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| Issue #1 "Disembodiment" "Deeper Blue" |
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| Issue #2 "What Gazes Also" "Vaya Con Dios" |
|
 Mortal
Coils #1TheSmallPress.com Savant Magazine ComicsWorthReading.com Borderline Magazine (UK) TheFourthRail.com O'Shea's Offhand Opinions WellRedPress.com |
 Mortal
Coils #2Suspended Animation Permanent Damage TheFourthRail.com Savant Magazine Comics Worth Reading.com O'Shea's Offhand Opinions |
 Mortal
Coils #3Broken Frontier Permanent Damage Comics-N-Such NeilAlien.com O'Shea's Offhand Opinions ComicWorldNews.com |
Mortal
Coils: Bodylines & Mortal Coils Presents FCBD The Absorbascon ComicWorldNews.com Dreamchilde Press The Hustler The Trades |
Words of Praise: Josh
Dysart (Violent
Messiahs) Devin
Grayson (Nightwing) Myatt
Murphy (Far From Saints, Fade
From Blue) Matt
Pustz (Comic Book Culture) Buddy
Scalera (Deadpool, Agent X)
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The
Absorbascon
Let's
look at one of the Free Comic Book Day books: "Free Bodies" from Mortal
Coils Comics.
It has four stories in it! Yay, I like feeling like I'm
getting a lot of bang for my buck (even when it's free). Three out of
the four stories, I liked; not a bad average!
"Godpoint". Two lady janitors who relocate randomly whenever
they sleep and then make sardonic repartee wherever they show up. But
why I can't imagine. Honestly, I understood not a word of this story.
Except for the one sentence in Latin, which was perfectly clear.
"Pit Stop". A nice, Vertigo-esque tale. Two (I assume) running characters, off on their usual magic-chasing errands, encounter a love-sick stranger who learns painfully, "Thou Shalt Not Steal." Has the patented 'quick crushing intimacy' with characters that moves Vertigo stuff along so efficiently. Love the air-brush-y art by Chris Srnka.
"Fetch". A silent film of a story, using only pictographic
ballons (a la "Impulse"), about a store owner with a pet lion. Cute! "I
Didn't KnowThis Place Had a Cellar". Also cute. A light superhero
parody tale set in a bar (the Hero Happy
Hour series). I liked it, even if it only had one joke.
Perhaps this is a sampler of what the company has to offer and previous
familiarity with the characters and their situations would help? I can't
quite tell.
Oh, and I really liked the lettering by SnoCone Studios, odd as that may
sound.
Borderline
Magazine
Mortal
Coils
is a black and white American small press title with production values
so professional you'd have difficulty telling it apart from anything published
by the likes of Oni or Avatar. Indeed, self-publishers the world over
should take a serious look at this debut issue and use it as a guide as
to how they might improve their own comics.
Not only does Mortal Coils look great, it reads pretty well too.
Of the two self-contained stories featured within the book's 28 pages,
Disembodiment is by far the best. A genuinely disturbing tale,
it takes the male/female body swap premise of the Steve Martin movie All
of Me and gives it a decidedly sinister twist that's about as far
away from fun physical comedy as it's possible to get. Lewis's writing
is the strip's main strength. Although a little wordy at times, he's an
undoubted master at building tension and the economical way he sets up
both his characters and ideas are the marks of a very talented writer.
Artist Evan Quiring's figure work reminds me a little of Steve (Queen
& Country) Rolston but it perfectly fits the strip's dark mood.
Deeper
Blue is a total change of pace from Disembodiment and illustrates
Lewis's ability to effortlessly swap genres without a loss of quality.
This time we see events through the eyes of a genius inventor as he battles
to escape the grasp of a team of robotic hunters. All in all it's a thoroughly
enjoyable sci-fi romp with a decidedly dark heart. Terrific stuff.
The
Verdict: The finest self-published title I've come across in a long time.
Highly recommended.
ComicWorldNews.com
(Mortal
Coils #3)
From CWN’s own A. David Lewis, Mortal Coils is a Twilight Zone-esque
anthology series with a literary bent. In issue three, there is a thematic
unity to the stories; both deal with memory and loss. While I enjoyed
(and continue to enjoy) the Mortal Coils series, I noticed something at
SPX: the covers to all three issues are, at a passing glance, nearly identical.
