New in Comics December 11: Picks from Stephen Murphy - Coffin Hall, Daredevil

I’m still in a cast, and will be until next Tuesday. This week my wonderful daughter Danielle is helping me type again, and by that I mean she’s typing everything I say. I’ve gone back to Steve Murphy again for some more reviews this week. For those of you who missed last week, Stephen is the author of Image’s Umbra, Archie’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures, and the self published Puma Blues with Michael Zulli. I’ve actually done business with Stephen for a couple of years now, unfortunately only through an intermediary. In the last year, however, I finally got to meet Steve and he has become a fast and true friend and inner circle confidante. Steve is a great inspiration and I’m extremely  honored, and in fact can’t say enough about, the role he is taking in my life both professionally and personally. That in itself is just a little amusing to me as Steve sent me a personal message thanking me for the great intro to last week’s reviews. So without anymore gushing here are the items scheduled to ship this week that have Stephen Murphy excited.

 Coffin Hill #4 (DC/Vertigo) 

For ten years prior to DC’s New 52 re-launch I’d abandoned comics altogether, so sick was I of company-wide crossover events and crappy art. The New 52 got me back into buying comics, and while I eventually lost interest in every one of the dozen or so New 52 titles that I’d been purchasing - giving up on all but one after their seventh issues – the re-launch got me back into the comic store on a fairly regular basis (that one title – “Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E.” – I SO very much wanted to succeed, but its storyline always felt restrained and never exploded with the promise of its set-up and heritage [Grant Morrison’s reworking in that Seven Soldiers thing that I came across in a dollar bin one day in 2012.]). All of which is a longwinded way of saying that I now give new offbeat titles a chance, hoping to strike the gold that seems missing from more mainstream titles. Of the recent resuscitation of Vertigo via titles like “Hinterkind,” “Trillium” and a few others, “Coffin Hill” is the only title that’s grabbed me. I mean, just look at that logo. It’s outright inspired. Designer Gregory Lockard deserves some kind of award for it, maybe even a medal from the American Society of Crows and Ravens. And the story? I have absolutely no fucking idea what the hell is going on from the first issue (the only issue I’ve read as of deadline) and that’s exactly why I’m sticking with it. Dead-alive supernatural girl cop, some other girl with a Mohawk who gets bathed in crow blood, stupid privileged white kids who party in cemeteries and stare at us when they speak, an old annoying Goth boyfriend who grows up to be a cop; I mean I have no goddamned idea how it all ties together or even if it will make eventual sense. Bravo to Caitlin Kittredge and Inaki Miranda for making me work for my pleasure.

Daredevil by Mark Waid Premium HC Vol. 6 (Marvel)

It costs me $50 to fill-up the gas tank to my Tacoma. Pisses me off each trip to the station. In comparison, forking over $20 for another hardcover collection of what I feel is the best superhero comic book of the past four years is an outright pleasure. My only gripe is that these collections are titled “Daredevil by Mark Waid,” giving the writer lopsided credit on a series that perfectly captures the definition of a comic book as a marriage of words and pictures. With all due respect to Mr. Waid, an always or mostly always interesting writer (especially when helming creator-owned titles like “The Unknown”), the success of this book and the reason it wins so many awards is due to the near perfection of its interplay between text and visualization. Waid knows exactly when to show restraint and let his artist partners shine. And shine they do, all of them: the initial artists on the title - the Riveras - as well as current artist Chris Samnee, the latter of whom gives the Silver Surfer (found within) the most convincing treatment since John Buscema. Waid’s exploration of the Marvel Universe, particularly via the elements and secondary characters that he places in both Daredevil’s way (and Matt Murdock’s; Daredevil was outed by some past writer), is always surprising and never feels forced. And always looks good. (Collects Daredevil #28-32.)

SpongeBob Comics #27 (United Plankton Pictures)

“SpongeBob” is one of a dozen titles that I buy for my daughter each month and one of two that I borrow to read (the other is “Adventure Time” and all its various micro-series). The stories almost always capture the energy and nuttiness of the cartoon (unlike, say, the forced and rigid “Scooby-Doo” comic), and the writers and artists unfailingly seem to be having a blast. From the pirate tale intro of the inside from cover to the “Flotsam and Jetsam” (ocean facts) page towards the back, the book is as trustworthy as a Bikini Bottom Boy Scout which, I admit, may not be saying much but you get the drift. Plus, there are always hipster types like James Kolchalka on hand doing short back-up pieces (in this issue too) and even old underground artists like Gary Hallgren giving us their own slightly off-kilter take. Never a disappointment, sometimes a hoot.

…and there are plenty more that are not listed. For a more complete list, feel free to visit your local comic store or favorite site. If you’re interested in more of what I think, follow me on Twitter at Mycomicstore001 or like my Facebook page.

 

Michael R. Murray is a full-time letter carrier for the United States Postal Service who's very happy and thankful for the friends (and family) that are willing and able to step up and help out with this and other work.

 

 

 

 

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