The Plot Thickens in WONDER WOMAN COME BACK TO ME #5

WONDER WOMAN COME BACK TO ME #5, releasing this Wednesday from DC Comics, brings us back to the crazy adventure Diana and her friends have gotten themselves into. And it has gotten even more chaotic than before, which is saying something.

Wonder Woman is looking epic on this cover.

***SPOILER WARNING***

A friendly reminder, before we begin: Wonder Woman Come Back to Me has been published once before, during a run in Justice League Giants. This collection is really just for fans that missed that, or for the collectors out there.

So far, each issue of Wonder Woman Come Back to Me has been split into two parts. And yet, Wonder Woman Come Back to Me #5 felt like it wasn’t broken up at all, as it flowed from one part to the next in rapid succession. It made for a fast-paced issue, one with a surprise twist.

Wonder Woman Come Back to Me #5 pg1 — Cheetah is loving all of the violence.

In this chaotic plot, Wonder Woman went off after the lost love of her life, only to find herself (and her allies) in a strange world. Things only got weirder from that point, culminating with everyone getting pulled aboard an alien space ship. Only, it doesn’t actually end there.

To say that this is a wild plot would be an understatement. It seems like every page brings about a new danger or surprise for Diana to deal with. And thus, the readers are kept entertained as the plot bounces from one thing to the next.

Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti did an excellent job of moving the plot forward while keeping it surprising and unpredictable. This may be the most out-there plot that Diana has had to experience. But it certainly is a memorable one.

Wonder Woman Come Back to Me #5 boasted one major plot twist. But it also went a long way in explaining some of the dissonances that has come up before now. There are still a whole lot of questions that need to be answered. But at least we’re getting closer to the truth.

Wonder Woman Come Back to Me #5 has artwork that matches the chaotic and fast-paced plot. The battles are bright and dynamic, with Cheetah’s enjoyment of the brutality being clear to everyone. While sometimes the expressions of other characters can seem a little bit off, on the whole, everything is carefully thought out. And some of the expressions were perfect (especially every shot that showed Cheetah’s delight).

Tom Derenick (pencils and inks), Alex Sinclair, and Hi-Fi (colors) and Travis Lanham (letters) worked together to bring us this issue. And they did an exciting job with what they were given. The book is vibrant and brightly lit, making it very pleasing to the eyes.

There’s little doubt that the highlight of this issue came from the battles shown. They were intense and dramatic, all while displaying an excellent understanding of movement. There were some apparent juxtapositions made between Wonder Woman’s fighting style and the alien Princess’ savagery in combat. But that was smart, as it was the first hint towards something untoward.

The other satisfying part of the battles shown was that they had a real sense of impact. It was hard not to wince whenever Diana took or delt a blow, as the artists made them feel so real. In many ways, those fight scenes carried more weight than the threat of unnamed guards and electric weapons.

And it’s time to be tasered, for the sake of plot and all that.

Wonder Woman Come Back to Me #5 has brought us a lot closer to getting the answers that we’ve been desperately seeking. And at least now we finally have a face for the person behind everything – even if we don’t understand the why just yet.

It was an exciting issue, on the whole, with one major twist about halfway through. In hindsight, it’s something we probably should have seen coming. But the transition was nicely done. It’ll be interesting to see how this affects everyone’s plans to get back home.

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Review: SUPERGIRL #36 Is Back In Black…Metal?

Darryll Robson

In this week’s Supergirl #36 from DC Comics, the Daughter of Krypton finally joins the universal Event story featuring the Batman Who Laughs virus. With the infection spreading wildly, what will Kara’s roll be in the fight between heroes?

Drawn to the Fortress of Solitude by Brainiac, Supergirl is infected with nanites and stopped in her tracks. Fighting internally to break free, Supergirl has limited time before the evil Brainiac can download all of the Kryptonian database. But a larger threat is on the horizon, one that could spell doom for both Supergirl and her enemy. One infecting the DC Universe. The Batman Who Laughs.

Supergirl #36 cover — Supergirl #36 Credit: DC Comics

A Mixing of Genres

A strong opening sees Supergirl overrun by insect like robots, their extendable legs covering her body, attempting to claw inside. The scene is reminiscent of a scene from Superman III and contains the same level of horror generated by that 1980’s movie.

Marc Andreyko sets the scene early and reiterates the horror motif that has been running through the last few issues of this superhero comic. It has all been building to this: a confrontation with Brainiac.

Except, there is a lot of other stuff going on. This issue is tightly linked to various other DC comics that are released this month, with some of the fight scenes being shared across the pages of Batman/Superman. The Batman Who Laughs virus that has been infecting other heroes has finally found its way into the pages of Supergirl and not even her super strength can protect her.

