Game Review: Tekken 6

Over the past 15 years or so, the Tekken franchise from Namco has established itself as one of the premier fighting games in the world, rivaled only (and debatably) by Mortal Kombat and Soul Calibur (don't even try to say Virtua Fighter). So when the programming company announced that their latest version, Tekken 6, would be available for the first time on consoles other than PlayStation, we were curious to see the result.

Well, now the answer is in and it's official: the newest version of Tekken is the best yet.

What makes it so good is the increased depth across the board. First off, just about every character in Tekken history is available to play; while there are some omissions for story reasons, such as Jun Kazama or Doctor Boskonovitch, the game offers a whopping 40 playable characters for enthusiasts to choose from.

The depth is also apparent within each character as well, with most of them possessing over 100 unique moves or combos and some characters boasting over 160 moves. Mastering the playstyle of one specific character would take dedication; figuring out how to play every character to their best capacity would be borderline insane.

As in previous games, each of the 40 characters also comes with their own cinematics and unique storylines, but Tekken 6 adds to the individuality by allowing players to customize the characters with dozens of different outfits and accessories. From cowboy hats to swords to extra chest hair, you can pimp out your character in multiple ways, none of which affect game play but all of which add a layer of fun and interaction for the player.

This is especially helpful when trying out the game's new online mode, where you play against any of the tens of thousands of Tekken enthusiasts around the world. Normally you'd run into hundreds of other, identical characters, but thanks to this customization you can ensure that your Yoshimitsu is unique among the crowd.

Of course, most casual players might be a little fearful of dipping their toes into the online waters where Tekken sharks are likely waiting to pound them into oblivion; nobody enjoys getting stomped in a one-sided game. Lukcily, though, the developers took this into consideration, implementing a ranking system that tracks your wins and losses and what rank your opponents are to ensure that you end up getting matched with other players in your skill range. Better, the game tracks all 40 character separately, so if you've gained a high rank with Lee and want to switch to King, you don't have to worry about being overmatched; with King you'll start back off as a newb and get to build rank with each new character as you learn.

Online mode isn't the only option available, though; the game also offers a story mode, which takes you through the game's storyline in a combination side-scroller/rpg that allows you to gather in-game currency to buy different costumes for your character and also allows you to unlock those items through drops and fight rewards.

Of course, the game isn't perfect and even with so many innovations it does fall flat in a couple areas. The biggest of these is a unusually long load time between battles, which can lead to some frustration and boredom at times; why it takes so long to load each fight is beyond us. The game's story mode also has some issues with game play, as the camera angle (a 3/4 overhead shot) doesn't perform well with moves designed for a side-view fight system. Since the game doesn't allow you to rotate camera angles during story mode, this can lead to some issues when trying to fight mobs.

Overall, though, those are fairly minor nits to pick. If you enjoy Tekken, or fighting games in general, Tekken 6 is a fantastic addition to the genre and one of the most in-depth fighting games ever made.

My Grades: Overall the game gets an A-. That's an A+ for the actual fighting and the customization of the characters; a B- for story mode, which should be awesome but is hindered by linearity and weird controls; and a C- for the stupidly long load times.

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Great Moments in Comics: The Jon Sable Dance-Off

Welcome to another Great Moment in Comics, where we examine some of the unique and amazing stories that have made the medium what it is. Last time, you may recall, we presented you with the dramatic and moving story behind The Strange Death of Dr. Synne, which surely ranks up with the Galactus Trilogy as one of the seminal moments in Marvel Comics history. Today, though, we have managed to top even that masterpiece, so read on as The Vault proudly presents The Jon Sable Dance-Off.

For those of you who aren't familiar with the story, Jon Sable was a creator owned series from acclaimed writer/artist Mike Grell. Launched in the early 80's at First Comics, during the heyday of independent publishing, the series was a critical and commercial success, lasting 56 issues before Grell left, at which time it rebooted and continued for another 27 issues. 83 issues of an independent comic is nothing to sneeze at and it's a tribute not just to Grell but also to the draw of the eponymous main character, a mercenary with a code of ethics that always saw him on the right side of the fight.

Jon Sable was also groundbreaking in another arena, as it featured one of the earliest (and still one of the only) openly gay characters in comics in the form of Broadway performer Grey Adler. While the aggressively heterosexual Sable was at first uneasy around Adler, he quickly overcame his prejudices, leading to a friendship between the two men that was interesting and unique for the time.

Even more unique, however, was the event that sealed their friendship: The Jon Sable Dance-Off.

