Nexus Wookie
Posts: 2256
Joined: 24/9/2011
From: the Godcity
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I've been really busy over the last week or two, and couldn't forward my thoughts on the comic's i've read. But I did manage to muster some time so here they are;
AKIRA VOL 1, 2, 3 BY KATSUHIRO OTOMO
I've been a fan of anime since a child and was an avid reader of Manga Mania magazine which published Akira every month. However I started reading it from midway through, having missed out on the earlier chapter's. And so I finally ordered Volume 1 and was blown away by it all over again! The artwork is brilliant, Otomo's work is visually impressive. The detail in the Neo Tokyo landscape; building's, vehicles, people is beautiful to behold. Even a small speck in the distant is detailed meticulously.
The story starts with a group of misfit teen's, a biker gang led by Kaneda and his understudy Tetsuo. Their both orphan's and friend's since childhood. However their lives are cleft asunder when they meet Takashi; a withered kid with huge psychic abilities. The goverment led by a General are looking for Takashi, but on top of that Kaneda get's embroiled with a young woman by the name of Kay who is part of a underground 'terrorist' network. To make matter's worse Tetsuo is taken by the military and tests conducted. Little do they know what terror Tetsuo will unleash after underestimating him because he too has psychic abilities. And he soon has his mind set on looking for the mythic Akira. The scope of this comic is huge but never confusing thanks to Otomo's masterful storytelling. Sometimes the images tell the story and there is very little dialogue involved. I fouind it a really fun read, and even though the volumes are roughly 600 pages each, I managed to go through them pretty quick! and after finishing the first volume I had the overwhelming urge to order the next volume immediately! It's really addictive, and part of the joy of reading it is the human interaction, and the character's in particular - Kaneda being the chief protagonist and clown for the first couple of volumes.
Volume 2 is more of a race against time as the military try to persue Tetsuo whose pyschic powers are starting to grow. Tetsuo is close to discovering the mystery of Akira, is he a myth? Who is he? We soon find out in an extraordinary set piece deep inside the bowel's of a stadium. It is a thrilling moment in the story, and one filled with action and suspense. This moment was translated onto the film version which Otomo also directed. But there's a key difference; in the movie Akira was dead. Here, he's pretty much alive. And his awakening has huge consequences as we shall see in Volume 3.
The 3rd volume is when she shit really hits the fan! The last couple of pages are simply breath-taking! Neo Tokyo in utter ruin's with building's collapsing over the next. It is a beautifully realised moment and Otomo's artwork.....it need's to be seen to be believed! This moment is when the movie end's, but the comic still has another 3 more volumes to go! And trust me that's when thing's start getting really interesting indeed!
AKIRA VOL 1, 2, 3 ***** 5/5 (all three)
HABIBI BY CRAIG THOMPSON
This graphic novel by Craig Thompson (Blankets) has to be one of the most beautiful, aweinspiring pieces of work I have ever had the previlage of laying me eyes on! 7 years in the making, it follow's the story of two child slaves Dodola and Zam. Dodola is a child when she is forced by her parent's into marriage with a scribe many years her senior. He teaches her stories from the work he copies painstakingly, from the Qur'an and Arab fairytales such as 1001 Arabian Nights. But she is soon kidnapped by some bandits and forced into slavery. It is here she find's the abandoned baby Cham (later re-named Zam by Dodola after Zam Zam: the well which was discovered by a baby Ishmael according Islamic tradition). The both of them seek refuge inside an abandoned boat in the desert. The baby Zam spends the night hearing stories from Dodola from the Qur'an, whether it be the creation of Adam, the Angel's, the Jinn's, or the Prophet Muhammad's night journey on the winged mystical beast - The Buraq.
Thompson's main reason behind this beautiful work was to show everyone about the shared history and heritage of Islam and Christianity. The stories can be recognised by Christian's or Jew's but they have an Islamic viewpoint like the story of Solomon and Sheba (or Bilquis) and Jesus who is a revered figure in Islam. It is an admirable undertaking from Thompson especially in a world where anti-Muslim sentiment is rife.
