Review- CRIME DOES NOT PAY ARCHIVES VOL. 1

CRIME DOES NOT PAY ARCHIVES VOL. 1 (Dark Horse, 2012; Hardcover)

Collects Crime Does Not Pay #22-25 (cover dates July, 1942- January, 1943)

Writers: Woody Hamilton, Dick Wood, and Ivy

Artists: Woody Hamilton, Charles Biro, Harry Lucey, Carl Hubbell, Bob Montana, George Tuska, Richard Norman, Norman Mauer, Alan Mandel, Dick Wood, Bart Tumey, Sam Burlockoff, Dick Briefer, Frank Giacoia, and Dan Barry

Crime Does Not Pay was not only the first crime comic book on the stands but also the highest-selling comic book of it's day with a circulation of over a million copies every month. These early issues are nowhere near the level of quality that the title would soon achieve. Indeed, these early issues have some fumbling around as they find their way, with #22 even featuring a superhero story. The War Eagle makes his first and only appearance here, for reasons seen below.

This series is an anthology of 'true crime' stories, we are treated to criminal acts of all kinds and from different points in time. All of them involve gunplay, and there is almost always the warning at the end of each story that CRIME DOES NOT PAY! I love the old slang and fashions in these Golden Age comics. These old comics are not politically correct by any stretch of the imagination, and I find them to be unintentionally funny because of it.

Prohibition was still fresh on the minds of the country, and stories about John Dillinger and his ilk resonated with the public. Mr. Crime, who goes on to be the host of the series, debuts in #24.

The writing is decent and the artwork is hit or miss. On the art side there are a few greats, seen here before they became greats. This particular volume is for those interested in how one of the defining comic books of the Golden Age got its start. Things will get much better in subsequent volumes.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 4.25 out of 5.

The OCD zone- There are a few credits in the Table of Contents that conflict with the credits provided on The Grand Comics Database. There is also a one page strip listed in #24 called Conny The Convict which did not appear in the original issue. The GCD is a good tool but it is not perfect.

Linework and Color restoration: Linework is very, very good and the original color palette is faithfully maintained.

Paper stock: Thick uncoated stock. It has a creamy off-white color, being close to Mint condition pulp paper in appearance while being of sufficient thickness that it feels like 'Archival' quality paper.

Binding: Oversewn Smyth sewn binding. Binding is stiff and the book does not lay flat.

Dustjacket and Hardback cover notes: Nice faux leather casewrap with die foil stamping. Dustjacket has a decent lamination but is thin. I need to get a roll of Brodart sleeves and embark on the next OCD frontier.

 

Review- THE FADE OUT: ACT ONE

THE FADE OUT: ACT ONE (Image, 2015; Softcover)

Collects The Fade Out #1-4 (cover dates August, 2014- January, 2015)

Writer: Ed Brubaker

Artist: Sean Phillips

Colorist: Elizabeth Breitweiser

Ed Brubaker remains the brightest spot in modern comics. He has decided to take Noir to it's logical extreme, experimenting with every conceivable facet of it. This time it comes in the form of The Fade Out, with the reader being transported back to the Golden Age of Hollywood, back when the rules and laws of normal society didn't apply because of money. The more things change, right? A studio tries to cover up the murder of an actress, moving the body to make it look like a suicide while leaving screenwriter Charlie Parish in a predicament since he was sleeping one off in the other room.

This is where the real problem for this title starts. Brubaker is a brilliant writer. Everything that he has ever done has pushed beyond what he has done before. The Fade Out seems to take various elements of what has worked splendidly for him in the past and are presented here without anything different or new. This isn't a knock as much as it is an observation. Think of it in terms of albums by The Rolling Stones. Whereas Fatale was his Sticky Fingers, The Fade Out is more of his It's Only Rock 'N' Roll. Highly polished bits and pieces of what worked before, presented in a cohesive and enjoyable package. The trick now is whether this is Brubaker catching his breath, reiterating what he does best before making another leap or whether he is entering a holding pattern. Will the next arc be his Black And Blue? Let's hope not.

Sean Phillips and Elizabeth Breitweiser are a great pair, with Phillips' art and Breitweiser's color becoming more polished and refined. Phillips especially has grown by leaps and bounds over the last few years.

