Invisibles - Counting to None by Grant Morrison
For those not in the know, Grant Morrison is my comic book god. He's written the best Batman, Superman and Justice League stories I've ever read and his event comics are so dense that one reading is never enough. Years ago, when I discovered I could download comics and read them on my computer, I gave the Invisibles a try and decided it wasn't for me. It had no recognizable characters, didn't tie into the regular DC universe and, worst of all, it required me to pay serious attention to understand what the hell was going on. After a few years of graphic novel maturation, it occurred to me that I should give the series another chance, as it's arguably Morrison's masterpiece, and I'm glad I did.
The premise is a fairly complex one that I would summarize as : a secret society of rebellious malcontents fight a guerrilla war against the establishment that is trying to covertly control free-thought on earth. If that wasn't enough of a mouthful, add to it zany new-age magic, psychedelic drugs, sex, violence and British humour, and you've got one hell of a mind-fuck series.
Counting to None is the fifth book in and was a relief to read, after the fourth one had let me down. Books 1 to 3 had really gotten the ball rolling and 4 just seemed like filler to me. Counting to None had the story back on track and featured the most polarizing plot-device of them all; time-travel. I know of very many people who hate the concept in general and I can agree that a poorly written time-travel story can be pretty infuriating. For me though, if they're handled properly like this one was, they're the best kind of stories. Morrison plays it pretty straight. The time-travel happens because it did happen. They don't go into the past to change things, they go into the past because they know that they went into the past so they'll go do what they know they did. Makes sense, right? I love it.
There's more to the story than just the time travel but 5 volumes in, it seems like there's not much point in my trying to go into too much detail. If you're looking to read something trippy, smart and action-packed, this is the series for you.
Scalped vol. 3 by Jason Aaron
Another great volume of this intense series. Our hero's mom is shot and killed at the end of volume 2 and while the murderer isn't yet revealed, we find out more about how everyone is connected. The story moves along enough that it doesn't feel like Aaron's just delaying the reveal and we start to see cracks in the protagonist's hard-boiled cop facade. The pressure of being an undercover agent is getting to him and his mom's death is affecting him more than he lets on.
Tales Designed to Thrizzle by Michael Kupperman
What a weird comic. A collection of four issues, it's a hodgepodge of short strips, ads for products that don't exist and one page illustrated stories. A lot of characters or notions recur but it's all quite silly and nonsensical; by the fourth issue I had completely lost interest. There were a few good chuckles now and again but I can't recommend this book, unless someone were to ask me for the most random comic on the stands.
Achewood Volume 2 -Worst Songs Played on Ugliest Guitar by Chris Onstad,
Another comic I found on a Best of 2010 list, this one is a printing of an online strip I'd never heard of. It's the first volume of an anthology and was clearly designed for die-hard fans. There's a very long introduction explaining where each of the characters came from and for a new reader like me, there was little to no reason to read it. The strip itself was OK to start, but got better as I read through. I can't say I found it that funny, as it is supposed to be humorous, but it was an interesting read to see how it evolved over time and the author's commentary was an added bonus. I would definitely recommend it to an aspiring comic writer and by the end I was invested enough that I wouldn't say no to reading the next volume, if that counts for anything.
The ACME Novelty Library volume 20 : Lint by Chris Ware
Chris Ware wrote the acclaimed Jimmy Corrigan: The Smartest Kid on Earth, which I couldn't get through. The main character was a total putz and he got himself in such awkward, uncomfortable situations, that I just didn't want to read on. Lint is similar in tone but it has more of a linear style and I found myself really getting into the story. It starts off with its titular character's birth and follows him all the way to his death. The book is sometimes funny but mostly sad and more than a little depressing, as we see him make one poor choice after the other. He bungles his career, his marriage and completely alienates his children. If you're looking for a realistic and unflinching portrayal of a life well wasted, this one's for you.
Rasl by Jeff Smith
His long-awaited series after he completed Bone, Rasl is a severe shift in tone and style, as far as the story goes. Rasl is the name of the main character, a thief for hire who has discovered a way to travel to alternate universes, which comes in pretty handy when he's on the run from the law. This volume collects the first four issues and it's over-sized and beautifully drawn in Smith's signature style of very expressive faces. A robbery goes awry when a lizard-like agent in black appears to apprehend Rasl. He takes refuge with a lady of questionable repute with whom he seems to have an ongoing relationship but she winds up dead when he comes back from a night of drinking in town. When he travels to a different universe to follow up on a clue to what's going on, he finds an alternate version of a woman from his past who ended up dead. She played a key role in him adopting his life of techno-crime, which we conveniently learn through memory flashbacks.
There's definitely a lot of setup in this volume but I'm hooked and looking forward to the next one, as lots of plot points are introduced and just waiting to be expanded upon. Unfortunately, with Smith's slow output, I may have to wait a while before I get to read more.
Essex County volume 1 - Tales from the Farm by Jeff Lemire
This is one of those comics that does everything right and has you taking it all in in one sitting, unable to put it down. Lester, a quiet, geeky little boy, lives on a farm with his uncle Ken whom he barely knows and has no connection to. He's taken in by his uncle after his mom dies of cancer and this first volume is about how Lester deals with his new living situation as Ken tries his best to help him through his grief.
It's a very quiet comic, if that can be said about something that sound doesn't usually emanate from. The sparse dialogue and the black and white art contribute to making it an introspective and melancholy story. Lester takes refuge in his imaginary world of super-heroes and aliens to avoid dealing with what he's been through as he steadfastly ignores his uncle's attempts at building some sort of relationship. You really get a feel for his crippling loneliness but as the volume ends, there are clear signs of progress and I'm eager to see how things develop in the next one.
The Nobody by Jeff Lemire
That's right, more by the same author! The Nobody takes the story of the invisible man, on the run from the law, and brings him to a small town setting, which Lemire excels at depicting. Told in four parts, it's fairly routine in terms of plot. The bandaged individual comes to town, is mistrusted by the people, they grudgingly leave him be, since he's doene nothing wrong, and then of course his past catches up with him and lo, their fears were warranted all along. The invisible man's interactions with a local teenaged girl, the only person he really talks to and bonds with, serve to humanize him enough that we can relate to him and care what happens next, even if we're pretty sure we know what that is. I wouldn't tell you to rush out and read this book but if it were to fall on your lap, you could easily find worse ways to spend your time.
Sweet Tooth volume 2 by ... Jeff Lemire!
Why am I starting with volume 2? Well, I read volume one before I started this blog and I want it to be about my ongoing reads, so there.
I heard about Sweet Tooth when Jeff Lemire was announced as the writer for the new Superboy series over at DC. The article explained that he got the gig after Sweet Tooth became a success over at their Vertigo imprint, so I decided to give it a try. Set in a post-apocalyptic earth, there are no Zombies in this one, for a change. Instead, a virus is killing people all over the world and the only people immune to it are half-animal, half-human mutants that have been born since its outbreak. The main character, Gus, is one such mutant living out in the woods with his father. Shortly after the latter dies, Gus is found by a man named Jepperd, who promises to bring him to a safe haven. The first volume ends with Gus being dropped off at what is in fact a military compound with Jepperd collecting some unknown package as a reward.
Volume two follows Jeppard and Gus as they each deal with their current situation. Scientists are experimenting on the mutants to try and find a cure for the disease destroying humanity and it turns out that Gus might be the missing link they've been looking for. In the meantime, Jeppard heads back to his farm where, we find out through flashbacks, he left with his wife some time ago to look for safety. Much of the story takes place in both of the main characters memories and a lot of flesh is given to what little we learned in the first volume. I'm really digging this book and I'm sad that the third volume won't be released till June; I really enjoy the different approach to the increasingly crowded post-apocalyptic stage.
That's it for this time, thanks for reading!