I could imagine the confusion of a customer, looking over the shelves
to find something new, and seeing a comic looking like one he has already
read and passing over it without a second thought. It would be a shame
if he did, though – while not the best issue of the series, Mortal
Coils #3 is still well worth reading. The first vignette, “Of Things
Passed,” deals with a grief counselor haunted by his past. Visually,
“Of Things Passed” is the stronger story in the issue. Narvaez’s
illustrations demonstrate deftness of pacing and perspective, and he conveys
emotion well through facial expression. However, the story did have its
flaws. The script came across as extremely wordy in parts. The second
vignette, “Remembrance,” is the stronger story in terms of
narrative and dialogue. “Remembrance” deals with an experimental
treatment for Alzheimer’s patients. Despite its science-fiction
overtones, “Remembrance” is surprisingly poignant, and contains
some of the best, most honest dialogue I’ve come across on the subject.
It, too, is at times a little wordy, but that’s something only evident
in the size of the word balloons, as the dialogue is so engrossing. Quiring’s
pencils and Merinuk’s inks illustrate the story well, but at times
the images seem too flat. In some of the scenes more influenced by mood,
a different use of light and shadow might have made Lewis’ point
more strongly, and would have provided a stronger unity between story
and art. Overall, Mortal Coils #3 might not be the best issue of the series,
but it certainly is worth picking up.
(Mortal
Coils Presents...The Line)
At
SPX, I also picked up a copy of Mortal Coils Presents: The Line, a minicomic
exclusive to the event. It’s a shame that “The Line”
is an SPX exclusive, as it might be the best story of the series to date
(although, if I understand it correctly, it will be a part of the Mortal
Coils TPB that is to be published in 2004). “The Line” also
deals with loss, as a woman goes to her English professor brother-in-law
looking for answers about death. The visuals of “The Line”
are easily the best Mortal Coils has to offer. Jesus Barony’s gorgeous,
fully-painted art differs greatly from much of the painted work in comics.
While not as realistic as Alex Ross’ work, it also doesn’t
suffer from the same static imagery that Ross often delivers. Barony also
avoids falling into the trap of using all the colors available to him,
and concentrates on more subdued tones that reflect the subject matter
the best. Also, of all the stories Lewis has written for Mortal Coils,
this one hinges least on the twist ending concept. Even without that final
element (which I missed on the first casual glance, which can be attributed
to both my glossing of the text and Barony’s subtle painting), “The
Line” is a realistic look at a woman coming to terms with her husband’s
sudden death, and not to be missed.
(Mortal
Coils Presents FCBD )
A.
David Lewis gave me this advance copy of this Free Comic Book Day edition
of his anthology series Mortal Coils. There are two stories written
by Lewis, the first a Waiting For Godot-type jaunt featuring two
women who pop from place to place in their sleep, looking for a certain
someone (illustrated by Taki Soma & Jeffrey LaJaunie); the second
featuring an immortal djinn in modern times, looking for one thing and
finding something else completely (illustrated by Chris Srnka). In addition,
there's a new Finder story from Carla Speed McNeil and a new Hero
Happy Hour story by Joshua Hale Fialkov and Scott Keating. Lewis'
stories are often difficult to summarize; the descriptions I just gave
do not do them justice. The first story is hampered by some awkward word
balloon placement; a number of times I had to stop and think about what
the sequence was, and for something as dense with sophisticated, heady
dialogue as this is, that can be the kiss of death. The word balloons
in the second story were easier to follow, but I think the artist allowed
more room for them there than in the first. Both stories are challenging,
to say the least. The first really does seem like a Godot homage, what
with the mysterious "Mister Albert" Elle and Anna keep trying to call
and the rhythm of the dialogue (the characters even use the phrase "Nothing
to be done" twice, which is straight out of the play), and the overall
futility of their quest. The second is basically a lesson in instant karma,
though I wish it had been told from the perspective of the guy Teiresia
meets at the highway rest stop instead. It seemed to be more his story.
