Blacksad

Interesting that I miss the class on Eurocomics for a furry convention. I read Blacksad for this week's class, which I had heard about before. I found it be an excellent noir comic, though fast paced and not nearly as mysterious as it could have been.

I am certainly not a person to have a problem with anthropomorphic critters running around doing the things that people do, and in the case of Blacksad, I think the adaptation of typecasting animalistic characters actually added to the enjoyability of the story. I feel that Blacksad would fall as a beautiful if routine noir comic if the characters were all human.

I'm unsure what to post about in this case. The style was beautifully done, especially compared to the art that normally makes up the furry world. Currently, in the fanbase, I'd say there are only about a dozen artists that actually compare or could compete with the quality of the Blacksad. The toned down watercolor provides an excellent feeling to the world that these furries live in. The sexuality and violence, stuff I'd consider quintessential to a noir novel were elegantly approached and executed. Further, the suggestion that a true human was the villian was truly ingenious. The suggestion via hands and body (before we see the reptilian face) that the person in this episode was a delightful slap in the face as humanity is suggested as the bane of the world. The reveal that it was an amphibian and that he was self proclaimed to be a “cold-blooded” bastard made it more delightful, for there are plenty of people out there that could fit the bill.

Buddha And Battle Angel Alita

I'll start off by saying that I am a manga fan. Whether it's the trust that the artist has for their fanbase to follow complex story, or the illustrative elements that give an excellent sense of motion, or simple the design, I've always enjoyed reading manga. I feel that the Japanese culture is more rewarding to intense fans than they are to casual readers. I enjoy this because if I'm going to invest any amount of time into something, I tend to learn it very well and become an avid fan.

Unsurprisingly, given the nature of how I obtain manga, I hadn't read some of this older work, such as Buddha or Battle Angel Alita. I have to say that I greatly enjoyed it. Buddha was an excellent examination of how a story could be retold or reinvented. The style was definitely Tesuka, which normally I'd say was too childish for the seriousness of the story, but I felt that it allowed the story to function better in this case. This story would seem much too serious otherwise. It lightened the mood. All the normal graphic elements of manga were there, as was the rapid change from humor to seriousness and back. I attribute this to manga more than American comics in so much that often the humor in manga tends to be less about dialogue and more about slapstick and situational humor. American comics script in one liners and witty dialogue.

Battle Angel Alita, on the other hand, was extremely violent and didn't at all try to distance you from it. Given the nature of the story, I take it this is the sequel, so some parts of the story were suggested by previous experiences that I didn't have, but I actually appreciate that fact that Battle Angel didn't stop or slow down to reconnoiter. I enjoy that it trusted its fans to know what they were talking about and who they were talking about. Further, I enjoyed the fact that this new world they bring us to truly doesn't make sense. It is a world where everyone has gone insane, in some form or another, and the main character is dropped into this world along with the reader.

The Golem's Mighty Swing

The rhythm of this comic was strange to me, but the message was clear. I can't say that I was ever oppressed in my life. A nerd and an artist made me the target of obnoxious people, but never was it a matter of life and death. The Golem's Mighty Swing was an interesting and quick delve into the life and times of those who are regularly oppressed. From the very git-go, the comic shows in varying degrees of subtlety how nasty and narrow minded people can be.

Seeing as towards the end, most of the characters go on to do other things, my question (from the vantage point of one who doesn't play or watch baseball) is 'why are they playing?' It was established early on that he's all about being American, but the amount of anger and violence displayed in the so called civilians of the story is, well, disgusting. And I don't doubt that it wasn't like that or is like that. It just saddens me to know that such is the case. The style of black and white with heavy lines to solid shadow adeptly makes it both about a story that is aged and also ageless. Though the style of clothing, behavior, and vehicles defines the comic as a story that has gone past, it's also a story the questions the behavior of people.

I felt the ending of the comic to be rushed and very seperate from the rest of the comic. This isn't good in this case, as it made it feel like the beginning of the comic didn't matter. The concept that the Golem mascot evolved into a destroyer is interesting, as it was predicted. The crazy man in the middle of the comic was also interesting, for his inability to know what was a farce and what was real, and still he was able to stir up trouble. I can't say I enjoyed the book, much like an alcoholic wouldn't claim to enjoy liquor but the comic was interesting and painful truthful.