Graphic Novel Review: Deadpool Killustrated by Cullen Bunn and Matteo Lolli

It's been a while since I reviewed a graphic novel, hasn't it? And it's the first time I've ever written a post about a Marvel superhero. I just could not resist Deadpool Killustrated though - it's about an anti-hero running through classic novels and trying to eliminate their characters. Like The Eyre Affair meets Watchmen! But not really.

Summary: Deadpool killed the Marvel Universe.

The veil lifted from his eyes and he saw the world for what it was: a fiction. He took it upon himself to set everyone, hero and villain alike, free from the burden of living the tale. But his job isn't done yet.

So, comic-book writers. Awesome at stories, terrible at blurbs. That just doesn't do this graphic novel justice because the concept is actually really clever. Deadpool has become aware that he is living in a fictional reality and pretty much just wants to die - only he can't because the authors keep writing him back to life. His theory is that if he travels back into classic books and kills off their heroes, then there will be nothing for modern superheroes to be based on and so they will eventually cease to exist.

It sounds a little cheesy I suppose, but it works very well. It's explained in a way that actually makes sense, unlike my summary above. As an example, killing Bram Stoker's Dracula would cause all modern vampires to vanish as they're based on the original (an over-simplification, but you get the point) - no original, no later copies.

Deadpool runs through an awful lot of classics. Like, a lot. Some are dwelled on more than others, but it focuses on books with a lot of supernatural figures/technology/action or where the main characters work in a team. We see Moby Dick, Sherlock Holmes, Frankenstein, The Jungle Book, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Little Women... and a huge amount more. I didn't even recognise them all and I like to tell people that I'm well-read (seriously. I'm one of Those People.)!

It would have been nice to spend a little more time on each classic I think. This graphic novel compiles only four comic-books, which was the entire run of the series. I know, to generalise and stereotype horrifically, that the comic-book demographic isn't really into classic novels, but it could have been extended a little more. I don't expect a full issue per book or anything, but it would have made the work as a whole seem slightly less rushed. At one point there's a montage-style flitting through several classics when the obstacles and challenges of each book could have been examined more thoroughly.

I'm trying to work out how familiar with Marvel you need to be to enjoy Deadpool Killustrated. You don't actually need to know anything specific about Deadpool himself - I didn't, and I really liked this. Basically, though, he was part of the Weapon X programme, like Wolverine, and therefore heals super-fast and pretty much can't be hurt. There you go. That is the sole information you need. Now go play.

Basically, as long as you've seen a Marvel film here and there and you're aware of the existence of Spider-Man, Captain America, etc, you'll be fine.

The ending is a little airy-fairy (first time that word has ever been used in connection with Deadpool, I swear), but passable on the whole. That's the thing, when you come right down to it. Deadpool Killustrated is really good - but it could have been amazing. It feels a little rushed in places, but it manages to pull off a really 'out-there' concept without it ever feeling silly. You should read it, regardless of whether or not you feel like you're 'into' the superhero thing.

See what other graphic novels I've reviewed here.

Review: Hit-Girl - Kick-Ass 2 Prelude by Mark Millar and John Romita Jr.

Unless you've been living under a rock, you'll know about the upcoming Kick-Ass 2 film, due for release in the UK in August 2013. While that was an entirely separate comicbook series, Titan Books were kind enough to send me a copy of the prelude that slots in nicely between the two films. Read my review of the original Kick-Ass graphic novel here.

Plot summary: Hit-Girl spins off into her own blood-soaked saga! Mindy tries to settle down as a regular schoolgirl, but really wants to be dispensing justice to the scum of New York. She takes Kick-Ass on as her sidekick, and, in return,he is helping her to survive school - without spilling anyone's blood. But when Kick-Ass gets benched, leaving her to face the mafia solo, even Hit-Girl may be in over her head.

