Action Figure-ing: Yoda Man!

Time to show off the loot from Comic Con Bangalore, presenting Yoda Man(bobblehead)! Like it you will.

Also featuring some old Heroclix. You can't ignore The Punisher for long.

Dr Ajax : Further Adventures

I completed the Dr Ajax series and found all the stories compelling and distinctive adventures in themselves. Since I read Army of Bees first, the first book(Crocodile Man) came later in my sequence but it didn't really affect anything majorly. The stories stand good one shots, and it is interesting that all 4 books have a different artists, it gives a different visual mood each time while the central elements remain constant.

Crocodile Man(Anniswans, Ishan, Surojit)
This story continues the fast-paced writing of this series. Apart from the good overall arc of the case, there were some bits that really struck a chord with me….Ajax’ theory of all fun being away from office, his mind going off when its needed the most then suddenly coming useful in a crucial moment, the cleverly written parts between him and Jack, the supercool anticlimax, and the post conclusion bits really make this a very intriguing series. The way science and real facts are interspersed within a fictional detective story just elevates the whole experience to realistic levels without losing on the fun.

The Invisible Man(Anniswans, Ishan, Hemant)

Scientifically the best story of the series, this one is high on the science aspect. The panels are experimental which lends a unique visual appeal. The story starts with a bang quite literally as we delve into a crazy scientist and his experiments with invisibility. Some well detailed bits about animal camouflaging follow the team as a precious stone gets stolen. Some hilarious witness outtakes follow("like that predator movie"!). The team cracks the mystery in a satisfying finale, and ends with a cool cliffhanger. 



The Hostage Story(Anniswans, Rahul)
This story revolves around the kidnapping of a financial fraud convict as Ajax and his Nano Force are called in for help. We get to some thrilling times as Mark & Monica struggle to put Ajax' ideas to action, overcoming every obstacle and thinking on their feet.

The Legends of Aveon 9 : The Road to Vexadus

We have often missed that great leap of quality in Indian comic books, one that not only provides us the impetus to build many more lines based on its success but it also satisfies the creative hunger of the eponymous reader. Aveon 9 may be a small step in taking us there. I would not hesitate to say that I haven’t seen such good art in an Indian comic book(if you consider the popular genre), in its complex detailing and depth.



When one looks at such promising art there is often the fear of getting underwhelmed. This book, however, delivers on all accounts, and wins with its confident narration. The plot is essentially Avatar meets Tron meets your standard edition meek protagonist(Harry Potter/The Terminator Kid/Luke Skywalker). The protagonist relying on a strong female character also reminded of a lesser known but brilliant web series called Delilah Dirk.Similarities aside, Aveon 9 is a solid gripping sci-fi tale spanning an epic distant universe. The team at Rovolt is geographically diverse, and the effort shows in the final product which is sleek yet feels familiar and talks to all age groups of readers. The team boasts of internationally renowned names like Ron Marz.


The Good News: Some world-class art(a la Jim Lee), cool sci-fi epic saga, well explained and detailed backstory
Minor quibbles- the romantic plot gets a tad too cheesy at times, the look of few characters tries too hard at an Indian connection.
Verdict: Cheers!



Official Synopsis:

Thousands of years into the future, humans find themselves the masters of a new planet, Aveon 9. While establishing their supremacy, they pissed off more natives than they pleased and of course there were repercussions. Now there is chaos and anarchy all around. The continent of Xanundium torn between three warring human kingdoms of Vexadus, Naugra and Chunargh; is a boiling cauldron of various natives Eyars, Bonakins, Gnorms and Simians all fighting for their own dominance. An eventful journey of  two star crossed lovers and a native with some extraordinary power who have put themselves at a great risk, against the potently evil forces in their bid to achieve a state of peaceful co-existence. In this journey of love, hatred, deceit, passion, greed, trust, friendship, war who will survive as the quest has just begun.

Gallery

Dr Ajax Army of Bees: An Indian Detective with Nano Force

One of the many takeaways from Bangalore Comic Con was discovering cool new Indian comics and a whole new group of independent comic book artists and writers that deserve a wider audience. Dr Ajax is a series by Pipedream Labs, written by Anniswans, and illustrated by a group of artists like Devaki Neogi Kiran. There are 4 books out now. which are all standalone one shots in themselves. The genre is detective thrillers peppered with slight doses of science trivia and humor.



