REVIEW: Binary Gray #5

Writer:  Chris Charlton

Artist:  Rowel Roque

Review:  Arthur Black

Every fanboy at some point in their life has wished for some kind of super power to make their life better.  Would a super power really make a person’s life better?  The answer is yes AND no.  The power would be handy to do extraordinary tasks or have fun, but the drawbacks could be severe.  There would also be the unwanted attention. If Lindsay Lohan can get all of the attention she does for being a celebrity having fun, could you just imagine the attention you could get as a superhero having fun.  Chris Charlton’s tale of Alex Gray takes a unique angle on an average Joe being boosted to an extraordinary hero in his series, Binary Gray.

Binary Grayis a tale of an ordinary IT employee with an extemely annoying job, whose life is chopped in a blender and thrown against the wall after an accident at work. The series starts with a glimpse at Alex’s past where we find his father was killed in an accident resulting from a fight between a super hero, The Cross, and a villain, Scaldron. This event carries a lot of pain and guilt for the 32 year old man.  At work Alex is electrocuted by an exposed wire in the server room at work, and after a rush to the hospital and  unconsciousness, he awakens to find that electronics are whispering “hello Alex” to him.  Not only that, he can communicate with electronics instantly with a simple touch.

The first four books of the series are a great build up for the explosiveness of the fifth. Alex Gray begins to explore his powers as he tries to unravel the mystery surrounding his father’s death and determine the whereabouts of The Cross and Scaldron. As his powers draw a huge amount of information to him, he finds himself drawing an equal amount of attention and trouble as well. A former branch of the CIA, known as the Agency, is alerted to Alex when he accesses top secret files for a Project Balthazar, in which people are being used in heinous experiments.

Alex Gray is a captivating character because he is real. Before his accident, he is a mediocre person with a lot of the same quirks and interests we all have. His job is boring and redundant. Even the woman he wants to ask out feels out of reach for him even though she has shown interest. Granted this does not sound gripping until you flip his reality around and slap him really hard with it. This is exactly what happens to him when he gets his power. Suddenly his job is fun and possibilities seem open. Unfortunately for him, the fun does not last long.

As a comic book junkie, super heroes like Superman and Thor really do not appeal to me. This is mainly due to their invulnerability. They have little risk in being heroes, even though they are driven to doing good deeds for the world. The excitement of a vulnerable person with a unique ability trying to good deeds and screwing up constantly is where my interests lie. Alex Gray is definitely this kind of hero. Being able to communicate with electronics and instantly access networks has unlimited possibilities in the city, but how does this work in the middle of a field or hanging on the side of a mountain.

Binary Gray#5 is the explosion of action after the four issue starting story arc. Chris Charlton finally fully lifts the veil on Virtue, a small super hero group, and shows us all of the members. Since Marvel has a run on many of the great original superhero ideas, it can be hard to find original ideas. Charlton does well in creating some fresh-feeling heroes. His supervillain, Sleet, who is debuted in Binary Gray #5, is absolutely fantastic.

Rowel Roque has done the drawing and ink work for all five issues. His style is simple but consistent. You can tell Rowel cares about the characters very much, because in most panels, he does a great job on their image and keeps his lines clean. None of the work seems rushed. What impresses me most of Roque’s work is his attention to the characters pose in the panels. Many artists will exaggerate a limb in some way to fit the scene or “make it work”, but Rowel does not seem to do this. That is impressive.

The covers for the series are done by David Hollenbach, an artist and illustrator contracted by Assailant Comics for the covers. At first glance, Mr. Hollenbach’s work does not look as polished as some of the mainstream titles, but to appreciate his artistry, you need to actually look at it from a different perspective. His style is very deliberate, making each book stylistically unique. The cover of Binary Gray #4 is my favorite, with the crisp lines of the dash board and the glass against the blending of the scene. Check out his gallery at davidhollenbach.com to get a good feel for his work.

It was a great pleasure to find Binary Graylast month at KokomoCon. This series has some great potential with Alex Gray’s vulnerability and unique power. The comic books are available in digital and hard copy from assailantcomics.com. Also, be sure to check out my interview with writer Chris Charlton here: http://the-hammond-comics-blog.blogspot.com/2013/11/seven-questions-with-chris-charlton.html.

REVIEW: Thor: The Dark World

 Review: William R. Davis Jr.

