Bad Decisions in Comics- Editorial

Once again the world of super hero comics has been rocked to its very core, and fans aren't having any of it. In the premier issue of Steve Rogers: Captain America, it is revealed the Marvel icon is in fact a secret agent of the Nazi cell known as Hydra; Cap's long sworn enemies. Many readers all over the globe have been decrying the decision to turn Cap evil (and rightfully so) but does this plot-twist signal the end of a veritable comic book legend as some are proclaiming it to be? Honestly, I don't think that's the case, but lets dig a little deeper shall we?

I'm sure this is going to go over well...

To be blunt, American super hero comics have been plagued with bad decisions like this for literally decades, and I won't fail to admit that I'm perhaps a bit numb to these sort of actions by this point. While I don't really want to claim that any of the fan's outrage at such an outrageous choice in writing is unjustified, in that same stroke, I don't think this is a situation where Cap can't recover from such a move either. Think about it, how many times has some truly horrendous writing worked its way into a super hero comic you love to read? Plenty of heroes are rife with awful writing choice, after god-awful writing choice, but all of them have managed to walk away in the long run.

Remember that time Spiderman made a deal with the devil? Or the time Spiderman turned into a giant man-spider and gave birth to himself? Or how about the time Captain America gave up in a fight against Iron Man? Or the time Superman renounced his American citizenship? Or the time Superman died? Or hell, how about the time Ms. Marvel got raped, only to give birth to the cross-dimensional being who raped her, only to marry him? Remember all of those awfully written moments in super hero history? And these examples aren't even remotely scratching the surface of how deep the list can seriously go.

This is simply another case of another character falling victim to another bad writer. It pains me to say it, but this is an unfortunate circumstance that happens to every super hero at some point. While the writer (Nick Spencer) may be stating that "This is going to stick" and such, we all know that more than likely, when a new writer is set to take up the mantle for Captain America, the Hydra reveal will be the first thing getting scrubbed out of the script due to the current fan backlash. It may take years to resolve, but if anything else, we'll all see this moment in Cap's long history as nothing more then a dark time when he suffered from some abysmal creative choices.

Of course that isn't me entirely making light of the impact this sort of moment has, or even implying that because things like this have occurred in the past it makes the decision okay. Longtime fans, and even new fans of Captain America feel legitimately wounded by this move (and they have every right to) and I don't want to say people should not to feel some degree of anger. What I'm ultimately saying, is that this is not the end of Captain America. Sure the wound sucks, but much like any wound we suffer, this will heal over time. Sure, it may leave a scar, but we'll all learn to move on.

One does have to wonder though why they would decide to perform this level of character assassination on Cap, when he's perhaps the biggest he's been since debuting in the 1940's, but I think our big take-away from this should be to recognize what's actually happening. And what's happening is this: It's a marketing move, plain, pure, and simple. Just like any other time, with any other character, Marvel wants to boost sales of their comic. With the recent success of the Captain America: Civil War film, Marvel wants to capitalize, and the best way to do that is through some sort of controversial plot-twist, because love it or hate it, controversy sells.

If we really want Marvel to know how we feel, we need to do more than speak out on social media. We need to cast our votes at the cash register. The comics industry is exactly that, an industry, and in any business, that which fails to sell ceases to be made. I'm well aware that sometimes Marvel will say sales be damned when a particular book is receiving high critical praise, but it's usually a war of attrition, and that's a war the fans are very well equipped to win. The Mark Wade run on Daredevil I think stands as a good example of this in the recent past. His run on Daredevil has been seen by copious amounts of fans as irreverent and terrible to say the least, and even though his run lasted for five years, Marvel ultimately ended that run due to consistently poor sales. The same can happen with Captain America.

Now I do want to clarify that this brief editorial honestly isn't meant as a call to action to make the Captain America comic fail, but it is me saying that before we start declaring a long lived character dead, and ruined forever, perhaps we should consider stepping back and assessing the landscape. We have a situation where something is happening that we don't like. Sure it sucks, but with the right push things can improve. If we want things to improve, we have to know where to push. While I'm sure some would want me to delve into all the different sociopolitical implications this plot-twist has, I think I'll leave that to the likes of those far more versed than I to expound upon.

Saga: Vol. 3- Review

A world of wonder awaits!

Well kids it's January, so you know what that means? It's that special time at the beginning of the new year where I sit down and tell you all about my thoughts and feelings in regards to the Image comic series Saga! I've made it known here on the blog for the last two years running that I am quite fond of this set of books, and frankly I'm wondering if I should even continue to review it. There almost isn't anything left for me to say.

In all honesty I kind of dread doing reviews of Saga as this usually turns out to be one of the most difficult reviews for me to write. Put simply, it's damn hard for me to go over Saga with a fine tooth comb and discuss (at length) what makes it such a rock-solid read, without horrifically spoiling it for those looking to jump on the wagon. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, Saga is not the kind of series you want to have spoiled for you.

If you want a quick summation of how I view vol. 3 though it's like this: It's fantastic and you should be reading it right now (this very instant) instead of this review. Seriously, this page isn't going anywhere. I'll still be here by the time you get back. Go read the damn thing already! You're only doing a disservice to yourself the longer you sit there without it.

That about sums it up without me delving into the mountainous minutia of it all. At this point the only real topic of discussion in reference to Saga's quality is whether or not the latest glut of chapters was simply great, or downright phenomenal. Very few comics in the market today have managed to keep me (and the rest of its fanbase for that matter) so thoroughly excited. I've found myself at several times waiting with bated breath for the next new issue to come out, and each time it was one hell of a blast! I inevitably end up rereading the issue another two or three times before I officially put it down so I can finally take on something else.

A large chunk of volume 3's plot takes place on a new planet called Quietus, where our interstellar family have settled down to decompress from all the chaos of the earlier arc. Alana and Marko arrive seeking guidance/advice from D. Oswald Heist, author of the novel/manifesto that served as the couple's romantic inspirations. Meanwhile the hunters Gwendolyn, The Will, and Slave Girl (recently named Sophie) are stranded on a remote planet where the apparent paradise before them isn't all that it's cracked up to be. As both parties find their bearings on separate worlds, a pair of journalists (Upsher and Doff) begin an investigative report on the "kidnapping" of Alana. With each interview the two have, the more it becomes evident to them that Alana left of her own free will, despite all the official statements.    

While vol. 3 does play a tad with the chronology of the story, it's only in regards to providing context. Rewinding things back to just before the events leading up to volume 2's huge cliffhanger ending, we get a lot more development for not only the main characters, but also for a good portion of the new cast members getting introduced this volume. Yet again it's all superb writing that one would come to expect from the series at this point, and Mr. Vaughn for that matter. There is tons of wit to spare, subversion out the wahzoo, and impeccably persistent pacing. In true Saga fashion there is practically no real missteps throughout the whole experience, barring but one moment. A moment in point of fact, that I'm amazed took this long to even happen considering how often a moment like this occurs in hundreds of other stories.

What is this moment you ask? It's pretty much just a bit of some forced romance is all. Yup, that's about it. The worst thing this book could offer was a brief bit in the narrative where I looked it at and thought that the scene came off a little forced and unearned. I won't say what it is, but I'm pretty sure you'll know it when you see it. Considering how solid the rest of the writing is, I'm almost flabbergasted that it even exists. Other than that, this is easily one of the most focused, yet somehow exploratory segments of the story to date.

It almost feels like the comic itself understands me at this point.

I know I've mentioned this before, but I still think I have to say it. One of the best things about Saga is how much fun it is to just read it. This book has managed to be one of the most consistently entertaining pieces of fiction that I've had for the last two years, and I can only hope that the adventure continues for several more. The comic's predilection for a somewhat wanderlust-like and fun tone is only matched by its sequences of heartbreaking drama. For every moment that hilariously parallels our own world (such as when the characters sit down to play a popular board game) there is another where a character either becomes crippled in a big way, or outright dies.

