After last months impressive of Star Treks, Rubber, Mad Men, and Lovecraft, this month’s meager selections are more of sputter than a full blown geekgasm. Given all the controversy surrounding the impending Sept. 1 rate hikes, you’d think Netflix would come out swinging this month.

* denotes streaming for the first time via Netflix.
* denotes streaming in HD

Premiering August 1:
Casper
Cyborg Soldier
Die Hard 2: Die Harder
The Dirty Dozen
Fallen (1998)
*Gothika
Jurassic Park III
*Kiss Me Goodbye (1982)
Lethal Weapon
*Leathal Weapon 2
Misery (1990)
The Mummy (1932)
The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes
*Scream 3
Spaceballs
*The Shaft (aka Down)
Sukiyaki Western Django
Videodrome
*Volcano Disaster
What Dreams May Come

Premiering August 2:
*Maniac! (1980)

Premiering August 5:
*13 Assassins (2010)

Premiering August 19:
*Dumbstruck (2010) A documentary on modern ventriloquists

Premiering August 20:
*Louie (2010) Season 1

Premiering August 25:
*The King of Fighters (2010)

Premiering August 26:
*Alpha and Omega (2010)
*Spirit of the Forest

Premiering August 28:
*The Expendables (2010)

Info courtesy of FeedFliks.

Let’s take a quick look to see what’s arrived at the Geek Compound.

Rebel at the End of Time
by Steve Aylett with additional material by Michael Moorcock
Cover by Mo Ali

Promo copy:

21st-century revolutionary Leo finds himself at the End of Time, surrounded by decadent sorcerers whose childlike incomprehension is his worst nightmare. How to be effective when consequence is removed? What can have meaning when everything is transformed into fashion? Can love exist here? Leo storms through this lurid land in search of meaning, a cause, and a meal he can recognise.

Wow.. the third new Aylett book this summer! And set in one of my favorite Moorcock universes. Excellent.

The Goblin Corps
by Ari Marmell
Cover by Lucas Graciano

Promo copy:

Morthul, the dreaded Charnel King, has failed.
Centuries of plotting from the heart of the Iron Keep, deep within the dark lands of Kirol Syrreth—all for naught. Foiled at the last by the bumbling efforts of a laughable band of so-called heroes, brainless and over-muscled cretins without sense enough to recognize a hopeless cause when they take it on. Machinations developed over generations, schemes intended to deliver the world into the Dark Lord’s hands, now devastated beyond salvation. But the so-called forces of Light have paid for their meddling with the life of Princess Amalia, only child of the royal family of Shauntille.

Now, as winter solidifies its icy grip on the passes of the Brimstone Mountains, disturbing news has reached the court of Morthul. King Dororam, enraged by the murder of his only child—and accompanied by that same group of delusional upstart “heroes"—is assembling all the Allied Kingdoms, fielding an army unlike any seen before. The armies of Kirol Syrreth muster to meet the attack that is sure to come as soon as the snows have melted from the mountain paths, but their numbers are sorely depleted. Still, after uncounted centuries of survival, the Dark Lord isn’t about to go down without a fight, particularly in battle against a mortal! No, the Charnel King still has a few tricks up his putrid and tattered sleeves, and the only thing that can defeat him now…may just be the inhuman soldiers on whom he’s pinned his last hopes.

Welcome to the Goblin Corps. May the best man lose.

Low Town
by Daniel Polansky

Promo copy:

Drug dealers, hustlers, brothels, dirty politics, corrupt cops … and sorcery. Welcome to Low Town.

In the forgotten back alleys and flophouses that lie in the shadows of Rigus, the finest city of the Thirteen Lands, you will find Low Town. It is an ugly place, and its cham­pion is an ugly man. Disgraced intelligence agent. Forgotten war hero. Independent drug dealer. After a fall from grace five years ago, a man known as the Warden leads a life of crime, addicted to cheap violence and expensive drugs. Every day is a constant hustle to find new customers and protect his turf from low-life competition like Tancred the Harelip and Ling Chi, the enigmatic crime lord of the heathens.

The Warden’s life of drugged iniquity is shaken by his dis­covery of a murdered child down a dead-end street … set­ting him on a collision course with the life he left behind. As a former agent with Black House—the secret police—he knows better than anyone that murder in Low Town is an everyday thing, the kind of crime that doesn’t get investi­gated. To protect his home, he will take part in a dangerous game of deception between underworld bosses and the psy­chotic head of Black House, but the truth is far darker than he imagines. In Low Town, no one can be trusted.

Daniel Polansky has crafted a thrilling novel steeped in noir sensibilities and relentless action, and set in an original world of stunning imagination, leading to a gut-wrenching, unforeseeable conclusion. Low Town is an attention-grabbing debut that will leave readers riveted … and hun­gry for more.

The Restoration Game
by Ken MacLeod
Cover by Stephan Martiniere

Promo copy:

There is no such place as Krassnia. Lucy Stone should know – she was born there. In that tiny, troubled region of the former Soviet Union, revolution is brewing. Its organisers need a safe place to meet, and where better than the virtual spaces of an online game? Lucy, who works for a start-up games company in Edinburgh, has a project that almost seems made for the job: its original inspiration came from The Krassniad – an epic tale, based on Krassnian folklore, concocted by Lucy’s mother who studied there in the 1980s. As Lucy digs up details about her birthplace to slot into the game, she finds her interest in the open secrets of her family’s past – and the darker secrets of Krassnia’s – has not gone unnoticed. When a Russian – Georgian border war breaks out, Lucy has to move fast – and return to Krassnia herself, to the heart of the mountain that holds Krassnia’s darkest and oldest secret. But nothing Lucy has discovered can possibly prepare her for the crucial role she is destined to play in The Restoration Game.

Books received 7/29/11 was originally published on The Geek Curmudgeon

Let’s take a quick look to see what’s arrived at the Geek Compound.

Rebel at the End of Time
by Steve Aylett with additional material by Michael Moorcock
Cover by Mo Ali

Promo copy:

21st-century revolutionary Leo finds himself at the End of Time, surrounded by decadent sorcerers whose childlike incomprehension is his worst nightmare. How to be effective when consequence is removed? What can have meaning when everything is transformed into fashion? Can love exist here? Leo storms through this lurid land in search of meaning, a cause, and a meal he can recognise.

Wow.. the third new Aylett book this summer! And set in one of my favorite Moorcock universes. Excellent.

The Goblin Corps
by Ari Marmell
Cover by Lucas Graciano

Promo copy:

Morthul, the dreaded Charnel King, has failed.
Centuries of plotting from the heart of the Iron Keep, deep within the dark lands of Kirol Syrreth—all for naught. Foiled at the last by the bumbling efforts of a laughable band of so-called heroes, brainless and over-muscled cretins without sense enough to recognize a hopeless cause when they take it on. Machinations developed over generations, schemes intended to deliver the world into the Dark Lord’s hands, now devastated beyond salvation. But the so-called forces of Light have paid for their meddling with the life of Princess Amalia, only child of the royal family of Shauntille.

Now, as winter solidifies its icy grip on the passes of the Brimstone Mountains, disturbing news has reached the court of Morthul. King Dororam, enraged by the murder of his only child—and accompanied by that same group of delusional upstart "heroes"—is assembling all the Allied Kingdoms, fielding an army unlike any seen before. The armies of Kirol Syrreth muster to meet the attack that is sure to come as soon as the snows have melted from the mountain paths, but their numbers are sorely depleted. Still, after uncounted centuries of survival, the Dark Lord isn’t about to go down without a fight, particularly in battle against a mortal! No, the Charnel King still has a few tricks up his putrid and tattered sleeves, and the only thing that can defeat him now…may just be the inhuman soldiers on whom he’s pinned his last hopes.

Welcome to the Goblin Corps. May the best man lose.

Low Town
by Daniel Polansky

Promo copy:

Drug dealers, hustlers, brothels, dirty politics, corrupt cops . . . and sorcery. Welcome to Low Town.

In the forgotten back alleys and flophouses that lie in the shadows of Rigus, the finest city of the Thirteen Lands, you will find Low Town. It is an ugly place, and its cham­pion is an ugly man. Disgraced intelligence agent. Forgotten war hero. Independent drug dealer. After a fall from grace five years ago, a man known as the Warden leads a life of crime, addicted to cheap violence and expensive drugs. Every day is a constant hustle to find new customers and protect his turf from low-life competition like Tancred the Harelip and Ling Chi, the enigmatic crime lord of the heathens.

The Warden’s life of drugged iniquity is shaken by his dis­covery of a murdered child down a dead-end street . . . set­ting him on a collision course with the life he left behind. As a former agent with Black House—the secret police—he knows better than anyone that murder in Low Town is an everyday thing, the kind of crime that doesn’t get investi­gated. To protect his home, he will take part in a dangerous game of deception between underworld bosses and the psy­chotic head of Black House, but the truth is far darker than he imagines. In Low Town, no one can be trusted.

