Weeks of May 31st and June 7th, 2006
It's gonna be another mega-double sized column this go-around, with lots of good books to talk about. Let's get crackin!
SPOTLIGHT ISSUES:
Superman/Batman #26:
It would be idiotic of me to judge this book merely on the quality of its writing and art (for the record--this is one of the best single issues I've ever seen on both counts), because it's more than that, and it meant more than that to me as I read it. For anyone who doesn't know, this issue is unique for several reasons; first, it serves as a tribute/fundraiser to Jeph Loeb's son, Sam, who died (too young) of cancer last year. It's also an issue that was already going to be written by Sam, and the main story, scripted by several of the industry's biggest writers, was plotted by Sam. All proceeds from this issue, presented by Sam and The 26, a cadre of some of the biggest talent around, are being donated to Sam's charity, which will benefit other students of his high school. The main story was great, but the six page "Sam's Story," a Superman for All Season-era story by Loeb and Tim Sale is more than worth the price of admission. I expect all fans of comics to pick this issue up so I won't spoil the story, but I can tell you that the last page did something that maybe one other comic in the history of comics has done: made me cry. And yet, heartbreaking as the story is, I remembered meeting Jeph last year at Comic-Con, less than a month after his son died, trying to smile and succeeding at being funny, shaking every hand and signing every offered book, no matter how exhausted he looked. He is an amazing man, and he had an amazing son, who doubtless (if this issue is any indication) would have successfully followed in his father's footsteps.Wonder Woman #1:
Hype leading up to this debut was humongous, with several online reviews touting it as the best single issue of Wonder Woman ever done. I won't go that far (I really liked a lot of Rucka's work on the book), but I have to say: an impressive debut. Allan Heinberg's Young Avengers didn't strike me as being as good as people said it was, but he stepped up big on this issue, scripting a first issue with twists, action, and the beginnings of an answer to the question posed by the title of this first arc: Who is Wonder Woman? I can promise you better than expected art by Terry Dodson, and I can promise you a surprising early-issue answer to the question of Wonder Woman's identity. I can also promise that this one's worth the three bucks. A great issue.Civil War: Front Line #1:
There are three stories in this issue, all written by Paul Jenkins. The first: the highly touted lead story for the duration of the series is about Ben Urich and a reporter for a rival, liberal paper, The Alternative. These reporters will be covering the events surrounding the Superhero Registration Act, each one working for a publisher who supports a different side. The second features the return of Marvel's most hated superhero, who probably should have stayed dead from the looks of it. The third story is a very short poem by an inmate at a Japanese internment camp, but kind of told from Spider-Man's perspective. All in all, I didn't feel gypped by this issue one bit, especially with the event that happens in the lead story. Yes, it's something we've seen before, but still, it's obviously important to the Civil War event; as long as this book stays relevant, it will be worth reading, especially with Jenkins at the helm.FUN SIZE REVIEWS:
52 Weeks 4 and 5:
Issue four got a bit weird, with Montoya getting new powers of some sort and Ralph Dibny getting involved in a strange Kryptonain cult, but if issue five is any indication, things are on track for the future. We get to see what happened to Adam Strange and company (hint: think a DC version of Lost).Ultimate Extinction #5:
I haven't been shy about expressing my disappointment with this story, the third part in the Gah Lak Tus trilogy by the usually spot-on Warren Ellis. This one never got off the ground, and never became the uniting, exciting event that Galactus' initial appearance in the 616 universe was. Better luck next time, fellows; the Ultimate U has finally logged an unsuccessful experiment. Here's hoping Ultimate Power will do what this one couldn't.Son of M #6:
This miniseries I liked; yes, the stuff with Pietro and Luna in the last issues got weird, but several great moments made it worth it, from Spider-Man's introspection in issue one, to Black Bolt's powerful moment in this final book. Not good enough for me to recommend buying the trade, but this ish should be setting up what Marvel guarantees are going to be big things with the Inhumans after Civil War.Amazing Spider-Man #532:
Wow. Spider-Man struggles with whether or not to reveal his identity publicly and stand next to Tony Stark in Washington. By the end of the issue, he appears to have made a decision. Make sure to pick up next month's issue as well as next week's issue of Civil War for some huge Spidey developments.Ultimate Spider-Man #95:
Just a handful of issues left until the big issue 100--this first part of a two part series entitled Morbius was great. It features the debuts of Ultimate Blade, Ultimate Morbius, and a heartwrenching conversation as Mary Jane confronts Peter about his relationship with Kitty.Ultimate Fantastic Four #30:
At long last, the Frightful arc is here, the arc that Millar has promised will make Dr. Doom scary and see the Zombie Fantastic Four loosed on the world. Well…neither of those things happen until the last two pages, but those last two pages have got me pretty worked up for the next two issues.Black Panther #16:
This is a great issue, made up entirely of different characters reaction's to finding out that Black Panther and Storm are getting married. Well-written, with great art. Nothing big happens (unless you care about Storm's long-lost family), but this is a great sentimental tour through the big names of the Marvel U.Detective Comics #820 (Face the Face part 7):
I've been a fan of this story so far, but the wheels came off a bit on this one. There's no development in the story, and…really, nothing happens except for a cool moment when Batman seems ready to tell Tim Drake he wants him to be his successor. Still, the shocking revelation at the end of the issue is…exactly the same as the shocking revelation at the end of last issue. Two Face is back, we get it! Now let's see him in action--no need to pick this issue up, but I would say the next one looks to be much more interesting.TRADE REVIEWS
Batman: Under the Hood vol. 2:
I favorably reviewed both the first volume of this story and the single issues that this trade collects, so it would be pretty silly of me to bash this book. Sorry--no surprises here. I'll just say that I enjoy this story more and more every time I read it, noticing new bits of subtle characterization in Judd Winick's writing. I wish that there were something in the way of extras, but given that DC is giving us six issues plus a huge annual issue for only ten bucks, I won't complain too loudly. Here's to hoping that DC and Marvel will make more high-quality, new fan accessible stories available at such a reasonable price.NEWS BRIEFS
--The big news in the biz right now is that Ed McGuiness has jumped ship, signing an exclusive deal with Marvel. All indications seem to point to Jeph Loeb as being the principal cause for his switch, and Marvel has announced that the two will be working together in the near future, on what is guaranteed to be a high-profile book.
--Marvel has also announced a brand new project with Stan Lee, in commemoration of his 65th anniversary with them. There will be five books, each of which will feature a new story, written by Stan that has him interacting with one of his creations. Then there will be a tribute story written and drawn by top talent, as well as a classic reprint of an old Stan story. More information is available at Newsarama or Comic Book Resources, and I'll print more about it here at a later time.
I'll have some cool stuff for next week, including a review of comics on DVD and a discussion of the piracy issue, as well as maybe a special column all about books on writing for comics. I guess I better get reading--until then, stay safe, happy, and surrounded by comics. Any complaints, compliments or comments could and should be directed to skio84@charter.net. See you soon!
<TOP>Week of May 24th, 2006
I'm officially done with college! Well, I guess I'm really only done until I start graduate school in the fall, but whatever. I've got my bachelor's degree, and some graduation cash that has been feeding my comics habit quite nicely, thank you very much. Onward!
SPOTLIGHT ISSUES:
Edgar Allan Poe's Haunt of Horror #1:
This book actually came out May 17th, but it sold out at Pulp Fiction (as well as numerous other stores across the country) before I could get my greedy little hands on it. It's no surprise that demand has been so high--this miniseries of just three issues consists of legend Richard Corben's interpretations of classic (and not so classic) Poe stories and poems. It's a black and white book, and more importantly, one of Marvel's MAX titles, which means that it's a Mature, unrated title. At the end of each adaptation, Corben has included the original text of each work, so that readers can compare his versions to Poe's. This first issue includes new versions of The Raven, which was actually my least favorite of the three, as well as lesser known poems The Sleeper and The Conquerer Worm, both of which are among my favorites, but that I've never seen anyone else pay notice to. The Raven is a brand new version in many ways, leaving out any poetic narration, and altering the story to give it a new end; The Sleeper is Corben's vision of what Poe's poem is about, as it has the poem as narration and no other dialogue; Conquerer Worm is a complete departure, a science fiction take on the poem's title with a few clever references thrown in as well. The writing is all very clever, and the art, very different from story to story, matches whatever the particular goal of that section is to a tee. I was very impressed with this issue, one of the first truly original things I've seen out of Marvel or DC in the last year. It's worth finding and picking up, and be sure to be looking out for the next issue.52 Week 3:
Week three of the Big Project is out, and fans nationwide are continuing to snatch it up. I'm still impressed with the work done in this issue--there isn't anything wrong with the writing or the art. But with a project this huge, it's more worth it to talk about the philosophy and direction of this book than with a normal title. I have some problems with the plot of this issue; they had three or four wonderful threads set up in the first issue, but rather than weaving those and bringing them forward, we get new ones with Lex Luthor and Black Adam, with no appearance of the two most interesting pieces of the first two issues (Montoya and Ralph Dibny). Granted, Black Adam is a badass and his part of this issue is really cool, I'm just worried that week to week this thing is going to start to feel too scattered. Still, I'm all the way on board, and looking forward to seeing where the 52 train will be headed next; fortunately I only have to wait a week.FUN SIZE REVIEWS:
Sensational Spider-Man #26:
This has been a troublesome arc--I love the story, which is that all the animal-based heroes and villains in New York are going feral, but the art has been problematic. Angel Medina started it off, and gave what I thought was not his best work, and now Clayton Crain has taken over. Crain was great on Venom vs. Carnage, but by the second issue of his Ghost Rider mini with Garth Ennis, it was clear he'd be the next recipient of the Greg Land "Yes, That's Amazing--So, Can You Show Me Anything Else" Award. To be honest, I'm tired of his style, cool looking though it may be. The story is still great, though, although I'm a bit disappointed by the big reveal at the end of the book, when we finally find out who or what is behind the sudden changes.Wolverine #42 (Civil War Tie-In):
This Civil War tie-in is one of the most interesting sounding, and probably one of the most important, as it sees Wolverine going rogue to track down Nitro, the villain responsible for kicking off the Civil War (unless you count Speedball…). Promising stuff from the first issue, though I'm still not convinced that Humberto Ramos is at all good for Wolverine--his bendy style is perfect for Spider-Man, but Wolvie is all about lean, straight edges.New Avengers #19:
We learn more about that rotten Collective, and Hill, the nice lady in charge of SHIELD, makes what will probably prove to be a huge mistake in the history of SHIELD/Superhero relations. More greatness from Bendis and Deodato--and yet another perfect last page that has me waiting anxiously for the next issue.Daredevil #85:
I've drooled all over this column enough about Daredevil, so I won't go into how utterly amazing this series continues to be. This issue sees Matt and Kingpin having a frank conversation, Matt and Punisher having a conversation, Urich and JJJ having a conversation, and Tombstone having a conversation with two other dudes. A lot of talking, setting up next issue, which should be the most explosive action-filled issue of any book out there except maybe Ultimates.Batman #653 (Face the Face part 6 of 8):
This issue is all about Two Face, or rather Harvey Dent, as we discover the story behind Batman giving him the keys to the city, and what happened in Gotham while Batman was away for a year. This is a don't miss issue for any Batman fan, and a don't miss series, too. Still, even if you haven't been reading the series so far, you're going to want to see this ish.VIDEO GAME PREVIEW:
I'm not much of a gamer, but even I've sat up and taken notice of the two huge releases coming out later this year, one each, of course, from Marvel and DC.--Justice League Heroes, DC's multi-platform release, features most of the big characters from the Justice League, all of whom you can play as. Confirmed characters include Batman, Superman, the Flash, Green Lantern (John Stewart), Martian Manhunter, Wonder Woman, and Zatanna. They'll have to team up to stop Braniac and other villains as they attempt to take over the world. There will also be unlockable characters, and it's been confirmed that one of them will be Green Arrow--you can play alone or in a two-player co-op mode. It will be available in the Fall on all major platforms. Find out more or watch an awesome trailer at justiceleagueheroes.warnerbros.com.
--Ultimate Marvel Alliance is Marvel's answer, and it's a doozy. The game will feature 140 characters from the Marvel U, including more than 20 characters you can play as. The game features all the big guys, including some amazing video game debuts such as Galactus--definitely worth checking out at marvelultimatealliance.com. Happy gaming!
I'm off to sleep off a little post-graduation celebrating, then I'll be back next week with a review of X3 and some other books. See you then, and if you're out of school, enjoy your summer. Send me anything anything at skio84@charter.net. <TOP>
Weeks of May 10-17th, 2006
Howdy ho once again, comics neighborinos--once again I find myself mired in the muck of finishing school. Looks like this should be the last abbreviated column, though, since I'm set to graduate tomorrow, May 25th! Onward!
