While all opinions of value on a singular subject reflect personal observation - either shared or so penetrating or whimsical to claim true originality - it is something that is thought that needs to be controlled, reigned in for the purposes of achieving a balance of that and a degree of the impossibility of objectivity I believe in those words but choose to and admit that they will not apply here. This will not be a search of highs and lows, the critical eye here is misty in rare satisfaction witnessing a moment of medium-perfection, where sensibly and creativity combine to create modern classics. I and many speak highly of contemporary super hero-based books like Watchmen, The Dark Knight Returns, Miracleman, Planetary, Miracleman, Robinson‘s Starman, and what we find are reactions - indeed reactions as quick and sharp that cause the counters to look as if they occurred - should have occurred - before the first blow, but still reactions. Even something like DC’s Identity Crisis or Morrison’s run on X-Men were/are new platforms by any definition, are built on the brick of retort. This is not a review, nor a retort. This is a letter…

The modern blueprint for team books - with respects to the Challengers of the Unknown - is Lee and Kirby’s Fantastic Four. Why is this? The introduction of storylines that were as much about family as it was fighting crime, and at the beginning we were given explorers, more than just scientist exposed to powers, but explorers of the world we all traverse. Later, after a couple of tries, the X-Men would successfully add the angst of fitting in and prejudice from multiple sides. The creative teams of both of these books would influence the generation afterwards (indeed Byrne was influenced by the Fantastic Four only to extend the same shadow after he helmed the title himself) again in response, and that generation though armed with guns larger than torsos that carried easily the burden of seemingly thousands of pockets in which a multitude of ammunition could be stored for use - many were misses.

The first page of Harbinger #1 is a splash page, the backdrop is mundane: a traffic jam, trees, a helicopter hovering above, this is the real world, the world that you and I live in, a chaotic world but to a degree we have been able to account for with some sense of false order in our minds - in our world oddities occur, even atrocities and comics in this era would attempt to remind us of these grim elements to attempt to parallel our experiences, but on the first page Harbinger goes a different route, it attempts to instill something so fundamental the word alone was a title of a comic in out industry’s Golden Age, we have multiple characters: boys, girls, canines, even animated twins, that carried the name, and if anything it is what drew us to famous lines like, "look up in the sky, it’s…". Harbinger, in a time when pubescent and fanciful definitions of grit being passed off as realism were prevalent, appealed to our lost sense, the one that is unique to us - our wonder. From the first page we are thrown into a already fluid story, we are both going somewhere and know that something has already occurred, a bit of a microcosm of the VALIANT Universe that plays all across its own time-line while being linear and occurring in real time, our wonder is not isolated in the now or the future but is in concert with the what has been the initial mystery in just meeting someone who naturally has a past, life does not begin in these initial pages. Above that aforementioned prosaic backdrop and in the direction of the unseen fingers pointing from the ground, a car is flying - and we know immediately we are a part of a story that will touch on places with roads we know and stories that have no use for them.

The title ‘Harbinger’ relates to a couple of aspects, one is the simple decision and two is that those called Harbingers that embody the former. Essentially, Harbingers were the next turn for humanity, beings of some diverse powers, though for the most part the abilities were dormant. It is also the name of the foundation that will serve as the adversary in the title and the VALIANT universe as a whole - thus it is rather unique in that is a comic that could be construed as being named after the antagonists and the fact illustrates the duality of the story if one ever wishes to go beyond the adventures of super-powered teenagers trying to do right while being pursued by a corporation of similar beings who are chasing them. In many ways, the second generation of VALIANT’s line was Peter Stanchek’s story (though there is something to be said about the meta-frame that was Solar) and that of his family. His first family are the group we follow within Harbinger: The Beginning a hardcover released in 2007 by VALIANT Entertainment that reprints issue 0-7 that featured the creative team of Jim Shooter and Dave Lapham. In these pages you will be introduced to family, you will experience the growth of that family, and you will suffer from a loss in that family as we meet a group of kids who had enough troubles finding themselves to begin with. The Harbinger part of VALIANT universe is rather simple in that corporation that recognizes people of ability searches them and collect them to train them in their ability in order to pave the way to a better world that humanity has or will squander. The Harbinger Corporation was founded and is led by one Toyo Harada who in several ways is one the most powerful people on the planet - a statement he makes around the ‘other two’ and none seem inclined to correct him - as his foundation is an economic power and more importantly that he is an Omega Harbinger. Harbingers to this point have come into their power only by their potential being unlocked or activated by an Omega Harbingers. Omega Harbingers are those able to use their abilities by their own will without need of an ‘activation’ and upon finding another like him - Peter Stanchek - it becomes his mission to bring him into the fold. Going back to the duality of the title and how it can be applied, Harada himself is at times a character one can empathize with and in the issues Shooter goes out of his way to illustrate that he and his followers nor only believe they are doing the right thing - but also compares them to the actions of Peter and his friends in a manner that makes the readers view the Harbinger kids as ‘kids’ involved in a rather petty rebellion and not seeing the big picture and on several occasions they arrive to further their ‘goals’ at inopportune times when Harada is indeed trying to handle important matters (like saving the life of a member of his organization). You see the distinction brought into full effect when the character Solar arrives - a real Superhero - and indeed points it out to Peter and the reader. The reason why Harada wants Peter dead is not out of jealousy but he deems him to uncontrolled and a danger and what you get in this title are two powerful individuals who think they are the correct answer but on different level, it’s just that one knows, or rather thinks he knows what the answer implies beyond the question. Harada is affective because in truth he’s consistory the most reasonable, lucid and rational figure in the title.

The Harbinger kids themselves are a motley band even if familiar archetypes. Pete - aka Sting - the de facto leader, like Harada is one of the most potent individuals on the plant - an Omega Harbinger he has at his disposal psionic abilities that are only rivaled by Harada and his abilities are vast and growing. Faith - aka Zephyr - is one of those quirk that gives the title a unique element. It’s not that her ability is to fly - it’s that she is a tubby kid, a bit of an oddity in an era where all female superheroes had a likely fallback as models. body builders, or porn stars. Charlene - aka Flamingo - is basically the human Torch and the aforementioned likely future adult star. Kris, who is not a harbinger, but play the role of non-powered foil and also becomes the catalyst of VALIANT legacy characters and John Torkelson - aka Torque - who is the strong guy of the group whose rendering (by Lapham) really brings us back to faith and all the characters. Lapham drew these characters and made them look like kids, like people which played into the bigger desire for VALIANT to be and look like the world that is or could be outside of your window. You get a bit of a Claremont-type feel where you just sense multiple plot lines being developed for later fruition - or not - and half the fun is the knowledge of exploring those further but yet you never are taken away from what is a story about teenagers with powers - the plot moves, things, happen and like all VALIANT titles they ripple into other books.

