Gory and gruesome, 1985 Black Hole Repo #1 delivers on its publisher, Heavy Metal, Inc.’s namesake. However, behind the artwork, which seems ripped straight from a Metal album’s cover, it misses the mark on the social and political statements it attempts to make. Often, the criticisms are unceremoniously blunt, lacking any subtlety at all. But I guess in this regard the story encapsulates the essence of its heavy metal inspiration as well.
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I like Wonder Woman, I like who she is and what she stands for and find her to be a good role model. She stands side by side with Superman and Batman forming a trinity of super hero awesomeness. Wonder Woman Annual #1 comes out at a perfect time as the Amazonian princess is also coming to the big screen in her own movie and I feel this book is an excellent collection of short stories that anyone can can enjoy. You do not need to read any prior comic to understand what’s going on, this is great for anyone who is maybe only discovering the character for the first time thanks to the movie or who is like me, a casual fan who still enjoys the character. While it does help to have at least some knowledge of the DC world, the writing no way depends on you having this which is a strong point.
Read MoreYou know how Marvel Studios said they were going to try and stop doing origin stories because the viewer had seen too many of them? I really wish ReincarNATE had got that memo. Or at least figured they could have sped past a lot of the setup and moved onto the actual hook, which is Nate can talk to two of his past lives who now help him fight crime. Most of this comic is a very by the books private detective story. Nate is a former cop turned a private eye. He is resented by most of the force, besides Autumn, a cop who is a little sweet on him since she is literally the only woman in the book. Nate has a smart mouth and is in over his head. He also is the only one trying to take down the big bad guy…El Panda, which is one of the lamest bad guy names in history. We don’t know why Nate left the force for sure but get a quick glimpse it was him being set up because he got too close to the “truth.”
Nate then gets shot which causes not his death, not any brain damage, it just magically makes two guys appear only he can see. One is a cowboy and the other a sniper or assassin, both of them are Nate’s previous lives. That is where the comic gets slightly interesting as the pair bring new voices to this very tired story. But before we can get to deep into that the comic is over.
After the main comic is all done, there’s a three-page back up story. It already has Nate working with his past selves and spoils any tension the main story may have on how that relationship will work. It is also way more concise and gets to the point what the main story took 25 pages to do. It even ends on a better cliffhanger, backup story for life!
The art in the main comic is alright; everything is understandably heavy shadowed. Occasional line work and coloring seem to give people facial hair they didn’t have before or have in the next panel. Also, there're a few panels early on where Nate has completely different faces, my favorite where he appears to be a creepy bad guy from the old EC Comics covers. When the shadows don’t over invade and misshapen people, though, there are some great expressions. A lot is told in looks that the word bubbles feels the need to also express. Hopefully, that gets fixed in the future. Just chose one or the other and be more consistent on the faces.
As a whole, this is a pretty forgettable book. Nothing in the story will stick with you afterward nor will any of the characters. Even the two past lives are the epitome of what you mentally picture when I say cowboy and assassin. Hopefully, further issues try something new this rehash just doesn’t cut it.
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ReincarNATE #1 Writer: Michael Moreci Artist: Keith Burns Publisher: Heavy Metal Price: $3.99 Format: Mini-Series; Print/Digital
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ZEB LARSON: I actually feel like Roche Limit has become somewhat more hopeful throughout its run, and not just because we’ve lost Langford’s rather morose narration as the series has gone. Was that intentional, or am I just becoming optimistic?
MICHAEL MORECI: You're absolutely right. Ultimately, Roche Limit was a story about redemption, both intimately for each of our characters and also for humanity as well. The deeper we went into the series, the more the central idea became apparent—that one of the things that makes humanity so uniquely wonderful is our capacity to dedicate ourselves—and sacrifice ourselves, if need be—for the greater good. We have these systems of cooperation everywhere we look: families, government, churches, etc., and I firmly, firmly believe that we accomplish more together than we do on our own. The despair in those early issues come from Langford realizing what his failures—and humanity's failures—were, then finding strength to move beyond that.
ZL: If we’re making comparisons, part one of this series is Blade Runner, and part two is more akin to Aliens. How would you describe part three? Were the influences behind it different from what inspired the first two series?
MM: I think Monadic, part three, is the most blank template of the three. I was really playing homage to a lot of sci-fi in volumes one and two—Blade Runner, Aliens, Philip K. Dick, Vonnegut, even Star Wars. Part three has some dashes of Dark City and Kubrick, but it's the most original of the three.
