Comic Review -- Brody's Ghost: The Midnight Train and Other Tales / Mark Crilley

I've only read the first volume of the main story of Mark Crilley's work, Brody's Ghost, but having worked with him in the past at Teen Book Con, the cover to the related one-shot Brody's Ghost: The Midnight Train and Other Tales immediately caught my attention, and I picked up the issue.  The composition certainly does a good job of selling the series premise, it being that there's a guy named Brody, and he can see ghosts and has one that is guiding him through the world.

This collection, as best I can tell, doesn't really further the plot in the main series, but instead serves as a group of humorous filler and character pieces.  In the titular first story, Brody uses his training to stop a group of thugs from robbing a woman on the subway.  In "The Scene of the Crime" Brody unwittingly gets into a scuffle with the husband of a murdered woman when he goes to the site of her murder to look for clues.  "The Test" shows Brody during a small portion of his training, and how his senses have developed to superhuman levels despite all of his complaining.  Finally, "The Big Game" shows the antagonistic relationship between Brody and his ghost, Talia, whose ability to shatter glass is used to bully Brody into leaving his friend Gabe to go investigate a murder suspect instead of watching football on Gabe's new flatscreen television.

The stories are alternately humorous and poignant, giving the reader shades of the characters of Brody and Talia, and to a lesser degree Kagemura, Brody's spectral sensei.  They all seem to enjoy tormenting one another in their ways, but there is an undercurrent of respect and even a little affection with it.  While it is of course helpful to have read the main series--indeed it's probably essential to have read some of it to have any real investment in these characters--the stories can stand alone, and do a serviceable job of serving as introductions to their personalities and motivations.

There is almost no mention of the main series' plot--Brody's purpose is to help Talia find the Penny Murderer so they can apprehend him and she can pass on into heaven.  It's an interesting omission, one that is probably aimed at readers unfamiliar with the series so as not to overburden them with a lot of exposition in a single-issue one-shot.  I personally think that's a smart move, as it gives the comic the opportunity to just focus on developing their personalities, which come off clearly and demonstrates Crilley's knack for witty humor.

Artistically, Crilley's manga-influenced style works well for the story, allowing for plenty of expression from his characters without delving into the overdone and silly.  His depiction of a futuristic, run-down city as the backdrop for his story also works well, and the fairly simple line work in his style keeps things accessible and memorable for the reader.  It does a good job of setting up the visual presentation for the main series, suggesting correctly that Crilley knows both how to tell a story and draw it in a way that will intrigue the reader.

Overall, this is definitely a wonderful companion piece to the main series Crilley has put out.  As a standalone, it may initially cause wonder and/or confusion as people unfamiliar with Brody's Ghost question what it even is, but if they give it a chance, they'll find accessible, humorous stories, clean, crisp artwork, and exposure to a larger story they'll enjoy.  Recommended.

What Are the Ideal Methods of Reading and Collecting Digital Comics?

As a potentially serious digital comics reader, I know there are a range of issues that will affect how I access, purchase, and enjoy any digital comics I read.  The approach I intend to take towards digital comics, therefore, should involve a good deal of consideration, research, and soul-searching before I just charge into the fray.  I'm going to lay out my current digital reading habits, a few of the issues I see ahead of me, my intended approach to collecting digital comics, and what currently appear to be the best options for me with that in mind.

My current digital reading habits mainly involve two pieces of hardware: my desktop computer and my smartphone, an Android-based HTC Vivid.  On the desktop, I mostly just read free samples from marvel.com, on what I assume is their Digital Comics Unlimited interface.  From my Android phone, I have the following apps through which I read comics: Comixology, Marvel Comics, DC Comics, and Dark Horse.

Again, I mostly read free samples through these apps (having sampled Justice League, Hellboy, and several Spider-Man titles), though I did redeem my digital copy of Avengers vs. X-Men #1 through my phone and read that through the Marvel app, and found the reading experience to be decent.  So, while my overall experience with reading digital comics is at the shallow end of the pool, I'm finding Marvel's method of luring readers with a free digital copy to be both enjoyable and deepening in terms of exposure to the medium.

There are a wide range of issues that have thus far prevented me from investing in a dedicated hardware interface for digital comics.  By far the biggest annoyance is the ebook reader wars between the Amazon Kindle readers and the Barnes and Noble NOOK.  Basically, the Kindle has an exclusive deal with DC Comics, where DC graphic novels are only available on the Kindle.  The NOOK, conversely, has offered a similar deal with Marvel comics.  So, by and large, if you want access to both publishers' content, going with either of these options is not feasible.  Finding comic apps on the NOOK at least, is a terribly frustrating endeavor, so that's definitely not a possibility for me at this point.