If there is an issue for today’s reader concerning Harbinger: The Beginning it is that the dialogue dates itself and not just with particular references to things like Nintendo, but in that it at times doesn’t just forward the story but attempt to aid the art to describe what is occurring as a narrative which seems odd not only due to current readers just don’t need or prefer that anymore as the age - and hopefully comprehension - increases but also because even at this point in his career Lapham is able to tell sequential storytelling without the crutch but you feel what seems to be a Shooter mandate of being very easy assimilation of what is occurring. One would hope and suspect in the event of future incarnation that this will be eliminated but at least for myself it served as what may be the last top shelf example of the way superhero stories used to be told - a reflection of the ‘80s MARVEL sensibility brought over by Shooter when he was their Editor-in-Chief for a number of years, but I don’t back-away from the idea that nostalgia plays a role in that, one that isn’t particularly relevant. I do want to point to point out what seems to be an often repeated saying: “there were Image kids and VALIANT kids, you go to Image for the art and if you want well written you go to VALIANT“. Not even to point some quality titles that had and would come out of IMAGE - this is a statement that I find to be fundamentally incredulous. Who were some people that contributed art to VALIANT? Barry Windsor Smith, Dave Lapham, Frank Miller, Steve Ditko, Bob Layton, Walter Simonson, Joe Quesada, and Tom Mandrake - just to name a few. To continue my previous thought however, it does strike a rather unique balance of having layered storylines both within single titles and as a line and it creates a story complexity and dram without being neither avant-garde or my least favorite adjective to describe fiction - ‘gritty’. It recognizes ideals exist but certainly does not use that as mold and while there is redemption, there are also permanent prices to pay. This is where the zero issues come to play and while I fully understand the choice of leading off these hardcovers with them, I think they lose a certain nuance - albeit only if you are familiar with the original reading experience - of their power. I think in many ways this order tends to take away from the message the first page of Harbinger#1 offers and I think this applies for any VALIANT title and their zero issue. To be able to go back and see where Pete came from - to see a darkness to him that is not at all abnormal, but is deviant - acting on hormones and issues of control someone his age would have causes one to be able to cast the story they just read in another light. And in my mind simply adds to the story in a manner that it doesn’t when they lead-off the hardcovers. In an interview we see Shooter thought much the same (at least at that time)

"Too many times, especially in comic books, you get the feeling the characters
are just hanging around waiting for the story to start. Like they were
doing absolutely nothing before this story started and they have no
other reason for being than being bitten by the radioactive water
buffalo so they can go charging around butting into trucks. So I tried
to give the sense that stuff had gone on before. I wanted to try to
get people interested in the characters, and also to take through the
building of the team. So maybe I didn't do it very well...my motives
were good.

And people have asked "well why didn't you do issue #0 as issue #1?"
Because issue #0 is really intensive to one character, to Sting. And
I felt that if that were the first issue, it wouldn't be until the
third issue or so that they'd really be a team. No, let me start
further down the pike, and come back and fill that in. I mean, isn't
that how people really are? If you meet someone, you know what's going
on NOW, and sometime later, in a bar or something you're sitting there
talking and you find out how they got that way. I mean I've done it
both ways. I've started with the origin and moved on, and I've started
in the middle. The goal is to make these characters come alive and be
as real to everyone as they are to us. There's probably a lot of ways
to get there."

Given that, for myself these early Harbinger issues represent a point where the last time a throw-back superhero team book was arguably the best (superhero) book on the market and it dwells in and may be the sole representative of the transition from 1980’s MARVEL storytelling and what would we would now call modern storytelling employed by people like Johns and Bendis in books pointed at the mainstream comic reader and in some ways represent the best of both world while carrying some baggage from the former and less refinement of the latter that may actually (as noted above) a refinement of the reader and for this achieves a charming quality but not to the depths where it has to become a guilty pleasure.

The new material in the collection is The Origin of Harada and is new material written by Shooter and penciled by Bob Hall. It is a rather effective ending to a collection in some way speaks to the zero issue being used first as using the two Omega’s as bookends to a presentation. This is essentially the first new real VALAINT material in over a decade and by real VALIANT, this reviewer means VALIANT through Unity and perhaps a year beyond with some titles - as one simply can’t deny Barry Windsor Smith’s Archer and Armstrong which was post Unity - and was simply a striking 8 page story that is a no frills yet haunting eight pager that has relevance to readers old and new. and like the first page of the first issue, Shooter again gets it - stories are based on questions and what’s revealed contradicts information in this very review and also reinforces what is probably Shooter’s original vision of Harada that may have been deviated from when he was ousted from the company.

Harbinger: The Beginning is a story of life evolved, not of the day after, two days - these are the children of the eight day, of this world as sure as those of the sixth day but like those they would have to succeed and suffer through a world that’s evolution not only was represented by them, but hinged on them. To call Harbinger the X-Men of VALIANT has some accuracy to it on the surface even to the point that their arch-nemesis , Magneto, is also an antagonist that has the quality of being reasonable and both deal with a group who may represent the next step in evolution but they are also much like the VALIANT’s Fantastic Four, in that they are our first family and where titles like Solar, Magnus and Rai set the stage and were top shelf stories in their own right and served as our introduction to a new line and world to explore, it was Harbinger that turned visitors and tourist into inhabitants - it was the ground we needed to settle on while we watched stories of far future invasions and when spectators became participants. To this day VALIANT fans may at times visit Gotham or look up at New York City skylines and catch a glimpse of a webslinger, but we do so reading from the comfort of our home, where wonder still stirs - where faith can fly.

Dear me,

This was a love letter.

Jay Tomio
The Bodhisattva

Fans of Asimov will recognize the bare bones of later works in Pebble in the Sky, his first published fiction novel. This story takes place many years before the Foundation series and contains some hints of these stories yet to come. The Galactic Empire has spread and continues to grow in all directions. Trantor is the capital and central world of the Empire, operating a massive bureaucracy from its political hub. At this time, however, Earthlings are still living on the surface of the planet and are isolated from the rest of the human population. Planetary prejudice and political unrest have reinforced this separatist notion, making Earth a backwater assignment no imperial servant wants.

Life on Earth is hard. There are limited resources and the suspicion of radiation poisoning colors everything. Society is run by a quasi-religious order that enforces the life limitation of sixty years, ostensibly to make room for others who are being born. Many seem content to live only sixty years, but others are always on the lookout for ways to avoid the mandated euthanasia.

Into this world drops (literally) Joseph Schwartz. Due to an unfortunate accident in a nuclear lab in 1949, Mr. Schwartz is thrown forward in time by millennia and finds himself living in an ultra-modern Earth. Not as easy as it seems, as language has continued to evolve and he can’t understand anything. In addition, humanity itself has physically evolved which makes Schwartz an ancient version of unknown homo sapiens. Even worse, Schwartz is 62 - two years past the enforced Sixty rule and destined to die.

This is not a dark, dystopic story, however, and is infused with Asimov’s usual intelligent humor. Political maneuvering and scientific discoveries go hand-in-hand as Schwartz makes new friends and struggles to survive. The Empire is forced to recognize Earth as a power to be reckoned with, but this may or may not be good for the Earthlings in general and Schwartz in particular.

Asimov was truly a master, delineating the scope of science fiction as a genre. He breathed intelligence and real science into his fiction, making his writing one of the best examples of what true science fiction is. His characters are believable, some likeable and others not, and somehow he always works a twist into the plot where the reader least expects it. Even more, Asimov pushes the readers to examine both self and society. He seems to want readers to acknowledge the negatives of humanity and then celebrate the positives. That which makes us as humans great can also be that which causes us to destroy ourselves.

