Comics Reviews: Buffy, Dresden, and Angel
Jun. 16th, 2008 09:25 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shadowkatAs stated previously, I used to collect comics up until 2001, when I gave up the habit in favor of a new addiction - reading and writing essays (and the occassional fanfic) on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Then the writer of that series decided to start writing comics instead, and I found myself going full circle. Nifty. I keep hoping that eventually I'll get bored of the Buffy/Angel comics and give up this habit that at times feels like it is encroaching on my limited apartment space and wallet, in a purely nickel and dime sort of way. Have to say, the Drew Goddard penned miniseries "Wolves At the Gate" came very close to doing just that.
I almost asked my local comic store, the awesome Rocket Ship, to cancel my subscription.
But curiousity more than anything else keeps me trucking along. Although Scott Allie and the online fandom may kick me off the habit yet, both are annoying beyond belief. Thank god, I only get the outtakes via my flist. One wonders at times if people have lives outside of the fandom? Methinks not.
In direct contrast is Bryan Lynch's somewhat innovative take on Angel. As well as the thoroughly endearing and somewhat comical wit of his editor Chris Ryall - who has made me become somewhat enamored of the upstart IDW line. Dark Horse was always a bit on the annoying side - they are an imprint of DC, I think, or Marvel, can't remember which. Sort of like Miramix was a subsidiary of Disney. The big action hero comics decided to go after the "cult"/"art" crowd with Dark Horse. Allie reminds me of the Wiensten boys, who I've even less patience for. (I used to collect the entire Dark Horse line back in the day, until I finally got fed up with the lack of continuity, the dropping of titles out of the blue, etc, that I gave up and scaled way back.)
Why is Lynch's take innovative? After all it stars a guy, takes place in a noir universe, and is violent? What's new about that? Absolutely nothing. No, what is impressing me is how the narrative structure is set up. The break from the proceedings to do a sort of Citizen Kanesque
exploration of the day the universe was plunged into hell. If you've ever read Michael Chabon's Kavelier and Clay, you will know whereof I speak. In Kavalier and Clay, Chabon discusses how Citizen Kane changed the comic narrative - in that it demonstrated how you could tell us about the lead, by dipping into the pov of everyone else. A sort of scattered pov or the pov of the fly on the wall. The way Lynch frames this narrative technique is by using an outside story-teller, or the literal fly on the wall - in this case a telepathic fisk who can be inside everyone's heads, while he lies prone at the mercy of a maniac. Has it been done before, sure, but it is innovative in that the writer uses this tale to embrodier on the central one. Each small tale or short story tells us why Angel should feel guilty for plunging people into hell. How our actions affect those we never see. The creators lend texture to it - by using different artists, each artist showing a distinct pov, a distinct perspective on what is happening, demonstrating in literal terms how we can all look at the same thing or same events and see something completely different.
Buffy, feels like an Archie Comic in comparison. Childish, filled to the brim with adolescent humor and farce. The humor, unlike Lynch's, often feels forced and cheeky, as if we are being nudged into nervous laughter. And at times is inappropriate, we jump from tragedy to farce to tragedy without much transition, it is too abrupt. So much so, that I felt whiplash. It's a shame, considering the story is not an uninteresting one, and the themes have resonance. But the way it is being told feels oddly derivative (this may not be the best word) and stale.
I may have read too many of these types of stories, but the last reel felt too familar, too telegraphed - this, it seemed to announce in capital letters, is the calm before the storm.
It lacked subtley. But then so does most of the issues in this series. Each joke is hammered to death, until with a slight eyeroll, you want to say, yes, I get it, can we get to the action now? This appears to be trend - because I had much the same response watching the popular film: Knocked Up, and You Don't Mess with the Zohan. A joke, if you have been reading Jane Espenson's blog or the former writer of MASH, is a delicate thing. You go too far, the laughter becomes forced. You don't go far enough, no one gets it. The say drama is easy, but comedy is hard - and that is no joke.
