BB Alternative Review Group #25 - The Last Musketeer (spoilers)

[Andreas]

* fine print at the bottom of post


This week we are reading: The Last Musketeer by Jason (Fantagraphics, 01/16)


Our reviewers this week are:

BenitoCereno - 7
Patton - 9
skinnyrunaway - 9
bnolan - 9
blake4000 - 9
Michael John Wheeler - 7
Adrian B AWESOME - 7





Next week we are reading: The Boy Who Made Silence #1 by Joshua Hagler (AAM Markosia, 03/19)

This week's companion thread: BB Review Group week 175 - War is Hell: The First Flight of the Phantom Eagle #1 by Garth Ennis & Howard Chaykin (Marvel, 03/19) (http://www.606studios.com/bendisboard/showthread.php?t=145202)

Upcoming: The Education of Hopey Glass HC by Jaime Hernandez (Fantagraphics, 03/26), Little Things: A Memoir In Slices by Jeffrey Brown (Touchstone), The Arrival HC by Shaun Tan (Arthur A. Levine Books/Scholastic, 09/12/07), True Story, Swear to God Archives Vol. 1 by Tom Beland (Image), Skim HC by Mariko Tamaki & Jillian Tamaki (Groundwood Books), Skyscrapers of the Midwest HC by Joshua W. Cotter (Adhouse Books), The Bottomless Belly Button by Dash Shaw (Fantagraphics), Red Colored Elegy HC by Seiichi Hayashi (Drawn & Quarterly), George Sprott (1894-1975) by Seth (The New York Times/The Funny Pages, 09/17/06 - 03/25/07), Kramers Ergot 7 ed. by Sammy Harkham (Buenaventura Press),...

Our previous reviews:

Week 01 - 11/29/2006 - ACME Novelty Library #17 HC (Chris Ware) (http://www.606studios.com/bendisboard/showthread.php?t=94568) av grade - 9.4
Week 02 - 12/06/2006 - Curses HC (Kevin Huizenga) (http://www.606studios.com/bendisboard/showthread.php?t=95331) av grade - 10
Week 03 - 12/21/2006 - The Bakers Meet Jingle Belle (Paul Dini & Kyle Baker) (http://www.606studios.com/bendisboard/showthread.php?t=97010) av grade - 7
Week 04 - 04/04/2007 - Madman Atomic Comics #1 (Michael Allred & Laura Allred) (http://www.606studios.com/bendisboard/showthread.php?t=109338) av grade - 8.2
Week 05 - 05/02/2007 - Optic Nerve #11 (Adrian Tomine) (http://www.606studios.com/bendisboard/showthread.php?t=112267) av grade - 7.9
Week 06 - 06/04/2007 - Satan's Sodomy Baby (Eric Powell) (http://www.606studios.com/bendisboard/showthread.php?t=115508) av grade - 6.3
Week 07 - 06/20/2007 - The Black Diamond Detective Agency (Eddie Campbell) (http://www.606studios.com/bendisboard/showthread.php?t=117158) av grade 7.6
Week 08 - 06/28/2007 - The Three Paradoxes HC (Paul Hornschemeier) (http://www.606studios.com/bendisboard/showthread.php?t=117944) av grade - 8.7
Week 09 - 09/23/2007 - Punks The Comic - Summer Special #1 (Joshua Fialkov & Kody Chamberlain) (http://www.606studios.com/bendisboard/showthread.php?t=127793) av grade - 7.6
Week 10 - 10/08/2007 - Silverfish HC (David Lapham) (http://www.606studios.com/bendisboard/showthread.php?t=129317) av grade - 8.1
Week 11 - 10/16/2007 - Exit Wounds HC (Rutu Modan) (http://www.606studios.com/bendisboard/showthread.php?t=130107) av grade - 10
Week 12 - 11/05/2007 - Papercuts & Other Stories (Michael Cho) (http://www.606studios.com/bendisboard/showthread.php?t=132146) av grade - 9
Week 13 - 12/05/2007 - The Killer Vol. 1 (Matz & Luc Jacamon) (http://www.606studios.com/bendisboard/showthread.php?t=134812) av grade - 10
Week 14 - 12/14/2007 - Criminal Vol. 2: Lawless (Ed Brubaker & Sean Phillips) (http://www.606studios.com/bendisboard/showthread.php?p=3998133
) av grade - 9.3
Week 15 - 12/27/2007 - The Best American Comics 2007 HC (ed. Chris Ware & Anne Elizabeth Moore) (http://www.606studios.com/bendisboard/showthread.php?t=136805) av grade - 8
Week 16 - 01/08/2008 - MW HC (Osamu Tezuka) (http://www.606studios.com/bendisboard/showthread.php?t=137819) av grade - 7
Week 16 - 01/08/2008 - Apollo's Song (Osamu Tezuka) (http://www.606studios.com/bendisboard/showthread.php?t=137819) av grade - 5
Week 17 - 01/24/2008 - Storeyville HC (Frank Santoro) (http://www.606studios.com/bendisboard/showthread.php?t=139529) av grade - (x)
Week 17 - 01/24/2008 - Maggots (Brian Chippendale) (http://www.606studios.com/bendisboard/showthread.php?t=139529) av grade - 9
Week 18 - 01/30/2008 - Y: The Last Man #60 (Brian K. Vaughan, Pia Guerra & José Marzan Jr.) (http://www.606studios.com/bendisboard/showthread.php?t=140080) av grade - 10
Week 19 - 02/06/2008 - Pax Romana #1 (Jonathan Hickman) (http://www.606studios.com/bendisboard/showthread.php?t=140897) av grade - 9.2
Week 20 - 02/13/2008 - Trains Are...Mint #4 (Oliver East) (http://www.606studios.com/bendisboard/showthread.php?t=141693) av grade - 9
Week 21 - 02/20/2008 - Umbrella Academy: Apocalypse Suite (Gerard Way & Gabriel Bá) (http://www.606studios.com/bendisboard/showthread.php?p=4296762) av grade - 8.8
Week 22 - 02/27/2008 - RASL #1 (Jeff Smith) (http://www.606studios.com/bendisboard/showthread.php?p=4328376) av grade - 8
Week 23 - 03/05/2008 - Echo #1 (Terry Moore) (http://www.606studios.com/bendisboard/showthread.php?p=4365343) av grade - 5.6
Week 24 - 03/13/2008 - New Engineering (Yuichi Yokoyama) (http://www.606studios.com/bendisboard/showthread.php?p=4407703) av grade - (x)
Week 24 - 03/13/2008 - Powr Mastrs Vol. 1 (C.F.) (http://www.606studios.com/bendisboard/showthread.php?p=4407703) av grade - 8.5


