More Angel from me?

My Angel story is going to be collected AGAIN in a big, giant hardcover. You can pre-order that here: http://www.amazon.com/Angel-End-Bill-Willingham/dp/1613770782/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1309378745&sr=1-3

No cover has been solicited yet, so the link is pretty boring... but how awesome is that? Again, I'm alongside of great, great writers. Brian Lynch. Scott Tipton. David Tischman. Bill Willingham. So many big time dudes, and me. Makes a guy all proud.

Big news coming soon. I'm not sure how much I can say right now, but yeah... I'm getting some pretty cool comics writing gigs.

Comic Book Wednesday #7 - Hack/Slash review

Comic Book Wednesday

Issue #7

Nothing on my pull list came out today, which is weird for me. I've been on a bit of a TPB binge, though, so I have a lot to pick from. I've been reading Brubaker's Captain America trades, a lot of Geoff Johns' DC stuff, and some other various assorted bits of awesomry. We're going to skip out on the superheroes for a week, though, and focus on a girl. A girl with an attitude. A girl with an attitude and a big fuckin' bat.

HACK/SLASH

Series Review

Part 1

Tim Seeley's Hack/Slash is simply the finest horror comic currently being published. It's scary, it's hilarious, it embraces the camp factor without ever compromising the human story, it's sexy without being gratuitous (plot-wise... some of the covers are admittedly a bit much), it's current while still commenting on the all-time horror classics, and it's overall a consistently great story with mostly consistently great art.

I've read the first two omnibuses, so that's all I'll be able to comment on. These things are giant, high quality books that don't suffer from what I've found a lot of giant paperback graphic novels do... the tendency to crack and spit out pages as soon as you open the book. I plan to reread these collections over and over, and I'm very impressed with the quality. The first two have comprehensive cover galleries and profiles for all of the villains. While I haven't read the third, I noticed that it's way shorter on extras but a bit meatier on content, which is fine. Point is, the collects are giant, beautiful, well-made, and affordable. If you're planning on getting into Hack/Slash, this is the way.

Now, the story. Imagine all movie slashers live in one universe. That is the world that Cassie Hack lives in. She was the proverbial Girl That Survives The Slasher And Goes On To Live Life after her mother went crazy, killed a bunch of kids, proceeded to commit suicide, and then come back as a slasher. Cassie is bitter. Outwardly angry, even, and she takes that out on the slashers that she hunts with her partner Vlad, a hulking man who is often mistaken for a monster by the people around them. While Cassie is one of the baddest badasses in comic books, she's also vulnerable and innocent in many ways, which proves for a nice dichotomy. Like all good genre fiction, the cool monsters and the hunts don't take center stage here. Cassie's relationship with Vlad, her personal history, and her journey toward finding who she is as a girl make up the real meat of Hack/Slash.

Possibly because of that, there have been a lot of comparisons between Hack/Slash and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I'm not going to lie; that's one of the reasons I picked the book up in the first place. Whedonesque is synonymous for "I want to read the shit out of this." Most of the folks that follow this blog know me from either writing about Buffy and Angel or having written for Angel, so let me tell you guys: While Hack/Slash is in absolutely no way derivative, it has the attention to character and love for snarky dialogue that made Buffy so watchable. However, I've found that Whedon fans tend to go apeshit when women are sexualized in comics, but I personally find nothing gratuitous about Hack/Slash (nor did I find anything gratuitous about Spike's harem Angel: After the Fall, which a lot of people flipped needless shits about), but that's just me.

To dispense with the Buffy comparisons, let me reiterate: Hack/Slash is a fine horror comic. It's a fine creator owned comic. The concept is fresh, the execution is insanely good, and the characters are badass and easy to root for. It's everything that horror comics should be, but tend to not be.

Volume One is a collection of the earliest Hack/Slash stories, which are mostly one-shots that show Cassie and Vlad hunting slashers. Along the way, a few supporting players are introduced, but not much in the way of a continuing storyline is developed in the first omnibus. Volume Two, however, takes the threads set up in Volume One and weaves them into a complex and thrilling story arc that shows the government trying to deal with slashers, introduces my favorite character (a talking demon dog from a Hell dimension named Pooch), has Cassie grappling with her personal life and her duty as a slasher hunter (and maybe her sexuality, a bit), and delves into our heroine's past in a tragic, smart way. Also, there are badass monsters and chicks who fight them.

Can't beat that.

Future awesome: I've seen most of the covers, even for the issues I haven't read yet... and the always talented Jenny Frison has been doing brilliant covers for this series. Who is better than Jenny at covers? Who? Not that guy. Nope, not her either.

More future awesome: I just started reading the third volume, and it starts with Pooch trying to take a shit in the backyard while his master eggs him on. Pooch says, "Master, I cannot expunge my vile wastes while you command your humble Pooch." AH!

Even more future awesome: Your life will be better if you buy this book. Unless you happen to be an undead murderer bent on targeting couples and/or folks you think are sinning. Because, yeah. You're in trouble.

