When I reflect on Shannara, we are going back to the baby steps of a love affair with Fantasy that if not taken when they were, I would have probably found myself not inundated with advanced copies for a site I co-own dedicated to the subject of Speculative Fiction itself. It was not my first venture into Fantasy, but it was perhaps the first series I continued simply because it was Fantasy. Later in life I’d realize I was already a fan of the fantastic and it could be illustrated with books I read before – be it from Tolkien, Stevenson, Lovecraft, or others but I think then it was just about adventures then and Shannara offered another place I hadn’t been before, and at that age being someone who was used to and loved travel even then it was not only enough – it was optimal. I was as a child lucky enough to had already seen places and found myself at a place where so many rarely left their own state. Be it the Coliseum, the Parthenon/Acropolis, Pisa, The Sistine Chapel, Pompeii, Ercolano, the real Oktoboer Fest, Carnivale, Mardi Gras, Big Ben, Venice – Vesuvius or Fuji, the Pyramids, the Louvre a ride on The Orient Express and countless German and French castles and cathedrals and rugs from Turkey later – when I sat in history classes I always felt a chapter ahead, it was a review for me, not an introduction. Later, I’d I found myself in the dirty south of the U.S. which at the time was something not unlike exile from meaningful culture. Later, I’d recognize a highly functionable and welcome order to it all but at the time I think I was substituting that sense of wonder lost, with a maze of wonder at the library. I’m not at all sure if there were books I didn’t like then, in fact there may not have been even ‘good’ or ‘bad’ they were just all part of one large journey for me, some legs were just more memorable and some more staying power - better than I remembered - when I made the journey back, but if not, it does not taint what came before. To me I was just chillin’ with Huck one week, fishing with Ahab the next, sharing riddles in Hed after that, blew trees in the Shire a month after, all while walking through Shadow with my bud Brand who was babbling about chaos, and all because years before I wanted to go beyond where the wild things were. You see, Allanon and me, well, we go way back; before Bremen found him hiding all shook - we were already tight, even before me and Jessica used to have mélange sessions. I’d tell you my last name is Creel, but that’s another shadow, one me and only the Grimpond talk about but what you need to know is that when I wasn’t being a hell raiser as a youth, I could be found plotting my next secret vacance in my room, or what looked like plotting otherwise, why was I so quiet? Nobody complained, least of all me, because I was in my comfort zone – and I had been there before, and in fact I could fuck around and tell you how to get to Varleet from the Vale on a budget right now – like I said I’d been there before.

When discussing Shannara or Terry Brooks work in general – those that even take the time to do so anymore - many find it difficult to isolate a specific topic, having to express their stance on him and the fact alone should speak on his presence in the field. I myself am not gifted enough to buck that trend and as I type this I find myself unable to think in the box. I don’t love or hate the works of Brooks - but no different than any other writer at times I have loved and hated them. It is this relationship, this passion that defines fandom for me. Writers evolve and more importantly readers do as well and it’s not a shift that occurs one or in one direction. If we rightfully view the works of Rowling as an anomaly in regards to its measure of success in book sales – not just fantasy sales – then Brooks sits among the most successful who has ever done this and while to some that is somehow proof of impropriety against art itself, such stances prove to cause only minor chinks in the armor in one of the few writers in this field’s history that I think has a legitimate claim to being a generation’s introduction to the form – even if, irrefutably, largely borrowed beyond anyone’s attempt at shielding with the worst of paper-arguments ‘nothing new under the sun’. For myself, while presently – and for some years - my tastes have moved away from what Shannara has to offer but while I have aged and expanded upon my reading and bear with me, lore, of this corner of fiction that offers a perspective in a larger picture beyond the lines that are often the topics of heated and too often-linked discussions I try not to lose, replace, or dilute the veracity of my experience at the time. Addendums certainly - but no subtractions. The relevance of these statements to this review is due to the relationship that Dark Wraith of Shannara has with previous Shannara material, and more importantly, chapters I’m not only very familiar with, but chapters that I will always be familiar with. While it is The Heritage of Shannara arc that represents the best Brooks has shown in Shannara, and aside from his Word/Void work (in particular Angel Fire East) my favorite in his body of work, it seems to in his first three books in particular that fall into a timeline that sowed and cultivated the fanbase noted above. The Sword of Shannara, The Elfstones of Shannara, and The Wishsong of Shannara are not classic books, but they attempted to capture and perhaps even remind of classic tales in a form many had been waiting for, whether they were conscious of it or not. It is within these three books that the most resonant of threads could be found to truly test the waters of a market and platform I feel very strongly about: the OGN – the original graphic novel. With the success of King and Hamilton projects in sequential art, I’m interested in seeing more of and how others will follow suit and Brook’s attempt will be an interesting gauge due to that existing fanbase noted above.

When Dark Wraith of Shannara showed up at the door in January I must admit some measure of curiosity. I am perhaps a bigger fan of comics than I am in any other form of reading and I think that’s telling for anyone who is aware of how much time I put into a site like Fantasybookspot.com I love getting my VanderMeer, Erikson, Mieville, Zivkovic, Martin, Jonathan Carroll and Jeffrey Ford books – and releases by Saramago, Ishiguro, and McCarthy are close to spiritual experiences bound up and sold on shelves; Speculative fiction is close to my heart, but more than anything, I love my sequential art – I love my comics. It also presents a very low risk investment in my time, I tend to commit to my novels even if I don’t see anything of value hundreds of pages in – a habit that I think is the only plausible explanation on why so many people are familiar with books like The Fifth Sorceress. I have my own preferences and I get perhaps unequal opportunities to explore them and this format allows for a shot of Shannara I otherwise wouldn’t indulge in, and this is something I consider a fortunate circumstance.