How Andreyko manoeuvre’s Kara from the Fortress of Solitude into the greater DC arena is almost flippant in its disregard for narrative structure. He turns his back on the opening so quickly that he undermines the months of build up that has surrounded the two characters and their inevitable meeting. A resolution of sorts comes later in the comic but even this moment feels rushed, a victim of the crossover story.

And that is where this issue’s main problem lays. It is swallowed by the crossover. If you aren’t reading any of the other DC comics then this will leave you out in the cold; partially wondering what is going on but also not really caring very much. The ‘evil’ Supergirl comes off as lazy, both in design and character, especially without the backstory of the Batman Who Laughs. The action then moves at break-neck speed as if Andreyko has to tie everything up before the end of this issue.

The narrative is a blend of skin crawling horror and light hearted superhero shenanigans. There is plenty of banter in the fight sequences and pantomime level posturing by the villains but none of it is genuine enough to be anything other than cheesy. A clever script could have pulled this off but Andreyko just doesn’t quite manage it.

Supergirl #36 interior art — Supergirl #36 Credit: DC Comics

Goth Girl In Action

The only thing keeping the reader engrossed in this issue is the art work. Eduardo Pansica’s pencils and Julio Ferreira’s inks bring all of the energy and dynamism you would associate with the character. The Superhero tropes are there, just as in the script, but the clever panel layouts and shifting points of view give the artwork an edge over the narrative. The visual storytelling blends the horror and superhero aspects together successfully making this issue decidedly uncomfortable in places. The theme’s are set in the opening and carried throughout, almost overcoming the cliches of the costume design, which have been forced onto the comic by the crossover.

The coloring is a lot more murky than usual, another victim of the crossover. In an attempt to bring the comic more in line with the other titles in the event Chris Sotomayor has toned down the color pallet. The scenery is awash with grays and there is a prevailing sickly green tinge to an array of panels. These coloring choices do make sense in the grander scheme of the story and they reflect effectively Kara’s journey in this issue.

Unsurprisingly, the only aspect of the comic not adversely affected by the crossover is the lettering. Tom Napolitano does a spectacular job of keeping the speech flowing evenly through the panels and differentiating between characters; especially between those infected by the virus. For Napolitano the crossover offers him the opportunity to play around with the styles he has set up in previous issues.

Conclusion

When people talk about the pros and cons of Event comics, Supergirl #36 could be used as a prime example of both the good and the bad. It has engaging elements that relate to the characters own story, written and drawn by the usual artists. However, it also has a narrative forced upon by the crossover with a whole set of new cliches, most likely designed by another team of creators. The joins between the two are obvious and more often than not the quality of one is lost beneath the need of the other.

Entire scenes are missing from the story because they happen in a different comic. This interferes with the pacing of this comic and pulls the reader out of the story. Even if you are reading the related titles, the flow of Supergirl is interrupted and her story, the one that readers have been following for the last few months, is almost dismissed with a wave of a hand. The conclusion is unsatisfying and quick. Regular readers are let down by the need to include the crossover events.

The Supergirl comic, historically, always has the same problem. A new creative team launch the comic with some outstanding stories, building an impressive world for Kara Danvers to live in. But after a while, the momentum flags and the old stories are repeated, with Supergirl thrown into any and all Event stories as possible. This in turn dilutes her narrative and affects the quality of her comic until a re-launch with a brand new creative team.

We are currently in the later part of that cycle and next month sees a new team take on the Daughter of Krypton, albeit with the hangovers from this event story. Hopefully Supergirl will once again take flight and soar above the rest, where she belongs.

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King’s BATMAN Run is a Masterpiece, and BATMAN #83 is Just Another Reason Why

Zac Owens

November 20, 2019

BM_Cv83 2 — Joker and Catwoman have a friendly chat after trying to kill each other (BATMAN #49)

To talk about all the amazing things in Batman #83, written by Tom King, with art by Mikel Janín, colors by Jordie Bellaire and letters by Clayton Cowles, we first need to talk about something in recent comics that is frustrating. Let’s touch on this briefly to show how King has consistently been rising above these pitfalls despite controversy and backlash, and how Batman #83 is just another brilliant chapter in King’s masterwork of subtext.

In the past couple of years, comics seem to be telling readers everything they need to know. From the opening pages of issue #7, they tell readers every single thing that happened in the last six issues and how it has affected all of the characters. Then a huge life-changing event occurs in issue #7, and often the characters take a moment to effectively sit down and debrief. Of course, this doesn’t always happen in a sit-down, sometimes it’s hidden in quips and asides. Regardless of the packaging, one never wonders, “How are these characters feeling?” The story is spoon-fed to us. It feels more like listening to a sermon, with readers acting more like a sounding-board than active participants.