Daniel Polansky has crafted a thrilling novel steeped in noir sensibilities and relentless action, and set in an original world of stunning imagination, leading to a gut-wrenching, unforeseeable conclusion. Low Town is an attention-grabbing debut that will leave readers riveted . . . and hun­gry for more.

The Restoration Game
by Ken MacLeod
Cover by Stephan Martiniere

Promo copy:

There is no such place as Krassnia. Lucy Stone should know – she was born there. In that tiny, troubled region of the former Soviet Union, revolution is brewing. Its organisers need a safe place to meet, and where better than the virtual spaces of an online game? Lucy, who works for a start-up games company in Edinburgh, has a project that almost seems made for the job: its original inspiration came from The Krassniad – an epic tale, based on Krassnian folklore, concocted by Lucy’s mother who studied there in the 1980s. As Lucy digs up details about her birthplace to slot into the game, she finds her interest in the open secrets of her family’s past – and the darker secrets of Krassnia’s – has not gone unnoticed. When a Russian – Georgian border war breaks out, Lucy has to move fast – and return to Krassnia herself, to the heart of the mountain that holds Krassnia’s darkest and oldest secret. But nothing Lucy has discovered can possibly prepare her for the crucial role she is destined to play in The Restoration Game.

Let’s take a quick look to see what’s arrived at the Geek Compound.

Dearly, Departed
by Lia Habel

Promo copy:

Love can never die.

Love conquers all, so they say. But can Cupid’s arrow pierce the hearts of the living and the dead—or rather, the undead? Can a proper young Victorian lady find true love in the arms of a dashing zombie?

The year is 2195. The place is New Victoria—a high-tech nation modeled on the manners, mores, and fashions of an antique era. A teenager in high society, Nora Dearly is far more interested in military history and her country’s political unrest than in tea parties and debutante balls. But after her beloved parents die, Nora is left at the mercy of her domineering aunt, a social-climbing spendthrift who has squandered the family fortune and now plans to marry her niece off for money. For Nora, no fate could be more horrible—until she’s nearly kidnapped by an army of walking corpses.

But fate is just getting started with Nora. Catapulted from her world of drawing-room civility, she’s suddenly gunning down ravenous zombies alongside mysterious black-clad commandos and confronting “The Laz,” a fatal virus that raises the dead—and hell along with them. Hardly ideal circumstances. Then Nora meets Bram Griswold, a young soldier who is brave, handsome, noble … and dead. But as is the case with the rest of his special undead unit, luck and modern science have enabled Bram to hold on to his mind, his manners, and his body parts. And when his bond of trust with Nora turns to tenderness, there’s no turning back. Eventually, they know, the disease will win, separating the star-crossed lovers forever. But until then, beating or not, their hearts will have what they desire.

In Dearly, Departed, romance meets walking-dead thriller, spawning a madly imaginative novel of rip-roaring adventure, spine-tingling suspense, and macabre comedy that forever redefines the concept of undying love.

Resistance: A Hole in the Sky
by William C. Dietz

Promo copy:

The official prequel to the blockbuster videogame Resistance 3

America. July 1953.

In this official prequel to Resistance 3, prospects are not looking up for planet Earth or Lieutenant Joseph Capelli. With the Chimera invasion in full swing, America has crumbled under the fierce alien juggernaut, its defenses overrun, millions dead, the rest left to fend for themselves. Many try to avoid the alien virus that turns humans into Chimeran killing machines.

Capelli may be a pariah to the army for killing hero Nathan Hale, but he is still a patriot fighting to save the country and its citizens. However, some soldiers are ready to shoot him on sight—not to mention that Hale’s beautiful sister has every reason in the world to want him stone dead. But Capelli’s used to being in dangerous situations and taking crazy risks. And the next move he intends to make is pure suicide.

Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi: Ascension
by Christie Golden
Cover by Ian Keltie

Promo copy:

How long can the Jedi remain in power?
How far will the Sith go to rule supreme?
What chance do both stand against Abeloth?

As Luke and Ben Skywalker pursue the formidable dark-side being Abeloth, the Lost Tribe of the Sith is about to be sundered by an even greater power—which will thrust one Dark Lord into mortal conflict with his own flesh-and-blood.

