Weapons of Choice
So, BookExpo America '07 was a really, really good convention. But entirely exhausting. Look no further than the simple fact that it's taken me until now, nearly a month after I left to attend that show, to make a new entry on this blog as proof. Still, it's a good kind of exhaustion, one arising from a lot of hard work--and even more walking, walking and walking those aisles of publishers, distributors and sundry other product/service providers--and is entirely offset by some new possibilities that these efforts revealed, and those reborn or reconstituted as the situation presented itself.
Here's hoping that at least one or two of the really big, or at least interesting, opportunities I ran down actually yields something of worth. One lives and works in the hope...
Now, I could give you a run down of all the folks I met and all the great books I saw and such, but I'll be honest--it seems a bit late for that, and I really have no interest in talking about that right now. Although I do reserve the right to come back and revisit a conversation later, and you will certainly be seeing reviews of some of the recently released and forthcoming books I nabbed there. Rather, I'd like to just say that this is the one show that I really do consider essential and important to the future of what I want to do professionally. Which means that, against my better judgment, I'll probably be attending the show next year, when it's scheduled to happen in LA. [I don't look forward to the logistical nightmare that an event like this in a place like that presupposes.]
So, what do I want to talk about? How about music.
On the Thursday night before the BEA opened, the Black Rebel Motorcycle Club hit the Big Apple for a show at Webster's Hall, and Joel Meadows, David Michael Beck and I decided that we had to see this show. Joel, who's seen these youngsters tearing it up back on their native soil in England had told us it would likely be a good, if not great show.
Unfortunately, he was wrong--it was a phenomenal show.
And just how good was it? Well, I'd rank it probably in the top 20 shows I've had the pleasure of seeing. And this is coming from someone who stopped counting at 200+ concerts attended 25+ years ago, and has seen hundreds more since, including excellent shows by The Clash, The Jam, Talking Heads, Lou Reed, REM, Neil Young, Tom Waits and Peter Gabriel. The lads really tore it up, playing just about every one of their "essential" tunes, past and present, with real passion, committment and verve. Better yet, they really cared if they were connecting with their audience, something that was evident throughout the show until the end, when one of them handed out his bass to one of their more ardently dancing fans at the front. If you have a chance to see these blokes, do so. It'll be a rare show if you come away unsatisfied in any way or form, and don't consider yourself a fan of this band.
And that'll do it for now, except for the ever-present listing of...
What's Bill been reading lately? [covering the period 6-11 to 6-24-07]
Marvel Masterworks: The Incredible Hulk volume 4 [or 78 in variant edition]
Stan Lee and Gary Friedrich, with Marie Severin and Herb Trimpe
Marvel
http://www.marvel.com/
This hardcover collecting Incredible Hulk issues # 103 to 110, along with Annual # 1 would be notable for its inclusion of the first work by Herb Trimpe on old jade jaws, the start of one of the longer run of issues by a single artist on a title in modern comics. However, there's numerous reasons for folks to check this compilation out, from Marie Severin's penciling and storytelling on the majority of the tales to the now-iconic Steranko image of the Hulk straining under the weight of his own moniker from the cover of that title's first annual.
EC Archives: Shock Suspense Stories volume 2
Al Feldstein and Bill Gaines, with Wally Wood, Reed Crandall, Jack Kamen, Joe Orlando, Al Williamson, et. al.
Gemstone Publishing
http://www.gemstonepub.com/
The second volume collecting issues # 7 through 12 of this justly-revered series continues to provide ample proof of the many reasons that this title--and the entire line of EC books--was so popular in its day...as well as why these largely unseen tales continue to exert an immense and important amount of influence upon our modern culture. Even better, there are a number of tales, including "...So Shall Ye Reap" and "In Gratitude...," which are alone worth the price of admission for their subtle, yet scathing social commentary, all of it delivered with real grace and aplomb.
Filled with stories of murder, revenge, weird coincidences and ironic, telling twists of fate, this full color hardcover is essential reading for anyone who loves good comics, for anyone who wishes to make good comics, and for those who wish to understand fully the history of comics...and our modern society. Obviously, this book comes with my highest recommendations.
Ultimate Fantastic Four volume 1
Ultimate Fantastic Four volume 2
Brian Michael Bendis, Mark Millar and Warren Ellis, with Adam Kubert and Stuart Immonen. Warren Ellis, Mike Carey and Mark Millar, with Adam Kubert and Jae Lee
Marvel
http://www.marvel.com/
Volume one compiles issues 1 through 12 of Ultimate Fantastic Four, Marvel's updated version of their revered "World's Greatest Comics Magazine," while the second volume collects issues # 13 through 20, as well as Annual # 1, of the same title. Bendis and Millar, the main architects of Marvel's "Ultimate" universe, get things going with aplomb and a rather clever bang, establishing the new origin story of the Fantastic Four and their greatest nemesis while also laying the groundwork for clever and entertaining tales by Warren Ellis and Mike Carey. The art, whether provided by Adam Kubert, Stuart Immomen or Jae Lee, is finely wrought and even beautiful, supporting the scripts while serving to further their action with exciting and exacting visual storytelling. All in all, this is more than just another [highly] successful attempt at reinventing a legendary comic; it's also a vital, entertaining and worthy addition to the House of Ideas' roster. Comes with my highest recommendations.
So, BookExpo America '07 was a really, really good convention. But entirely exhausting. Look no further than the simple fact that it's taken me until now, nearly a month after I left to attend that show, to make a new entry on this blog as proof. Still, it's a good kind of exhaustion, one arising from a lot of hard work--and even more walking, walking and walking those aisles of publishers, distributors and sundry other product/service providers--and is entirely offset by some new possibilities that these efforts revealed, and those reborn or reconstituted as the situation presented itself.
