Powerful Pages: Neomicon (2010-2011) and Providence (2015-2017) by Alan Moore and Jacen Burrows

Powerful Pages: Neonomicon (2010-2011) and Providence (2015-2017) by Alan Moore and Jacen Burrows:

I have read some strange shit, people, but nothing quite like this.  I'm combining these reviews because the two tales are essentially one epic piece of literature, with Providence acting as both prequel and sequel to its predecessor.  Either collection would be oddly incomplete without its counterpart, and those who sully themselves with either piece of this demented puzzle should put all the pieces together and gaze with terror upon the work as a whole.  Essentially, this is Alan Moore's take on Lovecraftian horror (Lovecraft himself even pops up in the proceedings) with stunning art courtesy of Jacen Burrows.  Aside from Watchmen and his legendary Swamp Thing run, this must be considered Moore's most compelling material to date, and it is entirely possible that his writing has never been better.  Yet it is also entirely true that he has never been this provocative, and both Neonomicon and Providence are extremely difficult reads.  I actually had a bit of a revelation while reading this.  It involves Moore's take on Lovecraftian horror.  As some might surmise given this dynamic artist's knack for expanding upon contemporary mythology, he actually redefines this sub-genre and takes it to new heights in the process.  He does so by taking it to repulsive lows, and therein lies the revelation.  Given that Lovecraft's beloved prose is rather dated and he approached his vile musings with a dry and methodical tone, I believe that most who seek to revisit the subject matter that so enthralled him do so without really appreciating the terror and deviance that punctuates his forbidden folklore.  As such, most Lovecraftian horror as we know it is a bit too quaint, a bit too intellectual, and entirely too detached from reality.  Moore has no interest in paying homage or pulling punches, and he allows his twisted tale of ancient evil and tortured vessels to play out in stunning fashion without distancing his readers from the grotesque dread or the carnal depravity that this unholy descent into madness and horror warrants.  I will confess that I repeatedly yearned to put this blood-curdling opus down.  I found both offerings to be deeply disturbing and equally woeful.  However, the writing was so powerful and the tale was so gripping that I had no choice but to see it through.  Like many tales that are hard to endure but perfectly realized, it is tough to provide a fair assessment.  If I give this an "A," I feel like I'm encouraging my readers to go snag a copy and dig in, and surely the craftmanship warrants as much, yet I'm inclined to spare you.  Much of the art that I highly recommend is entertaining above all else, and this is quality art at the opposite end of the spectrum.  It is a supreme piece of storytelling, indeed, but I'm not promising you a good time if you embark upon this journey.  No, quite the opposite.  Buckle up, peeps, those of you who try this one on for size may wind up emotionally scarred.  That is sincerity, not hyperbole, such is the power and the spellbinding horror of Neonomicon and Providence.

Note: like Watchmen, each issue of Providence boasts supplemental material beyond the standard comic pages employed to deliver the goods.  And, like Watchmen, readers must make time for this material as well.  It is integral to the story.


Final Grade: A+.  But I warned you.  Proceed with caution.  Or don't proceed at all.  Maybe read Watchmen instead.  I don't think anyone ever doubted their sanity as they worked their way through that testament to the grandeur of comics.

Dark, grim, and utterly deplorable, this sprawling saga is a diabolical journey that qualifies as perahps the single most demented selection of worthwhile fiction that I have ever encountered.

Bullet to the Head

Not too long ago, I sat down to watch The Last Stand and was pleasantly surprised.  I was expecting something average and I was worried that it would be downright lousy, but it was actually pretty good.  I had similar expectations for Bullet to the Head, but I think it was totally badass.  Now, to be fair, I'm a diehard fan of Walter Hill, a stellar director who has never received the credit he deserves despite directing a number of hit films, including 48 Hours, The Warriors, The Long Riders, and Southern Comfort.  After an absence of ten years or so, Bullet to the Head was a return to form for this gifted filmmaker.

I love Sly, and he was perfect for this one, but I think that Jason Momoa really made the movie as a fearsome villain who was absolutely lethal.  The action scenes were amazing, the tone and the score gave it a bit of a Sin City vibe, and the pace was perfect for this type of film.  It was fairly simple and some of the dialogue was clunky, but that's okay.  It's an action film, after all, and I thought it was pretty damn cool.

The Walking Dead: What Comes After

What a wait!  After the last volume, Something to Fear, I was so eager for the next installment of The Walking Dead that I almost started buying individual issues.  However, I was a late arrival to the party, and since I was on Volume 16 of the trade paperbacks before I caught up, it makes sense to keep scoring these collections.  Anyway, Something to Fear was one of the most difficult reads yet, establishing Negan as perhaps the greatest threat Rick and the gang have yet to face.  Considering that they have already dealt with The Governor, that is quite a compliment.  Of course, when I speak of The Governor, I'm referring to that devilish badass who wreaked havoc in the comics, not that pansy who found time for a little rage every once-in-a-while on the TV show and spent the rest of his time sulking and screwing the mockery of Andrea in the comics that AMC's Andrea became. 
Rant over.

So, after a gut-wrenching read that killed off two of the book's most likable characters, What Comes After changed gears and slowed down enough to let us wallow in the aftermath.  We saw Rick's people losing faith in their dedicated leader, and we saw another side of Negan that makes his character incredibly complex.  He was still depicted as a violent madman and we came to learn that he is nearly as selfish and arrogant as he is vicious.  Yet we also saw that he can be quite reasonable, and at times he was almost likeable.  Not only does this give the character incredible depth, but it makes him wildly unpredictable going forward.  It may even present Rick with some conflict as he preps for war, but I wouldn't expect him to be too forgiving.

Carl also played a major role in this arc, and he remains as entertaining and puzzling as ever.  It's easy to forgive Carl for pretty much anything in this series given what he has been subjected to, and in this storyline we saw him veer from wounded son to absolute badass to scared little boy to level-headed son of the apocalypse.  His presence is a tremendous boost to The Walking Dead, for he is also wildly unpredictable, and he's probably the only good guy that still has the ability to shock us.  We're pretty sure of how everyone else is going to respond to most situations, but Carl is an enigma.  This particular arc gave him a wealth of things to do, and I think much of the material that centered on him was among the staunchest stuff in What Comes After.

There wasn't as much action this time out, but there was enough carnage to satisfy me, and even if this wasn't one of the most groundbreaking or exciting arcs to come down the pike, it was incredibly informative.  Negan continues to dominate the landscape, and Rick and crew have seldom seemed so vulnerable.  This felt like a bridge between Something to Fear and whatever it is that Kirkman has up his sleeve for the next arc, but it was a satisfying read and another stellar installment in an epic series.  You may like the show more than I do, but it suffers greatly when compared to the source material.  If you call yourself a fan of The Walking Dead and you're not reading these books, you're truly missing out.  Additionally, there is so much disparity between the two, it's not going to spoil anything for you.  For every element of the comics that AMC has embraced, there are two to three major plot points they have altered or discarded altogether.  I would encourage you to start at the beginning, but whatever you do, don't read What Comes After without reading Something to Fear first.

Now, I just have to wait for the next one . . .

Read my review of the previous installment, Something to Fear, here.