The Berserkers charge like demons from the depths of hell. Plunging from the cliff, or falling prey to the Dragon Men? Ghost makes his choice.

I seldom read and rarely enjoy graphic novel adaptations of movies, but Pathfinder is a visual feast from artist Christopher Shy and writer Laeta Kalogridis that is far superior to the film itself.

When director Marcus Nispel contacted artist Christopher Shy and expressed his interest in a film depicting a war between Vikings and Native Americans, Shy began to produce seemingly endless pages of concept art. So much concept art in fact, that they used all of it to produce the graphic novel adaptation.

The tale itself, with the exception of the overall concept of a war between Vikings and Native Americans, is unfortunately quite plain. A shipwrecked Viking longboat is attacked by the local tribe who slaughter everyone, except for the young son of their leader. The boy is raised by the tribe and eventually emerges as an unlikely hero when the Vikings return.

The graphic novel itself features Christopher Shy’s beautifully painted art in every single panel, and with an average of seven words per page, one could say that the story lets the art stand on its own. As the story is told from the tribe’s point of view, Shy made a great effort to realistically portray the Native Americans while also portraying the Vikings as almost faceless eight foot tall monsters wielding swords and axes the size of an average person.

The characters are detailed and imaginative, the scenery is vast, and the color palate and shading perfectly accent the mood in each panel. With each page being worthy of framing, this is a graphic novel that you must have in your collection.

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Like weary boxers who have gone the distance, the combatants collide in one last, explosive effort. In the years to come a few witnesses will tell of the power of these final punches, that they could literally feel the shockwaves. Others will remember the enormous crater that resulted from the sheer force of the blows. But most will remember this sad day as the day the proudest, most noble man they ever knew finally fell.

The Death and Return of Superman, the omnibus edition, is a colossal masterpiece from the collective minds of Dan Jurgens, Karl Kesel, Jerry Ordway, Louise Simonson, Roger Stern, and Gerard Jones. In 746 detailed pages, it deals directly with what it would take to kill a hero, what the world would be like without that hero, and what it would take to bring a hero back to life.

There has been a sharp increase in death and return stories throughout the comic industry, but this is one of the first and by far the best. There are some key rules to a good death and return story that have been ignored lately. First, your hero must either fall to his physical equal (Superman vs. Doomsday), a villain specifically designed to destroy him (Spider-Man vs. Morlun), or be taken by surprise in a standard assassination (Captain America vs. a sniper). Second, you must show that the loss of the hero was significant to the world he left behind. Third, bringing the hero back from the dead must be struggle. Death is permanent. Even if death can be escaped in the world of comics, it should not be easy.

The tale begins with Doomsday, a seemingly unstoppable killing machine, plowing his way through various cities. He defeats various heroes until his rampage is halted in Metropolis by Superman. After a long and destructive battle, the two each land one final blow. Doomsday dies instantly, and Superman gives in to his injuries after receiving assurance of Doomsday’s defeat.

The world mourns the loss, various gangs and villains make grabs for power, the existing heroes struggle to keep order, and four new individuals rise to claim the mantle of Superman. The Man of Steel, or Steel for short, is the first to appear. A construction worker who owes his life to Superman, Steel builds a suit of armor and sets out to establish order in the name of Superman. The Last Son of Krypton is the second to appear. Bearing a striking resemblance to Superman and claiming to have his memories as well, this Superman subscribes a far more lethal for of justice and is later revealed to be the Eradicator, a sentient Kryptonian weapon. The Metropolis Kid is the next to appear. Dubbed “Superboy” by the media, he is the result of an attempt to clone Superman, but escaped before he had reached maturity. The last to appear is The Man of Tomorrow. The most convincing of the four, this Cyborg Superman is proven to be a DNA match to Superman with Kryptonian technology to replace most of his damaged body.

After months of wining the world’s favor, the Cyborg Superman eventually proves to be the villain of the latter half of the story. He was Hank Henshaw, an astronaut who’s exposure to cosmic rays eventually resulted in the death of the entire crew and his consciousness forever being locked in a computer system. Over the years, he developed a paranoid ideal that Superman was responsible for the tragedy. Adapting and evolving, Henshaw eventually constructed a body from Kryptonian technology and DNA stolen from Superman himself. He seeks to turn the entire planet into a mechanized war world and begins with Coast City, leveling it and turning it into a massive engine. Though he blames the Eradicator for this destruction, the supermen and most of the former Superman’s allies direct their attention towards the Cyborg Superman.

