A German centaur who fought in World War I. An Eskimo shaman who talks like a 1940's detective. An inscrutable wanderer caught up in a domestic squabble on a bizarre planet that blurs the line between fantasy and science fiction. An easy-going Greek philosopher who tutors a young Alexander the Great and who finds himself caught up in the affairs of the gods.

 It's readily apparent: these aren't your father's comic books. No superheroes. No tights. No precedents. The comics I'll be looking at this month are truly sui generis. Latin for "of its own kind," sui generis means unique or individual. ("The American Heritage Dictionary: Second Collegiate Edition," Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, 1985, p. 1216.) Cover shots of any of the following books could easily serve as the illustration for that dictionary entry.
 

STINZ Volume 1 #1-5 (Fantagraphics Books & Brave New Words)
STINZ Volume 2 #1-3 (Brave New Words)
STINZ: THE BOBWAR (Mu Press)
STINZ: BUM STEER (Mu Press)
STINZ: FAMILY VALUES (Mu Press)
STINZ: HORSEBRUSH AND OTHER TALES TP (Eclipse Books)
STINZ: OLD MAN OUT (Mu Press)
STINZ: A STRANGER TO OUR KIND (Mu Press)
STINZ: WARTIME AND WEDDING BELLS TP (Brave New Words)

STINZ is a biography-in-progress. It tracks the life of Steinheld "Stinz" Lowhard from his youth as a dumb young stud courting all the pretty village fillies, through his traumatic formative years as a soldier in World War I, to his adulthood as a husband, father, gentleman farmer, and town mayor. That Stinz is a German living near the turn of the century would make this series unique in the world of comics. That Stinz is a centaur makes this series a true, one-of-a-kind gem.

 Stinz comes from a small, isolated region in Germany called Geisel Valley, where the majority of the occupants are half-horses. Surrounded by a world of "two-leggers," Geisel Valley is by necessity a close-knit community. Indeed, this rural, agrarian society of centaurs plays as large a role in most STINZ stories as Stinz himself. But Stinz manages to stand out thanks to his fiery temper, his pigheadedness, his legendary physical prowess, and his natural leadership skills. Much of the humor and drama of STINZ, though, comes not from Stinz' accomplishments, but from his interactions with the people he loves and the people he must live with in Geisel Valley.

 STINZ gives writer/artist Donna Barr tremendous leeway as a storyteller. Stinz' early appearances in DREAMERY (Eclipse Comics, collected as STINZ: HORSEBRUSH AND OTHER TALES) are all over the board, though always infused with gentle humor. Some stories are romances, focusing on Stinz' courting. Some are warm and fuzzy family dramas focusing on Stinz and his son. Others are outright comedies focusing on the various colorful inhabitants of Geisel Valley. In one wild episode, Barr went totally overboard and arbitrarily transformed Stinz into a Japanese ninja. STINZ Volume 1 #1-5 (collected in trade paperback as STINZ: WARTIME & WEDDING BELLS) contain a military boot camp training farce. Barr has fun showing the complications associated with Stinz being the first four-legged soldier to be drafted into a two-legged army. STINZ Volume 2 #1-3, deal more seriously with Stinz' war experiences and find him getting involved in politics after returning to Geisel Valley. In the MU Press STINZ one-shots, the politics are more complicated with the increased presence of a two-legged nobleman; fatherhood is more complicated as Stinz' daughter reaches dating age; and life is more difficult as Stinz realizes he's getting old.

 To create something wholly original, it helps to have an original personality. To quote from the creator's web page, "Donna Barr is a Seattle-area writer, artist and Teutonophile who combines unique artistic talent with a wicked wit, a sharp nose for human foibles and a passion for Germany's history and language." In addition to the Germanic world of STINZ, Barr explores her Germanic interests in her other regular series, THE DESERT PEACH, which recounts the World War II German Army adventures of Rommel's gay brother. (See the July 1997 LWYBM for a full review and my assessment of Barr's art. Grade: A.) Where DESERT PEACH is an awesome over-the-top situational comedy, STINZ is a wonderfully amusing family drama. That the same woman could create both books demonstrates how truly talented Barr is.

