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[Number 85 - Part 3]

Number 85 - Part 3

Where to find it

The whole thing fits into 4 handy collections but the first and last seem to be getting a little tricky to get physically. I'd have thought with a bit of shopping around you'd find them though.

There is a complete deluxe hardcover collection with the lot in but that seems to be out of print at the moment and going for silly money. With any luck for you omnibus fans that will get a reprint at some point?

If you are after digital you'll be fine as it's all there and reasonably affordable.

The aftermarket seems to be your friend here. The two out a print collections (1 and 4 as per above) don't seem too hard to find and don't sell for daft prices either. The floppies seem to be reasonably priced if you have a bit of patience.

Learn more

Obligatory Wikipedia page

Beyond that not as much as I thought they'd be has popped up given how popular Brubaker and Phillips are. Comics Alliance does a very nice detailed breakdown of the pacing in one scene that's worth a read.

Loser City has a less postive take than mine that's worth a read.

Surprisingly CBR has a good interview with Brubaker and Phillips BUT its just ahead of the final issue so probably best ignored if you've not read this one yet.

So once again I find myself leaning into Good reads to find some nice diverse opinions on this one.

What is all this?

Conscious that this is becoming a long thread and if you're wondering what the heck you've just read and can't be arsed (quite sensibly) to search back to find out I'll link to my opening posts that try to explain all this.

What this all came from

And of course a nerd won't do a list like this without setting 'Rules' / guidelines

Some thoughts on what will not be on the list.

[Number 85 - Part 2]

Number 85 - Part 2


Copyright - Them what created it

So I was seeing all these parallels, this connective tissue, but at the time no one else seemed to be referring to it. So I wondered about why and concluded that I might well be reading too much into things. That there was nothing there other than what I was (over) reading into what I read. And frankly that didn't matter. This was my reading of the comics, if I brought that to the party and that informed what I took from the comics and affected my enjoyment that was fine. It was my reading, my experience, regardless of any original intent from the creators. Any individual reading of any comic, book, movie, play, song, whatever is just that an individual reading of that piece of art. If what was given to me by the creators was there simply as I saw it and it came from my engagement with the piece then it was there, in that reading and is valid as any 'correct' reading. Folks can absolutely disagree, see that reading as poppycock, dismiss it and therefore question my reading of others things, say I missed the 'real' meaning of the piece. That doesn't take away from my experience.

Hence we get the all important subjectivity of anyone's engagement with any piece of art. There is no wrong reading, even if that reading does go against the planned purposes of the creators and book the trend of more widely held views. Everyone comes to the art they engage with different experiences, different needs and therefore sees that work through their individual perspective and they will only enjoy a work if that work satisfies the needs they bring to it. I wrote my Librarianship master dissertation about this... yes, yes there is such a thing! There isn't really any good or bad imaginative literature, it all has value if it's able to satisfy the needs that certain readers bring to it. I come to Kill or be Killed as a fan of superhero fiction and so bring those things to it. Seeing those superhero tropes, all be it presented in a very different way, in this work satisfied some subconscious need I was engaging with and so that's cool.

That will then be filtered through society, media, the options of others and so as a society we determine what is good, bad, what has value and what doesn't. A collective view is 'agreed' on views that are different from those that are exposed as outliers and are commonly disagreed with. None of that takes away from the validity of that specific reading to that particular person...

... as it turns out in this case as I've done my background reading for this write up, it's become clear that actually Brubaker (and I assume by extension Phillips) did intend for them to be there. To quote the Wikipedia entry (I know, I know lazy research!) linked to below:

He describes the story as Death Wish meets Breaking Bad with the adventure of The Amazing Spider-Man comics from the 1970s.

Which kinda burst my bubble when heading into writing this after for so long assuming I was seeing things that weren't there. I decided to keep all that in however as for so long, until I started typing this one up, having those feelings was my experience when it came to Kill or be Killed. Shows what I know!


