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REVIEWS // 12.19.02 Milo the First Monkey in Space • There Goes Tokyo Presents... MILO
THE FIRST MONKEY IN SPACE This is a thing of beauty. I'm absolutely serious, I don't think I've ever seen a better put together comic than this. For your three pounds, you get a blue envelope in which a small cardboard slipcase is contained. In one side of that slipcase are: A
badge And in the other is the comic. The production values on this are incredible, managing to combine the necessities of smallpres swork with something that's genuinely unique and actually nice to look at and handle. Which, let's face it, is something that very few of the major companies handle with any degree of regularity. Presentation aside, MILO also delivers on content. Based on historical events, this is the story of the first monkey in space told from the monkey's point of view. Milo spends his time drifting between memories of the jungle, scavenging for food and being prepared for spaceflight. It's all done in near silence, with Mcnee's chunky black and white art looking a lot like James Kochalka's at times. It's funny too, and for once the humour is conveyed solely through the art. When Milo's given a test in a centrifuge, we can tell it's going quickly because he's shaking and we can tell he's shaking because the lines he's drawn with are getting thinner and thinner. It's a simple effect but it does the job supremely well. And to his credit, Mcnee doesn't go Disney at the last minute. Milo does go into space, and the effect that it has on him is both moving and, as I say, true to life. Monkeys were used in the space program and no one was particularly concerned about what happened to them. To that end, and inspired by the subject matter, Mcnee is donating all proceeds to the Centre for Captive Chimpanzee Care. MILO is funny, moving and beautifully put together. It's not just a good comic, it's a good comic for a good cause. Buy a copy and do some good. (Alasdair
Stuart)
Because some times, you just need a good fight scene. That's the rational behind this issue of TGT's anthology series but look a little deeper and you find quite a lot more going on here than simple fisticuffs. These stories are as concerned with the reasons for and consequences of the fights as anything else. They're also, somewhat inevitably, all very odd. TGT have a deserved reputation for intelligent and very quirky work and this is no exception, demonstrated by the opening story by Malcy Duff. 'Dunk' is the story of the world biscuit dunking contest and the reasons why one finalist is there. Like all Duff's work, it's surreal, elegant storytelling and like his other material, there's a lot going on here. In five pages, he manages to say more about the nature of motivation than any number of inspirational speakers. 'End of the Line' takes a different, and far more grounded tack. Andy Ross' story suffers a little from the reproduction, but it's a neat idea presented with a wry sense of humour. I didn't see it coming, and that's all I'll say. Andy Smith, in the mean time, clearly understands cats. The epic martial arts non duel that forms the centre of 'Catchess' is a wonderful piece of silent observational comedy, filled with touches that anyone who's ever been around cats for long enough will recognise. It's well trodden ground, but Smith has good comic timing and a nice, almost cartoony art style that really complements the story. Whilst all three of these stories are good, 'Catchess' is the stand out for me. 'Good vs. Evil' suffers a little however. Its not down to the art, again very stylised but this time in a far more overtly manga fashion. Neither is it the writing, which takes the standard superhero tropes and approaches them in a refreshingly honest way. Rather, this is a well-drawn story about what happens when someone wins a fight which ends far too soon. Auchterlounie has an interesting idea here but it needs more development. Whereas 'Dino vs Squid' does exactly what it says on the tin. Again, this is a path that's been well travelled but O'Moore's eye for scope (The giant squid is lovely) and open, friendly art style does wonders for the story. It's an incredibly short read, but a fun one. 'Timeversus' however, has problems. The idea of a robot cop becoming increasingly disillusioned with the unending drudgery of his life is good, and Betts' art mixes photos and line art to great effect. However, the idea never really seems to develop past the basics and whilst it's interesting enough, it's far and away the weakest of the bunch. Overall, 'The Versus Issue' is a good sample of what TGT have on offer. There's a tremendous enthusiasm apparent in every panel of every strip, each creative team doing their best to produce something more than two people hitting one another. They all succeed. (Alasdair Stuart)
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