Meanwhile, Superman’s resurrection has been playing out like a brilliantly crafted symphony behind the scenes. Initially, the Eradicator had stolen Superman’s body and placed it in a Kryptonian regeneration chamber for use as a conduit to the Sun’s energy. Later, after suffering a fatal heart attack, Jonathan Kent managed to rescue Superman’s soul from the afterlife. Now complete with a soul, Superman’s body lay in the regeneration chamber, waiting and recovering. Superman, powerless but armed with a few very big guns, joined the rest of the heroes in the final battle. After the Eradicator apparently sacrificed his life to save Krypton’s true last son, Superman’s powers returned, and he defeated the Cyborg Superman.

Though I managed to summarize this tale in only a few paragraphs, it truly is a massive undertaking. No other story has managed to capture the death and return of a hero as well as The Death and Return of Superman.

I am very glad that DC decided to carry forward most of the elements established in this story, rather than discard them as most similar stories have done. Steel carried his own series for four years and is now prone to regular appearances in various Superman titles. The Eradicator enjoyed a brief stint as a hero with the Outsiders and has since been flipping between the hero and villain roles, though it is unknown if each incarnation is the original Eradicator or another sentient Kryptonian weapon. Superboy, aka Kon-El aka Conner Kent, is now an official member of the Kent family and a major character in both the Teen Titans and various Superman titles. The Cyborg Superman, now simply the Cyborg, is one of DC’s most recognizable recurring villains. The destruction of Coast City eventually led to Green Lantern Hal Jordan’s mental breakdown and destructive rampage as the host of the entity Parallax. This particular story line and its effects lasted for years and was eventually resolved in Green Lantern: Rebirth.

The Death and Return of Superman is a massive tale, filling 746 pages. It was written across 1992 and 1993, though its effects are still felt today throughout the entire DC universe. This is how you do a death and return story. You don’t take shortcuts. You make the hero’s death believable, you spend time showing the impact of his loss, and you make his return as much of a struggle as his death.

The omnibus edition of The Death and Return of Superman is a must-have for any fan of the DC universe. The complexity and detail of the story will be an engaging read for days, if not weeks, depending on your reading habits. To date, The Death and Return of Superman remains the gold-standard for all death and return stories.

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Remember one thing. The man died. The spider was reborn. So the question is, are you you, or are you me? Are you the man who dreamed of being a spider? Or the spider who dreamed of being a man? Are you the one, or are you the other?

Spider-Man: The Other is not your typical comic book death and rebirth story. It’s an immense tale worthy of most high-caliber television series. Woven by writers Peter David, Reginald Hudlin, and J. Michael Straczynski, and illustrated by Mike Wieringo, Pat Lee, and Mike Deodato, Jr., The Other is not without its faults, but it is an in-depth experience not to be missed by any Spider-Man fan.

To be honest, it took three reads before I began to appreciate this graphic novel. Maybe it was the art, which (with the exception of Pat Lee’s pages) really doesn’t stand out. Maybe it was the length, which can seem quite long at first, but merely serves to draw you further into this intricate story. Maybe it was the villain, who seemed ridiculous at first, but was really as close as you could get to an “anti-Spider-Man”. Or, maybe it’s because I know that Marvel can do far worse than kill their star character.

The Other begins with Peter Parker experiencing random blackouts, dizzy spells, loss of his powers, and prophetic dreams. After a failed attempt to thwart a bank robbery results in Spider-Man being shot by the thief, Parker discovers that he is slowly dying due to a radiation-based infectious disease, possibly related to the spider bite which gave him his unique powers years ago.

The following requires a bit of back story. You may have thought that Parker gained his powers after being accidentally bitten by a radioactive spider, but you’re wrong. Author J. Michael Straczynski took it upon himself to give Spider-Man an origin of more mythic proportions. According to Straczynski’s origin, Parker always had a connection to a totemic spider spirit. The irradiated spider did not accidentally bite Parker, but chose to pass on its powers to him before dying. At that moment, Peter Parker became a living spider totem, a “bridge” between man and beast, able to exhibit the properties of both.