ZL: How much was this series mapped out when the first book came out? Did it develop as you published it, or was it mostly set from the beginning?
MM: I had the ending—those final four pages—in my mind from the very start. I knew exactly that's where it would end. And I knew it would be three parts with big spans of time between each, and I knew pretty much the entire story of Clandestiny. But, I was surprised along the way, all the time, and I went down some unexpected paths, so I had room for discovery.
ZL: Why bring the characters from the first and second arcs back together? What did you want to do with that?
MM: Because I think, ultimately, there stories were the same. They were about characters driven by individual pursuits who lost sight of the bigger picture, and I wanted them to come back and have the opportunity to find the redemption in this weird afterlife that they couldn't find in life, but it also tied the theme, mentioned above, in a nice bow: you can be an individual—it's imperative to the human experience that you are—but you have to contextualize yourself within the greater good of your family, community, and so on. That's what the black sun aliens could never grasp—committing to something bigger than yourself while still being an individual, and that's why they were never able to become human.
ZL: The aliens in this series are ambiguous, in a certain sense, because they seem more focused on imitating the worst in humanity. Does that say something about human nature?
MM: I think it was less the worst that they were trying to imitate and more that they didn't understand the best of us. And there is a discord there, right? On one hand, we are all so unique—we have a soul, a monad, a unit of being that makes us self-aware individuals—and on the other hand, we are also units of a greater whole. But, sometimes, being part of that whole means we have to lay down one of our greatest strengths/characteristics, our individualism, out of necessity. The aliens were never able to understand that, and that's what held them back.
ZL: What takeaway do you want people to have now that Roche Limit is finished?
MM: You know, I've said a lot about the themes, and I think there's a lot there that's important now, existentially and politically. But I also hope that Roche Limit can be a reminder that sci-fi doesn't need to be limited to being simply action in space with crazy ass gadgets and aliens. The best sci-fi informs us, instructs us, gets us to understand who and what we are on a deeper, more profound level. I'm thinking PKD, Children of Men, the Expanse novel series, Blade Runner, Gattaca—I can go on and on and on. Point being—I want to see more comic books like Roche Limit. I want to see books that are weird as hell but have something bigger to say, following the tradition of the best sci-fi—which, to me, is the best storytelling genre that there is.
ZL: Let’s shift gears to Indoctrination for a bit. It delves into similar themes we’ve seen elsewhere in what you write. Was there a specific moment of inspiration?
MM: Not really. I think it's more about our cultural landscape of radical thought that, sometimes, get puts into radical action. And I think, in our country, both sides are guilty of the same thing—all we do is dig into the thoughts and mores of our tribe, and we never take a moment to listen or hear other people out. We're all getting more and more radical, and that's a very, very dangerous thing.
ZL: There’s a quote in the first issue of Indoctrination about men being slaves to the ideas of a defunct economist. Obviously, the book is taking a hard look at radical Islam, but is there anything else you’re turning the lens on?
MM: Without question, and I'll just come out and say it: Trump. I think Trump is a cult leader if there ever was one. He shares the most basic traits of make unrealistic promises as he feeds on people's fears, and all he asks in exchange is total devotion and to be given all the power—power over our lives, our opinions, our law. Sure, Indoctrination is about ISIS, but it's just as much about the radicalism that is choking American politics right here and now—radicalism that's becoming mainstream, which is terrifying.
ZL: I saw you mention in another interview that you and Matt Battaglia sit on fairly different sides of the political fence, but you seem to have found common ground in Indoctrination. What is it about what you’re working on that made this possible? Is that something that can be applied elsewhere?
MM: Matt and I are for sure different, but unlike more political people, we're willing to listen to each other and we respect each other's viewpoints. Out of that, we see the same things: radicalism run amok, dangerous enemies encroaching that can literally spring out of nowhere. Can our relationship be applied elsewhere? Man, I really hope so. Because an unwillingness to listen is one of the reasons why we have such radical thought. No one listens anymore. No one respects differing viewpoints. And when you do that, you just entrench yourself on your side, so hard, and you never look back. And the more you entrench, the less you listen, the further away from moderate viewpoints you get. And this goes for both liberals and conservatives—we need to listen and respect each other much, much more than we do. Politically and culturally. You'd be surprised how much calmer we can all be if we're just willing to listen to someone—even if you think they're perspective is wrong.
