Marlene (1998)

340758 Marlene is an awesome comic. It’s far from perfect–the story anyway–but it’s definitely awesome.

To get the problems out of the way, it’s Peter Snejbjerg’s protagonist. He’s a brilliant but aging tough guy detective who can take anyone in himself, but can’t bring himself to call his wife. Even though the comic takes place in Denmark, the cop has basically every stereotypical detail.

He even sleeps with the subject of his investigation, Marlene.

And there the comic gets interesting. Sure, there’s the obsessed cop standard, but Snejbjerg brings in a great supernatural element. It only works because of the art, however–especially after Snejbjerg hints at the supernatural from the first or second page.

The pay-off is wonderful.

Snejbjerg shows a great sense of humor too, with a deranged painter who offers a lot of comic relief.

Besides the cop story problems, it’s a masterfully done comic.

CREDITS

Writer, artist and letterer, Peter Snejbjerg; publisher, Slave Labor Graphics.

The Boys 14 (January 2008)

Ennis doesn’t go for big action in the arc’s finale. He gives Hughie and the Russian guy a little adventure, then goes for humor when bringing in the rest of the team. The Frenchman does get some time, but the Female could have taken the arc off. Ennis just doesn’t have any use for her. It’d be a problem if the comic wasn’t so enjoyable otherwise.

Snejbjerg returns on the art, with Robertson only opening the issue. There’s a really neat transition between the two artists, where Hughie is looking at something (in Robertson’s pages) and then Snejbjerg takes over with what he’s seeing. It’s excellent.

While the issue’s (pleasantly) perfunctory and doesn’t offer much visceral pay-off–Ennis is laying groundwork for future issues–there is the money shot. Ennis goes for what’s become a traditional indie comics reveal (post-2001), yet it still works. Just like The Boys.

CREDITS

Glorious Five Year Plan, Conclusion; writer, Garth Ennis; artists, Darick Robertson and Peter Snejbjerg; colorist, Tony Avina; letterer, Simon Bowland; publisher, Dynamite Entertainment.

Contemporaneously…

The Boys 13 (December 2007)

For most of this issue, Peter Snejbjerg fills in on the art and it completely changes the tone of the book. It’s most obviously with Hughie, who Snejbjerg gives wide Eisner eyes. The Boys becomes more emotive and a lot more fun. It’s particularly interesting during the dramatic finish, when Hughie’s the only primary cast member present. Snejbjerg captures his panic and makes it joyous to read.

Otherwise, not a lot happens. Hughie and Butcher investigate some things, there’s a little with the bad guys (but not much) and a couple easy jokes. I don’t think the Female has had her face in a panel for two issues now. But it works, partially due to Ennis’s pacing, but mostly because of Snejbjerg.

Snejbjerg draws The Boys like he’s in on the joke. It probably only works because he’s a fill-in. The sharp change from Robertson acts as pressure release.

CREDITS

Glorious Five Year Plan, Part Three; writer, Garth Ennis; artists, Darick Robertson and Peter Snejbjerg; colorist, Tony Avina; letterer, Simon Bowland; editor, Joseph Rybandt; publisher, Dynamite Entertainment.

Contemporaneously…

Dark Horse Presents (1986) #122

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I can’t believe I’m saying it but Snejbjerg’s art messes up this Lords of Misrule. He’s unable to draw a regular person. Instead, the person appears frightening, even though he’s not supposed to be frightening. It’s an okay story–but the art, though great in most respects, doesn’t work.

Nixey’s back on track with Trout, at least as far as the art is concerned. He sort of hurries through this installment, which takes a lot of the charm out of it. I expected him to have a big world for Trout; instead, it’s very constricted.

Jack Zero has another good installment from Zero Boy and Pander–it’s very successful as a Western, a genre I’m not used to reading in comics. The ending is a little ominous though.

Arcudi and O’Connell’s Imago is a Batman and Robin analogue where Robin lets Batman die because he’s an overbearing pain. Mildly interesting.

Dark Horse Presents 122 (June 1997)

Jack Zero has another good installment from Zero Boy and Pander–it’s very successful as a Western, a genre I’m not used to reading in comics. The ending is a little ominous though.

Arcudi and O’Connell’s Imago is a Batman and Robin analogue where Robin lets Batman die because he’s an overbearing pain. Mildly interesting.

