REVIEW: Orcs: Forged for War by Stan Nicholls & Joe Flood

Orcs, Forged for War by Stan Nicholls & Joe Flood
Publishing Information: Trade Paperback; 208 pages
Publisher: First Second Books (21 Oct 2011)
ISBN 10: 1596434554
ISBN 13: 978-1596434554
Copy: Sent by the publisher
Reviewer: Yagiz

"Orcs: Forged for War is the first graphic novel in Stan Nicholls’ beloved Orcs universe. The fantasy landscape in this world is brutal and unforgiving, and populated by a race of unlikely protagonists: the powerful and violent warriors, orcs.

Orcs: Forged for War is an original story—a new entry in this series, not an adaptation of old material. It follows a ruthless and deadly cohort of warrior orcs as they fight their way free of the dominion of an evil human enchantress. Sitting on an exhilarating peak with high fantasy on one side and the thrilling, gruesome battlefields of graphic novel classics like Frank Miller’s 300 on the other, Orcs presents the world of its ogre-like protagonists with technicolor violence and moments of unexpected sympathy."

I love comic books. I started to read them when I was a kid and, as far as I can remember, my first fantasy comic book was an issue of Conan. My uncle loved (still loves) Conan comics and he collected them. I can clearly remember feeling as excited as a pirate in a vast treasure room. I used to read them for hours.

Then when I moved to France for college, I met a different and much more developed comic book culture. Les Bandes Dessinées, or simply les BDs, are absolutely huge in France and in Belgium. During the following years, I had the pleasure to read the work of some great artists with various different styles. I still use amazon.fr to order my BDs.

So when I caught a glimpse of Stan Nicholls & Joe Flood's Orcs: Forged for War, I knew I had to read it. I also really liked its cover art. With its blood-red background and the lone orc warrior with a bloody longsword, it is a good indicator of what's inside.

The book's setting is Nicholls' Maras-Dantia where various races co-exist, but not so happily. It is evident that there's a lot of inter-racial tension and this not only between humans and the Elder Races but also among the Elder Races. Orcs are just one of those Elder Races and they make up for their lack of magical powers with their ferocity and skill on the battle field. They are a race full of surprises and contradictions as they are not painted all in black a la Tolkien (who didn't invent them, by the way).

The story revolves around a band of Orc warriors called Wolverines. The only non-Orc member of the group is a Dwarf who is one of the two sergents under the command of Captain Stryke. According to the story, Captain Stryke is given the responsibility of escorting a convoy under the orders of a Goblin wizard. Orcs and Goblins hate each other so you can guess the general mood of the mission. His hands being tied, Captain Strkye has no choice but to comply with the orders of his empress.

I like the story but it is fairly simple. I would have expected more suspense. I believe the reader is given obvious clues about the things that's going to happen. At first I wasn't in love with the style of Joe Flood however it grew on me as I read it. The book reads pretty fast. It is not one of those dialogue-heavy graphic novels. And be ready for some real action, fight, war, gore and burnt bodies. You've been warned. Orcs: Forged for War is definitely not for your young kids.

Also, don't forget to visit Orcs Sketchbook, The Making of the Graphic Novel, Orcs: Forged for War where you can get the freshest news and various sketches by Joe Flood.

I must confess, I hadn't read Nicholls' Orcs trilogies. However, despite some problems, I, not only enjoyed Orcs: Forged for War but I now have this itch about picking up Bodyguard of Lightning, the first book of his First Blood trilogy.

Plot: ............. 7
Characters: ... 8
Style: ............ 8

Overall: ....... 8/10

REVIEW: The Essential Moon Knight Vol. I (Marvel Essentials)

The Essential Moon Knight Volume 1 (Marvel Essentials)
Publishing Information: Paperback; 560 Pages
Publisher: Marvel; 22 February 2006
ISBN 10: 9780785120926
ISBN 13: 978-0785120926
Series: Volume 1 (three volumes currently at time of review)
Copy: Out of Pocket
Reviewer: Tyson

Back of the Book: "Debuting as both enemy and ally of the Werewolf by Night, Moon Knight's three personalities equaled one eerie adventure after another by Moench, Miller and more! Earning enemies like the brutal Bushman and the macabre Morpheus early in his career, Moon Knight also teamed up with Spider-Man, the Thing, and others against well-known and forgotten villains alike! Spun by Cyclone! Caught by Crossfire! Plus: an early fight with the Purple Man alongside Luke Cage! Featuring Topaz from Witches and the original White Tiger! Includes black-and-white stories not reprinted in more than two decades! Collects Werewolf By Night #32-33; Marvel Spotlight #28-29; Spectacular Spider-Man #22-23; Marvel Two-In-One #52; Hulk Magazine #11-15, 17-18, 20-21; Marvel Preview #21; Moon Knight #1-10."

I am a fan of the latest edition of the Moon Knight comics. It is a little more gritty and mature for the average comic book and has a decent story arc. With comic books rather hard to find in South Korea when I came across the Essential Moon Knight Volume 1, I had to pick it up. I know a decent amount about his origins and his motivations for doing what he does so reading about his early adventures looked like a sure fire winner.

Sadly, this is not the case. Perhaps I was spoiled by reading a more compelling story arc with the latest incarnation of the character. In Essential Moon Knight Vol. 1 the character begins the book feeling real campy and not as impressive as I read about shortly before moving to Korea. He mainly is a guest star on some of the biggest Marvel titles. His introduction to the Marvel Universe was not as clear cut as it could have been. We are told he is an expert and highly sought after mercenary and hired by a secret organization that wants to capture a werewolf, he wears silver and that is about it. While I have never read Werewolf at Night before it looked like a decent and compelling comic for its time. However, for an introduction to a new character it felt incomplete.

