Comics

It's the Ho-Ho-Holiday Season, which is an ideal time to turn your non-comics reading friends onto the pleasures of words-and-pictures entertainment. Here are some noteworthy gift suggestions with mainstream appeal. Most have a New Age/metaphysical twist. A few speak seriously to the human condition. And some are just plain fun. (Format code: os-ongoing series; sp-one-shot special; ms-mini-series; gn-graphic novel; gna-graphic novella; hc-hardcover; tp-trade paperback; PR-previously reviewed).

Cerebus (Aardvark-Vanaheim; os, tp, PR) is regarded by many as the War and Peace of comics literature. Cerebus: Guys (tp) collects the wry, testosterone- charged storyline from issues #201-219. Following the ultra-serious 1,000 page Mothers and Daughters story, it's a welcome change of pace. (And the countdown continues to the final issue #300 / March, 2004).

Caliber Press continues to offer a diverse range of sophisticated comics for grown-ups, many with New Age appeal. Twelve years ago author Whitley Strieber galvanized the world with the book Communion, supposedly his true personal account of alien abduction. That book and the controversy it generated raised public awareness about the phenomenon. Now a new comics title Beyond Communion (os) continues the story. This comic is authorized and authenticated by Strieber himself. Kaos Moon (os) is the name of a metaphysical spirit channeled by the renowned medium Katja Zakkov. In the premiere issue, the two try to solve the disappearance of a crystal skull, a powerful occult artifact embodying potent energies. More down-to-Earth sleuthing occurs in The Maze Agency (os). Each issue features a fair-play mystery story in which clues are presented and you are invited to guess whodunnit. It's a treat for detective fans.

During the 18th century, murdering spirits damned to Hell manage to escape the Netherworld and possess the living, continuing their heinous crimes. But one man, The Marquis (os) can see deep into the soul and battles to release those demons. In the year 1188, a member of the Knights Templar in Jerusalem discovers proof of an unthinkable crime - murder and cover-up within the Catholic church. The trail of evidence leads to a powerful Cardinal and beyond, to the Pope himself. The search for truth is detailed in A Moment of Freedom (gna). A more contemporary conspiracy is examined in Red Diary (ms), a docudrama comic which explores the events and various conflicting theories surrounding the deaths of JFK and Marilyn Monroe.

Caliber is also reviving Tome Press, its non-fiction comics imprint Titles of interest include The Nostradamus Chronicles and The Book of the Tarot.

The Roswell Files (Comic Art Pub, sp) dramatizes in words and pictures the first alleged (and well-documented) crash of a UFO in 1947 near Roswell, New Mexico. The World Encyclopedia of Comics (Chelsea House, hc) revises and updates a classic reference work. It features over 1500 biographical summaries of artists and writers, and numerous entries on the comics themselves. This massive volume includes over 1,000 b&w illustrations and 64 pages in color. Another outstanding reference book is Spectrum 4 (Chronicle Books, hc, tp). It showcases the year's best sci-fi, fantasy, horror and surreal art and features over 250 color paintings, drawings and sculpture by 175 leading artists of the fantastic. This juried collection is highly recommended for art fans. Dark Horse Comics offers an eclectic selection of comics, many adapted from popular films. This season's release of the movie Alien: Resurrection should rekindle interest in this potent horror archetype. Dark Horse has already published a viper's nest of original Aliens comics, and new titles slither forth each month. Their earliest Aliens graphic novels have been remastered with rewritten storylines / revised art to tie into movie continuity. Some are being published in color for the first time. Other Alien treats include the crossover hits Superman Vs Aliens, Batman/Aliens, and Aliens Vs Predator.

If you loved the Star Wars movies but aren't reading the comics, then you're missing much of the story past and present. Dark Horse has released a slew of Star Wars comics, specials, mini-series and graphic novels. Individual stories spotlight Luke Skywalker, Hans Solo, Jabba the Hutt, Boba Fett the bounty hunter, those lovable Droids, the original Jedi Knights, and the rebellion's X-Wing Rogue Squadron.

Myst: Book of the Black Ships (ms) is based on the popular CD-Rom game. Concrete: Strange Armor (ms) retells and expands the origin of a young writer who's abducted by aliens and has his brain transplanted into a heavy stone body. This award-winning comic (PR) focuses on the human experience of adjusting to an unfamiliar reality and finding one's place in the world. And speaking of aliens, Dark Horse is publishing a set of UFO trading cards. The 50 cards tell the history of the phenomenon and spotlight significant sightings. The cards are illustratd by renowned aerospace illustrator and comics artist E. Silas Smith.

DC maintains its status as a premiere comics publisher, and one willing to take chances with established characters. Last year Superman was transformed from his familiar super-powered self into a being of pure energy, who in his Clark Kent alter ego became a mortal human. Now Superman is about to split into two distinct entities, one ultra-serious, the other devil-may-care. Each has super-powers, each can transform into Clark Kent - and each thinks he is the one true Superman. The ongoing saga of Superman Red and Superman Blue begins this month in a 64 page graphic novella (sp), then continues in The Man of Steel's quartet of monthly titles.