After traveling with his family for perhaps the last time, Parker comes face-to-face with Morlun. Morlun is an ancient being who feeds off of totems. He is essentially Spider-Man’s worst nightmare, someone to avoid at all costs. Morlun draws strength from any physical contact with a totem, which includes both punching and being punched. Parker and Morlun fight through the streets of New York, but no matter what Parker does, Morlun simply grows stronger. In the end, Parker collapses, but is saved by the police, forcing Morlun to leave (he apparently wants to feed in private, but this is never explained).

In the hospital, Parker’s face has been destroyed beyond recognition, and the doctors have no hope of saving his life. Morlun arrives to finish the job, but Parker awakes with spider-like eyes, sharp teeth, and stingers protruding from his wrists. With his last bit of strength, he kills Morlun and says farewell to his wife.

Days later, the apparently deceased Parker sheds his skin and cocoons himself to the underside of the Brooklyn Bridge. As he begins to dream, a voice scorns him for only being a man and failing to embrace the spider. Morlun had killed the man, but the spider awoke to kill Morlun. The voice offers to bring Parker back to life, but only if he accepts both the man and the spider equally. He accepts, is reborn in an outwardly human form, and returns to his family.

After further investigation, Tony Stark is surprised to learn that all of Parker’s wounds have healed, even the tonsils that he lost as a child have returned. Now embracing his spider side, Parker is granted new abilities. He has night vision, can feel vibrations through his webbing, can adhere objects to his back, and has “stingers” which can protude from his wrists.

Parker died and was reborn as a more accurate combination of both man and spider, though he does question the stingers, which spiders don’t have. Parker, still more man than spider, encounters “The Other”, a totem who is more spider than man. “The Other” warns Parker that other mythological forces feel that he should have died. It then retreats and is now cocooned within a church.

The Other is a very entertaining read, and certainly expands on Spider-Man’s mythological origins. Unfortunately, with the events of the later One More Day and Brand New Day, over twenty years of Parker’s life have been selectively removed from continuity due to a deal that he made with the devil (no, I’m not kidding). As a result, the validity of both The Other and Spider-Man’s mythological origins have not been addressed and are now in doubt. Regardless of its value to overall continuity, The Other is worth reading.

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Download the Standard version

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I think I’ve sorted out the podcasting gremlins to be honest, however there is still some work to be done in getting my feeds sorted out on itunes as well, so we’ll see how that all works out.

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We don’t generally give bad reviews, because there is soo much good stuff out there that deserves your attention first. If you have any recommendations that have not been reviewed on the site yet please don’t hesitate to contact us.

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JUL070056 EDEN VOL 9 ITS AN ENDLESS WORLD TP (MR) $12.95
God I’m behind on this exceptional series. I’ve got the first two books and they are by far some of the best manga I’ve read in a really long time. The last time I got excited about a Manga like this was back when I was reading Planetes. Check out the always excellent Dark Horse website for further information regarding this series.

APR070023 GRENDEL ART OF MATT WAGNERS GRENDEL HC $39.95
I only recently read my first Grendel tale, which was the very first Grendel story every drawn/written. While it was rough around the edges I could most definitely see a great deal of potential and can see why Wagner is so in demand. I’ve got to admit that I am lacking in the works by Wagner but everything I’ve ever read about the man has always pointed that he’s an exceptional talent and great storyteller. Whule I don’t think I’m the target audience for this, it’s just a good little reminder for me to maybe get some Grendel instead.

JUL070245 BATMAN ARCHIVES VOL 7 HC $49.99
JUL070292 CAIRO HARDCOVER (MR) $24.99
Probably won’t be getting this series as a hardcover, however I do tend to give Vertigo books the benefit of the doubt. Here’s what they have to say in the solicitation:

Written by breakout talent G. Willow Wilson, a Cairo-based journalist, and drawn by renowned illustrator M.K. Perker, the original hardcover graphic novel CAIRO is action-adventure that brings the ancient and modern Middle East together with a Vertigo twist! A stolen hookah, a spiritual underworld, and a genie on the run change the lives of five strangers forever in this modern fable set on the streets of the Middle East’s largest metropolis!