Madman and I have had several conversations about the content of this site, and while we have come to the consensus that the HCB is one of the last bastions of all things comic book, HCB Team Asia (Me) sometimes gets the opportunity to see films before my American counterparts. There are plenty of things about comics in the archives this week (check out Arthur Black's new interview with Chris Charlton and Madman's review of Robocop by Boom Studios) to keep our readers sated, but my review is all about Odin-son's long awaited return to the silver screen.

The Dark World is the visually stunning followup to Thor and the Avengers. While the settings and effects are masterful and a visceral delight, there are some aspects of this film that seemed regretfully out of place, making it a flawed effort for the Marvel franchise. The endeavor is a risky and ambitious one, bringing together a mix of high fantasy and science fiction that is the embodiment of all things Thor. Where offerings like The Lord of the Rings trilogy cater to a niche audience and are so grand in scope that they attract John Q. Moviegoer as well, The Dark World tries to fuse sub-par, Hollywood blockbuster tropes into the mix, and this is where the film suffers most. Marvel tries to keep the numbers up in some of the worst ways possible. Where Avengers succeeded in this area, The Dark World failed miserably.

Kat Dennings gives an almost film ruining, shudder-worthy performance as the comic relief. Not since Jar Jar Binks have I hated a character this much. Her presence in the film detracts from it so badly that having all of her dialogue removed would have made TDW much better in every way. Expect this film to get the "Phantom Edit" treatment sometime soon. These are actual lines of dialogue.

Kat Dennings: "Hey Thor, how's space?"

Thor: "Space is fine."

This was not a simple inquiry, instead it was what passed for comedy in The Dark World. Kill Darcy before the next film please.

Tom Hiddleston once again steals the show as Loki and provides the semi-cliffhanger of an ending as well. His relationship with Frigga comes into the forefront, and surprisingly enough, Rene Russo outshines Anthony Hopkins who seems underutilized in the script throughout. Chris Hemsworth shows once more that he is the perfect Thor, and while the film mostly steers clear of Midgard (Earth), he continues to entertain even without all of the cultural misunderstandings that defined his performance in the original film. Malekith was hugely disappointing and lacked almost any development, making his presence in the film mostly forgettable.

There were major editing issues throughout The Dark World, and where this suffered most was with developing characters. Professor Selvig has a complete meltdown until the final act, and the only plausible explanation given is him throwing a giant bag of pills into the trash after his theories become validated proving him "sane". I guess it was the meds that were making him run naked around Stonehenge for the first two thirds of the film.  Natalie Portman also seems quite out of place in her role as well. It's not quite the drolling monotone of a certain Queen that I will refrain from mentioning, but everything about her in this film seemed forced. Sif (Jamie Alexander) makes for a much more viable love interest, and while its foreshadowed that she may indeed replace Portman in subsequent Thor films, the passing of the torch cannot come soon enough.


The Dark World succeeds is in almost every setting and action scene. Many of the nine realms are explored in the film and we get a lot more of Asgard, all of these places being much more interesting than New Mexico in every way. Even London serves to be superior in this regard, but no surprises there.

Ultimately, The Dark World lacks focus, and is piecemealed together, detracting from both the plot and characters.There are many strange, baffling editing choices that secure this film's place as only slightly better than Iron Man 2.  The entire premise itself is confusing, even to a guy who spends a ton of time reading and writing reviews about comics. However, anyone reading this site (fanboy) is going to feel like they got their money's worth with The Dark World. There are plenty of nerd nuggets peppered throughout that keep it interesting, and it concludes with a post credit cameo that will make you want to stand up and cheer. However, the wasted potential of this film is what stood out most unfortunately. By respecting the audience a little more, and taking out all of the unfunny, forced jokes, it could have easily ranked near the top of the superhero genre. There was also that little problem of a coherent and cohesive plot that left this film lacking, but this seemed to be mostly due to the editing. There areprobably a plethera of deleted scenes that fleshed The Dark World out; it was abundantly clear that it was definitely missing something. Prognosis: Average, disappointingly average.

 

REVIEW: Robocop Last Stand (issues #1 and #2)

Story: Frank Miller

Sequential Adaptation: Steven Grant

Art: Korkut Oztekin

Colors: Declan Shalvey

Review: Cody Miller

I’ve been waiting for this series ever since I caught wind of Boom Studios buying up the comic book rights to the Robocop franchise.  With the new RC movie coming out, I felt the need reconnect with an old friend. 

