Week of October 31st, 2007
We're a few days late due to candy comas and my wife severely injuring her shoulder in some mysterious and strange way that we still haven't quite figured out yet. Oy. Onward…
SPOTLIGHT REVIEW:
Daredevil Annual #1
gets the spotlight pick this week partly because it's the only Marvel book I'm reviewing this week, and partly because I found it so impressive. Usually I look at character revamps with the same kind of derision that most fans do; Ed Brubaker, though, seems to have a knack for it. He's redone the Cap-iverse from the ground up, and he's starting to make his presence felt on Daredevil, with this issue (which he co-wrote) featuring a re-do of The Black Tarantula. As Hell's Kitchen gets more and more gentrified, Black Tarantula's barrio concerns almost make him more Daredevil than Daredevil by the end of this issue. If you want to see diversity in comics without any possibility of people calling it "tokenism," if you want to see the debut of a character who could become one of the Marvel U's most interesting, or if you just want a well-written book with slightly above average art, pick up this annual. It's a great jumping on point, too, as it's more or less free of Matt Murdock's complicated continuity.
FUN SIZE REVIEWS:
Crime Bible: Five Lessons of Blood
has a really lame title, but is actually very good. This series is where we find out if Greg Rucka's new Question, Renee Montoya, will sink or swim, as she tries to unravel a mystery surrounding the "Religion of Crime" we saw in 52. I loved seeing Montoya a little less tortured and a little surer of herself. Tom Mandrake's art works well for the shadowed nuance any book featuring any Question requires. This is Rucka back at the top of his game; I'll keep you posted on this, but I recommend picking up the first ish.
JSA #10
is bound to get people talking, since it has a two page Alex Ross spread. It's a great mood-builder, but while Johns' script is pretty strong, nothing really happens in this book, and Dale Eaglesham's normally dense pencils look a little rushed and flat this month. Of course, you really should get it just for the Ross pages anyway, but still; I'm interested in this Kingdom Come story, but I hope they do something with it soon.
Action Comics #858
is the start of a new arc, with shiny new penciller Gary Frank (by the way, what happened to the Kubert brothers?). I was a bit wary of this arc since it's about Superman's relationship with the Legion, something I know next to nothing about, but it was surprisingly reader-friendly. Johns did his usual wonderful job of condensing a lot of backstory into a small, digestible pill; by the end of this issue, Superman is in the future, where he's a lot less super. Looks like this will live up to the hype… Unfortunately, something was off about Gary Frank's art--I can't put my finger on it, but it looks like there's about half as many lines on his character's faces as there were on Squadron.
Batman #670 (Resurrection of Ra's Al Ghul Prelude)
is awesome, and you should buy and read it. Seriously. I liked Rucka's Death and the Maidens, where the Demon's Head met his demise, but with a guy whose mystery was based around resurrection and eternal life, is it any surprise that he's coming back? Absolutely not, and Ra's' nature puts his return above the usual "Comics characters never really die" cynicism. Tony Daniel draws great Jim Lee-esque Batman poses, and Grant Morrison remains Grant Morrison, as we gear up for a war between Ra's, the League of Assassins, with the Bat family trapped somewhere in between. This is what comics crossovers should be.
Countdown #26
is actually called Countdown to Final Crisis #26, but I find it hard to type that without laughing. As if conscious of how bad the book has been, DC plastered "The Turning Point!" on the cover of this middle issue, which is essentially a Monitor lecturing the reader on what's happened to this point, while trying to imply that big things are actually going to happen in the second half of the book. I'll believe it when I see it, Monitor. Oh, and if you thought that maybe DC would publish finished-looking art in this most important title, you'd be dead wrong.
NEWS BRIEF
First, if you want humongous spoilers for Batman that had better not be true, read Rich Johnston's Lying in the Gutters at Comic Book Resources. Stunning stuff. Second, prepare to see lots of new material from big Hollywood names as the WGA strike gears up. Also, in the best casting move of the millennium, The Rock will be playing Black Adam in the Shazam movie. Fourthly, the Gordon Lee CBLDF case has been declared a mistrial. The mess just keeps getting messier.
