Week of November 29th, 2006
Here we are again, friends. There aren't any huge blockbuster titles out this week, but a ton of solid middling ones hit the shelves, so we better get cracking onward! Oh…and it's a humongous column this week, so expect the spotlight to be less spotlighty, and the fun size reviews to be less…well, not less fun. Anyway, onward!
SPOTLIGHT REVIEWS:
Batman/The Spirit:
I've been looking forward to this book (and the upcoming Darwyn Cooke series) since DC announced them a while back, and I must say…pretty damn good. Jeph Loeb writes this story about the first meeting of Batman and the Spirit, set in early Batman-continuity, and he does a good job capturing the differences between the two vigilantes, without ever lapsing into caricature. Darwyn Cooke sets the artistic tone perfectly on the cover, and turned in beautiful art for the rest of the book. I highly recommend this book, as well as the Best of the Spirit soft cover trade DC put out a while back, if you need a Spirit refresher. It's great to see new work being done with the most classic of classic comics characters.
FUN SIZE REVIEWS:
Immortal Iron Fist #1:
Ed Brubaker and Matt Fraction co-write this new book, that's not just a story of Danny Rand, but all of the "Iron Fists" throughout time. It's well done, but very decompressed, and we'll have to go a ways further before I can really judge this one. Might be a good wait-for-the-trade book.
Captain America #24:
This issue finally features its title character, ending a streak of disappointing Civil War Cap tie-ins. Unfortunately, it's still not great, except for a great Cap/Hydra fight and a greater Cap/SHIELD encounter. Can't wait for Brubaker to be able to get back to the story he's been weaving for years.
Black Panther #22:
Marvel's best Civil War tie-in (outside of Amazing and Frontline, which are practically main stories) finally gets its due, with a huge Civil War banner. The World Tour arc continues to be Hudlin's best so far, and I hope Millar is able to work some of this, and last issue's, developments into Civil War.
Ultimate Vision #0:
Last year: "We promise this series won't be collected later," Joe Quesada promised Marvel readers, many of whom bought Ultimate titles they normally didn't to get the six-part Mark Millar JR Jr. story. This year: "Please buy this collected edition of the series." I like Joey Q., but this just seems dumb. I hope the miniseries, beginning next week, can keep its story straight better than Marvel's EiC can.
Ultimate Power #2:
If there's one problem I have with this book, it's that I want MORE of it, and now. I think Bendis is doing a good job of "making a mess," as he promised to do with his first three issues, and there are some unbelievable fight scenes in this book (well, I guess it's really just one big fight scene). Hope it keeps it up.
Batman #659:
DC is flat out dumb for having a fill-in team on this title. Reading Grant Morrison's New X-Men (see review below), I was impressed with the level of quality that he put out, month after month, and I was hoping to find that on this title, especially since the One Year Later event was supposed to be a redefining period for DC's characters. I sincerely doubt they want Batman's redefining in the hands of John Ostrander, who pens an incredibly predictable, if interesting story, and his more talented artist, Tom Mandrake. Oh well, want it or not, they've given these two the keys to the Porsche for a few months. I'll be awaiting the return of the master.
52 #30:
This issue gets credit for my having one of my favorite covers thus far on 52, and it's entirely about members of the Bat-Family. Not coincidentally, it's maybe the most interesting issue of the book to date; the art is polished, and the writing is excellent. The only flaw? I'm still upset at DC for potentially killing off the Question mere months after making him into a viable part of their universe again. Buy this book.