Copyright - Them what created it

Beyond all that it's really important to note I think I'd have enjoyed this one regardless of the superhero story told through the bitter lens of a psychological crime thriller. Over its 20 issues it tells a fantastic, tense, compelling visceral and violent tale. I mentioned in my reflections of Fatale (linked to above) that I find Brubaker and Phillips noir crime stories even more engaging when they have a different layer to them. In this case, as with Fatale the supernatural elements add a deeper layer of mystery and intrigue. They allow their visits to the world of crime to explore wider, deeper ideas. That's not to say that I don't enjoy pure crime stories and we'll see that as we get deeper (much deeper in one case) into this list. Just in their specific case it adds a little something extra that makes them stand out to me. It satisfies another need to bring to my reading and adds to my particular enjoyment.

In Kill or be Killed it really leaves the question of whether Dylan is actually visited by a demon that compels him to kill or whether it's all a reflection of his mental health issues. We the reader get to decide what we take from those visitations. I need to read it again to make a call on whether it handles those mental health issues well, or whether it simply uses them cheaply to create some sensationalist drama. For now I'll allow better informed folks to make that call. Though given it deals with suicidal ideation its worth flagging a content warning on this one.

Phillips' art is of course sublime. I think I covered most things I want to say about it in my entry for Fatale. Suffice to say he uses his deep shadows and sharp contrast to create a perfect tone and atmosphere for the piece. He handles the intimate character moments with depth and intensity. The action elements are violent and uncompromising, he depicts them as suitably hard, terrible and with real consequence. It's another artistic triumph with his typical first class storytelling.


Copyright - Them what created it

Errr and yes that cover really does make clear I should have had no doubts about the Spidey references being made hey! Anyway Kill or be Killed is another fantastic entry in Brubaker and Phillips long list of collaborations. It's my favourite of them, though we might get another crime story by a different Phillips coming up later. I think that's as it plays with another thing, superhero stories, I enjoy in such a different and fresh way. It adds a new spin on another of the needs I bring to reading the escapist fantasy of custom heroics. I hope if you've read it, or decide to read it, your experience is as good.

[Number 85 - Part 1]

Number 85 - Part 1



Number 85 - Kill or Be Killed

Keywords: Superheroes, crime, horror, reading more in than is there!

Creators:
Writer - Ed Brubaker
Art - Sean Phillips
Colours - Sean Phillips

Publisher: Image Comics

No. issues: 20
Date of Publication: 2016 - 2018

Last read: 2018

I often talk about how what the reader brings / looks for in a comic can define what they see and get from that reading experience. This clearly has a big influence in how they enjoy a comic, or what they see in it. In many ways


Copyright - Them what created it

is a great example of that for me. How I read things and what I bring really stands out in this one. I think I may well be seeing things that aren't meant to be there, reading into it in a way never intended... or maybe not. It doesn't matter as it impacts my reading and that's what shapes my reading experience and enjoyment. Creators of any work of art are only offering a blueprint to the person consuming that art. They of course have intent and desire things to be seen and understood. That counts for nothing in the destructive gaze of the reader (in this instance) who may well take what was intended, chew it up and spit it out into a mess of what they want and need from what is presented to them. Neither good, nor bad, not right or wrong, it just is. A comic is nothing, means nothing until it is read and only in that reading does it gain any substance.

I don't think some of the things I see in Kill or be Killed that might not be intended to be there affect my enjoyment specifically. It's great comics regardless, of original intent and my potential butchering of that intent. Just I think this is a good example of the phenomenon of the reader, or consumer of any art, actually ultimately controlling all creative endeavours and in a strange way being part of the creative process, in fact the most important part...

...Hold on, hold on I'm getting way ahead of myself here aren't I. Let's start again with some basics and what the heck this title actually is 'about'.


