Catching Up With Some Comic Books…
I was going to say that I wasn’t sure how it happened but… I know exactly what happened :o) I returned to work, a few weeks ago, and then I had to sort myself out for Christmas. Nothing that I couldn’t handle but there was only room in my brain for so much so I totally forgot to keep on with my streak of buying single issue comics. Not the worst thing in the world and it ended up not really mattering anyway; I went to Forbidden Planet and found everything I needed anyway (still forgot to pick up ‘Conan the Barbarian #27’ though, stupid brain fog...) Sometimes it pays not to follow the ‘usual series’ too closely ;o)
Anyway, a slightly different post from normal… With a couple of the titles, I’ll be doing ‘two issues in one’ (as it were). I’m still up to date with ‘Event Horizon: Dark Descent’ so, lets start there first…
‘Event Horizon: Dark Descent #4’ – Ward, Jones, Martin (ID Dark)
‘Event Horizon’ is a movie that just loves to get right in your face and shock; one of those moments (that still makes me recoil) is watching Captain John Kilpack delivering his message on the last video log. If you’ve seen it, you’ll know what I mean… What led the Captain to do that to his own eyes though? #4 gives us the back story and…
Damn, that was an issue and a half. After what he is put through, you can’t blame Kilpack for doing that to himself, just to try and escape what he is continuously having to watch, over and over again. Hell is bad enough, having to experience his own personal ‘Hell on Earth’ tips him right over the edge and we get to go through it with him. Considering this whole issue is inspired by what isn’t even a minute of film, I think Ward does a superb job of charting the insidious course of the demon Paimon once it gets inside Kilpack’s head. We may know the outcome but this time, the journey is just as good as the final destination.
At this point in the series, I don’t really have anything new to say about Tristan Jones’ art other than that it continues to do its job very well and Jones is clearly the right person to draw this story. And I loved Pip Martin’s use of differing shades of red to really bring across the horrific nature of what is happening on board the Event Horizon.
For anyone who watched the movie and just thought that the crew basically went mad and died through a sustained bout of violent sex, ‘Dark Descent’ will prove you wrong with its insight into the characters and how they react to the unfolding horror. I’m along for the ride anyway but I’m getting more and more excited to see what happens next.
‘Conan: Scourge of the Serpent #2 & #3’ – Zub, Gil, Canola (Titan Comics/Heroic Signatures)
When I posted about #1, I mentioned that I recognised the REH tales ‘The God in the Bowl’ and ‘The Shadow Kingdom’ but I wasn’t sure whether the Kirowan tale was another of REH’s or just something dreamed up to frame the other two stories. It turns out that if I’d actually read ‘The Haunter of the Ring’, I’d know that we’re looking at three REH adaptations in one ongoing ‘Scourge of the Serpent’ tale. I really need to read ‘The Haunter of the Ring’ now…
I think what I’m trying to get at here is that while each tale is adapted well here, if you’ve already read the originals then you might wonder what you’re getting here that’s new. I guess that’s where the framing narrative comes in and #3 starts to hint at this unfolding. I’m intrigued and I’m going to have to see if I have a collection with ‘The Haunter of the Ring’ in it :o)
‘Skinbreaker’ #3 & #4 – Kirkman, Finch (Image)
I’ll be honest, I’d completely forgotten about this series… Nothing to do with the quality at all, more a case of my being incredibly forgetful right now. As long as I remember to pay the bills, I’ll be fine ;o) Anyway… I actually remembered to pick these two issues up as I was queuing at the till and… I’m glad that I did.
Some events are inevitable, especially if you are a tribal chieftain who gained leadership, through ‘trial by combat’, and then lived a long and full life…
A challenge has been made but the tribe must continue to evolve as their enemies grow more cunning. A new chief will take the tribe back to its old ways, can Anok hold his people to the correct course…?
‘Skinbreaker’ has a lot to say in these two issues and really takes its time as a result. Maybe things move a little too slowly (I can’t quite decide) but we get to spend more time in this ‘David Finch Drawn World’ and that is never a bad thing. This world is lush and intricate and you can almost feel it, I love that.
