I Got Wood. Again. Luckily, Symptoms LOCALized This Time.

Local is yet another series by Brian Wood (DMZ, Demo) worthy of picking up. Ryan Kelly brings regular people to life with a simple, very indy-looking style. It's simple, and yet it isn't. At all.

Local is just a comic about regular people in regular cities around the US. It's tough to classify, since each issue of the three currently available has been completely different from the last. The first, a stream of consciousness piece; the second, a story about an unorthodox relationship; and the third, a kind of Behind The Music tale. Each story takes place in a different, smallish US town. The first was Portland, OR, then we went to Minneapolis, MN, followed by Richmond, VA. If you live in any of those places (which I don't), it's sure to ring bells, as Ryan Kelly uses actual businesses from the towns as backdrops.

The variety of the stories themselves, as I mentioned before, makes Local a difficult comic to classify. It definitely isn't your typical comic, as it doesn't really have a plot; there certainly isn't a cohesive plot between issues, though one might develop in future issues. This is both a good and a bad thing for the comic: while it keeps things fresh and interesting each issue, people will inevitably like certain issues more than others. I personally didn't really care for the third issue as much as the other two, as I'm not in a band nor do I have any inclination whatsoever to be in one in the future. However, I thought the first two were great, and all three have been deep stories. One might be tempted to blow through an issue in a quick read, but then, by the end, you realize you've missed a lot. There's a huge amount of detail packed into both the story and art, even though it initially doesn't quite seem that way: the stories aren't deep at first glance, but once you get into them, they're much more than initially thought.

There is, therefore, really only one recommendation I can make: pick up an issue and see if you like it. If it isn't quite to your liking, maybe try another one, since it's sure to be something different. The order doesn't really matter, so pick which one sounds good to you: #1, a girl thinking about how things could play out depending on how she acts; #2, a story about a stalker-boyfriend who breaks into a girl's apartment and leaves pictures of himself; or #3, about the trials and tribulations of a band and, more importantly, the people behind the band. They all offer something different, and, as is usual with Brian Wood, his characters make the comic work. They're all well developed, and you instantly know exactly who they are since they're just like real people in the real world. If you're looking for explosions and capes, you're SOL; if you want a change of pace, Local's the thing for you.

End ratings:

Story: 8/10 Again, tough to rate, since they're all different. They're all good, but you'll agree or disagree depending upon your personal interests

Art: 8/10 Expressive, stylized, very consistent. You'll probably either like it or hate it, since it has that...'indy' feel to it. Tough to describe, but that's why pictures are worth a thousand words.

Enjoyability: Really depends on the issue. You don't really get the whole picture until you read the whole thing, but then you're always glad you read it.

Pick up a copy of one of the issues next time you stop by your comic shop and see if it's your thing. It's different, but in a good kinda way.

--The Almeister

Originally posted on waitingforwednesday.blogspot.com 2/21/2006 Read more

AVENGERS ASSEMBLE! Ultimate Avengers: The Movie is The Ultimates come to life

The first in what will hopefully be a long line of Marvel/Lions Gate Films animated projects is finally on the shelves. As of February 21, Marvel fans can now see Mark Millar's and Brian Hitch's epic Ultimates come to life.

As fans of the Ultimates know, the series is the Ultimate Universe's version of Earth's Mightiest Heroes, the Avengers. Hence the incredibly original title. Following the first 13 issues of the series rather faithfully, the movie does a good job of making the characters work on the little screen. Minor story spoilers (first 10 minutes or so) follow, so be warned. Although if you don't know who Captain America or the Hulk is, you probably don't give a damn about the movie anyway.

Picking up exactly where the comic does, UatM begins in WWII as the Allied forces go after the Nazis. Captain America is among them, giving us our first taste of the huge-scale action to follow. Leaping into the fray and busting some Nazi skulls, Cap saves America from certain nuclear doom as a true hero would. And then he proceeds to fall into the Atlantic and die. Bummer.

From there, much like the comics, we switch to the present day and meet the rest of the cast. This is where the movie really works, since the characters work nearly as well as they do in the comics. I say nearly, because the comics aren't exactly for children. You can't have Hank Pym abusing his wife in an animated movie, nor can you have quite the same level of social/political commentary Millar infuses his work with. They do have to appeal to a mainstream audience, after all. The characters, though, are spot-on:

Captain America's story and character are developed beautifully. It's dramatic, it's poignant, and it's wonderful. From his battle with the Nazis, to his coping with modern-day America, the viewer really connects with him and can't help but root for the guy.


Thor is just a great character, both in the comics and in the movie. Despite his lack of facial hair, animated Thor keeps the same hippie/Norse God/possibly schizophrenic personality that makes Ultimate Thor so lovable. His quirky references to Norse characters and his love of Asgardian mead only make him better.

Much like Thor, Iron Man/Tony Stark is spot-on. His armor is the classic red and gold, rather than red and gray, but he is portrayed exactly as a rich playboy should be: chasing beautiful women, being the quick-witted smooth talker, and even having that delightful quirk we all love Iron Man for: his devotion to the hard stuff. Bruce Wayne only wishes he were this damn sexy.

Giant-Man, as stated before, has the biggest departure from his character. The wife-beater is gone, replaced by an arrogant “lab-jockey” who loves to bicker with everybody. It's close to his comics personalities, and it's really about as close as the creators could get him and retain a PG-13 rating.