 I've been enjoying STINZ for over a decade, and now you have a chance to mount up. As STINZ moves to its fifth (!) publisher, Barr continues to record his biography in biannual complete-unto-themselves one-shots. Buy STINZ: MARVELOUS RESISTANCE to sample the world of Stinz, and I'll bet --like me -- you'll be unable to rein in your enthusiasm.

_____

Grade: A

(STINZ: MARVELOUS RESISTANCE is solicited this month by A Fine Line in PREVIEWS on page 202!)

(Donna Barr's home page is located at http://www.tooluser.com/barr/. It's a bit out of date, but surf on over for a generous seven page sample from STINZ: THE BOBWAR and information about all of Barr's books.)

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CUD #1 & 7 (Fantagraphics Books)
CUD COMICS #3 (Dark Horse Comics)

I couldn't believe my eyes.

 I was browsing through the PREVIEWS on-line catalog this week and came across the most unlikely Vertigo mini-series ever: MUKTUK WOLF'SBREATH: HARD-BOILED SHAMAN. Its title character is a travelling Eskimo shaman, who goes from village to village healing the sick, fighting demons, and showing up the other shamans. As if that weren't offbeat enough, Wolf'sbreath narrates his adventures as if he had just stepped out of a Dashiell Hammett or Raymond Chandler novel.

 "I came to on the floor of my filthy tent, my head screaming like a mating loon. Either someone was at my door, or I was still feeling the effects of some bad Lake Olmusk mushrooms." (CUD #1, Fantagraphics Books, August 1992, p. 5.)

 Muktuk Wolf'sbreath first appeared in Terry LaBan's CUD and CUD COMICS. His few appearances were dynamite, blowing away the strips featuring LaBan's regular characters: slackers Eno & Plum and performance artist Bob Cudd. Despite my admiration for Muktuk Wolf'sbreath, I never for the life of me considered he would one day have his own book. But in a world where every third skit on "Saturday Night Live" can get it's own movie, I guess anything can happen. Let me reassure you, however, that I believe MUKTUK WOLF'SBREATH: HARD-BOILED SHAMAN will be a "Wayne's World" success rather than an "It's Pat!" flop.

 Why? Because Muktuk Wolf'sbreath is one of those endearing jerks you just have to love in spite of his flaws. Sure, his bedside manner is sabotaged by his cynicism and lustful ways: Wolf'sbreath is mostly concerned about putting on a good show for any gathered crowd and hitting on his cute patients once they're better. However, Wolf'sbreath bad attitude is alleviated by his competence as a shaman. His patients will get better every time, or Wolf'sbreath will know the reason why. Sure, Wolf'sbreath is reluctant to be pulled into confrontations without the lure of venison or the need for self-preservation. Once he's committed to a fight, though, his two-fisted, no-nonsense attitude makes him a formidable opponent. He may not like projecting his astral form from his body, but there is no one who is better at finding his way around the spiritual realm. Wolf'sbreath's motives may not be pure, but you cannot argue with his success. Or with his nifty, out-of place, hard-boiled narration, which gives a spicy kick to even his most mundane adventures.

 Writer/artist Terry LaBan is a consistently outrageous and uproarious comic book creator. CUD and CUD COMICS featured strips that finally answered the question: What would ARCHIE comics look like if Gilbert Shelton (of Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers fame) created them? LaBan has mastered that underground comix sensibility: sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll. No subject is too gross or in such poor taste that LaBan won't record it on the comics page -- usually to hilarious effect. Taboos, for LaBan, do not exist. In other words, sensitive readers and minors should skip MUKTUK WOLF'SBREATH: HARD-BOILED SHAMAN.

 The rest of LaBan's resume is fairly short, but packed with quality. In addition to CUD and CUD COMICS, LaBan was the writer/artist behind the semi-autobiographical UNSUPERVISED EXISTENCE (Fantagraphics Books). In the comics mainstream, he has written some of the better story arcs for THE DREAMING (DC Comics/Vertigo) and GRENDEL TALES (Dark Horse Comics). Frankly, LaBan's treatment of Grendel -- subtitled "The Devil May Care" -- is the best Grendel story since Grendel became a franchise no longer written or drawn by its creator, Matt Wagner. LaBan was also the writer behind the demented conspiracy thriller VERTIGO VERITE: THE UNSEEN HAND (DC Comics/Vertigo).