On Coruscant, a political vacuum has left tensions at the boiling point, with factions racing to claim control of the Galactic Alliance. Suddenly surrounded by hidden agendas, treacherous conspiracies, and covert Sith agents, the Jedi Order must struggle to keep the GA government from collapsing into anarchy.

The Jedi are committed to maintaining peace and ensuring just rule, but even they are not prepared to take on the combined threats of Sith power, a deposed dictator bent on galaxywide vengeance, and an entity of pure cunning and profound evil hungry to become a god.

Books received 7/29/11 Del Rey edition was originally published on The Geek Curmudgeon

Let’s take a quick look to see what’s arrived at the Geek Compound.

Dearly, Departed
by Lia Habel

Promo copy:

Love can never die.

Love conquers all, so they say. But can Cupid’s arrow pierce the hearts of the living and the dead—or rather, the undead? Can a proper young Victorian lady find true love in the arms of a dashing zombie?

The year is 2195. The place is New Victoria—a high-tech nation modeled on the manners, mores, and fashions of an antique era. A teenager in high society, Nora Dearly is far more interested in military history and her country’s political unrest than in tea parties and debutante balls. But after her beloved parents die, Nora is left at the mercy of her domineering aunt, a social-climbing spendthrift who has squandered the family fortune and now plans to marry her niece off for money. For Nora, no fate could be more horrible—until she’s nearly kidnapped by an army of walking corpses.

But fate is just getting started with Nora. Catapulted from her world of drawing-room civility, she’s suddenly gunning down ravenous zombies alongside mysterious black-clad commandos and confronting “The Laz,” a fatal virus that raises the dead—and hell along with them. Hardly ideal circumstances. Then Nora meets Bram Griswold, a young soldier who is brave, handsome, noble . . . and dead. But as is the case with the rest of his special undead unit, luck and modern science have enabled Bram to hold on to his mind, his manners, and his body parts. And when his bond of trust with Nora turns to tenderness, there’s no turning back. Eventually, they know, the disease will win, separating the star-crossed lovers forever. But until then, beating or not, their hearts will have what they desire.

In Dearly, Departed, romance meets walking-dead thriller, spawning a madly imaginative novel of rip-roaring adventure, spine-tingling suspense, and macabre comedy that forever redefines the concept of undying love.

Resistance: A Hole in the Sky
by William C. Dietz

Promo copy:

The official prequel to the blockbuster videogame Resistance 3

America. July 1953.

In this official prequel to Resistance 3, prospects are not looking up for planet Earth or Lieutenant Joseph Capelli. With the Chimera invasion in full swing, America has crumbled under the fierce alien juggernaut, its defenses overrun, millions dead, the rest left to fend for themselves. Many try to avoid the alien virus that turns humans into Chimeran killing machines.

Capelli may be a pariah to the army for killing hero Nathan Hale, but he is still a patriot fighting to save the country and its citizens. However, some soldiers are ready to shoot him on sight—not to mention that Hale’s beautiful sister has every reason in the world to want him stone dead. But Capelli’s used to being in dangerous situations and taking crazy risks. And the next move he intends to make is pure suicide.

Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi: Ascension
by Christie Golden
Cover by Ian Keltie

Promo copy:

How long can the Jedi remain in power?
How far will the Sith go to rule supreme?
What chance do both stand against Abeloth?

As Luke and Ben Skywalker pursue the formidable dark-side being Abeloth, the Lost Tribe of the Sith is about to be sundered by an even greater power—which will thrust one Dark Lord into mortal conflict with his own flesh-and-blood.

On Coruscant, a political vacuum has left tensions at the boiling point, with factions racing to claim control of the Galactic Alliance. Suddenly surrounded by hidden agendas, treacherous conspiracies, and covert Sith agents, the Jedi Order must struggle to keep the GA government from collapsing into anarchy.

The Jedi are committed to maintaining peace and ensuring just rule, but even they are not prepared to take on the combined threats of Sith power, a deposed dictator bent on galaxywide vengeance, and an entity of pure cunning and profound evil hungry to become a god.

Alongside the release of Alan Moore’s and Paul O’Neill’s The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Volume III: Century 1969 comes the latest installment of Jess Nevins’ equally as extraordinary annotations. Within Nevins and his team reveal all sorts of fascinating tidbits surrounding the often mysterious world of the League including the appearance of Lord Voldemort!

Page 54. Panel 4. “Well, my first name’s Tom, my middle name’s a marvel, and my last name’s a conundrum.”

