[Comic Execution] 5/23 – ‘THE LAST BROADCAST’, ‘ALIEN SCIENCE’, ‘THE SHADOW: MIDNIGHT IN MOSCOW’

I have no idea what is happening to me. Am I getting soft? I didn’t execute a SINGLE. COMIC. This week. That’s right, I was so wowed by all of these debut issues, they are ALL getting a pardon until their next volume. Usually, I read at least ONE #1 issue that I can’t stand. Maybe it’s because I picked up two pulp comics, which I’ll admit to being a sucker for. But I was actually pretty convinced I’d dislike the overpriced THE LAST BROADCAST before I even picked it up, and in fact, my first read-through, I wanted to execute it. But upon further dissemination, I started to appreciate the art more and…

If this gets any worse, I’m going to have to change the name of the column to I READ COMICS FOR YOU or perhaps COMICS ARE THINGS.

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THE LAST BROADCAST #1

Writer: André Sirangelo
Artist: Gabriel Iumazark

Publisher: Archaia/BOOM!
Price: $4 (Digital)

I was at least a little bummed out that this comic was NOT related to the 2002 album of the same name from the band DOVES. It’s (the comic) the creation of two Brazilians, fresh to the comics scene, near as I can tell, and published by BOOM! Studio’s prestige imprint, Archaia. That definitely says a bit about how highly regarded their work must be, at least by those sticking their proverbial necks out to get it on the shelves.
The first thing that caught my eye about the book was the codified riddle that graced the opening page of the comic, immediately establishing the series in the same vein of enigma-laced thrillers like ‘Mind MGMT’ and ‘The Massive,’ so there’s a point scored there, even if I can’t bother to decode it. Reviews gotta get written and all that.

The story itself is immediately, jarringly disorienting; our protagonist, Ivan, seems to know as much about the explosion that’s landed him in the hospital as the people investigating him do. The rest of the narrative is told in flashback, causing a strikingly bold contrast between his current predicament and the two urban explorers focused on first in the flashback. Then, slowly, we’re reintroduced to Ivan of the past as the tale cuts back and forth between the explorers and his career struggles as a magician. Writer André Sirangelo deftly juggles these narratives, following up the falters in Ivan’s steps with mysteries revealed and suspense heightened elsewhere. The two threads nearly meet by the end of this issue, but instead one big question is asked on the final page. Sirangelo not only has the concrete foundations of a genuinely engaging story combining the worlds of magicians and infiltrators but executes it superbly, though the intro doesn’t really settle rightly until halfway through.

Artist Gabriel Iumazark is an example of how precarious the balance of style and storytelling can be. Immediately, it actually takes a bit of getting used to, his scratchy and exaggerated aesthetic, evoking both Ben Templesmith and Tsutomu Nihei. The slightly messy, expressionistic fashion of his art at first doesn’t seem to suit such an entangled and, at times, melodramatic story. But Iumazark has enough control and skill to keep the affair from coming off the rails entirely and, to his credit, when it comes into play in the right scenes, his unique flair is breathtaking. At least part of the problem is how smudgy his colors can be. I usually appreciate texture with my art, but Iumazark goes a bit overboard. Still, I genuinely like what’s presented here, I just hope that it’s reined in a bit as the series progresses.

For a $4 title, THE LAST BROADCAST is an exciting, if raw, debut that violently demands attention for at least one more issue. If anything, it signals a promising set of newcomers to the world of comics and that’s always an exciting thing.

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THE SHADOW: MIDNIGHT IN MOSCOW #1

Writer: Howard Chaykin
Artist: Howard Chaykin

Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment
Price: $4

Howard Chaykin. He’s one of THOSE comic guys. A renaissance man who is prolific and talented but also a bit controversial for his more explicit work, despite having worked for just about every publisher around. His art style is distinctive almost to a fault; some readers are immediately put off by his soft lines, realistic anatomy and obsession with cleavage, though not to the degree of the absurd depicted by some mainstream artists. I find him to be a mixed bag personally so I approached his latest tale of THE SHADOW with caution.