 For a comic book experience like none you've ever had before, be sure to include MUKTUK WOLF'SBREATH: HARD-BOILED SHAMAN on your order form this month. You won't believe your eyes.

_____

Grade: B+

(MUKTUK WOLF'SBREATH: HARD-BOILED SHAMAN #1 is solicited this month by DC Comics/Vertigo in PREVIEWS on page 101!)

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FINDER #1-8 (Lightspeed Press)

While reading a book or watching a movie, I often find myself analyzing the plot and trying to predict which twist will come next and how the whole story will resolve. The more boring the story, I find, the more I engage in this mental game and the more accurate my predictions become. As you can probably guess, I look forward to those stories which avoid all the cliches and hoary old plot devices. I want to be challenged, not pandered to. Discovering a writer I cannot second-guess is a magical experience; and I've found the magic in Carla Speed McNeil's FINDER.

 Right off the bat, I'm challenged by having to describe FINDER. It's science fiction, except it's also fantasy. It's about a wandering loner, and yet its primary focus is a domestic drama. Most of the characters are good people, unless they're being bad. And it all seems to make perfect sense, but it always leaves me confused.

 Bare bones, the plot is simple. The world of FINDER consists of crumbling domed cities separated by vast wastelands. Jaeger Ayers is a nomad who scours the badlands finding items to sell in the cities. In the city of Anvard, Jaeger has found shelter with the family of an old soldier buddy. The family is damaged goods in a multitude of ways. The parents had married across clan lines, and now that they have separated, the mother and her daughters are outcasts from both clans. The mother spends much of her time in a trance reciting stream of consciousness nonsense under the observation of a holographic artificial intelligence. The father, Brigham, who has only recently been released from prison, subjected the family to intense mental torture to keep them dependent upon him. Now he's stalking them with the help and/or under the scrutiny of Jaeger.

 My summary may make it sound like I understand this book fairly well, but Speed's characterization, setting, pacing, dialogue, and transitions all serve to keep me slightly off-kilter. For instance, McNeil never outright explains the origins or structure of Jaeger's world. Instead, she tantalizes the reader with a few tiny fragments or clues in every issue, leaving one wanting answers to burning questions. What created the wastelands? Where do the non-humans in the cast come from? Indeed, McNeil is a master of the same intriguing inscrutability which brings me back to "The X-Files" week after week.

 The motivations of all the characters in FINDER are very human and very muddled, treading the fine line between good and evil. Jaeger's sincerity toward the family is constantly undercut by scenes where he displays that same sincerity while running con games. His magnanimous benevolence toward the family is juxtaposed with his survivalist nature and a murderous rampage early in the series. Brigham's obvious psychosis appears only in fits and bursts, giving him the appearance of being a reasonable and caring man much of the time. The daughters very credibly vacillate between independence and helplessness. The realism of the characters makes their actions unpredictable; I'm never sure what the next scene will reveal. They are so engaging, I cannot wait to turn the next page.

 I'm a latecomer to FINDER. Carla Speed McNeil first caught my eye last year with her contributions to MYTHOGRAPHY (Bardic Press). Her "Mystery Date" serial is the best part of that fantasy anthology. In "Mystery Date," a student making her way through college by working as a prostitute has fallen in love with her non-human professor. My respect for McNeil's work is so strong, I couldn't resist ordering the two FINDER starter packs offered through PREVIEWS, despite knowing next to nothing about the book. Well, I was not disappointed. And now it turns out that "Mystery Date" and FINDER might be set on the same planet. Even better.

 I hope you'll find it in your heart to give FINDER the same chance I did. While I don't always know what's going on in FINDER, I do know I like it.

_____

Grade: B+

(FINDER #10 is solicited this month in PREVIEWS on page 298!)