The Finder and HHH tales are both funny and make for decent
introductions to their respective books. If you see this comic at your
local shop on May 7, pick it up. B
ComicsWorthReading.com
(Mortal
Coils #1)
I'm astounded. This unknown writer is putting out gripping, imaginative,
deeply creative stories that kept me on the edge of my seat. I don't know
how to quickly describe them beyond "idea-driven", since they're not of
any particular genre. Unusual concepts are developed strongly without
padding or skipping too quickly through the ramifications.
The first tale deals with the aftermath of a rape and a body-switching.
It's not a completely original idea -- the author even makes an allusion
to the movie SWITCH -- but it kept me involved, wondering what revelation
would come next. The interior monologue structure can be tough to execute
well, because it's easy to slip into self-indulgence, but here it's handled
with talent and skill.
There's
a lot of text, but the creators manage to fit it in with the pictures,
which add another dimension to the continuing discovery. I was impressed
by how well the captions were laid out. Flowing that much verbiage without
completely overwhelming the panels is a challenge. I was also pleased
to note that the material is handled maturely, not gratuitously. Indirection
can create a more direct response than graphic visuals.
The second piece is a clever twist on the question of artificial intelligence.
The well-chosen epigram that begins the piece sheds a new light on the
man vs. machine chase illustrated here. This is a puzzle story with a
creepy twist ending. How does the lone hero out-plot and out-think the
killing android chasing him, and why? This is paralleled by the creative
concern of the story itself. How does the creator set up a situation that
seems an impossible challenge and then solve it in a dramatically satisfying
way?
This
book is the kind of discovery that makes this whole reviewing thing worthwhile.
It's a pleasure to read, and something that will stay with me long afterwards.
(Mortal
Coils #2)
The thought-provoking anthology of spooky stories for the intelligent
returns. The first story starts with a hard-charging television executive
visiting the set of a runaway hit that's no longer under her control.
She finds that there's a lot more going on than she ever imagined. The
overtones of her discoveries fall into a category I'm a bit burned out
on -- I'm trying not to give away the revelation here, because Mr. Lewis'
stories are so creative that part of the fun is riding the twists and
turns -- and the art made me think that Mr. Copland had been heavily influenced
by the work of Steve Lieber, especially WHITEOUT. Still, I was left pondering
the nature of the American entertainment system.
Reading the second story was an interesting experience. The setting, a
casino, demands slang that I found a little hard-going at times. As page
after page unfolded, I began getting further glimpses of what I thought
might be happening, but I wasn't sure until halfway through, at which
point the context became clear. Although I'd seen the idea before, and
I disagreed with the conclusion, again, I was left challenged to think
hard about my assumptions. There aren't many gripping thrillers that carry
as much philosophical depth.
Dreamchilde
Press
If
I learned one thing from this book, it's never to piss off a genie.
This is A. David Lewis' offering for Free Comic Book Day, with 2 independent
short stories written by Lewis, a Finder short by Carla Speed
McNeil, and a Hero Happy Hour tale by Joshua Fialkov. Overall
a pretty nice bang-for-the-buck which serves up macabre, magic and humor
in one well-presented package.
The Mortal Coils bits were pretty good overall. The first story,
"Godpoint," was actually my least favorite. But I did enjoy the premise
of the two women protagonists who could basically dream their way to various
locations. We get to hear some pretty interesting observations on syphilis--among
other things--from them, and Lewis sneaks in his affinity for Latin in
typical Mortal Coils style. The things I didn't like in this
story dealt mainly with some spelling and lettering errors. But there
was a lot of information to cram into this 12-pager, and the art and sequential
layouts were fairly effective.
"Pit Stop" is the second Lewis installment and far more enjoyable a read
for me. It follows the journey of Hopper, an up-and-coming mage, and Teiresia,
a 3000 year old genie. As Hopper goes in search of a magical relic in--of
all places--a rest area, Teiresia keeps herself occupied with one of her
fellow rest-stoppers. I enjoyed both the art and dialogue of this piece,
wonderfully rendered by Chris Srnka. One of Lewis' most effective tellings
to date, I believe.
Carla Speed McNeil's "Fetch" is up next, a wonderful tale of a local bookstore's
resident lion and his quest for a decent bite to eat. This story is told
with no dialogue, relying solely on iconic balloons, marvelous facial
expressions and a probably unconscious nod to Looney Toons. Using
simple layouts, McNeil shows her mastery of sequential storytelling here.
