PopGun Volume 2
A real treat here and a wonderful example of just how great comics can be
PopGun Volume 2
July 23rd, 2008 - The closest thing I ever came to wanting to be an archeologist is the summer that Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade came out. How old was I, nine? Something like that. My brother and I would venture out into our backyard and try to see it as though it was a new and strange place, waiting for us to discover its secrets. And that's what I feel like reading a book like PopGun. It is full of secrets, wonderful secrets of sequential art, just waiting for you to discover them. And the great thing about a book like PopGun is that it is chock full of those juicy secrets that make you feel like you've uncovered something special. Like the holy grail. Though with less dead Nazis strewn about.
So at some point you have to ask yourself why you aren't reading this. Anthologies are never big sellers. Maybe it's the higher price tag. Maybe it's that you don't know the creators involved. Maybe you just really like the characters you read to have special abilities. Hell, who doesn’t appreciate a solid power fantasy? But the truth is, there have been a crop of exceptionally good anthologies lately and the majority of us aren't reading them. And I don’t know why. Are we really that frustrated by short stories? In the film world short films are completely overshadowed by their feature length brethren. And likewise here in a world of panel borders, India ink and word balloons, a collection of short stories doesn’t fare as well as, let’s say, a book about an alien who takes up residence here on earth who can bend steel with his bare hands.
The last successful anthology that comes to mind are the “Flight” series of anthologies, which started off at Image. Sure enough PopGun takes a stylistic cue from Flight in that it has no particular mandate in terms of style or content. It even loses the little bit of a common thematic thread that Flight had (all the stories in Flight had flight incorporated in one form or another). But this is not a bad thing. The variety of story is overwhelming. Like taking a roadtrip through the collective unconscious of the sequential art world. So whatever your particular taste may be, from old wizards to jive talking tributes to blaxploitation flicks, PopGun has you covered. The closest thing to a theme that I think editors Joe Keatinge and Mark Andrew Smith were going for was "good". Or maybe “really good”. And maybe making sure to hire a great colorist. Because just about every story in here has amazing colors. Vibrant and seductive colors that pull you into the stories. Half the time I was so amazed by the color work that I stopped reading just to appreciate the solid work that these people put on the page.
And sure, there are stories I didn’t dig as much. But this is an anthology. You're not investing too much time in any one story so the bad ones are easy to get through quickly. Or just skip. With 59 stories packed in you can feel free to pick and choose as you like from this smorgasbord. And really in an anthology the chances are that a story isn't going to be "bad" as much as just not to your taste. And this is why PopGun shines. Because amongst all the various stories, there are so many gems. Even the “worst” story here is pretty damn good by any normal standards. Because you do feel like the creators were really excited to have their work here. Even someone whose relative stature in comics is as big as Erik Larsen. He has a few very short bits in PopGun. And they’re just fun. Just wait till you meet the Bacon Mummy. Not every story needs to reinvent the wheel, you'll find those in here for sure, but you also just have people who like to make comics, MAKING COMICS.
There are far too many stories for me to tell you about every single one, but here are a few that stood out.
The Forest:
Absolutely amazing artwork. Though I rant about how beautiful and vibrant the colors are in this book, this story trades that in for a limited palette to great effect. Something as simple as walking outside becomes a work of staggering beauty.
She Came From Venus:
The artificially faded artwork is totally awesome. Maybe the story makes no sense, but it’s in a very entertaining way. I loved every bit of it. A tribute to the nonsense in the 70’s. On both the comics side as well as the blaxploitation films.
Post Zero Hour:
I wish it was longer. Cool artwork. Seems like first bit of a very cool book that I would be into reading. Or maybe the first scene from a cool post apocalyptic action flick.
Lifecycles of the mysterious Manjuu:
The title says a lot of it here. Welcome to the world of the Manjuu. Beautiful brushlines. Simple. Wonderful painterly colors. I love the cute little Manjuu, even when it's visciously eating a bird.
Glorkian Warrior:
The Glokian Warrior tells his sidekick/backpack that, “It’s easy when you’re awesome.” Damn straight. Nothing but fun. DO IT!
Longer:
Here is some more beautiful artwork. Again, I especially like the coloring. Like a painting. This isn’t so much a story but a moment trapped, elongated and studied. Made into a poem.
Sputz:
Starts with "I'll sell you a license for that pooper." If you need to know more, well I could tell you about the amazing color work here, but you’re assuming I’m going to tell you that anyway.
Scummy:
More beautiful colors. I know I know, you’re getting tired of hearing that. But blame the artists who keep turning in this amazing, vibrant work. I love the hand lettering. It’s really a simple slice of life with people at a crux in their lives. With a dash of humor.
The New Job:
Why is bigfoot so funny? He just is. Quirky artwork with more awesome coloring! Read it!
Leaf and Augustus:
Reads like a scary children's story. Those fantastical elements that remind you of a dream. With beautiful, simple artwork that honestly reminds me a bit of Geof Darrow. I wish there was more here, but let’s just hope that there is a volume 3 of PopGun and Leaf and Augustus return for it.
Prey on You:
I have no idea what happened here, but it was awesome. There’s this nice loose artwork that’s very brushy. I will act like a broken record again and say, amazing coloring.
2 Copper Pieces:
Absolutely stunning artwork. Seriously, I expect big things from you, Mr.Chris Stevens. Don’t let me down. A solid fantasy story. A larger world is hinted at here that I would love to revisit and get to explore.
Little Known Fact:
Another short and sweet one. Very moody colors that I love. The ending makes me laugh, actually the whole thing makes me laugh.
Bastard Road:
Crazy. A bit non-sensical. And crazy. Did I mention that? A whole lotta fun with some beautiful artwork. It’s the kind of artwork with really solid lines that you could hang off of. Kind of like Clowes. With a little Kirby. Or Charles Burns.
Dream Time:
The artwork here is deceptively simple. I couldn't stop looking at it. Well actually I did. The story, while taking a winding road, meets back up with itself in a very satisfying way.
Lady in Space:
A wonderful love story. I don't know how they get me wrapped in love so quickly--Wall E did this too--and this story grabs you right off the bat. Plus I'm a sucker for stories with no dialogue.
So there you go. If you couldn't tell I'm trying to tell you that this is a book that you should own. It's a great ride, and one that I imagine I will be returning to again and again. And to top it all off it has a cover by my favorite artist, Mr. Paul Pope.
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