Smells Like... Comics!!!

Its been a couple of really busy months, with real life and work taking over in a major way, so I have sadly neglected to write on this blog for quite some time. That changes today, with a pledge to do more regular updates. I want to try to post something, even if its not much, at least three times per week. Rather than trying to do a big aggregate post reflecting on the comics I've read that week or month, I think it makes more sense to focus on one issue or collection at a time. So more posts, but shorter, at least until I find the time or the inclination to put down some of the longer, more involved essays I have percolating in my head.

So without further ado, some thoughts on a couple of comics I've really enjoyed recently. Spoilers Ahoy.

Both comics on the list are part of "the List," a series of one-shots released recently by Marvel focusing on current uber-villain Norman Osborn's efforts to deal with a few thorns in his side. The first book I'll talk about is the Punisher one-shot by regular Punisher writer Rick Remender and artist John Romita, Jr. I've been really enjoying Remender's take on the Punisher from day one - he's integrated the gritty, hard-boiled Punisher mastered by Ennis into the regular Marvel Universe in a more seamless and enjoyable way than I, and I'm sure many others, thought would ever be possible. The book has been slipping a little in my estimation recently, though, as I just haven't felt that Tan Eng Huat was a good fit for the book.

Romita, Jr.'s art in the "List" one-shot is gorgeous, as usual -- I mean, really, is there a better Punisher artist than Romita, Jr.? Ennis die-hards might make a case for Dillon, but Romita, Jr. does the definitive Frank Castle, in my book. Its particular fitting in this case, because Remender really ups the ante' here and writes a story that could very go down in history as one of the definitive Punisher issues in history - the death of Frank Castle at the hands of faux-Wolverine, and the son of the real Wolverine, Daken, who, at the behest of Osborn, literally slices him into little pieces. Of course we know from the "Franken-castle" promos, as well as the back-up preview of the upcoming arc in the regular Punisher title (featuring some great work by Tony Moore), that he'll somehow be put back together again and reanimated (because this is comics, after all, and that sort of insane, over-the-top thing is what happens when you die in comics), but Remender and Romita, Jr. still manage to imbue Frank's "final" moments with a level of brutality and emotional impact far beyond what I expected.

The second book on the list is Dark Reign: The List: Wolverine, written by Jason Aaron with art by Esaad Ribic. Jason Aaron is a writer whose acclaim just seems to grow and grow with each month, and based on this book, its not hard to see why. Aaron has a reputation for extremely hard-edged, down and dirty crime stories based on his Vertigo book Scalped. I'm not as familiar with his other Marvel work, but this book really shows that is a big mistake to pigeon-hole him into that category. Aaron writes a relatively light, extremely enjoyable romp through some of the concepts introduced by Grant Morrison in his brief tenure at Marvel, including Kree brat Noh-varr, mutant thief Fantomex, the Weapon Plus program and their fringe-science experimental playground known as The World. Aaron's deft handling of these concepts is particularly impressive given that Marvel has notoriously either shied away from exploring concepts and characters introduced by Morrison, or horribly botched said exploration when undertaken.

Aaron, however, fits these characters in seamlessly with Norman Osborn's attempt to capture The World for himself, and Wolverine's attempt to shut him down. The whole thing is complicated by a mutated religion that affects and controls the part of the human brain that processes faith -- a concept to which Fantomex and Noh-varr are luckily immune. Anyone who knows me knows that a rip-roaring sci-fi yarn that also gets its shots in at organized religion is right in my wheel-house, but that's not the only reason I enjoyed this book. Aaron's plot is filled with Morrisonisms and other wild ideas that stay true to the characters and concepts involved, but are tightly plotted in a way that is extremely satisfying, especially given the fact that this book could have easily bogged down under the weight of the characters and occurrences therein. Ribic's art carries just the right mix of cartoony posturing and realism for the story, making the book very easy to follow visually. I'd love to see Aaron do more with both Fantomex and Noh-varr in the future, but for now I guess I'll just have to settle for his work on Scalped and Wolverine: Weapon X ongoing.

OK, that's it for comics for now. I'll leave you with my top five Nirvana songs (I've been sifting through their back catalogue recently in anticipation of picking up the Live at Reading release and Bleach reissue).

5. "In Bloom" - Smells Like Teen Spirit was the big, over-played and over-hyped hit, but this band didn't really hit home for me until I saw the video for In Bloom, with Kurt Cohbain and company in their dresses on the mock Sullivan show set. People forget that Nirvana were pro-gay rights before being pro-gay rights was fashionable.

4. "Sliver" - pure lo-fi adrenaline from before the hype.

3. "Scentless Apprentice" - Something about that opening drum lick and the total, unapologetic misanthropy of the lyrics makes this my favorite cut from In Utero, the best studio album the band ever did.

2. "Lithium" - I love you, I'm not gonna crack. Sure, Kurt, whatever you say.

1. "Where Did You Sleep Last Night" - This track unplugs both the guitars and the usual ironic veneer of Nirvana to reveal the true heart of both Cohbain and the band as a whole. The delivery of the last lines still gives me chills over a decade later.