Artistically there is fundamentally nothing I can say about it that isn't essentially me gushing or rambling. Fiona Staples' work almost unabashedly continues to impress at every turn with nary a slight stumble. Each panel feels like its own little laser cut with precision moment, stuffed to capacity with emotions and subtleties that get laid on us by the truck load. Every character looks and feels unique in their depiction, while still maintaining a distinctively iconic sci-fi vibe. Even though there isn't much "exploration" in the literal sense happening in the story, there are still more concepts being introduced into the world at large, helping to only further augment Saga's universe. If there was one slight gripe I could have, it's that the world of Quietus is very washed out, grey, and somewhat dull to look at. When compared to the rest of the lavish colors presented in the previous volumes it does feel a tad jarring to see such a drab and dreary locale, but I also understand that that is pretty much the point of Quietus. Besides, they offset the gloom of Quietus with the incredibly bright and almost Eden-like planet the hunters take umbrage on.

Overall, there is still nothing much for me to criticize when it comes to Saga. The worst things I could say about it were marginal at best, and only something a nitpicker (like me) would bring up. This may very well be my last review of the book, unless our dynamic duo somehow astronomically screw up the series in a big way. I don't think I'll have to worry about that though because Brian K. Vaughn and Fiona Staples maintain the same tenacity here that they did when they started this whole thing. Saga has been going for about three years as of this writing and it shows no signs of loosing any steam. As long as they can manage to keep the energy up I don't see myself walking away from this comic any time soon. This is easily one of the best comics on the shelf today, and without a doubt one of my personal favorite reads. I emphatically endorse Saga and all those who may be reading this review to give it a shot. Don't just take my word for it, see it for yourself! You have nothing to gain but what could be perhaps one of the greatest runs in comic's history. I'm being full-on serious here, I honestly believe we're watching a classic in the making that people will be talking about for years to come. This is the kind of benchmark title that fan and creators alike in the future will inevitably be comparing other works to.

Positive Factors

• Continues to deliver on the fun and adventure we all know and love at this point.
• Brisk pacing, a fun tone, and subversion of tropes are the name of the game. All done with a precision seldom seen today.
• Rock solid artwork once more. No panel feels neglected. 

Negative Factors

• Somewhat forced romance angle near the end, but nothing too egregious.
• The drab world of Quietus does pull the otherwise fun vibe down ever so slightly.

Final Ratiing: !!!AWESOMESAUCE!!!               

Death Vigil: No. 1- Review

The family that slays together stays together.

I've said it before on this blog and I think I'll keep on saying it from probably now til my inevitable end. If I can look at a comic book (or anything else for that matter) and say "This is the sort of thing I would love to create one day!" then it will easily claim its throne among the others listed within my (fairly exclusive) all-time favorites pantheon.

When it comes to today's case with the Top Cow comic Death Vigil, there is a bit of a unique situation. This actually was something I was trying to create years ago, and still am to this very day. You see, about this time back in 2004 I began concocting a story shortly after watching all three Matrix films back to back. The plot focused on a group of characters who were of angelic, demonic, and human decent that were all working together to fight against Eldritch horrors from beyond the void. They were incredibly powerful and fun characters being led into this insane battle for all life in the universe by none other than the Grim Reaper himself. It was going to be a tale about heritage, legacy, and perhaps most importantly family.

Over the course of the last decade though a lot of the details and material for that story (now known as The Nexus) have changed significantly. It's now more of a science-fantasy epic that I would put in the realm of Star Wars, Saga, or Gold Digger. Nonetheless it is still somewhat surreal for me to see something like Death Vigil. For all intents and purposes this is essentially the original form of the story I was going to tell, and I couldn't love it more even if I tried! I'm not one of those guys who will claim that this comic ripped off my idea. Stjepan Sejic and I have never met before, nor have I ever posted any material for this idea of mine online. If anything else, I'm just happy that this comic proves how good of an idea this sort of thing is. Sejic has easily made one of the best number one issues that I've read in a long long time, and I can only hope that he can keep up the fantastic work!

There is a secret battle going on right now behind you. Not directly behind you in the literal sense, but behind the veil of the corporeal world. Immortal Death Knights from all over the world (and time) form the Death Vigil, and face off against the vicious Primordial Enemy; monstrous creatures from the deepest parts of reality that are bent on devouring all life in the universe. Are you gifted? Can you see the war being waged? The Vigil is always searching for new members as their conflict is only becoming more dire with time. Necromancers (who utilize the powers of the Primordial Enemy) are growing in number and looking to prep the world as a three course meal for Cthulhu.

As I stated earlier, this is easily one of the best number one issues that I've read in ages. Thanks in part to the double wide length of the story (clocking in at forty eight pages) the setup here is outright superb. Sejic wastes no time getting the reader into the thick of things by introducing the main characters, generating rules of the world, and establishing the core conflict of the narrative within about the first ten pages. Even before the halfway mark of the issue, character relationships are apparent, and mega powered brawls are already well underway. This is one of those rare times where I feel like aspiring creators should take notes. Death Vigil is a shining example of how to do an opening to an ongoing story right. Pitch perfect pacing helps keep this introductory tale rolling along nicely so that no scene ever feels like it takes too long, or is too short. It's all meat and potatoes here folks, so that by the time things do start to kick into high gear (which isn't long really) the reader is well informed of who is who, and what is at stake. I can honestly say that this book had me totally interested well within the first two pages. Sejic's writing is so brisk yet full of life that it is borderline flawless. His characters have conversations that make them feel like actual people, so much so that two of them remind me of people I know. Dialogue sequences are so good that they achieve that ever so coveted balance between sounding amazingly natural while also developing the characters, the world, or the plot.

Rock solid opening pages.

In regards to the art, I think the images above practically speak for themselves. Stjepan Sejic is in a league of his own here with immaculate levels of detail to the panels that almost no one ever draws. Every little bit of minutia one could think to have, Sejic pretty much does. From individual strands of hair, to the embroidery on Bernadette's (that's the Grim Reaper by the way) robes, not a single thing doesn't look like Sejic didn't spend a ridiculous amount of time honing to perfection. The funny thing about it all is that this isn't even the most detailed work that he can do. Sejic has worked on such other Top Cow properties like Aphrodite IX, Witchblade, Angelus, and Ravine. By point of comparison to these other books, Death Vigil is actually a far more sketchy looking piece, which stands as a testament to how awesome of an artist Sejic truly is. The characters all have excellent expressions and body language, and the more sketchy quality actually blends with the thematics of the story well. The pages never feel too bloated with word bubbles, and the panel counts per page feel appropriate. All of Sejic's work flows together to make a very seamless and unobtrusive experience. The splash pages are of special note as they are where Sejic really flexes his creative muscles and gives the reader something to nosh on. It's crazy knowing he did this entire comic by himself.

Overall, this is a rock solid first issue. I don't want to go into further detail as this installment does end on a bit of a cliffhanger, but what a cliffhanger it is. The art and the writing are borderline flawless here people, and I think we can only benefit as readers with future chapters. Stjepan Sejic has clearly demonstrated here that he knows exactly what he's doing and that we can trust him to deliver the goods where it counts. I'll admit that there may be a hint of bias in my opinion on Death Vigil, but it's only because this is exactly the sort of comic I've been working on for the last decade. Without a doubt this personally stands as one of the best opening issues I've read not only recently, but perhaps ever, if only for the strong connection I have with the material. For those who may be curious, Sejic does have a Deviantart site here, where he has an extended preview of Death Vigil for all to read for free. You can see character sketches, and even some preview panels from future issues. Do yourself a favor by checking out this bad boy. Maybe you'll find yourself joining up with the Vigil! 

Positive Factors

• Rock solid opening to what looks to be a very entertaining story.
• Characters feel natural during dialogue scenes, and they actually build on the world and plot at the same time.
• Fantastic pacing. Nothing ever takes to long to happen.
• Excellent cliffhanger that'll get you revved up for issue two. 
• Gorgeously detailed artwork from top to bottom. Characters emote beautifully. 
• Panels flow seamlessly creating a very smooth read.

Negative Factors

• Not exactly Stjepan Sejic's most detailed work when compared to his other books.

Final Rating: !!!AWESOMESAUCE!!!    

Saga: Vol. 2- Review

The journey continues...

There was once a time I fondly remember with comic books. It was a simpler time when all a comic really needed to be was imaginative, exciting, and (most importantly) fun. For someone like the younger me, that was all I ever really asked for out of the format. I didn't need huge crossover disaster events that were mostly focused on killing characters to help sell issues. I didn't want dark gritty characters who possessed about as much dimension as a Ritz cracker. I didn't desire shallow stories that only existed so that the creator could stroke their ego.

