By: Hess Sahlollbey
There's something to be said about the Archie universe and how it is infinitely malleable.
While the presumption may exist that Archie comics are only for kids, there has been a serious shift to expand its line and draw in new readers. Outside of the well-known digests at grocery store checkouts, the publisher has been expanding into new genres.
What started with Afterlife with Archie, a gory and violent horror comic-book where Archie and the gang have to deal with flesh eating zombies, has now resulted in Archie becoming an avant-garde publisher.
The latest addition to their universe of horror is Jughead: The Hunger. Written by Frank Tieri (Wolverine) with cover and interior art by local Hamiltonian Michael Walsh (Secret Avengers), this oversized tale sees the ravenous appetite of the eponymous character take a sinister turn.
It is currently available online and in print.
I had the chance to speak to Walsh at Toronto ComiCon in March, a week before the release of the book, to flip through his portfolio to see firsthand some of the original art that he had put up for sale. He explained that the while his original comic may have be a one-shot tale, the cliff-hanger ending meant that this may have not be the last we saw of Jughead and his "affliction".
While he won’t be drawing the interior art anymore for this series, Walsh will continue to draw the covers when the series returns later this year.
From the first page, Tieri evokes the classic tropes of the classic American monster movies of the 70s and 80s with a cold open featuring the death of Ms. Grundy.
It's a stark juxtaposition with what follows as the reader follows Jughead’s obliviousness to his murderous night time escapades. Given Jughead's reputation as a human bottom-less pit, the mere sight of him in every panel evokes tension and a sense of uneasiness.
Tieri also gets the rest of Riverdale’s residents into the act. Mainstays like Betty, Veronica and Reggie are all present in this story with one character in particular being elevated to an impressive new role.
With a heavy, murky use of black ink, Michael Walsh brings his own flavour to the comic by using the multi-paneled format made popular by Francesco Francavilla. His substantial use of blacks is interlaced with shadowed cartoony elements that create a dark unsettling atmosphere. While the style may be clean, one can quickly surmise on a deeper analysis that it’s a perfect marriage between the emotional weight of the plotting and the art. One standout panel in particular features a dark two page spread of Jughead as he becomes more conscious of his heightened senses. His panels and designs are evocative and moody. As creepy as it is fun, this book is very much a case of the right artist on the right project.
While the plot and the art may be working in unison, the biggest factor working against this book is the restrained nature of the format. Clocking in at about 40 pages, the plotting is efficient, but could benefit from even a small expansion. Nowhere is this more evident than when it is compared to the rest of the Archie Horror books. The short suspenseful nature of the book means that we never get the opportunity to enter into the thoughts of the characters first-hand.
The series will be returning this October two weeks after the premier of the new season of Riverdale and just in time for Halloween.
By: Hess Sahlollbey
The comic-book film and TV show craze will not be relenting anytime soon. With the recent releases of Riverdale, Lego Batman and Logan on the horizon in March, movies can serve as an excellent introduction to comics and the source material. The cost of comics and the rich history of the medium however can often be seen as the two biggest barriers of entry for newcomers to the hobby. To help circumvent that; we've scoured the collection of comics and graphic novels in Mills Library on campus and prepared a list of some of the best "gateway comics" for those who are ready to take the plunge or who want to spice up their reading list this winter break.
Writer: Brian K. Vaughan Artist: Fiona Staples
I love this series so much I couldn't help but start rereading it as soon as I found it in Mills. Saga is a critically-acclaimed, award-winning epic space opera/fantasy series. The series depicts Marko and Alana, a married couple from long-warring extraterrestrial races, as they flee from authorities from both sides of a galactic war while attempting to raise their daughter, Hazel. Love, loss, family, gender roles, sexuality and sacrifice are some of the most prominent themes explored in Saga as Marko and Alana learn that it takes a whole village, or in their case a whole galaxy, to raise a child.
Writer: Marjane Satrapi Artist: Marjane Satrapi
An autobiographical graphic novel by cartoonist Marjane Satrapi, this two-part series details her life in and beyond Iran along with the effect of the Islamic revolution on her home country. The first book, Persepolis 1, depicts Satrapi's childhood in Iran and the beginning of the Islamic revolution. Persepolis 2 depicts her high school years growing up in Vienna followed by her return to Iran where Satrapi attends college, gets married and later gets divorced before moving to France. Persepolis has been well received in Western countries and Europe. Persepolis has gone on to become a staple in the women's studies classes at McMaster and across the world for its strong feminist themes. The film adaptation of Persepolis, which is also available in Mills Library, was nominated for an Academy Award in 2007.
Writer: Art Spiegelman Artist: Art Spiegelman
Maus, by cartoonist Art Spiegelman depicts his interview with his father, Vladek Spiegelman, about his experiences as a Polish Jew and Holocaust survivor. The main narrative takes place in the past and depicts the experiences of Spiegelman's father in Europe during World War II. Those scenes in the past are juxtaposed with scenes in the present that give a picture of the estranged relationship between a father and his son, two years before Vladek's passing. The first graphic novel to win the Pulitzer Prize, Maus has seen its fair share of controversy all across Europe. Tying into Nazi propaganda that depicted Jews as vermin, Spiegelman portrayed Jews as mice, with Germans, Poles and Americans as other animals à la Animal Farm. All of that however comes secondary to the painful scenes that depict the failing relationship between a father and son and the guilt and pain that Art's father lived with during his time in Poland.
Writer: Alan Moore Artist: Dave Gibbons
Part historical fiction part super-hero mystery tale, Watchmen is set in an alternate reality that closely mirrors the contemporary setting of the 1980s. In Watchmen, not only are superheroes real, their existence has drastically affected how history has played out regarding wars, presidencies and the position of the United States as a global power. The real focus of the story however is the personal struggles and development of a group of mostly out of commission superheroes who are forced back together when one of their own is murdered. A critical and commercial success, Watchmen is considered in the comics world to be the greatest graphic novel of all time for its nihilistic realism, dark and moody setting and the moral struggles of the main characters. The Watchmen film by Zack Snyder is also available through the McMaster library website.
Can’t make it to the comic store? Hamilton Public Library branches offer free accounts for Hoopla, to access these eBooks and comics.
By: Hess Sahlollbey
Hamilton is in the midst of a continuous evolution, and with that comes a growing arts and culture community in the city’s centre. While local art galleries, recording studios and independent film production are well established, the comic scene has been growing as well.
Sylvia Nickerson is one such comic artist and with her book, Creation, she looks to chronicle the city’s physical changes as well as her own perspective towards it.
“I was living in Toronto, but I fell in love and moved here when my partner moved to Hamilton. I was really encouraged by the art community downtown and connected with that.”
Nickerson is a graphic designer and illustrator, whose clientele has included the Globe and Mail, the National Post, the Washington Post and the city of Hamilton.
She is an active part of the Casino Gallery Artspace, has helped design a variety of local murals and even helped create the local boutique White Elephant’s Supercrawl 2016 window display.
Creation tells a story of love and loss, dreams and death and of the contrasting aspects of the city. Nickerson was inspired by interactions with locals as she came to know her new home city.
“People are really down to earth,” she said. “They’re real and I appreciate that [and] I found inspiration in all aspects of the city from the industrial to the architecture.”
Nickerson’s shift to comics required a complete transition to a new medium with new rules and structure.
Nickerson explained that the transition from newspaper illustration to comics meant that she eventually moved away from using still-life references for her illustrations, and instead learned to draw mostly from memories of the city.
“When I need a specific building or sign I do reference it and creating comics has really disciplined me and how I see the world,” said Nickerson.
Venturing into a new medium has allowed her to more easily explore complex local and social issues. Even so, she was surprised to find how much closer she felt to issues of urban decay and gentrification through illustration.
“Entering into this medium, I was maybe not entirely prepared for how intense my engagement would become,” Nickerson explained. “I was not just telling a story but also making illustrations which all felt really powerful.”
Creation presents a unique take while still maintaining a dissonance between the rendition and the subject matter. Nickerson was roused by her own home city as well as inspired by the works of Maus author Art Spiegelman and New Yorker cartoonist Roz Chast.
Creation is an experimental analysis of human psychology in a small city. No events in the story come off as larger-than-life and the story’s own narrator questions their own dreams and ideals and doubting whether they can truly fulfill them.
“Having become a parent is what really changed how I interacted with the city. I was no longer going from point A to point B. I was becoming a different person at the same time that the city was becoming different… the first three chapters of Creation really explore the darker parts of the city.”
While Nickerson was initially going to shy away from stories of struggle, the birth of her child helped her confront how everyone else in the city were striving to create a brighter future for their children.
The comic book scene in Hamilton is still young but Nickerson believes it possesses untapped potential through the various art communities in the city.
“I’m not sure I would have started on this project if not for some other young artists who moved to the city and started this Casino Artspace that I am a part of now who brought tons of positive energy to the community that supports the creation of art.”
For anyone aspiring to create comics of their own, Nickerson imparted some final advice.
“Don’t try to make money,” she said with a laugh.
“There is still lot of gratification in telling stories and that is a reward in itself.”
By: Hess Sahlollbey
Writer: Dennis Hopeless Artist: Serg Acuña
While the WWE has tried for decades to publish a comic book based on its characters and properties, they've struggled to make an organic conversion of the pageantry and long-form storytelling. What sets WWE # 1 from Boom! Studios apart from its predecessors however is that the storyline builds directly on events that have played out in the WWE.
The ongoing series stars Seth Rollins and chronicles the fallout of the wrestling stable “The Shield” after he double crossed-them. While the story may be familiar to long-time viewers of the WWE, writer Dennis Hopeless and a layer to the story by fleshing out what happened behind the scenes and how Seth Rollins made his ascension to WWE champ. While the WWE may be scripted, Hopeless fully fleshes out what exactly motivates Rollins and to tell a more complete story. Artist Serg Acuna cartoonish anatomy abandons photo accurate realness to remind the reader of the over-the-top-ness of the wrestling world. Together, the two collaborators succeed at translating the melodrama of the professional wrestling from one medium to another.
Comic book superheroes and professional wrestling characters have long been viewed in the same vein of entertainment as colorful characters that are larger than life, the new WWE series however finally makes combines the two into one solid package.
Photo: @HopelessDent Twitter
Writer Tom King Artist: David Finch, Mikel Janin
What happens when Batman becomes the trainer of two idealistic new superheroes that both have powers on par with Superman? Writer Tom King's first solo Batman storyline sets out to answer that question. I Am Gotham collects the pages of BATMAN: REBIRTH #1 and issues #1-6 of the new hit Batman series by artists David Finch and Mikel Janin.
While David Finch and Mikel were both more than well established as A-Listers at DC Comics before this series debuted, King proved he was ready to take over for Scott Snyder with his debut storyline. It should be noted that a new character appearing in Gotham to help Batman before ultimately double-crossing is nothing new, but Tom King re-invents the formula by showing the reader how a well-intentioned idealist slowly becomes corrupted by forces outside their power. What follows is a somber yarn that perfectly sets scene for the first-act in King's three-part epic Batman tale.
Writer: Joshua Williamson Artist: Carmine Di Giandomenico, Neil Googe
A new storm literally brews over Central City as lighting keeps striking again and again. All across the city, citizens are being hit by the lightning, which is giving them extra-ordinary speedster powers. Now the Fastest Man Alive, Barry Allen, finds himself in charge of teaching a new school of rookies while also trying to apprehend the equally fast serial killer.
