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Dreadstar, Definitive Collection, part 1 2004 (SC TPB) 192 pages
Written and Illustrated by Jim Starlin Inks by Starlin, with Joe Rubinsten.
Colours: Glynis Oliver. Letters: Jim Novak. Editor: Archie Goodwin, Jo Duffy.
Reprinting: Dreadstar #1-6 (1982)
Rating: * * * 1/2 (out of 5)
Number of readings: 1
Additional notes: intro by Walt Simonson; sketches; covers
Published by Dynamic Forces
These comics have been reprinted a few times: originally published as a deluxe format comic by Marvel's imprint, Epic, then reprinted in 1985 as a six issue, regular format mini-series still by Marvel called Dreadstar and Company, then in 2001 Slave Labour Graphics released a series of black & white TPBs reprinting the saga -- beginning with the precursor series "Metamorphosis Odyssey" -- of which these six issues comprised volume 4, sub-titled Plan M and finally Dynamic Forces has released issues #1-12 as both a single hard cover, and a two volume TPB collection. Whew!
Dreadstar is basically a chip off the Star
Wars block in that it follows a group of rebels battling intergalactic
tyranny. Except here the heroes are caught in the middle between two warring
tyrannies, the religious-fueled Instrumentality, and the royalist Monarchy.
As well, the series borrows a bit from super hero comics in that this rebel
group is just a team -- just five characters -- and some with super powers. (Actually the "small group of rebels" idea could be seen as evocative of TV's "Blake's 7"). And clearly the series has enjoyed a certain lingering "cult" appeal, given the number of times it's been reprinted over the years (or, at least, the times these early issues have been reprinted).
The first issue supplies a recap of what's gone before. Despite this
beginning with issue #1, hero Vanth Dreadstar had been around for a while, first
being introduced in Starlin's "Metamorphosis Odyssey" saga serialized in
Marvel's Epic Illustrated magazine (and collected in a TPB), and then
appearing in a Dreadstar Annual #1, then a Dreadstar graphic novel. And "Metamorphosis Odyssey" was definitely a "mature readers" story, moreso than the Dreadsat regular series.
All six issues here tell relatively self-contained
adventures (no "to be continued" cliff hangers between issues), meaning
it's not too hard to just jump in even if you just found one or two in the back issues bins.
These initial six adventures provide a reasonable introduction to Jim Starlin's
science fiction saga, and the characters drop references to a mysterious
"plan M" throughout that, then, is revealed in issue #6, creating
a sort of story arc. At the same time, these six issues were never really
meant to form a stand alone arc, building to a definitive climax in #6 (Dynamic Forces has released issues #7-12 in a second TPB and, I assume, those dozen issues do better form a story arc).
Even "plan M" isn't so much threaded through the series as a developing plot line,
as it's just referred to occasionally, before being revealed. So elements are introduced, but
not developed, and references are made that never lead anywhere. Even the very uniqueness
of a hero caught between two forces is muted, as Vanth by the end of these six issues forms a temporary
alliance with the Monarchy.
However, taken as just six issues of an on going series that don't end
on a cliff hanger or anything, Dreadstar and Company is a decent enough
read, with strengths and weaknesses. Each issue
totals about 30 pages of story (save the last issue, which is 22 pages). As such,
Starlin can take his time with the issues, mixing talkiness with action
scenes, and, as noted, crafting self-contained adventures. But, despite
that, the stories and the characters aren't especially elaborate. The issues
are enjoyable...without being that memorable after the fact, despite
what should be grandiose, memorable scenes -- like Vanth and pal Syzygy
trying to get out of the way of a nuclear bombardment! Likewise, issue
#2, for instance, is very much a character issue focusing on Willow...but
even after six issues, Willow remains a fairly bland personality.
The stand out adventure is #5, with Starlin working a little more humour
into the proceedings, putting a little more swashbuckling into his
space opera.
Starlin's art is appealing, if a lttle too prone to big muscles and,
sometimes, stiff postures. But his backgrounds are detailed, which is a
plus in a science fiction series where it's all about creating a reality
-- though, mayhap, it's a little too consiistent: the corridors in one ship
look rather like the corridors of another, which look a little like the
corridors on this planet or that. Along with the 30 pages, there are plenty
of little panels, meaning the stories don't feel skimpy.
And Vanth and his crew have personalities -- I don't want to suggest
they don't. It's just that, like with the action-adventure, little really
stands out.