Somewhere along the way the comics industry lost track of what made our beloved medium so adored in the first place. Perhaps it was the lucrative marketing aspects of being able to turn large profits in a short amount of time? Maybe it was simply a matter of misunderstanding what the consumers really wanted? While we could discuss/debate the reasons, the imperative thing to take away from it all is how this period in comics is not fondly remembered.

Thankfully there are creators out there today who understand where comics have failed in the past. Individuals who have an undying passion for comics; who work hard and diligently to prove to the naysayers out there that this is indeed a legitimate platform for great art and storytelling. It's been a long and brutal uphill battle at many points, but with great titles like Saga out there I think there is still hope for comic books yet!

As of the writing of this review, it has been one year since I reviewed Vol. 1 of the hit Image Comic series Saga. Brought to us by the magnificent duo of Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples, Saga details the fantastical journey of a new family as they try to find peace in a dangerous universe. Last year I spoke highly of Saga Vol. 1 and I can say it is with a great deal of joy that Saga Vol. 2 continues the trend of telling an imaginative, exciting, and fun story.

I really do mean it when I say that Saga has become one of my current favorite comics, as well as one of my favorite comics of all-time! After getting two entire volumes deep into the characters and story I no longer feel that I could be jumping the gun in making such a declaration about Saga. Every aspect of this book exudes quality on such a level that is seldom seen by the likes of even some of the biggest titles from Marvel and DC. This is pretty much due to the fact that this series is doing the exact opposite of everything I listed earlier. There are no bloated world-altering crossover events to bog the story down. While Saga's characters may be portrayed in a more mature light, it doesn't feel like they're dark and gritty done simply for extremity's sake. At no point does it feel like Saga is a soap box for Mr. Vaughan or Ms. Staples. Instead the primary goal of Saga is to tell a fun and mature story that hearkens back to when the onus for creating comics was more pure in intent. If you haven't read Vol. 1 of Saga yet, I implore you to seek it out and read it now!

Vol. 2 picks up immediately after the ending of Vol. 1 with Marko's parents (Barr and Klara) coming to stay on the family's newly acquired Rocket-ship Tree. Alana doesn't initially know how to react with meeting her in-laws, but the group gels quickly. Prince Robot IV and The Will both continue their respective searches for the family along with Marko's ex fiance (Gwendolyn) joining the hunt as well. Things only get more crazy for the cast when a gigantic space monster enters the fray and sends everyone running for the nearest exit.

This is kind of what it's like telling someone about Saga.

I failed to mention it in my review of Vol. 1 but I am a big fan of the framing device that Saga uses. The story as it is presented is not in the present tense. Instead it is the character Hazel (Alana and Marko's daughter) that recounts the events to the reader. We see throughout the narrative how things occurred, and also how Hazel perceives them.

Through this method we get a character from the story that appears to be directly addressing us the viewer, creating a very fun bit of audience participation. Hazel's character is fun, snarky, and even a touch wise/profound. We don't know how old she is by the time her narration begins (as we're still yet to even see her as her present self) but I distinctly get the impression of how everything that transpires in the plot has helped form her into who she currently is. It's Hazel's fun down-to-earth perspective that I think is one of the many things that helps to make Saga's story resonate with me so strongly.
        
Every major character gets a fittingly humanizing angle to them this volume. Even though the characters Prince Robot IV and The Will are chasing our main family with orders to kill them, we see that they're still fundamentally human when we scratch beneath their surfaces.

PR IV is obligated by his position and allegiances to make good on the task set before him. He clearly suffers from PTSD from the war fields of his past and struggles nightly with memories of friends lost in combat. Knowing that he has a child on the way is the only thing that seemingly keeps him motivated to complete his mission. The Will shows that he's more than just a hired gun by making every effort he can to save a small girl from sex slave traffickers. While The Will's motives are still not entirely clear, we can see that he does have a heart.

Perhaps the most important part about this volume though is that we get a very thorough glimpse into Alana and Marko's past. Seeing who they were before they met, how they met for the first time, and how they eventually became a couple is immensely gratifying. In my previous review I mentioned how skipping over this part of the story helped to save time and get the reader more quickly into the material.

While I still stand by that notion, here it is presented quickly and efficiently. We don't see all the lead up to them getting together, we only see what we need to know so that we can have some context to their relationship.

Another great part of this comic's writing is the dialogue exchanges. Brian K. Vaughan's talking head scenes feel so natural that it's sublime. There are so many times throughout Vol. 2 that I honestly feel the characters talk like people I actually know. The conversations feel like they are about something, which lends a ton of tangibility to them. I've said it before, but I think it needs mentioning again, Vaughan truly knows how to brings his characters to life through the use of dialogue.

Fiona Staples' artwork remains in topnotch form this volume. For all of B.K.V.'s writing it is Staples' work that really sells the whole book. Characters still show an incredibly wide range of emotion through their face and overall body language. Expressions that most comic artist seemingly tend to avoid Staples uses and embraces with gusto. Although there isn't a lot of new characters introduced this volume, their designs continue to impress by being just as iconic as the already established cast. Barr and Klara have an incredibly fun  and old-school look to them that I could see plenty of people cosplaying as. No one page feels neglected throughout the volume, with several splash pages looking downright gorgeous. Staples utilizes all the strengths that the sequential art format provides to excellent effect. That's not to mention all of the respective covers for the single issues, which I feel could be singular paintings on a wall in their own right. As much as I try to find some sort of fault with the art, I simply cannot. Fiona Staples work is flawless!

The only real negative that I think this volume has is that it does perhaps climax a tad early, and bog down a bit near the end. Even then so, the exchange that happens in the last chapter sets up a brilliant cliffhanger that should make the next volume start off great. Otherwise there are not really any negatives I can think of that I haven't already mentioned in the Vol. 1 review. There is even more adult material in the book so younger readers obviously still can't share in the fun. Other than that, the only other thing I can say is that if you didn't like Vol. 1 I'm pretty sure that Vol. 2 isn't going to win you over. The series is firmly set in its stance by this point and it looks like it isn't going to be changing its M.O. anytime soon. Personally, I wouldn't have it any other way.

It's actually pretty difficult to talk about Saga without spoiling it. There are so many more things that I feel I could bring up in this review, but I really do want readers to discover and experience things for themselves. Half the fun of Saga is not knowing exactly what is around the next corner. I can't really do a further analysis as to why I like Saga without letting the cat out of the bag in some way and ruining the experience for potential readers. I am limited by the format of a text review, so I can't really display such things like the artwork and why it's so perfect. All I can really do is try to elaborate to you how much I love this series and why I think you should be reading it. I've said it in my previous review, but if you're of age to read this comic, and truly love the comic book format, then you owe it to yourself to read Saga. With that aside, you can certainly bet that I'll be reading Vol. 3 as soon as it drops!

Awkward family moments, brought to you by Saga!

  

Positive Factors

• Fun story and characters that made Vol.1 such a blast are retained for the next installment!
• Clever framing device invites a good deal of audience participation throughout the story.
• Digs deeper into an already interesting story and cast, thus making things more interesting.
• Brilliant character writing makes every member of the cast come to life.
• Gorgeous artwork all around. The strengths of the comic book medium are on full display.

Negative Factors

• A minor dip in pacing near the end makes the climax feel a tad early.
• If you didn't like Vol. 1 you're not going to like this one either. Simple as that.

Final Rating: !!!AWESOMESAUCE!!!

The Gold Standard- A Gold Digger Retrospective (Part 2)

Let the adventures begin!

Welcome back faithful readers to the next part of The Gold Standard! For this installment I'll be looking at the original one-shot, mini-series, and first fifty issue run of the franchise.

I know it took a while for me to get around to this, but I wanted to make sure I remembered everything correctly. Going back over the series took more time than I had initially anticipated, but I feel the investment has been well worth it. Making that conscious effort to refresh my memory has only helped to affirm even further in my mind why I love Gold Digger so much. I've found myself somewhat distracted from my usual obligations (such as this blog) because of the amount of gratifying entertainment I was experiencing from the magic that is GD.