Taking place at the beginning of Jon Sable #15 (from August, 1984), the story begins with Gray and Job leaving a ballet performance on Broadway, which leads to a brief discussion about Jon's original uneasiness with Gray's orientation, a conversation highlighted when one of Gray's gay friends mistakes them for a couple.

This semi-humorous moment, however, becomes deadly serious just moments later when the two round the corner and walk right into one the middle of one of New York's legendary street gangs, which were especially prevalent and dangerous in the early 80's. Just like Gray's friend, these boom-box toting thugs mistake Gray and Jon for a couple, which can lead to only one thing: bloodshed.



Of course, the readers know that Jon Sable is a world renowned mercenary and no street gang is going to give him issues, even if there are five of them. Sighing that he had just begun healing from his last fight, Sable wearily took a step forward, ready to defend them both. Except, Gray has a better idea, and pushing Sable aside he takes charge, even finding the time to indulge in a little Superman-esque tie removal first:



That's right, suckers! It's time to settle this like real men do: with a dance-off! Is it on? Oh, it's beyond on, son: it's already been broughten.

No words are necessary for the grandeur that takes place next, something even Grell himself realized at the time, because he chose the perfect style to show the action: a silent montage.

Take it away, Gray!



The result of this showdown? Well, when men dance with passion there can be no losers -- only winners. And so, the former adversaries instead shake hands, having found common ground. Because when the groove moves you, there can be no gay or straight, no black or white, no rich or poor. There can only be the universal language: the power... of dance.



Truly, one of the Greatest Moments in Comics history.

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Tales From the Vault: DETECTIVE COMICS #348

It's almost the weekend and that means just one thing: it's time for another juicy, random back issue. What better way to kick things off, after all, than with a relaxing jaunt through comics history? Up for consideration today: Detective Comics #348, which came out just a few short weeks before the Batman TV show hit the air and became a massive pop sensation. So what was the series like before camp took over? Let's find out...

...together!


Details: The story is titled "Birdmaster of BEDLAM!" and has a cover date of February, 1966. There aren't any credits, but Bob Kane's signature appears on the splash page. Not in a "created by" credit, but just his signature. The chances of this actually being Bob Kane art are about zilch, as he had a studio of schleps working under him by this point; he was, however, a big enough name to push the writer credit entirely out of the book, so there’s no mention of who wrote this story. Stay classy, Bob Kane.

Synopsis: Right off the bat (no pun intended, of course), a blurb on the splash page explains the plot of the story. In your face, decompression. Seems Birdmaster is a guy who collects all manner of rare flying animals, and so he needs Batman and Robin to finish his collection because of their codenames. Well, why not. Makes as much sense as The Collector did.

Our story really starts, though, in an airport, where the new Miss USA is kissing Bruce Wayne goodbye with the comment that the best part of winning the title is "a date with Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson". Uh, that sounds like a really awkward date. Robin is watching them embrace with the comment "Wish I were old enough to rate a blast-off like that!" which... okay, I'm not going to rehash all the old Batman and Robin gay jokes, but really, they are totally asking for it with stuff like this.

Then she does end up giving Robin a peck on the cheek and he responds with this:

"Yeoww! All systems are go! Go! GO!"

Seriously, you cannot make this stuff up. Maybe Bob Kane can, but nobody else could.

Anyway, the chick, Mona, takes off (in a plane, not in a metaphor), but suddenly her plane crashes. Batman and Robin rush to the scene and put out the fire with their capes -- that's pretty good work -- but discover they are too late: Mona is dead. Wow, I have to say I didn't expect that. Batman and Robin investigate, and the pilot says that the plane was attacked by a flock of birds. This is backed up by maydays suddenly coming in from all the planes in the air, which are also being attacked by birds.

The FAA immediately grounds all planes, but Batman hops in his jet and he and Robin take off to try and lure the Birdmaster out of hiding. Of course, they get attacked, to which Robin responds by saying "Seems like he's trying to give us the bird!" Er... did the Code people even read this comic?

Anyway, the birds attack the Batplane, and Batman blasts a bunch of them with rockets, but a flock of "medic birds" swoop in and carry the injured ones to safety. Heck, even birds have universal health care! C'mon, Congress!

Batman and Robin just can't shake the birds, though, so they set the Batplane to autopilot and bail out. This temporarily throws the birds off the trail, but when the duo lands, they find themselves face to face with a group of men wearing bird costumes. Yes, henchmen of... THE BIRDMASTER! A fight ensues, but then, well.... let's let Batman explain:

"Look out, Robin! They've got NOSE-GUNS! They're shooting knockout gas at us!"