I hope everyone had a safe and happy Halloween, and enjoyed the great spooky books. This Wednesday will be the Perfect Storm at Pulp Fiction, with the new Heroes and Dark Tower collections arriving at the same time. Come early and often, and look here on Thursday or Friday for review of both, plus all the news and monthly reviews you can shake a stick at. I'll see you in the store, or you can reach me at my blog at astoriedyear.blogspot.com, or my email at skio84@mac.com Otherwise I'll see you back here in a few days!
<TOP>Week of October 24th, 2007
Before we get going, I'd like to recommend Pulp Fiction's football picks contest to any readers of the Mania who love the pigskin. I've been in for two weeks now and it's been a ton of fun. Alright, enough cross-promotion; let's get onward!
SPOTLIGHT REVIEW:
What If? Planet Hulk
is the first of five upcoming What If books, all of them centered around recent Marvel events. It's a weird trend, but when the stories are written by the same writer (as this issue, penned by Hulk scribe Greg Pak is), they can provide for some legitimately interesting alternate takes. This one asks, "What If the Hulk Died and Caiera Lived?", "What If the Hulk's Ship Had Landed On the Peaceful Planet?" and "What If Bruce Banner Had Landed On Sakaar Instead of the Hulk?" The first one is a fairly one-dimensional exploration of the fact that the Hulk has had mercy, whereas his Queen wouldn't have. Pretty cool but not great. The second story, though, is Pak, one of the Hulk's greatest writers, exploring the incredibly interesting dynamic between the Hulk and Banner, getting into some great scenes. Essentially, he writes two people having an argument, except that they're the same person, and only one person can talk at a time. That story makes it worth three bucks; the final story, a one page humor page illustrated by legend Fred Hembeck, makes it worth the four it will cost you. A nice, diverse collection of short stories that makes for a good kickoff to Marvel's latest round of truly speculative fiction.
FUN SIZE REVIEWS:
Flash #233
is, sadly, a disappointment. Acuna's cartoony art and Mark Waid's fast-paced and funny script were making for one of DC's best books. Unfortunately, things got derailed on this issue. The problems start with a new artist, Freddie Williams, whose different style completely changes the look of the book, and not for the better. Then, Waid's script gets a little odd, with an out of place appearance from the JLA, and Wally yelling at Batman about dead Robins. Yeah, I know. Throw in an unnecessary and weird backup story beginning this month, and you've got yourself a book that may be dead in the water.
Marvel Comics Presents #2
doesn't really pay off on the promise of the first issue. This one is filled almost entirely with continuations from last month, with only one stand-alone story. It was the stand-alone's from the last issue that I really liked, and the continuations aren't spectacular, though they're not bad either. File this under Unfulfilled Promise. I'll give it another month, but if it doesn't pick up, it's not worth four bucks.
Green Arrow: Year One #6
is the last issue in this great mini. Diggle and Jock should have a monthly Green Arrow book, one that stars Ollie and not his boy. This was exactly what a Year One series should be: it doesn't radically change a character's origin, it just tells it with a new depth, and examines how a hero's traits can be forged in the fires of their first test. Great stuff; be sure to pick this up. For some reason DC hasn't solicited a trade yet.
Countdown #27
is providing me with yet another weekly opportunity to come up with new ways to bash this book. Let's see: weird splash page of Darkseid playing DCU chess? Check. Jimmy Olsen pretending to be a real character? Check. Too many plot threads with little to no advancement? Big, 22-page check. Loved the Waid/Chiarello Two-Face origin, though. That was a solid two pages.
Action Comics #857
is the last of Eric Powell's Bizarro issues. Frowny face. Wasn't the best story, and man am I sick of BizarroSpeak, but what a great looking arc. Still, Gary Frank is doing next issue, so it should at least still look good.
NEWS BRIEF
Not really any news to report, except that Marvel has announced massive delays for One More Day. The internet has been flooded with One More Delay jokes, of course. The once-weekly series will now be wrapping up at the end of 2007, provided there isn't…One More Delay. Sorry.