Batman: Black and White (hc, PR) collects the popular mini-series that presented noir-flavored short stories created by a galaxy of comics superstars. And The Spectre (os- RIP), a disembodied spirit with near omnipotent power, goes looking for a suddenly missing God (no, He's not in Heaven) in the final storyline of his just-cancelled comic.

DC's Vertigo imprint offers sophisticated fantasy with a metaphysical spin. In Destiny: A Chronicle of Deaths Foretold (3 issue ms), an enigmatic stranger offers hope to a disease-ravaged community by reading from what he claims is a page stolen from The Book of Destiny. That page reveals the role Destiny played in three historic plagues - and purportedly predicts where the current outbreak will strike next. The Dreaming: Beyond The Shores of Night (tp, PR) compiles the first 8 issues of this provocative series set in the etheric dimension of dreams. Both titles are based on characters created by Neil Gaiman and introduced in his acclaimed Sandman comic. All 75 issues of The Sandman (PR) are now available in trade paperback collections. And speaking of which, The Sandman: Dust Covers (hc) compiles all 75 covers from the series. Dave McKean's impressionistic collage art masterworks set new standards for comics. The book includes extensive commentary about the collaborative creative process and includes a new 8 page comics memoir by Gaiman about the role the Dreamlord has played in his life.

Once every nine years, the dimensional wall between our world and the land of Faerie dissolves, and humans intermingle with the etheric entities. Young Tristan is a hybrid, the product of a passionate liason between a fairy woman and mortal man. In Stardust (4 issue ms), he sets out to discover the secrets of his faerie bloodline, encountering goblins, wizards, giants, witches and other fanciful beings. This enchanting storybook for grown-ups is written by Neil Gaiman and lavishly illustrated by Charles Vess.

And Vertigo: Winter's Edge (sp) features new Holiday-themed tales starring characters from a variety of Vertigo titles. Share Christmas cheer with the young mage Tim Hunter, the misfit ghostbuster John Constantine, Cain and Abel from the Dreaming, the noir-influenced Golden Age Sandman - and party down on the day after the world ends with the occult Order of the Invisibles.

Nowhere (Drawn & Quarterly, os) tells the absorbing story of a young girl's coming-of-age in modern manic suburbia. Creator Debbie Drechsler attracted serious attention with her graphic novella Daddy's Girl, a sobering reflection on child abuse. Hate!: Buddy, Go Home (Fantagraphics, tp) is the fourth compilation from the award-winning humor series about misfit Gen Xers struggling to make a mark in the world. An unemployed Buddy Bradley moves back in with his parents and siblings, dragging along Lisa, his high-strung girl friend. Who will crack first? Also from Fantagraphics, The Chuckling Whatsit (gn) is a suspensful gothic mystery involving astrology, murder, ghouls, and a mysterious artist. It's in the tradition of Edward Gorey and Charles Addams. Much lighter in tone, Felix: Black and White (Felix Comics, os) offers all new adventures of that 'wonderful, wonderful cat'. Visit 'Felix's Cafe', learn about his 'Magic Bag Mishap', blast off with 'Felix in Outer Space' and read about 'Baby Felix'. Felix the Cat is my power animal, a modern archetype of the Magician/Creator.

Two-Fisted Science (G.T. Labs, sp) relates fascinating episodes from the life of Richard Feynman, a Nobel Prize-winning physicist. Learn how Feynman took breaks from the intense and ultra-serious work of developing the atom bomb by mastering the art of safe-cracking. Look for a Two-Fisted Science collection (tp) due this winter.

Chance Falconer is the fourteen year old daughter of a world famous paranormal investigator, who hopes to follw in her father's footsteps. Leave It To Chance (Image, os,) details her training (both specific and impromptu), which involves Indian mysticism, shape-shifting demons, sewer goblins, a fire-breathing dragon and other phantasmagorical creatures. Shaman's Rain (tp) collects the first four issues of this critically-acclaimed comic. And Hobbit fans will enjoy The Wizard's Tale (Image, gn), a delightful fantasy about the last in a line of evil wizards charged with keeping the land of Ever-Night in the Darkness. David Wenzel's fully-painted art illuminates this wry twist on fairy tale conventions.

Kitchen Sink continues to offer an intriguing selection of eclectic comics. The Crow: Dead Time (gn) continues the popular movie and comics series (PR). During colonial times, a Native American member of the Crow tribe is murdered by Confederate marauders. A century later the killers are reincarnated as a motorcycle gang and the Crow is resurrected to carry out another mission of karmic justice. Much more cerebral, The Silent City (gn) tells the story of an emotionally barren industrial society, its solemn inhabitants, and a young boy who sparks a revolt against the amoral rulers. Inspired by Fritz Lang's film masterpiece Metropolis, this wordless graphic novel explores the impact of societal pressure to suppress emotions and is an allegory for the human mind. Dropsie Avenue: The Neighborhood (gn) is the saga of a New York district where Dutch, Irish, Italian and Jewish immigrants intermingle. Fifty years of American history is played out through the lives of dreamers and schemers, reformers and criminals. For this one, grandmaster comics creator Will Eisner drew from his experience of growing up in the Bronx. And speaking of dreams, A Flock of Dreamers (tp) is an anthology of 20 dream- inspired comic strips that features the noctural imagineerings of Robert Crumb, Jim Woodring, Rick Veitch and others.

