Week of February 14th, 2007
Happy Geekentine's Day, internet comic geeks; I hope you spent it with someone equally geeky. Marvel and DC's love letter to the comics' crowd? A whole heap of great titles this week, so we'd better get onward!
SPOTLIGHT REVIEW:
Batman #663:
Fan reaction seems to be mixed over Grant Morrison's prose story in this issue of Batman (I've heard some even saying this doesn't qualify as a comic book because there are too many words). However, those that take the time to read it will find, aside from the overwhelming proliferation of metaphors and similes, one of the best, creepiest Joker stories I've read in a while. You're better off if you treat this as a straight-up story, however, and just don't look at the art at all; the blocky, 3-D imaging is hard on the eyes. Kudos to Morrison and DC for taking a chance, and for giving me a three dollar comic book it actually took me some time to read.
FUN SIZE REVIEWS:
Thunderbolts #111:
Oh, those wacky Thunderbolts! Warren Ellis is taking out some repressed anger on the superheroes of the Marvel Universe in this title; if you're not interested in seeing horrible, horrible things happen to Jack Flag, I wouldn't recommend this one. Still, you might want to check out Deodato's Venom panels anyway.
Astonishing X-Men #20:
I don't really Whedon and Cassaday's run on this book to end; in yet another great issue, the X-Men hit the Breakworld, we find some evidence that maybe Colossus really is going to destroy the whole planet, and there are another handful of perfect, defining quotes from Wolverine, Beast, and even little Armor. And of course, the best penciller in the business.
JSA #3:
This book continues to be just slightly better than the constantly-improving JLA, and Geoff Johns creates at least one (but probably two) cool new heroes in this book, something not easy to do in comics today. If you're looking for a great fight sequence, you should really pick up the next issue, where Vandal Savage and Wildcat's son go toe to toe, and if you're looking for a painful scene, showing Neo-Nazis destroying the family of an ex-hero, issue three is a can't-miss.
Ultimate X-Men #79:
Just wanted to mention here that this book is getting worse and worse every month, and that I still love Kirkman, although his run on UXM has been disappointing. Yanick Paquette's awkward art is pretty rank, too. This issue sees all the X-Men mourning for their leader, and acting irresponsibly in ways that aren't extreme enough to be interesting.
Spider-Man: Reign #3:
SEMI-SPOILER ALERT: It's not really a big plot point, but my God, the revelation that Spider-Man killed Mary Jane with his killer radioactive sperm? This book, which I had really high hopes for, just gets weirder and weirder. At least radioactive sperm wasn't lifted from DKR like so much of this title. I have a glimmer of hope that when read together, with next month's finale, this title will be better than it's been month to month, but I don't know. If you're not into this book, you should still check out Kaare Andrews' Venom; it's a good week for the Symbiote, art-wise.
52 #41:
Having delivered a few weeks in a row of great comics, 52 will likely take a break in the quality department. More boring space story, and it looks like they're going to cheapen the emotional impact of losing the Question by replacing him with Renee Montoya. I'll wait and see before passing judgment, but my gut says that's a bad call.
DVD REVIEW:
The Invincible Iron Man:
The third movie in Marvel's Animated Features series, Iron Man succeeds more than the two Ultimate Avengers movies, but still doesn't live up to its potential. I felt about this movie much the way I did about Fantastic Four: it wasn't great, but if you were just looking for something fun and entertaining, it does the trick. The villain, in case you didn't know, is Mandarin, who makes a small appearance, and the Stark Enterprises Board of Directors, who unfortunately get much more screen time. The animation during the fight sequences was top notch, and I thought they got all the voices pretty much down. Still, the best thing about this DVD is the trailer for Dr. Strange, coming out in August, which looks like it takes full advantage of the animated format. If the movie is anything like the trailer, it will be more visually stunning than a comic, with action sequences they could never afford to put in a live action movie.
