Barbaric Orcs

I picked up my comics yesterday, expecting a ton of books to read. But I was surprised to find my bundle so thin, with only 7 books. Then I remembered that I canceled a lot of titles from my pull list last month, leaving only the titles from Vertigo, Image and a few from Marvel. So, since I had a couple of buck left in me, I shopped around the store for some new titles to read. Two series got my attention: Joe the Barbarian and Orc Stain.

Joe the Barbarian (left) and Orc Stain (right)

Joe the Barbarian #1
8.4 of 10

Joe the Barbarian had been previewed on every Vertigo title I've read last month. That's how I found out about it. I actually wanted to add it on my pull sheet but I forgot. The story in this series is centered on Joe, a sickly boy and a loner, who had drifted into a world where all his toys had come to life. To me, who was once an asthmatic child surrounded with more toys than friends, this modern-fantasy hits all the right notes.

This book, however, this first issue, is pretty slow and bare. While there's enough info about the protagonist -fatherless, have type 1 diabetes, bullied- there's not enough dialogue or action in here. Just a lot of pages with panels of artwork that shows the lay of Joe's house. But I guess those pages serves as a map of some sort, like the ones that you'd find on the first pages of a fantasy book, since the adventure will be in Joe's house for the entirety of the series.

All in all, while this book was pretty slow and almost lifeless, it still carries a lot of promise. As shown in the last pages of the book, I think the upcoming issues will be grand. So I'm going to stick around for a while and wait if this series is going to pick up some pace.

Orc Stain #1
9.0 of 10
I don't know anything about this book. But its title is very nasty and so intriguing that I couldn't help myself but buy it so I can find out what an Orc stain is. Plus, the cover art is also kick-ass. But this series is a gem, and I'm pretty sure it's going to pick up some cult following pretty soon.

The story in Orc Stain is fairly simple, but still entertaining. Orcs run amok, conquering the world, under the Orctzar. But in order for the Orctzar to dominate the whole planet he needs to fulfill a prophecy with the aid of One-Eye, our protagonist, a non sterotypical Orc who loves stealing more than fighting. The artwork, however, is wow. WOW! The designs here are so punk and disgusting (ever seen a naked Orc?), and the colors in this book makes you feel you're in a drug-induced hallucination.

I'm glad that I bought this book, even without knowing what is it about. It's like hitting a gold vein in a mine with a blindfold on. I never really expect to get anything out of it beyond its artwork and title. But it was true to its kick-ass cover art and disgusting title. Now, I can't wait for #2 to hit the stores.

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Book Review: Beautiful Creatures

Beautiful Creatures
8.0 of 10
Written by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
Buy the Hardcover Edition from Amazon
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Unless it's post-apocalyptic or dystopian, I normally avoid young adult novels. Not that I think they're bad but because -as a guy already in his late 20s- I can't stomach the ham & cheese type of writing and romance of this genre. That's why I'm still questioning my reasons of why I bought Beautiful Creatures, and even finished reading it, despite its Twilight-like synopsis. Was it because it's Amazon's #5 book of 2009? Or was it because the hopeless romantic in me was enthralled by the book's boy meets cool/weird girl story? I hate to admit it but it was probably the latter.

As I've mentioned earlier, the book is pretty much like Twilight, a supernatural teenage romance. Unlike Stephanie Meyer's "magnum opus", the parties involved in Beautiful Creatures are mortals and casters -wizards, not vampires. There's also a role reversal in the story -which I really like- since Ethan (the male) is the underpowered mortal protagonist and also the narrator, while Lena (the girl) is the caster. Ethan and Lena's relationship also have a spin of Romeo and Juliet into it, since both their guardians are trying to separate them from each other because of their differences.