Rounding out the issue is a Hero Happy Hour tale entitled "I
Didn't Know This Place Had a Cellar." The story is witty, irreverent,
and fun, leading to a great punch line at the end. Scott Keating's art
is simple but effective.
All in all, this should be the indie treasure of Free Comic Book Day.
The package design itself is first-rate with an eye-catching cover by
Chris Moreno. I'd say there's something in here for everybody. Recommended!
The
Hustler
Pick up Mortal
Coils Presents: Free Bodies if you want something different on FCBD.
MCP:FB [I love acronyms!] reminds me of my own Paper Museum
work because it has four pulp-feeling stories. The stories range from
sci-fi to horror to humor, and they all engage different readers. The
book boasts an excellent Finder story by Carla Speed McNeil and
a Hero Happy Hour story by Josh Fialkov and Scott Keating. I
recommend it to anyone that liked the FCBD offerings from Slave Labor
the past two years. While this isn't really a mini comic, it's got the
same spirit and energy.
NeilAilen.com
"Best of MoCCA 2003"
... This series consists of two stories per book of the Twilight Zone
variety, written by Lewis with a different artist. Lewis has some great
ideas, and can still manage a surprise ending in our jaded world fifty
years after EC's switcheroo endings. The one nitpick would be that some
areas feel a little too wordy- but if Lewis' thought-provoking stories
require all that conversation, and he continues with solid artists and
letterers who can handle it, there should be no problem.
O'Shea's
Offhand Opinions
(Mortal Coils #1)
I don’t think I’ve encountered a collection
of stories that avoids being categorized any better. Imagine two stories
that are a mixture of science fiction meets social commentary with a dash
of horror. The first story, Disembodiment, is a 2000-era Twilight Zone
story that tackles rape at the same time. The second, Deeper Blue, is
robot versus man with a chess theme (hence the title). The writer for
both stories is A. David Lewis and the artists, respectively are Evan
Quiring with Daren Merinuk and Jason Copland with Dan Cooney. If you’re
looking for indy that is off the beaten track and engaging, this will
suit you perfectly.
(Mortal
Coils #2)
This is one of those indy books that you need to
seek out. Every once and awhile you may have a non comics reading friend
who might by some miracle, ask you to recommend a comic that is accessible.
When I read Mortal Coils, it reminds me of the Steven Spielberg's 1980s
attempt in TV, Amazing Stories. A mixture of intelligent story telling
mixed in with a dash of adventure plus pure escapism. The first story
is clearly influenced by Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness with
a dash of homage to Apocalypse Now! (with a lead character by the name
of Marlo Kurtz and an early dialogue reference to Coppola). But quite
honestly, I also sensed an influence of C.S. Lewis. In terms of art, I’ve
never seen an artist more influenced by John Byrne than Copland. Not to
say he’s a clone, I just appreciate his ability to create a story
with clean lines and a fun design sense. The second tale in this B&W
anthology series hearkens (for me), back to the days of Sandman, when
Gaiman had the whole family around to talk. Dysfunction among the gods
(who have gotten “mobbed up” it would appear) in a bar in
Vegas makes for a unique philosophical twist in terms of storytelling.
(Mortal
Coils #3)
The book continues very much in its Twilight Zone
vein (which is an under-appreciated subgenre of anthology storytelling
in comic books I think). I continue to like the respective story's essence
in terms of the pitch/the core of the story. But unfortunately to a certain
extent, the execution is a little off with both tales in this issue. The
opening framing and set-up for the narrator of the first story confused
me and took a bit too long to establish. Then when the story's resolution
happened, I was left rather bewildered. Not to sound unduly harsh as the
writing in general and the art overall is top notch. I'm comfortable recommending
the issue, because Lewis, when he gets into a groove is a solid writer
with some great dialogue and unique character moments. Unfortunately,
you have to forgive some plot confusion for weakening my endorsement.
Also, while I understand they are opting for a noir-ish cover with the
dark tones, I think it dilutes the ability to catch people's attention
as it sits on the shelf. But that's just my opinion (and I'm not suggesting
to aim for a Disney type cover/polar opposite either). But kudos to the
Narvaez's art on the first story, as the portrayal of ghosts/departed
lives amidst the living was effectively pulled off. And production wise
I'm sure it is no easy task.