TOMORROW: PART ONE of my interview with SUPERGIRL writer Kelly Sue DeConnick goes up!

8in8 Makes the World a Better Place

I'm going to post a more substantial entry about writing within the next few days, but I just had to share this. Most of the people that follow this blog are fans of Angel and/or IDW, and I think that you'll appreciate this since you guys love sensitively told stories that explore what it means to be human while making you laugh your ass off while crying until your eyes are less organs through which you can see and more useless pools of salty water.

Or if you came here because you've read a story that I wrote, or saw a play that I was involved in, or pretty much for any reason at all... I dig this band. I admire the people in it. These songs moved me and made me smile. Also, it made me want to read more Neil Gaiman, who also wrote this incredibly brilliant post a few years ago. My girlfriend directed me to the link this morning, and my buddy and fellow Angel writer Scott Tipton linked it through his Comics 101 site. The article, which you can read here, as as relevant today as it was when it was written.

Now, onto three songs of mad, unrelenting brilliance.

Because the Origami - 8in8 from Ben Jacobson on Vimeo.

Music like this makes the world a better place.

Comic Book Wednesday #6

Comic Book WedMINDFUCK, IT'S THURSDAYnesday

Issue #6

So... my first missed blog. It happens. Just ask the guy who ran Buffyverse Comic Reviews.* I was working against deadline for some comics from a big ol' company that I'm excited to be working for, so I had to do that stuff during the breaks from my day job instead of this blog. Next week and, I'm sure, the subsequent weeks will show regular weekly updates to the CBW section of the blog.

Here we go!

**

Superman #712

Written by Chris Roberson

Pencils by... hey, wait a sec...

This cover clearly shows Superman... who isn't in the book.

Also, that seems to be either someone with a tan or *gasp* a non-white hero.

Wait a sec... the book I read didn't even have the name "Roberson" on it, nor did it touch on the Grounded arc at all...

Let's give this another try.

Superman #712

Written by Kurt Busiek

Pencils by Rick Leonardi

DC Comics

So, this happened. The original issue that we were supposed to get this month featured Superman continuing from where #711 left off. Funny how that works. One story flowing naturally from the one that came before it. Weird world, huh? Alas, the story was canned last minute in favor of... another story that got canned a few years back. There is some debate whether it was cancelled due to the appearance of a Muslim hero (as the linked article speculated) or because of kitties.

One way, you've got racism... the other, you've got intense silliness.

I'll let the sites that folks actually read speculate on that, though. As weird as the backstory to how this happened is, and as bad as I feel for the super talented guys behind the Grounded arc (especially Chris Roberson, whom I've become a giant fan of), I really enjoyed this nearly silent tale of Krypto the Superdog.

A lot of folks rag on Krypto, but to them I say this. Krypto is a dog who is important enough to wear a cape. How many people do you know that are important enough to not look completely ridiculous in a cape? I thought so.

On a somewhat serious note (though, how serious can you get when talking about a Superdog; well, pretty serious, considering the content of this issue), Krypto has always been one of my favorites. His death in Alan Moore's "imaginary tale" Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow? is among the most moving scenes in the DC Universe. His limited role in recent years has been entertaining, as it's always fun to see Kal's best friend pop his head in.

Well, this issue is all him. It takes place "shortly after Superboy died in Infinite Crisis and Superman went missing." That threw me off a bit, because I haven't read Infinite Crisis, and though I'm somewhat familiar with the events of the book because of the other titles I've been following. I was worried that the comic would be so steeped in that storyline that it would be hard to jump into. And while the events of this issue are a major reflection of the tragedies that went down in IC, it is quite easy to follow.

We follow Krypto as he tries to make sense of life without Superman or Superboy, cutting back and forth from flashbacks (nice stuff and intense/sad stuff) to the present day scenes of Krypto revisiting places that he remembers as significant. It's full of touching moments like Krypto looking up hopefully every time a bird or a plane passes. The art is great, the tone is very quiet and very sad with a tinge of hope that only a dog can bring.

For comic book writers struggling with economy of words, check out Busiek. Dude knows what he's doing. "Less is more" is a cheesy phrase that isn't always true, but Busiek manages to pull off a decompressed story with big heart and minimal dialogue.

I really dug the issue, but I'm looking forward to getting back to Grounded in July so Roberson can give the long-running Superman title the ending he intended. Let's hope the final two issues don't involve cats.

This is a bit of an arbitrary PS, but I have to wonder if this issue will ever make it into a TPB. I love single issues, but I've got a big, beautiful library going on... and the completist in me fears that the random nature of #712 will prevent it from ever making it into a trade.

NEXT WEEK:

SOONER THAN NEXT WEEK: Got an interview with Supergirl writer KELLY SUE DECONNICK.

*Known in some circles as "Me."

** I wonder if the original cover was also cropped because of cats?

Writing Comics Instead of Writing About Comics

Due to a comics writing gig that I just got the go ahead for, today has been writing writing writing... so no Comic Book Wednesday today.