After Mark Spector/Moon Knight's introduction he goes on a tour of other famous characters: Spider-man, Hulk, and others. The artistry starts out looking campy, then goes to impressive and finally ends nearly where it began. The stories are decent but not anything that you will really remember or care to remember as most of the story arcs are just a few issues. Moon Knight jumps in does his thing to either partner up or disrupt things and then jump right back out. While this is fairly common with new characters it never really felt as if he had any impact on things when the greater picture was taken into account. Then you get to the ten issue run of Moon Knight and you can see the character finally take shape and get a real feel for the superhero.

Even for a fan of Moon Knight, I was not all that impressed with Essential Moon Knight Volume 1. It was great to see his origins, but I found the stories were a little dated and in all honesty, boring. There are a few real winners in the collection; however, based on the amount of reading you have to do to get there and the constant doldrum I am not sure it is worth it for the reader. Moon Knight is a compelling character but for an opening collection of his stories, it fails to capture the character or your imagination. Truth be told, I was bored while I read it.

Plot 6
Character 7
Style 6
Artwork 6

Overall 6/10

REVIEW: It's Superman by Tom De Haven

It's Superman by Tom De Haven
Publishing Information: Paperback; 432 pages
Publisher: Ballantine Books; 29 August 2006
ISBN 10: 0345493923
ISBN 13: 978-0345493927
Standalone
Copy: Out of Pocket
Reviewer: Tyson

Back of the Book: "Coming of age in rural 1930s America with X-ray vision, the power to stop bullets, and the ability to fly isn’t exactly every boy’s story. So just how did Clark Kent, a shy farmer’s son, grow up to be the Man of Steel? Follow young Clark’s whirlwind journey from Kansas to New York City’s Daily Planet–by way Hollywood. This ace reporter is not the only person leading a double life in a teeming metropolis, just the only one able to leap tall buildings in a single bound–a skill that comes in handy when battling powerful criminal masterminds like scheming Lex Luthor and fascist robots. But can Clark’s Midwestern charm save the day and win the heart of stunning, seen-it-all newspaperwoman Lois Lane? Or is it a job for Superman? Look deep into the soul of a pop-culture legend brilliantly reimagined in this novel, which is as inventive and thrilling as it is touching and wise."

Not sure how this book got past my radar when it initially was released but It's Superman is yet another spin on the most famous superhero of them all. Since I missed it when it first came out, I can only imagine that it was released along side the popularity of Smallville. The difference is that Smallville centers on a present day Clark Kent where It's Superman takes us back to the 1930's.

In this origins story we find Clark and his family with no knowledge of his Kryptonian past and that was a minor complaint. Clark and those that encounter his abilities simply assume that he is gifted that he is somehow an anomaly. That the good lord smiled upon him and that is how his powers came to be. I was hoping for some insight into his heritage and came to find that his spacecraft was destroyed upon landing. It was a minor issue but I looking forward to his arrival on earth. Clark and his adopted family cannot explain his gifts and as the novel progresses he adjusts to them in his own way. De Haven also allows Clark to have a much looser moral compass. Throughout It's Superman Clark is constantly going against what we normally see in previous installments of his origin. Clark Kent and his family are ahead of their time when it comes to race issues but Clark is not going to sit idly by and watch racist actions. He uses his heat vision to destroy private property and while he has an anger management issue he knows he is in the wrong but still feels good about his actions. I like the idea of Clark having a troubled past but then again it bothered me as his luck at finding the Kents as his parents were the reason he grew up with such a strong moral compass in the first place and that seemed to get lost in this retelling.

De Haven does a great job of nailing the 1930's. There are a lot of famous events and people that are brought up and intertwined into the story. Lex Luthor is Superman's nemesis in this book and we gain a lot of insight into his beginnings. Instead of having a multi billionaire father this Lex Luthor does everything he can to separate himself from his humble past and make a name for himself by playing both sides of the street. He has political ambitions and uses his ill-gotten gains from his various criminal enterprises to help him politically. While the majority of the book dealt with Clark Kent, Luthor really steals the show as he is constantly juggling both of his personas and still steering towards his future goals. He is seen as cunning, ruthless, and maniacal which made his portions of the book much more enjoyable to read.

Lois Lane is also slightly changed. She is very progressive and she is a very determined individual. There were a few things I did not care fore as far as her new personality. She smokes and drinks and has more than a few men walk through her door. I know that Lois is suppose to be a worldly woman but I had a problem with some of her actions on a personal level. When it came to showing Lois as a reporter was where she really shined. She was all business and very level headed which was how I like to see her portrayed.

It's Superman is interesting since it is told from the 30's so there is a lot more going on besides Clark growing into the man and superhero that he will become. When Lex decides to build robots for every home in the world it quickly becomes obvious that Superman will have to face the mechanical menace before the book reaches it's conclusion. The fight really started out very good but then ended a little to quickly and I would have liked to have seen more of the altercation. Even though the build up was getting there it failed to deliver but the final confrontation between Lex and Superman was well worth the wait.

It's Superman is a slightly different origins story that is not that cut and dry. There is a bit of moral ambiguity built into its story. It was both frustrating and refreshing. There were times when I found myself saying that is not in the spirit of Superman on several occasions and then I would just relax and enjoy this new interpretation. There is not much of Superman until the very end of the story but it is a very well done building up to the final confrontation and it is left open for a sequel if De Haven desired to do so. It's Superman is a more mature look at the Man of Steel and on a fluke I picked it up and I am glad I did. Recommended for Superman fans and those that want a slightly grittier origins story.

I would also like to point out the cover of the novel. I really liked the look of it as it is quite subtle and also nostalgic.

Plot 8
Characters 7.5
Style 7

Overall 7.5/10

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