Weeks of June 21st and 28th, 2006
Hey all, this is Shar, Mainstream Mike's fiancée. Mike is off in North Dakota right now digging up fossils, rocks that look like fossils, and probably a poisonous snake or two. He asked me to fill in for him while he's gone, and I said yes… not realizing just how big my pile of unread comics had gotten since I started stacking them instead of reading them around midterm exam time. I was just about to give up and admit defeat, when this fangirl's will to read was saved by an Independence Day miracle: Superman Returns. On an IMAX screen. In 3-D. Yes, unbelievers, it is even better the second time. And since it's a mainstream comics column, and (more importantly) it's mine for the time being, I'm going to talk about it for a little bit before I give you some quick pointers on what you should've picked up these past two weeks.SPOTLIGHT ON SUPERMAN RETURNS:
Last July's Comic-Con was a new experience for me in several ways. Being my first Comic-Con, and only my second foray into the world of comics conventions in general, I was of course blown away by all the things people like me get blown away by: the epic proportions of the sales floor, the throngs of people, the comic superstars around every corner. But what really made my convention was Bryan Singer's special presentation on Superman Returns. Because for the first time... I believed a man could fly. Living in the world of WETA and IL&M, one can become a little jaded, and while the Christopher Reeve (Superman) movies impressed me, they basically left me unmoved. But from the first moments of Bryan Singer's preview footage, I had tears in my eyes. This is Superman… iconic, classic, and utterly real.
The movie is two and a half hours of subtly crafted and finely woven beauty. The
explosions are huge, the plans are nefarious, and Brandon Routh is Superman as he
punches, leaps, flies, stops bullets, and melts us with those maddening baby blues.
Go see it, and then go see it on the IMAX screen… the half-dozen or so
sequences that are rendered into 3-D are simply amazing, although putting on the
(fashionably chic) glasses can be a little distracting if you haven't seen the
movie before. In a nut-shell, this is the Superman Bryan Singer promised it would
be. It is an absolutely gorgeous movie, full of everything about the flying boy
scout that makes him a symbol of hope, integrity, and general goodness for
comic's fans everywhere. Except that part where he's spying on Lois'
house.
That was a little creepy.
QUICK NOTES for the Week of June 21st:
All-Star Superman #4:
Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely continue to amaze with this most recent issue, following the adventures of Superman's pal, Jimmy Olsen. It goes without saying that this title wildly succeeds where its highly-hyped-"I'm the goddamn"-companion book has flopped horribly. Morrison and Quitely deliver a timeless, authentic imagining of the ultimate superhero. In this issue: see Jimmy use that famed signal watch, sit back and watch one of the classic comic match-ups duke it out (with a twist), and on the bottom of page 8, sigh at one of the prettiest Superman-in-flight panels I've ever seen. Simple and classic. A must-have.Astonishing X-Men #15:
Holy crap. Hoooooooooly crap. The Hellfire Club is taking the X-Men apart from the inside out… and it is glorious. Joss Whedon continues to expertly dabble in both the subtle and the explosive, creating a very real vision of what happens when the villains are breaking minds, not bones. John Cassaday's panels are what you'd expect from the superstar artist: full of brilliantly rendered motion and intensity. If you ever thought that Astonishing's Beast looked a little like a fluffy blue kitty cat, prepare to be scared shitless. And speaking of Kitty… the next issue is gonna blow our collective socks off.Eternals #1:
I am a huge Neil Gaiman fan, and I've been waiting with baited breath for his new Marvel project to grace the shelves at my local shop. If there's one thing the creator of The Sandman knows, its how to take old ideas and archetypes and bring new life to them. In Eternals, Gaiman and artist John Romita Jr. bring Jack Kirby's characters into the current Marvel continuity. Yes, they touch on that big controversy splitting the Marvel-U into warring factions. And don't fret if you don't know your Eternals history. Gaiman drops a handy quick-guide into the story in a way that could have been clunky if it weren't so gorgeously illustrated by JRJ. Don't miss this.The Ultimates 2 #11:
Ooo la la. I'm pretty sure I missed an issue in here somewhere, but it's not too hard to figure out what's going on: lots of sexy, sexy violence. The title of the issue is "America Strikes Back," and it seems that, after a categorical decommissioning of the team by the Liberators, the Ultimates are ready to start getting things done. Mark Millar has a talent for constructing the comics-equivalent of summer movie blockbusters… and this is the part where things get blown up. He and Bryan Hitch have a very nice surprise for us there at the end, too.QUICK NOTES for the Week of June 28th:
Brave New World:
Okay. I'm generally a DC girl. Give me a good Bat-story and a few boxes of chocolate Pocky, and I'm a happy camper. But I can honestly say that I'm not excited by a single title introduced by DC's $1 80-page spectacular. A few of them look pretty good-- Steve Niles (of 30 Days of Night) and Justiniano on The Creeper looks at least worth picking up the first arc. A.J. Lierberman and Al Barrioneuvo, recently of Batman:Gotham Knights, put together a mildly interesting set-up for a Martian Manhunter mini. The title with the most potential to amuse me is The Trials of Shazam, if only because the art is unique and kinda cool and Judd Winick has yet to do any wrong in my book. Overall though, this introduction to the "Brave New World" of the DCU did not impress. Nothing looks terrible, but neither does anything have me holding my breath. And considering the huge stack of books coming from DC every week and the seriously exciting stuff going down over at Marvel… DC's going to have to step it up to keep my interest.Daredevil #86:
When Ed Brubaker took over the title from Bendis in issue #82, he immediately demonstrated that he wasn't going to let the opportunity for awesomeness given him by his predecessor go to waste. Matt Murdock and Wilson Fisk in a dirty prison together? Yeah, there's some potential there. It's the fifth issue of the run, and we finally get to see all hell break loose. And it is a goodie of a fight. The only complaint I'd have on this book is that, after reading some 50-odd issues with Alex Maleev, I'm still not quite used to Michael Lark's style. I don't quite buy the motion in his panels, partly because both the lines and the colors give the scenes a metallic quality. But I'll get over it… and there are some fights that are just impossible to render poorly. Get this book and drool.The Amazing Spider-Man #533 (Civil War):
If you don't know by now the big event at the end of Civil War #2, then it's unlikely that you'd be reading this column anyway, as Spider-Man's public unmasking was one of the biggest events in recent comic history. This issue starts at the moment of the big reveal and basically follows Peter Parker around for the rest of the day as he deals with the consequences of his decision. Imagine, if you will, the face JJJ makes as he watches the news. There's a nice two-page spread with heroes and villains reacting with glee, horror, and grim determination. Then imagine Peter Parker's face when he realizes that he's now put himself firmly on the other side of the line from Captain America. Tony Stark assures Peter in the last lines of the ish that "The dying starts tomorrow." It is going to be a hell of a ride, folks, because this is just the beginning.New Avengers #21 (Civil War):
Speaking of the other side of the line… in this issue, Cap is really, really pissed off. And, while I'm not generally a Captain America fan, Bendis has a way of making him really kind of awesome when he's pissed off. It's a great first issue for what's going to be an amazing event. I have to say I miss David Finch, though. Howard Chaykin doesn't in any way detract from the awesomeness, but I have to admit that he makes his characters look like the Marvel MiniMates advertised in full glossy toward the end of the book. Coincidence? Almost assuredly. Seriously, this is gonna be sweet. I'm pretty sure it doesn't count as a spoiler if I tell you that in the bottom right-hand corner of the last page are printed the words: "Next Issue: Luke Cage." Oh my goodness yes.Front Line #2 (Civil War)
I think that I mostly just really like this title. I like the four-story format following different parts of the big story in each issue. I like the juxtaposition in the last few pages of the historical events and the Marvel Civil War. And I really like that Marvel isn't playing around. Ben Urich (who Ramon Bachs draws as rather Woody Allen-esque) stands open-mouthed as the first shots of the war are fired, and I think it struck me at the same time it hit him: this is really happening, and it's happening in a very big way. Paul Jenkins is doing a very fine job of showing the subtle complexities of Civil War without losing sight of the bigger picture. This isn't going to be an inter-galactic crisis, my friends. This is happening right here, right now, and I couldn't be more excited to be a comics fan.Mike will be back soon, but if you have any pressing things to say, hit me up at chiyeko@ucla.edu. Sweet.