If you are a fan of Asimov, you should read his first scifi book Pebble in the Sky. If you have never dabbled into Asimov, or any science fiction for that matter, dip a toe into this book. I think you might find the water is just to your liking!

Gavril faces his deepest fear-that he cannot exist without his Drakhoul. His comfortable life was turned upside down in the first book of this trilogy with the appearance of a smoky presence that wrapped around him and invaded his being. The Drakhoul, a dark and demanding creature, promised strength beyond reckoning and breathed sulfur into Gavril’s soul. This power came with a heavy price, however. Gavril sustained physical changes without and within, his body changing into a dragon with the appetite of a vampire. Unable to face living as a monster, Gavril throws off his familiar with the help of Kiukiu and looks forward to living as a human again. Unfortunately, without the power of the Drakhoul to protect his people, Gavril is taken prisoner and Eugene proclaims himself Emperor of all he surveys.

Ms. Ash blazes through her descriptions of people. As the second book in the series entitled The Tears of Artamon, Prisoner of the Iron Tower is Act II of a three act play. There are many characters and most seem to be playing more than one role. Attempting to identify the alliances made and betrayed can leave one breathless. Like a typical second act, life seems dark for our hero Gavril and the countries fighting for independence.

I enjoyed this one more than the first, which is a bit unusual. The author seems to delve deeper into the primary characters, making them real. Readers see into the mind of Eugene, the self-proclaimed Emperor of New Rossiyan. He is not a flat, all-out bad guy but is very human, a contradiction. The loving father, afraid to emotionally embrace his new wife because the loss of the first was so painful. This alongside of the imperious ruler who demands instant groveling, paranoid about all around him and whose dreams consist of all he sees bowing to him. Readers sense that if Astasia and Eugene could just communicate better, a love could blossom that could heal the agony in his heart.

However, the character development of Eugene is balanced by a frenetic bouncing between other characters, shifting the focus so much I became a bit frustrated. I wanted the story to land in one place and develop more. I think she attempted to do too much here, trying to balance the story of Eugene as a budding emperor with the rebellion in the south and the destruction of Gavril’s country in the north. On top of all this is the search to understand the Drakhoul and his kind, to control or banish him forever. The story dashes one way and then swerves the other, like the daemon-dragon of the tale. Reader, beware! Ms. Ash invests effort in creating her characters only to pitch them off a cliff for the sake of the story. My hope is Sarah Ash will resolve this story effectively in book three of The Tears of Artamon, The Children of the Serpent Gate.

Aliens are living among us. Not the freaky, slimy type of aliens depicted in Men in Black but humanoid beings with abilities beyond us. Each faction, the Greens and the Grays, are refugees from the same world and believe the other group was destroyed. They sought asylum in New York along with millions of other refugees that flooded Ellis Island during the early 20th century. The fragile peace that existed when each thought they were alone while hiding among the human population is now threatened when the Greens stumble upon the Grays.

Roger and Caroline Whittier, a run-of-the-mill human couple, find themselves thrust into the midst of this conflict when they stumble upon young Melanthe Green running for her life. Factions working for peace between the two groups have decided on a strategy to appease everyone. Unfortunately for Melanthe, this strategy is that a Peace Child will be sacrificed - her. The Whittier’s efforts to help her bring each of them out of their self-imposed yuppiedom and challenge their beliefs about each other.

This is not a story about aliens, per se, nor is it the usual space opera that I have come to associate with Timothy Zahn. The focus is really on diplomacy and groups of different types of people getting along with each other. (Although a little twist is thrown in at the end, which I refuse to go into as it would be a spoiler.) Regardless, there are plenty of explosions and shootings, conspiracy and cloak-and-dagger, to reassure me that Mr. Zahn didn’t stray too far afield.

While there are many characters in this book, almost too many, Mr. Zahn still finds time to develop the main ones. I like that Roger Whittier is completely normal yet finds this tremendous strength in himself to do amazing things, even so far as to attempt to broker a peace deal with all the grace and dignity of a UN diplomat (think Jimmy Stuart, here). I admire Caroline for trusting herself, pushing to do the right thing and daring to care for someone who is very different from herself. Most of all, I enjoyed how the two of them are thrust out of the doldrums of their relationship and learn to understand how the other one thinks. In fact, of all the books I have read lately, this one strikes me as having the potential to make a very good movie.

I enjoyed this book because it is different from anything I have read lately. Mr. Zahn has an ability to keep the pace of the story climbing throughout, making it difficult to set the book down until you are finished. I really thought his concept about the Greens and the Grays being . . . Oops, almost forgot - can’t give anything away! I know I will read this book again. Well done, Mr. Zahn.

A little boy with a gift for leadership and a desire for the good of his people runs afoul of those with a hunger for power. His skills in strategy and inspiration unwittingly threaten the position of the crown prince, who is himself incapable of the type of loyal following that Inda inspires. Inda’s downfall from grace marks a turning point in the story, and he must leave the life he knows and create a new existence at sea. Here the story widens its scope and readers begin to see that the fate of this one boy has affected his country on every level.

This is fantasy written in both broad sweeps of the pen and behind-the-scene details, bringing this world into three dimensional relief. Full of swashbuckling flourishes, mysterious spies, political machinations, and believable characters, this is a well-told story that has adroitly worked its way into my list of favorites. Although the main character is Indevan, the boy of the title, the book is truly about politics and powersharing among cultures sustained by war and trade.

Sherwood Smith has excelled at her craft, creating a society where men have granted women power within limits and women have quietly worked behind the scenes to control and ameliorate what men might do. The complex social structure, the assumption that small magics are a part of life, the slang of the characters all combine to convince the reader that the lives defined by this book are reality. What captivates me the most are the hints that Inda’s people may have come from some other world, dropped comments here and there that imply a larger scope to the story than just the pages in this book.

I truly enjoyed reading this book. I like books that look at the bigger picture and authors who take the time to create the small details and flesh out their stories. Sherwood Smith has accomplished this with flair. She includes a short list of definitions in the back of the book to help with terms, but I could also have used a list of characters or a family tree.* I found myself backtracking a bit to remind myself who was who. She also ended the book with a whopping cliffhanger (blast her hide)! This means I need to run out and find The Fox, the next book in the series.

*Readers who would like more information about the Inda universe should check out Sherwood Smith’s website at www.sherwoodsmith.net

Cammon is a gifted Reader, able to know people’s thoughts and emotions. In fact, he might be the most powerful Reader in a kingdom known for distrusting mystics. Surrounded by his mystic friends, he has the opportunity to change this hatred and mistrust when he befriends the princess. As Cammon’s friendship with Princess Amalie deepens to something no commoner should ever feel for royalty, the kingdom faces a political crisis brought to a head by enemies of the crown. Not only that, Amalie begins to display some astonishing talents. Those involved in the power struggle for the throne begin to be deeply concerned as their viewpoint on mystics is challenged.

