The Shade (USA) di J.Robinson

Azrael · 09 April 2012, 23:35:13

THE SHADE #10
Written by JAMES ROBINSON
Art by FRAZER IRVING
Cover by TONY HARRIS
1:10 Variant cover by FRAZER IRVING
On sale JULY 11 • 32 pg, FC, 10 of 12, $2.99 US • RATED T+
• The Shade learns the truth behind his family's plot to kill him!
• His powers cancelled out, held captive by an ancient cult, the Shade must devise a way to escape and prevent a terrorist attack!

Azrael · 10 April 2012, 19:38:44

Preview: THE SHADE #7

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Azrael · 17 April 2012, 19:36:30

Exclusive First Look at Jill Thompson's Variant Cover for THE SHADE #8

Azrael · 14 May 2012, 22:50:22

THE SHADE #11
Written by JAMES ROBINSON
Art by FRAZER IRVING
Cover by TONY HARRIS
1:10 Variant cover by FRAZER IRVING
On sale AUGUST 15 • 32 pg, FC, 11 of 12, $2.99 US • RATED T+
Retailers: This issue will ship with two covers. See the Previews Order Form for details.
• The Celestial Pharaohs, the secret power behind an ancient cult, are rampaging through London!
• A weakened Shade must stop them, even if it means exploring dangerous new aspects of the shadow dimension from which he draws his powers!

Azrael · 15 May 2012, 16:18:03

Preview: THE SHADE #8

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Azrael · 15 May 2012, 18:40:30

Variant cover for THE SHADE #9 by Frazer Irving!

Azrael · 17 May 2012, 17:28:56

The artistic line-up for "The Shade" has been an embarrassment of riches, but of the six different artists lined up to collaborate with James Robinson, it's been Jill Thompson whose contribution I've looked forward to the most. Happily, she doesn't disappoint.

Lately, Thompson's work in comics has been confined to her painted pages for "Beasts of Burden" with writer Evan Dorkin. Don't get me wrong, "Beasts of Burden" is fantastic from start to finish; it's got smart writing and those painted pages are to die for -- but I remember first encountering Thompson back on her run on "Wonder Woman" in the early '90s, and every now and then I miss seeing her pencils and inks on the comics page. That's what we get with "The Shade" #8, and I can't help but feel that at some point when I wasn't looking she'd tweaked her style a bit and turned out something even more beautiful than before.

The first two pages are a prime example of Thompson's storytelling abilities. The first starts with a tight close-up on the Shade's face and for the first three panels we stay in that close focus. As he turns his head to the left and to the right, Thompson makes it quite clear what's going on in Robinson's script even though we can't see anything but his face. His initial gaze is focused on the person off the edge of the panel, a calm gaze. From there as he turns to the unseen servers in the establishment, we can see his eyes slightly unfocused, his eyelids halfway down in an almost-stupor of relaxation and slight alteration. And then, for the third panel as he stops and thinks about his request a bit more, his gaze refocuses and sharpens a bit, the fog lifting just as quickly as it went away. It gives us so much about the Shade's frame of mind and we're only halfway through the six-paneled page. From there as Thompson pulls back the reader's viewpoint, we start to see the opulent pillows, the sides of the divan, and finally Yvette as she comes with the pipe for the Shade. It prepares us for turning the page and seeing the utter opulence of 1901 Paris. The sprawled and relaxed patrons, the curls of smoke, the gorgeous furnishings and walls and yes, the artfully dressed serving women that are designed to visually please the patrons. By the time we've gone to the third page (and the beautiful slow pulling in to the Shade's eye so that we can see it suddenly widen in recognition in that final panel), Thompson's drawn the reader fully into the story and its setting.

Thompson's art here feels slightly softer and more rounded than before. I've always liked her art, but I'm entranced by this slightly changed approach on Thompson's behalf. Before there was always a certain tightness of her art, the lines quite close together with just the hint of an angle in each turn. That's gone now, with relaxed drawings that still have all those same basic shapes that Thompson would use in years past, but with an additional level of grace that I don't remember being present. Thompson's pencils and inks before were great, but now they're outstanding. By the time you get to the blood-soaked streets of St. Dubris and you see her tackling architecture of a small town with the same charm and skill, well, it's hard to not find one's self wishing for an entire graphic novel or two drawn in this manner from Thompson.

