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Breakdowns - The Pulpit of Pulp Lit

February 20, 2003

Well, I promise I won’t make a huge deal of this, because I know it’s not, but this is my 100th Breakdowns, and I think that rates at least some sort of mention. Sure, it’s nice when a Walt Simonson or Scott Morse or Ashley Wood or Dan Brereton say nice things, but they had a reason to—I had given them good reviews. It means a lot, but it means maybe a little more when other pros who know their way around not just good comics, but compelling online columns in their own right, like Steven Grant, Mark Evanier, Matt Fraction, Gail Simone or Tony Isabella, have kind words. Ironically, it really doesn’t take much to fill this gaping hole inside of me.

Seriously, though, it’s been an interesting two-and-a-half years (longer?) since I started this over at Comic Book Galaxy. At that time, I had been reading the usual guys: Tony, Augie, Randy & Don, and thinking, “No offense, but I could do this, too,” and shortly thereafter, I did.

Breakdowns began as a sideline, an irregularly appearing column that provided a place for comics commentary, rants and goofiness, away from my pure reviews column Consequential Art, but after a couple dozen, I decided it would work better to combine the reviews into Breakdowns and drop C.A. The first column was called “Crucifiction,” showing I’ve always had a thing for bad puns and mixing words together. But what’s more amusing to me is just how short and poorly done it is. I’m at least longer now! I do the brief intro-mission statement thing; note that there aren’t enough women in the industry, nor any Blacks in PLANETARY; make fun of Warren Ellis looking much older than he is in that year’s “Hot Issue” of ROLLING STONE; note as a tongue-in-cheek bit of trivia that the Sphinx was the only Marvel super-villain to be fired by Moses, and recommend a non-existent comic, THE INTERNATIONALS, featuring my own jokey, politically incorrect superteam of Silver Golem, Drunktank (an Irish Iron Man), Double Happiness (Chinese), and Loch-Thing. I ended with a message to Bill Sienkiewicz to do more comics again. So, I accomplished something, at least. Heh.

All this in just 728 words, which is only one or two reviews here. Undoubtedly, I’ve improved since then, and really, the caliber of some of the ‘Galaxy people like Alan David Doane, Rob Vollmar, and D. Emerson Eddy forced me to, as rubbing shoulders with talented people often will. There was this one columnist who came aboard about a month after I started named Chris Ryall who was also pretty good, but I’m not sure whatever became of him.

I’m kidding, of course, as he’s the EiC of this site and a good friend of mine. This is our third site together, and I have to say, the most satisfying experience, not to say anything bad about the others. But it’s nice to reach more people, and a wider range of people, too, not just existing comics fans. And after being an editor myself, at both sites, it’s nice to not worry about correcting this guy’s spelling or telling that guy for the 80th time to learn to code html. I just turn my column in and let Ryall handle all that, and he does a fabulous job [Ed. Note: can you find a more impressive word than “fabulous”?]. It can’t have been an easy thing (and certainly the battle isn’t over) to convince people that a site with a name this childish has a lot of talented, serious people on it.

Anyway, it’s been a good experience, and before this starts sounding like a farewell, I’ll get into the friggin’ reviews already, after one more thank you. I’m not going to go into it, but Kevin Smith had some legitimate reasons not to let me join the ‘Shoot, and he did anyway [Ed. Note #2: Let that be a lesson, kids—watch what you say on message boards], so he has my respect and appreciation for that.

This week I thought I would get my ass into the 21st Century and increase the manga focus, with reviews of a fairly diverse bunch including PRIEST; USAGI YOJIMBO: THE SHROUDED MOON; BLADE OF THE IMMORTAL: BEASTS; and VAGABOND VOLS. 3 and 4. I’ll also be looking at the new DC revamp H-E-R-O, Johnny Ryan’s SHOULDN’T YOU BE WORKING? and the return of ASTRO CITY.

H-E-R-O by Will Pfeifer and Kano. DC Comics. $2.50

“It’s simple, Doug. I can do anything…And it’s not enough.”

Jerry Feldon. Doesn’t sound like a superhero’s alter ego, does it? More like his fat friend who’s always getting into trouble, or providing comic relief?

But no, in this book, Jerry Feldon is the superhero. In a way, he’s every superhero, potentially. He lives in a small town, Heaton, Pennsylvania, which is depressed since the plant closed. Jerry’s been a soda jerk for years now, teaching the seasonal employees how to make the sundaes. But one day, he finds a strange object in the ice cream parlor’s dirty dishes awaiting washing—a dial with the letters “H,” “E,” “R,” and “O” on it. When he gets a chance, he dials “H-E-R-O” and becomes a costumed hero with the power of flight, but not, as he assumes, invincibility. Watch out for that car.