Reader and Raelynx is the latest installment in the Twelve Houses series. Although I haven’t read the first two books, I wasn’t lost in the story. The author sprinkled in the backstory with a deft hand, explaining the history and pieces of the character-building in a way that I could jump right into the story. I found the story concept inventive, a new twist on mind magic in a market glutted with mental sorcery. I was captivated by the characters and their experiences. I intend to go back and read more, to watch these people develop even though I know how the story will end.

Sharon Shinn is good at describing individuals but the book gets shaky when the story steps back to look at political entities. As a result, the scenes from the final battle are disjointed and rough. Perhaps if I had been in on the political scene from the beginning of the books I would have picked up on the more subtle workings in the action. Unfortunately, I felt a bit let down by the last couple of chapters.

Regardless, Reader and Raelynx is still an enjoyable read for a Saturday afternoon. Not complicated or gory, this is a perfect story for young readers looking to explore a different author. I would encourage readers to also look into The Thirteenth House and Dark Moon Defender, the first two books in this series.

VALIANT as a universe began with the Solar: Man of the Atom and Magnus: Robot Fighter, two former Gold Key titles given new life and chosen to draw the first breath in a universe that would in its early years rival the creative height any other company – large or small – would reach. It is against our nostalgic sensibilities to makes such claims, but there is a magic to early VALIANT that I relate to in feeling – obviously not industry or social impact – but in terms at being in its bare roots gee-whiz science fiction and kindred to the magic of Ditko Spiderman, or Kirby and Lee Fantastic Four, or O’Neil and Adams Green Lantern; explorative works of wonder that still catered to our sense of the reality around us. With VALIANT it was a universe; and featured a not always linear manner of storytelling but fit with a tight continuity and if Magnus and Solar were the lungs that initiated breath in the setting with two era-essential storylines (Steel Nation and Alpha and Omega respectively) then RAI was its heart.

I wasn’t able to get these books when I was younger as when I became aware of the top-notch storytelling the prices of VALIANT back issues simply exceeded my weekly allowance. VALIANT was on fire, and caught in the speculator boom of the early 90’s when coupled with a miniscule print runs really priced these out of my range excluding reading about them in Wizard Magazine, cementing spots in their Top Ten hottest comics (this was when Wizard was a comic book magazine and practiced some form of journalism in its pages) feature.

This TPB collects and chronicles the first four issues of Rai, the first major original VALIANT character, as well as the pivotal issue #0. These do not account for his first appearance as they would occur in the pages of Magnus as the secondary story in a flip-book format in that title. It is there where the story of Magnus and Rai joining forces to defeat an alien invasion was chronicled, a victory that’s ramifications would include the country of Japan to be cast into the atmosphere orbiting the earth and its god-like patron to depart for love. Japan now floating above the rest of the world, not cut off but instead just serving a Tokugawa-like, symbolic and active isolationism but also has the more immediate impact on the central character. One cannot even pretend there has been no change, you live in the same place but the horizon seems different – it is gone – and you cannot run from it, there is no place to go and Rai would not want to but the comfort of knowing you can is a unknown presence you are not alerted to until it is no longer an option.

Rai is the traditional guardian of Japan, a responsibility of blood that served Grandmother – the robot that effectively maintained and managed the country. Their robo-obachan lost, Japan enters a scared new world and the symbol of the old world is going through personal crisis, he finds himself without a master, a ronin, and left without someone to dictate his cause he is forced to confront his identity not just a role. He struggles to find his place in a civil war, in his family, in the world he helped save. The people of Japan are shown to be in two rival social-political camps during this transition period and the country is in involved in a civil war between what could be considered the legitimate government, a government of the people, ran by humanity for humanity and that of those who yearn and try to facilitate the return of their mechanical god. It is all however, not so simplistic – yet certainly fundamentally – at the heart of it all are just individuals who seek power for themselves. What is left is a country that doesn’t know which to embrace more; its past, present, or future, a dilemma that is personified and magnified in Rai’s personal life by his father (the previous Rai), his wife, and his infant son. We see choices and not too subtle political and social options played out, we see the development of a drug culture and how one governs individual self and how to fit that into government. In the end you can’t help anyone or stand for anything until you are satisfied with doing either for yourself.

It is an interesting project for Micheline who probably has more quality runs on several glamour titles than anyone who is not more of a household name helming some classic Iron Man work with Bob Layton that’s probably the definitive run for many not to mention being the writer during Spiderman run that saw the creation of Venom that was also the mega-popular McFarlane Amazing Spiderman era. He offers an unfixed view of Rai, VALIANT readers had already been introduced to him, and while he is clearly a noble-hearted figure at his core he does not offer him to us on a pedestal, we make our choice, as Rai himself does. As a reader, it wouldn’t be an unfair observation to label Rai’s personal struggle to border on incessantly whiney and bordering on annoyance on par with the worse examples that occur currently in comics, you find yourself wanting him to take any advice just to give him a direction – we pity him, we are annoyed of him, we root for him, and before we know it, we care. In many ways he is Peter without Ben, with power and conscious of responsibility but not the direction or anchor mimicked by his free floating nation.

The art for the first four issues was supplied by Joe St. Pierre and the third issue sports one of the great covers of that decade, a traditional beast created with a future technology attempting to swallow Rai whole. While VALIANT certainly had high profile (or those that would become such) and even legendary figures working for them in various degrees like Steve Ditko, Barry Windsor-Smith, Frank Miller, Dave Lapham, Bob Layton, Dave Lapham, Rags Morales, Sean Chen, Bart Sears, Joe Quesada, Bart Sears, Paul Gulacy among others, their early accomplishment was a brand of storytelling that seems almost a vintage novelty in today’s market: that art and writing combined to make a greater whole – the story. The art tells a story, it’s not just splash art around dialogue; it’s a synergy between two skills to craft story, the very essence comic books and the first issues of Rai like the rest of the Pre-Unity VALIANT aren’t only worthwhile reads but also combines with the others to create a unique corner in the medium that represent the most impressive attempt at a superhero universe outside of the big two.

Forgive me a moment as I practice the very height of arrogance, I will quote what I said in May when I made this comment at my blog about VALIANT:

"People ask me about the television show: Heroes. I dig it, I really do - and the reason why is that it’s essentially Valiant-lite, they keep you in reality, revel in it, but understand wonder is a fundamental ingredient, it is not the escape it is the diving into the exploration of, and reestablishment of what can and cannot be real."

Which brings us to a weakness in the TPB. Understanding and applying it as a piece - a significant piece - of the tapestry, it’s a fundamental cog in a project that‘s whole is better than the parts. RAI#1-4 are real nice reads, but isn’t a brilliant example of comic book storytelling, it is part of a greater dream. The VALIANT fan cherishes the pieces with the benefit of the image of the whole picture, and no matter how nice some won’t be able to appreciate a piece of the frame completely especially how the fourth issue ends. What you get in Rai is not only the next piece in the grand scheme but you get the contrast with the Magnus character, two that are as close to being reflections of each other but are still opposites.