Permanent
Damage
(Mortal Coils #2)
With art by Jason Copland and Evan Quiring (the
latter inked by Darren Merinuk in the first issue and James Cosper in
the second) it's sort of an edgier version of THE TWILIGHT ZONE, with
two short stories per issue that shift from "reality" on a single premise.
In the first issue, a raped woman finds herself in the body of her attacker,
and an old man is pursued by killer robots for strange reasons. In the
second, a TV producer finds a doorway to her secret fantasies, and a couple
of gamblers look for a new way of life after long lifetimes of habit.
It's not entirely successful; like many comics, the stories seem slaves
to the format. It's not that the writing's bad - Lewis can handle words
just fine, and he has decent story ideas; there's definite potential here
- but it's like he's so concerned with dodging melodrama that the work
never quite gets that visceral edge it needs to really suck us in, and
the punchlines just aren't punchy enough to make up for it. (For stories
like these, you need at least one or the other.) The art's passable, but
what happened to Jason Copland? Though still not quite pro quality yet,
his work took a quantum jump in quality from the first issue to the second.
(Mortal
Coils #3)
I know MORTAL COILS is now an award-winning comic,
but I still have difficulty warming to it. Like the others, the third
issue features two stories by A. David Lewis, the first pretty well drawn
by Jason Narvaez about the fate of a psychologist with dark secrets, and
the second not so well drawn by Evan Quiring and Darren Merinuk about
a medical cure for Alzheimer's and the unexpected human result of it.
Both stories have good ideas, decent characterization, pretty good dialogue
and murky development, with the latter being the better developed. Both
strain a bit too hard for twist endings, but the former literally vanishes
into not one but two twists, one being too convenient to be credible and
the other too "mystical" to have any impact, like Lewis was
trying to channel Neil Gaiman through crossed wires. Which is too bad,
because he really does show all the signs of becoming a terrific comics
writer, but he really needs an editor who'll tell him when to shape up
and rework things, rather than his current one.
Savant
Magazine
(Mortal
Coils #1)
For an industry that concerns itself with images, comics often ignores
aesthetics. Want proof? Take a look at some of the creators, or, worse,
some of the fans. Wander into any local convention and you're likely to
find gaggles of strange looking folk lumbering about and perpetuating
every negative stereotype in the book, from the tattered Boba Fett T-shirt
to the five-day-stubble to the unique aroma; your only consolation will
be, "Thank God they'll never have the chance to breed, unless you can
impregnate a splash page of Fathom."
In the aesthetic sense, the industrious writer A. David Lewis, is kicking
ass and taking names. The first issue of his comic Mortal Coils is extremely
well-presented. Smaller but more notable publishers like Avatar would
be wise to check out the design. For two and a half dollars you get a
full-sized comic with a nice, sturdy cover. The front cover image (Maria
Sundqvist) is a dark, well-painted collection of characters from the interiors,
complete with nifty logo, and a nice, small header with the price and
issue number. The back cover features another nice visual along with a
strong pair of pull quotes. Mortal Coils is certainly a professional product.
The comic is a sort of double-shot featuring two stories, "Disembodiment"
and "Deeper Blue," each written by Lewis and drawn by separate art teams.
"Disembodiment" is the story of a woman who wakes up in the body of the
man who raped her and "Deeper Blue" is the fast-paced tale of a man on
the run from deadly robots.
Both stories are decently written, although neither stand out remarkably.
"Deeper Blue" is the more compelling of the two. It's a quick bit of sci-fi
suspense, a throwaway concept that isn't half bad but which relies on
a twist that is far too obvious from the beginning. The artwork from Jason
Coupland and Dan Cooney is often strong. The visuals are energetic and
dynamic, but the sketchy linework and overly busy backgrounds make for
some jarring panels.
The art team on "Disembodiment" fares much better. Penciler Evan Quirring
and inker Darren Merinuk compliment one another quite well. Their panels
are traditional but well-executed and perfectly suited for black and white.
The hook to the story is an immediate attention-grabber as well, although
the whole thing feels too familiar. The last few pages are overly reminiscent
of Fight Club, of all things. Still, the story hums along well enough
until the rape sequence, which is not in poor taste, but which feels a
little too much like a Lifetime movie starring Joanna Kerns. At one point,
the evil rapist looms over his helpless victim and shouts, "So innocent!