While we know Jerry survives this, we don’t know the reason for his severe depression, one serious enough that we’re introduced to him calling a suicide hotline. What could be so bad about superpowers in unlimited variety? Well, we’ll just have to find out.

There was one second in the shop where I wavered, wondering if I was going to throw another $2.50 away on a first issue of a book that shouldn’t exist. But I’m glad I took a chance, as Pfeifer and Kano have done their job grabbing me. The silliness of the original concept has been downplayed in favor of strong, sympathetic characterization, and Kano has made great strides in his art, going from a style that helped turn me off the SUPERMAN books to a much more attractive style that uses tight, old school storytelling a la CATWOMAN. Point is, I like it and care what happens next.

PRIEST VOLS. 1-3 by Min-Woo Hyung. Tokyopop. $9.99
Ivan Isaacs is a dead priest who sold his soul to the devil Belial for a second chance at life, so that he could have revenge on the demonic Temozarela, who murdered his wife.

I’m not averse to supernatural stories with dialogue as melodramatic as the above, but I do find I have less interest the older I get. I do get HELLSPAWN, when its owner chooses to release it, that’s about it. Actually, PRIEST is very much like the original SPAWN, but set in a mythical Old West. Isaacs is part Spawn, part High Plains Drifter, and the showdowns are fought mainly with guns, though that lessens the drama a bit when the combatants are dead. Hyung is a very good artist, though, making smart choices in his storytelling. That the pages all have black gutters isn’t surprising for this type of subject matter, but Hyung also knows how to build this over-the-top intensity by thick outlines around still figures that then turn thin and broken when the figures are moving. It’s an explosive effect he uses often. He also has a good imagination for creepy character designs and outrageous set pieces. The problem is that he doesn’t make us care about the rictus-faced Isaacs. We know that eventually he must take on, to use videogame terminology, “the big boss”, Temozarela, and perhaps after that Belial, and with little characterization or surprising plot twists, one wants to just skip ahead, knowing there isn’t much going on. At least that’s how I felt during the first two volumes, but by the end of Vol. 3, a larger story has emerged, involving The Church and their centuries of hiding an immense alien coffin. The pages are purposeful, not decompressed like so much of the previous pages, and the new setting of an underground lab was rejuvenating after so much time spent in the small town, Old West milieu. Just as I was giving up, I find I might want to stick around a while longer.

ASTRO CITY: LOCAL HEROES #1 (OF 5) by Kurt Busiek and Brent Anderson. Wildstorm Comics. $2.95

“And they won’t come back. Ever.

There’s a lot of people like that. But that’s okay. Somebody’s got to live in all the other cities.”

Hey, Kurt Busiek’s back.

A week or so ago, writer Mark Millar wrote a column about how comics writers only have about a decade of high quality work in them, starting when they work for Marvel or DC on something big. After a few years of relative anonymity, Busiek (and Alex Ross) exploded with MARVELS, and though Marvel itself was slow to come up with a suitable follow-up for Busiek, he eventually became their go-to guy, scripting a number of MARVELS format one-shots, writing UNTOLD TALES OF SPIDER-MAN and then revitalizing IRON MAN and THE AVENGERS (and creating the nifty THUNDERBOLTS series) after the critically lambasted HEROES REBORN era. And he also created this series, ASTRO CITY, which took the common man approach that MARVELS did, but with all the heroic characters created out of whole cloth (though often in varying degrees of homage to Silver Age Marvel and DC characters) by Busiek and Anderson. It was a warm, compassionate, thoughtful kind of superhero book in an era (early 90s) where many of the books were anything but. And though we didn’t know it at the time, Busiek’s career hourglass was dropping sand faster than it had a right to, not because he was out of ideas but because he was sick. Severe sinus problems, which not until last year were discovered to have been caused by mercury poisoning. It caused the guy to have to put the more complex, internal AC stories on the back burner.

The quality of the abortive Gorilla project SHOCKROCKETS somehow led to an erratic last two years of AVENGERS and the misfiring POWER COMPANY, but even as a reviewer has to be honest about whether a book is worth one’s time and money or not, there was always the hope that good health would return for Busiek, and with it, more good work, for the readers.

And after all that, I don’t have that much to say about this issue! Well, it’s a kind of refresher course in what the book is about, this time with an Astro City bellman sharing a couple of his brushes with superhero greatness and why he loves this dangerous town.