Week of June 14th, 2006
Let the controversy and insanity begin…onward!
SPOTLIGHT ISSUES:
Civil War #2:
SPOILERS AHEAD SPOILERS AHEAD SPOILERS AHEADAhem. Holy shit. I usually avoid any big spoilers in order to keep this column relevant for people who haven't decided what they want to buy yet, but given that anyone reading a mainstream comics column has probably read this issue, and the fact that every major news outlet I've seen in the last two days has covered it, I'm making a special exception. In this issue, Marvel delivered on what they promised would be one of the most important moments in their history: Peter Parker takes his mask off, in front of a huge group of reporters, and reveals that he is Spider-Man, and has been since he was fifteen. Obviously most of the discussion about this issue will be about the two panels involving the unmasking, but before we get to that, let's cover the rest of the bases; after all, this is one issue out of seven in what has already proven to be a pretty damn important series. The writing wasn't as tight as the first issue, mostly because there was more to cover; it wasn't until I gave the issue a slow, careful second reading that I picked up on everything that was going on because of all the jumps and cuts from one corner of the universe to another. Still, good dialogue overall, and I like the development of the different sides; the Young Avengers being bailed out by Cap and Falcon, and the crystal-clear division between Reed and Sue. The art, by Steve McNiven, continues to be amazing; I'm truly excited to see what he'll do in the next five issues. All of it, of course, was leading up to the last two panels, and the big unmasking. I had the experience of standing next to two different long-time Marvel fans when they read it; one was furious, and one was shocked, excited, and a little bit scared. Both of them had a strong reaction, which Marvel has said from the beginning was what they were going for. They're also claiming that this is going somewhere that will be as interesting as anything that's been done in comics in a long time, and I have to agree with them. I was, despite the buildup to this moment, still pretty stunned to see Peter standing in front of the press mask-less, and while as a reader it's a bit scary, the decision makes sense for the character. After all, why is he keeping his mask on--he needs the money, all the people who love him already know he's Spider-Man, and by doing this he eliminates the ranting of his biggest critic/employer, J. Jonah Jameson. It's a ballsy move, but one that I think makes sense no matter how scary it may be. It also means that two issues into their big event, Marvel has already topped Infinite Crisis by actually delivering change that the country at large cares about. I've read comics for over a decade, but while it was moving when Superboy died, I never cared about him before Infinite Crisis; as I mentioned at the beginning of this review, this revelation has already been written up all over the country (I even read about it in the LA Times this morning). To get that kind of attention, DC had to bring out a lesbian Batwoman, who still hasn't done anything in a comic book. This moment deserves speculation, attention, emotion, anger, and happiness; above all, in my opinion, its worthy of applause. A publisher has finally delivered on a promise to change things, and I believe Joe Quesada and Marvel when they say that this is going to interesting, great places in storytelling. I just hope they don't kill of Mary Jane. If you disagree with me (as the esteemed Michael Lerner does), get on the message board and make yourself heard; I'll be there.
