Well, I've finally Made It. This blog got its first pervert hit a few days back; someone found their way here by Googling for "wonder woman the superhero and a normal person having sex comic" (without the quotation marks). An auspicious day to be sure.
This site doesn't turn up until the second page of search results, so this person must have been searching rather dilligently.
***
The Brave and the Bold 9
Changing Times
-- Waid and Perez diverge a bit from the usual format and deliver three short team-up stories instead of the usual one. This book, with its focus on "What happens next?" plot progression and sci-fi/fantasy flash (not a perjorative!), all within the framework of only one issue per team-up, is pretty light on character drama under even normal circumstances. Here, that's even more the case, as we get three even-shorter-than-usual stories.
It's all good, though. This book continues to be an absolute blast, telling the kind of balls-to-the-wall imaginative stories that only superhero fiction can tell. Waid has a talent for taking what would normally be a pretty straightforward, boilerplate story and peppering it with clever dialogue, a few funny jokes, and a few unconventional twists that alter the journey if not the destination; thereby turning it into something more. Perez's art has a similar strength, and what would come off as a generic genre staple (e.g. mummies) is captured so perfectly that it becomes fresh and wondrous all over again. And given the page limitations, it's impressive that Waid manages to pack in as much characterization as he does.
The Metal Men and Dial H for Hero: What I said about Waid taking what should be a boilerplate story and turning it into something more? That definitely applies to this one. We have the clichéd "We loved you the way you were; you didn't have to change" plot that's probably appeared in dozens of Saturday morning cartoons, but Waid sprinkles in bits like the cesium line (which even someone as scientifically ignorant as me has been waiting for someone to point out to Mercury), and the final product's just a delight.
Blackhawk and the Boy Commandos: Before reading this story, I didn't care much for the Blackhawks and knew next to nothing about the Boy Commandos, and I can't say my interest in either has increased. Nevertheless, I enjoyed this quite a bit, and both groups were fun here.
Did anyone else think that one page where Brooklyn escapes was likely either a case of miscommunication between writer and penciller or of post-art script alteration? According to the word balloons, Brooklyn jammed the Orb's staff in to create a diversion, but looking only at the art, it certainly looks like he just ran away and it was the mummy who jammed the staff in to catch him! If it was a last minute change, maybe someone realized that in the earlier version the mummies have technically still won because they still have the Orb... and that *was* their goal.
The Atom and Hawkman: Out of all three, this pairing feels most like it could have supported a full issue-length story. Right from page one, with the Atom's jealousy over Carter Hall being both an intellectual and incredibly buff, you get the feeling there's a lot that could be explored in these two's interactions. Throw in Hawkman's former close association with Ray Palmer on top of it all, and there's definitely story potential here.
It's a fun story. Waid excellently utilizes the Atom's narration style from his own book, and we get a decent sense of who both these people are. That said, it makes no sense that the bio-belt and the Nth metal would screw each other up when the same thing never happened when Ray was wearing it (and given Hawkman's total surprise, I think it's safe to say it was indeed a new experience).
Batman 672
Space Medicine
-- I didn't used to understand why Grant Morrison has a reputation for confusing stories. I haven't read what I understand to be his trippier works, but people have called his mainstream superhero work confusing, too, and that I didn't get. No longer.
This issue is, quite frankly, incomprehensible. I dare anyone to make sense out of the last several pages. Everything's perfectly straightforward up until the false Batman shoots Gordon, at which point things turn lopsided.
*However*, I'm pretty sure confusion's the point and we're not supposed to understand those final pages yet. In any case, I want to read the next issue to find out just what the heck is going on, so the issue did it's job.
As for all those pages preceding the gunshot... I really liked the introductory sequence, which is delightfully cryptic. The Bruce Wayne-Jezebel Jet subplot, on the other hand, isn't working for me, and its scene this issue highlighted why. Bruce is explaining to Alfred how deeply smitten he is, listing the reasons why, and you realize almost everything he says is new information to the reader. The relationship is being developed almost entirely off-panel, which makes it hard to care about it or her.
The Flash 235
The Wild Wests, Part 5: Headlong
and
The Fast Life, Part 3 of 4
-- Waid's pilot run had a slow start, but it quickly improved, so that by now I'm in for the long haul... or I would be if he wasn't leaving in one issue. The Flash family setup he's created definitely has running legs, I think (ouch).
The way being a parent has affected Wally is... well, I can't say realistic because I haven't met many new parents, but it's certainly engaging. Waid's never been afraid to make his characters jerks from time to time, when it's logical, and I appreciate that. And given all the emphasis in so many other superhero comics on how death and pain are a superhero's constant companion, I found Wally's agreement to stop protecting his children so much very refreshing.
As for the back-up story, it's a hoot and a half. The jokes in these back-ups deviate a bit from Waid's usual style, which can probably be chalked to co-writer John Rogers. Waid's humor tends to derive from the situations the characters find themselves in or from put-downs by arrogant geniuses. The jokes here are more about word play and odd turns of phrase. Or I'm talking out of my ass; that's a possibility, too. The twist at story's end was neat.
Given that Waid's leaving so soon, I guess it's unlikely we'll see the scene where the Batman costume comes springing out of the Flash's ring. Nuts, because that might have been my favorite part of the entire All-Flash issue. Dare I hope the planned story gets moved to The Brave and the Bold?
Showing posts with label reviews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label reviews. Show all posts
Friday, January 4, 2008
Friday, May 4, 2007
Flipping Through Superman 662
Oh god, this issue... wow! This comic's back to being my favorite current superhero title. It lost its spot during the small spate of issues between this one and the end of Book 1 of Camelot Falls, but it's back in full swing as of this Wednesday. (Those issues weren't bad by any means, just not up to the same standards as the rest of the current run.) And that's something that makes me happy because this title at the top of its game is very, very enjoyable indeed.
The cover for this issue is very fitting, as this is a "Superman contemplates" issue. In fact, there's only a little action or danger in it. Not that I'm complaining, though, because Busiek handles Superman's inner thoughts very well. The Man of Steel comes off as thoughtful and human.
And this is a dense read too, in a good way. While there's not a lot of forward movement on the plots, at least as defined by "stuff" and events happening to the characters, there's still a lot going on. Looking back, I'm surprised how short (in page count) many of the scenes were because so much story is packed in them.
1: I like how the first caption has a corner shaped like the S-shield, even if it was a little weird, given that not only is it not Superman's thoughts, Superman's nowhere in the scene. Who cares, though; it looked cool.
I think ALL STAR SUPERMAN did something similar on the first caption of its first issue (not that it uses many captions), but it wasn't as prettily designed.
2: Subjekt-17 is looking more white than when we last saw him. I wonder if it's just an art thing or if all his coloration was supposed to be bruising and other injuries from his years of being experimented on, injuries that he's now completely healed of.
I'm curious as to what direction this character is going in. When we last saw him, he wanted to kill humanity because of how much it hurt him; what will he want now?
In addition to updating us on Subjekt's status, this scene also dovetails with the rest of the issue. The way even these isolated Tibetans love Superman ties in with how, as Lois Lane brings up, he's so much a part of the life and culture of DC Earth.
3: I like Power Girl's costume better without the lateral seams.
As far as I can tell with the help of an online Kryptonese alphabet key, the writing on Superman's screens on this page and the next aren't actual words but just there to look cool. Maybe I'm wrong.
The Auctioneer's appraisers didn't have those crystals sticking out of them, did they? That's a nice touch, implying that Superman incorporated sunstone tech into it when he salvaged it so that his computers could remotely control it or whatever.
Interesting that it's just "The Weight of the World," not "Camelot Falls, Part X: The Weight of the World." Up, Up, and Away and Back in Action prefaced the individual issue titles with the arc names.
I suppose this way suits this storyline better. "Camelot Falls" isn't an arc in the same way those stories were. It's not so much the A-plot but the B-plot in the background while Superman is dealing with various A-plots. Regular serial storytelling rather than the more specific arc storytelling.
4: I like that Krypto has a regular doggie bowl, and it even has his name on it in English. Not Kryptonese but English. Even here at the alien Fortress, he carries Clark Kent inside him.
5: I wonder if this Prankster panel was written as a reference to the Prankster spotlight issue, or if this was written first and the Prankster story shaped to include this scene.
6 & 7: When I saw this, I thought for a moment that we were about to get more story taking place in the future Arion showed. The prospect excited me; it was an interesting future.
9: "Dice-K blanks Monarchs 4-0." Ah, a sports reference, something that would leave me helpless but for the grace of Google. Wikipedia tells me he's a Red Sox pitcher. I still don't know what "blanks" means, of course, though I can guess from context.
It was mentioned in an issue of "Up, Up, and Away" that the Metropolis Monarchs are terrible, too.
