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ALABASTER (from Dark Horse Comics) Discussion Thread

Started by MadGenius,

136 posts in this topic

MadGenius

MadGenius

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I've read the first issue of Alabaster: Wolves. I've given the story a little bit of time to roll around in my head and...I like it. I like it a lot.

 

Not surprising since I'm a fan of Caitlin R. Kiernan's writing and a big fan of the Dancy Flammarion character from the Threshold novel and the short story collection. If you haven't read any Dancy stories before, the first issue of Wolves gives you just about everything you need to know about the character. More importantly, it leaves her in a state that she hasn't been in before. I'm interested to see where things go from here and to discover what role that the supporting characters play in the story to come.

 

Steve Lieber does a great job with the artwork on this book. There's a real grittiness to his art that's a perfect fit for this character and the world she inhabits. Rachelle Rosenberg's colors complement the art beautifully and help set the mood for the story.

 

I can't wait to see what happens in #2.

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FIREFLY

FIREFLY

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Just read it. Wasn't expecting much, but I actually enjoyed it. Looking forward to the next issue.

 

How did you get the jump on the rest of us?

 

;)

 

 

 

Release day is finally here! I'll be going to my LCS later today for a copy. In the meantime, here's some OA I've purchased.

 

The first piece is the Seraph from the cover of #1 by Greg Ruth. Yes, this is the actual art used for the cover (Greg works partially digital, so the Seraph and Dancy figures are actually two separate drawings.)

 

GregRuth-Seraphim.jpg

 

Nice! (thumbs u

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MadGenius

MadGenius

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Just read it. Wasn't expecting much, but I actually enjoyed it. Looking forward to the next issue.

 

How did you get the jump on the rest of us?

 

;)

 

 

 

Release day is finally here! I'll be going to my LCS later today for a copy. In the meantime, here's some OA I've purchased.

 

The first piece is the Seraph from the cover of #1 by Greg Ruth. Yes, this is the actual art used for the cover (Greg works partially digital, so the Seraph and Dancy figures are actually two separate drawings.)

 

GregRuth-Seraphim.jpg

 

Nice! (thumbs u

 

Thanks! I love this piece and the brush work is amazing. Greg Ruth is a heck of a nice guy in addition to being a fine artist.

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Nico Esq

Nico Esq

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Comic Book Resources lumped "Alabaster Wolves" #1 in the "Meh" Pile (Not good enough to praise, not bad enough to insult, not important enough to say much more than the title) with other mentionables "Secret Service" #1 and "Saucer Country" #2. Hopefully CBR's review will remind us of what critics said about Pulp Fiction when it came out and was discarded because it didn't fit neatly into their mental box. Only time will tell. I for one trust the mad genius and enjoyed the dialogue enough to hand on for a while.

 

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MadGenius

MadGenius

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Most of the reviews I've read have been pretty positive. It's probably not a book for everyone, but for fans of horror and dark fantasy, I think it's a must read. Issue #1 was about the set up, so I'm expecting bigger and better things to come.

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Nico Esq

Nico Esq

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I trust your judgment. I'm still thankful you turned me on to Umbrella Academy. After reading Thief of Thieves 1-3 I'll never abandon a title after the first issue. I thought Thief of Thieves 1 was weak but 2 was much better and 3 wa was even better than 2. Horror and Dark Fantasy are right up my alley. The art alone is good enough for me to stick with this book for a half a dozen issues even if the next few books are considerably worse reads than the first. I thought the riddles were entertaining. I imagine that if I had read the source material I would have been in love with the first issue.

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MadGenius

MadGenius

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I trust your judgment. I'm still thankful you turned me on to Umbrella Academy. After reading Thief of Thieves 1-3 I'll never abandon a title after the first issue. I thought Thief of Thieves 1 was weak but 2 was much better and 3 wa was even better than 2. Horror and Dark Fantasy are right up my alley. The art alone is good enough for me to stick with this book for a half a dozen issues even if the next few books are considerably worse reads than the first. I thought the riddles were entertaining. I imagine that if I had read the source material I would have been in love with the first issue.

 

Glad you enjoyed Umbrella Academy. (thumbs u

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MadGenius

MadGenius

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The cover art is amazing! Does anyone know if Greg will be making any con appearances this year? I would love to get a book signed.

 

I haven't seen his name on any guest lists, but feel free to contact him and ask if he's making any appearances. You can get his info from his website:

 

http://www.gregthings.com/

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Jazzno

Jazzno

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Emailed Greg to find out if he was going to be at any cons this year and he responded back:

 

"I just read it myself for the first time- I think Cait and Steve and Rachelle really knocked it out of the park. No cons for me this year- my next one up is like as not MoCCA in nyc next Spring. Too much left to do to wrap up my ogn for Scholastic and start the next one, etc... etc... so I'm grounded this season. Hang on to it- I have to do San Diego and a few other cons next year for my Scholastic book..."

