DMZ v7: #41

Zee, DMZ
by Brian Wood (writer) and Nikki Cook (artist)

Several issues ago while the book continued to focus on Matty, Zee took off. She headed north, left the area controlled by Parco Delgado and his forces. For the moment Matty is set aside as the book turns its attention to Zee, Matty's ex-girlfriend. She's fed up with Matty and how cozy he has gotten with Parco. She doesn't see the turmoil Parco is putting Matty through, just the outward signs that Matty works for Parco.

I'm through with DMZ. I gave it two tries, read the first 7 trades, more than 40 issues. It doesn't speak to me the way some books do. There's a framework that I like but there isn't enough meat on the bones, for me.

DMZ is published by Vertigo, an imprint of DC Comics.

Heroes Con 2011 - Part 10

Some relatively new web comics that I learned about at the show and have started to read. The descriptions below were written by the authors.



Distillum by Sarah Dill - one good f#ckup deserves a thousand more. The streets of Savannah, Georgia are about to get a whole lot weirder. Follow Rob, Jamie and Kavitha through all their crazy shenanigans! THEM KIDS, THEY’S CRAZY.



Val the Red Beard by Robin Holstein - What if storm chasers could repel storms? Now replace those storm chasers with pirate like mercenaries piloting flying ships hired to protect those less fortunate to be caught on the ground, and have the storms actually created by large behemoth monsters that live inside them.



Oyster War - Hell on the half shell.

DMZ v7: #40

War Powers: Chapter Four
by Brian Wood (writer) and Ricardo Burchielli (artist)

This and the last Riccardo Burchielli-drawn arc dragged along at a slow pace. If the scenery was more appealing, which isn't so much a dig at the visuals as it is at the way the story unfolds, then it would probably make the book a more compelling read. This makes two consecutive Burchielli-drawn arcs that begin with a bang, end with a punch but fizzle in the middle.

The most frustrating part of the story is how it hints at more but does not deliver. It all feels very surface level but the implication is that there is more, subrosa. In a shorter story, a limited series of 6 or 12 issues this would be more understandable and acceptable. In a story that is this long, 60+ issues, there needs to be more skin on the bones than what has been provided as of this issue.

DMZ is published by Vertigo, an imprint of DC Comics.

Heroes Con 2011 - Part 9

Three of the many (12) pieces of art that I purchased at Heroes Con...

Justice Society of America by Irwin Hasen - I'm glad I ran across this man, one of the artists of the JSA from their original run in All-Star Comics. The coloring job on the page isn't perfect but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to own a picture drawn by a golden-age artist.

Sandman and Harley the She-Devil by Joe Quinones - When I stumbled across Joe's table I was looking for something inexpensive; the price, $5 per print, was just too right and the images too nice for me to say no

DMZ v7: #39

War Powers: Chapter Three
by Brian Wood (writer) and Ricardo Burchielli (artist)

It feels like there is a disconnect between the story and the artwork. It isn't a gaping chasm but it is there. Early in this chapter there are a number of scenes where it is hard to tell who is whom.

What happened? One possibility is that the story was changed after Burchielli drew the pages. Another possibility is that there was a miscommunication and Burchielli drew the story differently than Wood intended it to be. Either way, it looks sloppy and some pages look like they were significantly altered after Burchielli touched them.

On the plus side more puzzle pieces are starting to get uncovered. Matty learns what Parco is up to, but not his exact plan. What he pieces together doesn't seem too far fetched but the storytelling feels sloppy. There are far too few moving parts to make the story as epic as it is starting to feel.

DMZ is published by Vertigo, an imprint of DC Comics.

Heroes Con 2011 - Part 8

Three of the many (12) pieces of art that I purchased at Heroes Con...

Jack Tenrec & Hannah Dundee by Robbi Rodriguez - this was another pre-order; I sent the man my money and the names of the characters I wanted a month before the show but I didn't hear back from him; I was nervous about whether he had finished it because he hadn't posted it on his blog even though he had posted there a number of other commissions he had done; bottom line is he did a great job with it

Pirate Dreams by Robin Holstein - very impressive work by an artist with whom I was previously unfamiliar; I asked for something involving a female pirate and a djinn and left the rest up to him

Exterminators #6 p8 by Tony Moore (pencils) and Ande Parks (inks) - I ran across Tony Moore's table early in the show. He had a box full of pages for sale. I rumaged through them twice before settling on this one. I'm sure the guy standing behind me, waiting his turn, for approximately 10 minutes, didn't appreciate that. *shrug* I've wanted to own a Tony Moore piece probably since I first saw his work on Walking Dead. This is my kind of page: no action, it is more like a page of meaningful interaction.

Heroes Con 2011 - Part 7

Three of the many (12) pieces of art that I purchased at Heroes Con...

Skeleton Wizard by Christian N. St. Pierre - a pencil sketch that I requested after looking through his books; very pleased with how it turned out; I wasn't too specific with what I wanted I just asked for a skeleton wizard wearing a head piece and sporting some jewlery and left the rest up to him

Machine Man by Terrence Hoskins - a pre-order that I requested a few weeks before the show; after seeing a recent sketch he did of Doctor Doom I got it my head that I would like him to draw Machine Man; I pointed him to a couple of Jack Kirby covers for inspiration and he delivered exactly what I wanted

Buttercup, Samurai Jack, Dexter by Stephanie Gladden - I named the characters I wanted and left the rest up to her; she did an awesome job

DMZ v7: #38

War Powers: Chapter Two
by Brian Wood (writer) and Ricardo Burchielli (artist)

This chapter feels like set up for something or things yet come or yet to be revealed. Things happen but the text and pictures only explain things in rudimentary terms. It all feels very surface level. It isn't terribly impressive but that's because there's a piece of the puzzle that's missing. Hopefully the next couple chapters in this arc will help to round out the story.

