Speculative Friction:
a blog of comics and literary criticism written by Bill Baker

3-22-06

"color my world"

Another short one, I'm afraid. It's been a weird but mostly wonderful week, much of it spent in that post-con haze I noted in my previous post. And when I wasn't fuzzy headed, I found myself occupied with behind the scenes "bizness" rather than reading with a serious, much less critical intent. However, I have been doing some thinking around the idea of how people are using color these days, and how it can be used to advance the story as well as produce all those special effects everyone seems so taken with lately, when I ran across a really fine use of color to thematically anchor a comic story while also helping to visually tell the tale.

I'm thinking of the fine tones chosen by Dan Brown for the latest issue of Aquaman, # 40, which I've reviewed below. The entire issue features some really fine and subtle uses of color in a variety of ways, but what really caught my eye and drove it all home was the contrast between the two flashback sequences on pages 15 and 16, and 19 through 20.

Yeah, I do know that it might be kind of obvious how the color schemes represent the basic mindset of their respective speakers in each scene, the new Aquaman's memories being done in earth tones while the mysterious "fish-faced" prophet's are presented in rich, watery blue tints, but it works. And it works on any number of levels that I can think of besides thematically and character-wise. It's really nice and fairly subtle, yet very telling and effective. Coloring like this, coloring that has been done in a manner which supports the art while furthering the action and characterization in obvious and not-so-obvious ways should be noted, celebrated and then studied with the intent of building on its lessons.

Even though I'm "just" a writer, I'll be going back and giving Brown's work in Aquaman # 40 some extra consideration. I figure that there's a few more things I can learn from it regarding storytelling, pacing and characterization.


Ah, never mind that bullocks! Here's...

What's Bill been read this past week, then?


3-15-06 to 3-21-06

Crisis on Infinite Earths The Absolute Edition [two oversized hardcover books with slipcase]
With all the changes occurring in the current DC Universe's continuity due to the Infinite Crisis and "One Year Later" events hitting high gear, I though it'd be a good time to revisit this simply gorgeous representation of what is still probably the single best company crossover event--the Crisis on Infinite Earths 12 issue maxiseries which radically rearranged the DCU two decades ago. And I've got to say that the art of George Perez and the scope of Marv Wolfman's complex tale itself are both extremely well served by this luxurious format. Even better, the accompanying Compendium offers an indispensable index to the entire maxi series as well as all "Crisis"-related characters and crossover issues, along with reproductions of previously unseen memos, photos, art and other "insider" material, is a worthy companion to the collection. Highly recommended in The Absolute Edition format, if you can afford it. If not, grab the trade edition. It's money well spent.

A high end collectors edition of DC's ground breaking maxiseries
www.DCcomics.com


The Warlord # 1
I've seen very little of Bart Sears work over the past few years, essentially post-CrossGen, and so was looking forward to see what he and Bruce Jones, et al, had come up with for this relaunch of DC's fan favorite fantasy character. And I was quite happy with what I read. Sears has added what appears to be some Pre-Raphaelite, Art Deco and other, more illustrative influences to his distinctive style with some real effect. And Jones' script, a sleek and beautiful "two worlds in collision" construct with nary an extra comma or syllable, makes full use of Sear's sure command of the page and the visual narrative. Recommended just for the fun reading experience it offers, alone.
The first issue of a new Warlord monthly title from DC Comics
www.DCcomics.com


Outsiders # 34
One of the first "One Year Later" books from DC, which somehow didn't get read at first. This issue introduces what is to be regarded as the DCU's contemporary Outsiders roster, with more than a few revelations accompanied by questions left unanswered, while also injecting some real world concerns into the mix. Judd Winick, Matthew Clark and Art Thibert and the rest of their team deliver a highly readable and often compelling tale with some real relevance in which the title characters, for the most part, are but briefly seen.



The thirty-fourth issue of the monthly Outsiders title published by DC Comics
www.DCcomics.com


Nightwing # 118
Another post Infinite Crisis-event book, this one reintroducing the new adventures of Dick Grayson, ex-Batman sidekick gone solo as the titular character, "One Year Later". And what a homecoming it is, with not one but two Nightwings prowling the streets and stopping or killing evildoers great and small. Killing? you ask, perhaps? Well, yeah. Because one of these Nightwings isn't exactly like the other in small and not-so-small ways. Once again, Bruce Jones supplies a script that makes the most of Joe Dodd, Bit and the rest of the book's team collective talents. Good, solid superheroics.


