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The
Pull-Box:
ShotgunReviews.com's Ongoing Comics Column
07.18.03
by Troy Brownfield
Indies,
Vertigo and Manga...
Thought
I might shake things up a bit this time out and cover a few
items from disparate backgrounds. These are all four quality
pieces of work that are well worth your time.
Johnny
Jihad (NBM
Publishing): An incendiary work of blistering power, Ryan
Inzana's Johnny Jihad captures teen disenfranchisment
and Islamic paranoia in one tight package. Inzana has done
work for The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times
and The Nation; the guy is well-informed and he brings
his powers of reason and observation to bear in every panel.
The titular character combines echoes of Columbine and John
Walker Lindh, and the realism that Inzana conveys is chilling.
One of
the best aspects of the tale is that Johnny isn't some kind
of cackling maniac. In fact, his subdued narration points
to a kid that's been shocked and deadened by his life and
American culture in general. When he begins to find acceptance
with a group of radicals, you anticipate his slide into a
world he can't escape.
The art
is often dark, harsh and jagged, perfectly evoking Johnny's
world. By contrast, the lettering is clean and set in an almost
newslike font; it's as if Inzana wants you to understand that
this could all very well be fact. While it's certainly not
a feel-good story, Johnny Jihad brilliantly captures
the contradictory times and messages that we're all experiencing.
It's a gripping must-read.
On the
polar opposite end of the scale is Sara Varon's delightful
Sweaterweather. Available from Alternative
Comics, Sweaterweather
comes across as sweet, good-natured and gentle in the
best senses of those words. It's a fun tour through a world
where snowmen walk, friends help one another through small,
simple gestures, and a pie-eating contest ribbon might be
the best prize of all.
Varon
fills the book with marvelous touches. She's got paper dolls
and postcards of the cast, and there's one whole chapter that's
essentially a lesson in beekeeping. It's a far cry from the
dark, action-flavored stories that I normally prefer, and
yet I really enjoyed the entire package. This is something
that you might recommend to fans of Good-bye, Chunky Rice
or Bone. It's also a book that can enjoyed by a
wide variety of ages and audiences. Varon's constructed a
nice unassuming winner of a comic here, and it deserves some
high praise.
Meanwhile,
in the land of big-ass manga action, Viz
has released the first collection of the original comic
based on The Big O. I love the "Big O" anime,
and the manga does its best to capture the lunatic energy
of the source material. "Big O" cheerfully combines
James Bond, Batman, Dark City and giant robots into a techno-noir
stew of epic proportions. I would recommend catching the anime
on Cartoon Network or Bandai DVD before checking out the comic,
largely because you'll get a better grasp of some of the concepts.
The main
conceit is that Paradigm City is a city of lost memories.
Everybody lost theirs 40 years ago, and the city has tried
to move on in a world of wonderous technology and imminent
dangers. Roger Smith is a negotiator, settling problems between
police, criminals, and other parties. When the stuff gets
bad, Roger calls on his giant fighting robot, the megadeus
called The Big O. This might sound a little out there, and
it is. That's a good thing. The anime is wildly entertaining,
and while the manga doesn't quite reach those lofty standards,
it gives it a good solid try. Fans of the show should like
the comic, which is generally suitable for all ages.
Not suitable
for all ages, and thank god for that, is Warren Ellis, Darick
Robertson and Rodney Ramos's Transmetropolitan. Dirge,
the eighth volume from DC's
Vertigo, collects issues 43-48 as the creative team moves
the story into even darker waters. Spider begins to understand
the nature of the health problems that have been plaguing
him, and The President (aka The Smiler) moves his plans against
our outlaw journalist protagonist into high gear.
Spider
Jerusalem has always been a dick, and that's part of what
makes him a fun character. However, Ellis begins to show us
a little bit of humanity and the care that Spider has for
his "filthy assistants". That depth is what makes
him a GREAT character. As usual, Ellis's dialogue and crazy
ideas are spot-on.
By this
point, Robertson and Ramos have been drawing Spider's world
so long that they've got the expressions, the environment
and the atmosphere down. That said, there are two striking
sequences that are done with spare minimalism and an emphasis
on blacks that really convey the theme on this particular
volume. One shows Yelena getting out of bed, lighting her
cigarette, scratching her bum. Nothing huge; just our dawning
realization that she might have to finish Spider's fight for
him. The other is a stellar nine-page sequence of Spider in
the dark, recognizing the odds that are stacked against him
and raging against his illness. It's stunning stuff.
There
you go. Four recommendations for some solid summer reading
from as varied points of view as you could ask for. I could
remind you to always take the time to look for something new
and unusual, but you already knew that. Didn't you?
Contact Troy here.
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