What we do: This is a fanbased review group, open to everybody. It was launched as a companion thread to the BB Review Group. The idea is to review creator-owned books that provide an alternative to the superhero books of the Big Two. This can be anything, from single issues, self-published mini comics, and online comics to graphic novels and anthologies. Because graphic novels are more expensive and may also require more time to read than a 24 page comic (and sometimes for you to be in the right mood), there will be sufficient time to get the books and to read them before the review thread is up. The "upcoming" section lists a few graphic novels, collections, or anthologies we are going to review in the coming weeks and months, with room for many more. Feel free to suggest books, and also to keep adding your reviews and comments to older threads as you read the books.

As people post the reviews, I will add your name and score to a list in the main post and at the end of the week average the scores for an overall grade on the book. We grade on a scale of 0-10, the meanings of which roughly translate to:

10 - Everything I want in a comic, an instant classic
9 - Excellent, a nearly perfect read
8 - Highly recommended but it has minor flaws
7 - Very good, it does have some problems
6 - Above average but has deep flaws
5 - An average comic
4 - Below average, the flaws outweigh the good
3 - A disappointing comic
2 - Forgettable, a waste of time
1 - Stay away!! One of the worst comics I've read

Anyone who participates is asked to please keep this scale in mind when giving a grade so that everyone is operating on the same system.


Locked review threads: If you would like to review a book from one of the previous weeks, but the thread has been locked by the moderators in the meantime, pm me and I'll get a new review thread up.


THERE IS NO OBLIGATION TO PARTICIPATE EVERY TIME A NEW THREAD IS UP. Please join in as little or as much as you like week to week. If you are uncomfortable giving a grade then just join in the discussions and ask questions.

[BenitoCereno]

Wow, no one's reviewed this yet, huh?

Well, I bought it and read it as it initially came out, but once I saw this thread, I decided to re-read it so I could contribute.

I am of the opinion that any Jason is good Jason, but overall, The Last Musketeer is, I feel, the weakest of his recent efforts, especially in comparison to I Killed Adolf Hitler, a very strong piece of work.

I think one of the biggest problems is that this book works in a different brand of humor than Jason usually uses. This time around, he seems to be brandishing a zanier style of comedy, rather than the usual off-beat dark humor of something like The Living and the Dead; ultimately I'm not sure how effective it is. Part of the problem may be that much of the intended humor is dialogue-driven, which may not be the wisest choice for a translated work, you know?

At any rate, the character designs are fantastic. I love the look of the Martians (both immigrant and aboriginal), and the concepts, as always, are unmatched.

A good, but not great, book. I would recommend almost any other book from Jason's bibliography for someone looking to get started.

7/10

[Patton]

Every Jason book is fantastic but this one has got to be his weakest. As a fun and light action, science fiction tale it works well and is entertaining. But the heart of it didn't connect with me as well as the rest of his books.

I give it a 7.

I'll have a more detailed review when I review it for my paper shortly.

[skinnyrunaway]

8 until the ending which made it a 9.

I love Jason's work. The endings are always so beautiful.