Thompson's artwork is absolutely stunning to behold, all the panel's are drawn painstakingly with intricate border's for the stories narrated by Dodola, and beautiful Arabic calligraphy sometimes merging into an image. Or an image such as a river merging into Arabic lettering. It is clear to see Thompson's love of this most unique of crafts.
Zam is growing, and as he approaches adolesence he experiiences deep yearning's for Dodola. Dodola realises this and does not share a bath, she see's him as her child (their relationship develops from brother and sister to mother and son, and later on to that one of lovers, but not lover's in the 'traditional' sense). In order to feed themselves Dodola takes to prostututing herself for passing carravan's. One day Zam follow's her and find's her getting raped. He run's away. He decides rto go into the town to sell water to the people (water is scarce thanks to the a dam built by the Sultan). But Dodola unnable to find him in their boat house goes looking for her. They are seperated and their destinies do too with Dodola taken into the Sultan's harem and Zam joining a group of Enuchs. These decisions will ultimately change them. The book show's the choices that are made, and how they mould a person or as I mentioned - change them. Zam too makes a choice which changes him literally. It is a shocking moment in the book but the choice he makes ultimately lead's him to his lost love, Dodola. They are re-united at last. They are both changed due to their life experiences and the world too has changed. Pollution, industry, skyscraper's have risen in the once barren desert. It is clear to see that aswell as being a love story, Thompson was also commenting on the folly of man, and man's desire to destroy nature. This evidenced when Zam and Dodola return to their childhood boat (an ojbect of innocence perhaps) now populated and buried beneath man made rubbish and refuse.
One of my favourite chapter's in the book is one when both of our protagonists take refuge in the fisherman's house. He is a very likeable fellow, open hearted yet simple. Many commented that he's a character the great Will Eisner would have loved. And I agree. This chapter is almost like a tribute to Eisner.
Habibi is a modern masterpiece, an epic, a joy to hold in one's hand, a pleasure to read and beautiful to behold. There is no other graphic novel quite like it and in that sense it is unique. It is a marvel of magnificent artistry and vision. It is moving, tragic, funny and yet uplifting too. I cannot praise it enough.
HABIBI ***** 5/5
THE UNDERWATER WELDER BY JEFF LEMIRE
A very big thankyou to furrybastard for posting this book in this thread!
This has to be one of the most heart-wrenching, poignant (and spooky) graphic novel I have a read for a while! Jeff Lemire's artwork is absolutely beautiful to behold and very evocative of William Blakes magnificent line drawings (i was a big fan of his growing up).
The story centres around Jack Joseph, an underwater welder. He is living with his girlfriend Susan and they're both expecting a baby soon. However Jack is haunted by the disappearance of his father on Halloween 20 years ago. He went diving one day and never came back. Jack cannot find peace. What happened to his father? Did he drown as was reported by the newspaper's at the time or did he move on?
One day Jack goes diving. And something happens........
He find's a pocket watch on the sea bed. He loses consciousness and someone call's out his name ''Jack...time to wake up....it's time....''
He is rescued by his work colleague. He is given leave from work by the doctor, but Jack does not want to go. Something is pulling him back to the deep.
Lemire does a fantastic job expressing these deep rooted question's and the trauma of losing a father through his beautiful artwork. Jack seem's selfish as a person, he want's to do what is right but he can't. He need's closure. It's interesting looking at the artwork because all the moment's of Jack on dry land are normal 9 panel pages (roughly). Even whole images have been made into panel's which make it look like Jack is stuck in prison, he is held by the shackles of his father's disappearance. And whenever he is underwater there are no (panel) restricction's. Jack is free when he is on his own with his own thought's. And that was the reason why Lemire drew it that way.
