Review: Doctor Solar, Man of the Atom #5 - Dark Horse Comics

Doctor Solar, Man of the Atom #5
Writer: Jim Shooter
Artist: Roger Robinson & Agustin Alessio
Colorist: Wes Dzioba
Letterer: Blambot
Cover Artist: Michael Komark

Buy it now!
Doctor Solar, Man of the Atom #5 at TFAW.com

Take a look at the stunningly gorgeous panel below, and give me one good reason why you aren't reading Doctor Solar, Man of the Atom!
The fifth issue came out yesterday, and is the start of the second story arc. Well, it's actually the start of TWO new story arcs, both written by Jim Shooter but drawn by different artists; Roger Robinson and Agustin Alessio. The two stories take place a few weeks apart, but intertwine perfectly. We're given just enough info in each that one doesn't spoil the other, or anything to come.

Similar to how Marvel's Doctor Strange, with it's trippy visuals and mysticism, became popular in the 1960's counter culture at universities, Doctor Solar could easily become mandatory reading for today's science undergrads. There's some weird, trippy stuff going on in this book, but it's all science based. No magic hocus pocus here!

And if you ever need to know what an Ergosphere is, put down that Astrophysics text book. Jim Shooter explains all you need to know in two succinct panels! The entire description of the purpose of the black hole is so beautifully and concisely explained that I think Mr. Shooter missed his calling as a science teacher.

The first four issues of this series were a great introduction, and were infused with a lot of humour as the newly incarnated Doctor Solar found his way in the world. The first story in this second arc takes a bit of a twist and seems to have a far more sinister tone, hitting it's peak when a corpse carries a miniature black hole down the street. We also get another glimpse into villain Tanek Nuro's deviant nature. He is one sick puppy! The preview images had some posters rolling their eyes over Nuro's use of an "avatar", connecting it to the recent film of the same name, but there is no sense that Shooter is capitalizing or copying the film in any way.

The second story is the first part of Solar's origin. Reduced to a single sentence, it can be describes as a tale about a black hole consuming 80kg of mass. Somehow, Shooter and artist Agustin Alessio make it the most captivating book I've read in a long time, and I'll be surprised if it doesn't end up as my Book of the Year at the end of December.

The narrative jumps back and forth between Dr. Philip Solar describing the project's goal of creating a black hole to power the world with it's energy, and the day after disaster where the black hold consumes the earth.
If this were a movie, no doubt the scenes featuring the matter consuming black hole would be accompanied by some spectacular sound effects designed to unnerve the audience in their seats. The amazing thing about Allesio's artwork is that it gives you the same, ugly, terrifying feeling of impending doom in the pit of your stomach on the printed page, WITHOUT sound, motion, or high definition 3-D movie screens! I really did feel uncomfortable watching Solar get accreted.

Don't know what accrete means? Don't worry. Like I said above, Shooter does an uncanny job of making the science of black holes understandable to the layman!

While Allessio's artwork helps send this book into the stratosphere, it is not without it's faults, the main one being that it does seem to rely a little too much on photo reference in places. Phillip Solar is seen from different angles describing his experiment, yet it's obvious the same photo was used for reference in each case. In another scene where Gail Saunders is introduced, the fellow scientists in the crowd stare forward, as if this were a class photo, none of them focussing their attention on the character speaking. Also, doesn't anyone need to open their mouths to talk?
As enjoyable as Jim Shooter's Dark Horse work has been to date, this issue is elevated to an entirely different level. The pacing is perfect. The dialogue is natural. The stakes are high. It's a great story told from two different directions - the first arc with Robinson's more traditional comic art deals with the present, and the second featuring Allesio's more photorealist style looks back at a few weeks prior to Solar's origin.

The two stories look poised to merge over the next 3 issues, coming together to form a cohesive story arc that, judging by the first shot fired, is going to be epic.

Currently playing: Samantha Fox - True Devotion
Currently colouring: Marvel Masterworks: The Avengers Volume 11!
Proudly in my fifth Cola free year!

MySpace Tshirt

Snapped a photo of this shirt on a recent trip with our daughter to the Manitoba Museum of Man and Nature. I get a feeling this shirt was a lot cooler 5 or 6 years ago, when MySpace was actually relevant!

And even then, lets face it, this shirt is not going to score you any looks from the opposite sex!

The back of this shirt might as well have an arrow pointing to your underpants, saying "Wedge me".

While snapping this photo, I quietly wondered what social network the museum's shirt department would focus on next... Spacebook? Twitearth?

Turns out someone was two steps ahead of me! Both are already established websites on the internet!
Currently playing: Charity Brown - You Beat Me to the Punch
Currently colouring: Marvel Masterworks: The Avengers Volume 11!
Proudly in my fifth Cola free year!

