It is incredibly difficult to describe precisely what METRONOME is. Across the span of 64 pages, Tanaka uses 16-panel grids on each page to present four images in a sort of rhythmic movement, and along the way those images tells the story of a love affair gone wrong between a man and his girlfriend, from the early rush of sex to his becoming violent with her and driving her away. I can’t exactly call the book s pure graphic novel, though it does function as one in a sense. And it isn’t exactly an art book, either. I suppose the best way to describe it would be to call it a combination of two things: fascinating and frustrating.

Certainly, I laud the concept behind METRONOME. Art does have a rhythm, one you can see and feel when you’re experiencing it, whether we’re talking paint, sculpture, or film (music being a given). And the way Tanaka structures the book delivers a gripping sense of that rhythm to the reader. She’s also very accomplished using the pencil and brush, using the blacks on the page to tell her story and move the beat. I was very captivated by the book in that way.

On the flip side, however, I could not let go of the fact that it felt like Tanaka had wasted her gifts on this particular story. Or lack thereof. Boy meets girl, they have sex, fall in love, break up? Boring. Pointless. Use this gift to tell me a story with more emotional resonance. Art isn’t meant to just visually dazzle, is it? It’s supposed to say something, and METRONOME doesn’t say anything. It makes no statement, beyond announcing its creator’s talents. It seems to me, after reading the book, that Tanaka likely has a truly great piece of work in her. But METRONOME isn’t it.

Marc Mason

Mole, Rat, Mister Toad, and Badger find their way from the prose page (and the silver screen) in the new CLASSICS ILLUSTRATED series from Papercutz. This lengthy adaptation from French artist Michel Plessix is a visually stunning treat for any graphic novel reader, and will surely appeal to anyone who loves the book. But it isn’t without its problems.

Certainly, there’s no problem on the art side, as I mentioned above. Plessix has a very fine, detailed line, and his character work is incredibly distinctive. Also, his use of color is as good as anything you’ll find on the shelves right now. This is really a tour-de-force from the Frenchman, and it makes me want to see more of his work.

The downside is… well, it’s THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS. And frankly, WIND is an overrated, bloated book with uninteresting characters and a boring story. I have never been able to get through it in any sort of satisfying manner, because I just hate it. And as good as Plessix’ work is, he didn’t change any of that here for me. I went through the book page-by-page, but as far as a good reading experience? There are some things that even the most talented creators cannot pull off. So this book is truly for those who have fond memories of the original Grahame work.

Marc Mason

Papercutz’ resurrection of the CLASSICS ILLUSTRATED line continues with his excellent volume presenting four excellent fairy tales from the masters of the genre. And much like Rick Geary’s excellent take on Dickens, these are intelligent, witty, and brilliantly executed.

Tale one is “Hansel and Gretel,” by Philip Petit, and it kicks the book into high gear immediately. His soft, lush line and strong command of the color palette are lovely to see, and he doesn’t skimp on telling the entire story detail. When most think of this one, they think of the witch and the gingerbread house; what they forget is the cruelty of the children’s mother. Petit, however, makes it as strong a plot point as any in the tale. Second up is “Learning How To Shudder,” adapted by Mazan, perhaps my favorite tale in the book. “Shudder” tells the story of a boy who doesn’t understand why he doesn’t feel fear; however, he doesn’t understand that means he’s brave or strong. Instead, he, and his family, see it as a character flaw. It’s a great story with a great point behind it, and Mazan’s art is gorgeous.

Story three is “The Devil and the Three Golden Hairs,” adapted by Cecile Chicault. Chicault’s adaptation is damned near flawless, and looks exceptional, but the story itself is somewhat lacking, as the protagonist achieves his goals through blind luck, not skill or worth. Finally, we have “The Valiant Little Tailor,” also adapted by Mazan, which has a somewhat similar problem as a story, but doesn’t suffer so much from it. Instead, the Tailor achieves his goals by relying on the stupidity of others… which means he’s not only a believable character, but also Presidential timbre.

