Good King Leonardo has decreed that the occult is our theme for this week, with reviews of three new comic books that have spooky, occult themes:
Kolchak:
The Night Stalker Files
Publisher: Moonstone
Christopher Mills: Writer
Jaime Martinez: Art
Jason Jenson: Colors
Moonstone Publishing has just released issue #1
of Kolchak: The Night Stalker Files, written by
Christopher Mills with art by Jaime Martinez and
colors by Jason Jenson. The series is based on the
cult favorite 1974-75 television show The Night
Stalker, starring Darren McGavin as Carl Kolchak,
a newspaper reporter who investigates occult and
paranormal phenomena every week on the show. I was
a huge fan of the t.v. series, which pioneered the
idea of combining a noir detective atmosphere with
horror/occult themes, and is considered the groundbreaking
series which laid the path for such later shows
as The X-Files and Fringe to evolve.
The issue #1 tale begins with Kolchak receiving
a tip regarding many disappearances of actresses
over the previous few years who acted in a string
of B-horror movies filmed by a small Hollywood horror
film company. Kolchak investigates, with the plot
leading him to discover a sleazy Hollywood producer
who has used an occult spell to summon an actual
demon for the monster scenes in his successful film
series. Naturally, the demon needs human meat to
survive in our world, which the producer supplies
from his cast of young unknown starlets. As in the
t.v. series, the episode peaks with a dramatic action
scene in which Kolchalk saves himself from death
and also saves the day. And just like the t.v. series,
the authorities don't believe a word of Kolchak's
adventure and he moves on to another big city (looks
like Miami for the setting of next month's issue
#2) to investigate his next paranormal tip.
This is a wonderful comic book adaptation of the
iconic t.v. series, enjoyable for old fans such
as myself and newcomers alike, for a few reasons.
The narrative style of writer Chrisopher Mills is
both a perfect homage to the voice-over narrative
of the t.v. series as well as the perfect vehicle
for delivering this type of noir-occult tale in
comic book form. The result is enough story progression
to fill two comic book issues, providing lots of
fun entertainment reading in just this one issue.
The art is also very effective and appropriate for
this particular type of tale, with the right blend
of noirish colors, graphic style and panel lay-outs.
And just like the t.v. show, there's a fun blend
of quality story seriousness and old-school horror
cheesiness so that we have equal elements of tension,
excitement and humor, all resulting in a very fun
comic book read.
So a definite thumbs-up recommendation to read this
dead-on (no pun intended) comic book version of
a wonderful t.v. show that pioneered the occult
genre of television. I own a dvd of the one and
only first season of the show and it still holds-up
in 2010 as great entertainment, so you also might
want to speak to the good staff at That's Entertainment
about ordering a dvd of the series from them, too!
Madame
Xanadu #29
Publisher: D.C. Comics
Matt Wagner: Writer
Amy Reeder: Pencils
Richard Friend: Inks
Guy Major: Colors
DC Comics has just released the final issue, issue
#29, in its Madame Xanadu title. I wrote some enthusiastic
reviews of the Eisner Award-nominated first multi-issue
story arc of this title, followed by a disappointed
review a few months back of the recent declining
quality of this title. For the uninitiated, the
good Madame Xanadu is the occult seer based in New
York City, who began life as Nimue, an enchanted
forest nymph in Arthurian England. In the extremely-creative
hands of Matt Wagner and Amy Reeder, Madame Xanadu
experienced amazing and often emotionally-moving
adventures at various key points in world history,
leading her though the chronology of this title
to present-day New York. Along the way she had some
surprising and very entertaining interactions with
key superhero figures in the DC Golden Age universe,
along with a continual and often-strained relationship
with The Phantom Stranger.
The story in this farewell issue is entitled "The
Advent Of Tomorrow," and reunites series creator
Matt Wagner with the original series penciler Amy
Reeder. The plot has three segments. In stage one,
we follow the interactions between Madame Xanadu
and college student Charlotte Blackwood, as the
Madame trains the young, gifted apprentice seer
in the ways of occult divination as a means to help
people. The mid-section of the plot shifts the focus
to the Madame visiting Barbara, a now-elderly and
very troubled woman from a previous story series
in this title. Their interaction focuses on the
subject of faith, as the Madame attempts to convince
Barbara that her visions forsee a better life for
her old and embittered friend. And the third segment
of the storyline brings The Phantom Stranger back
into the Madame's life for the first time in many
decades. I don't want to spoil any of this wonderful
reunion of the pair, save to say that it interconnects
Madame Xanadu with much currently happening and
planned by DC in the Brightest Day event series.
