Weeks Too Late: Guest Review - Daniel Hobson Talks Xombi

Zombie (1979)

Director: Lucio Fulci

Today we’ll be looking at the Lucio Fulci 1979 classic Zombie, this has been…*looks around blog,* wait a minute this isn’t my blog. Girl on Book Action? Wow this place looks really nice. Hmmm I really don’t want to stink up the joint. Might change what I’m reviewing. *bright idea* I got it. *goes through the latest purchased comic books* Today I’ll be reviewing the weird comic just freshly reanimated, Xombi.

Xombi #1 (2011)

Writer: John Rozum

Artist: Fraser Irving

I’ve not actually read the old series which started in 1994, was written by John Rozum and ran for about 21 issues, but as DC was starting to advertise the new series I couldn’t help but be intrigued by the story. David Kim, a Korean-American scientist, is almost killed, but thanks to being injected with nanites he survives and gains powers. The main power is that he is able to regenerate his body with any material close at hand; this, in turn, makes him practically immortal. However, there are downsides to this. The nanites in control of his body do not have emotional attachment like David and for them any item or person is good enough to be used in regeneration. Guilty over those that have been killed accidentally by his new form, David has become a superhero of sorts. Named Xombi, he deals with the strange and unusual things in the world. This new series takes place two months after the nanite incident.

I’m a fan of the weird and disturbing and man does this first issue deliver. We have everything from Nosferatu leaping from the silver screen to eat movie goers, to a villain that was infected by a book of Dr Jeckyl and Mr Hyde. Yep, weird as hell and I haven’t even touched upon some of the more goose bump inducing things that happen at the end of this issue. Thankfully, all this quirky stuff is offset by a sense of humor. In this world there is a group of Catholic superheros which is made up of Catholic Girl, Nun the Less, Nun of the Above and I think there may be more nuns on the way.

With all these elements it would have been easy for the comic to become a mess, but John Rozum knows what he’s doing. The dialogue has a great sense of timing and allows for the weirdness to just flow. It’s also impressive that John Rozum seems to have come back to his creation and not shown signs of needing to find his groove again. The sheer level of insanity of this written world that John is able to create is a joy to witness; it’s also not weird sake for the sake of it, to me what is happening in the comic has deep ties to urban legends and nightmares people may have. This all comes together to create something very unique.

I’m not too sure where the story is headed, but it was a good introduction to a character that is sympathetic and someone I want to see overcome the hurdles that have been placed before him. Yet not fully getting a grasp on where things are heading has left me slightly worried. Plot pieces may fall into place, characters' motives may shine through, but any story that delves into such an out there premise needs a strong story to keep everything on track. Despite this concern however I’m still enjoying the writing.

Yet writing alone does not a comic make, I have mixed feelings about the art. It’s crisp, clean and I will admit the final page was creepy, but other than that little flourish I wasn’t drawn to it. There does seem to be a lack of detail sometimes and with such a wonderfully weird world being communicated verbally I was hoping that visually it might reflect the uniqueness. Of course, since it’s the first issue all this might change. Maybe Fraser Irving just needs to get used to the world being written, and once this happens he may get more adventurous with how he visualizes; that last page gives me tells me he is capable of this. But with that being said, right now I’m here for the writer not the artist.

I’m going to be sticking with Xombi for a bit. I do hope it takes off, as I would love to have a one, two punch of this and Hellblazer to get my monthly dose of the weird and disturbing. As for possible readers I will warn that if you’re not into plots centered on the unhinged then maybe you should move along. Also time will tell if my concern on the writing will be a valid one, the first story arc will be crucial. But if you’re after something unique then line up, I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.

Girl on Book Action: Nosferatu by Christopher Howard Wolf

Nosferatu by Christopher Howard Wolf, Justin Wayne and Sal Nieto

ISBN: 978-098271177-4

Blurb:

In 1922, the classic film “Nosferatu” gave fear a new face.  F.W. Murnau’s tale of terror, starring the unsettlingly talented Max Schreck, has influenced horror as a genre for many decades to come.

Though his name may be unfamiliar, there are few who would not recognize the visage of the iconic Count Orlok.  He is a mysterious, disturbing being that seems to exist on the fringe of immortality, playing on our most basic fear of the inhuman.