Sensational Spider-Man #32/Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #14:
I always think it's weird when two regular, monthly titles about the same character come out on the same Wednesday. As a result, Marvel almost lost my three bucks on one of these titles, since I assume that one of them had to be a reprint. Both book are dealing with the "Unmasked" unraveling of Peter Parker's life. Friendly Neighborhood focuses on his school life, as has been its modus operandi thus far, and Sensational focuses on Mary Jane and how hard it is for her. Both are solid, middle of the road titles that are dealing with interesting issues. I enjoyed them both, though I almost had a painful flashback with the kinda/sorta reintroduction of a certain Mr. Reilly in Neighborhood…
TRADE REVIEW:
New X-Men Omnibus:
I'd never read a single issue of this series when I bought this book. It was a humongous risk, and it ended up paying off, giving me one of the best reading experiences I've ever had in any medium. The stories crackles, the art was usually amazing, and I now understand how the X-Men got from where they were in the Saturday cartoon show to their current incarnation. If you've never read the book, I can't recommend this enough, even at its hefty price. The book itself is quite hefty as well; with something like forty issues contained herein, it was actually uncomfortable to read it in bed at times. If you're already a fan of the book, it may be worth it to you for the stellar extras, which include a fair-sized proposal, and a few scripts, as well as the usual designs, original pencils, and a really great collection of all the promotional art, Wizard covers, and a few unused covers from the title. This will make a great present for yourself, or for anyone you know that loves Grant Morrison or the X-Men, and that you love a triple-digit cost's worth.
NEWS BRIEFS:
There's a ton of news that I'm just going to be summing up briefly here. If a story grabs your eye, head to a site better-suited for constant news, or drop me a line at skio84@charter.net for more info.
--Dave Cockrum died last week, of complications from diabetes. The well-known artist worked for a number of titles, most notably Legion of Superheroes and New X-Men, where he and Len Wein revitalized the mutants and ushered in the decades-long era of X-Men.--Steve McNiven has got some strep throat, and Civil War is being nudged back two weeks. Bummer.
--DC is launching a new line of comics, MINX, designed to appeal to young adult girls. I'd turn up my nose, but the visionary Karen Berger (responsible for Vertigo, Sandman, Neil Gaiman, and Brian K. Vaughan) is heading it up. Should be very interesting.
--Adam Hughes will be designing costumes for the Watchmen movie. He says he won't even change a few outfits, but will update some.
--With sales dropping constantly, Wizard dropped their editor-in-chief, who's been with the magazine in some capacity since it started. There's a listing up on mediabistro.com if you're interested in taking over (NOTE:You will need to log in to read the listing).
--HBO and Mark Steven Johnson (of the worst comic book movies of all time fame) are teaming up for an ongoing Preacher show. God I hope they don't blow it.
PHEW! It's been a while since we here at the Mania did a column that long, and frankly, we're damned tired. Next week looks to be a bit lighter, so hopefully a few days of recovery will have us patched by then. If you have any comments, compliments, or complaints, please send them to skio84@charter.net, as I love hearing from you. I'd also love to hear any and all suggestions you might have about what you'd like to see more of, or less of, in the column. Anyway, hopefully I'll hear from a few of you; if not, I'll see you in seven!
<TOP>Week of November 22th , 2006
Welcome to a special Turkey edition of Mainstream Mania. What's different about the turkey edition, you ask? Well…I'm fat on turkey, and that's really about it. Oh well. We'd better shake off the latent effects of tryptophan and get onward!
SPOTLIGHT REVIEWS:
Amazing Spider-Man #536:
Wow. This book has consistently been as important as the Civil War issues themselves, as we saw in the last few weeks when issue 535's fight with Iron Man spilled over onto the pages of Civil War. This issues answers the question of what the hell Peter Parker was planning on doing with his family after he ditched Tony Stark, and gives us a preview of exactly how committed he is to the anti-Registration side. This has been JMS' best writing on the title in a while, and I'm even warming to Ron Garney's otherwise vanilla pencils. If you're reading Civil War and not buying this book, you're missing out, big time.
FUN SIZE REVIEWS:
Action Comics #845:
Is it well-written? Yeah, more or less. Well drawn? I'm not really into Adam Kubert, but yeah, it is. But…I just kind of don't like it. I acknowledge that it's good, but the last page confirmed some of my fears that this is Richard Donner's last crack at a Superman movie. Don't get me wrong, I love that, but it should be a miniseries; DC has put such an emphasis on recreating their characters that to devolve this book (Jimmy Olsen, for example) doesn't make sense. Geoff Johns promises that the last page will be different than I think, but…we'll see.
Daredevil #91:
I'm loving DD in Europe, but I can't wait to see him back in New York; still, I'm a sucker for good Tombstone fights, and this arc has done a great job of building tension. I'm liking it.