It doesn't hurt that Robinson's story matches the strength of Thompson's art in "The Shade" #8. Back in the "Starman" days, the Times Past stories were always something that had an extra little kick to the script and that's true for "The Shade" as well. The story stands on its own well, even as it fits into the overall story for "The Shade" mini-series. It's got a lot of charm as the Shade meets with his descendant and defeats a nasty little monster; reading "The Shade" makes me wish it were an ongoing series rather than set to wrap up with just four more issues. There's an old-world voice that Robinson uses when writing "The Shade" (and "Starman") that isn't quite like anything else on the market right now and reading this comic reminds me of how badly it's missed.

Even if you aren't reading "The Shade" (and if not, shame on you), you might want to take a look at this issue to see what Thompson's been up to when we weren't paying attention. I suspect you'll be surprised, because no matter how good you already think she is, the reality is that now she's even better. Comics like "The Shade" #8 remind me just how great this medium can be.

5 su 5

Da CBR

Azrael · 18 May 2012, 02:51:35

The Shade takes readers back to the Victorian Era and introduces us to a young Albert Caldecott.
The Good
It's such a reward to come so far and to finally get a grasp on Albert Caldecott's character, the Shade's grandson who we saw at the beginning of this series on his deathbed. Not only is it great to see his story fleshed out, but it's such a great story. Robinson definitely delivers a fantastic issue with THE SHADE #8. Not only is his rich dialogue entertaining; it is also bound to capture you and delight you at every turn. It's also a plus to see an artist like Jill Thompson on this issue. In an interview, Robinson had stated that he had hand selected his artists for the different era's and locations that the Shade would be traveling throughout this series; having Thompson capture the character in Victorian London and Paris is absolutely perfect. Not only is the character brilliantly executed by Robinson's story, but the tone, mood, essence of the characters are captured by Thompson's work on the issue as well. Her talent compliments Robinson's language perfectly, and will leave you in awe and wanting more.

Beautifully written issue with gorgeous art by Thompson. Great pacing, mood, tone and more. You will not want this issue to end.

The Bad
Nothing bad here. This is a fantastic issue.

The Verdict
If you've been with The Shade since the start you will feel rewarded with this issue. You'll recognize Caldecott's character who appeared at the start of the series; and we learn a lot more about him in this issue. Not only does Caldecott, the Shade's grandson, become more familiar with this issue; but so does the Shade. At the very end of the story, the final line in the book, The Shade reveals that he cannot remember whether he "cried" when he discovered his wife had passed away. It's a moment that really makes me wonder whether he (The Shade) had detached himself from humanity because really, he isn't human. He's something of an ageless, eternal being; and therefore cannot relate to people and the rest of society. Perhaps this is why he did not mourn his wife's passing, because he felt nothing for her.

The language in this issue is beautiful. Robinson really captures Victorian Europe through his dialogue, setting the stage for Thompson's breathtaking pencils. The vibrant colors in the issue helps to deliver an upbeat sort of tone, as well. Not recommended for new readers, although it technically does work as a stand alone story; I think readers that have been following the series from the start will feel rewarded.

5 su 5

Da CVine

marco_sanfy00 · 18 May 2012, 06:38:11

fantastica cover, e la soria è molto divertente, almeno fino al 7...
Robinson pare rinato, così come Johns

Azrael · 12 June 2012, 00:46:54

THE SHADE #12
Written by JAMES ROBINSON
Art by GENE HA
Cover by TONY HARRIS
1:10 Variant cover by GENE HA
On sale SEPTEMBER 12 • 32 pg, FC, 12 of 12, $2.99 US • RATED T+
Retailers: This issue will ship with two covers. See the Previews Order Form for details.
• The final issue of The Shade's year-long odyssey is here!
• Learn the truth about one of the most mysterious men in the DC Universe and see once and for all what makes him tick: good or evil?

