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Reviews and commentary by Tony Isabella
"America's Most Beloved Comic-Book Writer & Columnist"
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TONY'S ONLINE TIPS
for Tuesday, April 19, 2005
This gets my vote for the dumbest tattoo ever. If there are any prosecutors in the audience, know that you don't want me on the jury when you're trying to convict whoever inevitably shoots this nincompoop thinking he's armed and dangerous. Because he clearly *is* dangerous...if only to himself.
Let's see what else I have for you today.
******
BLACK HEART IRREGULARS
Creator/writer Neil Hendrick sent me an advance review copy of THE BLACK HEARTS IRREGULARS #1 [Blue King Studios; $2.95], which will be listed in the June issue of REVIEWS for shipping in August. In his cover letter, Hendrick wrote, "I wanted to do a comic book about terrorism. Under the entertaining violence and profanity, there is the hope that people will think critically about the issue of international Islamic terrorism...I hope we can all get into the culture and ideas of Islamic and Arab culture."
The premise of the new monthly series is summed up on the Blue King website [www.BlueKingStudios.com]:
The Black Heart Irregulars follows a crew of hardened modern warriors on a brutally realistic campaign to recover their honor in the wake of a suicide bombing in Baghdad that they take the blame for. Out of work, pissed off, and heavily armed, the Black Hearts choose to face their foes head on, striking hard at the heart of the terrorist network.
From an action adventure story standpoint, "Black Hearts Can't Be Broken" is so-so entertainment. I like the team's scamming low-level terrorists in an attempt to get to the big boys, but none of the protagonists stand out. I confess to being more than a little appalled that the Cuban member of the Hearts is nicknamed "Beaner." There's no African-American representation on the team, but given the Cuban's nickname, maybe I should be relieved.
Only two Iraqi characters are given names and both of them are murderous villains as are, obviously, the low-level terrorists that I mentioned above. To my mind, a thoughtful comic about terrorism would show more balance, perhaps in the form of a heroic member of the Iraqi security forces.
This first ish appears to be mostly set-up for what's to come. "Origin-itis" afflicts both large and small publishers, so I won't come down too harshly on Hendrick for this. At least we see some of the heroes in and in action in this debut. That's more than can be said for some recent Marvel debuts.
IRREGULARS artist Ulises Carpintero hails from Argentina and, though some of his faces and layouts are awkward, he does deliver some exciting moments in the course of this story. He overdoes the blacks a bit and would surely benefit from color, but he's someone worth watching in the months to come.
BLACK HEARTS IRREGULARS #1 earns two out of a possible five Tonys. To learn what that means, see the chart located elsewhere on this page.
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BUSTED!
BUSTED! is the news quarterly magazine of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, a non-profit organization formed to protect the First Amendment rights of the comics community. You won't find breaking news in its pages - the noble work of the CBLDF receives extensive coverage from the online comics media - but the articles and items therein have the advantage of being somewhat removed from the now, the immediacy, of events as they occur. The distance gives me more time to think about these matters.
If I find fault with BUSTED! - and it would be scant fault - it would be that I feel it's vital for the magazine to present more coverage of First Amendment defeats in which the Fund has played a part than has been the case. The feel-good victories likely bring in a few more memberships, but we also need to know where we've had our asses handed to us. We need to be better informed of the past, current, and future threats from First Amendment foes on the right and the left of the political spectrum.
Do not mistake this mild criticism for any lack of confidence in and support for the CBLDF. I'm a card-carrying member of this organization and proud to be one...and I think every serious comics fan and professional should be one as well.
BUSTED! does a fine job of presenting important news in clear, concise fashion. Design-wise, it's also a great-looking magazine. Those qualities earn it four out of five Tonys.
For information on the CBLDF's history and work, and also on becoming a member, visit the Fund's website at:
www.cbldf.org
******
COMICS IN THE COMICS
Today's lead entry was sent in by my pal Stephen Pyskoty-Olle. It's Scott Stantis' PRICKLY CITY comic strip for April 15. Wanting to learn more about it, I went to the uComics website where I found this brief summary:
About Prickly City.
A small town in the American Southwest...everything in the desert is designed to prick you, wound you or eat you. What better metaphor for 21st century Earth? PRICKLY CITY is a comic strip about the friendship between Winslow, a coyote pup, and Carmen, a straight and narrow kind of kid. PRICKLY CITY offers a conservative perspective on political and social events within an ongoing storyline. As Carmen might say, "We may not be correct but we will always be right."
Intrigued, I read about a month's worth of the strip. What I found: when Stantis gets away from politics, the strip is somewhat charming. When he writes about politics from a non-partisan view, he's better. When he writes about politics from his "conservative" viewpoint, he merely parrots the inaccuracies, rancor, and willful distortions of the GOP/Religious Right hierarchy. That's a shame. An intelligent conservative comic strip would not be unwelcome in any of my local newspapers.
