Come Again

In my last post I noted the death of Tom Spurgeon, a huge figure in contemporary comics. Today I start a series of remembrances about my friend and collaborator Derek Royal. Derek's death was too soon, as he was only 55. I met him several years back through our mutual friend Andy Kunka, and it was a couple of years ago now that he asked me to be the regular co-host of the Comics Alternative Podcast. Derek was a great ambassador of all comics. Our podcast focused on alternative comics, those not published by the big 2 comics companies. In that purview were works by independent presses, self-publishers, manga, European comics, webcomics, and comics for younger readers. I did a bunch of shows with him, got to interview some great creators, and also read a lot of comics that I might not have otherwise.

Derek, as rendered by Andy Hirsch

Derek was a voracious reader who read all sorts of work from all sorts of creators and publishers, big and small, local and international. He really pushed the boundaries of how I look at comics, and what is more he pushed me to examine my own thinking about comics. Most of all, he was a good friend and conversationalist. I really miss talking to him, not just about comics but also mundane stuff. We had lots of ideas for different directions to take the podcast, and I am sad not to get to realize those with him. In the spirit of revisiting my time with Derek and also revisiting some of the books we might have reviewed together, I plan to spend the rest of this month reviewing works pertaining to him. It is one small way I have to share his legacy of spreading the joy of reading a great variety of comics.

There are a good number of other tributes and memorials to Derek out there. The Philip Roth Society, which he founded, has a lovely write-up here. Comics for Fun and Profit has a good podcast about him here. I just listened to that one, and it was weird hearing him again. He sounds so vital and enthusiastic, as per usual, and I could not help but be struck by how I used to listen to him make our own episodes, how he would read the copy for our sponsor every time, and how I would also jump in at opportune moments to bolster what he was pitching. Derek did pretty much all the work on The Comics Alternative, and I felt most of what I had to do was read, be prepared with some talking points, and just be a good conversationalist. He did all the editing, posting, and everything else technical, which I find amazing.

My favorite tribute about Derek was from Paul Lai, who was co-hosted the podcast before I did. He and I had similar experiences with Derek, and I think he is much more eloquent in crystallizing just how special a guy Derek was. Go give it listen.

In one of the last podcasts we did together, Derek chose this book as one of his honorable mentions for favorite books of 2018. At the time, I thought I have it but have not gotten to it yet; I should put it on the top of my to-read pile. Then, after our hiatus and Derek's death, I did not really want to read it, almost as if I did another part of him would be gone. So, it has been on my shelf a long time, and I feel like now is the time for me to start addressing my feelings.

Come Again is by Nate Powell, a veteran and expert creator with a long list of praised works, including the Eisner and National Book Award winning March trilogy. He has also drawn a number of other graphic novels, such as The Silence of Our Friends, Swallow Me Whole, and Any Empire. He is one of the most accomplished graphic novelists of his generation. Powell spoke with Derek and Paul about his work on this book in this podcast interview.

This book is a unique one that defies easy categorization. It is a period piece, set in the 1970s at a commune in the Ozark mountains. The protagonists are a young boy named Jake and his mother Halushka (Hal, for short). They are pretty close to another family who has a young boy named Shane, but there are some secrets that are buried in that relationship. In a touch of magic realism, that secret is embodied by a cave where some illicit activities take place and where a mysterious creature lurks. I will try not to spoil so much, but one day Jake and Shane find and play in that cave, and one of the boys does not come out, touching off a frantic series of events.

 

The interplay between narrative and illustrations here is deftly woven. The characters are well portrayed with clear expressions and relatable emotions. This book is pretty dark, especially communicated via the artwork, which is very atmospheric. There are drastic contrasts between what transpires at night versus in the light of day, and I think the visuals definitely convey the idea of a tainted past impeding on the present.  Hal has a lot of baggage with her ex and others, and those feelings of dread creep into her relationship with Jake. In the end, she has to decide what to let go of in order to resolve matters. I won't way that I found the ending completely satisfying, but I this book sat with me a while and I have found myself flipping though its pages and revisiting what transpired. In terms of story and art, it sets a definite tone, and I feel that its exploration of personal relationships is thoughtful and haunting.

The reviews I have read about this book have been mixed. Etelka Lehoczky wrote, "Few creators could envision a story as unique as Come Again, and even fewer could have as much fun with it." Oliver Sava called it "striking but flawed." Tegan O'Neil was also ambivalent about the book, noting "I don’t know if the happy ending is necessarily earned because there’s something less than satisfactory" about how things resolve (If you want the spoilers, go read that review).

Come Again was published by Top Shelf, and they have more information about the book available here. This book features some profanity and adult situations, so it is suggested for more mature readers.

Revival, Volume One: You're Among Friends

This book collects the first five issues of the hit comic book series. Its premise is a familiar one: the dead have come back to life. But this book is not so much a zombie story as it is a detective yarn. The plot and characters are a fresh take on noir stories, with elements of family relationships, media sensationalism, suspense, religious fanaticism, utter confusion, and horror all set in a sleepy, rural Wisconsin town. The main narrative follows police officer Dana Cypress as she tries to get to the bottom of the situation and also solve a murder mystery. Because of this isolated "the dead are rising" situation, she can speak to the victim, who can't remember what happened, which is pretty horrible. Dana is a single mom whose boss is her father, which creates not a little tension. She also protects a few family secrets (I don't want to give anything away), which creates more tension. I very much enjoyed this aspect of realistic personal relationships in the plot.

But this is not just a crime/mystery/family book. It is also chock full of horrific and creepy images. This ghoulish gallery gets established from the very first scene, where we see a local reporter doing a fluff piece on people with strange jobs. As she is interviewing and recording a junior mortician at work in the crematorium, the unthinkable and unexpected happens:

In time, we also get to see a mysterious, ethereal form haunt the woods in search of a baby:

And not least of all, we get to see that not all of the "revivers" are coherent or in control of themselves, especially not this older woman who is dealing with some major dental issues:

It might go without saying, but this book is for more mature readers who can deal with blood, guts, swearing, and adult themes.

The two driving forces behind this book are writer Tim Seeley and artist Mike Norton (I love the name of his website). In terms of comics, Seeley is probably best known as the co-creator of Hack/Slash, but he has done a bunch of work with various companies, including a long run on G.I. Joe. He loves horror stories and is excellent at setting tones and spinning compelling tales with interesting characters. Norton is a comics veteran probably best known for his Eisner Award-winning webcomic Battlepug, but he also has drawn a great many comics for numerous publishers. He is a masterful visual storyteller. Both creators talk about their work on Revival in this interview.

All of the reviews I have read about this book have been glowing. CBR's Doug Zawisza called the series "an unexpected windfall that evokes an uncomfortable feeling, piques interest and taunts curiosity. It's a good read with great art and a weird, wild diversion from anything else on the stands this week." Alex Lupp gushed, "if you are a fan of character dramas with a tinge of horror and supernatural then this comic-book is a must read!" Drew Bradley summed this book up as "an unsurprisingly great debut to what will hopefully be a long series."

You're Among Friends was published by Image Comics. Here is a preview from Comic Book Resources.

The series is on-going and is currently on issue #18. There are also two additional trade paperback collections available now.