I was eight when the first Robocop movie hit theaters.  Murph was one of my first glimpses into the world of science fiction……outside of Saturday morning cartoons.  That’s right, Robocop was my gateway drug.  Action figures……..had em.  Halloween costume…..had it (twice).  8 bit Nintendo game…..beat it.  Robocop on VHS cassette tape……wore it out.

To this day, I’d put Robocop in my top 20 favorite movies of all time.  The second and third ones were complete horse shit in my opinion.  Those movies killed the franchise almost to the point of no return.  Almost.  But wait, didn’t some guy who writes funny books write those crap-tastic examples of Hollywood gone wrong….way wrong?

So I heard that Frank Miller was attached to these eight issues, a major selling point as well.  Here comes Frank!  He’s here to repent for his sins, right his wrongs, and fix my damn Robocop.  Not true.  The key words I sadly overlooked were…….Frank Miller DID NOT write this comic.

There is nothing new here.  Nothing original and nothing worth my four bucks.  Steven Grant has taken an unused script that Miller wrote for Robocop 3 and adapted it for this eight issue run.  In my mind unused means unwanted because of the incredible suck valve.  Oh I know!  This script is way too damn awful for the big screen, so twenty years later Frank finally decides to take out his garbage and dump it in my comics. Sod off Frank!

This whole book just pisses me off.  The story or adaptations, or whatever it is, are bad.  The art seems rushed and just thrown together.  Seriously some of the panels are straight up asshole ugly.

I didn’t sign up for this!  Well, okay, actually it was on my pull list until about two minutes after I read the second issue.  Issue three just came out.  I’ve never read it, but I’m confident it’s horrible. I’m not even going to waste anyone’s time elaborating further on this canned meat.

Serve the public.  Protect the innocent.  Uphold the law.  Where were ya on that one Boom?  Where were ya?

Seven Questions with Chris Charlton from Assailant Comics

On October 19, at KokomoCon (Kokomo, IN), I had the privilege to meet Chris Charlton at his booth for Assailant Comics, http://assailantcomics.com. 

While there we talked about Binary Grayand their two other titles. Fortunately Mr. Charlton was able to take some time and answer seven questions for us at Hammond Comics Blog. – Arthur Black

AB - I have read the first two issues of Binary Gray and really liked them. How did you come up with the idea for of Binary Gray and the main character for Alex Gray?

CC - First off, Arthur, thank you for taking the time to talk with me and I’m really glad you enjoyed the first two issues!  The idea for Binary Gray was actually hatched from my own work as an IT Technician.  I was never electrocuted thankfully, but I definitely had moments where I would day dream about the ability to talk to computers and speed up the troubleshooting, diagnosis and repair process.  This is Alex’s power in a nutshell – the ability to communicate with electronics through physical contact.  Once I started to explore that, I thought it would be interesting to juxtapose against a world where there are other heroes and villains who are more powerful on a physical level – super strength, speed, flight, etc.  Comparatively, Alex doesn’t see himself as “powerful”, and I think that makes him a more relatable character and definitely fits more with his self-deprecating sense of humor and general outlook on life.  He’s not a very happy camper, but in this day and age, he is actually EXTREMELY powerful and the readers are along for the ride as he discovers just what he’s capable of.

AB - There are some pretty advanced electronics in the world. Are there any processing speed limitations for Alex Gray? What would happen if either a computer or Alex pushed the limitations of the other?

CC - Other than Alex’s ability to “hackess” secure networks, which has more to do with the speed of his abilities trying combinations of code, I don’t think that there are necessarily any rules of physics or electronics being broken.  It’s the speed of his power and the calculations taking place in his brain (the ultimate CPU) that allow him to access multiple networks at once to get what he’s after.  Since part of the storyline is Alex searching for his father’s killer and the memory/dream of his death is a recurring theme in the first arc, I thought it was interesting to show how his brain starts behaving more like a hard drive as his powers evolve – actually recovering and storing memories like files on a server.  I would personally jump at the chance to have the ability to clearly recall memories (especially from childhood).  Who wouldn’t?!

AB - What can we expect of Binary Grayin the future?