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MadGenius

MadGenius

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Emailed Greg to find out if he was going to be at any cons this year and he responded back:

 

"I just read it myself for the first time- I think Cait and Steve and Rachelle really knocked it out of the park. No cons for me this year- my next one up is like as not MoCCA in nyc next Spring. Too much left to do to wrap up my ogn for Scholastic and start the next one, etc... etc... so I'm grounded this season. Hang on to it- I have to do San Diego and a few other cons next year for my Scholastic book..."

 

Good to know. It seems like next year will be the time to catch members of the creative team for a signing. Steve Lieber will be at Stumptown in a couple weeks, but I'm not sure if he has any other cons planned. Caitlin R. Kiernan doesn't plan to attend any major cons this year, mostly due to work on her novel.

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Nico Esq

Nico Esq

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Comic Book Resources gives Alabaster Wolves 5 Stars

 

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=user_review&id=4638

 

"Alabaster: Wolves" #1 is one of those rare, enchanting books that comes out of nowhere and absolutely demands to be shared. Dancy Flammarion is a teenager with a past filled with fighting and killing monsters. She talks to birds and has a rough time remembering where she's coming from or where she's going. She also has a terrific knack for finding trouble or, more appropriately, being found by trouble.

 

With lines like, "Junk gets precious when junk is all you got left," Caitlin R. Kiernan easily and sharply defines her heroine for us. Dancy comes across as a strong character, albeit a severely damaged one, who quickly ingratiates herself to the reader through internal monologue as well as dialog with a redwing blackbird. Yes, she talks to birds and they talk back -- or at least this one in particular does. Met by a stranger who smells like wet dog (which seems like an apt olfactory description for a werewolf) seeking answers and, perhaps, retribution, Dancy's conversation tells us everything we need to know about where our heroine came from and where she might be going. Essentially, the reader is dropped into the story right alongside Dancy and is quickly brought up to speed about her world, her circumstances and her dark angel at just the right time to learn the most vital information.

 

Steve Lieber's artwork is dark and moody, well-suited for an encounter between a werewolf and an angel of death at a desolate bus stop in South Carolina. Combined with Rachelle Rosenberg's colors, Lieber is able to vividly describe to the reader who our antagonist is and who we should be truly cheering for, simply through the art. If the words didn't exist in this comic, there is no doubt we'd still get the message. As it is, Kiernan's story masterfully enhances the art and Lieber's art beautifully feeds the story. It's been a little while since I've had the chance to absorb some of Lieber's work, but when the wait pays off like this, it makes it all worthwhile. In addition to drawing the comic, Lieber also provides the lettering, which smoothes out the presentation nicely. Some caption boxes seem a little oddly-spaced, but for the vast majority of this chapter, Lieber planned out the pages and paced the storytelling wonderfully.

 

As a final note in the issue, Kiernan and Lieber offer a peek behind the curtain, citing the muse (or rather music) that inspired them throughout their creative process. This adds a nice touch to the comic book and also provides an answer to a question that wasn't asked here, but surely may have been asked in a related interview.

 

As a reprieve from capes and tights comics, this book succeeds. As a horror-tinged suspense comic, this book excels. "Alabaster: Wolves" is the beginning of something new, a fresh take on the terrible creatures that lurk in the shadows and one of the protectors who keep those monsters from us. I'm hoping this is the beginning of a series of adventures featuring Dancy. If Kiernan and Lieber continue to bring us stories of this magnitude, I'll be right there, snapping them up.

 

 

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MadGenius

MadGenius

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I've gotten just about all of my preorders in on Alabaster Wolves #1 and, for those that care about such things, the print run on the 1:5 Oeming variant cover was rough.

 

I've examined 42 copies of the regular cover by Greg Ruth and 32 copies of the Oeming variant cover. Of the 42 Ruth covers, 32 of those are 9.8s (76% and it could have been higher as I was really nitpicking these.) On the other hand, only 7 of 32 Oeming covers are 9.8s (21% and it might be lower because 3 of those 7 are borderline cases).

 

The black cover on the Oeming variant is pretty unforgiving. I have a lot of strong 9.6s, but few 9.8s. So not only is that cover 5 times as rare as the Ruth cover, but it's also harder to find in high grade.

 

Note: The majority of these came from the same sources, and across the board the Ruth covers were in great shape, while the Oeming covers had a minor flaw or two.

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