Comics
[Comic Book Review] “POP” #3 Is A Little Too Heavy On Plot
The penultimate issue of “POP” by Curt Pires and Jason Copland takes a plot heavy direction as things build towards the grand finale. The socially critical themes and tones that have made this series stand out are missing from this issue due, it would seem, to having so much story to tell. Don’t expect to have your mind blown with this one, it looks like Pires is saving the best for last.
WRITTEN BY: Curt Pires
ART BY: Jason Copland
PUBLISHER: Dark Horse
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE: October 22, 2014
Review By Eric Switzer
Remember the last season of “LOST” when Jacob finally reveals himself and all the beautiful mystery he was responsible for suddenly sound like utter horse shit coming out of his mouth?
“POP” may very well have set the bar too high with issues one and two. My feeling about this issue is that it tells its story but doesn’t really say anything worth hearing. It tries to: in a scene in which our heroes-on-the-run examine nature of existence and the burden of ephemerality, but it is full of familiar sentiments and does little to provoke the imagination. I realize these are high expectations to have for a single issue of a limited series, but this book has impressed to an almost soul-shaking degree and now, in issue three, I feel slightly abandoned.
A big issue I have with setting aside the social critique how non-compelling the characters are. Elle is essentially a blank slate whose purpose has seemed to be a physical representation of the questions Pires is interested in asking, rather than a fully fledged human character, and Coop is disconnected, depressed, and representative of consumer culture, again not a dynamic human being. Too much time is spent on the would-be killer couple hunting Elle and the enigmatic Cartel, though always fun to look in on, has the thinnest characters imaginable.
Again, I don’t mean to disparage, because this book has meant a lot to me and I’m expecting big things from the finale. I’m just starting to feel as though I can see a hint of the wires, a edge of a stage light, and the corner of a hastily painted backdrop. The magic isn’t lost, but it may have faded.
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Eric Switzer is an aspiring filmmaker and screenplay writer living in Los Angeles. His work tends to focus on the lighter side of entropy, dystopic futures, and man’s innate struggle with his own mortality. He can be found on twitter @epicswitzer or reached via email at ericswitzerfilm@gmail.com.
Comics
‘Curse of the Where Wolf’ Bites Into August Release With Trio of Werewolf Theatrical Screenings [Exclusive Preview]
Larry Chaney‘s hairy misadventures are continuing in the sequel graphic novel Curse of the Where Wolf from creative team Rob Saucedo, Debora Lancianese, and Jack Morelli, and its author is celebrating with a trio of horror’s greatest werewolf films.
The Curse of the Where Wolf hits shelves on August 7 from Encyclopocalypse Publications.
That coincides with the launch of a theatrical screening event in Houston, Texas, featuring a trio of seminal werewolf flicks turning 45 this year: The Howling on August 7, Wolfen on August 14, and An American Werewolf in London on August 21.
Each screening features a “werewolf in film” presentation as well as a book signing from Where Wolf author and River Oaks Theatre artistic director Rob Saucedo.
In the new graphic novel, “Being a werewolf sucks. Reporter Larry Chaney wanted to be a hero. Instead, he became a werewolf. Now, caught between incredible new powers and a desire to eat everything (and everyone) in sight, Larry must find a cure for his curse. Or die trying.”
“With Where Wolf, I wanted to tell a whodunit set in a furry convention, so the story was pretty contained within a very specific setting and genre. With Curse of the Where Wolf, I wanted to celebrate everything I love about the possibility of comic books. Curse of the Where Wolf is a funny book, in every sense of the phrase, but it’s also an earnest look at a person’s struggle to become a better version of themselves, especially when the alternative is to become a literal monster,” Saucedo says of Curse.
The original graphic novel was previously serialized as the first webcomic hosted on Fangoria before being collected by Encyclopocalypse Publications in 2023 and has already been optioned for film, podcast, and television development ahead of launch by producers James Fino (“The Freak Brothers” for Tubi, “Rick and Morty” for Adult Swim) and Charles Horak (First Date for Magnolia Pictures).
Expect Larry to find himself in even weirder situations in the 362-page full color sequel; Saucedo has provided Bloody Disgusting with exclusive art pages from the upcoming graphic novel that showcase lupine humor.
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