Another Dip into the Comic Pile...

Would you believe that I’m still trying to catch up with reading stuff that I got for my birthday? It’s obvious that there is far too much going on for me to able to enjoy the simple things in life like comic books and... erm... fine chocolate (actually, I’ve always been able to make time for that) Things are set to get even busier next year so we shall see what happens to my comic book reading then. In the meantime, a slightly shorter ‘comics post’ than normal but one that’s full of goodness nevertheless...



‘The Goon #33’ – Eric Powell

It’s finally reached that point where I have to choose between sticking with the trades or collecting individual issues of ‘The Goon’. In typical fashion, I put off the decision for a little longer and got myself a copy of #33. It’s a one shot, it’s allowed!
‘The Goon’ never ceases to touch a soft spot in my hard old heart and this time was no exception. Powell’s art is as spot on as ever but what really got me this time was his ability to tell a story with no dialogue whatsoever. It’s all in the artwork and I was surprised (in a good way) as to how much of the meaning came across. You can really tell what’s going on with these guys. Hopefully things are gearing up for the next big story arc and I’ll be back in the action very soon.



‘Conan the Cimmerian #16, Free Companions (Part 1 of 3)’

Despite the fact that I’m really erratic at picking this one up regularly, ‘Conan the Cimmerian’ is a real favourite of mine with artist and writer combining almost perfectly to give the reader the definitive picture of the barbarian himself. Issue 16 sees our free spirited hero starting to really chafe under the restrictions of life in Khoraja and the Princess Yasmela start to tire of his excesses. Things are about to explode and the very beginning of the story tells us how it all ends up...
I haven’t read a bad issue of ‘Conan’ yet and it looks like I’ll have to wait another month to see of the trend of goodness continues. As I’ve said before, Truman and Giorello complement each other perfectly (although I’m really looking forward to seeing Darrick Robertson’s one off issue next month) and combine here to tell another great story. I wasn’t so sure about telling it in a series of flashbacks though...
This is only the first part of three so I’ll be making sure that I’m back next month to see how it continues...



‘The Silver Surfer: Origins’

This is the book that I haven’t got round to reading since my birthday in September. I always thought the Silver Surfer looked really cool (he does, look at him!) but it was only recently that I realised I hadn’t read a single one of his stories. That had to change! Marvel Pocket books are a great way for people like me to catch up with early stories without having to resort to ebay... ‘The Silver Surfer: Origins’ gives us some of the Surfer’s earliest tales of a life on Earth amongst people who fear him as an alien. If it wasn’t bad enough already, our hero has to cope with the attentions of Loki, The Stranger, Mephisto and the alien Badoon. Who’d be a superhero?

I wasn’t too hot on John Buscema’s artwork which seemed to swing between being really intense, vibrant or just dated. It did the job though.
Stan Lee’s stories are full of honour misunderstood (on the part of the Surfer) and I ended up feeling more than a little sorry for a man who only wants to do the right thing. It’s also interesting to see our world through the eyes of a newcomer and Stan Lee seems to enjoy showing us just how petty, and quick to judge, we can be.
I’m not sure that I’d pick up more ‘Silver Surfer’ stuff (the guy is practically invincible, where’s the fun in reading about that) but ‘Origins’ is a great place to dip in and find out what the Surfer is all about.