Customer Reviews

Wendy Pini's Masque Of The Red Death Volume 1

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Okay, disclaimers. I am/have been a fan or have read/seen the following and (most importantly) liked them: Edgar Allan Poe, ElfQuest, Gankutsuou, yaoi, and webcomics of all stripes.

so I knew exactly what I was getting into reading this. For years I have been hoping Wendy Pini would do something outside the box, beyond the safe ElfQuest universe (safe now--back in the day it wasn't, but that's a long story about going to school barefoot in the snow uphill both ways). I also own the Stormbringer book so a return to that art style was like a big welcome back sign to me. And doing classic stories IN SPACE!, so reminiscent of what the Gankutsuou series did with "The Count of Monte Cristo" -- seriously, this would put me right in the target audience, right?

So, what happened?

I followed the first volume online--the moving picture version was amusing, like those storybook videos that used to be popular. But I was glad to be able to get an actual print copy to look at, to read it as a book.

All the elements are there, yet it does not create a cohesive whole. And the only way I can explain why is to compare it to something else of a similar vein: the Cirque du Soleil/Criss Angel coproduction of "Believe" in Las Vegas.

Two great companies that have huge fanbases. Criss Angel is this generation's David Copperfield, he's just that hugely popular, his Mindfreak show is one of the highest rated shows on cable. And extremely edgy. His magic is Penn and Teller-style dark, but without the excessive humor quotient. Cirque du Soleil specializes in beautiful/weird, and awesome "how the heck did they just do that?" acrobatics. And they can do sexy/erotic, too -- Zumanity is a feast for the "no rules" mantra, there's something for everyone in that show. So, getting the two together, Criss Angel and Cirque, should be great, right?

Google it. Read the reviews. It's all that and much, much less. And I'm saying that having seen the show three times. It actually combines the weakest parts of both properties, in an attempt not to alienate the opposing fanbase. Cirque du Soleil shines best at acrobatics; there is almost none in the show, possibly because the focus is supposed to center only on Criss Angel. Criss Angel is best when he's doing fabulously complicated and dangerous stunts: in this show he spends five minutes pulling doves out of his rear--I mean, robe--at one point. Neither fanbase likes what their own side did and now has negative reactions to the other side based just on what they saw from the combined show.

Light and dark, ego and id, they don't have to clash in an art piece, but they have to blend together in just the right amounts.

In Masque, Wendy Pini merges painfully Photoshopped faux animation cel characters, many of which are literally the same image over and over with minor changes (closed eyes, wider smile) with a storyline that moves with the pace of a New Orleans jazz funeral procession: slow, brassy, and in a minor key. The elements that are part of Poe's original are less a basic framework and more of a hanger to drape fashion on, with the occasional Poe-ism tossed in to garner a token in-joke reference. The one does not support the other.

I look back at pictures from Stormbringer where she actually glued real glitter onto a cel, and it has more depth, more spirit, than the flat pictures she's creating now. I see an artist whose work has not grown in the almost 40 years since those pictures were drawn; in some ways, it's actually regressed. Stormbringer showcased a young artist's fire and passion. Masque showcases a vain (either definition) attempt to recapture that, rather than to become something new, better, more.

I want to love this book. I want to be dazzled by this. I want to be drawn in by the scruff of my neck and dragged into this. I should be this book's target audience four ways over. And yet, apparently, I am somehow not smart enough, open enough, or discerning enough to "get" this book.

I'm not giving it a one star review because it's not horrible; it's just not good. I cannot in good conscience recommend it for the whole. I have to say, if you're a completionist for Piniana, pick it up and put it in your bookshelf after thumbing through it just for the sake of courtesy. Otherwise, you might want to test drive it on the website before investing time and money into the print version. And then decide for yourself.

I'll be the very first to admit this ... I am a purist when it comes to Edgar Allan Poe. There aere a large number of films that have adapted his stories (most of which are in my own collection), but I have found very few films that can really brought to life the soul that Poe breathed into his tales of mystery, imagination and terror; this, I think, may be due to the writers who adapted the tales into their own styles and storylines. I've seen short films and feature-length films that have adapted Poe's tales; some have really come close whereas othrs have gone so far as to, as Poe wrote, "out-Heroded Herod", that is created a story so far removed from Poe's work as to make it unrecognizeable save by the title. Why am I bringing up film adaptations when I'm trying to review a printed work? The reason is this.

