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SUPERNATURAL LAW #32
"Courting the Muse" & "Meanwhile, Back at the Interim..."
Highly Recommended (9/10)
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Exhibit A Press
Writer/Artist: Batton Lash
Art Assist: Derek Ozawa & Melissa Uran
Editor: Jackie Estrada
Price: $2.50 US |
I am in general not a fan of the "split book" format, as I generally find that stories require a full comic to tell, and telling two stories in one book tends to weaken both, even when it's the same creative team. For whatever reason, Supernatural Law seems to be a consistent exception to
that rule, as Lash provides two very different stories in this issue, each of
them quite amusing in a different way and each of them filled with the charming
and entertaining writing and art I've come to expect from the book.
The very heart of the concept of Supernatural Law is to examine myths and legends
through a more modern lens, that of the law. The first story in the book, the
tale of the 10th Muse (not the Image comic, mind you), is a perfect example of
that kind of dichotomy at work. While the story is about the fanciful Greek
concept of muses inspiring artists, this particular muse sounds like your
average Jersey Girl and inspires pot-boiler novels rather than art and music.
She's a hilarious character, and just the idea of a muse inspiring lowest common
denominator fiction made me chuckle.
As always, Lash provides a
few twists and turns in the story, complicating the simple matter of a muse
suing her writer with questions of inspiration and a surprising final page pun
and even tipping his hat to that most hated of writer questions, "where do you
get your ideas?" I'm impressed that in only ten pages, he managed to introduce a
fair amount of complexity, but the brevity of the story served to make it
funnier, as you never got the feeling that the joke was going too long. Lash's
comedic timing is as perfect as his storytelling.
Another familiar element of
Lash's work is the pop cultural mainstream being parodied, and that's pretty
much what the entirety of the second story deals with. While there are several
subplots being advanced and set up in this story, not the least of which are the
ongoing renovation of the devastated offices of the firm or the romantic
entanglements of Alanna Wolff, the gags and stories that are set up and then
solved are almost all pop culture related. That includes a pointed parody of
Cerebus and its ever-more-loony creator and a couple of popular fall film
releases, both of them naturals for inclusion in this title what with its
involvement in magic and monsters.
Though I've mentioned familiar elements several times in this review, it can't be stressed enough that familiarity in this case does not breed contempt. Lash's style is comfortable and familiar, but his stories always throw curveballs at the reader, and his predilection for puns and parody are stylistic elements that I look forward to, because the material is always fresh. In addition, it's probably not something I've said often enough, but almost every issue of Supernatural Law is a good jumping-on point, and this
one is no exception, well worth a look for those who haven't yet tried this
funny and exceptionally well-done comic.
Email Randy Lander comments about this review, or discuss it on the Fourth Rail message board. |
