Turf

With a mix of mobsters, vampires, and aliens, TURF seems like a dream come true for any geek. It would certainly make for a tremendous blockbuster film. As to how it succeeds as a comic, however, I’m a bit conflicted.

The plot involves a group of vampires seeking to take over the mob turf of Prohibition Era New York. Mob boss Eddie Falco stumbles upon and befriends an alien who has just crash landed on Earth. Together, they seek to rally the remnants of the mob and a frightened citizenry to combat the vampires. It’s a good, solid, story that covers all the bases, but it does so in a way that has been employed many times before. We have a brother versus brother power struggle in the vampire clan. We have an unlikely romance between the ‘good’ brother and a Lois Lane type reporter. We have the locker-room speech made before the final attack on the vampires. Great for a movie, but comic readers want just a bit more.

  At times, we get just that. Particularly in the form of a corrupt policeman who is one of the most vile characters to appear within the pages of any comic in years. His ‘origin’ scene is particularly horrifying, partly because of the cheery way the artwork is presented, providing a surreal contrast to the brutality it conveys. As to the art work, Tommy Lee Edwards is an incredible talent and I’ve long admired his style. There are scenes here, however, that are a bit confusing, and had me stop to try and figure out what was going on. Never a good thing in comics. Is it worth reading? I’d say so. Will you want to read it again? I’m not so sure.

The Turf HC, which collects issues 1-5 of the series, is published by Image Comics, written by Jonathan Ross, with art by Tommy Lee Edwards.

Reviewed by T-Shirt Joe

Harbinger

The Valiant Universe of the 90s was one of unrealized potential. There were great ideas, intriguing characters, and a number of unquestionably talented creators at the helm. All of these things were set aside, however, in pursuit of the quick buck. Every Valiant book was quickly immersed in an indecipherable inter-company crossover. Storylines involving domestic abuse, homosexuality, and corporate greed were placed on the back-burner to introduce as many characters and get them into their own books as quickly as possible in the hopes of creating buzz…which would then create sales.
It worked.

The early Valiant books were mainstays of Wizard Magazine’s Top Ten list guaranteeing sales and a demand for back issues which commanded high prices.

Eventually, people started to actually read the books, and discovered that they weren’t that good. The heroes of Valiant then faced a foe that no hero has ever defeated, Declining Sales. The Valiant Universe was laid to rest. But….as every comic book fan knows….death is a temporary thing for a superhero

For those unfamiliar with the title, Harbinger is the story of Peter Stancheck, a troubled youth with psionic abilities. Because of immense potential of his abilities, Peter has attracted the attention of Toyo Harada, founder of the Harbinger Foundation, a corporation recognized for its humanitarian efforts and scientific contributions to the world. Behind the scenes, the Harbinger Foundation serves as a training ground for those gifted with superhuman abilities. Peter soon finds himself at odds with Harada, due in large part to his methods of activating the abilities of latent superhumans; not all who undergo the process survive.

The Valiant of today seems to have learned from the mistakes of the past. Writer Joshua Dysart is given time to develop both the characters and the conflict. Peter is not the clear-cut hero we’ve seen all too often in superhero books. Peter uses his abilities in questionable, and sometimes horrible, ways to fill his base desires. On the other side of the fence, Harada is not the clear-cut villain with the ‘conquer the world’ goal we see on a monthly basis in far too many comics. Harada believes in what he’s doing and feels the end justifies the means. Through both characters we see the pressures and pitfalls wielding such power can bring.

The first story-arc, entitled Omega Rising (Issues 1-5) is set-up for things to come. While the focus is on Peter and Harada, we’re also introduced to a number of intriguing supporting characters that will surely play pivotal roles in future events. There’s plenty of action, as well, so while the book gives us much to think about, there’s just as much to geek-out over.

Dysart seems to be in for the long-haul, as he’s developed a number of sub-plots in this first arc and left readers with a number of unanswered questions. If what he has planned next is as good as what he’s done here, you should definitely go along for the ride. Artist Khari Evans does a tremendous job of making each member of this large cast a recognizably distinct individual. The action scenes flow well and a when someone gets hit in one of Evans’s panels, it looks like it hurts. My only complaint concerning the artwork is that the inks look a bit heavy at times; I’d really like to see some of the penciled pages for comparison.

With this version of Harbinger, Valiant seems to be telling us they’re ready to allow their characters to achieve their true potential.
Harbinger is published monthly by Valiant Entertainment, written by Joshua Dysart, with art by Khari Evans. Visit Valiant on the web at: valiantuniverse.com

Reviewed by T-Shirt Joe

For more of my reviews go to alienbee.net

Marvel Zombies: Halloween

I stopped buying monthly comics years ago and strictly read trade paperback or hardcover collections these days. I still scan the racks, however, and on occasion a cover will capture my attention. Such was the case with Marvel Zombies Halloween. Francesco Francavilla isn’t a name I’m familiar with but his zombie renditions of Black Panther, Daredevil, and Power Man were solid enough to get me to drop $3.99 on the counter. It didn’t hurt that Power Man was in his old costume instead of the t-shirt and jeans he currently runs around in.

