Michael Vance   Mark Allen   Michael Vance Books
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I was much younger when I last read an Amazing Spider-Man comic book. Reading the massive Essential: Spider-Man #7 which reprints issues from the mid-1970s made three things apparent to this now more mature reader.

The artists from this collection were exceptional.

The art is reality-based and melodramatic. Men are more muscular and women are more beautiful than in this world. Even the drama of New York City skyscrapers is heightened through exaggeration. This is heroic literature dressed in circus costumes. Visually, it’s life lived BIG. 

The stories were well crafted, melodramatic, and formulaic.

Melodrama is “a play full of suspense in a sensational and emotional style”, and after enduring a smattering of personal problems related to his job or his friends or family, Spidey always faces, and eventually defeats, a villain. That’s formula.

Spider-Man’s adventures were not written for older adults.

Peter Parker is a young man in these stories, but his personal problems wear only the sheen of reality. Life is actually more complicated and painful, filled with greater disappointments and fewer resolutions than in Spider-Man’s world. Our villains aren’t as easily recognized; they don’t wear costumes.

But, then again, that is as it should be. Spider-Man exists so that we can escape the real world. And he does his job well.

Essential Spider-Man #7 is recommended.

Essential Spider-Man #7/reprinting Amazing Spider-Man #138-160, Annual #10 and Giant-size Spider-man #4-5/$16.99 & 560 pages, Marvel
Comics/writers: Gerry Conway, Archie Goodwin, Len Wein; principal artists: Ross Andru, Sal Buscema, Gil Kane/sold at shop-front and on-line comics shops and on-line auctions.

Review by Michael Vance

The future is bleak. New York City has become a police state, the people’s rights have been stolen, the “news” is only what local government wants the people to hear, and superheroes have been outlawed and become extinct. That’s the setting in a very dark story from Marvel entitled Spider-Man: Reign, written and drawn by Kaare Andrews, with an art assist by Jose Villarrubia.

Heavily influenced by Frank Miller’s futuristic Batman story from the ‘80's, this tale puts an aged Peter Parker back into costume to face an old villain who’s pulling all the strings from behind the scenes.

The good: Andrews treats the reader to interesting future versions of Peter Parker and his long-time employer/antagonist, J. Jonah Jameson. The interaction between the two characters is also intriguing, and long-time fans will appreciate the role Jameson plays in the reappearance of Parker’s alter ego.

There is also a satisfying resolution to the story that speaks of mankind’s need for freedom. And, for those who have so long been privy to this character’s angst, there is Peter Parker’s victory over the decades-long crushing guilt over the death of loved ones. That’s good stuff in the area of character development.

The bad: I wasn’t impressed with the derivative nature of the story. The art, the tone, the entire “feel” is “Dark Knight” via comics fans’ favorite wall-crawler. Granted, Kaare Andrews’ pacing and storytelling are highly evolved and entertaining. And I can sympathize with the desire to pay homage to a creator who left such a big impression on the medium. After all, creators are fans, just like you and I. However, I wonder if this work will be remembered more for Andrews’ own unique style and vision, or that of a man he admired. I believe it’s a fair question.

Spider-Man: Reign is recommended for mature readers due to violent imagery. Find it at comics shops and online retailers and auctions.

Spider-Man: Reign, issues 1 through 4, published by Marvel Publishing, Inc., 48 pages, $3.99.

Review by Mark Allen

OCC receives new artwork at Toy & Action Figure Museum

The Toy and Action Figure Museum in Pauls Valley, Oklahoma has received another large gift of over 1,000 comics related materials for the Oklahoma Cartoonists Collection that it houses.

Most of these materials were donated by Doctor Jon Suter, a former librarian at East Central University in Ada,and from Oklahoma writer Michael Vance.Born in Holdenville, Dr. Suter was among the earliest major collectors of comic books and strips in Oklahoma, and Vance is a Tulsa writer who has written for comic strips and books.

The Oklahoma Cartoonists Collection (OCC) features the work of more than 50 Oklahoma cartoonists and their associates. The Toy and Action Figure Museum currently showcases over 7,000 toys, 400 pieces of original comics art, and a now even larger selection of published comics written and drawn by Oklahomans.

“We continue to expand,” said Vance who procures original art and published works for the OCC. “The addition of these donations means that it would take many trips to the museum to enjoy the original art and the magazines, books, comic books and comic strips already collected.”

New collections include the works of Oklahoma writer Kate Worley (Roger Rabbit, Wonder Woman), Sam Cobean (New Yorker cartoons), Doug Marlette (Tulsa World editorial cartoonist), Al McWilliams (Blazing Combat), John Romita (Spider-Man), and Al Capp (Lil Abner comic strip parody of Dick Tracy).

Hundreds of issues of Mad magazines featuring the work of Oklahoma writer E. Nelson Bridwell and dozens of Oklahoma associates have also been added, as well as a huge volume of Buck Rogers comic strips, and Vance’s published work. Oklahoma artist Zack Mosley was an assistant on Buck Rogers, the first science-fiction comic strip in the history of the genre.

The collections of work from Bill Mauldin (Pulitzer-prize winning editorial cartoonist), Gray Morrow (Tarzan comic strip), Dan Piraro (Bizarro comic strip), Archie Goodwin (Batman, The Hulk), Jack and Carole Bender (Alley Oop comic strip), and associate artist Wayne Truman (Holiday Out comic strip) were also expanded significantly.

Of special interest is a unique, large “presentation piece” by associate and Hall of Fame member Ric Estrada. This original art was produced to sell the then popular trading card series featuring the “Garbage Pail Kids” as a television show, and has only been seen by a handful of television executives.

The Toy and Action Figure Museum is located at 111 S. Chickasaw in Pauls Valley. For more details about the museum, and for group and school tour information, go to www.actionfiguremuseum.com, www.fourcolorcommentary.blogspot.com/, or call 405-238-6300.

Remember those TV commercials where peanut butter is accidentally mixed with chocolate to produce a surprisingly tasty new confection? Betcha never thought of CyberForce and the X-Men as confections, didja.

Think again.

Two of the most successful super-teams have been jammed into one piece of comics eye-candy in CyberForce/X-Men #1, co-produced by their re-spective publishers. But is this not-so-surprising concoction palatable?

These teams are so compatible that if you strip the packages [costumes] off of these characters they are almost interchangeable. The only danger for super-team fans who buy it is an overdose of clenched teeth and fists.

Regular readers of Suspended Animation have already noticed an uncharacteristic absence of plot analysis. That’s because the main feature of this issue is one long fight, and its backup feature is just the introduction to another story stripped of color. 

So, if plot is virtually non-existent, then characterization takes the center of this paper stage? While CyberForce/X-Men is well written within its self-imposed limits, the answer must be...uh, no. Art ‘tis the star, me bucko.  ‘Tis the art that recommends this new crossover title, and it is very bold, dynamic, and muscular.

Muscular may seem an unusual description for an art style, so a definition may be handy. Everything from muscles to machines to planets is drawn massive. Heavy lines and exaggeration are the keys to this style, and don’t think for a minute that violence is shunned.  But this violence is so exaggerated that it isn’t easily confused with real world mayhem.

All superhero worlds are self-contained realities with rules that parallel ours enough to suspend disbelief for readers. This world is one fun romp, and Cyber Force/X-Men recommended for fans of the subgenre.

Cyber Force/X-Men #1/26 pgs. & $3.99 from Top Cow and Marvel/ words: Ron Marz; art: Pat Lee/sold at comics shops.

Review by Michael Vance

The theme of this quarterly short story anthology featuring the work of SCAD (?) students and faculty is everything nautical. That means art and story focus on lighthouses, sailors, pirates, boats and such. As is true with every anthology, its quality is uneven, but Canon is thoroughly entertaining.

The students are probably young; some of the stories lack the polish of professional work and were most likely created by pre-teen and teenaged kids. These pieces, while entertaining, are simply not enough to recommend Canon. But there is exceptional talent in the issue; it is from its publisher, writer and artist Dove Hargue.

Dove's minimalistic style will remind some readers of the work of master cartoonist Alex Toth. As with Toth, only what is really needed to forward the story and characters is drawn into each panel.

His characters are individually distinctive, his visual storytelling is engrossing, and he has a particular talent with the ink washes that add different shades of gray to black and white art.

Of his two stories in Canon, "The Keeper's Carol" is a murder mystery of sorts, and Nemo" (chapter 14) is a new adventure of Jules Vern's famous submarine captain. Both tales will leave you wanting more.

Dove is a talent worth watching as his mastery of the medium matures, and Canon is recommended for readers of all ages. Dove McHargue is a member of the Oklahoma Cartoonists Museum.

Canon (Winter 2006)/40 pgs. and $3.00 from PicSure Press/various artists and writers/sold at comics shops and www.imagetalker.com.

Review by Michael Vance

It would seem that more and more creators are figuring out how to produce Biblically-based comics that are fun to read and a blast to look at. Add Royden Lepp's David: The Shepherd's Song to that list.

The account of a young shepherd boy, destined to be king of Israel, is masterfully told in this extremely entertaining volume, distributed by Vida Enter-tainment. Presented in "flash-back" form, as an adult David hides out in a cave from a murderously jealous King Saul, David addresses his life as a boy-shepherd, his first encounter with the prophet Samuel, his anointing as king and Saul's fall from grace.

Creator Royden Lepp shows off his skills as writer and artist in this book, and hits a home-run on both counts. Young David's fearless demeanor when dealing with the threat of would-be predators to his flock, the derision of his brothers at his anointing and the desperation of Saul to get back into the Lord's graces all share one thing; fantastic
characterization. Lepp brings these individuals to life in an engrossing manner that is second to none. Where David is concerned, he even throws in a little adolescent overconfidence during a confrontation with a very big, very angry lion.

And it works.

His artwork only sweetens the deal, as Royden's sense of energy, drama and perfect pacing pull the reader in from start to finish. The flashback sequences are a great fit and not forced. The action is exciting, even frantic, but never out of place. And the characters, despite their "cartoony" quality (especially young David) are amazingly expressive and easily relatable. The long and short of it? Royden Lepp is a master storyteller, and I, for one, can't wait for the next installment. Bring on Goliath!

David: The Shepherd's Song is recommended for all readers.

Ask for it at comics shops, and look for it at online retailers and auctions, as well as www.communitycomics.com. David: The Shepherd's Song, published by Cross Culture Entertainment, 72 pages, $8.99.

Review by Mark Allen

It isn't easy being green for either Kermit the Frog or Decoy the little alien. Both have seen better days.

Everyone knows that Kermit is a Muppet and that Muppets are waning in popularity. Fewer know that Decoy is a malleable, green alien whose word balloons are cluttered with what looks like chicken scratch, and who is the companion of a cop nicknamed Luck.

For Decoy, his better days seem like yesterday since he is a relatively new character, and his problems begin with the lack of visual continuity in a new hardback anthology called Decoy: Menagerie.

Every anthology is uneven in quality, but the often-excellent artists in this anthology either did not have a character style sheet to guide their interpretation of Luck, or ignored one. The cop looks so different from story to story that it simply destroys a reader's ability to suspend disbelief.

Decoy's better yesterday's are also due to the brevity of the stories about his and Luck's crime "busting"; some tales are merely brief moments in time and have little plot, dialog or characterization.

But the greatest mystery is why an editorial decision was made to package lesser material in an expensive, beautiful, hardback collection.

I admit it hurt to write this review. Publishing is a tough business, and Decoy the character deserves to succeed. Gentle is very difficult to capture in word and pictures, and books that can be enjoyed by readers of every age are rare indeed. Earlier appearances of Decoy accomplished both goals.

This collection is still above average, and will be enjoyed by his growing number of fans. However, new readers should turn to earlier efforts and hope for better days for Decoy… and Kermy too.

Decoy: Menagerie, Part 2/162 pgs. & $19.95,Penny-Farthing Press/various writers and artists/available at comics & bookstores & www.pfpress.com.

Review by Michael Vance

Easily one of the most recognizable comic book characters in the world, Batman has appeared in many different kinds of stories, by many different creators. However, Batman: Dark Knight Dynasty, is one of the more imaginative works in recent years. In an alternate reality, the Wayne family carries the mantle of The Batman for generations. And, from the Middle Ages, to the present day, to the far-flung future, they continually encounter one man in particular; the immortal Vandal Savage.

Writer Mike W. Barr pens an easily enjoyable trilogy, though I believe his best work comes in the third story. Whereas the first two deal with a single Wayne character and his motivations in a straightforward manner, the last concerns a pair of siblings sharing the rule of the family empire, and makes the greatest headway in the building of characters and plot development. And, though "Batman and Rodney" may sound laughable, it works. Now, if THAT does'nt peak your curiosity....

Equally pleasing, however, is the book's amazing art work. With the elaborate, textured paints of Scott Hampton, the dynamic and extremely superheroic pencils and inks of Gary Frank and Cam Smith, and the dark, edgy art and finishes by Scott McDaniel and Bill Sienkiewicz, this book contains enough contrast to please any fan of comics or great art. There is also much to be said for the different art teams giving each story, as well as their respective time periods, a distinctive look.

This book also demonstrates what I believe to be a superior method of comics production, from the standpoint of cost, as well as consumption by the mainstream of society. Sequential stories told in attractive book form, instead of single pamphlets.

With Dark Knight Dynasty, readers have the sense of a beginning, middle and end, all neatly wrapped in an attractive package. What more could a reader want?

Find it in comics shops and online retailers and auctions. Batman: Dark Knight Dynasty, published by D.C. Comics, 128 pages, $14.95.

Review by Mark Allen

When movies were mostly silent, vaudeville was the rage, radio was just coming of age, and comic strips were golden, He Done Her Wrong.

Possible the first graphic novel and certainly one of his best works, He Done Her Wrong (HDHW) was inspired by cartoonist Milt Gross' earlier creative marriage with silent film comedian Charlie Chaplin. They had worked together on Chaplin's feature The Circus (1928).

The he in HDHW is a powerful but ignorant frontiersman used by a dishonest businessman who steals his true love. This equally true hero follows to New York City where a wild cast of stereotypical vaudevillian players cast by Gross as citizens turn his quest into chaos.

HDHW is like watching the Marx Brothers pursuing the Keystone Cops.

Don't expect originality in the story or characters. Every cliché in this boy meets girl, boy gets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl back paper melodrama is at home here. Originality is not its purpose. Its purpose is K-RAZY!!

Dialog is beyond criticism; there is none. None is needed. Nor should you expect complexity. Complexity is beyond the ability of silent films or silent strips.

So why buy?

HDHW is frentic and wildly creative in its style. Gross' barbwire art leaps off his paper stage with only a passing nod at perspective or anatomy because it's too busy running. HDHW is also funny although you won't laugh out loud. That seems somehow appropriate for a silent film on paper.

And HDHW is a nostalgic trip back into a time when the world of slapstick and broad parody were king.

Gross would produce many comic strips in his life, but none was more visually creative and entertaining than He Done Her Wrong. It is highly recommended.

He Done Her Wrong/256 pages & $16.95 from Fantagraphics/sold at comics and bookstores, and at www.fantagraphics.com.

Review by Michael Vance