I will say however that the colours for the cover really do blow. There’s no real creativity in how that is presented which is a real shame as the inside is in black and white and that’s the only colour for the entire story.

AUG070272 GREEN ARROW ROAD TO JERICHO TP $17.99
AUG070273 GREEN LANTERN CORPS A DARKER SHADE OF GREEN TP $12.99
JUL078014 HEROES HC ALEX ROSS COVER $29.99
JUL078015 HEROES HC JIM LEE COVER $29.99
A series soo good that it needs that extra push of two variant hardcovers. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a hardcover being released with a friggin variant cover, unless it’s trying for two different markets (like the Marvel Premiere editions which will have the name of the writer in really large if they’re aiming for the bookmarket audience). This however is just giving your two friggin covers for no other reason but because. If they include the alternative cover on the inside as a pinup or something then they’re cool, otherwise, they’re a bunch of wankers as far as I’m concerned. Will I be picking this up? Seeing as I really felt that the series is a bit better than average but with some pretty good parts to it, I think I’ll probably wait for the cheaper soft cover version.

AUG070301 KING OF CARDS VOL 2 $9.99
AUG070278 ROBIN TEENAGE WASTELAND TP $17.99
JUN071891 ART OF GREG CAPULLO SC $24.99
SEP072167 DARK TOWER GUNSLINGER BORN PREM HC $24.99
Ah, finally this is coming out. If you remember, I reviewed the first issue around 8 months ago, so that’s really not a bad turn around from Marvel. Series obviously came out on time and they’ve quickly put this together just in time for Christmas. I’m actually pretty excited about this, although again not loving the HC only treatment. It would be nice to have the option really.

SEP072284 MARVEL LEGACY 1960S TO 1990S HANDBOOK TP $19.99
SEP072277 NEW AVENGERS VOL 6 REVOLUTION TP $14.99
SEP072279 OMEGA FLIGHT ALPHA TO OMEGA TP $13.99
SEP072263 SPIDER-MAN PETER PARKER BACK IN BLACK HC $34.99
SEP072264 ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR VOL 4 HC $29.99
SEP073771 30 DAYS OF NIGHT EBEN & STELLA TP $17.99
Just in time for the release of the movie. Not been keeping up with this series of books that have been coming out consistently from IDW. The books that I have bought have always been incredibly enjoyable and it’s a small little concept that has really sprouted an entire library of books and a movie for the creators which is great as it’s a good series. Don’t believe, here read that review of the first book I wrote many many moons ago. I’m not going to spoil what this series is about, but needless to say, you’ve got to have read Dark Days before hand.

