Written and Illustrated by Various
Don’t miss this eighty page collection of science fiction short stories from some of Vertigo’s all-time greats, as well as the hot new talents of tomorrow! From the far reaches of space to the not so distant future, we bring you eight science-fiction stories as only Vertigo can do them. Plus: the Eisner Award-winning 100 BULLETS team of Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso reunite to bring you the first chapter of their upcoming new series SPACEMAN!
Somehow I didn’t notice that this was coming out this week. If I had, my Comics Should Be Cheap list would have been a lot more difficult to make this week. I’m a fan of Vertigo in general, I think that anthologies are a great idea, and I love speculative fiction. Of course I was going to pick this one up. Follow the cut to see if my hopes were dashed or confirmed, as I review the issue story-by-story.
The first story, “Case 21,” is written by Selwyn Seyfu and illustrated by Denys Cowan, and helps the issue start off on a good foot. It’s hardly the best story in the collection, but I think it wouldn’t be far off the mark to say that it’s the “safest,” in terms of mass-appeal. It’s a pretty straightforward noir-ish vignette set in a dystopian future, reminiscent of William Gibson in the way that it drops a lot of esoteric techno-babble, while explaining everything that you need to understand the story as a whole. The dialogue sounds a little bit like Seyfu is trying too hard to sound “edgy,” but it doesn’t irreparably harm the story as a whole. Cowan, on the other hand, fits the grimy, futuristic feel of the story quite well, though I wish I had seen more panels like that first one featuring the cityscape. With a bit of mystery, a splash of action, a hint of pathos and a twist of… twist, this may not be the best story in the book, but it’s probably the one that most people read and think “well, that was pretty enjoyable.”
I’m not sure what to think of “The White Room,” by writer Talia Hershewe and artist Juan Bobillo. One of the important rules of fiction in general is to show and not tell, which can be a big problem in the world of sci-fi, where you have a ton of futuristic objects that “need” to be explained. The general rule is to explain just enough for your readers to be comfortable, without bogging down your story with too much “telling.” “The White Room,” however, seems to me to be one of the few sci-fi things that I’ve read that could benefit from a bit more tell. I could just be a bit dense, but I really could not figure out exactly what happened in “The White Room,” and I do not mean that in a fun, talk about it with your friends kind of way. It’s a shame, because it does seem like a neat little story… if only I could “get” it. Bobillo’s art doesn’t need much clarification to enjoy, though, and is one of the finer artistic contributions to the book.
My favorite story from the anthology was easily Peter Milligan’s “Partners,” illustrated by Sylvian Savoia. Milligan can sometimes get too wrapped up in his own weirdness, but when he’s on, good gravy is it delicious. This little semi-horror tale is really a testament to Milligan’s writing ability simply because of the subtlety of the story. Any good writer will tell you that if you really want to make someone’s skin crawl, you don’t do it by splattering guts everywhere. It’s the little things that shock and awe, and this story about imaginary friends revels in those little things. Savoia’s simple (but excellent!) illustrations enhance the story further; by keeping everything “plain,” he makes the story that much more unsettling. This is the issue’s definite must-read.
The body-shifting story “All the Pretty Ponies” by Lauren Beukes and Inaki Miranda isn’t bad, per se, but it did remind me a bit too much of a similar story from Grant Morrison’s The Invisibles, though with a bit more restriction on the whole “possessing” process. Still, it’s a neat little story that meshes sci-fi elements with crime fiction in a neat and inventive way, as sci-fi is wont to do. Miranda’s pencils (when combined with Eva de la Cruz’s great coloring) fit the more “refined” scenes with Sofia and Javier, but seem a bit too polished for the more gritty, street-level scenes – even though his technical proficiency still shines through. It’s a fun little read that will leave you thinking, but it’s not the best that this anthology has to offer.
Continued belowThe next story was Multiversity-favorite Jeff Lemire’s take on one of DC’s most bizarre characters, Ultra the Multi-Alien. This was very similar to Grant Morrison’s Animal Man, in that it took a mostly forgotten, and slightly silly, obscure character and turned him on his head. The story itself is relatively straightforward, and uncomfortably poignant for something about a creature called “Ultra the Multi-Alien” (man can Lemire draw the most depressingly blank stares). Of course, that’s what made this story, which is probably my second favorite of the whole thing.
Ross Campbell’s “Refuse” is, for me, the weakest part of this collection. The story is kind of interesting, but there doesn’t seem to be any “point.” I get what Campbell is trying to convey – I think – it just doesn’t seem significant to me. Similarly, the art is alright, but it doesn’t really make the story any better. The unfortunate thing about these anthologies is that you’ll often come across stories that seem like filler. My apologies to Mr. Campbell, but I’m going to go ahead and say to skip this one.
“The Post-Modern Prometheus” by Kevin Colden is a nice little read, but nothing to write home about. For the most part, I enjoyed the story itself, but I rarely care for retrospective first person narratives in comics that aren’t noir in style. Maybe it’s just me, but they don’t seem to fit particularly well. Or maybe it was just the voice that was used for the narrator (even though I liked that last page quite a bit). Either way, something in the narrative held “The Post-Modern Prometheus” back from becoming a good comic. As is, it’s just an alright one. However, Colden’s art is quite a treat, so while this isn’t one of the best in the book, I still think it’s worth a read.
One of the more interesting excerpts (from a writing perspective) was “Saucer Country” by Paul Cornell and artist Goran Sudzuka. There’s just something neat and unconventional about the way that Cornell wrote this; it’s basically the comic equivalent of a conspiracy theory, and reads unlike any comic I’ve read. There’s a story, yes, but not in the traditional sense of rising action, climax, and so on and so forth. Instead, the story is extremely open-ended, just like one of those urban legends that people swap on dark nights. Sudzuka’s art is very clean, and ties the whole thing together quite nicely. If Strange Adventures ever becomes an ongoing, I do hope that this becomes a regular feature.
The final installment in this anthology is a prelude of sorts to Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso’s “Spaceman” (similar to how the first Dark Horse Presents had a preview of Frank Miller’s “Xerxes”). I’m not much of a Azzarello fan, but the premise of this series seems sound enough, and I do like the slang that he’s invented for this setting. I like where Azzarello is going with this. Let’s hope he doesn’t lose me like he has countless times. Risso, on the other hand, is and has always been excellent, and this example is no different. Even if Spaceman lets us down, at least Risso’s art will cushion the blow.
There’s one big thing that I didn’t like about Strange Adventures: it’s a one shot. This issue is, in my opinion, a definite buy, simply because there is such a variety of different stories in here. You’ll love some, you’ll just enjoy some, and you’ll dislike others, but in the end the $7.99 price tag is worth it. I’ve been waiting for a Vertigo anthology for a while, and I know I’m not the only one. If enough people buy this, maybe there will be an ongoing!
Final Verdict: 7.0 – Buy it!
And what about that Paul Pope cover? Too bad it’s sullied by that hideous Green Lantern banner.