[Bill Nolan]

8 until the ending which made it a 9.

I love Jason's work. The endings are always so beautiful.

I was going to dig up my old review from another site, but the above pretty much sums up my thoughts on it perfectly. I quite liked it. Not a 10 like "I Killed Adolf Hitler or Why Are You Doing This, but still fantastic. Definitely a 9.

You know what, I'm not lazy. I tracked down my previous review:


Fantagraphics recently released their latest translation of a book by Jason, whom I discussed in a bit of detail somewhere back in this thread. Here is the description of the latest book:


The Last Musketeer
By Jason

After his existential thriller (Why Are You Doing This?), his Parisian famous-writers crime caper (The Left Bank Gang), and his time-travel story (I Killed Adolf Hitler), Jason's fourth full-color album may feature his loopiest premise yet. Set in the present time, The Last Musketeer stars the by-now centuries old musketeer Athos, who has been reduced to a suavely dressed but useless near-panhandler trading on his now almost extinct fame. All this changes when one day the Martians attack Earth. Suddenly there is a need for swashes to be buckled, and Athos leaps back into the fray with a vengeance. The Last Musketeer is a vintage sci-fi adventure with a unique twist from an internationally acclaimed cartoonist.

Amazon link where you can see the cover and the first couple of pages. (http://www.amazon.com/Last-Musketeer-Jason/dp/1560978899/)

I thought this book was another sublime Jason masterpiece. I really felt Athos' struggle to find his place in a world definitely no longer his own. And then the Martians arrived. How great is that! Jason is a master of producing short, touching tales even of large scale events, and he does so with great panache here. One more book and Fantagraphics is supposedly all caught up with his material, so I'm not looking forward to the inevitable wait for "new" material after that...

But Jason does have a strip currently running in the NY Times' online comic thing, so all is not lost...

[Blake Sims]

Like the others have said, this isn't Jason's best book, but c'mon a not so great Jason book is better than most books. I really liked it, not as good as I Killed Adolf Hitler or the Left Bank Gang but still really great.

9/10

[Michael John Wheeler]

It's a 7 for me. It was full of the usual Jason greatness for me, but I think he needed more pages. It felt that as he was getting close to his standard page count, he realized there wasn't enough time to wrap it all up so he rushed to a conclusion.

[Patton]

I'm sorry Andreas but I looked at it again today and I think I'd like to change my review to an 8 if that's okay.

[Patton]

Finished my review for my paper today:





Panel to Panel
By Nathan Patton

The Last Musketeer

Author: Jason
Publisher: Fantagraphics Books
Cost: $12.95

One of the most consistently prolific cartoonists working today delivers another short graphic novel with big ideas and a lot of heart. Described as a “swashbuckling sci-fi romance,” “The Last Musketeer” finds Norwegian cartoonist Jason continuing to mix genres and defy categorization using his anthropomorphic characters and nearly flawless storytelling abilities.

The story finds Athos, one of Alexandre Dumas’ Three Musketeers, as an aimless vagrant with a bit of a drinking problem. Jason wastes no time throwing us right into the plot as an “invasion from space” happens almost immediately. This gives Athos an adventure, a purpose, and a reason to get back together with his old friend, and fellow musketeer, Aramis. But Aramis wants no part of it. So Athos is forced to try to try to save the world alone.

The heart of the story is slightly subtler than in much of Jason’s previous works.
It’s clearly about loyalty. But it’s also about two friends; one clinging to the nostalgia he has for his past, still dressing and talking like he did when he was young, and another clinging to his maturity and stability in his life, not having the time or energy to dwell on his former life. Without spoiling the ending, it’s clear that neither character is completely right or wrong. Still the ending, which is one of Jason’s specialties, didn’t have near as much impact as his endings usually have. Usually there’s a twist or a powerful poignant moment, but this one was more direct and more obvious.

Jason’s art is dependable as ever, always using the exact right amount of line work to get the story across, and never being self-indulgent. But the story dictates that he get a bit out of his comfort zone here with the aliens, robots, and rocket ships. He does all of them very well with help from fellow single name Hubert, who colors the book.

At first, “The Last Musketeer” seems inferior to Jason’s previous works. But after a reread I realized that it was just different, not better or worse. Fittingly enough, I was clinging to the nostalgia of Jason’s older work while he was moving forward and trying new ways to deliver his powerful tales.

I thought I got it the first time I read it, but I didn't. I got PART of it, but not the part that's slightly below the surface. I thought it was all about that last scene but it's not. At least for me it's not.

You don't have to change it again Andreas because I've been such a bag already, but I think I want to go on record with a solid 9.

[Adrian B AWESOME]

Love Jason. LOVE Jason. But this didn't feel like Left Bank or Adolf Hitler Jason. While it's in glorious color, this is definatly an, unfortunatly, lesser work.

I did like the ending and all that, but it was just too out of control and I really didn't care for the characters.

7.