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 All news should be considered an unconfirmed report unless verified, and all information published at KISS Asylum is attributed to the source from which it was received so that readers may judge the validity of the statements for themselves. All information is confirmed where possible, and all publication is governed by common sense.
GENE SIMMONS Zipper #2From: PaperbackReader.com Posted: November 16, 2007 Written by Tom Waltz Pencils by Casey Maloney Inks by Marc Rueda Colors by Dusty Yee Letters by Neil Uyetake Published by IDW, 22 pages for $3.99 I was more than psyched to get the advanced look at IDW’s Zipper #2, and so far this is a series that doesn’t disappoint. Zipper follows alien outlaw refugee Xeng Ral as he escapes the collective consciousness of his world for the wild urban individualism of Detriot. This second issue sees Xeng start to build personal relationships with some of Detriot’s less desirable residents while introducing a pair of subplots that are interesting and well-conceived if somewhat obvious given the story’s high-concept. The more I read of Tom Waltz’s writing, the more I like it. For one thing, Waltz has a good ear. His characters speak believable urban Detroit slang that’s neither over-wrought nor over-generalized. Each character has his own voice, which is an astonishing feat given the way most writers write inner-city slang. And then too, this is a book with a slow burn plot that has still found a way to be exciting in its early issues. We’re decidedly still in the first act of the book’s first arc, and yet we’ve already seen sex, violence, and violent sex… basically all the things you’d expect to see out of a comic inspired by the imagination of KISS front man GENE SIMMONS. Once again, my favorite thing about this book is its art. Here specifically, we see a number of artistically interesting shots that succeed in presenting the ostensibly mundane in an exciting and visually interesting way. This is possible because Casey Maloney’s art has found a decided groove in this book, making his characters both heroic and stylish without giving over to abstraction. This isn’t your typical steroid-inspired superhero storytelling, but it’s also not cartoony. Instead, the pages find a balance, keeping things exciting and exaggerated without being overtly outrageous. On the whole, it’s quality stuff and easily the best I’ve seen from Maloney. It also helps that the colors pop. The lighting in particular emphasizes what the pencils and inks are already doing successfully. Zipper is a kind of superhero meets sci fi book with elements of horror-gore thrown in for good measure. It’s well worth your time, particularly for sci fi fans starving for something that’s contemporary and unique and somewhat edgy as well. I recommend it whole-heartedly as a quality change-of-pace for any comic reader who likes action and intrigue along with their aliens-in-leather. Zipper is good stuff! Check it out! http://www.paperbackreader.com/newcolumn2.php?ColumnID=510 |
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