Now to talk about the first book I read, Army of Bees. The title has a nice rhythm to it, and some great cover art pulled me in right away. The book opens to a no-nonsense good old bank robbery, only involving animals instead of your standard edition Reservoir Dogs. The panels are neat and maintain the tension through the action sequences. There is a nice transition to the humorous 'team' elements where one meets the companions of Dr Ajax - Simantini(aide and sometimes adversary in his schemes and countless theories and hypotheses) and Mark & Monica(the miniature/nano results of a personality modifier experiment gone wrong). There is a fine balance between the dialog and art as we move through this particular mystery. Dr Ajax and Simantini are engaging in their petty arguments and remind one of the deductive banter between Holmes and Dr Watson.

The book goes further into some cool science lessons where you explore the central theme of how an attack can be planned using sound frequencies as a force and humans/bees/animals as the medium. There is good arc to how Dr Ajax applies his suspicions to the case which I can't give away for sake of surprise to reach a conclusion and this unlikely team combines concepts of human sciences, physics and nano force and unravel the mystery behind the Army of Bees.

Engaging,original and laudable outing for a comic book set in a neutral universe. I am excited to catch up on the next editions in the adventures of Dr Ajax and his mad team. 

Comic Con Express Bangalore 2012

Time to rejoice! The geeks have won. Very happy to see a comic con in my backyard. I thoroughly enjoyed the frenzy, the cosplays, meeting up with few Indian artists(that I shall be writing about soon), sampling pop culture in India(a rare occurrence), and generally colliding with Green Lanterns, Jokers a plenty and some work-in-progress superheroes. Way to go!

happythankyoumoreplease.

Some great fan-films and web series

Batman : Puppet Master
I couldn't care less for Nolan's Batman but this short film gets all the beats correct, goofiness in place. This is exactly how dark I want my Batman film.

Some great twists, a smooth flowing dialog, great acting make it a well-made Batman film, Nolan or not.
Film Blog


But I Don't Like Superhero Movies!
This funny short plays smart satire through geeky melodrama, and makes for a hilarious repeat watch with its rehab setting and its great actors. I loved that it doesn't try too hard and respects the geek.



H+
This is the new Bryan Singer web-series which may put its big screen counterparts to shame. Some great post-apocalyptic sci-fi in the vein of I Am Legend along with great potential for all the goods a web series can bring make this a promising and exciting venture to look forward to.


Some more...
Batman : A City of Scars
Y: The Last Man - Fan Film

Sweet Tooth & Jeff Lemire's Bleak World

Sweet Tooth is one of the finest indie titles to have come out from Vertigo, or any other publisher in recent years. It is the bleak road tale of Gus, a boy with confused eyes and a pair of antlers chasing him like fate. The world is much like Animal Man, Lemire's run from the new 52, dystopian, existential, hollow. Lemire lends a gravity and ethos which keeps the book afloat and makes for a breezy read, even though what you read is Class A gory stuff with hybrids being tortured to depressing musings of outcasts.

The book is now nearing conclusion in its 40th volume and is divided into arcs called Out of the Woods, In Captivity, Animal Armies & Endangered Species. I am about to finish the 3rd arc and can't stop just trying to run to the end. This is same kind of response Animal Man evokes and I have lined up Lemire's Essex County next in my stack.

 “SWEET TOOTH is like Mad Max with antlers. . . . spellbinding and offbeat.” –USA TODAY.com

“Like a Coen brothers road-trip drama, “SWEET TOOTH,” by indie comics fave Jeff Lemire, is a fantastic post-apocolyptic comic.” —AM NEW YORK

 “Excellent.” –USA TODAY/POP CANDY

“Jeff Lemire’s amazing postapocalyptic comic SWEET TOOTH: bloody and gentle all at once.” –New York Magazine (Approval Matrix Lowbrow/Brilliant)

“Sweet Tooth is a grabber from the get-go . . . Lemire retains his gift for imbuing ordinary moments with a sense of wonder.” –THE ONION/AV CLUB