Dark Wraith takes place some three years after The Wishsong of Shannara and utilizes principle characters from that book. This was an auspicious discovery for me as my favorite denizen of the Four Lands was introduced within those pages and the opportunity to see further adventures of Slanter was more appealing than I would have wagered. Wishsong, more than the other books really offered a group-quest that lingered due to the number of characters and the finality of where some of those paths led in how they would affect the survivors. It was also the end of the first arc and to the reader a geopolitical era and tone in Shannara that would be come forth from the Heritage arc. Because of this, I think it was the best place to mine further adventures and also a minefield due to a chance of pulling on strands knotted close to hearts. When finishing the 160 pages, I saw both of my thoughts play out. In familiar fashion a member of the Ohmsford family is recruited to continue their legacy as Allanon’s chosen champions and protectors of the land and this time –as promised - it will fall on Jair, burdened with his charge and a promise, he once again seeks out the Mwellrets who (in Wishsong) failing in their attempt and I guess strangely upset at being freed of being enslaved by the power of the Ildratch (because, you know, their evil) have plotted a new course of action: restoring the Druid Keep of Paranor to the land to unlock the knowledge within its walls. It should be said that there is not a tremendous amount attempted here, it’s a straightforward read that offers little in regards to searching for invisible thought bubbles mid-page but I think if it is aiming at the age-group I think it is, this wasn’t unforeseen or unintended. I was reading Brian K. Vaughn’s The Escapist (in collected form) at the same time and there is more going on, more weight on several individual panels and single lines in it then can be found within the entirety of Dark Wraith, but it offered this real interesting dynamic as when I was getting most disinterested in Dark Wraith I’d pick The Escapist up and it was almost telling me to take it (Dark Wraith) for what it was (anybody – and by that I mean everybody should – who had read The Escapists understands). What drove me nuts from the beginning was something that actually makes a substantial amount of sense in regards to character and story – a boy emulating someone he looked up to and able to manifesting what is most likely semi-fantasy even on its own but when augmented with legitimate need becomes something more. In comics nothing is guaranteed, especially death, and while there isn’t a true resurrection within the pages, given the nature of the original character, it’s close enough to want to reflexively argue otherwise – and that isn’t even a problem in itself or abnormal, but it did create this major and what looks to be the central element in any works to come after that if you find yourself not behind puts a very tangible ceiling on how much one can enjoy the story (and possibly further adventures). The death of Garet Jax (Wishsong of Shannara) is one of the really great deaths in the history of fiction – largely because it ended the existence of one of the most heinous, no-dimensional characters ever conceived. Garet Jax was a weapons master – unequaled, the best there is or ever was, yada, yada, yada.. He was also a walking deus ex machina – a mortal force of nature that would solve the majority of the quest’s problems by skillfully, hitting shit - sometimes hard. When he wasn’t (actively) being cool, we were being told how kewl he was by others. Let me say this about Brooks – he is consistently able to bring conclusions that satisfy and he does this by surrounding the inevitable saving of the day with a recognition of sacrifice and acceptance that does resonate and finds a corner in our memory that doesn’t fade. He showed this many times; with Amberle (Elfstones of Shannara), Allannon; he showed this with a debt and bond of two races being acknowledged by an injured Elf and Dwarf – and what these instances do is bind the allegiance of generations of Ohmsfords through representatives of the land – it is the people who become what they fight for, what they are loyal to, and through them the Four Lands and taken to the end the reader themselves. The death of Garet Jax, while welcome by me and clearly writing that was on the wall from the novel’s beginning was still one of those great moments in this child’s reading history. The ambiguity of the event, a mystery of whether or not the mortal demise of a man unequalled was in fact the reward he searched and trained for or was his sacrifice a delightful, if sobering, reality check. Say what people want to say, but these are terrific books for younger readers and Brook’s ability as a closer pays off. Like I said there is no true resurrection, thus it seems like I’m shadowboxing a bit, but the usage of the Wishsong that transforms Jair into Jax is strikes me as an element that would have been high on my list of not basing a story or a series of forthcoming stories on. The other underlining theme of Jair struggling to keep his promise of abandoning the Wishsong that he made to his sister and coincides with the familiar ‘power corrupts and eventually enslaves’ forms the apparent meat of the story that will take new readers for a tour and returning visitors a spin down memory lane. This is really an admittance of not caring for the fundamental premise and it was difficult for me to shake that as I read on as nothing really evolved from the transformation that made me not think just seeing Jair and Slanter reuniting to get by on wits, luck and experience would be more fun. I realize that some could consider it the sweetest thing imaginable, but for me it just strikes me as a decision that sounds better and perhaps even exciting as an idea thrown out there and dismissed after a second thought than it looks on paper and brought to fruition. What we are set-up for is basically a condition that allows Jair to handle any imaginable situation by being someone else and the balance is supposed to be given by Jair’s personal regret of lying to his sister in the course of saving his own life. That just cannot last for any length of time as the fundamental conflict for people who are used to reading even the least competent of fiction - indeed it got old just within these pages alone. We knew it was going to happen, we knew what going to happen when it did, we knew what Jair was going to ponder later and while it is passable – if not memorable - once it is a cycle that has to stop now and cannot carry another story. The backdrop of an adventure; the where, who, and when of it will not matter if these continue to be the bookends of the tale. I don’t know, I was looking for something to occur that even if not perceptible by the new reader, that was an attempt at really grabbing prior visitors – to let us know these graphic novels are projects that go beyond what we may want to read, but reads the afficianado has to read, filling in the gaps in the puzzle or introducing new ones – calling back to what some may hold dear, maximizing the fact that there is a fanbase that’s reading, waiting for that single moment of recognition that goes beyond bearing a name, when we look up and see familiar stars when we stop reading about wonder and start breathing it and Dark Wraith of Shannara never took that step for me. It was like following familiar tracks but upon catching up you find that they just belong to those wearing the same brand of shoes – the occupants, strangers.

It is, I know, awfully hip to say one loves the purity of black and white, and in the sense of seeing older works brought back in a collected or archive format with specific creators/pencilers I agree, but for the most part I’d be disingenuous in saying I prefer non-color. It certainly is appropriate and even optimal in some cases and this happens – I think – to be one of them. Jair himself echoed my thoughts early in the story, as an Ohmsford will once again find themselves on the banks of the Silver River on the way to a greater journey:

The black and white art helps creates this distance even when standing at what amounts to a figurative bridge in-story and for the most part I really took to the art. It is impossible for the visuals we created in our imaginations to be rendered as we saw it but there were no choices that troubled me terribly and even some that played out well and I think balanced the idea of a book for younger readers that still gave the sense of aging for those familiar with the novels and you can see this with Kimber who is a full blown tuttin now and apparently doesn't require clothing any longer. She lives in the cut, not a trailer park, still it is very alive. For the most part, the art exceeded expectations for me and managed find that middle-ground that was part of the contrast we’d see between the first two novels arcs.

Interestingly enough, I feel that the Dark Wraith of Shannara serves as better appetizer for the uninitiated to take a look at the novels and not as much as a product that at the end demands attention by those looking for more Shannara. This was a rather disappointing development for me simply because aside from seeming backwards to me, but from a purely selfish standpoint, as a former reader of Shannara I fall into the secondary category! I think in some ways, it may be underestimating the sophistication of the Manga reader, but I admit the American Manga market is something I don’t have near a comprehensive knowledge of , having not lived on those shores during it’s apparent rise in popularity and my own Manga reads are chosen with heavy deliberation as though I am a huge comic book fan and half-Japanese – I’m not what I’d call an avid fan of Manga. That said, it does give a gist of what occurred in the novel that will not leave the reader with the feeling of an incomplete tale, and that with just about everything else noted really brings us to the bottom line with this release. It’s damn well put together in terms of being friendly for anyone to pickup and comprehend – be it strictly Manga, strictly graphic novel, strictly comic book, existing Shannara fans, people who may have just read Wishsong of Shannara, or any combination of the above, but I finished not at all inspired to read on (the implication of further adventures and a continuing story is implied in the end – and by the time this review sees light possibly even announced) to any but the most loyal of fans and to me would be better suited as a nice online web comic project for fans to read between novels. I was reminded I once liked these characters but they were built with a shelf-life that I thought correctly optimized them already and nothing in these pages suggests otherwise. I think Brooks himself may have initially been aware of this (at the time) and avoided it with his early work by continuing tales in the setting with successive generations. What bothers me the most is that if you are like when you see a new project like this announced, you tend to reread source material to warm up for the event, but this 160 pages ends up not paying that off, indeed it doesn't seem to event attempt to.

