Eye on Comics

The Chemist #1 (Image Comics)
by Jay Boose

Writer/artist Jay Boose takes the reader into the criminal underworld, employing an unusual protagonist as a guide. The hero of the story is Vance Laroche, a chemist who has become obscenely rich reverse-engineering drugs for the underworld. This slick scientist becomes a fugitive, running from his crooked employers. Boose’s story is full of action, and but the fast pace of the story is balanced nicely by the inventiveness, resourcefulness and intellect of the protagonist. Boose combines a 1940s noir sensibility with high-octane, high-tech elements of today, making for a riveting read. I loved the more cosmopolitan touch he brings to the piece with the change in settings from Boston to Montreal. The woman whom Vance rescues from certain death makes for a perfect counterpart to his in-control, always prepared attitude. Alexis’s tough but clueless personality manages to bring the story down to earth a bit. She’s not stupid, but she’s definitely in over her head; her carefree outlook keeps her from freaking out and allows her to just enjoy the ride. Boose’s artwork looks like a cross between the styles of Tony (Ex Machina) Harris and Jason (Body Bags) Pearson. While detailed and realistic, Boose uses colors to immerse the story in a dark mood that’s in keeping with the classic, nostalgic look of crime-genre stories that have come before it. Sin, style and sexuality blend perfectly here for a story that reminds me of the sort of thing one might get from an issue of Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips’s award-winning series, Criminal. 9/10

Clockwork Girl #0 (Arcana Studio)
by Sean O’Reilly, Kevin Hanna & Grant Bond

Sean O’Reilly and Kevin Hanna’s story of rival scientists and their creations is something of a rarity — it’s a comic book that actually lives up to its claim of appealing to readers of all ages. Clearly inspired by modern and classic animation storytelling, the writers and property creators offer up an unusual conflict between the sciences of bioengineering and mechanical engineering, set in a lovely backdrop of fantasy. This promotional comic — priced at only 25 cents — is a great way to draw people’s attention to a book from a small publisher. It’s not lost in the volume of promotional comics of Free Comic Book Day, but it’s priced so cheap that it might as well be free. It’s a wise marketing move on Arcana’s part; the cover blurb proclaiming the low price is what caught my attention. But what holds my attention is the strength of the storytelling. We just get a snippet of what to expect from the book, but it’s certainly whet my appetite for more. The premise reminds me of such indy comics as Girl Genius and Vogelein. Grant Bond’s artwork, on the other hand, seems like Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki meets Mike (Herobear and the Kid) Kunkel. Bond bathes his linework in muted colors rather than the vibrant, primary colors one would associate with traditional animation (a clear influence here). Overall, what draws one in, along with the imagination behind the story, is the dominant tone of innocence throughout. Even the seemingly mad scientists in the story are rather kindly and thoroughly likeable. 8/10

Justice Society of America #8 (DC Comics)
by Geoff Johns, Fernando Pasarin & Rodney Ramos

One of the problems with this series from the start has been accessibility. Johns clearly has a fondness for DC’s Golden Age characters and the stories from the 1980s and 1990s that featured them, such as those in All-Star Squadron and the Len Strazewski/Mike Parobeck JSA series. Unfortunately, the reader’s appreciation of these new JSA stories often hinge on one’s knowledge of that past continuity. That’s not the case with this issue. While Johns’s script is based on a number of comics from the 1990s, his script provides all of the information about these characters a new reader would need to not only follow the plot but to appreciate the emotional conflicts at the heart of the story. Johns addresses the significant shift in the character of Jesse Chambers, and while his plot follows a predictable path, the emotional turmoil of a woman torn between two strong-willed parents rings true (despite the fantastic setting of a super-hero universe). The script serves not only as a great introduction to the new Liberty Belle but to the scarred and depressed Damage as well. The art from Fernando Pasarin is solid, and I thought his detailed style nevertheless captured the surreal speed of the villainous Zoom. What I find odd about the artwork is how much it looks like that of Don Kramer, a former artist associated with the title team. Kramer did solid work on JSA as well, but if DC wanted to go in a different visual direction with the property, using an artist whose style treads familiar territory seems an odd creative choice. Still, that’s not a criticism of the work we see in this particular issue. If there are readers who are curious about this title but kept their distance due to the daunting history behind the characters, this would be a good place for them to start without fear of being left out of the loop. 7/10

Thor #2 (Marvel Comics)
by J. Michael Straczynski, Olivier Coipel & Mark Morales

While the first issue seemed far too slow and tried to build drama despite the obvious direction in which it was headed, this second issue offers something new. The split character of Donald Blake/Thor sets out to feel at home in a small Oklahoma town, but the two selves do so in radically different ways. The folksy quality of the supporting characters is familiar but charming. That makes for a nice balance with the magi, wonder and majesty of Thor establishing a new Asgard in a barren plain in the American heartland. The scene inspires not only awe but laughter as well; the humor in the scene is classic. What’s most interesting about Thor’s mission to reestablish Asgard isn’t so much the immensity of the task but the fact that it seems to stem in part from his wish to combat his loneliness. The remote area in which New Asgard is now found matches the sense of isolation the character feels, and I enjoyed Straczynski’s exploration of Thor as a man rather than a god. The real star of the show here, though, is Olivier Coipel’s artwork. His vision of a huge yet empty mythic city is spectacular. He captures the incredible scope of this new setting with seeming ease, and the Herculean effort and magic of making it happen seem quite real despite the fact it’s unfolding only in the creators’ imaginations and the printed page. He also maintains a certain degree of darkness in his depiction of Asgard, which matches the sullen mood of its sole inhabitant, thereby reinforcing the elements of characterization the writer has opted to bring to the God of Thunder. 7/10