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Breakdowns -- Camryn Manheim Steamroller

December 12, 2002

Due to not just typical holiday rush and extra computer time spent composing digital photos, I also lost about a day vomiting my way through a virus or food poisoning or something. If there’s any good to come out of that, at least I can say I’ve actually made spinach come out of my nose. Add to that a lost hour watching female tigers spray trees with their scent on Animal Planet, and I just haven’t had the time or energy to do quite as long a column as usual, which may even be a relief for some of you. So, the fluids just mentioned will be the only ones this week, meaning the second installment of The Pornhound will have to wait. I just don’t want to have a break in THE GRENDEL SAGA, so you’ll find another chapter below. Also, we’ve quite a few new books, including the latest Bat-related book, GOTHAM CENTRAL; ONE PLUS ONE #3; LI’L SANTA; Will Eisner’s latest, SUNDIATA; the WWI graphic novel WHITE DEATH; and I catch up with an older Scott Morse book, VOLCANIC REVOLVER. However unplanned, I spotted some interesting thematic connections between some of these disparate books as I reviewed them, but I’ll leave it to you to find them for yourself.

GOTHAM CENTRAL #1 by Greg Rucka, Ed Brubaker and Michael Lark. DC Comics. $2.50
As sure-handed a series debut as I’ve seen this year, GOTHAM CENTRAL is terrific. I expected the book to be pretty good, as Rucka and Brubaker have both done excellent work in stories involving Gotham’s police detectives, but I wasn’t expecting quite this good. The reasons being that Batman wouldn’t be around here to fill the hypothetical lulls with dynamic action, and also, it’s difficult for two writers to come up with something good together that still retains their individual styles and personalities. Batman is not missed, and the book is better for his exclusion, and the year or so of preparation on this series has paid off with compelling characters of many shadings, and a police department that feels authentic, but unique due to their knowing if they can’t close a case, Batman will. That’s really one of the great hooks of the book, and it means different things to different cops. For some, it’s pure resentment against Batman; for others, a healthy challenge to themselves.

While later arcs will alternate writers -- one covering the day shift, one the night -- this particular case requires both, because it’s a case that hits home. Mr. Freeze is one of those costumed villains who doesn’t concern himself much with the police; only Batman is a challenge. But when two officers bust in on him on a bad tip, he freezes one to death, leaving the other alive, his hands frozen, to watch Freeze toy with his partner’s body, breaking off an ear for fun. It’s a sadistic side of Freeze we’ve never seen, and frankly makes the oft-silly character much more interesting. It also makes us really want the GCPD to wrap this one up themselves without Batman’s aid. Rucka and Brubaker take more of a television drama approach here to introducing the characters. There are no stars, no overwrought scenes to establish character flaws. These are just a number of people -- professionals, all -- with slightly different voices and mannerisms, all good cops in a busy department. An honorable team, and you want them to succeed. And adding dramatically to the writing effort is the artwork of Lark, who here uses a rougher inking style to convey the grittiness of the series and of Gotham itself, full of dark shadows and chipped brick. It’s excellent work all around.

LI’L SANTA by Lewis Trondheim and Thierry Robin. NBM Publishing. $14.95
It begins as a typical day for Santa: birds and rabbits get him dressed, the Snowmailmen bring him letters from the boys and girls of the world, and that annoying Snow Dragon tries to eat him again. But then things really go wrong, as the Impies, Santa’s little helpers with springs in place of legs, let Santa know the toy factory is out of the all-important garbage they need to magically convert into toys. So, Santa has to head to the big city, in a wooden ship, since the reindeer aren’t cooperating. From the North Pole to the city and back, he touches lives in the old-fashioned Santa way, runs into the pesky dragon again, and brings home plenty of lovely trash, before it’s off to bed.

This book is a thorough delight, Robin’s clear art selling every one of Trondheim’s hilarious and often surprising gags in this silent story. It’s a book you may want to keep with the Christmas books you pack away to display on a coffee table once a year, or you may not want to wait that long to read again. Suitable for all ages -- my three-year-old loved it.