Holy blood, holy grail…

The VALIANT universe was rendered to readers via titles that were published simultaneously at two different parts of the timeline, present day (and in real time) and in the far future (4001). The blood of a future Rai is one of and perhaps the most significant binding element of the two threads, as the remnants of the nanotech that resided in a character of the present day VALIANT setting, a former mob hitman Bloodshot, through history will be over what wars were fought for and why revolutions would begin and affect entire generations of the VALIANT universe. It became a real sangreal and openly desired by one of the most powerful men on earth, Toyo Harada whose corporation would come to control the majority of the world and himself was an Omega Harbinger, a being of almost unsurpassed natural ability and power – and one of the two or three most potent minds not just in the world, but in its history. The last arc of the collection is Rai#0, a time jumping mosaic piece that tells the story of the Blood of Heroes and works in a manner much like Brad Meltzer’s zero issue for the recent JLA relaunch – it casts the possible and inevitable, creating different perspectives running in both directions of the timeline. We witness heroes fall and heroes born, of legacies earned and lost and of familial bonds that spanned centuries. It is a piece that is often the subject of differing opinions and represented a transition period for the company’s creative infrastructure, for myself however, it remains the fulcrum, an issue that echoes the greatness that was and a view – even if fractured and tainted – of what could have been, an issue on reflection that is a memorial of VALIANT’s rising sun in the process of burning out. Still hot – but not the light in the industry it once was.

Jay Tomio
The Bodhisattva

This book is put out by one of my favorite publishing houses, Bethany House. T.L. Hines offers us stories set in the real world twisted with a bit of the supernatural. The beginning of this particular story was a little creepy in a “Friday Fright Nite” sort of way (the kind that gives you shivers but not nightmares). As I delved into the story, I couldn’t put it down. From the introduction of a very unlikely heroine, a past-her-prime demolitions expert turned garbage collector, to the explosive culmination at the end readers will be hooked.

Candace “Canada” MacHugh lives in Butte, Montana, a place that has some very weird stuff going down. Not only is Canada talking with her dad, who died eleven years ago, but people are burning to ash without warning. Add to the mix one scary non-dying being that is trying to kill her and you have an in-your-face story just made for a rainy day.

There were several things I liked about this book. I wasn’t able to figure out where he was going with the plot. I love stories that are unpredictable. I also enjoy figuring out who’s the good guy and who’s the bad guy, and there were plenty of questions raised in the story on that front. I also like the concept of the supernatural existing side-by-side with the everyday existence.

However, I missed a crucial turning point in the story as thirty pages were left out during the physical construction of the book. This was a major drawback and I spent several pages trying to catch up. (Anyone buying off the shelf needs to check after page 96.) I know I wasn’t able to make some connections until later on in the story because of this.

I didn’t let this stop me though and still feel I enjoyed the book. It delivered a delightful type of creepy, not a lot of gore or grabbing of the ankles from beneath the bed. However, there were certainly some breathless scenes. (Let’s just say, for arachnophobes like me - oooooo yucky!) If this book hadn’t been missing the pages, I would have given it a 9.0. As it was, I felt like I needed to mark it down. I still liked the book enough that I shall look up T.L. Hines’ previous book Waking Lazarus.

“Killing Floor” by Lee Child is my first Lee Child book and the first in the Jack Reacher series. Jack is ex-military, so yes, this is a tough-guy thriller. And a page-turner it is. The opening starts with him being arrested as though he is a highly dangerous criminal. He knows he’s innocent and the whole first part of the book is about him trying to get out of jail (and the dangers of being in jail). Jack has become a self-declared drifter now that he is ex-military so it takes a few events and a sexy lady to convince him to help solve the local murder, mystery and mayhem.

The mystery plot itself is quite strong throughout the book, the pace is excellent. Jack is a tough-guy so there’s the usual suspension of disbelief required for various brawls, killings and fights. Most of it is handled pretty well, especially the first half. The author sets things up quite nicely with enough side plots that it’s never boring. The writing and descriptions, especially of handguns and fighting, are quite detailed and excellent. Many of the twists and turns were brilliant.

A few issues with the story kept this book from getting a higher rating. Jack is quite the “Encyclopedia Brown” multiple times during the story. Sometimes it works well; other times you’re left thinking, “well sure that theory fits, but I can think of half a dozen other ones just as plausible.” At the beginning when he does his Encyclopedia deductions, they are fairly harmless and believable; they setup his personality and the story. These early deductions are generally unimportant so you find no need to question them. However, as the story goes on, some of his “hunches” and deductions get a little too wild and way too accurate. Serendipity and luck starts to look pretty questionable. I was able to overlook these issues and still enjoy the story, but they did seem to crop up more and more often as the book neared the end. Perhaps worst of all, when one of the guilty parties was revealed, I just didn’t feel the setup was there nor the believability. It wasn’t that the answer was too pat, it was just that the tie-in wasn’t strong enough. Since there were multiple guilty parties, this flaw didn’t ruin the book, but it did disappoint me greatly because the rest of the culprits and their guilty actions were setup much better. There were absolutely brilliant clues and setups in this book, which unfortunately made those that weren’t, all the more obvious. A few other details that bothered me: Jack doesn’t shower often yet he does a lot of walking through muggy, hot weather…and it isn’t a huge problem with the sexy woman or with him. There’s a description of how he just throws clothes away and buys new ones rather than do laundry, but given activities that involved a lot of running, fighting, and blood this detail came across as blatantly ridiculous. I think he bought clothes twice. I also didn’t believe the explanation that he didn’t know how to do laundry and had never done it. Ever.

Most of the characterization in the book was quite strong, but at the end, a few relationships were wrapped up so quickly it felt pretty inconsistent with earlier actions and motivation. This wasn’t a huge thing, but again, the devil was in the details and sometimes the little things just didn’t add up.

Overall this is an exciting read. It’s easily strong enough to hold up as a beach read or a weekend jaunt away from reality. As a first novel, it’s damn good, and I suspect that in later novels some of the missing details or inconsistencies will not be as evident. It will also be interesting to see how the author develops Jack’s character. There is a lot of room for growth here. As a “hobo” character, the author will have a lot of play in settings and characters.

We are quickly put at ease that the last issue was merely a minor bump in the surprisingly triumphant return of G.I.JOE as a comic worthy of being paraded as near top of the stack material. In truth we are not even given the moment to consider continuing our trepidation as we are thrust right into the line of fire. In the first issue of the twelve-part Word War III storyline, we witness an alley knife fight, an assassination foiled, and some good old-fashioned executions.

The issue’s true worth is that it introduces and furthers a plot point that gives an organic reason to create new characters or bring to the forefront characters that have existed in other forms and have rarely used comic incarnations. The JOE team officially given the mandate to take out the known and suspected COBRA agents and past allies, and COBRA’s simultaneous recruiting to swell its own ranks in an arms race and to counter its own recent losses is a natural progression of the occurrences in the immediate past. Veteran enthusiasts can now view these additions a sensible growth instead of feeling force-fed, a move away from what is perhaps a comfort zone but into the excitement of a hot landing zone. We know that in earlier runs of this comic creative clashes occurred usually regarding the direction of its different commercial forms – indeed in terms of bottom line a nice problem to be burdened with to have a popular cartoon series, comic, toy line and even feature film - but now with years past since the prime of the franchise any element used seems like an old friend or a previously forgotten memory where even aspects we didn’t like we welcome being reminded of. It creates a stage that has almost limitless possibilities and as long we don’t extend that into la la territory.