Given how this exemplary title had horribly declined
in both writing and art over the past several months,
DC has given us a wonderful holiday gift by restoring
it to its previous quality grandeur in this final
issue. The duo of Wagner and Reeder give us a product
on par with with best of their Eisner-nominated
first-year storyline run. There's a picture-perfect
mix of exquisite art, storytelling, characterization
and emotion, all peaking with the return of The
Phantom Stranger. I enjoyed very much the connection
of Madame Xanadu through her divination visions
to the rest of the DC universe; the details of this
wrap-up segment of the issue give us both a satisfying
conclusion to the 29-issue title run as well as
a good feeling that we're bound to come across Madame
Xanadu again, sooner rather than later, somewhere
out there in the wide DC comics universe.
So an enthusiastic review recommendation to read
this farewell issue of a wonderful comic book character
and title. Thanks again to DC comics for restoring
the good Madame within this good-bye issue to the
quality glory that the title and character well
deserves.
Zatanna
#6
Publisher: D.C. Comics
Paul Dini: Writer
Jesus Saiz: Art
John Kalisz: Colors
DC's latest title starring Zatanna is up to issue
#6 this past week. The series is written by veteran
scribe Paul Dini with art by Jesus Saiz and colors
by John Kalisz. Regular DC Comics readers are very
familiar with Zatanna, who's been a mainstay in
the DC universe since the Silver Age as the beautiful
female magician with some major occult/magic powers,
featured over the decades both in her own right
and as a member of the Justice League Of America
(JLA).
The issue #6 story is entitled "Married In Vegas"
and stars Zatanna alongside her magician cousin
Zach. After Zatanna misses attending the premier
of Zach's headlining Las Vegas magic act, he searches
for her and finds her under the demon Mammon's spell,
about to undergo a Vegas-style wedding that will
seal Mammon's control of her soul. Zach frees his
cousin from the spell and the two have a major,
flat-out magic spell dual with the demon. Without
spoiling any details, the good guys win but there
are some very interesting and entertaining details
as to how they win and the aftermath of the big
magicians-versus-demon battle.
I avoided reviewing issue #1 of this latest Zatanna
title after I browsed the issue on the store rack
and it seemed very dark and gory. This current issue
is much more mainstream in style and enjoyable.
Paul Dini is one of my favorite writers, not just
for his scripting skills but for his particular
style of story dialgue. He doesn't fail here, delivering
a tale that gives us a solid magic adventure. But
what really worked for me was the double element
of humor woven throughout the tale. There's a lot
of subtle comedy here on the whole concept of Las
Vegas, from the almost-shotgun wedding of Zatanna,
to the battle with Mammon, the demon of greed and
money and concluding with the undisclosed resolution
of the battle, which also offers a sly commentary
on greed and Vegas itself. There's also a very funny
and entertaining running argument between Zatanna
and cousin Zach, as in the heat of battle they still
manage to bicker about Zatanna having a lucrative
Vegas show contract while the Town seems to have
taken Zach to the cleaners in his lousy entertainment
deal. That type of midst-of-battle humor often comes
off as stiff and forced, but here, Paul Dini does
a great job delivering some very funny moments.
So a definite thumbs-up recommendation to add Zatanna
to your ongoing list of both occult and superhero
comic book reading. And a final shout-out to the
art team of Jesus Saiz and John Kalisz for providing
just the right style of art for portraying our favorite
sexy superhero magician as she takes on the city
of Vegas.
Ongoing Contest Reminder!!!
Just a reminder that to-date, we haven't received any entries to our latest Bongo Congo contest, which challenges you to e-mail us at Gordon_A@msn.com and tell us which work of fiction that you've read do you think would make an entertaining addition to the Classics Illustrated line of comic book fiction adaptions. There's a first prize $10.00 gift certificate to That's Entertainmnet at stake here, people, so come on, put on those thinking caps and e-mail us your entry no later than noontime on Wednesday, December 15!
That's all for now, so have a great holiday shopping and comic book reading week and see you again next week Here In Bongo Congo!