Created by Mark Millar and John Romita Junior, the duo that brought us the original Kick-Ass, the prelude takes place a short while after the first graphic novel. While it is necessary to have read that before picking up this (although why you'd pick this one up first anyway, I don't know), this isn't necessary to read Kick-Ass 2. Are we all caught up? Excellent.

I've watched the trailer for the new movie a couple of times now (and it looks amazing), and there are definitely scenes from this graphic novel in there. Clearly the main storyline is that contained in Kick-Ass 2, but with a little bit of backstory from this prelude.

Because that's pretty much what this is - backstory. Or perhaps, as it takes place after the original, we should call it inbetweenstory. It's much more domestic than the others - Hit-Girl is struggling to fit in at school, having missed out on what you'd call a normal childhood, and Kick-Ass has pretty much realised how crap he is and wants some proper training. Cue their deal.

Chris Genovese also features fairly frequently as he works on his plan to become a Super Villain. For me, this was the shining part of the book - he never actually comes into contact with Kick-Ass or Hit-Girl, but that doesn't matter. I can see this backstory actually tieing in to Kick-Ass 2 in a very important way, and it's fascinating to watch him develop. Parts are quite dry and amusing, which is a complete change of tone from the first movie.

There is a mini-plot involving some bad guys, but it very much takes a backseat as the focus is definitely on Kick-Ass and Hit-Girl's lives. It's still quite violent, but nowhere near as horrific as the first one. There's nothing that shocked me really, while a few images from the original actually made me blink.

I'm not automatically classing 'lack of violence' as a bad thing, of course. I'm just not sure there was a need for this prelude really. I enjoyed reading it but I don't think it's added anything to my understanding of Kick-Ass 1 or 2. It will be nice to recognise the scenes in the film from here, but I don't think it's really necessary for anything else.

It's a nice looking and interesting graphic novel for diehard Kick-Ass fans, but not really necessary for the casual reader/watcher.

Read my review of the Kick-Ass graphic novel.

Review: Kick-Ass by Mark Millar and John Romita Jr.

I saw the Kick-Ass movie when it first came out in 2010. I was vaguely aware that it was a graphic novel at the time, but had little to no interest in actually reading it, as for some reason I wasn't that bothered about this medium back then. More fool me. Now though... let's just say I'm more open-minded. So when we watched the film again last week in preparation for Kick-Ass 2, I just had to read the graphic novel that kicked off the whole thing.

Plot summary: Dave Lizewski is just another ordinary American teenager. He likes girls, videogames and comic books. But sometimes an ordinary life isn't enough. His transformation into KICK-ASS, the world's first real-life superhero, makes him an overnight internet sensation.

The public loves him. The underworld fears him. Then he meets pint-sized lethal weapon Hit-Girl and her intimidating partner Big Daddy, and things start to get really serious. And very, very violent.

So yes, this is a superhero series, but not like you're thinking. This is set in our world, the real world, where kryptonite and Bat Caves exist only in fiction. Dave is just a normal boy on the street, who suddenly wonders why nobody has ever tried to emulate one of the heroes from his comicbooks. It's actually a very clever idea and makes you actually see his point - why has nobody done this before?*

It's very story-centered, for a graphic novel. By that I don't mean that the art isn't good (because it is), it's just that the focus is clearly on the plot and characters, not aesthetics. There are some fairly striking panels, but nothing that's going to blow your mind (except at very close range with a very large gun, but we'll get to that). To clarify, it's a good thing - I've read too many graphic novels that are very well-drawn but have no actual substance beyond that and the story in Kick-Ass can more than stand on its own two feet.

While the plot is very similar to the movie on the whole, the general tone of it is different. It's much less cartoon-y, ironically. While I wouldn't say it's anywhere near 'serious,' the whole Hit-Girl going on a ninja-rampage to a background of cheerful goofy music just doesn't fit with what I've read. There's more genuine fear, more torture and more adult conversation with fewer one-liners, time-fillers and quirky music. The ending is slightly different as well and there's less about him actually deciding to become Kick-Ass.