I am hesitant to make absolute statements especially dealing with a name that has been given to so many different interpretations, but I feel it is now safe to say that this is Cobra Commander as he should be, as he only could be – the best he has ever been portrayed. There is an eccentric buffoonery that comes off even in the Marvel run (that is still much more preferable to the clown in the cartoon) that always grated on me. This is the most dangerous man alive and never has he felt and for the first time we believe it. He isn’t trying to defeat G.I.JOE as much as it they are trying to defeat him and they are just a passing mussing along the way to a greater plan. Certainly there is contempt for the team and in some cases a focused personal hatred as shown in the previous issue (as I mentioned in my review) as was berating Snake Eyes; but there is also a man with a goal that goes beyond the immediate conflict. Eccentric? Sure, but he is no longer a man that is the butt of jokes – he is the killing joke.

The very first page is the most unlikely of iconic nods to fans and is a perfect example of the above. It is most likely most have never seen a page with him on it, but no diehard JOE fan didn’t instantly recognize COBRA Mortal as soon as they opened the cover. The original COBRA Mortal figure has long been one of the 3 3/4 collector’s grails, and although I’m a proud owner of one, no doubt any who has or sought one had long resigned to the likelihood that the adventures of the elusive Mortal would be limited to hunts on EBAY and those born of imagination and dios, and to see the COBRA sniper grace the pages of G.I.JOE: America’s Elite is what has become that calculated, requisite, and most importantly correct bone to throw to the existing fan base. Powers and the jugglers at Devil’s Due have their pulse on the JOE comic reading nation, they do so because they were first on the scene to revive what has been a DOA franchise for better than decade. Names like Vypra, Ghost Bear, and Night Creeper interacting with classics like a sleeveless Gung Ho in the snow and Wild Bill flexing like Hickok in a panel. The past meets the future and we find out that it’s all good.

I would be remiss not to mention the cover, a piece that serves as a roll call and a celebration – Front and Center – where G.I.JOE should be and once again is.


Jay Tomio
The Bodhisattva

Fiction’s new favorite purloiners return, the scene of their last crime – an act of lurid but no less true justice - drifting behind them. Their introductions behind them, the characters cast off and stripped of nearly all possessions but their lives, one could conclude an author would be primed to hit the shores running with his second offering, diving headlong into another fresh and elaborate juke devised to follow 2006’s most recommendable debut.

To our initial disappointment Lynch delivers.

We find the remnants of our band stalking the pits of the Sinspire, patiently and calculatingly ascending lady luck’s ladder in Lynch’s Monte Carlo, the city-state Tal Verrar, marked on any map as the destination for the apex of high society and high stakes. The absurdity of the back in-saddle starting point exhibits the author’s greatest strength, his decisions on how to pace a novel. The cuts to the recent past, giving us the anatomy of the scheme and farther back to moments transpiring in the direct aftermath of The Lies of Locke Lamora are perfectly placed, once again functioning as a new door to open just before the occupied space stagnates. You seem to never be anywhere but where you want to be, Lynch just doesn’t let you in on the fact until a chapter later, and the reader isn’t sprinting or running a marathon as much as they are in a literary shuttle run. The initial perceived thoughtlessness is rectified as our ‘hero’ is doing the only thing any reader should expect as an aftermath to the first book…

The Thorn of Camorr is grieving. Reduced to a melancholic lush, burdened with the weight of an adynamic soul. The Gentleman Bastards have been reduced to a duo and it is Jean who takes on a gamgee role to make sure that number isn’t cut in half again. The bastard’s lifestyles are inherently risky, but Locke is used to winning his gambits and the effect of the loss of members of his troupe is not skirted over by Lynch. While Locke chooses to rot we witness Jean exploring other avenues other friendships, and destiny - paths that make him at time vague, unreadable even to Locke. For Locke it was the dead end, for Jean it was a bit of crossroad, they always knew the stakes better than anyone but never had to pay-up, and the events in Camorr were shakedowns of the soul. When we finally see the charisma and vigor return to Locke – he is not unchanged – he has doubt, not in himself or Jean, but in Jean’s faith in him. There is an Ocean’s Eleven vibe but what drives the duo most is neither a faire sauter la banque goal nor vengeance, but it is passion for the art of the trade as Lynch cuts back to unveil steps to the heist at intervals even as they are being cast in multiple plots against other factions – simultaneously.

When I reviewed The Lies of Locke Lamora the single stumbling point for me were the Bondsmagi. Their presence as a nation of essentially unstoppable ace-in-the-hole-ass hole-boogiemen seemed more convenient plot device to me than a welcome in reading even though Lynch memorably made sure to exhibit they could indeed be touched – and with extreme prejudice – it remains an element still that I wish we could be rid of. It does give that constant threat of reprisal in Locke’s and Jean’s lives and one they are fully aware that they are almost powerless to stop if the Bondsmagi want to collect, but otherwise seems like a burden we now have to deal with just to make the Grey King’s ploy in the first book plausible. That aside, Red Seas Under Red Skies is not only a worthy sophomore effort, it is with little doubt the superior book. Too infrequent is our chance to read great pirate stories, such that we all have that similar shortlist in our head when asked to reference them: The Scar, On Stranger Tides, The Princess Bride (okay I’m stretching but you its one of those inclusions you simply can’t be mad about), Pyrates, Captain Blood; some more dedicated readers may include recent stories by Wells Tower or Rhys Hughes and Lynch supplies an addition to that list. It is so because in a book that features our protagonists being used as puppets by both sides in a feud over control of Tal Verrar between a well informed War Lord and the master of the Sinspire, Requin and his majordomo, learning the art of pirating and with one eye always looking over their shoulders for Bondmagi, all while still keeping to and amending their own scheme in play, Lynch is able to still make a brief excursion to Salon Corbeau the highlight and most decisive and gratifying chapter in the novel.

The glamorization of thieves and their exploits are hardly an untested formula in all mediums of fiction (and non-fiction) from – and Lynch’s books have a manner about them that make them feel cool but not trendy – the difference is achieving a state when it is not your goal. In this manner it’s more pool hall junkies than smokin’ aces and Locke’s healthy hatred for the wealthy and is so blatant that it creates this aura of honesty about the character that creates a natural common ground with more than ninety-ninety percent of the people who could potentially pick up the book. Chain’s words rattle in the back of his mind, and brands Locke to be an instrument, not as a social equalizer, but to act as a living memory and in a case that a past humbling instance doesn’t apply, to be the tool with arms long enough to hit the elite in the mouth – not so much for the joy of the literal punch, but to personify the figurative, permanent black eye. While Lynch keeps his promise of offering the reader a complete, self-contained story in each book of the sequence, it is the chapters such as this sprinkled in both books that expose the roots of the Thorn, the foundation and origin of the persona and we are a witness to it as much in the displays of his commitment to his craft as we are when he later insures a family of master artisans be spared a settlement’s judgment. It is really these chapters that supply that secondary, post-read pondering content and allows us to discuss Locke himself: peerlessly confident, a traveling - even if for one person audience - show, adrift, and guided by nothing but perhaps his own unique brand of avarice and the camaraderie of his partner, or is he that and still a child – looking to be guided by a higher authority, be it a father figure or deity. Is he driven by purpose or constantly searching for it? I’m unsure if it was the author’s intent – perhaps it was my own projection – but Locke seemed to go into a darth-mode for a moment, as he was a spectator of game played in Salon Corbeau called The Amusement War. He showed what was more than mere disgust, it was pure, unbridled, hatred. We know Locke is certainly capable of mischief from grand theft to killing, but the presence of this hate was almost disconcerting, and in the most positive of ways. This is not a balanced individual and while capable of extreme concentration and control when necessary, as much as Locke is able to manipulate his surroundings – the world moves him, not the other way around, and thus a feeling of contrivance is avoided in a manner that sometimes is not true of larger than life characters where often too often the world revolves around them.