The most interesting reading for me came after the story itself in the ‘making of Dark Wraith of Shannara’ segment that is also followed by a sketch-book of the artist, Edwin David. It’s rather brief but has some interesting insight on the collaboration between Robert Place Napton, who adapted (if I’m reading this correctly) Terry’s outline, David and Brooks. Visually I think Dark Wraith of Shannara is a success, the story itself does nothing for me, andI wonder how much could have been done about it, even though its really not relevant in terms of allocating opinion. It is what it is – no matter how it got there. Now in truth, I did find the story flat, a bit uneventful, it never approaches possessing any degree of suspense or a payoff and it reads very much like a preliminary outline put straight to paper. The story itself is just uninspired and felt more like a story that occurred without leaving any evidence it passed. It was like having that feeling that you just read a book but experienced a synopsis and when this occurs what happens is you get an opinion of a project that once finished, doesn’t deviate from whatever (preconceived) you had coming in. I found that upon completion I could describe (if asked) what happens in two - not unusually long - sentences in a manner that would make reading the actual 160 pages an absolutely redundant experience. I don’t like making comparisons out of thin air, as I said before at the same time I was reading this, I also happened to be reading the collected (hardcover) of Brian K. Vaughan’s The Escapists and while I can tell somebody what it was about as well (perhaps with two especially long sentences in this case) it would not in any way diminish the experience of the read itself – it had life beyond summary. There is nothing for the reader to bring to or take away from the story that they didn’t possess before. It just goes through the motions, and one feels like such a venue could be used to get dirty in the Four Lands and really what we are left with what seems more chum thrown to potential new readers than something those of us with the soil of the Westlands still stuck in our boots or seen the pride of Callahorn first-hand can get excited about. It is in a word, unnecessary, and when putting a brand that means something to many on a book, it’s the one quality you can’t be. It should be said I stopped reading Brooks after the Voyage of Jerle Shannara arc and there perhaps may be call-backs imbedded from material beyond that, that may add dimension to this graphic novel that I cannot be aware of but not once did I feel like I ever went back. One could, I suppose, possibly compare it to The Hedge Knight, which was material that chronicled activities that took place prior to the timeline in Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire and what you got was not a mind-blowing or essential addition, but still it was a piece, and with Dark Wraith and as someone familiar with the material and the legacy of the Ohmsfords it just doesn’t feel like a progression or even just a continuation of that, and if it tripped and fell flat, it somehow managed to do so without ever walking.

Shades!

Which is all it ended up being, nothing substantial; looks good, and while the spark of Jair’s future with Kimber leaves the faintest ripples of interest, there is just not enough brewing here that could ultimately make it recommendable and I find any attempt at lauding it impossible without following it with "for what it is" – and that’s usually the worst of signs.

Jay Tomio
The Bodhisattva

The X-Files Volume One is the first graphic novel I have reviewed. I am not a fan of the comic genre in general. I follow specific comics, usually spin-offs of TV shows that I am a fan of. That said, if I had to pick a graphic novel for my first such review it doesn’t get any better than this for me.

I am a very large X-Files fan, and have been since the very first trailer for the show that appeared the summer before the series premiere. I was there for episode 1. I was there for episode 201 and everything in between. I’ve seen everything that’s come out and read everything. I am a big admirer of Chris Carter’s style, as well as all of the writing and production staff, so I consider myself a good judge of material X-Files related.

The X-Files Volume One is a graphic novel compilation of a number of the X-Files comic books released in the mid-to-late 90’s. Produced by Topps, the title ran for 40 issues, plus several special editions, before ending. I own almost all of the original comics but it’s been years since I’ve read them. I was looking forward to seeing what Checker brought us in glossy, graphic novel form.

This volume is made up of Issues 13-17 of the Topps comic series, plus adaptations of the pilot episode and the episode Squeeze. Writing credits for these issues go to Stefan Petrucha and Miran Kim, with artwork by Charles Adlard. In all there are 7 chapters, telling 6 different stories. I am not sure how they choose their issues for this graphic novel, but I do recall that the 4 stories covered between issues 13-17 were among the best of the original stories that were done. They stayed very true to the spirit of the show and to the characters, while staying away from the core mythology of the show. A couple of the stories in the collection were relatively similar to one another, but were still well done. I have seen artwork that was more realistic and spot on than the renderings of Mulder and Scully. I think that Charles Adlard, the artist, was going for a style, since he was consistent throughout, but I am more of a fan of realism. What I did like about the artwork was how the sequences of violence were handled. That drawing style was darker and gloomier, almost abstract, in a way that depicted the violence but without either showing it directly and making the panel too graphic, or by showing it and having it appear downplayed by looking too “cartoony”. Violence was often handled on the show in the same way, shown indirectly after a camera cutaway. I recall that Chris Carter said in an interview once that the imagination can produce a far scarier picture than anything he could put on the screen. So he let the imagination fill in the blanks in the violent depiction. The comic handled this very well, in that same way, and the combinations of darkness and swirling colors reminded me personally of the dark and shadowy feel that was the trademark of The X-Files while it filmed in Vancouver.

Chapter One is “One Player Only”, in which Mulder and Scully investigate why a well liked computer programmer would suddenly go on a spree killing at his workplace. This chapter captured the creepy X-Files feel through the addition of an abstract; more artistic and sinister drawing style intermingled with the normal drawing style best of all. I liked the story, but it seemed like the ending was abrupt, even though it had a bit of that chilling effect that the X-Files was always good for. It kept you thinking even after the credits were rolling.

Chapter Two is “Falling”. Mulder is in search of a crashed UFO. But he finds that the most dangerous beings that he has to face aren’t alien at all, or even adult. This was interesting, but “characters in peril” isn’t the most interesting thing to me, when it’s a sure bet that the peril will not come to pass.

Chapters Three and Four and “Home of the Brave, Parts One and Two. Mulder and Scully are again in search of aliens, but find themselves captured by anti-government survivalists. If they make their way outside they may be in danger. But if they don’t, they may be in even worse danger. This story was in-depth enough that it was a two- issue story. See my previous statement though about “characters in peril”. This story did make another character (or guest star) a bit of the focus of the story, and we see some things through her eyes, which was always a staple of good episodes. That character was the most intriguing part of this story.

Chapter 5 is “Into Thin Air”. When a Navy Pilot returns 50 years after vanishing without a trace in the Bermuda Triangle, there is much more going on than meets the eye. I personally thought that this was the most interesting story of the non-episode adaptations. It had some mystery to it, so it kept you guessing.

Chapters Six and Seven are the episode adaptations. For readers perhaps getting a first exposure to The X-Files adaptations of the pilot and Squeeze are very good episodes to select. The pilot started it all. Tooms in Squeeze was the first very popular “monster of the week”. Both adaptations were very true to the episodes, catching all the visual high points of both episodes. The essence of both episodes were still there, all the key dialogue, the key camera angles, the key shots.

The plots were not overly simplistic, but they were not extremely complex either so they could fit in a single comic. “Home of the Brave” was a two-parter that went into a bit more detail. As I recall, there were some arcs that ran at least as long as 4 comics during its run. I can only assume that this graphic novel wanted to expose readers to as many different stories as they could get into one small novel, so they went mostly with “standalone” single issue stories.

For a fan of The X-Files, or for someone who likes the characters of Mulder and Scully, this collection does justice to the spirit of the show and captures the characters very well. Expect a series of stand-alone investigations, which are opened and closed. The interaction between the characters is basic. There are no bombshells of character development or plotline. Chris Carter was involved to an extent with the stories so that means that they will have a certain standard of excellence. It also means that there aren’t going to be any big bombshells since those were being saved for the TV show. He did however pick writers and artists who he thought could best bring his vision onto the Comic book page. That was certainly done, and I think this collection shows that.

