Sweet Tooth by Jeff Lemire

Posted: January 30, 2013 | Author: | Filed under: Books, Comic | Tags: , , | 2 Comments

A nice post apocalyptic story by Jeff Lemire, author of The Underwater Welder, published in 40 short comic book volumes. Commercial, I know, but still quite nice.

Somehow I liked the first half of the 40 volumes better than the other one – I guess, it has to do with mysteries. Don't know about you, but I prefer some mysteries not to be explained and solved in books, films, etc. As the unknown and the unexplained typically “sells” much better than poorly patched storylines.

Gods coming to earth, huh. Sweet Jesus.

 

Girls by The Luna Brothers

Posted: January 26, 2013 | Author: | Filed under: Books, Comic | Tags: , , , | Leave a comment

Started reading volume 1 just to fill a brief pause in the cab and moved through all the 24 volumes at high speed thereafter. Chewing gum, I know, I know, but I liked it nonetheless.

In a nutshell, a sci-fi story about a small town alien invasion of naked girls that hunted women and fornicated with men to lay eggs and reproduce this way. I guess it would make for a good sci-fi / horror movie script, if any studio were brave enough to take it. Too much flesh, and not in Jean-Marc Barr way, if you get my drift. Hehe.

 

 

From Hell by Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell

Posted: January 26, 2013 | Author: | Filed under: Books, Comic | Tags: , , , , , | 1 Comment

It took me about 2 or 3 years or so to decide that I have to read Alan Moore's From Hell and buy it. Well, my original deliberation was largely due to the fact that I disliked the film based upon it. And then another 2 years or so to actually read it – well, after I've bought it again on ComiXology for iPad.

It is a grand read. Complex and difficult at the beginning, but drawing you in and growing pace once you've dived in. Jack The Ripper story linked with the Queen, with a mix of history and the Freemasons. Absolutely grand. Now forms part of my Moore's must-read list of three – Watchmen as the crown jewel, V for Vendetta and this. No doubt, Moore's ability to spin the story is amazing – you find new angles and links all the time.

Given the ugliness of the Whitechapel murders, Eddie Campbell's raw colorless drawings fit the story perfectly.One big recommendation though – reading it in e-version and not paper is essential. Lots of smallish fonts which are much easier to follow in guided panel view than on a page.

In summary, a masterpiece. I even want to revisit the movie.

 

The Walking Dead vol. 106 by Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard and Cliff Rathburn

Posted: January 13, 2013 | Author: | Filed under: Books, Comic | Tags: , , , | Leave a comment

The only thing interesting about volume 106 is the question on last page – and it remains unanswered.

 

Richard Stark’s Parker: The Score by Darwyn Cooke

Posted: January 3, 2013 | Author: | Filed under: Books, Comic | Tags: , , , , , , | 2 Comments

This yellow colored Parker looked best of them all. And read best. It was the simplest story – just one gigantic hit, not on a bank, not on an armed vehicle – a hit on a whole town, banks, jewelers, company safes, all of it.

Absolutely delightful and absolutely brutal – though not as brutal as it used to be. “You've misjudged me. I don't kill as an easy way out. If I kill, it's because I don't have any choice.”

New book will be out late in 2013. I'll wait.

 

Richard Stark’s Parker: The Outfit by Darwyn Cooke

Posted: January 3, 2013 | Author: | Filed under: Books, Comic | Tags: , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Parker from The Hunter is still in rage and waging a full fledged war on the Outfit, a US undercover gambling syndicate stretching coast to coast. More bodies rolling, more action, more fun.

Second novel was much more gripping than the first – at least, to my taste – and much more complex, both narratively and graphically. Never read the original, so hard for me to compare that to the base material. The built-in pages with description of various hits were a gem – but not only they.

I am seriously considering forgoing some sleep tonight and reading the third part The Score in one go. Oh, well, tomorrow is another day.

 

Richard Stark’s Parker: The Hunter by Darwyn Cooke

Posted: January 2, 2013 | Author: | Filed under: Books, Comic | Tags: , , , , , , | 2 Comments

I don't remember reading Richard Stark's Parker novels when I was a kid (though I did read a ton of crime fiction at the time) – but I might as well did read some. Nor I knew that Payback movie starring Mel Gibson was based on The Hunter.

A simple enough and quite cruel story of a criminal getting his revenge against a former accomplice who had crossed him – and later, against the crime syndicate that the guy worked for. Gruesome, as the main protagonist is a criminal not to high on morals, so quite a few innocent bystanders die here – not so typical in our Hollywood PG-13 oriented world, it has immediately come to my mind.

Nice art by Darwyn Cooke – Wikipedia claims that the late Donald E. Westlake (the real Richard Stark) supervised The Hunter and was impressed by it. Will read the follow-ups for sure – The Outfit and The Score are out so far. I wonder, how many more issues Mr. Cooke will cook, as Richard Stark wrote 24(!) Parker novels.

 

The Walking Dead, vol. 103-105 by Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard and Cliff Rathburn

Posted: January 1, 2013 | Author: | Filed under: Books, Comic | Tags: , , , | Leave a comment

Intrigued by the increased action and gore in the collected volume 17 of The Walking Dead: Something To Fear (Glenn was literally butchered, for X's sake!), and more and more attracted to digital comic book universe, bought the 3 last issues of monthly installments for Comics app by comiXology. Man, do they look awesome! Nicer than kindle, that's for sure.

Storyline going the way it should've – less zombies, more nasty butchers, hell on earth, huh. Rick is having some hard time big F way. Now waiting for #106 this January. Yeah!

 

 

The Underwater Welder by Jeff Lemire

Posted: January 1, 2013 | Author: | Filed under: Books, Comic | Tags: , , | 3 Comments
This is the first “serious” non-serialized graphic novel I've bought for kindle. Never read Jeff Lemire's work before (not Essex County, not the mainstream DC or Vertigo stuff).
 
The art is great, if you ask me. The storyline is intriguing as well – a diver making peace with his drowned diver dad and with his life in parallel, while he's about to become a father himself. Flashback over flashback over flashback.
 
Maybe, if I were a diver myself, I could've related myself a bit more to some of the things here – sadly (or luckily) I ain't one.
 
Many reviewers compare it to The Twilight Zone – my problem – I never watched the original TV series, I think I may have watched the mid-90s' movie ages ago and remember nothing, so hard to say whether it is indeed so.
 
Overall, definitely worth a read.