Copyright - Them what created it

Kill or Be Killed is the latest entry in my list from Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips. They've previous appeared at 123 - with Fatale and this lead to conversation in which I bemoaned them only appearing once more and here we are. I also mentioned in my entry for Spider-man Kraven's Last Hunt that Spider-man would only appear once more and here we are for that one to... damn getting ahead of myself again...

The story tells of Dylan, a depressed post graduate student who is in love with his best friend Kira who just happens to be dating Dylan's roommate Mason. Dylan tries to end his life, but fails, the night after that attempt he is visited by a demon which claims to have saved Dylan and offers him a deal. Every month Dylan wants to stay alive he must kill. If he doesn't he will die.

Given his poor mental health Dylan is convinced he dreamt or hallucinated the demon, that it wasn't real, yet almost a month after that evening he starts to feel ill and the demon visits him again to warn him his time is almost up. Dylan, now secretly seeing Kira after revealing his love for her, sees a reason to live. So in desperation he tracks down a man who abused an old friend of Dylan's years ago who escaped justice and believing they deserve to die kills them. He immediately feels better.

Now convinced that the demon's deal is real Dylan has to find people he's willing to kill each month to stay alive. Not being capable of killing just anyone he tracks down various criminals and becomes a vigilante, hunted by the criminal gangs he kills people from and the police.


Copyright - Them what created it

The series is a neat, tight, thrilling story that in 20 issues covers a lot of ground and retains a tight focus. With that description however I can understand why folks might be wondering why I've mentioned Spiderman early - this is nothing like Spiderman right? Well yes and no. The story is entirely original and falls firmly into that Brubaker and Phillips stable of crime thrillers. Much like Fatale this one has that mystical, psychological edge to it.

The reason I mention it in conjunction with Spider-man however is when reading it as it came out it really read as if they took those crime thrillers they are so known for and filtered it though a What If Marvel Universe story.

"What if Spider-man's great responsibility was to kill once a month."

At the time of reading I didn't see anyone else reference that when discussing the series, but the parallels were there. Dylan was a love torn post-graduate student, just like Peter Parker whose early love interest at times also went out with his flat mate. In Peter's case it was Gwen Stacey and Harry Osborne. Peter felt a responsibility to become a vigilante and fight crime. Dylan does likewise, all be if with very different motivations. Both feel guilt due to their obligation. Peter as he often doesn't see his Aunt enough or similar. Dylan as he has to murder people. But ya know there is a parallel there! They are both driven to use the 'powers and responsibilities' they have to the best effect. Peter to smack the heads and string up bank robbers and The Shocker and his ilk, Dylan does his best to only kill the worst folks, or the worst folks from his perspective. They both do the best they can with their circumstances.

All of these loose connections are bolstered by some very clear visual cues as well. Well they seemed clear to me. When Dylan goes out to find his victims he dons a hoodie and red mask and even though it's remote he definitely, kinda, looks like Spidey. Certainly the early days Spidey of his origin, before he wears that immaculately tailored costume. The similarities are keener when you consider movies versions of the web-spinner. The comparisons there are more immediate, after all the Spidey movies feel compelled to create as realistic a version of Webhead as they can (which okay isn't that realistic!) and Brubaker and Phillips certainly like to steep their works in the grim and gritty 'real' world.

Even the demon who visits Dylan looks like he's right out of a Bill Sienkewicz Marvel comic from the 80s. It was something out of New Mutants or similar stuff. Okay so that's not Spiderman but solidly centred in the Marvel Universe.

Ohhhh I really like that one too. What its it about me and Tharg always disagreeing about the best design for a cover!

Well this looks interesting. If yhou haven't seen via Thrillmail Rebellion have a Kickerstarter
 on the way for a new romance anthology.

*Not as in Adam and the Ants comics that is...

[Zenith]

Zenith owes Paul Auater a debt, and so, now I think about it, does Grant's Animal Man.

Yeah I can see that. The 2000ad writer I most associate his work with is Pete Milligan both having such a direct focus on identity.

I adored his novels. Timbuktu, Mr Vertigo and Music of Chance being particular favourites.

