What I Bought 5/8/2019 - Part 4

Onward and upward, hopefully. Today we have two different books I took a chance on. One of them is promising, the other didn't work for me.

Ghost Tree #1, by Bobby Curnow (writer), Simon Gane (artist), Ian Herring with Becka Kinzie (colorists), Chris Mowry (letterer) - You got a little something on your face. Or maybe not.

When Brandt was a kid, his grandfather made him promise to come back and visit him under a particular tree, 10 years after his grandfather died. Brandt is back in Japan, mostly to get away from a failing marriage, but he's still right on time, even if he didn't remember the promise he made. His grandfather is there, along with a lot of other ghosts. His grandfather regrets telling him to come back here, but Brandt feels comfortable. The mysterious figure on the cover is watching over all this, has some connection with a woman Brandt knew when they were kids.

The comic is peaceful, which may sound odd for being about ghosts, but the figure on the cover hasn't taken any threatening actions yet, and neither has anyone else. Brandt is running from his troubled relationship, returning to place he has fond childhood memories. Gane draws him with somewhat messy clothes, and he avoids eye contact with most people. Talking to his grandmother next to him while they both look ahead. Looking at the car window while talking to his cousin. He seems like an awkward, uncertain, weary guy.

Also, when Brandt wakes up in the middle of the night, Gane draws him with some of his hair sticking straight up, and it stays that way for the remainder of the scene. Because people's hair gets weird when they sleep, and Brandt's not thinking about it to where he'd smooth it back down. Which was a little detail I appreciated.

But when he interacts with his grandfather's ghost, he stands up straighter, he looks at him while talking, and there's a genuine smile. Not a smirk, or watery weak smile, but a real one. His grandfather told him to hold onto childhood memories because they would be the happiest, and even if he didn't remember that conversation, he seems to have taken it to heart. The question is whether he's holding onto the memories or retreating into them, and how that is going to contrast with all these spirits. I guess we'll see.

I don't think the book is even entirely finished with set-up yet, but as far as first issues go, this one did well to get my interest.

Jungle Comics #1, by Chuck Dixon (writer), Kelsey Shannon (artist), Brian Denham (letterer) - For some reason I was thinking constrictor snakes wouldn't necessarily have teeth. Don't know why I'd think that, they have to have something in their mouth to help keep a grip on the prey while they gradually swallow it.

The basic story is about one those white jungle guys that rules over a village because he's the strongest guy around. A nearby village is attacked by what turn out to be dinosaurs, and he naturally goes to meet the challenge. The catch is that Dixon writes it in a way that acknowledges some of the problematic aspects of these kinds of stories. Not exactly a parody, although there are some jokes, and not exactly a deconstruction, either.

Members of the tribe questioning why exactly they let this arrogant white dude be their king. His wife complaining she wants to visit Leopoldville, because at least there's running water there. The great hero's resolve and will not ultimately being enough to win the day. Ka'a'anga doesn't see the problems with how things are going, but he's king of the mountain, so why would he? Everyone else recognizes this is not a great system, but no one seems willing to do anything, other than grumble. Eventually the problem is resolved for them, so I'm not sure what to take from that.

There are certain parts of Shannon's art style that reminds me of Joe Kubert, probably because Kubert drew Tarzan comics for a time. Mostly in the panels where Ka'a'anga is fighting something, the musculature, some of the hatch lines and shading on the body. Like the legs and rubs in the panel above. The resemblance fades in the panels that are mocking Ka'a'anga for being an arrogant blockhead, or the other characters questioning how things are going. It's a softer look, the coloring makes the linework a bit less distinct, inks a heavier too, more shadows.

I'm not sure what I was expecting exactly. That the stories would try to address or adapt the genre to eliminate some of the problematic aspects, but otherwise play it straight. Just do a crazy jungle adventure while avoiding the stuff about a white savior that naturally is the best suit to lead the black tribes. Ka'a'anga as a friend and ally to those in need, but the M'ukundas run their own village. This does the first half, but not really the second half.