Dork Tower #30

February 27, 2005

Quick Rating: Very Good
Title: The Tao of Igor

The world according to Igor.

Writer: John Kovalic
Art: John Kovalic & Christopher Golden
Colors: John Kovalic
Letters: John Kovalic
Lethargic Lad Back-Up: Greg Hyland
Cover Art: John Kovalic
Publisher: Dork Storm

With many of his characters at a crossroads, John Kovalic takes this issue for all of them to receive counseling at the hands of one character that will never change – the good-natured geek Igor. Wanting only to help, Igor talks to both Matt and Kayleigh, struggling from their quasi-breakup and (in Matt’s case because Gilly has flown off to Europe. He talks to Carson about his money problems and filters everything through an ancient Zen tale about the empty mind and seeing the obvious. One of which applies to Igor, the other doesn’t.

Although the story is driven by the other characters, this issue is very much about Igor himself, about how he views the world, and about how he’s found his own brand of inner peace even through his utter lunacy. It’s a funny, funny little character piece that works extremely well.

Kovalic chose to print this issue of the usually black-and-white title in color, and that works too. It’s clear that this book isn’t usually a color title,, as some of the colors look a little washed-out, almost like a photocopy. However, for some of Igor’s “Zen” scenes, he applies a texture that gives the images a look of old parchment, which adds tremendously to the artwork and would never work in black-and-white.

We’ve got a few back-ups here as well, some extra Dork Tower strips and a short Dr. Blink, Superhero Shrink story, where he counsels a vaguely familiar arachnid-based superhero with severe depression. Like all Dr. Blink strips, it’s a great superhero satire. The issue is rounded off with a Lethargic Lad strip which, like all such strips, isn’t great satire. Supposedly this is a comic strip that pokes fun at superheroes, but this issue (like most), Greg Hyland simply tells a tale that could have fit easily in any goofy silver age story and throws out snarky comments about how stupid superheroes are in the meantime.

The tepid Lethargic Lad notwithstanding, this is a good issue. The color isn’t necessary (nor is it permanent, I think, based on this issue’s “Muskrat Ramblings” column), but it is welcome.

Rating: 8/10

PVP: The Dork Ages

July 9, 2005

PVP: The Dork Ages by Scott Kurtz (Image Comics)

Scott Kurtz’s wildly funny PVP is the best of the current crop of webtoons, those comic strips that never would have found distribution in a newspaper but thrive on the Internet. Kurtz did six issues of a comic book based on his strip for Dork Storm Press before moving over to Image Comics — this paperback collects those six issues.

The premise of the comic strip, and this collection, is simple — Kurtz is telling the story of the staff of a video game magazine: the hard-working boss Cole, his best friend, the uber-pretentious Brent Sienna, Brent’s girlfriend Jade (the rare gamer girl), lunatic tech-teen Francis and the company intern, Skull, a big blue troll with a heart of gold and a brain of styrofoam.

Kurtz was still in the learning stage when he started this comic — the first three stories are quite short, although entertaining. The third issue, a take on Manga and Anime, is particularly wild, but may be confusing for people not into that sort of thing. Starting with the fourth issue, the “PVP Christmas Special,” Kurtz hit his stride. The Christmas story is a send-up of everything from “Miracle on 34th Street” to “It’s a Wonderful Life,” to “A Christmas Carol,” with jokes from sources as various as Superman comics, the “Battle of the Planets” cartoon and Isaac Asimov. Issue five, a Matrix parody, pokes just as much fun at the current state of comic strips as it does of that movie, and the last story in the collection is a gut-busting yet oddly sweet tale about Skull the Troll trying to reunite estranged lovers Brent Sienna and Jade Fontaine. The book also gives us several pin-up pages and, for those of us who are into that sort of thing — a roleplaying module that will allow you to game as the superhero characters the PVP crew plays in the comic.

This is a great package. PVP is a wonderful strip, and it’s impossible for anyone with a heart not to find something to love in this collection.