I like that this book came early in the new CLASSICS series, as it would seem to indicate that there will be some nice variety; we don’t need the traditional list of boring classics covered immediately. Please, Papercutz- hold off on the Hawthorne, okay? Make more books like this: wonderfully drawn, exquisitely colored, and truly introducing new stories to a younger audience.

Marc Mason

My favorite Euro import, the DUNGEON series, returns with an all-new volume, but this time with a little bit of a twist. Rather than leaving the focus on Herbert and Marvin, Sfar and Trondheim bring in a couple of guest artists and put the focus on a few of the ancillary characters related to the dungeon mythos. In story one, “John-John the Terror,” a group of monsters who run an inn with the hopes of eating random travelers finds themselves mixed up with a sleazy duck named William Delacour. Looking to save himself from being eaten, Delacour suckers the monsters into accompanying him to the Dungeon… of course, he has a few stops he needs to make along the way first. Trouble and hilarity ensue. Story two, “The Crying Giant,” finds Alcibiades and Horus (two birds hardly of a feather) hitting the road to find the giant from whom Alcibiades once stole an eye. Turns out the eye still sobs when the giant does, and he seems pretty upset these days and is flooding the dungeon in the process. Not good.

I have been perhaps the loudest trumpeter for Trondheim on these shores, so I won’t belabor the point again right now. This book is a bit different in that Trondheim only co-writes with Sfar, but that affects the quality not one bit; the pair have always turned in astonishing work on this series, and MONSTRES is as good as any that’s come before. Actually, it works to show just how versatile the DUNGEON series truly is; not only have they told tales across decades and kept the books exciting and fresh, now thewy’re expanding the universe and tapping the depth of its potential.

The two artists brought in to work on these stories, Menu and Mazan, slide into their roles with ease. The work looks unique compared to earlier pieces, yet maintains a stylist quality about it that is very consistent and attractive. Honestly, any new effort in the DUNGEON series is cause for celebration at this point.

Marc Mason

Issue nine of CWR has arrived, and this time around we have something a little different: a preview of Emerald City Comicon! What does that mean?

A nifty cover designed by Elliott Serrano

Josh Medors interviewed! The young artist of WILLOW CREEK, 30 DAYS OF NIGHT, and G.I. JOE talks to Marc Mason about his latest projects, his battle with cancer, and his feelings at how the comics community has rallied around him in his time of struggle!

Jim Demonakos interviewed! The maestro behind Emerald City Comicon sits down with Brandon Jerwa and talks about the origins of the con, his life in comics (both with Image and as a retailer), and about what it really takes to run a show!

Plus: these great columns:

Elliott Serrano makes some resolutions (dos and don’ts) about the upcoming con season, but the question becomes just how long he can keep them

Marc Mason remembers his first ever con, and how legendary X-MEN artist paved the way for a future in fandom

Matt Maxwell discusses reviews, both good and bad, and offers up advice on how a creator can take something useful from both

Avril Brown concludes the first ever Miss Marvel Universe pageant, but the results might make you think Paula Abdul was a judge

Jessica Blackshear answers an inquiry from an odd character… and does so in the form of a webcomic!

Vince Moore returns from hiatus to tackle Dave Sim’s new book, review a recent Jodie Foster offering, and puts out a serious question to his black female readership

We also have new reviews of KAPUT AND ZOSKY, DEAD @17 COMPENDIUM EDITION, MR. FOOSTER TRAVELING ON A WHIM, HERCULES, CALIBER, AQUA LEUNG, HYPERKINETIC and much, much more

Remember: If you read something at CWR that you like, pass it on to friends and blogs. Enjoy the reading!

Marc Mason
Editor-in-Chief
Comics Waiting Room

HYPERKINETIC is a futuristic story about four bad-ass female intergalactic bounty hunters. Right from the get-go this book definitely has something going for it. Seriously, four hot chicks with guns who take down bad guys? It’s kind of hard to fuck that up. However, where there’s a will, there’s a way.

