He Said/She Said

by Mike Guardabascio and Sharleen Higa

Vol. 1, issue 2: August 6-20, 2008

Shar: We spent so much energy patting ourselves on the back after our first column, we figured we needed a vacation. In case you've forgotten in our absence, I'm Shar, a relatively new and relatively rabid comics fan. I've got a soft spot for the DCU, but I don't feel like they love me back. And across the table from me is my lovely husband and stalwart partner in geekdom, Mike. Well, Mike, it's been a few weeks. How've you been?

Mike: Um...like, right next to you? Did you forget we live together again?

Shar: I'm just trying to keep up an illusion for our fans, dude. I don't want them to know about all the great comics conversations they've been missing out on.

Mike: I think the fans have probably made do. Anyway, like you said, we took a few weeks off in celebration of doing our first column, so here we are week 2, already in the hole. I guess we should just talk about a few choice selections from the last few Wednesdays--let's get to it. What's up first?

Shar: Well I figured we'd start with what's recent and then go back through our piles and see what we've missed. Mark Millar's 1985 #4 came out this week. I remember you being really anxious to pick up the first issue in this series. How's it holding up?

Mike: You know, I was really intrigued by this book at first, but I think it kind of petered out, and is now just winding its way towards the predictable with the appearance of the Marvel heroes in our universe. The story, if you haven't read it, is about the Marvel Universe crossing over into "our world" in 1985, and it's written by Mark Millar, with some very interesting art from Tommy Lee Edwards. This issue did give us the only thing that hasn't been predictable about this series, since the first issue, with the possible explanation for the newfound appearance of all these villains. I don't know, maybe it's just coming up short for me because I just reread 1602, a reality/fiction mashup that I like a lot more.

Shar: Ok, fair enough. I think I actually came in on the opposite end of the table. After the first issue, I kind of just shrugged. I felt like I'd seen the story before, like you said. But it's actually won me over quite a bit. The art's great, and Millar's writing is as solid as we would expect. But what's really gotten me interested is the pacing of the story. I feel like it's been building, both subtly and in awesome full-page spreads, to what should be a pretty exciting last two issues. Maybe not an utter surprise, but I think it'll be a cool ride.

Mike: And I guess I shouldn't count Millar out--he's certainly surprised me near the end of a book before. I really do love Edwards' art, too, to the point that I'm looking forward to certain characters appearing so I can see what his thick-lined interpretation will look like.

Shar: Yeah, let's see how the next two months go, and then we'll see if we need to buy the trade.

Mike: Next on the pile is the first issue of a new Vertigo series, called AIR, from the Cairo team of G. Willow Wilson and M.K. Perker. Now, stop me if I'm biased (because I interviewed Willow last week and got to read an advance copy of the book a month ago), but I really liked this debut issue. It's not easy to say exactly what I liked about it, but I guess it came down to the fact that at the end of the issue, I wanted to read the next one immediately. I take that as a good sign.

Shar: I'm going to say something right now that you won't hear often, so I want you to treasure it. Are you ready?

Mike: Uh-oh. Okay, hit me.

Shar: I agree with you completely. Just a really unique and intricate story, coupled with art I haven't seen before. Pretty much all you could ask for in a Vertigo series.

Mike: The fact that it's dealing with air terrorism definitely gives it a more relevant edge than a lot of Vertigo titles have, too, and I like that Willow couples that edge with secret countries, shadow organizations, and a touch of romance. Definitely a new feel for a comic series, Vertigo or not.

Shar: It's also nice, in this day and age, to not have a clear idea of what's going on in a comic but to be able to trust that the creators know where their story's going. Yes, that is a jab at DC.

Mike: Hell hath no fury like a DC fan scorned. I urge people to check this out and let us know what they think--I'm not sold on the book yet, but I think it's important to support new voices in comics trying new things with new characters. And yes, that is me kind of siding with Robert Kirkman in the creator-owned work vs. work-for-hire debate, although I think that superheroes are obviously necessary to keep comics vital.

Shar: I think you just can't argue with good storytelling, wherever it comes from, and whether the characters are wearing spandex or not.

Shar: I missed out on the trip to Pulp Fiction on Wednesday, so seeing the hardcover of Wolverine: Logan in this week's haul was a very happy surprise. We all know that Brian K. Vaughn has the Midas touch, but his partnership with 100 Bullets' Eduardo Risso in this story is especially golden. Beautifully written, breath-catchingly drawn and painted, and bundled with some tasty extras... what's not to love?