Rating: 8/10

PS 238 #20

Feburary 24, 2007

Quick Rating: Good

Zodon’s adventure through the timestream catches up with the present!

Writer: Aaron Williams
Art: Aaron Williams
Cover Art: Aaron Williams
Publisher: Dork Storm/Do-Gooder Press

Back in PS 238 #13, our hapless non-powered superhero kid Tyler got caught up in a time-travel adventure, trying to thwart the schemes of his classmate, the would-be supervillain named Zodon. This issue, the time-traveling catches up to Tyler, and he has to go through the adventure with his past self, all over again.

This issue is rather difficult to review. It’s a funny issue, as ever, full of great gags and portents of the future. The thing is, unless you’re intimately familiar with issue #13 (and I haven’t read that issue in many months), you’ll be terminally lost in trying to read the comic. Going over it, even having read the first issue, feels like reading one of those old “Choose Your Own Adventure” comics straight through instead of jumping around like you’re supposed to. All the pieces are there, but they feel totally out of order. Now to be fair, this is obviously exactly what Aaron Williams intended. In execution, though, it’s just a little tough to follow.

There’s a lot of good stuff here, though, especially Zodon’s solution to rescuing himself from his time-lost state. The last page in particular sets up a rather unexpected subplot, which feeds directly into the more emotional half of this title, the part that reminds us that while we are, in fact, dealing with superheroes, we’re also still dealing with children, and that these super-kids have the same issues and fears that regular kids do. It’s this stuff that really makes this a special comic book, and I’m quite anxious for next issue.

We follow up the main feature with Williams’s two back-ups. Nodwick makes its debut here after finishing off his own 36-issue run, and although it is now in a comic strip format rather than long-form, Williams apparently isn’t abandoning the ongoing stories, thank goodness. One of Nodwick’s henchmen buddies is being chased down by his employers, and Nodwick has been called upon to help. Then we have a few pages of Full Frontal Nerdity, in which our gaming geeks deal with the impact of various pop culture elements on their lives.

This is a fun issue, but the accessibility problem keeps it from being as good as this title usually is.

Rating: 7/10

PS 238 #19

December 16, 2006

Quick Rating: Great

Tyler leads his team into battle!

Writer: Aaron Williams
Art: Aaron Williams
Cover Art: Aaron Williams
Publisher: Dork Storm/Henchman Publishing

Tyler and his team of kid superheroes has managed to track down Charles Brigman, the bully who’s been teleporting kids away from school and dropping them in a nearby lake. Now the young heroes of PS 238 take a stand against the bully that’s terrorizing their school.

If the setup sounds like a simplistic “kiddie” comic, think again. Granted, this a book that kids could read and enjoy quite easily, but Aaron Williams doesn’t flinch from the ramifications of Charles’ powers. Sure, right now he’s just teleporting kids relatively safely over an open lake, but suppose he teleported them somewhere else? Into traffic? A mile in the air? In the middle of the desert? His powers could be extremely dangerous, and he knows it. But the story really belongs to Tyler (a.k.a. “Moon Shadow”) and his crew. Williams accomplishes a brilliant balancing act in this issue, painting them as genuine children, but at the same time, showing the germs of heroism that many of them possess. Others may have the power, but not the drive, and those possibilities are addressed as well. In the end, he turns out a book that’s very, very funny, but at the same time, one of the best examinations of the super hero currently being published.

As Williams closes off Charles’ story, he begins laying groundwork for later storylines. Zodon, the would-be supervillain neutered by an automatic censoring device (one of the funniest running gags in the book) is plotting something. Zodon is one of the most interesting characters in the book – although he has at times flirted with standing on the side of the heroes, in his heart he’s still got that megalomaniacal urge that propels a would-be Dr. Doom. The resultant character is someone you want to see redeem himself, but at the same time, want to see really let loose to be bad.

All things considered, this is an absolutely magnificent comic book series, and this issue is one of the best yet.

