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The
Pull-Box:
ShotgunReviews.com's Ongoing Comics Column
01.17.03
by Troy Brownfield
This time out, I'm
devoting the entire column to Creature Tech, from Top Shelf.
It's one of the five best trades/graphic novels to come out
in 2002.
King
of the Monsters:
Creature
Tech
From
Top Shelf
Rating:
More info: www.topshelfcomix.com
It's
a good thing when you can't describe what you've just read
or seen in easy chunks. I dare you to condense a synopsis
of "Brotherhood of the Wolf" into less than ten words. Not
only does "Creature Tech" defy conventional explanation, it
hopelessly mangles your expectations as it tells a story that
is outlandish, fun, spiritual, and quite possibly, moving.
I'll simply
quote the book's own description of itself so you'll know
what we're working with here: "Resurrected by the Shroud of
Turin, the zombiefied Dr. Jameson intends to finish what he
started 150 years ago - destroying Earth with a giant space
eel. Standing in his way is Dr. Ong, a would-be pastor turned
scientist who now works in a government research facility
infamously known as Creature Tech. Aided by an unlikely cast
of rednecks, symbiotic aliens, and a CIA-trainted mantid,
Dr. Ong embarks on a journey of faith, love and self-discovery."
Amazingly, every word is true.
TenNapel,
creator "Earthworm Jim", has crafted a stunning achievement.
The story as a whole invokes thoughts of early Sam Raimi (hell,
Dr. Ong looks like Bruce Campbell), William Castle features,
Tremors, and Tim Burton. Yet the whole thing is so perfectly
unique that upon my first reading, I was dumbstruck. This
is art and story of such a high caliber that you don't whether
to cry or cheer; do both.
TenNapel's
artistic style is truly indispensable in creating this strange
world. With a touch of Foglio, TenNapel gives us characters
that vary from sweet and cute to hideous and hilarious. There's
heavy use of shadows and a sparse line that gives some of
the scenes the lilt of caricature. However, beneath the disarming
visuals and inherent humor, TenNapel has strong themes and
characters at play.
Dr. Michael
Ong is one of the more fascinating characters to debut in
comics in some time. As a child, he wanted to be pastor like
his father until he discovered the his father was a scientist
first. Ong switches aspirations, becoming a lauded scientist
by age 19, but eschewing the beliefs that he once had. This
is a great place to start with the character, as you obviously
get a sense from an intro with Jameson that Ong's beliefs
in both spirit and science will be challenged, especially
when he hooks up as the host for a symbiotic alien with extra
arms and a yen for Kung Fu films. I also particularly enjoyed
the use of Ong's father, the pastor, as a counterpoint to
his son's methodical skepticism.
The undead
Jameson works quite well as the story's villain. His cadaverous
appearance implies the consequences of both ill-used science
and magic, but his propensity for punning demonstrates that
he clearly enjoys his role as the evil doer. From his constant
pop-culture references to his tendency to turn cats into demons,
he cuts a memorable figure.
Two other
characters figure in as more sympathetic foils. Katie, a high
school classmate of Ong's, has a deformed arm and eye, yet
clearly conforms to the notion of "inner beauty". Dr. Ong
slowly begins to recognize this, and the courtship scenes
are low-key and sweet.
The other
is Blue, a humanoid mantis (mantid) right out of a '50s B-movie
that's been assigned by the government to be Ong's bodyguard.
At first he seems like little more than a mutated killing
machine, but finds that his "real" home might be as the pal
of two good ole' boys who like monster trucks and shotguns.
Unbelievably, these scenes carry genuine emotional weight
on top of being laugh-out-loud funny.
Eventually,
our entire cast becomes involved in a darker, high-adventure
climax as Jameson moves his plan toward fruition. Issues of
faith and character figure into the conflict, as all of the
pieces established before begin to fall into place. It's a
marvel of plotting and pacing, and the art gets crazier as
we careen along toward the finale.
Creature
Tech hits you from a remarkable number of angles: it's smart,
it's funny, it's spiritual, and it's incredibly well-done.
It will appeal to a vast range of readers who will have no
idea exactly what they're in for. I didn't hesitate to add
this to list of the best of 2002's releases, and you shouldn't
hesitate to add it to your collection.
Troy Brownfield is the Editor-in-Chief of Shotgun Reviews.
He's lurking in the lab with his own hellcats here.
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