The Savage Sword of Conan Volume 4. Roy Thomas (Writer). Dark Horse Comics (2008)

The fourth volume of the reprint volumes of one of my favourite comics continues to be fantastic value and a joy to read. The centrepiece of this volume is the multi part adaption of the novel, Conan the Buccaneer by Roy Thomas, John Buscema and Tony DeZuniga. The writing by Roy Thomas is up to his usual excellent standard, it is rich and fruity, the descriptions are dense and luxurious and they create a great texture for the astonishing art by John Buscema and Tony Dezuniga.

Sometimes reading a collection of comics can be a bit numbing, they formulas that underlie the stories becomes too clear, the sameness overtakes the enjoyment. They were designed to be read singly with monthly intervals between them so that the details would blur slightly and the structures not be so noticeable. The stories in this volume do stand up very well to reading as a group, the formula is very clear, the skill with which it is applied, the quality of the art become clearer when they are presented in a group like this. The underlying sameness is a strength in the stories rather than a diminishing factor, they way that Roy Thomas manages the subtle re-arrangement of details is disarming and the sheer variety expressed in the artwork is stunning.

The extra length in the stories is very useful also, it gives room for a greater cast and movement within and between the stories. This is just pure comics pleasure.

Noble Causes Archives Vol 1. Jay Faerber (Writer) Image Comics Inc.(2008)

Thoroughly enjoyable and very good value black & white collection of the first set of miniseries and the first twelve issues of the ongoing excellent superhero series. The best known superheros are carefully guarded company properties entangled in decades of history, revision and counter revision that excludes the casual reader. I had thought the the true future for superhero stories was in animation where the ideas could be revitalised and the essential concepts be revealed. This book proves that superhero comics can be friendly, well thought out, creative and exciting.

Jay Faerber takes the essential science fiction element of superhero's, they are people with extraordinary powers and abilities, and plays it straight down the line to wonderful effect. Thankfully this is no element of knowingness in this book, there is no wink to the audience that really we are all in on the joke, this is simply first rate science fiction.

The premise is simple, Liz Donnelly marries into a family of suprepowered beings, the Noble family and discoverers that they are a family, with all the emotional tangles that involves first and super heroes second. This is how Jay Faerber neatly solves the essential limitation of the superhero concept, how can their adventures be interesting if they are more powerful that everyone else they encounter? There is no tension as they can not be overcome, there may not even be the prospect of it. Like other writers before him, Jay Faerber adds a soap opera element to the mix so that the real difficulties come from themselves rather than some external source. To do this successfully the people inside the costumes have to be as interesting as their powers.

They are, the Noble family are a vividly drawn set of characters who emerge as clear individuals with mixed emotions ad confused motivations that are horribly complicated by being superpowered as well. This is a really enjoyable comic with a solid dramatic and emotional core that supports the varied and exciting stories that Jay Faerber and the wide variety of artists tell. The only drawback to this volume is that the newsprint does come off on to your hands.

The Draining Lake. Arnaldur Indridason. Vintage (2007)

This is a intriguing and very atmospheric mystery set in Iceland, the fourth in a series featuring the detectives Erlendur, Elinborg and Sigurdur Oli. Like the earlier books this is as much about the detectives, in particular Erlendur as it is about the carefully constructed mysteries that wend their way through the books. In the book a skeleton is found at the bottom of a lake that has started to drain due to the result of an earthquake. The skeleton has an old Russian radio transmitter tied to it and the cause of death was violent as well. The investigation starts with missing persons and slowly centers on one particular case that may well have nothing to do with the skeleton in the lake. At the same time a second narrative is started by the discovery of the body as a man who knows a great deal starts to review this time in Leipzig when it was part of East Germany, he went there as a dedicated Icelandic communist to study. The story of his time in Leipzig winds its way through the story of the investigation into the missing person and the skeleton. The Cold War casts a long shadow over the investigation and the lives it touches.

There is very little action in the book, the investigation is methodical, leads are found and slowly eliminated or developed further. Finally an unexpected conclusion is reached and peace of a sort is finally achieved. This is a quietly gripping book, the cast are engaging and the mystery absorbing, it is carefully laid out and the human dimension is always foremost. The atmosphere is one of resigned patience as the work of resolving the questions is done methodically while the lives of all the characters are illuminated and revealed with sympathy and care. A highly enjoyable, thoughtful read.

I.R.$. 1 Taxing Trails. Stephen Desberg (Writer), Bernard Vrancken (Artist). Cinebook. (2008)

A very satisfying crime story told from an unusual angle. Larry B. Max is special agent for the US Internal Revenue Service and he becomes involved in a enjoyably complex plot that is triggered by the murder of Swiss man in Los Angles, he had been under surveillance by the IRS and they are very curious as to why he was murdered. The trail leads to a female assassin and a man who is fighting with Swiss banks to recover assets deposited by Jews trying to keep it safe from the Nazis.

Larry Max has an professional encounter with the female assassin and the trail leads to a very wealthy man who also has roots in the Nazi concentration camps and who is supporting the work to recover the lost assets of the Jews who died there. The plot nicely avoids the obvious and takes an interesting turn into a bigger more widespread story. The conclusion is sharp and satisfying.

This art is clean and detailed, the action is dynamic and the cast is well drawn. The story packs a great deal of information into each page and the plot structure is logical, the various reveals are well timed and add to the force of the story. Larry Max is an excellent action hero, a hard professional able to respond quickly to trouble, with a nice shadow in his private life that humanises him. An excellent series.

Bruce Springsteen Working on a Dream. Sony Music (2009)

A glorious collection of songs form one of the best albums that Bruce Springsteen has released to date. I have listened to this CD a lot since I got it and I enjoy it more each time, it is just bursting with life and vitality. It captures the spirit of some of the very early albums with the more stripped down sound that he later developed. The momentum of the songs is infectious and the music is bubbling with pleasure and joy.

Outlaw Pete is simply an amazing song, it shot straight into my heart, the country influences of Tunnel of Love have matured and developed into a great melody and sharp lyrics. The Wrestler is a melancholy song that is not despairing. The character in the song has a life that is all behind him no matter how many years there are to go, he is resigned not desperate, the work continues. This CD is so good that I can forget about the terrible cover art and the ridiculous soul patch that Bruce Springsteen is sporting. Treat yourself to a great talent working at the top of his game.

Baltimore, or The Steadfast Tin Soldier and the Vampire. Mike Mignola & Christopher Golden. Bantam (2007)

A very striking vampire story that uses the Hans Christian Andersen story , The Steadfast Tin Soldier as a counterpoint to the action of the narrative. Mike Mignola illustrates the story with very atmospheric pictures that capture and extend the mood of the book. The violent actions of World War 1 have called forth vampires, they have been awakened by the noise and death, Captain Henry Baltimore sees the vampires as they first emerge and become a plague in the world. Baltimore become a fighter against the vampires, seeking them and and killing them where he can. He has asked three people, stranger to each other but with Baltimore in common to meet him in a tavern in a city in the grip of the plague. Each of the three recount how they met with Baltimore and the experiences they have had that convince them that the plague is not natural. When Baltimore himself arrives they become involved in a confrontation that Baltimore wanted them to witness.

This is hugely enjoyable book, the language is luxurious and takes it time, it has lovely weight and texture. The narrative is unhurried and gives space to each of the voices of of the major character. The story moves to the climatic confrontation as Baltimore finally finds his true quarry only to find that endings are also beginnings. This is a contemplative vampire story where the vampires themselves are mostly on the margins of the story, the impact they have on the rest of the world is what is critical. A Gothic treat.

The Legend of Lord Snooty and his Pals. 60 Years of Clasic Cartoon Art. D.C Thompson & Co. Ltd (1998)

This is high quality nostalgia, very nicely packaged in an outsize hardback. I never was much of a fan of The Beano, I would happily read it if I came across it, I preferred the more action orientated comics, The Hornet, Battle and the like. Getting this book was a pure impulse buy that was turned into a very happy one. The presentation of the one page stories on outsize pages is excellent and critically allow all the details of the art to be clearly seen.

Dudley Dexter Watkins was the original artist for the Lord Snooty stories , they launched in 1938 and continued on the strip until 1968. The pleasure of these stories lie in the quality of his art and the myriad details that he put into the background. The original formula for the stories, the young Lord Snooty would sneak out from Bunkerton Hall to play with his friends from Ash Can Alley played specifically to the anticipated audience for the comic, the readers were much more likely to be closer to the Ash Can Alleys gang than Lord Snooty.

The stories developed and became much more like slapstick and fantastic , crucially they retained the theme of mocking and humiliating authority figures. Teachers, cooks, butlers, policemen, mayors all were taken down a peg. The war time stories are great fun, they are clearly propaganda, they are carefully created propaganda. The overall level of craft on display is amazing, these stories were published weekly and must have created a staggering workload for the artist. The carefully chosen stories in this collection are a great tribute to an enduring comic icon and to the extraordinary talent of Dudley D. Watkins.