Yes, the bird people all snort toxic gas in unison and take out the dynamic duo, because they apparently work for Cheech and Chong. Then a bunch of birds swoop down with a giant net and cart them off to a giant cliffside citadel. Once there, they are deposited in a cage, captives of... BIRDMASTER! Birdmaster turns out to be a bearded goof wearing a turban, and he has his condors and vultures attack Batman and Robin for sport.

Cleverly, though, there's no top to the cage, so the duo just climb over the side and clobber all the henchmen. Fearing for his life, Birdmaster flees. He jumps in a plane and take off, and of course, his birds, trained to wreck any plane they see, smash into it and he dies in a fiery crash. Yes, it’s the rare double-dumbass oversight combo by the villain. And you were wondering why he never caught on.

THE END!

Next up is the backup story, an Elongated Man tale called "My Wife, the Witch!". Ralph and Sue are tooling around on vacation or something and they come to an inn. The innkeeper doesn't have their reservations, though, so the only room he has available is the haunted Room 13. They take it and have no troubles, but the next morning, while Ralph is getting his car looked at, Sue finds a tome of spells. Most of the spells are missing, but she tries a couple and they work.

Of course, she just has to call the garage and tell Ralph to buy a bunch of witchcraft supplies so she can try some more spells. Now, that doesn't seem like a great idea, but they are adventurers I guess. Truns out the town they are in is a town famous for witchcraft; yes, they are in the town of "Malem". I can't think of any reason why they didn't just call it Salem, but whatever.

While he's buying the goods, some thieves show up with pistols to rob the place. Ralph fights them, and he's apparently famous enough that they recognize him right away; even the good folks in far off Malem have heard of the Elongated Man.

Anyway, during the fight, one of them drops his weapon to surrender, but the gun is rigged to explode with gas when it hits the floor. Obviously. However, E-Man stretches his nose out the window to get fresh air, I kid you not, and defeats them all.

Back at the inn, Ralph shows up with the goodies and suddenly smells a mystery. He deduces that the ringleader of the gang purposely left out the book of spells so that Ralph would go to the local witch museum to buy supplies. He then sent his men there to get captured so he could keep all the loot himself. Why do these people always come up with the most convoluted plots imaginable? You’d think that Gardner Fox was writing th… oh.

Sure enough, E-Man is correct: that was the big plan. The ringleader is the innkeeper, and he rigged up the room so that Sue would think her spells were working. However, Ralph jumps him before he can make his getaway. Once again, the guy has a special gas gun, this time with a gas that blinds Ralph. Ralph, however, stretches himself so that his arms and legs cover the whole room, so that if the guy moves at all, Ralph will feel it and grab him. And... yep, it works.

THE END!


Extras: There’s not a lot going on outside the main stories (or inside them either), but it seems that the readers also were getting a little tired of the Bob Kane figurehead act, as several of them have written in to ask who wrote different issues; editorial responds by teasing them and asking them to guess who wrote the Birdmaster story. But you can’t fool us, DC; we know Kane would hobble anyone who dared reveal the truth.


My Grades: BIRDMASTER! gets a C- for being awful; a B+ for actually having the unexpected nuts to kill that chick at the beginning (sorry, Gail Simone!); and an A+ for slipping subtext past the censors. The Elongated Man story gets a B- for having Elongated Man in it, which is almost always a guarantee of coma-inducing boredom.

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Veterans Day Special: Top Ten Sgt. Fury Covers

Today we in America celebrate Veterans Day and honor the men and women who serve and have served in our armed forces. For most of the rest of the world, this is also Armistice Day, which commemorates the end of World War I at 11:11 AM on 11/11, 1918. In honor of our veterans, then, we at The Vault thought it would be appropriate to take a look at some of the many fine war comics that have graced shelves over the years. So without further ado, here's our list of the Top Ten Sgt. Fury Covers of all time.


10) Sgt. Fury #50

This cover from regular Sgt. Fury art team Dick Ayers and John Severin is one of the most iconic Sgt. Fury images ever; during the 60's, Marvel used it for promotion and turned it into a poster.
















9) Sgt. Fury #9

Jack Kirby based much of his work in this series on his own experiences as a veteran of World War II. He didn't get to capture Hitler, but like the characters in Inglorious Basterds, he certainly would have liked to.















8) Sgt. Fury #100

In this star-studded anniversary special, Stan Lee emcees a post-war Howlers reunion that is interrupted when a sniper tries to assassinate Reb Ralston because of his work as a Senator in favor of civil rights.














