Robin Lewis
Jun 18, 2005, 03:21 pm
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dc/0605/WildsiderzCv0A.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dc/0605/WildsiderzCv0AT.jpg" hspace=10 align=left alt="Wildsiderz #0"></a>Reviewer: Robin Lewis, lucillerobin@aol.com
Story Title: No actual story to be found.
I'm not entirely sure this qualifies as a comic.
Story and Art: J. Scott Campbell
Story and Script: Andy Hartnell
Digital Inks: Avalon Studios
Lettering: Comicraft
Special Color Design: JG Roshell
Assitant Editor: Kristy Quinn
Editor: Scott Dunbier
Publisher: Wildstorm/DC Comics
Well. How the hell do I review this? Oh sure, this sounded like a comic when I heard about it, and to the untrained eye it may, on first appearances, look like a comic, but once you've sat down and read it it should be clear that this is something else entirely. This is a pitch. Those fabled Hollywood meetings where a hungry young writer/director/waiter tries to impress a cynical and money-grubbing troll of a studio executive with a three minute synopsis of their treasured movie: "It's Batman meets The Munsters meets Paint Your Wagon. With nekkid dancing girls." I understand that comics are often made in this way too. Pitches are made, editors are impressed, comics are created, etc. Wildsiderz #0 is just a pitch made at different people: us, the paying audience. It's one of the oddest things I think I've ever seen, and I've seen comic-book stories featuring hard-bitten mercenaries sent to rescue talking potato royalty from the clutches of a newspaper-wielding assasain (a great story, by the way). I know there are previews, and special introductory issues, and sketchbooks, and a myriad other ways the industry tries to sell us new titles, but this is the first time I've ever seen what is essentially a movie trailer in comic-book form. I kept imagining the captions being read by that voiceover guy, the one they get to do all the blockbuster trailers. You know the one. He sounds like he smokes eight-hundred a day and uses gravel for mouthwash. Yeah, that guy.
So, yeah. My keenly honey critical faculties are sort of useless here. What the comic gives us is, first, a rundown of the characters and the basic concept (complete with sketches and power-descriptions), then a promotional interview with the creators, then the 10 page trailer. The concept comes across like a merchandising dream. Color-coded exo-skeletal animal powers welded into high-school drama, action, a cackling villain (complete with moustache and, rather less traditionally, a past as a KISS-like rock-star) and a wide array of monsters. It's Power Rangers meets Buffy meets Manimal (hey, remember Manimal?). Presumably the toy-line is already planned. The leads all fill their respective roles: there's the cheerleader, the jock, the geek, the freckled shy one and the fat comic-relief guy. There may be hidden depths to these characters, but they aren't on show here. Nor could they be. With one page per character all we're going to get is a tiny glimpse. As an aside, I noticed that one of the pages has a signature from J Scott Campbell dated 2003. How long has he been working on this? I know he has a reputation for taking his time (as do many top artists, who apparently think deadlines are something that only applies to other people), but 2 years to go from sketches to comic? Wow. Those who remember the rather wonderful Danger Girl and it's own somewhat relaxed attitude to monthly schedules will prepare themselves for the worst. Still, that didn't stop Danger Girl being immense fun. Better late than rushed. Of course, better competently organized and scheduled than late in the first place, but hey - nobody's perfect.
The rest of the concept can be gathered from the merest glance at the promo art. They're kids, with holographic animal add-ons and a mentor figure who looks like Halle Berry. And, since we're talking about a book by J. Scott Campbell, all the women are impossibly gorgeous, even the ones that are supposed to look a bit plain. The animal effects are well done and extremely striking. The colours are appropriately bright and vibrant, and Campbell's character designs are as fun and dynamic as ever. The last part of the comic is the trailer, and it's here that we get a taste of what the ongoing might be like. Sort of. There are the outlines of the oncoming plot (bad guy steals and perverts technology for his nefarious ends, good guys band together and fight him), and some very nice panels of Campbell's art. I'm a big fan of Campbells. His work bursts with energy, fun and infectious enthusiasm. Of course, there's not a great deal of his art in this issue. There are some concept sketches, the trailer, and that's about it. The whole issue feels like the stuff you'd find at the end of a particularly nice TPB, one stuffed with extras and titbits. Lumping it all together and sticking a price tag on it feels a bit...well...like a new and cheaper way of getting money from my pocket into DC's coffers.
A pitch it may be, but it's a highly polished and slick one. I'm not sure how many more people are going to buy the series as a result of this #0 than would have done without it, though. Then again, without this Wildstorm wouldn't be able to make us pay for a trailer. I'm undecided whether or not this is worth it. J. Scott Campbell produces work so infrequently that anything by him is a tempting purchase. On the other hand, you might be of the opinion that trailers are something you shouldn't have to pay for. Me? I've already bought it, and will almost certainly be buying the ongoing. J. Scott Campbell could illustrate the telephone directory and I'd probably end up buying it. I have confidence that the ongoing is going to be fun in the same way that Danger Girl was, but I really couldn't recommend this #0 to anyone but the most curious or dedicated fan.
A word about the marks. The mark for the story is down to the fact that there isn't any. We get a concept, not a story, and the smatterings of plot in the trailer don't amount to much. In no way should this be taken as a judgement that the ongoing is going to have no story. It might be great, but I have no way of knowing. I didn't dislike this comic, in fact I'm looking forward to the ongoing, but I feel like someone's made me pay for the extras on a DVD without including the film.