In J.K. Rowling’s “Harry Potter” novels the real name of arch-villain Lord Voldemort is Tom Marvolo Riddle. The “Harry Potter” novels are set in the 1990s and 2000s, but Voldemort/Tom Riddle is much older than Harry Potter et al., and as best can be guessed Tom Riddle, in the late 1960s, was a free agent.

According to the novels themselves, Riddle never taught at Hogwarts–he applied for the role of teacher of Defence Against the Dark Arts twice but was denied both times. However, it is very much in character for Riddle to claim he is a Hogwarts teacher, as he does in Panel 2.

Other fun facts include:

Page 15. Panel 7. The picture is of three of the Seven Stars in happier times: Captain Universe, an invisible Mina wearing the hat of Vull, and Marsman.

“Captain Universe” is a reference to Captain Universe, who appeared in the British comic Captain Universe (1954). “Working in the research laboratories of the United Nations Interplanetary Division, Jim Logan discovers an amazing secret. He treats himself electronically and thereafter, whenever he shouts the word ‘Galap’, electronic impulses from outer space vibrate through him, endowing him with superhuman powers. He becomes Captain Universe, the Super Marvel!”

Pádraig Ó Méalóid adds, “Captain Universe was created by Mick Anglo, the alleged creator of Marvelman, and it’s obvious that, like Marvelman, Captain Universe is a direct copy of Captain Marvel. Only one issue of Captain Universe was ever published, by Arnold Book Company, which was a subsidiary of L Miller & Son, the publishers of Marvelman, but run by the ‘& Son’ himself, Arnold Miller.”

Page 20. Panel 1. The black-haired gentleman in the bowtie on the far left of this panel is of course the second Doctor Who, played by Patrick Troughton from 1966-1969.

Page 21. Panel 1. “I’m Jeremiah Cornelius.”
Jeremiah (“Jerry”) Cornelius is the creation of Michael Moorcock. He’s a secret agent and anarchistic adventurer. He appeared, much younger, in Black Dossier on Page 20, Panels 2-8.

Image by Mal Dean

Page 24. Panel 4. “Soror Iliel”
In Aleister Crowley’s The Moonchild (1917) one of the characters is given the name “Iliel” as part of a magic war on a group of black magicians.

Nevin’s annotations, loaded with obscure information, are almost as fun as reading the book itself.

Lord Voldemort in the League of Extraordinary Gentleman? was originally published on The Geek Curmudgeon

Alongside the release of Alan Moore’s and Paul O’Neill’s The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Volume III: Century 1969 comes the latest installment of Jess Nevins’ equally as extraordinary annotations. Within Nevins and his team reveal all sorts of fascinating tidbits surrounding the often mysterious world of the League including the appearance of Lord Voldemort!

Page 54. Panel 4. “Well, my first name’s Tom, my middle name’s a marvel, and my last name’s a conundrum.”

In J.K. Rowling’s “Harry Potter” novels the real name of arch-villain Lord Voldemort is Tom Marvolo Riddle. The “Harry Potter” novels are set in the 1990s and 2000s, but Voldemort/Tom Riddle is much older than Harry Potter et al., and as best can be guessed Tom Riddle, in the late 1960s, was a free agent.

According to the novels themselves, Riddle never taught at Hogwarts–he applied for the role of teacher of Defence Against the Dark Arts twice but was denied both times. However, it is very much in character for Riddle to claim he is a Hogwarts teacher, as he does in Panel 2.

Other fun facts include:

Page 15. Panel 7. The picture is of three of the Seven Stars in happier times: Captain Universe, an invisible Mina wearing the hat of Vull, and Marsman.

“Captain Universe” is a reference to Captain Universe, who appeared in the British comic Captain Universe (1954). “Working in the research laboratories of the United Nations Interplanetary Division, Jim Logan discovers an amazing secret. He treats himself electronically and thereafter, whenever he shouts the word ‘Galap’, electronic impulses from outer space vibrate through him, endowing him with superhuman powers. He becomes Captain Universe, the Super Marvel!”

Pádraig Ó Méalóid adds, “Captain Universe was created by Mick Anglo, the alleged creator of Marvelman, and it’s obvious that, like Marvelman, Captain Universe is a direct copy of Captain Marvel. Only one issue of Captain Universe was ever published, by Arnold Book Company, which was a subsidiary of L Miller & Son, the publishers of Marvelman, but run by the ‘& Son’ himself, Arnold Miller.”

Page 20. Panel 1. The black-haired gentleman in the bowtie on the far left of this panel is of course the second Doctor Who, played by Patrick Troughton from 1966-1969.

Page 21. Panel 1. “I’m Jeremiah Cornelius.”
Jeremiah (“Jerry”) Cornelius is the creation of Michael Moorcock. He’s a secret agent and anarchistic adventurer. He appeared, much younger, in Black Dossier on Page 20, Panels 2-8.

Image by Mal Dean

Page 24. Panel 4. “Soror Iliel”
In Aleister Crowley’s The Moonchild (1917) one of the characters is given the name “Iliel” as part of a magic war on a group of black magicians.

Nevin’s annotations, loaded with obscure information, are almost as fun as reading the book itself.

As regular Geek Curmudgeon readers know, the low budget UK sf film Attack the Block blew me away. Well, I was lucky enough to interview writer/director Joe Cornish and star John Boyega for Blastr.

As for the bathroom breaks, check out the rest of my Blastr interview.

Why you won’t need bathroom breaks during Attack the Block was originally published on The Geek Curmudgeon

As regular Geek Curmudgeon readers know, the low budget UK sf film Attack the Block blew me away. Well, I was lucky enough to interview writer/director Joe Cornish and star John Boyega for Blastr.

As for the bathroom breaks, check out the rest of my Blastr interview.

The 2011 Eisner Awards were announced yesterday. Shockingly not only do I agree with most of the winners, but I actually reviewed several of the titles.

Here are the winners and if available my original review of the title.

Best Short Story
“Post Mortem,” by Greg Rucka and Michael Lark, in I Am an Avenger #2 (Marvel)

Best Single Issue (or One-Shot)
Hellboy: Double Feature of Evil, by Mike Mignola and Richard Corben (Dark Horse)

Best Continuing Series
Chew, by John Layman and Rob Guillory (Image)

Chew Omnivore Edition, Volume 1 by John Layman (script) and Rob Guillory (art) (Image)
Layman and Guillory create an alternate present where, due to avian flu fears, the American government has criminalized the possession, sale, and consumption of all poultry! Tony Chu, investigator for the Special Crimes Division of the powerful FDA, employs his abilities as a cibopathic — he gets psychic impressions from whatever he eats — to solve crimes. Guillory’s over-the-top humorous illustrations and Layman’s clever script expertly mix to spawn an enjoyable concoction of cannibalism, conspiracy, and murder. This luscious hardcover collects issues 1-10 (Volumes 1 and 2 of the trade paperback collections), complete with character design and sketches.
(#10 on my Nexus Graphic best graphic novels of the year 2010)

Best Limited Series
Daytripper, by Fábio Moon and Gabriel Bá (Vertigo/DC)

Daytripper by Fábio Moon & Gabriel Bá (Vertigo)
Twin brothers Moon and Bá beautifully recount the life of Brás de Oliva Domingos, crafter of obituaries and son of a world-famous Brazilian writer. The lavishly illustrated chapters relate important epochs of his life, each ending with his untimely and shocking death. Emotionally wrought and expertly told, the lyrical Daytripper breathes new life into the tired slice-of-life format and emerges as one of the best graphic novels of the year.

Best New Series
American Vampire, by Scott Snyder, Stephen King, and Rafael Albuquerque (Vertigo/DC)

American Vampire by Scott Snyder and Stephen King (writers) and Rafael Albuquerque (art) (Vertigo)
I hadn’t caught up with this Vertigo title until its recent five-issue collection from Vertigo. Those a bit weary of “lovelorn Southern gentlemen, anorexic teenage girls (and) boy-toys with big dewy eyes” in their vampire books (and shows) might enjoy this parallel tale set in both the Old West and silent-movie era Los Angeles, as Snyder (with a scripting assist from King in the “western” parts) seek to create a uniquely “American” take on the vampire. Which they do in the form of gunslinger Skinner Sweet, who — in finest American fashion — is both bloodthirsty and psychotic, in both living an undead incarnations. Though there’s also a certain method to his madness as he takes on a cartel of “ruling class” vampires, themselves from “Old Europe,” who see perfect bloodsucking opportunities (literal and otherwise) in America’s nascent corporate plutocracy. And hey, the Hollywood parts — with its tales of “B-girls gone bad” — almost get you thinking that Nathanael West must’ve written a vampire tale right before he tackled Day of the Locust. The traffic in the denouement(s) gets a tad cluttered, but it’s a compelling ride all the way through, leaving you with a nice set-up for the next arc (and the next American decade in the cycle!)
(I’m cheating a bit on this one by including the review from my Nexus Graphica cohort Mark London Williams. He included this as #7 on his Nexus Graphic best graphic novels of the year 2010)

Best Publication for Kids
Tiny Titans, by Art Baltazar and Franco (DC)

Best Publication for Teens
Smile, by Raina Telgemeier (Scholastic Graphix)

Best Humor Publication
I Thought You Would Be Funnier, by Shannon Wheeler (BOOM!)

