Month: August 2013

August 31, 2013

Thor God of Thunder #12 – Comics Review

Thor God of Thunder #12: Once Upon a Time in Midgard.

(This review includes some spoilers for Issue #12 of Thor God of Thunder)

After a long stay away from his adopted home, the Norse god of thunder steals away to New York City, visiting old friends, and working miracles. Following the events of the recently concluded crude sounding story arc “The God Butcher”, Thor has takes leave from saving the Earth. What persists throughout this comic book is a sense that Thor is a guide, and a role model for the people he visits. In some cases, he offers salvation in the form of food from other worlds: Thor feeds the starving children of Rio de Janeiro with elvish delicacies, and dragon shank roasted over a fire.

This is the God of Thunder as compassionate. Generous with his time, and amiable across all settings, Thor in this Marvel comic differs from the warrior Thor readers might expect from a Thor vs Hulk, or a Thor vs Superman comic book.

Jane Foster returns, and a new character named Roz Solomon arrives. With old and new friends around, there’s a some catching up for Thor, which means conversations. Action might be lacking in this issue, but there’s still conflict of some substance.

Art

The greatest moment is Thor and his friend Jane Foster sitting on the moon, watching as the Earth and sun pass each other – a sunset of epic proportions. Washes of light and colour are used to flood scenes and individual panels. Since Thor is moving from place to place so often throughout the comic, these colour filters help establish a sense of place, and ease the rapid transitions. The final page of the comic is overcast by black tones, and occupied by an older version of Thor in the distant future. This contrasts with the initial page of the comic, which is covered in a white light depicts young Thor visiting vikings in 893 AD.

Cast

Roz Solomon appears at a S.H.E.I.L.D academy graduation ball. Solomon asked Thor to attend this formal event as her date by posting a video online, which likely caused some amusing gossip. Thor responds to the video invitation – this seems like a superficial way to introduce a new character. Roz is an environmentalist, who was once interested in making all the other agents jealous, but invited Thor for an important reason: to remind him of the environmental damage taking place around the globe each day. She wants a god to notice the damage being done to the environment.

Then there’s Jane Foster, the character played by Natalie Portman in the 2011 Film Thor. To safeguard against strong spoilers for the issue, I won’t delve deeply into the changes brought to her character in this issue. There is fair bit to write about, such as the fact that this might count as a Woman in refrigerator Trope (It dosen’t, in my opinion, since she is not a super hero, she is a supporting cast member, and similar issues are plaguing other supporting cast members of other Marvel comics)

Themes, Ethics, Values.

One significant scene is three pages about capital punishment – Thor helps a man named Fulton by bringing him a last meal of a culinary calibre unheard of on Earth. The fruit of the Kandelar Tree from the planet Endoogo has a taste that is new and vibrant: The fruit presents a flavour that the taster has known seemingly all their lives. Thor then agrees to accompany the man after his death into the afterlife, no doubt to the halls of Valhalla of Norse myth.

He provides nuns in a remote convent with seeds from the Quasar orchard taken from the seed library of the Halls of Life located in Omnipotence city. Thor flies to the a remote Buddhist monestary to tell stories of his adventures to the Abbot. He drinks beer with American war veterans, makes rain in a drought stricken dessert, and confronts religious fundamentalists, as they brandish sings that read “God hates you”. The set of ethics here is to follow Thor’s generosity – he offers an example to live up to. It’s also an interesting exploration of what might happen on an Earth visited by a compassionate god.

Then there is the key value of the comic book: defence of the Environment.

Roz Solomon asks the god of thunder if he is aware of the damage being done to the environment. Old Thor walks across an Earth turned to ash, with no life anywhere. Does this result prove Roz Solomon right?

The IPCC , The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, conducts the kind or research that Roz Solomon would work on as an environmental scientist. NASA delved into the findings of the IPCC reports, and noted that the costs and damage of climate change will be significant and increase into the future. This accounts for the desolate, grey, and un-living world the older Thor walks over.

The themes that run through the comic book are protection for the environment, in addition to charity and selflessness. The position about capital punishment is ambiguous, however: is capital punishment acceptable as long as the criminal being put to death is treated to some comfort (food, friendship) to ease the execution? Should Thor have interfered with the law of the state he was in and freed the man?

