Clint Magazine

By mutantblues October 7, 2010 1 Comments

 

Clint is the latest project from Mark Millar the creator of, amongst other things, Kick Ass. Its a magazine featuring comics and an attempt to bring that media into a more public setting.

No doubt the huge success of the Kick Ass movie will help drive this project along and draw in those who would other wise not bother looking at at such things.

The first big draw of this issue, indeed its what attracted me, is the first appearance of a new Kick Ass story. The original comic book is one of the best works of modern times and is really a joy to read. So a sequel is greeted with a lot of glee on my part. With only eight pages its hard to really make any comment and certainly there is very little plot on show here. I guess we shall just have to wait and see what happens.

After the main attraction there are four other comics on offer. Turf is written by Jonathan Ross and features vampire gangsters in 1920's America. It was actually the last thing I read as something about it just seemed to prevent me from getting into it. At first I didn't like the art work, which I think was a factor in not getting it. But to be fair it actually fits very well with the story and helps to create the feeling of the time period its set in. Rather a lot of text being used and this is another barrier to the story, a good comic shows you whats going on a lot more than it tells you. Not a terrible effort but not one that is likely to blow you away ether.

Then we come to Rex Royd written by Fankie Boyle. Poorly written and badly drawn and clearly only included due to the name of the person who wrote it. Best just ignored and hopefully forgotten about.

Nemesis is the second contribution from Mark Millar and brings a step up in quality over the last two stories. Artwork is great, very visceral and bloody and brings to mind the sort of things Millar would of been used to while working on The Authority. Not sure I've got into the characters yet but its too early to see what they are about.

Lastly there is a three page comic called Space Oddities which I guess is meant to be a joke but doesn't really work.

Aside from the comics you have an interview with Jimmy Carr, which despite having an appalling example of photo shop usage is pretty good. Not sure I really want to be reading an article on how Charlie Manson wanted to rape Doris Day. And an article on voice over artists is over before it gets interesting. Other than that there is not much content.

I was trying to think who the target market for this might be. With its comics one might think that its for comic book geeks. But as one myself there is really very little here for us. The new Kick Ass will attract out attention but you might as well just read that in the shop. This is not going to match up to 2000AD.

There is an attempt to appeal to the readers of lads mags with a profile of "hot tv mums" and a "celebrity pot head" section but its doubtful this goes far enough to satisfy their needs.

What this seems like is an effort to appeal to people who don't read comics but do watch the films they are based on. The type of person who really likes the Kick Ass but doesn't know how the plot was changed from the book.

It might well work and good luck to them. Lets hope some of the readers look into what else is out there and pick up some comics. Hopefully it might even bring through some new talent through its in pages. Although so far using an established writer, a comedian and a TV presenter doesn't boded well for such hopes. I rather suspect that this is really just about Mark Millar and him wanting to become a trendy celebrity type.

So I didn't like this and I doubt I will buy it again, but then its not really aimed at me. For the magazines price of £3.99 I can go on ebay and pick up some much better stuff. This felt like cross of Nuts and Heat which is great if you are trying to sell a new magazine but its utterly infuriating if you are an obsessive geek.

The thing I hated most was the page showing an attractive blond lady wearing a coat and jeans. We are told she works for Oxfam and her name is Judith Wilson. Its an attempt to be ironic by having a fully clothed woman who does charity work rather than just a nude glamour model. Only thing is that by looking at the fine print you see that Judith is actually Lynsey Brown, a model. Trust me I know a hot blond charity worker when I see one as I just so happen to date one.

Lastly the is the name of the mag it's self, or rather the logo. Its called Clint and its drawn in such away that its clearly meant to look like a rather rude four letter word. Yeah, right on guys.

I guess not being a 13 year old boy is why I didn't get into this and actually found some of it quite repugnant.

Issue Two of Clint is in stores now, where I wil leave it.
 

1 Comments