If you want examples, I can give them. But I'm not sure there's much point. Dawn's the Giant act lost it's comic potential ten issues back, now it feels a bit like that old knock knock joke. Not helped by the fact that the explanation for her condition pales in comparison to some of the more innovative theories I'd seen in my own livejournal. She cheated on her boyfriend and turned into a big giant slut? This reminds me of a few of the Judd Apatow jokes I'd seen in Knocked Up. It didn't surprise me, I'd more or less figured it out on my own, with all the lame penis and sex jokes. One begins to wonder if Joss Whedon is getting any at home or maybe that's he's doing? Now, in this issue, she's fighting herself Godzilla style, if you didn't see that coming, you clearly haven't been paying attention. Wink wink. Nudge nudge. It is Japan after all.
And of course there's the ever-present, Xander the romantically challenged, somewhat sissish side-kick jokes. This guy is allegedly 26 years of age or thereabouts. And has been in more than one relationship. Also he's killed vampires before. His relationship with Dracula makes no logical sense, outside of being a prolonged joke. Nor for that matter does Dracula's presence to begin with - unless the dark lord was given a soul at some point. He's almost puppy-doggish here.
There are flashes of intelligence here and there. Willow's and Buffy's interaction is not only funny, but moves both characters forward and tells us a bit more about them. It reminded me of some of Lynch's writing not to mention Whedon's better efforts. And the bit with Renee in the beginning of this last issue, was genuinely moving. Satsu and Buffy still don't quite make sense. It feels too much like a male fantasy, not a true homosexual romance. It reminds me a great deal of similar stories that I read in Japanese Magna comics in the 1990s, so it is very typical of comic books allegedly directed at a female audience.
The art is getting better, at least. Or maybe it's just growing on me? And, I did find the Renee/Xander relationship interesting and moving in a way that I have not found either the Willow/Kennedy or Buffy/Satsu. Possibly because we got a lot more of it and a lot less "sex" for "sex's sake".
Overall? I can't say I recommend this arc. I think you could probably skip it and figure out what's going on, I'm sure Renee's death and Buffy's experiment with Satsu will be referenced in up-coming comics. If you are new to the series? Read the Faith Arc - No Future for You, it's a lot better. Drew Goddard should definitely stick to his day job, writing episodes of Lost.
Back to Angel After the Fall - Lynch's First Night mini-arc, is interesting in how he tells the story, not so much in the details. The use of the fish, the bits and pieces we get on Gunn, and the female characters he focuses on - who oddly come across as stronger and more interesting than Buffy does in her own comic. These women find a way to survive in hell on their own, they are resourceful, aid others, and not very whiny. Granted it is a darker comic.
And, I'm no fan of girly girls, which appears to be what most of the characters in Buffy are, so that may have something to do with it.
What impressed me most however was the writing, the switches in pov, the development of each character, the ability to pull me into the little stories, even if they were not characters I cared about or was interested in. The humor often took me by surprise. And the little bit about the boy wishing for the end of the world, only to be granted it, and losing the one thing that was most meaningful to him yet he took the most for granted - haunts me. It also acts as an excellent metaphor for Angel and the theme of the piece - which is "Watch what you wish for - you might just get it, with a twist."
Overall? It didn't grip me as much as the last issues did. At first reading, I found that I was unimpressed. Yet, I can still vividly remember the stories, more so than the Buffy four part arc. It stays with me in the same way that a really good film or book does, a way that dare I say it is almost literary.
If you haven't picked up the Angel comics and are a fan of these series, you really should.
They are suprisingly good. So good in fact that I'm sort of hoping for more than 12 issues. I'd rather have more Brian Lynch, then see Angel and Spike appear in the Buffy comics. But, not to worry, I have little control over such things. So if your mileage differs as it no doubt will, no need to argue.
The Dresden Files - Welcome to the Jungle - written by Jim Butcher, was a welcome surprise. I did not expect to enjoy it this much. The artist is the same one who did the Anita Blake books, which I found so unbearable, I did not bother buying them. But he's oddly better here. There's less lines, and the people don't look like they've all been stretched.
Butcher writes these comics in much the same way he wrote the novels, sans the description. His prose reminds me a lot of the tv show Spencer for Hire, it includes literary references as well as pop culture ones. The character of Harry is as endearing here as he was in the novels. The main difference may be that there's less emphasis on God, and so far, no mention of Michael's clan. If you found the Christian references in the latter novels off-putting, they aren't in the comics - at least not at the moment.