CREDITS

The Lords of Misrule, Part Three; story by John Tomlinson; art by Peter Snejbjerg; lettering by Annie Parkhouse; edited by Ian R. Stude. Trout, Nicky Nicky Nine Doors, Part Four; story and art by Troy Nixey. Jack Zero, Part Two; story by Arnold Pander and Zero Boy; art by Pander; lettered by John Costanza. Imago, Part One; story by John Arcudi; art by Brian O’Connell; lettering by Sean Konot. Edited by Bob Schreck and Jamie S. Rich.

Dark Horse Presents (1986) #121

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The issue opens with Zero Boy and Pander’s Jack Zero, which starts out a little awkwardly… but then quickly establishes itself as a good Western. Pander’s art looks fantastic, bringing a lot of energy to the setting and Zero Boy’s script is thoughtful.

Unfortunately, I can’t say the same about Nixey’s Trout installment this issue. He changes up styles here for effect (a dream sequence) and it loses the charm the previous entries had. It’s confounding and almost adversarial. Nixey doesn’t give a point of entry for the reader here.

Macan and Edwards’s Aliens story is kind of interesting, without being noteworthy (rather good art from Edwards, of course). Macan doesn’t like the sci-fi constraints and wants to tell a human story instead; it’s a little obvious and doesn’t work.

Then Snejbjerg does scripting and art on Lords of Misrule. It’s creepy, with great art, but an awkward finish.

Dark Horse Presents (1986) #120

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The Gully story from Schultz and Williamson doesn’t have much of a script; with Williamson’s art, who cares about the writing? It’s some otherworldly sci-fi Western thing. Lovely to look at.

White and Snejbjerg’s The Lords of Misrule is a little confusing, but decent. Snejbjerg does a great job with the tone and the art is excellent… he just doesn’t take the time to design it to fit the layers of White’s script. Still, creepy and solid.

Trout’s becoming a new favorite, even though this installment shows Nixey has some peculiar problems with perspective. Lot of charm to it though, very nice characterizations.

Hectic Planet goes on forever here. Dorkin has a bunch of silly sci-fi elements in what should be a human story. It gets tiring after the first page then goes on forever.

Schreck, Rich and Jones have a one page closer. Great art from Jones.

Dark Horse Presents 121 (May 1997)

Then Snejbjerg does scripting and art on Lords of Misrule. It’s creepy, with great art, but an awkward finish.

CREDITS

Jack Zero, Part One; story by Zero Boy; art by Arnold Pander; lettered by John Costanza. Trout, Nicky Nicky Nine Doors, Part Three; story and art by Troy Nixey. Aliens, Borderlines; story by Darko Macan; art by Tommy Lee Edwards; lettering by John Workman. The Lords of Misrule, Part Two; story and art by Peter Snejbjerg; lettering by Annie Parkhouse; edited by Ian R. Stude. Edited by Bob Schreck and Jamie S. Rich.

Dark Horse Presents 120 (April 1997)

Trout’s becoming a new favorite, even though this installment shows Nixey has some peculiar problems with perspective. Lot of charm to it though, very nice characterizations.

Hectic Planet goes on forever here. Dorkin has a bunch of silly sci-fi elements in what should be a human story. It gets tiring after the first page then goes on forever.

Schreck, Rich and Jones have a one page closer. Great art from Jones.

CREDITS

One Last Job; story by Mark Schultz; art by Al Williamson; lettered by Denise Powell. The Lords of Misrule, Part One; story by Steve White; art by Peter Snejbjerg; lettering by Annie Parkhouse; edited by Ian R. Stude. Trout, Nicky Nicky Nine Doors, Part Two; story and art by Troy Nixey. Hectic Planet, Part Three; story and art by Evan Dorkin. Gather Ye Rosebuds; story by Bob Schreck and Jamie S. Rich; pencils by Casey Jones; inks by Monty Sheldon; lettering by Sean Konot. Edited by Bob Schreck and Jamie S. Rich.

Battlefields: Dear Billy (2009) #3

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It’s a tad… Victorian, isn’t it?

I mean, it’s an excellent issue and a decent close to Dear Billy, but it’s just too confined.

With the whole letter to Billy thing–Ennis either has to use it as a letter to the guy or a narrative device. So he uses it as a narrative device. A delivery system for the story, which it’s not properly equipped to do. It’s a letter, it’s meant to be read.

The letter doesn’t open this issue and maybe it needed to be present again, from the start. Ennis’s spends the first two issues expanding the world of the protagonist–but not in the third issue. He constricts. Worse, he shifts a lot of the storytelling attention to Billy, away of Carrie.

It’s a very serious story and Ennis takes it seriously. But in being respectful, I think it got a little loose from him.