I'd strongly considered investing in one of these two technologies up until I heard about this.  I would basically just use an e-reader to read comics.

So, versatility and variety are top factors in my approach to collecting and reading digital.  While I don't have a problem downloading individual issues, the option of downloading a trade collecting several issues at once is also desirable.  The problem is, I'm not sure there's a way to do that, with the DC & Kindle/Marvel & NOOK war going on.  Hopefully that'll be resolved in the near future, but I know better than to hold my breath for such things.

At this point, I'm reluctantly forced to conclude that perhaps the iPad is the best way to go, if I want to read on a bigger screen.  It has the most versatility, and from what I can see, the most likelihood of breaking the wall of the e-reader war in the future.  Not only can it act as an e-reader (among other things), but it doesn't seem to have the problems finding and downloading apps that I've seen on the NOOK and read plenty about with regard to the Kindle (even the Fire).  So, reading single issue comics shouldn't be a problem at all.  Whether it can grab trades is something I'm not sure about.  My guess would be no, given that Marvel and DC should currently be available exclusively to NOOK and Kindle, respectively.

I have to admit though, I do have high hopes Google/Android will make a comparable product to the iPad.  I love my Android phone, which I ditched the iPhone for, and it does provide an excellent current medium for digital comics.  It will likely be my preferred reading method, since it has all the capabilities I've seen on an iPad with regard to digital comics and AR functionality.

I would be curious to know how others get their comics digitally, what their favorite programs and apps are, and how they approach collecting in this arena.  Any new information or perspectives are welcome about this, as this is an area of comic books where my perspective is constantly evolving.

GN Review -- Buffy the Vampire Slayer, v. 1: The Long Way Home / Joss Whedon & Georges Jeanty

If you've been reading this blog, you know I've pretty well taken to reviewing Joss Whedon's Serenity comics.  I've waited a while to come around to other properties of his, partially out of concern for my blog being perceived as a Joss Whedon comics review blog, and partially because I haven't read some of them.  Where Buffy the Vampire Slayer is concerned, though, I've read plenty, and think it's a good time to start reviewing the post-television comics.

When volume one, The Long Way Home, starts, we see things are not necessarily the way they were left in the TV show.  In the wake of Sunnydale's destruction and Buffy Summers's victorious battle against the First Evil, the world has changed considerably for her.  She's gone from being a single, solitary Slayer to commanding a worldwide army of women Slayers.  Her sister Dawn has become inexplicably giant, and their home base has moved to a castle in the Scottish highlands.  She and her friends monitor demon and monster activity on a worldwide scale, and respond to threats with the help of squadrons of mystics, seers, and Watchers as they are able.

But things have also gotten more complicated.  The world is aware--and scared--of the sudden influx of Slayers, and military forces that can't control them are eager to wipe them off the face of the earth.  Old nemeses are eager to take advantage of the situation so they can resolve personal grudges, and the arrival of a new organization named Twilight is using both technological and supernatural means to fight them.  And the Scoobies, as Buffy and her gang are lovingly called by fans, have their own problems: Dawn won't talk to Buffy about her condition, Willow arrives in time to save the day but soon gets kidnapped, and Xander is just trying to keep from getting splashed while living among all these strong women.

As I'm sure you either know or can expect, the writing here is exceptional.  It's well plotted, paced, and characterized, and the dialog is typical Whedon intellisnark.  The characters feel exactly like they were portrayed in the show, and the plot involving the new nemesis, Twilight, sets up a potentially huge foe for them to fight.  The myriad of self-referential material will be a delight to devotees, and further serves to advance the plot as characters from the show emerge out of the woodwork, all over the world, old and relatively new, good and evil.  In the end, we're set up with the Slayers in an unenviable position, and Buffy, with her typical resolve, essentially acknowledges it with a simple okay.