52 #6:
Among the many people I've talked to about this bold series, the consensus seems to be the same: either things better start coming together a little better, or they won't keep buying it, whether they can keep it shipping weekly or not. The different plot threads all seem to hold at least a little bit of interest, but since they're trying to pack so many of them in all at once, we end up not hearing about a story for two or three weeks, which means it might as well be its own monthly series. It's only six weeks in, but I still have a lot of concerns about the lack of cohesion to this point--if it were a monthly, I'd say I'm hooked, but if I'm supposed to shell out $2.50 every single week for it, I need to be more than just curious. Also, another point everyone seems to agree on: the History of the DC Universe at the back of this book is an utter waste of space, especially when we're not getting enough of the front stories. This story should have been collected into one book, sold for a buck or two, with those extra pages in 52 either devoted to one of the book's many stories, or cut, along with fifty cents off the cover price.FUN SIZE REVIEWS:
Green Arrow #63:
I've never bought two issues of Green Arrow back to back, but I'm really impressed by what Judd Winick's been doing on this title, enough so that I'm willing to wade through Scott McDaniel's art, which just isn't the style I prefer. This issue gives a bit of back story on the Deathstroke fight, as well as sets up a new arc, in which Green Arrow and Brick fight a bunch of Zombie/Vampire/Werewolf type things. Awesome.Sensational Spider-Man #27:
This is the last issue of Roberto Auirre-Sacasa and Angel Medina's first arc on Sensational, and I will say that overall, I thought it was pretty good. I wasn't all that pleased with the revelation of how Stegron managed to make everyone go feral, but I liked what was done with those characters that did. If you're looking for a rad fight between a human spider and a human dinosaur, of if you just want to hold on to one more issue of pre-status quote shakeup Spider-Man, pick this one up.Ultimate X-Men #71:
Kirkman's the man--his Date Night arc was solid, bringing us up to date on where everyone was. Now, at the end of the three-part Phoenix? arc, he's started leaving his own mark on the title, and a good one at that. Every X-fan should be picking this book up, especially since this issue sees the first real manifestation and attack of the Phoenix (or is it?). This run is so good that I'm actually hoping Bryan Singer takes another year or so to get to this book, just so Kirkman doesn't have to leave.Superman #653 (Up, Up, and Away Part 7 of 8):
This is one of the better single issues of a Superman monthly I've ever read, and I recommend this whole arc to any fans of the Boy Scout. Its combined Busiek's classic, iconic approach with Johns' fantastic big scope style to produce action and characters in Metropolis that seem more real and fresh than they have in a long while. The confrontation between Luthor and Superman in this issue (finally!) is maybe the best I've ever seen, with several classic moments, especially Luthor's lines on the last page. Worth the buy for sure, and be sure to pick up part 8 when it comes out.TRADE(ish) REVIEW
Marvel DVD-ROMs: X-Men and Avengers:
This series hasn't gotten anywhere near the publicity it should have had, so I figured I'd use this space to hype it up a bit. Marvel, in conjunction with Gitcorp (Graphic Imaging Technology Corporation), has produced several single-disc releases that include a massive amount of comics. The two that I've seen are the Avengers, and X-Men. Each includes every issue to have come out, pretty much ever. The Avengers includes every issue from number one up through New Avengers #12, including all annuals, and X-Men includes X-Men vol. 1 and Uncanny X-Men up through August of 2005, again including all annuals. Both sets retail for forty dollars, and include extensive bio sections. They're Mac-compatible, which is good since I've got a Mac, so don't worry about compatibility. The drawbacks are relatively small--one, it sucks to have to read comics on a computer. It's never been something I like to do, but when you can get 500 comics for $40, you have to grin and bear a few things. The other drawback is that the comics are just scanned-in old issues, so the paper and ink quality on old comics is…well, what you'd expect. The positives are that on, say, the X-Men disc, you get Chris Claremont's entire run (along with hundreds of other books) for forty dollars, whereas Marvel is charging 100 bucks for just the first part of that run collected in Uncanny X-Men Omnibus. For research, teaching (all pages are printable), or just enjoyment, there is no better deal than these sets. Daredevil, Hulk, and Captain America are set to get releases later this year, as well as an updated Amazing Spider-Man set that will include all recent issues as well (Amazing got a release a while ago, but it was on 11 CD-ROMs as opposed to the one DVD-ROM that these sets come out on). The Fantastic Four already have a set out, as well. Talk to Mike at Pulp Fiction for ordering availability. I'll try to keep a running update of what's been planned, though it's hard because there isn't much information out about the series.Hit the message boards and hit them hard, folks. With Civil War #2 out, there should be at least a few things to talk about. I'll see you there, but of course if you have any comments, complaints, or compliments, I'd be glad to field them as well as any questions at skio84@charter.net.
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