When millions of people disappear in the blink of an eye from all over the Earth, those left behind struggle for an explanation. Was it UFOs, a biological anomaly, a chemical mishap? Or is something more spiritual (and more sinister) occurring? Empire (Kerrickters Pub, os) poses this very provocative puzzle. A more flippant tone is set in Smith Brown Jones (Kiwi Studios, os), about an alien accountant who's come down to Earth to find out what's going on with our whacky planet. Calm, Cool and Collected (tp) compiles the first several issues of this offbeat humor series. And comics history is brought to life in All In Color For a Dime (Krause, tp), which lets you relive the Goln Age of Funnybooks through the recollections of eleven comic book creators, writers and fans.

Who's the better starship captain, Kirk or Picard? Those all-powerful space aliens Q and Trelane set out to answer the question as only they can. The showdown takes place in Star Trek Unlimited #7 (Marvel, os). It's a must read for Trek fans. The Heavy Metal 20th Anniversary Special (Metal Mammoth, sp) showcases sophisticated comics art from around the world. Still I Rise (W.W. Norton, tp) uses comics art to detail the struggles, hopes and achievements of noteworthy African Americans. It brings to light many little- known facts about American history.

NBM publishes handsome quality graphic novellas, both original and European reprints. A Jew in Communist Prague (gna, PR) is the highly-praised true to life tale of one family's survival behind the Iron Curtain. In Vol. 2: Adolescence, young Jonas Finkel is forced to spy for the government, but secretly rebels and helps form an underground resistance group of teens. More fanciful, The Wind In the Willows: The Wild Wood (gna) begins adapting to comics the ageless stories of Mole and Toad.

Mystic Funnies 1 (Nincompoop Comics, sp) features a long-overdue full length (and in full color) appearance of Mr. Natural, R. Crumb's secular hippie guru, and his ever-questioning companion Flaky Foont. Totally Horses! (Painted Pony Press, os) is an anthology comic of serious and humorous stories featuring (you guessed it) - horses. Tales of Wonder (Pot Shot Comics, os) dramatizes stories from the Bible.

Sirius is a rising comics publisher. Poe (os) presents fiction stories about the real life writer, on a quest for his lost love Lenore. Along the way he encounters the unusual people, exotic locations and ghastly horrors that he wrote about. Armageddonquest (3 vol. tp) is a massive 900 page graphic epic about a reluctant Antichrist trying to avoid his destiny as the world hurtles toward the Final Conflict. And Dawn: Lucifer's Halo (ms, tp, PR) collects the lavishly painted mini-series about the gorgeous modern reincarnation of Kali, Goddess of Death and Rebirth.

Small Press Expo (S.P.G., sp) showcases work by over 40 of comics alternative creators. The hefty, bargain-priced 128 page anthology offers a cornucopia of stories in a spectrum of art styles. All proceeds benefit the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. Comix: Words and Pictures (St. Martins, tp) will also initiate you into the wide world of comics. It presents work by over 55 living comics artists, and includes over 350 color photographs.

Xena: Warrior Princess (Topps, os, tp) presents original comics adventures of the sword-wielding heroine who's a hit in TV syndication. Topps also publishes X-Files comics, including original stories, and adaptations of the TV episodes and fiction novels. The Truth (and the commercial product) Is Out There.

Viz Communications is the premiere American purveyor of Japanese manga comics. Series I've previously reviewed like Lum, Ramna 1/2, Maison Ikkoku, Mai the Psychic Girl, and 2001 Nights are kept in print in trade paperback collections. New releases include A, A' (gn) a trio of tales about a race of genetically-engineered individuals nicknamed 'unicorns' who have difficulty feeling and coping with emotions. A moving metaphor for alienation in the modern age, this is a fine example of 'shojo manga', a distinct literary genre of Japanese comics which eschews action and emphasizes relationships. Love Song (tp) is another excellent shojo manga collection. It features four tales about the ironies of love and is by Keiko Nishi, one of Japan's top female artists.

In Pixy Junket (gn), a fairy with miraculous powers reveals herself to a couple of youths and is soon pursued by government agents, ruthless businessmen and other nefarious characters. And Pulp (os) is a new anthology title of sophisticated manga comics for grown-ups. Each 128 page magazine-size issue features a half dozen stories and serial chapters ranging from drama and romance, to action and suspense, to ribald humor.

Finally, Elfquest Scores! (Warp Graphics, hc) offers a 20 year retrospective on the ground-breaking, epic fantasy series (PR). It's a must for all fans of pointy-eared wolfriders.

Have a joyous, illuminating Holiday season.

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