Unfortunately, the whole Romeo and Juliet theme is the gag factor. Because when the star-crossed lovers are apart they get angsty and long for each other, and when they're together all they do is cuddle, kiss, hug and tickle, instead of trying to find a way to stop the inevitable "claiming" that will keep them apart forever. It's all cute sometimes but, since these scenes are prevalent throughout the book, which also drags the story down, I can only handle it so much. There's also no sex, or talk about it, which I find unbelievable since most of the characters in the book are running on teenage hormones.

But what kept me interested in this book is the southern gothic setting. The story is set in a small town called Gaitlin. It's pretty much a totalitarian town that is run by small-minded, book-burning type of people. In this town, conformity and ignorance runs high. If you read a book, you're an outcast. If you don't have blonde hair and orange-tanned skin, you're an outcast. While there's a Voldemort-esque villain in the story, the real antagonist here is the town itself. Since the townsfolk are the ones who are trying to burn the dark-haired, pale-faced Lena on the stake, keeping him apart from Ethan, who is one of their own.

The mystery that blankets the town and its plot is also a page turner in this book. Like I said, Gaitlin is a small town with small-minded people. It's the kind of boring town that you just want to leave behind. But as you read further, page by page, chapter by chapter, the town gets more interesting as its buried secrets -past, monsters, magic and underground libraries- creeps up into the surface. Uncovering the mysterious plot -especially the one that shroud Lena's "claiming" and Ethan's power- was also gracefully executed by the writers. They would tease you with events upon tiny events that will keep you hooked.

It's a no brainer that this book was aimed towards the fans of Twilight, especially young girls, which will put a lot of people off (at least, the people I know). But I have to applaud both writers for trying really hard to get away from Meyer's grasp by using other supernatural creatures like incubuses, ghosts and spirits, and by reversing the roles of the protagonists (a powered female and a mortal male). But if there's anything that makes this book worth a read is its southern gothic setting and totalitarian nature, giving it a bit of dystopian flavor and a step ahead from Twilight.

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Comics Bundle: 11.04.09 Pt. 2

2nd installment of my bundle. Part 1 and all Marvel books can be found here.

Fables #89
9.3 of 10
One thing I really love about Fables is that the series doesn't have any shortage of heroes and interesting characters. The writer, Bill Willingham, can take out any character from any folk or fairy tale -even the most boring ones- and revise them to become heroes. First there was Bigby Wolf, then Boy Blue and as well as others. Now Willingham turns his attention to Bufkin (a flying monkey taken from the Oz tales) as he comes up with a plan to defeat a malevolent witch, Baba Yaga, and a very powerful genie. Bufkin is only a support character in the series. So he was the least person I've expected to go toe-to-toe with Baba Yaga, and I guess that made all his efforts to defeat the two villains even more entertaining.

Cinderella: From Fabletown With love #1
8.6 of 10
Like I said on my review of Fables #89 (above this one), the series have tons of interesting characters. A lot, in fact, that they hardly fit in one series. That's why they have to kick Jack (of "and the Beanstalk") out and start his own spin-off. I'm also glad that they've decided to start a Cinderella mini-series, which she deserves. The story is pretty well done -think James Bond with magic involved- and interacts well with the main series, even though it wasn't written by Bill Willingham. Overall, I really enjoyed this issue.

Chew #5
8.9 of 10
I've probably mentioned this one to many times, but Chew is really one of the best comic book title that came out this year. The alternate reality setting -avian flu epidemic, the outlaw of chicken, FDA as a gun-totting authority, detectives with weird powers- is way humorous and, in our current circumstances, terrifying. Beyond the disgusting gimmicks of eating human flesh and decomposing body parts, there's an underlying conspiracy theory going on. But that didn't really surface up until this issue. I guess they want to sell the comics first by introducing the fun characters with gross powers. Now that the title has finally established itself as fun and gross, the real story finally begins. I'm looking forward to next issue.