I was actually willing to dig up some news this week, but unfortunately, there wasn't much to dig up. Hopefully there'll be something cool to share with you next week, along with maybe a trade review or two, and the usual reviews, in sizes both spotlight and fun. See you then; if you have any comments, complaints, or belated Valentine's cards, please send them to skio84@charter.net. Thanks for reading.
<TOP>Week of February 7th, 2007
While I wasn't crazy enough to brave a midnight opening for Dark Tower, I did attend Wednesday's Pulp Fiction Super Signing, with the funny and gracious Anderson Gabrych and Marc Andreyko. Hope you all took advantage of the opportunity to talk to a couple people currently employed by one of the big two; especially those of you looking to break into comics. Enough jibber jab- let's get onward!
SPOTLIGHT REVIEW:
Dark Tower #1:
I'm a huge Stephen King fan, and a huge Dark Tower fan. I was there in San Diego when Joe Quesada announced this book. I've seen every preview panel, and even picked up the sketchbook and Marvel Spotlight title leading up to this book. My thoughts on the actual issue? It's good, with the potential to become very good. As far as the technique, there's nothing wrong with it; the art is amazing (stronger than the writing in my opinion), and the dialogue and narration never feel wrong. But, honestly, I can't see this issue bringing in a lot of fans who didn't already like the Dark Tower books. Maybe time will prove me wrong, and hopefully it will have crossover appeal with fans of the books who don't read comics, but it felt like this issue lacked that special something that the novels had; still, I enjoyed it, it's gorgeous, and it's got plenty of time to become amazing. If I'd read the first tenth of the first book of the Dark Tower series, I might have had the same criticisms.
FUN SIZE REVIEWS:
Shazam and the Monster Society of Evil #1:
This was the most enjoyable book of the week for me; utilizing the under-used Prestige format, Jeff Smith, of Bone fame, puts together a genuinely enjoyable, classic-feeling Shazam story. I'm glad this character has been going through a renaissance, and Smith does him up right.
New Avengers #27:
The debut of the New New Avengers is…good, but not great. I like the roster, but Bendis is focusing a bit too much on the Ronin mystery (yes, again), and not enough on the general sweetness of Dr. Strange and Iron Fist being on the team. Still, this will be a good book; it just seems too tied up right now, probably because he can't reveal anything that happens in the oft-delayed Civil War.
Ultimate Spider-Man #105:
Anyone who's been reading this book monthly might be disappointed by the end of this arc to see that Bendis has essentially reset everything to where it was fifty issues ago. Still, we got a peak at why Peter wants to be Spider-Man, and what makes him who he is, as well as the fact that Aunt May knows Peter's identity, which is huge, and there's a genuinely cool Spider-Clone in a comic for once. Not bad.
Action Comics Annual #10:
This was a big surprise for me, but I loved this book, more than I've liked any Action Comics issue to date. There's a smattering of different stories, all of which have some value, and all of which have pretty good art. Kudos to Geoff Johns and co. for not making me feel ripped off for dropping an extra buck on this one.Detective Comics #828:
The overarching story, involving the Riddler, is becoming more and more clear with each passing "stand-alone" issue. It's very cool, and it looks like Mr. Nigma may be getting closer to figuring out Mr. Wayne's greatest secret. This mystery isn't as good as some of the previous ones, perhaps because Dini is at his best writing big time villains, but it's still very cool.
52 #40:
If you've never liked Steel or his niece…this issue might change your mind. Basically an issue-long fight between Steel and Luthor, with a minor guest appearance by the Teen Titans, issue forty may be my favorite 52 issue to date. Too bad with this issue, what may be the most compelling thread of the series is essentially getting tied up.
Maybe unsurprisingly, I'm running a bit behind schedule this week (not my fault actually, I'm a victim of the ravages of jury duty); expect more news briefs and more review of Geoff Johns' Teen Titans trades next week. See you then; if you're not stuck in the Bellflower courthouse, enjoy your life. Any complaints or compliments can be directed to skio84@charter.net.
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