PVP (2003 Series) #10

November 8, 2004

Quick Rating: Very Good

When Skull becomes a genius, what’ll happen to the PVP staff?

Writer: Scott Kurtz
Art: Scott Kurtz
Cover Art: Scott Kurtz
Publisher: Image Comics

One thing that Scott Kurtz does a lot with his PVP comic strip is to take old stories that are used over and over again on sitcoms, in comics, movies and other media, and put his own twist. In this case, it’s the classic “dumb character gets smart” story.

While trying to pry a piece of bread from the toaster with a metal utensil (don’t try this at home, kids!), Skull the troll gets an electric jolt that suddenly turns him into a super-genius. When the lovable lug becomes an intellectual mastermind, his friends at co-workers at PVP find the tables turned, playing foil to him where he used to be their comic relief. With his friends drifting away, Skull starts to question of his genius is really worth it. This is a story that’s been told time and again, and characteristically, Kurtz points out and pokes fun at all these other tales he lampoons.

The second tale in this issue also borrows heavily from TV sitcoms. When Macintosh-loving Brent Sienna gives PC nerd Francis Ottoman an Apple iPod, an insidious plan turns into a case of mistaken identity and pure hilarity. Even when he takes on a well worn storyline, Kurtz has the ability to use his cast’s established characterization to tell the tale. Brent’s evil, narcissistic side and Francis’s addictive personality make them the perfect characters to use.

We get a quick bonus in this issue, two pages of Aaron Williams’s Full Frontal Nerdity. A comic focusing on gaming geeks, it wallows in territory already well-covered by comics like John Kovalic’s Dork Tower. The best thing about Williams’ strip are his rather unique characters, particularly Shawn, the gamer who lives far away and only interacts with his friends through his webcam, which somehow doesn’t limit his participation in the strip in the slightest.

PVP has really climbed the ladder of comic-strip comics, taking its place among the best of them. I love Liberty Meadows as much as anyone, but its perennial lateness has paved the way for Kurtz to claim the crown. This comic book is just pure fun, whether you’re a video gamer or not, because Kurtz manages to tap into stories and situations we’re all familiar with and somehow make them new.

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+

Marvel Illustrated: The Jungle Book #1

April 9, 2007

Quick Rating: Good
Title: The Jungle Book
Rating: T+

To launch the new Marvel Illustrated line, Marvel re-presents the legendary Gil Kane’s adaptation of The Jungle Book!

Based on the work of: Rudyard Kipling
Writers: Gil Kane & Mary Jo Duffy
Pencils: Gil Kane
Inks: P. Craig Russell
Colors: Christie Scheele & Petra Goldberg
Letters: Jim Novak
Original Editor: Al Milgrom
Collection Editor: Mark D. Beazley
Cover Art: P. Craig Russell & Lovern Kindzierski
Publisher: Marvel Comics

In a move that I applaud, Marvel Comics is making an effort to resurrect the old Classics Illustrated concept, taking classic literature and presenting it in a comic book format. To kick off the line, they’re giving us this one-shot reprinting four stories from Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book as adapted by the immortal Gil Kane.

The work is pretty solid. Kane (along with scripter Mary Jo Duffy for two of the stories) produced these four tales for Marvel Fanfare, and they read just fine as a straightforward adaptation of Kipling’s stories. What’s more, Kane and inker P. Craig Russell produce some truly beautiful adventure strip artwork, and fans of Kane really can’t do without having this book.

Roy Thomas, who helped develop the Jungle Book tales and will spearhead the new Marvel Illustrated line, provides us with an intriguing text piece about both projects. If you’re at all interested or curious about the new line, this book gives you a nice taste of what to expect, including a preview of the first book, The Last of the Mohicans (which features wonderful artwork by Steve Kurth). With so many contemporary novels being adapted (between the Dabel Brothers and The Dark Tower, perhaps the time is ripe to try this again.

Rating: 7/10