Sunday Splash Page #63

"Social Garrote Rather Than Social Safety Net," in Arsenic Lullaby #1, by Douglas Paszkiewicz

I bought Arsenic Lullaby - The Devil's Decade at Cape-Con back in 2014. A collection of all the issues of the series, under its various titles that came out between 1998 and 2005. The book varies between a few different threads and recurring characters. The baby assassin above is one, although he eventually winds up in a different branch of government service. There's another thread about Baron von Donut, the spokesman for a German pastry company. And there's Voodoo Joe, the guy cursed to wear a voodoo mask, who has to then curse others to keep his curse from getting any worse. I'm not sure how it will get worse, and he doesn't either (too busy screaming while the guy who cursed him explains), but he'd rather not find out. Plus other, sporadic stories or just random one-offs.

The different threads don't ever come together, because that's not what Paszkiewicz is after. It's more humor with a cruel edge. Joe can create zombies to control, but finds full-grown adults take up too much space. So he reanimates aborted babies out of a dumpster. Or the kid who has decided that the kids from damaged homes are considered cool, so he asks Joe to act as his abusive father for a while. Stuff like that. Sometimes I laugh really hard, and other times I question what the hell is wrong with me the times that I laugh. Depends on my mood.

Paszkiewicz draws everyone with a kind of slump-shouldered look. Everyone is a little beaten down, a little worn, and it makes them mean. Even the kids. His style is heavier on inks in the stories about Voodoo Joe than when he writes about Baron von Donut or aliens. Fewer shadows, lighter linework on the figures.

What I Bought 10/4/2017

Of the two books I was looking for that came out last week, the first issue of the new Tick series was not the one I expected the store to have. Really, I didn't expect it to have either book. One is better than none!

Tick 2017 #1, by Cullen Bunn and Jimmy Z (writers), Douglas Paszkiewicz (artist), Erika Rolbiecki (colorist), Jeff McClelland (writer, back-up story), Duane Redhead (artist, back-up story) - I've read Arsenic Lullaby often enough I recognize how Paszkiewicz draws heads, in that peculiar manner that makes them look kind of flattened front-to-back. Those ninjas should probably be more in a ready stance. They have to know it isn't gonna end well for the ones on the crane.

Tick and Arthur survive a combined assault from Murder Clowns and ninjas, but a shipping container is dropped on the Tick, and the combination of head trauma and all the pulverized sugary cereal unlocks repressed memories. As well as the ability to speak French and play piano. The next day, Arthur returns home from a food run and learns Tick's booked them a bus ride to the Canadian Rockies, in search of La Chambre Rouge, which is The Red Room, correct? Why couldn't it be German?

The back-up story is about a poor ninja who tries to bluff our heroes about the contents of a small case he's carrying. It ends with the Tick stealing his lunch, which doesn't seem very heroic. But the universe rights itself as the lunch contains circus peanuts, and neither of our heroes enjoy the horrible taste.

So we're going to explain the Tick's origin? This seems like one of those things that's only been hinted at for so long, the imagination of the each reader has come up with their own answer better than any someone else can devise. 'Course, there's no guarantee we'll get answers. The Tick may even be remembering someone else's memories. That seems like the kind of bizarre thing he'd do. I suppose the important part of the story will be the friends they make along the way. Or enemies, more likely.

 I enjoy Paszkiewicz' art, the little touches he adds. One of the clowns is pulling a ten-pin to use out of his mouth, like a reverse sword-swallower. The box on the wall in Arthur's room labeled "Emergency Wings". And he really captures Arthur's schlubby, nervous demeanor in the body language. The big fight scene that comprises much of the issue is fine; I don't think that's necessarily Paszkiewicz' strength as an artist, but he can get the job done. Knows when to draw back for a wider shot to give a sense of the number of foes, or go close-in for a bunch of narrow panels of the Tick dispatching enemies.

I kept expecting some sorts of punchlines. Reach the end of a page, here's a joke or a gag. Not really the case. Maybe if Paszkiewicz (one of these times I'll remember the "z" the first attempt) was writing it also. I'm curious to see how Bunn does, although I don't know the breakdown of labor on the writing between him and Jimmy, or how Paszkiewicz is involved in that side of things. I haven't been terribly impressed with the stuff I've read of Bunn's in the past, but it was all Marvel stuff, and much more serious in tone than this. So we'll see.