Ultimate Spider-Man #102:
You all know I'm a fan of this book, and that, in my opinion, Clone Saga has delivered some of the most paradigm-altering shocks I've ever read. That's all still true. Somehow, the last page of this ish raises the bar again.
52 #29:
I liked it pretty well; the Infinity Inc arc is one of the only remaining ones that has any point or substance, and this issue is all about that story, so it was pretty good.
Punisher: War Journal #1:
The Punisher re-debuts into the regular, non-MAX world of Marvel. This issue isn't amazing, but it's pretty good for a first issue/tie-in. I like Olivetti's art, and Matt Fraction writes the Punisher of my childhood: wry, sarcastic, funny, and believably sane, with extreme views. Worth checking out.
Conor Hawke: Dragon's Blood #1:
This issue has everything the first issue of a miniseries should have: a strong setup, solid art, and an ending that's intriguing enough to hold my interest for the four week until the next issue comes out. Chuck Dixon is an underrated writer, and this may end up an underrated, solid book.
Wonder Woman #3:
This book just never really clicked for me; I like Terry Dodson's art, and there's nothing wrong with Allan Heinberg as a writer, but the story is just too confusing and unbelievable (I'm sorry, but "Agent Prince" is so clearly Wonder Woman that it makes me question the mental stability of anyone in this book who doesn't realize it). It's interesting, but not really the relaunch I'd hoped for, and not nearly as good as Greg Rucka's old mythology-heavy take on the character.
I don't have anything in the way of trade reviews or news this week (one news bit: the name of the sequel to 52 is Countdown), but I dropped some savings on the New X-Men Omnibus, so look for a review of that shortly, as well as a guest column/feature length review of Absolute Sandman from my lovely fiancée in the next few weeks. Hope you all enjoyed your books this week, and that you had a happy holiday with your families. See you in seven!
<TOP>Week of November 15th , 2006
Welcome to another week, ladies and gents, and the best kind of week: a Civil War week. I've got a fair amount of stuff to talk about, so we'd better just go right ahead and get onward!
SPOTLIGHT REVIEWS:
Civil War #5:
It's here! Marvel's claim that the delay would do nothing more than fuel fan anticipation was certainly true for me…I've been trying unsuccessfully to keep from counting down the days to this release. I found it to be a great, if somewhat transitional issue. It was funny to hear one of my friends claim that "nothing really big happened in this issue" when we have the most famous character in Marveldom getting his ass smashed, two villains (both of whom I'd heard of before I read this issue) biting the dust, and a side-switch that may end up making the difference in the book. The art remains impeccable, and while some of the concerns about the writing are valid, I want to see where the series goes before I talk too much about mischaracterization (the Newsarama boards are alight with flaming). I agree that some of the decisions have been wonky, but Frank Castle is the most like himself I've ever seen, and I think that, given the freedom being in charge of SHIELD's superhuman division provides, Reed and Stark's decisions have been justified, if not agreeable. In any event, these are just my thoughts; clearly you're buying this book if you're reading this column, so email me at skio84@charter.net to voice your opinion; I'm curious to see what you all think of it. I myself am still loving it.
FUN SIZE REVIEWS:
Batman Legends of the Dark Knight #212:
This stand-alone story, written by Adam Beechen and drawn by Steve Scott, isn't the best written or drawn Batman story you'll read, probably even this month. But there's something infectious about it when a writer pulls off the "regular guy in awe of Batman" story, and Beechen does it pretty well. Worth checking out.
Astonishing X-Men #18:
Great issue? Yep. The only thing this one loses points for is that I had to read the last four pages about four times before I felt like I understood it. This was about 30 pages of issue crammed into a 22-page book. Still, it's excellent of course, and the last issue before Whedon and Cassaday launch into Unstoppable, their final (sniff) arc together on my personal favorite X-Men series ever.
Squadron Supreme #7:
I'm a big fan of the Squadron Supreme MAX series, but the new volume has been a bit slow for my tastes; this issue picks up the pace a bit, but I wonder if JMS isn't just more interested in his other toys? He seems to lose his focus on individual titles sometimes, and this series just hasn't had the intensity of the last.