 A bit more on Thor God of Thunder #12

A welcome glimpse into Thor’s world outside of his influence on the Avengers and other Marvel comics re-introduces old friends, and introduces new ones. A break from Thor’s adventures crossing the universe, which could easily have felt like a waste of time, is a strong comic with good character moments.

Thor God of Thunder #12 is published by Marvel Comics ($3.99 USD). Jason Aaron (W.) Nic Klein (A.) VC’s Joe Sabino (L.) Cover art by Esad Ribic.

August 24, 2013

Bravest Warriors #11 – Comics Review

Bravest Warriors #11: You, Sir, Are A Terrible Magician.

(This review includes spoilers for Issue #11 of Bravest Warriors)

Danny and Wallow, two members of the Bravest Warriors Team, infiltrate a public school located on the moon’s dark side. They hope to catch a teacher responsible for the disappearance of six children at six other schools on six different planets. Stopping this serial offender will mean that the warriors must employ clever disguise, and be prepared for anything. After all, they suspect that a werewolf is responsible for the school kids going missing.

Instead, Danny and Wallow bring a bazooka with silver mortar shells, and dress up as a magician and his assistant. There’s a few problems with this plan.

First, Danny admits he became a Bravest Warrior because there are no children in space – he has a fear of young children. Second, Danny and Wallow agree that pulling a bazooka on an audience of school children and their teacher is appropriate. With a flourish, Danny pulls the bazooka out of a hat, and the kids are terrified. The teacher says: “I hope for your sake that Bazooka fires apologies son”. The Bravest Warriors comic book follows the sense of humor established in the Bravest Warriors animated episodes released on Youtube by Cartoon Hangover. The Humor is aimed at younger readers – the content appears violent, but is not seriously explicit. Bravest Warriors #11 is entertaining because it’s over-the-top and extreme in its humor.

Art

There are some entertaining facial expressions in Issue #11. It helps that Danny is the most extreme cast member of the Bravest Warriors team. His facial expressions are an example of this – he has more than one maniacal grin as he weilds the bazooka, and performs for his audience as a magician.

Some of the best art is a page where we see the werewolf transform from it’s human form, shifting to a wolf monster. This sequence is captured on a single page, with no panels to break up the sequence. A variety of colours are used throughout – some of the children are aliens, or have at least one alien parent. Their skin tones vary from cyan, to pink, orange, violent, and spinach green. A short, seven page back-up story entitled “Drawing with Impossibear” features a remorseless character named Impossibear showing readers how to draw space chickens and the popular Catbug. The art for this short comic is deliberately simplified and has strong, clear outlines.

Cast

Unfortunately, half the Bravest Warriors are missing. This comic book stars only Wallow and Danny on a side-mission, and Catbug and Impossibear in the back-up short. Danny and Wallow have some hilarious moments. Since Danny is the Magician, Wallow dresses as the assistant, donning an elegant, scarlet gown with matching elbow length gloves and ruby earings. Danny’s magician costume is suitably dashing, with a red cape and lighting bolt insignia.

Themes, Ethics, Values.

The Bravest Warriors live up to their title. The Bravest Warriors comic characters face situations where they need to be brave. Danny not only faces a room filled with children, but also commits to public speaking, and faces off against a werewolf. He does not use the bazooka’s silver payload. There is a highly self aware moment when a text box reads “character developing flashback”, and Danny agrees to never use a Bazooka on a child, especially if they are a werewolf. Apart from the bravery, there are not any other solid themes or values in place.

A bit more on Bravest Warriors #11

Cartoon Hangovers alternative, science fiction series, balances out the fantasy offerings of Adventure Time, and is now just one issue away from 12 installments, and a year’s worth of published comics. This is something to celebrate: Bravest Warriors is a light and humor-filled adventure comic.

Bravest Warriors #11 is published by Kaboom! and created by Cartoon Hangover. $3.99 USD. Joey Comeau (W.) Mike Holmes (A.) Lisa More (C.) Steve Wands (L.) with Ryan Pequin (W & A.) Whitney Cogar (C.)

August 22, 2013

Puella Magi Madoka Magica – Anime Review

Madoka Magica: Episodes 1 – 6

Before I started watching Madoka Magica online, I didn’t know that mahou shoujo translated to Magical Girl. I also didn’t associated the popular anime series Sailor Moon with the magical girl genre. Usagi, Sailor Moon herself, is indeed a magical girl, complete with transformations, and a clash between extraordinary and everyday life, where the mundane meets the fantastic.

