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Wayne Markley
by Wayne Markley
With this blog I am going to look at two different extremes of comics books. One is the world (alas fairly limited) of all ages comics that are ideal for any age and all ages. The second category are two books for adults only. now these two adult only books are really for mature readers as they are not porn or adult in the sense that Eros Comics are, but they do include adult situations, nudity and sex. What all four books have in common is they are all very good reads, if not great. I would recommend any of these books, depending on the reader.
Don Rosa Library: Uncle Scrooge and Donald Duck Vol. 3
The third volume of the Don Rosa Library: Uncle Scrooge and Donald Duck just came out from Fantagraphics Books. once again this is full color treasure trove of classic Don Rosa duck material. It is easy to forget how terrific Rosa (and William Van Horn and others) are because Carl Barks gets so much acclaim, and rightfully so, but I think Rosa was as good as Barks in numerous ways and at times possibly a little better. This volume reprints stories Rosa did for Egmont in the early 1990s and it features two book length epics, Treasure Under Glass and return to Xanadu. Both of these stories are sequels to Barks classics but they are so creative and well told they are as good as the original stories. The amount of work Rosa puts into coming up with a reason that makes sense for a sequel is incredible (not using the Hollywood method, much more money), but he also creates a logical reason for Scrooge and the gang to go on these adventures to places they have went to in the past. In the process of telling these stories Rosa adds little homages to Barks that reference the masters past work. even for fans such as myself who think they know the Barks canon back and forth, Rosa is able to sneak in things that we do not catch. Thankfully there is a ton of additional material by Rosa discussing each story in the collection, with whom it was done for – Egmont, Gladstone, etc. He also talks about the changes made by the editors for other collections and they also reprint a number of Rosa’s breakdowns so you can see what his original ideas were before the editorial changes, which are fairly small, truth be told. He also goes into depth about the various little tributes to Barks planted in the stories. again with this volume he includes a bio section where he talks about what was going on in his life at the time of the stories being reprinted. There is a terrific story about his page rate and Egmont.
In addition to the epic length stories and the background material there are a number of ten page gag stories that are guaranteed to bring a smile to your face if not make you break out laughing. It includes one of the best stories I have read in years called event at McDuck Tower where Donald is a window cleaner at the tallest building in Duckburg. There is a sequence that rivals the best of Harold Lloyd and is just a fantastic piece of storytelling. I would recommend this collection just for this one story. overall this is another should for any library with art and stories that mix the best of adventure with humor and a developer who certainly loves the material he is working with. highly recommended for all ages.
Captain Ken Vol. 2
Osamu Tezuka’s Captain Ken wrapped up with volume 2 just released by digital Manga through their Kickstarter Campaign. This second volume concludes all of the storylines from the first volume including the relationship between Captain Ken and miss Kenn. as with the first volume this collection is packed with action and humor. The story expands from the small town of volume one and extends into the Martian cities and the world around the city. new characters are introduced and a number of characters meet their supreme fate. The story is told like a classic old film serial with a number of action sequences setting up a cliffhanger and then there is a hero to the rescue that solves the issue. thankfully the hero does vary and is not always Captain Ken so that does result in some surprises. as with practically all of Tezuka’s work the story neatly ties up at the end with all of the various themes and characters wrapping up in a good box, even though when you start this volume you will never guess the end or how it is accomplished. I ought to also point out the relationship between the two Ken’s comes from left field in that it is not what I would have expected but it makes ideal sense in the context of the story. overall a terrific read for all ages, from young readers to adults.
Beauty #1
Beauty is a new book from image written by Jeremy Hahn and Jason Hurley and drawn by Jeremy Hahn. image has been doing a ton of new number ones with much more successes than duds but this book really caught my attention and stood out; not only because of the original story and terrific art but also because the entire premise is so original. This is part science fiction and part mystery and altogether very, very good. The premise if there is a virus called charm that transforms a person so they are ideal in every way; physical appearance, smell, etc. Over half the population has the virus and this “beauty” movement has created resentment and a backlash. For a first issue this was terrific and drew me in best away and I was greatly disappointed when I got to the last page as I wanted more; a surefire sign this is a good read. I would bet money this will be picked up for a film/TV project before long so find your copy of this first issue while you still can. due to subject matter and content it is recommended for mature readers.
Sex Vol. 1
Sex volume One collects the first seven issues of this tale of politics mixed with a terrific deal of sex by Joe Casey and Piotr Kowalski. first off let me be up front and say this book is for mature readers only due to nudity and language. While the title of the series is far much more tantalizing than the actual story, it is still very good. The basic story is about Simon Cooke, a former hero who has returned to Saturn City after he retired from the hero biz. Simon is the head of a substantial collaboration and is very rich (like many heroes) but he is not pleased with his new life, nor does he want his old life. There is something wrong with his city and he sets out to find out what that thing is. This search leads him to the seamier side of town and to the events and actions that inspire the title of the book. I shied away from this book initially because it seemed to me to be just another adult title, but having read it, it is an interesting mystery story about corrupt people and the hedonism of the superrich. It is not a book for everybody, but I was pleasantly amazed reading it how much I delighted in it. There is a fair amount of nudity and sex but it does take a back seat to the story and is used much more of as a story device than the focus of the plot. I am going to read the next two collections now based on how I delighted in this series. Again, it is only for adult readers.
This wraps it up for this blog. These are just a few of the books I have really delighted in over the past few weeks. As always I would love to know what you think. have you read any of these? Do you like Don Rosa as much as me? Am I full of it when I think he is as good as Barks at times? how about Tezuka? Did you like Captain Ken? What about the twist ending? Is his other work much more to your taste? What was your favorite Tezuka’s work? Beauty? Did you read it? Did you like it as much as me? everything thing I have written is my opinion and in no way reflects the thoughts or opinions of Westfield Comics or their employees (as I know my editor would disagree about Rosa). I welcome your thoughts, opinions, ideas at MFBWAY@AOL.COM. As always,
Thank you.