Actually, he never really convinces one of the charm of Astro City, or at least, the charm it holds for him. The superhero scenes are good, including a very funny idea: a team of bad guys called the Sweet Adelines, and they’re dressed like a barbershop quartet (“Sweet Adeline” being a barbershop standard). And having the bellman show his own heroism, along with the special connection a hero might feel toward the one he saved, is an unimpeachable plot point. But while I definitely recommend the issue, it won’t go down as one of Busiek’s best. It’s maybe a little familiar and forced in places, especially because, as I just wrote, the bellman narrator makes a big deal about how Astro City is only suitable for certain people, but he doesn’t provide much evidence. And though Anderson does some terrific work here, especially since he’s inking himself, many of the hairstyles and fashions are really outdated. Ross’ cover is a bit goofy as well, with a disturbing kid who doesn’t need to be there, distracting from the cool tones of Samaritan’s costume. Still, these are minor flaws relating to three talented pros who often reach a higher level than most.

USAGI YOJIMBO: THE SHROUDED MOON by Stan Sakai. Dark Horse Comics. $15.95
I only started reading this long-running series a few months ago, and it’s one of those cases where one wonders what took me so long. I guess because it’s got animal characters, the tendency is to think it’s lightweight, or a kind of watered-down version of manga, but it’s neither.

I don’t know if this is the usual thing, as this is my first USAGI trade, but this book is a fairly loose collection of one-offs and two-parters, focusing less on Usagi than his friends Gen, Kitsune and Chizu. “Showdown” is a beautifully constructed story that finds Gen and Usagi each hiring on to rival gangs in order to dismantle them and free a village from their oppression. The title story and “Kitsune’s Tale” provide the emotional origin of the thief and give her the resolve to try to help another young thief as she was helped so many years ago. “Escape!” involves ninja leader Chizu betrayed and on the run from her clan. Both stories show Sakai to have as good a handle on female characters as the males. The key seems to be that there’s a consistent feeling of compassion for everyone he writes. No matter if the character is a thief or an assassin, Sakai finds the heart of the character and the entry point for the reader. And also, while the violence in the stories is very tame, the cuts happening off-panel, the stories do not lack for suspense. Even the in-joke fish-slapping story “Three Seasons,” which was inspired by Scott Shaw!’s ODDBALL COMICS and even features Shaw! as a floral-kimonoed gangster, is exciting, not to mention fun. An excellent collection, and not a bad introduction to manga. It also strikes me as a good book for kids over six or so, as the entertaining stories also carry strong and clear lessons in heroism, loyalty and compassion.

SHOULDN’T YOU BE WORKING? By Johnny Ryan. Fantagraphics Books. $5.95
Ryan produced these 80 pages of sketches and gags while working for a urological clinic, and like anything else you would find lying around there, care should be taken to avoid getting infected. In this case, though, the infection is of a purely humorous nature. The bizarre characters Ryan draws here could be created by anyone, but the differences is that these make me laugh. The seeds of “Hipler” are planted here, and creations like “Thumbsy,” the tiny Pilgrim who likes to seduce people’s thumbs, so he can sit on them and get off, are hysterical to me, and how can you not love to see Dracula farting all over Thanksgiving dinner? “Boobs” Pooter (“He’s a fantastic asshole!”) is interesting as well, in that Ryan features him two or three times without being able to come up with anything for him to do, something of a rarity in this gag-laden collection.

Readers of Sam Henderson’s MAGIC WHISTLE are guaranteed to like this, as Ryan’s gags are in a similarly surreal vein, though more scatological. He also employs an interesting technique in matching two randomly chosen words to create a character or idea for a drawing, like Octopus Bacos. I laughed at just the names some times. And though humor is the most subjective thing in the world, I can honestly say that in my case, I really did laugh until my sides hurt. Whether it gets any awards or not, I’m already locking this in as the funniest comic of the year.

VAGABOND VOLS. 3 & 4 by Takehiko Inoue. Viz Comics. $12.95

“You are the man who drives himself to all manner of extremes in the pursuit of the way of the sword. You are also the man who dreams of Otsu and agonizes himself over it.

“All those men are aspects of your self. They’re all a part of you. Be aware of yourself and accept yourself as you are.

“That is where your training should begin.”

In Volume 3, the impetuous youth named Takezo takes on a new name, Miyamoto Musashi, and takes some important steps to becoming not just a master swordsman, but a man. The name is important, as it gives him a chance to reinvent himself, while still keeping ties to his village, Miyamoto, and the people and problems he left behind. On his quest to be the ultimate swordsman he takes on the Yochioka school, renowned for their swordfighting style. The cocky Musashi knocks down five opponents in a row, but his duel with Denshichiro—the leader’s eldest and wisest son, though second-in-command to young Seijuro—is cut short when his old friend, the disgraced and unhinged Matahachi, sets fire to the school in a misguided attempt to help Musashi. Aside from the dazzling fights and beautiful scenery, the book sets up a number of exciting subplots. Musashi will of course fight Denshichiro again, and one wonders if his arrogance will be broken by Denshichiro’s calm strength. And Seijuro is an intriguing character, content to while away his days with courtesans rather than disciplined practice, yet a naturally brilliant fighter who appears to be holding back a cunning intelligence as a secret weapon.

