Batman: The Long Halloween

I'll begin by saying that I'm not a fan of Jeph Loeb. He relies too heavily on continuity references and crowbarring in as many characters as possible. Perhaps his most infuriating trait is the constant attempts to introduce mysteries into his writing. More often than not you'll be left without a definitive answer, unable to decipher one for yourself because Loeb's plotting is so haphazard.
 
Unfortunately Batman: The Long Halloween epitomises all of the above points.
 
The story unfolds over the period of a year in Gotham City. It concerns the corrupt Falcone family's stranglehold on the city and a pact formed by police captain Jim Gordon, Gotham district attorney Harvey Dent, and Batman to bring them to justice. It’s gangster intrigue DC Universe style.
 
The first hint that this title is full of nonsense comes from just flicking through its pages. Loeb has gone out of his way to cram in as many members of Batman's rogues gallery as possible. You'll see the usual suspects such as Joker, Penguin, Poison Ivy, Catwoman, and Two Face, who actually receives a revamped origin story. It all feels too busy. There's no need for the majority of these villains to be included, leaving you with the feeling that they're present because Loeb gets a thrill from it and falsely believes it lends the book credibility as a Batman title.
 
Another part of the trouble is that Loeb expects everyone to be as well versed in the character's history as he (thinks he) is. Why should a casual reader care who Calendar Man is, for example? Loeb has plucked elements from history to appease fans, overlooking anyone who may be picking up a Batman title, or even a comic in general, for the first time. The Batman mythos is placed front and centre but so much is made of it that it actually detracts from the comic.
 
The Long Halloween's biggest crime has to be its laboured mysteries. Without wishing to give too much away one of the book’s sub-plots sees one of the Falcones murdered. Nobody is revealed as the killer in the pages of the comic though Loeb insists that all the clues are there if you look for them. If they do exist then they are skilfully hidden because nobody ever seems entirely clear on who did it. It’s easy for Mr Loeb to say people should be able to work it out, he wrote the blasted book!
 
While it’s not recommended reading Long Halloween still has its merits. Loeb writes the Batman character very well, acknowledging that he's a detective as well as a superhero and Gotham's conscience. Anyone who's seen Bale and Nolan's The Dark Knight should also enjoy seeing part of the film's inspiration and source material.
 
It’s Tim Sale is what gives this title its greatest selling point. His dark, brooding art is the perfect fit for a Batman tale. The deep shadows suit 'The Caped Crusader' as well as they do the film noir attempt of a plot. Sale gives us an interesting take on each character, with the Joker standing out alongside Batman as warranting particularly high praise.
 
It's the non-superheroes that really show how good the artist is. While most people could draw something approaching a recognisable Batman thanks to the character's distinctive costume Sale creates a cast of people in suits that have their own instantly recognisable looks and personalities.
 
Visually pleasant it may be, but Batman: The Long Halloween is an utter disappointment for anyone who values a logical plot.

The Ultimates

You wouldn't think it to look at the imprint now but when Marvel first launched its Ultimate line it was considered one of the greatest things the company had done in years. Ultimate Spider-Man launched the line in 2000 and was followed by Ultimate X-Men in 2001. Both titles reimagined their titular characters in a more contemporary, (slightly) more realistic world than the regular Marvel Universe, allowing for origin stories updated to suit the 21^st century.
 
As successful as both books were both pale in comparison to The Ultimates. To this day the original 28 issue (26 regular issues and two annuals) run by Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch remains one of the line's greatest hits. It’s a stylish, exciting comic that helped Ultimate Marvel to flourish.
 
The first thirteen issue series opens with a first instalment flashing back to World War Two to detail the origin of Captain America, after which we're gradually introduced to the rest of the team. Hank and Janet Pym are biologists working on the advancement of superpowers. Tony Stark is the billionaire playboy we've seen emerge in the films.

There are hints of Bruce Banner’s famous alter ego having already made his presence known to the world (specifically New York). Nick Fury is famously redesigned to look like Samuel L Jackson, hence his casting as the S.H.I.E.L.D. boss is Marvel's films, and is written as a more shadowy, slightly sinister individual than his mainstream counterpart.
 
The greatest recreation is Thor. As the story begins he is either the genuine God of Thunder or an environmentalist lunatic with some very special powers. The way this is introduced is superb and answers that are teased across multiple arcs is incredibly rewarding.
 
What makes the series work is Millar's understanding of the characters at his disposal. He knows what tweaks to make and never goes overboard, meaning the cast remains recognisable but still capable of surprising us. The pacing is quick and the balance between action and plot is perfect. Hitch handles everything required of him perfectly.
 
The first twelve issues are split into two stories. The first details the recruitment and formation of the team and a rampaging rogue troubling New York. The second arc shows the Ultimates' clash with the Chitari, an alien race that had been allied with Hitler during the war.
 
The action, pacing and characterisation are all perfect and there's not a bad line of dialogue throughout the entire run. It’s an essential read for anyone who wants a modern take on superheroes done correctly. Millar and Hitch introduce a sense of wonder that mainstream comics, generally speaking, lack today. Very impressive when you consider how well known the characters at their disposal are.

Ignition City

 

Ignore the “Volume 1” slapped onto the cover and spine of this book. Volume two is not coming. These five issues are a complete tale in and of themselves and Warren Ellis has no plans for more. Although the world that’s constructed is so rich that it’s easy to imagine this becoming an ongoing series.

In a way that is Ignition City’s greatest downfall. There are so many hints at a wider world and an unseen history between the characters we meet and it’s a great shame these won’t be taken further. It feels very much like the first half of a TV series cancelled before its time by 20^th Century Fox: there’s lots of invention but everything’s over before you can fully appreciate it all. It’s sort of a comic book equivalent of Firefly.

As ever with Warren Ellis one of the central motifs of the title is technology. Whereas Ellis usually enjoys writing about the future of technology here he plays around with its past, imaging a world that’s a mixture of steampunk, early rocket science and space exploration.

The story takes place in the eponymous Ignition City, Earth’s last remaining spaceport. There’s a sassy, foul-mouthed, empowered female lead on hand (another Ellis trope) to guide us through this world, acting as a cross between an exposition device and a vehicle for Ellis’s femdom fantasies.

Mary Raven is fleshed out a little with a backstory concerning her father being a famous space pilot and wanting to follow in his footsteps. It’s not the most touching story you’ll ever come across in a comic, nor is Raven the most empathetic character, but you find yourself warming to her anyway.

The real strength of the title is in its cast of supporting characters and Ignition City itself. As comic book locales go Ignition City seems very real, and its various cast of characters never feel too ridiculous. That’s pretty impressive when you consider that the list includes giant green alien crabs and a man who was once “Russia’s greatest cosmonaut.” Gianluca Pagliarani does a great job making a grimy town built on mud seem varied and interesting and gives us a surprisingly wide range of facial expressions.

The plot is centred on the tried and tested murder mystery formula. It’s not especially inventive but doesn’t need to be. The real joy of this book is discovering its secrets, not following a complex story. If you’re looking for something you can breeze through in a day then this is for you. It will leave you wanting more though.

 

Critical information:

Writer: Warren Ellis

Artist: Gianluca Pagliarani

ISBN: 9781592910878

Locke & Key: Welcome to Lovecraft

Welcome to Lovecraft, the first volume of Locke & Key is an astonishingly good piece of work on so many different levels. In just six issues a vivid world ripe with possibility is introduced to us. It never feels contrived or forced, and there's a genuine feeling of magic as you stumble across the book's many secrets.

After the grisly death of their father the Locke children, Tyler, Kinsey and Bode, relocate with their mother from the sunny west coast to Lovecraft, Massachusetts. There they find themselves living in Keyhouse, an eerie mansion that has a door that lets people leave their bodies when opened with a certain key and a well house that nobody must go near.

They don’t get to enjoy their new surroundings for too long though. The social misfit that killed their father escapes from the juvenile detention centre he was being held in. He doesn’t necessarily want revenge on the already traumatised family for his incarceration, but he does want a black key.
 
What makes this a particularly impressive read is that it is the first comics work writer Joe Hill has produced. He is the son of Stephen King (he wisely took a pen name to avoid daunting comparisons) and has clearly picked up his dad's knack for success.
 
Aiding and abetting Hill is artist Gabriel Rodriguez, whose quirky and innovative artwork is a perfect fit for the series. He captures moments of tenderness just as well as moments of maniacal bloodletting (and there are plenty of both). It's surprising, given how good he is, that we haven't seen him drawing the Avengers latest clash with the X Men or contributing to DC's Watchmen prequels. The guy doesn’t draw a single bad panel throughout the whole volume.
 
Unlike most comics Locke & Key has not been published monthly since its first issue, instead finding itself separated into various miniseries. There will be thirty-six issues in total, spread across six volumes. There are currently five trades available, with the sixth series due to begin later in the year.

This approach has given each volume its own self-contained plot arc while also allowing it to contribute to the larger story that has unfolded across the first thirty issues (and will conclude in the last six). It's a nice approach that has benefited the title, the gaps in production leaving fans eager for answers and allowing intrigue to build regarding series’ mythos.
 
While volume one is very much an opening act that sets the scene for the tale to come it can still be enjoyed in its own right. As a mysterious person who lives in a well points out in issue six "You can’t understand because you’re reading the last chapter of something, without having read the first chapters."

There are answers here. You’ll just have to read more to fully comprehend them all. Considering the quality of the work that’s no bad thing.

 

Critical information:

Writer: Joe Hill

Artist: Gabriel Rodriguez

ISBN: thing.

The Dandy

When I was young I would buy The Beano every week. I don’t have many memories of the content but I remember enjoying the comic and many of the characters. I would receive The Beano Annual every Christmas and skim through it reading the stories involving characters I liked.

Dennis the Menace was a favourite, partly thanks to Gnasher. I was less interested in Minnie the Minx, whose particular brand of anarchic tomfoolery seemed identical to Dennis’s. I branded her a rip-off and avoided her.

I was never a regular reader of The Dandy. I owned some annuals picked up from car boot sales and passed down to me second hand, but I found the characters less appealing than those appearing in The Beano. It didn’t really appeal to me. I distinctly remember thinking that it wasn’t as funny.

On Tuesday 14^th August The Dandy was trending on Twitter for a while, as was #saveTheDandy. It had been revealed that there was a very real possibility of The Dandy ceasing publication because its readership has become so poor in recent years.

I had a look through some of the comments that were being made and quickly realised one of The Dandy’s key problems: it’s priced at £1.99. It also became apparent that the same cast of characters were being trotted out as when I would read annuals as a child, which struck me as odd as well. I had expected a few names that I didn’t recognise to appear.

I decided that it would be unfair to write the title off without actually looking at it though, so I decided to buy the latest issue to read through. This revealed another problem the publication is facing: I visited nine shops before I found somewhere that had it in stock. If it’s hard to track down it’s going to be hard to buy.

As it’s essentially an anthology The Dandy is a mixed bag in terms of quality. I was surprised to find that Desperate Dan, the title’s most recognisable character, appeared in only one strip on the back cover. Meanwhile Korky the Cat, a similarly recognisable face, was reduced to a brief appearance on a page encouraging readers to submit jokes.

While I fall a little outside of the target age range I still found things to enjoy. In addition to Desperate Dan I enjoyed the two Grrrls! strips, My Dad’s a Doofus, Bananaman, Olympikids, and Mega-Lo Maniacs. Anyone familiar with The Dandy will possibly have noticed that three of those strips are by one man: Jamie Smart. His thick line work and expressive faces were a wonderful discovery. He’s someone I’d like to see more work from in the future.

Being a former Beano reader it was also a joy to see the artwork of Nigel Parkinson again. His one page Banana Bunch strip featured some of the most detailed art of the entire issue, each panel packed with movement and personality. Even something as simple as a panel drawn in silhouette stood out, simply because I hadn’t expected to find that level of quality given to a children’s magazine.

Sadly, and predictably, there was some pretty ropey material too. The Bogies (featuring Bogie Won) was a barely veiled Star Wars pastiche starring lumps of green snot and a golden robot. I appreciate it’s a kids title but that doesn’t necessitate the inclusion of disgusting subject matter. And surely there must be something more recent that could be homaged ahead of a franchise that first saw life in 1977.

Professor Cheese’s Olympic Wheezes, Spotted Dick and Silly Moo were all fairly humdrum and unimaginative, while a three panel strip featuring Wolverine (yes, that Wolverine) performing magic was just confusing.

While I did find enjoyment in issue 3594 of The Dandy I don’t believe there was enough to warrant the relatively high price tag. If The Dandy is to remain aimed primarily at children then a lot of work needs to be done to compete with the dozens of TV channels and hundreds of computer games available to them.

Children of today have so much choice that spending two pounds on something that will only last them an hour is unappealing. Right now The Dandy either needs to be reinvented with fresh characters relevant to today’s kids. Lazy gags about mobile phones don’t cut it in 2012 because most kids are unaware that they used to be carried in briefcases.

My suggestion would be keeping the same tone but trying to attract a greater range of aspiring comic book writers and-or authors in an attempt to see if a new character catches on or the title can gain a reputation for being somewhere young talent can be seen (which would make it more appealing to adult comic fans). It’s a lofty goal but there’s no reason The Dandy couldn’t strive to be a U rated 2000 AD.

It would be sad to see such a well-established title cease publication but having read an issue I’d understand if it did.

All-Star Superman

We all know the Superman origin story. He is the last survivor of a dying race of superbeings, sent to Earth and raised on a farm before growing up to become the morally righteous world protector with a penchant for red underwear and capes. The character has been rebooted, adapted and updated so many times over the last decade or three that a nauseating number of stories recounting this simple tale now exist.

Thankfully when Grant Morrison wrote the twelve issue All-Star Superman he boiled down the thirty years or so of Superman’s life to eight words split across four panels. That was the first of many things he got right with the series.

All-Star Superman celebrates the character’s sixty-plus years of canon and history without ever becoming beholden to it. If something works Morrison includes it. If something is best left forgotten then it is. Numerous aspects of Superman and his world are reworked all in order to give us the best story possible, often things you wouldn’t expect to appear in such a relatively short series. That’s exactly how comics should be written.

Jimmy Olsen is transformed from irritating sidekick to brilliant scientist. The Fortress of Solitude is accessed using a key that weighs half a billion tonnes. The high intellect of the character, so often forgotten or downplayed over the decades, is highlighted at various points and there are dozens of examples of Superman truly being the strongest man on Earth, again something his regular appearances often downplay in order to heighten drama.

The premise of the series is setup in the very first issue. After Superman thwarts the latest diabolical plan of Lex Luthor it is revealed that ‘The Man of Steel’ has become oversaturated with solar radiation and is given a limited amount of time to live.

This development not only makes Supes fallible but it gives him something he so rarely has in modern comics: a purpose. Knowing he is going to die Superman focuses on tying up loose ends and ensuring that the world will be safe in his absence. There are some beautifully touching moments between the character (both as Superman and Clark Kent) and his father and Lois Lane.  

It all naturally comes down to a final showdown with Luthor, but it is far from the by-the-numbers Kryptonite-filled encounter most fans would (rightfully) expect. The climactic confrontation is just one of many instances in which Morrison defies expectations and surprises everyone from long term fans to those just picking up their first comic.

Morrison’s script truly does Superman justice. Fun, exciting adventures are woven with believable characters. Frank Quitely’s artwork is the perfect fit for the title, with Superman being all lantern jaw, boyish cowlick and kindly smile. Morrison has provided an excellent script but it’s Quitely who expertly brings it to life and imbues it with a warmth and sense of wonder rarely associated with famous Metropolis resident.

Whether you’re a fan of the character or not you will enjoy this book.

Critical information:

Writer: Grant Morrison
Artist: Frank Quitely
ISBN: 9780857688170

Dial H

At time of writing only the first four issues of revived DC title Dial H (previously referred to as Dial H for Hero during publication runs in the 1960s and 1980s) have been released and the central storyline is still in the process of being revealed. That in itself is a reason to read it in my opinion, as it's rare these days for mainstream comics to give us a storyline that hasn’t been crowbarred into a three or four issue arc. That gradual process of revealing what’s going on is rewarding and means you’re always left wanting a little more.

The general premise is simple. Pudgy, out-of-work everyman Nelson Jent is set upon by hoodlums when making his way home from visiting a sick friend in hospital. Seeking help he dives into a phone booth and attempts to dial H-E-L-P but accidentally (but conveniently as far as the plot is concerned) dials H-E-R-O instead.

Emerging from the phone box in his place is Boy Chimney. He makes short work of the thugs that troubled Jent and then goes for a night-time jaunt through the city. Sometime later our tubby protagonist finds himself back in his apartment, remembering what happened.

The obligatory “learning how the phone box works” scene, which so easily could have been an infodump, is instead used as a fun way of giving us a selection of fleeting superhero appearances.

The main plot itself has so far introduced a toad-like antagonist whose mode of speech flits between East End tough and educated mastermind and Ex Nihilo, a woman with mastery over nothing who is very interested in the magical phone dials. Joining him and protagonist Jent is a mysterious superheroine with access to a portable phone dial of her own.

The big attraction with the Dial H title is obviously China Miéville. His hefty reputation is what will initially draw a lot of people to the book. It’s what made me pick up issue one, along with Brian Bolland’s perfectly judged cover art. But readers will find themselves staying for the neat premise and Mateus Santolouco’s interior art, which is not only great but also an excellent fit with Miéville’s writing and the feel of the book.

The New 52 project has had many surprise hits and misses. Dial H is very much in the former camp. I hope we see the creative team, and Nelson Jent, stick around for a long time to come.

Critical information:
Writer: China Miéville
Artist: Mateus Santolouco
ISBN: Yet to be collected