Time to Ask Weird Questions

Comix Report 2/29/12

2012-02-29T20:22:00.002-08:00

Ah--hello, there. It's been almooooost a couple months, yes? Unfortunately, I've not kept up with reviews, but the reason for that is simple: not much in comix is doin' it for me.

I mean, Defenders is lovely, just lovely. And Iron Man is working hard. And Amazing Spider-Man. And Ultimate Spider-Man. But they're not setting me afire at this particular moment. So I'm not inclined to tell you yet again why Justice League is disappointing and frustrating to me. Or why Secret Six needs to come back.

That said, I think I will report back next week, as that's CASANOVA DAYYYYYYYYYY oh wait oh shit that's not a 2 that's a 3?

Okay, so maybe I'll see you on 3/28 at least to tell you how exceptional the next Casanova is.

Hopefully.

That said, I am working on my own comics project, Sinners. More on that at some point.

Comix Report 1/4: Double Size Edition!

2012-01-04T20:22:00.000-08:00

Okay okay okay so because I didn't get last week's comix until late (Diamond took a day off for Christmas), I'm doing a little double-dip with the comix I picked up today. So, starting with:

12/29:
Witch Doctor: The Resuscitation
I'm a fan of Witch Doctor, and I'm a little pleased to say I've been there more or less since the beginning (I read the original b&w comic they prototyped a couple years ago online--I think through Warren Ellis's website?). The creators are doing something very smart and very dense, and they work very well together. Vincent Morrow is a fascinating character and his support members add the perfect balance of light and dark to the story. I'm so happy to see these guys grow in their storytelling ability because the only faults I see are the parts where the storytelling is unclear or they slip out of voice or form (momentarily, mind you!).
In any case, this Sherlock Holmes meets House, M.D. meets Lovecraft story is great--if only for the titular Dr. Vincent Morrow, whose willingness to believe anything is offset by his complete unwillingness to take anything at face value. This story, involving his encounter with a magical pathologist (aka a necromancer) is a nice done-in-one and I eagerly await the beginning of the next series!

Kick-Ass 2 #6
I haven't been thrilled with Kick-Ass recently, mostly because it seemed to have adopted a nihilistic attitude regarding its characters. I think its attempts at realism have been pretty depressing more than anything, but this issue brings Hit-Girl back in--and frankly, she's the star of the show anyways, because she's the one that gives Kick-Ass the ability to fight his enemies. Kick-Ass's power is basically not doing until Hit-Girl shows up. As sad and painful as the previous issues were, I am looking forward to the next one, where I'm sure Hit-Girl is going to annihilate Mother Russia.
Mostly, I just want more Nemesis from Mark Millar.

Annihilators Earthfall #4
The only reason I pick up Annihilators is because of Rocket Raccoon. So maybe I should only review the last part of this book?
It's fun stuff, but I just want to say that I need more Rocket Raccoon. Real stuff. I mean, he's a prime character! Look at that guy! He was in Marvel vs. Capcom 3! He's gonna be in the Avengers cartoon!
C'mon!

The Ultimates #5
This book is interesting, though there's something about Hickman books that makes them difficult to get into. FF, Secret Warriors, Ultimate Hawkeye--I don't know why, but I just can't sustain myself on them. It's a little frustrating, because I want to like them--I like his cold science aesthetic, but there's something very dry about the books that I can't latch onto. Though I am probably going to stick around on this book for a while, because I'm digging a real gameplan in the Ultimate U. But I'm just gonna touch on a couple characters.
Once again, we get a little bit of Ultimate Spider-Woman, but barely any characterization. I know it's hard to give everyone the same amount of time, but here we are.
Now the stuff with the Falcon is what I like. I really, really dug the Falcon in Ultimate Extinction. He was an intelligent gentleman with a worldview that made him an excellent contemporary counterpart to Captain America. It's nice to see this great character picked up again, and he really hits the ground running this time. Hickman nailed his voice, too, which is nice. Looking forward to having him on a real book again.

Aaaaaaaand 1/4!

Defenders #2
Aaah, well, you know I already love this book. So I'm just going to take some time and read this again. I'm gonna get more Hop Czar beer and tell you all about it.
Like I said last time (I think) this book has two distinct flavors (Fraction and Dodson) that are not competing, which means they're working together in such a lovely way. Dodson's animal-human hybrids are fascinating (especially the long-necked snake-dude), the Concordance Engine bristles with activity and each character has a distinct set of expressions perfect for them. But I'm more of a writer, so that's what I'm in for.
The narrator is a little more epic this time, spinning grand stories of combat and letting us into the minds of the characters. But it's also a clever way to time out the action and the beats on each page; similarly, it works with the other captions and word balloons set up reversal gags that make the whole story fun to read. And yeah, the bottom-of-the-page captions are still great: "Story interrupted previous page", "Why are there so many bite wounds in her E.R.? The answer will surprise WEREWOLF BY NIGHT NURSE!", and my personal favorite (after a one-page Marvel ad) "THAT WAS A GOOD AD".
And hey, the story is moving briskly as we find out that the Black Hulk is after the frickin' Heart of the Universe. So that's cool, too. Still and always looking forward to this book.