7) Sgt. Fury #24

This gripping effort from Kirby is unusual in the sketchiness of the inking, which adds some pathos to this image of a worn down Fury facing a host of unseen adversaries.
















6) Sgt. Fury #96

Published during the Vietnam War, this effort show the influence of contemporary concern in its depiction of a Japanese civilian caught in the crossfire. It doesn't take much to imagine that artist Gil Kane is instead depicting Vietnamese or Cambodian refugees.















5) Sgt. Fury #74

The inimitable John Severin returns with this classic solo effort.


















4) Sgt. Fury #38

A great and evocative cover of Fury and the Howlers involved in a dangerous night drop behind enemy lines. I think this cover is from Dick Ayers, but I'm not entirely sure.
















3) Sgt. Fury #16

Perhaps no war artist ever captured the exhaustion of the average soldier on the front lines as well as Kirby in this effort.
















2) Sgt. Fury #13

Of course, this is a bit of a ringer, since it has Captain America on it; but as a character defined by World War II, it's somehow fitting that he star on this classic Kirby effort from the Silver Age.














1) Sgt. Fury #67

Again, Severin comes through, this time with an American Flag cover that is only matched by the unique color-coded panel and page layouts inside the comics. Seriously, it has to be seen to be believed.

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Breaking News: Pam Grier is Amanda Waller

Okay, so I have to admit I don't watch Smallville, though I've seen a couple episodes (i.e. ones with Black Canary in them). But considering the unofficial theme of women in comics that seems to have developed over the past couple days at The Vault, this bit of news caught my eye: Pam Grier has been cast as Amanda Waller for an upcoming arc.

You can read the whole article here on the AOL TV blog, but the part you need to know (not just for this article to make sense but for life in general) is that Pam Grier is the blaxploitation queen behind such in-your-face classics as Coffy and Foxy Brown. As such, she's certainly got the chops to pull off the baddest, most powerful woman in the DC Universe.

My first reaction, I have to admit, was a slight bit of puzzlement, since Waller is a rather big boned lady and Pam Grier is a renowned hottie of epic proportions. However, I forgot that this isn't 1974, and in the intervening decades Grier has matured into a full figured, handsome woman.

Not that her resemblance to the character is the most important thing, of course, as Jack Nicholson proved when he played the Joker. No, what's important here is that Grier is probably uniquely suited to the role of Waller due to her acting background and action chops. It's almost a genius enough bit of casting to make me watch the show, especially since she first appears in a multi-part storyline dealing with the Justice Society. Of course, that normally would frighten me as I worried about how badly they were going to botch the JSA, but in light of this casting move, perhaps Smallville is on the right track now.

Because if Pam Grier as Amanda Waller is any indication, things on Smallville are going to get real intense, real quickly. It's about time.

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The Best Price Font Ever

Over the past few months I have tackled a number of hot button issues, such as the depiction of women in comics and the self destructive tendencies within comic fandom. I've talked about some of my favorite comics, interviewed legends and commented on the art history of Marvel. But now, finally, I'm ready to tackle perhaps the most important issue ever, as I discuss... The Best Price Font EVER.

Now, I know what you're thinking: dude, ever is a long-ass time. And this is true. It's also equally true that with the millions of comics published over the past 75 years, many of them with hand-lettered and therefore unique covers, there's no real way that I could actually have viewed every single price font in the history of the medium. But in my efforts to study comics and the design of comics I have had the chance to look at many fonts in may different price points, from 10 cents all the way up to $6.95 or more. And after careful consideration, I am now prepared to render judgment upon this topic.

So, here it is: the Marvel Comics font for their 20 cent price point is officially declared The Vault's Best Price Font Ever.



Now, there was some serious competition for this honor, not just from other price points, but from within the 20 cent bracket itself. DC's boldly huge 20 cent font is one that has aged like a fine wine; aggressive to the point of being obnoxious when it first came out, over the years it has gained a certain patina of strength that has caused it to become a bit of a cult favorite:



And, of course, branching outside the 20 cent era, Marvel has also fielded a number of beautiful fonts, most notable perhaps being the price within a circle design used in the period of transition between 10 cent and 12 cent price points:



And indeed, the final 12 cent price font is very close to the one used for their 20 cent era:



Yet, while the two fonts share certain characteristics, such as serifs, the more elongated 12 cent style lends the font a certain old fashioned quality when compared to the more compact and stylish 20 cent iteration. And that newer, fresher look was perfectly suited, of course, to the new regime in place at Marvel when the price point debuted in 1971: with Roy Thomas as Editor-in-Chief, and a new group of creators like Len Wein, Steve Englehart, Mike Ploog and Gerry Conway coming in, the era was ripe for a new design, a new aesthetic and, yes... even a new font.

