September
26 True, Weird Science

Bone Sharps, Cowboys and Thunder Lizards

Creators: Jim Ottaviani, writer; Big Time Attic, artists

GT Labs, 168 pages, sepia and white, $22.95

So? If there wasn’t a niche in the graphic novel world for a writer who can make real-life science into page-turning entertainment before Jim Ottaviani, then we can all be thankful he’s created it for himself. “Suspended in Language,” his previous book the life and discoveries of physicist Niels Bohr turned what could have been a dry topic into a fascinating read. And Ottaviani does it again with “Bone Sharps,” which tells the true story of the Bone War fought in the Old West as scientists Edward Cope and O.C. Marsh find and struggle for control of the continent’s rich vein of dinosaur fossils. Their rivalry and competition for scientific influence and fame makes for great drama, especially when it’s populated by such icons as P.T. Barnum, Buffalo Bill Cody, Alexander Graham Bell and President U.S. Grant. This also is a very sharp looking book, with a fantastic cover by “Xenozoic Tales” creator Mark Schultz and art by Big Time Attic, which includes Zander Cannon, Shad Petowsky and Kevin Cannon, that’s clear, compelling and beautiful. Grade: A

Clive Barker’s The Thief of Always

Creators: Clive Barker, story; Kris Oprisko, adaptation; Gabriel Hernandez, artist

IDW Publishing, 144 pages, color, $19.99

So? Barker’s best known for his horror work, but his children’s fantasy novel has proven quite popular in this age of Harry Potter. IDW’s adaptation is a handsome book, heavy with slick full color pages and beautiful spot embossing on the cover. The story inside is terrific fun for adult and youth alike. Hernandez beautifully draws in the tale in what looks like pencils and watercolors. It pops off the page. Oprisko’s adaptation is similarly effective and the story moves quickly and reads like a complete whole, with none of the cramming in of the ending that plagues a lot of adaptations (and plenty of original works, too). How successful this is at capturing every nuance of the book is up to others to decide. But based on this, comics fans who pick this up and are unfamiliar with the novel will be tempted to check out an aisle of the bookstore that stocks something other than graphic novels. Grade: A-

Full Moon Fever

Creators: Joe Casey, writer; Caleb Gerard and Damian Couceiro, artists

AiT-PlanetLar, 88 pages, black and white, $12.95

So? The idea here is the same as the movie “Alien” — but with werewolves instead of space critters. A lot of people will be sold right there, though they may find this little pop comic confection a bit light for their appetites when they get around to reading it. This is a fun book that fits in with what fans of Larry Young’s publishing outfit like and expect from his brand. Casey obviously has fun with a story that’s more straightforward than the density of the soon to be missed “The Intimates” or “Godland.” The art team tells the story well with polished art that evokes AiT-PlanetLar’s original release, “Astronauts in Trouble.” And for fans of the creative process, there’s a big chunk of Casey’s script reproduced in the back. Grade: B+

NYC Mech: Beta Love #1-2

Creators: Miles Gunter, Ivan Brandon, writers; Andy MacDonald, artist

Image Comics, 32 pages, color, $2.95 each

So? Imagine every living thing in New York City, from the birds and the rats to the people, are robots. How that ties into the story aside from making for some really cool art from MacDonald is not clear, but it really doesn’t matter. The story is very cool urban drama, about a bus driver named Quentin who meets a wild and crazy girl who completely messes up his life and he starts to fall in love with her. The robots act, talk and fill all the same strata of society that people do and could easily have been done without the robot angle, but that would have been a lot less fun somehow. This is the sort of thing that should appeal to fans of “Demo” or “Teenagers from Mars.” And the book looks absolutely spectacular, with some of the best coloring (from Nick Filardi) and reproduction on the stands. Grade: B+

Flytrap, Episode One: Juggling Act

Creators: Sara Ryan, writer; Steve Leiber, artist

Cold Water Press, 16 pages, black and white, $2

So? File this under “how did I miss this the first time?” Steve Leiber is artist of the fantastic Whiteout series of a few years back and has done some stuff here and there since including some Batman stories. This self-published chapbook tells the tale of Maddy, who works in a talent agency of some sort and has a terrible day trying to juggle work, her flaky boyfriend and traffic tickets. Of course, the day ends with her losing her job, getting dumped and her car impounded, but that’s the impetus she needs to strike out on her own to manage a strange circus act. The notes indicate this is a pilot episode for a series about Maddy on the road with the act. And the book does such a good job of conveying her character in a mere 16 pages, that it would be a shame if we didn’t get to see more of her, whether it’s self-published by Ryan and Leiber or some smart publisher decides to pick it up. As a note, the book is not available in stores so you have to go to Leiber's web site or find them at a convention to pick this up. It’s worth it. Grade: A

Thread #1

Creators: Emily Benz, writer; Summer McClinton, artist

40 pages, black and white, $4

So? This book received a grant from the Xeric Foundation, and it’s easy to see why. Benz writes a story about a young woman named Frankie trying to get by in the urban jungle on a crap job with no support from her long-gone family. The writing is heartfelt and real  with excellent dialog and well-rounded characters. And then there’s McClinton’s stunning artwork, which looks nothing like a comicbook but is somehow perfectly suited to it at the same time. Stylized, urban and beautiful, the art and the story unfold in a perfectly natural way that makes the next issue (and likely collection) something to really look forward to. There are a few problems with the packaging of this issue, such as there’s no price anywhere on the book and no information to be found on who published it. But the book is so bold and beautiful it’s sure to generate plenty of interest anyway. Grade: A