New Beginnings - Southern Cross #1

by Matt Puddy

Image has always been an interesting publisher for me. Aside from the all-star line up of partners and founders that they have (Kirkman, Silvestri, McFarlane et al), I’ve often found that they take a slightly different approach to comics outside of the stereotypical masks and capes approach that the mainstream and first identified publishers such as Marvel and DC.

This week’s comic is a good representation of this. There’s nothing super, nothing powered and nothing mystical (so far) to push it along. Instead we have a story driven by a normal woman on the path to find out what has happened to her sister. When working in admin, it’s not that life threatening a role to play, even in a science fiction setting.

The opening to the series, by Becky Cloonan, is very akin to a murder mystery and quite reminiscent of something I would expect to see Hercule Poirot bobbing around in. This is a scene and pacesetter for the entire run right from the word go. The tone, both visually and literally, is created and there is an awkward rough feel to the story which is perfect for Alex Braith making her way to Titan surrounded by the roughnecks and workers bound for the refining station on Titan. There are a number of contradictions presented to you as well as you would find in life, which aid the story to feel more realistic, even though it’s set in the future. The mix of personalities which bond and clash is akin to the everyday relationships that everyone finds themselves in. From a wider perspective the claustrophobic feel of a close-quartered tanker, combined with the simple enormity of the ship itself is another great example of this.

As Alex moves through the ship she meets people who will no doubt shape her tale in more than one way. The doctor, the captain and her bunkmate for example. But everything takes a twist later on in this first issue. Whilst on a routine walk around the ship she is shown the gravity drive. Something takes her away. Did her mind drift or did she really see her sister calling out for help? Something is awry and only the inquest she is on will resolve it.

Working with Becky Cloonan is Andy Belanger on pencils. As I mentioned before the artwork is befitting the story. Lee Loughridge’s colouring certainly adds to this as well. Thoughout the issue there is a great level of detail in the surroundings which is fantastic, even when you get to the end and find an advert for positions on the crew along with schematics of the ship and station. The geek in me loved these extra little touches at the end. This is quite possibly due to my love of the Sulaco and Nostromo, but even so I thought they were great.

The visual characterisations are a little basic for my preferences, but even so there is a lot of interaction displayed and passed on by them. Overall the tone is further supported by the colouring. Individually the different aspects have varying merits but all together it works well.

As a first issue it has enough to keep you reading and asking questions. For a stop outside of the normal it’s a good one.

Matt Puddy is continually delighted by the variety Image are bringing to the shelves.

New Beginnings - The Dying and the Dead #1

by Matt Puddy

Truth be told when I got given the review copies for this week I was given a choice. On one hand there was The Dying and the Dead and a different comic on the other. So what do I do? Well given that it was also a Jonathan Hickman title I didn’t have too much trouble in choosing.

The Dying and the Dead is a curious story. It doesn’t really give a huge amount away in the opening; it's driven mainly by narrative and the setup is mainly introducing a mysterious organisation lead by an even shadowier Bah Al Sharur and his band of clones – at least that’s apparently what they are.

In the meantime we are also introduced to our “hero,” the Colonel. A man who in a similar fashion to the story’s opening is motivated by love of a woman but with considerably different consequences. Whereas one man died at the hands of his wife, the Colonel here is ready to die for her. As a terminal cancer patient there is almost nothing left of her, but he still has hope. Even when conventional medicine doesn’t seem to be able to provide anything more than palliative comfort and pain relief, a mysterious man offers a solution not based in science.

Almost as if it were a prophecy, The Bishop wants to speak to the Colonel and has an offer for him.

After being driven to the desert and a small unassuming church, the Colonel is taken to a vast extensive region simply known as the City, inhabited by a civilisation older and more powerful than humankind. To them the Colonel is just a tool; should he accept the deal he is being given then it will entail removing Bah Al Sharur. All in return for ridding his beloved from cancer.

Without it really being much of a choice the Colonel now has a new mission and companion. From here on it’s all down to the execution.

In terms of the writing, there are certain elements that I felt were really good. The opening felt like a mini-movie with either music or a narrator over the scene. On the other hand though I also felt that there was too much allusion to a higher power or a greater group of people behind it all in a large amount of the dialogue too. It quickly became distracting. One of the other things that did infuriate me a little was the story progression, or rather the lack there of. On the cover we see the Colonel and at least one companion with an interesting spear, but we have no clue about it. In addition there is a mysterious Pulp Fiction-esque box that was stolen in the preamble, that you have really no clue about. I understand that plot can take time to build up and develop intrigue, but a bit more description and better pacing would have helped.

Ryan Bodenheim is the artist for this comic working with Michael Garland and they've taken quite an interesting tack on it all. A lot is conveyed visually. All of the assumingly good guys are purely white, from top to toe in both dress and skin. This makes them stand out significantly in every pane;, while the other characters move and change within the frames. I can’t quite put my finger on why this changes things, but it all ties in with the emotional shifts the story holds. It’s a lot of fine detailed work that tells a lot of the story to - even when a few frames are partially duplicated.

It’s an interesting opening with some ideas that could pique a reader's interest, but some parts could have been made more. I suppose wanting more from it is also a good sign though despite the fact it's a huge and hefty comic for a modern issue. If you love Hickman, mysteries, the Illuminati or even just quest-based stories built on the concept that love endures then you’re in for some enjoyment.

Matt Puddy is often purely muddy, from top to toe.

New Beginnings - Bodies #1

by Matt Puddy

Bodies is not the most enigmatic title I have come across in recent times yet combined with the cover imagery of a glamorous woman from the Fifties complete with blood splatters, it certainly makes it a perplexing offering.

When you add in the premise for this comic, it’ll throw you out even more. Four time periods, four detectives, four murders, identical MO, identical location – the twist? It’s the same body.

Spread over 1890, 1940, 2014 and 2050, the story follows four distinctly individual sleuths, each trying to get to the bottom of an apparently impossible body. Each has their own foibles and quirks, but all are dedicated to the cause. They all also seem to have their own trials to overcome. Whether it be religion, sexual preference, intelligence (albeit through the devolution of society) or simply sadistic tendencies, all four of our crime fighters are up against it in one way or another. 

From a reader's point of view, you get an entry level whodunit with the added advantage of seeing the body through the eyes of various people who all pick up on different things. It’s a professional job, but one with a ritualistic killing as it was marked with a sign. It also seems to appear in whichever time you see it in out of thin air regardless of who is around. So from your own perspective it creates a lot of different questions around the whole thing too.

From a writing perspective Si Spencer clearly has a wide ranging plan. From reading his piece in the back, it is clear that a lot of time has been spent engineering the whole impossible idea in reverse to make it happen. I can’t decide if it’s too convoluted to be kept under control, or if it’s just on the right side of crazy to border on genius.

Whichever way it lies, careful consideration has been made over a lot of the different elements. Instead of burdening one artist with the peculiarities of drawing in wildly different styles, no less than nine artists are all attached to this project. Four are directly linked by the artwork in each timeframe, with the others adding sections and covers alike. It’s quite a bold step but it works well as it gives a very strict differentiating factor to keep all the time lines unique - aside from the identical body that is!

The individual artist styles also compliment the timelines that they portray, including an almost soft and fluffy future where knowledge being constantly forgotten seems to be a big issue. I also wouldn’t be surprised if there was a lot more hidden in there too as a result.

Combine it all together and Vertigo have an interesting title with a delightfully abnormal approach, led by a writer who is obviously very committed and enthusiastic about the project. You can’t question Spencer’s love of what he’s doing here. I just hope he hasn’t bitten off more than he can chew.

Will the stories cross? How will this all be solved and resolved? We will be sure to find out.

Matt Puddy is fascinated by what comes next.

New Beginnings - Low #1

by Matt Puddy

Rick Remender is a writer who polarises opinions. I know people who enjoy his work and others who aren’t as impressed. Personally I’ve loved some of his work but then on the occasional project been a little disappointed. So when I see his name on a new comic, I’m both intrigued and cautious at the same time.

This is one of those weeks as Image Comics present the Remender led Low.

Low is set in the very far future and based around a fairly well thought scientific principle that our star is slowly expanding at a slow but detectable rate. In this reality the Sun's expanse has grown great enough that the radiation we currently take for granted has deadly. Man has had to retreat the depths of the seas to remain safe. 

Over time these cities have slowly become few and far between. Even in these times, groups fracture and separate off to become adversaries meaning that even without the impending doom the sun brings, there is still danger all around.

Even though all apparently appears to be lost, there are still those trying to find a way for mankind to survive. Probes have been sent out through the universe to find a new home for humanity, and now one has returned home.

Life has evolved underwater to support a civilisation. The oceans are farmed and harvested, but things are getting sparse. Specification has gone to new depths, with certain tasks being limited by bloodline. The Caine family are an example of this, as only those with their family DNA can pilot the last helm suit of Salus. This is a powerful position to have, but also one that puts them in danger because outside the realm of the city they have become the hunted. This puts them all at risk and the helm suit in the hands of the enemy.

This may look to be a terrible position to be in; outgunned, captured and losing the most valuable resource you have. Not so for Stel Caine, our heroine, who is the eternal optimist and will not go down without a fight.

The story that Remender has written has been brewing for years. Finally he has managed to bring it to print, and you can tell it’s a work of love for him. A lot has been put into the writing and as a result it comes across in a captivating fashion.

Once again he is working with Greg Tocchini to provide the artwork, a partnership that has proven to work well in the past. Tocchini’s work is gorgeous, and lovers of the game Bioshock will certainly enjoy his work in some respects. The helm suit that you see on the cover looks great, but further more when you see the character portrayals inside, they are realistic and well developed. This is massively helped by the colouring work as well, giving even more depth to the pages. They’re a real treat on the eye. There is so much going on in the detailed line art that you get to see the story unfold as much as read it.

This is a cracking first issue and bulging with all sorts of ideas and themes. I will be the first to admit that I was a little sceptical but on this occasion I was wrong to think so. This is well worth picking up as a new title.

Matt Puddy managed to avoid humming "Under The Sea" from The Little Mermaid whilst writing this review, but only just.

New Beginnings - The Squidder #1

by Matt Puddy

Many moons ago on Joe’s Comics there was a new start called Ten Grand. Written by J Michael Straczynski. it’s a cracking little story about redemption and how far a man will go, but most importantly it was my first real introduction to the artistic work of Ben Templesmith, though many of our readers will remember his work from 30 Days Of Night and more.

Templesmith may have left the comic after four issues but it was professionally handled and respectfully done by Straczynski meaning that regardless of the differences, workloads or other issues, there wasn’t a black cloud hanging over him for future projects.

Here we are now with one such future project – The Squidder – however this time the entire creative burden rests on his shoulders. More importantly this is the first part of a very personal project that suits Templesmith right down to the ground.

The Squidder is a bleak story in its kindest description. Opening with a cruel religious sacrificial ceremony, the reader is thrown right into the middle of civilisation's end. In an attempt to end the cycle of harm a young girl is offered up to appease the Squid Queen. One of many that has invaded Earth devastating the land and all those on it.

Hitchins, like many good protagonists, is a man troubled by his own violent past. Known as a Squidder, he was designed for the war against them. Physically strong and then further supported and enhanced by nanites and other technological doohickeys, it still wasn’t enough. In the end the war was lost and he witnessed plenty of death from those around him.

Being awoken from a nightmare isn’t a bad thing unless it’s to the hands of a hapless attempt at assassination. As a trained killer, seeing the attackers off is not hard at all but it does lead to an interesting meeting. Here is the crux of where this four part series is going. Hitchins is unimpressed at what he sees around him, but money talks and undertaking a mercenary contract to find and retrieve a priestess of the Squid Cult – alive – will make for an interesting ride. Brought to rescue what constitutes a traitor in his eyes and keep her alive. What could possibly go wrong?

Templesmith’s artwork is exactly what I expected to see when I saw his name on the cover. It is fine lined, yet nasty and grimy at the same time. This is eloquently drawn horror, wrapped around a nightmare landscape.

Storywise it’s not bad at all. Maybe not the strongest of writing, but then again he’s not as well known for that outside of perhaps his Wormwood, Gentleman Corpse series. My one criticism is that sometimes the dialogue was confusing, with a person off camera speaking or being made reference to without being the focal point. This is certainly not a comic you can skim and take everything in so pay attention!

There is a very distinct apocalyptical feel to this without the normal nuclear side if that’s possible. Amongst all of the destitution and struggle I did feel that the overwhelming idea of the squids was missing in this issue aside from the futility of trying to beat them in flashbacks.

As a treasured project I think Templesmith has done well, considering that everything is done by him in its entirety. It’s a shame that it’s only four issues long really, though perhaps it's the first in a series of linked smaller miniseries. Time will tell, but this is definitely worth a look for all Templesmith and horror fans.

Matt Puddy once sacrificed something to the Great Squid. Now he'll never be able to grow a full beard.

New Beginnings - Trees #1

by Matt Puddy

In Ellis we trust is a phrase Ben and I have often said in store in reverent tones, but this time I’m not so sure. (I was! I bloody loved this first issue! BF) 

Collaborating with Jason Howard, Ellis has brought us Trees, a new science fiction comic set shortly in the future. 

The opening is full of mystery. Strangely huge tall structures land on Earth and then stand silent watching over the world. Dubbed “trees” for their trunk-like appearance, they have faded into everyday life after ten years of doing nothing.

Over this time humanity has tried to investigate and attack the trees but gained nothing. It is only the occasional dumping of waste from the trees, an act which is terrifying and destructive to all and everything surrounding the tree, that shows that there is something occurring within. Mankind cannot see what that is though, but the trees see all. The only problem is that whereas man has learnt that they are not alone in the galaxy, that same being doesn’t seem to even recognise us as intelligent or alive.

So what is this all about then? The rest of the comic introduces a variety of seemingly distant individuals, who I would guess all play different integral parts in the story to come later.

We have the young, cocky and power hungry mayoral candidate who sees this all as a potential situation to take advantage of. There's the young artist entering the city of Shu and being exposed to a whole new world of experiences, and a pair of researchers isolated in the cold wastes of North Spitzbergen – one of which has found a strange new flower in the snow. Fitting them all into this first issue has meant the story is spread thinly across them all, and only works as an introduction but not much else. All we are presented with by the end is a strange slightly futuristic society with an almost forgotten threat waiting in plain sight.

As a result I’m really not sure about this one. When I came to the end of this first issue, I honestly expected there to be more story. Instead it abruptly ended with a statement proclaiming more about things being the normal status, possibly a system message from the trees themselves. With the exception of some bizarre sights, normal has certainly been achieved. My only hope is that this "normal" is going to get dramatically and/or drastically blown apart.

As I mentioned earlier Jason Howard (who is known for working on Image titles with people such as Robert Kirkman) takes to the pencils. Firstly the cover image I thought was cracking. A strong depiction of the duality of a situation, with a cityscape backed with a crimson sky all underpinned by the roots of a tree that twist together and around to depict a skull. Foreshadowing at its finest as well then perhaps? Once inside the comic the artwork changes to a more subtle style. There is a wide range of characters and interactions as well as some realistic but with some great futuristic ideas such as the robot hounds the police are using. It keeps one foot in the present day, with the other reaches ahead without edging too far outside the realms of reality. A nice touch I felt. The frames are very easy to read and people shown, pivotal or not, display a wide range of emotions and faces. There is more passed over about the living and lifestyle in the artwork than the written plot, which is interesting and proof of the strength of comics as a narrative medium. The crowning piece for me though was the image used almost at the end of the comic to promote issue #2, which combines a hinted at aspect of the trees with an almost silhouette of an unknown male.

I like Warren Ellis’s work so I want to like this comic but on this occasion, based only on this issue I’m struggling. I’ve come to expect more and I hope there is more to come. Maybe issue #2 will win me over.

Matt Puddy still urges you to give Trees a go and make your own mind up!

New Beginnings - The Woods #1

by Matt Puddy

When I was handed the copy of The Woods and told that it looked good, the eager and excited look on the editor’s face should have been a small clue. How could I possibly shy away from such an emphatic appraisal before I had even read the issue?

Written by James Tynion IV, The Woods is a new title for Boom Studios in which a whole school – complete with the standard archetypes – is transported off planet. After building up each of the characters by showing their inner thoughts as well as general conversation, the scene is slowly set. It’s more about what to do, as opposed to what is really going on.

This fact in itself threw me a little, as such a monumental upheaval was dealt with in a relatively minimal way. Due to the story focussing on specific characters, you only get a small sense of the full situation. There are some bolder depictions - like the strange spider-bat creatures that attack or seeing a small girl get eaten in a classroom - but outside of that, it’s quite coldly dealt with. This is all due to the fact that the story clearly isn’t meant to be held within the school. The realisation that the young genius Adrian Roth comes to is that it might all be a test of some sort, theorising that a nearby artefact is a marker, pointing to a secret is held at the centre of the titular woods. A dare, if you will. This is the pivotal point of the issue as it changes the location and potentially sets up the remainder of the series.

A group is formed, including the pushy over-achiever who forces herself in, and preparations are made. It’s time to enter the woods. As they pass the strange triangular artefact, an automated test sequence begins, unseen by our protagonists.

What I really liked about this story is the science-fantasy feel to it all. There is a present-day realism bestowed upon to it all by taking an everyday school, and sticking it in a scenario straight out of Labyrinth or The Neverending Story. The concept of taking such a large cross-section of kids and placing them in mortal danger is also very reminiscent of Battle Royale or more recently The Hunger Games; it isn’t a new idea but it certainly gels with a popular style at the moment. By sectioning off a small group, it keeps it within this genre but also makes it unique at the same time.

So the big question is what will just over 500 people thrust into an alien wilderness do?

Michael Dialynas is the artist for the series. Now being completely honest he is a new artist to me and I have no frame of reference for his other works. But looking at this issue on its own has provided some interesting things. There is lots of creativity in the new creatures that attack the school (and plenty more to come I would assume). The characterisation of the individuals makes it clear as to what these people represent, meaning readers can identify easily and relate more to the story.

From a larger perspective the artwork is quite soft and easy on the eyes. That said, even without huge amounts of details, the faces are incredibly emotive meaning a lot is conveyed without needing extra dialogue.

As a first issue I have to admit that the initial hype that got passed on was well lived up to. It’s a really interesting new comic and aside from the casual ignoring of, “How the hell did we get here and where is here!?” it’s looking like a good story to follow. Tynion IV has played a good opening hand.

Let’s see how deep into the forest we go.

Matt Puddy is a fan of the colour palette too.

New Beginnings - Undertow #1

Atlantis is a place which has been written about often. Fictional or not, Atlantis has been a place of interest to many. Image are now revisiting a new vision of how things could have been with Steve Orlando at the helm.

Undertow is set in our past with what could be considered an alien race of water-breathing humanoids. Life is comparable to our standards on some levels, which makes the opening narrative of a young man born and bred into privilege quite relatable, but it is only a short precursor to the story. As a way to strike out and break away from the social norms expected of him, he enlists into military service. A way to see new places and people that hadn’t been vetted by his parents, but also a way that thrust him into harms way. Into the sight of Redum Anshargal, a person who supposedly didn’t exist.

Redum has been built up to be somewhat of an urban myth, an individual who brings fear to the hearts of Atlanteans for being a rebel or to some degree a terrorist. But is this really the case? The story follows how Redum is more of a scientist than a warrior, searching for the next step that allows his species to walk the Earth without the need for a water breathing suit. Along the way, they observe early man first starting to become organised, as they hunt for an amphibian that could potentially unlock the key to the next step in their evolution. 

Visually the comic’s cover immediately struck me as having similarities to Scott Snyder and Sean Murphy's “The Wake” with dark, detailed imagery and contrasting colours. Inside this is carried over further, but it also had me thinking of other titles like Jeff Lemire’s Trillium, although that is admittedly due to the face shapes and types that artist Artyom Trakhanov has used for the characters. Having to imagine a reversed world where in water is the natural state can’t be easy but Trakhanov has managed it. His is quite a heavy style, though I did start to find it got quite tough on the eye especially with such a dim palette used for the colouring, but it does give a certain sense of gravity to it all. This isn’t a jovial light-hearted comic and the main characters have differing levels of sombreness, so the dialogue and depictions work together well.

As a story I found this issue a bit slow as it took two thirds of the book to get to the actual main target. This is more about the history of the team and getting them established as a unit in the reader's mind. The amount of time spent on just a couple of the characters did seem a little unbalanced, but they did go on to be the main focus for this issue.

This is quite a brave piece in my mind as there are a lot of similarities and potential nods to other titles. It also is set in a time period which gives quite a free rein to the creative team. As such I think this could be a bit of a Marmite title, which those who love vehemently love and those who don’t, really don’t.

Matt Puddy now understands why people were raving about Cabin In The Woods - great film!

New Beginnings - The Fuse #1

by Matt Puddy

Digging deep into a large selection of styles he loves, Antony Johnston brings us The Fuse this week, bringing science fiction and police procedurals together 22,000 miles above the surface of the Earth. The Fuse is a five-miles long space station, inhabited by roughly half a million people - all of which needed to be watched over. Much like a normal city the citizens have separated into various social statuses and roles. There are the obvious staff and services on the station, but equally poverty has crept in as well and “cablers” – the equivalent of homeless people – have propped up the human hierarchy.

On his way to the station is Ralph Dietrich, a young detective who has volunteered to get his position on the station, and upon his arrival he is thrust straight into the thick of it with a murder almost falling into his lap. To make matters worse he also meets his new partner, a veteran of the force, and they both make a less than impressive first impression. Putting this aside the two push forward to start solving the crime. With little practical knowledge or understanding of how the station works, Dietrich is a little left behind on the processes, and owing to Klem’s cold demeanour, the partnership doesn’t really start working, creating a growing animosity. With dead ends and odd clues, including the arrival of another body – the vagrant we are introduced to in the first page, who is appearing to be a scapegoat – it all just complicates matters further. So what happens next? The hunt for the metaphorical needle within a huge floating pressurised haystack begins.

To me Image is known for being more of a non-typical publisher, and by typical I mean capes and powers. This is a good example of taking a straightforward style of story and giving it an extra twist. If you wanted to be flippant about it you could drill Johnston’s story down to a simple detective story, with the location and settings being merely incidental, but it’s the added layer of uncertainty in his surroundings that is given to Dietrich that turns things on its head. Johnston is also used to writing in a non-realistic realistic style after being on Oni Press for a very long time and his sci-fi credentials are easily verified by his work on the Dead Space computer game series to name just one.

Justin Greenwood is the artist for the issue and has a quite particular style. In some frames there is an almost cartoon like quality. Faces are smooth and - with the exception of the Cablers - fairly blemish free. It’s almost like social status has once again had an influence on a person’s visible standings. My one gripe is that the style leads to Klem having a certain androgynous appearance, that even after Klem's gender is confirmed I still wasn’t convinced as a reader .

There is certainly a lot of mystery in this issue, which was the desired outcome that Johnston was aiming for, and there is plenty room for manoeuvring in future issues. I would hope that Image keep this title for a long time, as this is just what happens on the “Russia Shift” meaning there are so many other places to go and things to do or see. One for fans of 2000AD or the wealth of comparable science fiction stories coming from European band dessinée, and definitely worth a look for anyone who loves Arthur C. Clarke.

Matt Puddy was impressed by the trailer for The Crew on the next-gen consoles.

New Beginnings - Terminator Salvation: The Final Battle #1

In 1984 James Cameron brought to the big screen a film that is considered one of science fiction’s classics. Spawning three film sequels, a plethora of video games and a TV series which was blighted by the curse of Summer Glau, The Terminator is known by pretty much everyone.

Over the course of the last (almost) 30 years since its inception, The Terminator has also received comic book treatments too with several publishers (most notably Dark Horse and Dynamite)and now under the writing of J. Michael Straczynski the war between Skynet and the Human Resistance may be finally coming to an end.

All of the Terminator films - to one degree or another - have an element where the story straddles two separate timelines. This comic tackles three points of temporal reference instead, featuring the recent past, the near future and finally the distant future just over 15 years ahead of now. Although this isn’t completely explored in this issue, there is a complimentary multitude of story lines to follow. The human rebel in the past (much akin to Michael Biehn in the original), three individual Terminators also in the past searching for a serial killer, and a terminally ill doctor whose cancer is overcome to ensure that both her and the aforementioned killer are key to Skynet's future. Slightly confused by it all? Well don’t be, once in the comic it’s not overly hard to follow, with clear division of story between elements and even time distribution for the characters.

One plot element that I did consider is how the preceding films fit with this future - including why doesn’t a sentient machine know about the past - but Straczynski tackles this early on using simple computer logic.

A lovely little twist too is that the readers preconceived ideas of what Terminators do, which is reinforced by the small homage to Arnie’s entry into the present day of T2, is shaken by them searching to protect Dr Kogan.

The artwork by Pete Woods, isn’t what I normally personally associate with Dark Horse but when you look at his credentials it’s understandable why. Woods has worked for both Marvel and DC including Paul Cornell's under-appreciated run on Action Comics.

I can’t say that I find the artwork here bad, but then again it’s not setting my world on fire. It has plenty of character but without fine detail. That said the faces are all unique and defined so that they are easily recognisable. One thing that Woods has managed to do is skilfully draw emotionless faces without them looking unreasonably blank when it comes to the three Terminators searching for Kogan. On the other end of the scale is the overabundance of emotion that makes the serial killer look grounded in a crazy way too. That in itself is no easy feat, so kudos to him for that.

As a first issue I didn’t find myself overwhelmed by what I had been presented with. I know the Terminator mythology fairly well, so can appreciate how this comfortably sits with my understanding and thus I didn’t find myself questioning it, but the one thing I felt it lacked was the franchise's inherent tension. I’m sure there is going to be more to it in the coming issues, but with so many individual threads in such a small space of time there isn’t enough to give me a compelling hook. Maybe staggering the introduction of characters in some way could have aided this more.

Matt Puddy has no major problem with Summer Glau, but let's be honest, everything she's in gets cancelled. Doesn't bode well for Arrow...

New Beginnings - Letter 44 #1

If you became the President of the United States, what would you seek to change over the four years of your elected term? This was the position that Stephen Blades, President-Elect, was put into after winning the election. How can he live up to his campaign pledges? How can he make the country a better place? All these thoughts racing in his head were dramatically derailed by a single scrappy letter left the Presidential desk. The tradition of the outgoing Commander-In-Chief leaving a message for the incumbent. Simply labelled 44, it will fundamentally change Blades' perception of his predecessor, his own job and the universe as a whole.

Letter 44, written by Charles Soule, is set in an analogous modern day America. Much like our current situation, seemingly ill-conceived war and economic instability have taken their toll on the country - and the choices of the departing President have been heavily frowned upon. The people have chosen a change of direction and control of the White House has shifted across the aisle. In his departing missive, Francis T Carroll reveals that years ago a mining construct was detected in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter and it was clearly of extra terrestrial construction. Whatever it was, he was determined the USA would be prepared, and so his unpopular actions were to ensure his country would be ready for whoever  or whatever would doubtless come. 

Sun Tsu is famously known for saying one should know their enemy, and so the second prong of Carroll’s plan was to send a nine man scientific and military team to find out what was out there. At the point of his inauguration, Blades is hearing of this mission for the first time and learning that they are almost there. It’s only when the crew draw back the metaphorical curtain that Blades sees that things could not be much worse than initially thought. The construction is apparently complete and functional... and does not look at all friendly.

On the surface of it Soule’s story is one of impending doom with an unknown alien adversary but looking beneath this there are a multitude of facets to also take into account. On one level you have the dilemma of whether humanity is better off for not knowing? Should they simply continue in ignorance of the secret team of men and women who have learnt the frightening truth? And if not how do you disseminate that sort of information? Or on the other hand, as President, do you continue the somewhat shady work of your predecessor now you know the truth? Regardless of your choice you still have to consider what to do about the potential threat to your life.

On top of this you have to consider the fate of the unknown crew whose social relationships have evolved during their mission. Lines of etiquette and fraternisation have been crossed and there is a baby on the way...

So do you still want to be President?

Alberto Jimenez Alburquerque has put pencil to paper for this issue and this is the first I’ve seen of his work. I wouldn’t say it is bad or wrong, but for me the incredibly angular noses on all of the characters sticks out a lot which makes it a slightly odd comic to read. That said the final image of the alien craft looked great; a fantastic contradiction to the small, almost insignificant ship that the Earth has made.

All in all I found this an interesting comic as it has a fun if not sinister element to it, whilst also coupled with a large intellectual element. This is a great introduction to Oni Press for new readers if they’ve not knowingly come across them before, and the solicitations for this ongoing title are also promising too.

Matt Puddy thinks Virgin Galactic may be in for a rude awakening...

New Beginnings - Trillium #1

The last time I saw Jeff Lemire’s work, it was on the New 52’s reboot of Animal Man (although Lemire is currently working on Justice League Dark and Green Arrow). For some reason the grittiness and harsh images from the first issue stuck with me and have become synonymous with his work and name, though of course that Animal Man was pencilled by Travel Foreman. I'm not hugely familiar with Lemire's own artwork on things like The Nobody and Sweet Tooth, both Vertigo titles. So it was largely fresh experience for me as I picked up his new Vertigo title: Trillium.

The first issue of Trillium is a tale of two halves in the most literal sense, which is a strange statement to make but easier to explain when you see the comic itself. On the front cover you have the titles, the barcode and price, a large upside down character and then smaller imagery beneath that the right way up. Flip the book over and on the back cover you have exactly the same but with different images. Suddenly you realise it's not the back cover, but another front cover. Trillium #1 is two cleverly entwined stories, both leading to the centre of the issue and the same geographical and chronological point. Just with them both coming from very different starting places.

Chapter one is set in the year 3797 where we meet a scientist, Nika, who is studying a native tribe called the Atabithians located on a far flung planet. Mankind has been hunted across the galaxy by a sentient virus, but now there is a chance for survival in an indigenous plant that is part of the Trillium species. Sadly it's in located within the Atabithians' village, and the previous attempt to enter ended in fatalities to the first team. 

Given that this story can only last for half a comic it moves quickly and before long Nika is finding her way into the village, despite her AI (Essie) trying to persuade her to see sense. Being more culturally sensitive to the situation - or maybe simply lucky - Nika is taken within and experiences a new side of the Trillium. Her limited translation programme can only help out in minor fragments, which means she has a limited idea of what is happening as she is lead away to a temple. Stepping through the temple changes everything though as she is confronted by a man armed with a machete.

Chapter 1.2 is the story of The Soldier set in 1921. Scouring the Amazon as part of an exploration party we meet William. A man who is haunted by his past experiences in the Great War and is having a hard time separating his memories from reality. Whereas Nika’s story has a very current feel to it, William's is more supported with flashbacks and previous events. Essentially a man living very much in his own past.

As they beat their way deeper into the forest, their local guide is getting more and more scared as they approach a “bad village.” Given the sight of strung up bodies and barely compus mentis man (who you may recognise from Nika's story) it's quite understandable. When they are attacked the flimsy line between his mind and the present moment blurs, leaving William fleeing and fighting for his life once more. He barely survives an encounter as he is pounced upon by a native tribesman and fends him off with a machete. Bewildered and disoriented he finds a pyramid temple. Rounding a corner he is confronted by our protagonist scientist from 3797.

Now with the obvious exception of the time and space connotations, I have to be honest that I have no idea of where this is going, but I can think of plenty of ideas. Lemire’s story is a good combination with a unique opening. I have also liked the way in that the individual characters have had their own personalities bleed into their own evolving stories. That said I did find that Nika’s story felt longer and moved quicker.

Lemire's artwork here is reminiscent of Eduardo Risso's work on Spaceman. It's fairly similar if not a lot more colourful. Whilst not the neatest of work, the big expanses convey lots of information without being too intricate. In contrast the smaller frames are filled with nonspecific details. I feel it suffers when it concentrates too much on individuals though, as the faces can lose some of their integrity and look a bit childish.

The presentation of the comic is very interesting and the story itself - coming from two very different angles at the same time - is also intriguing. I'm not sure how it will all unfold but it's definitely worth a look, especially for Lemire fans.

Matt Puddy does his best to not eat strange flowers.

New Beginnings - FBP Federal Bureau Of Physics (aka Collider)

Editor's note: since this article was written, Vertigo have retitled this comic for legal reasons as FBP Federal Bureau Of Physics. All subsequent issues and graphic novel collections will be released under this new title.

When I hear the word “collider” for some reason my thoughts switch immediately to Switzerland, and couples “Large” and “Hadron” to it as well. Maybe it’s my keen scientific brain - or more likely it’s because it’s an infrequently used word and those three words are normally associated together by today’s media.

So when I saw this week’s comic for review, yes my mind went to that place as well.

Collider is a new title on DC’s Vertigo label brought to us by Simon Oliver and Robbi Rodriguez. Oliver is a known Vertigo writer having been on The Exterminators (his own brainchild), Gen 13 and as part of the Hellblazer 20th anniversary issues. Rodriguez is not as well known, but has been working for the major publishers such as Marvel, for Fear Itself, and Image.

The story opens some time back in Mexico where an experiment, or scientific monitoring, is going wrong and in a final attempt to leave a message for his wife and son, the professor on screen leaves a formidable and lasting message. Given the right conditions, the impossible’s always possible.

Skipping to present day and a 911 call, everything seems normal until the operator utters “..and the nature of your emergency... Fire, Ambulance, Police... or Physics?”

It was at this point I paid a lot more attention. Physics? The first three I expected entirely, maybe even Coastguard, but what on earth did they mean by Physics as an emergency service? It was explained in the next page as the FBP – the Federal Bureau of Physics – were dispatched to the location.

The Bureau specialises in fixing quantum and temporal anomalies as they appear and this is where we meet our main bulk of characters. As individuals they are fairly archetypal. The main male protagonist is dealing with the death of his father (the Professor in the opening scene) whom he never met, whilst also contending with the fact that someone may have stolen his breakthrough research. There's also his partner Jay, an old school Company Man cut from an even older style of cloth and Cicero Deluca, the new by-the-numbers Special Agent leading the team.

As you would guess they are fairly dysfunctional as a team but seem to work well together. It’s only when welding a quantum tear that gravity begins to drop rapidly and unexpectedly things do change. Jay and Adam - who have worked together and built a rapport - know what should be going on, but Deluca isn’t so sure. As a result Adam is dropped into an open vortex. What this will do to him remains to be seen by the end of this first issue.

To complicate matters further, the greedy hands of politics are getting involved with how these matters are dealt with. It seems corruption transcends everything. A shady deal and a shifty conversation open up the back story to show that there is a lot more going on than meets the eye.

As a story, Oliver’s tale isn’t anything massively new. The FBP is a really nice twist, but even though this is a mature comic it’s only the mild sexual references that make it so. It’s a fairly easy and understandable premise. Rodriguez’s artwork is clear and gentle on the eyes. It’s very much a foreground style with little in the background (if anything) to distract the reader from the story. This isn’t a bad thing as it makes way for a very colourful depiction especially in the quantum frames and images. To a degree this does sometimes give it a Seventies sci-fi feel to it all, but then again that works too.

As a new comic is light, easy to read and importantly fun. I really enjoyed the physics elements which give it an interesting twist, although it may only be short lived like The Exterminators. Worth a look at if you’re after a new title which isn’t overly serious as it's not quite as dark as your normal Vertigo titles.

Matt Puddy thought he found a God particle once, but it was just a raisin.

New Beginnings - Wild Blue Yonder #1

About a year ago, Kickstarter featured a new project for a new miniseries entitled Wild Blue Yonder. The title has been in the making for the past three to four years and only turned to crowd funding last year. Coincidentally it was also announced that it would be published by IDW at the same time which may have provoked questions as to why Kickstarter was needed in the first place. To clear up any misconception, this is a creator-owned comic and IDW are simply acting as the publisher. The series story, script and art are from a combination of Mike Raicht, Zack Howard and Austin Harrison.

So what do you get for a handsome total of $12,000 through Kickstarter?

Wild Blue Yonder is an alternative future comic where the world has almost been rendered barren by pollution. This means that for survival the upper crust of the world has headed above the clouds living on huge floating barges. whilst the remaining - less fortunate - of society are left to fend for themselves, as workers supporting them in the vague hope of being escalated to those levels too.

The other aspect is that even this way of living has its price and oil is an even more precious commodity than it already is in today’s society. So when people get wind of an airship, The Dawn, that can run on a combination of solar, magnetic and also hydrogen-based energy, it makes itself a significant target for the comic’s big bad The Judge as well as every other sky jockey and pirate there is.

The story revolves around the teenage pilot Cola (and to a small degree her dog Critter) who is a pilot protecting the Dawn. We are introduced as she looks for a new hired gun and co-pilot following the loss of her previous partner. Part rebellious, part loyal and all kick-ass she is very reminiscent of Tank Girl, albeit less scruffy. Offering the chance to get away from normal life and have a “family” again, Cola finds and pressgangs a young man called Tug, and he is immediately thrown into the world as she sees it. I almost wanted her to reach out proclaiming, “Come with me if you want to live!”

Developing further by showing the troubles that the crew face (and the aftermath seen from the raiding side as well) paints the world as quite bleak regardless of your social status. The Judge is your typical ironfisted military type complete with Nazi overtones in his demeanour and dress (with the exception of his skin) making for a strong character to play off of.

The artwork provided by Zack Howard is really nice. It has plenty of details and good line work without being too clean or over the top. The colouring (Nelson Daniel) also suits the tone of the comic and the whole feel of the ecological premise that the story is set in as well. Although it’s not part of the story for this issue, one of my favourite panels has to be the final page which advertises issue two very well with Scram jetting out of a dirty cloud bank in pose reminiscent of superheroes. It certainly left me wanting to collect them.

As something very new and very different this is a comic that achieves the quite tricky task of bringing something to the table which people will want to follow. I’m looking forward to the series and hoping it continues after the initial issues too. Nice to see Kickstarter paying off for both backers and a wider audience.

Matt Puddy had an interesting discussion on the definition of steampunk this week.

New Beginnings - The Wake #1

Scott Snyder is a writer that I'm really enjoy reading the work of, so upon the news that I would be reviewing his new title The Wake, I was obviously excited.

Snyder has produced one of my favourite runs on Batman, but being on the mainstream DC label has sometimes meant that it has had certain constraints in terms of tone. The Wake however is being launched on Vertigo, another tick in a box for me as the label often comes up with some gems aimed at a more mature audience.

The story is broken into four main sections starting with a glimpse into the future with a teaser called The Quest. In a ruined, drowned city, we meet a lone scout and her friendly dolphin.

It’s a freak tidal wave that sends the story crashing back 200 years to The Call where we meet Dr Archer, a prominent scientist who has fallen out with certain government agencies in the past. Her expertise is desperately needed - and not easily gained - but her scientific curiosity draws her in with a recording of an underwater sound that is as familiar to her as it is alien.

This leads us to Base Camp, where a number of other significant heads from their respective fields are gathered. It’s only when they reach their prototype and illegal base facility that the real interest begins. All of them have been given different reasons to be there, all told different stories and what they needed to hear.

However, like blind men describing an elephant nothing matches even closely, but all are required to analyse the same thing. On entering the structure something has clearly gone horribly wrong and a man is in desperate need of medical attention. All the while the same noise that Archer was drawn to can be heard, leading her to the focus of all their attentions on the source. An imprisoned and monstrous aquatic individual.

To add further mystery, the final phase of the issue is The Storyteller, set 100,000 years ago. It shows a Neolithic man painting caves, who uses an alien device and which costs him his eyes. For what reason we don’t know yet but it will all slowly unfold.

Sean Murphy is the artist for this issue (known for his own recent title Punk Rock Jesus) and his pencils worked really well. When I first saw the issue it immediately reminded me of Kristian Donaldson’s work from on The Massive, or Chris Mooneyham’s work from Five Ghosts, and it fits with the story to a great degree. It isn’t overly defined but still gives a lot of detail. The facial expressions and body language on all of the characters are very emotive, with many of the frames not requiring scripting to convey personality or an idea. A slightly novel depiction in the work, is that sound effects are added to the frames. Not quite a camp as the Sixties' Batman but still making a presence and adding to the comic in a way not often seen in modern comics.

Normally I’m not one to enjoy a comic that doesn’t really tell you much in its inception, and to be honest this issue hasn’t really gone to great lengths to define where this series is going. However, there's just the right amount of information there in the groundwork to set the scene, whilst leaving you with open questions needing answers.

I really enjoyed this as a first issue. Personally it shouldn't be a case of if you should get this comic, but more when. The answer is now!

Matt Puddy is pleased this first issue made such a splash!

New Beginnings - Doomsday.1 #1

Right then readers, first thing I have to do this week is make a confession. When I saw the list of upcoming reviews included Doomsday.1 my mind initially wandered to some new spin off from DC, following a Superman villain. Luckily watching over me was the editor who left a link for me to follow to see how wrong I really was.

Doomsday.1 is a new IDW title brought to us by John Byrne - a revival of a comic called Doomsday + 1 that he did in the Seventies with writer Joe Gill. This time Byrne serves as both writer and artist. Now personally I can be a little wary of when the writer/penciller boundary is broached. Byrne's writing was also unfamiliar to me, so I did a little research before reading and I’m glad I did. John Byrne has a phenomenal back catalogue of work across a large range of brands; for instance this is the man that drew the well known Dark Phoenix arc in X-Men. His career has stemmed from artwork and moved to writing so with this settling my mind I opened the pages.

Doomsday.1 is an apt title as this is a story about the end of the world. From the lofty heights of a space station scientists have discovered and recorded a solar flare of enormous proportions, almost four times the size of the Earth. The bad news keeps coming. The flare is not dissipating and will strike Earth giving rise to a catastrophic event.

In the wake of the news breaking worldwide - after the American president takes extraordinary steps by announcing it to the nation instead of hiding the fact - the issue mainly follows how various groups around the world react, including our astronauts on the space station. While Earth is anticipating the worst, the astronauts are preparing to return.

One of my favourite parts of this story is that it feels honest. The reactions, the decisions and the actions people take don’t feel out of proportion. It may have a slightly incendiary couple of pages involving the Pope - and I’m sure someone somewhere will latch onto those frames - but aside from that it has a realistic feel to it, with a subtle hint of underlying panic. Very interesting stuff and provokes some even more interesting thoughts.

The issue ends - after a moment of self sacrifice - with the space voyagers having a rough landing and setting foot on what remains of the Earth. With only odd fires scattered here and there and no real signs of life, what do you do and where do you go?

Byrne’s artwork is a frustration to me. The very first page features the space station in orbit and is a really good image with plenty of detail, but it's not a traditionally clean image. Byrne is known for being strongly against the use of simple straight lines. After that though the artwork felt a little dated and very similar to a lot of his work from the Eighties. Another slight sticking point is the sheer volume of information, both graphically and literally, that Byrne tries to convey. You can see he has really put a large amount into this and wants to get a lot of emphasis and information across but sometimes (for example the President) this floods the frames leaving them feeling cramped. With such a strong story it would have been interesting to see how this may have worked as a collaboration with another artist instead.

On the whole the presentation and depiction of this story is good and I enjoyed it from an intellectual point of view as it made me engage with the subject matter. The second issue promises even more, as this first issue was about establishing an understanding of the situation on such a massive scale. I think this could be a sleeper hit as a result but future issues will tell all.

Matt Puddy would greatly appreciate your support for Hockey For Heroes.

New Beginnings - Guardians Of The Galaxy #0.1

Way back at the end of October last year I had the chance to review the Marvel Now Point One issue and whilst it was a mixed bag, it did contain a few interesting stories. One of those was Guardians of the Galaxy brought to us by the team of Brian Bendis and Steve McNiven.

I think it's only fair to make it clear that this is a #0.1 issue and feels rather strange. All of the other point one issues were used as jump-on points for new readers from within existing storylines using the established characters. However in this instance, Star-Lord is not someone who already has their own current comic. In fact, despite the Abnett and Lanning cosmic Marvel events and ongoing series from 2006-2011, it's probably fair to say that Star-Lord isn't that well known to the average Marvel reader.

So is a spotlight issue on this man the right way to start?

The story begins 30 years ago when a crashed starship brings a member of the Spartaxian Royal family to Earth. It’s a frantic initial meeting with the woman whose land he crashes on, but in time it obviously turns into something far more. When it’s finally time for J’Son to leave - against his own wishes and desires but instead for duty - it’s clear that he has left a legacy behind. His son.

Moving forward to only 20 years ago, a young Peter Quill is being a typical boy wanting to read comics and not do homework. Not having a father figure for the start of his life has had an effect, but not in all of the stereotypical ways. Despite having a temper and unresolved anger towards his upbringing, he also has a distinctly strong moral compass which gets him in just as much trouble.

It’s at this point that I felt a little let down, as this is where the Marvel Now Point One issue from October steps back in and takes over. If you have read that comic then the next eight pages (almost half the comic) are old news. The upside is that it fits perfectly in for continuity and as a reader you have been given. The remainder of childhood is a little glossed over as the camera takes a step back to reveal that this was essentially narrated by Star-Lord in the present day. Here we meet the new interation of the Guardians Of The Galaxy - Rocket Raccoon, Groot, Drax the Destroyer, Gamora and finally Iron Man! So the team has at least one well known and heavy hitting face.

In a self-proclaimed team mission, Star-Lord is out to make sure that the war that is spanning the galaxy does not make it’s way to Earth.

It’s not a bad premise to a story but there isn’t anything else around it. As a reader there is a very loose outline presented to you and then an extra bonus is the addition of Stark (which does kind of fit in with his current storyline but not fully) but as a #0.1 issue it is still very noncommittal.

Steve McNiven's artwork is something I have mentioned before as liking. His art is something that I would happily cast my eyes over every time, as I find his work detailed and refined. This issue is no different in that respect too. Some of the faces may seem a little off, but there is plenty of emotion and feeling conveyed in them all. It was in this respect too that I was glad that Tony Stark was there as I did become a little worried that McNiven could only draw negative images as you can count on one hand the truly happy or smug faces seen inside the pages.

It's obvious Marvel has gone back to basics with these characters, in an attempt to reintroduce them and build a fanbase before the upcoming film. As a first issue though, I wasn’t completely overwhelmed but I think it has set the scene for the proper beginning in issue #1. You have all the personal motivation and back story you need. I will certainly be looking forward to the full launch of this title to get some meat on it’s well rounded bones.

Despite being an international jetset playboy man of mystery, Matt Puddy is not responsible for this latest review being late.