Madoka Kaname finds herself draw irresistibly into similar circumstances. Although, the similarities reach no deeper than the surface. One night, Madoka has a dream. In a ruined city, a black haired girl faces some kind of giant, dark force with a small fox or cat-like creature. The battle rages, but Madoka wakes, and gets ready for another day of school: meeting with her friends, and learning about adverbs and auxiliary verbs. The day progresses, and Madoka makes comments on how little she stands out from her peers, and how unremarkable she believes she is – Madoka makes these self-depreciating remarks throughout the series.

Magical elements slowly intercede into Madoka‘s ordinary world. Homura – the black haired girl from Madoka‘s dark dreams – arrives as a transfer student. Kyubey, the fox-cat, also appears. Madoka and her friend Sayaka rescue the seemingly cute Kyubey from a relentless assault from Homura. Supernatural events proceed to take over: a monster invisible to humans called a “witch” appears. This monster is promptly slain by a blonde girl named Mami.

The anime’s plot is made clear. Homura and Mami are magical girls, granted extraordinary powers by Kyubey. They fight off witches, protecting ordinary people from their depressing influence. A witch has powers similar to the ghastly dementors from the Harry Potter books: non-magical people cannot see them, but they experience depression in the presence of a witch. But why then is Homura attacking the venerable, adorable Kyubey? The answer is in the contract – Kyubey grants young girls a wish in exchange for defeating witches, and gathering objects witches leave behind called grief seeds, which Kubey uses as a magical fuel source.  Contracts, wishes, and magic are not to be taken lightly, however.

Art

While the art might seem unoriginal, where characters in costumes dripping with frippery pose for the posters and box-set artwork, this is only the surface. Madoka Magica is all about what’s going on past the surface, in the depths. The animation colours shift easily from a bright setting, such as Madoka‘s bedroom and the school buildings, to a moody setting: the unlit, backrooms of a shopping mall and the alleyways between city buildings. fight scene animation is fun to watch, as the director expertly positions the audience around the characters, moving them across the screen so that the scene feels uncluttered.

Some of the best artwork can be found in the battles agains the witches. These creatures are not simply a monster. A witch creates a psychedelic space filled with confronting and disturbing images. Hospitals are warped into prisons filled with Victorian kitsch, where gothic dolls and long abandoned tea sets spring to life and attack those unfortunate enough to be trapped in the witch’s labyrinth. A magical girl can use her weapon – a spear, a rifle, a sword for example – to find the witch’s heart and destroy it. If she’s not up to the task, the consequences are dire.

Cast

Madoka Kaname is a likeable enough hero. She does complain openly about the violent life a magical girl leads, which can be a little annoying. Homura brings a pragmatic and calm approach to her work. Conversations between her and the other characters are to the point, and without any dross or emotion. Sayaka is a passionate person, who censors herself around others. Mami has a bright and welcoming personality.

It’s in Kyubey that character complexity appears. charming and straightforward appearances later give way to something subtle, manipulative, and deceitful.

Themes, Ethics, Values.

Becoming a magical girl is like taking a step from an innocent world into a darker one, where actions have consequences and pain attached. It’s like stepping from childhood into adolescents – a dark fantasy representation of a coming-of-age story. Themes of exploitation are re-stated throughout the first half of the series. The key ethic is advising the audience to take caution. Madoka is faced again and again with situations where she must make decisions that could have costly mistakes. Rationality over emotional thinking is emphasised more than once. Other themes include manipulation of the young by older characters, temptation, power, selfishness and altruism.

 A bit more on Madoka Magica

A dark, cautionary tale begins as Sayaka and Madoka are led deeper into the world of witch fighting. What seems like a fantasy anime with some dark notes quickly takes a step in the direction of a psychological thriller: completely crossing over the tone established by the cute and bright promotional material of Madoka Magica. By episode three and four things start to unravel. by episode six, certain manipulations and deceptions are made clear, and Homura’s violence seems justified, and even necessary.  Madoka Magica might appear to be aimed at a younger audience, but it’s themes are definitely aimed at a mature audience. Younger viewers should instead seek out series such as Sailor Moon, or Cardcaptor Sakura. Madoka Magica is a challenging series with some clever subversion of the magical girl genre, offering a deep, cautionary tale.

