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Review: The Jungle Book Call of the Wild #5

Posted on May 1, 2015 by

There have been a few notable successes thus far in the publication history of Zenescope with its Grimm Fairy Tales imprint, and their foray into the Jungle Book has more or less been one of them. Although the sequel miniseries to the original was not as well conceived as the original, it was still an entertaining entry. The question was therefore about the third of the series, whether it would equal the quality of the first series or that of the second. For the first four issue of the end of the trilogy it seemed as though it would be treading somewhere between the two, and with the conclusion to the series it remains there.

The conclusion to the story here follows Mowgli as she returns to the island after being captured by pirates. The pirates are after her, as she is a prized bounty that will fetch a hefty prize. After returning to the island she realizes what it is exactly that she needed to unite the tribes against. It was not the rumbling of the volcano, but rather the presence of man, now in hot pursuit to find her. There are some surprising moments here, but nothing which elevates the story to the next level.

Part of the problem with this issue and this series is the lack of an underlying moral, or specifically that the moral was introduced too late and not expanded upon enough to make an impact. Certainly in this setting the message of man’s destructive effect on nature could have been elaborated on in great detail, but instead this message is mostly left untouched except as a rallying call for the animals to work together. As the end of the trilogy there are still unanswered questions, and this suggests that in true Grimm Fairy Tales style that this is not so much of a trilogy as just the start of the story. There are likely to be a sequence of one-shots to follow, as well as a followup series, seeing as there are still a lot of unanswered questions. As it stands the series and this issue were noteworthy enough, but they also represent a bit of a missed opportunity.

Story: Mark L. Miller Art: Michele Bandini and Luca Claretti
Story: 8.4 Art: 8.4 Overall: 8.4 Recommendation: Buy

Strange Comic Trends: Similar Homage From Different Publishers

Posted on April 2, 2015 by

Comic companies in the past few years have gotten wise to the collecting aspect of comics in a way which they never had before. The idea must have come from comic conventions, where publishers made alternate overs available for purchase (or sometimes to give away). The alternate covers caught on, and it became clear that there was money to be made by those that were willing to invest a little bit in variant covers, as truly some diehard fans would buy them all, as well as it served as a crossover for some others that would otherwise be uninterested in buying a comic at all. A lot of times these covers had a fairly basic premise, for instance showing characters common to the series in the city where a convention was based. Equally some covers were left blank for artists to fill in at the conventions.

In the past few years there has been an influx of these new titles, often times with a singular inspiration for an entire month for an entire publisher. This specifically happens at the big two publishers, as for instance in a somewhat shameless move by Marvel and its head company Disney, they decided to add in a string of variant covers for Tron Legacy right when the movie was being released (Tron Legacy being a Disney movie.) Other themes have followed since them between the two two companies, as well as occasionally with others, although the theme to note in this case specifically is the one which DC has ongoing at the moment, over its #40 issue of the new 52, and that is to pay homage to well known movie posters.

Tron Spider-Man

Some have been a bit forced, such as the Aquaman cover with Arthur as Free Willy. Others have been a bit more inspired and required a bit more imagination, as for instance the 2001: A Space Odyssey poster for Green Lantern, which mixes up too famous sci-fi Hals in a space setting. While the theme is a bit of a stretch at times, what doesn’t fit in exactly is the main cover to this week’s Jungle Book: Fall of the Wild. As opposed to being a variant cover, it was the main cover and was evidently inspired by the movie poster for Life of Pi. The cover even kind of fits, as Mowgli has been kidnapped off of her island and has animal companions in tow. Due to its theme though, it fits almost too well in with DC Comics’ similarly themed month, which could cause some confusion as to what certain people might be purchasing. Perhaps that confusion was part of the appeal on Zenescope’s part, for fans hoping to collect all the covers and then see another that fits. More likely though, the decision to use this cover was probably made long ago, and it was just coincidental timing that saw the Life of Pi cover go to press for instance during the same week as the Wonder Woman 300 poster cover.

Review: The Jungle Book Fall of The Wild #4

Posted on April 1, 2015 by

To say that this series got complicated after the last issue would be an understatement. Although the stories have been deep at times of the four children marooned on this island and raised to lead their animal clans, there has always been an unanswered question. How did the children arrive there? And where did they come from? And even maybe where were they supposed to be heading? The first series focused on the consuming nature of revenge, and the second series focused on more general concepts like loyalty, but the third seems to be tying together two different angles, that peace is a necessity or it will destroy all, but also to answer how this series fits within the bigger universe. After all this is a “Grimm Fairy Tales Presents …” title, and so far in fourteen issues there has been no sign of Sela or other denizens of Myst.