I think though that The X-Files is a must have for any fan of the show who doesn’t have the comics. It’s glossy and has a neat cover that is appropriate for the show. It looks good on the outside and doesn’t disappoint on the inside. The writing is high quality enough that a general comic fan would find this a good read, even if they don’t know the show. The Pilot episode is the last chapter in the novel, so reading it first would give enough character background to understand the characters. With that in mind, it might have made more sense to make the pilot the first chapter rather than the last.

I give this a 7.5. The 10 standard here would be held if Chris Carter himself did a comic that picked up storyline from where the series ended, as Joss Whedon did to a small extent with Firefly, and to larger extents with Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel. The same thing for The X-Files would be something to dream about, but X-Files Volume One is a good read until that happens. There is a new movie coming out in July as well, so this graphic novel can whet the appetite.

"Hip Flask: Concrete Jungle" was very much what I expected in terms of continuing the stories begun in the "Elephantmen: Wounded Animals" graphic novel. This volume could be considered a stand-alone volume in some circles, but in my own experience, it was a mistake to attempt to read "Concrete Jungle" without reading "Wounded Animals" first. "Concrete Jungle" offers only the barest recap into previous events which helps jog the memory of readers who are already familiar with the series, but offers little in the way of explanation to readers who are experiencing "Elephantmen" for the first time. The first attempt at reading this volume was largely unenjoyable because I didn't have the faintest idea why I should care about any of these characters. After reading (and very much enjoying) "Wounded Animals," I began reading "Concrete Jungle" again and discovered it to be a far better volume than I'd anticipated.

As with "Wounded Animals," "Concrete Jungle" masquerades as a pulpy, genre action story that centers on Hip Flask, the Elephantman who appears to be a bipedal hippopautamus. He was introduced in "Wounded Animals" as a private investigator type who's been contracted by a branch of official law enforcement. His exact employment status and agency aren't fully revealed, but it's clear that he's meant to be on the side of the "good guys" as much as this series can be said to have "good guys."

Once again the artists have gone for a look that while richly textured is decidedly dark and gritty which is fitting considering the hard-boiled pulp noir storyline. This book follows Hip Flask through the partial investigation of a case that clearly involves a hitman, the elephantman Obadiah Horn, and a man named Serengheti. What isn't clear is exactly how the case will be resolved because this volume, frustratingly enough, doesn't contain a full story arc. It's obviously setting up plot elements for bigger and better things to come in the series, though the cliff-hanger ending is less about cheap tricks to sell more books and more about a logical place to end what is, essentially, a single chapter in a much larger work. "Concrete Jungle" shifts between plot threads fluidly, while only weaving a couple of them into the larger storyline. The reader gets the impression that they can trust the author and artists to resolve all of these glimpses into a coherent whole, especially if that reader has gotten to read "Wounded Animals." The changes in characters and plotlines are nothing new for "Elephantmen" and it's part of what keeps the story so interesting.

The "Elephantmen" series is a fast-cut action series skillfully melded with noir and near-future science fiction and "Concrete Jungle" is no exception, however, as with "Wounded Animals", much larger and deeper issues are at the heart of this story. "Concrete Jungle" raises issues of scientific ethics and responsibility, racism, economics, and even provokes some thought on law enforcement and prisons. While this certainly shouldn't surprise readers of graphic novels or genre fiction in general (because much of it does contain worthy statements on society and culture), the simple fact is that the "Elephantmen" series carries all this issues within a story that brings them up without ever getting horribly preachy or boring in the slightest. "Concrete Jungle" is one of those books that a person can't help thinking about after reading it, and that's certainly not a bad thing at all.

From the back cover of the paperback book (blurb) -

Now the people know that the dragon minions of Takhisis, Queen of Darkness, have returned. But the races have long been divided by hatred and prejudice. It seems the battle has been lost before it begins.

The companions are separated, torn apart by war. A full season will pass before they meet again—if they meet again.

It is always a pleasant surprise to find out that book that you loved, got turned into a graphic novel. That said though, visiting a world that you know and love in graphic form, it has to live up to some healthy expectations for the reader. Devils Due and their team brought it to life, and everyone should be very pleased by their work. Dragons of Winter Night, has the dark feel one would think it should and it comes across in the artwork and layout.

I thought the artwork was beautiful, and where it really seemed to shine was in the outdoor scenes and the artwork of the dragons. The characters were also depicted well for my personal tastes, whether or not they live up to what you envisioned them to be is something you have to look at for yourself. My favorite representation though was Kitiara, you can feel the evil bubbling below the surface, in her facial expressions. I always thought she was a great anti-hero to the group, and I can feel that in the artwork. I also enjoyed the depiction of Fizban as well; the humor of the character still shines through in the drawings. Overall the artwork had pretty big shoes to fill, if you go by the covers of the books done by Larry Elmore, and I think for the medium (a graphic novel can not be of the level of a single piece of canvas) the team of Kurth, Ruffino, Narvasa, Bradley, Rauch and Crowley, did an excellent job. They put together the perfect graphical companion to Weis and Hickman’s novel.

The adaptation by Andrew Dabb stayed pretty faithful and the overall feel and storyline stayed where they needed to be due to the restraints of the graphic novel medium. I personally find the graphic novel to be a nice companion to the book, but it still needs to stand on its own if one has not read the book. It worked for me on both of these levels as I had read this sometime in the 1980’s I believe. It does not hold the same weight as the book, but I do not believe it is supposed to. There is no way they can include everything and I found it to be a fun visualization after reading the books. Even if you are not familiar with the books though it is still very enjoyable just not of the same level I believe as someone that has read the books.

DDP always brings us something new for the fantasy crowd looking to dip their toes in the graphic novel and comic market. I think once you feel the temperature you will want to dive right in. Dragons of Winter Night, the graphic novel, is a great piece to own; visually telling what I consider a classic story in the fantasy book market

"Edison Steelhead's Lost Portfolio: Exploratory Studies of Girls and Rabbits" is another small, square offering from Renee French. Edison Steelhead was the protagonist of "The Ticking" and while it doesn't seem entirely necessary to augment one's reading with that volume before picking up this tiny volume, it certainly aids the reader in fostering some understanding about the actual point of this particular book.

This book is exactly what the title states, it's a portfolio of sketches, one individual to a page, of the heads of girls and rabbits with various medical ailments. Each illustration is assigned a number and has a very brief description that seems to indicate why each subject caught Edison's eye. Also included with the number and description is a small list that pertains to Edison's day as he sketched. At the end of the book, there is a map with numbered locales that allows the reader to note where Edison made each sketch.

French has created beautifully shaded pencil drawings with an amazing sense of detail and texture. Despite the subject matter, the sketches are far from cold and clinical. There is a certain air of warmth to each individual that the reader can easily carry into a jump of compassion for each individual. It is a compelling work as one sees all kinds of medical issues on full display, all of them in the one place that's most difficult to hide, the face.

This is a melancholy book. It seems to inspire the reader to want to make up any number of little stories for each of the subjects explaining how they came to be in the condition in which they've been immortalized and ending with some version of "and then, they were all right." Obviously, there's no such story to be had within the pages of this book, but Edison's own story turned out that way, so one can always hope that these stories will as well.