11: I like Superman's acknowledgment of Jimmy's unwavering support of him. I like small depth-adding details like that.
12: Zatanna's wardrobe choice here is just awkward. I mean, she has a guest over. I think it's from the whole SEVEN SOLDIERS mega-miniseries.
I notice that her hair is solid black rather than the black with grey/blue highlights that Pacheco normally uses for black hair. Did Ryan Sook draw it that way in SEVEN SOLDIERS: ZATANNA?
13: Hey, it's the ARROWMSMITH font! Or something close to it. In Zatanna's backwards spell. In that mini-series (also by Busiek and Pacheco), a similar balloon and lettering was used when spells were verbally cast.
According to Zatanna's 52 bio, Arion is her ancestor. It's a little odd that she doesn't bring that up. Then again, when a man's that old, who isn't his descendant?
15: I'm not clear on whether Sirocco stopped the bullets with that wind-wall thing of his or if he literally caught them à la the Flash.
17: Most people who've heard the phrase "Al-Dabaran" probably know it as the star by that name. What's less well-known is that it's also the name of a seasonal wind that blows through Iraq. Sirocco's usage was probably more of a reference to the second.
18: I liked how Sirocco had a spiel for his fabricated origin all worked out, fancy phrasing and all. "An ifrit of air and might." C'mon Sirocco, people don't just make up phrases like that off the top of their head in the middle of a sentence!
Also, his fake origin is cool enough that part of me wishes it were true.
20: I notice that it's not just Superman's cape that's drifting freely in the water, his hair is as well. Nice touch.
I really like scenes like this, where a superhero's just casually being super. There's a real sense of wonder about that kind of juxtaposition.
Why wouldn't he take a walk at the bottom of the ocean, after all? Shades of SUPERMAN: SECRET IDENTITY.
21: I wonder if the lines Lois is reading are from an actual Three Nitwits story. I know they were scientific inventors in some of their stories.
I think this scene squarely places this issue after the Last Son arc in ACTION COMICS. I'm not reading that book, but I flipped through the newest issue of the arc and think there was a scene where Superman learns Chris's origin. He knows that Chris is from the Zone here, so this takes place after that. And since multiple Zone criminals are loose on Earth by the end of that issue, and they clearly aren't so here...
Oh, and I guess the Jupiter reference means Chris still has his powers. Or does it? Would a Kryptonian kid need naps? It's not impossible.
One of these days, I'll muster the ambition to figure out how to perform the lofty, awe-inspiring task of making a text cut so that these long entries won't hog the screen.
The cover for this issue is very fitting, as this is a "Superman contemplates" issue. In fact, there's only a little action or danger in it. Not that I'm complaining, though, because Busiek handles Superman's inner thoughts very well. The Man of Steel comes off as thoughtful and human.
And this is a dense read too, in a good way. While there's not a lot of forward movement on the plots, at least as defined by "stuff" and events happening to the characters, there's still a lot going on. Looking back, I'm surprised how short (in page count) many of the scenes were because so much story is packed in them.
1: I like how the first caption has a corner shaped like the S-shield, even if it was a little weird, given that not only is it not Superman's thoughts, Superman's nowhere in the scene. Who cares, though; it looked cool.
I think ALL STAR SUPERMAN did something similar on the first caption of its first issue (not that it uses many captions), but it wasn't as prettily designed.
2: Subjekt-17 is looking more white than when we last saw him. I wonder if it's just an art thing or if all his coloration was supposed to be bruising and other injuries from his years of being experimented on, injuries that he's now completely healed of.
I'm curious as to what direction this character is going in. When we last saw him, he wanted to kill humanity because of how much it hurt him; what will he want now?
In addition to updating us on Subjekt's status, this scene also dovetails with the rest of the issue. The way even these isolated Tibetans love Superman ties in with how, as Lois Lane brings up, he's so much a part of the life and culture of DC Earth.
3: I like Power Girl's costume better without the lateral seams.
As far as I can tell with the help of an online Kryptonese alphabet key, the writing on Superman's screens on this page and the next aren't actual words but just there to look cool. Maybe I'm wrong.
The Auctioneer's appraisers didn't have those crystals sticking out of them, did they? That's a nice touch, implying that Superman incorporated sunstone tech into it when he salvaged it so that his computers could remotely control it or whatever.
Interesting that it's just "The Weight of the World," not "Camelot Falls, Part X: The Weight of the World." Up, Up, and Away and Back in Action prefaced the individual issue titles with the arc names.
I suppose this way suits this storyline better. "Camelot Falls" isn't an arc in the same way those stories were. It's not so much the A-plot but the B-plot in the background while Superman is dealing with various A-plots. Regular serial storytelling rather than the more specific arc storytelling.
4: I like that Krypto has a regular doggie bowl, and it even has his name on it in English. Not Kryptonese but English. Even here at the alien Fortress, he carries Clark Kent inside him.
5: I wonder if this Prankster panel was written as a reference to the Prankster spotlight issue, or if this was written first and the Prankster story shaped to include this scene.
6 & 7: When I saw this, I thought for a moment that we were about to get more story taking place in the future Arion showed. The prospect excited me; it was an interesting future.
9: "Dice-K blanks Monarchs 4-0." Ah, a sports reference, something that would leave me helpless but for the grace of Google. Wikipedia tells me he's a Red Sox pitcher. I still don't know what "blanks" means, of course, though I can guess from context.
It was mentioned in an issue of "Up, Up, and Away" that the Metropolis Monarchs are terrible, too.
11: I like Superman's acknowledgment of Jimmy's unwavering support of him. I like small depth-adding details like that.
12: Zatanna's wardrobe choice here is just awkward. I mean, she has a guest over. I think it's from the whole SEVEN SOLDIERS mega-miniseries.
I notice that her hair is solid black rather than the black with grey/blue highlights that Pacheco normally uses for black hair. Did Ryan Sook draw it that way in SEVEN SOLDIERS: ZATANNA?
13: Hey, it's the ARROWMSMITH font! Or something close to it. In Zatanna's backwards spell. In that mini-series (also by Busiek and Pacheco), a similar balloon and lettering was used when spells were verbally cast.
According to Zatanna's 52 bio, Arion is her ancestor. It's a little odd that she doesn't bring that up. Then again, when a man's that old, who isn't his descendant?
15: I'm not clear on whether Sirocco stopped the bullets with that wind-wall thing of his or if he literally caught them à la the Flash.
17: Most people who've heard the phrase "Al-Dabaran" probably know it as the star by that name. What's less well-known is that it's also the name of a seasonal wind that blows through Iraq. Sirocco's usage was probably more of a reference to the second.
18: I liked how Sirocco had a spiel for his fabricated origin all worked out, fancy phrasing and all. "An ifrit of air and might." C'mon Sirocco, people don't just make up phrases like that off the top of their head in the middle of a sentence!
Also, his fake origin is cool enough that part of me wishes it were true.
20: I notice that it's not just Superman's cape that's drifting freely in the water, his hair is as well. Nice touch.
I really like scenes like this, where a superhero's just casually being super. There's a real sense of wonder about that kind of juxtaposition.
Why wouldn't he take a walk at the bottom of the ocean, after all? Shades of SUPERMAN: SECRET IDENTITY.
21: I wonder if the lines Lois is reading are from an actual Three Nitwits story. I know they were scientific inventors in some of their stories.
I think this scene squarely places this issue after the Last Son arc in ACTION COMICS. I'm not reading that book, but I flipped through the newest issue of the arc and think there was a scene where Superman learns Chris's origin. He knows that Chris is from the Zone here, so this takes place after that. And since multiple Zone criminals are loose on Earth by the end of that issue, and they clearly aren't so here...
Oh, and I guess the Jupiter reference means Chris still has his powers. Or does it? Would a Kryptonian kid need naps? It's not impossible.
One of these days, I'll muster the ambition to figure out how to perform the lofty, awe-inspiring task of making a text cut so that these long entries won't hog the screen.
Thursday, April 5, 2007
Wright-Sized Pull List, 3-28 & 4-4
Updates will be scarce for a while as I work on getting my life back in order.
***
Batman 664
Three Ghosts of Batman
-- Probably my favorite issue of Morrison's BATMAN run yet. I didn't enjoy the Batman and Son arc much -- the inter-family dynamics never surpassed the two-dimensional, it felt to me -- but this was really fun. It's nothing breathtakingly innovative or anything, just a very well-written, strong superhero story. There's nothing at all bad about "just" being that, though.
This felt like Morrison giving his ALL-STAR SUPERMAN treatment to Batman. There was that sense of the story telling us, "This is what I, Grant Morrison, see as Batman being all about," the sense of him checklisting -- and I'm not attaching any criticism to that word -- through the elements that he sees as being definitive Batman.