CC - I don’t want to spoil anything for you or future readers out there who want to give the book a try, but I can tell you that Alex has a dark path ahead of him.  As much as he tries, he can’t seem to get out of his own way.  There will certainly be more revealed on how Alex’s powers came be, the history of The Agency and their role in the larger scheme of things, plus some pretty epic battles!  Issue #6, which is coming out in November, is a particularly huge issue that will change the direction of the book and Alex’s life forever.  The first story arc is 12 issues total and I’ll be collecting it in two volumes.  In fact I just got the cover art for the first trade and I can’t wait to show it to everyone.  Definitely excited for the second half of the story to play out and get some reader reactions.  I don’t pull any punches.  Issues 7-12 will definitely up the ante.  I want to spoil it but I can’t!!

AB - Assailant Comics also has two other comic lines available:  Black of Heart and Sleepless.  What can you tell our readers of these stories?

CC - Sleepless is an anthology book with a “Twilight Zone” vibe.  Not necessarily horror, but definitely DARK.  Four short stories – a different artist lending their talents to each one.  Originally I wanted it to be an annual series released around Halloween, but I’ve been dragging my feet on the new issue and I’ve started looking toward next year’s schedule.  Part of that reason is Black of Heart – a five issue miniseries about a detective tracking a serial killer in 1949 New York City.  Absolutely a throwback to film noir and dark pulp mysteries, with the volume cranked up to 12.  The mixed media artwork by David Hollenbach (cover artist for Binary Gray) is every bit as creepy as it should be for a story about a killer who abducts women in a taxi before removing one eye and dumping their bodies in the rat-laden alleys of post-war NYC.   We just completed a very successful Kickstarter for the 2^nd issue which released in August and the book has garnered a lot of good attention – even from pros like Charles Soule, Tony Moore and Tony Isabella.  I’m very thankful that the book has received that kind of response and I’m anxious to get Chapter Three out!  Lots of great twists around the corner and I like that Black of Heart includes some actual history in the context of the story.  I think it lends an extra layer of authenticity to the rich backdrop of that era.  I had to go to some dark places to write it, but I couldn’t be happier with outcome.

AB - You have a new comic series coming called Freedom Run.  What can we look forward to in this new line?

CC - I guess you saw the teaser on the Assailant Facebook page!  That’s good.  Hopefully that means I’m doing my job haha.  Freedom Run is actually the first story in a new series called “Open Tree – Legends & Tall Tales”, which features a new one-shot story in each issue.  Beginning, Middle and End – all in one book.  In some ways it’s the basic anthology concept of Sleepless in a slightly longer format.  I’m also reaching a bit outside the boundaries of what someone may think when they hear the name “Assailant Comics” – but each of the stories in Open Tree are thematically love stories.  Albeit, the first is a Supernatural Western – so there’s nothing traditional about it – but it is what it is.  The second issue is also in the works now with a completely different artist and style - it’s an original Tall Tale set in the 1900’s and all of the dialogue and narration rhymes.  It was a real challenge but also a great accomplishment and a lot of fun to write.  Definitely be on the lookout for these in 2014!

AB - You stated on Assailant Comics’ Facebook page that KokomoCon was your last event of the year until March of 2014. What are your plans during the winter months for Assailant Comics?

CC - Well there’s definitely some R& R penciled in, but beyond that I’ll be finishing up a new miniseries I’m collaborating on with artist Todd Beistel on called “The Weight of Air”.  Todd came to me earlier this year with the premise and I loved it right off the bat.  It follows an asthmatic psychic named Robert Gellman who’s working with a detective to find a serial killer in present day Hollywood in the middle of a record heat wave.  I know what you’re thinking – WOW another serial killer story?  But let me tell you that when this one is finished, I think people will be talking about it for a while.  I’d love to say more but I don’t want to ruin the surprise!   Keep an eye out for the first teasers coming early next year.

AB - If you were able to have one super power, what would it be? How would you use it?

CC - That’s tough!  It’s a toss-up between flight and invisibility.  Flight is an obvious one but if I could turn invisible I could sneak into banks and steal the money I need to keep funding my comics!  

We would like to thank Chris Charlton for giving us his time and providing us a glimpse at what Assailant Comics has to offer. Please check out the website at http://assailantcomics.com. There are digital and print copies of their comics available. Also be sure to check out Assailants Facebook page to see the teaser to Open Tree – Legends & Tall Tales. Next month, my review of the first four issues of Binary Gray will be posted for everyone.