Holy shit . What a crazy couple of weeks it has been . First off , I finished reading King City and was blown away. So much heart in this book. So much invention . It’s simply put, an amazing comic.
One of the few remaining Gods to walk the earth passed away this weekend. Jean Girard or Moebius as he was known to many of his followers. I can’t honestly do justice to the man’s legacy with my words so rather lets take a look at the magic that is , was , and eternally shall be MOEBIUS.
Read the rest of this entry »
[interviewed by Curt Pires}
Joe, 2012 is looking to be a big year for you. You’ve got two projects (GLORY, HELL YEAH) coming out in the next couple of months here. For viewers who maybe aren’t up to date, Tell us a bit about these projects. Why should we be excited?
You’ve mentioned before, that Hell Yeah is sort of this idea in your head that has been percolating for about 20 years now, tell us a bit about that. What is the Untold history of HELL YEAH?
I don’t remember how I started reading comics. There’s pictures of me two years old with comics around. They were just always there. However, once Image came along I got inspired to make them not just something I did as a reader, but as a creator. I drew in sketchbooks constantly, making my own comics with my own superheroes who were largely versions of Image heroes. The main character started off as an awful parody of the Maxx, called Faxx, and over time it turned into this superhero doing every day stuff. I got really fascinated by the idea of superheroes doing more than just saving cats out of trees, as the Image characters didn’t adhere to any of the same rules the Marvel and DC guys did. Eventually over time it gave me the idea to do this series, then called Zero Crisis, which eventually turned into a one-act play I wrote, director & co-starred while in college. Then eventually I started actually working in comics, which lead to working at Image, which lead to Erik Larsen & Eric Stephenson really pushing me to write, which lead to me trying to do Hell Yeah with another artist, which was a pretty horrible failure, which lead to me thinking it was dead, which lead to me working on PopGun, which lead to me meeting Andre, which lead to me seeing he was pretty much the perfect person on Earth to collaborate with in terms of style and what comics he dug. All this brought us here and now. Read the rest of this entry »
GLORY 23
Joe Keatinge , Ross Campbell
‘ONCE AND FUTURE,’ Part One
EXTREME’S ORIGINAL WARRIOR GODDESS RETURNS! After missing for almost a decade, Glory’s whereabouts are uncovered by a lone reporter, but the globe-spanning conspiracy keeping her hidden from humanity could make her return more dangerous than anyone ever anticipated! This first issue of an brand-new saga written by Eisner & Harvey-award winner JOE KEATINGE and illustrated by Wet Moon and Shadoweyes creator ROSS CAMPBELL sets up Glory’s future by expanding on her past in a way promising to shock long-time fans and excite all-new readers!
[Reviewed by Curt Pires] Glory tells the story of Gloriana Demeter. A child of two worlds, she finds herself torn between her mother’s people and her father’s, who are at war. If you’ve seen the few preview pages of the issue floating around you’ve no doubt been clued into this element of the story.
What you are probably not aware of is the awesome direction that Joe Keatinge and Ross Campbell take this story after these initial pages. I don’t want to spoil this for any potential readers, but suffice to say : you are in for a treat. The story takes a tone ,particularly in the second half of the issue that owes more to Stieg Larsons’ “ The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo” than to any particular brand of the capes and tights variety. Keatinge and Campbell manage to set up a mystery here that not only pulls the reader in, but sets the stage for the foreseeable future.
In a manner not only do the creators serve to not only build up Glory as a character, and the extreme universe as a viable one, but they shatter the very notion of it only pages later. This is a book that takes your expectations and your prejudices about what a Rob Liefield created character is, what an Extreme book is, and forces you to toss them out the window in the best possible way.
On the writing side of things Joe Keatinge turns in a strong script , with solid pacing, believable dialogue , and control over pacing that serves to draw the reader in and effectively convey the story. This is a book that is definitely substantial in content, but never overwhelming. Simply put, you get your moneys worth of content. As well as being a great jumping on point for new readers the story remains respectful and tuned into fans of the earlier run of this character, referencing the characters past stories , and also featuring a cameo by Extreme staple SUPREME.
Artistically, Ross Campbell delivers a refreshing take on the character of Glory and her world . Ross actually has a really interesting European sensibility to his work that lovers of art will appreciate. Characters have distinct facial features, mass, and shape , which in an age of bodacious carbon copy women and steroid abusing hero’s is much appreciated.
If the goal of The Extreme relaunch is (as Imagine it is) to bring in new readers , tell interesting stories that can stand on their own , and push creative boundaries, you can chalk this one in the win column. Glory 23 is a fun ,meaty, read. But more importantly a coming out party for the creative talents that are Keatinge and Campbell.
Writing 4.5 , Art 4
Glory 23 hits the shelves Febuary 15th 2012 for the price of 2.99. You can reserve a copy now by using this code : DEC110469 , at your local comic shop.
Curt Pires is a writer based out of Calgary Alberta Canada. When he isn’t contributing to da squid he can be found writing comics, binge drinking coffee, maintaining his stache, or watching COMMUNITY. Connect with him on twitter : @CurtPires
Interviewed by Curt Pires. Read the advanced review of THE ACTIVITY #1 here.
Thanks for taking the time to talk to me today Nathan. First off lets talk about your brand new book that hits the shelves December 21st . THE ACTIVITY. What was the inception of the project ? How did this concept enter your idea space? Having read the first issue, this strikes me as sort of a niche of comic, and style of story telling that isn’t really touched on much: Espionage comics.
First off, for the most part, THE ACTIVITY is not an espionage book. There will be issues that are espionage-like, but on the whole it is an action thriller in the vein of MODERN WARFARE, with some MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE in there. The idea came from reading about the real group INTELLIGENCE SUPPORT ACTIVITY, and realizing that there was nothing like this book–a grounded, realistic action/team/military thriller out there in comics (and has never really been).
Read the rest of this entry »
The Activity #1 (MR)
story NATHAN EDMONDSON, art / cover MITCH GERADS
Price:
$3.50
Diamond ID:
OCT110438
On Sale:
December 21, 2011
[Review by Curt Pires] The evolution of global warfare necessitates the evolution of special forces to rise and meet the call. The U.S Army has therefore looked to its last secret special operations tribe, the INTELLIGENCE SUPPORT ACTIVITY, or Gray Fox. Within Gray Fox is a team of elite men and women whose mission is flexible, whose technology is bleeding edge, and whose execution is precise and lethal. They are Team Omaha, and they serve THE ACTIVITY. Read the rest of this entry »
