Mister Miracle #3 “Welcome to the desert of the real” New Genesis!

By Tom King and Mitch Gerads

As the third issue of this amazing series opens the reader is met by multiple layers of story and I would argue “reality”. King and Gerads again return with a nine panel grid as the blurry panels tell a story of Orion of the New Gods torturing prisoners and executing them. I think the blurriness and distortion in the panels is a to hint to the reader that this is not “reality” or at least the “true reality”, sorry if this gets complicated, but what I believe King and Gerads are telling is a post modern tale something that Slavoj Zizek, or Jean Baudrillard would appreciate.  We as the reader are full on participates in this narrative as we sort though the multiple layers of reality looking for the “real” one or the “truth”.

Our next clue to this comes on page 6 where we encounter Scott Free who has finished telling us the terrifying Christmas story that was layered over the distortion of the first few pages as he lays sleepless in his bed next to his wife Big Barda. “It’s Dr. Bedlam Calling!” the narration box tells the reader. Dr. Bedlam for readers that are not in the know is a villain that can alter your reality with his Paranoid Pill and he also has no physical form so he can control mindless robots so he has a body. We can come back to the second power later, I want to talk about the paranoid pill. 

The paranoid pill in the past has been a pill that releases a gas that temporarily makes anyone that breathes it insane with fear and hatred. This is what I believe has happened, Scott Free is either suffering the effects of a paranoid pill or is dealing with the after effects after being under its sway multiple times. The depression and his struggles with “reality” could be PTSD type after effects from the pill.  So, as we as readers try to discover what the reality is, so to does Scott Free struggle to find his “truth” to reality.

  Our next clue happens after Scott has gotten up from bed to drink some milk in the middle of the night and is met by Forager an ally from New Genesis. Forager pleads with Scott to take up the mantel of his father, High Father and lead the forces from New Genesis because Forager’s people the bugs are being used as cannon fodder and getting slaughtered. The conversation is stopped short as another New God called Lightray shows up and disintegrates Forager, leaving Scott saying “Is it true?” and then a panel later “But was it true?” and this time the word true is bolded. The truth is what Scott is searching for and at the moment he is just as lost as the reader in the endless amounts of realities.

  

Scott’s search is then again brought to the readers attention on page 18 as he sits with his wife having dinner after one of his shows. “Sometimes I don’t know what’s real” he tells her. This time real is bolded. This again highlights that Scott does not trust his reality as the “true” or “real” one.  

The closing pages go further to support my theory of Dr. Bedlam being involved in Scott’s current search for reality. After Orion seemingly beats Scott for no reason he stands over top of Scott and removes his helmet to revel his face, saying “this is the face of god.” Again the page is a nine panel grid with distortion effects on each panel similar to the opening of the book. The effects slowly change the face from Orion’s to Dr. Bedlams for the middle of the nine panel grid and then back again to Orion.  Again, there are many levels of reality happening on this page and the reader is left with this cliffhanger of an ending.

Mister Miracle to me is by far the best book being published in monthly comics today. King is a writer operating in his prime and it is just a joy to read and think about.  

