Do to technical difficulties this week’s Thursday Thirst is a few days late! Sorry.
FRIDAY THE 13TH: HOW I SPENT MY SUMMER VACATION – Issue #2 of 2
Written by Jason Aaron Art by Adam Archer
WildStorm Entertainment
When we last saw the temporarily adopted boy by Jason Voorhees, we saw a bond formed between two outcasts. Two deformed heads, ridiculed by peers and camp counselors until they were pushed into a teary-eyed corner. It was believable in the first issue because the little boy looked like a young Jason. I bought into it, Jason sees the kid, “Hey, he looks like me, let’s hang out and kill people” and I was fine. I enjoyed it. The second issue, the boy appeared to have a makeover as just the bent nose remains to make the kid supposedly ugly. Most of the time, the reader doesn’t really notice the nose (well, now that I pointed it out, sure!), and finds it hard to believe that Jason would keep this rather normal-looking kid around whom no longer resembles a young Jason Voorhees. It’s still a great story, and I love the way Jason Aaron ends this puppy, making a statement that “all assholes will pay sooner or later”, and hopefully at the hands of Jason Voorhees. The art is pretty good by Adam Archer, but again, the inconsistency on a deformed child really pulls the reader out of the book in its believability. I’ve seen this a few times now with WildStorm books and you know my displeasure with it at times on Buffy Season 8, and it sucks to be honest. Matching a key element in the writing/story with the art is probably one of the most important things a publisher needs to display in a medium told by visuals. It upsets me because it’s important to acknowledge a subject visually, especially when it’s the focus of the storytelling. Still, it’s a cool, memorable series for Friday the 13th fans, and if you can burn a permanent image of what the boy looked like in the first issue, you might make it through without stopping, scratching the noggin, and saying to yourself, “Why’s this kid still alive again?”
GRADE: B SERIES GRADE: B+
SIMON DARK – Issue #1
DC Comics
Written by Steve Niles Art by Scott Hampton
Batman has a shadow, and his name is Simon Dark. As Gotham City fears the caped crusader, a new hero is celebrated in the parts Batman doesn’t patrol… I guess. DC Comics brings forth a creation by Steve Niles, and right away, I’ll say that I’m really intrigued by this Simon Dark fellow. It’s a cross between Edward Scissorhands and The Crow, and I like that element of mystery mixed with stark realism from a character that could jump out of a Tim Burton movie. Just to see Simon save a guy’s life, and then ask for food is a refreshing spark to a genre filled with truth, justice, and you get the rest. No, Simon needs to eat too, and I love that attribute added to the body from Niles. Scott Hampton’s art is beautiful and creepy at the same time, setting a tone that this is not your Bruce Wayne Gotham City, but more of the one you only see on dark, rainy days around 4pm. Especially for a DC book, where superheroes love their spandex and bright colors, Simon Dark feels like it could be a Marvel/IDW book instead. I like this new mix added to the pink bubblegum flavor of DC, and I hope Niles and Hampton continue on with a great character and an intriguing storyline while bringing in fans of this genre over from other companies. Simon Dark, you can read my books anytime. Just make sure The Joker don’t laugh at me.
GRADE: A CONTINUE READING? Not much was revealed in the first book as it sets the tone, atmosphere, and pace carefully, so to find out more, definitely keep reading.
BART SIMPSON’S TREEHOUSE OF HORROR – Unlucky #13
Bongo Comics
Written by Brian Posehn, Gerry Duggan, Patton Oswalt, Thomas Lennon, Ian Boothby
Art by Hilary Barta, Jason Ho, Pia Guerra, Tone Rodriguez
Bart Simpson spoils us comic book fans on Halloween! From Bongo Entertainment comes the annual Treehouse of Horror series, only this time, it’s on paper, and before Halloween day! Effin Brilliant, I say! The collection of horror shorts combines our favorite Simpsons players along with some of the top talent in comedy today. Thomas Lennon (Reno 911, Balls of Fury), Patton Oswalt (Ratatouille, Balls of Fury), and Brian Posehn (Devil’s Rejects, not in Balls of Fury but was on Reno 911!) join an array of talented artists to scare the crap out of us! Yeah, you’re laughing. It’s The Simpsons. Nice try on the scary sell. Right away, fans are treated to a Simpsons version of Jaws (appropriately titled “Gnaws”) featuring our favorite supporting player of all time, Blinky the mutated fish, eating folks in that classic, shark fashion. It fits nicely into the Treehouse of Horror scheme, and is very original in parodies for famous films. It’s my favorite of the bunch as The Simpson family sits back on the couch and allows the popular supporting cast of Chief Wiggum, Professor Frink, and Captain McAllister play out the popular roles from the Spielberg classic. The other standout is with Comic Book Guy where they pay tribute to Friday the 13th the Series, I think, and have certain objects in his dungeon send our Simpson family to certain films and TV shows. Lisa gets the Buffy the Vampire Slayer treatment, Bart goes Ash on us in Evil Dead 2, the guys at the Moe’s Tavern cross the streams in Ghostbusters, and Homer… well, Homer does the long sigh… Star Wars saga. (Now we need Futurama to do Star Wars, and we can all rest in peace.) It’s always a fun time with The Simpsons, and Bart Simpson’s Treehouse of Horror is a tasty treat to read before Halloween. In fact, skip the bowl of candy to give out this year. Grab a stack of these and shove them in the bag.
GRADE: A- CONTINUE READING? Look for more Bongo books on Futurama, Simpsons, and then next Halloween for Treehouse of Horror!
LIVING WITH THE DEAD – Issue #1
Dark Horse Comics
Written by Mike Richardson Art by Ben Stenbeck
Another zombie book? And no Sheri Moon Zombies either. To top it off, Marvel Zombies 2 comes out this week as well. (Review next week) But there is one thing that appeals to me from most of the other zombie books: Dark Horse. And yep, quality was definitely delivered. We burst onto the zombie scene where two buddies with masks and torn clothing pretend to be zombies while searching the town for supplies and rock band equipment. It’s a relationship that’s befitting to the classic novel, Of Mice and Men, where one is the smart guy and the other being a mindless ogre. They enjoy life, even though they are surrounded by death, and that’s a neat twist for a zombie story that usually follows death and despair. The humor is laughable, as music lyrics are messed up in the right spot, and a female is introduced to shake things up between Straw and the no name, but nicknamed by me, Lenny Rabbit. This appears to be a great plot device and character build for the book, and I’m definitely interested in reading more. That is, if Marvel Zombies doesn’t wear me out on the zombie apocalypse! Living with the Dead is a fast ride through zombies, friendship, and rock and roll, and it’s one that has a bright future with this kind of storytelling.
GRADE: A- CONTINUE READING? Definitely. Especially if they continue to give readers extra stuff like cooking recipes and zombie retarded masks!
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