Wendy Pini has created her own version of Poe's classic tale THE MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH. Now normally I would have said that trying to set Poe in a modern setting can be dangerous; while I have read novels and listened to radio plays (most notably BBC Radio 7's "After Happy Ever" series written by Lynn Ferguson) that have set fairy tales in a modern setting, it doesn't always work. Ms. Pini has gone further than a mere modern setting; she has set her tale in a distant future on a world that may or may not be Earth. Like Roger Corman in his two 1964 and 1989 film versions (I must state in fairness that he did not direct the 1989 version), Ms. Pini has also woven a storyline of innocence and the attempt to corrupt it into Poe's basic narrative. It took me two days to go through the entire graphic novel on the web and ... to my personal and utter amazement, IT ACTUALLY WORKS HERE! AND WITHOUT EVEN BRINGING A PHYSICAL INCARNATION OF THE RED DEATH INTO THE STORY AT ALL! I was completely amazed to find myself at times racing through each chapter's weekly installment, and after completing the work find that Ms. Pini has really kept both the story and the soul of Poe's tale alive (even if her Anton Prosper does somewhat remind one of a combination of Vincent Price's Prince Prospero of 1964 and Adrian Paul's of 1989), but a final warning ... this is not your kid's comic; there is graphic violence and sexuality, and the final chapter is definitely NOT for the squeamish!

In conclusion, even if the reader is a Poe purist like myself, I would encourage that reader to make this a part of his or her collection. Engrossing and enthralling ... and a "bloody" good read!

If you are looking for this new work by Wendy Pini to be ElfQuest think again. This is a wonderful, edgy adaptation of the Edgar Allen Poe's short story of the same name.

When I say edgy I mean edgy. It is wonderful to see an artist such as Wendy spread her creative wings on something new and totaly different. It is easy for us as the public, to pigeon hole an artist who is well known for one type of work of art and expression. But to be an artist one must always try new ways of expression. Brava Wendy.

The story is easy to follow as long as you keep in mind that is not earth, but a futuristic plant in another welm. Comparisions to earthlings is not the way to look at this story. Take it on it's own fanciful merit.

I found the book very rich in story and color. Very Poe like.

It seems to be a story of deeper meanings if you scratch below it's surface. Anton is a very complex and rich character. This will be a very interesting story as it unfolds. Wendy is showing us a more complex and deeper side of herself.

All I can say again is Brava Wendy,,,job well done and keep it up.

I followed this title as an online comic. Not being a particular fan of the yaoi genre (nor manga in general), I was drawn to this work as a long-time fan of Wendy Pini's Elfquest series. It took a little while for the story to take hold, but the lush tones and textures immediately held my interest, and the story won me over soon after.

It's even better in book form. The heavy, glossy pages really make the colors pop. Wendy's take on the human form has grown more stylized over the years, to charming effect. Her long-limbed men are scrumptious eye candy; the female form is rendered with equal skill.

It's a sexy piece of work, and although I don't think I'll be cruising the slash sites anytime soon, I can see the appeal of ogling a couple of lovely men going at one another. The woman entwines a good limb.

The greatest dazzle comes from her talent at costume design. The costumes alone are eye-poppingly glorious. The sets, like the background paintings in classic animated films, would be beautiful as stand-alone art prints framed on a gallery wall.

Wendy's visual style has evolved over the years, and she's learned to pull off some nifty effects with her digital tools. The tricks she was beginning to explore in the later Elfquest books finally blossom fully in this volume. It's been a joy to see her embrace technology and use it to spin out her vision with increasing precision for us all to see.

I guess you don't have to be a particular fan of manga, yaoi, gothic romance or sci-fi to like this one. I'm not, and I loved it. You just have to appreciate pretty pictures and a tantalizingly drawn-out story.

I'm ready for more.

For the uninitiated, the yaoi genre is composed of works (generally created by and for women) that feature beautiful, androgynous young men in romantic gay relationships. If that doesn't appeal to you, don't get this.

This was originally an online comic, which I did try to get into but found unreadable and impossible to follow. As a graphic novel it's a bit more palatable (at least there's no distracting Flash animation or pop-up word balloons), but the story, such as it is, is extremely thin. The reclusive, orphaned son of a zillionaire (the zillionaire father has a very spectacular death scene early in the book, where he winds up dead in the boardroom with his tongue hanging out in a comical manner) becomes obsessed with finding the scientific secret to immortality.

The whole premise doesn't make a lot of sense. How many 20-something rich kids are interested in finding the secret to immortality, as opposed to, say, going out and partying hard? Especially since it's made clear that lifespans are already greatly expanded by nanotechnology. The storyline is probably more Wendy Pini trying to come to grips with her own aging and mortality, which makes sense for a 50-something person without nanotechnology.