Now, Christopher Howard Wolf, Justin Wayne, and Sal Nieto bring you a revamped version of this classic tale.  With horror, suspense, dark humour, and a touch of action, the Nosferatu graphic novel pays homage to the original masterpiece while expanding the story for a new millennium.

***

Aside: As Wren promised, I'm here to review the Nosferatu graphic novel as part two of our dual review. You'll be happy to know that I only tortured her a tiny bit for her thoughts on the movie and she should recover in time to write something new for you to read on Tuesday (hopefully, one can never tell for sure with these things). 

My Thoughts:

Now, to re-iterate what Wren told you earlier this week, I’m slowly working my way through my MA and I’m writing my thesis on F.W. Murnau’s iconic 1922 film Nosferatu: Eine Symphonie des Grauens, so the topic is one close to my heart and consistently on my mind.  When I heard that there would be a Nosferatu graphic novel, I cringed, knowing without even seeing the updated plot that it would be...well...campy at best.  I mean, I've spent the past few months dissecting the film and reading article upon article about it.  I was not disappointed.

You might expect me to rip this book apart and offer you nothing but snarky quips, but I'm not going to do that. Why?  Well, because I don’t actually think it's bad and only things that don’t meet my exacting standards get the full treatment of my scorn.  Plenty of things escape my scorn daily: kittens, chocolate, Dragon Age 2, books (obviously), Stash's Orange Spice black tea and apparently a lot of things about this comic, so there you go.  I take the writer at his word when he mentions in his introduction that his tongue is firmly planted in his cheek.  Also, I’m a sucker for a pretty girl with piercings (the same applies to pretty boys with piercings) and the book definitely has those.  And while I’m certainly no expert when it comes to graphic novels (Hey! I've read Sandman! Also: JTHM, Squee and most of Lucifer), I will say that the art in this is nice to look at and very colourful.  I was never confused about what was happening in a given panel, which for a novice such as me is a big deal.  I don’t know how to read these picture books, they don’t have enough words in them and I get confused (Wren wants me to make a Ben Templesmith joke here, but I have no idea what she's talking about, so I won't go there).

Okay, I lied, I have one quip.  I don't think I've ever met anyone with a lip ring who managed to snag it on a fork to the point of bleeding profusely, my own clumsy self included.  So when Tommy Hutter, lesbian photographer extraordinaire, does precisely that I was a bit baffled.  Couldn't she have cut herself with a knife the way all the others who venture to Dracula's castle in all the other adaptations have pretty much done?

Spoiler alert:  I’m going to talk about the updated plot for the next paragraph, so if you want to find out what has changed on your own, I suggest you skip ahead. 

I can’t say that I think the story gained anything through having a lesbian couple, but ultimately it doesn’t detract from it either.  Hutter was a fairly ineffectual male protagonist, but since that is my reading of him, it didn’t sit well with me that in the end, it’s not Elle (apparently the name Ellen isn't "cool" enough so they dropped the "n") who defeats the vampire, but Tommy Hutter.  I also don’t approve of the happy ending.  I think something that the film Nosferatu does well is give a happy ending, but at the cost of Ellen’s life - without her death, the plague will not end and everyone in Wisborg will die.  In this graphic novel, Elle lives, because Tommy and Special Agent Bullner (Dr. Bulwer in the movie I presume) prevent Orlok from draining her completely and they then do battle with the vampire.  Tommy gets him into the elevator and takes it to the roof so the night-creature burns in the sunlight.  The plague ends, Elle survives and everyone lives happily ever after.  I hate that kind of ending.

Here endeth the spoilers.

Vital plot changes aside, the updated version works well enough for what it is: a cheap retelling of a classic tale.  I do pity people who read this graphic novel without ever having seen either Murnau’s film, or Werner Herzog’s 1979 adaptation.  In the end, I think this comic book is a nice novelty item to have if you’re a Nosferatu fan, but aside from that I can’t really recommend that you rush out to read it.  Actually, if you’re reading this post right now and haven’t seen at least one of those movies stop reading right now and remedy that oversight (What is wrong with you?  I’m taking away some of your geekdom points). 

Girl on Book Action: Guest Review - RobotMatt Talks "Hack/Slash"

Aside:  I know, I know, two guest reviews in a row, not to mention that there has been very little girl in the girl on book action, lately.  I am a bad little blogger, but I assure you that after this amazing piece by our good friend Matt I will return to writing form.  After all, my big day of academic achievement is over and it'll be a few months before the next one.  Until then, please enjoy this guest review.