Rating: 9/10

The Collected Dork Tower Vol. 3: Heart of Dorkness

July 9, 2005

Story and Art: John Kovalic
Publisher: Dork Storm Press

John Kovalic’s “Dork Tower” series, since I discovered it a few years ago, has been one of the best treats I’ve enjoyed as a comic book reader. It’s the story of Matt, Igor, Ken and Carson — four average gaming geeks (average except that Carson happens to be a muskrat) who walk a balance between existing in the real world and escaping to a game world.

This volume, third in the series, offers some of the best plot advancement yet. For some time now Kovalic has danced around the fact that Matt and Gilly the Perky Goth would be kindred spirits if they ever actually met. In this book, he finally gives us that meeting — with a monkeywrench thrown in. Matt meets Gilly, all right… right after he gets back together with his game-hating, geek-intolerant ex-girlfriend.

“Dork Tower” is one of the few series that really makes you feel for the characters without ever resorting to sappy moments or losing the fact that it’s a comedy first. We want Matt and Gilly to get together, but the obstacles in their way are so funny we don’t want them to stop. Every page of this book is packed with laughs. I can’t imagine anyone not loving this book. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again — if Charles Schulz had played “Dungeons and Dragons,” the result would have been “Dork Tower.”

Rating: 8/10

Someboy’s First Comic Book: Full Frontal Nerdity Annual #1

Wondering what Somebody’s First Comic Book is all about? The explanation is on this page!

CREDITS:
Writer: Aaron Williams
Penciller: Aaron Williams
Publisher: Dork Storm/Henchman Publishing

PRIOR KNOWLEDGE: Never heard of it, but based entirely on the cover, I’m thinkin’ this is a comic for and/or about nerds.

IMPRESSIONS: Interesting… this doesn’t seem to be an ordinary comic book. You read it sideways and you get what appears to be a bunch of newspaper-style comic strips, all about three guys playing games. Most of the stuff seems to be a sort of Dungeons and Dragons pastiche, although occasionally they lapse into other gimmicks like miniatures, toys, and jokes about Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter… there’s even a gag in here about the Janet Jackson Super Bowl fiasco, although since this book was probably released right after that happened, I won’t take points off for timeliness.

The writing is really sharp. Although the characters are, of course, geeks, Aaron Williams does try to make them all real people as well. Frank, Nelson, and Lewis are all distinctive personalities, different from one another, while still having the sort of core social awkwardness that seems to fit this setting very well. The jokes are funny without feeling like they’re exploitive or at the expense of the audience, which I imagine is largely made up of people very similar to our three “nerds.” Williams also supplies all the artwork for this book, and his style is good. The characters are simple and cartoony enough to be suitable for an animated series, while the toys and props are a bit more detailed, probably to satisfy the more meticulous members of the audience.

This was a fun little book. I’d read more of these.

GRADE: B+

PS 238 #18

October 17, 2006

Quick Rating: Very Good

Satori takes the staff on a tour of the dead.

Writer: Aaron Williams
Art: Aaron Williams
Cover Art: Aaron Williams
Publisher: Dork Storm Press/Henchman Publishing

The whole “being dead” thing turned out pretty well for Ambriel Valentine. She’s back – alive again – and she’s found a new metaprodigy right upstairs at Excelsior Elementary School. Satori Deacon is a young girl with the power to see the dead. She keeps the secret to herself, though, because the dead are so lonely and desperate for help that when they discover what she can do, they drive her crazy with their thirst for company. Still, with news of the meta in their midst, Vashti introduces herself to the girl.

Satori takes her on a visit to the ghost of an Indian who has lived in front of the school for hundreds of years, his memory erased as part of an old curse. Their visit was supposed to be a simple demonstration of Satori’s power, but instead, it points in the direction of a mission (not to mention some backstory). Then, just to keep things from getting too The Sixth Sense, we find an added twist to her power that could only happen in a superhero universe.