Kirkman is clearly in charge of his plot at the moment, inviting a debate around the concept of ‘adapt or die’ (as well as starting to comment on the place of the elderly in this tribal society) but also not afraid to turn everything on its head and indulge in some full on combat, just to energise things. Is ‘Skinbreaker’ slowly turning into another ‘One Million Years B.C’ (given the ending of #4)? Is Anok another 'Rick Grimes', the only one who can see his people must adapt to the demands of a new world? Maybe, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. I’m not sure how long this series will run for but I’m looking forward to seeing something deeper unfold here.
Anyway, a slightly different post from normal… With a couple of the titles, I’ll be doing ‘two issues in one’ (as it were). I’m still up to date with ‘Event Horizon: Dark Descent’ so, lets start there first…
‘Event Horizon: Dark Descent #4’ – Ward, Jones, Martin (ID Dark)
‘Event Horizon’ is a movie that just loves to get right in your face and shock; one of those moments (that still makes me recoil) is watching Captain John Kilpack delivering his message on the last video log. If you’ve seen it, you’ll know what I mean… What led the Captain to do that to his own eyes though? #4 gives us the back story and…
Damn, that was an issue and a half. After what he is put through, you can’t blame Kilpack for doing that to himself, just to try and escape what he is continuously having to watch, over and over again. Hell is bad enough, having to experience his own personal ‘Hell on Earth’ tips him right over the edge and we get to go through it with him. Considering this whole issue is inspired by what isn’t even a minute of film, I think Ward does a superb job of charting the insidious course of the demon Paimon once it gets inside Kilpack’s head. We may know the outcome but this time, the journey is just as good as the final destination.
At this point in the series, I don’t really have anything new to say about Tristan Jones’ art other than that it continues to do its job very well and Jones is clearly the right person to draw this story. And I loved Pip Martin’s use of differing shades of red to really bring across the horrific nature of what is happening on board the Event Horizon.
For anyone who watched the movie and just thought that the crew basically went mad and died through a sustained bout of violent sex, ‘Dark Descent’ will prove you wrong with its insight into the characters and how they react to the unfolding horror. I’m along for the ride anyway but I’m getting more and more excited to see what happens next.
‘Conan: Scourge of the Serpent #2 & #3’ – Zub, Gil, Canola (Titan Comics/Heroic Signatures)
When I posted about #1, I mentioned that I recognised the REH tales ‘The God in the Bowl’ and ‘The Shadow Kingdom’ but I wasn’t sure whether the Kirowan tale was another of REH’s or just something dreamed up to frame the other two stories. It turns out that if I’d actually read ‘The Haunter of the Ring’, I’d know that we’re looking at three REH adaptations in one ongoing ‘Scourge of the Serpent’ tale. I really need to read ‘The Haunter of the Ring’ now…
I think what I’m trying to get at here is that while each tale is adapted well here, if you’ve already read the originals then you might wonder what you’re getting here that’s new. I guess that’s where the framing narrative comes in and #3 starts to hint at this unfolding. I’m intrigued and I’m going to have to see if I have a collection with ‘The Haunter of the Ring’ in it :o)
‘Skinbreaker’ #3 & #4 – Kirkman, Finch (Image)
I’ll be honest, I’d completely forgotten about this series… Nothing to do with the quality at all, more a case of my being incredibly forgetful right now. As long as I remember to pay the bills, I’ll be fine ;o) Anyway… I actually remembered to pick these two issues up as I was queuing at the till and… I’m glad that I did.
Some events are inevitable, especially if you are a tribal chieftain who gained leadership, through ‘trial by combat’, and then lived a long and full life…
A challenge has been made but the tribe must continue to evolve as their enemies grow more cunning. A new chief will take the tribe back to its old ways, can Anok hold his people to the correct course…?
‘Skinbreaker’ has a lot to say in these two issues and really takes its time as a result. Maybe things move a little too slowly (I can’t quite decide) but we get to spend more time in this ‘David Finch Drawn World’ and that is never a bad thing. This world is lush and intricate and you can almost feel it, I love that.
Kirkman is clearly in charge of his plot at the moment, inviting a debate around the concept of ‘adapt or die’ (as well as starting to comment on the place of the elderly in this tribal society) but also not afraid to turn everything on its head and indulge in some full on combat, just to energise things. Is ‘Skinbreaker’ slowly turning into another ‘One Million Years B.C’ (given the ending of #4)? Is Anok another 'Rick Grimes', the only one who can see his people must adapt to the demands of a new world? Maybe, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. I’m not sure how long this series will run for but I’m looking forward to seeing something deeper unfold here.
Comments
Post a Comment