ART:
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsnone.jpg
STORY:
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsnone.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsnone.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsnone.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsnone.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsnone.jpg
OVERALL:
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsnone.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsnone.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsnone.jpg
‘Buy this issue online now from X-WORLD and save.’ (http://x-worldcomics.com/yourvirtualstore/shopexd.asp?id=15779)
Story Title: No actual story to be found.
I'm not entirely sure this qualifies as a comic.
Story and Art: J. Scott Campbell
Story and Script: Andy Hartnell
Digital Inks: Avalon Studios
Lettering: Comicraft
Special Color Design: JG Roshell
Assitant Editor: Kristy Quinn
Editor: Scott Dunbier
Publisher: Wildstorm/DC Comics
Well. How the hell do I review this? Oh sure, this sounded like a comic when I heard about it, and to the untrained eye it may, on first appearances, look like a comic, but once you've sat down and read it it should be clear that this is something else entirely. This is a pitch. Those fabled Hollywood meetings where a hungry young writer/director/waiter tries to impress a cynical and money-grubbing troll of a studio executive with a three minute synopsis of their treasured movie: "It's Batman meets The Munsters meets Paint Your Wagon. With nekkid dancing girls." I understand that comics are often made in this way too. Pitches are made, editors are impressed, comics are created, etc. Wildsiderz #0 is just a pitch made at different people: us, the paying audience. It's one of the oddest things I think I've ever seen, and I've seen comic-book stories featuring hard-bitten mercenaries sent to rescue talking potato royalty from the clutches of a newspaper-wielding assasain (a great story, by the way). I know there are previews, and special introductory issues, and sketchbooks, and a myriad other ways the industry tries to sell us new titles, but this is the first time I've ever seen what is essentially a movie trailer in comic-book form. I kept imagining the captions being read by that voiceover guy, the one they get to do all the blockbuster trailers. You know the one. He sounds like he smokes eight-hundred a day and uses gravel for mouthwash. Yeah, that guy.
So, yeah. My keenly honey critical faculties are sort of useless here. What the comic gives us is, first, a rundown of the characters and the basic concept (complete with sketches and power-descriptions), then a promotional interview with the creators, then the 10 page trailer. The concept comes across like a merchandising dream. Color-coded exo-skeletal animal powers welded into high-school drama, action, a cackling villain (complete with moustache and, rather less traditionally, a past as a KISS-like rock-star) and a wide array of monsters. It's Power Rangers meets Buffy meets Manimal (hey, remember Manimal?). Presumably the toy-line is already planned. The leads all fill their respective roles: there's the cheerleader, the jock, the geek, the freckled shy one and the fat comic-relief guy. There may be hidden depths to these characters, but they aren't on show here. Nor could they be. With one page per character all we're going to get is a tiny glimpse. As an aside, I noticed that one of the pages has a signature from J Scott Campbell dated 2003. How long has he been working on this? I know he has a reputation for taking his time (as do many top artists, who apparently think deadlines are something that only applies to other people), but 2 years to go from sketches to comic? Wow. Those who remember the rather wonderful Danger Girl and it's own somewhat relaxed attitude to monthly schedules will prepare themselves for the worst. Still, that didn't stop Danger Girl being immense fun. Better late than rushed. Of course, better competently organized and scheduled than late in the first place, but hey - nobody's perfect.
The rest of the concept can be gathered from the merest glance at the promo art. They're kids, with holographic animal add-ons and a mentor figure who looks like Halle Berry. And, since we're talking about a book by J. Scott Campbell, all the women are impossibly gorgeous, even the ones that are supposed to look a bit plain. The animal effects are well done and extremely striking. The colours are appropriately bright and vibrant, and Campbell's character designs are as fun and dynamic as ever. The last part of the comic is the trailer, and it's here that we get a taste of what the ongoing might be like. Sort of. There are the outlines of the oncoming plot (bad guy steals and perverts technology for his nefarious ends, good guys band together and fight him), and some very nice panels of Campbell's art. I'm a big fan of Campbells. His work bursts with energy, fun and infectious enthusiasm. Of course, there's not a great deal of his art in this issue. There are some concept sketches, the trailer, and that's about it. The whole issue feels like the stuff you'd find at the end of a particularly nice TPB, one stuffed with extras and titbits. Lumping it all together and sticking a price tag on it feels a bit...well...like a new and cheaper way of getting money from my pocket into DC's coffers.
A pitch it may be, but it's a highly polished and slick one. I'm not sure how many more people are going to buy the series as a result of this #0 than would have done without it, though. Then again, without this Wildstorm wouldn't be able to make us pay for a trailer. I'm undecided whether or not this is worth it. J. Scott Campbell produces work so infrequently that anything by him is a tempting purchase. On the other hand, you might be of the opinion that trailers are something you shouldn't have to pay for. Me? I've already bought it, and will almost certainly be buying the ongoing. J. Scott Campbell could illustrate the telephone directory and I'd probably end up buying it. I have confidence that the ongoing is going to be fun in the same way that Danger Girl was, but I really couldn't recommend this #0 to anyone but the most curious or dedicated fan.
A word about the marks. The mark for the story is down to the fact that there isn't any. We get a concept, not a story, and the smatterings of plot in the trailer don't amount to much. In no way should this be taken as a judgement that the ongoing is going to have no story. It might be great, but I have no way of knowing. I didn't dislike this comic, in fact I'm looking forward to the ongoing, but I feel like someone's made me pay for the extras on a DVD without including the film.
ART:
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsnone.jpg
STORY:
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsnone.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsnone.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsnone.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsnone.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsnone.jpg
OVERALL:
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsnone.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsnone.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsnone.jpg
‘Buy this issue online now from X-WORLD and save.’ (http://x-worldcomics.com/yourvirtualstore/shopexd.asp?id=15779)