Comments on: What I’m reading – The Somnambulist, The Creeper

By: Tekende

Tekende — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 14:26:14 +0000

“There was a talk of a Giffen/McKeever Creeper mini back in the days for Vertigo, but something else came up, apparently.”

AGGGH! That would have been AMAZING! Dang, man. McKeever is one of my favorite artists.

Although McKeever did draw a short Creeper story for a Showcase ’94 issue. I forget who wrote it (I think it might have been McKeever himself).

By: Stefan

Stefan — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 04:02:46 +0000

I loved that Creeper series, and I miss Kaminski’s narration. He did a Bloodshot series for Acclaim around the same time that was just as good, perhaps better; the internal monologues were pure poetry.

By: K J Feeley

K J Feeley — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 00:12:54 +0000

Been reading H.I.V.E.: Higher Institute of Villainous Education Vol. 1 & 2. It’s a series for younger readers about a school for villains. Really fun read. Recommended for superhero fans.

Also reading he collected poems of Pablo Neruda.

Comics? Re-reading Atomic Robo and Ed Brubaker’s run on Captain America. Both are amazing but Cap just ricks my world. And I’m CANADIAN!

By: Ricardo

Ricardo — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 22:56:36 +0000

There was a talk of a Giffen/McKeever Creeper mini back in the days for Vertigo, but something else came up, apparently.

By: Bill Reed

Bill Reed — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 20:29:27 +0000

I sense a germ of an idea in some kind of infinite, cyclical battle between “Proteus” and “the Creeper” that goes back to the dawn of time, when the caveman with the yellow face fought the beast from the shadowy muck, but maybe I’m insane.

By: Tekende

Tekende — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 19:44:28 +0000

Oh, and Greg – regarding the narration in The Creeper, that may have been intentional. I recently read all of Ditko’s Creeper stuff, and noticed that Ryder tended to really ham it up when he was the Creeper, using a lot of verbose language and odd turns of phrase. He frequently said “I would have information from you!” and such.

By: Tekende

Tekende — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 19:39:10 +0000

A Vertigo move would be good, most likely.

Yeah, the Beware the Creeper mini was decent, but it wasn’t really the Creeper. I’m not sure why they even bothered to call it that.

I don’t like the idea of the Creeper being some kind of legacy character, personally. I subscribe to Kaminski’s belief that the Creeper is Jack Ryder, and only Jack Ryder. Doesn’t work otherwise.

By: Bill Reed

Bill Reed — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 16:56:55 +0000

I think moving Creeper to Vertigo might work– they did a “Beware the Creeper” mini there– pretty much Creeper in name only, as it was a period piece with a different protagonist– but such a thing could work as a longform serial, with Jack Ryder bits acting as frame stories for possible Creepers of the past.

Of course, then the Creeper becomes yet another legacy hero– as if Iron Fist and Ghost Rider weren’t enough!

By: Tekende

Tekende — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 15:20:45 +0000

I LOVE that Creeper series. One of my favorites. Although I’m still missing a couple issues; it’s pretty hard to find back issues. But it really was great. My favorite take on the character, no disrespect to Ditko (my very close second favorite).

I’ve always wished DC would do more with the Creeper. And then, lo and behold, they published a new mini. I was so excited. But Steve Niles wrote it. And, like everything Steve Niles writes, it sucked hardcore. He took the worst aspect of the character’s history (his appearance on The New Batman Adventures), melded it with Ditko’s original story, and then added his own weak multiple personality spin, and it just didn’t work. Ryder came off as a pompous, unlikeable jerk, and the Creeper occasionally made wisecracks that weren’t funny, and otherwise had no personality.

Why, DC. Why would you do this. By putting Niles on the book and letting him churn out a stinking turd with this great character, you’ve effectively killed any chance of another new Creeper series for a decade or more. Great job.

By: Greg Burgas

Greg Burgas — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 13:45:00 +0000

Thanks, Tom. Of course, the characters later call them Romany, so that confuses the issue even more!

By: Tom

Tom — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 11:53:05 +0000

Travellers. I liked The Somnabulist, to the tune of 3 or 4 stars out of 5 (much the same for The Nine).

By: jazzbo

jazzbo — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 06:55:04 +0000

I’m still reading Earth Abides by George R Stewart. Great book, and even more impressive considering it was written in the 40s. It sets the groundwork for so many future Post-Apocalyptic novels.

Comic wise, just last week I finished reading the entire run of Suicide Squad, including the Deadshot mini. Freaking awesome. If DC had been on the ball they could have gotten my money instead of random comic shops and ebay sellers. Their loss. Started on Essential Man-Thing volume 1. I’ve never really read much of Gerber’s stuff, and pretty much none of his seminal work with Marvel in the 70s, so this should be interesting.

By: T.

T. — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 06:35:59 +0000

I’m currently reading Our Kind of People, a nonfiction book about the black upper crust in America. They’re almost a secret society of sorts, really eye opening stuff. Comicswise I’m reading Luna Brothers The Sword.

By: Tom Fitzpatrick

Tom Fitzpatrick — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 03:30:52 +0000

Finished reading vol. 5 of Rex Mundi: The Valley at the End of the World.
Can’t wait for the final volume of that series.

Still re-reading Larsen’s SAVAGE DRAGON/

By: Da Fug

Da Fug — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 02:10:40 +0000

Devoured Scalped vol. 2. Good comics and exactly the reason why I still read them.

I saw that Creeper cover and thought, “Man, DC needs to put Milligan on a Creeper title.” And then I thought instead that they should put him on Deadman! Milligan can explore all kinds of identity stuff with a guy that can possess people. I think that’s a long way of saying that my library better get Human Target vol. 2 in soon so I can read it.

By: Johnny Bacardi

Johnny Bacardi — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 00:40:16 +0000

That Creeper series got a lot better as it went on, and you’re right- Martinbrough is an excellent artist and should be more well-known. He was drawing Batman in Detective for a long while (the Rucka run), did some Losers fill-ins that were great, and has kinda knocked around since, doing one-shots and fill-ins, as well as the awful Vertigo miniseries Angeltown a couple of years ago (it wasn’t awful because of the art). I think he’s working on Luke Cage: Noir for Marvel right now.

By: Greg Burgas

Greg Burgas — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 00:24:06 +0000

Neal: I’ve been very interested in Sin in the Second City ever since I saw it published. I may have to check it out.

Dave: I’m so daunted by 2666 whenever I see it. You’ll have to come back when you’re done and give it a thumbs up or down. Maybe then I won’t be so scared of it!

By: Ian A.

Ian A. — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 00:18:33 +0000

Martinbrough is seriously amazing. I'm not sure what all he's been up to recently in print, but, since co-founding Verge Entertainment, he's produced a "How to Draw Noir Comics" instructional DVD and begun work on a graphic novel/animated webisode series called Ayre Force. This weekend, I read The Great Unknown #1, Marvel Assistant Size Spectacular #1, Seaguy: The Slaves Of Mickey Eye #1, and Mysterius the Unfathomable #2 and 3.

By: Dave

Dave — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 23:30:52 +0000

I’m about halfway through Roberto Bolaño’s 2666 right now. It’s incredibly dense, but so far I’ve been enjoying it immensely. Beyond that, it’s kind of hard for me to discuss the book until I’m finished with it.

On the comics front, I just started up on Nate Powell’s Swallow Me Whole.

By: geoff

geoff — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 22:58:11 +0000

I’m reading invasion (the dc one). the 4th jli volume convinced me to get it.
the i’m reading the real story. its the first book in donaldson’s gap series. its a pretty dark series, but I like it. also it reinvisions the ring of the niblungen saga in interesting ways.