In all honesty, it felt like I was transported back to that warm spring in 2004 when I first discovered the book. Seeing those old pages in my copy of Gold Digger Pocket Manga #1 was like meeting up with an old friend I hadn't seen in years. I remembered all those great feelings of adventure that Gina and Brit provided for me. It re-enforced in me the notion of how sometimes all a story really needed to do at the end of the day was to simply be fun. Most importantly though, it reminded me of all the inspiration this franchise gave me, and frankly it got me feeling that same inspiration once more. The energy that GD exuded on every page was truly contagious in all of the best ways possible.  

Admittedly, for a brief moment when I re-read the series, I did question if maybe my nostalgia had blinded me to any faults the comic could've potentially had. Thankfully I think those old school issues of GD have more than held up to the test of time. While they're not perfect by any means, they do have a certain level of charm, passion, and quality that I feel cannot be ignored. With that said, let's Scrooge McDuck this baby, and dive into a big ass pile of gold.

The adventure begins with the Gold Digger one-shot comic. Although the heroines Gina and Brittany have gone on several adventures before this point, this is where the comic introduces we the readers to the dynamic duo. Our intrepid explorers are on the hunt for Merlin's (yes, that Merlin's) mythic Time Raft. It is said that the Time Raft was an ancient device that allowed its user to freely travel throughout all of time itself. Super scientist Gina Diggers wants to find the time machine so that she may study it for scientific purposes. It's also humorously made known that Gina is a bit of a horn ball, who wants the artifact so that she can do a little time traveling to pick up hot guys. Her adopted were-cheetah sister Brittany Diggers on the other hand, has come along only as Gina's bodyguard in the event of danger.

The first adventure!

As the pair dive into a cavern in the mountains of England (that Gina had pinpointed as the Time Raft's location) they come under attack from a band of Goblins and Trolls. Brittany manages to make quick work of the assailants as they to go deeper into the cave thanks to her advanced martial arts training. Little do they know that the evil iron dragon known as Dreadwing has been making this place his home for the last several centuries. All the while keeping the Time Raft in his possession. Using magic to spy on them, he sees that Gina appears to have extensive knowledge of the ancient device. This is fortunate for Dreadwing as he doesn't possess the scientific know-how on using the artifact to it full potential (let alone enough to get it to even start) so he needs Gina's skills. Dreadwing sends his elven slaves Tark and Mesha to acquire the sisters under the pretense that he was once a servant of Merlin's. They believe the story, and Gina begins to help him to learn of the Time Raft's secrets. Being the evil dragon that he is, he wants to learn how to activate the machine so that he may use it to conquer the world. Our heroines catch onto Dreadwing's game plan rather quickly though when Tark and Mesha betray Dreadwing and reveal his true intentions.

Things ramp up fairly quickly with everyone getting into an all out fight against Dreadwing. While our heroes come out strong to start in the fight, it seems like the group is on the losing side of the battle when Dreadwing uses his deadly fire breath on Brittany. Thinking that her sister is dead, a vengeful Gina uses the self destruct feature she had found while working on the Time Raft to "kill" Dreadwing. After the dust clears, and Gina mourns, it turns out that Brit managed to survive Dreadwing's attack due to the accelerated healing her lycanthropy provides. As repayment for giving them their freedom, and for perhaps even saving the world, Tark and Mesha reveal to the sisters their former master's stash of immense riches. Thus the sisters leave with untold amounts of wealth.

Overall, I would say I really liked this one-shot. If this were how I was first exposed to the series, I would feel inclined to want to read more. As the introductory adventure it was fairly solid in establishing everything that would come to be expected of the series' later installments. This was definitely a text book case of big things having small beginnings. If one were to take a moment to consider that this was all done by a single person (who didn't have that much experience under his belt at the time) one can't help but be impressed.

What really made this comic work for me was the chemistry that existed between the sisters. Almost all of their dialogue felt natural, with the banter that Gina and Brit have at the story's beginning being one of my favorite exchanges between the two. Coming from a fairly tight knit family myself, I can honestly say that yes, siblings do talk to each other like that. Fred wasted practically no time in getting the main character's personalities and the goals for the plot established. Within the first two pages of the comic we already know what the setup is. The pace with which Fred laid out the foundation for the plot and character relationships was astounding to say the least. Fred made all of the important plot points come off to the viewer as naturally as possible through the clever use of his character's dialogue.

I will admit though that a few elements of the narrative did feel slightly glossed over, or underdeveloped. The battles resolved too quickly (particularly the fight with Dreadwing) and could've been given a more satisfying flow if their length was longer. A brief snippet of Brit's back story (the details on how she became Gina's adopted sister) came off as being no more than a cliff note, as well as feeling a little forced in its execution. While the elves Tark and Mesha were not exactly boring characters, I did feel that they were not nearly as interesting as Gina and Brit. Had they been given more time to develop I'm sure there wouldn't have been a problem. Of course, I do understand that when you do a one-shot like this, you've only got so many pages to work with when telling a story. Thankfully Fred addressed a lot of these problems in future issues that we'll get to in a little bit.

While the art can be considered a tad crude at times, I would like to reiterate that these were the formative years of Fred's style. Even with the flaws, I've felt that Fred's older work has aged surprisingly well. Everything was distinct, iconic, and energetic throughout the read. Being in black and white, the line weights were well handled, with only one or two panels ever feeling too busy with detail. Naturally everyone can't be on board with the comic's art style. Personally I think characters all showed a good range of emotion, and Fred's stylized anatomy was at least consistent from beginning to end. The panel flow did leave a little to be desired when it came to the action scenes, but they still had the required effects when the need arose. The more liberal use of fanservice was also quite tame (especially when one thinks of what is currently acceptable in comics today) and never felt like it was the book's only focus.

Kickin' it Gold School.

Going into the mini-series, our intrepid explorers are on a new expedition in Peru to find a lost temple that is said to be made entirely of gold. Using a relic called the Gem of Returning, Gina hopes to find the temple and unearth its history. For Brittany, her massive credit card debts need to be paid off, so she comes along to score some loot. A long time rival of Gina's (Penny Pincer) also joins the hunt for the temple, looking to claim the discovery for herself.

As the duo navigate the jungle, they come across Stripe. He is the prince of a cat-like race known as the Kryn, who have secretly been living in the city of El Dorado; the lost city of gold. Stripe's home has been taken over by the evil Atlantean sorcerer Gyphon, who has been using his magic to change almost all of El Dorado's citizens into mindlessly violent, rock-like creatures. Gyphon intends to end the centuries long war between the Kryn and the Atlanteans, by turning all of the Kryn into his slaves. With Stripe being one of the only remaining Kryn, our heroines agree to help him win back his kingdom, and free his people from Gyphon's curse.

Brit and Stripe are immediately attracted to each other upon meeting, with Brittany wanting to get Stripe alone so that she can be more intimate with him. They're caught by Gyphon's slaves though shortly after they go ahead to scout out El Dorado, with them being brought to face the sorcerer himself. With Gina being alone and vulnerable, another one of Gyphon's slaves strikes, and as the creature comes in for a killing blow, the Gem of Returning falls from Gina's bag. The stone's magical properties activate, transforming the rock monster back to their original Kryn form. Shortly after surviving her encounter, and realizing the Gem of Returning's powers, Gina crosses paths with Penny. After a humorous exchange involving wedgies, the two agree to set their rivalry aside in order to deal with the bigger threat of Gyphon.

After facing down Gyphon in the throne room of El Dorado, our heroes defeat him, and send him packing back to Atlantis. Gina uses the Gem of Returning's powers to return everyone in El Dorado back to normal, and Stripe reclaims his place as prince. Gyphon takes several dangerous magical artifacts back with him though, so Gina and company decide to give chase. From there, a globe trotting adventure ensues with everyone fighting desperately to defeat Gyphon. They must thwart his plans to unleash Armageddon; a massive magical monster he hopes to use to conquer the earth. With tons of twists, turns, and revelations along the way, the group manages to ultimately succeed in stopping Gyphon's diabolical machinations in just the nick of time. I wish I could go more into the details of the mini-series' plot and characters, but it would pretty much take up the rest of this installment if I did. If you happen to wish to know the rest of the story, I highly recommend reading the mini-series yourself. You won't regret it, as it is one hell of an entertaining ride.