More comics in the comics coming soon.
******
LET'S GO SURFING NOW
This feature will be going on vacation from April 21-25, and I feel duty-bound to suggest alternative online entertainments for you to enjoy during my absence.
Barbara and David P. Mikkelson's URBAN LEGENDS REFERENCE PAGES is a daily online stop for me. They have amassed a remarkable body of work investigating and debunking the urban legends and outright falsifications which spread even faster and further in this age of the Internet. I find the site particularly useful in refuting the misconceptions of the hopelessly partisan.
It doesn't always work. In response to a screed from a right-wing reader, I directed him to the Mikkelson page which absolutely refuted his misinformation. He asked why he should believe what a "liberal" website says over his favored sites.
There's an answer to that, even if one believes - I sure don't - that the Mikkelsons are biased. Their FAQ addresses the question of accuracy:
We don't expect anyone to accept us as the ultimate authority on any topic, which is why our site's name indicates that it contains reference pages. Unlike the plethora of anonymous individuals who create and send the unsigned, unsourced e-mail messages that are forwarded all over the Internet, we show our work. The research materials we've used in the preparation of any particular page are listed in the bibliography displayed at the bottom of that page so that readers who wish to verify the validity of our information may check those sources for themselves.
The URBAN LEGENDS REFERENCES PAGES are updated on a nigh-daily basis. You can be entertained and informed by going to:
www.snopes.com
Another of my favorite stops on the Internet is my pal Alvin Schwartz's AFTER THE GOLDEN AGE columns at:
www.worldfamouscomics.com/alvin
Comics fans know Alvin best for his hundreds of Superman and Batman scripts from the 1940s and 1950s. His books THE BLOWTOP and AN UNLIKELY PROPHET are both, in their own manner, mind-expanding visions. His weekly columns discuss everything from classic comic books and current events to philosophy and the steady evolution of mankind. Sometimes all at once.
A comics blog always worth reading is Johanna Draper Carlson's COGNITIVE DISSONANCE, which she describes as featuring "comic book reviews and comments on industry news, covering the whole spectrum of the medium." It's one of a handful of blogs that I try to read each and every day. You can enjoy it here:
www.comicsworthreading.com/blog/cwr.html
I'll have another batch of online recommendations for in the next TONY'S ONLINE TIPS.
******
TONY POLLS
It's Tuesday and that means new TONY POLLS questions for your balloting pleasure. This week, the focus is on the Eisner Awards and other comics awards with four questions:
1. This year's Eisner nominees have been announced. Roughly speaking, what percentage of these works have you read?
2. How well do you think the Eisner Award nominations reflect the preferences of avid comics readers, those that purchase a dozen or more comic books, graphic novels, manga volumes, or trades each month?
3. Which of the comics awards do you feel best reflects the preferences of avid comics readers?
4. Which creator do you feel *most* deserves to be voted into the Eisner Awards Hall of Fame?
These questions remain active until sometime after midnight on Tuesday, April 26, at which time they will be replaced by new poll questions. To cast your votes, head over to:
www.worldfamouscomics.com/tony/poll
Thanks for spending a part of your day with me. I'll be back soon with more stuff.
Tony Isabella
<< 04/18/2005 | 04/19/2005 | 04/20/2005 >>
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THE "TONY" SCALE
ZERO: Burn your money before buying any comic receiving this rating. It doesn't *necessarily* mean there's absolutely nothing of value here - though it *could* - but whatever value it might possess shrinks into insignificance before its overall awfulness.
ONE: Buy something else. Maybe I found something which wasn't completely dreadful in the item, but not enough for me to recommend it when there are better comics available. I only want what's best for you, my children.
TWO: Basic judgment call. I found some value, but not enough to recommend it. My review should give you enough info to decide if you want to take a chance on it. Are you feeling lucky today, punk? Well, are you?
THREE: This denotes something I find perfectly respectable. There are better books out there, but I wouldn't regret buying this item. Based on my review, you should be able to determine if it's of interest to you. Let the Force guide you.
FOUR: I recommend anything earning this rating. Unless you don't like the genre, subject matter, or past work of the creators, I believe you'll enjoy this item. Isn't it uncanny how I can look right into your soul that way?
FIVE: Anything getting this rating is among the best comicdom has to offer. You should buy/read this, even if the genre/subject matter doesn't appeal to you. It's for your own good. Me, I live for comics and books this good...but not in a pathetic "Comic-Book Guy" sort of way.
Please send material you would like me to review to:
Tony's Online Tips
840 Damon Drive
Medina, OH 44256
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