I read four new comics written by Matt Fraction yesterday:
FF #8
Fantastic Four #9
Hawkeye #11
Satellite Sam #1
I don’t pay too much attention to the new crop of writers of today’s superhero comics, but when I happen to notice the same guy is writing three of my dwindling list of favorites, I begin to take note. To be perfectly honest, I bought Satellite Sam for more for the Howard Chaykin art and the subject matter (a murder mystery set against a backdrop of 1950s era television) than the story, but I was both pleased and surprised to discover the writer is the same guy who writes good Marvel superhero comics.
It’s obvious loads of research (both story and art) went into this series. No “decompressed” storytelling here, boy!
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Agreed--not decompressed in the least! It was pretty good, and definitely worthy of the newer crop of Image titles.
I bought it too, on the fact that it had a great cover and I was intrigued by the subject matter. Then I opened it, skimmed it and said "Wow! That's a lot of reading!"
ANd it's not like it's book length or anything, just a lot more speech balloons than most other modern comics.
Not complaining by any means, but I decided to not read it right away. I want to have time to read it where I won't (a) fall asleep because I'm tired and (b) no kids running around pestering me. So, I'll get back to you when I do read it. (Which will likely be in the next couple of days).
I picked it up, too... and so far, so good. I'm intrigued.
Of course, one of the things that's intriguing me is: This is an ongoing? It feels more like the premise for a story, not the launch of a series of them.
I know. This would make a fantastic eight-issue series.
Not sure if this is supposed to be an ongoing or not. I would suspect not.
I read this yesterday myself, and I liked it quite a bit. Chaykin seems to be really be engaged on this book, and his pencils look tighter than they have been in a long while. I don't mind B&W comics, but man $3.50 for this does chap my ass a little bit.
There was an interview on CBR in which Fractio does mention on where (literally geographically speaking) the title is going. So, I don't know if it is actually supposed to be an ongoing or not. It does seem they have a long-term plan for it. The article itself even calls it a "possible ongoing", but aren't a lot of title like that?
Got to read it and enjoyed it. Looking at the cover, I notice the killer (assuming that's the situation it depicts) has a wedding ring.
I, for one, am glad its in Black & White. I like Chaykin better that way, quite frankly. I always thought his pencils are too scratchy to look good in color.
The whole set up seems to me to be in reference to Bob Crane and his demise, but just set in the era of 1950s live TV.
It sure isn't set up like it would be an ongoing. However, it is clearly Hollywood bait ... it screams "Option Me!" from the rooftops.
It's definitely part Bob Crane but I also see George Reeves and a little hint of Lon Chaney Sr/Jr.
I have to give this another look. I thought it was written by Chaykin as well as drawn by him. I like Chaykin's art well enough, but when it comes to writing he's only got one story (good-looking Jewish anti-hero gets laid a lot), and I've read that story a few thousand times (American Flagg!, Blackhawk, American Century, etc.). So another writer is a plus, and that it's one I usually enjoy is even better.
I read issue #2 of Satellite Sam over the weekend and I liked it every bit as much as I did #1. But the first issue of another new Howard Chaykin mini-series shipped last week as well, and I read that one, too. Buck Rogers has been adapted many times in many media over the years, but the story is always changed. Howard Chaykin’s new series doesn’t so much change it as it does update it. It’s the most faithful adaptation of the original I have ever seen.
...The first couple years of Buck , Jeff - which have now-rather-uncomfortable " Mongol invasion " and especially " despised ' halfbreed ' " elemants that tend to make people skip over it now or the " second volume " of stories , I believe playing that down , that IIRC started about 1&1/2 years into the original strip - even reflected in the strip's lettering/number credits !!!!!!! - ?
Jeff of Earth-J said: