Comics As Holiday Gifts

Something a little different today, kiddie cops. I’ve read a couple books since the last post, but instead of more reviews, today I’m gonna tell you a little about giving comics as presents, specifically at Christmas, but birthdays or just whenever work as well.

The idea isn’t a new one. I’ve been reading the suggestion and discussions about the pros and cons online for a couple years now. Handing out single issues of kid-friendly titles as Halloween treats is another variation. Especially when kids are involved, the giver might just be helping to create another generation of comics readers.

I don’t know any young children I can give comics to at the moment, but I do know some friends and family members who have expressed mild interest in comics before or who I feel might be willing to try them if the subject matter was of interest. Most of these intended recipients aren’t going to care much for superhero stories unless there was something else to it, but that’s not all I read either.

I’ve selected four titles I think these people might have an interest in (I can’t tell you who is getting what, they might be reading) and decided to go with the first trade paperback collection from each series. And I decided to post about them in case someone out there might also be inspired to try one of these books, if he/she hasn’t already.

Transmetropolitan
The first title is one we haven’t talked about here before because I don’t actually own a single copy of the book. Transmetropolitan was a series created and written by Warren Ellis. Most often, the artist was Darick Robertson. The series lasted for 60 issues between 1997 and 2002 and has been collected into, I believe, 11 trades. I’d always been curious about it, and finally had a chance to borrow the entire series from a co-worker. I was both surprised and revolted by what I found, enough so that I plan to buy myself copies of the trades, and figured a few of my more twisted friends might enjoy sampling the series.

The Comics Buyers Guide Standard Catalog of Comic Books describes the series thus: “Taking its title from a rowdy song by Irish rockers, the Pogues, and basing its main character on legendary “gonzo journalist” Dr. Hunter S. Thompson (author of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and the model for another famous comic strip character, Doonesbury’s Uncle Duke), Transmetropolitan positions itself squarely at the acid-etched edge of 1990s hip culture. Transmetropolitan follows the adventures of psychotic writer Spider Jerusalem in a nightmarish near-future, cyber-nightmare world of drugs, aliens, androids, mutants, technology gone mad, and lots more drugs.” I’d add that my favorite character, next to Spider himself, is the two-headed, chain-smoking cat he adopts in the series.

Fallen Angel
This next book has had an interesting life. Fallen Angel, written by Peter David and originally illustrated by David Lopez and Ferdinand Blanco, was never part of the mainstream DC Universe, but it was not published by DC’s more mature Vertigo imprint, either. That made it hard for the series to find an audience, and DC finally called it quits after 20 issues between 2003 and 2005. But just this last year, IDW Publishing picked up the series. To date, they have published 10 issues from David and new artist David Woodward.

Here’s how DC described the series: “Welcome to Bete Noire ... where dreams come to die. Quiet, almost mundane by day, Bete Noire’s shadows seem imbued with life by night. Criminals conduct their business unafraid, and the uncommon is commonplace. And moving through it all like broken glass — smooth, yet cunning — is the woman called the Fallen Angel, who helps people in need when they find themselves at a crossroads in their lives. But the Fallen Angel’s help isn’t always what it seems. If she deems you worthy, she can be your savior. If not, you’ll walk away from her worse off than you were before ... if at all.” The series explores just who and what the Fallen Angel is, and while she isn’t the typical “hero,” her exploits in Bete Noire are quite entertaining.

Fables
This DC Vertigo series, of course, came from the mind of Bill Willingham, and involves many of those famous fairy tale characters secretly living in New York among the rest of us Mundanes. Familiar faces are given added dimensions in these modern tales of the Fable folk, and readers learn that their lives really aren’t always “happily ever after,” especially when you consider most of these Fables have been around for centuries. And there’s also the little matter of why they are living here, having been driven from their Homelands by the mysterious Adversary.

The first arc of this ongoing comic book introduces us to the hierarchy of Fabletown with the capable administrator Snow White, constable Bigby Wolf, lothario Prince Charming, perennial con-man Jack Horner and a host of others as they are confronted by the disappearance, and probably murder, of Snow’s sister, Rose Red.

Boneyard
And lastly we have the first collected volume of Richard Moore’s great monster tale, Boneyard, from NBM. This quarterly comic started in 2001 and explains how everyman Michael Paris comes to inherit a cemetery which just happens to be filled with talking gargoyles, a biker werewolf, a card-playing skeleton, a bumbling witch, a wise-cracking raven, a vampish sea creature and a thoroughly enchanting vampiress. The denizens of the cemetery — or boneyard — try to convince Paris to save their home, while the townsfolk hope to buy the property and bulldoze it under.

So, there’s some of the comics-themed presents I’ll be giving this year. Maybe there’s something for you in there, too.

He’s Back! He’s Back!!!!

Probably a short entry today as time of late — both for reading and posting — has been a little in short supply, but I want to lead off today’s post with the return of Marv Wolfman to the life of Richard “Dick” Grayson, aka Nightwing, formerly the original Robin, the Boy Wonder.

Nightwing 125 (DC Comics) — Wow!

I don’t like some of the things Devin Grayson did with the character near the end of her run, but I can chalk them up to Dick feeling guilt over his role in Blockbuster’s death and, despite what he told other heroes he ran across at the time, that he had not really gone rogue prior to the destruction of Bludhaven but was instead weaving an elaborate trap for Deathstroke and trying to salvage Ravager. C’mon, is all of that any more of a stretch than the “rogue” behavior he is showing over in the Outsiders right now?

But then the Crisis (Infinite Crisis) occurred, and all other plans were abandoned in an effort to save everything from destruction. Then, as depicted, he went off with Bruce and Tim to train and re-dedicate himself.

I’m not overly fond of the confusing storyline Bruce Jones brought Nightwing back with One Year Later, either. I can buy the re-animated and slightly off-kilter Jason Todd/Red Hood confronting Nightwing, but the rest of the story line was just bizarre, including, when did Dick start jumping into bed with every girl he meets?

But all of that is over. Now, the writer who re-imagined the Teen Titans and got me interested in comics again, has taken the reins of one of those characters. This isn’t a return to the character the way he was 20 years ago, nor should it be. Dick has grown and experience much since last he led the Titans. I see those characters as always having emotional ties, bonds, to each other, but these characters are no longer teens or members of the current Titans roster. Life moves on.

But Marv doesn’t settle for “erasing” everything either. Like any true writer should, he takes the work of previous creators and incorporates it with his own as part of the character’s history while still finding his own direction. This Nightwing is still in New York, but still getting to know the city as his encounters with Jason, Cheyenne and the rest in the previous arc didn’t leave him much time to get acclimated. He meets some new people, including one young woman who seems particularly interested in him, yet does not hop into bed with her right away. He’s acting like the well-trained, confident, capable pro he is after all of his years of crime-fighting, and he is showing the detective skills he has displayed in the past as the protoge of the Batman.

This new direction with the new creative team (Dan Jurgens’ art is great, too; too bad he isn’t sticking around) is full of new people and new situations, but a recognizable main character and an overall positive attitude that has been lacking for some time. Kudos.

Fallen Angel 9 (IDW Publishing) — Lee is back in town just in time for the big reveal at the end as this story is suddenly and surprisingly tied into her first adventure as a fallen angel on earth. Along the way, the mystery that is Bete Noir is heightened. This is a fun book to read. So much so, that I think I will be giving some Fallen Angel trades as gifts to people I think might enjoy this series.

Detective Comics 824 (DC Comics) — Another great Paul Dini story, this time featuring Penguin, more from the Riddler, cameos by Lois Lane and Zatanna. I am loving his run on this book, including the touches he brings to the series from the Animated universe.

Justice league Unlimited 26 (DC Comics) — Speaking of the Animated universe, this comic is like having new episodes of the series, this time with Aquaman, Dr. Fate, Superman and Booster Gold confronting Felix Faust and Black Manta.

52 Week 28 (DC Comics) — Black Adam takes another page from the Marvel family by granting a portion of his power to Isis’ brother, Amon, creating Osiris, and we see where all the evil geniuses have ended up as Will Magnus is kidnapped to their island. Each individual issue of this series is giving what seem to be smaller and smaller pieces along the way, but this is truly a great ride.

Green Arrow 67 (DC Comics) — Continuing the look at Ollie’s missing year, we see him training with an assassin to further hone his fighting abilities. We also see the beginnings of his mayoral campaign as news reaches him of events back in Star City. Unfortunately, we also learn that the money he raised to finance his adventuring and campaign were not gained through strictly legitmate means. Not new ground for the character for anyone who has read the Longbow Hunters, but somewhat more disturbing than that event.

Powers 20 (Marvel Icon) — My only complaint about this book is how much time passes between new issues. This book was easier to read in trade form — the way I first discovered it — so you can get a complete arc at once. Otherwise, it is hard to remember what happened last time by the time a new issue arrives.

That’s it for today, kiddie cops. Happy collecting.