Continuing my new series on comics and graphic novels that I found out about at the 2009 Long Beach Comic Con... Is the 'Elephantmen' comic book series published by Image Comics. I met Richard Starkings, writer of the series, on Saturday at the LBCC when I went by his booth. Of course I knew who he was, as he has been in the comics industry for a while. Plus he is a recent 'Facebook Friend'. However, I had not yet read an issue of his 'Elephantmen' series, even though it has been running for a while. Actually Issue #1 was released in July 2006. When Richard heard that I reveiwed comics in my Blog, and had not yet read any of the series, he introduced me to his latest issue (#21), and the ending issue of a three issue mini-series (#3 of 3 in Elephantmen: War Toys). This mini-series was actually a prequel to the series. There is so much 'product' out there, that I am sent a lot of comics and graphic novels to possibly review, so it does take me a while at times to read everything. So even if a series has been running for three years like Elephantmen has, it doesn't mean that I been that I've been exposed to it before. So this series was 'new' to me when I saw it at Richard's booth. So what is the storyline of the series about? Here's just a few paragraphs to explain this series: YEAR 2259: THEY ARE THE SURVIVORS of genetic engineering experiments and indoctrination by Doctor Kazushi Nikken and MAPPO, a sinister organization which sought to create suprahuman weapons of mass destruction. FREED AND REHABILITATED by the United Nations Intelligence Taskforce, the 'Unhumans' now live amongst men. Legitimized by the 'Elephantmen' act, they are nevertheless denied the right to bear arms and must survive on their wits alone. BUT REGARDLESS OF THE ROLES they accept in the concrete jungles built by man, Hip Flask and his kind are treated with suspicion and contempt by the species that created them, and cannot always rely on one another for reassurance or friendship. So with 21 issues and a few other issues that were mini-series, etc., there is a little bit of continuity to this series that a new reader would have to read to catch up... The earlier issues have been collected into TPBs, and issue #21 is actually Part 6 of 8 of a story arc that is being published. Details for the issue #21 shown at the above right with the variant cover are: "KILL KILL KILL Published: September 2009 Okay, the above issue and the #3 of 3 in Elephantmen: War Toys (E:WT), actually caught my interest and made me want to blog about this series bringing it to my blog readers if they aren't already reading it. Why? Even though I haven't been exposed to this series before, there are a minimal amount of stories to catch up on, via TPBs if nothing else if you can find the floppy single issue comics. The storyline of the two issues I read kept my interest, and it wasn't that hard 'jumping' onto the series. Sometimes coming into a series, even in the second issue, a reader could be 'lost' quite easlily. Not here, as the storyline was well written and kept me turning the pages of the 'floppy' single issues. The artwork by Moritat in E:WT#3 was in grayscale. Drawn very well, and the blood wasn't overwhelming in this grayscale mode. Even tho it was the last issue of the mini-series, the conclusion to this story made me want to immediately read the next issue I had. Elephantmen #21 is part 6 of 8 in the story arc 'Dangerous Liasions'. Here the blood was in color, along with the rest of the scenes and characters. But after reading into the issues a few pages, I realized that the animal savagery of the beastmen allowed for this bloodletting. It wasn't blood n' gore just for shock value. The art by Boo Cook was also illustrated very well, and Richard's writing had a sense of direction where this story had come from (previous issues), and where it was going next (the final two issues of this story arc). I found after reading these two issues, that I liked the concept of the Elephantmen, and would add it to either purchasing back issues of 'floppies' comic books, or see if there any TPBs that I could pick up at reasonable cost. BTW, If YOU are anywhere near Baltimore, Maryland this upcoming weekend, Richard Starkings will be exhibiting there next at the Baltimore Comic Con! He should have more issues and TPBs for sale there at his booth if you want to get introduced to this series! Here is the link to that Con for dates and hours, etc.: http://www.comicon.com/baltimore/ I have not blogged about the 2009 Baltimore Comic Convention so far, and it doesn't look like I'll be doing any posts on it other than this mention, as it runs from this upcoming Saturday Oct 10th thru Sunday Oct 11th, 2009. If You can't make it to the Baltimore Comic Con, You can find more about the Elephantmen comic book series at their web site and links to purchase individual issues or TPBs also: http://www.hipflask.com/index.html My thanks to Richard Starkings who gave me a couple of issues to read and possibly review while Tina and I were at his booth during the Long Beach Comic Con! My thanks for the introduction to this well written and illustrated comic book series! BTW.... Whereas Tina and I don't publish comics or books (yet?) or set up at comic cons, (except at our own Facebook Virtual Comic Con Dealer Table), we do have thousands of indies and mainstream comics in our own online store. Be sure to check out our new listings of comics, graphic novels, Comic Con exclusives and more pop culture items for sale in our online eBay Featured Store that our blogs are based on! It's due to sales at this online store that keep us going with the ability to post blogs like the one you have read here today! Thanks again to all of YOU reading our current and archived blog posts! We do blog daily on comic book creators, comic book reviews, and other pop culture news and events including some TV shows and theatrical films! ~ Michael @ ComicBookCollectorsBlog.com
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