How much of the 20 cent font's allure is due to its association with that heady era of experimentation is difficult to say; it's a bit like the chicken and the egg, trying to figure out whether the font is considered great because of the comics or whether the comics are considered great because of the font that graced their covers. But whichever side of the debate you fall on, everyone can agree on one central truth: that is a damn fine price font.

A price font that on this day, has finally earned the recognition it has so long deserved.

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New Comic Cavalcade

Hey kids! Comics! yes, it's time for another batch of new comics reviews. By now you're probably all familiar with my pull list, but while I'd love to present you with reviews of all sorts of new and different titles every month, my finances prevent that from happening. However, there's a simple solution for that: comp copies. You listening, Marvel and DC? How about you, Dark Horse and Image? Well, maybe not Image, but if anyone else out there wants to send me some free comics to review, let me know and I'm sure we can work something out.

Until that happens, though, here are some reviews of titles you've no doubt grown to love, with one special surprise:


MODELS, INC. #1
Paul Tobin writing, Vicenc Villagrasa and Terry Paillot art

Yes, it's MODELS, INC. #1. Technically this came out a little while ago, but if you're that offended, you can always ask for your money back. Oh, that's right, this site is free. So suck it!

I mean, thanks for reading. And if you have been reading awhile, you may recall a rant I did a little while ago about the way women are portrayed in comics and how one of the lamentable side effects of this is that there are very few comics actually aimed at bringing in new female readers. Well, MODELS, INC. is the exception: it's a collection of Marvel's most famous romance and teen comic characters from back in the 50's (such as Patsy and Hedy, Millie the Model and Chili), revived in a new series that mixes modeling with drama.

So how is it? Well, it's no Night Nurse, but it's not terrible either. There's some pre-requisite action (our gals stopping some petty thieves, which isn't hard considering Patsy Walker is a member of the Avengers) and some melodrama when the fashion photog gets show and one of the models is set up as the killer. Some of the dialogue and setup seemed a little forced, but overall it wasn't bad. Plus, of course, this issue features a backup story where Tim Gunn from Project Runway dons a suit of Iron Man armor to defeat a platoon of AIM agents trying to pilfer superhero costumes from a Janet Van Dyne fashion retrospective. Now that's awesome.

My Grades: The main story gets a B; the potential is there, which outweighs the awkwardness. The backup story gets an A+, of course. And the cover and general design of the series, which emulates fashion magazines, gets an A as well.



Jonah Hex #49
Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti writing, Cristiano Cucina art

Okay, back to our regularly scheduled comics, which means DC cult books that nobody else on the planet seems to be buying. Which is fine as long as they keep publishing them anyway. Somehow Jonah Hex has managed to hang on for 49 issues despite selling roughly 12k copies a month, which is a miracle. What could possibly be keeping the series afloat?

Well, it might be because they are expecting a boost from the upcoming Jonah Hex movie next year, but it might also be because the series continues to be well written and well drawn, garnering it critical acclaim. Of course, acclaim doesn't put food on the table, but it does lead to stories like the "Six Gun Wa"r arc that concludes in this issue; the first extended storyline in the current series, "Six Gun War" features a who's who of guest stars and hangers on, bringing together pretty much every character not just from the first four years of this volume, but also from the original Jonah Hex series. That means the return of Hex's arch-enemies, Quentin Turnbull and El Papagayo, and help from Hex friends such as Bat Lash, Tallulah Black and El Diablo.

Yes, for hardcore Hex fans like me, this has been a great, fun read. Unfortunately, the very end is a bit of a letdown, as Gray & Palmiotti decided to keep their options open for future stories at the expense of giving this arc the kind of epic closure it probably deserved. The fact that they felt this was necessary, however, is a good sign, because otherwise this would have been a perfect way to close out the series if such a thing had been called for. So that, at least, was one bright spot in what otherwise might have been just a tiny bit of a letdown.

My Grades: The arc as a whole gets a B+; the pacing was just a bit rambling in places and the legion of super-assassins sent after Hex had more potential than they ended up displaying. But it was still a fun read anyway. This issue gets a B; it would have been an A if not for the unsatisfying conclusion.