King rarely tells readers in his story how his characters feel, and characters often say things that they don’t truly mean. It’s King’s understanding of subtext that allows us to feel like a player in the story. What remains unexplained or unsaid is as much a part of a story as what is explained or said. When things are left up to interpretation, we bring our own life experiences into the mix to solve the puzzle. We think, “Oh, I went through something like this, I know how angry he must be,” or “Why doesn’t he just say ‘I need you,’ we know that’s what he’s thinking!”

One of the most striking moments of King’s Batman run is in issue #49. The Joker and Catwoman have a showdown at a church. They both seem to mortally wound each other and then spend the rest of the issue lying on the church floor, bleeding out, and chatting. No big fights, no world-threatening events, very little talks of feelings. Just jokes and nostalgia. As Joker talks about the “good old days” of fighting Batman and how they would all laugh, he says to Selina, “You were there. But you never laughed.” Selina’s response isn’t an explanation. She says, “Yeah, you’re right. That is odd.”

Joker and Catwoman have a friendly chat after trying to kill each other. (BATMAN #49)

The fact that Selina almost seems to avoid the question speaks louder than any answer could. They talk about everything but their feelings, deflecting and rabbit-trailing like they have something to hide. They ask why Penguin has an umbrella, and talk about how underrated they think Two-Face is. Of course, as the issue progresses and Joker and Selina lie side-by-side, trying to stop their bleeding, Joker comes back to the original question. “I only laugh when I win,” Selina finally says.

But it’s the initial deflection that leads us to wonder if she’s telling the truth or just finding a new way to stop the line of questioning. Either way, Joker is destined to get under her skin. He says to Selina of her and Batman’s wedding plans, “He can’t be happy. And also be Batman.” It’s after Joker lets go of his wound to try and finally shoot Selina, and he collapses in her arms that something odd happens. Selina laughs. Is it because she won? Or did Joker’s words get to her? It doesn’t feel like she won.

So, it’s not that King doesn’t explain everything, so much as what is explained can’t be trusted. These characters can’t voice their feelings because their feelings are more profound than they can express. The very fact that characters find some things too difficult to say means more than if they said them. A dozen or so issues later, King digs his heels into this approach with the “Knightmares” arc, essentially six issues of nothing but Batman’s bad dreams. A lot of the dialogue is minimal. A lot of the actions are metaphorical. All of it is deeply subtextual.

Batman chases his quarry in a practically wordless comic. (BATMAN #67)

This drove people crazy. It’s fair to get impatient, not many things happened in these issues. But King has dramatically rejected the format and pacing of an average comic book. He doesn’t create an event for every issue, and sometimes he doesn’t even mind if nothing happens to advance the plot at all. King focuses on his characters while pulling back his exposition so we can still question if we even understand the characters in the first place. King doesn’t connect all the dots for the readers; he lets the readers do some of the work.

Batman #83 is another slow and straightforward issue that merely describes Batman breaking out of a room. It’s somewhere on page three that it becomes clear: “Oh, so this IS the issue.” There is no point in waiting for the action to begin because King takes his time. Batman barely speaks. Instead, we get the art of Mikel Janín and the colors by Jordie Bellaire, creating volumes out of silence. Batman never says, “I’m in pain.” His silence does. His mouth never speaks, “I’m afraid to lose,” his eyes do.

The work King is putting into his run on Batman is something different. It’s slow, methodical, and its best moments are as painful as they are enjoyable. But the result is like doing open-heart surgery on the character beneath the cowl. We see Bruce Wayne’s heart laid bare, one pregnant pause at a time. It’s not so much King’s pen that has created his masterwork as it is his extreme restraint. He invites us into the story to be equal parts in figuring out what is going on, and he allows us to come alongside him and diagnose Bruce Wayne. Because in the end, Bruce Wayne is me, Bruce Wayne is you, and Bruce Wayne is most definitely Tom King.

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Review: AQUAMAN #54—Fatherly Advice For Black Manta

Corey Patterson

AQUAMAN #54, available in stores on Wednesday, November 20th, places all of the focus on one of the DC Universe’s most least-understood villains—David Hyde, a.k.a. Black Manta. Wagering war against Aquaman ever since accidentally killing his father, Hyde is now using an A.I. clone of his father to attack Amnesty Bay. Will Aquaman, Aqualad, and the rest of the team be able to stop this intimidating father and son duo?

Story

Writer Kelly Sue DeConnick tells this story through the lens of Hyde’s past, walking the reader through various memories of his father. One shows the young Hyde throwing a coin into a water foundation, only to find his father fishing it out soon after and giving the child a hard lesson in “reality;” another features the two watching a football game with Hyde senior explaining why the purpose of any game was to crush your opponent completely.