That's all he wrote for this week's column, but I'll be back in just seven short days for a heaping of Halloween reviews. Candy and comics on the same day? Sounds like paradise. Feel free to email me at skio84@mac.com if you have any disagreements, derisions, or dumbstruck silence you'd like to pass along. You can also reach me through my blog at astoriedyear.blogspot.com. Otherwise, I'll see you in seven.
<TOP>Week of October 17th, 2007
Plenty to say this week and a few days behind deadline; lost track of time while making my picks over at Pulp Fiction's Football contest. Better get onward!
SPOTLIGHT REVIEW:
Marvel Zombies 2 #1
received relatively little hype, in my opinion, compared to its predecessor. As a result, I think this title is probably likely to get lost in the crowd of Zombie tie-ins, reprints, and alternate covers. On top of that is the unfortunate fact that this first issue leads me to believe this book won't be anywhere near as fun, and by extension good, as the original series. It's inevitable when dealing with an Elseworlds/Alternate Universe kind of story (Marvel's 1602 is a great example); the first book is written without a sequel in mind, so all the major ideas and themes of the source material are mined. Then, when it's financially successful and a sequel is produced, it's reworking stories that are nowhere near as rich. The first book featured no real overarching plot to worry about, and plenty of great character moments with Marvel's biggest properties. This one has added elements of Wakandan lore, and Marvel's intergalactic history. Sorry, that just doesn't live up to getting to watch Peter Parker whine about eating Aunt May and Mary Jane… I was a big fan of the original series, as a perfect example of the kind of loony fun Marvel's currently offering in World War Hulk. This one, despite having the same creative team and the same distinctive covers, just doesn't measure up.
FUN SIZE REVIEWS:
Captain America #31
features the best revamp of a Marvel character since…well, since Bru redid the Winter Soldier. Doctor Faustus has been in the background of this last arc, involved in the plot but not really featured in the narrative. This issue has him in a prominent role, as he coldly and maliciously tries tact after tact to brainwash the Winter Soldier. Yet another great ish from this series, despite the absence of its title character.
Mighty Avengers #5
will give you the Ares you want. I thought this book got off to a rocky start, and I hated what happened to Sentry's wife, but this issue was thoroughly enjoyable. Frank Cho's art has been a wonderful constant, and Bendis seems to be getting a handle on these characters, losing the cheesy and overdone thought balloons for great character defining lines, particularly for Ares, Sentry, and Ms. Marvel. Now if only it would pick up so we can get to the Mighty/New Avengers crossover.
JLA #14
has more action in it than Meltzer put in his whole run. I appreciated the story overtones, but JLA is a big book, and it deserves the big story that Dwayne McDuffie has brought. The art looks a little more--ahem--finished this month (there's even backgrounds on some of those panels!), and the story is just humming, with the JLA in bondage (kind of literally) and Superman rushing in headstrong to rescue them. I've really enjoyed the Joker/Lex dialogue so far, and this issue doesn't disappoint.
Countdown #28
is just awful. Seriously. I don't know how much money you have or how curious you are, but you really don't need to know about Jimmy Olsen and the Newsboy Legion, even if this is the one issue a month that looks like it's been inked.
Penance: Relentless #2
is just good, messed up stuff. The nice thing about totally changing a character like Speedball is that who really liked him the way he used to be? The most hated man in the Marvel U (after Tony Stark) is on a mission to take his revenge against Nitro, the man who destroyed his reputation and his life. Paul Jenkins is writing a good, underrated series here, and Paul Gulacy is doing a good job of imitating Mike Deodato's Thunderbolts designs. I wish he hadn't adopted the Tommy Lee Jones model for Norman Osborne, but other than that I have no complaints here.
NEWS BRIEF
I'll start with some movie news, as the Wolverine prequel now has a time and a date; be sure to mark May 1st, 2009, since that's when X-Men Origins: Wolverine will be in theaters. Marvel's also released news of a new Spidey mini set during Peter Parker's formative years, after he got his powers and before Ben was killed. This has been explored before, but this new mini, Spider-Man: With Great Power, will be written by 100 Bullets' David Lapham and penciled by Tony Harris, the extraordinary penciler from Brian Vaughan's Ex Machina. Finally, the news that Tony Bedard is off the relaunch of Outsiders. Chuck Dixon will now be taking over with issue one of Batman and the Outsiders, which comes out next month. He will also be taking over Robin in January, as had been previously announced.