I will say that this was where I felt Gold Digger truly began to find its voice and come into its own. The scope of the adventure extended beyond a single area by having plenty of new fantastical locations used. Starting from a jungle in Peru, to then going to El Dorado, Atlantis, Shangri-La, and finally the Garden of Eden, this adventure was friggin' huge. The addition of several new (and eventually recurring) characters allowed for Gina and Brit to get some interesting chemistry in as the story progressed. We also got to delve further into both of our heroine's respective back stories, as well as some of the extended cast's. The comic's universe became more fleshed out, with plenty of good mysteries being left over for future story arcs.

Having the space of four full length issues gave Fred's writing plenty of room to breath, and I don't think I could be more thankful for that. This adventure was (simply put) tons of fun to go on!  Fred kept the humor and the sense of adventure at a good height, with only a couple of moments feeling like they either resolved too quickly, or were just not that funny. I will admit that the climax of the arc with the crew having to destroy Armageddon was over way too fast. The fact that the Armageddon monster was destroyed in literally a single page felt a bit underwhelming, considering the threat level it was supposed to have. Thankfully everything that lead up to that point was such a hoot that I almost didn't mind. The good far outweighed the bad here as far as I was concerned.

Fred's art style noticeably improved and became more refined from the original one-shot too. Panels had more fluidity to them, the fight scenes were more kinetic, and the implementation of gray scale shades gave the art some much appreciated depth. Sadly I did feel that the gray scale made some panels a little tough to read, but it wasn't so egregious that it made things bad. With the introduction of new characters and races, the breadth of the comic's imagination only increased. Due to the story taking in place in multiple locales, Fred really got to show off his skills on designing interesting backgrounds. Elaborate set pieces like the library of Shangri-La, or the portal room of Atlantis made for some really unique looking locations. While not everything was technically perfect, this was where Gold Digger really started to resemble the comic it would eventually become today.

Brianna Diggers: The third sister!

Finally we move into Vol. 2, the first fifty black and white issues of the continuous series. Again, as much as I'd like to detail absolutely everything about this volume, I'm going to have to keep it fairly brief. I'm only going to touch on the bullet points that I felt made this run of Gold Digger such an incredibly fun read. Check the stories out here if you want to see them for yourself.

The opening arc introduces us to who would eventually become the third Diggers sister Brianna, one of my favorite characters in the series. Through some humorous mishaps, our favorite pair of sisters meet up with the rakshasa Gen, but are hit with a bad luck curse while exploring an ancient temple. Not one to let a small thing like a curse get her down, Gina uses her super science abilities to trick the curse into leaving them. By creating a fleshy blob that possesses the duo's DNA, the curse does in fact leave them and enter it. Incidentally the combination of nasty magics, and genetic super science don't exactly mix right, resulting in Brianna's birth. The luck curse that created her makes the composite clone want nothing else but to see Gina and Brittany die. Thankfully with a little help from their father (Theodore Diggers, one of the world's most powerful mages) they manage to free Brianna from the killing intent of the curse. She finds immediate acceptance within the Diggers family and friends, with her becoming a regular part of the continuous adventures.

Brianna quickly established herself as one of my personal favorite characters in the series, and for good reason. The unique circumstances surrounding her creation, coupled with the combination of Gina and Brit's personalities, made for a constantly entertaining person to watch. I loved seeing her obsession with technology grow, along with seeing her utilize her enhanced physical prowess for fights. Her eventual turn to using power armor also added a cool dynamic to some of the adventures. She got some of the best developmental moments in Vol. 2, that focused on her struggles with identity. Considering conflict is the root of all storytelling, Brianna was constantly filled with great story.

The fun in Gold Digger doesn't stop there either, as we see Brittany go up against the Kryn priestess (and Stripes former fiance) Tanya. Boiling with jealousy, Tanya formulates a plan to have the were-wolf Jetta kill Brit, by posing as her in the kidnapping of Jetta's son Pojo. Tanya's plot fails though when Theodore gets into the fray, and has her arrested. Shortly after that, Brit faces off with the super powered mob known as the Crime Syndicate. With a little bit of help from her old friend Danielle (who has taken up the super hero moniker Avenger) they manage to put the Crime Syndicate behind bars.

Another great adventure includes the Diggers family having to face down the likes of the diabolical Lich King. Once their former grandfather Johnathan Diggers, the Lich King emerges from the Netherrealm, wanting to place his essence into Gina's body. His powers are dwindling, and by placing himself into a living host of blood relation, he can maintain his rule over the damned. It is here that we also find out about Julia Diggers (Gina and Brittany's mother) and how a curse from the Lich King keeps her in the magical realm of Jade for all but one day a year. Utilizing the same science that she used to remove the luck curse, Gina is able to remove the Lich King's curse over her mother. With Julia now being able to travel freely through the realms again, the Diggers family stands united against the Lich King.

Several revelations come at our heroes quickly as the circumstances of Brit's adoption into the Diggers clan become more clear. A run in with a super intelligent time traveling dog shows that time travel is possible, but almost brings the reign of mankind on earth to an end. The introduction of the Dynasty of the Stars brings with it the knowledge that the Kryn, Atlantean, and Amonian races are all in fact alien. Star Wars caliber battles ensue, with the heroes coming out on top, but just barely every time. After numerous issues, Brittany and Stripe finally tie the knot, with all of the cast coming together for one huge wedding bash. I can go on and on about all the great issues that were in Vol.2 of Gold Digger, but we'd be here forever if I did that. While the mini-series was where GD started to really come together, this was where it truly became awesome! The spectacle of fun and adventure that just kept coming from each issue was almost mind boggling.

Even though there had been a clear emphasis placed on sex appeal throughout GD, I believed that Fred's writing managed to shine past the fanservice by leaps and bounds. The Diggers sisters are depicted as being far more than just three gorgeous women. They are fairly complex characters who have solved their own problems time and again. I will concede that Gina has been displayed as having a bit of an overactive libido throughout the series, but that was only one part of her character. She also has been shown to be an insanely smart women who is capable of many an amazing feat using only her wits. When something like a sex drive has been written into a character, then I'm perfectly fine with it. It's when that is the only aspect of the character that it can ever become a problem with me. Had Brittany been no more than just a big bruiser type character that just ran about hitting things, I would have taken just as much an issue. Thankfully much like the art, any and all sexual innuendos were done mostly for the sake of comedy. None of the material became raunchy, nor did anything feel done to appeal to the lowest common denominator. The humor was very strong throughout, with a good variety of jokes, and several clever references being thrown in for the more nerd savvy crowd.

Fred's work on backgrounds and fight scenes only grew during this period of Gold Digger. His work on aerial battles stood out to me as some of the best I've seen depicted in comics, and his sense of martial arts choreography is notable as well. There are few comics out there where I've felt that I can say that each hit in the fight had impact. There were plenty of times it just felt like the action scenes were jumping off the page. Vol. 2 was where I think Fred hit his stride and truly mastered his work on paneling, and line weights. He opted to drop the gray scale shades, and stick with a more simplistic black and white scheme. I think this worked out perfectly, as there was no major point where I couldn't tell what was going on in a panel. With the ever increasing number of cast members, the scope of GD's vision only became more cool. As I've said before, I love worlds where it feels like anything can exist in it, and Gold Digger continuously proved that to me. With the inclusion of super heroes, galactic dynasties, evil lich demons from hell, and time traveling dogs, Fred essentially made what some could consider to be a nerd's biggest dream come true. I constantly felt that the sky was the limit when reading these issues of Gold Digger.

So with that said, we wrap up on part two of The Gold Standard. Tune in for the next installment, when I take a look at the first fifty issues of the color series. I'm sorry that I went into cliff notes mode for this, but I've already taken up far too much space to even get to this point. Until next time, happy readings and see you on the flip side! PEACE OUT!

The Gold Standard- A Gold Digger Retrospective (Part 1)

Long before Tomb Raider, Gina Diggers was on the case!

There is only a small handful of comic books out there that I would ever honestly say are on my list of all-time favorites. To be blunt, it is not a term that I throw around lightly, and usually a certain set of criteria has to be met in order for me to even consider the notion of something reaching that level. It has to be more than great in its technical executions, as skill can only take you but so far. For me there needs to be a sense of passion persistent throughout the work. There needs to be a powerful sensation of longevity to everything that makes the comic what it is. Could I still find this comic just as engaging a read now as I did when I first read it? Does it serve as an excellent reminder to why the format is so amazing to begin with? It has be able to consistently entertain me, and most importantly, be able to continuously inspire me like none other to achieve more for my own works. In short, all of this can be summed up by a single poignant statement. I have to be able to look at the piece in question and say with out a single doubt in my mind "This is the type of comic book I would love to create one day!"