This issue picks up near where the last left off, with Mowgli abducted by some unknown assailant (seemingly a pirate) who has been playing a role behind the scenes on the island for a while. While other go to rescue her, the animals of the island continue their fighting, not realizing that it will destroy them all if they cannot band together. A hasty rescue is conducted for Mowgli (which does not make much sense in an actual timeline), but the heroes and pirates are thrown together. There are some clever aspects to the characterizations of the characters here, specifically the island humans talking in their animal languages, which was handled well from a technical standpoint as well.

What this issue comes down to though is the launchpad for the final issue. It is there that readers and fans of these series will finally get a payoff, both what the link to the larger universe entails as well as to see if the residents of the island can find a way to live together peacefully or if violence will consume them all. As it stands what the series needed was a lead-in to these big reveals and that is what this issue manages in an effective manner. This is a series where the second to last issue will not be remembered as much as the last, but with this setup it is only for the creative team to bring out the fireworks in the final issue.

Story: Mark L. Miller Art: Michele Bandini
Story: 8.7 Art: 8.7 Overall: 8.7 Recommendation: Buy

Three Grimm Fairy Tales Characters That Should Have Their Own Series

Posted on February 14, 2015 by

Zenescope’s flagship franchise, Grimm Fairy Tales, has one of the strangest track records when it comes to its main characters. There are very few comic companies that have their own shared universes (DC, Marvel, Dark Horse and IDW to a limited degree) but among them Zenescope is one where the majority of its main characters are female. Not surprisingly, the brand does very well with female readership, even if most of them are initially turned off by the often exploitative covers which are evidently in place to draw in unsuspecting male readers. While it is a relatively large publisher, it still struggles at times to produce its own ongoing series, instead often relying on sequences of mini-series. The only ongoing series for the company have been the main Grimm Fairy Tales series, Wonderland, Robyn Hood, and the now canceled Myths and Legends.

With such a rich background of characters, there are still lots of options to explore to introduce new characters, and new characters to highlight in their own series, but which characters deserve their own series the most? Here are three options.

Britney Waters/Little Red Riding Hood

It came as a bit of a surprise when Robyn Hood was given her own series over Britney Waters, who is after all the first cover girl in the series, with series lead Sela not even appearing until the second issue. What has a tendency to work at Zenescope are the properties which are the furthest away from the magical land of Myst, that realm so often muddying or confusing the main storyline from its own focus. Britney is a character who interacts most often with the other main characters, but also one for whom Myst is less of a connection, she has ties there, but they do not define her like they do for the other characters. Instead there are a lot of popular characters in popular fiction at the moment that have a supernatural aspect to them, and Britney’s werewolf like powers fit well within those. After every other major female lead has had a series focus on them, it is probably Britney’s turn for the spotlight to see if she can handle her own ongoing.

Akili

The stories of the Jungle Book as told by the Zenescope writers was one of the most surprising series that the company has published. Instead of focusing on the adventures of the characters, it explores some deeper themes, and interacts its characters in a playful but meaningful way. The series have mostly focused on Mowgli, as the presumed agent that will eventually free Kipling Island from its propensity for war. Supporting her are two other major human characters of the island, Bomani and Akili. While Bomani acts as somewhat of an antagonist to Mowgli, Akili is more of an ally, and her sensitivities to the smaller creatures of the island are also an interesting theme which could be explored. The series writer, Mark Miller, has said that this third installation is likely the end, and it raises the question if the main characters will be thrust into the Grimm Fairy Tales Universe as all other characters are. Either way, it might be time to let Akili have some of spotlight.

Trickster

Little is even known about this character that has shown up in only one issue thus far, in the White Queen miniseries. While the character is far from developed, there are at least some factors which could make the character appealing to readers at least in a design way. Part of what has made the Wonderland series popular is that the design of the characters tends towards the zany at times, counterparts in design to Harley Quinn. Harley Quinn is herself an enigma, though while able to express major violence and lack of empathy, on her own she is a crazy intersection of much of the DC Universe, kind of like what Ambush Bug was like at another time. Although it is unlikely that the Trickster could carry her own series, a miniseries to fill out her background and to show her true motivations would be interesting, especially as she could almost be billed as Grimm Fairy Tales’ Harley.

