Realistic art, serious storyline - not your typical "celebrity" comic: Turf #1

If you have BBC America in your cable/satellite package, you've probably come across Jonathan Ross at one time or another. Ross is one of the UK's best known talk show hosts. He's interviewed just about every celebrity on the planet, he is a respected movie critic, he has a proven track record in both radio and television, he's a generally well-loved, respected, and entertaining, if occasionally controversial, guy. What you may not know is that Jonathan Ross is also a big ol' comic book fan. Thanks to his resources and connections, Ross has a collection that would make most of us tremble at its magnitude. But he's not just a rich guy who throws money at collectibles, he has a genuine love of comics, art, and awesome storytelling, just like you and me.

What does this have to do with you? You might well wonder. Well, after years of being a comics fan, collector, and historian, Ross has taken the plunge to become a creator. And not like those lame "celebrity" comics where some star who has never read a comic gives a writer some vague notion he once thought might make a good movie and other people turn it into a second rate comic.

Turf #1 has been lovingly created by Ross with respected artist Tommy Lee Edwards. These guys aren't messing around either. Turf is a serious read, not something you can glance at on the shelf and know the whole story. And what a story! It has gangsters, vampires, sex, violence, plucky girl reporters, prohibition era speakeasies, and a crashing alien spaceship! What more could anyone ask for?

Turf is, essentially, about all these different factions in 1929 New York City fighting over, well, Turf. There is money, blood, and power to be had in the big city, and everyone wants a piece of it. The gangs have worked out an uneasy balance of power, but the introduction of the Romanian Dragonmir family, a family of old-world vampires, radically alters that balance. When the Dragonmirs start killing the mob bosses, the remaining kingpins want to take the fight to the bloodsuckers. Even the Dragonmirs are fighting amongst themselves, and things aren't going to be made any simpler by the alien fugitive crashing near Coney Island.

All of these somewhat unlikely elements are made totally credible by Edward's realistic, down-to-earth art. The grit and grime of New York's mean streets is captured just as well as the creepiness of the vampires, and the alien ship doesn't seem at all out of place. The writing is dense and meaty. You'll want to make yourself comfortable before settling in to read this book.

If you know Jonathan Ross as a renowned media celebrity, then you totally need to check out his first work as a comic book writer. If you've never heard of Ross, then Turf #1 is a great comic by a couple of amazingly talented creators. What could be better than that? Maybe if the local comic shop could guarantee this great book? Well, it's your lucky day! Turf #1 is Four Color Fantasies' guaranteed Book of the Week! Twy it for Wossy.

A dollar can buy you a cute zombie, a swingin' ghost, and some amazing art: iZombie #1

So, with the economy what it is and prices for everything going through the roof, there just isn't much you can buy with a dollar nowadays. Maybe some artery-clogging monstrosity from a fast food joint's bargain menu or twenty minutes worth of parking time, but that's about it. Well, bargain shopper, today is your lucky day! If you have a dollar, and want to be entertained, Four Color Fantasies has just the thing! Does an awesome comic, with great art, for just one crisp (or soggy, if you must) dollar sound too good to be true? Believe it, oh sceptical reader, believe it.

iZombie #1 is the first issue of the latest mature readers series from Vertigo. You already know that the fine folks at Vertigo are renowned for bringing readers the world over heaping helpings of literary greatness on a regular basis, and this series seems set to uphold this fine tradition. Writer Chris Roberson is clearly bent on bringing a refreshing new take to the supernatural beasties of myth and lore. The series star is the adorable Gwen Dylan. She's a gravedigger by day, and a mystery-solving zombie by night. Gwen is cute as a button and a very lively lass, but to stave off the effects of, you know, being dead, she has to eat a human brain once a month. Working around graves and dead folks makes brains fairly easy to come by, but they still taste like the worst thing you can imagine eating. Oh, and eating brains inflicts the memories of the dead on Gwen, leaving her to deal with their unfinished business.