SUNDIATA adapted by Will Eisner. NBM Publishing. $15.95
For this story, Eisner turns away from his beloved New York and the social strata he knows, going back in time to Mali, Africa, and adapting a centuries-old folk tale. Sumanguru is an evil warlord, unsatisfied being ruler of Sasso. And so he finds a gray rock of evil, that offers him magical powers and leads him to make war on the land of Mali, that he may conquer it as well. But though the people of Mali are peace-loving, they are clever, and kill many of Sumanguru’s army, trapping them in a valley. But Sumanguru calls upon the wind, which decimates the forces of Mali. Surveying his spoils, Sumanguru lets live Sundiata, the one remaining son of the King of Mali. The boy is crippled, so he shouldn’t be a threat. But the Mali shaman helps Sundiata to walk, and over the next few years, in hiding, Sundiata learns to be an able hunter and leader of men. Sumanguru learns of the existence of this young man, and orders him killed, but he is unsuccessful. When the Mali rebels rise up against the army of Sumanguru, Sundiata will lead them, and the gray rock will make its purpose known.

Eisner does some of his best art in years, with an evocative palette of earth tones and much more action than his typical work. And the story is faithful and entertaining. However, while giving an octogenarian some slack in not wanting to waste time, the alacrity with which he delivers this tale (32 pages!) means some important material is left out. What was Sundiata like before the invasion? How did he become such a great hunter and leader -- what does he say to inspire his men? What drives Sumanguru besides greed, and is he able to enjoy any of it? Does he ever wonder what price he will have to pay to this rock? All of these are questions that a more developed version of this story might answer, and the absence leaves this an attractive but not moving work.

ONE PLUS ONE #3 (OF 5) by Neal Shaffer and Daniel Krall. Oni Press. $2.95
This taut psychological thriller -- or is it a “horror noir,” as Oni suggests? -- seems to have slipped under many people’s radar, which is a shame, as I’m enjoying the book immensely. In this issue, small-time, loser card player Eddie sees a way out of his dead-end life -- whether the escape includes his girlfriend is unclear -- when David Coulson teaches him an effective and hard-to-spot little cheat. Is he helping Eddie? Well, we know David’s got the power to see men’s fates, and a kind of duty to see they meet them, so who knows? It’s likely he’s just setting Eddie up for a fall, but I’m expecting at least one more twist. Krall has a quirky style but he gets it all across – with the body language in one panel, you know that David controls the situation. But I’m more impressed by Shaffer’s writing. People always credit Bendis for his dialogue bearing a Mamet influence, but Schaffer shows a Mamet-like fascination for the reversal, a small con masking a bigger con. I can’t wait for the unveiling.

VOLCANIC REVOLVER by Scott Morse. Oni Press. $9.95
Over the course of a day we follow the lives of several New York City characters in the 1930s, all affected to various degrees by the Mafia influence in their neighborhood. There is a typically romantic view of La Cosa Nostra here, but that view is consistent with the era, as many citizens who knew gangsters on some level thought of them as important, at times admirable denizens of the neighborhood. There was a certain amount of courtesy in how these men went about their business, as typified by the polite way the local Don’s underlings convince a priest to cancel his plans in order to perform a baptism, and later, to give them the use of the church for the night, the purpose not just secular but obviously criminal. This contrasts with the anything-goes, chaotic ways of non-Italians such as the Irish girl who brings a bomb into an Italian bakery. The baker, who was supposed to hook her up with a criminal bit of work, freaks out and shoots her to death in front of his store, causing an uproar in the underworld. The fallout and smooth-over of this incident is the meat of the book, and while it’s always interesting, there’s not a great deal of momentum in the story. No ripples of cause-and-effect -- there’s not much more than what I’ve described, and only the baker stands out as a three-dimensional character. Still, I have to admit that, two weeks after reading it, parts still stay with me, particularly scenes between the baker and an urchin he’s taken a liking to. These scenes are real and memorable, and as a bonus, contain a really compelling bit of practical art instruction that I sense carries some deeper meaning to Morse. And artistically, it’s top-notch, with evocative prologue and epilogues in gray wash effects, while the rest of the book is in Morse’s robust inks. Not a completely realized effort, but with much to recommend.

WHITE DEATH by Rob Morrison and Charles Adlard. AiT/PlanetLar Publishing. $9.95
As long as there is war, there will be stories depicting the futility of it. Morrison has here chosen an unusual setting for his World War I story, the frigid Trentino mountain range in Italy, as the Italians try to hold back the Germans. Adlard has chosen an unusual medium for comics, chalk and charcoal on gray paper. Together they combine to tell a story that is unflinching and haunting, with a bitter sting at the end worthy of expatriated German film directors like Billy Wilder or Fritz Lang.

