Art by: Fabrizio Fiorentino and Syzmon Kudranski
Cover Price: $2.99
Release Date: January 14, 2014
Zell's Bells
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Klarion has been canceled and while I don't have a direct line to the DC Bigwigs, my guess is there are two big reasons for the decision. The main one is sales because it almost always is. The initial numbers were pretty bad and they just keep going down. The second reason is the book is just bad. I know certain people who are kind enough to visit our site and leave comments may (and will) disagree, but this book is a bloody mess. It's pure Ann Nocenti which means confusing dialogue that often just reads like random words picked out of a hat and incomprehensible plot lines that go nowhere. I usually have a good laugh when I read a Nocenti book, but Klarion doesn't even have that. It does have really good art which is just wasted with everything else going on in this book. This month continues the madness as Klarion rides the Devil's Car, hangs out in his pocket and we get more budybot action.
This month's issue opens with Witchhunter Moody going in for the arrest. Klarion escapes by jumping into Beelzebub's ride and putting the pedal to the metal. He may have left Zell behind, but at least his safe...in his pocket. Yep, they are in the "Klarionzone: and when Zell joins them, I guess it's a good thing.
I really don't know what to say. This book comes off the same as a middle school boy's "dark" poetry. You know, the kind that starts with, " Darkness...It cuts me like the cold dagger..." Hey, I wrote my fair share of those poems so I can spot them a mile away. Nocenti just got to it a bit later than most of us.
The rest of the book involves the buddybots. We get to see more marketing meetings, a buddybot 12 step program that's as much a hostage situation as a sobriety program, and Rasp getting a little sexy time with his buddybot that results in him possibly getting a third hand. There is also something about the importance of Zell and Klarion's relationship and the book ends with a bulked up Klarion making some big threats...I think.
Once again, I've read this issue twice and still can't understand most of what Nocenti is trying to do. I'd like to say it's because this book is deep and layered, but I suspect something a little more basic. I'm no dummy, but this book makes me feel like one. One big, fat, confused dummy.
I did enjoy the art from Fiorentino and Kudranski and while it's not as good as regular artist Trevor McCarthy, it's pretty good. The only complaint is that sometimes they get a little too cute with the panel layout which leads to a few confusing pages.
Bits and Pieces:
Klarion #4 continues it's trek to it's announced cancellation with another confusing mess of an issue. The good art makes it nice to look at, but the story and dialogue only made me shake my head in disgust. This book never should have seen the light of day and luckily in a few months will be put out of it's (and our) misery.
3.0/10
I wonder whether this title's cancellation will finally lead DC to conclude that Ann's storytelling skills are lacking and don't bring in revenue for their company or come post-Convergence, they decide to put her on another book?
ReplyDeleteMaybe it's a combination of nostalgia and poor memory (as out has been over 20 years since I read it and had less sophisticated tastes when I was 12) but Ann Nocenti could write once upon a time, right? Her DAREDEVIL, with JRJR, was my introduction to the characte and was, at least, readable...right?
ReplyDeleteA lot of people really liked her old stuff and she was a really good editor as well...I just think her time has passed her by and its time for her to retire
DeleteI think what's most depressing about this series, is the utter potential it had! I know a lot of people were confused that DC had chosen Klarion to have his own series, but it made sense to me. He was pretty much the break out villain in Young Justice (aside from Sportsmaster) and all his comic appearances were AMAZING (Seven Soldiers of Victory, Batgirl, Injustice: Gods Among Us etc.). Kid Loki is popular and everyone’s really into the supernatural side of DC right now. This really could have been amazing!
ReplyDeleteAnd DC just pissed away all that potential on Nocenti. I mean, for God’s sake, they could have at least had a second writer to smooth out the plot and dialogue. It’s not like other series don’t have five writers working on them.
And now they don’t even McCarthy! The art was still fairly good, but there were definitely some panels that could have used him.
And this issue was definitely better than the last one, which was a jumbled mess. I personally like the revelation of Moody being Noah’s daughter and Piper’s treatment of her (Piper, you bitch!). But I love this family drama sort of stuff XD And I’m definitely more into the characters (particularly Piper and Noah) than the plot.
I also like that the plot isn’t the stereotypical ‘teknologe ebil, nature gud’ I was worried it was going to be.
That was kinda long, lol.