The book hits the ground running by starting with a chase scene in space. Our female fugitive hunters are in pursuit of their latest quarry, a furry little freak named Renpy. He escapes through a wormhole, and our heroines (being the fearless wonders they are) follow him in. A planet greets them directly on the other end and they crash land in an alien forest. Wackiness ensues.

The basic story idea has been done before and most of the characters are pretty typical in their portrayal, but the writing is solid and some of the jokes are pretty darn snappy. As what usually occurs in groups of four individuals, each woman fills a different kind of niche in attempt to keep the witty rapport going strong. In this book, however, it succeeds. Add to that the comic relief in the form of a smart-aleck robot (also a familiar tool but still nicely done). True his mission seems to focus solely on annoying the leading ladies, but he does his job well.

A lot of the humor is crass and involves some sort of bodily function, but let’s admit it; bathroom humor wouldn’t still be in existence if it all fell flat. Most of these jokes seemed to come out of left field, which makes them and the situation all the more amusing.

There’s some backstabbing amongst the ladies, but in the true spirit of sisterhood they’re more like pranks than actual betrayal. We see some girl-power in a scene where the blood-thirsty member of the bounty hunter clan is messing with a Droopy look-alike who’s moaning about his sucky existence. Shirley (a unique name for a trigger happy bounty hunter) decides to make him thankful for his shitty little life by nearly frying his ass with her laser gun. She consistently shoots around him making it clear if she wanted him dead, he would’ve been six panels ago. Being the poor loser that he is, however, he calls her a crazy bitch. The blonde (of course) leader steps to the plate and zaps him with her ray gun while delivering the dramatic and loyalty-inspiring line: “No one calls any of us crazy.” Nice rallying cry, even if at least half the crew is without a doubt certifiable.

Honestly, the Manga style art is not usually my thing, but overall this book was agreeably drawn. The pencils do a nice job of conveying the surroundings, and the colors are bright and engaging. I must say I was a bit disappointed with the girls themselves. Once again we have disproportionate female leads with waists too small and boobs too big. To emphasize this fact we also have panels which portray our hunters from a lower angle looking up, giving the reader a new way to ogle the sizable racks. Plus, the outfits were lacking…in several ways. While I’m not expecting comic super girls to dress like nuns, I have to say I’m sick of visible thong straps. I don’t remember asking for proof that the main characters are wearing underwear. And what’s with the giant eyeballs in Shirley’s hair?

Also, the ending was a bit anti-climatic. There’s a semi-dramatic splash, showing our heroines in mortal danger…and there’s no dialogue from the characters. Given the clever discourse found earlier in the book, I was hoping for at least a quick cheesy line from one of the crew. Some final pages can speak for themselves, but what challenges our heroines at the end is nothing new to comic fans and thereby need some verbal support from the characters in order to fly.

HYPERKINETIC #1 has its ups and downs, its hits and misses. The parts which didn’t really carry the ball are not unforgivable, and if Shum’s writing stays hot there’s some definite potential buried in this book. I did find myself chuckling out loud once or twice, which is enough to warrant a gander at subsequent issues.

Avril Brown

AQUA LEUNG is a sizable graphic novel about an underwater kingdom, a lost prince, a battle for freedom, and a whole lot of aquatic creatures. The manga-style art and the basic story premise are familiar, and shortly into the novel it is not difficult to figure out where the book is going. However, that does not imply the journey itself is stale or uninteresting.

The book starts off slowly and includes a major faux pas. Immediately we meet our narrator, a giant tortoise who has several teeny turtles looking up expectantly at him, clearly there to soak up his giant tortoise knowledge. The tortoise proceeds to address not just his little green audience, but the reader as well. A character in a comic book speaking directly to the reader is just way too campy, and is especially unnecessary when there is a ready and willing audience already present.