This book is for those who are already familiar with French's books and want to see what else she can do. Without prior knowledge of French's style and general themes, I'm not sure that this offbeat little volume would make sense as anything other than a simple curiosity, still it's a lovingly illustrated sumptuous celebration of grostesqueries that somehow manages to make the subjects somehow far more palatable than they would be in any other format. It most definitely shows the true power of art.

"Micrographica" is a very small, square book. The original illustrations for the work were only a square centimeter because the author claimed that she didn't want to put too much detail into the drawings. When one considers the scale, the detail that is contained within these drawings is remarkable.

The illustrations have been enlarged for the graphic novel, thankfully, but though the art is small in format, as is the book, the title seems to be especially apt because the story is small as well. There are three main characters, Moe, Preston, and Aldo. Preston finds a crapball which he and Moe leave in the care of Aldo. Aldo manages to break the crapball while Moe and Preston are playing on a corpse and he goes in search of a replacement.

I definitely wouldn't recommend eating while reading this particular piece. It's certainly not for the weak of stomach. The protagonists are rats, with all of the disgusting connotation that simple word can imply. They're thrilled with their crapball, if not especially thrilled with the idea of sharing said ball with anyone.

While French took a break from her usually lush pencilwork, she certainly stayed in top form with melding pictures to story. Rather than description, the story is told entirely in character dialogue which occurs as picture captions. This clever device makes it impossible for the reader to divorce the pictures and words, which very much seems a hallmark of French's particular genius as a graphic storyteller.

It becomes a book that is difficult to read mostly because of the "ick" factor. Aldo is the only character who's even marginally likable and he's still a bit stomach turning because of his obsession with crap in general and the crapball in particular. He becomes the focus of the story as it becomes abundantly clear that some rats (Preston and Moe) will never change because they refuse to look beyond their comfortable little world.

A highlight of the book is a guest gallery of-what else?-crap drawings, which really ought to give you an idea of who you can recommend this book to.

Everyone knows a Preston and a Moe and an Aldo in their lives. They're easily relatable characters, so long as the reader doesn't have to identify too strongly with any of them (except, perhaps, poor pathetic Aldo). This makes "Micrographica" the kind of book to pass on to friends who are not easily offended and who have a possibly black or very odd sense of humor. (Come on, I'm sure that you know SOMEONE like that.) It's not a bad read, or a horrible book, but it's the kind of thing that requires a very particular taste in entertainment. You know who you are and I fervently hope those of you who haven't already find your way to this book.

Sometimes, it pays to read the forwards to certain books. It can give the reader an idea of the tone of the book and possibly offer insight to the creative process of the author. Other times, it lowers the expectations for the piece, but that might not necessarily be a terrible thing, as in the case of "Elephantment: Wounded Animals." Richard Starkings' forward lists an array of influences which are campy cult classics that are vastly entertaining, but often not entirely substantial. He claims that his intent in the creation of the Elephantmen series was to make a sort of homage to the pulp sci-fi and mystery books and magazines of his youth. In a sense, he's achieved exactly that, but in another, he's failed horribly.

The basic premise of the Elephantmen series is that a mad doctor operating in Africa, which has now become nothing more than a wasteland of battlefields, created a race of supersoldiers by splicing together the DNA of humans and animals. The resultant creatures are known as Elephantmen, despite the fact that some of them are clearly alligators, hippopautomi, rhinoceri, and warthogs. A movement formed that liberated the Elephantmen and complicated their lives immeasurably by forcing them to try to live in mainstream society. All of the Elephantmen are much taller and heavier than their human counterparts and they are treated very poorly by most of the humans in their world.

The graphic novel collects the first few issues of "Elephantmen" and provides the reader with an excellent introduction to the universe created by Starkings and Moritat. The stories contained within the book range from a gritty detective story to a horrifying war memoir to a thoroughly captivating fairy tale about a pirate and a Truth Fairy. I would not venture to call this a "something for everyone" book because it realy isn't, but I'll get into that a bit later. Starkings is the main creator of the series but there are other writers involved in the stories. They are remarkably consistent about details throughout the book and the stories do have a cohesive feel overall, though the stories do carry the marks of their indivdual authors. The stories are all interconnected, some more loosely than others, but the inclusion of each in the volume does make good sense. It offers very good variety without being jarring.

So why isn't it the sort of thing that I'm going to be running out and recommending to everyone? It's violent and very bloody. Most assuredly, were "Elephantmen" a movie it would be slapped immediately with an R rating. This isn't the kind of graphic novel (or comic book series) a person would want to pick up in order to be cheered up by any stretch of the imagination. The tales contained within are gritty and carry the air of both disillusionment and disheartment. There is almost no hope in the modern world where the Elephantmen dwell. Their freedoms are thoroughly restricted, they are all almost constantly monitored, and they're nearly universally reviled.

The color palette is very fitting, offering muted earth and twilight tones, with only the blood and fire in most scenes standing out in bright contrast to the characters themselves and everything around them. It's a mood and setting worthy of the darkest horror movies and carries the reader into the emotional turmoil of the characters far better than some of the dialog.

The artwork itself is detailed and textural, though hardly beautiful. "Elephantmen", above all else, gives the sense that it isn't supposed to be beautiful. The Elephantmen themselves are not a lovely race and their world is dirty and narrowed by circumstances they have almost no control over.

While the science involved in "Elephantmen" is abosultely cult pulp science at its very best, the overall feel of the book gives the impression that going into depth about the science of the Elephantmen's creation would ruin the story, much the way the "scientific" explanation in "Star Wars" ruined the Force for a generation of young fans. The graphic novel falls short of being pure pulpy entertainment by virtue of the fact that it can't help creating pathos for the characters it contains. On the surface, "Elephantmen" is a great adventure/action graphic novel that's fast-paced and very much in the vein of film noir and dystopian science fiction, but one doesn't have to do any scratching at all on that surface to find far deeper content in this book. There is a great deal of socio-political commentary contained in these glossy pages as readers will both understand the mistrust of the general human population and hate that characters as compelling as Hip Flask and Ebony are treated so horrifically because of their outward appearances.

"Wounded Animals" isn't preachy in the slightest and it doesn't feel like the author set out to tell this great tale of alienation to try to foster greater understanding for our own species. Instead, the situations these characters are placed into are, more than anything, the logical outgrowth of their forceful relocation. One can take this series and make any number of parallels within current events and recorded history that apply horrifically to the foibles of the human species. Even if the reader isn't directly thinking of such things, after finishing this graphic novel, it's difficult not to make those comparisons or think about how humans treat each other on a daily basis. It's difficult to contemplate how you, as a person, would act if faced with something as startling as an elephant who walked upright, spoke perfectly good English (maybe even better than you do), and was every bit as intelligent (if not more so) than you. Perhaps that's why "Wounded Animals" is so successful as a book, it doesn't try too hard to be anything other than the stories of these characters, so, it is what it is and leaves the reader to draw their own conclusions.

The biggest fault I have with the book is simply that it does feel slightly choppy at the beginning. The stories seem to start out as a series of "quick cuts" which then start to become much more of a plot as the reader gets further into the book. Personally, I think that the comic book series would lose some of that incredible impact as individual issues because of that. As a graphic novel, however, the reader gets to digest the story as a whole rather than individual bites.

This is a book that I would definitely recommend to someone who didn't mind violence and gore, but loved action and a story that moves quickly. Fans of Tarantino or the X-files or even Halo would probably enjoy this series very much, along with those who enjoy hard-boiled PIs and movies like "Blade Runner" and "Running Man." It inspires thought, without demanding it.