Review: Batman (2016-) #32

Batman (2016-) #32 by Tom King
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Batman #32 by Tom King and Mikel Janin
This issue featured not only the conclusion of The War of Jokes and Riddles storyline, but also Selina’s answer to Bruce’s proposal of marriage, so it’s easy to say this was a highly anticipated issue and King and Janin did not disappoint.
The issue opens with a silent page in which Bruce clearly displays his frustration and despair over the events of the War between Joker and Riddler and his part in them. We as readers have been eagerly awaiting the conclusion of Bruce’s story to Selina as it is an event that he highly regrets and as we reach the apex of the story King and Janin tease it out just a little more turning that knife into the reader just a little further.
With a page turn the reader is met with a double page spread that bleeds off every edge of the pages with the victims of this war. It is another gut punch to the reader as we can start to put faces to the loss that a Joker or Riddler would cost.
After a credit page with face shots of Riddler, Joker and Batman the reader is again taken to Bruce dealing with his regrets, but now, he is being consoled by Selina. It is easy to see the tenderness that King and Janin have Bruce and Selina show towards each other. This tenderness plays at the hopefulness in most Batman readers that Bruce can find that happy ending after his tragic origins. It is this hope that King is playing with of the readers.
After this touching scene the reader is taken back into Bruce’s story of the past and the fight with Riddler and Joker. Batman beats up on the two other men for 4 pages before Riddler declares Batman the winner of this physical contest. It’s after this fight that the story really turns. Riddler reviles that he was the one behind that entire war essentially creating Kite Man and manipulating everyone involved all in an attempt to understand the Joker, “That’s a Riddle I want to solve.” He screams at Joker and Batman.
This is the climax of the entire story and unfortunately it’s not entirely clear. Usually I’m a huge fan of juxtaposition in comics, but during these pages as Riddler is explaining his entire plan, Joker is telling a knock knock joke that doesn’t relate and Batman is explaining the motivations for his actions. It took me a couple times reading to get everything clear in my head. I think it’s the joke that really just slows and complicates the story that is going on at this time and doesn’t really add anything to the story. At an emotional time in the story as Batman empathizes with Kite Man and the death of his son to his own loss, to have the story as clear as possible at this point I feel would have heightened the emotional impact.
The story again becomes clear on the next page when the reader sees a splash page of Batman and we are narrowed down to just Batman’s words, which allow the reader too gain focus of the events they are witnessing, Batman breaking his vow never to take life and then being stopped by the Joker. King has come up with an event that will ripple through Batman for a long time. Just when we thought the relationship between Batman and the Joker could not be anymore more layered, King comes up with a story that truly changes the way we look at that relationship.
As the issue wraps we are taken back to present day and Bruce and Selina discussing his actions on the day of the Joker and Riddler fight. It’s in these pages we really see what King does well, emotional introspective dialogue. The reader is taken from Bruce’s failure in that moment with the Riddler to him finding happiness with Selina. The emotional rollercoaster King takes the reader on only heightens the moment of Selina saying yes to Bruce’s proposal and I know from my perspective made me have to really choke back the tears of joy.
As this issue concludes this story it also leads to the bigger overall question I think king is asking with his Batman stories so far, can Bruce be happy? Certainly with his father’s words from the Button storyline are hitting Bruce hard and I’m sure is the reason he’s finally asked Selina, but does this mean he stops being Batman as his father wished. This reader is eagerly waiting to find out.


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The Best of the Year in Media 2016 - Part 2 Music

The Best of the Year in Media 2016

Music

Anderson .Paak – Malibu -  Upon first hearing “Come Down” I was blown away by the funky groove and couldn’t stop hitting repeat on the track as well as moving to the it. The song was reminiscent of something Kendrick Lamar might have put out. It took me sometime before I even took the time to listen to the rest of the album and was pleasantly surprised when I did. Not since John Legend’s early albums have I heard something so soulful with a mix of Hip Hop and piano.

Top tracks: Come Down, Put Me Thru, Am I Wrong and Celebrate   

Angel Olsen – My Woman – Angel Olsen had the one album that I heard this year that after the first listen I knew it would be in my best of the year, the album is just that good. Olsen invokes a mix of indie and punk music with harsh grinding guitars and her unique voice that is reminiscent of Patti Smith, The Cowboy Junkies or Karen O.

Top tracks: Shut up kiss Me, Sister, Intern, and Never Be Mine

Band of Horses – Why are you OK – Soft-indie-rockers Band of Horses have been putting quality albums together now for a decade and this album shows no sign of rust. They offer grinding guitars with a mix of harmonies and introspective lyrics with the songs being just poppy enough to be catchy ear worms. Recommended to fans of My Morning Jacket or Rural Alberta Advantage.

Top tracks – Dull Times/ Moon, Solemn Oath, Casual Party, In A Drawer and Throw my Mess

Beyonce – Lemonade – Not sure what I can really say that hasn’t already been said about this album. The surprise release, the all to honest subject matter, the genre pushing style and feel all add up to make this album maybe the best album of Beyonce’s career. Don’t Hurt Yourself , her joint venture with Jack White, is maybe the best song of the year. The song shatters genre conventions and is delivered with such passion and honesty you can’t but help but be caught in its web.  