Here's hoping that at least one or two of the really big, or at least interesting, opportunities I ran down actually yields something of worth. One lives and works in the hope...
Now, I could give you a run down of all the folks I met and all the great books I saw and such, but I'll be honest--it seems a bit late for that, and I really have no interest in talking about that right now. Although I do reserve the right to come back and revisit a conversation later, and you will certainly be seeing reviews of some of the recently released and forthcoming books I nabbed there. Rather, I'd like to just say that this is the one show that I really do consider essential and important to the future of what I want to do professionally. Which means that, against my better judgment, I'll probably be attending the show next year, when it's scheduled to happen in LA. [I don't look forward to the logistical nightmare that an event like this in a place like that presupposes.]
So, what do I want to talk about? How about music.
On the Thursday night before the BEA opened, the Black Rebel Motorcycle Club hit the Big Apple for a show at Webster's Hall, and Joel Meadows, David Michael Beck and I decided that we had to see this show. Joel, who's seen these youngsters tearing it up back on their native soil in England had told us it would likely be a good, if not great show.
Unfortunately, he was wrong--it was a phenomenal show.
And just how good was it? Well, I'd rank it probably in the top 20 shows I've had the pleasure of seeing. And this is coming from someone who stopped counting at 200+ concerts attended 25+ years ago, and has seen hundreds more since, including excellent shows by The Clash, The Jam, Talking Heads, Lou Reed, REM, Neil Young, Tom Waits and Peter Gabriel. The lads really tore it up, playing just about every one of their "essential" tunes, past and present, with real passion, committment and verve. Better yet, they really cared if they were connecting with their audience, something that was evident throughout the show until the end, when one of them handed out his bass to one of their more ardently dancing fans at the front. If you have a chance to see these blokes, do so. It'll be a rare show if you come away unsatisfied in any way or form, and don't consider yourself a fan of this band.
And that'll do it for now, except for the ever-present listing of...
What's Bill been reading lately? [covering the period 6-11 to 6-24-07]
Marvel Masterworks: The Incredible Hulk volume 4 [or 78 in variant edition]
Stan Lee and Gary Friedrich, with Marie Severin and Herb Trimpe
Marvel
http://www.marvel.com/
This hardcover collecting Incredible Hulk issues # 103 to 110, along with Annual # 1 would be notable for its inclusion of the first work by Herb Trimpe on old jade jaws, the start of one of the longer run of issues by a single artist on a title in modern comics. However, there's numerous reasons for folks to check this compilation out, from Marie Severin's penciling and storytelling on the majority of the tales to the now-iconic Steranko image of the Hulk straining under the weight of his own moniker from the cover of that title's first annual.
EC Archives: Shock Suspense Stories volume 2
Al Feldstein and Bill Gaines, with Wally Wood, Reed Crandall, Jack Kamen, Joe Orlando, Al Williamson, et. al.
Gemstone Publishing
http://www.gemstonepub.com/
The second volume collecting issues # 7 through 12 of this justly-revered series continues to provide ample proof of the many reasons that this title--and the entire line of EC books--was so popular in its day...as well as why these largely unseen tales continue to exert an immense and important amount of influence upon our modern culture. Even better, there are a number of tales, including "...So Shall Ye Reap" and "In Gratitude...," which are alone worth the price of admission for their subtle, yet scathing social commentary, all of it delivered with real grace and aplomb.
Filled with stories of murder, revenge, weird coincidences and ironic, telling twists of fate, this full color hardcover is essential reading for anyone who loves good comics, for anyone who wishes to make good comics, and for those who wish to understand fully the history of comics...and our modern society. Obviously, this book comes with my highest recommendations.
Ultimate Fantastic Four volume 1
Ultimate Fantastic Four volume 2
Brian Michael Bendis, Mark Millar and Warren Ellis, with Adam Kubert and Stuart Immonen. Warren Ellis, Mike Carey and Mark Millar, with Adam Kubert and Jae Lee
Marvel
http://www.marvel.com/
Volume one compiles issues 1 through 12 of Ultimate Fantastic Four, Marvel's updated version of their revered "World's Greatest Comics Magazine," while the second volume collects issues # 13 through 20, as well as Annual # 1, of the same title. Bendis and Millar, the main architects of Marvel's "Ultimate" universe, get things going with aplomb and a rather clever bang, establishing the new origin story of the Fantastic Four and their greatest nemesis while also laying the groundwork for clever and entertaining tales by Warren Ellis and Mike Carey. The art, whether provided by Adam Kubert, Stuart Immomen or Jae Lee, is finely wrought and even beautiful, supporting the scripts while serving to further their action with exciting and exacting visual storytelling. All in all, this is more than just another [highly] successful attempt at reinventing a legendary comic; it's also a vital, entertaining and worthy addition to the House of Ideas' roster. Comes with my highest recommendations.
Eternals
Neil Gaiman and John Romita, Jr.
Marvel
This big blast of Kirby-inspired craziness, filtered through the sensibilities of two of the more popular creators of modern comics, makes for a great, fun read. While perhaps not as inspired in some ways as Marvel 1602, Gaiman's earlier crack at the characters inhabiting the House that Jack and Stan built, it is entertaining and full of exciting, well-rendered scene of daring and wonder. While I can't say for certain, I suspect that the only thing holding this project down and keeping it from ascending to the heights claimed by 1602 and other, similar works might be the fact that this book is definitely tied down [via constant references, but little else] by Marvel's current continuity and the whole "Civil War" storyline. Still, highly enjoyable and more than worth the time and money invested.
And that's it for now. More next week
posted by Bill Baker at 2:34 PM
0 comments
