Should YOU be reading this? – Edgar Allen Poo & Punisher too

Should you be reading this? – Edgar Allen Poo & Punisher too
by Joshua N. Pierce, Columnist
Edited by: Louis F. Badalament, II

The Surreal Adventures of Edgar Allen Poo Volume 1
Created & Written by: Dwight L. MacPherson
Art by: Thomas Boatwright
Lettered by: Thomas Mauer
Cover by: David Hartman
Edited by: Kristen Simon
Publisher: Jim Valentino
Company: Shadowline/Image
Pages: 96
Cover Price: $9.99
Stars 2 ½ / 5

Is the brainchild of Dwight L. MacPherson (Dead Men Tell No Tales, Archibald Saves Christmas, and Kid Hudini and the Silver Dollar Misfits with art that stands out by Thomas Boatwright. This story was Eagle- and Harvey-nominated, and has long captured the hearts of its readers.

As I mentioned before, in my previous post, Shadowline/Image puts out unique and different titles, and The Surreal Adventures Of Edgar Allen Poo is certainly no exception. A well-crafted idea, overall, the universe that Dwight MacPherson created is thoroughly enjoyable, with enough materials in place for its author to expand upon for years to come. The characters are rich and fun, making this a must-read for children.

That said, I don’t think Edgar Allen Poo lives up to its full potential. The plot travels at such a fast-paced tempo that you can’t ground your feet as a reader. For most of the story, I was just trying to figure out what was going on, and MacPherson fails to spell things out. We learn things in small bits and pieces, but it didn’t provide me much satisfaction as a reader.

Much more can be said of MacPherson’s characterization, though. Irving the rat, the loyal “friend” of Edgar Allen Poo, was fun to read, as much as Edgar, himself. Otherwise, the only special stand-out was Thomas Boatwright’s art, which never fails to delivers. Without Boatwright to lend his special touch, this story would be even less than what it already is. He is one of the few reasons that I enjoyed this volume at all.

The Surreal Adventures of Edgar Allen Poo Volume 2
Created & Written by: Dwight L. MacPherson
Art by: Avery Butterworth
Lettered by: Jason Hanley
Cover by: Thomas Boatwright
Edited by: Kristen Simon
Published by: Jim Valentino
Company: Silverine/Shadowline/Image
Pages: 96 Pages
Cover Price: $12.99
Stars: 3 ½ / 5

This book picks up directly from where Volume 1 left off, and is leaps and bounds better. The first book was more of an introduction to the world of Edgar Allen Poo, while this superior sequel answered every question that I’d been left with. The pacing had improved, but at times Dwight MacPherson still tends to leap forward a little too fast for my taste. As an artist, Avery Butterworth definitely did no favors to the story. In some sections of the book, the art is amazing while in others, you can tell Butterworth was rushing to beat a deadline. It’s not that Butterworth lacks talent as an illustrator; he could have a future in the business if he only maintains a consistent level of detail in all his pages.

Combined, The Surreal Adventures of Edgar Allen Poo Books 1 & 2 make a fun read. Although they may seem fast-paced, and the art style changes between the two volumes, I would still recommend it for any child out there. Dwight MacPherson’s stated goal, in writing this book, was to create a story that would inspire young kids to read, and these two books have the potential to do just that.

Punisher Issues 1 & 2
Written by: Rick Remender
Pencils by: Jerome Opena
Colors by: Dan Brown & VC’s Joe Caramagna
Edited by: Axel Alonso
Published by: Dan Buckley
Company: Marvel Comics
Issue 1 & 2 story page count: 22 (per book)
Issue 1 Cover Price: $3.99
Issue 2 Cover Price: $2.99
Stars: 3 ¾ / 5

You can tell Rick Remender has big ideas on where to take the new Punisher series. After the “cancellation” of Punisher: War Journal, (written by Matt Fraction,) I was left a little upset. Fraction had had a good run, and a new #1 was unnecessary for Remender to assume full scripting duties at that book he already co-wrote for the ten issues or so. But with the “Dark Reign” snug in the Marvel Universe’s seat of power, we all known that Marvel will exploit that to the best of their abilities. Still, that doesn’t mean that Rick’s plan is any less involved than it would’ve been as issue 27 of Punisher: War Journal.

The first issue consists of Frank going after Norman Osborn. A battle with the Sentry ensues, and Frank’s new “friend” saves him. Action bursts off the page as the schizophrenic Sentry seemingly toys with Frank, as he frantically tries to evade and escape, until he is finally saved again by his new friend, just as the Sentry closes in.

The second issue is all about Frank’s new mission statement is to rid the world of Norman Osborn. How Frank goes about this with his new friend is interesting, to say the least. Before, Frank would have just blown everything up in the messiest way to kill Norman. Now, Frank Castle is going “Burn Notice” (USA Network television series) on Norman, taking pictures and gathering evidence in a spy type way that’s completely at odds with Frank’s established modus operandi; acting on facts and killing those responsible. But it seems that Rick Remender is taking Frank in a new direction, redefining how the Punisher goes about business.

Although the second issue has some pacing issues I would recommend both issues for anyone who wants to read a story that is building to something, and loves Punisher stories. The first issue is unreasonably priced, and the only reason it is $3.99 is because in the back it had the “Punisher Saga” which is a recap of the Punisher story. I believe that Rick has a real future with this title and his run will be a lot of fun to read.

See you all next week when we look at The Unearthed Cemetery Blues, and The Stand: Captain Tripps.

Joshua N. Pierce
joshuanpierce@gmail.com
www.myspace.com/joshakame

Joshua N. Pierce

View all posts by Joshua N. Pierce
Joshuas website