Review: Magnus, Robot Fighter #3 - Dark Horse Comics

Magnus, Robot Fighter #3
Writer: Jim Shooter
Artist: Bill Reinhold & Mike Manley
Colorist: Wes Dzioba
Letterer: Blambot
Cover Artist: Raymond Swanland

Buy it now! Magnus, Robot Fighter #3 at TFAW.com

A few months ago, I wrote a positive review of the first issue of Magnus, Robot Fighter from Dark Horse comics. It's taken half a year to get the third issue out, which has been a minor annoyance.

But when a book contains as much fun, excitement and adventure as this one does, it's easy to overlook the wait between issues!

The preview pages that Dark Horse released made it seem like this was going to be a 22 page UFC fight, which would have been the dullest comic ever produced, but thankfully only a handful of pages take place 'in the ring', and many other great story elements are introduced.

The Lovejoy Corporation (also seen in the pages of Doctor Solar, Man of the Atom!) is looking like it's going to have it's fingerprints all over this line of books, and are shaping up to be a good mysterious villain. Magnus' relations with the supporting cast start getting explored. There's some great dialog between Magnus' mentor, the robot 1-A, and a nice friendship is blooming with the homeless Goph named Little Eddie.

Bill Reinhold is joined by Mike Manley on the art chores, and the two blend well together. The thing I like most about Reinhold is the consideration he puts in to his backgrounds. I don't recall a single panel that didn't give a hint of where it was taking place. His renditions of the shadowy ground level that exists at the feet of the stretching forest of milespires really helps set the scenes that occur there. I also love the designs of the robots and vehicles, all of which seem to pay homage to concepts of the future that were envisioned in the 50's and 60's. They are retro, but not dated. It's a fine line, and the book walks it well.

I also caught a tattoo on a great character introduced this issue named Hippolyta that bears a striking resemblance to a starburst that Reinhold signs his art with. I guess we know who came up with her design!
Wes Dzioba's colours in the book are also fantastic. As with everything I've ever seen Wes colour, there's great attention given to separating foreground, middleground, and background. It's beautiful how the shadowed announcers closer to the viewer are set off from the rest of the panel by using a darker purple hue.
There's also a great scene that takes place in a Goph bar lit with florescent countertops that is really well done. The colours almost give the bar enough character to be real.

There are a few minor nitpicks about the book. Some of Magnus' dialog seems a little wooden and makes him out to be a bit of a dullard. Would it kill him to say something that requires an exclamation point? (He does, but I can count the number of times on one finger). Considering that Magnus was raised in isolation by a robot, I suppose it makes sense that he would come across as a little robotic himself, so it may just be his character.

I also felt that the story was wrapped up a little too quickly, but this may be because the entire book moves so fast and packs so many story points into it's 22 pages. In all this is a good thing. I'd rather have Shooter's quick pacing on this book than the same story stretched out over a 6 issue arc. The climactic fight scene at the end seemed a little uninspired and lifeless when compared to the previous two fights that occur in the book. The punches don't look like they are overly powerful or threatening.

And finally, we all know that Magnus and Leeja are destined to hook up, but I'm not really sensing the love there! It almost seems like every other female in the book would be a better partner for Magnus! This is only the third issue, so I'll give this budding romance some time to blossom.

I do highly recommend this book, along with all the other Dark Horse comics Jim Shooter is putting out right now. They've all be fun, satisfying (if intermittent) reads.

We're starting to see some evidence of the books all being connected, despite occurring in different eras. It's probably best if you get in now before the the stories get even hotter!

Currently playing: Alias - When I'm With You (Live)
Currently colouring: Marvel Masterworks: The Avengers Volume 11!
Proudly in my fifth Cola free year!

Tight Western Conference

There's talk on JetsOwner.com, a local forum dedicated to the return of the Winnipeg Jets, that an NHL team in this city is almost a guarantee for the 2011-2012 season. Despite the circus that has surrounded the Phoenix Coyotes over the last 2-3 years, rumour has it that Atlanta is the prime candidate for relocation.

If that happens, apparently Atlanta/Winnipeg would move to the Western Conference, and Detroit would (finally) be in the East.

I've followed the Ottawa Senators for a few years now, and being a fan of an Eastern Conference team has been relatively relaxing. There's always a couple of points spread in the standings, and perennial bottom feeders make it easy to predict who is making the playoffs.

I don't think my heart could handle cheering for a Winnipeg team in the West! Look how tight these standings are! Between 3rd and 10th place, there is only 4 points spread in the standings!

You could be in third place, lose two games, and be out of the playoff race!
Contrast that with the current Eastern Conference standings, where the difference between the same spots is almost three times as great! 11 points!
Currently playing: The Band - The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down
Currently colouring: Marvel Masterworks: The Avengers Volume 11!
Proudly in my fifth Cola free year!