Even the art seemed better somehow. I've never been much of a fan of either Kubert brother, but this issue clicked for me. That shot of Batman against the neon ads oozed presence.
I'm a little worried about the whole serial-killer-dressed-as-Batman plot. There's the danger of going down the road of cliché there, what with the hero who uncovers serial killings that are being covered up because the killer has pals in high places. No, who I am I kidding? I'm not really worried. After getting so much enjoyment out of this issue, I'm in far too optimistic a mood for that.
One thing..why is the title of this issue what it is? There's the musclehead disguised as Batman, one, and the actual Batman, two... Who's number three?
Fables 59
Burning Questions
-- Argh, my question wasn't picked! Blast it, how can I sleep at night until I know what Beauty's reaction was to finding out Beast had gained control over his transformations!
I'm surprised this issue was enjoyable as it was. I've never associated Willingham's writing with rip-roaring humor. There are amusing jokes throughout FABLES, but I can't recall anything "ha-ha" funny. And the same goes for the stories here really, but it still works. It's a charming "day-in-the-life" affair, giving us some rare glimpses of the normal activities of the characters when they're, for once, not busy keeping their heads above the water. It's not something we see too much of, which is what makes it such a treat.
And the formerly-giant pigs were absolutely adorable.
Gargoyles 3
Clan-Building, Chapter 3: Invitation Only
-- With this issue, we get our first genuinely new story. It's good stuff. It's nice to see Weisman is taking advantage of the comic book medium (e.g. the first page being a splash of the invitation) instead of simply writing TV-episodes-divided-into-panels.
We see a lot of story stands here, not just an A plot and B plot, but all the way to an E plot or something. I'm fan of that sort of diversity, so I enjoyed it.
One of the things I like about the show is that one had no idea what would happen next. Anything and everything was up for grabs, nothing could be taken for granted. From what we see in this issue, it looks like the comic is continuing in that fine tradition.
What does Thailog want? Why does Demona want that crystal? How will the dinner party go? What's Mr. Hacker's real agenda? Who knows! I have no idea, and isn't that great.
Buffy Season Eight 2
The Long Way Home, Part Two
-- As I thought, now that the first issue's set-up is out of the way, the quality spikes up, here in Issue 2.
Given that Andrew never seemed to be more than a well-intentioned-but-ineffective twit on the show, I'm finding it a little bizarre that they'd make him a slayer instructor. What exactly qualifies him for such a task? It did make for a pretty funny scene, though.
I like that, like the show, despite being called BUFFY, this comic is halfway to having a true ensemble cast. We got nice moments with various main characters this issue. The spread focus keeps things fresh.
And the thrill of seeing Whedon telling Buffy stories without the constraint of a SFX budget hasn't died out.
Jack of Fables 9
Jack of Hearts, Part Three: Luck Be a Lady
-- At this point, I'm most interested in what's going on with Mr. Revise and the Pages. The hints about their past and their current goals definitely upped my curiosity and, consequently, my interest. Was that a map of some sort of Homelands counterpart to America? Hmmm.
It's interesting how Revise actually treasts Melissa with something other than mild contempt. Looks like the dynamics over at Golden Boughs aren't as simple as they first appeared.
The parts of the issue about Jack are good, too. Fun. I've said in the past that I think Jack's narration captions are somewhat overdone, but I didn't feel that way this time. For whatever reason, this time around they felt just right.
Still not a big fan of Gary, though. While the way Tony Akins draws the character's "friends" makes for terrific visuals, Gary himself doesn't interest me much. In fact, I'm kind of hoping he won't be a permanent sidekick; his abilities are helping Jack out a whole lot, while I want to see more of Jack worming his way out of nasty situations via his base cunning instead.
Superman 661
Dangerous Lady
-- There seemed to be a disconnect between this issue's art and writing in a way I can't quite put down. The body language and facial expressions of the characters weren't... specific enough? Does that make an ounce of sense?
The real highlight here is the interactions between Lois, Clark/Superman, and Diana/Wonder Woman. There's something very... convincing about it all.
I can't say the story's villain did a great deal for me. I don't find myself eager for her comeback, at least. Still, she serves her purpose well enough, and it's not like she was designed to be someone with staying power instead of a one-timer (or at least I don't think she was).
Also, the way her defeat was illustrated was lacking, in my opinion. The art for those panels conveyed very little in the way of energy or drama.
Overall, this was a decent issue, though below the standards of the rest of Busiek's run so far. (In fairness, this issue was co-plotted.)
***
Batman 664
Three Ghosts of Batman
-- Probably my favorite issue of Morrison's BATMAN run yet. I didn't enjoy the Batman and Son arc much -- the inter-family dynamics never surpassed the two-dimensional, it felt to me -- but this was really fun. It's nothing breathtakingly innovative or anything, just a very well-written, strong superhero story. There's nothing at all bad about "just" being that, though.
This felt like Morrison giving his ALL-STAR SUPERMAN treatment to Batman. There was that sense of the story telling us, "This is what I, Grant Morrison, see as Batman being all about," the sense of him checklisting -- and I'm not attaching any criticism to that word -- through the elements that he sees as being definitive Batman.
Even the art seemed better somehow. I've never been much of a fan of either Kubert brother, but this issue clicked for me. That shot of Batman against the neon ads oozed presence.
I'm a little worried about the whole serial-killer-dressed-as-Batman plot. There's the danger of going down the road of cliché there, what with the hero who uncovers serial killings that are being covered up because the killer has pals in high places. No, who I am I kidding? I'm not really worried. After getting so much enjoyment out of this issue, I'm in far too optimistic a mood for that.
One thing..why is the title of this issue what it is? There's the musclehead disguised as Batman, one, and the actual Batman, two... Who's number three?
Fables 59
Burning Questions
-- Argh, my question wasn't picked! Blast it, how can I sleep at night until I know what Beauty's reaction was to finding out Beast had gained control over his transformations!
I'm surprised this issue was enjoyable as it was. I've never associated Willingham's writing with rip-roaring humor. There are amusing jokes throughout FABLES, but I can't recall anything "ha-ha" funny. And the same goes for the stories here really, but it still works. It's a charming "day-in-the-life" affair, giving us some rare glimpses of the normal activities of the characters when they're, for once, not busy keeping their heads above the water. It's not something we see too much of, which is what makes it such a treat.
And the formerly-giant pigs were absolutely adorable.
Gargoyles 3
Clan-Building, Chapter 3: Invitation Only
-- With this issue, we get our first genuinely new story. It's good stuff. It's nice to see Weisman is taking advantage of the comic book medium (e.g. the first page being a splash of the invitation) instead of simply writing TV-episodes-divided-into-panels.
We see a lot of story stands here, not just an A plot and B plot, but all the way to an E plot or something. I'm fan of that sort of diversity, so I enjoyed it.
One of the things I like about the show is that one had no idea what would happen next. Anything and everything was up for grabs, nothing could be taken for granted. From what we see in this issue, it looks like the comic is continuing in that fine tradition.
What does Thailog want? Why does Demona want that crystal? How will the dinner party go? What's Mr. Hacker's real agenda? Who knows! I have no idea, and isn't that great.
Buffy Season Eight 2
The Long Way Home, Part Two
-- As I thought, now that the first issue's set-up is out of the way, the quality spikes up, here in Issue 2.
Given that Andrew never seemed to be more than a well-intentioned-but-ineffective twit on the show, I'm finding it a little bizarre that they'd make him a slayer instructor. What exactly qualifies him for such a task? It did make for a pretty funny scene, though.
I like that, like the show, despite being called BUFFY, this comic is halfway to having a true ensemble cast. We got nice moments with various main characters this issue. The spread focus keeps things fresh.
And the thrill of seeing Whedon telling Buffy stories without the constraint of a SFX budget hasn't died out.
Jack of Fables 9
Jack of Hearts, Part Three: Luck Be a Lady
-- At this point, I'm most interested in what's going on with Mr. Revise and the Pages. The hints about their past and their current goals definitely upped my curiosity and, consequently, my interest. Was that a map of some sort of Homelands counterpart to America? Hmmm.
It's interesting how Revise actually treasts Melissa with something other than mild contempt. Looks like the dynamics over at Golden Boughs aren't as simple as they first appeared.
The parts of the issue about Jack are good, too. Fun. I've said in the past that I think Jack's narration captions are somewhat overdone, but I didn't feel that way this time. For whatever reason, this time around they felt just right.
Still not a big fan of Gary, though. While the way Tony Akins draws the character's "friends" makes for terrific visuals, Gary himself doesn't interest me much. In fact, I'm kind of hoping he won't be a permanent sidekick; his abilities are helping Jack out a whole lot, while I want to see more of Jack worming his way out of nasty situations via his base cunning instead.