So pure!" Flashes of overblown dialogue like this take away from the overall
strength of the piece, turning a scary situation into a cartoonish moment.
Lewis' book isn't going to set the industry afire, but it may turn a few
heads. His writing is unpolished (perhaps an editor would help) but still
comparable, if not better, than a lot of highly visible mainstream work.
Mortal Coils isn't the most auspicious debut, but it makes Lewis one to
watch.
(Mortal
Coils #2)
A.
David Lewis releases the second issue of his series MORTAL COILS, a Twilight
Zone-esque book consisting of two standalone stories where reality is
never quite what it seems, and with it Lewis takes a great leap forward.
The first issue of MORTAL COILS was a little clunky, but Lewis comes much
closer to the bullseye with his latest effort.
In
"What Gazes Also" drawn by Jason Copland, a TV exec visits the
set of the wildly popular show Irreality Chasm. Created by the mysterious
Don Fahrlindt, the show attains a wild cult status, and its popularity
only seems to be increasing. The network wants to reign in the creator
who has turned the studio where filming takes place into a massive compound,
but when our business-minded exec goes to the chasm she finds more than
she bargained for.
The cleverly titled "Vaya Con Dios" consists mostly of a conversation
between two men in a bar. Pro finds Manny for a chat and a shot, but the
chain smoking Manny has news Pro doesn't want to hear. Their conversation
turns toward loyalty, family and despair, but the truth behind their banter
runs deeper than mob movie chit-chat. Evan Quiring provides the pencils
and James Cosper handles inks.
Both of Lewis' stories are based on solid, interesting ideas, but in both
cases prefatory quotes from Nietzsche are enough to give away much of
the surprise ending. Lewis is obsessed with the twist ending, which would
be fine if he didn't telegraph them too soon. Much of the excessive foreshadowing
in "What Gazes Also" comes from scores of blatant references
to a film to which the story pays homage. The constants name dropping
of his references would help Lewis keep his secret under wraps.
Both
stories, in particular the latter of the two, however, are interesting
enough and executed in such a way as to remain interesting even when the
punch ending runs out of steam. Even when the dialogue is a little overcooked
with references and a bit heavy on the Mamet-style beats (Brian Azzarello
does the same thing), the characters seem natural and the story flows.
What sets MORTAL COILS apart from the rest of the self-published pack
is the quality of production. Lewis should teach seminars on public relations,
marketing and the comic book. When so many good comic stories are stuffed
into cheap packages that beg you to overlook them, Lewis wraps his pages
in a nice heavy cardstock cover featuring a nice, flashy piece from Maria
Sundqvist. On the back of the book, below the review quotes, is a clever
image that works as a tie-in to one of the stories and a perhaps a little
gag about Lewis himself. This is an exceptionally well-made comic book,
a high-quality product with professional art and an enjoyable, coherent
story with easy to follow dialogue lacking in silly spelling errors. In
the indie comic market, that's saying a lot more than it should.
Lewis isn't the comic book equivalent of Rod Serling just yet, but he's
definitely a driven writer and publisher whose talent is growing with
leaps and bounds.
Sequential
Tart
For
Free Comic Book Day, Mortal Coils offers a selection of stories
for lovers of the mystical and mysterious.
"Godpoint": Elle and Anna are bobbing through time and space -- every
time they wake up, they're somewhere/when else. They're hoping to meet
up with the someone who got them into this predicament in the first place,
but it doesn't appear as though they have any control over their meanderings,
which include such random places as a hospital garden, a protest, a prison,
and a basement. They pass the time with amusing intellectual babble --
my bread-and-butter! (I'm a big fan of such films as Mindwalk
and Waking Life, but I've found that
others in the audience are usually not so fond of continuous philosophical
dialogue. Are you? 'Cause I think that pretty much will determine whether
this particular tale in the book is your bag or not.) For all their frustration,
though, maybe they've gotten too used to their circumstances. Maybe things
have yet to be as bad as they could be. Not really my kind of artwork,
but it's more of a style issue than ability.