Puella Magi Madoka Magica is produced by Magica Quartet. Animation by SHAFT. Directed by Yukihiro Miyamoto and Akiyuki Shinbo. Distributed by Aniplex in the USA, Manga Entertainment in the UK, and Madman Entertainment in Australia and New Zealand.

August 17, 2013

Saga #13 – Comics Review

Saga #13: Chapter Thirteen

(This review includes some spoilers for Issue #13 of Saga)

After a long gap – the last Saga comic book was published in April 2013 – the popular new series continues: the cast returns in a sequence that fills in the gaps between issues 11 and 12. The new family travel to the planet Quietus to meet with the author of a romantic novel. Alana hopes that meeting Oslwald D. Heist will be a formative experience for her daughter, and help bring some sense and direction into their lives.

 

Art

Reading the comic book creates a sense of exploration and adventure as the story weaves through the cosmos. Clockwork suns with uniform, hexagon scales dotted throughout space are followed by a planet with mountains so tall their pierce the atmosphere and freeze into pointed monoliths jutting out into the black vacuum.

The boneyard surface of Queitus gives off  a solid sense of darkness and sadness.  It’s a lost planet wrapped in smoke, where fields of bones can spring to life. Parasites called Bone Bugs inhabit the dry marrow, and combine together to create monsters built from skulls, femurs, and discarded claws. Drunk writers also wander the surface of the planet in their underpants. The pages on Quietus are the strongest of the comic book.

The clear blue skies and spotless, white marble entrance to the Landfallian Army Hospital is marred by an unexpected sight – a homeless Landfallian man with bedraggled, feathered wings wanders around, looking desolated.

Cast

The sensation of exploration and adventure is interrupted by a battle as Alana proves her mettle in a fight to protect her daughter, Marko, and Klara from bone bugs. The Will has what might be one last moment with the Stalk in an hallucination or dream sequence.

Or the Stalk might have returned from death: her appearance could be more than a hallucination.

The moment, however, is written romantically when the Will comes close to admitting all he ever wanted was a relationship with the Stalk. Klara, Marko’s mother, wears a veil as she grieves following the death of her husband in earlier issues of Saga.  Two new characters are introduced, but not named.

Themes, Ethics, Values.

Saga #13 takes a long, hard stare at grief. Everyone experiences grief and bereavement. Mental Health America (MHA) offers some insight on bereavement – unlike a feeling of loss, bereavement is the feeling that death has caused deprivation. Separation, permanently, from something vital. How the people living on worlds speckled throughout the Saga universe deal with the grief and loss of the ongoing war is revealed in this issue. The pristine army hospital with a homeless Landfallian man wandering in front of it shows that this society funds and endorses its military at the expense of the homeless, and the disenfranchised. A poster inside the hospital reads “Troops are our treasure”.

Since the Landfall and Wreath war is ancient and constant, grief must be common. James Madison in 1795 stated that:

“No nation could preserve its freedom in the midst of continual war” (from the Online Library of Liberty).

This issue refocuses the key themes of Saga – freedoms in the face of war, conflicts over differences, and families.

Living in the present, taking the time to accept the major loss and change, and seeking help from family, friends, and networks are all suggested as solutions for coping with grief by MHA. Some of the characters  follow these steps – The Will reaches out to his crew, giving the slave girl he rescued from the lascivious, space station Sextillion a name – from now on, she’s Sophie.

Grief reaches a resolution in three to six months according to Richard A. Friedman, M.D in an article for the New England Journal of Medicine (May 17, 2012). Saga #13 shows it’s readers how each character grapples with their losses from the first twelve issues. This issue focuses on the “three to six months” – characters are struggling forward with their lives. For Marko, Alana, and Klara that means finding peace for their daughter.

 A bit more on Saga #13

Hazel states in her narration that over the years, they met every kind of person imaginable. Again, some hints are written into the comic that Saga has a long future approaching. The high standard of art and story remains unchanged as Saga returns to regular, monthly releases.

Saga #13 is published by Image Comics. $2.99(USD). Brian K. Vaughn (W.) Fiona Staples (A.) Fonografiks (L.)