Ultimately, this certainly leaves
one open to looking up subsequent comics. But neither
are these issues strong enough to necessarily make such a pursuit a priority. There's a feeling a lot more could be done, than
is. Even Plan M, when it's revealed, is a great, audacious, potentially
controversial, idea. But, at least as presented here, it's not handled
especially convincingly.
This was enjoyable, the leisurely pace making it a relaxed read, even
as it ends up seeming a little thin at times, with protagonists who are
personable if not much more.
This is a review of the comics based on the earlier reprint mini-series, Dreadstar and Company.
Flash Gordon
the 1995 Marvel Comics mini-series is reviewed here
Flash
Gordon: On the Lost Continent of Mongo Published
in 1980 by Tom Doherty - Black & White
Written by Frank Miller. Art by Dave Gibbons.
Give Me Liberty 1990 (SC TPB) 200 pages
Colours: Robin Smith. Letters: Dave Gibbons (?). Editor: Randy Stradley.
Reprinting: Give Me Liberty #1-4
Rating: * * * * (out of 5)
Number of readings: 1
Recommended for Mature Readers
Published by Dark Horse Comics
Pegging who and what Frank Miller is -- ideologically speaking -- isn't the easiest thing in the world. Arguably one of the most critically regarded writers (and sometimes artists) in the comics biz (at least when this came out), Miller's varied works are often a wild combination of satire and solemnity, boasting an astonishing humanity and insight into character, while at the same time wallowing in a senseless, puerile love of violence and brutality. Miller can be one of the smartest writers in comics...and one of the dumbest. Sometimes within the space of a few panels. One merely has to contrast his classic Batman mini-series, The Dark Knight Returns, with its unfortunate sequel, The Dark Knight Strikes Again, to see the two extremes of Miller's creative personality.
After spending most of the 1980s tooling around in the comic book mainstream of super heroes (save the off beat, and under-appreciated, Ronin) Miller started exploring other genres in the 1990s. One of the first of these was Give Me Liberty (ironically subtitled: An American Dream). It's a combination of a violent, science fiction thriller with a farcical social satire -- a combination that I'm not sure could be pulled off as well in any other medium (movies, novels). You see, it's meant to be taken seriously, in the sense that the daring escapes and threats are meant to be edge-of-the-seat stuff, and the characters are (mainly) meant to be real people with real emotions. And yet, it's also blatantly, in-your-face silly as Miller satirizes any and everything in his portrayal of 21st Century America (this having been written in the 20th Century). When American troops battle fast food consortiums, and the consortiums send Godzilla-sized robots of their company icons marching across the battlefields, it's not so much that you don't know whether to laugh or scream -- you're meant to do both, you're brain reading it on both levels simultaneously.
One suspects Miller was influenced a lot by Howard Chaykin (particularly Chaykin's American Flagg), but Miller is the more sentimental. Underneath the caustic satire, there's some touching character stuff.
The saga follows Martha Washington, a young black girl growing up poor in a ghetto-cum-prison under the seeming unceasing reign of an oppressive dictator/president who has rewritten the Constitution to give himself almost limitless power. After much trial and hardship, Martha eventually joins the army -- the only way out for her -- but by this point there's been an unexpected regime change, with the right wing dictator being replaced by a liberal who wants to direct the country's military might towards more positive goals (such as saving the rain forest from the burger companies). What follows is a rollercoaster ride of twists and turns, of double crosses and coup d'etats, taking Martha all across the increasingly divided and disintegrating U.S.A. I had initially assumed the series was military SF, since the first issue culminates in Martha joining the army and a sequence of jungle warfare seeming lifted from an old Vietnam War movie. But that isn't what it's about, as the story strays far afield from simply grunts in the trenches.
The best part of the saga is the first chapter, chronicling Martha growing up in the crime ridden, cordoned off, ghetto, as Miller depicts his dystopian future as perceived by one of its "have nots", her growth taking her from the ghetto, to a mental hospital, to the streets. At times it's almost heartbreaking, while also being clever, and witty. When Martha finally joins the army, the reader can experience a simultaneous sense of relief (as she finally achieves stability and security) and horror (as she's plunged into the maelstrom of war).
When Miller's at his best, he can use the comicbook medium better than almost anyone, repeating phrases and juxtaposing words to images, for ironic or surprising effect. Granted, there are aspects of over indulgence, as Miller relies on some of his familiar stand by techniques that can seem a bit like rote for him (the incoherent babblings of the mentally ill).