SPOTLIGHT ISSUES:
52 Weeks 1 and 2:
52 is officially off and running, and, despite my extreme reservations about the project, the first two issues are pretty damn good. The writing is superb, but given that it's written by Geoff Johns, Grant Morrisson, Greg Rucka, and Mark Waid, that was an assumption we were all okay with making ahead of time. The art is good, with Joe Bennett penciling Keith Giffen's breakdowns--it's nothing spectacular, but I would guess that DC would prefer for the focus to be on the story and their top-tier writers for this series. The coloring on this book, as on all DC books it seems recently, is a bit toned down and shadow-heavy, which I like. In future weeks I'll give a bit more of the story, but I figure almost all of you are at least going to buy these issues, so I won't give much more away than saying that the main players are Booster Gold, Montoya, the Question, and Ralph Dibny, who is currently my character to watch, with a huge moment in each book. What remains to be seen now is whether they can keep the ball rolling on time, and whether or not fans will be willing to drop 130 dollars (count 'em--I did) on this series over the next year. I admit I'm excited to see what happens.X-Men Fairy Tales #1:
Occasionally I get to use this space to plug a book that looks intriguing, but might not have received enough attention. C.B. Cebulski, a mini-favorite of mine, is adapting different classic fairy tales to include X-Men characters; with his talent for getting great international artists onboard, I figured it would make for an amazing series. Issue number one is out, and it turns out I'm right. Within five pages, it's obvious that Cebulski's story has one of the most interesting Cyclops' ever presented, and equally obvious that Sana Takeda, artist for issue one, is an amazing talent. The rest of the story, inspired by the Japanese fairy tale Momotaro, has Cyclops gathering fantastical creatures to his side to defeat the evil demons that have taken over the Emperor's kingdom. It's hard to describe a book so unique and special in just words, so instead I'll just highly recommend this title to anyone with eyes.FUN SIZE REVIEWS:
Superman/Batman #25:
I hate to say bad words about Jeph Loeb, who is one of my favorite comics writers of all time (his Hush is responsible for getting my fiancée obsessed with comics), but this is simply not his best work. I'll reserve harsh judgment for when I read the trade, but I was disappointed with this last issue to his run, as the puppet masters behind the entire series are revealed to be: well, it ain't the Riddler, but I kind of wish it were. Make sure to buy issue #26, though, which is a tribute to Jeph's son Sam.X-Men 198 #5:
This series goes out with a whimper in this final issue, leaving me feeling unsatisfied on every level (aside from the covers by Juan Doe, which I've loved). Don't waste your time on this book, really. It started out with a fair amount of promise and immediately dove into the continuity-heavy weird side of the X-Men that is largely responsible for turning comics into an older person's hobby as opposed to the children's medium I grew up with.Batman: Secrets #3:
Sweet perfection from Sam Kieth once again--in his role as an artist at least. The writing is starting to feel a bit repetitive, as we've gone three issues in a row with the same three-panel flashback to Bruce Wayne's youth, and the Joker is beginning to repeat himself. Still a great series, but it seems like it should have been four issues long instead of five--just speculation, but it could be that they wanted five issues for a better sized trade collection.X-Men Deadly Genesis #6:
The last issue of this above-average series ended up being what I figured it would be--a preview for writer Ed Brubaker's next X-Men project, when he takes over Uncanny on issue 475. Still, a good book with a startling last-pages moment between an embittered Cyclops and an apologetic Professor X. I thought that most months this book was worth the extra buck, and it certainly seemed so for this final issue.All-Star Batman and Robin #4:
Let me see…yep, May 17th, so it's the perfect time for the March issue of AS Batman and Robin. Well, at least the writing wasn't just another issue of Frank Miller ripping off his own Sin City…oh wait. The story is still uninteresting, the art is starting to seem rushed as opposed to the amazing pencils of the debut issue, and the five page Batcave foldout spread, while cool, also seemed pretty gimmicky and unnecessary. Some people within DC have been claiming that these first issues will make sense by the end of issue 12, which may be true--fact remains, with the speed this book has been coming out, we've had over 8 months where fans (and lots of them) are plopping money down for a book that has a Batman that not even a mother could find believable or interesting.Ultimate X-Men #70:
As Frank Miller's comet starts to drop from the sky, Rober Kirkman's is on the upswing, big time. His Marvel Zombie is maybe the most talked about non-event book of the year, and his run on Ultimate X-Men has been superb, as he's juggled multiple storylines (all of them interesting) in a way that makes his book easy to follow and enjoy. We've got Phoenix action starting up in this issue, people; hold on to your horses.NEWS BRIEFS:
--Not a lot of news that I caught these last few weeks, except that Detroit's Motor City Con was raided by the RIAA and the FBI last weekend, as they arrested vendors selling bootleg DVDs. The raid has sparked off huge debate within the industry and its fans over what is and isn't legally and morally okay to "pirate," especially since within the comics world, there are a ton of old movies available for bootleg purchase that aren't available anywhere else. I'd guess this will mean an end to the endless tables of cheap good stuff at Wizard World and Comic-Con, which, while understandable, is kind of sad too. I never really bought bootlegs, but it was always nice to know they were there if I got sick of waiting for an official DVD release of the 90s X-Men cartoon, or I needed a rubber-eared Captain America craving.Once again, I've got to jet. Look for some big things next week, when I'll pick myself up after tons of graduation parties and give some much-needed love to this column. See you then! Send all congratulations, ungratulations, compliments and complaints to skio84@charter.net.
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