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Final (except for publisher logo and info) cover art, featuring Salem, the unnamed hippo, with 
driprat's Bob and Lisa in the background. Salem and hippo inked and colored by 
dustmeat (thanks Meg!!). If all goes according to plan this should debut at FC 2012 in January, 34 pages of the violence and mayhem you've come to expect from me. Unlike the last couple Salem comics, I did 100% of the art on this, which is why it took so damn long to finish. Mr. Hopkins is a much faster penciler than I am.
Cover art a combination of markers, pen and ink, and digital. Font from BlamBot.
driprat's Bob and Lisa in the background. Salem and hippo inked and colored by 
dustmeat (thanks Meg!!). If all goes according to plan this should debut at FC 2012 in January, 34 pages of the violence and mayhem you've come to expect from me. Unlike the last couple Salem comics, I did 100% of the art on this, which is why it took so damn long to finish. Mr. Hopkins is a much faster penciler than I am.Cover art a combination of markers, pen and ink, and digital. Font from BlamBot.
Category Artwork (Traditional) / Comics
Species Hippopotamus
Size 731 x 1125px
File Size 116.6 kB
Listed in Folders
Finally gotten around to typing up an actual review for this. I'll try very hard to be constructive and not give away too much of the plot.
I'll start by saying I'm a big fan of the older Jack Salem series, especially the stories leading up to 'Blacklight', which up to this day easily sits on top of my top-ten of best graphic novels I've ever read. If you haven't read it yet, go buy it now! It is worth every single penny.
That being said though, 'The Mule' was, to me at least, a very disappointing installment for two main reasons.
1) Plot decay.
This can best be explained by summarizing some of the previous Jack Salem plots in blurb like formats without too many spoilers:
.357 Jack Salem's first appearance, if I am not mistaken. He is on the loose in New York city, doing his serial killer thing. A very unlikely duo of police officers is put on the case. Will they be able to stop the black-furred menace?
Escape from the city of Ice. Jack Salem has at long last been caught and has been sent to the City of Ice. Essentially a prison on a different planet. Once there he quickly starts making alliances with other criminals and starts plotting his escape. Will he succeed in doing what nobody has managed to do before?
Blacklight. After being saved from death by none other than the Mad Creator Jeffrey Scott Salem finds himself on a long journey that brings him all across the United States, Cuba and all the way to Japan to help Scott with his mad schemes. Meanwhile, a group from the Human Republic chases after him, for Salem carries something of immense value with him. Eventually they all end up in Japan for an – explosive – finale. The longest and most detailed Jack Salem story so far.
And after that:
Jack's night out. Jack Salem goes into town and graphically rapes and kills a whole bunch of people in extreme gory detail. Okay...
Pictures at an exhibition. Jack Salem goes to a picture exhibition and... graphically rapes and kills a bunch of people in extreme gory detail...
The Mule. When the appearance of something resembling an actually interesting plot rears its ugly head Jack Salem has to graphically murder and butcher his way through the city of ice to try and get as far away from it as possible. Also, Bob and Lisa from David Hopkins' Jack make an appearance.
My point is this: Over the course of a single comic book Jack Salem was transformed from an enigmatic 1990's Dexter (if I dare make that comparison) to a character whose sole purpose is to rape, kill and mutilate people in the most graphically detailed way possible for the amusement of the people who are into that kind of thing. (I suppose.) Not that he wasn't a murderous rapist during Blacklight and its prequels, but it was done with a little bit of class. Most of the violent stuff happened off scene and it itself was never the driving force of the plot.
Anyway, back to The Mule and my second point/question.
2) Why are Bob and Lisa in this story?
I've hurt my brain trying to figure out why these two characters from the Jack universe make an appearance in this comic. All they do is follow Jack Salem around and feast upon his victims. Considering they do absolutely nothing else to either hinder or advance the plot of the comic I really don't know why they get as much screen time as they do. Plus, more importantly, they are from a – different universe – .
Correct me if I'm wrong, but the setting of Dave Hopkins' Jack, I believe, is modern day earth together with Heaven and Hell and all of its interesting characters.
