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Shadow Hunter #0 and #1
Continuing tonight's theme of Virgin Comics-related posts, here's Jenna Jameson's Shadow Hunter.
1. It's pretty.
2. It's good.
Is there anything else that you need to know?
Well, for those of you looking at Shadow Hunter as potential fap material, I should probably warn you that it takes 22 pages before we get our first flash of Jezzerie's panties. Not that Jezzerie isn't incredibly sexy from the get-go. But there's a lot more to her character - and to this comic - than just fap material.
Tarot this ain't. Or maybe this is what Tarot wishes it could be if it were, you know, good.
So, the preview issue. First, it's got that really painful-looking cover by Greg Horn, in which Jezzerie's nipples are so hard that they apparently poke through her leather jacket. YEOWCH. But other than that cover - which I can't even look at without blocking the nipples from view, because seriously YEOWCH - this issue is made of cake and awesome. And I don't mean just cheesecake. The issue opens with a lovely painting of Jezzerie and an intro by Jameson. Then there's a one-page introduction by Gotham Chopra and Sharad Devarajan, appropriately entitled "Why We Did It," which is basically agreat big fuck-you to all of the naysayers about the project. Actual quote:
Next is the six-page comic preview, which you've probably already seen on the Virgin Comics website, or when it was posted to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
scans_daily, or on Playboy.com. This is followed by a two-page interview with Jameson, in which she comes across as intelligent, funny, creative, and displays her impressive knowledge of Hebrew mythology and horror movie tropes.
Finally, the neat part - six pages of full-page cover artwork from the series, by the likes of Greg Horn, Greg Land, Daniel Brereton, J. Michael Linsner, and Nico Henrichon. What struck me flipping through the cover artwork is that they're all fantastic covers, with the obvious exception of the Greg Land stinker. (And the J. Michael Linsner cover has the YEOWCH painful nipples too, but other than that it's really cool-looking. The second Greg Horn cover does not have YEOWCH nipples, thank God.) Then there are eight pages of "Explorations" by Mukesh Singh. That basically translates to, "Mukesh Singh paints whatever the hell he wants for eight pages, and the rest of us mortals only stare in wonder and drool like idiots after having an artgasm."
Ladies and gentlemen, Mukesh Singh:
Okay, so, issue #1. The actual first issue. Here we go.
Our heroine, Jezzerie Jaden, is a struggling tattoo artist with a jerk boyfriend, financial problems, and the ability to see otherwordly creatures. Like, all the time. Desperate for money and needing badly to be able to control her inescapable visions, she answers an online ad, and volunteers to become a research subject for the enigmatic Dr. Ingersol. Ingersol can't give Jezzerie any answers, but she does give Jezzerie a charm for protection. As it turns out, however, that charm may have the exact opposite effect on Jezzerie. Walking back from the doctor's office, Jezzerie is attacked by her childhood monsters - creatures which have suddenly become real. She survives, but ends up covered in blood and gore. Yep. Definitely not a dream anymore.
Jezzerie comes home to find her electricity shut off and her boyfriend cheating on her. She kicks out the boyfriend. Then she runs back to Dr. Ingersol, hoping to at least earn enough money to get back on her feet. Unfortunately, it turns out that Ingersol can't be trusted either. Jezzerie escapes from Ingersol's lab and into Grand Central station. Whereupon she's attacked by monsters AGAIN. Only this time, when she fights back, her arm grows teeth (ew), her hair turns black, and a sword pops out of her hand.
This is when things go insane. Monsters are overruning New York City. A magical spaceman appears out of nowhere and tries to help Jezzerie, only he's not much help.
Then the Big Bad appears, spouts some appropriately dramatic dialogue, and makes hay out of the magical spaceman and Jezzerie. The first issue ends with the dramatic revelation that [highlight to read spoiler] the Big Bad is Jezzerie's father and that she's the princess of Hell, or something.
In her interview in issue #0, Jameson said:
This is abundantly apparent in issue #1, in which there is a LOT of blood on almost every page. Seriously, a LOT of blood. Like, everywhere. All the time. Blood blood blood blood blood. There's blood flying around all over the place. Fortunately, Mukesh Singh is a talented artist, and he makes the blood look very, very artistic and pretty.
Visually, the series is extraordinarily inventive so far. Everything from Jezzerie's childhood hallucinations to the teeth sprouting out of her enchanted arm is ridiculously well-rendered (and appropriately beautiful and/or horrifying, depending on the context). I really LOVE the design of the Big Bad, but I don't want to post a scan and give it away here. Suffice to say that it's as creative and as terrifying as something that Junji Ito would have cooked up.
I will definitely be following the rest of this series, especially if there are more blood and teeth involved. What can I say? I'm a horror fan. And this is a good horror comic.
1. It's pretty.
2. It's good.
Is there anything else that you need to know?
Well, for those of you looking at Shadow Hunter as potential fap material, I should probably warn you that it takes 22 pages before we get our first flash of Jezzerie's panties. Not that Jezzerie isn't incredibly sexy from the get-go. But there's a lot more to her character - and to this comic - than just fap material.
Tarot this ain't. Or maybe this is what Tarot wishes it could be if it were, you know, good.
So, the preview issue. First, it's got that really painful-looking cover by Greg Horn, in which Jezzerie's nipples are so hard that they apparently poke through her leather jacket. YEOWCH. But other than that cover - which I can't even look at without blocking the nipples from view, because seriously YEOWCH - this issue is made of cake and awesome. And I don't mean just cheesecake. The issue opens with a lovely painting of Jezzerie and an intro by Jameson. Then there's a one-page introduction by Gotham Chopra and Sharad Devarajan, appropriately entitled "Why We Did It," which is basically agreat big fuck-you to all of the naysayers about the project. Actual quote:
Almost anytime you say anything about Jenna: "She's amazingly collaborative;" "She's really flexible;" "She's creative in her approach to things;" someone - usually a guy - always smirks and snickers. Jenna and her, uh, prolific career (there it goes again), have produced the ultimate fodder for double entendres. They are inescapable. Jenna doesn't give a #@$%.