In "The Ticking" Renee French tells the story of Edison Steelhead. Edison's mother dies in childbirth and Edison himself is born deformed. It's pretty obvious from that opening that "The Ticking" is not going to be a lighthearted story. Edison's father takes him to live in an isolated lighthouse and gets a chimpanzee whom he calls Edison's sister. Edison copes with his strange life by drawing, in minute detail, things that he sees every day. The book is illustrated with beautifully shaded and textured pencil drawings, though the artwork itself celebrates the grotesque. As the reader joins Edison on his journey, it becomes clear that Edison Steelhead is the sort of person who doesn't just survive tragedy, he overcomes it. Before the final page, the reader understands that despite everything, Edison is going to be okay.

"The Ticking" is deceptive, at first, because it is a beautifully clothbound hardcover book with gold leaf traceries on the cover. It also seems, at first glance, full of childish illustrations and scant text. Don't let those first impressions fool you into believing that this is going to be an easy read. There are drawings that don't just celebrate the grotesque, they revel in it. Some of the drawings are intentionally very simplified because they show how Edison develops as an artist. As the story progresses, the reader realizes that Edison understands perfectly that his life is not normal and that, perhaps, is what makes the story so much more stomach-turning in the beginning. It makes a much more shattering impact to see Edison go on into the real world and make a decision that takes a wealth of courage. Another path would have been easier, but it would have been less satisfying for the character and the reader.

This is the kind of graphic novel that should be offered up to those adults who are ready to see what "comics" have to offer these days. "The Ticking" displays a perfect symbiotic relationship between text and illustration that makes it abundantly clear this story could not be told to such great effect in the absence of either element. It is thought provoking and insightful on many levels. After reading this book, I wanted to take a couple of days and really digest what I had read. I'm still thinking about it. It's the kind of book that you hope other people read and discuss because it can open up so many issues about appearance and coping and how much children really understand about the world around them.

Fablewood Anthology edited by William Ward is being released by Ape Entertainment in January 2008. From my understanding this is just the first in a set of Anthologies that is being released, and we can all be thankful for that. Since each story is written and drawn by different people it gives a very diverse feel to the project where you will find a bunch of stories that you enjoy, making it worth the price of admission. I have broken the review down by story.  We also decided to do something new here and do a dual review with both Patrick and myself adding our thoughts.

Solace by JP Ahonen

Damon:  I enjoyed the story, it was about hope, but without being too preachy.  That is a fine line sometimes and the artist did well with it.  I enjoyed the art, it has a bit of a Bone feel to it.

Patrick:  It is a good tale that shows how we can sometimes be so engaged with our own struggles that we fail to realize others’s struggles. Also, I can see how something like the Aurora Borealis can be so awe-inspiring.

Die a Hero Written by Steve Kinder, Art by Kevin Crossley, Lettered by Jason Arthur

Damon:  This is one story that just did not do it for me.  The story is overused, and this rendition did not really bring anything new to the table.  On a personal preference I really did not care for the artwork either, it felt a bit incomplete to me.  It was short though, so it did not interrupt the flow of the anthology.

Patrick:  The art immediately caught my attention; it has a gritty feel underneath the cartoony theme. I did not care for the story all that much as it did repeat itself (on purpose). However, someone being labeled a hero because they died while on a mission that he volunteered for after no else was interested? I would rather be alive and not be labeled a hero than dead. 

A Vicious Circle Written & Lettered by Eleanor Cooper, Art by J.J. Nass

Damon:  The story was pretty funny, and the artwork was good as well.  It was like a weird outtake from a summer of a Harry Potter type situation, but crazier and funnier.  At the end the characters gives us a moment like you would find in an episode of "The Office".   It is something you can see happening though when you mix magic and teenagers.

Patrick:  The events in this story developed beyond the capabilities of the characters, and I thought it was rather funny. At one point the main character “interacts” with the reader, which I did not enjoy. 

The Spirits & the Woods by Scott Hallett

Damon: Some of the ghosts reminded me of "Gloop" and "Gleep" from The Herculoids cartoon, in a good way.  The artwork was colorful and captured the mood in each frame.  The story was also also done nicely, there is a lot of innuendo and hidden meaning on spirits and ancient evil of the lyre.  The author gave us enough to finish the story, but also left us with the ability to fill in a lot of what happened before in our imagination.  I like stories that make you think, top notch.

Patrick:  Wow, well, I was completely lost with this story. I am not exactly sure what some of the characters were supposed to represent and there were multiple times I had to reread the previous slide to make sure I had not skipped one.

Mandala by Joe Infurnari

Damon:  It was a little gruesome, but the story, well visual story, was done nice.  I had to read this one a few times before I "got it".

Patrick:  The presentation of this story was interesting; it took from eastern and western convention (The first thirteen scenes were all on the right side while the next thirteen were all on the left side, and the reader has to read the last ones upwards.) To further complicate things, there were no words spoken. However, there were several different meanings I can think of for what transpired. 

Blessings Written by William Ward, Penciled & Inked by Ryan Ottley, Colored by Manny Trembley, Lettered by Jason Arthur


Damon:  The artwork was superb, but it felt like the story, or in the case of such a short piece, inferred story, was lacking.  I think if given a little more time for a setup, the finale would have been a little more poignant.  Again though a nod to the artwork and coloring as it was very well done.

Patrick:  While short, it had a 300 type of feel: few versus many. In this case, one soldier took out several, but there is definitely an underlying theme.

J’nee, Where Are You? Written, Penciled, & Colored by Joe Suitor, Lettered by David Hedgecock

Damon:  The story was great, it shows that woman troubles are universal in both time and space.  Throw in a woman (or fairy), a guy, and some of his best friends (snow beasts) and you are in for something.  I felt cold reading this piece, which can be attributed to the excellent drawing of the snow capped mountain that it takes place on.  The last two panels made me laugh, in a good way.

Patrick:  There was nothing I could do but smile with this one. There are countless tales of the difficulties men have with women, why would one think that would stop with female fairies? Talking abdominal snowmen like creatures added a nice touch.

The Ancient Pact by Axel Machain

Damon:  It is a changing world, even for people that adhere to the ancient ways.  I guess that is what happens to creatures that live longer then humans.  A fairy that is pretty much put into a fight club situation, hey you know you can't talk about it after.  Artwork fit the story .

Patrick:  There is an appeal to putting confident bullies in there place, but to realize that fairies would have the potential to do so is even more intriguing. This was a nice read as it hinted at past times, how they have changed, and while the present is different it can still be worthwhile.

Under the Midnight Sun Written by Chris Studabaker, Art by Dusty Neal, Lettered by Studabaker & Neal

Damon:  It is a powerful story, but the art style was not to my tastes at all.  This diminished the story in a way.  I also felt that it did not fit the overall theme and art that is going on in the rest of the book.  Different strokes though for different folks.  Probably my least favorite story in the book.

Patrick:  There are three days left to Halloween, but to me, it was another Wednesday. After reading this story, I am feeling the creepiness that accompanies the thirty-first day of the tenth month. However, it did not have anything to do with the story, but the art. The main characters are shadows, but with human faces. I am sure it was not the artist’s intention, but looking at them gave me goose-bumps.