As Satori and Vashti meet the nameless Indian, Tyler continues his investigation into Charles, the bully who has been teleporting students away from school, dropping them into the lake. So far his actions have been a prank, but the threat of further violence is obvious, and it’s up to Tyler – as Moon Shadow – to assemble a team to try to save the school. Tyler seems like kind of an odd choice on Williams’ part – he’s made the major viewpoint character in the series about a superhero school the one student with no powers. That just makes the story more engaging, though, as we see Tyler fighting to become a hero despite the fact that he’s surrounded by students more powerful than he is. We see Tyler beginning to really rise above in this issue, and that makes him all the more intriguing.

This is one of those comics that only real fans read, because no one else knows about them. That’s a crying shame. This is consistently a knockout comic book, a wonderful superhero tale, and a really unique story. All the excitement of the early X-Men without that tiresome teen angst. C’mon. Give it a try.

Rating: 8/10

Dr. Blink, Superhero Shrink #3

June 22, 2006

Quick Rating: Very Good
Title: The Hunger of Ginormous and other stories

When Earth’s greatest superheroes can’t stave off a planet-eating cosmic being, can their psychiatrist save the world?

Writer: John Kovalic
Art: Christopher Jones
Ultra-Gal Strip By: Alex Robinson
Colors: Melissa Kaercher
Cover Art: Christopher Jones
Publisher: Dork Storm

After a far-too-long hiatus, Dr. Blink, Superhero Shrink has returned to the comic shops with a new collection of strips featuring the psychiatrist to the superheroes. Kovalic and Jones give us a smattering of short stories this issue rather than any issue-length tales, but it’s still a very funny, very satisfying package.

The front cover Spawn parody ties in to the first story, in which the latest incarnation of an ancient hell-borne warrior finds out that a name that sounded good in ancient times may not translate very well today. The second story, “The Hunger of Ginormous,” is the star of the issue, though. The cosmic planet-eater called Ginormous has already defeated the Teen Force Extreme, the Remainders and the world’s premiere superheroes, the Avenging Legion of Titan Justice Defenders Society of America League. Now the only thing between him and Earth is Dr. Blink. Again, this is a short story, but the punchline is (like Kovalic’s best work) a pointed jab at popular trends as well as superhero conventions.

Alex Robinson also gives us another installment of his Ultra-Gal series, and this issue she crosses over with Dr. Blink. During a routine therapy session, she realizes something is very wrong – and the good doctor may not be the only one in jeopardy. Ultra-Gal is less of a pure parody than most of the Dr. Blink stories – it’s more like a straight superhero story with comedy elements thrown in, not unlike the Giffen/DeMatteis Justice League, and in fact, this entire book would be a great read for anyone bemoaning the loss of those days.

The rest of the book is filled with very short strips – one or two pages – parodying various superheroes and archetypes. Kovalic also throws in a few Dork Tower back-up strips about superhero RPGs and, for the gamers reading the comic, profile pages outlining the character stats for some of Dr. Blink’s patients for use in the Mutants and Masterminds roleplaying game.

Kovalic’s wit, as always, is sharp and perfectly-suited for the subject matter. Jones’s artwork is great too, the sort of thing you’d see on a cartoon-based comic (and, in fact, he’s the regular artist on Batman Strikes), but still maintaining his own style. This is a great return for the good doctor, and I just hope we don’t have to wait so long for his next session.

Rating: 8/10

Nodwick #35

November 9, 2006

Quick Rating: Great

The battle with Baphuma’al!

Writer: Aaron Williams
Art: Aaron Williams
Cover Art: Aaron Williams
Publisher: Dork Storm Press/Henchman Publishing

Although I enjoy both of Aaron Williams’s regular comics from Dork Storm, I usually tip my hat to P.S. 238 to have better writing. This issue, though, Nodwick really gives it a run for its money.

Nodwick, henchman supreme, has been taken prisoner by the evil god of dark magic, Baphuma’al, and his friends have to unite to defeat the dark god and save the world… and Nodwick, if at all possible. Most of this issue is the battle scene, and as battle scenes go… well, this may be one of the funniest you’ll ever read. After a very inventive and amusing communiqué, Nodwick’s companions resort to the “Omega Directive,” a sort of “Plan Z”, last-resort, break glass only in case of end of world sort of idea. The results are uniformly hysterical, and the things that happen to Nodwick along the way make this one of the best issues of this title yet. Even the dialogue is fantastic, including a frustrated cry from the bad guy that split my side. The end of this issue comes a little out of the blue, but it’s an intriguing enough development that I can forgive that.

