Missing in Action: Desolation Jones

Valhallahan

Way back in 2005 Warren Ellis and Superstar in waiting, J.H. Williams III started a rather cool series called Desolation Jones for DC's now defunct Wildstorm imprint. The story followed Jones, a grotesque shell of a man, living in Los Ageles, a haven for burnt out former secret agents like himself. Desolation jones essentially worked as a Private Investigator in the grubby city. The first critically acclaimed story arc was a sort of distopian mix of 8MM and the Big Sleep, with jones looking into a case involving Hitler's personal pornography. So far so Wareen Ellis, right?

Anyhow, the second storyline started in 2006 and featured art by 2 Bad Guys' favourite artist Danijel Zezelj. This story, focused on the mysterious death of one Jones' friends in a seedy motel room. In February 2007 issue 8 came out leaving us with a cliff hanger, and then.... Nothing.

Not a damned thing. At this point it's been 5 Years since the last issue, and Warren Ellis has stated that it probably won't happen now.

Bollocks.

Missing In Action: Image United

Valhallahan

Surprising no-one, the (alleged) hotly anticipated reunion of the Image founders (sort of) in one book has fallen woefully behind schedule suffering severe delays. They have managed to get three whole issues out in the last few years though, so more power to you, Image. Well done on losing all the goodwill you've clawed back in recent years. Who saw that coming? Surely noone's career is going to come off well from this embarrassment.

But wait! It's been announced that DC are giving Rob Liefeld a new series in their relaunch. Is it some kind of self referencing joke?

Oh, and it looks like Xombi's being cancelled.

But Rob Liefeld is getting a new series.

Fuck you too DC.

Missing In Action: O Infinite Horizon Where Art Thou?

Valhallahan

Welcome to a new series of posts about comics both good and bad which have started well but seem to have drifted off into the ether, starting with Gerry Duggan and Phil Noto’s The Infinite horizon.

A year or two ago, whilst perusing the shelves of Fantastic Realm, my local, no longer extant comic shop my eye was drawn to this fruity little number. Not having heard anything about the book prior to this chance encounter, what first hit me was the art. Set in some near-future Middle Eastern conflict, the simple but expressive artwork of Phil Noto really shone. The palate was dramatically different to the bold superheroics or dark shadowy crime and crying comics I was reading at the time, and felt like a breath of fresh air. So enrapt was I by the package that it took two issues for me to realise that I'd read this story before.

Issue one opens with a small group of US soldiers finally ceding control of the last operative airstrip after what we’re led to believe was a gruelling, prolonged attack. The last plane leaves, leaving our heroes with a long walk home. The story follows this group's epic journey, interspersed with the struggles of the commander’s wife back on the home front; a fractured, bankrupt America. Our heroes are lost at sea, face a cruel 'Cyclops' on an island of slaves, while at home wife and son fight off the attentions of nefarious men who want their land and her *ahem*. Yep, you guessed it, it’s a (post)modern take on the Odyssey; the battle of Troy is The War Against Terror, and Classical Greece is a United States torn apart from within.

Now this may sound like a naff idea, but trust me on this, it’s a real class act. I don’t know why, but it seems to have stopped at issue 4 with no sign of recommencing any time soon, but I bloody well hope it does.

Four thinly veiled metaphors out of five. Go out and buy it.