And the violence, wow. It's worse than the film and that was an 18. It's not necessarily that what's drawn is more graphic (although it is in some cases), but the violence/torture suggested is fairly horrific from page one. I'm not going to give examples, but just trust me on this one - it's bad. However, it is actually necessary for the plot and it does fit. Yes, there is an awful lot of it but it's not shoved in for shock value - I genuinely believe it wouldn't have worked without it and I'm not normally one for gratuitous violence.

I like Hit-Girl quite a lot. She's obviously violent and trained in every weapon you could imagine, but yet she's actually quite innocent and that shines through occasionally. Big Daddy is less irritating than in the film too, which is a plus. I like Nicholas Cage as much as the next person, but if he said 'child' in that stupid voice one more time I was going to show him what 'violent' really meant. 

Honestly, there's not a whole lot I can find to complain about in Kick-Ass. It's definitely not for children or for those particularly squeamish, but if you can deal with violence when it's necessary for the plot then I would definitely pick this up. It's perfect for anybody picking up a graphic novel for the first time or for more seasoned readers. Either way, I can't recommend this highly enough.


* Except they have.**
** I actually live here!

See my other graphic novel reviews here.

Review: Pride of Baghdad by Brian K. Vaughan and Niko Henrichon

Produced: Vertigo 

Written: Brian K. Vaughan             Artist: Niko Henrichon

Based on a true story, acclaimed writer Brian K. Vaughan (Saga) and artist Niko Henrichon present a tale of love, war... and pride. In war-torn Iraq, many casualties have gone unreported - among them, an escaped pride of lions. This struggling family of four great cats must find a way to stay together and avoid the deadly conflict that's exploding around them in a world they can never hope to comprehend.

Pride of Baghdad isn't the only book to explore what happened when the war and subsequent bombings in Iraq caused animals to escape their encloses at a zoo and roam free around Baghdad. Babylon's Ark: The Incredible Wartime Rescue of the Baghdad Zoo by Lawrence Anthony offers a different take, and is definitely worth a read to get a true account of events, as this graphic novel is more of a concept than an actual report.

I would like to start by saying Pride of Baghdad has the potential to be a really great story - it has an interesting plot and some out-of-this-world art. At face value, this is an extremely well drawn view of what happens when lions are set free into a world they don't understand, reminiscent of the journey in Watership Down.

The problem is Vaughan's writing - every so often he hits you with a nice and subtle anti-war sledge hammer. If Vaughan had just kept to the great story theme of family and the journey into an unknown world and left Henrichon's art to tell the war story in the background, it would be an absolutely perfectly written and delivered story with the quiet undercurrent of an intelligent look at war through the eyes of animals.

Instead Vaughan seems to assume readers are stupid and won't grasp the message. In many ways, it would suit a story written for children-  the animals explain the concept of war to an audience it assumes has no knowledge of it. But then there's the scenes of sex and gang rape amongst lions, so obviously it is aimed at adults. There's even a scene when the the zoo is being bombed and a giraffes head explodes; nothing else, just it's head. But then the next bomb is big enough to send all the lions flying through the air. Where's the consistency? Clearly that scene only occurred to suit Vaughan's sledge hammer of shock, and best demonstrates Vaughan's unsuitability to tell the rest of this story.

The best example of Vaughan's inability to tell either an anti-war story or a simple journey of lions set free, is a scene where a turtle explains how when 'walkers' (people) fought, a 'poison' (oil) escapes and ultimately killed his entire family in the water. You get a full page image of his dead family lying in oil, little turtle babies and all, with a caption carried across from the previous page - the lion cub asks why the 'walkers' are fighting and the turtle responds with "Damned if I know son... Damned if I care."