Unworthy by Daniel Lafrance

Damon:  What do you get with good art and horrible lettering?  This is not a question we should have to ask, but yet we do.  The story though of having to face two losing decisions though is good.  When you are between a rock and a hard place, what will you do?

Patrick:  Wow! This was by far the best story so far. The art was good, but the story surpassed it. Her self-worth was diminished by the actions she was forced to take. That is powerful.

Fish by Sarah Mensinga

Damon:  It is almost like geek speak, but of the mermaid kind.  I loved it.  Artwork fits the story and the symbol story is told, in a time frame befitting the situation at hand.  This was one of my favorite stories in the book.  On re reading you find so many little nuances, that I missed the first time.

Patrick:  This was a nice tale; it was short, sweet, and simple.
Sometimes the best things in life are the same way.

A Tale of Two Shifters Written by Troy Dye and Tom Kelesides, Penciled by Collin Fogel, Colored by Dustin Evans, Lettered by Jason Arthur

Damon:  Also one of my favorite stories.  The things you think are important as a youth really are not that important when you think about it.  It has impetuous youth and elder wisdom.  This story really has it all.  Artwork is also top notch.  I like the fact that this is going to be a miniseries.  This is something I am going to have to get a hold of to read the whole story, and that is a good thing.

Patrick:  I enjoy watching young individuals learn from their elders the family trade, but does it always seem that the elder gets caught or is killed because of something the younger one did? Regardless, it was nice to see that the younger learned an even greater lesson from what happened.

The Cloudleapers of Blue Pine Mountain by Jonathan Dalton


Damon:  The twist at the end was good, even if this is a story that has been told more then once.  The artwork though held the story back a bit in my opinion, and wished that it had a different feel to it.  Still though, always trying to do the right thing does not mean everything will turn up roses in the end.

Patrick:  When people try to do the right thing, it can sometimes
backfire on them. This is the case with this story. The tale itself was on the slower side. The most exciting part is when a monkey started talking, you can do the math.

Fablewood is a wonderful anthology with enough diversity in both story and art to appeal to everyone.  Overall even grading on a story by story basis, it moves to the front of the class.  What I enjoyed most about doing the review with another reviewer (Patrick) was that you can see how our tastes differ and that something I may not have given two thumbs up to, he has.  What this means to me is that Fablewood has a very broad appeal, which for a graphic novel is a home run.  I can not wait till the next anthology.

Fifteen years ago, Dashiell "Dash" Bad Horse ran away from a life of abject poverty and utter hopelessness on the Prairie Rose Indian Reservation searching for something better. Now he's come back home to find nothing much has changed on “The Rez” — short of a glimmering new casino, and a once-proud people overcome by drugs and organized crime.

Now, armed with nothing but a set of nunchuks, a hell-bent-for-leather attitude and (at least) one dark secret, Dash must survive a world of gambling, gunfights, G-men, Dawg Soldierz, massacres, meth labs, trash sex, fry bread, Indian pride, Thunder Beings, the rugged beauty of the Badlands…and even a brutal scalping or two.

Indian Country collects the first five issues of the monthly series Scalped.

The art in Scalped is very good. Offering up shadows with hidden depths at times and bright, clear and detailed panel at others that may represent the duality of the story. Perhaps indicative of the pervasive skin tones of the characters or just a reflection of the sandy deserts where the story takes place there are a lot of red tones and shades in the art of Scalped. Just about every issue ends in a great cliffhanger moment that compels you to read further and the art accompanies these tense moments becomes fraught with peril and potential destruction.

Scalped is a great crime fiction story told in a medium that many crime fiction fans may not typically read, comics. They will unfortunately have missed out on what, when all is said and done, might just come out of left field to be one of best crime fiction novels of the year. But its much more then just a crime fiction story, it’s a bit of a hybrid that combines elements of action and crime stories bundled up neatly together with strong noir elements.

The action is unmistakable from the opening bar fight, where we first meet Red Horse, when, right before the action starts, he proclaims “Whicha you motherfuckers is gonna be the first to cry to Jesus.” From that point on fights will be started, weapons will be pulled, buns will blaze and the action will be relentless. The crime elements will feel familiar to some but only at the most superficial levels as it will only take a light scratch to reveal the depths of these characters that are anything but simple clichés. From the simple synopsis of the story these two elements can be surmised but the pervasive noir story was a pleasant surprise. Red Horse may be a tough guy but we quickly understand that he is an every-man that we can relate to in a lot of ways. He finds himself compelled, by forces largely beyond his control, to enter into a situation where he becomes little more then a pawn. With all these outside forces working against him the urge for his individuality to assert itself becomes stronger and stronger; but as these forces become practically insurmountable this simple task becomes harder and harder. Before long a complex mousetrap has been set for Red Horse.

At the end of the first issue there is a major revelation about one of the characters that changes the face of the entire story; enough to make you want to go back and re-read the first issue again before continuing on to the others. I’ll not go into specifics here about it but I do want to say that I think Aaron made a great decision to have the revelation happen so early on. A lesser writer would have been tempted to wait until much later in the series for the reveal, savoring the build up and trying to cleverly keep it hidden from the reader. Except that at some point it would have become guessable and the impact would have been lessened. As it is since it happens so early on the reader isn’t given time to try and figure such things out because we are becoming familiar with this new world, so its approach isn’t seen and the impact is greater. This was a great decision and really illustrates the care and attention paid to the construction of the story.

Readers entering this vivid and gripping world will be introduced to some of the most complex characters, loyalties and relationships in recent years. Not only are they created with three dimensions but their personalities, and again their relationships, have multi facets. There is a lot of depth and material to be explored here. Red Crow has a confusing sense of identity. An activist mother with strong ideals and beliefs raised him. But then he left everything behind, now all these years later he is both insider and outsider. Red Crow, of all the characters here, might just be the most lost, not knowing, at times, even which way is up. His mother Gina, trying always to stay true to her youthful ideals has become an anachronistic annoyance on The Rez, causing a lot of problems for the new power structure. She runs into problems trying to recruit member for the cause from the younger generation, who would much rather use a gun to win. Does Gina love her son more, or the cause? Then there is Lincoln Red Crow. What happens to a Red Power activist to make him betray the cause? Has he betrayed the cause? Or, is he furthering it by gaining some measure of economic power for his people? As these complex characters and their complex relationships, histories and loyalties intertwine it will become hard to know whom to root for, whom to root against and who will survive.

Through all of these characters, and this story, a lot of tough questions about America, race, class, vice, identity, history, cultural identity, loyalty, youthful ideals and their potential corruption will be asked. Some answers will be given but none of the questions and their potential answers are easy or neat and pretty.

This is a book that both entertains and makes you think.

--Brian Lindenmuth

Courtney Crumrin is a young girl who has just been forced to move to a new town by her daft parents who have run up enough debt to rival any teen with a credit card. The town in question, Hillsborough, is an old community where the socially inept and rich come to live and procreate. There is one house in Hillsborough though that doesn't come from money and is revered more than any other, the house of deranged Professor Aloysius Crumrin; who is coincidentally Courtney's great-uncle and the owner of the house she will be spending her foreseeable future in.

The foreseeable future however, happens to be much different than what Courtney counts on as her Uncle Aloysius turns out to be a wizard of some esteem and his personal chambers are filled with the types of books any curious onlooker might peruse. This might alarm most children, but Courtney is anything but average.