Wow - have to say I LOVE that alternative cover. I think its miles better!

Oh no Paul Auster has passed. Such a brilliant author whose life had been tough over the last few years. He leaves behind a quite brilliant literary legacy.

Let's see how a nights sleep does for it all...

So, will we be seeing you there Colin?

I had a go at a booking hotel this weekend and now I'm just playing chicken with the hotel prices so think I am.

Yep as JayzusB said great stuff as ever. Can't wait for the second half of Thieves World. Will be very interesting to hear what you think as this story arc develops given some of the conversation this time. Avoid any number of threads here mind!

Out of all of them I'd recommend Unbeatable Squirrel Girl the most, I read it during the pandemic and credit it for helping me stay sane(ish) as it has such a wholesome, warm, funny and considerate central sentiment, where Squirrel Girl only ever resorts to violence if she has absolutely no other choice.

Hmmmm do I need something else on the list (to read not this one!)...no... but sounds like...

Eric Powell is an astonishingly good artist. I've not heard of Hillbilly before, seems worth a shot! I was a bit put off The Goon not because any of it wasn't great, but jsut becuase even after like 3 issues I felt I wasn't getting much new out of it. I'd love it if it was five page doses like in 2000AD, but 20+ pages each time of fairly similar stuff wears me down - something to enjoy in small doses!
But spunds as if Hillbilly has more of an overall story to get into?

It did take me a couple of goes to get into The Goon. After a couple of misfires after reading bits and bobs I picked it up in a Humble Bundle and gave it a proper go and by jiggers its is so good.

As for Hillbilly while I don't think it is as good those 12 issues of what was the ongoing are structured as a single story. The early issues do feel a little like monster of the week but its all building up to the end.

Never heard of this but it looks quite interesting

Yes same here, I've been looking for something different to read so will give it a try. Just downloaded v1 -4 graphic novels and will read tonight.

Cool Beans! Hope you enjoy it.

[#86 - Part 3]

#86 - Part 3


Copyright - him what created it

The story is really well paced and structured as well. It's crafted to build our understanding of both Rondel and his world with impeccable timing. At first we have a few short stories to introduce our brooding lead and his companions. We see the witches crawling darkly in the background, exploding onto the page in thrilling and physical climaxes. We learn Rondel's history as the extent of the danger the local communities face is steadily laid out. A creeping threat, which makes it all the more terrifying. This also means the reader is slowly drawn in and made to care. The tension and scale of what is faced drips out of the initial conflicts.

This means when we start to crash towards the final epic conflict we are invested and care. The cost of fighting these dark inhabitants of Appalachia we have witnessed in smaller scale, more intimate ways, so as the twelve issue series chops to the chase and Rondel's conflict explodes into warfare the larger scale still has very real, personal consequences. The reader is sucked into the world so effectively and this provides the series real, intense impact.

Unlike so many series I've discussed, my relationship with this is pretty simple. I often talk about what my enjoyment of a series says about me and my relationship with comics. This one is pretty straightforward. I just love well crafted adventure / horror stories, told exceptionally with astonishing art. While the stories are filled with mystery and intrigue my admiration and enjoyment of them isn't just that, these are just plain great stories told well. Once we are past the first twelve issue run the mini simply makes clear that there is much more in the tight, closed world we have seen. I'm genuinely hopeful that Powell returns to Rondel soon as it feels like there is a depth to the folklore we're still to see and we have a character through which learning this folklore is a thrilling, compelling, visual delight. If not what we have is entirely satisfying and self contained, so while I'd love more, we don't necessarily need more.


Copyright - him what created it

Where to find it

There are four trade collections that collect all the issues to date in all the usual places. Three for the 12 issues ongoing and one for the subsequent mini.

It would appear that a couple are out of print, but seem easy enough to get second hand. No glossy, shiny hardcover collection yet. Hopefully we'll get a nice Goon style compilation down the road.