We get flashback's when we see Jack as a boy, interracting with his father. He is a likeable fellow, divorced from Jack's mother. These are very thoughtful, poignant moment's in the book. Little momen'ts like Jack's father giving him a pocket watch (which is key in the story).
I love the whole 'Twillight Zone' moment of the book when Jack walk's through the deserted town. He resembles his father wholly. He want's to get back to his wife but cannot leave the town. He is stuck and it is up to him to confront his past and make peace if he is to leave. And what follow's next is moving and heart-wrenching to say the least. I have to say I had a tear in my eye when I read it.
This graphic novel (alongside Habibi) has to be the best comic i've read this year without question. And deserves all the praise by everyone who has read it. I've found a new favourite writer/ artist in Jeff Lemire and cannot wait to read his other works.
''and if you're scared just take my hand, just hold on tight boy-o-mine, in my arm's you'll just be fine....''
THE UNDERWATER WELDER ***** 5/5
REVOLVER BY MATT KINDT
I really enjoyed this comic. The artwork by Kindt is maybe not to everyone's taste, but I quite liked it. Our protagonist Sam is stuck in a dead end job, with a materialistic girlfirend and a nagging boss. One day he wakes up and find's his whole city in disarray. There's been an atttack of some sort and the street's are littered with dead bodies, with chaos and looting everyehere. He rescue's his boss from her office and is confronted by her angry boyfriend who smashes both their faces in. But something clicks inside his mind. Sam is tired of being a victim and he snap's - killing him. That same night he goes to sleep and wakes up back in his 'normal' world. The chaos and insanity of yesterday is nowehere to be seen - just what the hell is going on? It seem's Sam is living in two world's, one where he lead's a boring, lifeless existence with a dead end job, and another where he has purpose and know's what he want's. The question is which one will he choose? And these alternate realities real, or just a figment of his imagination?
I quite liked how his journey progressed. And how he made choices which were in total contrast to what he would've done in his 'normal' world. However, I was left very unsatisfied with the ending and his decision to eliminate the perpetrator of the chaos made no sense. Or why he would do the same in the 'normal' world. Also, there is little in term's of character development - Sam as a person is rather unlikeable! I'd love to hear thought's from anyone else who has read this comic. Especially your views for the ending and the characters reason's for doing what he does. It wasn't too clear and was a little jarring. But still a worthy effort from Kindt.
REVOLVER *** 3.5/5
JONAH HEX: NO WAY BACK BY JUSTIN GRAY. JIMMY PALMIOTTI
I've alway's been a big fan of Jonah Hex. Part of it stem's from my love of Western's. Especially all of Leone's masterworks and Eastwood's film's (from High Plain's Drifter to Unforgiven). In fact, the protagonist of the comic can easily fit into an Eastwood film, especially the aforementioned ones. This comic is beautiful at times, the artwork by Jimmy Palmiottti is really good, and expresses the character's feeling's expertly. The story is also top notch - Jonah Hex looking for his mother who deserted him as a young boy, and left him with his violent, alcoholic father. On his trail is a group of bandit's seeking revenge. It all comes together and prettty soon all hell break's loose! And on top of all the carnage Hex also has to deal with his half brother who he never knew about. It is a brilliantly written comic which read's like an excellent revenge western. I could almost envision Clint in the role of Hex, then again judging by the piss poor adaption Hollywood did recently, i'd say Clint has already played Jonah Hex in one of his earlier classic's like High Plain's Drifter or The Outlaw Josey Wales. This is an excellent read and I recommend it highly.
JONAH HEX: NO WAY BACK ***** 5/5
Currently reading IRONMAN: DEMON IN A BOTTLE and WOLVERINE: WOLVERINE'S REVENGE
< Message edited by Nexus Wookie -- 17/8/2012 7:58:55 PM >
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My blog: http://nexuswookie.wordpress.com/
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RE: What comic book are you reading right now? - 
....as for Saga - I definitely need to check it out!
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