The whole first issue of MIDNIGHT IN MOSCOW serves both to ground the series in a post-WWII world, effusively summoning the one depicted in classic film noir, while also expositing on the latest escapades of the Shadow. It doesn’t much seem like there’s a connection between the evolving political and financial climates of the world and the Shadow’s discovery of a crime boss’ ability to both miniaturize gold bricks and come back from the dead. These discoveries are presented alongside Lamont Cranston, aka the Shadow, struggling with his dual lives. Needless to say, it’s a pretty dense yarn but Chaykin manages to pace it properly, often dovetailing the exposition with character development. When he pauses the action to elaborate on the setting, it’s done with a poetic passion that is properly convincing; Chaykin really cares about bringing the audience into the mood and feeling of this era. If you’re not particularly charmed by that sort of thing, you’ll probably be annoyed by the frequent interruptions but I, personally, greatly appreciated Chaykin’s patient craftsmanship.

His art is in top form, assisting his words in building atmosphere and immersing the audience without forgoing the thrills and chills that come of a tale of the Shadow. His characters are larger than life and his cityscapes are vibrantly detailed, though his panel work is a bit languid, with the notable exception of the New Years Eve countdown, a delightfully rendered moment. Unfortunately, the snow-laden environs go a long way towards highlighting just how difficult it is to illustrate that particular precipitation in comic book form, at least not without rendering detail blurry and mute, Chaykin does his best. Considering how much sheer stuff is going on in each page, I’m certain Chaykin’s put as much work into this series as he has the past ones.

Chaykin is considered a modern pulp master and THE SHADOW: MIDNIGHT IN MOSCOW is a solid reminder of why that is; few people can make the genre seem so relevant and intriguing, keeping it a living, breathing thing and not a Xeroxed facsimile. Is this series worth your time, at $4 an issue, if you’re not a diehard Chaykin/pulp comics/The Shadow fan? It’s going to be up to the next issue to answer that question.

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ALIEN SCIENCE #1

Writer: Timothy Patrick Aymar
Artist: Timothy Patrick Aymar

Publisher: Aymar Graphics
Price: $3

Plucked from Comixology’s recent releases based entirely on the cover and premise alone, ALIEN SCIENCE is an independently published debut from one Timothy Patrick Aymar, a gentleman who has zero web presence and no easily discernable history in publishing. In fact, even scouring the usual crowdfunding suspects turns up nothing. Who is this Timothy Patrick Aymar? Actually, who cares?! What matters is whether he can make a good comic! Can he?

Tim’s writerly skills are solid enough. ALIEN SCIENCE takes its cues from classic B-movie schlock, subscribing to its broader tropes with deadpan intensity. All the narration is perfectly formed to carefully skirt the edge of camp, managing a knowing wink without actually crossing the line. At the same time, Tim cleverly subverts the source material by putting a matriarch in charge of the grotesque alien invaders. She’s certainly pin-up material (of the kitschy variety) but then, so are all the women in the comic. Not that there’s any distinctive sexism here; the men are just as idealized and stereotyped. ALIEN SCIENCE’s hook is that the alien queen, Eris has designs on certain women of Earth, her invasion a mere cover for their kidnapping. Certainly, ETs stealing beautiful women certainly is a sturdy pillar of the genre, but there’s an altogether fresh twist with a female alien herself initiating the heinous act. There’s a twist at the end, of course, and it’s just wacky enough to lock in my appreciation for Tim’s writing.

His art suits the story about as well as could be expected. It’s stiff and slow but Tim’s eye has a distinctly cinematic bent, relying on both punchy panel work and bold visual setups, even if some of the work is obviously copied and pasted. The characters are given just enough distinctiveness to make then differentiate but there’s also a purposeful monotony to them, as though many of them are extras with different hair and makeup. It’s all perfectly synchronized to evoke classic sci-fi comics but there are enough clever touches and enough distinctiveness to prevent fatigue from setting in.

ALIEN SCIENCE is the comic book equivalent of a Larry Blamire movie (THE LOST SKELETON OF CADAVRA); the tongue is firmly in cheek but there’s also a sense of devotion to the source material, solidly attempting to create a moment of atemporality, and he nearly succeeds, if not for just a bit too much comedic gold in the dialogue: “Prime specimen” is actually uttered by one of the kidnapping aliens as he lurches away with a captive woman. The book itself, digital only, is only $3. If you appreciate this brand of silliness, this is a must have. And if you don’t, wait for the next issue, because something tells me it’s only going to get sillier from here.