These memories full of “fatherly advice” help the reader understand why the character chose such a villainous path. We see how Hyde’s father believed the world to be bereft of any true “goodness,” meaning the best way to face the hardships was by taking what you want—preferably by force.

Readers are brought back and forth between these flashbacks and the fight Hyde and his A.I. “father” wage against Aquaman. One might think such a story structure would be too chaotic, but each transition occurs smoothly, propelling the narrative forward with further context regarding Hyde’s character. And it all culminates with Hyde overpowering Atlantean hero, leaving Aqualad and the rest of the team in charge of finding a way to stop the villain’s rampage.

Artwork

The artwork within this issue, if likened to a musical genre, would be considered “death metal”—fast-paced, intense, and slightly eery. Even the slower scenes of Hyde’s are short-lived, serving as the breath of air one takes after being tossed around by the ocean’s waves. The art team uses this tactic to draw the majority of readers’ attention to these scenes.

Robson Rocha and Jesús Merino’s penciling, along with Daniel Henriques and Vicente Cifuentes’ ink work, provides great differentiation between the destructive fighting in the present and the dreamlike sequences that represent Hyde’s memories of his father. This distinction is made more prevalent through Sunny Gho’s coloring, which employs cool, subdued shading in the memories’ backgrounds and harsh, warm colors to back up the chaos in the here and now.

This sense of contrast can be seen in Clayton Cowles’ lettering as well, showing mostly symmetrical word balloons in the past to represent the cold nature of his father and an assortment of differently shaped segments of dialogue in the present scenes. These harmonious art features help tell the story of Hyde’s father’s parenting—a robotic, calculating approach to parenting that ironically generates a rage-filled son.

Comic Covers

Main Cover

Dan Panosian’s main cover artwork is unique in that it comes in two parts; the first side shows Aquaman fleeing from the mechanized Black Manta, leading to the conclusion of the seemingly short-lived battle on the second. In this panel we see Aquaman defeated, adding more doubt into readers’ minds as to whether the good side can come out on top.

Variant Cover

Shane Davis, Michelle Delecki, and Morry Hollowell’s variant cover artwork follows the trend of previous iterations in this series, featuring Aquaman navigating the ocean depths surrounded by sharks. We’re once again reminded of the hero’s true mastery of this force of nature.

Conclusion

AQUAMAN #54 is the perfect story for DC Comics’ Year of the Villain event, giving readers a reason to sympathize with one of its most deadly criminals. We’re anxious to learn more about Hyde’s troubled psyche in the coming issues.

Do you think there’s any hope for Hyde’s redemption? Let us know what you think in the comments below!

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Review: VAMPIRELLA #5 Offers Great Characterization, Minimal Story

David DeCorte

Vampirella’s enemies organize and grow in the shadows of Vampirella #5, out this week from Dynamite Entertainment. Meanwhile, the therapy sessions continue, delving into more and more of the character’s recent memories.

The Writing

We spend most of the book’s first half in a flashback focused on our antagonists: Von Kriest, Blood Red Queen of Hearts, and now Nyx as well. In this way, we learn a little more about their plans (if not their motivations). We then pivot, focusing on our heroine in the second half of Vampirella #5, fleshing out her relationship with other characters.

Writer Christopher Priest has spent his run on Vampirella slowly constructing a distinct impression of the titular character. The book reads like a puzzle, with each issue adding details to provide a clearer impression of Vampirella, as well as the events she’s trying to relay to her therapist.

Time-hopping has been a cornerstone of the series since the first issue. We’re constantly pulled from the therapy sessions, which Priest uses as a framing device, to different points in the past. Rather than a conventional, linear plot, we experience events out of order, but uncover more details with time. In Vampirella #5, for example, we begin a year before our first issue, then leap to six months later, all relayed through a framing device in the present. It’s an interesting experiment…but the time jumps can be disorienting and chronologically confusing.

Even after five issues, we’ve yet to see the emergence of any clearly-defined plot. One can be unsure which events are key moments that motivate any larger conflict, or what that conflict may be. Because we’re not firmly-grounded in the narrative, the structure (or lack thereof) makes it hard to orient ourselves and figure out where—and when—we are. This problem could be especially pronounced for new readers who are unfamiliar with some of these characters.

Priest’s characterization was a little rough in our first few issues. By Vampirella #5, however, the dialogue seems to flow more naturally, and personas feel more realistic and compelling. The series is evolving into a compelling examination of Vampirella as a character…but the lack of a distinct narrative continues to drag it down.

The Artwork

Artist Ergün Gündüz has a unique vision for the aesthetic of this series. He does a great job overall of composing panels, and occasionally gives us some very striking imagery.

That said, the level of detail employed varies throughout the book. In some panels, we see meticulously-thorough illustrations of backgrounds and environments, while in others, the background recedes, focusing the reader’s attention solely on the characters. While this approach can accentuate the figures in the composition, it’s not always the most visually stimulating.

