ODY-C: Volume 1: Off to Far Ithicaa

If you could not figure it out by looking at my name, I am partly Greek. So when I was younger I was attracted to lots of books about Greek (and Roman) myths, especially D’Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths. I was almost a classics major in college. Also, I am pretty taken with a few works written by Matt Fraction, in particular his runs on Hawkeye, Iron Fist, and Sex Criminals, as well as his forays into the legend of Thor for Marvel Comics. So I was pretty psyched to read this comic, a sci-fi re-imagining of Homer's The Odyssey starring a female cast.

I dug how the dialogue and narrative boxes act like stanzas or text fragments and also how the language hewed pretty closely to the original words, only given updated science fiction twists. I also thought the story was pretty clever sometimes in how the situations were translated in a universe where males did not exist because of the actions of the gods and where the only true alternative was the subversive poly-gender version of Prometheus. But in the end, I was also pretty disappointed, if only because the retelling was mostly perhaps too closely without much panache. Most of the twists seem strictly for shock value or base jokes (Zeus having "thunder thighs," for example), and I found little to compel me to keep reading in terms of the plot and characters.

Now I have spoken about the words and story, but the true star and most compelling part of the book is the artwork by Christian Ward. Check out those compositions, imaginative character and device designs, and the eye-popping colors! Each page is a spectacle. This book harkens back to Barbarella, black light posters, and Brendan McCarthy in excellent fashion. I loved lingering over the images to see how he translated the tale into his visuals while also being in awe of his skills. This book is unique and unlike any other comics being published right now, at least in terms of its art style. Still, as great as the visuals are, I am not sure I will be getting volume 2 (which is out soon).

The reviews I have read generally praise the book while offering a couple of reservations. Matt Johnson wrote that it is "a comic that’s not going to be for everyone" but still praised it as "a rare comic that stands alone with little else to compare it to." Publishers Weekly gave it a starred review and called it "A remarkable comic that gets better with each turn of the page." But I agree more with Steve Raiteri who concluded, "Strongly adult and more intriguing for its ambition and spectacle than for its story or characters but recommended." The ideas and imagery are excellent, but I had some  issues with the plot and characters.

ODY-C: Off to Far Ithicaa was published by Image Comics, who has much more info this book and the whole series here. This books features sex, nudity, and violence and is suggested for readers who can handle those things.

By Zeus!

Sex Criminals, Volume 1: One Weird Trick

Sex Criminals is an ongoing series, and this volume collects the first five installments. The main character Suzie learns that "one weird trick" pretty early on in this book, and it is a doozy. Whenever she has an orgasm, time stops. Literally. For everyone and everything but her.

As one could imagine, this amazing discovery enchants then bewilders her, and she spends many years trying to find some answers about her condition. She is pretty much resigned that she will never know any more than she does when she meets a cute guy named Jon, sleeps with him, and then realizes that he is still very much conscious afterward. Having found kindred spirits, they shack up many more times and then hatch a plan to save the library where Suzie works by robbing banks during "Quiet" time. But what they don't know is that there are others like them who are onto their scheme, and those others don't want this couple of lovers possibly revealing their existence to the regular world.

Funnily enough, for a book based on a lascivious premise, there is not much in the way of nudity. The artwork is clean, colorful, and playful, but never gratuitous. Certainly, there is innuendo and a lot of frank talk about sex, but mostly there is playful banter and lots of ribald jokes. Although I can see lots of folks getting up in arms about the potential for excess with this series, what I have seen is more a humorous openness about sexuality and not anything pornographic. What is more, the characters are fleshed out and interesting. Suzie and Jon are smart, witty, and very into each other, and they have their moments of perspicuity when they question each others' motives and their relationship.

This verbal and visual romp was devised by writer Matt Fraction and artist Chip Zdarsky. Fraction is an Eisner Award winner famous for his creation Casanova as well as long runs on Marvel Comics such as Iron Man, The Immortal Iron Fist, and Hawkeye. Zdarsky is a comics artist and somewhat of a prankster, staging a fake campaign for mayor of Toronto and also messing with Applebee's restaurants via social media. Both creators speak about their work on this series in this interview at The Nerdist and also in this one with Comics Alliance.

