Boom! Wham! Pow! The ComiQuad is a column dedicated to the spandex-laden world of comics and superheroes. It goes up each Wednesday and will alternate between comic book reviews and other comic book news. Reviews shall try to be spoiler-free. And it’s back! Zam!
I did the best I could with that very bizarre title.
Polarity #1
Writer: Max Bemis, Artist: Jorge Coelho, Colors: Felipe Sobreiro, Letters: Steve Wands
Pantslessness, mental illness, and the dissection of the hipsters: welcome to the first issue of Polarity, the four-issue miniseries about bipolar disorder and superheroes written by Say Anything front man Max Bemis.
Something that immediately struck me when reading Polarity #1 was the extraordinarily high-caliber language used throughout the story. Maybe it’s an unfortunate testament to the bulk of superhero comics today, but it’s not often that a reader stumbles upon phrases like “metrosexual affectation,” “cockamamie bohemian,” and “acrid stench of human dreadlock.” It doesn’t come across as forced, either. The protagonist, bipolar artist Tim, is intelligent and somewhat pretentious enough to waltz around using such words.
The writing is deliciously self-aware, especially when moody-and-vain Tim goes around criticizing the hipster horde for being slightly more moody-and-vain. He’s a likable protagonist (who makes unlikable decisions, as all humans do) who is caught in a dilemma between sanity and art. Bemis, bipolar himself, writes about the illness through Tim in an engaging and accessible way.
The stylized, expressive, and very contemporary art style by Jorge Coelho is an excellent match for the comic. No one quite draws and manages to nail down the enigma that is “the hipster” quite like Coelho does.
If you’re looking for a comic that is quite uniquely different from other comics today, check out Polarity #1. If nothing else, you’ll get to see a hipster dissected in two.
Review 8.5/10
Abe Sapien #1
Writers: Mike Mignola and Scott Allie, Artist: Sebastián Fiumara, Colors: Dave Stewart, Letters: Clem Robins
The “one-derful” element about #1 issues of any comic is that they’re supposed to be new reader accessible. Anyone with absolutely any background should be able to hop on board and not feel caught in a corn maze.
And that, unfortunately, is where Abe Sapien #1 falters.
The book opens with mysterious, shady people doing mysterious, shady things that seem to be unrelated to the rest of the book or the title character. The story then transitions to a meeting with Important Authoritative Figures (whom I tangentially know about, but are barely explained to readers) talking about Title Character. Only two of these characters get names, and the reader is left to otherwise guess about which of these people are actually important.
By the end of the book, the reader is given little knowledge about the title character and little reason to care about him. For people who know the character, there might be intrinsic interest in Abe. For those who do not, however, there is just a whole pile confusion and very little character interaction.
The comic’s art is a good backdrop for the story. The equal parts of realism, expression, and dark grittiness make for a solid foundation for a monster story. Unfortunately, the comic cannot be graded on art alone.
Review 4/10
Joe Palooka #5
Writer: Mike Bullock, Artist: Fernando Peniche, Colors: Bob Pedroza, Letters: Josh Aitken
You can pretty much take this book as seriously as you can any person with the last name “Palooka” (is it Polish?). Which, to say, is not necessarily a bad thing.
If you’re interested in a straightforward, testosterone-fueled, action-packed comic that viscerally oozes blood, sweat, and tears, then Joe Palooka #5 just might be the thing.
Overall, the story is pretty basic. All-American seeming white dude (this point is belabored throughout the comic) Joe Palooka travels about to mixed-martial art fight his way through his problems so he can somehow return to his girlfriend and sister. Girlfriend and sister are both trying to prove Palooka’s innocence over a murder, but it seems like a team of Big Bad Guys are trying to stop them by spoiling their plans.
None of the characters really break much storytelling ground. Familiar tropes such as Macho Hero, Chinese Guy with Accent (complete with Sumo Wrestler ally), Innocent Blonde Girl, Lone Tear Streaming Down Face, and Villain with Scar Across His Eye all make their standard appearances.
Peniche’s art is the perfect partner for the story. The men are hyper-muscled and all the ladies are hyper-sexy. It may not come to shock anyone that Innocent Blonde Girl is wearing a shirt that’s about the size of one of Joe Palooka’s abdominal muscles.
The comic is pretty paint-by-numbers, but that doesn’t mean it’s not somewhat entertaining.
Review 6/10