Top tracks – Hold up, Don’t Hurt Yourself, 6 Inch, Formation, and Freedom

Dinosaur jr. – Give a Glimpse of what yer not – Grinding guitars, harmonies, catchy pop style lyrics, the four years in-between albums and more then 30 years making records hasn’t slowed this group down from making great rock songs. I’ve been a big fan of what J Mascis has been doing with his solo albums but here he rejoins with the rest of the crew to give us another solid album.

Top tracks -  Goin Down, Be a Part, Good to Know, I Walk for Miles,  Mirror

Frightened Rabbit – Painting of a Panic Attack – The brilliant band from Glasgow is back with another moody scary good album. The indie folk rockers are one of my favourite current bands. Their mix of melancholy tones and haunting introspective lyrics tap my emotions like no other current band. If you haven’t checked out their past albums please do so, but also grab this one cause it’s just as genius as the albums that proceed it.   

Top tracks – Death Dream, Get Out, Woke Up Hurting, An Otherwise Disappointing Life, Lump Street, Wit ‘Til The Morning

Lera Lynn – Resistor – I only discovered Lera Lynn a few years ago, with her involvement with the HBO show True Detective, but since she’s been one of my favourite singer song writers. Her dark deep lyrics match her dark somber tone. This album seems to offer a bigger sound for her with more then just a guitar leading the way and it really works well for her. I can see she will be an artist I will follow for some time and I think you should too.

Top tracks – What You Done, Drive, Cut + Burn, For the Last Time, Fade into Black, Little Ruby

The Lumineers – Cleopatra – The second album from the Lumineers offers more of the same from the folk indie rockers, and that’s a good thing. The smart poppy lyrics match the catchy hooked filled instruments. I dare anyone to listen to the bouncy piano of their song Ophelia and not be singing along by the end of the song. In a lot of ways this album shows a lot of growth from their first album that put them on the world stage and that’s great news for them and us.

Top tracks – Sleep On The Floor, Ophelia, Cleopatra, Angela, Gale Song, Long Way From Home

Macklemore and Ryan Lewis – This unruly mess I’ve made – The second album from duo of Ryan Lewis and Macklemore and this one is pretty close to their amazing first album; The same catchy beats and groves over fast funny smart rhymes. This album not only features guests that make up the future like Anderson .Paak, Chance the Rapper and Leon Bridges ,but also pays homage to the past with appearances by KRS-One, DJ Premier, Melle Mel and Kool Moe Dee. This duo’s style of social conscience rap is a welcome breath of fresh air to a hip hop genre that has seemingly is slowly dying. 

Top tracks – Light Tunnels, Downtown, Dance Off, Brad Pitt’s Cousin, Kevin, Let’s Eat, White Privilege

Sia – This is Acting (Deluxe)- The most surprising entry to me on this list, mostly because I’m not that big of a fan of pop music, but this album is just so powerful. The first way this album won me over is that Sia includes lots of piano and I’m a sucker for the sound of a piano. That mixed with her powerful unique voice and danceable beats make this album one of the best of the year.

Top tracks – Bird Set Free, Alive, Cheap Thrills, The Greatest, One Million Bullets, Move Your Body

The Best of the Year in Media 2016 part 1 - Television

The Best of the year in Media 2016

Televison:

1.    Game of Thrones: Season Six (HBO) – This season of GoT started out slow, with them teasing out the resurrection of Jon Snow, but by the time the show gut punched the viewers with the “The Door” episode we knew we were within this shows creative grasps again. Then they raised the bar again for a television show with the “Battle of the Bastards” maybe the greatest warfare scene ever done for television and coming scary close to Saving Private Ryan level and for the first time in the shows history left the viewers feeling hopeful with the “ The Winds of Winter” episode that finally featured Daenerys’ sailing for Westeros. GoT continues to be the best show on television and as the last two seasons are prepared to air we will have to see if it finishes strong enough to be considered in the same conversation as the David Simon masterpiece The Wire. 