Azrael · 12 June 2012, 16:40:00

Preview: THE SHADE #9

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Occhi nella Notte · 12 June 2012, 16:52:08

possiamo parlare di capolavoro?

Corto Maltese · 12 June 2012, 16:52:27

Mi chiedo, si sa già se la Lion porterà questa serie in Italia?

Azrael · 12 June 2012, 16:53:12

Quote from: Occhi nella Notte on 12 June 2012, 16:52:08
possiamo parlare di capolavoro?

Non lo so, io difficilmente uso quella parola

Comunque dalle varie review che ci sono state finora sono tutte buone

Quote from: Corto Maltese on 12 June 2012, 16:52:27
Mi chiedo, si sa già se la Lion porterà questa serie in Italia?

No, se ne parlarà a mini conclusa, ma penso di si!

Azrael · 13 June 2012, 23:32:42

First, the bad news: if you haven't been reading "The Shade" up until now, jumping on board for issue #9 of 12 might leave you a little lost. Here's the good news, though: "The Shade" #9 is such a beautiful comic that if you bought it for just the visuals I think you'd still be happy.

Frazer Irving is the second to last artist for "The Shade" and its 12-issue run, tackling issues #9-11. (Gene Ha will wrap up the art duties for "The Shade" #12.) Like the four artists to come before him, Irving's art is outstanding with a presentation that you can stare at for hours. Look, for example, at page 11. On its surface it's nothing more than a transition page; Lord Dudley Caldecott arrives at his destination (a travel book store) and enters a private elevator that heads down. What we get, though, is just beautiful.

Looking at the backgrounds of that page, Irving has carefully chosen a muted color palette for the page. Limiting the colors to just a few hues (and Irving isn't afraid to expand that number elsewhere, so this is clearly a conscious decision) gives London a slightly drab, ordinary feel to it. In doing so, Irving is creating a contrast to what came before (the bright oranges and reds of Silverfin and the Shade), as well as the orange glow of the pages that follow. As the colors brighten, the world becomes more robust and interesting, more than just the mundane streets. The panels themselves also look great; Irving knows when to keep background figures as just that, carefully turning them into just silhouettes, or when they should get slightly more detail. The interior of the store looks excellent as well, and by the time we enter the elevator shaft we have a strong feel for what this world looks like. Irving also stages something as simple as an elevator ride well; by giving us a bird's eye view, we get the immediate impression of the elevator going down (rather than up), and the shadowy figure of the Shade swirling around the elevator itself is marvelous. And as for the final panel, with Dudley leaving the elevator, it's a portrait of a character that is more well-realized than we often get in entire comics. It makes him look imposing and dangerous, and it's perfect for what's next to follow.

The thing is, the entire book looks this good. When Irving draws an opening two-page spread of attacking Egyptian deities in ancient Egypt, it looks amazing; they come across as immensely powerful and mighty, even as hordes strike against them. Dudley and Dusty getting ready for the first ritual of the day also works well; not only because of the attention to the carpet and furnishing of their expensive home, but because of how at-ease Irving puts you right before the moment of truth. And as for the Shade himself, well, those black swirls of smoke are entrancing, actual living tendrils of darkness that uncoil across the page.

Writer James Robinson does a good job here too, but this far into the series it makes sense that he's less concerned with new readers. Still, he does his share of introducing people to what's going on, and while there isn't a huge information dump on the overall storyline, enough bits are provided to remind readers just what's happened up until this point. It's also refreshing that he's still got some plotting tricks up his sleeve this late in the game; it would be easy for "The Shade" to have slumped into predictability, but instead there's enough present to surprise and delight the reader.

"The Shade" has been a thoroughly enjoyable and high quality mini-series since its debut, and "The Shade" #9 continues that level of excellence. I'm looking forward to a collection of "The Shade" that can sit next to my "Starman Omnibus" volumes on my bookshelf (having it match would sure be nice, hint hint). "The Shade" is a series that you'll want to be able to sit down and read again and again.

4 su 5

Da CBR

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The Shade (USA) di J.Robinson