Mike: Yeah I kind of shied away from the $20 price tag at first, since the miniseries was just three slightly-larger-than-normal issues, but they put BKV's full proposal, a full script, and the usual original art, etc... I love this story, really. The art, of course, is incredible, and Dean White's color work is perfect. But this book is Vaughan's swan song on superheroes (he says he probably won't do any more work-for-hire mainstream stuff for a long time, maybe ever), and it couldn't be more beautiful. He takes an old battle axe like Wolverine, and manages to find a new take on him, telling the story not of his Origin, or more Project X stuff, or a new X-Men story, but rather a tale about how Logan became a man.

Shar: I loved how they (both the artists and BKV) managed to make Wolverine beautiful without deviating at all from his character. So what we get is these moments of peace and beauty with Logan that are utterly surprising and new, and then they're juxtaposed with completely badass Wolverine moments. One moment he's remembering the flutter of Atsuko's eyelids, and the next he's snikting the head off a naked man flaming with radioaction. And, somehow, they're the same guy. And it makes complete sense. The only comparison I can think of is maybe the Loeb/Sale color books. You come out of this story feeling like you finally understand characters you've known forever. Brilliant.

Mike: And Vaughan puts his own little trivia in there as usual, details like the kamikaze's fingernails that give his work the kind of realistic depth that I love. And lest we forget to mention: Wolverine staggering out of a nuclear blast?!?! Holy crap!

Shar: Haha, yes. All that, plus Wolvie gets nuked. I guess what we're saying is, everyone should read this book.

Mike: Well, from my favorite book this week to my least favorite--I really love the character of Cassandra Cain as Batgirl, and I think if DC didn't have over-controlling editors she'd be one of the most interesting characters in the DCU, but this new Batgirl series is awful; it doesn't erase the bitter taste of the ridiculous crap they ran her through with the brainwashed murders last year, and then, though it spends half its time apologizing, it's doing pretty much the same stuff to her. Bring back Anderson Gabrych!

Shar: I definitely have fallen out of love with this character over the past several butchered storylines, so I wasn't as appalled at this latest as you were. I guess that's the bottom line, for me. She's got a lot of squandered potential, and she's been so mishandled I'm past the point of caring what happens with her. I'm just going to reread No Man's Land and pretend none of this ever happened.

Shar: I went back and forth several times during the Incredible Hercules Secret Invasion tie-in, but I think, after reading the final issue, I can say I ultimately enjoyed the arc. A little weird, and not quite the romp that was Herc, Amadeus, and the pup mixing it up in WWHulk, but I gotta admit I'm a sucker for giant gross gods eating other giant gross gods. I'll admit that I didn't understand all that happened here, and there were some panels of art that made me cringe, but I don't feel like I wasted my time. And, for a tie-in to a major event, that's relatively high praise.

Mike: Haha, fair enough. I definitely felt like I missed an issue somewhere in this arc--which, for the record, I didn't. I think it's one of those stories meant to be read in trade, in one sitting. Other wise it's kind of a task to keep track of the figureheads of a half-dozen different mythologies and religions.

Shar: That's why I make it easy on myself and separate everyone into two categories: giant & gross, and other.

Mike: Are you still talking about the comic?

Shar: I'm talking generally. For the record, Comic-Con definitely tipped the balance.

Shar: Let's talk real quick about the books we've read since our last column. It's been a busy few weeks at the comic store, but there's a few books in particular that I know we don't want to let sneak past our discerning eyes. To begin with, Ultimate Origins #3 came out last week, and I have to say I'm beginning to get a bit concerned. This event is supposed to be answering all the questions about the Ultimate Universe, and moving everything in a new and exciting direction. Besides the fact that I was perfectly happy with the Ultimate U the way it was, I feel like there's not much room to live up to all those promises in the two issues remaining in this mini. It's solid writing and decent art, and the story is getting pretty interesting, but I just don't really see the point.

Mike: Yeah, Bendis claimed this was going to explain the origins of the Ultimate Universe in a cohesive, understandable way, and instead...pbbbltttthhhh. Slight tweaks is about all. And anyway, why would we need to know that stuff? Wasn't the whole point of the Ultimate Universe to avoid complicated, lame continuity? Like you said, it's not bad on a technical level, but there's nothing behind it. It's like watching a world-class musician warm up.