Before this, my only exposure to the Marvel Zombie Universe was from its two-issue introduction in Ultimate Fantastic Four. It was a really good story, but I was never eager to read any of the other Marvel Zombie books that followed in its wake. Still, there’s very little you need to know going in. In this reality, the superheroes are zombies and they’ve pretty much decimated the planet. They’re super-powered, and hungry for flesh.

 This self-contained story follows a young boy who’s lived the majority of his life in this undead apocalypse. Having never celebrated a Halloween, he becomes intrigued by the idea of dressing up and trick or treating. Mom, a battle-hardened veteran of this nightmare world, puts together a costume for him, but knows the streets are too dangerous to do any actual trick or treating, plus…just about everyone else is dead. The boy’s newly acquired cat thinks otherwise, and bolts from the house. What’s a boy to do? Head out on the streets to retrieve the cat, of course. Enter the zombies…Marvel Zombies! Darkhawk, Squirrel Girl, and Alex Power are among the undead in pursuit of the boy. Luke Cage is there too, but the cover lied to me and he’s not in the old costume. When things are at their worst, help from a very unlikely source arrives.

The story is well paced and Allesandro Vitti’s art adds a great amount of tone as he seems to use a lighter hand when drawing the quieter moments of the story as opposed to the heavyer, bolder linework in the scenes of violence. Overall, it’s truly entertaining story and fits well with the Halloween season.

Marvel Zombies Halloween is published by Marvel Comics, written by Fred Van Lente, with interior art by Alessandro Vitti and a cover by Francesco Francavilla.

 T-Shirt Joe 
For more of my reviews go to alienbee.net

WEAPON X

January is the time of the year when everyone shares their ‘best of’ lists. I’m not big on lists, and my reading/viewing habits are so random and disjointed that putting one together for any particular category would be almost impossible. If I were to make one for ‘Best Wolverine Stories’ however, Barry Windsor-Smith’s Weapon X would certainly be at number one. It’s much better than the overrated Origin, more gruesome and compelling than the admittedly good Old Man Logan, and more intelligent than anything ever produced within the pages of his own self-titled comic.

Originally serialized in the pages of the weekly Marvel Comics Presents, the story reveals for how Logan had his bones laced with adamantium. It’s a tale filled with blood and suspense. It was rare for readers of any Marvel book to see the main character put through such torture. Logan, in fact, has very little dialogue throughout the course of the story as he spends most it being operated on, mentally manipulated, or in a savage rage.

There are no expository captions in the story, nothing to tell you where the story takes place, how much time elapses between scenes, or to give readers insight into the characters. Rather than use that technique, which comic readers have come to rely on, Weapon X utilizes a perfect marriage of art and dialogue, sometimes through the use of traditional word balloons, but most often through color-coded dialogue captions that flow around the panels to give the closest thing possible to stereo-sound within the pages of a comic story. This is the perfect example of what comics could and should be like.

If for some reason you’ve never read this book, do yourself a favor and pick it up. If it’s already part of your collection, it’s probably time you took it off the shelf to read it again.
Weapon X collects material from issues 72-84 of Marvel Comics Presents, is published by Marvel Comics, with story and art by Barry Windsor-Smith.

 T-Shirt Joe

For more of my reviews go to http:alienbee.net

Superman vs Muhammad Ali

Look at that cover. Superman in the ring boxing against Muhammad Ali. It doesn’t get much more ridiculous than that. Even in 1978 at the tender age of six (Yes, I’m that old), when I saw this on the magazine racks of the local grocery store, I thought it was the dumbest concept DC could have come up with. Why pit Superman against Ali when there were colorful and devious villains like The Parasite, Brainiac, or Lex Luthor around? So…I passed on it.

Sooooo many years later, I realize the mistake I made.

Superman is at his most heroic in this book Ali sounds like Ali; he talks the talk and walks the walk. The Neal Adams art is something to behold. Words really can’t do these pages justice.
An alien race invades earth threatening to destroy the planet. The only way Earth can avoid this fate is if its greatest champion can defeat the champion of the alien invaders. Both Ali and Superman step forward to answer the challenge. First, however, they must face each other to determine which of the two is truly worthy enough to face the hulking alien champion. Superman is rendered powerless to make it a fair fight.

Is it ridiculous? Of course it is, …but it’s fun. We tend to forget that almost everything in comics is ridiculous upon close inspection. That’s what makes reading comics such a joyful experience. We’re leaving reality behind to enter a world where people can shrink to the size of an atom, create giant green boxing gloves through the use of a cosmically powered ring, and where the planet is invaded or held hostage on a monthly basis. We’ve become so wrapped up in wanting our comics to be ‘realistic’ that we’ve lost sight of the sense of wonder they can instill by being anything but.

Leave the world of brooding superheroes behind for a moment. Enter a world where Superman learns just how devastating a right hook from Ali can be, where Jimmy Olson calls a fight in his best Howard Cosell voice, where the fate of a planet is decided within the confines of a boxing ring.

See you ringside.

T-Shirt Joe