The ensuing chapters, though entertaining, and never less than fascinating, are perhaps not as strong. The strength of the series is that you really can't guess where it's headed, as Miller veers all over the place, zagging when you thought he would zig (the jungle war, which I assumed would be the main story, is actually over fairly quickly). It's fast paced, not really allowing you to get too bored...or complacent. The weakness, though, is that Miller seems to be putting his wild concepts ahead of a strong core narrative, and even ahead of the characters. Although Martha remains the heroine throughout, after the first chapter, it seems less about her and more about the events.
Miller's handling of characters can be intriguing, particularly the new, liberal president Nissen who even as he goes from hero to villain, may lose our sympathy, but not our empathy. Yet other times, the characters can arise abruptly, such as a Native Indian guy who becomes Martha's ally...but I'm not entirely sure where he came from, or whether he was one of the Apache Indians who held her hostage at one point.
The strength of the series is that its fast paced and audacious in the wild ideas thrown at the reader (the Surgeon General as a mad messiah always seen, creepily, in surgical gown and operating goggles) but, as such, our emotional attachment becomes less after the first chapter. The reader's just trying to keep up with Miller, with little time to become too involved.
Another plus for the saga -- and a surprising one for me -- is Dave Gibbons' art. I've never been that big a fan of his work -- he's a realist artist, to be sure, but often un-dynamic and prone to stiff figures. But his art works quite well here -- perhaps away from the more flamboyant world of super heroes, his style can come into its own. Or maybe the material just inspired him more than other things have, with its shifting between drama and comedy, gritty realism and sci-fi extravagance. But his faces are expressive, his scenes energetic and well presented. Granted, his Martha tends to look a bit older than the teenager she's supposed to be.
Gibbons also seems to share Miller's penchant for sliding from sophisticated satire...to just sophomoric. Miller likes to use joke names for characters, while Gibbons depicts orbiting laser satellites as blatantly phallic.
A further, inevitable, weakness is that, like so much in the comicbook field, Give Me Liberty was not necessarily meant to be stand alone (it was followed by the mini-series Martha Washington Goes to War, and some one-shot specials). It doesn't end "to be continued", and the story climaxes with Martha confronting her arch nemesis, but the structure, which basically relies on the idea that "the more things change, the more they remain the same" means that we don't get satisfying closure. Even though the follow-up was three or four years later, it feels like Miller intended to do a sequel all along.
I began this piece by saying it's hard to peg Miller because Give Me Liberty can seem a bit unfocused, as Miller directs a merciless barrage of seeming genuine outrage, with equal parts goofy parody, at just about every political stripe -- Right and Left. Until, by the end, you aren't entirely sure what his point is (though his thread about protecting the rain forest seems without irony). But I think Miller can be described as, well, an idealistic-cynic, or maybe an idealistic-nihilist. He's idealistic enough to be outraged by the injustices of the world (injustices he then inflates and extrapolates upon in a science fiction milieu), while being cynical and even nihilistic enough to not believe there's much hope or solution. Miller's knack for characterization (when he's at his peak) indicates a man who can care deeply for people as individuals...even as one suspects that he despises people as a species. This might explain why Miller has also become enamoured of film noire type archetypes (as demonstrated in his long running Sin City stories) -- film noire being characterized as a cynical genre with little in the way of a moral centre.
As such, Give Me Liberty is more about saying that "life sucks...but it can make for entertaining stories."
Perhaps, if one were to draw any consistent theme from Give Me Liberty...it's that nothing's ever as simple as it seems, as characters, both good and bad, try to wrest control of the political order, and to"improve" things, only to have things fall apart as every solution opens up a slew of complications. Not as strong as perhaps the best of Miller's 1980s work (Batman, Daredevil, Ronin), Give Me Liberty is still aentertaining, clever saga...and more disciplined, and more effective, than his much later Dark Knight Strikes Again.
Ironically, these kind of biting, bitter parables can actually be over taken by time. Written in the 1990s, Miller's initial fascist, right wing president, is clearly modelled after Ronald Reagan (with his good ol' boy homilies and church yard exclamations -- "Gosh!"), yet it's still intended not as a criticism of America as it is, but of an America that could be. Read a few years later, during the reign of George W. Bush, one would swear that Miller was writing about him...and it doesn't seem so much like science fiction after all.
