normalman and Captain Everything were in the limelight, but the latter bursts into normalman's bedroom with great news -- they've got their own comic book! Of course, to attract attention, they'll have to hit the road to market their ware, and the first stop is an Average Comic Book Shop... one devoid of any fans. Disappointed, normalman is ready to throw in the towel, but Everything whisks him off to a spot that's chock full of folks: Comic-Con International in San Diego! And in another story, a Hollywood producer sets his sights on normalman's story for the big-screen treatment.
The Hollywood story was written and illustrated in 1991, and it's interesting to compare how Valentino's style evolved over the course of 13 years. There's a darker, grittier look at play that I suspect stems from the Kewl period of the time. After all, that was when such artists as Todd McFarlane, Jim Lee and Rob Liefeld were at the height of their popularity. Overall, Valentino's work reminds me of the styles of such cartoonists as Batton (Supernatural Law) Lash and Phil (Girl Genius) Foglio.
Washed-up actresses, egomaniac publishers and costumed fans are just some of the targets at which Valentino takes aim. Valentino pulls no punches when it comes to his Image Comics compatriots (not to mention one former Image colleague whose publishing affiliation seems to change as often as his underwear).
Of course, Valentino can get away with it because ultimately, he's mocking himself as well for being an active participant in the fantasy- and funds-fueled chaos that is the comic-book industry. Captain Everything and normalman are two sides of the same coin. Everything represents naivete and a childhood sense of wonder and excitement that keeps us -- fans and pros alike -- going.