In addition, the figures themselves can still be rather stiff from time to time throughout Vampirella #5. While generally looser and more natural than in some previous issues, there are moments when characters appear to simply stare into space, like a mannequin.

Gündüz’s color work, however, is excellent. We have a wide palette of colors on display; the visceral red gore and fiery, ethereal glows catch the reader’s eye, but don’t overshadow the rest of the page. It’s flashy, but well-balanced, highlighting the artist’s subtle skill.

Final Thoughts

Vampirella #5 continues to offer an interesting impression of this iconic character. If there were a story to accompany the study, we could reall have something here. As is, though, it still feels rather directionless and meandering.

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Review: MARAUDERS #2 Welcomes In The Red Queen

Darryll Robson

Marauders #2 cover detail — Marauders #2 Credit: Marvel Comics

The world is abuzz with X-Men stories and Marvel’s Marauders #2 hits the shelves this week with promises of high adventure and daring do. Mutant Pirates and Big Business are strange bedfellows, but this is the Dawn of X and anything is possible.

Going into this issue and two thirds of The Hellfire Trading Company’s directors seats have been filled leaving a single spot left open. Sabastian Shaw believes he can strong-arm his choice into that seat but Emma Frost has other plans. In fact, Emma Frost has all the plans and they are slowly unfolding for all to see.

A Cutthroat Business

Marauders #2 is a comic in two haves. The first half is set in a boardroom at the heart of The Hellfire Trading Company. The second half is on the open seas, where Kate Pryde and her boat of merry mutants are doing all the right things but not necessarily in the right way.

Gerry Duggan hops from one location to the other creating a series of narrative beats, each building in dramatic tension as the pages are turned. He skips backwards and forwards between the action using one scene to add relevance or emphasis on the previous one. The narrative structure allows Duggan to break up the more conversational scenes with some action but it also provides opportunities to contrast characters.

Each of the three central characters are compared within this issue. Duggan uses the story to demonstrate personalities and the clashes that are inevitable later down the line. By the end of this issue you know exactly what to expect from Frost, Shaw, and Pryde.

One of the highlights of Marauders is the witty banter between the characters. Duggan effectively uses conversation within action sequences without changing the pace of the fights. Short, snappy soundbites are built into the movements of the characters as they interact verbally and physically on the page. The script has the humour but the artwork provides the timing, especially the placement of the lettering by Cory Petit.

As the comic opens the speech balloons create a solid and steady thread through the images, leading the reader through the back and forth of Frost and Shaw’s conversation, When the action hots up, the placement of the balloons becomes more erratic in the panels, signifying the movement of the characters and the chaotic nature of the fights. The visual element helps to set the tone for each page and sequence, allowing the reader to digest the scenes more naturally.

Art of the High Seas

Matteo Lolli has a smooth and fluid style of inking giving the panels an easy flow through the pages. His attention to composition within a panel and the page layout add to this fluidity in appearance. Lolli concentrates on the movement of the characters and their physical interactions, allowing the script to add most of the personality. This approach works because artist and writer complement each other; providing what is required from each of them.

A lot of the detail on the page comes from the color work. Federico Blee adds depth to the scenes and has a flair for bringing out the drama. He uses an array of bold colors and isn’t afraid to cover a page or panel. At times this produces a sense of chaos but then he’ll pull most of the color from a panel highlighting the action within it.

This issue is all about the appointment of the Red Queen and there is a foreshadowing of that throughout thanks to Blee’s use of the color red on pretty much every page. There is a bright splash of red as a constant reminder to the reader where this story is going.

Conclusion

With a lot going on in the Mutant world at the moment it can be difficult to keep up. The beauty of this issue of Marauders is that you can pick it up with no prior knowledge and still enjoy it. Duggan’s script is inclusive in every respect and the art style is easy on the eye, putting any reader at ease.

Major things are happening in the narrative, and references are made to the larger X-Men universe but at heart, Marauders is a good old fashioned pirate romp with added mutant shenanigans, in both senses of the word.

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INTERVIEW: Composer Lior Rosner On Will & Grace & The Day After The Nutcracker

Ruben Diaz

November 19, 2019

NBC’s revival of Will & Grace is a beloved hit that’s added three seasons to the show’s original eight-season run and, now in its (second) final seasons, the show continues to deliver the same lovable characters but with updated sounds from composer Lior Rosner.

Will & Grace returned after an eleven-year hiatus with its four stars on board. Eric McCormack, Debra Messing, Megan Mullally, and Sean Hayes all returned to deliver new seasons that didn’t skip a beat. From the start, the reception was positive, “Will & Grace reunites its ever-hilarious cast for a revival season that picks up right where the show left … adding a fresh relevance and a series of stories that make sharply funny use of the passage of time.”