The Walking Dead #66
9.0 of 10
This issue concludes the "Fear The Hunters" storyline, which is probably one of the best story arcs. There's also a major leap in character development here, mainly in Rick and Carl. If you've read the earlier issues, you'll definitely see the change in Rick. He's become more determined and single-minded, stopping at nothing and doing what's necessary when it comes to protecting his "herd". As for Carl, well let's just say that, with all the horrors he had witnessed during his stay in Zombie land, he'd finally lost his marbles. Now I'm really dying to see what happens on the next issue.

DMZ #46
8.8 of 10
I remember Brian Wood wishing -on an interview- to see DMZ reach at least its 60th issue. Well, the series is almost getting to 50, and the current storyline seems to be building up something really big. Older characters are coming out from the woodwork and getting into the frame, taking sides and questioning Parco's "endgame". Matty Roth too, who has become a really strong character, seems to have made up his mind and adamantly supports whatever Parco is planning. But really, there's a lot tension in this story arc and the title has become really really exciting because of it. If you stopped reading DMZ, I suggest you get back to it because you're missing out.

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It's been a while since I've picked up my bundle of comics again. But, hey, what's new? It was busy month of October -both at work and as well as gaming- and I don't see any respite in the near future since it's the holidays. Holidays = Crazy Shopping + Crazy Parties + Crazy Overtime. So I'll do what I can to spend time with my comics.

Psylocke #1
8.2 of 10
I'm a big fan of Psylocke. But, for many years now, I haven't been happy with the direction of her character. Constant changes in her personality, mutant powers and life had left her damaged. So when they finally brought her back into the main X-book, she had so much excess baggage. It's a good thing that her new mini-series takes her back to her roots: Japan and The Hand. The book is filled with Kill Bill-like action and, hopefully, this might bring Betsy back to her old self as a royal, ass-kicking ninja. The only problem is that you need to know Psylocke intimately since there are a lot of reference from the character's old lore that aren't explained in this book.

Deadpool #900
8.4 of 10
The number 900 pretty much sums up how crazy this issue is. I honestly don't have the foggiest idea of why it's #900, when Deadpool only started out in the 90's. I assume -due to the thickness of the book- it's an annual issue. But since it's Deadpool, it's best if we don't ponder about it. The book contains a lot of short stories with Pool involved in an alien abduction, a fight with pantomimes, a ping-pong against Doctor Octopus during a cruise vacation and other wacky stuff. Some stories are good, some are mediocre and some are just insane. Overall, however, this book is pretty hilarious.

Thor #603
9.0 of 10
With writer J.M. Straczynski at its helm, Thor has become my favorite book from Marvel. That's why I'm a little bit anxious now that I know he'll be departing from the book. I'm not so sure if anyone is capable to continue his excellent work in Thor. But JMS did went out with a bang in this issue and left us great moments like the reunion of Thor and Sif and the Warriors Three running Bill's diner. He also set up the stage nicely for his successor by revealing the insidious plan of Dr. Doom and Loki for the Asgardians living in Latveria. I just hope that whoever takes over Thor will be able use the foundation that Straczynski's has built for the title.

Secret Warriors #9
7.9 of 10
I mentioned before that Secret Warriors is an audacious title with an audacious plot during its early issues. It still is, mind you. Except that from issues #1 to #9 there have been speed bumps that slowed the title down a little bit. This issue is one of those speed bumps since its pages are filled with mindless action. The only consolation here is watching Norman Osborn going slap happy by killing Nick Fury's life decoys and the little conversation between Garrett and Seth Waters at the end of the issue.

Necrosha #1
8.2 of 10
Necrosha is the next event to hit the X-Universe. I kinda like the whole idea of the event just because it's pretty "black metal". But Necrosha's idea -of dead heroes rising up to fight the living ones- is a little bit late since DC's Blackest Night have already been running for months now. Nonetheless, I'm considering to get all the books. I just love how they brought back Selene (Black Queen) into the fold again. I also like her new posse who, with the exception of Blink, also possess some sort of death-based and vampiric powers like hers.

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