All of these are available digitally as well from the normal places

Albatross Funnybooks seem to have all the back issues in stock, but shipping form the US and increasing value might make that not too attractive an option. The aftermarket is starting to get a little pricey too, though not too bad yet. Might be time to jump now and we can start a speculator boom on these comics that seem to have a little heat around them!

Learn more

What? WHAT! There's no Obligatory Wikipedia page for an ongoing Eric chuffin' Powell comic. Jez what is the world coming to? Well I'll just have to use this TV Tropes page I found instead.

In fact there's an amazing lack of any commentary about these comics on the internet at all much to my surprise. I mean come on this is Eric Powell folks! So all I've got is the Good Reads for the series to offer alternative views... though glad to say most are positive.

In doing some background searching for images for this one I did stumble across a gallery of original art on the Albatross Funnybooks website... I wish I hadn't, I'm SOOOOooo tempted but really should have other priorities right now... but just look at how glorious that art is. A great way to bask in Eric Powell's stupendous art though.



What is all this?

Conscious that this is becoming a long thread and if you're wondering what the heck you've just read and can't be arsed (quite sensibly) to search back to find out I'll link to my opening posts that try to explain all this.

What this all came from

And of course a nerd won't do a list like this without setting 'Rules' / guidelines

Some thoughts on what will not be on the list.

[# 86 - Part 2]

# 86 - Part 2


Copyright - him what created it

Rondel himself is central to all that happens in these tales. He's a fascinating character. Shrouded in mystery and enigma he's almost immediately compelling as we are introduced to this giant hulk of a human, with no eyes and tears of blood running down his cheeks. He grasps the reader and holds their interest. As his past is revealed none of that enigma is really cut away. He retains an air of mystery even as those obvious mysteries are stripped away. He's hard, taciturn, determined, reflective with a quiet compassion that he tries to conceal. He is also however very focused on this singular mission, one that he knows will cause great risk and harm to him and those who join him.

He's kinda how Marvel's Wolverine would have turned out if he'd actually lived the life he'd lived... and had his eyes poked out by a witch...

While the story centres around Rondel the supporting cast is almost as well realised. Aside from Lucille, the giant bear as caring as she is effective at violence when needed, Rondel is joined by his other friend James Stoneturner. Stoneturner has a really good character arc as he's pulled into ever increasing danger by supporting our protagonist. The lesser characters, even local farmers and other inhabitants of Appalachia, are all full, solid and fleshed out, even if their appearance is fleeting. Another strength of Powell's art is his ability to convey a rich array of characters and make each distinct and use their visual representation to develop character, without resorting to cliche, well too much. You can tell who can and can't be trusted, who is weak and who is strong, by the way they carry themselves, the light in their eyes and other visual cues. He achieves this without leaning too far into caricature, well unless the tone of the story calls for it and when it does he uses that caricature with unrepentant glee.


Copyright - him what created it

The setting of Appalachia is also fantastic. How many comics and tales lean into better known myths and legends. Do we need more stories that example Norse myth, are we short of stories featuring Baba Yaga, no. Even more contemporary legends feel overused now. Lovecraftian myths are ten a penny these days and frankly bore the bejesus out of me. Even the less known aspects of British legends feel like they are getting good air play. So it is really refreshing to be exposed to new tales and new creatures from a mythology that I had no prior knowledge of. The stories are so well presented, my ignorance of northeastern US folklore doesn't inhibit my enjoyment at all. Everything is introduced with all the information needed. That which is left shrouded just adds to the creepy, uneasy feeling that the series offers so well. Not knowing backgrounds and histories of these legends adds to the horror and exposes their brutality all the more.

This added to a timeless quality to the series. I get a sense that this is set in the early 20th century, but it's left unclear. Powell's art shows rural communities with basic technologies, rustic homes and clothing. All of this is draped in mist and clinging atmosphere to allow it to be nonspecific and timeless.