PopAxiom spent about the length of a sitcom talking to Lior about his journey from Israel to the U.S., making music for famous franchises, and an unofficial sequel to the Nutcracker known as Sugar Plum on the Run.

Beat Band

With a musical dad, Lior picked up instruments like guitar and trombone early on, but it wasn’t for him. “I liked playing the piano, and I was very into jazz.”

Born in Israel, Lior’s musical career took hold while performing military duties for his homeland. “It all started with my service in the Israeli Army. I got accepted to the prestigious group called the Air Force Beat Band. I was a keyboard player.”

Being a member of the band was motivational. “It’s amazing hearing your arrangements performed by a group.”

Lior, “… started writing arrangements …”

About his time in the Beat Band, Lior adds, “… it’s a great opportunity for young people to be in an environment like this where you can write something and hear it immediately. You hear it, fix it, come back the next day.”

After military service, Lior moved on to the University of Jerusalem. “It drew me back to study the masters of classical music.”

Ultimately, Lior, “… moved out here [L.A.] to work on film and T.V.”

FOX Family

Lior’s earliest gig in the U.S. started when he was hired by Fox Family. It was there that the young composer became part of a long existing franchise: Power Rangers. Lior laughs, “It was some of my first work and how I got my VISA here.”

At Fox Family, Lior says, “I learned a lot on the spot. You get to write a lot for cartoons and children’s shows. I did it for three years.”

After Fox Family was purchased by Disney, “I worked there for one more year.”

Will & Grace

Lior co-composes Will & Grace with Scott Icenogle. Lior, “… knew the original show.” His composer knew the producers of the show and together, “We implanted the idea of us giving the theme a facelift.”

The team put a presentation together where they “… created some new cues …” As they say, the rest is history. Lior and Scott were hired for the show.

Working on Will & Grace is “… a lot of fun.” Taking things to a whole other level of challenge and fun for Lior on Will & Grace: “I had to re-create the themes and song from I Love Lucy for a special episode. I had to write some original music in that kind of style.”

Run, Sugar Plum, Run

Lior’s work is part of a project called Sugar Plum on the Run, which features new and familiar sounds. The project, “… came out of my desire to create something for the holiday season.”

Lior explains, “When I moved here, I was fascinated by how, for a whole month at the end of the year, the vibe changes everywhere. I realized they always use the same music, and I wanted something that was evergreen like that.”

Lior began creating “… variations of the Sugar Plum Fairy.”

Together with a friend, they, “… created a story.” Lior “… created interludes …” and, “… narration telling a story about the Sugar Plum Fairy leaving the kingdom and going on a journey outside of the kingdom … basically a sequel to the Nutcracker. The day after.”

Lior recognized that he “… needed a strong narrator.” He began by “… approaching different actors.” One actor agreed, and his name is Jeremy Irons! “He did it for charity, which was nice.”

About working with Irons, “He’s incredible. His performance in the original Lion King is insane. It’s so good.”

Sugar Plum on the Run is available on your favorite streaming service. For fans, there’s also something more coming soon. “There’s also an animation short in the works with the character.”

Find Sugar Plum on the Run HERE!

Wrapping Up

Who is part of Lior’s creative DNA? “If you look at my music on my iPhone, I have an eclectic list.” Lior thinks about it for a moment before dropping some names from the film scoring world. “Jerry Goldsmith, John Williams, James Horner, and John Powell.”

More specifically, Lior explains, that for Sugar Plum, “… it’s all very inspired by Russian composers. If, like, Tchaikovsky could assemble the best Russian musicians. Rachmaninoff, Khachaturian …”

How does the music of his homeland inform his work today? “One of the reasons I left Israel was because I don’t like the music. Especially the pop music. I was always attracted to the classic American songbook. I studied jazz. Film music and old Frank Sinatra.”

Lior reflects, “I must have some influence from Jewish music but in a very subtle way.”

Lior is hard at work on Will & Grace as it heads through its (second) final season. In January a new project is coming out. “It’s a show on Netflix called A.J. and the Queen created by Michael Patrick King and RuPaul.”

Thanks to Lior Rosner and Impact24 PR for making this interview possible.

Want to read more interviews like this? CLICK HERE.

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I’d Buy That For A Dollar: NEW MUTANTS #22 (December 1984)

Manuel Gomez

November 18, 2019

Welcome to ‘I’d Buy That For A Dollar’ a column where I will be exploring the weird and wonderful world of dollar bin diving. The only rule is each and every comic is purchased for one dollar (or less!).