Superman 661
Dangerous Lady
-- There seemed to be a disconnect between this issue's art and writing in a way I can't quite put down. The body language and facial expressions of the characters weren't... specific enough? Does that make an ounce of sense?
The real highlight here is the interactions between Lois, Clark/Superman, and Diana/Wonder Woman. There's something very... convincing about it all.
I can't say the story's villain did a great deal for me. I don't find myself eager for her comeback, at least. Still, she serves her purpose well enough, and it's not like she was designed to be someone with staying power instead of a one-timer (or at least I don't think she was).
Also, the way her defeat was illustrated was lacking, in my opinion. The art for those panels conveyed very little in the way of energy or drama.
Overall, this was a decent issue, though below the standards of the rest of Busiek's run so far. (In fairness, this issue was co-plotted.)
Monday, March 26, 2007
Roberts-Sized Pull List, 3-21
I'm on spring break right now. If my behavior during winter break is any indication, under normal cirumstances I'd be too busy doing other things to update this blog (which I can do anywhere, including back at the university, after all). However, as it happens, I sprained my ankle yesterday, on the *very first day I returned*. So it looks like I'll be working the typing skills after all.I only made one purchase at the comic shop last week.
***
The Brave and the Bold 2
The Lords of Luck, Chapter Two: Ventura
-- I came to a realization when I finished reading this: This might just be my new favorite superhero comic. That might be a bit premature only two issues in, but I don't think so. Even though we're in the middle of a multi-issue arc, each issue has been of a fairly self-contained nature, so I think we have a pretty good grasp of what the typical issue will be like already. (Though Waid and Perez could decide to arrange any future arc in an entirely different way, I suppose. I don't know.)
And what is the typical issue like? It's 22 pages of everything one could ask for in a good superhero comic: Imagination brimming on every page (...the Hounds of Chaos!...), clever banter that almost sparkles, artwork so vivid and striking that it comes to life whether you want it to or not. Perez seems especially well-suited for this title because his style is one that can successfully pull off a wide range of settings, from the mundane and gritty to -- well, to something as fantastical as a busy, extraterrestrial Vegas-writ-large.
Okay, so the characterization might not be the deepest. Not all books need it to be, though. And given how plot-focused this series is, it's quite impressive that Waid managed to get in as much of it as he did.
Now, some random observations about this issue in particular:
-I like that the Venturans come in more than one color. Humans do, after all. In fiction, unless an alien race looks exactly like humanity (e.g. Kryptonians), all its members tend to be of only one skin color. When Supergirl's carrying Green Lantern between the spires of Ventura, there's one panel that depicts a *blue* Venturan in the foreground. Actually, this could very well simply be a coloring error. Regardless of the cause, though, what's there is there. It was a nice detail.
-When Green Lantern mentioned Ventura's policy against "chrononauts," did anyone else think the story was leading to the authorities trying to arrest Supergirl for her time with the 31st century-located Legion of Superheroes?
-Perez went to town on his design of Ventura. That's one amazing skyscape. You'd think a place that's Vegas-writ-large would look tacky and gaudy (much like the actual Vegas), and maybe in real life, this sort of scenery would be. On the comic page, though, at Perez's hands, it's amazing.
-The background of the cover seems to contain pictures of characters who'll be showing up in future issues. There's Lobo, Adam Strange, the Venturan who's wielding the haruspex, Blue Beetle, and Batman. In the lower right, cut off by the page edge, we also see Mister Miracle (ah, but which one?). Who are the remaining two images, though? One of them seems to have an antenna sticking up from the right side of his head. At first, I thought it might be the cyborg member of the Fatal Five, but I checked and he doesn't seem to have any such design feature. And the thick arm in the lower left of the cover? Looks familiar, but I can't place it with certainty...
-In the time between reading that the balding guy with frizzy hair was someone on a mission and not just some schmuck and reading that he was a Rannian, my mind went to, "Someone from the 5th dimension?" The hair, it was his hair.
-This is my first real exposure to the new Blue Beetle. Not that there's a lot to go on this issue, but he seems pretty interesting here. And that armor and those wings sure look pretty and striking. I'm getting a Peter Parker-esque vibe from him.
-Hey, are those two Tamaranians in the luxury suite? Would their inclusion constitute... continuity porn? *rimshot*
-The woman who briefly appears in the pages of the Book of Destiny before it gets re-written, should we know who she is? Why else would George Perez draw her looking human when no one else on Ventura does (save the Rannian)... unless she's a pre-existing character?
-I like how despite Green Lantern and Supergirl having power of the pretty much unlimited variety, the plot has them using their brains to try to solve their problems.
Saturday, March 17, 2007
O'Grady-Sized Pull List, 3-14
My "pull list" entries always get more hits than my others. This is probably due to people performing Google searches for thoughtful, well-written, educated reviews of their favorite comics and, not finding any, accidentally stumbling here instead.So, I will plug here my earlier entry about the fan theory about how the Superman appearing in comics for the past fourteen years is a clone. More people finding out about it can only be for the good.
***
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Eight 1
The Long Way Home, Part One
--I was a bit confused as to the official name of this comic. The letters column says "Buffy: The Long Way Home #2 on sale April 4th," which would indicate it's called BUFFY: THE LONG WAY HOME. The cover points in the same direction. However, all the press and fan buzz I've read labels it "Buffy Season Eight" or some such. And the indicia is on their side. So...?
I was trepidatious going into this because of who some of the writers for upcoming arcs will be. I was a little worried that my worry about the future would keep me from really getting into even the current Whedon-written arc.
My fears were put the rest, though, because I definitely enjoyed this issue. Not to the same extent I enjoyed my favorite episodes of the TV show perhaps, but things are just starting to get cooking here, so some leeway can be given.
Some people are saying it's too slow-paced and Whedon is writing in a way suited for TV but not comics, but I'm not sure about that. Right now, it could go either way really. But I don't think devoting one issue to setting up the current status quo and new threat is particularly outside the norm. Nor should it be. Whedon's first issue of FRAY was similarly uneventful, but by the end that mini-series certainly didn't feel ill-suited for monthly comic format.
All that said, this probably would read better in the trade, yes. But that and reading well in monthly installment format aren't mutually exclusive.
The bottom line is this: I enjoyed it, despite the uncertainty about the title's future that was on my mind.
It's certainly interesting to see Whedon's vision of BUFFY freed from the constraints of budget or the technological limits of sfx.
Fables 58
Big Scary Monsters! Part Two of Fathers and Sons
--I feel sad for Mr. North. I thought this arc would conclude in a family reconciliation, but I guess that's not in the cards. I understand why Snow and Bigby would be disgusted, but I still sympathize with the guy; I keep flashing back to those pleading eyes last issue when he asked Mistral if his son had said anything about him. He clearly wanted to patch things up badly, even if he was too proud to admit it. Instead, all he's accomplished is to turn Snow against him, too.
What can I say, I'm hoping reconciliation's still down the line and that Willingham only delayed it so that it will be that much more meaningful when it comes about.
I like that we're starting to see the cubs come into their own distinct personalities. I have trouble visually distinguishing them when they're in wolf form because some of the colors are rather similar, but that's unavoidable, I think. What's the alternative, green and purple wolves?
All in all, another solid issue.
Superman 660
The Art of the Prank
--Simply splendid. With this issue, the Prankster comes into his own, and a unique niche is carved for him within the Superman mythos. Possibly within the DC Universe as a whole, as well.
(One thing I'm unclear on: Does he actually invent his own technology or come by it through other means? He's a former kids' television show host, so it's a little odd if he's also a scientific genius. Then again, it's not impossible, especially in the context of a superhero story... )
The unconventional way this issue begins really works, really pulls the reader in while simultaneously fitting the Prankster's personality.
Busiek once again puts to use his skill at showing what makes a character tick and how s/he approaches life without being too explicit, unnatural, or obvious about it.
I do have two minor quibbles:
One, at one point the Prankster calls "Nitro G" "Harris," but his real name is something else.
Two,"Nitro G" has superpowers without any explanation where they came from. This is actually a small pet peeve I have with superhero comics in general these days. Lots and lots of them do this sort of thing. For example, I think there was an issue of BIRDS OF PREY a while back that had the heroes infilitrating a prison where, hey, one of the guards just happens to have super-strength.
It's not that there's no explanation that irks me so much as that superpowers is being treated as something commonplace and ordinary. (Edited to add: At this point, I seem to go from commenting on the latest SUPERMAN to launching into a screed that uses the latest SUPERMAN as an excuse to do so. Make no mistake, there's no real review past this point.) I'd rather that not be the case because a large part of the appeal of superheroes for me is that they take place in a world so much like our own. It's the juxtaposition of extraordinary people in such a mundane, ordinary world that does it for me. It's *our* world, with super-happenings thrown on top of it all. A world where an ordinary guy showing up with the power to generate nitroglycerin is so unextraordinary that it doesn't warrant the Prankster even asking, "How did you just do that?" is too far removed from our world, at least for me.
From what little of I've read of Silver Age comics, this wasn't the case in them. Unless it was a book like X-MEN where superpowers around every other corner was part of the premise, there was always an explanation for why the newest villain could fly. It might have been a perfunctory explanation but an explanation nonetheless.
That's the approach I'd prefer. Even if the explanation is as unremarkable as being hit by the Gene Bomb, I'd prefer it to no explanation at all.
But, aagh, I'm going on about something that probably belongs more in a separate entry. Like I said, many, many other comics do the same thing, so I can't be too hard about it. My long-windedness on the topic (all too similar to a rant, I fear) is responding to the trend in general, not the instance of it in this one story.
Image pulled from www.comics.org. What *would* I do without them?
Saturday, March 10, 2007
Dane-Sized Pull List, 3-7
I haven't been updating as much as I'd like. I'll have to fix that.
I left the comic shop with two purchases cette semaine.
***
Fantastic Four: The End 6
-- A disappointing finale for the latest of Marvel's THE END series. There were a number of things that felt off here --
a. Galactus's sudden arrival to save the day. Technically, it's not a deus ex machina because it was foreshadowed, but it's dangerously close to one.
b. Reed's odd insistence that time travel can't change the past. Obviously, the very premise of the THE END books points to a less-than-strict adherence to past continuity. Still, a change this big bugs me in a way I can't pin down. (Edited to add: On second thought, maybe it's not that big a change; there had to be some reason they never used time travel to save the day, right?)
c. For a THE END story, there's not much of a sense of finality to this tale.
I'm not sure how much water that last criticism holds. Obviously, mistaken expectations can have a negative effect on one's enjoyment of a story, but how much of the blame for mistaken expectations falls in a writer's lap?
I don't regret buying this because it's page after page of beautiful Alan Davis art. I do regret that the writing wasn't by the same Davis who gave us KILLRAVEN, JLA: THE NAIL, not to mention every single CLANDESTINE story the man ever put out. Those three works were enough to solidify his place as one of my favorite mainstream writers, despite how little of his oeuvre I've read. Unfortunately, this six-parter wasn't up to their admittedly high standards.
I will say that the Dragon Man being a member of the future Avengers was cool, though.
Shazam!: The Monster Society of Evil 2
Mary Takes The Cake!
-- I said in my comments for the first issue that I found it disappointing. Well, now this is more like it.
Things start out a bit slow, with a couple of scenes that aren't particularly bad but not especially good either, simply... there. However, from the moment the alligator men stage their reptilian revolution onwards, it's nothing but grade-A entertainment, with a deft balance between humor and drama.
I prefer my plotlines to be more complex (and no, by this I do not mean more adult or darker) than what we have here, but it's still a delightful read.
And the new Talky Tawny, née Tawky? Rocks. (And face it, in its own way, this is as radical a revamp as anything Judd Winnick is doing over in TRIALS OF SHAZAM.) I'm a bit of a sucker for talking, intelligent animals who -- and here's the important part -- still look like completely normal animals.
Now that I think about it, Waid and Perez should do a Krypto/Smith's Talky team-up in a BRAVE AND THE BOLD issue. It'd be neat to see how Perez handles an entire issue where the two protags are both four-legged animals. Oh wait, my mistake; it was Alan Moore's Radar, the Hound Supreme, who talked and thought.
I left the comic shop with two purchases cette semaine.
***
Fantastic Four: The End 6
-- A disappointing finale for the latest of Marvel's THE END series. There were a number of things that felt off here --
a. Galactus's sudden arrival to save the day. Technically, it's not a deus ex machina because it was foreshadowed, but it's dangerously close to one.
b. Reed's odd insistence that time travel can't change the past. Obviously, the very premise of the THE END books points to a less-than-strict adherence to past continuity. Still, a change this big bugs me in a way I can't pin down. (Edited to add: On second thought, maybe it's not that big a change; there had to be some reason they never used time travel to save the day, right?)
c. For a THE END story, there's not much of a sense of finality to this tale.
I'm not sure how much water that last criticism holds. Obviously, mistaken expectations can have a negative effect on one's enjoyment of a story, but how much of the blame for mistaken expectations falls in a writer's lap?
I don't regret buying this because it's page after page of beautiful Alan Davis art. I do regret that the writing wasn't by the same Davis who gave us KILLRAVEN, JLA: THE NAIL, not to mention every single CLANDESTINE story the man ever put out. Those three works were enough to solidify his place as one of my favorite mainstream writers, despite how little of his oeuvre I've read. Unfortunately, this six-parter wasn't up to their admittedly high standards.
I will say that the Dragon Man being a member of the future Avengers was cool, though.
Shazam!: The Monster Society of Evil 2
Mary Takes The Cake!
-- I said in my comments for the first issue that I found it disappointing. Well, now this is more like it.
Things start out a bit slow, with a couple of scenes that aren't particularly bad but not especially good either, simply... there. However, from the moment the alligator men stage their reptilian revolution onwards, it's nothing but grade-A entertainment, with a deft balance between humor and drama.
I prefer my plotlines to be more complex (and no, by this I do not mean more adult or darker) than what we have here, but it's still a delightful read.
And the new Talky Tawny, née Tawky? Rocks. (And face it, in its own way, this is as radical a revamp as anything Judd Winnick is doing over in TRIALS OF SHAZAM.) I'm a bit of a sucker for talking, intelligent animals who -- and here's the important part -- still look like completely normal animals.
Now that I think about it, Waid and Perez should do a Krypto/Smith's Talky team-up in a BRAVE AND THE BOLD issue. It'd be neat to see how Perez handles an entire issue where the two protags are both four-legged animals. Oh wait, my mistake; it was Alan Moore's Radar, the Hound Supreme, who talked and thought.
Sunday, March 4, 2007
DeMara-Sized Pull List, 2-21 & 2-28
Well, midterms are over (four in a single week, grumblemumble), which means I can get back to updating this blog instead of doing something useful with my life.
***
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.
***
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.
Saturday, February 17, 2007
Farr-Sized Pull List, 2-14
One of these days, I'll actually update this blog in the *middle* of a week again.
Only one comicbook purchase this week.
***
Batman 663
The Clown at Midnight
Well, you have to give Morrison points for effort, at least.
Unfortunately, this attempt at a story off the beaten track completely fizzles out towards the end when the new Joker is unveiled. Meet the new Joker... same as the old Joker? The story builds and builds to this point, only for it to turn out to be much ado about nothing. If Morrison does have ideas about how the new version of the Joker differs from the old, they're not made evident in this issue. And they really need to be for it to be effective. As things are, it's rather anticlimactic, really. What, he's *more* psychotic now? That's like making water more wet.
I see that some folks online are wondering whether this new version of the Joker will stick around or be reverted to the status quo. Well, how will they be able to tell the difference? Outside of his relationship to Harley Quinn, that is.
That said, there's plenty to recommend here if you get past the anti-climax. Morrison's prose is quite evocative, and he turns many a pretty phrase. His use of simile and metaphor is... well, it's utterly bizarre, really. But whether intentional or not, it fits the world it's describing. It lends Gotham a touch of the outlandish and surreal that feels right at home in a world where a man dressed in a bat costume engages in life-and-death struggles with costumed, larger-than-life criminals.
In general, I found the writing much better when it was setting mood or describing setting than when it was actually moving forward plot.
The Van Fleet art is, unfortunately, not my cup of tea at all. People and objects have the same overly smooth, stiff quality that I can't stand in online Poser fanart. The art on the first few pages was quite good, though.
Also, at some points the pictures don't seem to match the text. For instance, the Joker is described as removing the gauze surrounding his head with a scissor, but the art depicts him using a scalpel. And later, where Batman dives at him, we see glass trailing the Dark Knight, as if he leapt through a window. But the text indicates they were standing the same room. So where did the glass come from? Admittedly, these are minor points, though.
Only one comicbook purchase this week.
***
Batman 663
The Clown at Midnight
Well, you have to give Morrison points for effort, at least.
Unfortunately, this attempt at a story off the beaten track completely fizzles out towards the end when the new Joker is unveiled. Meet the new Joker... same as the old Joker? The story builds and builds to this point, only for it to turn out to be much ado about nothing. If Morrison does have ideas about how the new version of the Joker differs from the old, they're not made evident in this issue. And they really need to be for it to be effective. As things are, it's rather anticlimactic, really. What, he's *more* psychotic now? That's like making water more wet.
I see that some folks online are wondering whether this new version of the Joker will stick around or be reverted to the status quo. Well, how will they be able to tell the difference? Outside of his relationship to Harley Quinn, that is.