Time-line wise - this feels like it takes place sometime after Storm Front but before Full Moon and definitely before Death Masks. Murphy is still a lieutenant, and Carmichal is still working with her. And both still look at Harry with uncertainity.
I think Butcher is filling in some gaps with these books - making them accessible to fans of the novels as well as new-comers. I like the books better than the tv series - they are closer to the novels. The tv series take on Harry's foster father sort of annoyed me, I much preferred the back-story of Harry as an orphane who did not know his biological parents that well and had trusted DuMorne, only to discover a monster.
Only read two so far, so can't tell yet how good they'll be. But so far, so good.
Definitely worth a look.
PS: One of the things I love most about the Dresden books is the fandom is less prevalent and therefore less obnoxious. Me and fandoms appear to be unmixy things - I don't particularly like squeeing and have little patience for people telling me that what I like is wrong and bad, because it doesn't fit what they like. I keep wanting to tell them to jump in the lake. Because for heaven's sake - what the fuck does it matter? Do you really care that much that I like something you don't and vice versa? Never understood the need some people have to control the interests of those around them.
I almost asked my local comic store, the awesome Rocket Ship, to cancel my subscription.
But curiousity more than anything else keeps me trucking along. Although Scott Allie and the online fandom may kick me off the habit yet, both are annoying beyond belief. Thank god, I only get the outtakes via my flist. One wonders at times if people have lives outside of the fandom? Methinks not.
In direct contrast is Bryan Lynch's somewhat innovative take on Angel. As well as the thoroughly endearing and somewhat comical wit of his editor Chris Ryall - who has made me become somewhat enamored of the upstart IDW line. Dark Horse was always a bit on the annoying side - they are an imprint of DC, I think, or Marvel, can't remember which. Sort of like Miramix was a subsidiary of Disney. The big action hero comics decided to go after the "cult"/"art" crowd with Dark Horse. Allie reminds me of the Wiensten boys, who I've even less patience for. (I used to collect the entire Dark Horse line back in the day, until I finally got fed up with the lack of continuity, the dropping of titles out of the blue, etc, that I gave up and scaled way back.)
Why is Lynch's take innovative? After all it stars a guy, takes place in a noir universe, and is violent? What's new about that? Absolutely nothing. No, what is impressing me is how the narrative structure is set up. The break from the proceedings to do a sort of Citizen Kanesque
exploration of the day the universe was plunged into hell. If you've ever read Michael Chabon's Kavelier and Clay, you will know whereof I speak. In Kavalier and Clay, Chabon discusses how Citizen Kane changed the comic narrative - in that it demonstrated how you could tell us about the lead, by dipping into the pov of everyone else. A sort of scattered pov or the pov of the fly on the wall. The way Lynch frames this narrative technique is by using an outside story-teller, or the literal fly on the wall - in this case a telepathic fisk who can be inside everyone's heads, while he lies prone at the mercy of a maniac. Has it been done before, sure, but it is innovative in that the writer uses this tale to embrodier on the central one. Each small tale or short story tells us why Angel should feel guilty for plunging people into hell. How our actions affect those we never see. The creators lend texture to it - by using different artists, each artist showing a distinct pov, a distinct perspective on what is happening, demonstrating in literal terms how we can all look at the same thing or same events and see something completely different.
Buffy, feels like an Archie Comic in comparison. Childish, filled to the brim with adolescent humor and farce. The humor, unlike Lynch's, often feels forced and cheeky, as if we are being nudged into nervous laughter. And at times is inappropriate, we jump from tragedy to farce to tragedy without much transition, it is too abrupt. So much so, that I felt whiplash. It's a shame, considering the story is not an uninteresting one, and the themes have resonance. But the way it is being told feels oddly derivative (this may not be the best word) and stale.
I may have read too many of these types of stories, but the last reel felt too familar, too telegraphed - this, it seemed to announce in capital letters, is the calm before the storm.
