By Martijn Form Before we dive into the Vertigo stack of trades, we got a special surprise for you. Yes, a special and exclusive surprise just for your eyes only that we sneaked out of the Vertigo headquarters, Watergate style mind you!    Harvey Pekar has a wonderful way of looking his readers straight in the eye and telling them an ordinary story that blossoms into something quite special. His directness can be naive and a bit melodramatic, but it always profoundly tickles the brain cells. So after that treat for our eyes, we move on to the trades.  I'm in the process of re-reading Hellblazer:Stations of the Cross, Reasons to be Cheerful and The Gift, Mike Carey's trade trilogy about anti-hero John Constantine. I highly recommend these, so treat yourself!When writer Denise Mina took over Hellblazer's writing duties from Carey, my interest tempered quite a bit, but with Andy Diggle on board I'm right on the edge of my seat again. For the setting of Hellblazer: Joyride Diggle chose one of the worse places in London. A gang is terrorizing the neighbourhood, resulting in the death of an innocent young girl. If the senseless violence isn’t bad enough, one gang member seems to be possessed with more than just rage. This part of the story is dark and brutal, but Diggle balances the story well with some intriguing drama about the killed girl's grieving parents. The parents feel angry and are fed up to be living in this neglected part of London. Like a gift from heaven, they are offered better housing by a philanthropist. It seems like a blessing, but Diggle surprises us with a sick twist that makes this story arc complete. Besides Diggle, it’s because of artist Leonardo Manco that I still keep recommending this book to any horror or supernatural fan. Manco was born to be Constantine's disciple. His art is rough, edgy but always full of detail. There isn't a page where you can't smell an innocent victim's blood.  If you are in the mood for more violence Scalped Vol. 2: Casino Boogie is now in stores. Here's what my dear ComicBulletin's colleague Paul Brian McCoy says about the first volume of Scalped: "Jason Aaron is writing some of the best crime fiction the medium has to offer."I wish I could tell you that this is a lovely story, but it isn't. There is nothing lovely or sweet about it. It's rough like a rusty nail! Harder than any crime story you will ever read. Yes, Scalped matches Scarface on every level. I've been reading the series its beginning and it presents the most disturbing setting you will find on the comic shelves. Poverty, alcoholism and hopelessness on the Prairie Rose Indian Reservation are the background for the story that revolves around Native American--and undercover FBI agent--Dash Bad Horse. His task is to bring down the owner of the local casino, Chief Red Crow. "Casino Boogie" focuses on the casino's opening night… which isn't running very smoothly. Nobody's life is guaranteed. No animal or man is safe from colorist Giulia Brusco’s blood red strokes. Jason Aaron mimics Brian de Palma's Snake Eyes by showing us all the different story angles of that night. But the creative team of Scalped do a much better job than De Palma's crew did. The complexity of the non-linear storytelling is inventive. The plot and drama leave you gasping for air. And if Jason Aaron's dramatic plot isn't convincing enough, it's R.M. Guera, the artist of Scalped, who knows how to squeeze every inch of violence out of every panel, from every page. Along with 100 Bullets it's absolutely the best crime story out there. Now for some romance…  I present to you the most romantic comic book you will find at your friendly retailer. I've been…ahhh forget it, I can't keep a straight face here! I wanted to surprise you with my gem of the month. I have this whole romantic saga in my head that I wanted to tell you, but I'm my own worst enemy here.Un-Men Vol. 1: Get Your Freak On may not be your kind of romantic story, but to me, it is. It's got a murder, kissing and all kind of freaks with extra arms, or no arms, or extra bodies, or detachable heads. Writer John Whalen and artist Mike Hawthorne work well together. They have come up with a variety of your not-so-average freaks only Clive Barker could shake out of his sleeve. A freak show character, "The Gill-Boy," is dead, probably murdered. But the local C.S.I. team doesn't get sent in. Instead, enter stage right Kilcrop, an albino federal agent. He isn't your average Joe, but when he starts to infiltrate and investigate the Aberrance society, he is definitely the most normal of the bunch. This isn't the strongest Vertigo title, but it is still highly enjoyable, and the second story arc is very promising. My eyes are hurting from reading this much, but there is so much good quality from Vertigo that I can spend all day and night raving about every book and trade.   Before I leave you though, let me stress that you can not… I will say it again… can not miss out on: DMZ Vol. 4: Friendly Fire, already in stores. Matt Roth investigates the how and why of a tragic massacre that happened in the DMZ. Sandman Mystery Theatre Vol. 6: The Hourman and the Python is a trade that you should consider if you like old crime-noir stories. I haven't read this volume, but volume five was great. Good plotting with off beat art. So that's it for this week. Tune in next week to your favourite Vertigo Spotlight channel here on ComicsBulletin. Keep those emails coming to "info@martijnform.com" or post on our lovely forum, and maybe, just maybe, I will stalk you with more Vertigo stories. Martijn Form, a.k.a. Vertiguru. P.S. Check out the new Previews for Matt Wagner's new ongoing called… Madame Xandadu! |
