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Review Date: 10/02/2009
Halloween will
be here before you know it, so Good King Leonardo has decreed
that this week we review two comics with a Halloween theme,
followed by the latest Superman mini-series:
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The
Simpsons' Treehouse Of Horror
Publisher: Bongo Entertainment
Matt Groening: Creator
Multiple Writers & Artists
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Fans of The Simpsons television show look forward
to the show's annual "Treehouse Of Horror" tribute
to all that is Halloween. Bongo Entertainment
also publishes an annual Treehouse Of Horror comic
book as part of its extensive Simpsons publishing
titles. This year's edition is guest-edited
by Sammy Harkham, who has assembled a wide-ranging
team of artists and writers for this Halloween tribute
to America's favorite animated/cartoon disfunctional
family.
The 2009 issue has ten stories ranging in length from
one-page wonders to more standard-length comic tales.
While all of the tales have a Halloween or basic horror
theme, "The Call of Vegulu" stands-out among them
all as a classic Simpsons story. Written by
Matthew Thurber with art by Kevin Huizenga, its a
very funny spoof on H.P. Lovecraft's classic horror
story "The Call Of Cthulhu." The creative team
recasts Lovecraft's tale into an all-Simpsons event,
with wide-ranging spoofing of relevant current events.
In one panel alone, there are references to green
technology, the economic meltdown, Bernie Madoff's
pyramid scheme and 401K investing-whew! That's a lot
of jabs at current events, but its all in good fun
and works as well as any good episode of The Simpsons
t.v. show.
It's also interesting to see a variety of artistic
interpretations in this issue. While all of
the artists keep the basic style of the well-known
Simpsons characters intact, they do each bring their
own talented interpretations to their respective stories,
giving the reader some nice stylistic variety amongst
the tales as opposed to producing ten stories
with the same cookie-cutter figures rubber-stamped
from the t.v. show's format. So all in all,
for $4.99 you do get your money's worth of an
oversized, 48-page issue stuffed with enough Halloween-themed
stories to keep the reader well-entertained until
Halloween 2010 rolls around.
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Beasts
Of Burden #1
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Evan Dorkin: Writer
Jill Thompson: Art
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Dark
Horse Comics has just published the first issue of
Beasts Of Burden, a new title from writer Evan Dorkin
and artist Jill Thompson. The fantasy story
stars a gang of talking dogs and cats who function
as paranormal investigators, protecting the small
town of Burden Hill from all things dark and evil.
A letters column in this issue aptly entitled "Speak!
Speak! Good Boy!" explains that this new comic
book title evolved from a series of animal fables
tales that the creative team has been producing off
and on for Dark Horse Comics since 2003.
Issue #1 is entitled "The Gathering Storm" and interweaves
two sub-plots. The main storyline has our team
of canines and felines investigating a paranormal,
literal rain of frogs from the sky. The host
of frogs turns out to be an aggregate demon, which
combines into a giant creepy frog which the team has
to find a way to defeat. In a parallel subplot,
our team of heroes are visited by an out-of-town sheepdog,
who represents a society of paranormal animal protectors.
By story's end, the guest sheepdog commends our friends
for their fine protection efforts and inducts them
into the society as the new, local Burden Hill chapter
of pet protectors.
I enjoyed this new comic for several reasons.
First and foremost, its a fun and refreshing change
of pace to read this fantasy premise about talking
dogs and cats protecting their small town. Secondly,
the creative team succeeds in giving the various pets
well-defined and entertaining personalities, from
the complaining Pug to the noble pack leader Husky.
If you're a dog and/or cat lover, you're sure to recognize
the traits of your favorite pet breeds in
these characters. Finally, Jill Thompson's art
is perfect for this type of fantasy comic, with her
style of painting emphasizing wonderful details
of expression in all of these creatures. So
a definite thumbs-up to add this new fantasy title
to your Halloween-time reading list.
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Superman
Secret Origin #1
Publisher: D.C. Comics
Geoff Johns: Writer
Gary Frank: Penciler
Jon Sibal: Inker
Brad Anderson: Colorist
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The latest new interpretation of the Superman origin
story is issue #1 of Superman Secret Origin.
The six-issue mini-series is written by veteran writer
Geoff Johns with art by Gary Frank, Jon Sibal and
Brad Anderson.
Any DC fan is most likely very familiar with the basics
of the Superman story universe, from his early origin
years through the basic structure of Superman's friends
and life as an adult superhero. What's
fun from time-to-time is reading a new interpretation,
in which the latest creative team gives us the basic
known facts layered-over with their own spin on the
details and their own creative approach to the character's
emotions and personalities.
Issue #1 begins by showing us young teenager
Clark Kent trying to fit into the world of Smallville,
knowing that he has inexplicable superpowers but hiding
them from most people as he has yet to learn of his
true origins. As the story proceeds, Ma and
Pa Kent divulge his origins to him, as the threesome stumble
across the knowledge crystals from Krypton that fill-in the
details of Kal-El's Kryptonian origins.
By issue's end, Clark has both met his future nemesis
Lex Luthor and donned the Superboy costume for the
first time.
Geoff Johns is one of the most renowned comic writers
today, and he doesn't fail his well-deserved reputation
in giving us not only a high quality comic but a deeply
moving story, as well. Johns's approach is to
present Clark Kent as an ordinary small town kid who
wants absolutely nothing to do with his discovered
powers, and who genuinely struggles to accept that
he has these unwanted abilities. This approach
is very real-world believable, in such scenes as Clark
reluctantly trying-on the Ma Kent-produced Superboy
costume and swearing that "this is the last time I
ever wear this." We all know
better of course, but sympathize with the boy's struggle
to try and find some way to accept the burden
of his unwanted situation.
I always enjoy the little adjustments that Johns makes
to the story worlds of the DC characters that he takes
under his writing wing, and this title is no exception.
My favorite Johns touch in this comic is a subplot
in which Clark's friend Lana Lang knows everything
about Clark's powers from day one, as he both confides
in her and discovers each new power usually in her
presence. I might be wrong, but I personally
don't remember any previous Superman stories with
this twist and as such, it was a fresh and nice approach
to give Clark a trusted confidant from the very beginning
of his situation other than just having to rely on
his folks.
So an obvious enthusiastic thumbs-up for this latest
mini-series addition to the Superman legacy.
If the creative team keeps-up this high level
of quality in the remaining five issues of the series,
we just might have another title to place in that
highest category of Superman interpretations alongside
such masterpieces as the Jeph Loeb-Tim Sale "Superman
For All Seasons" classic. Let's hope so!
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New
Contest Announcement!!!
The Bongo Congo panel of
contest judges thought we'd go with a television trivia
question this week, so our contest challenge for this week
is to e-mail us at Gordon_A@msn.com with the correct
answer to the following: What extremely popular
television show from the 1950's Golden Age of Television
often referred to its cast members as "The Kuklapolitan
Players?" If we receive more than one correct answer,
we'll select the winner of the $10.00 gift certificate to
That's Entertainment via the roll of the dice. So
enter now!
That's it for now,
so have a great comic book reading week and see you again
next week Here In Bongo Congo!
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