That said, there's plenty to recommend here if you get past the anti-climax. Morrison's prose is quite evocative, and he turns many a pretty phrase. His use of simile and metaphor is... well, it's utterly bizarre, really. But whether intentional or not, it fits the world it's describing. It lends Gotham a touch of the outlandish and surreal that feels right at home in a world where a man dressed in a bat costume engages in life-and-death struggles with costumed, larger-than-life criminals.
In general, I found the writing much better when it was setting mood or describing setting than when it was actually moving forward plot.
The Van Fleet art is, unfortunately, not my cup of tea at all. People and objects have the same overly smooth, stiff quality that I can't stand in online Poser fanart. The art on the first few pages was quite good, though.
Also, at some points the pictures don't seem to match the text. For instance, the Joker is described as removing the gauze surrounding his head with a scissor, but the art depicts him using a scalpel. And later, where Batman dives at him, we see glass trailing the Dark Knight, as if he leapt through a window. But the text indicates they were standing the same room. So where did the glass come from? Admittedly, these are minor points, though.
Saturday, February 10, 2007
Lang-Sized Pull List, 2-7
Anyone reading this entry should keep in mind that I was studying for an exam very late into the night the day before I read this week's purchases. As a result, I read the following comics when I was in a state of severe drowsiness. Why did I do that?
The following pseudo-reviews come with the disclaimer that, the state I was in, a comic could have contained the secret to world peace and everlasting happiness and I would have still thought, "Meh." These pseudo-reviews are probably overly critical.
***
Shazam!: The Monster Society of Evil 1
Chapter 1: Yroob Szh Z Hvxivg!
-- The art... the art in this is just great. Even with eyelids half-closed, I was cognizant of that. It's charming, pretty, expressive. It's great. That goes for Jeff Smith's linework and Steve Hamaker's colors both.
Unfortunately, the plot isn't the artwork's equal. It's not awful or anything. In fact, it's pretty good. But only *pretty* good. There's just something lacking; I can't really explain.
I mean... the story's called "The Monster Society of Evil," so I guess I expected to see monsters. Instead, this issue is dominated by a re-telling of Captain Marvel's origin. That isn't necessarily bad, but I just feel there's something... perfunctory about the execution. It covered the bases but not with enough flair to make me go, "Wow." There's a lot of charm in this book, but it radiates from the art much more than the plot.
Astro City: The Dark Age, Book Two 2
The Out-of-Towners
-- Wow, this was a meaty read. A lot happens in this issue, a lot gets thrown into the mix. By the last page, there's quite the number of threads being juggled. Good stuff.
While the reveal about the Pyramid (P.Y.R.A.M.I.D.?) rep is on the predictable side, I can't really mind because it adds an interesting complication to the Williams's lives, one I'm eager to see play out in whichever manner it will. How will they choose to respond?
And the two-page spread of dossiers: just plain cool. Twins somehow born to separate mothers... I just love bizarre stuff like that. The attention to detail is part of what makes this series so enjoyable (and, I suppose, part of how Busiek makes even the most outlandish of events feel genuine). It's also one of the most infuriating (in a good way) things about ASTRO CITY, because the nature of the series makes it so that such information gets doled out very slowly. We know all this backstory and history is out there somewhere, but we can't get at it; we can only get snatches here and there. Not that I'm complaining; I'd rather get stories than info for the sake of info. But this is why I'm crossing my fingers that the remaining character specials will focus on super-people we already know about rather than new folks.
The Apollo Eleven are a great visual. Not only is this Ross cover something I can't take my eyes off, Brent Anderson does a great job with them inside as well. They're so... otherworldly.
Fantastic Four: The End 5
-- This limited series could have used more issues, in my opinion. It's starting to feel rushed. Threats get established, but are than hastily resolved in a rather perfunctory (there's that word again) manner.
The series overall is a fun, engaging romp, but this issue felt lacking.
Still, there were some nice character moments , and it's Alan Davis on pencils, so it looks gorgeous.
Detective Comics 828
Sharkbite
-- For a moment there, I was seriously wondering if Dini was going to have Batman pull out the bat-shark-repellant (guaranteed to be the most effective at repelling bat-sharks, you betcha) as an in-joke.
Yet another solid issue by Dini and Kramer that keeps the pages turning. I'm really liking the Riddler as a law-abiding detective. His interactions with Batman have a lot of snap to them.
The following pseudo-reviews come with the disclaimer that, the state I was in, a comic could have contained the secret to world peace and everlasting happiness and I would have still thought, "Meh." These pseudo-reviews are probably overly critical.
***
Shazam!: The Monster Society of Evil 1
Chapter 1: Yroob Szh Z Hvxivg!
-- The art... the art in this is just great. Even with eyelids half-closed, I was cognizant of that. It's charming, pretty, expressive. It's great. That goes for Jeff Smith's linework and Steve Hamaker's colors both.
Unfortunately, the plot isn't the artwork's equal. It's not awful or anything. In fact, it's pretty good. But only *pretty* good. There's just something lacking; I can't really explain.
I mean... the story's called "The Monster Society of Evil," so I guess I expected to see monsters. Instead, this issue is dominated by a re-telling of Captain Marvel's origin. That isn't necessarily bad, but I just feel there's something... perfunctory about the execution. It covered the bases but not with enough flair to make me go, "Wow." There's a lot of charm in this book, but it radiates from the art much more than the plot.
Astro City: The Dark Age, Book Two 2
The Out-of-Towners
-- Wow, this was a meaty read. A lot happens in this issue, a lot gets thrown into the mix. By the last page, there's quite the number of threads being juggled. Good stuff.
While the reveal about the Pyramid (P.Y.R.A.M.I.D.?) rep is on the predictable side, I can't really mind because it adds an interesting complication to the Williams's lives, one I'm eager to see play out in whichever manner it will. How will they choose to respond?
And the two-page spread of dossiers: just plain cool. Twins somehow born to separate mothers... I just love bizarre stuff like that. The attention to detail is part of what makes this series so enjoyable (and, I suppose, part of how Busiek makes even the most outlandish of events feel genuine). It's also one of the most infuriating (in a good way) things about ASTRO CITY, because the nature of the series makes it so that such information gets doled out very slowly. We know all this backstory and history is out there somewhere, but we can't get at it; we can only get snatches here and there. Not that I'm complaining; I'd rather get stories than info for the sake of info. But this is why I'm crossing my fingers that the remaining character specials will focus on super-people we already know about rather than new folks.
The Apollo Eleven are a great visual. Not only is this Ross cover something I can't take my eyes off, Brent Anderson does a great job with them inside as well. They're so... otherworldly.
Fantastic Four: The End 5
-- This limited series could have used more issues, in my opinion. It's starting to feel rushed. Threats get established, but are than hastily resolved in a rather perfunctory (there's that word again) manner.
The series overall is a fun, engaging romp, but this issue felt lacking.
Still, there were some nice character moments , and it's Alan Davis on pencils, so it looks gorgeous.
Detective Comics 828
Sharkbite
-- For a moment there, I was seriously wondering if Dini was going to have Batman pull out the bat-shark-repellant (guaranteed to be the most effective at repelling bat-sharks, you betcha) as an in-joke.
Yet another solid issue by Dini and Kramer that keeps the pages turning. I'm really liking the Riddler as a law-abiding detective. His interactions with Batman have a lot of snap to them.
Sunday, February 4, 2007
Choi-Sized Pull List; 1-17, 1-24, & 1-31
Well, it's been a while since the last run-through, so there's some catching up to do.
***
Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis 48
Gate of Shadow, Part One
Here Be Monsters
-- I know next to nothing about the Fisherman, but the revamped version looks to be entertaining. I can't say I'm a fan of the character yet -- we haven't actually seen him do much yet -- but I'm intrigued and want to find out more.
The flashback scenes, which take place on land, were my favorite parts. Unfortunately, that this would be so serves to remind me of the fact that most high fantasy simply isn't my speed. Which is why, no matter what the Busiek mystery-project turns out be, I'm nearly certain I'll enjoy it more than his AQUAMAN. Unless it's, I-don't-know, Warlord or something. Oh, please no.
Still, this might have been my favorite issue yet. Now that the "Arthur accepting his role as Aquaman" stage is past, I'm finding the next one, "Arthur learning how to be Aquaman," more enjoyable. I'd be excited at the possibilities if I didn't know there's only more issue before Williams takes over the book, bringing with him a (possible) drastic sea change.
Fables 57
A Man's Home Is his Castle, Part One of Father and Son
-- Six monsters. Versus six cubs who we find out in this issue can change *into* monsters... Oh my, is... is this heading where it looks to be?
