Previews and Reviews that are Z's Views
The art above is a just a small taste of the preview art by Darwyn Cooke for his adaptation of Donald Westlake’s [writing as Richard Stark] Slayground.
You can see much more at Comic Alliance’s: DARWYN COOKE ADAPTS A MASTERPIECE IN ‘RICHARD STARK’S PARKER: SLAYGROUND..
Your eyes aren’t deceiving ya.
That is a sample of some of the preview art by Darwyn Cooke for his adaptation of Donald Westlake’s [writing as Richard Stark] Slayground.
The art is on display at Donald Westlake’s site and can be seen here.
Source: Almost Darwyn Cooke’s Blog.
Darwyn Cooke’s adaptation of Richard Stark’s classic crime novel The Outfit is now available. In case you’re late getting in the game, The Outfit is Cooke’s follow-up to his award-winning adaptation of Richard Stark’s The Hunter. Stark aka Donald Westlake gave his blessing to the original plus three additional adaptations. In honor of the release of The Outfit Darwyn Cooke sat down for an in-depth interview with Tucker Stone for the Comics Alliance. Here’s a taste:
Palance was Westlake’s only visual reference. When I changed Parker, the idea was always to use plastic surgery as a metaphor for his emotional regression. He’s meant to look like a rawer, more stripped down version of himself… His jaw, and most importantly, his eyes, are the same. The rest is meant to reflect a man drained of things like remorse and compassion. A loveless, unadorned man.
I’ve got two more of these books to do. My plan is to finish the fourth one for my 50th birthday… I can tell you that it’s not wearing on me, working on this character. I can see him being a part of what I do for a long time. Maybe not constantly, but he’s going to be there.
Again, this is the benefit of having a few exchanges with Donald. One of his concerns was that I understood that Parker doesn’t operate out of anger. He never commits a violent act out of anger. He does it because it’s the expedient thing to do. It’s the practical thing, a survival mechanism.
I could continue to pull interesting quotes from the interview, but why not just read it. You’ll get insight into Cooke’s process in adapting the Stark novels, his [and Stark’s] take on what makes Parker tick, which crime movies were influences [and which modern crime classic Cooke thinks is over-rated], and so much more. Congrats to Tucker Stone and Comic Alliance for a great read and thanks to Darwyn Cooke for bringing Parker back.
CBR.com also has a nice little interview with preview art from Darwyn Cooke’s adaptation of Richard Stark’s The Outfit.
The piece above by Darwyn Cooke accompanies the write-up for Jonah Hex #56 in the latest issue of Previews. Although Cooke is only providing the cover [Phil Winslade and others illustrate the tale by Justin Gray and jimmy Palmiotti], it may be worth the price of admission.
Richard Stark fan? Check.
Darwyn Cooke fan? Check.
Crime stories fan? Check.
Comic Book fan? Check.
Loved Darwyn Cooke’s adaptation of Richard Stark’s Hunter? Check.
Okay. If that’s the case, and you have two bucks and are going to attend WonderCon next week, then you may be one of the lucky folks who can pick up an…
…exclusive prelude to The Outfit, the second of Richard Stark’s Parker novels that Cooke is adapting… This 8″x12″ preview book offers one entire chapter of The Outfit and will be included in the finished graphic novel, coming in October.
What’s that? You won’t be able to attend WonderCon? Well, don’t fret because…
…the preview will be available in comic stores everywhere in July at the same low price and large size.
Be sure and let your local comic shop manager know that you’re going to want a copy. Check.
Yesterday Darwyn Cooke wrote a guest article for Jimmy Palmiotti’s blog and gave us quite an update! Here are a few highlights:
Speaking of must read — if you want to check out Darwyn’s entire guest article, then click here.
Richard Stark’s Parker The Complete Collection by Dawyn Cooke gets my highest rating. If you’re a fan of great crime fiction, then this is for you!
The groundbreaking and multiple award-winning graphic novels by Darwyn Cooke, collected in their entirety for the first time in one softcover volume.
Collecting the four Parker graphic novels (The Hunter, The Outfit, The Score, and Slayground) as well as two shorts (The Man with the Getaway Face and The Seventh). These stories encompass all Darwyn Cooke’s sequential stories of Parker.
Darwyn Cooke created the art above for Richard Stark’s Parker: The Martini Edition which collected Darwyn Cooke’s first two Parker books, The Hunter and The Outfit…
…in a tremendous, special, oversized hardcover edition — with an additional 65-pages of content — encased in a beautiful slipcase!
Richard Stark’s Parker: The Hunter graphic novel debuted in July 2008 to instantaneous popular and critical acclaim. It made the New York Times bestseller list and won coveted Eisner and Harvey awards. The second graphic novel, The Outfit, was released in 2010 and was met with similar response, and won the 2011 Eisner for Best Writer/Artist.