August 10, 2013

All New X-men #15 – Comics Review

All New X-Men #15: Jean Grey and the Beast?!

(Some spoilers for Issue #15 of All New X-men follow in the review below)

Iceman is flirting with a girl around his age he met at a carnival. Her ice cream starts to melt, and precipitously dips toward the ground. Using his abilities, he chills it, saving the ice cream. A teenage boy hanging out with them stops and stares: “You’re a mutant?” he says, before walking away, fists clenched. Another girl remarks it’s a shame he isn’t more progressive. Despite the efforts of Marvel superheroes, and the changes observed in the respect and equality garnered by minority groups in the real world, it seems mutants will always be feared and hated in Marvel Comics.

What this comic book provides is an insight into characters who don’t hate and fear mutants. Characters who are supportive, or neutral toward mutation and its consequences. Several of the characters in this comic are impressed by Scott Summers and Iceman’s abilities, rather than intimidated.

Art

Guest artists provide a good character artwork with some unusual background choices. At the carnival, rides, sideshows, and attractions are brought to life in a colourful style, which does result in characters looking younger than expected. The following panels have no detailed background – black, orange, and primary blue, yellow, and red colours fill the space behind characters. There’s some loss of depth, and no sense of space because of the missing backgrounds. While it was likely unplanned and unscripted, the rectangle backgrounds of colour could be compared to Mark Rothko’s abstract paintings of the 1960’s, which would be an ideal reference considering X-men comics were first published in the 1960’s. Other important features are the panel arrangements for Jean Grey’s scenes. Grids of six to eight panels capture moment to moment emotions – an effective art choice, which delivers some humor and tension.

Cast

Beast receives some particularly interesting development – with two versions of beast interacting, Jean Grey receives a unique perspective on his life. The older beast laments on missed oppurtunites from his youth. His youth, incidentally, is happening nearby him in an adjacent room, as the younger beast prepares for the future, studying his older self’s adventures. There are references to Jean Grey and the Phoenix, and Rachel Summers meets a younger Jean. Wolverine comments that other team members need to stop borrowing his cars, jeeps, and motorcycles

Themes, Ethics, Values.

The value of courage, and the ethics of overcoming boundaries appear in All New X-men #15. Several characters are faced with a boundary, and a decision whether to challenge it, or go along with what’s been planned for them. Jean Grey, Scott Summers (Cyclops), and Bobby Drake (Iceman) all make the choice to challenge the boundary, demonstrating courage in the face of intimidation. Psychology today writer Melanie Greenberg (Ph.D) compiled six attributes of courage with references to popular culture such as A Game of Thrones, The Wizard of OZ, and the Hobbit. The character’s actions correspond to some of these six attributes. Scott and Bobby show trepidation at leaving the X-men‘s school for a day trip to a carnival in an effort to enjoy themselves while they can, but do it anyway. Jean feels fear at confronting Beast after she figures out he has fallen in love with her. Despite her fear, she kisses him.

Pushing past boundaries, and breaking with traditions does live up the turbulent, 1960’s background the X-men were created under. Artist of the 1960’s rebelled against decades of imposed restraint and constraint – to mention Mark Rothko again, Rothko’s luminous, abstract rectangles polarised gallery visitors and audiences. Separating Jean Grey from Scott Summers represents a break in popular culture. Like Mark Rothko’s convention defying abstract work, the comic book is unafraid and undaunted to defy character connections set in stone by decades of X-men comics published by Marvel. It’s a brave statement, but whether this is a short term shock, or a lasting act of change, is another matter entirely.

 A bit more on All New X-men #15

A shocking story combined with interesting character tension, only let down in places by some unusual background choices. The dramatic results of time travel continue to challenge X-men comics of the past fifty years.

All New X-men #15 is published by Marvel Comics. $3.99 USD. Brian Michael Bendis (w.) David Lafuente (a.) Jim Campbell (c.) VC’s Cory Petit (l.)

August 3, 2013

Comics Review – FF #10

FF #10: Paint it Black

FF stands for Future Foundation, the action and sci-fi comic brought to explosive life by Micheal Allred and Matt Fraction. The Future Foundation, or FF, are a back-up to the Fantastic Four. Their job is to safeguard the students recruited by the Foundation, and protect the assets of the Fantastic Four, including it’s reputation. The comic book has a great sense of humor throughout, and some interesting themes including conservation of endangered wildlife, and youth manipulation.