This week I’m focusing on The New Mutants #22. In this issue, superstars Chris Claremont and Bill Sienkiewicz co-headline a tale involving the New Mutants doing some danger room training. Night Crawler and Colossus make an appearance. Sunspot joins the Hellfire Club. And Wolfsbane writes a fairy tale. The story is classic Claremont and the setting and details allow Sienkiewicz to weave his surreal illustrative magic. Anyway, let’s jump right in and look at it!

The New Mutants #22
Written by: Chris Claremont
Pencils and Inks by: Bill Sienkiewicz
Colors by: Glynis Wein
Letters by: Tom Orzechowski

Here is my picture of the actual book. For a dollar bin book, it’s in great condition. Not that it matters much in the case of a buck, but when you got a Sienkiewicz cover, you want it as best as can be!

Fun detail: 60 cent cover price! Dollar bin book wasn’t even a dollar back then.

One cool thing I wanted to highlight is the entire credits list for this issue. Notice the comic being called a ‘Production’. Paired with the ‘Once Upon a Time…’ on the cover it adds a total fairy tale vibe.

Also, that’s a who’s who of talent in this book. All the way to the editors. Ann Nocenti, the editor, also had a super great run on Daredevil. And EiC Jim Shooter is well, a huge part of comics history. He started writing as a teenager, was EiC at both Marvel and DC and helped make Valiant popular in the 90s.

Part of the fun of combing through these books is also some of the ads of course. Here’s one for Mario Bros. for the Atari! The ad is even a comic!

Alright onto some pages of the actual book. This comic is printed on newsprint, so these images have a very specific look and feel in the physical form. As awesome it looks here, flipping through the pages of Sienkiewicz art is even better. It reads well too as a one-off, which is a feat considering how dense Claremont’s stories have always been. Just take notice of all the lettering needed. That’s solid work by letterer Tom Orzechowski.

I'd Buy That For A Doller — The squiggly panels here are fantastic. Such great detail. Everything also feels super lose but not messy. This one of the best pages in the issue!

Alright time to highlight another ad. Here’s one for Marvel’s line of ‘Secret Wars’ toys. These figures were some of the first comic book toys for a lot of folks (definitely for me). Again love how the ad uses the language of comics. These kinds of ads are all over the place in old comics.

These series of pin-up style pages by Sienkiewicz are worth the dollar just by themselves. Enjoy!

Let’s end it with this cool Marvel Subscription page. Back then you could have these comics sent to your friggin’ mailbox at 16 issues for $6:50! Hell yeah!

You can find great dollar bins at almost every local comic shop. So find a shop, ask a comic clerk and start bin diving!

Got your own awesome dollar bin finds? Toss them at me!
Send emails to manny@monkeysfightingrobots.com
Follow me on Instagram: _idbuythatforadollar_
Tweet at me: @MannyG1138

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Review: The Plot Thickens With More Movie Monsters In COUNT CROWLEY: RELUCTANT MIDNIGHT MONSTER HUNTER #2

Justin Munday

Writer David Dastmalchian brings in more monsters, personal issues and small-town mystery with “Count Crowley #2.” This second issue keeps the quick, natural dialogue from the first issue while also creating a fast-paced and suspenseful plot that will leave you hungry for the next chapter.

After her late night run-in with a werewolf, reporter Jerri Bartman goes on a hunt for clues regarding the whereabouts of the last person to play as T.V.’s Count Crowley. Her new mission to track down the man causing her so much trouble will take her to a true house of mysteries – complete with a deadly secret of its own.

Series writer and actor David Dastmalchian creates a serious page turner with the second issue of “Count Crowley.” The pacing, from a gripping opening chase sequence to quieter investigative moments, is given the tight work of a practiced storyteller. No parts feel like they detract from the story and all the pieces mesh together in an issue that manages to do some considerable storytelling in only thirty pages. Part of the pacing and character development that’s so well done is how the small town and Jerri herself are fleshed out without getting bogged down in exposition. There are sudden moments of looking at photographs or quick conversations with other characters that remind the reader just how vulnerable of a character Jerri is. Her personal problems are a compelling subplot beneath the monsters and mysteries. The dialogue still remains quick and natural, with Jerri’s nonchalant attitude mixed with shock and disbelief. If there was one minor nitpick, it’s that the end is a bit of an awkward cutoff. It’s certainly that sort of end that builds suspense for the next issue, but in a way that comes off as more annoying than intriguing. Overall however, this is a very tightly written issue.

A comic like “Count Crowley” requires the proper spooky-yet-light art style to really sell the experience. Luckily, this series has Lukas Ketner. Ketner maintains an aesthetic that loosely mimics the EC horror comics from days of old, combined with a light-hearted approach to some facial expressions and monster designs (again, a bit like Scooby-Doo). There’s just enough environmental detail to set the proper creepy little town mood, as most of the real work goes to the characters themselves. The different designs and sets of facial detail make it easy to tell character apart. This sounds like a rudimentary observation, but it can be surprising how even the best artists end up making character designs that all look like clones.