Shar: Except then you at least have reasonable assurance that there'll be a symphony in the near future.

Mike: One book I want to mention real quick, and I know this is a reprint, is The Punisher Kills the Marvel Universe. It's an old Ennis/Braithwaite "Elseworlds" type story about how the Punisher would exact revenge if his family had been killed by the crossfire of a superhero battle instead of by the mob, and it's...well, it's exactly what it sounds like. It's not as hard-edged as Ennis' MAX stuff, obviously, but I like that. It was a fun, light-hearted romp about Spider-Man getting capped in the face.

Shar: I don't know whether "light-hearted" has ever before been used in the same paragraph as Garth Ennis, but I gotta agree. A lot of fun, and a lot of good ol fashioned Punishing. Pretty much everything you'd want out of a book with Frank Castle standing on a pile of broken Marvel corpses on the cover.

Mike: Okay, let's talk about the elephant in the room here: Final Crisis #3. Why don't you take point on this one, token DC fan?

Shar: How's this for a sum-up: I just flipped through it and thought "Oh wait. I didn't read this." But then I saw Oracle staring in horror at a "You've got mail!" icon and saying "Oh %$@%! It's opening itself!" and it all came flooding back to me. Dear Grant Morrison: What the %$@% is going on? Do you even know anymore? I feel like I'm reading the well-illustrated ramblings of a crazy person here!

Mike: I want to trust that this is going somewhere, but...I think I need a map. It seems like the only way to understand DC now is to have read every single book they've ever published. Even a few years ago, the point of major events was to draw in new readers; for all its flaws, I thought Civil War did a great job of that. But if we can't even understand this book, how are we supposed to pass it on to our friends we're trying to lure into comics fandom? Huh? Tell me!

Shar: Yes! Tell us!

Mike: Okay, to end on a positive note: Action Comics. There, a positive note.

Shar: Other DC writers, please take note of what Geoff Johns is doing here. He's interacting with continuity, building suspense, and doing big things in the lives of his characters while still making sense! Isn't that novel! This, as we talked about last column, is Johns' strength. He takes big storylines and makes them absolutely accessible and incredibly engrossing. And Gary Frank was just made to be drawing this comic. I couldn't be more excited to see where these fine fellows are taking us.

Mike: For sure; I know some people are balking at the revision to Braniac, but I think it's cool in an 80s sci-fi kind of way. Man, we're down on DC again, huh? Aside from Johns, I mean. We sound like a couple of...well, a couple of writers at DC. Anyway, I'm hereby pledging to review some positive stuff from DC next week. You in, alleged DC fangirl?

Shar: I'm absolutely in, as long as there's positive stuff to review. I have never-ending optimism. I want to believe.

Vol. 1, issue 1: July 30, 2008

Well, the last incarnation of this column was getting pretty frustrating, creatively, so I did what I always do when things get rough: I'm making my wife do half the work…From now on, look for weekly or bi-weekly reviews of all the newest comics (not just Marvel and DC) right here at He Said/She Said, as well as joint interviews with creators from time to time. He Said/She Said: marriage geekdom at its finest. For starters, here's a little information about who you're dealing with.

Mike: Shar got into comics around the time Hush came out...actually, she got into comics by reading through the stacks of books under my bed a year or so after we started going out, back in 2002 (yes true believers, this stack included a Batman as King Arthur Elsewords story she was particularly fond of). She's a DC fangirl through and through, and loves Jim Lee, John Cassaday, and long walks on the beach.

Shar: The gentleman sitting across the table from me is my hubby, the eponymous Mike himself. With his ungroomed beard, his thick glasses, and his generally disheveled personal appearance, he's overturning stereotypes for comic geeks worldwide. He holds a BA in English Lit, which means he usually cares about things like "story" and "dialogue" in his comics. He's partial to Marvel characters, but when he was a kid, he was known to write the occasional piece of Batman fanfic. If it's good, he'll read it, no matter whose logo is in the upper left corner.

Mike: So, we're fresh back from Comic-Con, doing a brand new column; anything you want to add?

Shar: Just that I can't wait till next year. Also, I should advise you that I totally slipped John Cassaday my number. I guess I should say "our number."

Mike: Not for long. Alright, I'm still hung over from sleep deprivation: what'd we buy this week?