Gwen is joined by a nifty cast of other supernatural folks, including a Swinging Sixties ghost girl named Ellie, a were-terrier with a crush on her named Spot (though he prefers Scott), and some sexy vampire chicks who work at the local paintball course. Of course, there are also some mysterious dudes in town who seem to be out to do away with the undead, so the future may not be smooth sailing for Gwen and her friends.

Is all this worth the price of a mere dollar? You bet it is. But wait! There's more! This comic also features the awesome art of Michael Allred. You may remember his unique pop-art take on comics from such books as Madman and X-Statics. Allred's work always combines great story-telling with a quirky, spunky style. The world envisioned by Allred is a spectacularly groovy place, and you would be crazy not to want to visit it!

Seriously, for just one puny dollar you can have a cute zombie, a swingin' ghost, a were-terrier, and some amazing art! How could you pass up this deal? Did I mention that this book is guaranteed? That's right! If you don't love this comic, we'll give you your dollar back and you can waste it on a pack of gum or a greasy burger. Act now, because supplies are limited! Rush over to Four Color Fantasies and buy iZombie today!!

Overlooked Super-hero kicks off with fan-favorite Kevin Smith: The Green Hornet #3

The Green Hornet is a lot like Batman. Only much cooler. Now, I am well aware that this statement has instantly earned me the wrathful disdain of many Bat-Fans, but hear me out. (And put those movie-replica Batarangs away, please!)



Both characters were born during the same pulp era. I'm honestly not sure which came first, but that's irrelevant. There were a ton of similar costumed crime-fighters who came along during the Thirties and Forties, so none of them can really claim to be terribly original or unique. Both are rich white guys who put on costumes to fight crime and protect their home city. Both have cool gadgets, awesome cars, and a costumed sidekick. So what gives me the unmitigated temerity to claim that Green Hornet, an admittedly lesser-known character, is superior?



First of all, the costume. Yeah, Batman is spooky and brooding and all, but he's still a crazy guy dressed as flying vermin. And then there's the cape. Though I haven't done much crimefighting myself, I tend to think a massive, flowing cape would get in the way and be something of a liability. Green Hornet, on the other hand, is a very sharp dresser with a spiffy suit, a natty tie, and a cool fedora. Plus, trenchcoat beats cape any day for an intimidating, yet snazzy, crime fighting accessory. Who would you rather talk to at a party, the guy in a well-tailored suit, or the guy crouching in the corner in his pointy-eared Bat-head?



Next up, choice of sidekick. I know there have been many Robin variants over the years, but the standard model is a teenage boy in tights and a bright orange shirt. What in the name of Wertham is up with that? Aside from all the snide and unsavory remarks that one could make about the whole situation, the child endangerment angle is simply unforgivable. Green Hornet, on the other hand, has Kato. An amazing and accomplished martial artist, who is every bit the equal (or better) of the hero. Just compare the actors who portrayed the characters in their Sixties TV shows: Robin=Burt Ward, Kato=Bruce Lee. Bruce Freakin' Lee! In that match-up, Robin would hit the turf faster than he could say "Holy boot upside my head, Batman!"



So, The Green Hornet is awesome and deserves more attention than he gets. You have a chance to see for yourself this week. Dynamite has a whole lot of Green Hornet comics in the works, and their revival of the character kicks off with a series written by fan-favorite Kevin Smith, with art by Jonathan Lau. This series is based on Smith's unproduced movie script, and makes it seem like a real shame that we aren't ever going to see this given the blockbuster treatment it deserves. The story respectfully updates the Green Hornet mythos, and tells new readers everything they need to know about the character, without weighing things down with unnecessary exposition.



Green Hornet #3 is this week's Guaranteed Book of the Week, and you can jump right in with this issue and enjoy the ride. Britt Reid makes Bruce Wayne look like the creepy weirdo no one wants to sit with on the bus! Cooler costume, cooler sidekick, cooler theme song. (I'm sure you can check it out on YouTube.) Do the right thing, and take a ride with The Green Hornet!