Lauren Affe returns to give “Count Crowley” its color, and she pretty much nails it. The kind of grainy and darkened palette she uses gives the comic its Creepy & Eeerie comics vibe that this series pays alms to. The art on this comic is the perfect blend of 50’s and 60’s horror comic looks with contemporary techniques. Even Frank Cvetkovic’s letters add to this element of the comic. On the face of it, the lettering is somewhat unremarkable in the fact that it’s competent and professional, but doesn’t really stick out much. However, it’s also a very common and classic font that still adds to the concept of “Count Crowley” being a love letter to those Silver Age-era horror comics.

“Count Crowley: Reluctant Midnight Monster Hunter #2” is a stellar follow up to a solid debut. This issue does its job in intensifying the plot while also delving more into the heart of its lead character without ever becoming bogged down in exposition. Dastmalchian’s tight plotting works in brilliant tandem with Ketner’s pencils and Lauren Affe’s colors. If you were a fan of the first issue, then there’s no reason not to pick this one up at your local comic shop on 11/20.

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Review: THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY: HAZEL & CHA CHA SAVE CHRISTMAS

Justin Munday

Series creator Gerard Way teams with Dark Horse editor Scott Allie and artist Tommy Lee Edwards to make a uniquely off-the-wall bonkers one-shot. Unfortunately, the experience is somewhat marred by troubled pacing and a lack of cohesion in the issue’s plot.

Everyone’s favorite time-traveling headhunters Hazel & Cha Cha hit the road once again to eliminate a rogue time-agent around Christmas time in the early 1980’s. Unbeknownst to them, their new directive is going to take the pair straight into the path of a plot to upset the balance of Christmas for all time. The legend of Santa Claus is about to get a lot more complicated.

Gerard Way‘s writing is known for being intelligently bonkers yet also tightly constructed, as can be seen in his work on Doom Patrol and the main Umbrella Academy series. Which is why it’s so strange that the writing in this one-shot is such a mixed bag. Dark Horse editor Scott Allie is credited as co-writer, so it’s unclear how much of a hand he had in the construction of the plot. Regardless, this Christmas special has a B-plot that, while certainly an original take on the whole Santa myth, is given almost nothing by way of character. The subplot follows Pete, a high-school loser with a poor family who has to take his kid brother around town. As the story progresses, Pete uncovers some sinister clues about Santa and Christmas just by random interactions with bystanders. Pete himself is a pretty bland window character for the audience, and the plot is constructed in a way that makes it feel cobbled together. It really only serves as a reason for Hazel and Cha Cha to coincide with this other strange happening and make it a Christmas issue.

Fortunately, Hazel and Cha Cha’s dialogue is absolutely superb. The pair’s banter regarding subjects that have nothing to do with their current situation is the true highlight of the whole story, as it’s endlessly hilarious. Way has always had a penchant for this manner of dialogue writing, and he’s in top form for these two characters specifically.

The world of such off-kilter comics as The Umbrella Academy requires an especially unique artistic touch. Fortunately, Mother Panic co-creator Tommy Lee Edwards was on hand to deliver his talents to Gabriel Ba‘s usual territory. Edwards’ brand of grime-stained pop-art and realistic detail is always a pleasure to behold, and the same goes for this issue. The sort of low-color gradient combined with the thick line work gives this one shot its strange and dirty atmosphere. There’s a great eye for detail here as well, and characters have suitably drawn facial features and the settings all look realistically used. It’s basically the 1980’s small town aesthetic without the vaporwave and neon. The coloring on Hazel and Cha Cha themselves has this scratchy finish to it, as if a file were taken over the finished product. It works as a sort of visual reminder that the pair don’t really belong in this world, and that they’re just passing through this specific time. Also, Edwards’ drawing of the masks Hazel and Cha Cha wear is suitably unnerving and also obviously funny. It’s hard to put a finger on why these absurd masks is so effective, but half of the joy in watching their interactions is because of these masks. So of course, Edwards nails them.

“The Umbrella Academy: Hazel and Cha Cha Save Christmas” is an exceptionally well drawn and often hilarious Christmas special of an issue. Unfortunately, the experience is damaged by a lackluster subplot with little to no character in itself. Any page with Hazel and Cha Cha on it is guaranteed to be hilariously entertaining. It’s those pages without the titular pair that prove to be this issue’s greatest weakness. Overall, if you’re ready to get into the Christmas spirit by way of mask-clad time agents shooting their way through the 1980’s and can withstand some messy B-plot time, this is an issue for you. Pick it up on 11/20 from your local comic shop.

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