I may sound a bit harsh, but part of this is Brubaker's own fault for being so inventive with every outing. If this were Joe Blow, who turned in competent yet average work time and again, I would be satisfied and give full approval. Brubaker is a victim of his own success, though, as I expect to be blown away. The twists and turns are all present here, but I haven't felt the gut punch yet. I am not giving up hope, though. This is only Act One. And this is still better than 99% of what is currently on the stands.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 4.5 out of 5.

The OCD zone- Image makes the nicest trade paperbacks these days. Solid.

Paper stock: Thick matte coated stock.

Binding: Perfect bound trade paperback.

Cardstock cover notes: Dull matte finish. It doesn't feel as chalky as many books with this type of coating do. 

Review- INCOGNITO: THE CLASSIFIED EDITION

INCOGNITO: THE CLASSIFIED EDITION (Icon/ Marvel, 2012; Hardcover)

Collects Incognito #1-6 and Incognito: Bad Influences #1-5 (cover dates December, 2008- April, 2011)

Writer: Ed Brubaker

Artist: Sean Phillips

Colorist: Val Staples

Venturing into my comic room and going through my backlog of unread books can be just like going to a comic shop, as I sometimes stumble upon books that I have no recollection of ever buying, like this one. Imagine my delight upon discovering a previously unread Ed Brubaker amd Sean Phillips book to read. Wow! Plus I didn't have to pay for it since I already bought it, so it was like getting a free book or something.

Brubaker likes to sneak contraband toys into the sandbox. If he is writing a superhero comic he plays it like a spy movie (Captain America). If he is writing a Noir comic it quickly becomes a Horror comic (Fatale). Incognito is a comic fan's comic. It requires a working knowledge of the Marvel Universe, as there are doppelgangers throughout that might not make much sense to an uninitiated civilian. Think of it as Astro City if Astro City got hooked on drugs, had sex, and swore.

This is some pretty hard-edged, balls out stuff, certainly not all ages reading. This is a more grounded, realistic take on the Marvel Universe (only it's not the Marvel Universe) where a villain named Zack Overkill sort of becomes a hero. Lots of page-turning, signature Brubaker writing here. This is some great stuff that everyone should check out.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 5 out of 5.

The OCD zone- I was surprised to see that this book is out of print.

Paper stock: Good weight semi-glossy coated stock.

Binding: Smyth sewn binding, lays perfectly flat.

Hardback cover notes: No dustjacket. Image is printed on the casewrap. Casewrap has a nice thick coating and is resistant to scuffing.

Review- WAR AGAINST CRIME ANNUAL VOL. 2

WAR AGAINST CRIME ANNUAL VOL. 2 (Gemstone, 2000; Softcover)

Collects War Against Crime Nos. 6-11 (cover dates April/May, 1949- February/March, 1950)

Writers: Al Feldstein, Harry Harrison*, and other unidentified writers

Artists: Johnny Craig, Ed Waldman, Al Feldstein, H.C. Kiefer, Graham Ingels, Rudy Palais, John Alton, Fred Peters, Harry Harrison*, and George Roussos

*Maybe. See GCD for #11 for details.

I love old school crime comics. The gangsters, the Tommy guns and the slang and fashions of the day are way cool. Old school criminals were snappy dressers. No pants around their knees, no sir. 

Beginning with issue #10 EC began inserting The Vault Of Horror, and within a few months the fortunes of EC Comics would change. History was about to be made. While EC was not the first to the Horror comics party, they were the best. They are still the best in my opinion.

It's hard to pick favorites in this book because I enjoyed all of the stories equally. War Against Crime is a well written, well drawn comic book which make so many modern comics laughable by comparison.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 4.5 out of 5.

While this book is long out of print there are plenty of other great EC books available at InStockTrades!

The OCD zone- If you do not know what an EC Annual is, then pull up a chair and I'll give you the skinny on these great books. Gemstone overprinted their single issue reprints in the '90s with an eye toward selling their own back issues. They re-purposed this overstock by trimming and gluing 5 entire issues into a cardstock cover. While this is not technically a trade paperback (it has no ISBN), it is squarebound and has the title on the spine. Close enough for Rock and Roll in my book.

DVD-style Extras included in this book: None.

Linework and Color: All linework is superb except for Rise And Fall Of Blackie Archer in #8. That one had some linework work done to it, which means that this one is one of only a handful of EC stories where there was no access to original artwork. While it is a serviceable restoration it could be better.