Moving past that first hiccup, we segue into a slightly confusing introduction. The flashbacks seem to jump around in time and some of them are a bit too wordy, but after a few pages it seems to settle down and we see how little Aqua came to be. Nakchi Shim, the benevolent Octopus King, sought to rebuild the city of Atlantis and unite the seven seas with the assistance of his loyal crew, the best names of note being his octopus advisors, John, Paul and George. Right there was the first sign there’s more to this book than initially meets the eye. I’m inclined to give the benefit of the doubt to a Beatles fan (and never fear, Ringo shows up later!). More of the back story of this aquatic monarch unfolds: the conqueror king rules the seas, meets his beautiful queen and they produce a son, Aqua Leung. His enemy, jealous of his love and power, turns some of the Octopus King’s trusted advisors against him and lays siege to his castle. Sensing eminent defeat, the royal couple send their child down a river, and in keeping with this reverse Moses reference, he’s found by a nice, normal surface couple who take him in and try to raise him right.

Aqua’s largely uneventful upbringing is interrupted when he comes home to find the only parents he’s ever known holding their guts in their lap, and the giant fish monster who eviscerated them standing over their corpses. The cavalry arrives (through the window, no less) in the form of ninja fighting fish, and they proceed to kick the sea monster’s ass and abscond with the young prince to the kingdom under the sea.

The head ninja fish, known as Sonny, becomes Aqua’s personal trainer/tutor in an effort to mold him into the king he was born to be. We also meet Ringo, Aqua’s personal octopus helper. Sonny guides the young prince through his education, both in the history of the underwater world and in mortal combat. This is a child who must quickly become a warlord, so his training is fast and brutal. We’re witness to his growth as a general, and his widening understanding of his place and duty in his dead father’s kingdom. A firm yet compassionate teacher, the battle-hardened Sonny accompanies our little Aqua on his tasks appointed by the current ruler, King Calamari, to prove his worth and readiness to rule. Aqua enters the water a broken child and emerges from the metaphorical fire of his trials and tribulations as the new king of the seven seas.

This is a fun and engaging adventure story. In spite of the lack-luster beginning and the pretty basic pencils (which seem to grow in complexity as the book progresses), Smith and Maybury get the reader caring about these bizarre creatures from the deep. Each has his own story to tell, his own scores to settle, and his own destiny to behold. There’s also an ever-present element of humor involved which helps keep the occasionally dark story from dragging the reader too far into the abyss. The names of most of the characters are worth a smile, as well as the randomly amusing dialogue (several panels halfway through the book nicely portray Aqua’s youth; pestering one of the lobster warriors with questions on how he lost his eye, Aqua eventually gives into the urge to sing several stanzas of I’m Gonna Be (500 miles) by the Proclaimers).

The thick lines and basic backgrounds seem to add to the story, letting the simplicity speak for itself rather than overcrowd the narrative. I normally prefer more detail and accuracy in my comic art, but Maybury’s drawings fit seamlessly with Smith’s story, and without any extra flash. The characters are distinguishable and the expressions are surprisingly easy to read, making the art almost as enjoyable to follow as the story.

The final battle scene is climatic and more than satisfactory. Old enemies are met and vanquished in combat, a tyrant is overthrown and a new monarch celebrates his first victory. In summation, everything you want to see in a story like this. This well-rounded book involves the reader in this history of the characters and gives plenty of reasons to stick around and see what happens to them. You root for the future child-king as he conquers his appointed tasks. You mourn the loss of good men (er, crustaceans) as they battle for what they believe in. In short, you care about the characters, which is the whole point of reading any book. Smith manages to conclude the book in a way which sums up current story lines and yet still leaves the impression that this was only the beginning. AQUA LEUNG is an excellent blend of Eastern art and storytelling with plenty of pop culture and fish references to have you looking at the legend of Atlantis in a whole new light.

Avril Brown

Mr. Fooster is a whimsical, curiosity-laden fellow, leading a fairly ordinary life. That is, until one lazy Tuesday morning, wherein he sets off for a walk and finds himself on a series of grand adventures. Aided and abetted only by the bottle of bubble soap he is carrying, he navigates a world previously unknown to him. A world of questions (such as who figured out how to eat artichokes?), giant bugs with world eating agendas, and DeSotos that should not exist. But the ultimate question is: what will Mr. Fooster learn, about himself and about the world he lives in? And how will he use what he learns in order to help others?