The very next page shows lions having sex and the lioness demanding she wants more... It almost feels like a teenagers wet dream of sex and violence, for no purpose other than to shock. If you're going to treat the readers like children then remove the sex, violence and rape, and it could be a brilliant child-appropriate story. But if you want it to be a story that conveys a strong message to adults, then treat the reader as if they have the appropriate amount of intelligence.

It's not all bad though, as Niko Henrichon's art is simply stunning. It really is perfectly suited to tell this story through the unusual perspective of animals. He captures full, perfect emotion and reaction in the animals' faces and his art is the the real triumph of Pride of Baghdad. The art is what really drives this story and creates a bond between the reader and the characters. There are a few full page images and also some spread across two pages. These really have to be seen to be appreciated. Henrichon's take on Pride of Baghdad using different panel perspectives and colours schemes to convey the atmosphere of each scene is amazing - I can't speak highly enough of the art, it's truly impressive.

To summarise, it wasn't subtle enough to be smart and it wasn't consistent enough to be a good story. Though Pride of Baghdad is worth a read just for Henrichon's art alone, I would recommend this to somebody that's prepared to view this as a simple, don't ask questions story. A quote from Vaughan's own writing in Pride of Baghdad describes his take on this subject best - 'You ignorant young 'Radicals' disgust me. My dung has a deeper understanding of this world than you.'

Read my (more positive) review of Babylon's Ark, or purchase Pride of Baghdad from Forbidden Planet. 

Review: American Vampire: Volume 1 by Stephen King & Scott Snyder

Produced: Vertigo                     Artist: Rafael Albuquerque

Written: Scott Snyder      &       Written: Stephen King 

From writers Scott Snyder and Stephen King, American Vampire introduces a new strain of vampire – a more vicious species – and traces the creatures' bloodline through decades of American history.This first hardcover volume of the critically acclaimed series collects issues #1-5 and follows two stories: one written by Snyder and one written by King, both with art by future superstar Rafael Albuquerque. Snyder's tale follows Pearl, a young woman living in 1920s Los Angeles, who is brutally turned into a vampire and sets out on a path of righteous revenge against the European monsters who tortured and abused her. In King's story set in the days of America's Wild West, readers learn the origin of Skinner Sweet, the original American vampire – a stronger, faster creature than any vampire ever seen before.

Vampires don't sparkle! Okay, I said it, let's just get that out of the way first. When Bram Stoker wrote Dracula in 1897, it shocked readers - a undead man preying on women and eventually turning them into monsters. For some reason though, vampires have gotten a bit, well, fluffy lately, but American Vampire, thank God, was written to right that wrong.

American Vampire is essentially a story of two characters from different times, cleverly intertwined to represent one timeline of events around the turn of the century. Scott Snyder writes the story of Pearl - a young, decent, hardworking small-town girl who, like many, moved to LA in the hopes of becoming a star. Stephen King writes about Skinner Sweet, a bank robber of the Wild West in the late 1800s when time was tough and it produced even tougher people - not all of them good.
Both Snyder and King do a brilliant job of writing a somewhat complex story. Each chapter (or issue, if you're reading it in comicbook format) contains both stories, and as they move further forward you begin to see they both cleverly intertwine in this dark graphic novel. It's an interesting way of writing - two authors, together with one artist to ensure continuity, and it works beautifully.

Snyder does a great job making Pearl a likeable character. Though naive at times, you really do feel for her. Violently attacked and left for dead, she wakes up into a world that's wronged a good person and she slowly begins to wonder if it's all that it seemed to begin with. Her story is one of betrayal and you find yourself rooting for her as she embarks on a journey of revenge. The one negative is an incredibly fast acceptance of vampires by Snyder's characters. Both Pearl and her love interest seem to accept the idea all in one page. Comics don't have the time or space available in books, I know, but King's characters seem to have a more natural reaction to vampires and it doesn't impede the story. Maybe that's just King's writing experience showing.
 
