Craig Brownlie

Quick Rating: Get your ballpark franks here!
Title: The Fantastic Four Meet the Skrulls from Outer Space

Plot: Stan Lee and Jack Kirby
Writer: Sean McKeever
Artist: Gurihuri
Colors: Sotocolors’s J. Roberts, J. Keith, and Soto
Letters: Dave Sharpe
Editor: C. B. Cebulski

The Skrulls make their first Marvel Age appearance, wreaking havoc in the world and in the lives of the Fantastic Four. And we all liked it. My son has been drawing scenes from the story and we regularly remark on the humorous conclusion. All in all, it’s an enjoyable pamphlet. The art is crisp and clear; the story flows. Find some children and read it with them. They’ll be happy. You’ll be happy. If it had Bullpen Bulletins, then Marvel could begin building a new legion of zombies and the world might turn a little more literate.

So, there seems to be a lot of Fantastic Four out there all of a sudden. We’ve got junior, teen-age, regular, and mature. I asked my own pint-size critic whether he wanted to read both Marvel Age and Ultimate Fantastic Four. The answer was a strong affirmative. He appears to be enjoying both immensely. Marvel has clearly modeled themselves on the history of pubescent entertainments that cross-over to all the younger siblings out there (think of all the Saturday morning cartoons featuring pop musicians—does anyone else remember when the animated Osmonds met the animated Jackson 5?). So, we’ll follow our path of FF over-indulgence. At my house, we continue waiting for the Marvel Age Werewolf by Night.

June, 2004

Quick Rating: Odd in a Very Good Way
Title: Various

Writer: Jill Thompson, Akira Yoshida and Kia Asamiya, Evan Dorkin, John Cassaday
Artist: Jill Thompson, Kia Asamiya, Evan Dorkin, Gary Fields with Michelle Madsen, John Cassaday
Color: Dave Stewart, Sarah Dyer, Nick Derington
Letters: Clem Robins, Jason Hvam
Editor: Scott Allie

Hellboy deals with a monstrous toy company, WWII fighter pilots, and a bevy of odd skeletons. The wonder of anthology comics is that they allow readers to uncover new aspects of familiar creators and to discover wholly new creators.

I have long been a fan of Jill Thompson. Scary Godmother is one of the greatest comics out there. And any project with her name on it is a must-have. So, you can imagine my glee upon seeing her name on this issue. The story is beautifully painted. Unfortunately, it does not offer much on the plot side. I’m not always a big fan of one-joke tales (even good-looking ones). I usually do like it when stories break down that fourth wall, but this just cried out for a touch more.

On the other hand, I have not been a fan of Evan Dorkin’s work, but I can’t give a reason other than being a bit put off by what little I have seen. Hey, Milk and Cheese might be my thing, but I don’t know. Here, I thought he did a fantastic job and I am probably going to seek out some more of his work.

Kia Asamiya is a Manga artist, perhaps best known to American audiences for his work on the Star Wars Manga adaptation. His studio has also produced Silent Mobius, Nadesico, and Steam Detectives. Although I’d actually read some of those, he still felt new to me. And I loved his work in Weird Tales. Enough so I have to go back and check those out again.

Why do they include pin-ups in comic books? If the point is to try out a new artist, then does the artist need to be tried out before the whole world? Does anyone actually cut them out and hang them on their wall? Are there college dorm rooms out there tastefully decorated in Top Cow portraits and beer cans wedged across the ceiling? Why not include a text page containing some non-contextual description? Surely, a Hellboy pin-up does not qualify as cheesecake or beefcake (perhaps pancake, for those who have read their Mignola).

May, 2004

Quick Rating: Four Scooby Snacks!
Title: The Corpse

Isn’t it time for a Scooby Doo/Hellboy crossover? At least in the movies?

Writer: Mike Mignola
Artist: Mike Mignola
Letters: Pat Brosseau
Colors: Matthew Hollingsworth
Editor: Scott Allie

The Corpse has been billed as Mignola’s personal favorite Hellboy tale. This low-priced issue serves as a tie-in to the movie. In Ireland, Hellboy helps a family whose baby has been taken by faeries (not the bright and cheery Disney type). The thieves demand Hellboy buries their dead friend, a drunken gambler, in hallowed ground. Unfortunately, one of the fairies decides to complicate the task. The back of the pamphlet includes some information showing how the story fits with the movie.

I really like Hellboy. I walked by it many, many times before I gave it a try… all those wasted years…
But (everybody has a but) I find that I enjoy Hellboy the most in collected format. The world of Hellboy interests me. I like the interaction of the characters. I consider the artwork outstanding. But it’s tough to read just one. It just feels like you’ve walked in on the middle of something. I think it was T.S. Eliot who compared life to a cocktail party that’s already started when we arrive and we have to leave before it’s over. That essence of missed opportunity and baleful accomplishment seems to pervade Hellboy more than any other piece of literature created in recent years.

And now the movie stride onto the screen. –Dark Horse deserves credit for this effort at cross-promotion.– I look forward to it with trepidation. No film could be so dark (in color, let alone tone) as the comic books and still appeal much beyond the borderlands of the comic field. It may have a large opening, which usually means nothing for staying power or quality. (Do you remember Dungeons and Dragons?) That alone may be a pleasant surprise, but I hope for something that succeeds because it is good.

The again, just once I want to read or hear those wonderful words: “I would have gotten away with it, too, if it hadn’t been for you meddling kids… and that red guy with the really big hand.” It could be dark and yet light-hearted. It would have whimsy tinged with gore. It would be reassuring while you hide under your bed sheets late at night.

April, 2004