(no subject)
Every once in a while I'll post about the manga I read, giving little reviews. Tonight I'm going to do a 180, and talk about some of the American publications I enjoy.
Invincible
Omni-Man, Defender of Democracy, is a pretty standard Superman analogue. Super speed, super strength, super toughness, and he can fly. He's also got a family, a loving wife and a son, who both know of his powers and his constant world-saving. The book is about Mark, his son, who begins to manifest powers similar to his father's when he's 17. What follows is a book that does what so many comics have tried but failed at: showing what it's like to be a young adult with super powers.
Mark has to juggle school, relationships, and his hero life. It's not painfully hip, like Runaways tends to be, nor is it a super hero babies book. The plot begins with some blatant ripoffs, what with nearly every hero and villain in the first two trades being renamed copies of classic DC characters, but the writer pulls it off. Very well written with a great sense of realism.
I've devoured the first 6 trades in the past day or so, and I don't know if there are any more right now. The first trade makes a great Christmas gift for that comic nerd that may have missed this gem of a title.
Ex Machina
What if there were no super heroes? What if, one day, an average joe was gifted with extraordinary powers? What would he do? In the case of Mitchell Hundred, he'd go into politics. Set in the "real" world, Ex Machina is a fascinating look at politics. Hundred, an out-of-shape civil engineer, is called out to investigate a weird glowing object attached to a support column of the Brooklyn Bridge. As he peers at it, it explodes, blowing off a good chunk of his face. He survives, and realizes that he can hear and speak to machines of all kinds. In fugue-like states, he constructs a jet pack and body armor, and becomes the worlds first, and only, super hero. He rights wrongs with his powers, but rapidly realizes the sticky situation of vigilante justice.
Then came the morning of September 11th, 2001. In Ex Machina, Hundred was able to stop the second plane from hitting the second World Trade Center tower. He goes public with his identity, retires his alter ego, and runs for mayor of New York City as an independent. He wins by a landslide.
The comic details Hundred's term as mayor of NYC, and all the mundane and supernatural events that come with the job. His powers are a mystery to everyone, especially himself. Other people, exposed to similar objects, alien writing, or even recordings of Hundred's voice, begin to exhibit similar powers. Things are building to a big reveal, but who can say what it is?
Still a new comic, it's only got 4 trades out, that I know of. It'll only be 50 issues, so sayeth the author, Brian K Vaughan, a new favorite of mine.
Fables
If you haven't heard of Fables, you need to get out more. Nearly every fable, myth, fairy tale, nursery rhyme, or tall tale ever told is in this book. They have fled their home to come to this world, running from a powerful foe known only as The Adversary. This mysterious fable has amassed armies of terrifying might, and has subjugated millions of mythic worlds. The exiles have made a home in New York, both the city and upstate. The book describes their collective tales of sorrow and survival as they battle their enemies.
Lots of trades for this one, and a spinoff, Jack, that is hilarious. Great art, great writing. Great book.
Invincible
Omni-Man, Defender of Democracy, is a pretty standard Superman analogue. Super speed, super strength, super toughness, and he can fly. He's also got a family, a loving wife and a son, who both know of his powers and his constant world-saving. The book is about Mark, his son, who begins to manifest powers similar to his father's when he's 17. What follows is a book that does what so many comics have tried but failed at: showing what it's like to be a young adult with super powers.
Mark has to juggle school, relationships, and his hero life. It's not painfully hip, like Runaways tends to be, nor is it a super hero babies book. The plot begins with some blatant ripoffs, what with nearly every hero and villain in the first two trades being renamed copies of classic DC characters, but the writer pulls it off. Very well written with a great sense of realism.
I've devoured the first 6 trades in the past day or so, and I don't know if there are any more right now. The first trade makes a great Christmas gift for that comic nerd that may have missed this gem of a title.
Ex Machina
What if there were no super heroes? What if, one day, an average joe was gifted with extraordinary powers? What would he do? In the case of Mitchell Hundred, he'd go into politics. Set in the "real" world, Ex Machina is a fascinating look at politics. Hundred, an out-of-shape civil engineer, is called out to investigate a weird glowing object attached to a support column of the Brooklyn Bridge. As he peers at it, it explodes, blowing off a good chunk of his face. He survives, and realizes that he can hear and speak to machines of all kinds. In fugue-like states, he constructs a jet pack and body armor, and becomes the worlds first, and only, super hero. He rights wrongs with his powers, but rapidly realizes the sticky situation of vigilante justice.
Then came the morning of September 11th, 2001. In Ex Machina, Hundred was able to stop the second plane from hitting the second World Trade Center tower. He goes public with his identity, retires his alter ego, and runs for mayor of New York City as an independent. He wins by a landslide.
The comic details Hundred's term as mayor of NYC, and all the mundane and supernatural events that come with the job. His powers are a mystery to everyone, especially himself. Other people, exposed to similar objects, alien writing, or even recordings of Hundred's voice, begin to exhibit similar powers. Things are building to a big reveal, but who can say what it is?
Still a new comic, it's only got 4 trades out, that I know of. It'll only be 50 issues, so sayeth the author, Brian K Vaughan, a new favorite of mine.
Fables
If you haven't heard of Fables, you need to get out more. Nearly every fable, myth, fairy tale, nursery rhyme, or tall tale ever told is in this book. They have fled their home to come to this world, running from a powerful foe known only as The Adversary. This mysterious fable has amassed armies of terrifying might, and has subjugated millions of mythic worlds. The exiles have made a home in New York, both the city and upstate. The book describes their collective tales of sorrow and survival as they battle their enemies.
Lots of trades for this one, and a spinoff, Jack, that is hilarious. Great art, great writing. Great book.