Simon Dark

October is an auspicious month to start a horror series. In October 2007 DC Comics launched the ongoing monthly series "Simon Dark" written by Steve Niles (30 Days of Night) and arted by Scott Hampton (Batman: Night Cries). The first issue introduces readers to the titular Simon in eerie and violent circumstances involving ritual sacrifice and decapitation. As the series progresses, Simon and the small corner of Gotham City he inhabits are explored in greater depth. An interesting comparison can be made to many of the horror series published by Marvel and DC Comics in the 1970's. The story and art each contribute to this seventies feel in their own way. There is also room for small complaint about some of the marketing tactics used on the front covers of each issue.

To understand the horror comics of the 1970's one must first explore the comics of the fifties. In the fifties horror comics flourished. Particularly those published by the well remembered puyblishing company E. C. The rules of the Comics Code Authority prohibited comic books from publishing stories featuring such stand by tropes of the horror genre as vampires, werewolves, and anything with a wiff of the demonic or psychotic. It's not that it would have been illegal to publish such comics, the Authority was a voluntary body whose members chose to join and follow its outlined rules, however without their once ubiquitous seal of approval it was nearly impossible to get distributors or retailers to carry a comic book. In the mid sixties a company called Warren began publishing horror comics in magazine format which let them work around the Authority. By 1969 they published the first issue of the Vampirella. In 1971 Marvel comics tested the boundaries by introducing a new villain in Amazing Spider-Man # 101. His name, Morbius the Living Vampire. Morbius is a vampire whose origin is based entirely in comic book science without any real hint of the occult. With his success Marvel went on to publish characters such as Werewolf By Night, Man-Thing, and Tomb of Dracula. Around this same period DC Comics titles such as House of Mystery and House of Secrets, which had begun as horror anthologies in the fifties, returned to their cobweb encrusted roots. Since this renaissance of horror in the late 60's early 70's, horror comics of varying levels of popularity and spookiness have been in continuous publications.

The writing and artwork that comprise Simon Dark each contribute to the 70's horror feeling of Simon Dark in their own ways. It's easy to compare a writer's current work to work they have done before, so that's what our first stop. "30 Days of Night" is a vicious series. Its gore levels, deadpan, get it dead, humor, and bitter ironies give it more than a passing flavor of the sorts of stories published by E. C. in the fifties as outlined above. Simon Dark on the other hand is built in a way that echoes the structure of several 70's horror titles especially those published by Marvel Comics. There is a very specific structure that one recognizes after reading a few of these books. Tomb of Dracula, Man-Thing , and The Living Mummy, are all built around an ensemble cast of five to seven "normal" humans with the titular Monster/Horror character serving as a sort of centerpiece for the rest of the cast to have stories around. In some ways this structure is also evident in Alan Moore and David Lloyd's "V for Vendetta," in which V often serves as a mysterious faceless center for the book's "human" cast to revolve around playing out their various dramas. Hints of this can even be seen in Neil Gaiman's Sandman which acknowledges its DC horror comic forbears in its second issue. Simon Dark also has this cast structure. The series focuses as much on the character's around Simon, allies and enimies, as it does on the theoretical 'star' of the series. This is not a complaint, each character is developed in interesting and very human ways. The art also has the flavor of 70's horror comics. Scott Hampton's artwork has a wonderful painted look. It almost has the glow of a movie projected on a screen. It is a far cry from Ben Tenplesmith's art in "30 Days" which veers more towards the iconic with his monsters having a stretched warped look, like caricatures or bodies viewed through fun house mirrors. Hampton's work looks more like an updated modern take on the artwork of 70's horror artists. It bears particular resemblance to Gene Colan's work on Tomb of Dracula. One can see other things in the art that bring the Work of Berni Wrightson, and even Mike Ploog or Neal Adams in some panels. The color tends to be muted in a way that fits the Gothic horror themes in the book.

Even with so much to like about a book there is inevitably something to complain about, in the case of Simon Dark it is an odd aspect of, what I assume, is meant to be part of the series' marketing. So far almost every issue features a blurb at the top of the cover emphasizing that the series is set in Gotham City. In the first eight issues so far, and readers can correct me if I missed something, not a single 'bat-person' has appeared or really even been hinted at. I'm not saying i want Batman, or any of his people to appear, because the book doesn't need them, but asside from characters using the words Gotham City as the name of their city there is not yet anything in the book particularly emblematic of Gotham City. The story feels like it could be happening in just about any coastal city, and the covers' insistence that this is THE Gotham City of Batman and the Joker comes off a bit forced.

Poor choice of cover blurbs aside, Simon Dark offers an excellent modernized vision of seventies style horror comics, for which i admit a weakness. The combination of threatening mysterious atmosphere with very human engaging characters makes Simon Dark a real treat although those looking for a bucket filling gore fest would do best to look elsewhere. On a side note the book's assistant editor is Stephanie Buscema granddaughter to the late John Buscema. I believe she has a blog on blogspot if readers are interested in learning more about her work and opinions.

First foot forward

Ahhh! The virgin post on a freshly created blog. I will endeavor to be gentle. First a little about myself, I am a part-time cashier/ part-time college student, thus I have all the qualifications needed to pass judgment on whatsoever should come to my attention. I will review anything in any format. Without further adieu, the first review.

2000's

That's correct. The entire decade up to this point. I spent a great deal of thought trying to decide what the definitive spirit of our age is. After careful scrutiny it is evident to me the prevalent mood of the decade has, thus far, been one of profound disappointment. A disappointing president, disappointing wars, disappointment all around.

George W. Bush was elected president at a time when the world seemed to run so smoothly for the American public that it didn't matter how lousy a person we elected president. I must admit that in the run up to the 2000 election W. seemed to me to be the candidate most resembling a shady used car salesman, which I suspect he may actually be at this moment in an alternate universe.

September 2001, possibly the most disappointing day in American history. It is the day the United States got shaken out of the decade long daydream that was the ninties and reminded that it shared the world with people and groups that were not overly fond of its foreign policies.

Over the decade entertainment in most forms grows more and more disappointing ads it relies on constant remakes and reality programing.

Only time will tell if this decade ends on the same dissappointing notes that ushered it in.