King's take on a vampire outlaw is brilliant. Skinner is evil without reason and throughout the story other characters try to understand, bargain and even control him but what makes him great is his want for nothing but destruction. He's a dark, violent character that's a true demonstration of what unchecked power does to evil men. You don't feel for Skinner at all, but what makes him such an interesting character is his unstoppable path of destruction. He has 'plans, plans, so many plans...' as he often says and you just can't wait to see what brutal turn they'll take.

The art by Rafael Albuquerque is truly exceptional; I can't praise it enough. In Pearl's story there's the awesome style and magic of 1920's America, with the beautiful clothes, cars and wonder - a stunning contrast to the dirt, grit and adventure of the 1800s in Skinner's tale.

The colouring also changes, with a clean sharp look at Pearl's life and a darker, muddied take on Skinner's, which aids in the perfect telling of the story. The art really does take this story to the next level and sets this apart as an Eisner award winning series.

The story never once becomes staggered or disjointed. Each character's story ends on a climax, so you're forever ending Skinner Sweet's chapter and turning over and remembering you left Pearl's story on a cliffhanger and vice-versa. I couldn't put it down; with twice as much story on offer it's twice as hard to stop reading. The difference in characters also opens this up to all readers - with Pearl you get a character driven story of love, friendship and betrayal, while with Skinner Sweet a cold, dark brutal look at what happens when an evil man is given uncontrolled power.

Volume One is a cleverly rounded story that can stand on it's own, but it does give the option to go further into the series if you choose. It's a great introduction into an ever growing story and I, for one, am hooked. It's definitely a mature read though, with bloody violence and adult content. I'd highly recommend this to any fan of horror or action, or anyone looking to read an actual well-written vampire story with an interesting plot. Vampires, Cowboys and 1920's America, what are you waiting for?

Buy American Vampire from Forbidden Planet.

Review: French Milk by Lucy Knisley (graphic novel)

First off, on a slightly cringe-worthy note... I've finally sold my soul to the God of Social Networking. Yes, it's true - Booking In Heels has a Facebook page. It's here. Obviously I'd love it if people could click that little 'like' button so I don't feel quite so alone, and I'd love to follow back. It's just that I'm starting to be proud of this blog and I want my friends and family to be able to see what I'm up to on here without, God forbid, actually visiting my site. *shuffles shamefully away*

During winter break of her senior year of college, cartoonist Lucy Knisley and her mother embarked on a six-week adventure in Paris to celebrate milestone birthdays: Lucy's twenty-second, and her mother's fiftieth, each angst-inducing for their own reasons. Staying in a small rented apartment with plenty of quirks in the fifth arrondissement, they surprise themselves by falling into their new surroundings with an unexpected ease, content filling their days with visits to the market, cafe, and museums. French Milk tells the story of it all through Lucy's illustrations and photos. Filled with gorgeously charming drawings and photos of the sights, smells, and tastes of the City of Light, French Milk will make anyone pine for a tall glass of it - with a fondant, of course. 

So. Lucy goes to France with her Mum and draws about it. Le fin, as they say. It's basically a travel diary in cartoon-form. There's a huge emphasis on what they ate and bought, with pretty little descriptions and drawings. There's no story or plot to it, it's just a day-to-day diary of their trip.

It's cute. Obviously Lucy can draw well, else the book wouldn't have been published in the first place, but the style's quite endearing. It's obvious that she didn't spend hours pouring over her sketchbook  - this diary is what she doodled in the evening as a way to remember her trip. It gives it a charming, whimsical kind of feeling.

Unfortunately, Lucy is neither charming nor whimsical. God, I wanted to impale her on the Eiffel Tower. She's so whiny - she misses her boyfriend, Paris is too busy, her mother's annoying, it's too cold... I just wanted to throttle her and tell her to shut up and enjoy her time in Paris.

I really enjoyed reading it, but I think I'd have liked it more if it had a little less about the food, and a little more about the sights of Paris. I mean, I know she was drawing for her own sake, not for any future readers, but still.