"Pit Stop (Redux)": a Librarian Mage and a Djinn search for a talisman
that will open a gate to the Aztec underworld of Mictlan. Except the premise
is just an excuse for the tangent that the Djinn, Teiresia, finds herself
wrapped up in while the mage, Hopper, searches for his treasure. This
is really a story of the disastrous consequences of one man's thoughtless,
self-centered actions. Gorgeous artwork -- between the art and
the story, there's a lovely, pulp flavor.
"Fetch": it's a Finder story -- that alone should be enough for
many of you to seek this book out. :) A deliciously humorous little tale
about why it's important to make sure the large predatory creatures in
your establishent are well-fed.
"I Didn't Know This Place Had a Cellar!": a Happy Hero Hour story,
in which Rusty the barkeep has good reason to wonder if he wouldn't be
better off without the so-called "heroes" in his life. Hmm, my kind of
humor -- looks like I'm going to have to check out the rest of this series
....
Overall, a nice sampling of stories -- and hey, you can't beat the price!
The
Small Press.com
"Mortal
Coils," a pair of ironic dark tales of humanity, is a refreshing bit of
comic storytelling. These skillfully crafted stories are literate, bright
and twisted, and entirely an uncommon breed of comic book.
Writer A. David Lewis certainly has read his share of twist-turning literature
and it shows. The shorts here are gasp-out-loud surprising and actually
too fun to reveal the twists. "Dimembodiment," a story, literally, about
changing places, has a dark mystery feel, a moody vibe, and an ending
you have to see to believe. "Deeper Blue" is about when machine becomes
greater than man, and at least one man is not so upset about it. It is
also, in a way, about the relationship between father and child. Neither
tale could have been any other length; they are silver bullets of slick,
literate writing. Any longer and they risked being too heavy, while any
less would have been unfair.
The artwork is nothing spectacular, but to the credit of these artists,
the work is unobtrusive and efficient, never distracting from the mart
narration and plot. "Disembodiment" has a little more distinct style,
with lots of shadows and a noir feel. "Deeper Blue" isn't quite as dynamic
but has a retro, old school flavor that betrays the influence of some
classic artists - which is not a criticism. But the real power of "Mortal
Coils" is the storytelling. Lewis is a real find and a talent. There's
a lot of potential here, and it will be exciting to see what comes from
"Mortal Coils" next.
The short story is a neglected form, and this prejudice extends even to
comics, a format where it should thrive. It's fun to see the art form
in skilled hands.Pick up "Mortal Coils." There isn't a hell of a lot to
say about it - but trust me. It's a worthwhile read.
Suspended
Animation
A woman awakes one morning to find she's in the body of the man who assaulted
her. An obsessed scientist, seeking to develop the latest in artificially-intelligent
robots, plays a deadly game of hide-and-seek, using himself as bait. A
television program does more than entertain; it grants individual fantasies.
These are some of the premises of an anthology comic called Mortal Coils,
by creator/writer A. David Lewis, and various artists. Though, it reminds
me of an old television program. Maybe you've heard of it; The Twilight
Zone. Mortal Coils invokes all of the feelings of mystery, foreboding,
and surprise that were inherent in that t.v. show, perhaps to the maximum
degree that a comic book can. It's rather surprising, really, and a good
example of why so many small-press creators are enjoying more success,
these days; they produce great work.
Lewis' characterization is superb, as characters are well-revealed, considering
stories run two per issue. He also does an excellent job of pacing for
this format. There is no time for much buildup, or back-story, so it's
cleverly worked in as you go. Before
the reader knows it, they have enjoyed a great story, in which more has
taken place than does in some entire comic books.
The art, on the other hand is hit and miss, which is to be expected in
an anthology comic. The artists of the first two issues are Evan Quiring
and Jason Copland,. Both are very competent artists, who appear to work
quite well in the black and white format. Due to some difference in inkers
in the first two issues, however, the quality of art work is not consistent,
which could make some small difference in enjoyment.
Mortal Coils is recommended for those who enjoy mystery, adventure, and
the best in Twilight Zone-type stories.
The
Trades
Mortal
Coils: Bodylines is what Rod Serling might have produced if he had
access to cable television: an anthology of short stories that are suspenseful,
fantastical, and science fictional without actually fitting into any of
those pigeonholes. They're stories that bring out the "Hmm..." in you.