Sex Criminals has been very well received. It has been a New York Times best seller, praised by Rolling Stone and Time magazines, and it was nominated for three Eisner Awards, including Best New Series, Best Continuing Series, and Best Writer. The first issue was so in demand it went into a sixth printing. Reviews I have read tend to be very positive about this compilation. The Comics Journal's Greg Hunter wrote, "When Sex Criminals is at its best, the comic examines sex from a position and in a manner that no other contemporary genre comic can claim." Ryan E.C. Hamm stated that "your enjoyment of Sex Criminals will completely depend on your ability to tolerate humor that relishes its juvenile bawdiness," but added that there are also "moments of surprising tenderness that cut through the raunch."

balance sexual satire and sci-fi crime capering with a story that’s as personal and engaging as a confessional memoir. - See more at: http://lit.newcity.com/2014/05/19/comics-review-sex-criminals-volume-i-tp-one-weird-trick-by-matt-fraction-and-chip-zdarsky/#sthash.bFyWqVRK.dpuf

balance sexual satire and sci-fi crime capering with a story that’s as personal and engaging as a confessional memoir. - See more at: http://lit.newcity.com/2014/05/19/comics-review-sex-criminals-volume-i-tp-one-weird-trick-by-matt-fraction-and-chip-zdarsky/#sthash.bFyWqVRK.dpuf

Best New Series
Best Continuing Series
Best Writer: Matt Fraction - See more at: http://imagecomics.com/content/view/eisner-nominees-digital-sale#sthash.teMhg0Bj.dpuf

A preview and more information is available here from Image Comics.

Five Fists of Science

A sort of League of Extraordinary Gentlemen in a historical vein, The Five Fists of Science is basically a steampunk adventure where Nikola Tesla, Mark Twain, and Bertha von Suttner combine forces to bring about world peace by sharing giant robots with every nation. Their adversaries, including Thomas Edison, J.P. Morgan, Andrew Carnegie, and Guglielmo Marconi rise up against them, building an ominous structure called the Innsmouth Tower (a reference to the works of HP Lovecraft, a writer of fantastic and horrific fiction), a cauldron of black magic that threatens humanity and freedom. Tesla and his allies combat this menace using their wits and piloting giant metal robot warriors. Seeing Mark Twain fight Thomas Edison using a giant rock-em sock-em robot is a pretty fantastic and unexpected delight.

This rollicking volume is the creation of Matt Fraction and Steven Sanders. Fraction is a longtime writer most known for his work on the Marvel Comics characters Iron Man, Thor, and Iron Fist as well as his creator-owned sci-fi/superspy series Casanova. Sanders is a commercial artist and occasional comic book artist who has mostly worked on X-Men spin-offs and S.W.O.R.D. for Marvel Comics. Fraction talks more about the creation of FFoS in this interview.

The reviews for The Five Fists of Science has been pretty positive. Jog called it "fun, very fast, very light, and probably worth seeking out for those who dig the idea of turn-of-the-century historical personalities thrust into a comedic action/sci-fi plot, with a cup of Lovecraft poured on top, drizzled with anime kitsch." Mitro of the Alternative History Weekly Update wrote about the book's accuracy, "While the personalities of the villains may have been tweaked, Twain's humor and Tesla's quirks were effectively captured and Bertha worked well as the cliche hot steampunk girl." Jamie S. Rich wrote that it "isn't a perfect graphic novel," but it is still a "good ol' pulpy adventure with familiar faces living out the roles we always imagined they could." Comics Should Be Good's Brian Cronin found some faults with the book as well, including that "the final confrontation seemed a bit rushed...but that doesn’t detract from most of the comic, which was action-packed, fun and funny."

This graphic novel was published by Image Comics. A black and white preview is available here from Fraction. The actual book is in color.