This is as much a Jean novel as it a Locke novel, and it Jean’s story that in some ways saves the novel as the secondary characters tend to be a bit uneventful and seem perhaps too bit of a clean fit. There was no Chains, or characters of the like that were only limited by pages they were on, not what they brought to them. When we left Camorr we did so feeling we left some future stories whether they included the bastards or not, told or left untold where Red Seas Under Red Skies feels much more like just simply leaving a chapter behind us. Lynch has a talent for what amounts to multiple epilogues, and while actual roles may seem a bit less thoughtful or standout, the conclusions to various plot lines never do. It's probably true that Red Seas Under Red Skies ends up feeling more harmless than it's predecessor and in end we are left much the same as we were in the beginning except the condition of the spirit and body change places, yet from the tone you feel there is a weary but playful composure - a game face – has returned to Locke and we wonder if these red seas will ever lead him to a home.

For even the most novice of fantasy enthusiast it is hard not to notice the Mieville similarity, not in the sense of adding to the tired modernization of the fantastic spiel, or at in any way implying a creative riff in regards to content, but in terms of general symmetry. Like China, Lynch abandons the confines of his urban center that not only served as the backbone of the introduction, but also breathes as if alive - a constant presence without dialogue, and chooses to launch to the high seas, a decision that makes us as much reader and mystery tourist. It also creates a odd sensation that rather mimics and reinforced the point-of-view and continuity cuts from past to present – as readers we were not so much unlike Bellis in search of future opportunity but ran off from our immediate past enough to look back before ever step forward and the subsequent trips were what made the story. We still have that Camorr musk on us as readers and it takes awhile for us to appreciate the fresh sea air. In Red Seas Under Red Skies, no matter the location of the masquerade at hand, Camorr still plays an off-stage roll and we perhaps learn more of the city – and the mentality of her vagabond sons while being elsewhere. There is also an excursion in The Scar to a land of blood sucking horror mosquito people, and Lynch has his version of such a stopover and monsters only they are represented by man. Admittedly it’s all rather superficial - as were many of the overstated comparison involving with the first novel - (the comparisons) but something that was definitely in my mind.

In the more the merrier era of ensembles and complexity weighed by cast numbers Lynch chooses what is still not the path less taken, but is one that is polluted with innumerable unmarked graves, not blank due to a lack of information, but to signify that is no more relevant than the other, of stories buried that don’t require a revisit, failed adventurers blurred together that fail to spark reasonable recognition and whose names die even if they themselves do not, where the Tristan of Eutracia’s will come to rest or be buried alive. It is the path that has successfully been undertaken by a few, these are characters that threaten to become part of the very fabric of fantasy’s conscious – they are not necessarily characters that claim new territories and spill first blood on new ground but all are those that come to define. I like Neverwhere more than the next guy – but who was the protagonist again? Inevitably some replies will be "the guy who Vandermer and Croup were chasing". With Lynch, through just two books you feel as if the author perhaps has stumbled upon that multiverse-spanning, vellum-crossing, shadow walking, dream trail that ran through the Underdark that once revealed a lavender glint reflecting off dual scimitars, or was once trodden by a storm-bearing Albino, or where a blind prince of Amber sulked, or where stalked a ring-totting leopard, and even once bore a fool wizard and his luggage, among others. It is that connection with a single character that was once vogue that seems to a point admonished now for that very fact, and thus the numbers of personalities and seem that is still able to drive a series by their presence alone in a manner that perhaps is only mirrored in its first steps currently by Stover’s Cain or Morgan’s Tovac. The accomplishment includes and goes beyond being the topic of self-important small circles; it extends into daring to be large, indeed embracing it, but not at the same time fearing to achieve that state by accepting built in limitations more often simply the vices of minority aloofness. These are characters that create absolute statements – to actually come to not like Locke Lamora seems near implausible, a sad, dark place, an opinion hell with baffling inhabitants and even stranger horizons who sadly run away from large crowds just to be noticed and seemingly always scratch their when they miss the party wondering why. These are the characters that transcend book and series titles: they are the Elric, the Cain, Conan, Covenant and Drizzt books. The vast majority of the time I would say the human element – I think – remains the most important facet of any piece of fiction but I think we often limit what we perceive as grand accomplishment to examinations of that state and tend to view simply the enjoyment of as something lesser. There are simply very few reads that just have that kick back and relax ambience, that timeless fresh and jazzy ‘Summertime’ experience, "Here it is the groove slightly transformed just a bit of a break from the norm just a little somethin' to break the monotony of all that hardcore dance that has gotten to be a little bit out of control it's cool to dance but what about the groove that soothes that moves romance give me a soft subtle mix and if ain't broke then don't try to fix it" – ahhh...good times! That’s what Lynch brings to the shelf. When will Locke find what he searches for? Is it something even the greatest thief can steal? Does Locke Lamora fascinate me? Not in specific ways that some characters do. But the idea of more of his as of yet untold adventures do – and that’s an accomplishment.

The headstones don’t lie.

Jay Tomio
The Bodhisattva

The last half dozen to eight issues of Devil’s Dues G.I.JOE: America’s Elite has represented the first worthy successors to the early Marvel line of the 1980’s. The final installment of the Sins of the Mother quartet continues the developments I noted in my previous review – and sports a what is perhaps nice slight homage to the classic Kirby cover of Fantastic Four#8. The majority of content in this issue takes place in a single room; as in our own world in a single room multiple decisions are made that will have personal and global ramification. What many would consider the true original triumvirate of COBRA is reduced to and thus advanced by the ascension of the idea that Cobra Commander is what he always should have been – one of the most canny men alive – and now is perhaps the most powerful. It is done not by minimizing Destro or the Baroness; we witness the determination and are humbled by sacrifice of the former and the deadly proficiency of the latter – these are still among the most dangerous people in the world but are simply outmaneuvered by a man whose view extend beyond the immediate, beyond the mundane passions that drive and diminish his cohorts and most people in general.

The JOE fan will appreciate the familiarity that exudes between the characters. The relationship of and the fact that a history exists between Snake Eyes and Cobra Commander would register to all but the most daft reader and gives the story a very human undercurrent. Even in the process of and midst of his greatest triumph, Cobra Commander cannot help but to take the opportunity to verbally abuse the JOE commando. This is personal and you get the feeling he relishes these jibes as much as he does the certainty of his more global victory.

