By Martijn Form Editor's Note: Earlier this month our inaugural Vertigo Spotlight columnist Robert Murray requested a sabbatical from ComicsBulletin, including the writing of this column. We wish Robert the very best, and we are very grateful for his devotion and diligence to the Vertigo Spotlight. We miss you already, buddy. The porch light will always be left on for you! The phone is off the hook. I disconnected the doorbell and sent my wife shopping. I got myself a nice funky soundtrack on the headphones and a fresh stack of recent Vertigo comics in front of me. Hmmm, let’s see which book I'm going to gobble up first:  The Exterminators #27: I still can't comprehend that there aren't more comic fans reading this series. In my book Simon Oliver is a damn good writer, putting to shame many of his contemporaries. His plots are always fast and furious with a doses of humor a la Monty Python. This stand alone issue is wicked. Artist John Lucas makes Danielo, a wannabe Che Cuevara, a quirky character with pimples and a baby soft moustache who is seriously struggling with his Latino identity. Oliver makes the conflict between Danielo and his mother profound and the fact that he is being used for terrorist activities really makes me feel for this family.Brian Wood and his crew are making history with this wonderful addition to the Vertigo line. Northlanders (you can read a full review of issue #4 here) can compete with Frank Millers' 300, and maybe even top it with enough issues. In a couple of weeks you can read my interview with Northlanders colorist Dave McCaig at this column. David Lapham is doing a new ongoing again! I repeat: David Lapham is doing a new ongoing again! As my review of Young Liars #1 shows, I didn't think the first issue showed any strong direction regarding plot. But I still can’t wait for issue #2. Lapham's writing and art style are made for Vertigo, although with The Vinyl Underground, we have two series that look and feel very similar. So I'm a bit worried that these two are going to fish out of the same story pond. Both series deal with offbeat characters and a music scene background where sex, drugs and rock and roll are more common then drinking a glass of milk!  After several months of stories about side characters living in the DMZ, Matt is once again the centre of attention in DMZ #29. This series continues to present amazing one issue stories that explore the dark depths of what it must be like to live in a war zone. Where as in Northlanders Brian Wood still has to find the perfect mix, DMZ is the perfect mix of action, adventure and drama that can make your eyes moist.I'm not looking forward to see 100 Bullets end with issue #100. This series is the best crime conspiracy comic ever created. With every issue, Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso crush the competition completely. Ooh, before I forget, you should order House of Mystery from this month's Previews. It's a new ongoing by Matthew Sturges and Bill Willingham, the writers who bring you the lovely Jack of Fables.  "This is a book where you can have a pirate, a psychic detective, a spaceman, a French romantic poet and an NYU film student sitting at a table having a beer together. It's a writer's dream come true."--Matthew SturgesHouse of Mystery is going to be the bomb, I swear. Well, with this column I hope I broke the ice between you and me. I'm declaring the Vertigo bar officially open. The drinks are on you and the free peanuts on me. Thanks for reading! See you in seven Vertigobblers! Martijn Form (www.martijnform.com) P.S. Reading this column is voluntary, but writing me about it is mandatory. |
