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Tribute: The Michael Jackson Comic
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Tribute Cover A
Tribute (also known as the Michael Jackson comic) opens with a message from cover artist Giuseppe Mazzola, member of the Official Michael Jackson Fan Club, and then shows the empty London stage where the first concert in the “This is It” tour would’ve taken place. An anthropomorphic cricket describes to the reader all of the emotional outpouring that occurred when Jackson died and how he was just a human being, but also a musical genius. What follows is a brief history of Michael Jackson’s life from birth through the child abuse allegations.
Wey-Yuih Loh (known for writing other biography comic books like Political Power: Colin Powell) has managed to make an interesting, and to some, inspirational tale seem more boring that a high school history textbook. It is also an odd choice to use a cricket to be the narrator of the comic. Why a cricket? Who is the cricket supposed to represent? The use of such a blatant imaginary character detracts from the realism of the events in Jackson’s life.
The artwork by Giovanni P. Timpano (Italian artist who worked on Plan 9 from Outer Space…Strikes Again) is static. Anyone who has seen “This is It” can see that Jackson was always moving. He was rarely stationary for an extended amount of time. It was like he was a child who could not sit still. The panels in Tribute lack flow and movement which also hampers Loh’s already flawed storytelling by making it seem slow.
The main reason this comic fails is that it is a comic book about music. Music notes in a word balloon does not translate into an auditory sensation. When telling the story of Michael Jackson, music is not optional but essential. The makers of this comic didn’t even include song lyrics so the reader must insert their own song in scene which prevents the reader from truly sinking into the story.
If you want to know more about Michael Jackson’s life save the $4.99 and watch a biography on television or go see “This is It.”
Tribute Creative Team:
Writer: Wey-Yuih Loh
Penciler: Giovanni P. Timpano
Colorist: Erick Marquez
Letterer: Jaymes Reed
Editors: Chris Ward and Jaymes Reed
Cover Artists: Giuseppe Mazzola and Vinnie Tartamella
Production: Chad Jones
Publisher: Darren G. Davis
Published by Blue Water Comics
Please purchase this comic and others at your local comic book shop which can be found here.
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If you have a suggestion for a topic or review you'd like to see, contact me at SusanReneePage@gmail.com
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