A new team takes on the monthly adventures of DC's other Dark Knight with its one hundred and eighteenth issue
www.DCcomics.com

JSA Classified # 10
Nope, sorry. This one doesn't have Power Girl's chest on the cover. In fact, it's got some naked dude smoking on it. He's the seemingly immortal Vandal Savage, who has freshly fallen, quite literally, to earth. He's also fallen from power in every way imaginable after suffering a terrible, total defeat. He's been through a series of extended ordeals which have tested him physically and otherwise almost beyond his limits. And now, in what seems to be his last days, this complex and cruel man has chosen to embark upon one last quest...to strike back at the universe through the destruction of his original nemesis. Stuart Moore's sure yet subtle script, and especially his depiction of this oft-abused character, as visualized by Paul Gulacy, Jimmy Palmiotti and crew, proved to be highly enjoyable and quite compelling reading. This would qualify as one of the cool surprises of the "One Year Later" event, and is recommended reading for this week.
The tenth issue of in the ongoing JSA spin-off title
www.DCcomics.com


Hawkgirl # 50
This "One Year Later" event issue features the new creative team of Walt Simonson [scripts] and Howard Chaykin [art], making it worth reading for historical sake alone. And if this outing is a taste of what they've got in store for us, it's gonna be a wild and wonder-filled ride. This is action-adventure/superhero comics done exceptionally well by two of the living legends of the field, folks.





Hawkgirl takes over the lead from her male counterpart as this monthly title from DC hits the big five-oh
www.DCcomics.com

Firestorm # 23
The newest incarnation of DC's living atomic pile has some personality problems and internal issues. In fact, you could even say that Firestorm isn't exactly who he was when he was last seen. As events in this "One Year Later" tie-in issue relate, that's not all that's changed, for good or ill, in this chronically troubled superhero's life and world. Regardless, he's in the good hands of Stuart Moore, Jamal Igle, Keith Champagne, et al, so we're assured an exceptionally well written and rendered tale.



The twenty-third installment of the latest incarnation of DC Comics' matter-altering superhero
www.DCcomics.com

Blood of the Demon # 13
This is my first encounter with this latest incarnation of DC's rhyming hellish expatriate, which is a bit surprising as I've always had a fondness for this character since I first encountered Jack "The King" Kirby's version years ago. And I don't think it takes a savvy critic to realize that it's precisely those roots which John Byrne, Will Pfeifer, Doug Hazlewood and company were tapping into for inspiration while making this "One Year Later" issue. Byrne and Pfeifer's script has some real snap and humor to it, and Byrne's pencils are well served by Hazelwood's inks. Good, darkly humorous comics with some teeth to them. Worth picking up or revisiting for the Kirby-inspired scenery and ornamentation alone, this issue is great fun and bodes well for the future of this title. Recommended.
The lucky thirteenth issue of the monthly DC title featuring Etrigan, the titular demon
www.DCcomics.com

Cat Woman # 53
It's "One Year Later" and the readers are presented with twin births: The appearance of a new child, and the first appearance of decidedly new Catwoman, both events heralding and even embodying the drastic changes that this title has undergone during the "lost year" in DC's current continuity. Regardless, Will Pfeifer, both D. Lopez and A. Lopez, along with the rest of the good folks behind this book deliver an intriguing, suspenseful and well-wrought noir-tinged tale from the new DCU which should appeal to new and long-time readers. A pretty rare feat, that.



The fifty-third issue monthly issue of DC's feline fatale features a new creative team as well as the debut of the new Catwoman
www.DCcomics.com


Batman # 651 and Detective Comics # 817
[parts 2 and 1, respectively, of the 8 part "Face to Face" story arc]
These two books are joined not only by their lead character--DC's Dark Knight--but also by the fact that they contain the first two parts of "Face to Face," a story penned by James "Starman" Robinson. Don Kramer and Keith Champagne, and Leonard Kirk and Andy Clarke on, respectively, Batman and Detective, do real justice to Robinson's gritty tale centering on the bloody trail left by a serial killer of very rarified tastes--he kills supervillains in spectacularly gruesome manner. Of course, no crime goes unadressed, no criminal unpunished as far as Batman and Gotham City's latest Police Commissioner are concerned, no matter how much the victims of these crimes might have deserved their punishment. So far I've enjoyed the pacing, the presentation and "sound" of this tale enormously, and hope to following it as it winds its way through the various Bat Family titles to its conclusion.
The six hundred and fifty-first, and eight hundred and seventeenth issues of, respectively, Batman and Detective Comics published by DC
www.DCcomics.com


Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis # 40
Kurt Busiek, Butch Guice and company "restart" the Aquaman mythos "One Year Later" with some gusto and a great deal of guts, along with some due respect shown to the character and title's past, resulting in a pay-off that is rather grand, startling and quite satisfying. The choice to so obviously reference and begin to enact the "Hero's Journey" works marvelously well here, and promises to add some real resonance to the proceedings in the future.. This is a standout issue and a bravura performance. This could well herald an era where the monthly Aquaman book is a must-read title.
No, really. It's that good.


The fortieth issue of the book featuring DC's own King of the Seven Seas, introducing the new Aquaman
www.DCcomics.com