Art

FF has some incredible art overall, and some of the best art on display in FF #10 are the perfectly aligned, square panel sequences depicting the students of the Future Foundation. Moving from second to second, the panels capture a sense of time passing, and character body language. Characters shift the way they stand, and each panel gives a clear idea of their subtle movement. These sequential scenes see the students on the roof of the Fantastic Four‘s base, the Baxter Building, and playing a guessing game with an evil genius.

Facial expressions morph constantly: skeptical, outraged, disappointed, confused, shocked – there is a range of clever emotion worked into the each character.

Colours are bright and dark, matched to each scene: whether it’s a futuristic prison in the sky, or the green and aqua blue of the micro universe. Contrasting with the colour palette of the micro universe is the scarlet of both the FF‘s uniforms, and FF team member Medusa’s lustrous red hair.

Cast

Despite downplaying their role in the comic book, Marvel comics employees, and Future Foundation creative team, Matt Fraction, Michael Allred, and Tom Brevort appear in the comic book playing themselves. They are the stand-out characters for their humour.

The working relationship between an author, writer, and editor can be fraught with stress. Under a crisis situation, the facets of this relationship is played for laughs – Fraction and Allred hide behind their editor when in danger of being attacked by a giant tiger.

The whole point of inviting a Marvel comics creative team on a FF mission is to have them write an entertaining comic that will improve the team’s flagging publicity. Scott Lang – The Ant-man – effectively leads them through the crisis.

The cast have to cope with an onslaught of strange concepts – the Fantastic Four character Johnny Storm appears, albeit as an older, cynical man from a distant future. This Old Johnny Storm accuses Alex Power , a Future Foundation student, of colluding with Doctor Doom (The FF and Fantastic Four‘s key villain). He’s not wrong, but the accusation creates a snowball effect, leading Alex and several other students to start a guessing game with another evil genius named Maximus the Mad, mentioned earlier in this review, in their search for a way to stop Doctor Doom.

It’s a parade of weird and strange, but the humor and light science fiction work well together.

Themes, Ethics, Values.

A tiger, taken from it’s enclosure in a New York Zoo by Artie and Leech, two more FF students, wrecks havoc on Scott Lang’s expedition with the Marvel Creative team.

Artie and Leech use Hank Pym’s shrinking particles to shrink the Tiger to cat-like size and smuggle it into a backpack. Despite the humor abounding around this crisis, their is a brief comment about conservation here.

Neil Gunn, a blogger for the World Wildlife Foundation, comments that a Bengal Tiger he observed at Whipsnade Zoo in Bedfordshire, UK, looked pretty darn miserable. He goes on to argue that their is value in showing kids real, wild animals in a zoo setting – it can inspire a desire to save animals from extinction. The Future Foundation are doing alright as custodians of the Fantastic Four‘s class, since they are taking them to see the tiger.

Artie and Leech are even a little bit like activists as they free the tiger from it’s enclosure.

This set of values, however, raises a question important to conservation of endangered animals: is it appropriate to use exciting and dangerous exhibits to bring about positive interest in a cause or organisation? That’s what the FF are planning – they apparently have a PR problem, and the Marvel Comics team are going to publish a comic to solve that problem. But there is a real danger to the tiger – it is mistreated by the students – and to the heroes and creative team – the tiger attacks them.

The comic raises these questions, alongside other topics such as manipulation of the young: that evil genius mentioned earlier? He is imprisoned, and plays a game of 20 questions with Alex Power and other students to win his freedom. Maximus knows that he can trick the children with a game.

A bit more on FF #10.

Just a minor observation – other Marvel comics starring young super heroes (Young Avengers) have had repetitive use of pancakes almost to the point of adoration. It’s refreshing to see the breakfast food taken down a notch after Old Johnny Storm throws pancakes on the FF kitchen floor in a blind rage. This comics sense of humour is strong, and it’s combined with top-class art, surprising depth of character, and good science fiction.

FF #10 is published by Marvel Comics. $2.99 USD. Matt Fraction (w.) Michael Allred (a.) Laura Allred (c.) VC’s Clayton Cowels (l.) Cover art by Michael Allred and Laura Allred.