Fred Perry's Gold Digger has been one of those few comics to make it on my list of all-time favorites. Every time I purchase a new issue to the series I'm always amazed at how Mr. Perry can continuously impress/inspire me with his storytelling methods, all while keeping the comic immensely entertaining. Looking back on my time with the franchise I don't think I can recall a single moment where I didn't find an issue of Gold Digger to be gratifying in some way. It has practically everything I could ever wish for out of a comic series; it's fun, dramatic, sexy, action packed, vibrantly drawn, constantly evolving/developing, and even profound/touching at times. I'm the kind of guy who loves stories where it feels like the only limit to the world is the creator's imagination. Where they could introduce almost any element into the mix if they wanted, and still manage to make it work. In a day and age where it seems like so many writers/artists out there are lacking in that kind of imagination, Fred Perry has been consistent in making Gold Digger a great work of imaginatively fun fiction.

Gina & Brit: Setting the standard!

Gold Digger's debut was in September of 1991 in the anthology book Mangazine Vol. 2 #11 from Antarctic Press. After its initial one-shot story it received a four issue mini-series (Vol. 1) that ran from September 1992 to March 1993, where it proved successful enough among readers to turn Gold Digger into an ongoing publication. Fifty black and white issues (Vol. 2) were published between July 1993 to June 1999, as well as a number of additional annuals done with contributing guest/fan submission artists. The series was then relaunched in full-color (Vol. 3) starting in July 1999, and is still ongoing to this day. To save most of you from doing the math, Gold Digger has been around now for over twenty years, and has had well over two hundred issues to its name published, all done by one man. Currently Gold Digger is the second longest running North American comic book created by one person in history (exceeded only by David Sim's Cerebus) and has the most issues of its series still in print.

The overall story follows the adventures/exploits of Gina Babette Diggers, a sexy/polymath super genius archeologist/consummate mega nerd, and her adopted sister Brittany (Cheetah) Diggers, a sexy/shopaholic/bad-ass martial artist/were-cheetah. Accompanied by their extended family, friends, students, and sometimes rivals, Gina and Brittany's lives are anything but dull. Their expeditions have taken them to alien planets, parallel dimensions, and alternate timelines, facing numerous challenges all along the way. They've taken on the the likes of time-traveling dragons, super-powered crime lords, pirate-ninja leprechauns in a giant mech, and even galactic dynasties. All to save the world and make a quick buck. Fred Perry has described Gold Digger as a mixture of Indiana Jones, Final Fantasy, and Doctor Who, while pulling inspiration from his favorite anime/manga, super-hero comics, videogames, movies, RPGs, cartoons, etc. etc. To sum it up, Gold Digger is (for lack of a better term) crazy awesome modern science-fantasy, filled to the brim with hilarious reference jokes for the nerdy sort! Frankly, I'm amazed at how Fred has been able to maintain GD's high energy and creativity for so long.

Over the course of this feature I'm going to be looking back at Gold Digger's twenty-plus year history, and a generous portion of the work leading up to its 200th issue proper. There will be some minor to possibly major spoilers here, as I will be going over the series in groups of fifty or so issues (so as to maintain brevity, otherwise we would be here for awhile) with it ultimately culminating in my review of the 200th issue. Plus there will be a special-guest interview with the franchise's creator Fred Perry himself upon the retrospect's completion. It is my hope that with this feature I can not only reminisce on one of my all-time favorite comics with fond feeling, but also help to raise awareness for the series. That isn't to say that I won't try to give Gold Digger an objective appraisal, but this is mostly about why I think GD is one of my personal favorite books. For all the awesomeness that is Gold Digger, tragically it seems not enough people actually know about it. Thankfully to help celebrate the coming 200th issue Fred has made the entire series free to read here. So if you want to go ahead and read the comic for yourself, give it a try. You've got nothing else to loose really, except maybe some free time.

One of my personal favorite issues!

Before I go directly into the full retrospective proper, I would like to take the rest of this installment to sit back and share with you the first time I was exposed to the Gold Digger series. Although I'm well educated on the franchise, I am actually not that old of a fan. I only picked up GD (and have been reading it consistently) a little over nine years ago, as opposed to the readers who have been with it since the story's start. It is my hope that this can prove how accessible and perhaps how emotionally impacting a tale Mr. Perry can make. As well as to provide some perspective on where I'm coming from with this series, and how I see it. 

I wish to avoid hyperbole here, but Gold Digger is in a lot of ways what helped to remind me of why storytelling is so important to us as people. When I was at a low point in my life, Fred Perry's work showed me the power one man with a vision can truly have. A great storyteller can not only entertain, but also help to make someone forget their problems, if only for a little while. Maybe teaching them something they never knew, or help them to remember something they had long forgotten. For me, it was an entertaining, yet touching reminder of the importance of acceptance/learning to let go of someone you care about.

It was a warm March day in the year of 2004. and I was eighteen years old, working my days away at a local McDonalds. My grandfather (who was one of my most prominent art mentors) had passed away about a month prior, and to say the least I was feeling somewhat depressed. I was having a hard time coming to terms with the fact that someone I truly cherished in life had just died. It seemed like regardless of what I was doing I just couldn't get my mind off of that topic. On this particular day I decided that maybe what I needed was a change of scenery, that being someplace I had never been to before would help to ease my thoughts.

It turns out the McDonalds I was working at happened to have a comic book store across the street from it, a small hole-the-wall shop, called Fudd's Rabbit Hole. I had never been into Fudd's before, so on a lark I decided that on my lunch break I would see what assortment of books this place had to offer. Going over the selection on the shelves I didn't really see much there that I couldn't get somewhere else. Then I saw a book I had never seen before, sitting off on the farthest end of the store's back-shelves, Gold Digger No. 49. The bright and vibrant colors of the characters as they clashed with each other on the cover, along with its highly anime-inspired design, was enough to garner my undivided attention. Although it is said you should never judge a book from its cover, you can still tell a lot from it. In Gold Digger's case, Fred is a master at creating awesome old-school comic book covers. They always pop with just the right amount of energy (enough to catch your eye) and they also are incredibly informative to what the issue is going to be about. Just looking at this issue's cover I could tell that this was going to feature a fight between close friends, and that emotions were going to be high.

The action in GD is top notch!

Giving the book a brief thumb through I was immediately impressed with how all of the panels flowed together to create a strong cohesive structure and very animated feel. It almost felt as if I was watching an episode of an animated TV show more so than it was me reading a comic book. From the outset it was clear that Fred injects a lot of emotion into his character's faces and body language. While I may not have been familiar with the story or the characters in the slightest, the art did manage to do the most important thing. Get me intrigued enough to want to purchase the issue and read on to see what it was about.

Ironically enough it is an issue that doesn't even feature any of the main cast for the series doing anything major. Gold Digger No. 49 instead focuses on a particular set of side characters (Gar, Luan, and Carla) and their own little sub-plot. Yet from my initial reading of the issue, it didn't really bother me. You see, the large cast of characters in GD are actually surprisingly complex, nuanced, and interesting. So much so that when coupled with their own personal conflicts, pretty much anyone beyond Gina and Brit could carry the story if they had to.

The issue opens with the were-jaguar Gar in a sparring match against his Shun-Leep instructor Julia Diggers. With his friends/fellow students Carla and Luan rooting him on from the sidelines, the battle looks to be close. Over the course of the fight it is shown that Gar has managed to master the skill in anticipating his opponent's movements. In the art of Shun-Leep this is considered a student becoming what is known as an adept, and this proves to Julia that Gar is now able to progress to the final level in his training. Julia tells him that he will go to the Proving Grounds in the magical realm of Jade to hone his skills, potentially becoming a master himself, much to Luan's chagrin. The Proving Grounds are considered to be a highly dangerous place in Jade, even for experienced warriors, and Gar must go there alone.

Luan won't loose Gar so easily.

Luan has deep feelings for Gar as a friend/potential lover and doesn't wish to see him get hurt, or possibly even killed on his two year pilgrimage. During a brief shopping trip with Carla and their mutual friend (professional wrestler/fighter) Ayane, Luan begins to concoct a plan to prove to Master Julia that Gar is not ready yet to go to the Proving Grounds. At least not without having a bodyguard.

