Day 4. Steve Niles is probably the busiest horror writer these days with comic books coming out almost weekly. This Thursday Thirst showcases some of the current books Steve has coming out monthly on comic book shelves now.
Day 1: Quickie Interview With Steve Niles
Day 3: Criminal Macabre Book & Comic Reviews
SIMON DARK – Issues #1-5
DC Comics
Written by Steve Niles Art by Scott Hampton
Simon Dark needs a spotlight, and not just from me. This character just keeps pouring on the boyish charm and delicate do-gooder personality that causes most people to shed their tough exterior and show that softer side of Sears. Steve Niles finally pulls away from the pursuer character mold like Cal McDonald and Stosh Bludowski and writes about a character that everyone wants to go after. Even the reader. It’s a folk tale come to life, and though Simon’s roots can easily be compared to Frankenstein’s monster, he can still stand on his own. Especially with The Crow exterior, Simon does show some parts are borrowed, but the rest is refreshingly new. The supporting cast keeps the mystery intact with Simon while slowly allowing the reader to learn more about this new, unconventional costumed-hero hanging around in Batman’s hood. It’s pacing like this that keeps readers hanging around outside the comic book store every week, waiting for their Simon Dark fix. Co-creator, Scott Hampton, does a great job on the art, making all of these characters one step closer to reality. Facial expressions and movement especially. This creative team appears to be on the same level, delivering a top notch read every month, and having fun along the way. I’d say Gotham City better watch out. Batman might be out of a job soon.
GRADE: A CONTINUE READING? This is a classic character in the making, so jump onboard before you have to sell your kidneys for the first couple of issues.
CITY OF OTHERS – Issues #1-4
Art by Bernie Wrightson
I previously reviewed issues one and two last year, with dramatic differences I might add. The first issue was a great set-up to what seemed like a hitman going against hordes of zombies and being caught by a clan of vampires. It hooked me, and I was excited for issue two, however, when I got it, the set-up was sending me down a confusing road. The main character went from badass, “take no prisoners and no shit from nobody” to a crybaby that wanted to feel pain. Trust me, we don’t want to feel pain, so when the rock falls into the grinder, we grimace because we feel it. Issues three and four complete Stosh “Blud” Bludowski’s purpose and transformation, turning from heartless hitman to the all-feeling vampire. I guess adrenaline will do that to a guy without a girlfriend. The funny part is, Blud does get a girlfriend towards the end of the series, and it’s fitting that he no longer roams the country alone in his pathetic desperation to feel alive. And that’s where the rub appears. Mortality sometimes can only be felt in time of loss or death. It’s a smart theme that had trouble sending the message. Still, this series delivered some intriguing additions to our classic monsters along with great art from Bernie Wrightson, keeping in tone with the creepy, classic style back when horror was more film noir than gorefest. But don’t read this per issue as I fell off the wagon after issue #2. City of Others can only be appreciated as a whole story, so get the trade paperback to really understand where Niles is taking this story. So what happens from here, and I’m assuming we’ll be seeing more City of Others after this four issue mini series that will determine whether or not Blud’s character will be one favorable to other Niles creations like Cal McDonald and Simon Dark.
SERIES GRADE: B HIGHLIGHT? The learning process of being a vampire. I liked how Blud didn’t know a thing and kept making mistakes with his new life. Very human, yet ironic.
GIANT MONSTER – 44 Page Preview
Read it here for free!
Is the monster movie making a comeback? With Cloverfield’s success last month, I see it as a definitely possibility. The “End of the World” movie appears to be dying fast, so Steve Niles and Nat Jones are pretty quick to get their monster movie on paper before Hollywood starts scrambling. What makes Giant Monster stand out from the rest of the monster madness is the birth of it. A parasite melds with an astronaut on his way home, and causes the shuttle to explode. As the debris falls to the Earth, a monster is born. Crashing into the ocean, it finds food in a swarm of sharks, thirsting for blood. From there, the monster movie you know and love begins with it just tearing everything man-made to pieces. Artist Nat Jones appears to be having a blast with this book as his art really explodes onto the scene, mirroring classic monster movies like Godzilla and The War of the Gargantuas. Steve Niles also crafts a nice introduction of the monster (I was only able to read the free preview from CBR) though there’s a little too much talk about cheating husbands and wives. I’m curious as to why that is, but other than that, this book is solid monster movie. If they get this made into a big budget movie, I can definitely see it going up against Cloverfield while Godzilla sits in the audience, eating popcorn and watching the next generation of beasts take to the silver screen. Giant Monster is a fun time at the movies without leaving the house.
GRADE: B+ HIGHLIGHT? A great setup to the birth of the monster, mixing both space and the ocean as a birthplace.
STEVE NILES STRANGE CASES – Issues #1-3
D2 Comics
Image Comics
Written by Dan Wickline Art by David Hartman
Steve Niles presents a comic book not written by him? Holy schmoly! That’s a surprise. Nope, Dan Wickline does the writing chores for Steve Niles Strange Cases, and they’re quick little reads that could be developed a little more into full issues. Tidbits a plenty, and nothing concrete, Strange Cases is all about the introduction and nothing about a proper resolution. I’d like this book more if they did. Abrupt endings I’m not a fan of. The art is fun and cartoony from David Hartman, though I wonder why it’s like that when the Wendigo sketches in the back of issue 3 show he has a lot more to add artistically. Perhaps this series is geared more towards the PSP gamers with short attention spans to reading? And don’t argue too much on that because almost all my friends skip the cinematic scenes in video games. Why? Don’t know. Guess they just want to get to the shooting and blowing up cars and crap already. Me, I like the cinema scenes telling the story. So if this video game comic wants to be taken seriously, it will need to start fleshing out the idea a bit more and extending the page count to meet that goal. Otherwise, the title of the book will need to be changed to “Short Cases”.
GRADE: C+ CONTINUE READING? I’m curious to see where this series goes, but if I can somehow get my hands on a PSP to read these, I might have even more fun with it.
THE CRYPTICS
Image Comics
Written by Steve Niles Art by Ben Roman
I’m not convinced Steve writes this book because these short, cartoon stories are definitely living up to the title of “cryptic”. Ben Roman’s art is fun and addictive; using a colorful Calvin and Hobbes meets Rose is Rose palette while adding his own colorful vibrance to the pencils that could easily be on Nickelodeon or The Cartoon Network. It’s his art that shines in The Cryptics, while Niles writing appears to be channeling his inner crazy person, and not his humor. I thought I was missing pages half the time as some of the stories just didn’t make a lick of sense. So I’d read it again, and tried finding out what I’d missed, but instead, I only felt the same thing I did the first time: Confusion and disbelief. I still think I’m missing something here because I’m relatively smart. I could win Wheel of Fortune if I got on the show, maybe Vanna White’s heart, but I don’t understand the gist of some of these stories. If it’s just for kids, then I guess it makes more sense, but even then, some of these segments don’t have a funny tagline or reveal. I wish I knew because I’ve read a lot of Niles work before this review, and it just doesn’t add up like the rest. But like I said, it’s not all that bad with Ben Roman’s art, and heck, maybe I wasn’t supposed to read it as The Cryptics is exclusively for children between 8 and 12. But I did read it, and I’m just really surprised with how Steve is attached to this book. But hey, if it’s in your system, then get it out I always say.
GRADE: C CONTINUE READING? I actually want to because they’re fun to look at, but they just don’t make sense to me.
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