By contrast, the setting of the Jack Salem universe is a futuristic earth where the United States has split up into three different countries and everything is being built and maintained by a 'Dream Machine' located in Japan, which in turn is run by a bunch of divine beings called 'The Creators'.
So why are characters from a completely different setting and story being shoe-horned into this comic for no other reason than to make an appearance? Is it to please the Jack fanboys? Maybe that's the whole reason why the Jack Salem stories have changed in such a drastic way over the recent years?
I must stress here that I do not dislike David Hopkins. Not at all. I enjoy reading his comic Jack as much as the rest of you. I just don't get why his characters have to be shoe-horned into these comics now.
In the end, The Mule was disappointing for me because, at first glance, it seemed like it was going to be more like .357 or Escape from the city of Ice. A short, but well put-together story with an interesting plot and an enigmatic anti-hero we all seem to love, in spite of his vicious and violent nature. Instead, what we got here is another gore-fest. Then again, as this was advertised as such I shan't complain too much. Nor should this review be interpreted as me trying to tell Roz Gibson what to write and how to do it. Besides, will I keep paying for and reading the Jack Salem comics? Probably. Blacklight and its prequels were so amazing I still have high hope that we'll get another great set of comics like that.
And again, if you haven't read Blacklight yet, go buy it. Right now. Trust me, you will not regret it!
As for The Mule... graphically it is brilliant as always. Roz Gibson knows her stuff as a comic artist. The page lay-out reads well, the characters are really well drawn. If only the plot could live up to expectations. Two out of five stars I'd say. Read it if you like the recent graphic gore.
My two cents, keep at it Roz! <3
I'll start by saying I'm a big fan of the older Jack Salem series, especially the stories leading up to 'Blacklight', which up to this day easily sits on top of my top-ten of best graphic novels I've ever read. If you haven't read it yet, go buy it now! It is worth every single penny.
That being said though, 'The Mule' was, to me at least, a very disappointing installment for two main reasons.
1) Plot decay.
This can best be explained by summarizing some of the previous Jack Salem plots in blurb like formats without too many spoilers:
.357 Jack Salem's first appearance, if I am not mistaken. He is on the loose in New York city, doing his serial killer thing. A very unlikely duo of police officers is put on the case. Will they be able to stop the black-furred menace?
Escape from the city of Ice. Jack Salem has at long last been caught and has been sent to the City of Ice. Essentially a prison on a different planet. Once there he quickly starts making alliances with other criminals and starts plotting his escape. Will he succeed in doing what nobody has managed to do before?
Blacklight. After being saved from death by none other than the Mad Creator Jeffrey Scott Salem finds himself on a long journey that brings him all across the United States, Cuba and all the way to Japan to help Scott with his mad schemes. Meanwhile, a group from the Human Republic chases after him, for Salem carries something of immense value with him. Eventually they all end up in Japan for an – explosive – finale. The longest and most detailed Jack Salem story so far.
And after that:
Jack's night out. Jack Salem goes into town and graphically rapes and kills a whole bunch of people in extreme gory detail. Okay...
Pictures at an exhibition. Jack Salem goes to a picture exhibition and... graphically rapes and kills a bunch of people in extreme gory detail...
The Mule. When the appearance of something resembling an actually interesting plot rears its ugly head Jack Salem has to graphically murder and butcher his way through the city of ice to try and get as far away from it as possible. Also, Bob and Lisa from David Hopkins' Jack make an appearance.
My point is this: Over the course of a single comic book Jack Salem was transformed from an enigmatic 1990's Dexter (if I dare make that comparison) to a character whose sole purpose is to rape, kill and mutilate people in the most graphically detailed way possible for the amusement of the people who are into that kind of thing. (I suppose.) Not that he wasn't a murderous rapist during Blacklight and its prequels, but it was done with a little bit of class. Most of the violent stuff happened off scene and it itself was never the driving force of the plot.
Anyway, back to The Mule and my second point/question.
2) Why are Bob and Lisa in this story?