The lead character is Pietro Aquasanta, hated by his company initially for having briefly served on the German side, conscripted while living in an Austrian province when Italy was still neutral. He quickly proves his mettle, and that he’s a better man than Sergeant-Major Orsini. The story is loose and episodic, alternating between horrific battles where both sides would start avalanches to bury the enemy, philosophical exchanges that expose Orsini’s baseness and Pietro’s struggling goodness, and some earthy and unglamorous exchanges with whores. Nothing is varnished or made heroic. A furtive visit between Pietro and a childhood friend, Francesco, on the German side, reveals that these men are no different from each other or anyone else. The sides are not important; these are just men as decent or indecent as the next, and the loss of any one of them is a waste. Orsini’s treachery is so pathetic even he probably doesn’t consider it a victory; no one wins. Adlard is always good, but this is his best work in comics, a portrayal in numbing gray and white with soldiers whose wide eyes and sunken cheeks are reminiscent of a Jack Davis or some of the other great artists of EC’s war comics of the '50s, but with the textures and monochromatic oppression comics weren’t able to give at that time.

THE GRENDEL SAGA
Part Four – Incubation to Coronation
In this chapter, we look at the aftermath of Christine Spar’s brief turn as Grendel, as the legacy is passed on to her lover, Brian Li-Sung. Then, we jump forward hundreds of years to a time when the very meaning of “Grendel” has changed to mean something very different. Be advised that as I’m only reviewing GRENDEL stories published or republished by Dark Horse, the chronology will become erratic at this point, which I will explain more below.

GRENDEL: THE DEVIL INSIDE finds Matt Wagner collaborating with Bernie Mireault for a three issue tale exploring Brian Li-Sung’s descent into madness. Brian is an off-off-Broadway stage manager after the death of Christine Spar, and his career trajectory is the direct result of his grief over her death. Theirs was a brief but powerful union. The recordings Christine left behind haunt him and fill him with despair. And, as is typical in the world of Grendel, loss and pain easily mutates into anger and violence.

Brian becomes a crazed vigilante, believing he is helping rid the world of evil, but really just shifting it from one vessel to another. Christine’s friend Regina can’t help him, and the reappearance of suspicious Inspector Wiggins can only bring things to a head, with a bloody shoot-out.

In some ways this is a redundant GRENDEL story, a reprise of DEVIL’S LEGACY in a different key, and it is not surprising Wagner takes only three issues to tell it. There just isn’t that much there beyond wrapping up loose ends. Still, it works quite well, anyway, with Wagner effectively employing the device of having Brian hear innumerable voices around him, the putrid crush of humanity invading his very head. Brian was never as strong as Christine, so it makes sense he would succumb sooner. The voices crowd out whatever sane inner voice he has left, until finally, all he hears is the evil allure of Grendel. One is reminded of Travis Bickle’s distintegration in TAXI DRIVER, but the literary devices Wagner utilizes won’t work as well in film, and perhaps work best in comics, as disembodied balloons, comments in the ether. When Brian can’t place the words to specific speakers, it is therefore easier to view the people as inhuman vermin and targets, unworthy of compassion or mercy. Mireault, whose own THE JAM and DR. ROBOT employ a more whimsical style of art, here perfectly captures Brian as a hollow shell ready to be filled with the essence of Grendel, and the city as a dark, heartless trap almost crying to be painted in blood. Kudos as well to Joe (PEEPSHOW) Matt, whose morose colors are an excellent complement to the artwork.

Dark Horse has been re-presenting stories from the Comico run of GRENDEL for years now, and GOD AND THE DEVIL will be the next miniseries, covering the so-called “Incubation Years” where the Grendel essence or force no longer inhabits just one person at a time. GOD AND THE DEVIL #0, out in January, reprints the original GRENDEL issue by Wagner and Tim Sale, where “Grendel” is the hottest new drug on the market. GOD AND THE DEVIL #1 and #2, in February and March, have art by John K. Snyder III and Jay Geldhof, and document the 2512 rise of Orion Assante against the corrupt Pope Innocent XLII, resulting in the overthrow of the Church-State in favor of a Grendel Khanate. These stories would normally be covered here, but I’ll have to cover them upon publication. That said, let’s look at the story of Orion’s son, Jupiter Assante, in what would be a very fertile ground for interesting Grendel stories from various creators.