Review: Grimm Fairy Tales Presents the Jungle Book: Fall of the Wild #2

Posted on January 28, 2015 by

What made the original series in this trilogy so compelling was that it used animals as allegories for the actions of humans. The humans were of course also there, the four orphans that had grown to adulthood having been raised by the different groups of animals. This same dynamic was mostly missing in the second series, which while fun was still mostly just an adventure story that was set on Kipling Island. With this third series, it seems as though some of the deeper allegories of the first series are back.

It of course depends on how much is read into the underlying themes of the story, but at least one theme is clear – war. it does not focus on war as does many comics by showing some of the heroics therein but rather focuses on war as a destroyer of all, that in war there are no such things as victors, only losers that gained relatively more. This is an interesting enough theme unto itself, but there are others at play here as well – greed (by way of gluttony), the natural order of the world, and the willingness to die for an ideal. While there are underlying themes to what is transpiring within, there are also entertaining moments of action. These are focused at first on the battle between the lions and the elephants, but then this action moves in a completely different direction straight into an unlikely scenario for the cliffhanger ending. It is there that some warning is due for the quality of this series. Parts of it seem like the first in the trilogy while other parts seem like the second series and it is still hard to discern exactly which way this series is going.

This issue ends up accomplishing its goals and proves that the creative team deserves some more respect for what they have accomplished before. After all none of the Jungle Tales series has thus far been a disappointment, or if yes, only in relation to one another. This issue seems to have the story line on track much more to what the first series was than the second, and despite the somewhat absurd premise for the the third issue, it would seem that the momentum will carry on there as well.

Story: Mark L. Miller Art: Luca Claretti
Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5 Recommendation: Buy

Review: Grimm Fairy Tales Presents The Jungle Book: Fall of the Wild #1

Posted on December 25, 2014 by

The original series from Grimm Fairy Tales on their version of Jungle Book was one of the most innovative series in recent years. Taking a fairly gender bent approach to the stories, it recast Mowgli as a female focused on revenge for the death of her wolf mother. Along the way, she learns the true cost of revenge, a lesson often not learned by many heroes, and saw more character development in six issues than many comic characters see in years. Following on this the second series was a bit of a letdown. It focused instead on the fantastical nature of the island and was less impressive in terms of theme, and ended up as little more than an adventure story set in a strange setting.

This third and supposedly final series dealing with the stories of Mowgli within the Grimm Fairy Tales universe seem at first reading as though it might recapture some of the quality of the original series. Focusing instead on a greater theme, this series seems as though it will focus on war and the effect of its ravages. Thus far into this third series, the story focuses on the disparate characters on the island as they deal with different elements of conflict and in differing positions of power, and while it is still early, it is easy to see that the creative team is after something bigger than just a fun story. Equally this series seems to be putting the focus back on Mowgli, who was the heart of the first series, and for whom the second series suffered by often putting her out of the primary focus.

The end result is an issue full of potential for a fulfilling and meaningful series. This seems to be following a general pattern of sequels often being a letdown and the third attempt in the trilogy being something more meaningful. This was true with the Wonderland trilogy, and appears to be true here as well. Ideally the creative team will be able to follow the pattern of the Wonderland series and to roll over this series into something more consistent as these are some of the most interesting and compelling characters of the Grimm Fairy Tales universe.

Story: Mark L. Miller Art: Michele Bandini
Story: 8.4 Art: 8.4 Overall: 8.4 Recommendation: Buy

Funko Announces Pop! Disney: The Jungle Book and Robin Hood

Posted on October 15, 2014 by Brett

Funko has a bunch of new figures including Pop! Disney: The Jungle Book. The Jungle Book Pop!’s are a bare necessity!

Mowgli, Kaa, and Shere Khan make the perfect addition to the previously released Baloo and King Louie Pop!’s. The figures are out in October.

Also announced are Pop! Disney: Robin Hood The archer of Nottingham is coming to Funko! He’s here to help save the citizens of Nottingham! Watch out, Prince John and Sir Hiss… Robin Hood is an outlaw! (…An adorable outlaw)

Coming in October!