I've hurt my brain trying to figure out why these two characters from the Jack universe make an appearance in this comic. All they do is follow Jack Salem around and feast upon his victims. Considering they do absolutely nothing else to either hinder or advance the plot of the comic I really don't know why they get as much screen time as they do. Plus, more importantly, they are from a – different universe – .
Correct me if I'm wrong, but the setting of Dave Hopkins' Jack, I believe, is modern day earth together with Heaven and Hell and all of its interesting characters.
By contrast, the setting of the Jack Salem universe is a futuristic earth where the United States has split up into three different countries and everything is being built and maintained by a 'Dream Machine' located in Japan, which in turn is run by a bunch of divine beings called 'The Creators'.
So why are characters from a completely different setting and story being shoe-horned into this comic for no other reason than to make an appearance? Is it to please the Jack fanboys? Maybe that's the whole reason why the Jack Salem stories have changed in such a drastic way over the recent years?
I must stress here that I do not dislike David Hopkins. Not at all. I enjoy reading his comic Jack as much as the rest of you. I just don't get why his characters have to be shoe-horned into these comics now.
In the end, The Mule was disappointing for me because, at first glance, it seemed like it was going to be more like .357 or Escape from the city of Ice. A short, but well put-together story with an interesting plot and an enigmatic anti-hero we all seem to love, in spite of his vicious and violent nature. Instead, what we got here is another gore-fest. Then again, as this was advertised as such I shan't complain too much. Nor should this review be interpreted as me trying to tell Roz Gibson what to write and how to do it. Besides, will I keep paying for and reading the Jack Salem comics? Probably. Blacklight and its prequels were so amazing I still have high hope that we'll get another great set of comics like that.
And again, if you haven't read Blacklight yet, go buy it. Right now. Trust me, you will not regret it!
As for The Mule... graphically it is brilliant as always. Roz Gibson knows her stuff as a comic artist. The page lay-out reads well, the characters are really well drawn. If only the plot could live up to expectations. Two out of five stars I'd say. Read it if you like the recent graphic gore.
My two cents, keep at it Roz! <3
Sorry you didn't care for the story, although I do thank you for taking the time to write up your thoughts and give me some props on the artwork.
My only real comment is that the lastest couple of Salem stories (The Mule and Pictures at an Exhibition) were not meant to be super-serious, National Book Award grade material. They were short, fun projects I wanted to do inbetween the much more grueling work on The City of Ice. I used Bob and Lisa because I thought they'd be fun to write for and would make good foils to the much more serious Jack.
So if the story didn't read 100% serious hard SF, that's because it wasn't meant to be. As the saying goes, all work and no play makes Roz a dull girl.
My only real comment is that the lastest couple of Salem stories (The Mule and Pictures at an Exhibition) were not meant to be super-serious, National Book Award grade material. They were short, fun projects I wanted to do inbetween the much more grueling work on The City of Ice. I used Bob and Lisa because I thought they'd be fun to write for and would make good foils to the much more serious Jack.
So if the story didn't read 100% serious hard SF, that's because it wasn't meant to be. As the saying goes, all work and no play makes Roz a dull girl.
Thank you for replying.
That is a fair enough motivation. If anything, artists should be able to create what they want to, not what their public demands I suppose. At the same time it's imposible to please everyone all of the time anyway. Art is tricky like that, being an almost completely medium of entertainment. And like I said, you've made enough awesome comics in the past for me to keep on purchasing new ones. I hope there will eventually be another gem like Blacklight among them.
Keep on rocking on and thank you for dealing with my critique in a reasonable and mature way! (It's FA, gotta be said.)
That is a fair enough motivation. If anything, artists should be able to create what they want to, not what their public demands I suppose. At the same time it's imposible to please everyone all of the time anyway. Art is tricky like that, being an almost completely medium of entertainment. And like I said, you've made enough awesome comics in the past for me to keep on purchasing new ones. I hope there will eventually be another gem like Blacklight among them.
Keep on rocking on and thank you for dealing with my critique in a reasonable and mature way! (It's FA, gotta be said.)
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