Still at work on the novel, and today I broke past the 28,500-word mark. For thirteen days’ effort, I’m pretty pleased with that. Frankly, it comes back to what I’ve known since I started writing, twenty years ago; don’t blow your deadlines. And I’m all about my deadlines.

SUNSET CITY
Written and Drawn by Rob Osborne
Published by AiT/PlanetLar

Frank McDonald is a dead man. Sure, he’s alive and well and walking his dog every day, but his existence ended when his wife died. Now he’s stuck in a “senior living” community, surrounded by people he considers pathetically dull or in complete denial, and he can’t seem to see a way out. Even when a woman moves in across the street from him and shows interest, Frank can barely be bothered to muster up his energy to turn her down. It’s just damned sad.

But no community stays silent for long, and even one comprised of people over the age of 55 has its secrets, politics, and lies. Not even dead men can avoid those.

Much like his namesake, Frankenstein, Frank must work his way through his own repressed emotional state and look for something that can bring him back to something resembling life, and when a terrible crime happens in the community, he is suddenly seized by the desire to do something, for the first time in years. And that’s what SUNSET CITY is really about: deciding what your life is, even at an age that many people write you off and declare you unnecessary to society.

This is Osborne’s second graphic novel, and it’s a strong leap forward for him as a creator. First, his choice of subject matter is so unusual, that you have no trouble getting sucked into the story. I can’t think of a single thing I’ve read that focused on older Americans like this. It feels fresh, even when the characters sometimes don’t. There’s also his willingness to explore an actual theme, rather than coast on the novelty of the project. Life as we age, and finding motivations to keep us pursuing dreams; these are important to our basic human condition, and while Osborne doesn’t take us as deep as he might be capable, there’s a basic understanding that he isn’t trying to replicate Kafka here, either. It feels satisfying.

Artistically, this looks good. He looks more confident here, as he should, than when he first got going with his 1000 STEPS TO WORLD DOMINATION mini-comics a few years ago. In all, this is a very satisfying and enjoyable read, another nifty feather in PlanetLar’s ever-expanding cap.

SIBAM?

Unfortunately, because of the age of the cast and the subject matter, this is a project that will likely stay grounded on the printed page. It’s best shot would be as a Sunday night movie on CBS, and since Osborne doesn’t have any super-tornadoes or extra-hungry sharks show up, the odds are slim.

SHORT TAKES

INDIGO VERTIGO
Written by Katiejane Garside and Drawn by Dan Schaffer
Published by Image Comics

This is a very strange, odd little book that is damned near completely incomprehensible to read, but looks very pretty. It must be like dating Courtney Love. Garside’s story is a rumination upon mental illness and delusion, but it never quite grounds itself enough so that the reader can get a firm grip on it. Schaffer’s work is close to brilliant, though, bringing the hallucinatory aspects of Garside’s work to beautiful, ugly life.

THE FACELESS: A TERRY SHARP STORY #1
Written by Robert Tinnell and Drawn by Adrian Salmon
Published by Image Comics

Terry Sharp is a classic horror film director, only now he has discovered that there are real occult horrors and he’s joined the battle against them. That makes this an interesting bit of high-concept fun, mixing elements of James Bond, Alastair Crowley, and Alfred Hitchcock. There’s nothing particularly deep about any of it, and many of the characters play completely stock roles, but I think that’s an intentional homage to the genres Tinnell is working with. Salmon’s art looks nice, too. When’s part two, fellas?

THE LONELY TOMBSTONE
Written by Steve and Nikki Niles and Drawn by Benjamin Roman
Published by Image Comics

Horror maven Niles brings his daughter out to play with delicious results in this wonderful children’s book. Young Darla is the girl everyone is afraid of and makes fun of, so when she finds a tombstone in the middle of a field of weeds, she decided to tend to it and make it her best friend. Of course, in the world of a Niles, nothing is ever quite that simple and innocent. Extra kudos go to Roman for his stunning artwork; this is as good a looking book as I’ve seen recently. I loved this a bunch, and even though it’s way over-priced, it’s still worth every penny.

ZOMBIE TALES: OBLIVION
Written and Drawn by Various
Published by Boom Studios

This is the second helping of ZOMBIE TALES, and while it isn’t as good as the first one, there’s still some terrific material to be found here. The highlight is part two of Andrew Cosby and (once again) Benjamin Roman’s “I, Zombie,” a story about a zombie so sweet and stupid that he keeps leading humans to their deaths on accident. Funny stuff. Mark Waid and Mark Badger’s “Luthor” has a lovely darkness to it as well. Boom has been on a good run with their product here as of late; certainly, what we see here easily makes me say I’d like to see more of ZOMBIE TALES.

KARMA, INCORPORATED #2-3
Written by David Hopkins and Drawn by Tom Kurzanski
Published by Viper Comics

I panned issue one of this mini rather soundly, not because of the story, which held potential, but because the art dragged it down. The conclusion remains a bit of a mixed bag for the same reason; while Kurzanski does seem to focus a bit more in these two issues, he’s still wildly inconsistent through these last two issues. That’s a shame, too, because Hopkins’ story really pays off nicely, examining what happens when the business of payback truly becomes a bitch… for those who deal the payback out. The core concept here is solid, and reminds me a bit of the terrific (and screwed over) EYES that ran last season on ABC. If that show had done better, I think we’d have a solid look at an option for this book, art or not.

DORK TOWER #31
Written and Drawn by John Kovalic
Published by Dork Storm

With this issue, Kovalic begins righting the ship a bit with his flagship title. That begins with bringing Matt back to the forefront as a character, after letting Igor dominate the last couple of issues as he prepares to host a gaming and Sci-Fi con. This time out we see Matt working to develop himself as an artist and trying to find a voice, in the hopes that he can complete his first comic and deliver on his dream of putting out his own comic. Kovalic uses that premise to make some terrific meta-observations about the creation process he faces, adding some extra humor to the jokes. Igor’s plot doesn’t disappear, though it does find the right balance for the book and deliver an exquisite Wil Wheaton gag. Great stuff. See you in seven.

Review materials may be sent to: Marc Mason, P.O. Box 26732, Tempe, AZ 85285. You can also find me at Happy Nonsense and The Comics Waiting Room

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