Much like Tom King, Joshua Williamson, Carmin Di Giandomenico and Neil Googe had their work cut out for him when they became the new creative team on The Flash. 2016 marked the 60th anniversary of Barry Allen making his debut as the Flash and with the upcoming movie and the hit television series, the bar had already been set very high.
The new creative team not only rose to the occasion, they set the bar even higher than their predecessors. What follows is a tight plot with many interweaving stories told by stunning visuals. This is a story that feels grounded but also ties into the larger DC Universe by hinting and what's still to come in the future for the Scarlet Speedster. Flash Vol. 1: Lightning Strikes Twice collects THE FLASH: REBIRTH #1 plus issues #1-8 of the new series.
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By: Hess Sahlollbey
Mired in controversy from the moment it was first announced, including a petition from “One Million Moms” to have the series removed from television, Lucifer is finally here. And while it’s not the first crime procedural to feature the occult, it’s definitely the most stylish thanks in large part to its title character.
Fox’s new series Lucifer is based off Mike Carey’s comic-book series, Lucifer. The Lucifer comic, a spinoff of Neil Gaiman’s depiction of the devil in The Sandman, was published under DC Comics’ Vertigo imprint. Much like Netflix’s Jessica Jones, Lucifer is inspired by the source material and isn’t a direct adaptation à la Walking Dead.
What if the devil got tired of reigning over all of hell and damnation and decided to take a vacation? That’s the basic premise of the show as we get to see how things unfold for him. Lucifer Morningstar (Tom Ellis) decides to relocate to the City of Angels and open his own piano bar called Lux. However everything changes for Lucifer when a friend from his past gets gunned down in his arms outside of his night club. He then teams up with Detective Chloe Dancer (Lauren German) to solve crimes and bring criminals to justice by using his supernatural powers.
If this all seems ridiculous, it’s because it is.
They managed to pull it all off by perfectly casting Welsh actor Tom Ellis in the title role. The writing of this character, combined with Ellis’ devilishly charming performance is what makes this series so great. Viewers begin to sympathize with the devil as his character slowly evolves and faces an existential crisis. He just oozes swagger and charisma and right away we learn that the big skill that’s helped him become such a success in our realm: he’s able to make people confess their darkest desires. This adds a fun motif to the show as people blurt out what they want or are thinking to him.
Lucifer is also a very stylish show. The direction is awesome and so is the soundtrack selection and set design. The opening shot of Lucifer in his convertible was perfectly set to Cage the Elephant’s devil-themed “Ain’t no Rest for the Wicked.” Combined with scenes of Lucifer in his bar drinking and playing the piano, the whole presentation really gives the viewer a good sense of who Lucifer is. It’s also very effective at setting the series’ mischievous tone.
However, as bold as Fox was to raise a little hell and have a series with Satan as the main character, I’m disappointed that they stuck to the case-of-the-week crime procedural format. The first case Lucifer solves is enjoyable, but the mystery was still paper-thin.
While it’s fun to see Lucifer use his supernatural powers to get what he wants, the secondary characters are shallow. Detective Chloe Dancer is still your typical no-nonsense tightwad who’s been paired up with a more eccentric character. Chloe may have a fun and unconventional back story, but I fear that her relationship with Lucifer may be played too safely as the series continues. Also bogging down the series is Archangel Amenadiel (D.B. Woodside) who occasionally pops up trying to convince Lucifer to go back to hell. His performance is stiff and a real detriment to the narrative. I can’t help but wonder if the show would have been better by simply having Lucifer gallivant in L.A. without all of the police work.
Taking into consideration the ongoing success of DC’s other comic-book shows, it’s safe to assume that they’re going to continue adapting more comics to TV. Lucifer proves that there is room for not just one more comic book—based show, but for an occult mystery show that is accessible to viewers. However the success of this show boils down to whether or not Ellis’ Lucifer can bring some light to the tired crime procedural genre and be a hit.
Photo Credit: John Fleenor/ FOX
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