13 August 2012–News (and the weekly review)

 

Alright – before I get to the review (it’s a big one), I’d like to cover some news. First, the bad news: Joe Kubert (Sgt. Rock and Hawkman amongst many other characters) passed away over the weekend. He was also known for one of the most decorated and prestigious schools of sequential art – the aptly named Joe Kubert School. If you’re looking to pursue a career in sequential art, please give them a look.

Now, for some good news: Steve Conley, writer and author of the webcomic Bloop is getting ready to go live with his kickstarter program tomorrow (14 August 2012). I was allowed a sneak-peek at his kickstarter page, and it looks fantastic. I can’t say anything more until the page goes live, but trust me on this – if you decide to fund any kickstarter, it needs to be this one. I am seriously giddy about this program. I’ll link to it as soon as it goes live.

Remember the Messy Eater Contest that Toon Books was doing a few weeks ago? They’ve extended the deadline to 15 August – so if you’ve been meaning to send in your pics to win a free copy of Maya Makes a Mess, you’ve got a couple of more days. There’s already some stiff competition on their site as well, check it out!

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A Wrinkle in Time

The Graphic Novel

Image Courtesy Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Written by Madeleine L’Engle, Adapted and Illustrated by Hope Larson

Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2012 (HB)

ISBN: 978-0-37438-615-3

$19.95, Ages 10+

Synopsis

Meg Murry. Charles Wallace Murry. Calvin O’Keefe. Mrs Who. Mrs Whatsit. Mrs Which. Names that have entered the timeless vernacular of YA science fiction literature. Originally published over 50 years ago, A Wrinkle in Time has never been out of print. Now, Meg, Charles Wallace and Calvin are lovingly rendered in a visual aspect – from tessering to facing IT, the classic story gains a whole new dimension (please forgive the pun).

Analysis

I have been anticipating this for a long time, and it does not disappoint. It is obvious that Larson has poured a lot of work into this adaptation – this was not something that was slapped together in a matter of months. The characters are fully realized and developed (Mrs Who was a special delight, personally) and the two-tone color choices work throughout 99% of the book. The last 1% is my only beef with the book (and it’s a small one) is when Meg and company meet the Man with Red Eyes. Unfortunately, his eyes are a milky blue, causing a little disconnect with the story. Other than that, A Wrinkle in Time is a brilliantly recognized work from an outstanding artist. If this does not get at least one Eisner Award nod, then I will be supremely upset.

Final Thoughts

As a kid, I struggled to grasp L’Engle’s works (I was never good with the complex mathematical theories). Larson’s work on this book completely epitomizes the entire context of why I think graphic novels are so important. She has managed to take something that was practically undecipherable and present it in a way that is not only understandable, but engaging without talking down or resorting to condescension. This is going to be one of those books that will find its way into the classroom, not only as a literature book, but also  a style book. If you enjoyed A Wrinkle in Time, this will be a very welcome addition to your collection. If you never read it because it was too confusing, give this version a try – it has a flow to it that makes everything more understandable. This is a (if not *the*) must have book of 2012.

A Wrinkle in Time: The Graphic Novel will be available 2 October 2012. 

6 August 2012–A Blast from the Past, IDW Style

This week is kind of special for me. IDW is getting ready to re-release a bunch of old comics that they’ve collected together. Now, this is a bit of a bittersweet realization for me. I remember when these originally came out, so it’s like visiting an old friend, but by the same token, it also makes me realize just how old I’ve gotten. However, since my age is beside the point, lets get to the comics.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures Vol. 1

Image Courtesy IDW

Written and Illustrated by: Various

IDW, 2012

ISBN: 978-1-61377-289-8 (TPB)

$19.99, Ages 6+

Synopsis

Collects two classic Turtles storylines from the early 90s influenced television show. In Return of the Shredder, the turtles have to face off against Shredder (newly  returned from the X-Zone). When the Shredder decides to get his revenge on the Turtles, will they be able to shake the bad press, as well as their newly returned nemesis? In the second tale, The Incredible Shrinking Turtles, the Turtles are shrank to miniscule size. How are they going to defeat the Shredder and get back to their original size?

Analysis

The Turtles of the 90s created two camps of fans. The old 80s black-and-white Turtles that were more hard bitten and gritty were a huge success on the independent market, while the much more kid friendly and family appropriate Turtles of the early 90s managed to get all the television, toy, movie, and video game deals. The artwork is obviously of the Disney-esque/Archie-esque influence – the turtles are friendly and inviting as heroes, and the villains, while visually disconcerting, are usually played off as bullies or inept, klutzy cowards. From what I can tell, these are clean reprints (possibly digitally mastered), and the colors absolutely pop off the page at times. However, if you ever watched the old shows, you know that the stories can be extremely saccharine and occasionally talks down to the intended audience.

Final Thoughts

This is one of those that kids are either going to love or hate. Younger audiences are going to enjoy the safer stories and comic elements, but older teens will probably be put off by the campiness of the entire thing. Still, be prepared to be seeing adult males in their 30s – 40s checking copies out. This would probably fit best in the children’s section, and for parents, the nostalgia factor alone should be a selling point.

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G.I. Joe Vs. Transformers

Image Courtesy IDW

Written and Illustrated by: Various

IDW, 2012

ISBN: 978-1-61377-352-9 (TPB)

$24.99, Ages 8+

Synopsis

Two staples of 80s boys entertainment come together in this collection of old issues. These two franchises were the be all, end all of male oriented youth entertainment in the 80s, and it’s not hard to see why. This book collects the Transformers 4-issue mini-series as well as a two issue story arc where Megatron and Cobra face off against The Autobots and the JOEs.

Analysis

While a little harder edged than the Turtles, G.I. JOE and the Transformers always strived to show that the good guys always won. It is interesting to note that this mini-series is also the one where Bumblebee (the little yellow VW Bug) is actually “killed” accidently by the JOEs and is later brought back as ‘Gold Bug’ (A little history: Bumblebee was *the* character that kids loved the most – he was the friendliest, most gregarious and outgoing of the Autobots, and his first human friend was a kid). The artwork is clean and doesn’t suffer from the occasional off-set printing that plagued comics of the time. The storylines suffer from some soap opera treatment, and Cobra does pull off an assassination that hits close to home for the JOEs. The majority of violence happens ‘off camera’, but the after effects are shown, so it’s important to note that.

Final Thoughts

This was *hot* when it was originally released, and topical to the time. That being said, it hasn’t aged as well as other titles from the same time. The Outfits and costumes of the time may seem a little silly now, but the characters never compromised on who they were, and the sincerity helps the story along and allows the reader to look past the outdated fashions. Regardless, this title is definitely going to appeal to slightly older kids who may not be ready to hit the ‘teen’ section yet, but are finding children’s titles to be a little too easy. Again, don’t be surprised if you see dads come up to the checkout counter with this.

***

As it stands, IDW has done a stand up job with these two titles. they could have easily just thrown these issues between a couple of covers and called it good. Instead, they’ve painstakingly cleaned up the pages, and treated the materials with a reverence that often seems to be overlooked. The prices may seem a little high, but if you pre-order, you can find them much more palatable. I do get the feeling that many sales will be from the nostalgia market who either had the titles and lost them, or missed out on them the first time around.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Vol. 1 is due out 21 August 2012, while G.I. JOE Vs. Transformers is due out 11 September, 2012.