The Goon #37
I got into The Goon earlier this year, and I was not disappointed by it--it has an ability to transition seamlessly from comedy to horror to noir, often in a single issue. This issue sees the return of the EC-style comics with a story of a factory burned down with its workers trapped inside. Of course, being The Goon, it means magic and mobsters are going to be involved and somebody's going to get their comeuppance. Actually chilling with that dose of absurdism the series is famous for.
Sidenote thought--The Goon is actually pretty close to Top Ten in how it sets itself up. They both have a strong deadpan tone where the characters rarely laugh at themselves (except for Franky, of course), so it allows them to move easily between silliness and seriousness.

I was gonna review Fatale #1, but I think I need to read it a few more times. I am digging the tone, though--I liked Criminal by Brubaker and Phillips, I just didn't follow through on subsequent story arcs. So I'm getting in on it this time, I think!

Everyone you love dies,
MG

Comix Report 12/21

2011-12-26T20:36:00.000-08:00

You know, I love comic books. But they don't always impress me. Honestly, they usually disappoint me in some way. But I don't want to dwell on that (though I will touch on it later). What I want to talk about is how much I like the comics I do like.

Tales Designed to Thrizzle #7:
Thrizzle is just about my favorite comic coming out right now, so it's a little disappointing that it's been over a year since the last one. Granted, we did get Mark Twain's Autobiography, but...well, actually, that does pretty much make up for it. It's good to know Michael Kupperman is basically always on, and this issue is no exception.
The book's humor is something I admire because I know it's nothing I could ever write. "Scary Bathtub Stories" sponsored by "Hubert's Shower World?" That's the kind of deadpan, random humor I love. The main thrust of this issue was a comics-within-comics Inception gag running through random Quincy, M.E., Saint Peter, and Reservoir Dogs 2 jokes. It has a commitment to random humor that can't be beat.

Batman Incorporated: Leviathan Strikes:
Honestly, I felt Batman and Robin #13 was an appropriate way to end Grant Morrison's run on Batman, but I do appreciate how optimistic Batman Inc. is. Granted, it doesn't seem like a terribly complex plan by Batman--"let's just make a bunch of Bat-dudes across the world!"--but the real complexity lies in the machinations of Leviathan. It's a nice adventure, but I really, really dug the psychological bent of the Black Glove stories before. Maybe I just need to read it a few more times to understand what the underlying thematic story is.
(Okay, all I really want is just more Professor Pyg. There, I said it. I like that there's a "Son of Pyg," but he's no substitute.)

Justice League #4:
Another issue, another fight scene with a new member. Agh, I just get angry thinking about how much I used to love Geoff Johns. There's a quality to the comic that just isn't surprising, you know? The whole thing feels also-ran, like I heard every line somewhere else: Green Lantern sounds like Ryan Reynolds, Batman sounds like Frank Miller, Wonder Woman sounds like Jungle Princess (from Thrizzle #6), Aquaman sounds like Namor (but not from Defenders!), and Superman...has two lines? Well, I guess everyone takes their turn. I mean, it's neat that Darkseid is now their first foe, since he's a little more epic than Starro, but the whole thing is plodding along--like Meltzer's JLA run, it's concentrating on one or two characters instead of a freakin' League of Justice.

The Invincible Iron Man #511:
So I do like Zeke Stane and the super-scary Mandarin. But what I've really liked about Iron Man recently is his "Dark Elf" companion, Splitlip. Of course when Tony went to Asgard drunk to make super-weapons, he would be in the company of the ultimate enablers, (drunken) Dwarves. I just didn't expect him to take one back. And it's a fresh mirror for us to look at Tony--the smithy who's gnarled and sad and drinks as a crutch isn't too far from what Tony looks like at his worst. But it's important to have someone around when you're low--someone who will give you opportunities to make yourself better.

Defenders #1:
Okay, so this comic came out a few weeks ago, but I love it so much. First: narrative voice! Few comics choose to have their own narrator, since the camera is the conceit and if we need to know something, we can just make the characters say it. But a separate narrative voice seems essential in this endeavor, since it's such a joint effort by Dodson and Fraction--it's these two story-tellers speaking to the reader in their unique ways. Every page hums with that intimacy. Every grimy detail of the art, each word uttered by the characters moves the story along briskly while never overloading with exposition. Hell, even the margins are of dire importance. I'm pretty sure I'll be sneaking "Everyone you love dies" onto the bottom of pages for years to come. It's a lovely book that actually seems designed to be a serial comic begging to be read individually every time it comes out (kinda reminding me of Nextwave in that respect). Just wonderful, and not just for cock-blocking Namor.

Ultimate Comics All-New Spider-Man #5
And now he's got his costume! You know, I started reading comics on a weekly basis because of Ultimate Spider-Man. And as interesting as the conflicts were, it was always about the little, intimate moments. I can appreciate that the moments are a little outside my own sphere of knowledge, and I figure I'll probably appreciate this comic more when I have a kid in school. But I do like Miles Morales, even though I'm not so sure what's special about him yet. I'd really like to learn, though.
Also, I like Ultimate Jessica Drew, but I wish her odd origin and mindset would be explored a little more.