Shar: Let's start with JSA Annual #1, from Geoff Johns... can we call him the busiest guy in comics?

Mike: If we wanted to get Bendis' panties all twisted up, then maybe. I don't know about you, but I was really impressed with this issue, even though I'm usually put off by DC's Earth-9,743 stories. I thought Geoff did a good job, as usual, of boiling down some weird continuity into an incredibly personal, human story.

Shar: Yeah, I'm in the same boat. I don't usually like Stories of Infinite Earths, probably because I'm not as well-versed on DC history as the company expects its readers to be these days. I usually just let my eyes glaze over and hope it'll all make some kinda sense at the end. But I trust Geoff to make me care about people and stories I'd usually ignore. He didn't disappoint. I've been loving JSA, which is something I'm still having trouble believing. I've usually thought of the JSA as the older, less-sexy version of the Justice League. But it's the magic of Geoff Johns at work again. When the creepily happy Gog sent Power Girl home last issue, I was floored. In this annual, Geoff took that "Holy Crap!" moment and followed up quite awesomely.

Mike: Impressive use of the word "awesomely." But as great as Geoff Johns is, you--yes, even you--have to give credit to Jerry Ordway's pencils, too. The big holy crap moment of this issue (which I won't spoil other than to see it's a very new envisioning of the Joker) absolutely wouldn't have worked if Ordway wasn't spot on. The last time the two of them worked together Geoff was writing Infinite Crisis and Ordway was playing catchup for a tardy Phil Jiminez.

Shar: That Joker moment sent shivers, for sure. Spoiler alert: wear a sweater for this issue.

Mike: I'm sure you're itching to talk about Ambush Bug #1, so I won't hold you back.

Shar: Ok, yeah. Speaking of convoluted DC history. Before I start, I wanna say: I get it. I know it's supposed to be funny, I know it's supposed to be tongue-in-cheek, poking fun at DC and its weirdness over the past 70 years. I get it. But that doesn't mean I have to like it. I got as far as the issue's title, referring to the deaths of DC female characters with "Hey, You Sank My Battle-Ax," before I stopped having fun. I thought it was a little offensive and a lot nonsensical. But its worse offense was that it wasn't really funny at all. I got the feeling that I was on the outside of a really really esoteric inside joke.

Mike: Haha, I know what you mean. I'm normally a pretty big Keith Giffen fan, as you know, and I wanted to like this, but...seriously? Jokes about Michael Jackson and thought balloons? It was like reading a spoof book from the mid-90s. I did like the Source Wall stuff at the beginning, but you're right about the Battle-Axe/Women in refrigerators stuff--fix the problem before you make fun of it.

Shar: Right. I'm not the kinda girl that's gonna write a letter everytime DC puts a chick in the kitchen, but I'm getting a little tired of the Boys' Club image that the upper levels of DC management seem really keen on projecting. Maybe if we hadn't just come back from Comic-Con, with Didio and Bob Wayne drooling--literally drooling--over a girl dressed as Supergirl, I might be a little less sensitive. Ugh. Can we move on? This was really the only issue this week that I didn't enjoy at all.

Mike: We can move on, as soon as I mention one more time that you are our resident DC fangirl.

Shar: Yeah... and I'm trying really hard to keep giving DC our hard-earned dollars, but they keep slapping me in the face.

Mike: And we keep coming back for more.

Mike: Alright then, let's talk about something a little more exciting. The second issue of Mark Millar's Old Man Logan arc has me drooling like a DC executive staring at a 17 year-old girl dressed up as Supergirl. For anyone who hasn't picked this up, get it now, even if you hate Mark Millar. It's set in an alternate future where supervillains have killed nearly all the heroes, and carved up America between them. Wolverine, now a pacifist who has a family and goes by Logan, agrees to help a blind Hawkeye take a shipment of cargo cross-country in exchange for rent money. On the way they'll go through Hulkland, Doom's Lair, and the Kingdom of the Kingpin--there's a map and everything. I'm such a sucker for maps...

Shar: He really is. Readers, you should have seen him with No Man's Land. And you're right, this is a hugely exciting story. I can't wait to see where it's going. For my part, I gotta say that there's nothing sexier than a great story accompanied by amazing art. And with Steve McNiven teaming up with his Civil War partner on Old Man Logan, you can't really ask for more. He's done an incredible job of believably aging their faces as much as Millar has aged their personalities, and there are a couple of panels in this issue that forced me to stop and catch my breath. One of them has the words "Tell me about it" in it. You'll know it when you see it.