The color palette is faithful to the original issues with the exceptions of the occasional horrid gradient shade and the covers. Marie Severin recolored the covers all for the EC Library sets, and those same versions are found here. The handful of gradients toward the end of the book were due to the fact that the reprint line was winding down and it was cheaper and easier than doing it right. There aren't many, but man can my trained eye spot that crap. Unfaithful gradient shades are -10% enjoyment on The OCD scale.

Paper stock: Mando paper, which is basically glorified pulp paper. Pro- It feels like real comic book paper, because it is. Con- It makes me lay awake at night counting ceiling fan rotations because I am afraid that I can hear it disintegrating.

Binding: Perfect bound. The glue is creaky on this one, and I may have to apply some library binding glue to my copy since the cover separated from the top of the book a little. Remember kids, always use acid free library glue. Ask a parent for permission before starting.

Cardstock cover notes: Decent thickness to the cardboard, minimal coating. 

Review- FATALE: BOOK FOUR- PRAY FOR RAIN

FATALE: BOOK FOUR- PRAY FOR RAIN (Image, 2014; Softcover)

Collects Fatale Nos. 15-19 (cover dates June, 2013- January, 2014)

Writer: Ed Brubaker

Artist: Sean Phillips

Colorist: Elizabeth Breitweiser

Book four of Fatale finds Josephine in Seattle of the 1990s, where she has a run in with a one hit wonder band in a post-Kurt Cobain world named Amsterdam. I was “of age” during that era but have no nostalgia for that world. Still, the notion of a band being in the right place at the right time and being left out to dry rings true. I can name dozens of bands that seemed to come out of nowhere, sell millions of albums seemingly overnight, and couldn't even get arrested today. None of those bands had the misfortune of encountering Jo, though. There are women who drive men crazy, and then there are women who drive men to this. All ages reading this is not. 

If you like crime comics, if you like horror comics, or if you just like good comic books period, then this is for you. Fatale and a handful of other great titles currently being produced give me great hope for the future of the medium.

The team of Brubaker and Phillips has recently signed a five year deal with Image, which means that we will be getting boatloads of goodness for years to come. I couldn't be happier. Whether we get five more years of Fatale or other things is anyone's guess, but these cats get a free pass and are an automatic buy for me. If you haven't picked this series up yet, the first three books are all still available, and there is a deluxe hardcover coming out shortly which will compile the first two trades. Since I hate my money almost as much as I love high end hardcovers, I will of course be double dipping. Kill me now.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 5 out of 5. 

The OCD zone- Image makes nice quality books.

The covers are collected in a gallery in the back of the book rather than at their proper chapter marker places. This is a huge point of debate in collected edition circles. Some people like them in the back, others, like myself, do not. Your mileage may vary. As is always the case with my Consumer Reports style reporting, I merely present the facts about production values of these books so that you may make an informed decision for yourself.

The Ghost variant for #15 is not included in this book's cover gallery.

DVD-style Extras included in this book: None.

Paper rating: 5 out of 5. Decent weight coated stock paper with a slight sheen. It photographed poorly but looks great. In all honesty I have been sick as Hell with a wicked sinus infection this week and took those pictures in a dimly lit room while in a Sudafed haze.

Binding rating: 4 out of 5. Perfect bound trade paperback.

Cardstock cover coating rating: 5 out of 5. High quality thick lamination which will provide years of enjoyment when handled with reasonable care.

Buy FATALE: BOOK FOUR- PRAY FOR RAIN TP at InStockTrades!

Review- FATALE: BOOK THREE- WEST OF HELL

FATALE: BOOK THREE- WEST OF HELL (Image, 2013; Softcover)

Collects Fatale Nos. 11-14 (cover dates January- May, 2013)

Writer: Ed Brubaker

Artist: Sean Phillips

Colorists: Elizabeth Breitweiser and Dave Stewart

Great comic books excite me. Living through a great era of comic books is even more exciting, because I always have this feeling that the best is yet to come. Brubaker and Phillips are the Lennon and McCartney of crime comics. Fatale is crime/Noir with Horror overtones. It's like a bowl of French Vanilla ice cream with chocolate chip cookies thrown in. 