Warlord #8
Mike Grell story and art

So, for the last few months, I have been lamenting the fact that nobody has been reading or buying Warlord, a situation that I am convinced was caused because creator Mike Grell was only writing the series instead of also drawing it. Well, this issue (and last) Grell actually does pick up his pencil and draws Warlord as well. So, hurray for that.

However, as great as Grell's art is (and I think he gets better and better as time goes by) I'm still worried that this might be a case of too little, too late. The series should have led off with Grell art to get people on board to begin with; bringing him on for issue 7 is just playing to an empty house. And unfortunately, the story still isn't hitting on all cylinders. This two-parter involves a mysterious woman, some memory loss and some hazy philosophizing, but sadly it doesn't feature Shado, so similarities end there. Instead, this is a vignette that discusses the nature of Warlord's character (familiar ground for Grell) and does so with some unusually choppy storytelling (the jump from present to flashback midway though page two is jarring at best).

Mr. Grell, I'm begging you: please, please get this up to speed before DC and the reading public gives up on this book completely.

My Grade: The art gets a big fat A+. I can only give the final product, however, a B at best, and that's entirely on the strength of the art; the story lets it and the reader down.

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A Second Look: Gerry Conway

Recently it’s come to my attention that legendary Marvel writer and former EIC Gerry Conway has been the target of some online vitriol. For instance, one writer said that seeing Conway’s name in the credits “makes me want to burn my whole comic collection”. Then, this same person commented that another story “makes so little sense I suspect it was written by Gerry Conway.” Well, enough is enough. I decided to find out just who this online assassin is so I could confront him about these unwarranted attacks.

Now, at last, this person’s identity can be revealed: okay, it was me.

In the spirit of fairness, however, I’ve decided it’s only right to come to Mr. Conway’s defense and present a list of detailed reasons showing that Conway not only was a good writer but that I actually have been a fan of his all along and just didn’t know it. Who knows, maybe you’re a Conway fan too and didn’t know it either.

Before we get into the reasons behind Conway’s recent resurgence (that is, in my own mind) we should probably examine the reasons why I thought I disliked Conway to begin with, because upon closer inspection they don’t necessarily make sense, a common criticism of my thought process to be sure. And most of it has to do with the mighty Avengers.

Now, I’m not the biggest Steve Englehart fan in the world (I know plenty of people that think he’s like a cross between Jesus and Elvis) but I respect his work on Avengers. He gave us classic stuff like the Avengers-Defenders War, the Celestial Madonna saga and the Serpent Crown affair. All great stories. And then he was unceremoniously dumped from the book; the way I always heard it told, Englehart was removed because Conway thought the EIC should write a flagship book so he kicked Englehart off to give Avengers to himself. Which sounds just a wee bit douchey, especially since he left the book less than a year later without having the time to really justify the move from a story perspective.

Recently, though, I’ve heard that this change was in fact prompted in large part due to production delays and missed deadlines. Now, I don’t know the truth, but you know, what difference does it make. That’s their business. The only effect it’s really had on me is that those Conway issues (which I was never a huge fan of) and the apocryphal story behind them became the sole basis for my opinion of Conway. And that pretty much guaranteed it was a low opinion.

Here’s the crazy thing, though: some of my favorite comics growing up were by Conway, only I never realized it. Recently when going through my back issues, I realized again and again that Conway, who I had been unfairly maligning, was actually responsible for a lot of really cool stuff. And while it doesn’t all float my boat – anyone that was writing as many titles as Conway was is sure to have some misses – I’ve certainly developed a better appreciation of him. And then there’s this fact: a lot of the stuff that I don’t like from Conway was written before his 21st birthday. I mean, I popped open an issue of Astonishing Tales the other day and there was a Conway Ka-Zar story that he wrote when he was 17. 17! I think that that age I was still doodling the Human Torch on my notebook in math class. Hell, he was only 20 when he wrote the classic Death of Gwen Stacy storyline in Amazing Spider-man.

So while I’m still not quite ready to join the Official Conway Fan Club, I’m now at least willing to admit that such an organization would be justified in existing. I have to admit, the guy had chops. Plus, I recently added him on facebook and he looks like your neighbor’s dad, the one who paid you ten bucks to rake his yard so you could save up for that Huffy. And how can you hate on that guy?

