PGHHEAD’S 2023 COMICS ODYSSEY, PART 34
This marks the third consecutive year that I will attempt to document my comics reading by writing at least a mini-review. The goal is 1200 books read and reviewed in 2023, although I missed the mark in 2022 by 88 books. Still, I like that number as it’s easy enough to track - - - 100 books per month on average. Wish me luck!
# GOAL FOR October 20, 2023. . . 967 comics documented
CURRENT COUNT . . . . . 756 comics documented
#733 - #737 BULLS OF BEACON HILL #1 - #5 by Steve Orlando and Andy MacDonald (AfterShock Comics, January-May 2023)
A nice balance of crime and politics, prejudice and resentment, in a broken family relationship. Here’s the Goodreads synopsis . . .
“Doctor Christopher Boldt has everything he ever wanted: A successful career as a surgeon, a supportive and loving boyfriend, and an overload of hype on his rumored run for Boston City Council. But there's one problem - it's all held up by a lie. For years, Chris has been hiding in plain sight, desperate not to be connected to his father, Orin Paige, one of Boston's most notorious gangsters.
Until now, Chris has been able to live with the secret. And Chris's father has been just as happy to deny any connection to his queer son, who he sees as a liability in the mob world. Now, Chris's political aspirations have put father and son on a collision course. A collision course bathed in blood.”
I believe it's true that regardless of whether a son or daughter loved, respected, or hated one of their parents - - it's almost impossible not to reflect some similar traits later in their adult life. Like it or not, mom and dad were a primary influence for all of us.
Is there anything more horrifying than a disgruntled father, disturbed so much by how a gay son could destroy his hard-nosed reputation, that he hires a hitman to take him out? And, if that kill failed, would the son turn the tables and attempt to murder his father?
That's the turning point in this story, and broken family relationships are at the heart of it. I appreciate how writer Steve Orlando subtly weaved some key moral and ethical questions within the story and detailed how one aspiring individual managed to finally be true to who he was, no secrets anymore.
There's plenty of brutality and action within the storyline, and Andy MacDonald's expressive art enhances the proceedings. But the root of this story is the human drama, and that's what I appreciated more than the confrontational overlay. THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS.
#738 - #742 THE STRAIN, VOLUME 4: THE FALL by David Lapham and Mike Huddleston (Dark Horse Comics, 2013)
What better month than October (and Halloween) to pick up a nightmarish horror trilogy and read it every evening? Realizing that I'm running out of time to try and tackle The Strain trilogy before the month ends, I grabbed this middle volume of the comics adaptation out of my collection to at least refresh my memories. Yes indeed, I need to remind myself to schedule a time slot to get back into this series. Reading David Lapham's excellent adaptation in comics form reminded me that this is one of my favorite vampire series.
Volume 4: The Fall marks a key turning point in the series, where things don't look like they are going to work out at all for the good guys. Reading this reminded me just how great Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan's version of vampires is. Sure, the mysterious and romantic versions are fun but The Strain is pure terrifying horror. The vampires here are the most monstrous and despicable. Don't dare to kiss them. I love the entire backstory and mythos as detailed here.
While the interior art is not the equal of those impressive expressive covers, it gets the job done and has its moments. Reading the comic served to also remind how incredible those visuals were on The Strain series for television. FOUR STARS.
#743 - #747 THE WITCHER:RONIN graphic novel by Rafal Jaki and Hataya (Dark Horse Manga, October 2022)
Transplanting Geralt/The Witcher into Edo-period Japan where he encounters creatures from Japanese mythology is a neat touch. The stories are a bit predictable but still entertaining, and that seems to be true of The Witcher series (at least in my limited experience with the Netflix series. I've only read the comics, and need to seek out some of the novels).
Writer Jaki keeps the dialogue to a minimum and allows the expressive manga art of Hataya to maintain the flow of the stories. The art is very interesting, although Hataya's illustrations in the fight scenes (and there are many) is not as easy to follow and seems lacking.
There is a very informative and appreciated text section in the back pages, a bestiary by Matthew Meyer, that details the mythology behind each creature encounter and how it figures into the Witcher storyline. Unfortunately, Geralt's search for his daughter is continued in the next volume so this is not a standalone work. THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS.
#748 - #752 HOUSE OF MYSTERY, VOLUME ONE: ROOM AND BOREDOM trade paperback by Matthew Sturges and Bill Willingham with various artists (DC/Vertigo, 2008)
I haven't read very much of the first volume of DC Comic's HOUSE OF MYSTERY, which was a monthly anthology series of horror comics, featuring one or several complete stories each issue. At least I am familiar enough with it's format to appreciate this second volume, a re-boot of the comic which makes the title much more justifiable.
For the framing device for the short stories contained within is a house of mystery, indeed. Five reoccuring characters are trapped within the house, which also serves as a gathering place / inn for various humans and humanoids from different time periods and galaxies. The Poet, the Pirate, the Bartender, The Drama Queen and "Fig" the New Recruit act as hosts, servants and sometimes tour guides. Fig is an architectural designer who has seen the house in her dreams and feels like she knows it (although she's not that familiar with the expansive grounds). The other four seem to have accepted their fate, although Fig is determined to find a way out of the house.
All this serves as a framing device for the various short stories, as told by visitors to the inn as a form of admission price, in exchange for food and drink. The big difference is that they can leave after they finish.
I found the story of the five within the house to be much more entertaining than the short fantasy stories peppered throughout the issue. Actually, the main story gets more pages devoted to it.
Bill Willingham and Matthew Sturges seem to have a knack for writing this type of whimsical fantasy. I was properly entertained and enjoyed the mystery of the house. I'll be back. FOUR STARS.
#753 - #756 THE CULT OF IKARUS #1 - #4 by Jenna Lyn Wright and Karl Slominski (Scout Comics, December 2021 - May 2022) This reminded me of OPERATION SUNSHINE, another vampire comic I read recently. Both are street smart, but CULT OF IKARUS entertained me while I felt that the other was trying too hard to be hip. That serves as testimony for the age-old axiom: “not all vampire comics are created equal.”
There’s a battle here of vampires versus punk rock culture. The story exhibits great flow and doesn’t let up for a second during the four issues. The art really held my attention, and the color scheme is eye-catching (vivid colors against a black background).
Here’s the synopsis:
“Tossed out by her foster family after one-too-many rides home in the back of a cop car, Hunter packs up and sets out on a mission to find out who she is. A mysterious book - her only link to her parents - leads her to discover a covert world of magic and danger running parallel to our own. One punk rock show, two whiskeys, and three vicious vampire assassins later, Hunter's on the run from the ancient, deadly Cult of Ikarus. Hunter came looking for answers. What will become of her once she gets them?”
Hunter gets the answers to the death of her birth parents and learns she's part of an even bigger, and even more dysfunctional family: an ancient order of vampires. She’s a “hybrid” (half vampire, half human) just discovering her own abilities and in demand as the one-of-a-kind who can bring the whole clan into the light. A captivating adventure with a satisfying outcome. FOUR STARS.
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