The Wasp, though a relatively minor character, also stays true to her comic roots, as does Banner, in his role as a tragic, misunderstood, slightly psychotic genius. He gets fleshed out (and Hulked out, for that matter) just as well as everybody else. The Black Widow was, in my opinion at least, the weakest of the characters, since she was really just a femme fatale and little else. However, despite that fact, every other character was developed in a way to engage the viewer for reasons other than the big explosions (of which there are many, incidentally). Instead of the mindless kids' movie I was expecting, the story is truly compelling, and the characters work just as well as they do in the comics.

The animation is equally good. It is Brian Hitch's spectacular style, albeit a slightly simplified version of it. Everything is animated smoothly, with a seamless blend of computer effects and traditional animation that leaves painful memories of Spider-Man's badly-rendered New York in the 90's far behind. It's truly top-notch stuff.

The Special Features on the disc are also worth mentioning. "Avengers Assemble" is the typical creators-patting-themselves-on-the-back deal, and really seems like little more than George Perez and Kurt Busiek glorifying themselves. I must admit I didn't watch the whole thing, but I couldn't take it anymore after the first few minutes. If you've seen the analogous bits on other Marvel DVDs, you know exactly what it's all about.

However, one of the Special Feature segments is worthy of a paragraph all its own: the search for the voice talent. A while back fans were encouraged to send in their audition tapes to see if they had what it takes to voice one of the characters. These are their tapes. Some of them are pretty good, some of them are really funny because they're supposed to be, and some of them are riotously funny because they're horrid. Definitely worth your time. There's also a preview of Ultimate Avengers 2, which looks promising if predictable. There's also an Avengers trivia track you can play while you watch the movie, if you so choose. Toss in some trailers for UAtM, Elektra (?!) and some new Heroclix ripoff, and you've got a Special features menu that's at least decent.

Overall, Ultimate Avengers is, at the very least, worthy of a rental. Most stores are selling it for around $13, which, for a 71 minute movie, is rather reasonable. The story is very well executed, the characters are worth caring about, and the animation is top-notch. If you liked Ultimates, or if you have a passing interest in the characters or their universe, give it a shot. Fans of the comics will be happy, fans of animated superheroics will be happy, and the whole family can enjoy watching the bad guys get stomped. Grab yourself a mead or martini, or even a vial of super-soldier serum, and have a blast.

--The Almeister

Originally posted on waitingforwednesday.blogspot.com 2/21/2006

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DMZ: Wars and snipers and...thoughtful characters? Oh my.

Apocalyptic world? Check. Gritty realism? Check. Great characters? Check. What's not to love about DMZ?

DMZ, by Brian Wood (Demo, Local) and Riccardo Burchielli, is “an inside look at a war without an end,” if the subtitles of the first two issues are to be believed. And that really is what DMZ is all about: the inside look. The war in question is a fictitious one: after 9/11, the area of the US from New Jersey inland (the Free States) and Brooklyn, Queens, and Long Island (the United States of America), went to war. This leaves Manhattan Island stuck in the middle, a bombed-out shell of its former glory known as the DMZ (De-Militarized Zone). And that's just the first panel of the first issue.

However, this war, thus far, has really only been a backdrop for the true story to be told in DMZ: that of the people involved. Enter Matthew Roth: our eyes in the world of DMZ. A intern for a photojournalist, he goes to Manhattan on his first day on the job. However, things for Matt get much more interesting once they get there, since snipers and the human body tend not to play nicely together. Thus Matt, the only survivor, is left with camera equipment and a unique opportunity: to tell the story of those on the inside, a story no one outside of Manhattan has heard. And this is where DMZ truly begins.

After fainting at the site of the carnage, Matt awakes to meet Zee, the first of the colorful cast of characters in the DMZ. She leads him around Manhattan, meeting up with others on the inside like her. Here we get to see the personal side of the war raging in the country: each character is a unique person, with unique motivations, caring not so much about the war outside, but about life on the inside. We see love blossom across the lines drawn in the sand by the opposing forces, people trying to save their fellow man, and even a group of ecologically-minded zookeepers who may or may not be a mythical special forces unit. Though the story is, on its surface, about a journalist in a war, Brian Wood really just uses that as an excuse to tell the stories of the people who actually live in the DMZ. If you're expecting action, it's here; but that's not the focus of the book. The people are the story, and Wood populates his world with a colorful cast that one could easily meet on the street on the way to the comic book store. Which, incidentally, is where people should be rushing, since they should buy DMZ right now.

The art of DMZ adds yet another layer to an already-engrossing tale. The gritty, detailed look of Burchielli's art contributes to the sense of realism the story creates. Instead of just drawing the characters, Burchielli gives them character: their personalities show through even when they aren't talking, which furthers the wonderful characterization begun by Wood.

Overall, DMZ is a great read. Action, suspense, social commentary, believable characters, and even a little bit of love all come together to create an immersive world full of people you can't help but care about, and that's the book's true strength. It's still early in the series, so it shouldn't be hard to find the back issues; if you haven't picked it up already, do yourself a favor and give DMZ a try. You won't be disappointed.

Story: 8/10

Art: 8/10

Characters: 9/10

Jumping-in factor: 8/10. You need to know about the war, Manhattan's a mess, and that Matt's a photojournalist. Beyond that, you're probably good to go if you just jump in on the most recent issue. However, there are only 4 out as of 2/8, so you may as well get the whole story.

Overall: 9/10. Great read that keeps you wanting more.

--The Almeister

Originally posted on waitingforwednesday.blogspot.com 2/08/2006 Read more