There's a distinct image a person gets in their minds eye when you hear the word comic. Dependant on where you're from that is. If you're from the UK "comic" means the beano, viz, funnies and cheaply produced magazines with ever cheaper free gifts on the front attached with collotype.
In America though you're more likely to think of good quality art and storytelling with a worthy level of production quality too. And small pagers, much smaller pages.
Thanks to my love of games and the 90 xmen cartoon along with a dislike of UK comics ive grown up loving American comics. Never having the money to get many or living close enough to a comic book store to get real American imports to build up a collection, but ive loved what I have gotten my hands on. When it comes to comics America is the place to go. Many UK born writers and artists are working over in the USA or finding more success there.
One such writer is Mark Miller, who's Kick-ass has found him thrust into the spotlight thanks to a combination of the comics 1st run and Jane Goldman's work on the movie adaptation.
What would you do if you were to find success so quickly? Mark has chosen to work in an unexpected direction, releasing this month the first issue of CLiNT, a mix of Lads magazine and boys adventure anthology. Comics, jokes and odd features mixed up into something that feels, confused.
The comics featured are highly mixed up.
First up is Marks own "KICK-ASS 2" What is really just a 5 page teaser. Shows hit girl training kick-ass up in order to build a new super hero team, whilst also attempting to live a "normal life".
This is so short you get no feel for what to expect, more of a deleted scene esc feel then a part of an interesting upcoming comic story.
Next up "TURF" written by Jane Goldman's husband Jonathan Ross, a strange mix up of 1920's New York, gangsters, vampires and a surprise appearance by aliens… so surprise you will actually take a double take to see if there was a printing error.
For the most part the story is full of what shows good healthy writing ability and an interesting story. Or what's an extended set up to part 2. The worry is that Ross has bitten off more then he can chew with such a big mix of ideas so quickly into the story.
Next up "REX ROYD", written by well know stand up comic Frankie Boyle with Jim Muir with art by Michael Dowling. Featuring an at first seemingly confused story and writing, it opens out much like a good joke does, to a perfectly realised punch line. Revealing a smart idea behind what could become an interesting story.
Lastly there's Mark Millers next feature, "NEMESIS", with wonderful art by Steve Mcniven. It tells the tale of a world inhabited by the first and only supervillen. Unchallenged by any heroes, the total opposite of kick-ass as a concept. His lead has embarked on a game of can and mouse with the worlds best law enforcers. It's a story that's both smart and engaging, it's setting the comic story up to be something truly worth a watch, possibly in need of its own stand alone release, if it's not on the cards already.
Overall the magazines 1st issue is interesting in concept, with mark himself calling out 20000 ad and eagle as influences, and clearly calling out to the cheap and trashy lads magazines, it's a bad visual and stylistic mix, that need refinement. Its feels like its targeting entirely the wrong type of possible readership. Hopefully it will improve in time. But for now just worth a borrow or a read while flicking through in the store, time will tell if it's worth a buy in the long run.
- robin smith
- 02/09/10
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