[...]
Whatever joke you are thinking, trust us, it's been cracked before. Move right along. Read this comic. See what you think.
Next is the six-page comic preview, which you've probably already seen on the Virgin Comics website, or when it was posted to
scans_daily, or on Playboy.com. This is followed by a two-page interview with Jameson, in which she comes across as intelligent, funny, creative, and displays her impressive knowledge of Hebrew mythology and horror movie tropes.Finally, the neat part - six pages of full-page cover artwork from the series, by the likes of Greg Horn, Greg Land, Daniel Brereton, J. Michael Linsner, and Nico Henrichon. What struck me flipping through the cover artwork is that they're all fantastic covers, with the obvious exception of the Greg Land stinker. (And the J. Michael Linsner cover has the YEOWCH painful nipples too, but other than that it's really cool-looking. The second Greg Horn cover does not have YEOWCH nipples, thank God.) Then there are eight pages of "Explorations" by Mukesh Singh. That basically translates to, "Mukesh Singh paints whatever the hell he wants for eight pages, and the rest of us mortals only stare in wonder and drool like idiots after having an artgasm."
Ladies and gentlemen, Mukesh Singh:
Okay, so, issue #1. The actual first issue. Here we go.
Our heroine, Jezzerie Jaden, is a struggling tattoo artist with a jerk boyfriend, financial problems, and the ability to see otherwordly creatures. Like, all the time. Desperate for money and needing badly to be able to control her inescapable visions, she answers an online ad, and volunteers to become a research subject for the enigmatic Dr. Ingersol. Ingersol can't give Jezzerie any answers, but she does give Jezzerie a charm for protection. As it turns out, however, that charm may have the exact opposite effect on Jezzerie. Walking back from the doctor's office, Jezzerie is attacked by her childhood monsters - creatures which have suddenly become real. She survives, but ends up covered in blood and gore. Yep. Definitely not a dream anymore.
Jezzerie comes home to find her electricity shut off and her boyfriend cheating on her. She kicks out the boyfriend. Then she runs back to Dr. Ingersol, hoping to at least earn enough money to get back on her feet. Unfortunately, it turns out that Ingersol can't be trusted either. Jezzerie escapes from Ingersol's lab and into Grand Central station. Whereupon she's attacked by monsters AGAIN. Only this time, when she fights back, her arm grows teeth (ew), her hair turns black, and a sword pops out of her hand.
This is when things go insane. Monsters are overruning New York City. A magical spaceman appears out of nowhere and tries to help Jezzerie, only he's not much help.
Then the Big Bad appears, spouts some appropriately dramatic dialogue, and makes hay out of the magical spaceman and Jezzerie. The first issue ends with the dramatic revelation that [highlight to read spoiler] the Big Bad is Jezzerie's father and that she's the princess of Hell, or something.
In her interview in issue #0, Jameson said:
I love the look of blood. I love that alarming red color that hits our psyche and says 'something is wrong.' The color red in horror pieces is very important to me.
This is abundantly apparent in issue #1, in which there is a LOT of blood on almost every page. Seriously, a LOT of blood. Like, everywhere. All the time. Blood blood blood blood blood. There's blood flying around all over the place. Fortunately, Mukesh Singh is a talented artist, and he makes the blood look very, very artistic and pretty.
Visually, the series is extraordinarily inventive so far. Everything from Jezzerie's childhood hallucinations to the teeth sprouting out of her enchanted arm is ridiculously well-rendered (and appropriately beautiful and/or horrifying, depending on the context). I really LOVE the design of the Big Bad, but I don't want to post a scan and give it away here. Suffice to say that it's as creative and as terrifying as something that Junji Ito would have cooked up.
I will definitely be following the rest of this series, especially if there are more blood and teeth involved. What can I say? I'm a horror fan. And this is a good horror comic.
no subject
SOLD.
Also,
First, it's got that really painful-looking cover by Greg Horn, in which Jezzerie's nipples are so hard that they apparently poke through her leather jacket.
LAAAAAND! Leather does not work that way!
no subject
no subject
In my defense, "Land" is a lot more fun to say.
no subject
no subject
I haven't read it yet but I will when I have time :]
no subject
Because, well, yeah, I too thought this was going to be fap material, but I saw the scans_daily preview, and it was great. Wonderful art, and that line up there has me sold on it. I just hope someone suggests to Jenna to get a different cover artist.
no subject
Aaaah, I remember that post! And y'know, I'm not entirely surprised. Porn artists - at least the good and/or successful ones - HAVE to have a decent grasp of human anatomy. Whereas comic book artists can get away with, well, being Michael Turner (http://www.megami-sama.net/files/ljpics01/comics_powerbad.jpg), among other things.
I just hope someone suggests to Jenna to get a different cover artist.
Actually I really like all of the covers so far, except for the very first Greg Horn YEOWCH NIPPLES one. (The other Greg Horn covers are great, though.) And the Greg Land one. (*eyeroll*) Yeah. Greg Land.
no subject
This was the website what features those pictures, and they're ALL better than Michael Turner. I especially like Miravi and Oni's gallerys, as, well, the women there have rib cages, and body fat, and are muscled, being the women of action that they are. Yes, there is some idealism there of form, but it's not to the insane proportions that Michael Turner and Rob Liefeld go.
Plus, as for the main post there... hah! Dude gets tentacled for once. ;p
no subject