What follows next is an amusing series of attempts by Luan to place Gar into situations of grievous bodily harm. While GD can be dramatic/touching at times, it also indulges in hilarity when it can. These scenes are akin to Saturday morning cartoon hijinks, but I found them to be incredibly funny nonetheless. Ranging from a run-away-wheel-barrow filled with five hundred pounds of bricks, to throwing a refrigerator at him (my personal favorite) to almost running him over with a car while he's inside of a house; all of Luan's "tests" as she calls them, spectacularly fail. Gar proves time and again that he has ascended to a higher level with his abilities, which leads Luan to eventually challenge Gar in a one on one fight to prove her point.

Gar knows how Luan feels, but tells her that he must go to the proving grounds and finish his training. For if he doesn't there is the strong potential for his abilities to turn sour. He could very well become a killing machine if he doesn't refine his skills in a place meant for them. Luan though won't have any of it, as she refuses to believe that Gar could ever be ready to go into such a dangerous place all alone. The two commence their duel, with Gar clearly being the more proficient fighter. Although she is giving everything she's got, Luan cannot land a single blow, and Gar eventually takes her down into submission. Even when her arm is at the point of breaking, Luan refuses to yield. She cannot bring herself to let Gar go.

Master Julia then enters the dojo to see her students fighting one another. Having overheard their exchange, Julia scolds Luan for questioning her wisdom on sending Gar to the Proving Grounds. Luan finally concedes to Julia's decision, but Julia proposes a new idea. Seeing Luan fight Gar, Julia noticed how Luan pushed herself well beyond the abilities Julia would have ever expected out of Luan. Perhaps with some more training, Julia suggests that Luan could be skilled enough to be Gar's bodyguard during his pilgrimage. There is still time before Gar must leave, and though the training will be hard, Julia has faith that Luan can do it. So the issue ends with everyone coming to terms with the situation, and learning all the more from it.

I have other reasons for liking this book.

Gold Digger No. 49 is an all around great issue to the series, and stands as one of my personal favorite issues for being what got me into the franchise in the first place. While it isn't one hundred percent accessible to new readers, I can't really fault it for that. This issue wasn't exactly meant to be a jumping on point for new readers. Still, it is informative enough that you don't have to have much prior knowledge of the story to be able to enjoy the main plot. There is a smaller subplot in here, focusing on a pair of dwarven sisters in a Jade Realm prison, but to me it didn't have any negative effects. While some could argue that it breaks the issue's pace, it only served to get me more interested in Gold Digger and the rest of its history.

I found Mr. Perry's writing to be topnotch here as well. There are very few writers out there that I've seen pull off having a story switch between so many emotions so quickly, yet so organically. Usually when a narrative tries to pull off comedy, action, and drama within the same space of each other, it doesn't work. The elements clash, throwing the audience off, and making them wonder if the story even knows what kind of story it wants to be. Fred though makes Gold Digger feel like there is a little bit of something in it for everyone. He writes great character drama here, as everyone can relate to Luan's plight in some way, and pretty much none of his jokes fall flat.

His art is also in top form, with plenty of style displaying nice bits of eye candy here and there. None of it ever gets to the point to where the sex appeal becomes outright distracting; as Fred shows he is a master at implementing fanservice without sacrificing any of his story. In fact I would go so far as to say that in some ways it enhances the flavor of the comic, sort of like a spice if you will. As I said earlier, his action scenes flow seamlessly from one panel to the next, and it really does give off the sensation of seeing it as stills from an animation. While the art may be very exaggerated and stylized, it has a consistent internal structure to it that helps to make it unique, as well as appealing. There is a late 80's/early 90's anime sort of vibe to Fred's art, and thankfully it is the best parts of that time period.

Getting back to one of my earlier points, I do believe this comic was not only exactly what I wanted at the time, but exactly what I needed too. During the time I was reading this issue, I wasn't thinking about all the troubles I was having. When I finished reading, I couldn't help but feel the comic had been talking deliberately to me. Telling me that I needed to learn to let go of things I don't have control of. Sure you can fight it, but sometimes you just have to accept what is, whether you like it or not. That was something I sorely needed to be reminded of, and Gold Digger did that for me.

After that point I was hooked, and the rest as they say is history. I had to know more about this series, I had to read more if I could, and I couldn't do it soon enough. I was dumbfounded by the fact that one person had managed to do all the work that was done when I found out exactly how long GD had been going before I discovered it. Frankly, I became inspired by Fred's hard work, and it made me all the more passionate about creating my own comic book one day. Gold Digger has a certain charm/quality to it that makes it a lot like watching one of those older anime's like Tenchi Muyo, Slayers, or Outlaw Star. Sure they're somewhat silly shows, but they are also incredibly creative and imaginative in the stories they tell. I still read GD to this very day, and I still feel like I can't get enough of it.

So that about does it for this installment of The Gold Standard. Next time I'll be looking at the original one-shot, and mini-series that got the franchise off the ground in the first place. As well as the entirety of Gold Digger Vol. 2! With that said, I've got a lot of ground to cover in the parts to come and I can only hope that this will help in getting more people interested in reading this totally !!!AWESOMESAUCE!!! comic. Again, for those who are curious, you can read all of Gold Digger for free here, or if you want to visit Fred Perry's official Deviantart page you can do so by going here. Give it a shot, you probably won't regret it. Until then, happy readings, and PEACE OUT!

Yeah! What he said!

       

Saga: Vol.1- Review

"This is how an idea becomes real."

I absolutely love a story where it feels like anything can exist in it. Where a creator can truly spread their artistic wings and fly me off to an amazingly big world of even bigger dreams. Science-fantasy properties like the original Star Wars trilogy and the comic Gold Digger have always been up there as some of my favorite stories because of the sheer imagination they have at work. Everything they offer is so fantastical and cool that I can't help but feel inspired by their respective visions. So when I read Saga I felt like it was a comic created specifically for someone just like me, and ultimately as a love letter to all of the science-fantasy genre.

Normally I don't like reviewing something until it has seen some degree of completion so that I may judge it based on the sum of its parts. As an avid fan of the comic book format though, I can honestly say that Saga Vol.1 is one of the best comics that I have had the privilege of reading in years. It has quickly skyrocketed up my list, becoming one of my current favorites, if not one of my all-time favorites beyond any doubt. While there are plenty of comic books out there that I do read and absolutely love to death, only a select few have ever managed to entertain me to the level that Saga has. In fact I would go so far as to say that Saga actually served as a nice little reminder as to why I love sequential art to begin with.

Hell, I've read this book five times already! Yes, it is that good! I found myself feeling inspired and real anxious to get back to working on creating my own comic after reading Saga. Putting it bluntly, this is exactly the kind of comic that I wish I could create one day. Dark/serious, but also sexy/fun, and always entertaining. Granted I haven't exactly yielded results as of this review, but it's the thought that counts...

Describing Saga to someone is actually pretty difficult without sounding like a horny 13 year old boy on a sugar high. Brian K. Vaughan's (Y: The Last Man, Pride of Baghdad) writing and Fiona Staples' (North 40, Dv8) art are just so seductively imaginative in so many ways that it's crazy awesome. I feel words almost fail to describe how successful they were in creating such an openly adult, yet also amazingly vivid and genuine book about the troubles of new parents trying to raise a child. I think Mr. Vaughan himself may have put it best when he jokingly described Saga as "Star Wars for perverts."

For centuries a galactic war has raged between the Coalition of Landfall and Wreath. Numerous planets and races have become entangled in the war, with survivors always picking sides and continuing the everlasting conflict. A midst the chaos Alana and Marko, two soldiers on opposite sides of the war, fall in love and have a daughter they name Hazel. Knowing that they will be hunted/killed by their respective factions for treason, Alana and Marko attempt to leave for the farthest reaches of the galaxy. Their only comfort being the hope that they can escape the endless battles and raise their child in peace. The family has to move quick though, as bounty hunters and a robot prince have joined in pursuit of the traitors, with orders to kill them and take their daughter.

I dare not go much further into the plot's details as I feel everyone should experience Saga unspoiled and come to their own conclusions. There are numerous characters, plenty of twists, and enough mystery to keep a reader like me invested for the long-haul of Volume 1. Let alone enough action and drama to get me excited about Volume 2.