52 #28:
Boo. I'm really not feeling 52 on any level at this point, in my biggest lag of interest on the series since it started. I hope they turn it around, or the fact that it comes out every week won't be enough to keep me buying it.
New Avengers #25:
This was a better "Iron Man" tie-in than the actual Iron Man tie-in, with some really cool lines, as a friend of Tony Stark's almost ends the Civil War prematurely. A really kickass last page with Stark and SHIELD Commander Maria Hill, and some great art by Jim Cheung make this well-worth the buy. Plus it's Bendis, and that's still good; I'm really curious to see where he's going with this book post-Civil War.
All quiet on the western front, with no news to report. Hope everyone had a great week, and that you're all feeling the buzz from Civil War. Send any hate or love mail to skio84@charter.net. I'll see you in seven, for a pretty big haul.
<TOP>Week of November 8th , 2006
There's a fair amount of good stuff out this week, but I'm holding my breath along with you for the newest issue of Civil War, dropping on the 15th. Hoo boy…it's gonna be a great one, I can feel it. For now, we'd better get onward!
SPOTLIGHT REVIEWS:
Doctor Strange: The Oath #2:
I wish I had more to say, given that this is my spotlight pick and all, but…it's just really, really good. Brian Vaughan, in two issues, has made Doctor Strange, a character I never cared about, into one of the most interesting characters in comics. The unbelievable art by Marcos Martin and his crew have certainly helped things along as well, lending a touch of beauty to magical elements I usually find boring and flat. In this issue, the good doctor and his assistant are joined by the Night Nurse in their quest to cure cancer. Wow. Also, this book has Strange uttering the line, "By the Hoary #$!@ing Hosts!" Buy this book, immediately.
FUN SIZE REVIEWS:
Superman #657:
I love what Kurt Busiek's done with Superman in the last few months, and he even has me interested in the kind of alternate reality/timestream story that's been done to death. The art by Carlos Pacheco, Jesus Merino, and colorist extraordinaire Dave Stewart has this book looking unbelievable; I like it better than Kubert and company on Action.
Batman #658:
Seriously, the Ninja Man-Bats are the best, and there's a whole horde of them in here. I think I may have spied with my little eye a two page scene with Batman and his son in a rocket ship; with this scene Grant Morrison perfectly parodies what Frank Miller, who he's had words with, has tried to do in All Star Batman and Robin. This final issue in their initial arc ends on an appropriately confusing note, with the promise of a Grant Morrison Joker story coming up next.
Eternals #5 (of 6):
Wowser. This story is moving more and more into the realm of the fantastical, as the veneer of normality slips off of the amnesiatic Eternals. I've been enjoying this series, but this is definitely an in-between issue as Gaiman and Romita Jr. approach the finish line. I've been saying it all along, and it still feels like they're working with about 12 issues of material here. Still, a good series, if a bit cramped.
52 #27:
People seem pretty stoked on this issue overall, but I thought it sucked. I hate that DC has shit all over the perfect Identity Crisis by infusing overly ridiculous elements onto that book's gritty feel. First Jean Loring was possessed by Eclipso, and now Ralph Dibny, accompanied by Dr. Fate's helmet, is infused with the spirit of The Spectre and tortures Loring's Eclipso-soul. Wow. Realistic detective comics at their best. They also reveal that the Question, the only character who has risen in stock for me over the course of 52, might not be around for long, and Skeets the evil future-robot continues his timestream rampage.
TRADE REVIEW:
Wolverine: Origin Marvel Premiere Classic Edition
Please note the absence of an "s" at the end of Origin in the title; this is a review of the classic Jenkins/Kubert/Isanove book, not the Steve Dillon Daniel Way series currently running. I would like to start the review by saying that Marvel's doing a great job with their Premiere Classic Editions, and I'll probably buy every one they put out. Great quality in printing, and enormous special editions, and they look amazing on the shelf, all for an affordable twenty bucks. The story itself is well-known, and a favorite of mine. Wolverine's murky origins never looked better than they do in this hardcover, and the supplemental information does a good job of showcasing how much work colorist Richard Isanove did on this book. There's also a lengthy and detailed email record of how the project came together including different proposals for each stage of its development. Worth the buy for any fan, whether you've read and loved this series already or not.
