Martin Keane never wanted to be a cop. He managed to break tradition by becoming a writer. Married to Erin, a lovely schoolteacher, Martin has turned his back on family history. But when Erin disappears, Martin is forced to confront his family’s dark secrets.The Bronx Kill (DC Comics/Vertigo Crime, $19.99) isn’t a mystery so much as one man’s slow descent into a personal hell. As Martin searches for Erin, signs point him to the Bronx Kill, a trash heap of a place where his great-grandfather was killed, and a place that his wife had become fascinated with. As Martin puts it, “This must be the saddest . . . most miserable and forlorn stretch of water in the whole country.” The bleakness of the area matches that of Martin’s sanity as time passes with few leads.
Veteran writer Peter Milligan (late of Vertigo’s Greek Street) creates two grisly stories: Martin’s own ordeal, and a manuscript of Martin’s latest novel. Set in the mid-nineteenth century, the main character also chooses to run from tragedy, going from famine-stricken Ireland to America. Milligan goes as far as to include Martin’s notes, increasingly influenced by the events of his life. James Romberger’s artwork comes off as grainy, which matches the story’s mood. The only major flaw is that Milligan seems to remember that the story is supposed to be a mystery, and plot devices rain from the sky to prepare a satisfactory conclusion.
In the end, The Bronx Kill manages to be one of the stronger entries in the Vertigo Crime line, and Milligan adds another solid entry to his resume. As Martin himself scrawls at one point, “Everything comes down to the Bronx Kill.”
Words by Jason Borelli
Inside the Last Rites Art Gallery (the only “dark art” gallery in New York), the thirteenth century medieval décor is almost as interesting as the exhibits themselves. After walking up three floors of dilapidated stairs, the lull of black metal music preludes a smoky, red room with rusted torture devices dangling on chains from the ceiling. Amidst the red, satin drapery, gargoyle-like statues of anguished demons and deformed little creatures appear strategically throughout the room, most notably a giant Satan with decaying internal organs.
The gallery also has its own iron gates from Dante’s Inferno, inscribed with the ominous message “Thou Shalt Not Whine.”
Currently featured at the gallery are painters Chris Peters and David R. Choquette, from Los Angeles and Montreal respectively. Peters’ inspiration and artistic theme is “that uneasy twilight place between life and death” whereas Choquette focuses in on naturally occurring physical abnormalities, both revolting and beautiful.
The gallery’s exhibitory room is very straightforward with white walls and fancy frames. The first paintings you see belong to Chris Peters, who modestly shook his head and laughed when I told him that I loved him at the opening reception. All but one of his paintings are of skeletons, depicted
as though they’re still alive and beset with a crippling depth of emotion, particularly despair and love. “Love Eternal” is two skeletons, one significantly larger than the other, embracing while giving the impression that they’re about to be separated forever. “Quiet Rest” shows a skeleton praying on its hands and knees, probing the question of what reason someone would have to pray after death.
David R. Choquette’s attention to detail is immaculate and necessary to pull off his chalky – white – inspired collection. More grotesque than Peters, Choquette magnifies gory facial deformities and ordinary imperfections so that it’s difficult to look at any of his paintings for very long. His “subjects” range from babies to lip-pierced teenagers to frogs, while sifting various levels of surrealism into his predominantly realistic artwork.
The back room of the Last Rites Art Gallery is a tattoo studio run by the famous Paul Booth, whose own artwork is scattered throughout the building. One of his paintings (right next to the Texas Chainsaw-style decapitated lump of “human meat” veiled with a bloody cloth) “Given a Choice” depicts a fetus holding its own umbilical cord up to its barely formed mouth as if to bite it in half. This is a good example of the kind of art you can expect to find at the Last Rites Art Gallery – thought-provoking, cynical, and honest.
-Lindsay Sturm
Many people say it, but very few people can say that they actually are working toward it. Take a listen to 20X by Donny Goines and you’ll see why “It’s not enough to settle for anything less than number 1”.
Considered his best EP to date, “20X” is short and sweet. According to Donny, “With this one I wanted quality over quantity”. You can tell that this was the best route to go. This album shows that as an artist Donny has truly grown. With tracks that are a bit more personal, you get a feeling as to why Donny is the way he is – a good person that is definitely trying to do a takeover. Not just a takeover of NYC, but globally as well. You get this feel as you listen to “Short Circuit”. It has a techno, futuristic feel to it that will appeal to even the most hardcore anti-hip-hop person. 20X has something on there for just about everyone.
Overall, this is a great album, and it shows why Donny Goines is an artist to watch out for in 2010.