It lacked subtley. But then so does most of the issues in this series. Each joke is hammered to death, until with a slight eyeroll, you want to say, yes, I get it, can we get to the action now? This appears to be trend - because I had much the same response watching the popular film: Knocked Up, and You Don't Mess with the Zohan. A joke, if you have been reading Jane Espenson's blog or the former writer of MASH, is a delicate thing. You go too far, the laughter becomes forced. You don't go far enough, no one gets it. The say drama is easy, but comedy is hard - and that is no joke.
If you want examples, I can give them. But I'm not sure there's much point. Dawn's the Giant act lost it's comic potential ten issues back, now it feels a bit like that old knock knock joke. Not helped by the fact that the explanation for her condition pales in comparison to some of the more innovative theories I'd seen in my own livejournal. She cheated on her boyfriend and turned into a big giant slut? This reminds me of a few of the Judd Apatow jokes I'd seen in Knocked Up. It didn't surprise me, I'd more or less figured it out on my own, with all the lame penis and sex jokes. One begins to wonder if Joss Whedon is getting any at home or maybe that's he's doing? Now, in this issue, she's fighting herself Godzilla style, if you didn't see that coming, you clearly haven't been paying attention. Wink wink. Nudge nudge. It is Japan after all.
And of course there's the ever-present, Xander the romantically challenged, somewhat sissish side-kick jokes. This guy is allegedly 26 years of age or thereabouts. And has been in more than one relationship. Also he's killed vampires before. His relationship with Dracula makes no logical sense, outside of being a prolonged joke. Nor for that matter does Dracula's presence to begin with - unless the dark lord was given a soul at some point. He's almost puppy-doggish here.
There are flashes of intelligence here and there. Willow's and Buffy's interaction is not only funny, but moves both characters forward and tells us a bit more about them. It reminded me of some of Lynch's writing not to mention Whedon's better efforts. And the bit with Renee in the beginning of this last issue, was genuinely moving. Satsu and Buffy still don't quite make sense. It feels too much like a male fantasy, not a true homosexual romance. It reminds me a great deal of similar stories that I read in Japanese Magna comics in the 1990s, so it is very typical of comic books allegedly directed at a female audience.
The art is getting better, at least. Or maybe it's just growing on me? And, I did find the Renee/Xander relationship interesting and moving in a way that I have not found either the Willow/Kennedy or Buffy/Satsu. Possibly because we got a lot more of it and a lot less "sex" for "sex's sake".
Overall? I can't say I recommend this arc. I think you could probably skip it and figure out what's going on, I'm sure Renee's death and Buffy's experiment with Satsu will be referenced in up-coming comics. If you are new to the series? Read the Faith Arc - No Future for You, it's a lot better. Drew Goddard should definitely stick to his day job, writing episodes of Lost.
Back to Angel After the Fall - Lynch's First Night mini-arc, is interesting in how he tells the story, not so much in the details. The use of the fish, the bits and pieces we get on Gunn, and the female characters he focuses on - who oddly come across as stronger and more interesting than Buffy does in her own comic. These women find a way to survive in hell on their own, they are resourceful, aid others, and not very whiny. Granted it is a darker comic.
And, I'm no fan of girly girls, which appears to be what most of the characters in Buffy are, so that may have something to do with it.
What impressed me most however was the writing, the switches in pov, the development of each character, the ability to pull me into the little stories, even if they were not characters I cared about or was interested in. The humor often took me by surprise. And the little bit about the boy wishing for the end of the world, only to be granted it, and losing the one thing that was most meaningful to him yet he took the most for granted - haunts me. It also acts as an excellent metaphor for Angel and the theme of the piece - which is "Watch what you wish for - you might just get it, with a twist."
Overall? It didn't grip me as much as the last issues did. At first reading, I found that I was unimpressed. Yet, I can still vividly remember the stories, more so than the Buffy four part arc. It stays with me in the same way that a really good film or book does, a way that dare I say it is almost literary.
If you haven't picked up the Angel comics and are a fan of these series, you really should.
They are suprisingly good. So good in fact that I'm sort of hoping for more than 12 issues. I'd rather have more Brian Lynch, then see Angel and Spike appear in the Buffy comics. But, not to worry, I have little control over such things. So if your mileage differs as it no doubt will, no need to argue.