Things get interesting when a local group of wealthy thugs decide to beat up and burglarize Courtney on her journey home after a harsh first day of school. After another attempted raid Courtney decides she's had enough and takes a detour home through the woods where she meets a new friend by the name of Butterworm who decides he would rather eat his new friend than introduce himself.

Courtney decides to turn the table on Butterworm and the local thugs with the help of a few certain tomes from her Uncle's personal library.

Courtney Crumrin and the Night Things(CCATNT) is a simple black and white graphic novel that may be overlooked because it doesn't have the brilliant colors or grandiose logos of normal superhero fare. What it does have though is a magnificent depth of character and setting thanks to the immaculate pencils and script done by Ted Naifeh. The cast of CCATNT are rendered simply as they are, somber and often times spiteful. Blending perfectly with the looming mystery that is the magical underbelly of Hillsborough.

The dialog and narration penned by Ted Naifeh is perfect from start to finish. The cynicism is thick and so is the sarcasm but it treads on the line of humor more than hate and it is never preachy. This is one of the greater strengths of CCATNT, there are so many messages sent in the book from and to Courtney that as a reader almost anyone can find something to love about it; it's audience is widely encompassing.

Kelly Crumrin, a San Fransisco based writer, said it best in the foreword when she stated:

Kelly goes on to describe what inexorably draws people, namely children to certain stories and what makes the stories themselves stand the test of time.

That is what makes CCATNT such a compelling story. To put it simply Ted Naifeh has crafted a dark, humorous, and beautifully real story about life as an early teen with a drab family and the struggle to fit in and make friends.

~Jason Fahey

Dragon Head Volume 1 by Minetaro Mochizuki is a fresh, gory, and disturbing look at what can happen when panicked teenagers are left up to their own devices. If Dragon Head could possibly have a hero the title would most likely befall Aoki Teru, a precocious young student on his last class trip before he has to dedicate himself to the much dreaded and ever looming exams awaiting him upon his arrival home. After borrowing music from a fellow classmate Teru returns to his seat and the next thing he knows he is crouched on the ground, crunched between two smashed seats and the ground crying out. Trying to comprehend what could have happened to cause the carnage before his eyes. Teru's entire train car full of friends and classmates has been battered and as far as he knows he is the only survivor. If that were not enough to destroy whatever hope he had left, he sets out to find out what happened to his train. After acquiring a flashlight Teru discovers the tunnel his train was traveling in has collapsed. He is trapped.

After this new discovery Teru also stumbles upon the fact that there appear to be two surviving schoolmates along with himself. A mysterious girl whom Teru rescues after finding her unconscious and bleeding and Takahashi Nobuo, a quick tempered boy who may or may not have taken Teru's flashlight and claimed it as his own.

As the book progresses we learn more about the two other survivors and how they can each individually cope with such a predicament. Nobuo, the quick tempered boy seems to be fitting his first impression nicely as things move along as he often seems to phase in and out of sanity and depression. This could possibly foreshadow things to come from him in future volumes. The mysterious girl eventually comes to thanks to Teru's first aid and introduces herself as Seto Ako. Ako is another of Teru's classmates and seems to have some kind of crush on Teru after he saves her. This will most likely not sit well with Nobuo who upon first meeting Ako is covered from head to toe in blood yet still finds time to comfort his new companion.

The dialog in much of Dragon Head is smart and well placed for the situations at hand. Not only does Mochizuki pen the dialog for the story, he also does all of the art. In this case he can be commended as the art itself is dark yet beautiful; it perfectly conveys the helplessness and terror the characters are experiencing on their tormenting journey in discovering what is left of their classmates and life after the crash. Mochizuki does an extraordinarily fine job on representing the frustration the fellow students feel as they encounter hardship after hardship with no sign of relenting.

The events that take place in the first volume of Dragon Head are shocking to say the least, from page one where Nobuo is shown in all his blood soaked glory until the final page of previews for the next volume. However, it does not deliver a strong enough appeal to first time readers nor enough substance in the cohesion of dialog and character's actions to have a strong recommendation. If on the other hand, you enjoy a dark and introspective look at the minds of three teenagers and how they could possibly grapple with the demise of all their friends and the inevitability that they may never again see their families, then pick up Dragon Head Volume 1 and relish in their anguish.

~Jason Fahey

Story: We get Alexander Carter who has the ability to visit the world that he grew up dreaming about that is filled with all the childhood friends one would expect. Mythical characters are the standard fare, but we do have some interesting break out characters like the dance instructor rock giant Paddington, a side kick fairy Kiwi, and his elf love interest Nastajia. Even though it is a very cliché story, I found there was enough to keep me interested.

Artwork: The artwork for The Dreamland Chronicles was very Pixar like, which is a good thing. We did get a glimpse of some of the non rendered work at the end of the book based on some covers done by comic book artists in the industry like Mike Wieringo. After see that I am a little curious how the whole comic would have looked, I am sure just as splendid. Some of the color combinations though do not do the graphics justice, I would have liked to see less pastels personally. A very nice computer generated world for the characters and knowing a little about rendering I know how much work must have gone into this.

Quality: The book was put together nice, even though I think all larger graphic novels should go hardcover, but financially this probably does not make sense. It is rather lengthy novel with some extra at the end including how it was designed, as well as some of the author’s thoughts. I like extras and this book does not disappoint with them.

Final Thoughts:I really think this is one of those graphic novels that would make a great adaptation into a quality movie. It is also an ongoing title that you can check out at http://www.thedreamlandchronicles.com/ where you can see the online version of The Dreamland Chronicles and I believe that it is new Monday thru Friday every week. Scott has also done pilots from Nickelodeon You can watch the Emporer Pilot short at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0aXTae7B3Y I do not see why this was not picked up based on the short and I hope Scott gets some more chances to bring some of his creations to life either on television or on the big screen.

The Pontifex, Lord Valentine, arrives at the ruins of an age-old city to investigate the ghastly dismembering murder of an archaeological team member, which has proven just as horrific as it is alluding to those who knew the Metamorph called Dr. Huukaminaan. The mystery of the murder is clear and the details of the death strange, but Valentine is persistent to unearth the killer. He’ll take, it seems, any excuse to remain outside of his castle, the Labyrinth, which in his opinion is more like a prison than a kingly estate. There are a number of Metamorphs who are not speaking, leading Valentine to believe there is more to the murder, possibly something pertaining to the ancient rituals of the legendary Seventh Shrine.

Happening after the last of the Majipoor chronicles, The Seventh Shrine by Robert Silverberg insipidly opens with Valentine and company’s arrival at Velalisier. Upon being welcomed by the others of the archaeology team, a slew of much erroneous and bland historical details is pressed upon us, forcing what little action there was to come to a halt. Instead, we must now trudge through “just-so-you-know-Bob” dialogue, meaningless cultural facts, and the slow turn of discovery.

The artwork, done by Anders Finer (who also worked on George R.R. Martin’s The Hedge Knight), is colorful and stylistic, but after a few pages begins to feel monotonous. I’m not sure who’s at fault for this though; the story itself is fairly uneventful, the art having very little to work off of. Most of the shots are of Valentine and company, standing around, talking, looking out over the landscape, standing around, talking, looking around, standing, talking, maybe walking, talking. You get the point, I hope. The characters are clear and the watercolor-style of each painting has a soft touch to it; I was ju