Check out what Donny had to say about 20x
In 1985, John Constantine made his comic book debut in the pages of Swamp Thing. The “blue collar mage” graduated to his own title – Hellblazer – in 1988. Twenty-five years and 250-plus issues later (not to mention the failure of a movie starring a horribly miscast Keanu Reeves), Constantine is in his first major original graphic novel, Hellblazer: Pandemonium (DC Comics/Vertigo, $24.99). The story reunites Constantine with Jamie Delano, the original writer of Hellblazer. Delano is joined by critical favorite artist, Jock, best known for his work on The Losers, which will be adapted and shown on the big screen in April.
In Pandemonium, Constantine is drawn into intrigue in Iraq. Framed for a terrorist attack in his native England, he is forced to go to the Middle East, where he contends with occupying forces, a supernatural prisoner of war, and a mysterious woman who acts as an escort. Soon, Constantine finds himself on familiar ground: fighting for his life against mystic forces.
Delano does a good job with Pandemonium, crafting an intriguing story for over a hundred pages. Readers new to Constantine’s adventures can jump on board without any heavy continuity getting in the way.
However, Constantine does ramble, narrating for pages at a time, which can be a turn-off for some. Jock’s art is gritty and raw, a great match for the Middle Eastern locale. Together, Delano and Jock manage to make Hellblazer: Pandemonium an engrossing read.
- Jason Borelli
For the past thirty years, legendary French stencil graffiti artist, Jef Aerosol, has transformed lifeless walls around the globe into vivid, telling portraits of some of the world’s most notorious cultural icons. A true pioneer in the Street Art movement, Aerosol has helped redefine public art. At Eastern District, Ad Hoc Art is presenting “All Shook Up,” an impressive collection of Aerosol’s most classic pieces, along with some brand new stencils.
Aerosol’s portraits of cultural icons speak to the masses and rattle public opinion with provocative humor. Bob Dylan, Patti Smith, David Bowie, Sid Vicious, Jim Morrison, The Ramones, M.I.A, Edie Sedgwick, and Iggy Pop, are just a handful of the pop-culture giants hanging on the walls at Aerosol’s show.
Two stencils in particular seem to command the most attention and pay tribute to New York. The largest piece on display is an enormous stencil of one of Street Art’s most influential inspirations, Jean-Michel Basquiat. Alongside the portrait, Aerosol sprayed one of Basquiat’s quotes: “I don’t think about art when I’m working. I try to think about life.”
The other standout is a newly unveiled, intricate stencil of Jay-Z. Aerosol cut five different layers of stencils and slightly varied the primary hues of the piece to create dimension. The iconic rapper, one of Brooklyn’s hometown heroes, is the perfect subject for Aerosol’s Brooklyn-based show.
While he is best known for his portrayals of famous personas, Aerosol’s stencils, depicting anonymous individuals, are equally captivating. Using intricate textures, insightful words, and contrasting tones, Aerosol manages to capture the essence of his subjects’ attitude. There is an air of genuine emotion and humanity in his work that makes it truly universal.
His portrait of a jubilant, drumming boy was created shortly before the opening of his NYC show as a tribute to Haiti. The text incorporated in the piece reads, “Bang The Drum Of Peace.” All proceeds from the sale of the portrait will be donated to the Haitian relief effort.
Until February 21st, you can check out the work of one of the world’s most legendary stencil artists for yourself, at Eastern District in Brooklyn. Eastern District is located at 43 Bogart Street (Morgan Avenue stop on the L train). For more information go to:
Words and Photos - Lauren Casselberry
A chill has come to New York in the form of a murderer who ritualistically slays the victims. The method: freeze men during intimacy and killing them according to Druid rituals. The man who can stop the murders: an immigrant from Ireland who was the first victim of “The Chill.”
The Chill ($19.99) is the latest entry in DC Comics’ Vertigo Crime line. Unlike the previous books in the line – Dark Entries and Filthy Rich – The Chill is steeped deeply in mysticism. Author Jason Starr doesn’t make the story a mystery, as the antagonists are revealed as an ageless father/daughter duo that kill to stay immortal. The Chill is more about suspense, as Martin Clearly – the only victim of the Chill that got away – is pulled back into a world he had left behind. Another protagonist, albeit a less interesting one, is Detective Pavano, an outsider who slowly becomes unsettled by the murders, until the case comes close to home. The killers get equal time, as readers feel sympathy towards Arlana, whose father abuses her even as they perform the Tribhas on their victims, killing their victims in three ways at the same time.
Starr does a good job in merging the worlds of New York and old Ireland together. Veteran artist Mick Bertilorenzi does serviceable artwork for the book, showing off locales from the city and the results of the murders. The only faults that Starr commits are spending a few too many pages on the cannon fodder that serves as the first victim, and the way Martin finds out about that murder. Putting those complaints aside, The Chill continues the excellence set by Vertigo Crime.
-Jason Borelli
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