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Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis 49
Gate of Shadows, Part Two: Dreams of the Fisherman
--And the last issue of Busiek's Aquaman turns out to be my favorite one. Does that count as some sort of irony? I'm not sure.
I have to say, this is the first story I've read in my life that features a demonic, talking manta ray. Really cool. I already like the new Fisherman more than what little I've read of Aquaman's regular foes, Black Manta and Ocean Master.
The Fisherman's dream flashbacks were really well executed. There's a slight chaotic quality to it all that fits wonderfully given his/its confusion, and the narration is well-written. Even the lettering's tops here.
The Brave and the Bold 1
The Lords of Luck, Chapter One: Roulette
--The alien's weapon is called a *haruspex*? As in the kind of fortune teller who sees the future in animal entrails? I wonder if that's a clue or simply Mark Waid having a little fun. The name does fit in a way, I suppose.
I remember reading an old Waid interwiew in which he mentioned that one of the most useful writing tricks for him was to, when out of material, take two disparate characters and get them interacting with one another. If so, no wonder this comic was so enjoyable. The man must have had lots of experience at this sort of thing. The Batman/Green Lantern back-and-forth was candy to my mental ear.
Oh, wow, that last sentence is gibberish. Anyway...
And make no mistake, this story was indeed "so enjoyable." Between a Waid at the top of his game, and Perez, who is never *not* at the top of his game no matter what he works on, this was a must-buy.
I suspect Roulette's actually in cahoots with the Venturans.
Kamandi Archives, Volume 2
--Ha, I wish. This is what I would have bought if I wasn't broke. I've bought a large number of KAMANDI issues from the back issue bins and it's great wild, unpredictable fun. Better than Jack Kirby's Fourth World stuff, I say.
Alas, alas, alas.
Superman 659
Angel
--Well, I guess they can't all be home runs. Of all the issues of SUPERMAN and ACTION COMICS Kurt Busiek has written or co-written so far, this is the weakest. That's not nearly as damning as it sounds, though, because Busiek's Superman had until now been consistently excellent. This issue is merely good instead of the series's usual great.
When it came to this story, my own biases betrayed me. When I saw Barbara Johnson's devoutness, I assumed we readers were supposed to think of her as some trouble-causing nutso psycho. It wasn't until towards the end did I realize that, wait a sec, she's meant to be a positive portrayal.
Jack of Fables 8
Jack of Hearts, Part Two: Heaven or Las Vegas
--I think this book is really hitting its stride.
I still think Jack's narrations are overdone and that, if they were cut by 50%, his personality would shine through just as well without becoming just slightly tedious. Well, "shine" might not be the best word, given that it's Jack we're dealing with, but you know what I mean.
Agh, I don't want to come off too negative. This was a good read, possibly the best in the series so far. Everything in this series has this sort of quirky edge to it that you can't help but enjoy.
The sequence of the car explosion and its aftermath, including the twist at the very end, was great. Very well-done on both the writing and art front. For a moment, we get convinced that Jack actually has a heart, and then -- ha! Oh man, that smile -- that smile! The thing of it is, I wouldn't have thought him capable of even this little amount of grief, so the events still managed to make him more sympathetic in my eyes, even if only ever so slightly.
Runaways 24
Live Fast, The End
--Yet more confirmation for me that Vaughan's writing reads better in trade paperback collection format. This issue simply feels like it'd have been a lot more enjoyable if read shortly after the previous issue rather than a month afterwards.
Actually, has this series been managing to come out monthly? I haven't been keeping track of that sort of thing, but it feels longer in-between issues for whatever reason.
The issue suffers from a bit of finale-itis, where the loose ends wrap themselves up in quick, neat manner that comes off a little forced. But again, that might be an effect of the single issue format. Or it might not; I'm not sure.
Still fun, though. And Alphona's art is great as always.
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