This just feels like a great T.V. show waiting to be made! Seriously!

I believe Saga succeeds with me as well as it does due to how perfectly the art and the writing mix. Brian K. Vaughan made his big return to comics with Saga and he shows he still really knows how to write engaging characters as if they were real people. He avoids what I like to refer to as "The Author's Voice." Which is where all the characters are simply author avatars that have the same personality, talk in similar/exactly the same fashion about things the author wants to discuss, or exist only to serve as a microphone for the author to talk directly to the audience. To me the author's voice bleeding through into the story is something I don't like when it happens. Saga thankfully is littered with subtlety and nuance to its cast making every major character stand out with no two ever sounding or feeling alike.

The scale and imagination of the story is well... huge to sum it up in a word. A galactic sized war with laser gun wielding winged people against magic using horned humans is ironically only the tip of the iceberg. We also have such things as robot princes, the babysitting ghost of a teenage girl's torso, a large hairless cat capable of telling when someone lies, rocket ship trees that are open to suggestions on travel plans, giant tortoises that fire lasers from their eyes, and a sexy spider bounty hunter all making life for our heroes more strange/interesting as the story progresses. Hell! There is even a planet devoted entirely to prostitution with the puntastic name Sextillion. For fans of the science-fantasy genre I think you definitely have a cool new poster child in town.

All of this would probably be pretty hard to swallow if it wasn't presented and framed in such an expertly done manner. Vaughan and Staples truly outdid themselves here as the world is revealed little by little to the viewer. For all of its bombastic ideas, Saga is actually quite restrained in how it displays its world. Making everything easier to take in and appreciate for its imagination, magnitude, and outright crazy awesomeness. Because of the clever setup to the story's universe nothing ever truly feels like it is out of place or tacked on just for the sake of having it. Everything in Saga feels like it has some purpose being there, creating the stronger sense of a living/breathing setting. A setting that frankly I just can't get enough of.

Kudos also goes to how the story opens. Some comics just tend to take too long with establishing the setup of their story. This is not the case with Saga. Instead of showing Alana's and Marko's romance form, Vaughan instead opted to to have the subversive opening of them already being together at Hazel's birth. This may have actually prevented Saga from being a more slow and cliched tale. Granted, their love is still very much real and well felt throughout mind you, but by having Hazel's birth mark the beginning of the plot we're allowed get straight into Saga's narrative and universe much faster. There is very little in the ways of padding, making Saga all meat and potatoes.

While the writing in Saga is superb, it is Fiona Staple's artwork that truly helps to sell Vaughan's vision. Quite simply it is in a league all its own, and I couldn't imagine anyone else doing the art to Saga. She has been heralded by critics as not only one of the best female artists in the industry today, but also as one of the best comic artists ever. From the lines, to the inks, to the colors, Staples does it all. The way she makes characters emote and interact through their body language with each other is truly something to behold. Her panels flow with such grace and fluidity that at times I almost thought I was watching Saga instead of reading it. Her backgrounds pop with just as much intensity as the characters do, and details created through her lines/colors are always easy to read. I've tried to find fault with the art and honestly I can't. Fiona Staples has (very much so) earned her praise as an all in one artist.

As great as the art is overall I have to say that the character designs are the standout feature for me. Everyone looks like something from the 1980's Sci-Fi and Fantasy movie boom. Alana and Marko are probably the simplest of the designs, but have such a breadth of humanity to them that I immediately fell in love the moment I saw them on the cover. Others like Prince Robot IV, The Will, and The Stalk are all iconic in their own quirky ways as well. If there is one thing that Saga has going for it at all, it's that nothing else out there quite resembles it. Except for maybe Star Wars itself or the newer episodes of Doctor Who...

From left to right: Alana, Hazel, Marko, The Will, The Stalk, Prince Robot IV

For all the positives that I've said about Saga there are a few things that have to be addressed. First and foremost this is a very mature comic, so younger readers are to be kept away. I'm gonna tell you now, you don't want to read this with your children around. There is quite a bit of profanity, nudity, sex, and graphic violence to be found. So if you're the kind who doesn't prefer or can't handle any of those things in their entertainment then you're not going to like this book. Granted I do not feel that any of it is done to a level that is outright distasteful, but others may disagree. In fact I think the mature material gives the comic a little bit of a much needed edginess. Some sequences in the book though could be considered outright disturbing to some readers. As an example, during a scene on the planet Sextillion, there is a segment that involves a child being sold into sex slavery. I know for some this may just simply be too much for them.

The more scientifically inclined may also take issue with Saga as some things only happen or exist really because of the fact that this is a somewhat silly comic with somewhat silly ideas. With rocket ships that grow like trees I think everyone can get an image of what kind of story we're dealing with here, but still... Not everyone will like the more "out there" concepts that Vaughan and Staples have to offer. If you're looking for your science-fantasy to be a little more grounded, you may want to look elsewhere.

Some have claimed Saga to be the comic book equivalent to the show Game of Thrones. If you've seen Game of Thrones then you're familiar with the fan slogan of "anyone can die" for that show. Characters there don't really exist with a set of plot armor, thus not making them immune to the possibility of death, and the same goes here for Saga. Characters as early as this volume have already met their end, and I can see how some readers could very quickly be turned off by this. I understand how hard it can be to invest yourself with a character when you feel like they're just a page turn away from an untimely demise. For me this was never really a problem, as I think Saga handles character death well. It never feels like it is done for shock value, but more so for showing how dire the situations are becoming for the characters, as well as how dangerous the world they live in is. Still some may take issue with the creators seeming to be cavalier with killing a likeable cast member, let alone before we really got to know them.

During my own little bit of research I did before buying Saga, I found an interview with Brian K. Vaughan. One particular bit stood out of the interview and I feel it sums up everything quite well with how he approached creating the comic:

"I realized that making comics and making babies were kind of the same thing and if I could combine the two, it would be less boring if I set it in a crazy sci-fi fantasy universe and not just have anecdotes about diaper bags. I didn’t want to tell a Star Wars adventure with these noble heroes fighting an empire. These are people on the outskirts of the story who want out of this never-ending galactic war. I’m part of the generation that all we do is complain about the prequels and how they let us down. And if every one of us who complained about how the prequels didn’t live up to our expectations just would make our own sci-fi fantasy, then it would be a much better use of our time."

After all they've been through they deserve a moment.

With that in mind I can honestly say the duo have certainly done their job as far as this one nerd is concerned. While it may not be for absolutely everybody, I do feel that if you're a fan of comics you owe it to yourself to buy and read Saga. If you're looking for a huge and imaginative science-fantasy world with likeable characters you can't do much better than this. It has already sold out twice on its first issue alone. As well as received praise from professional critics all around, and awards as high as "Best Comic of 2012!" Even the price point is low for a trade costing all of $9.99, or $2.99 each for the individual six issue release . I only wish more comics could be as fun and enthralling as Saga was for me.

So give yourselves a pat on the back Mr. Vaughan and Ms. Staples! You guys created one hell of a comic! Too bad it isn't a totally awesome TV show too... hint hint...

Positive Factors

• Good source of inspiration for the more creatively inclined.
• Crazy Awesome to the MAX! Imagination and fun are king. This will tap into your inner 13 year old. 
• Great writing on the characters. Everyone feels like their own person. No dreaded "Author's Voice."
• More direct opening moves the story forward with great momentum.
• Even more crazy ideas like a giant laser-shooting tortoise feel like they have their place in the story at large.
• Sequential artwork is top notch! Easy to read and to appreciate. It doesn't get more cinematic than this.
• Character designs are retro and instantly iconic. Have fun picking out your favorites!
• Mature content gives the story a nice edge. Sexy and violent, but never distasteful.
• Characters die, but it never feels like it is done for shock value. Only to show how dire things have gotten.
• A low price even makes it affordable! $9.99 for the six issue trade and $2.99 for the single issues.

Negative Factors

• Mature material makes it only available to adults. Sorry kids... Also maybe too graphic for some.
• Not everyone will be on board with the story's more silly aspects. Hard science nerds need not apply.
• Characters will die. Look elsewhere if you don't want to become attached to a potential dead-man walking.

Final Rating: !!!AWESOMESAUCE!!!