DMZ is published by Vertigo, an imprint of DC Comics.

Heroes Con 2011 - Part 6

Three of the many (12) pieces of art that I purchased at Heroes Con...

Reading Goat by Meredith Randazzo - I asked for an anthropomorphic goat reading a book; she drew it in under 10 minutes; we chatted while she drew

Sponge Bob as Modok by Jacob Chabot - I've had this idea in mind for several weeks; when I saw his art I thought that he seemed like a good fit for this mash-up; we didn't chat while he drew

Sgt Rock by Andy Price - his sketch cards aren't cheap ($25) so I felt like I was taking a bit of a risk buying one; I didn't hang around while he drew it; I was stunned by the finished product; it is flipping gorgeous; I may have to get another one the next time I see him

Heroes Con 2011 - Part 5

Heroes Con 2011
Jun 3, 4, 5
Charlotte, NC

Two of the many (8) books I purchased at Heroes Con...





Stuff of Legend v1&2 by Mike Raicht, Brian Smith, and Charles Paul Wilson III - Another instance where one of the creators, in this case the artist (CPW3), sold me on the book; another instance where the story involves childhood themes; in both cases the other instance is Pinnochio, Vampire Slayer - more

Heroes Con 2011 - Part 4

Heroes Con 2011
Jun 3, 4, 5
Charlotte, NC

Two of the many (8) books I purchased at Heroes Con...





Frankie Get Your Gun #1 by Robbi Rodriguez - I didn't have to pay for this; it came with the commission I got from Robbi and he did a sketch on the inside cover; it is a heist story but that's about all I know at this point - more

Pinnochio, Vampire Slayer by Van Jensen and Dusty Higgins - I didn't plan to buy this; I was curious and got sucked in by Jensen's sales pitch to me, especially the fact that it is based on the original book and not the Disney movie; both creators signed the cover for me although I wasn't careful enough handling it immediately after they did so and both signatures got smeared a little bit - more

DMZ v7: #37

War Powers: Chapter One
by Brian Wood (writer) and Ricardo Burchielli (artist)

Matty Roth returns to the DMZ (Manhattan) only to find that things have changed. The new governor, Parco Delgado, is a man on a mission; a mission that seems likely to cause more considerably more harm than good. He wants Matty's help.

What's most striking about this chapter is the revered way in which most people talk to and about Matty. He is a journalist. Despite the role he played in the election of Delgado he is supposed to be the neutral observer. He should not be fully committed to one side or the other. Some might hold that he should never take a side but in an environment like the DMZ that is probably not possible.

At this point in the story Matty doesn't like what Parco is planning. It seems like a foolish and misguided plan of action, at best. At worst it may tear the DMZ apart. What Matty will do and what role he will play, consciously or unconsciously, willingly or unwillingly is not clear at this point. He is going where he must and stepping into the line of fire and will probably not survive, unscathed.

DMZ is published by Vertigo, an imprint of DC Comics.

Heroes Con 2011 - Part 3

Heroes Con 2011
Jun 3, 4, 5
Charlotte, NC

Two of the many (8) books I purchased at Heroes Con...





Johnny Hiro #1 by Fred Chao - had to give Fred's comic a try after the great job he did on sketches for me earlier this year at CGS Super Show - more

Zigzag #2 by J. Chris Campbell - loved the humor in #1 which I bought at SPX in 2010 and I'm back for more - more

Heroes Con 2011 - Part 2

Just two of the many (8) books I purchased at Heroes Con...





Crogan's March by Chris Schweizer - 2nd book in the Crogan series; I had a nice chat with Chris about the series while he personalized my copy with a sketch; one of two books that I planned to purchase at Heroes Con - more

Breathers by Justin Madson - Been wanting to read the rest of the story since I picked up the first couple issues at SPX in 2009; love the look of the art; can't wait to dig in - more

Heroes Con 2011 - Part 1

Jun 3, 4, 5
Charlotte, NC

Day 1
So much too much... This is my first Heroes Con. I had heard the hype I just didn't anticipate that the show would live up to the hype to such a great degree. I knew I wouldn't be able to do it all, I just didn't anticipate how overwhelming it would be. I certainly felt the urge to try to do as much as possible.

My favorite part of shows is discovering artists that I hadn't heard of before. As much as I would like to own a commission or some original art by a famous artist whose work I really like I get a bigger high from getting a really nice piece from an artist that was previously unknown to me and possibly most of the other people at the show.

Day 2
I had to get more cash. I was running low and knew I had a couple commissions for which I had yet to pay the artists. I ended up spending more than I wanted to, once again, but I am very pleased with all my purchases.

Day 3
I decided not to stay for the third day. I'm sure it would have been fun but I had already spent more than I planned on spending.

Overall
Next year I will be more prepared. I took business cards from several artists whose work I liked and whose commission rates seemed reasonable but from whom I didn't have the time or money to get a sketch. I will be checking out their stuff online and pre-ordering if possible, from them next year.

It was great meeting people from message boards and podcasts. Their reactions ranged from sarcastic to polite to excited when I introduced myself. I might have seemed a little too eager to meet some of them.

It took me the better part of a day, 7.5 hours, to drive each way. A couple of choke points on either end and one in the middle of both drives slowed things down a little bit. Aside from the choke points I was able to make very good time. Now that I look back on the whole weekend I don't regret making the long drive. I wish Heroes Con was closer to home but it was well worth my time and money.