SEP073475 ALEX RAYMONDS FLASH GORDON VOL 1-7 HC SET $139.65
SEP074081 ALICE ON DEADLINES VOL 1 TP $10.99
AUG074002 ARK ANGELS VOL 3 GN (OF 3) $9.99
SEP073289 AZUMANGA DAIOH OMNIBUS VOL 1 GN $24.99
AUG074075 BABY & ME VOL 5 GN $8.99
AUG074061 BLACK CAT VOL 11 TP $7.99
AUG074003 BLAME VOL 10 GN (OF 10) (MR) $9.99
AUG074000 BOYS BE VOL 15 GN (OF 20) (MR) $9.99
SEP073578 CAMERA CAMERA CAMERA VOL 1 GN (MR) $12.95
SEP073579 CANT WIN WITH YOU VOL 2 GN (MR) $12.95
JUN073852 CHARLEYS WAR VOL 4 BLUES STORY HC $19.95
AUG074069 D GRAY MAN VOL 7 GN $7.99
SEP073871 DAN BRERETONS NOCTURNALS VOL 1 REG ED HC (RES) $29.99
SEP074025 DOROTHY OF OZ VOL 1 GN $11.95
AUG074004 DRAGON HUNTER VOL 17 GN (OF 18) $9.99
SEP073585 ENCHANTER VOL 6 GN (MR) $12.95
SEP073298 EVERYBODY COSPLAY VOL 1 GN $19.99
AUG074070 GIN TAMA VOL 3 TP $7.99
AUG074076 GODCHILD VOL 7 TP $8.99
AUG073553 HACK SLASH VOL 3 FRIDAY THE 31ST TP $18.99
AUG073993 HANDS OFF VOL 1 DONT CALL US ANGELS GN (OF 2) $9.99
AUG073581 HEROES ARE EXTINCT VOL 2 GN $12.95
AUG074071 HUNTER X HUNTER VOL 17 TP $7.99
AUG073992 INITIAL D VOL 28 GN (OF 35) $9.99
AUG074024 INNOCENT BIRD VOL 3 GN (OF 3) (A) $9.99
AUG074077 KAZE HIKARU VOL 7 GN $8.99
AUG074072 KUROHIME VOL 2 TP $7.99
AUG074007 LITTLE QUEEN VOL 4 GN (OF 8 ) $9.99
AUG074078 LOVE COM VOL 3 TP $8.99
AUG074025 LOVE MODE VOL 7 GN (OF 11) (A) $9.99
SEP074014 LOWER REGIONS GN $6.95
MAY073802 MIDDLEMAN VOL 3 TP $9.95
AUG073979 MODESTY BLAISE VOL 12 DEATH TRAP TP $19.95
AUG074063 NARUTO VOL 22 TP $7.95
AUG074064 NARUTO VOL 23 TP $7.95
AUG074065 NARUTO VOL 24 TP $7.95
AUG074094 NAUSICAA WATERCOLOR IMPRESSIONS HC $34.99
So what’s this then? A hardcover artbook from Miyazaki? The solicitation for this reads:

Original watercolor illustrations used as concept sketches for both the manga and film versions of Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. This full-color, over-sized, hardcover book also includes Miyazaki’s earliest sketches that eventually became the basis for some of the most beloved anime movies of the past 20 years.

Well isn’t that nice. I think I might be getting myself some of that action. Yes I do.

AUG074010 NECK AND NECK VOL 8 GN (OF 8 ) $9.99
AUG074009 NEVER GIVE UP VOL 6 GN (OF 13) $9.99
AUG074062 ONE PIECE VOL 16 TP $7.95
AUG074011 ONE VOL 10 GN (OF 11) $9.99
AUG074012 PLANET BLOOD VOL 7 GN (OF 11) $9.99
AUG073578 PRINCE CHARMING VOL 1 GN (MR) $12.95
AUG074067 PRINCE OF TENNIS VOL 22 GN $7.95
SEP073586 PRINCESS PRINCESS VOL 5 GN (MR) $12.95
AUG074014 QUEENS VOL 4 GN (OF 5) (MR) $9.99
AUG074015 RECAST VOL 4 GN (OF 6) (MR) $9.99
AUG074081 SA VOL 1 GN $8.99
AUG074016 SAKURA TAISEN VOL 6 GN (OF 6) $9.99
AUG074017 SATISFACTION GUARANTEED VOL 5 GN (OF 9) $9.99
AUG074082 SKIP BEAT VOL 9 TP $8.99
AUG074038 STAR PROJECT CHIRO VOL 1 TP $11.95
SEP073785 TANK GIRL THE GIFTING TP $17.99
AUG074073 ULTIMATE MUSCLE VOL 18 GN $7.95
SEP073905 UNBEATABLE GN (MR) $14.95
AUG073974 WEIRDLING GN $15.95
SEP074082 WORLD OF QUEST VOL 1 TP $9.99

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When I read about Mike’s sudden death, I was seriously shocked and actually upset about it. Although I’ve never met the man, I genuinely enjoyed his work emmensely and always looked forward to seeing his stuff. For those in the dark Mike was a great character designer and instilled a great deal of fun in is artwork. Notably his creator owned book Tellos and his work on Flash, Spider-man and Fantastic Four always jump out as his career highlights. Mike passed away on Sunday evening from a sudden heart attack at the age of 44.

Here’s a few links in helping you remember Mike Wieringo:

Mike Wieringo
An interview with John Siuntres
Cully Hamner’s Eulogy
Remembering Mike

‘Ringo, you will be missed.

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Copyright © 2007 Splash Panel | Permalink | No comments | Share

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