2.    Fargo: Season Two (FX) – I don’t think a show could be anymore different from GoT then Fargo is. The crime anthology show shares its location and tone with the Coen brothers movie of the same name, but that’s it. The writing team that Noah Hawley put together in the second season was brilliant, funny, quirky and smart. The show made you think, laugh and cry and maybe all at once. The multitude of ways that this season tied into the first season was genius as to pay off that privileged viewer that had watched and paid attention to the first season, but not confuse a new viewer if they hadn’t scene the first season. This season also featured a number of outstanding acting performances; the best was put in by Kirsten Dunst. I still get chills from her soliloquy from the last episode. I can’t wait to see what the writers of this show have for the next season. 

3.    Mr. Robot: Season Two (USA Network) – I’ll be honest I was not sure where Sam Esmail could take his series after its brilliant first season. I thought the story might have worked itself into a corner and possibly should have ended the story after one season. I could not have been more wrong. The second season might have been even better then the first with series twists being way less obvious then in the first season. The writers behind the series have fully embraced the limitless potential of an unreliable narrator and this series has turned into a post modernist journey of self discovery and what that looks like in our technology riddled society. The episode titled “EPS2.4_M4STER-S1AVE.AES” was the best hour of television I watched this year and perfectly defined what this show has to offer, introspective, humorist and asked a lot from the viewer as the show kept pushing back against them reminding them that they were watching a television show, just not the 90s family sit-com Alf. If you haven’t seen it, you just need to watch.

4.    Black Mirror: Season Three (Netflix) - I was a fan of Charlie Brooker’s Black Mirror show way before it came to Netflix, but I was super happy to here its addition to the platform. Therefore more people could embrace its brilliance. The first six episodes of this new partnership offered up more of the same complex thought provoking science fiction that I had known the series for. Booker’s voice as a creator will be an important one as we navigate our relationship with technology as a society. He offers up a critical thoughtful lens for us about technology taking the time to ask the questions that we don’t seem to ask enough about technology and how it’s changing our world.

5.    Westworld: Season One (HBO) – I’ve never anticipated a show more then I did Westworld. I had read stories about it coming watched the preview videos and was in aw of the talent involved: Michael Crichton, J.J. Abrams, Jonathan Nolan, Ed Brubaker, Anthony Hopkins, Ed Harris, and Jeffrey Wright to name a few. I loved the concept of robots searching for consciousness in a wild west theme park. It would seemingly touch on a popular science fiction troupe of what is it to be human? The show was highly successful in weaving a complex narrative structure that aloud for multiple “reveals” that kept the audience coming back right to seasons end. The next trick will be trying to do that again for a second season and going forward in general. Certainly the show seems to be rich with talent in the writers room and HBO seems willing to spend the money to make this show the next GoT. So lets just enjoy the ride.

The honorable mentions –    6. House of Cards: Season Four (Netflix)

      7. Daredevil: Season Two (Netflix)

      8. The Night of…Mini-series (HBO)

      9. Orange is the New Black: Season Four (Netflix)

      10. Vinyl: Season One (HBO).

Upcoming posts will feature the best in movies, music and comics. Cheers!

Review: The Man Who Grew Young

The Man Who Grew Young by Daniel Quinn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What happens when the universe ends? Well, in The Man Who Grew Young by Daniel Quinn and Tim Eldred, the universe starts winding up like a giant yo-yo and everything that has ever lived and died lives again, but in reverse order. Basically, the history of the world begins at the end and moves towards what we know as the beginning. This is the basic concept of the graphic novel, but not nearly where it stops. Like in all Quinn books, the author dissects our culture and society like a surgeon with a scalpel, peeling back the layers of skin to reveal the veins and bones inside.
I was somewhat nervous when I first decided to read this graphic novel. For one thing, Quinn has written some of the best novels I’ve ever read, but sequential art is a different beast and not all prose writers are able to make the successful leap from writing to paint a picture to writing about a painted picture. Second, I wasn’t sure if he could come up with an interesting enough plot for a book that relies on visuals. Afterall, Quinn’s first novel Ishmael was on the surface a series of conversions between a man and an ape. Third, I had never heard of Tim Eldred, the man who did the art for the book. All of these worries plagued me as I sat down to read The Man Who Grew Young.
But Quinn quickly put my worries to rest with his opening scene, which introduced the protagonist, Adam Taylor, who, along with his son and a bunch of other people, are gathered in a cemetery. We normally associate cemeteries with death, sadness and mourning, but Quinn does an excellent job of reversing this experience. The use of superb dialogue helps reveal the jubilant mood of the scene.
“At the party somebody said we were “waking” my mom, is she awake already?” a young boy says to his grandmother. This is a beautiful use of language, because it puts such a unique twist on the concept of death: the dead can be woken.
With insightful, internal dialogue we are sucked into the story like lint into a vacuum. We soon learn that Adam Taylor is someone special as he travels back through the years without rejoining with his mother. We see him move back from the Manhattan project, through the discovery of America, back to the first native people of Africa.
Tim Eldred, who we learn in the introduction is from the PBS animated television show Dragon Tales, provides the art for the graphic novel. His art is functional and doesn’t hurt the story, which perhaps is highly suited to the subject matter in this graphic novel, because it makes the primary focus the story and allows it to shine through. I would have preferred more panels in some instances, because the panel to panel flow was really jumpy and he was asking the reader on some occasions to do too much work in between panels. Other than that, however, Eldred did a nice job and his full-page spreads were spectacular.
The Man who Grew Young is an imaginative, creative and poignant graphic novel that elevates sequential art to an all-time high and raises the bar for every other writer in the field. Quinn’s original concept is so simple it’s genius; it has you wondering, why didn’t I think of that? Most importantly, he doesn’t abandon the concept prematurely, but explores it thoroughly until the reader is exhilarated and left with the need to once again pass on Quinn’s inspirational message to others. Quinn is one of the most brilliant contemporary writers, and The Man Who Grew Young is a wondrous achievement that should win him great acclaim in the comic industry.


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What's Interesting in Previews Feb. 2017

What’s Interesting in Previews for December 2016 .

Of Books Mostly coming out in February 2017 or Later 

DC Comics

Deathstroke Vol.1: The Professional TPB by Christopher Priest and Various – I’ve never read a Deathstoke book, until DC announced that they had hired Christopher Priest to write the book and I have not been disappointed. Deathstoke under Priest is just as complex a narrative as his work on Black Panther over a decade ago. 

JSA: The Golden Age Deluxe Edition HC by James Robinson and Paul Smith – One of my all time favourite stories. The Golden Age is an alternate history story of the Justice Society, which had me sitting on the age of my seat the entire way. I’m happy it’s finally getting the deluxe treatment by DC. It’s certainly an Evergreen title for them, as the original story came out in 1995.   

The Flintstones Vol. 1 TPB by Mark Russell and Steve Pugh – The Flintstones has been a surprise hit. Writer Mark Russell has proven the political satire skills he showed on Prez was no fluke and he has continued his thoughtful punchy stories here with the Flintstones.

The Wild Storm #1 by Warren Ellis and Jon Davis-Hunt – In the late 90s the Wildstorm line of books was still at Image comics and was being reinvented by Alan Moore, James Robinson and Warren Ellis. Under their pens the line became some of the best books being published and I’m sure was one of the main selling points for DC to purchase the IP’s from Jim Lee. The line and IP’s as of late have not been very strong sales wise or creatively, so I find it interesting that DC has turned back to Warren Ellis, who all things considered was the main creative force of quality comics under the Wildstorm banner in the past. Ellis also has his demons, for as many times Ellis has produced work like Authority or Planetary he has also done books like Desolation Jones, which just cease publication. Marvel has also tapped Ellis in the past to spear head a line of their X-Books. And I would say that the Marvel Counter–X books are closer to Desolation Jones then Authority. So, I think the Wild Storm will be super interesting to see if DC has a new hit or if fans will be wondering what ever happened to that book?   