While the art here is stiff in places, Allred delivers what is still possibly the best fill-in art this series has had. Which makes the fact that I missed Buckingham's art more than usual odd. I think it's because this issue is particularly suited for his talents, what with the wolves loping about doing wolfish things and the emotionally-charged character interaction. Both of which Buckingham depicts especially well.
One of FABLES's greatest strengths is the way plots flow seamlessly one into the next. I don't feel the presence of the author's hand moving the pieces into position for the next arc. Obviously, it's there -- just as it is in pretty much all fiction -- but Willingham is good at obscuring it. One event leads to the next in a way that comes off as inevitable and natural. The new arrangement between Fabletown and Mr. North is a good example of that. *Of course* Fabletown'd want zephyrs to spy on Hansel and company, the reader finds himself/herself saying.
Jack of Fables 7
Jack of Hearts, Part One
Viva Las Vegas
-- It's the the little that make this for me: the background scenes containing the Pathetic Fallacy's mannequin girlfriend and her everchanging wardrobe, the napkin dispenser sticking up its hands, the roulette ball's expressive expressions, stuff like that. Hunh, come to think of it, all those bits involve the Pathetic Fallacy. Weird, as I don't like the character himself that much. He's actually *too*... er, pathetic. It's a little overdone, for me at least.
A problem with this series for me is that I can't stop comparing it to its parent title. And it suffers for it. If I could treat it as its own entity, I might be able to enjoy it more.
Ex Machina 26
Power Down, Chapter One
-- I've reached a conviction that this series reads better in trade paperbacks. I haven't quite put my finger on why yet, though.
It's nice to see what looks to be significant progress regarding the mystery of the object that gave Mitchell his powers. It's been quite a long time since we've had serious movement on that front, or at least it feels like it.
***
Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis 48
Gate of Shadow, Part One
Here Be Monsters
-- I know next to nothing about the Fisherman, but the revamped version looks to be entertaining. I can't say I'm a fan of the character yet -- we haven't actually seen him do much yet -- but I'm intrigued and want to find out more.
The flashback scenes, which take place on land, were my favorite parts. Unfortunately, that this would be so serves to remind me of the fact that most high fantasy simply isn't my speed. Which is why, no matter what the Busiek mystery-project turns out be, I'm nearly certain I'll enjoy it more than his AQUAMAN. Unless it's, I-don't-know, Warlord or something. Oh, please no.
Still, this might have been my favorite issue yet. Now that the "Arthur accepting his role as Aquaman" stage is past, I'm finding the next one, "Arthur learning how to be Aquaman," more enjoyable. I'd be excited at the possibilities if I didn't know there's only more issue before Williams takes over the book, bringing with him a (possible) drastic sea change.
Fables 57
A Man's Home Is his Castle, Part One of Father and Son
-- Six monsters. Versus six cubs who we find out in this issue can change *into* monsters... Oh my, is... is this heading where it looks to be?
While the art here is stiff in places, Allred delivers what is still possibly the best fill-in art this series has had. Which makes the fact that I missed Buckingham's art more than usual odd. I think it's because this issue is particularly suited for his talents, what with the wolves loping about doing wolfish things and the emotionally-charged character interaction. Both of which Buckingham depicts especially well.
One of FABLES's greatest strengths is the way plots flow seamlessly one into the next. I don't feel the presence of the author's hand moving the pieces into position for the next arc. Obviously, it's there -- just as it is in pretty much all fiction -- but Willingham is good at obscuring it. One event leads to the next in a way that comes off as inevitable and natural. The new arrangement between Fabletown and Mr. North is a good example of that. *Of course* Fabletown'd want zephyrs to spy on Hansel and company, the reader finds himself/herself saying.
Jack of Fables 7
Jack of Hearts, Part One
Viva Las Vegas
-- It's the the little that make this for me: the background scenes containing the Pathetic Fallacy's mannequin girlfriend and her everchanging wardrobe, the napkin dispenser sticking up its hands, the roulette ball's expressive expressions, stuff like that. Hunh, come to think of it, all those bits involve the Pathetic Fallacy. Weird, as I don't like the character himself that much. He's actually *too*... er, pathetic. It's a little overdone, for me at least.
A problem with this series for me is that I can't stop comparing it to its parent title. And it suffers for it. If I could treat it as its own entity, I might be able to enjoy it more.
Ex Machina 26
Power Down, Chapter One
-- I've reached a conviction that this series reads better in trade paperbacks. I haven't quite put my finger on why yet, though.
It's nice to see what looks to be significant progress regarding the mystery of the object that gave Mitchell his powers. It's been quite a long time since we've had serious movement on that front, or at least it feels like it.
Saturday, January 6, 2007
Van Dyne-Sized Pull List, 12-28 & 1-4
With both SUPERMAN and ALL-STAR SUPERMAN having come out, this must have been a happy week for the Supermaniacs out there.
BATMAN came out this week (or at least it did for me due to the West Coast shipment delay), the latest chapter in the Grotesk storyline, and while I do plan on buying it, I haven't done so yet. I was already purchasing four separate comics this week (again, West Coast delays), and I just couldn't bear to also pay for a fifth. Yeah, I know that since I'll be buying it later, it'll be the exact same amount of money in the long run. But somehow it *feels* like I'm spending less.
***
All-Star Superman 6
Funeral in Smallville
-- In the past, I enjoyed the adjectiveless SUPERMAN more than the ALL-STAR SUPERMAN of the same month (when there was an ALL-STAR issue that month, that is), but this was the first time it was the other way around. This is not because the former was less good than usual but rather because the latter was just especially good this time around.
This issue feeds both the heart and the imagination, telling the touching tale of how Pa Kent shaped his son's life against a backdrop of chronal entity-beasts and Supermen (Supermen or Supermans?) of other centuries.
As a colorful team of time-travelling heroes inspired by the example of Superman that the Man of Tomorrow himself joins, the Superman Squad seems to fill the role that previously belonged to the Legion of Superheroes. I'd say they work that role better than the Legion actually. Or at least they do in stories about Superman. Obviously, between the two, the Legion better suited to star in their own series, since a superhero team in which everyone's a variation of one another would be problematic... though that could be kind of interesting in it's own way, too.
Fantastic Four: The End 4
For a THE END story, this really doesn't feel much like one. So far, it comes off as a normal Fantastic Four story, only with the setting slid decades forward into the future. There's nothing about it that makes it feel like a conclusion or ending to their saga.
That's not to say it's not enjoyable, which it is. I really like that I have honestly no idea where this is heading anymore. Just when you think you have a handle on the shape of the plot, Davis throws in another villain-shaped monkey wrench (e.g. the Mole Man -- Me: "What's he doing there?!", Annihilus -- Me: "And now *he* claims to be responsible??")
My only complaint is that we're halfway through and we still haven't seen much of the Fantastic Four interacting as a group. There's some Johnny and Ben stuff now that they've been together since last issue, but other than that... A lot of the power of the F4's concept and characterization comes from their group interaction, so its absence deprives the story of a certain something.
Jack of Fables 6
Jack Frost, Part 1
-- I got bored with the first arc fairly quickly, but I didn't care much for FABLES's first arc either, so I decided to keep buying in case there'd be a turnaround like there was for the parent title. Well, after reading this issue, I think I made the right decision. This was a quirky, enjoyable romp, reminding me of the Jack solo stories in FABLES.
The interruptions in the style of public service broadcasts -- hilarious.
Still, I have to say that I thought there was some truth in Revise's complaint that this story didn't need two full issues. I felt this chapter, at least, didn't warrant a full 22 pages. Jack's seduction of Lumi, apart from how he ousts Waldemar, is fairly by-the-numbers. Enjoyable? Yes. But also too much on the predictable side to support so much story focus in my opinion. How else does the tricky rogue wins the naive queen's heart than with proclamations of feigned love?
That last page transformation, on the other hand -- it doesn't look like *next issue* will have the problem of being predictable. I didn't see this coming at all, and I'm eager too see how Jack'll no doubt royally screw *this* up.
Each previous issue had a description of the plot by Jack under the issue title, as well as a next issue blurb narrated in his words. I'm glad those were dropped for this two-parter because they were becoming tedious. Hopefully, they'll appear only in moderation in the future. I have no problem with them whatsoever when they're done in third-person omniscient; however, when it's Jack of the Tales doing the talking, they're fun at first but after a while...
I'm still concerned that Jack's a personality that'll become tedious in the spotlight month in and month out, the way his next issue blurbs quickly became tedious. I wasn't fed up with him this issue though, and hopefully Willingham and Sturges will be able to make it stay that way.
On the visual front, I thought the art was too... shrill, given the fanciful setting of the story.