And so, without further ado, here are my Three Reasons to Appreciate Gerry Conway:

3) Thor. Recently I’ve been putting together a collection of Thor back issues and I’ve learned that, while Thor has had several solid runs it has also had very few truly classic eras after Lee and Kirby. Because of this, the series sometimes tends to get overlooked, which means that entertaining, fun work from people like Conway gets forgotten. During his tenure on the book, Thor had a few truly memorable moments, such as the introduction of Firelord during a nice Galactus story. More importantly, Conway did a lot of work on and with Thor’s supporting cast to the point where it almost seemed like a team book. Whether it was the Warriors Three, Recorder, Tana Nile or Hercules, someone was always around to play off Thor and help him out in a pinch. The buddy book feel of the Hercules era was particularly memorable, basically saving the character from obscurity, and it’s interesting that much of the later DeFalco run (prior to the introduction of Thunderstrike) is almost an homage to the Gerry Conway era. Conway also did some interesting stuff with Sif (merging her with Jane Foster) and Odin (having him renounce his godhood to learn about humanity). The only downside really is that some stories that should have been all-time classics, such as Loki invading Earth with an army of Asgardians, fell a little flat. But overall it was a very nice and sadly underappreciated run.

2) Atari Force. Speaking of underappreciated, Atari Force is a fantastic sci-fi series that never seems to have gotten its due. Yes, the main bad guy, Baron Garza – er, I mean Dark Destroyer – sometimes had a bit of a resemblance to Darth Vader (like seemingly all sci-fi villains for the two decades following Star Wars). But the cast and character work in Atari Force is fantastic. This is a series that I loved as a kid, yet somehow I never realized until a recent re-read that it was Gerry Conway who was providing all the joy. Oh, to think of the years of anti-Conway misunderstanding that could have been avoided if only I had known this at the time.

1) Foom. You know, sometimes I’m not sure just what they were doing in Foom. Despite the fact that they were advertising the fan club to all comers, it really seemed to be aimed at a more mature sub-section of the reading public than to the masses of kids buying comics at that time. For instance, in Foom #6 there’s a cartoon showing a superhero leaving a whorehouse, while in Foom #7 there’s a long discussion about whether Vision has functioning junk, which seems to be some sort of obsession with some people (*cough *John Byrne *cough*); this article even includes a suggestion that Ultron had secretly stolen sperm from Jarvis and stocked Vision with it. Um… WTF?

Taking the cake, though, is a brilliant article in Foom #8 where, in place of the usual coming attractions, the staff of Foom went around and interviewed members of the Marvel bullpen asking them what they had in store. It’s one of the coolest glimpses into the world of Marvel I’ve ever read and a brilliant snapshot on the personalities of the era (which I will explore in more detail in an upcoming post). All of the other interviews pale in comparison to the brief encounter with Gerry Conway, however. In the space of just a few short lines Conway manages to trash both Foom and his own bosses (who are standing right there) as well as by implication Stan Lee himself. It’s an all time classic. Take a look:





And there you have it, three great reasons to appreciate Gerry Conway. And after all this, if you still don’t like him, well, I think Mr. Conway said it best: “you can (expletive deleted).”

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November Zuda Reviews part 2

Hey folks, welcome back to our overview of this month's Zuda competition. Yesterday we brought you reviews for the first five contestants, including Big Ups: A Space Adventure, Brother of Bronze Hammer, Children of the Sewer, In Maps & Legends and Little Earth People. Today, it's part two, where we round out the field by looking at the other five entries: Model Student, Molly and the Amazing Door Tree, Peabody & D'Gorath, Slam McCracken and Witch Phase.

But enough jibber jabber. Let's get right down to it.



Model Student
Joe Bowen

Okay, it's time for me to make an admission: I am getting older. Of course, this applies to everyone on Earth, but usually I don't notice it until I read something like Model Student. When I was a kid, I myself had a bit of a temper and I probably would have identified with the main character, a high school kid who can't keep from flying off the handle and using his mad fighting skills to clobber anyone who crosses him. Now, however, I'm more likely to think about the fact that a kid who is willing to put three people in the hospital because they make a joke about his hairstyle is a kid that needs therapy, maturity and possibly some time in Juvie. I mean, honestly, kid, don't be such a prick.

This feeling, however, is not the fault of creator Joe Bowen. Model Student is well drawn and well written and the premise -- which features the main character becoming an undercover agent for the principal in a sort of 21 Jump Street kind of way -- is intriguing (and also bears some similarity to a project I have been developing for Zuda, which is too bad for me, but that's how the business works). So overall, I have to say this is one of the strongest submissions of the month; I'm just not that into violent anti-heroes these days. Guys: have some tea, put on some Enya and just relax, okay?

My Grade: A-. I'd give it an A if I didn't want the main character to spend the next six years in detention reflecting on the fact that being violently anti-social doesn't make you cool, it just makes you a jerk.