Written by Scott "Diablo" Marcano, Tom Lenoci. Illustrated by Renzo Podesta.
Hum 2009 (SC GN) 254 pages
Rating: * * * 1/2 (out of 5)
Number of readings: 1
Published by Diablo Publishing
Hum is a science fiction graphic novel and it tries hard to live up to that designation. Not previously serialized, it's all original material that comes to about 250 pages! Nor is it part of a series, or the opening act in a larger, vaguely promised epic. It's a novel, with a beginning and end.
Set on a distant world colonized by humans, the backstory was that when humans first landed, an epidemic rendered the majority blind (affecting their genes so that their children were blind as well) which led to a tiered society of seeing masters and blind slaves. Then, some years before the start of this story, the slaves rebelled and in the ensuing chaos, the civilization fell apart. Now all that remains is a few pre-industrial villages of blind people, having created their own societies and culture, and roving bands of sighted scavengers -- many of whom are addicted to a hallucinatory drug.
Vol is a sighted man who tries to infiltrate a blind village but is captured, where he then encounters Lum, a blind woman he knew and loved before the revolution. And while Vol is a prisoner/guest of the village, and gradually grows more sympathetic to the former slaves, his brother Rom, leader of the most powerful pack of scavengers, plots how to invade and destroy the village.
Hum emerges as a genuine science fiction story, about characters and ideas, and extrapolating upon this foreign culture. The story deliberately starts out a bit confusing -- as science fiction novels often do -- as we are plunged into this strange milieu, but then gradually, like the skin of an onion, the backstory is peeled back, the mysteries explained. It also indulges in a bit of mysticism that can be a bit ill-explained, but doesn't derail the main narrative.
Nor does it seem as though it's main purpose is to be shopped to Hollywood for a movie adaptation as so many comics are these days. At least, if that is the case, the creators hold Hollywood to higher standards than many of us, because though there is action and danger, in general the story seems a bit too talky, too introspective to be something you would expect would light a fire under Hollywood producers who too often see "sci-fi" as just a coat of paint to lay over a horror flick or an action movie. Maybe in the 1970s, but not so much now.
The book is self-published -- at least, one assumes as it's put out by Diablo Publishing, and one of the authors is nicknamed "Diablo -- but this mostly avoids any sense of an amateur indulgence (other than a few, minor printing imperfections, where a few of the pages look slightly smudged). The writing is perfectly professional, the plotting reasonably well handled. The art by Renzo Podesta is rather stylized, but effectively so, not in a way that seems a cover for a lack of skill. And he makes nice use of thick shadows and light/dark contrast to work with, rather than inspite of, the mainly black & white scenes. The few colour sequences are reserved for the dream flashbacks/drug hallucination scenes. Admittedly, the advantage to the colour scenes is the images are a little clearer. The black and white panels, by virtue of Podesta's stylized figures, and sometimes detailed line work, can occasionally require a bit of focusing to figure out what you're looking at.
But for all that Hum emerges as a good work, it has its flaws.
Though I applaud the thickness of this well-named "graphic novel", it feels a bit padded. When you actually reflect back on what occurs -- it's amazing it took as many pages as it did to tell. The creators could easily have shortened it, not by dropping scenes or characters, but by simply tightening what's there. There seem a few too many scenes where the characters have an argument, then just seem to repeat themselves. Even a few times where the characters almost seem to contradict themselves in an effort to keep the scenes going.
You're reasonably interested in where it's headed, and the protagonists aren't disagreeable. But neither do they fully capture your loyalty. That may be a flaw with Podesta's art, that sometimes it's harder to identify with the characters than if it was a more straightforward, realist style. Or maybe it's a flaw with the writing, with Vos never really emerging as a strongly defined personality, often being acted upon, rather than pushing the story forward himself. Or maybe it's simply that a comic, lacking the extra introspection a novel can have, and lacking a charismatic actor who can imbue the role with personality the way a movie does, has to work twice as hard to create compelling heroes.
The end result is a good, if not incontestably great, book. Sometimes with the strengths and weaknesses residing in the same aspects. Podesta's art is moody and effective, creating a distinct visual feel to this story...even as one can imagine a different art style might have created a stronger emotional resonance.
But the book tells a story, dropping us into this alien culture, peopling it with different characters with different goals and perspectives, and tying it up by the end.
Cover price: $__
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