2010-01-29

Platinum Grit



I discovered a cool web comic a while back, Platinum Grit.

The great thing about discovering something this way, is that you come at it with few preconceptions and little frame of reference. Making it a lot easier to just enjoy it for it's own merits.

The great thing about this book, is that it has charismatic characters (I would like to hang out with Nils, Jeremy and Kate), it feels like a personal story the author has to tell and it's a good story. It's got tons of great absurdest and surreal moments, is fun, and then has these inexplicably dark uncomfortable moments as well.

After I discovered it I read one or two then picked around at a few others, last week or so I went back and read the first 10, there are only 20.

Looking at it now, the book definitely has parallels with Tank Girl and similarities to Los Bros. but that's ok it's fine to have influences. I am just glad I got a chance to read it with a clear mind first.

Bottom line, wish there were more. I'll read the last 10 soon and since there have only been 20 in the last 15 years...

2010-01-09

Powers


I just read the first arc of Powers, "Who Killed Reto Girl?".

Entertaining. The dialog was maybe too sharp (not everybody is a great fucking communicator) and a couple of plot elements were a little loose, but they are really minor issues. I like these characters and the book has it's heart in the right place.

The art on this book has that great property, that the more you look at it the better it gets. Tons of great expressions, body language and subtle visual cues. The lighting and colors are great.

It's a bit of a double edged sword, I looked at this book for years and thought a solid "meh". Even though I knew the artwork was doing a lot, it just didn't immediately pull me in. Oh well I figure this is more my problem than the books. I like candy.

Bottom line, I am gonna' be reading a lot more of these.

2010-01-04

New X-Men

Don't have time for a long post.

I just finished all of Grant Morrison's X-Men (New X-Men, whatever) run.

I had read the first arc (114-116) a while ago, but just hadn't gotten around to the rest (117-154). Themes, ideas, characterization, were all very good. Plotting not so tight.

The final arc consisted of a story that would never happen because the characters got the Phoenix Force to basically prune them from the timeline. It all looked super-cool from our perspective, but from where those characters sit (Beak's grandson-never-to-be Tito, for instance) I doubt it would seem so hot.

Better than good art delivered throughout by (off the top of my head) Quitely, Kordey, Bachalo and Gimenez.

Bottom line, tons of fun, really enjoyed it.