Beyond the very flimsy story, the book is mainly to showcase beautiful people in beautiful clothing and beautiful settings. There's lots and lots of soft lighting, Photoshop filters, people posing in speedos or other skimpy clothing while discussing philosophy. The male leads look dreamily at each other a lot. Wendy Pini inserts her Mary-Sue in as a vivacious blue-skinned artist/designer named Bunchh (yes, two Hs). Everyone in the story is a super-genius at what they do, and is also beautiful. I don't think there's any ugly, stupid or loser people in this world.

The artwork is very recongnizable if you're familiar with Elfquest. The faces, poses and costumes are pure Wendy Pini. The Photoshop coloring is extremely gaudy and in-your-face, with heavy use (overuse) of filters and other digital tricks. If you're familiar with Photoshop it's pretty easy pick out what was used where (noise filter here, transparency there, distort here, grain filter there, etc.) This is definitely not the book for subtle or masterful digital coloring.

In conclusion-- do get this if you're a fan of Wendy Pini's art and costume designs, and/or the yaoi genre.

Do not get this if you don't like willowy, androgynous gay guys mooning over each other. Do not get this is you're looking for a fast-moving, dynamic story with belivable characters and and setting that will keep you enthralled. Don't get this if you're looking for anything like Elfquest in terms of story or characters.

THIS IS NOT A REVIEW OF THE GRAPHIC NOVEL. IT IS MORE A REVIEW OF THE ORIGINAL WEBCOMIC.

Wendi Pini's interpretation of "Masque of the Red Death" is one of the most beautifully created works of art I've seen in a long time. I had the incredible honor of meeting Wendy and her husband Richard at the 2010 Fanime convention in San Jose, California. They were very kind enough to pose for a photo I took and to autograph two of my old volumes of "Elfquest". I've been a huge fan of "Elfquest" for over 20 years and at their art booth Wendy was autographing copies of "Masque of the Red Death" volume 1. I took a quick look and was astonished at what I was seeing. She quickly pointed out that its intended audience was for girls, and I knew at that moment its real target audience are readers of the Japanese yaoi novels. That wasn't a problem. (I find much of it to be fascinating and often very beautiful.) I noted the official website and checked it out at home. The entire graphic novel miniseries is already viewable at the website. (Just select the green icon and you experience it as a "Webcomic".)

What I saw and read just blew me away. I never heard of Edgar Allen Poe's "Masque of the Red Death", and from what I read Wendy seemed to only loosely base the story on the classic tale. But what is clear is the visual look and the telling of the story belong 100% to Wendy. To sum up the plot: in a futuristic world Anton Prosper, the last heir to an immensely wealthy and powerful scientific enterprise has created a special treatment that can enable humans to gain immortality and eternal youth. He is assisted by Steffan Kabala, an equally brilliant young scientist who develops a powerful attraction to Anton. They first met as kids; Steffan saw a beauty in Anton and then didn't see him for another twelve years. The beauty he first saw in Anton I could completely understand, since I had noticed it myself in people I've met. They reunite to work on developing the scientific breakthrough and Steffan's attraction to Anton grows more and more undeniable. Their relationship turns into a powerful and very erotic romance, but everything is not perfect. Steffan is clearly in love, and Anton isn't able to admit the same. The relationship turns to jealousy and revenge and soon the world is threatened by a fatal plague, which is the Red Death.

That is the most I can tell you about the plot. The images are just plain amazing. Watching the story unfold online I recognized much of the artistic style Wendy used all these years in drawing "Elfquest". So many of the images are so beautiful: the background, the way the frames are lit, (And believe me, graphic novels can be lit with the complexity and freedom used in cinema.) and in costumes. The series is incredibly erotic as well. I point out that the eroticism is not dirty at all. There are scenes of full frontal nudity with the main characters but believe me, they are intended to be erotic. This is not a non-stop graphic sex story. (Neither are most of the yaoi manga I have read.) The sexual relationship between Anton and Steffan escalates into something VERY horrifying to themselves and their world. And that horror continues to escalate all the way to the end. If you find viewing such scenes as morally offensive, then it is not for you. There is a disclaimer on the website's home page that it contains mature content.

Wendy intended the story for girls, and I know that they are the target audience for Yaoi. And yet I don't just recommend it for girls. I believe that if you are someone who is open minded about beautiful imagery you may find yourself drawn to this piece of work. (One of my best friends thought it would make a great movie. I agree with him, except that knowing Hollywood they would seriously tone down the erotic stuff.) Even if you don't like it the creativity and talent of Wendy Pini cannot be denied with "Masque of the Red Death". (The website includes a glowing testimonial by Sonny Strait, a voice-talent actor, director, and comic book artist who is well known to Anime fans.)

I said that the horror escalates all the way to the end. I hope I haven't given anything away. This is a very emotionally powerful story and doesn't insult the intelligence of readers by oversimplifying it. Bravo to Wendy for bringing this incredible piece of work.