(The FINDER webpage is located at http://www.lightspeedpress.com. At the site, you will find a brief synopsis and cover image for each issue and a couple of interior pages. I was bemused to discover that an otherwise decent web page misspelled the name of the book's protagonist several times.)

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EPICURUS THE SAGE Volumes #1-2 (DC Comics/Piranha Press)

Epicurus is a country boy who has come to the big city to become a star. But his isn't a run-of-the-mill rags-to-riches story. The big city is Athens, Greece. The time is the 4th century, B.C. And Epicurus' chosen profession is philosopher. History, philosophy, and a foreign locale. Any one of these three elements might turn off a typical comic book reader. Combined, I'm sure they drove fanboys away in droves. Is it any wonder EPICURUS THE SAGE didn't get past its first two volumes?

 Actually, yes. And for two reasons: the creators and the sheer hilarity of the work.

 Writer William Messner-Loebs and artist Sam Kieth are probably best known for their collaboration on THE MAXX (Image Comics & MTV). Their skewed take on superheroics was a true original in the genre thanks to Loebs's quirky dialogue and Kieth's even quirkier layouts and character designs. While I initially enjoyed the novelty of THE MAXX, I gave up on it several years ago, writing its story off as a sloppy and confused mess. I'm inclined to blame Kieth for THE MAXX's failure, as I have continued to enjoy Loebs's offbeat scripts on such superhero books as FLASH, WONDER WOMAN, and IMPULSE, as well as Loebs's writing and drawing on his own creations: the recent BLISS ALLEY (Image Comics) and the long-gone JOURNEY (Fantagraphics Books, et al). Regardless, I'll always best remember the Loebs and Kieth team for defying all genres with their earlier, short-lived satire of Greek philosophy.

The main advantage EPICURUS THE SAGE has over THE MAXX is that EPICURUS THE SAGE has all quirkiness of THE MAXX without sacrificing purpose, sense, or humor. Loebs and Kieth succeed in making history, philosophy and Greece funny. They do this by tearing the history, philosophy and Greek setting to bits. Believe it or not, properly shredded and combined with a healthy helping of mythology and a tablespoon of tomfoolery, the once-daunting ingredients congeal into a tasty and amusing concoction. Anachronisms, oversimplifications and outright lies abound, making EPICURUS THE SAGE extremely accessible, immensely enjoyable, and only marginally educational.

 In an age and place where gods run roughshod over the population and people have gone gaga over the most outlandish philosophical ideas and theories, Epicurus is a voice of reason and moderation. While all the other philosophers sit and tie themselves up into intellectual knots, Epicurus is the man the common folks come to for assistance and action. Oh, and he works cheap. When Demeter, goddess of the Earth, shrouds the world in an unnatural winter while mourning the kidnapping of her daughter by the god of the underworld, it is up to Epicurus to bring back summer. When Zeus can't keep his fly zipped, only Epicurus can save the Paula Jones, Monica Lewinksy, and Kathleen Willey of his day from the wrath of Hera.

 Epicurus is joined (and only occasionally sidetracked) in his adventures by the greatest succession of teachers and students of all time. First, there is the smug know-it-all, Socrates. He taught the airheaded -- but nice -- Plato. Plato mentored the arrogant prig known as Aristotle. And Aristotle has just been entrusted with educating a young hellion named Alexander. Alexander will later be dubbed "The Great" after conquering every inch of ground he ever saw. For Epicurus, dealing with this headstrong group of peers is usually more vexing than handling the gods.

 Loebs's mastery of wit and slapstick combines with Kieth's wild art to create a very amusing and unique experience. Overall, the first book is much stronger than the second -- which is okay, since the second book is not available for order in PREVIEWS this month. While I may never pick up another issue of THE MAXX, I would be very interested in seeing Loebs and Kieth teaming up for a third volume of EPICURUS. Hey, I can dream, can't I?

_____

Grade: B-

(EPICURUS THE SAGE #1 is resolicited this month in PREVIEWS on page 109!)

(Fans of William Messner-Loebs may want to check out his personal home page at http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/billmloebs/index.htm.)

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