I Thought You Would Be Funnier by Shannon Wheeler (Boom! Town)
Best known for creating the iconic slacker Too Much Coffee Man, cartoonist Shannon Wheeler always entertains with his humorous observations of relationships, politics, and society, in multi-panel stories or as in the case with I Thought You Would Be Funnier, single gag panels. A regular contributor to The New Yorker, this volume collects Wheeler’s cartoons that the respected publication rejected. Though always funny and insightful, several of the strips may have been to caustic for the magazine. The second strip in this volume has two women sitting at a table drinking wine, one of them looking over an open newspaper, with “Here’s one: ‘an unattractive incompetent man seeks an attractive bitchy woman for a sitcom-type relationship.’” scrolled across the bottom. Perhaps not New Yorker material but hilarious nonetheless. Within, Wheeler pulls back the thin veneer of American society to reveal the comedic underbelly. I Thought You Would Be Funnier supplies yet further evidence that Shannon Wheeler is one of the preeminent cartoonists of his generation.

Best Anthology
Mouse Guard: Legends of the Guard, edited by Paul Morrissey and David Petersen (Archaia)

Best Digital Comic
Abominable Charles Christopher, by Karl Kerschl, www.abominable.cc

Best Reality-Based Work
It Was the War of the Trenches, by Jacques Tardi (Fantagraphics)

It Was The War of the Trenches by Jacques Tardi (Fantagraphics)
This extraordinary collection of World War I tales offers perhaps the finest work from the lauded Tardi. Each story, based on actual accounts from French soldiers, relates the often-horrific realities of trench-warfare. Disturbing yet compelling images abound: a dead, mangled horse hanging from a tree serves as a warning; rats feasting on corpses; amputations; executions; countless dead. Far more memorable are the impassioned stories themselves. Betrayal, deceit, mistrust, murder, hope, and even humor run throughout these tales. Painstakingly researched, the amazing Tardi perfectly captures the everyday despair of the World War I trench soldier. Visceral, powerful, and effective, the flawless It Was The War of the Trenches blazes a new standard for the war comic.
(#3 on my best of 2010)

Best Graphic Album-New (tie)
Return of the Dapper Men, by Jim McCann and Janet Lee (Archaia)
Wilson, by Daniel Clowes (Drawn & Quarterly)

Best Graphic Album-Reprint
Wednesday Comics, edited by Mark Chiarello (DC)

Wednesday Comics (DC)
Throughout the 30s, 40s, and 50s, adventure strips dominated the Sunday newspaper comics pages. Oversized, full color pages featured the thrilling tales of Prince Valiant, Tarzan, Flash Gordon, and countless others. Under the guidance of DC art director Mark Chiarello, Wednesday Comics successfully re-captured this lost era with a series of oversized weeklies à la the Sunday funnies (dubbed Wednesday rather than Sunday in honor of the day new comics arrive in stores). This beautiful 11"x17" 200-page hardcover volume collects all the tales from the incredible 12-week run. While each featured A-list talent, some stories work better than others. Jack Kirby’s creation Kamandi: The Last Boy on Earth (expertly rendered by writer Dave Gibbons and artist Ryan Sook); Paul Pope’s unique take on Adam Strange; and especially Hawkman as delightfully envisioned by Kyle Baker lovingly embrace the format and lessons of their antecedents. Other excellent tales include writer Brian Azzarello’s and artist Eduardo Risso’s noir-infused Batman; the charming Silver Age style science fiction adventure of the Green Lantern (Kurt Busiek, writer and Joe Quiñones, art); the Karl Kerschi/Brenden Fletcher unique time travel take on The Flash; and an unusual team-up of The Demon and Catwoman (imagined by writer Walt Simonson and artist Brian Stelfreeze). Regardless of the story, one mood permeates the entire volume: fun. Combine all this with previously unpublished strips starring Plastic Man and Creeper, original sketches, and Chiarello’s impressive book design, and Wednesday Comics quickly emerges as must-experience for all classic comic book fans.
(#5 on the best 2010)