The most questionable aspect I have about The Long Way Home is its viability as a stand-alone story for readers who may not be familiar with the Buffyverse.  I actually read this volume when I was only moderately familiar with the series--I certainly hadn't seen much of it--and I have to say that this could be an issue to someone who isn't an initiate.  Looking at it now, I can appreciate things like who Ethan Rayne is, why Buffy showed Amy Madigan her mother at a critical point, and what it meant for Willow to "go dark."  But back then, I really had to shove all that to the side to push on with the larger narrative.  The solid writing kept me from getting too lost, but I also had a modicum of familiarity with the show at the time.  It's obviously a great read for fans of the series, but Buffy newbies may find the constant self-references confusing, when they get them, and could be turned off by it.

The artwork here is pretty stunning, and I have to give Georges Jeanty props for not only faithfully recreating the characters from the TV show in comic book form, but for realistically extending them beyond their scope in the show, now that they're not limited by a television show budget.  Willow's brief aerial battle with Amy, for instance, was amazing.  Dawn as a giant was both hilarious and visually believable.  And the locales are very well done too, from a castle in Scotland to a military base.

Overall, I don't have any problems commending The Long Way Home as a worthwhile read.  It positively shines for Buffy fans, and while it can be considerably more confusing for the noobs, it's still very well written and beautifully illustrated.  A must-read for Joss Whedon fans, people who like vampires, demons and monsters, and anyone who enjoys witty writing.  Highly recommended.

GN Review -- Serenity: Better Days and Other Stories / Joss Whedon, Brett Matthews, Will Conrad, Zack Whedon, Patton Oswalt, Chris Samnee, Jim Krueger, and Patric Reynolds

It is with a heavy heart and a hopeful longing that I review the final volume of Serenity comics that are currently in existence.  While I won't go into much detail about how very awesome is the show they were spun from, the all-too-brief Firefly, I will say that it was the show that made me love Joss Whedon's writing skills.  It's the show that made me give Buffy the Vampire Slayer (and, by extension, Angel) a second chance, and when I got through the show and the feature film it spawned, I was upset that there weren't more stories to tell.  The emergence of the comics from Dark Horse were like a god-send.

Better Days and Other Stories is chronologically the second volume of stories, after the magnificent Those Left Behind and before the surprisingly disappointing The Shepherd's Tale.  It includes several stories from various creative teams, including "Better Days," in which the crew happens upon an obscenely wealthy payoff and muses on what they plan to do with it before typical circumstance pulls it away from them; "The Other Half," a short piece where the crew wards off a pack of Reavers while River saves them from a fate they couldn't have known about; "Downtime," a character study of the crew that gives an idea of what they get up to when they're not actively thieving; and "Float Out," a post-movie story about several of Wash's old friends christening a ship in their deceased comrade's name.

The writing in all four stories is very well done.  It's always fun to see Serenity's captain and crew both in and out of action, and the dialog, pacing, and plotlines all work like short episodes of Firefly.  Whether they're pulling Mal out of yet another grim situation, bantering and bickering with one another, or guessing slyly at one another's secrets, the characters are true to the portrayals of their on-screen counterparts.  The storytelling might not stand on its own for the casual reader, but I think it's safe to say that these books are meant for the fans, and they are a treat for those Browncoats who wanted more stories from the show.

Art-wise, I think it's unfair to compare anyone else's illustration work to Will Conrad's uncannily spot-on renditions of the characters.  It's honestly like some photographer took still shots from some lost Firefly episode, filmed but never distributed, and gave them to Conrad to do the line work.  His portrayals of the characters look that close to their actors.  Patric Reynolds's work is pretty close to the mark as well, while Chris Samnee's efforts are the most cartoonish, though I will say that doesn't detract from the story in "Downtime."  It's merely a different form of expressiveness that satisfies in a different way.

Overall, I think this is a wonderful collection of stories, certainly the most varied in the Serenity volumes that have been released.  This is definitely fan material--while I'm sure the stories are good enough sci-fi/western/action fare on their own, there's definitely more of a payoff for those who have been devotees of the show, the movie, and anything else Firefly.  For my part, it's a complete and total treat, one that makes a worthy addition to my own collection.  Highly recommended.

GN Review -- Serenity: The Shepherd's Tale / Zack Whedon and Chris Samnee

I am an unabashed fan of Joss Whedon's sci-fi/western show Firefly, and when I learned of the existence of the graphic novel based on it, I eagerly searched for them.  By November 2010, I'd heard of the impending publication of Serenity: The Shepherd's Tale, and was chomping at the bit to get a hold of this story.  Shepherd Book, the character who is the focus of this story, was one of the most compelling and mysterious members of Serenity's crew, and to have his back-story finally revealed in a comic book format was nothing short of miraculous, I felt.