Tomorrow, however, I will chime in with a review of Superman #712. Thanks.

News!

Big, big writerly news.

As I mentioned before, my short story "A Smile Like Many Voices" is going to be published in Rainstorm Press's Signals from the Void anthology. You can order that here.

Two more of my stories have been accepted into anthologies. Both of the books will be published by Pill Hill Press this summer. Links to come.

There Was a Crooked House...

An anthology from Pill Hill Press

Includes my story "Can't Stop Growing Old"

Release date: Late Summer 2011

Told You So

A conspiracy anthology from Pill Hill Press

Includes my story "Gordon Macduff is Just a Man"

Release date: Late Summer 2011/Early Fall 2011

I've got a short play going up June 27th as a part of the monthly Shotz festival. The play is call... ahem... "Furry Cuffs." Details on that to come.

Annnnnnd I've got some comic book work coming soon from a certain publisher that starts with a Z. You know who. Yeah. Them.

Last but certainly not least, I'll be posting an interview with Supergirl writer Kelly Sue DeConnick this week.

Now, if I can only find time to actually not be in front of the computer...

Comic Book Wednesday #5

Comic Book Wednesday

Issue #5

Supergirl #65

Written by Kelly Sue DeConnick

Pencils by ChrisCross

DC Comics

Supergirl goes to college in this new three issue arc by Kelly Sue DeConnick (Marvel's Osborn), who writes the character with humor and heart. This story reminds us that while Supergirl will throw out a Buffy-esque one-liner at villains before she kicks their asses, Kara Zor-El is still new to this planet and the way that humans kid around with each other. After two jokes that Lois tries to crack end up confusing Kara, Lois sends her on a reconnaissance mission at a local college to investigate the disappearance of some students. She ends up rooming with a girl who is entirely too excited for the whole dorm experience, which led to this funny and revealing exchange:

SHIRLEY: Do you know what you'll major in?

KARA: No.

SHIRLEY: Do you know what you want to be when you grow up?

KARA: No.

SHIRLEY: Have you thought about having kids?

KARA: No.

SHIRLEY: Do you want to see if the cafeteria's open?

KARA: No.

Throwing Supergirl in with people who are her "peers" (read as: human counterparts of a similar age) serves to show how different she is than them, and it's not just because of her powers. She's confident with being a hero now... it's the day-to-day life that she continues to struggle with. Kelly Sue DeConnick seems to be using this final arc of this volume of Supergirl to explore who Kara Zor-El is and isn't as a young woman. My one major issue with the comic, though, is the art is very exaggerated for a story that is, while still action packed, very subtle. Supergirl and Lois have a very quiet conversation in the car, but artist ChrisCross handles those scenes like he handles any other of his books... with strange facial expressions, eyes popping out, and gesticulations that take attention right away from the conversation. It's hard to tell what's going on in some of the action panels as well.

While ChrisCross's art is at times hard to look at, DeConnick's incredible writing makes this story worthy of being the series finale of this volume of Supergirl. There are a bunch of one-liners that made me laugh ("Henry Octavious Flyte! Bastard ne'er-do-well. I should have put hat on calling cards" and "Do they have to be robots? It's been kind of a robot-y few weeks for me...") and there are many scenes in this that seem to plant the seeds for what will be a great story about Supergirl as a hero and a teenager.

NEXT WEEK: An interview with SUPERGIRL writer, Kelly Sue DeConnick!

The Cape (one shot)

Written by Jason Ciaramella

Based on the short story by Joe Hill

Art by Zach Howard

IDW Publishing

Joe Hill's Locke and Key is one of the main reasons that IDW Publishing is probably the creatively strongest comic book publishing company making funny books. It's scary as shit, adds to the medium as a whole, plays with form, looks beautiful, and just tells a damn good story. Best of all, it's something completely different. No one has ever done a comic like Locke and Key before.

So here's another effort from Joe Hill and IDW... The Cape, a one-shot comic that writer Jason Ciaramella scripted based on a short story by Hill. Let's just say that Locke and Key is absolutely not a fluke. Hill is the strongest writer to hit the scene in a very long time, and I have to say... I'm a bit angry at myself for not catching this when it first came out. While this legacy edition offers awesome the awesome extra of the original short story with Ciaramella's notes, the story itself is something that I wish I'd had in my library for longer. It's that good.

IDW is about to do a The Cape miniseries co-written by Joe Hill and Jason Ciaramella. If it's half as good as this--and with Hill's track record, you'd better believe it will be--it will give the entire industry a kick in the ass. Fucking The Cape, man...

I'll end the review with one of the most pretentiuous things a man can do... quoting himself. I think this will work here, though. "It's scary as shit, adds to the medium as a whole, plays with form, looks beautiful, and just tells a damn good story. Best of all, it's something completely different. No one has ever done a comic like (The Cape) before."

NEXT WEEK: Superman #712