The tales of a newly experienced folklore. The fairytale timelessness and atmosphere of the world we explore add to the grim horror inherent in the series. Unlike Powell's other opus, The Goon, this one isn't played for laughs when it needs to. It is played far straighter and darker and this allows for the horror of the witches and other creatures to be felt all the more by the reader. It's a genuinely creepy horror show that feels set in a dank past, but could be lurking just around the next hill if you got lost in the dark forests of their setting today.

[#86 - Part 1]

#86 - Part 1



Number 86 - Hillbilly

Keywords: Artistic brilliance, grim fairy tales, The Goon, dreamlike, hard bitten

Creators:
Writer - Eric Powell
Art - Eric Powell (with a little by Simon Di Meo)
Colours - Eric Powell (with a little by Brennan Wagner)

Publisher: Albatros Press

No. issues: 19
Date of Publication: 2016 - 2019 (maybe ongoing?)

Last read: 2019

The other Eric Powell comic is


Copyright - him what created it

Well okay there are plenty of other Eric Powell comics but this is the other creator owned ongoing series he's done and while it might not be The Goon good, it's bloomin' amazing. The series follows the adventures of Rondel, the eyeless hillbilly of the title. He wanders Appalachia, in the northeastern US, hunting witches and other mythical beasts and more often than not slaying them with his mighty Devil's Cleaver. It's a series built to showcase Eric Powell's sublime, dreamy art.

Across the original ongoing series a single tale is told as Rondel wages war against the witches of the area who raise an army of ghouls and beasties to try to rid themselves of the regular folks who have settled in their rural homeland. A second 4 issue mini series tells a further self-contained story of Rondal repelling creatures from the stars. Alas this one doesn't have Eric Powell on art, but is still very good indeed.

That's all the background you need to know. These tales are steeped in what seems to be the real folklore of Appalachia and involves fantastical creatures including a giant sabretooth bear called Lucille, one of Rondel's only friends. These are fairy tales. Fairy tales that are grim and grubby, soaked in booze and cover caked in dirt. The lore they draw from is rich and earthy, violent, creepy and compelling. This is Thistlebone told with the brash confidence of US comics.


Copyright - him what created it

Let's cut to the chase here, one of the key reasons I love these comics is Eric Powell's stupendous art. If you placed a gun to my head and asked me to name my favourite comic artist, on certain days, when the wind is blowing in from last night's nightmares, I'll answer "Eric Powell for today." he's that good. His washed out watercolours with perfectly chosen lowkey palette, over strong robust figures and creations cast in an almost 'cartoony' style provide a glorious juxtaposition in tone that almost defines what comics can be when they are used to their maximum potential. On one hand bombastic, hyper-realised, forcing a reader to the edge of their imagination, yet on the other hand soft, quiet and intimate, pulling the most out of each frozen moment. Somehow Eric Powell brings those two things together and makes them work as a joyous whole that is at times so comfortable and kind on the eyes, at others creeps into the darkest corners of your mindseye to terrify you.

He's able to place these characters and beasts into environments that buzz with life and sweat. Water drips from the moss draped over branches, mud pulls at feet so each step feels hard and earnt. You smell the rot in the wood of his worlds and feel the cold dampness of the stone and concrete. Yet all of this is set in landscapes filled with sweeping hills, or tiled roofs in streets of broken paving to give them a sad, almost poetic beauty, cast as it is in the dim light of the gloaming. He manages that great trick that the best artists of all forms can do by taking two seemingly contrasting tones and aspects and bringing them together in a way that would otherwise be hard to imagine.

It's that quality of his art that so perfectly reflects the stories of Hillbilly. They have a dream-like quality that sets the myths and legends that they play with into an otherworldly aspect. At the same time they are hard, grounded and muscular. Dealing with real people who you understand and believe, while also being firmly set in the world of story. That the art is able to hold all these elements so perfectly together and unified into a delightful whole is why I find his art so damned compelling and genuinely believe it's amongst the very, very finest to grace the comics page.