This tasty little novella is a wonderful little read, easily devoured in one sitting, though it stays with you after you put the book down. Corwin has created a character in Fooster who draws the reader in and connects, though his world could not be further from our own. The search for meaning, and the absurdity that search can often bring to a person, are delineated in charming fashion, and once Fooster uses the bubble soap to blow himself an actual form of transportation… well, you’re in fable territory, and you get exactly where the author is going.

The illustrations by Frazier accompanying Corwin’s text are lovely, rendered in a style reminiscent of late 19th century and early 20th century work. But oddly enough, they also feel somewhat unnecessary. It’s a conundrum, really; the story is so strong, and written so well, that you could read the book without the pictures and still “see” it perfectly. Yet the illustrations will lure more people into buying the book when they see it on the shelves.

MR. FOOSTER is an excellent, almost musical, piece of art. I highly recommend it.

Marc Mason

Kaput and Zosky are evil, bad, bad guys. Just ask them. They travel through outer space looking for planets to conquer and populations to turn their blasters on. They live solely to subjugate worlds. Unfortunately… they really, really suck at it. In fact, the hilariously inept duo never seem to be able to quite figure out how to pick a planet to rule that won’t put their own lives and sanity at risk. But they’ll never stop trying… even if it kills them.

Ahh. Another sweet piece of the great Lewis Trondheim’s backlist gets translated for North American audiences, and comics fans get the benefit. KAPUT AND ZOSKY is a hilarious bit of the master’s archive, one wonderfully outlandish story after another for the moronic pair of would-be evildoers to pop through, and not a dud in the bunch. On one planet, they win the local elections but are forced to run because they made too many impossible promises for the votes. On another, they learn a hard lesson about military escalation. A different planet welcomes their new conquerors… but there’s a price to be paid for that acquiescence. It’s all laugh-a-minute stuff.

In fact, as I read it, I realized that Kaput and Zosky are, in many ways, Trondheim’s way of tapping into his inner Dr. Seuss. Throughout the hilarity and nonsense, there is a subtle lesson being presented in each tale (even if the characters never learn it). Once again, that’s what makes the man one of the greatest talents in comics. It may get tiring coming from me, but what can I say? It’s the truth. Buy this.

Marc Mason

When Nara Kilday is brutally murdered in her own home, her family and friends are distraught, as most would be. But what they don’t know is that Nara’s death is part of a much larger plot, one meant to raise a deadly demon to rule the world. But all is not lost; at least not for Nara. Because she climbs out of that grave mere days later, a reborn avenger on a path to prevent the demons and the walking dead from taking over. For her, being dead at the age of seventeen is only the beginning of her new life.

Josh Howard’s original DEAD @ 17 trilogy is collected in this massive volume, though it isn’t a simple reprint. As Howard himself mentions in his introduction, he’s gone into George Lucas territory, remastering some pages, redrawing others, and adding new ones to make the story flow better. In short, this is slightly different that what you get when you buy those original books, and unlike Lucas’ STAR WARS SPECIAL EDITIONS, the changes Howard makes don’t come off as looking dumb or in violation of the original work. There’s only one that’s somewhat glaring (a new ending page to volume one’s story), and the rest is fairly seamless. Not easy to do, but Howard pulls it off. And you also can’t blame him for doing it. He mentions in the introduction, he only had 2.5 months to complete the original four-issue story. That’s something very few creators working today could pull off, let alone a guy who was doing his first-ever comics work.

I don’t have any other real quibbles with the book. It’s produced nicely, and at $25, priced very reasonably. I would like to make a suggestion, though- there needs to be a second one. There was a series of DEAD @17 ROUGH CUT books, along with a miniseries detailing the adventures of an earlier girl in Nara’s position, as well as the recent series that followed up on the original trilogy. For the story to feel truly complete for the reader, a second COMPENDIUM is required.

Marc Mason