Although P.S. 238 is usually the better written of Williams’s books, Nodwick frequently trumps it in the artwork, and this is no exception. His faces are the weak suit, many of his “ordinary” characters look too similar, but the characters in Nodwick’s world are varied and bizarre enough that this isn’t a problem. His design work for the armor and costumes is excellent, and the battles are wonderfully done.

As usual, we get some back-up strips in this issue, but this issue’s back-ups are rather unusual in their content. We get the first-ever crossover between Nodwick and one of Williams’s other strips, the gamer gag series called Full Frontal Nerdity. When a dark wizard accidentally drains all of the magic from the world, the Nodwick cast winds up running a Renaissance Fair where the FFN guys are wandering around. The result is a fantastic back-up storyline, far superior to the usual strips. (Not that the usual strips are bad – it’s just that this one is great.)

We also get a couple of stand-alone FFN strips and a great Nodwick one-pager exploring the trials and tribulations of magic swords. Altogether, perhaps the best single issue of Nodwick to date.

Rating: 9/10

Dork Tower #28

Quick Rating: Good
Title: That GRRRL!

When Matt’s relationship with Kayleigh hits another rocky patch, Igor decides to help. This is not good news…

Writers: John Kovalic, Alex Robinson & Greg Hyland
Art: John Kovalic, Liz Rathke, Alex Robinson, Christopher Jones & Greg Hyland
Cover Art: Chynna Clugston-Major
Publisher: Dork Storm Press

Matt and Kayleigh have only been back together for a few issues, but he’s already feeling the horrible mistake he made when he went back to her instead of going after Gilly. She hates his hobbies, belittles gaming and torments him for how he spends his time, and his resentment of her is beginning to creep into his life with his friends. Igor, good-hearted lug that he is, comes up with a plan to smooth things out between the two of them, and naturally makes things much, much worse in the process.

One of the most amusing things about Dork Tower is that the same plotlines could be applied to a cheesy soap opera, but Kovalic manages to make a hysterical comedy out of them. One of the downsides, though, is that the plot progresses really, really slowly. There is some plot progression here, but not until the last few pages. It jolts the story ahead significantly when it happens, but it does sometimes feel like it takes too long to get there.

Following the main story we get several short Dork Tower strips, touching on such sensitive subjects as gaming snacks, Games Magazine’s 200th issue and the inherent dangers when a gamer begins dating a woman who’s better at games than he is.

Next up is a Snapdragons short by Kovalic and Liz Rathke. I haven’t read the Snapdragons comic, but I do enjoy the shorts in this title – our Dork Tower heroes try to introduce children to the wonderful world of gaming. This time around, Matt winds up showing his age.

Alex Robinson (of Box Office Poison fame) follows this with a very amusing, if offbeat, one-pager. In “Romanticlicks,” he apparently skews the click-game trend (games like Heroclix, for instance) with a parody of a dating click-game. Cracked me up.

Kovalic and Jones contribute two Dr. Blink: Superhero Shrink shorts, including the funniest one I’ve read yet. Ever wondered how superheroes make sure they don’t choose names that are already taken? It isn’t easy.

And finally, Greg Hyland’s Lethargic Lad returns in “Poison Uma: Jumpsuit Samurai,” where he goes up against a criminal that seems to be a strange amalgam of Uma Thurman’s characters from Batman and Robin, Kill Bill and other films. The Lethargic Lad strips usually aren’t my favorites in this title – Hyland has a good sense of humor, but he doesn’t have the same loving parody that you find everywhere else in this comic book. Too often, he gets acerbic, and that’s not as funny to me.

A solid issue, but not one of Kovalic’s best. However, he seems to have set things up quite nicely, and I expect he’ll have major progression in the story in the next two issues. Plus, it’s just funny. Check this one out.

Rating: 7/10