Okay, that's all I got in me right now.

Death of Spider-Man

2011-09-02T08:08:00.000-07:00

So, here's that project I worked on with Andrew Bates and Drew Lawson--it's a motion comic! This is the trailer; the full video will be posted soon.

We're all big fans of Ultimate Spider-Man, of course. I would honestly say Brian Bendis's voice is the voice I hear in my head when I think about comic books.

What did I do on this thing? Various little things, but mainly I was the story editor. So every time you say to yourself, "Hey, they skipped something, but this still makes sense," that was me.

Incidentally, every time you say, "Hey, they skipped something, and this doesn't make sense," that's all you. I can't always hold your hand, bud.

Who I Am and What I Do Fall 2011

2011-09-01T10:04:00.000-07:00

My name is Michael Griffin. I am a writer of comics, animation and occasionally short stories. Also, like every other writer in the world, I am writing a book. I am, alongside Drew Lawson, a co-creator at Zero Point Productions, where we almost exclusively work on our Southern web series, Valbrook. I update a blog for the character Thom at Cup of Conspiracy.

Currently, we are finishing up work on a project with Andrew Bates. More on that later.

Where you can find me otherwise:

I post video-game-related blogs at Destructoid.

I rarely tweet.

It's been over two years since I posted anything on Myspace.

Hit me up at captainradd@gmail.com if you need something from me.

Ha! That'd be a change of pace.

(Format stolen from Warren Ellis)

Mission Control 5/11

2011-05-11T20:35:00.000-07:00

Guess I'll use this time before I get into writing to clear my head of a couple thoughts.

Just watched "Easy A" with Mer. Witty and snarky, but as such it used too much misdirection and didn't communicate well what it was about. It wasn't about teen sex, homosexuality or Christian hypocrisy. It was really about making people deal with their own crap. Honestly, it was a little disconcerting how self-absorbed everyone was.

Of course, it was all viewed through the lens of the Emma Stone character (literally, because of the webcast framing of the narrative). The characters in the movie were obsessed with how they compared or fit in with her. This was the weird part to me; it seemed like everyone in the school was obsessed with her and watching her every move. I suppose they exaggerated it to actually make it something (especially the pep rally at the end), but still. I just felt embarrassed for the student/faculty population.

It got me thinking about the decentralized character scheme Drew and I are working on now, though. The real truth of life is that anyone can become the main character, because everyone is fully developed into the person they've become. We don't want an examination of a single character type, we want dozens, perhaps a hundred characters overlapping in an odd spectrum of idiosyncrasies and experiences. That said, we do use convention by really focusing on maybe ten characters. And there are two characters close to us disclosing our bias. Andy and Thom have elements of each of us, however, so it balances.

It's like the new Pokemon. Hundreds of characters, each one with myriad differences and specialties, but then it's really about Reshiram and Zekrom. One version of the game light, the other dark, but each one having a core made up of the other inside. And then they all fight. And watch porn.

Durrr...maybe that's not quite right.

Fcbd

2011-05-07T08:53:00.001-07:00

New Episode! Also Come to FCBD at Criminal Records!

2011-05-07T07:30:00.001-07:00

FCBD 2K11!

2011-04-22T08:28:00.001-07:00

Mwa ha ha here's my deadly stash of Valbrook comix Drew and I made for Free Comic Book Day at Criminal Records! Excitement!

Explicative Expletives

2010-11-20T14:27:00.000-08:00

Update: Various subjects.

Progressing on second episode; script almost or is there. Voices remain tough part. Guess we may just be bad actors. At least I'll always have Bubbles.

(Oh, baby.)

Big Game Hunter is still a little stunted, though watching old X-Files makes me remember what I didn't like about it and how I'd like to make my own thing.

Playing Devil Summoner 2 again, and I hope to get through it this time. It lacks the darkness of the Persona games, replacing it with a more openly surreal world. That said, the characters are interesting and the gameplay's not too tough. So it'll get done.

The Essence of Excitement

2010-11-12T19:06:00.000-08:00

valbrook.net

Nouveaux Projets

2010-02-11T17:19:00.000-08:00

Things to work on, with brief details:

1. Valbrook: Episode flow, Andy's episode (coffin ride through town).

2. Big Game Hunter Volume 20: The Goblins from Hopkinsville. Chapter 5: Roy Canton, Jr. has discovered the hands of the Dover Demon in the events plaguing Culvert, Wyoming. He must now rendezvous with Gef the Talking Mongoose in order to find a way to the Sargasso Sea.

3. Sinners: More general concept stuff. Need backgrounds for each character. Research 1600s America.

4. Pokemon: Get Jirachi when it comes to Gamestop in a couple weeks.

Light Times

2010-02-03T17:11:00.001-08:00

Michael Griffin
michaelsgriffin@gmail.com

2010-02-03T17:09:00.001-08:00

It's sad when we take solace that everyone we have ever loved has died in our arms in another dimension.