Alright, that's a wrap for this week, hope you all enjoyed the column this week. If you have any comments, complaints, questions, or queries about it, or future columns, please direct them to skio84@mac.com or get in touch with me at my blog, astoriedyear.blogspot.com. Otherwise, let's break and then meet back here in a few days. Ready?....Break!
<TOP>Week of October 10th, 2007
Let's get straight to it, loyal readers, it was a pretty solid week. Onward!
SPOTLIGHT REVIEW:
Green Arrow and Black Canary #1
is in a bad situation to start from: everybody is going to hate this issue before they open it, because of how stupid the end of the Wedding Special was. If you're willing to give it a chance, you might be pleasantly surprised: there is some resolution to that stupid (like, stupid stupid) ending, and Cliff Chiang's art is wonderful. Think Darwyn Cooke's New Frontier, but a little less cartoony; really beautiful stuff. The book opens with Black Canary doing her best Batman raging/out of control post-loved one's death impersonation, then delivers the goods as she argues with Hal and finds reassurance in the arms of…Batman? Yep. There's not much of the Connor Hawke incarnation of Green Arrow, but that's alright by me. It's way too early to tell how this is going to turn out, but it does legitimately have promise, and it's worth keeping an eye on.
FUN SIZE REVIEWS:
Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #24 (One More Day Part 2)
is just plain frustrating. It's obvious JMS and Joe Quesada are banking on how big and controversial the ending of this story is going to be, because flat out nothing has happened in it so far. Like, really, nothing. An artsy nothing, but there has been zero plot progression to this book since Aunt May was shot. On an up note, Joe Q's art is better in this issue than it was in the last, and the two-page spread towards the beginning has some of the most detailed webbing of any Spidey comic since McFarlane left.
Green Lantern #24 (Sinestro Corps War Part 8)
actually makes this series look like it's about a war. Who'd a thunk? Now that the action is on Earth, it's spilling over into every corner of the DCU, and I couldn't be happier. The fight with Parallax is not to be missed, and be sure to pay attention to its aftermath, as Guy puts some Green Lantern boxers on a naked man. Great visual joke; this series has had the attention to detail that much of DC's central books have been lacking of late.
New Avengers # 35
features this week's coolest cover that has nothing to do with what happens in the book. And I mean nothing, as Wolverine isn't even in this issue and the symbiotes don't appear until the last page. This issue is all about the villains, and how their new organization came to form under The Hood. While that's not a new convention, I love how the exposition manages to tie together every major Marvel story of the last few years as part of the back story.
Black Adam #3
features this week's coolest cover that actually relates to the story in the book, though Black Adam and Hawkman's fight feels like a bed of marshmallows compared to this story's strength: Teth's abiding sense of loss and anger. Former DC editor Pete Tomasi gets this character, and his quest to resurrect his lost wife manages to make a sympathetic character out of this mass murderer. On top of that, Doug Mahnke is just flat out on it with the art; check out the composition of that last page if you don't believe me. DC should be pushing this book more: it's one of the best they have coming out right now.
Booster Gold #3
is the funniest mainstream book that isn't being written by Warren Ellis or Garth Ennis. In this month's issue, Booster gets into a drinking contest with Jonah Hex and ends up fighting the new Supernova while drunk, then pioneering a new kind of drunk driving, which comes with its own dangers. Remember, kids: friends don't let friends drive Rip Hunter's time sphere drunk. Never know what you might hit.
NEWS BRIEF
By far the biggest news this week is Marvel's unveiling of a New Captain America Design by Alex Ross. No, this isn't for Ross' upcoming Avengers/Invaders title, it's for Ed Brubaker's monthly book. The new costume, with a new man underneath, features shinier armor, black boots and pants, and new weapons: a gun and a knife. Go check it out at Newsarama and let me know what you think: I'll post your responses in next week's column. If you don't want to see it now, you can pick up January's issue of Captain America to see the debut.