That said, I do not hesitate to anoint the latest issue, #24, the weakest from a storytelling point of view. There is a contrivance in the sequence of events that perhaps caused it to be necessary to be rather overly dramatic within a too-confined allotted space. The issue felt like it needed more room for a more natural path to the conclusion to truly develop. The ultimatum given to the JOE agents seemed hollow, the terrorist you essentially exist -as an elite military unit - to take down, threatens you with knowledge of your family and you just walk? Snake Eyes, Flint and Spirit would pull his card, push his hood back, and then simply call in what has to be already established safety protocols protecting their families - especially since they were fully aware Cobra Commander has access to this information. There is also an oddness to the Baroness talking to herself at the beginning flashback, but it could be written off as the workings of the mind of a mother who had just escaped isolation and interrogation looking and desperately looking for her cub. The eventual outcome is effective, both as an end to an arc and as an ideal platform for future stories, but there is a sense of being in the room as well - betrayed like the rest – and left wondering if my copy is missing a couple of pages. For some reason the title that I always remember from the original series is Snap Decisions (issue#52, people – a classic) and the title would seem so apt here.

If this is the valley, I’ll gladly march in it; a slight stumble due to a longer stride at the end of the race, but all in all a book still worthy to be on any pull list. The end crowneth the work indeed – I’ll be here until the coronation.

Jay Tomio
The Bodhisattva

I never thought I’d say this but G.I.JOE is back – and not just in the musings of the twentyish eyeing thirty; a mid-life guilty pleasure masked as fashionably retro. The truth is that this comic – a continuation from a line that raised young men of my generation – has been a valued part of my pull list issue#18, when suddenly a legitimately uneventful title of hudlin-like proportions recaptured hamaesque magic.

Issue twenty-three of G.I.JOE: America’s Elite, the third in a four part arc titled Sins of the Mother begins as all comics should: With some quality bondage. A downright Diana princely splash of one Anastasia – better known to casuals as the Baroness – sets the tone of the issue and recent run. It’s a trimmer team but a broader playing field; still an elite anti-terrorist unit, the same world, but with the added dimensions that comes with the world for the reader a generation removed from knowing is half the battle. The Baroness, a new mother, had been captured and fruitlessly interrogated by G.I.JOE before breaking out during a government sanction assault on the JOE compound by Cobra agents and since has been on a warpath that includes (apparently) previously killing Wraith, a newish, much over hyped, poor-man’s Boba Fett of the Joeverse – someone who truly had no point but just showed up with a fan club because of a cool costume. Yes – people die in today’s Joeverse.

In the Middle East a Joe force including, Snake Eyes, Scarlet, Spirit, Roadblock, Stalker, and led by Duke pursue Major Blood on the trail of the Baroness, a path that will eventually lead to yet more bondage and to Destro’s seat.

Remember Lady Jaye? Well forget about her because she’s dead – that’s the advice Flint needs. In Vietnam, Flint is spying on the Red Shadows when he finds himself observing a meeting with the Baroness. It would not be an overstatement to say that Flint is becoming one of the most interesting characters on my pull list – the death of his wife makes his journey to the long time fan a dynamic one. My most recent Cup of Joe notes the debut of Flint in the Marvel series, a brash, arrogant, but competent new addition to the team and to see the transition of a solider who lost his soul, to a melancholic, brooding warrior displays to me that interests based in nostalgia can evolve and do so without blasphemous results.

The new look, the art to the series is at first unnerving, I found myself naturally rejecting it until I started viewing it as a departure in the way to view G.I.JOE. The art style is more mundane, when grouped together the JOE’s look like a military unit, no longer a poster or image on a toy box. Snake Eyes looks like a commando, not a power ranger in the trenches. This is not a knock on the iconic appearances of these characters – the version II Snake Eyes figure is classic – it is however an art choice that works for the reader of today, including those from yesterday.

All the threads have a sense of immediacy to them, an urgent tension underneath the panel. The woman scorned and the hollowed widower offer a feeling of ever present calamity with the perpetual threat of, in the middle of a comic that successfully takes the elements that makes for worthwhile high adrenaline action/drama experience and wraps it into embarrassingly gushing moments by tugging the fan boy strings by offering a mere glimpse of the Phantom with Ghost Rider ready to take our favorite Native American tracker and ass kicking, masked commando in a thread that took me back to reading a Hama Special Mission within the comic itself. Each story has players on the edge, hinging on decisions that retain a true unpredictability that comes with showing in earlier issues that there will be casualties, there is loss, and with that what remains behind grows.

I dare say G.I.JOE is cool again. It’s unfortunate it was ever otherwise.

Jay Tomio
The Bodhisattva

EL SALVADOR: America's great Cold War success story and the model for Iraq's fledgling democracy—if one ignores the grinding poverty, the corruption, the spiraling crime and a murder rate ranked near the top in the hemisphere. This is where Jude McManus works as an executive protection specialist, currently assigned to an American engineer working for a U.S. consortium.


Ten years before, at age seventeen, he saw his father and two Chicago cop colleagues arrested for robbing street dealers. The family fell apart in the scandal's wake, his disgraced dad died under suspicious circumstances, and Jude fled Chicago to join the army and forge a new life.


Now the past returns when one of his father's old pals appears. The man is changed—he's scarred, regretful, self-aware—and helps Jude revisit the past with a forgiving eye. Then he asks a favor—not for himself, but the third member of his dad's old crew.


Even though it's ill-considered, Jude agrees, thinking he can oblige the request and walk away, unlike his father. But he underestimates the players and stakes, and stumbles into a web of Third World corruption and personal betrayal, where everything he values—and everyone he loves—is threatened. And only the greatest of sacrifices will save them.

Corbett is better then anyone else at using a simple premise or crime as a platform to spin epic stories of the human experience writ large against a vast canvass. From personal interaction with one another; to interactions with ourselves; to interactions with our own ghosts and demons; to interactions with faith, god and fate; to interactions with the socio/politico machines of our own creation. The beating heart at the center of Blood of Paradise may be a dark one but it’s a real one that we, at times, can recognize as our own.




All of the characters are complicated and real and everything that Jude is, or thinks that he is, will be put to the test. The climax of this book is riddled with a series of shattering events that leave the characters forever changed. We, the reader, explicitly understand from early on that events are being put into motion that are buried so completely in layers of deceit that our only option is to bear witness to them. We are relegated to the sidelines in a passive capacity that can, at time be unsettling. Unsettling because we want to know what’s happening if only because we, on some base level, understand the gravity of the unfolding events, if not their specific outcome. Blood of Shadows unfolds with the impending weight of a Greek Tragedy. The climax will be a defining moment for Jude. Either he will define it or it will define him. The path that he finds himself on, seemingly by both fate and free-will, will be one that breaks him down to the very core of his being, leaving him with the ultimate decision of what to make of his life now. The end of the book will not make distinctions for you of right & wrong, good & evil. Instead you will be challenged to think, ponder & make those decisions on your own, if indeed they can be made.




The politics of Blood of Paradise are worn openly and on its sleeve. But the political opinions and machinations, regardless of ones opinions, do not hinder the story. They inste