Graphic Novel Speed Round: Sequels and Continuations

I am off celebrating the holidays, but I thought I would do a big follow-up post on a few series I have written about before to see how they have been developing.

The latest installment in Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales (see one and two), Donner Dinner Party tackles a dark topic, the dire straits of the Donner Party. These ill-fated travelers were going west from Illinois to California, took a "short cut" that led them into treacherous territory, and became trapped in snow drifts in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. In particular, the focus is on the Reed family, led by father James, who makes lots of calamitous decisions. But we also get to see much about his children as they find themselves in very unfamiliar and eventually dangerous circumstances. The tale highlights American ingenuity and enterprise but also pigheadedness and extreme survivalism where people resort to cannibalism to survive.

This volume follows in the tradition of the others, introducing elements of humor into well researched and presented facts and information. It is jam-packed with details, clear and expressive art, and also the sturdy framing aspect of the other volumes. Still, this may be the weakest volume of the three books for me, as I did not find this one as vibrant as the first or as exhilarating as the second. Perhaps the subject matter makes the jokes seem less funny to me, but it is still certainly an excellently presented historical graphic novel that is simultaneously informative and thought-provoking.

Out of all the books here, this one is most appropriate for YA readers. The books ahead are strictly for mature readers.

Next up is Fatale, a series I first wrote about here. In this second volume The Devil's Business, Josephine is laying low in Hollywood as a recluse holed up in a villa. Despite her not taking visitors or even going out into the public for any reason, she encounters a struggling movie star named Miles and a woman he is trying to protect when they end up in her backyard. The duo have stolen a film reel showing some very twisted, Satanic stuff, and the owners will do anything to get it back. Because of Josephine's enchantment (curse?), Miles immediately falls in thrall to her, though he does not quite realize it. The poor sap just thinks he's in love. Of course, complications arise and a body count mounts.

Brubaker's deft plotting and Phillips' atmospheric, evocative art combine to produce another winning volume in this series. They make excellent use of historical context: from the fashions and actor likenesses at various Hollywood parties, the time period is the late 1960s or early 1970s. There are references to Manson Family-type goings on, and this book has a genuinely creepy feel to it. In a style appropriate to its horror/noir precursors, lots of bad things happen within these pages, to the main characters and to the shady characters pursuing them. There are also compelling, dark plot twists as well as a few revelations that kept me yearning to know more about these mysterious characters' backgrounds. Good thing a third volume is now available...

War Torn concludes the epic begun in Volume 1 of Glory, which was one of my favorite books of 2012. Whereas that first volume is all about revelations and twists, this one focuses more on Glory's family relations. Apart from her free-spirited, volatile, violent, and obscenity-spewing little sister Nanaja, we also get to know her and her parents better. Nothing is as pat as it seems in this group of alien angels and demons, and what's worse, their creators, the Knights are coming back to Earth to either destroy or subjugate its inhabitants. Consequently, Glory calls in some favors and amasses a powerful, ragtag army to combat the coming menace, and the proceedings climax in a huge battle.

Although I do not think the plot was as tight as it was in the earlier volume and some of the scenes seemed short and choppy to me, writer Joe Keatinge still did a great job weaving together a good number of plot and subplots into a cohesive whole. The highlight here was the work of artist Ross Campbell (and a few additional collaborators) who produced a visually impressive display full of interesting character designs, dynamic action scenes, and personality. These creators completed a satisfying story in expert fashion, tying up their major plot points and having some satisfying moments while leaving plenty of leeway for a sequel.

I was very impressed with the first trade paperback of The Manhattan Projects, and They Rule continues with the mind-bending, sinister machinations of scientists with access to unlimited power and fantastic resources. This time, the oligarchs catch on to the amazing achievements the scientists are creating and they want to make sure they realize who is in charge still, so they rig computer system FDR to destroy its confederates. The scientists are geniuses, needles to say, and they catch on to this plan before it reaches fruition, and the resulting conflicts are violent, bloody, and spectacularly rendered.

