On that Jeff Lemire character

Even though I'd heard of Essex County, and Sweet Tooth- when I'd met Jeff Lemire at fanexpo last August I'd only read one thing of his- a 6 page back up primer story for his upcoming Superboy series. I'm pretty sure it was bundled with an early Lex Luthor Action Comics issue. Regardless, I did a review of the thing. I said it was cool idea after cool idea (I'm pretty sure my exact wording was "crazy awesome") but that the pace left something to be desired. Or something. I forget my exact complaint.

So stupid me, when I meet the guy, I basically quoted my review at him. The good and the bad. He kind of looked at me like he didn't know whether or not I was gibbering fool- I made a mental note after that: maybe hold off on the un-compliments when you're talking to a total stranger, even if you are balancing it with the good stuff.

Soon after I got to read his back up story in the Legion of Super-Heroes book about The Atom. He hit some good techno-babble, which is pretty essential, and the artist on the book did a great job- but I wasn't too keen on some inconsistancies with previous Atom stuff, and the inclusion of a never before seen uncle mentor for the Atom. I'd eventually learn that that Uncle figure who would support a young Ray Palmer when he was just a kid who wanted to get out of a small town- all of this stuff is straight out of the Jeff Lemire handbook.

The important thing to see was how he'd handle one of my favourites- Superboy- in his new series. It was a strong start, but it's been meandering for a good number of issues. The dialogue explains too much about how the characters feel and what such and such a thing means. But the biggest problem is the Pier Gallo guy on art. I'm not sure the guy can draw glasses. People wear glasses in Superman type books, it comes up!

I'm looking at some Pier Gallo sample artwork on his website, it's actually pretty good. Could be he just needs an urban environment to draw. Also, no glasses.

So I decided to figure out what this Lemire guy was all about- I picked up his "Essex County", "Sweet Tooth" volume 1, and "The Nobody". That just leaves his "Lost Dogs" book for me to eventually check out (not sure if the library has that, I haven't checked yet).

So Essex County is good, make no mistake about it. I am completely in favour of Lemire winning all of those comic awards for it, I get it.

Sweet Tooth is ALSO good, but I know if I didn't get the first volume, if I was reading it in single issue format, it would drive me nuts. Lemire is definitely working under a very modern sensibility, and a big part of that is story decompression. I wouldn't feel I was getting my money's worth if I got this month to month. Even still, it's a cool world he's created.

Still, his main character is named Gus. His sweet little deer boy is named after his son. That's rough buddy. What if this gets made to a movie? Then he gets to be that "Deer Boy" in class.

The Nobody I'm less crazy about, here is the first evidence of that dialogue trouble I've seen so often in my Superboy comics from him. It's set up as a little mystery, but it's a non event. The missing person that everyone thinks "The Nobody" killed, had just gone out of town on a bender. I get that the way everyone over reacts and blames the out of towner is supposed to send a message about a small town small mindedness, but couldn't that story've been told with an actual murder, an actual culprit... with an actual mystery!

Yes, sure, we didn't KNOW the woman was fine, but that's a cheat too. The story was trying to be too mundane when it stars the Invisible Man! I mean come on!!

If it went the mundane route, I'd rather it turned out that beneath the bandages was simply a disturbed individual who thought he was invisible. It it went the high drama sci-fi mystery route- yes, he's invisible. Make Mr. Marvel crazy like all the townspeople say. Make someone guilty of an actual crime!

...

Uh, aside from the one (maybe two) murders that the Invisible Man DID commit. It's just that none of the townspeople caught on to those at all. They may as well as not have happened.

So what have I learned about Jeff Lemire? He's already run through his bag of tricks, and it's all variations on a theme. He loves crows, he loves Hockey (if his upcoming Animal Man comic doesn't have Animal Man coaching his son on a hockey team, then I'll have to buy a hat to eat), he's conflicted about small towns- but they're what he knows, so they're what he writes. I'd say he needs a bit of a break to shore up his writerly experience. Maybe just slow downa bit so his dialogue has a bit more thought to it.

As an artist he's pretty fantastic, he's got a pretty well rounded ability in that regard. I'd be interested in seeing his Superboy as drawn by himself. But of course with the reboot in September, that's not happening.

Maybe I can see the guy at another convention and ask for a Superboy sketch? Assuming I don't criticize the guy again. Which maybe a big assumption.

Oh, also, either his upcoming Frankenstein or his Animal Man- one of those books is going to be set in Detroit. As far as American cities go, that's clearly the one he knows. It'd be cool if he could use Toronto- but a mainstream DC hero operating out of Canada? That ain't happening.