ZL: Let me put you on the spot. Burning Fields was at least in part about the consequences of American intervention in Iraq, an intervention which was supposed (depending on who you asked and when) to quell the threat of Islamic terrorism. Indoctrination is living in the shadows of those consequences to a certain extent, as well as terrorism. What should we do differently?
MM: Oh, man. That's a tough question. There's so much. I think a lot has to do with violence being our first response, violence being so deeply ingrained in our society. We need more diplomacy. We need better gun laws. We need better foreign policies. I know this answer is all over the place, but there's so many things we can do better, but I think it starts with problems that all start with violence. The U.S. weaponized Bin Laden however many years ago when it was convenient for us to do so, and eventually he came to being our greatest enemy. We went to war in Iraq for no reason, and now Iraq is a hotbed for our greatest terrorist threat. The thread in all this is that violence begets more violence. It may not be direct, but it's there. I've set it before, and I stand by it—we will never kill our way to peace. It will never happen.
ZL: Do you have any answers about how we can kill an idea?
MM: I'm not sure about an answer, but at least an idea. It goes back to what I said before—we need more unity. There's a reason why the message of ISIS and Trump are so appealing, right? People are able to be reached with these toxic messages, these perverted ideas, because they feel marginalized or troubled or desperate in some way. We need to be sure out political policies are reaching everyone, both domestically and abroad, in the best way possible. That means basic conditions are being met: health care, livable wages, access to education. You can't kill an idea—but you can make it so people aren't seeking radical answers to problems they don't have.
ZL: You’re working on two books. Can you tell us anything about them?
MM: The two novels are quite the departure for me, in some ways. They're sci-fi, which is right in my wheelhouse, of course, but they're more sci-fi adventure books. If you know me, you know my favorite thing in the world is Star Wars. I LOVE Star Wars. These books are hugely inspired by Star Wars. They're fun, they're full of adventure, but, you know, it wouldn't be me if there wasn't something deeper going on as well (which Star Wars has as well!).
Stop it. Just stop it Michael Moreci and Matt Battaglia with your exquisite artwork and wonderfully told story that plunges the very depths of my soul. Who are you trying to fool? You can’t both really be this good can you? Can you?
I was slightly concerned that after reading your exceptional first issue, which casts a horrifyingly ominous light on terrorism and indoctrination, that issue two just couldn’t measure up. Whilst not quite as strong as the first instalment, it seems my fears were entirely misplaced. What is it the kids say these days?
This book is killing it.
If there is one indie comic I recommend you pick up this year it would have to be this. What surprises me though is it’s just so different from Z2 Comics’ other titles, where did this little gem come from? Who cares, I’m on the train. I’ll be there till the end, yes I too have been indoctrinated it would seem.
We drop right into another exceptionally presented American town, following our two FBI agents and their terrorist aid Wilkins as they track down the faceless terrorist known as Sahir. The sun seems to glow off the very pages themselves, as if Battaglia had somehow bottled a part of our nearest star, dipped his pencil in it and just let rip. The imagery is powerful and vivid as we see one of the faithful being dunked beneath the water by a local religious leader and the man our trio is there to see. It appears one of his congregation was attacked by a man with Sahir’s mark tattooed upon his chest: the serpent. This new revelation puts the investigation into high gear as they set out to find the tattoo artist, hoping it would lead them to Sahir himself.
The mysterious agent known only as Huxum is hot on their trail, we still don’t know his true role in all of this but it adds an intriguing element to the story, something else to ponder on as plot races forward. Things are a lot more action packed in this second issue, the team's pursuit of the tattooist leads them to a cartel shoot-out which is nothing short of spectacular. Some comics can make action scenes a big confusing mess but this was done expertly, you could almost hear the bullets fly as our FBI duo fight their way to safety. Remember those bright, neon blues Battaglia used in issue one? Well my word if he hasn’t stepped it up a gear in his use of colour here, it practically drips from the page as the blood is spilled.
Due to the dark, sketch style of artwork he employs, at times it can be difficult to discern one character from another but who cares? When I look at a beautifully decorated christmas tree, it doesn’t bother me that I can’t see the individual pine needles ya know?
What we have here is an exceptionally rare blending of creative talent, writer and artist coming together to create something magical, and haunting…
Like its title, this book warps your perspective, as you fall inevitably along the paths of our protagonists, you can’t escape it. There’s more in store for them, for us, but perhaps we’re powerless to stop it...
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