Josephine is apparently not the first woman with these abilities, or condition, as it may be. We're still not sure what she is exactly, but we're getting warmer. Things get turned on their head as we are shown more glimpses into her past as we are spun around and are looking toward the beginning now. 

The artwork and coloring are great. They fit the mood of the story perfectly. I love how these issues are all done-in-ones that form a greater whole when read together. This is an almost lost art in modern comics, with padded made-for-the-trade arcs and endless crossovers. Fatale remains one of the best titles out there today. If you are currently not reading this, then I strongly urge you to consider it. I know that there are a plethora of titles on the racks today and things can get by you. They get by me all the time. It is not too late to dive in and discover Fatale.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 5 out of 5.

The OCD zone- Image makes nice trade paperbacks.

Paper rating: 5 out of 5. Very nice coated stock paper, dull matte with a very slight sheen. It feels wonderful.

Binding rating: 4 out of 5. Glued binding.

Cardstock cover coating rating: 4.75 out of 5. The lamination on the cover isn't as nice as what DC or Marvel is using these days but should prove to be durable with repeated handling and wear and tear on your bookshelf.

Buy FATALE: BOOK THREE- WEST OF HELL TP at InStockTrades!

Review- SILENCE & CO.: MONEY IS POWER

SILENCE & CO.: MONEY IS POWER (Crystal Productions, 2013; Softcover)

Original graphic novel.

Writer: Gur Benshemesh

Artist: Ron Randall

Well this certainly came out of nowhere. A quick blurb in Previews and a Youtube trailer. Benshemesh's first comic book work is impressive. Ron Randall was also an unknown to me, although a quick search reveals that he has done tons of work for DC, Dark Horse, and Marvel. Silence & Co. is a self-contained graphic novel filled with what every red-blooded, freedom loving American male loves: The Life.

What is The Life (Capital T, capital L), you ask? Wine, women, money, and power, of course. Isn't this what everyone wants, deep down inside? Alexander Maranzano is a hitman. A Federal judge gets knocked off and he becomes the prime suspect, so the Maranzano family sends him off to Morocco to lay low for a while. He gets hired by Silence & Co., a “bank” pulling the financial strings for organized crime around the world. 

Some of the standards and, some would argue, cliches of the crime/Noir genre come into play. The double cross. Falling for the enemy's good girl gone bad. Being set up for the fall. All of it is done in a believable manner that is organic to the story, and it all works. One refreshing thing about this book is that it takes place in the here and now. So many crime stories become impossible to tell with the advent of modern technology. This story uses them to its advantage. Mind you, I'm not faulting the stories that do not take place in 2013; I'm merely praising this one for pulling it off successfully.

I have never heard of Crystal Productions before but will definitely keep my eyes peeled for future releases from them.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 4.25 out of 5.

The OCD zone- This book is over 170 pages at a bargain basement MSRP of $9.99. It also comes factory sealed in shrinkwrap, ensuring that no pesky humans have handled your book.

Paper rating: 5 out of 5. Thick uncoated stock paper.

Binding rating: 4 out of 5. Glued binding.

Cardstock cover coating rating: 5 out of 5. This book has the same thick laminated coating found on books by the big boys. I was also impressed by the foil stamping on the cover.

Buy SILENCE & CO.: MONEY IS POWER at InStockTrades!

Review- CRIMINAL: THE DELUXE EDITION

CRIMINAL: THE DELUXE EDITION (Icon/ Marvel, Fourth Printing, 2011; Hardcover)

Collects Criminal (Vol. 1) Nos. 1-10 and Criminal (Vol. 2) Nos. 1-3 (cover dates October, 2006- April, 2008)

Writer: Ed Brubaker

Artist: Sean Phillips

I can't possibly keep up with everything going on in comic books. Titles like Criminal are a fine example of this. I heard the buzz, the unanimous praise, and still never got around to checking it out. My OCD brother-in-arms Ferjo Byroy gave me this gorgeous hardcover for my birthday last month, and since I am in the process of relocating my Fortress of Solitude and many of my books are already boxed up, I grabbed this for my comic book fix.