A short aside about Matt:  Wondering who Matt is?  Well, wonder no more!  Matt Rowbotham dwells in the jungles of Canada from which he occasionally emerges to record critically acknowledged podcasts Sarcastic Voyage and the Post Atomic Horror. (Available at www.sarcasticvoyage.com and postatomichorror.com respectively.). He also writes the occasional column for Post Atomic Horror's website.

Review:

You know what I never get tired of? Girls beating the shit out of monsters. It's a tried and true format. Hot girl + slathering monster = good times for all. It worked for Buffy, it worked decidedly less well for a shit ton of crappy titles from Image back in the 90s and it works for Hack/Slash.

Hack/Slash chronicles the adventures of Cassie Hack, the teenage daughter of the notorious Lunch Lady killer. The Lunch Lady murdered dozens of high school kids before turning them into mystery meat in the cafeteria. When she was discovered, she killed herself. And then came back to start all over again. Cassie kills her (again) and then heads out into the world to rid it of other so-called Slashers. She eventually joins up with an accused serial killer Vlad and the two travel across America killing killers. Hack/Slash is a horror comic, but it's a very specific type of horror comic. It is a very loving riff on the slasher movies that were especially popular in the 80s and 90s. Simple premise: Dude with an interesting gimmick and a knife kills teenagers for an hour and a half. And if you, like me, spent the weekends of your youth watching them by the dozen, they hold a very special and bloody place in your heart. Let's be clear here. The comic is exploitive as hell. The lead protagonist is clearly designed to titillate and the language and violence are gratuitous. Just like the source material.

Hack/Slash has two very specific things going for it.  Firstly, the characters have a lot of heart. Cassie and Vlad are extremely close, without being romantic (something I actually like seeing in books with male and female protaganists) and the supporting cast are also likable. An unconventional family of victims, former serial killers

and sweater banging helldogs form around Cassie and Vlad.  Secondly, the book is extremely funny. Cassie is quippy in a completely unannoying way and Vlad is deadpan with a ridiculous accent and Pooch, the above mentioned helldog never fails to delight me. Tim Seeley is, for the most part an excellent writer. He keeps what could quickly be an extremely boring concept fresh with new and original monsters and is willing to experiment with his characters and settings. One chapter in Book 1 is made up entirely of short 'trailer' style stories, each

telling a story in only a few pages. Another chapter involves an invasion of Lovecraft's Deep Ones of a  Riverdalesque town and the entire issue is drawn in the style of Archie comics.

The only times the story really seems to fail are the crossovers.  Volume 3 features crossovers with two other horror books "The Living Corpse" and "Halloween Man." Neither story is written by Seeley and they both suffer for it. Living Corpse is a rough but largely inoffensive story that covers its shortcomings with some damn fine art. Halloween Man is just bad. The writer, Drew Edwards, seems much too pleased with his own characters. The dialogue is wooden and stinks of comic cliches. The two characters crossing over even have a misunderstanding before uniting to take down a common threat and the whole thing feels lazy. The only one which really seemed to work was the meeting of the H/S crew and Chuckie, the killer from the Child's Play movies. Seeley clearly enjoyed writing Chuckie and having Cassie face an actual well-known horror movie monster felt like a big deal.

Artwise, the books vary.There is no regular artist on the book, although artists do stick around for individual arcs. The art shifts from thick lined Bruce Timmish cartoons to thin lined hyper detailed sketches reminicent of early Image. It varies depending on the mood of the story being told.

In the end, it's an extremely fun comic. If you enjoyed watching Jason Vorhees shove a pitchfork through a camper's eye mid-coitus, even on the eighteenth time, this is probably the horror comic for you. Hack/Slash is very aware of its roots and is more than willing to embrace them.

Shawn O'Rouke Does Locke and Key

Locke and Key written by Joe Hill. Reviewed by Shawn O'Rouke.

