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All posts for the month May, 2017

Unique Story: Rise and Fall of Axiom

Posted by projectra on May 16, 2017
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I’m here to report on another graphic novel that I spotted in PREVIEWS.  This one caught my eye because two creators I thoroughly adore wrote and drew it…Mark Waid and Ed Benes.  The Rise and Fall of Axiom is an interesting and beautifully illustrated book.

This is a brief synopsis of the book.  Super-heroes are admired for their bravery, their willingness to sacrifice themselves, and their ability to achieve monumental feats that humans can’t fathom. Waid‘s latest graphic novel takes that premise and examines how our own inaction can at times be our worst enemy.

Axiom and Theena represent safety and hope, and are perfectly happy to help keep the peace. What happens when humanity’s recklessness, a by-product of always having a superhuman safety net, ends up unraveling the very people who are trying to help?  This is explored as we see Theena sacrifice herself for humanity over some ridiculous squabble, resulting in Axiom losing control.

There’s a level of compassion and empathy in Axiom that is nonexistent in Plutonian, his character from Irredeemable. There are moments of shock of course, but Axiom‘s actions are closer to that of someone lashing out from an emotional hurt than any sort of malicious intent.

While Kyle is actually the book’s protagonist, when the two ultimately come to blows the reader is in many ways conflicted. Axiom isn’t outright evil, just misguided, and honestly in the midst of a breakdown. It led to some truly compelling moments between the two, which all built to a worthy climax.

Benes brings a sense of scale and seriousness to the proceedings that only he is capable of and lends an authenticity to Axiom in particular. Benes’ action sequences are as incredible as ever, but the best parts of Axiom involve the more emotional moments, which were handled in a sensitive and solemn manner.

Waid and Benes deliver a story of what humanity is capable of doing to itself.  They’ve also given us a look at what it would be like to push the good graces of super-powers to the brink, such that they throw in the towel and take control at the risk of human life.

Great book that is well worth picking up.

Sick Reading: Surviving Megalopolis

Posted by projectra on May 14, 2017
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Dark Horse’s Surviving Megalopolis was recently released as a hardcover book, collecting the mini-series. I had to get this since I read the first installment. With the original creators back on board, how could I pass on it?

Co-creators Gail Simone and Jim Calafiore have turned out another interesting chapter in this twisted tail.  Featuring twisted humor, sex, violence, horror, profanity and death, this book sees the Megalopolis series continue to excel because of its creativity and the unapologetic delivery of its story.

It doesn’t hurt that Calafiore’s rich, detailed artwork brings everything to life in an all too realistic fashion.  He packs in an impressive range of expression and some truly poster-worthy splash pages along the way.  His character design is impeccable.

New villains introduced in this book were insanely creative.  I really wanted to know more about the origins and powers of Simon Valiant’s cadre of villains, such as Mime Master in particular.  Calafiore offers cinematic layouts  and give a sense of reality to Simone’s in-your-face storyline beats.

Simone’s bawdy sense of humor is on full display throughout, particularly during the scenes featuring Southern Belle. There are some truly shocking moments contained within these pages, Simone’s delivery keeps the dark tone alive throughout without things every becoming too bleak or joyless.

The overarching question for this arc has been a simple one: what actually happened to cause these heroes to turn into homicidal maniacs?  And in this series, we are finally given an answer.  While we are given a brief, a jaw-dropping peek at the source of the former heroes’ insanity, it’s a bit of a head-scratcher that actually ends up providing more questions than answers.

Simone and Calafiore tied everything together in a satisfying enough way to round out the series.  The pace has been relaxed until you get near the end, making for an enjoyable read but leaving a lot of unresolved issues and dangling plot threads that required wrapping rapidly.

Overall, I honestly loved this series.  It’s  hilarious, shocking, moving and absolutely bat-shit crazy, Simone and Calafiore have created a world like no other, and a city that, while I’d damn sure never want to live there, I definitely look forward to visiting every month.

Here’s hoping for another installment in the next two years!