Geoff Johns and Jeff Lemire Head to Vertigo

Geoff Johns and Jeff Lemire are two of the most prolific creators in the comics industry right now. But though they're both heavily involved in shaping DC's New 52 universe (Johns with Justice League, Green Lantern, and Aquaman and Lemire with Justice League Dark, Animal Man, and Frankenstein), fans have yet to see the two creators work together on a series. That's set to change this October thanks to Vertigo's new anthology special, Ghosts. The issue will include a short story called "Ghost for Hire," written by Johns and illustrated by Lemire.

Ghosts is an oversized one-shot featuring a variety of both established creators and newcomers, with every story featuring a ghostly theme. Appropriately, the issue is scheduled to ship on October 31. On their Source Blog today, DC released a preview image from "Ghost for Hire."

"Ghost for Hire" by Geoff Johns & Jeff Lemire

Lemire commented on his partnership with Johns. "It was a real thrill for me to work with Geoff," he said. "I've written with him before, but to get to draw for him was really special. To be honest, I wasn't sure what kind of ghost story Geoff would deliver and I was pleasantly surprised with "Ghost For Hire." It's whimsical and fun and it has heart. When Geoff said he wanted to do a story like all the old Abbot and Costello movies he watched as a kid it really clicked for me!"

Continue below for more preview art from Ghosts.

"The Dead Boy Detectives in Run Ragged" by Tony Litt & Mark Buckingham

"Treasure Lost" by David Lapham & Paul Pope

"The Dark Lady" by Gilbert Hernandez

“The Night After I Took the Data Entry Job I Was Visited By My Own Ghost” by Al Ewing & Rufus Dayglo

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Source : ign[dot]com

Animal Man #12 Review

With any episodic story there inevitably comes the “recap” installment where the characters spend a majority of the issue reflecting on the past and little else. Luckily, Jeff Lemire and Scott Snyder sidestep the painful parts of this necessary evil and add in just enough new content to set up for the long-brewing Rotworld storyline.

With so much build up to Buddy Baker finding Swamp Thing, their first meeting proves to be underwhelming. Both are some of the best written characters in DC’s current stable, but they wind up having a bland interaction that merely serves as a giant information dump. Where’s the friction and personality to these two heroes that have made their books so enthralling to read? The one highlight of their interaction comes when Swamp Thing lifts up a startled Buddy and leaps into the Rot-pond. The look on Buddy’s face is priceless.

Steve Pugh ups his game for this crossover issue and provides more minute details to the setting than ever before. Vines creep up a railing, haunting figures are showcased in front of an apocalyptic backdrop, and the first journey into the Rot has a sickening amount of bones, teeth, and flies. A montage detailing the interactions between the Green, the Red, and the Rot looks stunning with its veiny structure not unlike Yanick Paquette’s plant-paneling in Swamp Thing. With the marrying of both art style and story concepts, the Animal Man and Swamp Thing creative teams have set up a crossover that I can’t wait to read. Given general hate for crossovers, that is a strange feat indeed.

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Source : ign[dot]com

The Underwater Welder Review

We still have a long way to go before the year is over, but I’m willing to bet Jeff Lemire’s The Underwater Welder remains at the top of my list for best graphic novel of the year. Yeah, it’s really that good.

The story follows a man named Jack who is dealing with some serious psychological issues as he and his wife get ready to usher their first child into the world. Jack’s trauma stems from when he was a boy and his drunken father died before he ever really got a chance to say goodbye. It’s something that’s torn at the seams of Jack ever since, as he struggles to balance a fine line of resentment for his father leaving him and an unflinching desire to live up to his father’s legacy as a loving, albeit flawed, man.

I hate to steal the words out of someone else’s mouth, but Damon Lindelof’s introduction to the book is a perfect summation of Jeff Lemire’s work here. Lindelof calls The Underwater Welder “the most spectacular episode of The Twilight Zone that was never produced.” After reading the book, Lindelof was right on the money. There is an eerie quality to The Underwater Welder that carries the entire story, helped by the bizarrely attractive black and white art by Lemire himself. You never quite know where the story is headed, but every twist and turn is played expertly by Lemire leading to one of the most satisfying endings I’ve read in a long time. You know that feeling of hope you felt by the end of watching The Shawshank Redemption? Well, you get that same effect here with The Underwater Welder. The power of this book’s conclusion cannot be understated.

At its core, The Underwater Welder is a story about one man taking responsibility for his actions and the life he’s lived. It’s a coming-of-age story, only the man is already well into his adult life. It’s a tale that anyone should be able to relate to, although Lemire takes that emotional and thematic through line and spins it with a pseudo sci-fi twist. It’s that Twilight Zone inspiration seeping through, and it’s what makes The Underwater Welder truly a spectacularly unpredictable reading experience.

Lemire’s artistic style can be considered an acquired taste; it’s very surreal and raw. Yet, the art of Underwater Welder perfectly complements the story as if the two are peanut butter and jelly (or fluff for the wild cards among us). Furthermore, the decision to go black and white with occasional gray tones is a nice touch that helps play up the eerie quality of the work.

The Underwater Welder is a roughly 220-page tour de force with enough emotional resonance that you might find yourself wiping away a single tear while closing the book’s final page. Thus far, this is my favorite original graphic novel of the year. Hands down. You should not let this one pass you by. So rush out to your local comic shop and snag this bad boy as quick as you can, even if it’s at the expense of some of your weekly pull. Stories like this don’t come around too often, so get while the gettin’ is good.

As a final note, digital comics readers can pick up The Underwater Welder for half off at $9.99 through comiXology. That’s an absolute steal. Buy it now.

Erik is a writer for IGN's Comics channel and co-host of the IGN Assemble! podcast. You can follow Erik on Twitter, or find him here at IGN. Fair warning: prepare for suspect shenanigans.

Source : ign[dot]com