Molly and the Amazing Door Tree
Mark Murphy

This is a comic that I wanted to read as soon as I saw the title. That's a good title, because it pretty much gives you the whole feel for the series before you even look at one page. Not only do you get an idea for the premise -- there's a tree that acts as a door, it's amazing and there's probably a young girl investigating it (since Molly is a name associated with youth) -- but you get a sense of the lighthearted tone as well. It sounds like Pan's Labyrinth minus the realistic ultra-violence.

So how was the actual story? It was fine. The art was cute and the plot was okay, if a bit safe -- it's pretty much just a vignette that introduces the premise and sets up the actual story. Cute but not compelling. I didn't get much sense of what the actual plot was going to be per se -- we know she's going to investigate the other side, but what is she going to do there? Is there a menace? Is it a travelogue? -- but I am interested to see what Molly finds.

It's also interesting to note that this bears some smiliarity in concept to In Maps & Legends, which also features a female protagonist opening a doorway to another world. But they are different enough in tone that hopefully they won't cancel each other out.

My Grade: B+. A nice enough read, but it could have been punched up a little more either in terms of more humor or more plot. Even though this is pleasant, I'm not sure it grabs readers enough to get them to vote for it.



Peabody & D'Gorath
Mark D. Penman

Peadbody & D'Gorath is another solid entry this month. Coming from Mark Penman, this is the story of two guys, one of whom is apparently some sort of demon while the other is, I think, a Jack Skellington marionette. They are hunting some kind of mystical artifact and end up coming face to face with a giant demon dude; all hell breaks loose, no pun intended.

I enjoyed this strip; the writing was lighthearted and moved along nicely, while the art was well done and suited the story to a T. It wasn't quite perfect; a couple lines of dialogue here and there were just a bit stilted, while the art was so stylized that in a couple panels I had some trouble determining easily what was going on due to the line quality and coloring. But overall, I enjoyed this read. It might be a little esoteric for the average reader, but I think it will get some support this month.

My Grade: We'll go with B+. I have a feeling that this could develop into a solid A over time if the creator gets more space to work out the minor kinks.



Slam McCracken
Greg Woronchak

Of all the titles debuting this month, Slam McCracken is probably the most fully realized. The art and writing mesh well, the concept is clear and the execution of the project is professional. While some Zuda entries occasionally feel as though they aren't quite finished or weren't quite developed enough before production began, Slam McCracken feels like it's all there.

Whether or not you'll like it, of course, is a different story. Personally, I enjoyed the story, which is a crime noir parody where all the characters are household items like food or appliances; Slam is an egg, his informant is a tomato, the femme fatale is a toothbrush, etc. It's cute and entertaining, though I had the nagging feeling that I've seen this sort of thing before; noir is a genre ripe for parody and the talking fruit and whatnot seemed a bit reminiscent of the recent trend to recast fables and kid's stories in alternate forms (see: Shrek, Fables, etc.). So if you like that sort of thing, chances are you'll enjoy Slam McCracken; if not, it may be a bit too precious for your taste.

My Grade: A very solid entry in a month of solid if unspectacular entries. A-.



Witch Phase
Bryan Golden

This is an interesting case study. Witch Phase is essentially a manga story, done in traditional manga style art and using anime and mange tropes, such as the character shouting out the name of their moves before they do anything (which, come to think of it, Dr. Strange also does). Considering the popularity of manga over the past few years, you might expect this entry to be pretty popular, but so far the comments on the Witch Phase page seem somewhat negative. Why is that?

Well, it's likely because of two factors. Firstly, while there are a lot of manga fans, they aren't necessarily the people who will be reading or voting on Zuda; for traditional comic readers, there can be a backlash against manga in some circles. More importantly here, though, the entry itself is just a bit too much style over substance. The first page is a nicely executed title page, but then the second page is pretty much the same thing -- a full splash. That's a quarter of the comic devoted to two pictures of the main character, which leaves little room for plot, most of which is contained only in the synopsis on the side which many readers never bother to read. Instead, there's just space for one fight sequence, which does introduce some plot elements but which also proves to be a bit too frenetic -- primary colors in chaotic page layouts leads to a bit of overload.

The artist here definitely has some talent, and the synopsis shows there's some ideas going on here as well, but overall Witch Phase suffers from a lack of focus. If the elements here were harnessed and tightened, this could be a fun read, but as it stands it's a little too hard to get into.

My Grade: C. The art has a lot of promise, it just needs a firmer editorial hand.

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