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By Jason Bourgeois
Continuing in my trend to bring good books to the fore, rather than bash the ones folks should avoid, since people buy the bad ones no matter what I say, I'm going back to a certain personage that I've commented on before, and spotlight some of his recent works, and put out a reminder of an upcoming work I heartily endorse.
Once more, I'd like to single out the works of Dan Slott for mention. I've previously given over several columns to his work, mostly She-Hulk, which was one of Marvel's best comics at the time it was being published, and still deserves to be checked out, in the two trade paperback volumes of Slott's run currently available.
Over the last few months, Dan has put out two further miniseries from Marvel, both of which continue to hold up to the standards I've come to expect from him, and are also highly endorsed by yours truly.
The first of which, that just came out with a digest-sized collection of its own, is Spider-Man/Human Torch, with art by Ty Templeton, who's been in the industry for some time. This series spans several decades, each issue being a self-contained story set during a certain period in the long history of Marvel Comics. The first issue naturally started back in the sixties, and the last finished up in the current time, as Johnny discovers a secret long-kept from him. Each issue is quite true to the time it's set in, but isn't overly corny, like some of those older comics tended to be. There's a little of that, but they also poke a little bit of fun at just that sort of thing, typified by the encounter with Paste-Pot Pete in the first issue.
Ty's art is a perfect fit for this book, his style long being more in tune with a more cartoony feel, or a more silver-age look, when he's playing it straighter for normal comics. He is also an expert storyteller, and the page and panel flow he brings to this is absolutely amazing, as one would expect from someone who's been in the industry for so long. His figures are well-proportioned, his woman aren't overly exaggerated, and he can draw real clothes. All things so many modern artists can manage, and with the more human, everyday feel that Slott likes to work with in his comics, as I said, a perfect fit.
With each issue being self-contained, it was a perfect book to pick up and check out, and it hooked me instantly. With the digest now available, it's an excellent five issue series in a compact, affordable format, so is definitely worth the look for anyone yearning for something a little nostalgic and fun.
The other book from Slott, which just wrapped up and has a collected edition on the way, is GLA, a book that brings back the joke characters from John Byrne's run on the West Coast Avengers, the Great Lakes Avengers or as the title suggests, the GLA, poking fun at DC's JLA and JSA naming convention they were using for awhile. Actually, this title pokes a lot of fun at comic mainstays all over the place, Marvel and DC. Mixed in with the humour is a lot of darkness. This title has a high body count, and the comedy is a bit black. With a character like Mister Immortal, whose whole schtick is to come back from being killed, no matter how, and they open the book with him blowing his brains all over the page, the tone is set right off the bat.
Teaming with Dan on GLA is his partner for the latter issues of his She-Hulk run, Paul Pelleteir, whose smooth, clean art is always a joy to see. His faces can be a bit strange at times, but like all good artists, he has a firm grasp of the human form. Unlike Templeton, he edges more towards the hyperrealized forms prevalent in modern comics, but he does it well, not pushing that envelope too far. Perfect people, but not out of the realm of possibility.
Comic fans be warned though, Slott pokes fun at us too, in a loving manner, but some comments he makes may be offensive to some people. Suck it up, it's just a comic, don't take things so seriously. Slott's big deal in a lot of his work is trying to recapture the fun and joy of comics, both working in them, and reading them, something which I heartily agree with him that some fans have lost sight of. This book pokes more fun at the recent smattering of death in comics, more than it revels in them. They're important to the plot, but it's also pointed out that comics used to be fun, with less carnage, raping, and pillaging. I'm not so much against these things, but the past year, it has been an almost unrelenting barrage of death and gore. Which GLA doesn't stop, but at least has the decency to poke fun at the trend as well.
Dan really gets comics, new and old. Like Giffen before him, he really knows how to have fun with these characters, while working within continuity, and not just having them be humour books that exist off in their own little world, while treating these characters as real characters, and not jokes.
They're not parodies, they just interject a little silly in their lives. Only someone who really knows the characters, and the continuity when playing these sorts of characters for laughs. Well, less so with the GLA, but he strived to keep them in the Marvel Universe proper.
He is quickly building a reputation as a good, solid writer with me, and others, that also has a good ear for dialogue, and is also able to keep things light and fun. In a lot of ways, he strikes me as a modern-day Peter David, who's still producing excellent work on his own.
Before signing off for another month, one last reminder that in October, She-Hulk volume two, by Slott, comes out, which I'm sure will carry on in his tradition of good, solid, fun comics, so be sure to check it out. Might as well keep an eye out for all his work. I'm sure you all want me to stop talking about him, so translate your desire to shut me up into sales for his comics people! Go!
Jason M. Bourgeois
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