The back-cover copy of Joe Hill’s horrifying bestseller, Heart-Shaped Box - recently and superbly reviewed by Doomwench - has a blurb from master-storyteller, Neil Gaiman. You open the book and there prefacing the first chapter is a quotation from Alan Moore, author of The Watchmen, V for Vendetta and countless other seminal works of graphic fiction. It certainly doesn’t take the world’s greatest detective to realize that the author must be a fan of comic books. This deduction is only reinforced when one reads the author’s earlier collection, 20th Century Ghosts, in which one story, "The Cape", offers a dark re-imagining of the superhero story. With such obvious connections to the medium, it seemed inevitable to fans of Hill that the writer would eventually find his way into writing comics. Fortunately, their wait was a short one. Hill made his first foray in the comic book world with the Eisner-nominated series, Locke and Key. Published by IDW, an imprint noted particularly for its horror comics, the series is broken into books, the third of which has just been released in a collected edition. 

Locke and Key is the story of a family trying to rebuild itself in the wake of tragedy, plagued by ghosts from the past - both real and internal - and seeking refuge in a magical house called Lovecraft. The story is terrifying, with its foundation firmly embedded in the horror genre but also cleverly weaving in the tropes from fantasy and young adult fiction. While some prose writers rely on assistance from established comic book creators to guide them while taking their first tentative steps into the medium, Hill shows that his skills as a creator are equal to the task, and he handles the transition with ease. His narrative style flourishes in the comic book medium where the artwork is able to capture the nuance and emotional depths, delving deeply into the nature of grief, fear, and guilt with a subtlety that demands the reader’s involvement in a way denied by limitations of prose. In a very real way, although Hill’s books are wonderful, a part of his creativity has not just found a home in comics, but been liberated by them. 

The artwork by Gabriel Rodriguez expertly captures the surreal sense of unease that permeates all the panels, ubiquitous and ever-present even in the sequences that are not overtly meant to frighten. To some degree, he does his job too well. The story has many plots that involve scenes of extreme violence, and Rodriguez captures those moments in a way that is not just terrifying, but disturbing. These moments are not meant to be voyeuristic like cheesy slasher films where the viewer can experience and explore violence as both perpetrator and victim in a safe fantasy world; these are all-too-real and force the reader to confront a brutality that while contextually fictional, painfully replicates a very present part of the world.

Despite the artwork that sometimes makes you want to put the book down and go outside into the sunshine, the story keeps demanding that it be completed. Although replete with fascinating characters and evil villains in extreme situations, it also meditates on the themes of loss and regret in a way that is immediately relatable. Hill explores these crucial emotions by examining the nature of memory with the visual symbolism of the locked doors and the keys which open them. 

For those who enjoy complex characters, Locke and Key has plenty to offer. The story jumps between a multitude of different perspectives, including the villains’, and gives the requisite time and attention to explore their motivations and make them real. Hill expertly divides the majority of his time to the three protagonists, seamlessly transitioning between the angst of teens - which has been compounded by a past tragedy -, and the whimsy and naivete of youth, with its surprising ability to endure even in the darkest times. Such is the level of genuine care in the construction of these characters, that there is no blurring of the respective rolls accorded to each: you hate who Hill wants you to hate, and you love who Hill wants you to love. 

With Locke and Key, Joe Hill has been able to make a transition that is no doubt the envy of many fanboys and girls (including myself); he has left the world of the comic book fan, hinted at with his earlier works, and become a highly acclaimed comic book creator. This story is a wonderful synthesis of the skills he honed as a writer of prose, wedded to the style and structure of the medium he clearly loves. Thus far three collections have been released, Welcome to Lovecraft, Head Games, and Crown of Shadows - all excellent reads, well-worth your time and money.

Final Thoughts:

This review is a little more gushing than the ones I typically write. There is a school of thought in criticism that admonishes the writer to separate the critic in them from the fan - as if to enjoy something is somehow an abdication of the roll we’ve been assigned (or assigned ourselves). While I don’t necessarily subscribe to that interpretation, I don’t completely eschew it either. However, when given a chance to write something for the folks at Girl on Book Action, I decided to review something I genuinely loved as a thank you for the opportunity. Consequently, I wrote with a little more fanboy enthusiasm than I might have normally, but I assure the readers that the book is truly worth the praise I’ve given it.

******

When Shawn isn't being wrangled by crazy women into writing for their blog, he's writing his own at the Uncertain Future of the Printed Word or other comic reviews at Popmatters. We heartily endorse his efforts and so should you.