It’s in Volume 4, though, that the book reaches another level, dealing more with the personal drama and presenting Buddhist teachings in a fresh and accessible way. Takuan returns to give Musashi some advice, such as the quote above. He also tells him it would be a good idea to help train the kid who’s been tagging along in sword technique, which Musashi resists at first. He’s already got so much on his mind, from the torch he’s carrying for Otsu—who he learns is now working at the Yagyu Clan house—to his worries that his skill and confidence will find a superior opponent one day soon, especially since he’s so conflicted and unfocused.

He travels on to a school specializing in a spearfighting technique and encounters an wizened figure who also gives him some advice relevant to fighting and life. Though there must be scenes like this going back hundreds of years in Japan literature, but let’s make it easy and call it a Yoda scene. It’s really an accomplishment that Inoue can pepper the book with such practical philosophical messages while not stinting on the action, romance and progressing subplots.

But a review of Inoue’s work would be remiss without some discussion of the artwork. Some of it appears to be un-inked but extremely tight pencils, which allows the many tree-lined roads Musashi walks upon to display an amazing array of subtle shadings. It also makes the intentionally rougher inks of some of the action scenes to have a greater impact. Inoue also uses a lot of close-ups, and he’s so good with faces and scenery that you really feel you’re right there next to the characters. And as gorgeous as the black and white art is, you’ll appreciate the occasional bonus of some painted pages here and there. And it should be noted that Yuji Oniki provides an excellent translation that makes this feudal era saga feel contemporary without diluting the themes.

POGOSTICK by Al Columbia and Ethan Persoff. Fantagraphics Books. $4.95

“Naturally, this would engender the sympathies of the workplace. Their prayers for his well-being and recovery would supersede their desire to mock the ‘exposed penis’ incident to his face.”

Al (THE BIOLOGIC SHOW) Columbia returns to comics as a writer only, with Persoff supplying an attractive but extremely flat, Photoshop-style of art, for this story of one Audrey Grinfield, a lowly cog in the corporate machine who may just be a disgruntled manipulator, or truly insane. The solicitation copy suggests the former, but in this first issue, it’s hard not to think the guy has severe problems. He loses his day job one day after leaving the Men’s room with his dick hanging out, and then has himself committed to a mental institution. He’s able to keep his job if he only comes in after hours, and when he’s in the office, all alone, he steals employees’ food and looks through their desks, not, according to his narration, seeming to think he’s doing anything wrong, and not being quite in touch with reality.

The passive-aggressive food-eating thing is something with which many office workers can identify, though little else. Still, I did get some laughs out of the poor bastard, and confess to enjoying his utter disconnect. For $5, it’s not a strong recommendation, especially since the art is intentionally sort of lifeless and stiff, and I don’t think there’s a lot of evidence for a classic of loserdom like JIMMY CORRIGAN, but it’s interesting and well-written.

BLADE OF THE IMMORTAL VOL. 11: BEASTS by Hiroaki Samura. Dark Horse Comics. $14.95

“Love the smell…of barbecued meat. But you gotta spice it while it’s hot, yeah? Now this red stuff, see, is my special recipe - pepper mixed with vinegar. First we dip this here nail in it…Now…let’s plug that hole up so it don’t bleed”

If you’re thinking, “he’s reviewing yet another samurai book?!”, don’t worry about it. Yes, this series deals with samurais and enchanted swords. But I was startled to find, since I’ve only read a couple of the monthly issues before, which were somewhat more traditional, with lots of dueling, that the storyline collected here is really a very modern crime story. This one feels like a really dark, better-than-it-has-a-right-to-be non-theatrical crime movie you happen across on cable at 11:45. The torture of the female assassin, as quoted from above by her torturer, is really sickening, but convincing in a way most comics aren’t. Her rescue and subsequent payback form the rest of the story, and while the ostensible hero of this whole series, Manji, makes nary an appearance, he’s not really missed. Yes, his absence, in a way, makes this unsuitable as a real introduction to the series, yet Samura’s strong writing and intense artwork should be enough to make the reader want to find out about the rest of the story.

Next week: Something I’ve been meaning to do for a while is a kind of “How to Write a Comics Review Column” column. A little bit in the spirit of the “Tips For Comics Reviewers” feature I did for a few weeks, but hopefully more helpful, and despite the way it sounds, not overly egotistical. As you’ll see, any of the rules I lay down, I’ll admit to having broken.

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