NEWS BRIEFS
--Just in time before I send this column out, Marvel announces that there will be an Eternals 7 of 7 issue coming out! Yes, it was originally going to be six issues, but as Marvel (and I about five inches north) said, there was just too much story. Maybe they'll announce an extra ten issues…? I wish…--The new Spider-Man 3 trailer is up online, and if you haven't seen it yet, please do.
--In light of amazing sales of Absolute: Sandman, DC has announced at Wizard World Texas that the second volume will follow within 12 months.
Thanks for reading this column, I love writing it every week, and I hope you at least don't mind reading it. If you've got any compliments, complaints, controversial chatter, or any other c-words you'd like to send, the email is skio84@charter.net, and I'd love to hear from you. See you in seven.
<TOP>Week of November 1st , 2006
I hear every now and then that I review too many Marvel books. I can easily explain: I pay for comic books, and while I will pick up the odd title that I'm not that excited about, for the purpose of reviewing it, I generally review what I'm reading, and I think that, in the current stage of things, DC is kind of not such a great company, as companies go. BUT, to prove my undying loyalty to my undead, loyal readers, here is an all-DC edition of Mike's Mainstream Mania. Let's get onward!
SPOTLIGHT REVIEWS:
Superman: Confidential #1:
It's a good time to be a Superman fan right now. I certainly have my reservations about where DC is going (to a place where only people who read every book they published in the 70s will understand), but to my knowledge, there may never have been a better lineup of monthly books about Superman. We already had an excellent team on Superman and Action Comics, and now Darwyn Cooke and Tim Sale are throwing their illustrious hats in the ring. I liked this issue a lot, though I admit I'm likely to like anything Sale draws a lot. There's a quality to this story that's classic, and beautiful; the pacing is a bit odd at the end, but the promise is there for this to be a truly great series; time will tell. This isn't exactly enough consolation for not getting any more Loeb/Sale for a while, but it's still damned good. Worth checking out, as long as you don't mind wading through ads to get to it.
FUN SIZE REVIEWS:
Detective Comics #825:
I mean I'm not gonna say it's awful…but it's not good, that's for sure. In all honesty, this fill-in issue, written by Royal McGraw and drawn by Marcos Marz is filler, and it reads like it. For filler, it was a pretty good story about Dr. Phosphorous, with a great Batman line ("In Gotham, only the good stay dead"), but I'm just loving Paul Dini too much to not miss him.
JLA #3:
Wow--an action-soaked issue that actually took steps towards making me give a flying crap about Vixen, Black Lightning, and Red Tornado. There's only one scene of Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman voting, but it's a damn doozy. Great issue.
Nightwing #126:
I had really high hopes for Marv Wolfman's Nightwing run, but I'm over it by issue two. The script does read like classic Nighwing, but in a bad way; the dialogue sounds like its thirty years old. Not to my taste.
Midnighter #1:
I enjoyed this issue; it wasn't, I don't think, either groundbreaking or a masterpiece, but I just generally think that Midnighter is cool, and that Ennis writes him in a cool way. The art, by Chris Sprouse, is a bit cartoony, but it'll do. By far the least innovative of the WorldStorm launches I've read, but again, I enjoyed it.
52 #26:
WHOAAAAAAA we're halfway theeeeere…DC's 52 has reached its halfway point (until 52 v.2 of course), and it's…pretty much what it's been all along: entertaining, maddening, confusing, and entertaining. There's a great conversation between Steel and his Luthor-defecting niece, which was great, and more from the Island of Lost Scientists, which was less good. Also, a giant talking crocodile and not the famous one.
NEWS BRIEFS
--By far the best news I've heard in a while, DC will be releasing Absolute Long Halloween next year, in March or April. I was hoping they'd collect it with Dark Victory, but I don't really care; this is one of my favorite series ever, and it's deserved this treatment for a while now.Miss Marvel? Want more DC? Let me know either way, by sending comments, questions, queries, and cajoling to skio84@charter.net. See you in seven; we're only two weeks away from a new Civil War issue…thank God.
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