But as I read the story, I couldn't help but come away with a profound sense of disappointment.

It isn't that the book lies to the reader in any way, or that it's poorly written, or even poorly illustrated (though I do feel the art does pale in comparison to other graphic stories of this property).  The Shepherd's Tale does exactly what it sets out to do, which is to reveal the specifics about Derrial Book's life and activities before he met up with Serenity and her crew.  It's creatively structured, with good little points of dialog and character development.  And while the art may feel less distinctive and crafted than I'd prefer, it does its job of accurately portraying the characters and supporting the mood and plot of the narrative.

Yes, the book (pun not intended) does exactly what it needs to do.  Nothing more, nothing less.

And I think that's my problem with it.

Maybe I've just gotten spoiled by the other Serenity comics.  Maybe I just built up too spectacularly the mystery of Book's origin, to a level so high that no reveal could have possibly lived up to it.  Whatever the case, this particular story was a decent story, and nothing more, which I think is abysmal praise when applied to Firefly and the narratives spawned from the show and film.  I'm so used to being blown away by what I've read in Dark Horse's releases of this franchise, that this story feels comparatively flat and unimpressive.

I thought the use of interlinked flashbacks at the various crossroads in Book's life was pretty interesting, despite the occasional bout of confusion.  The chain of events created leads the reader all the way back to Book's childhood, where he endured an abusive parent and eventually ran away.  His decision to join the Browncoats and spy on the Alliance by rising through the ranks of their military explains how he knows so much about arms and criminals as a Shepherd, but his disastrous singular failure as an Alliance commander also raises questions about why the Alliance treated him so well in an episode of the show.  When he finds God in a bowl of chicken soup, it's both amusing and illuminating, but also feels a little silly and contrived, particularly if you've never watched the show.

I suppose I'm just used to a certain standard of entertainment when I visit the fictitious 'verse of Serenity.  There's a certain depth to the story, or the characters, or the dialog, or the humor, or the simple feeling that this was a labor of love.  The Shepherd's Tale does what it promises, but was nowhere near as fulfilling to experience as the rest of the stories in this franchise.  Maybe this was just destined to be a disappointing story, but I can't help the feeling that, in other hands, this would have been a far deeper, more fulfilling, and ultimately more meaningful story than it turned out to be.

If I had been among Serenity's crew, and traveled and fought alongside Book, and watched him die, as they did, I would naturally want to know more about who he was before he came to be in my life.  This story was like being told by an Alliance administrator, in cold, clipped clarity, those details, as opposed to the warm recollection that would be given by the friaress in the Southdown Abbey from where he came to us.  It would do, but it would feel ultimately disappointing in its delivery.

Recommended, but only for fans of Serenity.  And unfortunately, most of them will still be disappointed.

GN Review -- Serenity: Those Left Behind / Joss Whedon, Brett Matthews and Will Conrad

I seem to be on a tear of comics that are made from pre-existing series these days.

For those of you who haven't seen it, Firefly, the short-lived sci-fi/western show off of which Serenity: Those Left Behind is based, is one of the best shows you've likely never seen.  It only lasted 14 episodes, but developed a dedicated following that endures to this day.  The writing, characterizations, and story arcs were intriguing and gripping, and even though the show was cancelled, it managed to get a movie to wrap up the story in Serenity.

Those Left Behind takes place between the end of Firefly and the beginning of the film Serenity, serving as both a bridge between the two stories and a decent enough action tale on its own.  Starting off with a situation typical of ship captain Malcolm Reynolds' bad luck, we come to see that the crew of Serenity has fallen on hard times and is struggling to make enough money to keep their ship running.  When an associate appears and gives them a job that seems to easy for the money it offers, they find that more than one enemy of theirs has laid a trap for them, and will stop at nothing to tear them apart.

It's a fun little story, and feels just like an episode of the show on which it's based.  This shouldn't be any surprise with series creator (and director of forthcoming movie The Avengers!) Joss Whedon penning the script in conjunction with Brett Matthews.  The crew of Serenity is where they normally are: down on their luck, on the move, and scrounging to make ends meet.  They're the classic underdogs in any fight, and yet they always manage to pull off the slimmest of victories in a fashion that is both convincing and endearing.