Well, it was a good week, but right now I'm going to sign off and go read our new copy of Absolute Sandman vol. 2, which was surprise released this week, when the release date had originally been October 31st. Oh well, Halloween came early this year. If you need me before next week, you can reach me at skio84@mac.com, or through my blog at astoriedyear.blogspot.com. Otherwise, I'll see you in seven for more mainstream greatness.
<TOP>Week of October 3rd, 2007
Well, I really had planned on doing a bigger column this week, but the shipping lists didn't really cooperate (particularly Marvel, who seem to put out all their good books in one week these days). Still, there's some fun stuff to check out, so let's get onward!
SPOTLIGHT REVIEW:
Green Lantern Corps #16 (Sinestro Crops War pt. 7)
is one of the issues where something happens, as we get to see the first "Lethal Force Authorized" fighting of the series, and we get the conclusion of what is undeniably the biggest fight of all time, between Green Lantern's planet, Mogo, and his Sinestro foil, Ranx. Wild, ridiculous comic action there. This series has been mostly enjoyable, with the exception of the fact that it's been overly decompressed in places, as what looks like a five issue crossover has been stretched to a dozen issues as well as one shot tie-ins. Still, as I said, this is one of the issues where the story moves forward, and it makes a decent jumping on point if you've been curious about this event but haven't jumped on yet. Don't be intimidated by the number of tie-ins, just pick it up and enjoy all the splattered blood.
FUN SIZE REVIEWS:
Tales of the Sinestro Corps: Cyborg Superman
is one of those aforementioned tie-ins. If you don't know anything about Hank Henshaw, the Cyborg Superman, the bulk of this issue is devoted to telling his origin story. If you're familiar with him, it's probably unnecessary, but otherwise pick it up. There's also a solid couple pages of fighting at the conclusion, though of course nothing all that interesting will happen in a tie-in.
Detective Comics #837
is evidence of Paul Dini's run starting to come off the rails. There's almost no Batman in it as we follow the Riddler into Athena's Women's Shelter, ripped from the pages of Countdown. In other words, a critically acclaimed run that has consisted of self-contained stories latches onto a failing, universally derided series, probably in an attempt to interest more people in one of its thirty stories. In other words, it's a mistake. There's no need to buy this issue.
Action Comics #856
on the other hand, delivers the goods, provided 20-plus pages of Bizarro language doesn't get on your nerves. Eric Powell, the mastermind of the brilliant Goon, is making mainstream goodness in this second issue, with a Fleischer-esque Man of Steel and an amazing, creepy Bizaroo World. A great read, much better than the gimmicky first issue of this arc; pay attention to this one, it may end up being the best post-Infinite Crisis arc on any Superman book…besides All-Star, of course.
Howard the Duck #1
is a godsend. As comics have gotten more and more serious, the silly books (see: Nextwave) have gotten sillier, which I love. This book, featuring a Howard whose design seems very inspired by Harvey Pekar, delivers the funny, as Howard tries to protect his ladylove Beverly while being hunted (literally) through the city. There's a few pages of A.I.M. weirdness starring a M.O.D.O.T. (Mental Organism Designed Only for Talking) that looks like it will become a part of Howard's life in the next three issues. Great, silly stuff.
Countdown #30
actually has a little bit of good news: between the cover by Ian Churchill and the interiors by Giffen and Saiz, this is the best Countdown has looked in a while. The art even seems finished! A Countdown miracle! The good news ends there, as the story is still a jumbled mess. There's a tie-in with the Green Arrow/Black Canary wedding, a few weeks late, and a page or two dedicated to each story. But in the end? Nothing happens…There's also a very pretty Gary Frank-penciled origin of General Zod at the back.
I think we'll actually have some news and some trade reviews for next week; keep your fingers crossed. Till then, if you've got a complaint or a query, or even a compliment (!), you can reach me at skio84@mac.com, or through my blog at astoriedyear.blogspot.com. I'd still love to hear any suggestions for the column. Otherwise, I'll see you back here next week!
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