graph·ic nov·el
noun1. a novel in comic-strip format.
I read them all. The good and the bad, so you don’t have to.
Welcome to The Pull List.
And, as always…Spoilers ahead!
Baltimore Volume 4: Chapel of Bones
Writer: Mike Mignola, Christopher Golden
Artist: Ben Stenbeck
Colorist: Dave Stewart
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Price: $24.99
Release Date: June 11, 2014
In some small way, I hate telling people how good the Baltimore series of comic are.
The quality of visual and literary storytelling is something that needs to be experienced in order to fully appreciate it.
Chapel of Bones brings the Lord Baltimore character full circle, and then immediately gives him a new purpose with a chilling catch that even the vampire hunter didn’t see coming.
Mike Mignola is at his finest here and creates tension that builds with each turn of the page.
Normally, Baltimore is a vintage badass that won’t be denied. This time, the odds are stacked against him in a manner in which you doubt the titular characters finality. Ben Stenbeck’s illustrations truly gives this book and look and feel of a horror story with dark gray tones, smooth visuals and great detail in every panel.
Vengeance is ultimately the catalyst for everything that occurs in this universe created by Mignola and Golden. It’s a gloomy moral to a ghastly tale that Baltimore can’t escape. As much as I want him to find closure, doing do would mean one less amazing comic book to read.
Score: 10/10
Interesting Drug HC
Writer: Shaun Manning
Artist: Anna Wieszczyk
Letters: Ed Brisson, Frank J, Barbiere
Publisher: Archaia
Price: $24.99
Release Date: May 28, 2014
The idea of taking a drug to travel back in time to any point in your life is a stimulating concept.
However, Interesting Drugs fails to see the forest through the trees. I wanted to like this, I really did, and there were a lot of moments where I was starting to get into it until verbose dialog and way too many subplots made this more complicated than it needed to be.
Andrew Smith leads a life of mediocrity until Tristan, a time traveler from the future informs him that he created the drug in question.
There was nothing about Andrew that made me care about him as a character and fact that he believed a word that came out of Tristan’s mouth made him a less sympathetic because it was obvious that he was evil from jump street.
The art was more focused on being art than serving the story which was distracting and removed me from the experience again and again. The coloring was often used to express the emotion or sentiment of a particular act and while this can be wonderfully done, here, it falls flat because its the style over substance element that plagues the majority of the book. The relationship between Andrew and Leilani is where the book shines best.
Their chemistry comes across very strong on the printed page and it something you want to see blossom and while it works very well, it’s the only thing that does work. It’s obvious that a lot of effort went into this from a creative perspective but I think someone was trying too hard to tell this funky cool, mind bending tale that could have better if plot points were executed in a more cohesive manner.
This type of book does have an audience that will thoroughly enjoy it but I was left wanting more from something that tried but couldn’t give it me.
Score: 6/10
Batman & Robin Volume 4: Requiem for Damian
Writer: Peter J. Tomasi
Artist: Patrick Gleason
Colorist: John Kalisz
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $24.99
Release Date: June 4, 2014
When it was announced last year that Grant Morrison was going to kill off Damain Wayne in the pages of Batman Incorporated my first that was what is to become of Peter J. Tomasi’s run on this series.
His interchanging of various Gothamites in the wake of boy wonder’s passing has been met with mixed results. Batman and Robin is the title, but Robin is who made this series such a fun read.
In the first chapter, Tomasi steps aside and lets Patrick Gleason’s art tell the story of a Wayne Manor rife with pain and despair.
We are also treated to Carrie Kelley’s New 52 debut which fits in nicely since there was a real connection between her and Damian which leads her to meeting Bruce Wayne. He strings her along by making her think Damian is still alive which is a dick thing to do but it works because Bruce is still grieving and in some way, telling Carrie the might cost him last connection to his son.
Catwoman enters the fold which also marks the beginning of the series titular changes. It was important for Selina Kyle to be the first since her and Batman’s dynamic is well documented. It all comes full circle with Dick Grayson helping his mentor through the final stage of grief.
The collaboration of Tomasi and Gleason makes this series a triumph no matter what form you read it in. However, this collected work is a key essential element required of any Batman collection because we see the Dark Knight go through something that gadgets and batarangs can’t overcome.
Score: 8/10
