Panel Discussion: Classy Graphic Novel Edition!

I have just not been digging on weekly comics this month. But I have read some killer new graphic novels, which apparently have panels in them as well.

(Click for Full Res)

Most Surprising Revelation - Logan (Brian K. Vaughn & Edwardo Risso)
"I'm the best there is at a couple of things in this world....but what we just did ain't one of them." Someone better tell the fanfic writers that! I think these are some really nice drawings of Wolverine looking a little more human than usual. I like the the second panel of the unused pencils even more...
He just looks so sulky. Don't worry Wolverine, if it can happen to you, it can happen to anyone!


Best Acting - Kaspar (Diane Obomsawin)

In this true story of wild child Kaspar Hauser , author Obomsawin portrays the titular protagonist as a funny, bright, and sympathetic character. His design is simple, but it fits a character who sees things in a uniquely literal way, having been raised in isolation into his late teen years.

I love the bottom two panels of this page; his pride at being able to repeat the names of his guests comes through via the simplest of expressions.
Although he has virtually no education of experience with the outside world, Kaspar is never portrayed as stupid, and his reactions upon each new encounter gets right to the heart of the thrill and pain of discovery, such as this sequence where he plants his name in seedlings, only to have it wrecked.


The thing I love most about his facial expressions is how the first time his plants get stomped on, he cries in disappointment and heartbreak. But the second time it gets ruined (damn cat!), he's just like, "Screw this." I identify with this, possibly more than I should.

When Kaspar is eventually civilized enough to rejoin society, he still retains his acutely sensitive, tell-it-like-it-is attitude.



Most Terrifying Use of Superpowers - Freakangels
Most of the time, the Freakangels just work on building infrastructure for their little corner of post-Apocalypse London and bicker amongst themselves and look stylish and cute. But when a gang of outsiders start to threaten their town, the Freakangels break out the psychic powers and they do not mess around.

AHH! They tore his ribcage apart! That is not a responsible use of powers, you damn kids! This is what happens when there are no square adult superheroes to mentor the under 25 crowd. Vigilante justice is all well and good until you start using telekinesis to extract peoples' bone from their chests. If Superman was here he'd give them such a lecture!

Geekanerd Spotter: Animation on the Subway

Okay, so this might qualify as a "spotter", since I've been riding past this thing on the way to work for the past three months. BUT; it's so freaking cool I wanted you all to share in it's glory.

This zoetrope-like art installation was created in the 1970s by filmmaker Bill Brand. It was recently restored to it's full psycadelic glory, after decades of being obscured by grafiti and bad lighting. New York nerds can see it for themselves on the uptown bond B or Q trains, after DeKalb station in Brooklyn.

If comic nerds find this idea a little familiar, it may be because Brian K. Vaughn featured it it Ex Machina; remember? A girl looks out of the window, sees the neat animation, then flips out and dies? This certainly came to MY mind when I noticed the animation for the first time. Was I temporarily afraid for my life? I was.

You can read a recent New York Times article about the piece, if you want more background on the artist.

Brian K. Vaughn On The Writer's Strike

Brian K. Vaughn has been a writer for Lost since last season, and had recently been bumped up to co-producer for the new crop of episodes. Now that the writer's strike is on, he's walked away from every Lostie's dream job. On his personal blog, he's posted an excellent FAQ about how the strike will effect not only his work, but the comic industry in general, including some thoughts on the lack of unions in the comic book biz.

Quote of Interest:
"I was also about to begin work on a particularly exciting new comic-to-screen adaptation that I can’t really talk about, and while I’m hopeful the gig will still be waiting for me if/when the strike ends, who knows? That’s one of the many risks that comes with this very necessary strike."

A new BKV comic-to-screen adaptation, eh? He already sold his Y The Last Man and Ex Machina scripts, so does that mean...the long-awaited Runaways movie? If that's the case and the script does get lost in the shuffle of the strike, comic nerds may storm Sumner Redstone's office with themselves.

Janeane Garofalo is a Geekanerd:Refs Y: The Last Man in Political Debate

A couple of days ago Janeane Garofalo was on Bill Maher's program and brought up Brian K. Vaughn's Y: The Last Man when responding to Sally Field's comments that if mothers ruled the world there would be no wars. Salman Rushdie is sitting next to her and is like "WTF, mate?" The quote in question comes at 3:40 in the above video. Thanks to Joe for the tip!

Also check out our past "...is a Geekanerd" posts!

Panel Discussion: The Best, Worst, and Weirdest Panels of the Week

SPOILER ALERT: Some panels contain plot points...those who haven't read their books this week should beware.

INAPPROPRIATE FUNERAL BEHAVIOR: Countdown #43
Faux Pas abound at Bart Allen's funeral. This segment comes in three parts:

Part One: Things Not to Bring to a Funeral
Intent on bringing something to entertain herself during gray-haired Jay Garrick's long-winded eulogy, Ravager settles on her... muscle massager.

Continued after the jump.

Part Two: Things Not to Wear to a Funeral
Namely, civvies that look exactly like your supervillain costume:

Voicemail From Trickster to Pied Piper:
"Hey P, just wanted to remind you, the funeral is today if you want to go. Not sure what the mood there is gonna be like, but we should probably play down the supervillian thing. I think the days of going out to dinner in full costume are pretty much over. Still, I'm going to wear a hat with my colors just to keep it real, so I don't know, maybe you could get like a green tie or something. Just remember the idea is not be recognized, so for the love of God, do NOT wear something that looks exactly like your costume. Kay, see you at three thirty."

Part Three: Things Not to Say at a Funeral
MOST NSFW REUNION: Y The Last Man #57
Kind of like the "Nice to see you again, let's hump like bunnies" reunion of Jesse Custer and Tulip in the final story arch of Preacher, except way naughtier. Yorick and Beth are naked for no less than seven pages of this book. Definitely not one to read on public transportation. Or in a restaurant. Or around loved ones. Or anywhere but alone at home. With a flashlight under your blankets.

BEST SOCIAL APPLICATION OF A SUPERPOWER: Irredeemable Ant-Man #10

Now that's a hard argument to rebut. Thankfully for our hero, The Incredibly Upset Hulk lands his spaceship just in time.


MOST GRUESOME, SHOCKING CONCLUSION: Astounding Wolf-Man #2
And everything seemed to be going so well...

Seemingly well-adjusted werewolf Gary goes into a bit of a freak-out and executes a Robert Kirkman trademark: the shocking disemboweling punch from someone thought to be a good guy.

Link: More of Geekanerd's Panel Discussions