Set in a consistent universe, one should prepare to encounter stories
of body swapping, robots with evolving intelligence, gods gone awol, and
a host of other weirdities that leave the reader with a profound sense
of otherworldliness.
"There are three major themes to Mortal Coils," says author A.
Dave Lewis. "The Body, Control, and Reality...which are pretty interconnected
with each other to begin with. As I mention in the trade paperback's introduction,
I wanted to explore the experience of different bodies: the artificial
body, the gendered body, the intangible body, the immortal body, etc.
All of these experiences, in turn, would be compelling (or so I hoped!)
based on the given individual's level of personal Control--control of
what they believe to be real in relation to what truly is real.
The plots to the stories weren't always written with these things prominently
in mind, but they all managed to scrape to the surface by the time the
final drafts of the scripts were finished."
Throughout the first several stories, one begins to notice little things
that clue the reader in that all these vignettes are occurring on the
same world--the most obvious clue being the everpresent Batex corporation,
whether overtly or as a background advertisement. These are intentional
mentions, as the further into the anthology one reads, the more closely
knit the stories become until, at last, the author brings all the characters
together for one great hurrah as we learn just why things have been going
so weird for so many.
Lewis is, by all accounts, an author well-read in philosophy and literature,
as evidenced through the epigrams, the Latin-educated rape victim, the
English professor expounding on death, and the other characters one bumps
into while meandering through Mortal Coils. Lewis doesn't write
down to his audience, but expects them to rise to the challenge. To his
credit, the writing assists in this, lifting the reader rather than sending
him off for a dictionary (or worse, a lighter read.)
In the later stories, we realize that these seemingly disparate events
aren't only occurring in the same universe, but they're connected by an
overarcing plot. It puts the whole set of stories in a new light, but
the writing is so good, and the earlier stories stand so solidly on their
own they didn't really need the merger.
"The first two stories which became Mortal Coils #1 were created
separately," says Lewis. "'Disembodiment' and 'Deeper Blue' were originally
written to be included in another publisher's anthology. But, when their
production didn't go into effect, I decided to publish the stories myself.
In fact, it got me thinking about how/why these two unalike stories would
be paired together -- really, a great challenge. It allowed me to really
reach out and spin together this demented Mortal Coils universe;
I generated some new ideas and pieced together some old plot seeds --
all of which surrounded the theme of Bodies, something the odd pair did
seem to have in common -- building what became Mortal Coils in
the end."
"Lewis has chosen a very nervy technique with which to entertain us,"
says comics luminary Mark Waid in his foreword to the book. "With no recurring
characters or locales to fall back on, no nostalgia for forgotten heroes
or 1980s cartoon robots, the stories rest purely on the strength of his
narrative. Nervy. I wouldn’t try it. I’m not that good or
that ambitious. That he succeeds is pretty damn impressive."
Impressive, indeed. With varying styles of artwork throughout, each attuned
perfectly with the individual story being told, the final product is more
than just a shining beacon of the independent comics niche--it's an outstanding
story that some of the major publishing houses would be hard pressed to
compete with--and which you ignore at your own peril.
WellRedPress.com
3 1/2 out
of 5 stars
Why is this not a movie????
Great idea here, truly fantastic, and a book that once I read I wondered why it doesn't get more press??? I'm sure it does get picked up here and there, but I have to say, if you're not checking this book out, or like me and never even heard of it, you're really missing out. This is what happens when a solid premise meets good artwork that fits the story, and together they produce something even better than the original idea. Ha, did that make sense? I hope so, as I'm trying to convey the enthusiasm I had without giving away what happens, but rest assured, you'll be as hooked as I. Hmm, so what to say? It's a Fantasy Island of a sort, mixed with reality TV shows. Intrigued? You should be, as there are magical elements here, mysterious ones at play too, and even the corporate machinations of what goes on behind the scenes of a successful show that wants to stay on top. The ways those elements mix, you might think there's ample opportunity for the story to feel uneven or take a wrong turn, but no such disasters here. Plus the artwork is solid, grounding everything in reality without destroying the more fantasy elements, and being so clean as to succeed in basic comic book story telling too. Many books suffer from over ambition, but not this one. Check it out today.