Among the high points in this issue, apart from a very well plotted story by Jonathan Hickman and vigorous artwork from Nick Pitarra are the way-out depictions of historical figures in insane contexts. Crazy Masonic Harry S. Truman is one of my favorites, as are super-charged Yuri Gagarin and Laika. This frenetic and ingenious twist on historical science fiction continues to surprise, shock, and delight me. I am definitely in for future volumes.

The only reason why the first volume of Saga was not on my best of 2012 list was because I had not read it yet (What? I can't get to EVERYTHING in time). This is the series that bookstores advertise with signs that say, "If you have never read a comic book before, you should read this one." And deservedly so, I say. I found the first volume to be fresh, fun, fast-paced, and utterly engrossing, an interesting mix of sci-fi and fantasy.

This second volume is also full of amazing things like an asteroid that is actually an egg about to hatch, and the baby inside is non-too-pleasant. There are also breath-taking cliffhangers, and when the danger, action, and intrigue become most perilous, that's when the in-laws come to visit and everything goes to pot. The plot purrs along, and subplots are deftly woven in and out, as well as flashbacks. This book just keeps surprising and enchanting like a finely detailed tapestry, both in terms of the narrative and the finely rendered artwork. Saga is such a fast-paced, frequently funny, well scripted, and wondrous ride, and this volume is a worthy entry in an exciting series.

Glory, Volume 1: The Once and Future Destroyer

In the 1990s, Glory was a thinly disguised Wonder Woman clone with an impossibly thin waist published by Image Comics. Her series was heavy on the cheesecake poses, as you can see from the following cover:

Exhibit A

Last year, however, the series underwent a serious overhaul, both visually and stylistically, and Glory was depicted as a brawny, scarred warrior queen. Just check out the cover for this collection:

That's Glory in the middle.

I have to admit I had only read one Glory comic book before now, and it was written by the much-celebrated Alan Moore, but I cannot for the life of me remember anything about it. This book makes a pretty big impression. The plot follows the exploits of Gloriana Demeter, the offspring of an Amazon and a Demon (here shown as alien races). She straddles both races, but eventually chooses to lead neither and breaks from her parents to become a protector of Earth. Her exploits began in World War II, but when this book begins it is set in the present day where Glory has been missing for years. A young Asian reporter named Riley has an uncanny lifelong connection to the superheroine, constantly dreaming of her and tracking her across the globe. She finds what she's looking for in an extremely off-the-beaten-path locale, and nothing turns out as she thinks.

I don't want to spoil things too much, but there are many twists and turns, and each chapter ended with a cliffhanger that kept me wanting to read more. The Once and Future Destroyer is serial comics at their most enticing and engaging.

This book, which accounts for half of this particular Glory saga, was the co-creation of Joe Keatinge and Ross Campbell. Keatinge is a writer known for his new superhero-themed series Hell Yeah as well as co-editing the Eisner and Harvey Award winning anthology Popgun. Campbell is an artist and writer known for his goth-horror-comedy series Wet Moon, his webcomic Shadoweyes, as well as his atmospheric and deft drawing abilities. You could drop the "l" from the series name to describe the action and battle scenes, but Campbell also excels at portraying the quiet character moments as well. Here is an interview with both creators speaking about their collaboration.

This book has received much positive attention and has appeared on many Best of 2012 lists. Publishers Weekly captured much of the flavor of reviews I have read and praised both creators' contributions to this book, "Campbell's art is stunning, creating a female hero who is physically intimidating in a way never seen in superhero comics and creating worlds both familiar and fantastically bizarre, and characters ranging from friendly old French bartenders to armies of individually distinct demon-like creatures from another world. Keatinge's story gives instant depth to its complex characters and excels at slowly presenting a more and more complex narrative spanning thousands of years and several worlds and cultures."

The Once and Future Destroyer is published by Image Comics. This review from samax amen provides some preview pages. Campbell also provides a number of preview images and summaries from each chapter of this book at his website.