Best Adaptation from Another Work
The Marvelous Land of Oz, by L. Frank Baum, adapted by Eric Shanower and Skottie Young (Marvel)

Best Archival Collection/Project-Strips
Archie: The Complete Daily Newspaper Strips, 1946–1948, by Bob Montana, edited by Greg Goldstein (IDW)

Best Archival Collection/Project-Comic Books
Dave Stevens’ The Rocketeer Artist’s Edition, edited by Scott Dunbier (IDW)

Best U.S. Edition of International Material
It Was the War of the Trenches, by Jacques Tardi (Fantagraphics)

Best U.S. Edition of International Material-Asia
Naoki Urasawa’s 20th Century Boys, by Naoki Urasawa (VIZ Media)

Best Writer
Joe Hill, Locke & Key (IDW)

Best Writer/Artist
Darwyn Cooke, Richard Stark’s Parker: The Outfit (IDW)

Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team
Skottie Young, The Marvelous Land of Oz (Marvel)

Best Painter/Multimedia Artist (interior art)
Juanjo Guarnido, Blacksad (Dark Horse)

Blacksad Written by Díaz Canales, Art by Juanjo Guarnido (Dark Horse)
Perhaps the most acclaimed French comic of the new century, Canales and Guarnido cleverly combine the seemingly disparate elements of anthropomorphic animal and 1950s crime fiction into their wholly original creation, Blacksad. Private eye cat John Blacksad uncovers the often filthy depths of mysteries involving child abductions, nuclear secrets, racist hate groups, and of course murder. Guarnido evokes the period through his evocative and elegant art while Canales’ script successfully evokes the era’s moods and attitudes through a contemporary lens. One of the best books of the year, Blacksad more than deserves its abundant praise.
(#4 on the best of 2010)

Best Cover Artist
Mike Mignola, Hellboy, Baltimore: The Plague Ships (Dark Horse)

Best Coloring
Dave Stewart, Hellboy, BPRD, Baltimore, Let Me In (Dark Horse); Detective Comics (DC); Neil Young’s Greendale, Daytripper, Joe the Barbarian (Vertigo/DC)

Best Lettering
Todd Klein, Fables, The Unwritten, Joe the Barbarian, iZombie (Vertigo/DC); Tom Strong and the Robots of Doom (WildStorm/DC); SHIELD (Marvel); Driver for the Dead (Radical)

Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism
ComicBookResources, produced by Jonah Weiland (www.comicbookresources.com)

Best Comics-Related Book
75 Years of DC Comics: The Art of Modern Mythmaking, by Paul Levitz (TASCHEN)

Best Publication Design
Dave Stevens’ The Rocketeer Artist’s Edition, designed by Randall Dahlk (IDW)

HALL OF FAME
Judges’ Choices: Ernie Bushmiller, Jack Jackson, Martin Nodell, Lynd Ward
Elected: Mort Drucker, Harvey Pekar, Roy Thomas, Marv Wolfman

Los Tejanos by Jack Jackson (Fantagraphics)
Under the non-de-plume “Jaxon,” the late Jack Jackson may have first established his legendary reputation as the producer of the first underground comix (God’s Nose) and as the co-founder of the influential publisher Rip Off Press, but his most important and lasting legacy lies in his historical publications. His third Texas history graphic novel, Los Tejanos, relates the tragic tale of Juan Nepomuceno Seguin. An important figure during the War of Texas Independence, Seguin played crucial roles at the Alamo and the war’s finale at San Jacinto. He served as a Senator in the Texas Republic and as mayor of San Antonio, but he ran afoul of his own government when he protested the mistreatment of Tejanos, Texans of Mexican descent. Falsely accused by his opponents of aiding the Mexican army, he fled to Mexico where he was conscripted into the army and even served with Santa Anna during the Mexican-American War. Refusing to gloss over the uglier aspects of history, Jackson expertly and accurately recounts this largely ignored tale of racism and betrayal.

Russ Manning Promising Newcomer Award:
Nate Simpson

Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award:
Patrick McDonnell

Bill Finger Excellence in Comic Book Writing Award:
Del Connell, Bob Haney

Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailer Award:
Comics & Vegetables, Tel Aviv, Israel – Yuval Sharon, Danny Amitai[i]

Congratulations to all the winners.

The 2011 Eisners: My View was originally published on The Geek Curmudgeon