The Dresden Files - Welcome to the Jungle - written by Jim Butcher, was a welcome surprise. I did not expect to enjoy it this much. The artist is the same one who did the Anita Blake books, which I found so unbearable, I did not bother buying them. But he's oddly better here. There's less lines, and the people don't look like they've all been stretched.
Butcher writes these comics in much the same way he wrote the novels, sans the description. His prose reminds me a lot of the tv show Spencer for Hire, it includes literary references as well as pop culture ones. The character of Harry is as endearing here as he was in the novels. The main difference may be that there's less emphasis on God, and so far, no mention of Michael's clan. If you found the Christian references in the latter novels off-putting, they aren't in the comics - at least not at the moment.
Time-line wise - this feels like it takes place sometime after Storm Front but before Full Moon and definitely before Death Masks. Murphy is still a lieutenant, and Carmichal is still working with her. And both still look at Harry with uncertainity.
I think Butcher is filling in some gaps with these books - making them accessible to fans of the novels as well as new-comers. I like the books better than the tv series - they are closer to the novels. The tv series take on Harry's foster father sort of annoyed me, I much preferred the back-story of Harry as an orphane who did not know his biological parents that well and had trusted DuMorne, only to discover a monster.
Only read two so far, so can't tell yet how good they'll be. But so far, so good.
Definitely worth a look.
PS: One of the things I love most about the Dresden books is the fandom is less prevalent and therefore less obnoxious. Me and fandoms appear to be unmixy things - I don't particularly like squeeing and have little patience for people telling me that what I like is wrong and bad, because it doesn't fit what they like. I keep wanting to tell them to jump in the lake. Because for heaven's sake - what the fuck does it matter? Do you really care that much that I like something you don't and vice versa? Never understood the need some people have to control the interests of those around them.
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no subject
Date: 2008-06-17 06:55 am (UTC)Lynch really understands how to tell a story comic book style, at least I have loved all his Spike books and this Angel series.
My theory is that the Dresden comics are set before Storm Front, my only evidence being that the Blue Beetle is entirely blue (the doors have not yet been replaced), but maybe the time line will be made more clear as the story develops. The things I love about the artist are the cityscapes (which are full of ambiance) and the way he draws animals (all the zoo animals, and Mister, are all gorgeous). I'm definitely enjoying following this series!
Dark Horse has some Doctor Who comics, and they are really not working for me at all. I'm thinking of discontinuing taking those..... but right now I'm just reading them and passing them along to a friend in Germany who is more into Doctor Who (so I'm not collecting them). I think you're right that Dark Horse is just not all that.
no subject
Date: 2008-06-18 01:27 am (UTC)I haven't checked his fan site, which would probably tell me. But I'm leery of fan sites nowadays.
Agree - the artist is really good at animals and city-scapes. I'm critical of the people, but that's only because he draws them the same way I tend to, somewhat awkward and disjointed - although he is getting a lot better. (Not sure you saw the Anita Black comics. These are much much better.) Keep in mind - I prefer less lines, such Urruh's style, to the heavy lined comics that Jim Lee draws. (It's a thing.)
James Marsters ran into troubles with Dark Horse - who'd promised him a fantastic artist, then provided a less than stellar one, as well as serious editorial cuts. He does not speak well of the experience. (He lucked out - his character, Spike, jumped shows, and IDW now has first dibs. YAY! Sometimes I wish Xander had jumped shows - we might have gotten a Xander arc that was much darker and more interesting in IDW.)
The only comic Dark Horse has done that I've been completely satisfied with is the Serenity titles, not quite sure why that is.
And yep, Lynch really does understand the comic format. The idea that you've got give the reader a lot in each issue, or you'll lose them - because it is such a long haul between issues. If you choose not to give very much, than be sure to follow up with another issue fast (which is what he is doing this month.) Whedon makes people wait too long, he treats comics like one might a book deal. Thinking nothing of making readers wait two-three months for the next issue. What he did with Astonishing X-Men was beyond annoying. You can't wait that long between issues and still hold the reader's attention. I lost a lot of the X-men story because of those long waits.
no subject
Date: 2008-06-18 05:54 am (UTC)Yeah, I know James Marsters had HUGE problems w/Dark Horse.... someone brought that Spike & Dru comic for him to autograph and he went into quite the rant when he saw it (he did go ahead and autographic.... eventually).
But yeah, the Serenity comics are really lovely and tight, I get the feeling that they are the stories that Joss can't stand to keep inside another minute.... But of course he is lucky to have people doing the work who really do serve the needs of those stories...
Did you read the finale of Astonishing X-men yet? It was a long wait but awesome.... and of course we are STILL waiting for Joss' next Runaways! He is taking soooooooo long (I understand that Terry Moore, who is taking over, has already finished writing his arc.... *sigh*). Joss definitely has trouble staying on schedule w/his comics, but he is so speedy about his TV stuff! I think it is obvious what he is meant to be doing.
no subject
Date: 2008-06-20 01:23 am (UTC)Although I think I did - he did a rant in an interview once. Allie is notorious for cutting corners, not taking the content seriously, and letting fall through the cracks.
I catch it more in the Buffy issues, not as much on the Serenity - my guess is that Brett Mathews, the writer on that one, is pretty on top of things in much the same way Brian Lynch is.
Yes, I read the Astonishing X-men - it was great. Actually I've enjoyed Whedon's run on the X-men. His writing on that series was oddly tighter and more gripping than it is here. I don't know if that's because he was the only writer on the series and not constantly passing the baton (which I'm not sure quite works in the comic book medium, it tends to be bit jarring in a way that it's not in the tv medium), or if it's because he's a fan of X-men and not of Buffy (hard to be a fan of your own thing). I think it may be the former. Multiple writers don't quite work as well in the "written" form such as novels, short tales, and comics as they do in television and film medium. Maybe because those formats are naturally collaborative - you have multiple hands in the pot, so many, that while the writer is important, he/she is not the main or most important ingredient, all are of equal importance. Film editors, actors, makeup, set, lighting, direction - etc. Also an actor can often take a piece of dialogue that looks stiff and horrid on paper and make it amazing, just with tonal inflection or skipping a word. (I noticed this happening a lot with Buffy - after I read the shooting scripts and saw the changes. They seldom went with everything as exactly written. While in comics, your more likely to go with the shooting script - but that's what comics are : story-boards. You have the artist, the writer, the editor, letterer and colorist. No actors, producers, or directors in the mix.
Marvel is also a bit harsher in the editorial department than Allie. Joe Quesda is amongst the best in the biz. A good editor is key to a comic book - more so than a novel or short story. Because you have so many panels, and your collaborators are often working via email or by mail. Someone has to go over the whole thing and make sure it matchs, that it makes sense as a whole. All in all, Buffy is doing pretty good in that department, but there are places I've found it jarring, and again that may be due to the sheer number of issues involved. It's an ambitious undertaking = to do two full 44 issue series of Buffy, as a sort of comic version of a tv series, with four issues making up an episode, and one shot issues in between written as stand-alones or transistions. Plus a cast of thousands, as opposed to just a five or six key characters. Not easy. Got to give them credit for trying. Which I do. I'm only critical because, well, that's who I am.;-)
no subject
Date: 2008-06-17 04:10 pm (UTC)Genre change? What genre change?
It's still a science-fiction/fantasy gothic adventure series just like the tv show.
Did they mean the transistion from tv show to comic? I hope not. Because that's a change in mediums not genres.
Genre - refers to sci-fi, fantasy, literary, romance, mystery, thriller.
Medium - refers to novel, comic books, cartoons, animation, tv, or film.
Calling comics a different genre is a bit like calling fanfiction a genre, or videos a genre, or academic essays a genre, or academic journals a genre, or tv a genre.
Or heaven forbid - animation a genre.
no subject
Date: 2008-06-18 01:14 am (UTC)I hope you realize how idiotic that paper title is. It makes it difficult for anyone who has ever read, written, collected, or knows anything about comic books to take the author or presenter of that paper seriously. It would be like someone presenting a paper on the novel as a genre structure. Can you imagine? Would you take them seriously? Although, I'll admit, I'd be tempted to read it out of pure curiousity - just to see how much they got wrong.