GRENDEL: WAR CHILD by Wagner and Pat McEown is a ten-part action-adventure, collected as a $29.95 trade paperback, that I believe might have been the first Grendel story created for Dark Horse. In it, we are introduced to a world where to be a Grendel is one of the highest achievements to which a person may aspire. Rather than instruments of singular evil, Grendels are on the order of samurai, loyal warrior-servants of the Grendel-Khan, the ruler of Earth. But the world order is crumbling after the Khan, Orion I, dies, the Khanate left to the rule of his wife, Regent Laurel Kennedy, until such time as their son Jupiter is old enough to take the reins of power. Even the great symbol of the Khan’s power, the Sun Disc, is inoperable, key components having been stolen shortly after Orion’s death, so it stands as an empty threat. Laurel has the lust for power and demand of absolute fealty that typifies royalty, but none of the wisdom of Orion. She barks orders, but most of the real work is done by the calculating, unflappable Abner Heath. It’s clear a man this shrewd and comfortable with power will not be satisfied to remain in this position forever.

We also meet Laurel’s daughter Crystal, whom she keeps out of the spotlight in the Denver headquarters. In fact, she virtually ignores her, leaving a bodyguard as her only company. But the main thrust of the story is the abduction of Jupiter by a man in bulky, black Grendel garb. It turns out this was the personal paladin of Orion, a being entrusted with ensuring the safety of Jupiter and the legacy of the Khanate. I say being because this Grendel is not a man anymore, but rather a cyborg with built-in weapons and the ability to live hundreds of years from whatever electrical energy he can obtain.

Most of WAR CHILD involves Laurel and Heath directing their Grendel forces, the “Red Devils,” to locate Jupiter and the paladin. The chase takes them around the world, across the sea and over irradiated wastelands and other inhospitable terrain, up against bikers, mutants, and even vampires. It’s really a rollicking action story, with Wagner having lots of fun fitting in as many pulp elements as he can. The paladin even carries a lightsaber. And yet, within this breakneck story are so many important elements, from the blossoming of Crystal and bodyguard Susan Veraghen’s relationship, to Heath’s power play to become Acting Regent, to Jupiter and his followers, including Crystal, mounting their insurrection to take back the throne, to the ultimate purpose of the paladin, later to become known as Grendel-Prime. Whereas Wagner developed character previously with internal monologues and journals, here he compresses moments of character growth into short scenes and through action. Though comprising a very small portion of the book, Crystal and Susan are well-developed characters, their relationship and its various stages natural and touching, while even the paladin, a being of pure purpose, evokes pathos through his dedication. The unresolved question of whether the essence of Grendel has turned into a force for good, a symbol of selfless sacrifice, or whether it signifies the evils of conformity or fascism, is an interesting one, providing endless speculation and much fertile ground for future stories. If any complaints can be made, I wished Heath had proven a more resourceful foe at the end, and that we had gotten to know Jupiter more during the unseen period between his boyhood and as the man who would be Khan. Still, despite these minor complaints, and the cost of the book, it might be the best introduction to the world of Grendel, because it is so relentlessly entertaining. McEown’s is yet another great artistic choice, a wide-ranging talent able to pace all the fighting and explosions for maximum excitement, while just as effectively changing focus to convey an emotion or characterization through body language or a look.

In Part Five, I’ll have some fun with the two Matt Wagner BATMAN/GRENDEL one-shots featuring Grendel-Prime, which will buy me some time to read the Greg Rucka/Matt Wager illustrated novel, GRENDEL: PAST PRIME, for Part Six.

Also, while I still plan to do a goodly amount of reviews, including FOOT SOLDIERS VOLS. 1-3, porn, and GRENDEL, I will also begin a two-part, highly subjective look at the Best Comics of 2002.

Chris Allen

Reading: PORNO by Irvine Welsh.
Listening: BRAINWASHED by George Harrison.
Drinking: Nothing. Damn 24-hour virus killed my taste for it for a while.

Chris Allen

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