Mike: Yeah there are so many surprises and Easter eggs in here that I'm surprised it doesn't come with jelly beans and that annoying plastic grass. And you're right of course, my writer bias is showing--McNiven is killing on this book.

Shar: Well, as long as we're talking about Marvel flagships, I know you were really excited about Spider-Man: With Great Power... But I gotta say this series lost steam fast for me. It was a good idea, almost like a Marvel version of Year One, but I think it just didn't end up being that interesting. Mike, you're a web-head. What'd you think?

Mike: I have to agree with you--the first issue looked exciting, with art by Starman and Ex Machina's Tony Harris and a fresh take by writer David Lapham. But Harris didn't finish on art, and Lapham introduced a weird older woman maternal figure/love interest and...well, it just didn't really work. I hate that about new minis, when they have potential but end poorly. Boo!

Shar: Yeah, the older lady stuff was a little creepy. I guess we see the roots of Spider-Man picking Aunt May over MJ, eh?

Mike: Ouch.

Shar: Too soon?

Mike: Much.

Mike: From the old to the new, let's talk about the...well, what the hell was this? The Amazing Spider-Man Extra! It was kind of like an annual, but...not. I wish I could say I liked this better than With Great Power... but I just cannot get on board with Brand New Day, in any way shape or form. As a Spidey fan I've tried, but I wouldn't even have spent money on this if you hadn't demanded it.

Shar: And I wouldn't have demanded it, except I am a total sucker for Marcos Martin's art. Can I admit something to you here, in the privacy of this public Internet column?

Mike: So long as it's private.

Shar: I did a Google image search today to try and discover if Marcos Martin is as good looking as his art. That said, I wasn't a huge fan of the issue. Moderately interesting stories, but nothing worth the awesome that Martin and his team put into it. Oh, and spoiler alert: page 5 of their story proves that Matt Murdock is a manga fan.

Mike: I love that you're going to come off as a horny broad in our very first column.

Shar: I love that you just called me a broad. Should I be looking for you on a DC panel soon?

Shar: I think the Shocker of the Week award has gotta go to Black Panther #39. It's a Secret Invasion tie-in (what Marvel book isn't?), and it's the start of what is sure to be a magnificently awesome arc that sees the Skrulls attempting to invade Wakanda. Besides the art (pencilled by Jefte Palo), which was just beautiful, I was really impressed by the character development in this book. Some of the first individualization of the Skrull warriors.

Mike: Yeah you said it all--definitely the most interesting the Skrulls have been, even if the Skrull warrior's "I'm about to retire" thing was a little 80s action movie for my taste. Plus, this issue gets to the heart of what's so awesome about the Wakandans: their pride, and the fact that they've never been conquered. It also shows you why they've never been conquered.

Shar: Right. It's not just a cliché, which is something I've been enjoying about the Black Panther storylines ever since Reggie Hudlin's run. And you're right about the book feeling a little like an 80s action movie. I loved that. I thought it was incredibly cool. And I loved that they had so much to say and so much to show us that they had to use some of the itty bittiest lettering I've ever seen.

Mike: Well, I guess it's up to me to handle the bulk of the conversation when we talk about Locke and Key #6, since you're too scared to read it.

Shar: Terrified, actually. I am a huge wuss, and I don't have any trouble admitting it.

Mike: Apparently not. Anyway, this was the final issue of this miniseries, written by Joe Hill, one of the best young horror writers out there. His collection of short stories, 20th Century Ghosts, reminded me a lot of the first time I read Stephen King (who just happens to be Hill's father). Locke and Key, in addition to being terrifying, has some of the best character work I've seen from a first-time comics writer, and a story that manages to dance the line between fascinating and absurd, with a haunted house, mystical keys, brutal murders, and a ghost in a well. Great stuff, and I'm already looking forward to buying the trade... The even better news that I read at the end of this issue is that they're doing a second Locke and Key miniseries later in the year. Maybe I can get you to read this book before then?

Shar: When I was little, my mom had to bribe me with candy to get me to watch Jurassic Park. Are you willing to make a similar sort of offer? I might be willing to deal.

Mike: No dice. If a great story and cool art won't get you, I'm not slapping down fifty cents for Smarties. Your loss!