I am a pretty big fan of Brubaker, and loved the collaboration he and Sean Phillips did on Fatale. This is hard-boiled crime, set in various points in time from the '50s to the present. The third arc takes place between 1967 and 1972, for example. Like Sin City, the events of one arc rotate in and out of the other, with knowledge of any of the other arcs not being necessary to understand what is going on in the current arc. The Undertow(n) bar is the nexus of this crime infested burg, and the bartender and denizens of it are involved in various arcs. I wouldn't be surprised to see background characters in some of these stories be the stars of future ones. It feels similar to Sin City in some ways, but that is not a slam. There's nothing wrong with being reminded of something good.

I won't go into any plot specifics or synopses, as I would prefer that you have the joy of discovery for yourself. Suffice it to say that if you enjoyed the aforementioned Sin City or other crime/noir titles, then you will really enjoy Criminal. I am now trying to resist the urge to embark on a life of crime filled with fast women, fast cars, and fast cash, as my wife would frown on two out of the three.

There is a second deluxe edition hardcover coming out this October which will collect the rest of the series. Thanks for sucking me into another expensive hardcover, Ferjo. Your birthday* is coming, and I'll get you for this...

Junk Food For Thought rating: 4.5 out of 5.

The OCD zone- This is a beautifully produced hardcover, with stunning coated stock paper and top notch sewn binding. Marvel has perfected the art of sewn binding and books laying completely flat from the first page to the last, which seems to be a lost art to many publishers these days. It really enhances the reading experience for me when I don't have to wrestle with a book in order to read it. I tend to read hardcovers in bed at night, and lay them flat. My only gripe, if it can be called that, is that the cover image is printed on the book in lieu of a dustjacket. This would be fine by me if the coating were a bit thicker. I handle my books with the utmost care, but am fearful of scratching the cover with that dull matte coating.

I dislike the covers being in a gallery in the back of the book as opposed to their proper, chapter marker place. It's an OCD pet peeve of mine. All comic book fans have their quirks and ticks, and this is a big one for me. The only difference between me and many fans is that I built a blog around these ticks.

Paper rating: 5 out of 5.

Binding rating: 5 out of 5.

Hardcover coating rating: 3 out of 5.

*Ferjo and I have a longstanding game of sucking each other into more lines of books. We are both completely, totally ill. We both had ridiculous collections of books when we met, and are way worse now. We use birthdays as gateway drugs. We were both ill when we met, and we are much, much worse all of these years later. I was like a smack addict and he was like a cokehead when we met. Then it was like I introduced him to smack, and he introduced me to coke. Now we are both addicted to both coke and smack, encouraging and enabling one other in our illness. Don't do drugs. Drugs are expensive, and the money that you'd spend on drugs would be better spent on comic books.

Review- FATALE: BOOK ONE- DEATH CHASES ME

FATALE: BOOK ONE- DEATH CHASES ME (Image, 2012; Softcover)

Collects Fatale Nos. 1-5 (cover dates January- June, 2012)

Writer: Ed Brubaker

Artist: Sean Phillips

Colorist: Dave Stewart

It must suck to be Ed Brubaker. You wake up in the morning, put on a pot of coffee, and shit out another great script. The guy really does seem to make this all seem so effortless, you know? Fatale is an unholy marriage of crime/noir and occult/Horror overtones. It works as both, and is just a swell read. At the onset, it all seems rather formulaic. Boy meets girl, girl is bad news, girl convinces boy to do things against his better judgment...yeah, on the surface this is something that we've all seen a million times. It becomes quickly apparent that this girl named Jo is far, far more than she seems, just like everyone else in this story. I love how it bounces back and forth between now and the '50s. 

Sean Phillips' artwork is a treat, and I must give props to Dave Stewart's extremely tasteful coloring. Every word and brushstroke in this book have meaning, and I even re-read this before filing it away. Brubaker is leaving Marvel to focus on his creator owned titles, and while I am sad to see his reign on Captain America come to an end, it will be worth it if we get more Fatale.

At the risk of sounding too hyperbolic, I'd like to say that Fatale is the best series on the market today. I can not say that, however, because I am too far behind on my reading of current titles. Suffice it to say, Fatale is easily as good a read as you can hope to find, and as far as I can tell, is head and shoulders above the rest of the titles on the racks today.

The OCD zone- This book has some great paper. It feels and smells nice, a coated stock with a slight sheen. My only gripe about this book is that the covers are in back in a gallery section rather than as chapter markers, the way that Godzilla intended.

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