Justice league of America: Rebirth #1 by Steve Orlando and Ivan Reis – Can you say Synergy? I know DC wants to, with this terrible offering of mixed and matched characters that only have one thing in common. They are all characters on DC television shows. A team of Black Canary and Vixen from Green Arrow, The Ray, and the Atom from DC Legends of Tomorrow, Killer Frost from The Flash and add Lobo who rumour has it will be a DC movie soon and then to make sure you can call it a Justice League book and to boost sales Batman. I feel bad for Steve Orlando who is being rewarded with stellar writing on his Midnighter book with this flaming pile of forced narrative garbage. It will be interesting if he can polish this piece of coal into a diamond? I’m not sure how he could?  

Marvel Comics

Kingpin #1 Matthew Rosenberg and Ben Torres – Rosenberg’s body of work is not very large yet, but it is impressive. His stories at Black Mask have all been very original and his work on the Kingpin: Civil War II tie in book was great. I look forward to his new fresh voice in the industry and especially in crime comics. 

Spider-man’s Tangled Web Omnibus HC by Various – I’m not sure there’s a Spider-man book I can recommend more then this. Back in the Bill Jemas era at Marvel comics they took risks and did books not for sales but for quality stories. There was no finer example of this then Tangled Web. It features Spidey stories from Garth Ennis, Greg Rucka (who won the Eisner for his), Peter Milligan, Bruce Jones, Kaare Andrews, Darwyn Cooke (some of his very rare Marvel work), Brian Azarello, Paul Pope, Ted McKeever, John McCrea, Eduardo Risso, Duncan Fregredo, Lee Weeks, Sean Phillips, and Jim Mahfood. Ok if there’s not a creator there you like, then you don’t like comics. I can’t wait to get this book.

  

Night Raven: From the marvel UK vaults TPB by Various – So Marvel is pulling stories from their Marvel UK imprint featuring stories by Alan Moore, Steve Parkhouse, David Lloyd and John Bolton. Hell Yes. I’m a big fan of most of Moore’s work, so to find new stories from back in the early to mid eighties when these stories must be from is something I find very interesting. 

Image Comics

The Old Guard #1 by Greg Rucka and Leandro Fernandez – What Greg Rucka has a new monthly comic? Done. Sign me up. Ok ok it’s awesome to see him work with Leandro Fernandez again. After all it’s been awhile since they were working on Queen & Country together.

Velvet Deluxe HC by Ed Brubaker and Steve Epting – I admit I pretty much love everything Ed Brubaker writes, but his teaming with Steve Epting on this political spy thriller is just special. The series featured the best art of Epting’s career so far. And the spy thriller seemed to be in the same vein as something John Le Carre would have written.

Dynamite

John Carter The End by Brian Wood and Alex Cox – I’ll be honest I thought the John Carter movie was pretty fun, but I’m a sucker for the old Pulp characters. I’m also a fan of these “The End” type stories that Marvel brought to the forefront. So a mix of the two plus Brian Wood who is one of my favourite writers and who is currently in a great groove with books like Briggs Landing and The Black Road makes this title a lock for me to check out.

Too Smart for SNL?

Too Smart for SNL?

When a friend mentioned to me that Dave Chappelle would be the host on Saturday Night Live this past week I knew for sure I would see the show, after all Chappelle’s humour which often comments on race relation, I find is the right kind of dangerous and pushes all kinds of boundaries.

Unfortunately, for Chappelle I found that even though he did have some funny skits with his brand of humour, even re-invoking characters from his old comedy skit show. But it was Kate McKinnon’s cold open skit that really stole the show.

Traditionally the cold open for SNL is an over the top attention grabber, but instead the viewer is met with a somber melancholy tone as McKinnon dressed as Hilary Clinton sat at the piano and belted out Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah. In this skit McKinnon perfectly captured the zeitgeist. Not only did the song pay tribute to Cohen who had died recently, but also the irony of having Clinton perform his song Hallelujah was brilliant. McKinnon herself broke character momentarily to wink at the viewers, her wink speaking to the irony of her as Clinton singing the Cohen classic.

The song Hallelujah speaks of a person that has worked for some time at a goal that they now realize is unattainable. For Clinton in this instance it is the presidency of America. The song also seemed to be some form of catharsis for McKinnon herself, who finished the skit breaking character again saying “I’m not giving up and neither should you.”  

Here's a link to the performance:

Kate McKinnon as Hilary Clinton performs Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen