Wishing you a happy summer!

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Why Should I Read… Barry Ween, Boy Genius?

When you are young, the world is a fantastic place. There are monsters under the bed, fairies at the bottom of the garden, dinosaurs at the park, and grown ups are just too stupid to see it. Every new sight, sound and smell is the first clue to a new adventure that's waiting to be had, just by you. Essentially, you are the centre of the universe, and it's bloody great. Then you get old. School gets hard, then you have to get a job, and that gets hard, and then you have to get a place to live, and a car, and a relationship, and life continues to kick the snot out of you until you forget what it is to be a kid.

Then, if you're lucky, your local purveyor of stories will press this book in to your world-weary hands, you will read it and you will remember.

Barry Ween, Boy Genius is the product of the mind of Judd Winick. Winick has received praise from the likes of Garth Ennis, Jeff Smith and Brian Michael Bendis for Barry Ween. He does have direct ties to DC and Marvel having written for both, so it's not surprising that some of the comic world's heavyweights have been exposed to and subsequently lined up in support of Barry Ween. So if I'm writing this, what the hell can I say that would persuade you to pick it up if their comments don't?

I am not here to give you sound bites. I am not a creator of blurb. But there really is something I can only describe as magical about Barry Ween. It has the same feel as many kids TV programmes from my youth; a child who the world sees as normal while the viewer sees as special. Barry is the most intelligent human ever, and thus uses his knowledge to invent the scientific marvels from all your standard sci-fi plots. Nothing untoward so far. Barry has a friend and sidekick, who only just understands what's going on, and only just stays out of harm's way with Barry's help. Again, staple stuff from kids TV programmes, comic strips and story books. Barry Ween is drawn like a kids book, it's very reminiscent of Calvin & Hobbes (which it is unjustly compared to constantly, so ignore that!) or any Beano or Dandy strip ever. But unlike every kids TV programme or book, Barry and his co-characters swear like they were raised in Gordon Ramsay's kitchen. It's certainly not gratuitous, and it's done skilfully and for appropriate affect - less of the "dropping the f-bomb" and more like "shots from the f-sniper". Either way, this book is certainly taking no prisoners and isn't apologising either. Real childhoods have swearing, by the way. Real kids discover swearwords and use them like they invented them, as soon as their parents are out of earshot. Winick knows this, and although at first it simply seems like a comedy tool, after reading you realise there's so much art in the writing, that in fact he's off-setting the over-the-top plots with some 'real' realism.

Barry Ween is a wonderful set of juxtapositions, and the real versus the unreal is just one of the most obvious. The second of which is my personal favourite though; there is a real clash of humour and poignancy that makes this more that a good comic, it makes it a great story. Winick is able to show you the funniest moments of a child that's smarter than everyone else. Things like Barry Ween and his best friend chasing down a stoned Bigfoot intent on eating Barry's parents because he has the munchies. Winick is also able to give you just five panels that instantly show you the utterly heartbreaking loneliness that is a 10-year-old boy who is the most intelligent being alive. The harsh reality of his situation is stark contrast to the unrelenting savagery of the humour, but somehow both are showcased with equal mastery. It left me with the same feeling you get when shown close up magic - you're not sure how it was done, by damn it you can't help but be impressed.

So why should you read Barry Ween? It's a surprising gift of a book. It gives you more than a story. It gives you emotion, it gives you laughter, but I think that most of all, it gives you youth. That's a lot for a book, don't you think?

Chris Boyle is looking forward to the day when his infant son can take over the world...

New Beginnings - Green Lantern #11

This week we have not so much a new beginning of a title but the re-emergence of a significant character in the Green Lantern universe – the Black Hand as the Corpsman of the Black Lanterns.

For those who aren’t fans or followers of the Green Lanterns, or other Corps from the emotional spectrum, over the last three years we have had two significant events in their histories. Brightest Day and its precursor Blackest Night, in which William Hand was driven to extremes. In a moment of despairing sacrifice he was transformed into the first Black Lantern.

The finale of Blackest Night saw the mysterious Indigo Tribe shackle Hand under their light as he was inducted into the membership. Would this be the end of him?

Geoff Johns is the long standing writer for the GL title, known for his forethought and planning several years in advance. It has not come as any surprise that the most recent Secret of the Indigo Tribe arc that the presence of William Hand was prominent, leading to his decision to once again embrace death rather than rejoin the ranks of the Tribe.

This issue is a clever little piece of work. Whereas it is obviously designed to be a jump-on point for what is going to be the next arc, it also keeps the momentum - and to a degree the animosity - running between Sinestro and Hal. Admittedly it does occasionally feel that a couple of shortcuts have been taken, such as explaining how Hal’s ring is now “fixed”, but ultimately it is the reforging of the Green Lantern's odd couple now that Sinestro is free of his bonds. There are plenty of references to previous actions and moments that have occurred in the GL universe, both pre and post-reboot, which give it a more grounded feeling and add weight to the up and coming arc.

All the while we are also following the Black Hand and his new twisted regime. There is obviously a lighter version of his previous role in the Corps as he seems to be wither unable or uninterested in raising superheroes. Now he has a very specific family orientation towards his goals. What is more noticeable is that the portrayal of him has been amplified and there is a far greater level of psycho here, making him a darker adversary in the making.

As I mentioned before Johns’ planning and use of information is great in these moments, as the reader can find plot anchors to attach to and work from. The best example of this is Sinestro’s acquisition of the Book of the Black from Lyssa Drak. It worked well in the past and now is the cornerstone of the story, moving forward as it provides not only the hideous premonition laced with so many intriguing images for the upcoming Rise of the Third Army, but also lands our protagonists in a cliffhanger situation.

Johns has once again linked with Doug Manke and the old adage “If it isn’t broke don’t fix it” certainly rings true. The artwork is strong and holds the reader incredibly well throughout, even with the changing pace and feelings behind the differing stories. What I liked most, and mentioned a little earlier, is the artwork in the prophecy spread. In typical DC fashion we are given a lot of information which may or may not hold true. There’s surely to be some red herrings as well as important pieces in there too which I am really looking forward to.

As an issue this is one that fans will want to read for all the reasons I’ve given above and so many more. It works as an introduction, a continuation and a development all at once so will appeal to so many audiences. In the GL mythology it is also another page that is opening and giving more information. Followers will love it and non readers looking for something new wouldn’t go wrong with taking a look!

Matt Puddy is loving the beautiful weather!

Carrier bags and charity - The Toy Trust

Hi folks,

Last month marked not only the end of the current financial quarter and the end of the latest period of collecting money for charity from our sales of carrier bags.

This is our fifth full quarter and together we raised £10.40!

Last time I made a donation to The Samaritans in the memory of the tragic death of Claire Squires during the London Marathon.

This time, I've donated to one of our suppliers - Frank Hanford from Esdevium Games Ltd - who is raising money for The Toy Trust which raises money for disadvantaged children. If you'd like to make a donation of your own, Frank's fundraising page can be found here. More information about The Toy Trust can be found here.

The next carrier bag donation will be in Autumn. If you have a charity you'd like Proud Lion to support, please email me at shop@proudlion.co.uk.