The Hunter and The Outfit tell the story of Parker, Richard Stark’s classic anti-hero, as he returns to New York to settle the score with his wife and partner in crime after they betray him in a heist gone terribly wrong. After evening the field and reclaiming his prize, the Outfit decide to do some score settling of their own… and learn much too late that when you push a man like Parker, it had better be all the way to the grave.
Also contains the short stories The Man With the Getaway Face and The Seventh.
I had ordered a copy of The Martini Edition when it was published in 2011, but it arrived damaged. When I returned it for a replacement, I was sad to learn The Martini Edition had sold out.
Until now. (Actually April 28, 2020.)
IDW is reprinting Richard Stark’s Parker: The Martini Edition. It’ll have a different cover but the same contents. I’m betting this edition will sell out quickly. I’ve put in my pre-order. If you’re interested, I wouldn’t wait long before doing the same.
The Twilight Children #4 is part of a four-issue mini-series published by Vertigo Comics.
*** Beware – spoilers may be found below ***
The mysteries have been piling up for 3 previous issues and while we get some of them answered, many of the answers are going to be left to reader interpretation. That could be a good or bad thing depending on your, uh, interpretation.
The story ends with the mysterious woman on the beach with the young scientist, one of the CIA agents, and Nicholas. One of them is not what he seems. If you’re looking for a totally satisfying happy ending, I didn’t find it… although it wasn’t a totally sad or terrible ending either. I have no doubt I will find more hints of what’s to come and things to like with each re-reading of the series. Then again, it could be one of those stories where the journey to the ending is more important than the ending itself. I guess it is all in how you interpret it.
Rating:
The Twilight Children #3 is part of a four-issue mini-series published by Vertigo Comics.
*** Beware – spoilers may be found below ***
Ok. The mysteries continue to pile up. Who is the beautiful woman? Why does Tito go from man to man? What are the beautiful woman’s powers? Where is she from? Why did she freeze the CIA (are they?) agents? Why did those that touch the agents also become frozen? When the orbs appear and drop people off why do they quickly teleport them away again… and where do they go? What cause the town people appear to be sleep walking/talking at night? When the beautiful woman says she’s here to save us, can we trust her?
The plot grows ever thicker. I’m hoping for an ending that will satisfy the many questions that have been raised throughout the series. Darwyn Cooke’s art continues to highly entertain.
Rating:
The Twilight Children #2 is part of a four-issue mini-series published by Vertigo Comics.
*** Beware – spoilers may be found below ***
The town sheriff has his hands full this issue — there’s the new beautiful woman in town, who just may be an alien. Then there’s two guys who just arrived and we’re pretty sure they’re CIA. Tito (who was cheating with the fisherman) is now coming on to the young scientist. Her husband Nicholas is more upset over that than Tito’s cheating with Anton so he enlists Anton’s aid to kill the scientist. The children blinded by the orb last issue can remarkably see again, and for some reason (that we know) the scientist ends high up in a tree unconscious and in the nude.
The plot thickens as orbs secretly appear, people disappear and a murder attempt is set in motion.
Rating:
The Twilight Children #1 is part of a four-issue mini-series published by Vertigo Comics.
*** Beware – spoilers may be found below ***
A mysterious white orb appears on the shore of a remote Latin American village. This has happened before, but the orbs always disappear before anyone can figure out what they are or where they come from.
When word gets out about this new orb many of the town folk come to see it. They include Bundo (a drunk with a tragic past), Anton (a fisherman having an affair with) Tito (a local hottie who is married to the oblivious) business man Nicholas, the Sheriff and a young scientist new to the town.
The orb disappears and later reappears in a cave being explored by three small children. When the children approach the orb it explodes, leaving the children blind. Not long after a beautiful young woman (alien?) appears in town. You know the CIA can’t be far behind — and they’re not.
This issue is beautifully drawn and well written. It reminds me of an episode of The Twilight Zone which is high praise, indeed. I look forward to issue two.
Rating: 5 of 5 stars.
The Phantom art above is just one of five new Darwyn Cooke covers that appear on IDW’s first issues for the return of King Features greatest comic strip heroes.
Each hero will appear in his own five issue mini-series with the creative talent of…
Sources: ICV2 and Almost Darwyn Cooke.
Darwyn Cooke’s two graphic novel adaptations of (Donald Westlake aka) Richard Stark’s Parker novels have been resounding successes with fans and critics alike. So it only made sense that a third adaption, Slayground would be coming at Christmas.
Recently Cooke, the estate of Donald Westlake and publisher IDW announced…
For the first time, the Parker novels will be published in a deluxe, hardcover format, and with Cooke designing the series, as well as providing stunning color illustrations to accompany Westlake’s (AKA, Richard Stark’s) crime classics! The first book, The Hunter, will arrive in the first half of 2014. Additional editions will be released in chronological order thereafter.
I can not wait!
Source: Sequential Highway
