The Spire (2015) #3

The Spire continues to impress, though this issue shows the first time Spurrier lets the size of the comic get ahead of him. The lead, Shå, shows up on the fourth page or so–some beautiful double page spreads from Stokley here–but she’s just leading the reader through procedural stuff. Stokley’s composition is so strong, it overpowers the character stuff with she and her royal girlfriend bickering. The Spire is a big book, big story.

For the last third of the book, after some political stuff–the non-humans coming and pledging their loyalty to the humans–is all Shå’s, which is good, because Spurrier gets the balance right here between moving the plot forward and letting the comic have a protagonist.

The comic succeeds not just because Spurrier can eventually pull it around, but because he and Stokely work so well together. Stokely’s art makes some of the longer expository scenes visually dynamic enough to move. It’s a good comic, it just meanders a bit as Spurrier tries to define the boundaries of the setting.

The Spire 3 (September 2015)

CREDITS

Writer, Simon Spurrier; artist, Jeff Stokely; colorist, André May; letterer, Steve Wands; editors, Cameron Chittock and Eric Harburn; publisher, Boom! Studios.

The Spire (2015) #2

The Spire continues to go quite well. Some of Stokely’s art seems a little loose–the setting has a lot of design elements and Stokely takes great care with them. Then he’ll rush through a dialogue scene when it comes to the characters’ faces. The panel sizing is great, the composition is great, it’s just loose with the people.

Well, it’s loose after the issue gets to the protagonist. Before her, the issue follows the new ruler of the Spire’s mother. Not sure if Spurrier is hoping to get Helen Mirren but it’d be pretty cool. The relationship between the protagonist and the “queen mother” is fantastic. Lots of discrete character development.

Spurrier and Stokely have found an odd, working mix with The Spire. It’s steampunk, but organic, Western, but sci-fi, a detective story, but political intrigue. Spurrier never pushes the exposition; it’s all naturally revealed.

It’s darned good.

The Spire 2 (August 2015)

It’s darned good.

CREDITS

Writer, Simon Spurrier; artist, Jeff Stokely; colorist, André May; letterer, Steve Wands; editors, Cameron Chittock and Eric Harburn; publisher, Boom! Studios.

The Spire (2015) #1

The Spire is an interesting mix of fantasy, sci-fi and cop story. The protagonist is a captain of the city guard (the Spire itself is a city state in the middle of nowhere–think Mega-City One only in a steampunk-ish future) who’s cavorting with the new ruler’s little sister. The captain is also a woman.

Real quick–the trend of lesbian protagonists in not Big Two comics written by men seems to suggest male writers can’t figure out a way of writing a strong female character who’s interested in men as romantic partners. It just means there aren’t strong enough male characters in otherwise good comics. They’re caricatures.

Except not in Spire, because the only male characters are supposed to be rubes.

Simon Spurrier’s script is good. The pacing is great. Jeff Stokely’s art is awesome, detailed in its roughness.

Spire intrigues and welcomes while maintaining dangerousness.

The Spire 1 (July 2015)

Except not in Spire, because the only male characters are supposed to be rubes.

Simon Spurrier’s script is good. The pacing is great. Jeff Stokely’s art is awesome, detailed in its roughness.

Spire intrigues and welcomes while maintaining dangerousness.

CREDITS

Writer, Simon Spurrier; artist, Jeff Stokely; colorist, André May; letterer, Steve Wands; editors, Cameron Chittock and Eric Harburn; publisher, Boom! Studios.

Six-Gun Gorilla 6 (November 2013)

3484246 Spurrier brings the series to a decent, if underwhelming conclusion. Lots of things don’t get resolved and Spurrier has introduced so much over the previous five issues, it’s hard to remember them all when he brings them back in. He was able to entertain when he was being confounding, but this time he’s trying too hard to be literal.

He splits the issue between Blue and the gorilla. Only the gorilla doesn’t get a good plot thread, just an action scene. And Blue has a master plan the reader doesn’t know about, which gives Spurrier some time to kill explaining it all… time he could have spent a whole lot better.

It’s a big, monumental, earth-shattering finish and the series never felt particularly big. Stokely’s art for it isn’t composed big–and Spurrier’s plotting isn’t big either. It’s big for the sequel? Who knows….

It’s okay, but not great.

CREDITS

Fill Your Hand; writer, Simon Spurrier; artist, Jeff Stokely; colorist, Andre May; letterer, Steve Wands; editor, Eric Harburn; publisher, Boom! Studios.

Six-Gun Gorilla 5 (October 2013)

3163718 wboom 6gungorilla 005v1 And here Spurrier gets to the big reveal, or at least starts to hint at it. For a while, it looks like Gorilla could just be one incredibly long dream sequence–and it still could be–with a bunch of characters out of books the protagonist, Blue, has read running through his mind.

But it’s not a dream, not exactly.

Spurrier handles the reveal quite well, encouraging the reader to imagine all sorts of possible explanations before getting to the finish.

However, instead of the issue being entirely incomprehensible, Spurrier just has one incomprehensible plot development and it sadly matters. He skips over an important detail and it’s noticeable.

The issue races along, but remains a rewarding reading experience.

It’ll be interesting to see how Spurrier wraps it all up. He might have done some of the heaviest lifting this issue, leaving the more action oriented stuff for the finish.

CREDITS

And Those Who Dig; writer, Simon Spurrier; artist, Jeff Stokely; colorist, Andre May; letterer, Steve Wands; editor, Eric Harburn; publisher, Boom! Studios.

Six-Gun Gorilla 4 (September 2013)

SixGunGorilla 04 rev I’m totally confused but I still love this comic. I assume the confusion is intentional on Spurrier’s part. He has Blue talking to the gorilla and the gorilla not answering him, talking instead about unrelated things. It’s very strange, very dense.

The density is a little surprising as Spurrier opens with some expository dialogue explaining everything–almost–to the reader. There’s an explanation of the other world, there’s an explanation of how the humans got there–about the only time the gorilla does make sense is when he’s talking about the natives of the other dimension.

Sometimes it feels like Spurrier’s trying to comment on Blue’s place in the story as protagonist. He keeps arguing he’s on the hero’s journey, the gorilla keeps telling him he isn’t. It’s weird.

Spurrier makes nods to his subplots, especially for the cliffhanger, but he’s mostly just gloriously confusing the reader.

Still love it.

CREDITS

Deserve’s Got Nothin’ To Do With It; writer, Simon Spurrier; artist, Jeff Stokely; colorist, Andre May; letterer, Steve Wands; editor, Eric Harburn; publisher, Boom! Studios.

Six-Gun Gorilla 3 (August 2013)

280797 20130814202251 large The series just keeps getting better. Spurrier brings in more of the sci-fi aspect–people born in the different dimension have the chance of mutation–while introducing a lot of backstory.

The rebels all talk to Blue, but because they want their stories sent back to Earth. Spurrier is able to cover a lot of ground with them, especially since Blue is sort of a dunce.

There’s a lot with the evil corporation talking to Blue’s ex-girlfriend, trying to figure out where the gorilla came from, checking in on their bounty hunter. It’s a packed read, with Blue romancing the girl from last issue too. Well, she more romances him.

Spurrier even has enough time to introduce another bad guy, this one a rebel general. She’s only in a scene, but she terrifies them all so much she’s a frequent topic of conversation.

Gorilla is a great book.

CREDITS

Dyin Ain’t Much Of A Livin; writer, Simon Spurrier; artist, Jeff Stokely; colorist, Andre May; letterer, Steve Wands; editor, Eric Harburn; publisher, Boom! Studios.