It’s time for the graphic novel review roundup!
'Black Star' by Eric Anthony Glover and Arielle Jovelianos
Abram ComicArts, $24.99
As I read this graphic novel, I kept getting fooled — thinking I was reading one thing, while it kept turning out to be another.
The story takes place in a future where interplanetary space travel is possible but extremely dangerous. A crew of four women travel to an exoplanet in search of a rare plant that could “save a lot of lives.” But disaster strikes, leaving only two alive on the hostile planet’s surface — and both in a ruthless race to the remaining shuttle, which seats only one.
The art is of the cartoony variety popular today, and the lack of shading and texture put me in mind of animated shows like “Star Trek: Lower Decks.” That further made me think I was probably reading a young adult novel (or possibly one aimed younger).
Only to discover I was wrong. “Black Star” broaches some serious, adult themes that left me thinking at the end.
The publicity calls the book a “a thrilling queer addition to the sci-fi graphic novel canon,” which made me yawn. “Here we go,” I thought, “another book whose purpose for existence is to spotlight gay characters while forgetting to include a worthwhile story.” (Forgive my cynicism, but I do run across an awful lot of books like that these days, alongside more worthy additions to queer literature.)
Only to discover I was wrong again. The gay romance involved is A) subtle and B) important to the plot.
There are more ways this book disabused me of assumptions, but I’m afraid of spoiling an ending I didn’t see coming. The last word of advice I’ll offer is: “Keep an open mind.”
'Dracula: Vlad The Impaler' by Roy Thomas and Esteban Maroto
IDW Publishing, $15.99
This story was originally published in the tiny, short-lived Topps comics line in 1993, but make no mistake: It’s created by two veterans of the biz who are on very familiar ground.
Writer Roy Thomas came into his own as Stan Lee’s right-hand man at 1960s Marvel Comics, who wrote tons of comics in every genre, co-created The Vision and dozens of other characters, and served as editor-in-chief at one point. One of his claims to fame is writing an origin for Bram Stoker’s famous creation in “Dracula Lives,” one of Marvel’s black-and-white horror magazines of the ‘70s, which was illustrated by the legendary Neal Adams. He also adapted the actual Stoker novel with another legend, artist Dick Giordano.
Another of Thomas’ career highlights is bringing Robert E. Howard’s Conan the Barbarian to comics in 1970. He wrote uncountable pages of the Cimmerian for both the color comic book “Conan the Barbarian,” and black-and-white magazines like “Savage Tales” and “Savage Sword of Conan.” And some of those stories were drawn by Spanish artist Esteban Maroto.
Maroto was one of the many artists of Latin origin working in American comics in the 1970s and ‘80s, hailing from not just Spain but also South America and the Philippines. They were prized for their intricate rendering (and low page rates) at Marvel, DC, Warren and other publishers, and Maroto was one of the best.
So when Thomas wrote “Dracula: Vlad the Impaler,” it was his second stab at an origin story for the bloodsucking Wallachian, after almost 30 acclaimed years in the business. And he was teamed with a highly regarded artist, with whom he had a long working history.
Either that sells you, or it doesn't. (It sold me.)
'The Batman’s Grave' by Warren Ellis, Bryan Hitch, Kevin Nowlan and Alex Sinclair
DC Comics, $39.99
There’s an awful lot of Bat-content out there, not all of it good. This one, however, ranks a full four Batarangs.
The villain is sort of an anti-Batman, a man whose criminal parents were killed by cops when he was a kid, who trained all his life to bring down the Gotham City justice system. That means he targets Commissioner Gordon and Jeremiah Arkham, among others. But that’s not the best part.
There’s some folderol in the publicity about how Batman must put himself in the mind of a victim (whose face was eaten) and of the killer himself — which brings him closer to his grave! But that’s also not the best part.
No, the best part is this is a story of Batman the detective, who must bring all his formidable skills to bear on a puzzling case that doesn’t seem to make sense. Which means, yes, he does indeed have to think like both a victim and a victimizer here and there. Because that’s just what good detectives do.
And there’s more: The title is a reference to a grave for Bruce behind Wayne Manor, next to the graves of Thomas and Martha Wayne, which Alfred the butler faithfully attends. The unfilled grave is one Alfred keeps because of his belief that he will outlive his charge if Bruce keeps up this vigilante nonsense. (He’s got a point; this book highlights the tremendous amount of physical damage Batman routinely absorbs.)
Because that’s another great thing about this book. Not only is it Batman-the-detective’s story, it’s also Alfred-the-surrogate-father’s story. (And as rendered by the unfailingly awesome Bryan Hitch, Alfred often resembles actor David Niven.) The unflappable manservant is as much part of this story as the Gotham Guardian himself, addressing with acerbic wit all the awkward elements of the Bat-mythos that writer Warren Ellis himself has questioned in other venues.
For example, wouldn’t it serve Batman’s crusade better to just donate all his Bat-toys to the Gotham City Police Department? Wouldn’t Bruce make a deeper, more permanent dent in crime by using the Wayne millions to relieve poverty instead of using those resources to dress up as a flying rodent? Ellis plays fair, Alfred gets his chance to ask the questions, and Bruce gets his chance to answer. The reader gets to decide who’s right.
The downside to “The Batman’s Grave” is that over 60 women and nonbinary individuals have accused the writer of sexual misconduct as of last summer. That’s awful stuff, should it be true, and I have no intention of whitewashing it here. Neither does DC, which has dropped Ellis from some future projects and stopped hyping his older ones.
But if you can separate the artist from the art, then “The Batman’s Grave” is well worth your time.