The dialog and characterization are also spot-on in this story.  From the judicious use of Mandarin Chinese to the slight country cadence that comes through in their speech, we know that we're in the Firefly 'verse from the dialog alone.  The main characters are also well preserved in speech, manner, and action.  Wash, the ship's pilot, whines at Mal in a manner reminiscent of Alan Tudyk, the actor who plays him, while ship's engineer Kaylee Frye continues to epitomize cuteness, even in high-stress situations.  For fans of the show, these little touches are invaluable to the narrative.

The artwork is wonderful throughout.  I'm not familiar with Will Conrad's other work, but looking at his renditions of the characters was about as close as I figured you could come to seeing the show again as you can in comic books.  It's a step above what I consider the norm for comics, and keeps you looking the book over even after you've read the story.  This volume also contains reprints of the covers by various artists featuring the various crew of Serenity originally done for the single issues that made up this story, and they are also a beautiful addition to the story.

Overall, a highly enjoyable read that won't take you very long.  If you're a Firefly fan and haven't read this book, what's wrong with you?  Read it!  For anyone looking for a good action sci-fi tale with beautiful artwork and interesting characters, definitely check out Serenity: Those Left Behind.  Highly recommended.

GN Review -- The Guild / Felicia Day and Jim Rugg

Whenever I find a comic book adaptation of a show that I really like, I'm always excited and apprehensive: excited to find more stories from a mythology I've become fond of, and apprehensive that the people in charge of the comic will somehow lose the essence of the show in translating it to a new medium.  Thankfully, when I saw Felicia Day's--Cyd Sherman herself!--name on the cover of The Guild, I knew it would be good.  And I was right.

The Guild acts as a prequel to the popular web series of the same name, told from Cyd's perspective and relating the story of how she came to get involved in the online fantasy world of The Game, in which she and her guildmates spend so much time during the run of the show.  It also chronicles how she, in piecemeal fashion, comes to the acquaintance of Vork, Bladezz, Tinkerballa, Clara, and Zaboo, her eventual comrades in arms in their guild, The Knights of Good.

Things start off well enough, Cyd supposes.  She "has it all": she plays in an orchestra (way in the back), has a boyfriend (who ignores and takes advantage of her), and a perpetual schedule with a therapist (who doesn't seem to understand her).  So, she can't figure out why she's not happy.  While trying to support her boyfriend's band, she ends up buying The Game, and is almost immediately enthralled by it.  It gives her a semblance of control over her life: she can craft her avatar's look, name, and decide what she does in the game.  So she creates her online persona: Codex, a healer.

While gathering flowers in game, she meets Clara, with whom she strikes up a friendship when they chat live over their mics and speakers.  Others follow, and Cyd is further enchanted by the friends she's able to make and somewhat "manage" in game.  Her boyfriend and therapist do not share her enthusiasm, and deride her interest in the game, with her boyfriend calling her interest in it selfish, and her therapist chiding her interest in people who "aren't real" relationships.

Things come to a head when she finds her boyfriend making out with another man, and she invites all of her new game friends to work together in a contest for in-game loot.  Gradually gaining confidence in herself from her in-game performance, Cyd begins to assert her own independence in real life.  Unfortunately, that involves setting fire to music she wrote for her boyfriend's band, which also sets his cello on fire.  This gets her fired from the orchestra and in debt to her boyfriend for $100,000.  But, she has closure on the relationship, and finds her escapism into The Game to be just what she needs at the moment.

This was a supremely entertaining read, and felt very much like an enhanced group of episodes of the web series.  It uses a lot of the same scenes, situations, and humor from the show, along with the added bonus of actually seeing the characters as their online personas in The Game.  The dialog was spot-on, particularly Cyd's awkward humor, and the personalities of the characters were accurately reflected in this narrative.

The artwork is fabulous, by and large.  Jim Rugg does a good job of capturing the looks of all the characters, both in their online and real life personas.  There is the occasional picture of Cyd that looks a little off, but this is easily forgivable, as she's the one he has to draw the most often.  I also really liked the differing art styles between online and real-life environements: it's more traditional ink-on-paper in real life, and more of a painted appearance in the fantasy world of The Game.  Both settings look great, and add a visual dimension to the story that has never been present during the show.

Overall, a wonderful adjunct to the series.  Fans of The Guild will undoubtedly enjoy this work, as well as just about anyone who plays MMORPGs like World of Warcraft or Star Wars: the Old Republic.  Newcomers to the show might be slightly confused in some places, but overall the humor is pretty well handled and easy to get.  Non-gamers might not get a lot of the situations and references, and I do pity those poor souls.  Highly recommended.