SUPERMAN 658
The Last Tomorrow
-- "This issue feeds both the heart and the imagination." I said that about this month's issue of ALL-STAR SUPERMAN, but it applies here, too. Perhaps nowhere is this more evident than the page where the Parasite dies. We have the tragedy of that, a man brought down by a love not even truly his, and Lois's multi-layered reaction, and then we transition to... protoplasmic golems and alien Automaton Bloodhounds. And more, it fits; they don't clash, one does not undermine the other. Busiek's ability to go from raw emotional realism to a sense of wonder, one flowing natural-like into the other, is as present here as in the best ASTRO CITY issues.
I wonder how many people thought what Arion was leading up to was an insistence that Superman needed to be willing to kill when the situation demands it? It certainly seemed that way at a couple of points, huh?
DETECTIVE COMICS 827
-- Ah, I'll get to it later. It's reached dinnertime now.
BATMAN came out this week (or at least it did for me due to the West Coast shipment delay), the latest chapter in the Grotesk storyline, and while I do plan on buying it, I haven't done so yet. I was already purchasing four separate comics this week (again, West Coast delays), and I just couldn't bear to also pay for a fifth. Yeah, I know that since I'll be buying it later, it'll be the exact same amount of money in the long run. But somehow it *feels* like I'm spending less.
***
All-Star Superman 6
Funeral in Smallville
-- In the past, I enjoyed the adjectiveless SUPERMAN more than the ALL-STAR SUPERMAN of the same month (when there was an ALL-STAR issue that month, that is), but this was the first time it was the other way around. This is not because the former was less good than usual but rather because the latter was just especially good this time around.
This issue feeds both the heart and the imagination, telling the touching tale of how Pa Kent shaped his son's life against a backdrop of chronal entity-beasts and Supermen (Supermen or Supermans?) of other centuries.
As a colorful team of time-travelling heroes inspired by the example of Superman that the Man of Tomorrow himself joins, the Superman Squad seems to fill the role that previously belonged to the Legion of Superheroes. I'd say they work that role better than the Legion actually. Or at least they do in stories about Superman. Obviously, between the two, the Legion better suited to star in their own series, since a superhero team in which everyone's a variation of one another would be problematic... though that could be kind of interesting in it's own way, too.
Fantastic Four: The End 4
For a THE END story, this really doesn't feel much like one. So far, it comes off as a normal Fantastic Four story, only with the setting slid decades forward into the future. There's nothing about it that makes it feel like a conclusion or ending to their saga.
That's not to say it's not enjoyable, which it is. I really like that I have honestly no idea where this is heading anymore. Just when you think you have a handle on the shape of the plot, Davis throws in another villain-shaped monkey wrench (e.g. the Mole Man -- Me: "What's he doing there?!", Annihilus -- Me: "And now *he* claims to be responsible??")
My only complaint is that we're halfway through and we still haven't seen much of the Fantastic Four interacting as a group. There's some Johnny and Ben stuff now that they've been together since last issue, but other than that... A lot of the power of the F4's concept and characterization comes from their group interaction, so its absence deprives the story of a certain something.
Jack of Fables 6
Jack Frost, Part 1
-- I got bored with the first arc fairly quickly, but I didn't care much for FABLES's first arc either, so I decided to keep buying in case there'd be a turnaround like there was for the parent title. Well, after reading this issue, I think I made the right decision. This was a quirky, enjoyable romp, reminding me of the Jack solo stories in FABLES.
The interruptions in the style of public service broadcasts -- hilarious.
Still, I have to say that I thought there was some truth in Revise's complaint that this story didn't need two full issues. I felt this chapter, at least, didn't warrant a full 22 pages. Jack's seduction of Lumi, apart from how he ousts Waldemar, is fairly by-the-numbers. Enjoyable? Yes. But also too much on the predictable side to support so much story focus in my opinion. How else does the tricky rogue wins the naive queen's heart than with proclamations of feigned love?
That last page transformation, on the other hand -- it doesn't look like *next issue* will have the problem of being predictable. I didn't see this coming at all, and I'm eager too see how Jack'll no doubt royally screw *this* up.
Each previous issue had a description of the plot by Jack under the issue title, as well as a next issue blurb narrated in his words. I'm glad those were dropped for this two-parter because they were becoming tedious. Hopefully, they'll appear only in moderation in the future. I have no problem with them whatsoever when they're done in third-person omniscient; however, when it's Jack of the Tales doing the talking, they're fun at first but after a while...
I'm still concerned that Jack's a personality that'll become tedious in the spotlight month in and month out, the way his next issue blurbs quickly became tedious. I wasn't fed up with him this issue though, and hopefully Willingham and Sturges will be able to make it stay that way.
On the visual front, I thought the art was too... shrill, given the fanciful setting of the story.
SUPERMAN 658
The Last Tomorrow
-- "This issue feeds both the heart and the imagination." I said that about this month's issue of ALL-STAR SUPERMAN, but it applies here, too. Perhaps nowhere is this more evident than the page where the Parasite dies. We have the tragedy of that, a man brought down by a love not even truly his, and Lois's multi-layered reaction, and then we transition to... protoplasmic golems and alien Automaton Bloodhounds. And more, it fits; they don't clash, one does not undermine the other. Busiek's ability to go from raw emotional realism to a sense of wonder, one flowing natural-like into the other, is as present here as in the best ASTRO CITY issues.
I wonder how many people thought what Arion was leading up to was an insistence that Superman needed to be willing to kill when the situation demands it? It certainly seemed that way at a couple of points, huh?
DETECTIVE COMICS 827
-- Ah, I'll get to it later. It's reached dinnertime now.
Thursday, December 21, 2006
Cray-Sized Pull List, 12-20
I've decided to add a "Will I re-read it anytime soon" part to all of my so-called reviews. It's pretty self-explanatory, neh? (Reference to one of this week's comics for the self-win.) Just another tweak as I figure out what format best appeals to me. As usual, here there be SPOILERS:
Batman 660
Grotesk, Part 2
-- I somehow didn't see this on the stands last week, so I bought it during this one.
Wow, Johnny Karaoke's really cool, not to mention a lot of fun. And, of course, it's always nice to see more Asian characters around.
This was a decent issue, but I found the way it ended pretty strange, very abrupt. The final page/panel (it was a splash, so they're one and the same) isn't really a proper ending. I know it's part two of a four-part story, but individual chapters of a multi-parter usually still have a structure to them; even when the ending's a cliffhanger, it's still some kind of chapter conclusion. What we had here was... just a scene that happens; it *felt* like something that'd have more pages following it.
My guess as to the killer's identity: It's the sister, Amina Franklin. She, and not her brother, is the person behind Grotesk.
-- Will I re-read it anytime soon: No.
Fables 56
Jiminy Christmas
-- It took me a while to get into Fables, but I'm glad I stuck with it because I'm now really liking it month in and month out. This issue was simply delightful, from the surprising gag at the start to the warm character interaction at the end.
Those readers who are bereft of souls will no doubt complain about how Santa delivering presents to mundies makes no sense because the Fables are legally required to keep their existence strictly secret. But, well... they have no souls.
It's interesting how, with 1001 Nights of Snowfall (one *great* book) having been released, references to its stories snowballed in this ish. I wonder if Willingham will continue referencing it to such an extent in future issues.
-- Will I re-read it anytime soon: No.
Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis 47
Crown of Thorns, Part II: Coral Song
-- Reading this title gives me a strange feeling. I can't fully immerse myself in the story because I know a new writer's taking over in just a few more issues, before Busiek'll be able to bring everything to its conclusion. Every time we see a new development in the larger story or the beginning of a new subplot, I can't get too excited over the question, "Where's this headed?" because I know the answer might end up being, "Not where it was originally intended," or even, "Nowhere." I have no idea how many of the seeds Busiek sowed Williams will pick up, but even for those he does, there'll be the knowledge that we're not seeing the original vision those seeds were planted for. Heck, I'm not even sure I'll be sticking with Williams's run; I haven't read enough of his work to guess how much I'll like his writing.
This issue works as much as an example of the above as any. Here we have some nice seed-sowing, with the appearance of the coral-haired girl, the introduction of Reef's End, and the "thornéd crown" prophecy. It's a nice setup job for future issues, but since that setup *might* end up being for naught...
Don't get me wrong, I have no problem with completely stand-alone stories that have no impact on the future. That's why I dislike it when people use the pejorative term "filler," as if there's something bad about a story that doesn't contribute to some grand arc. However, in this particular story's case, a large part of its appeal *comes* from what it sets up for later. What it sets up might come to fruition, true; even if Williams chooses to not follow up, Busiek still has two issues left. Still, knowing of the *possibility* that it won't affects me.
Because of all this, I couldn't really get into this issue, couldn't commit myself to the reading experience. Not with these nagging thoughts in the back of my head.
-- Will I re-read it anytime soon: No.
Batman 660
Grotesk, Part 2
-- I somehow didn't see this on the stands last week, so I bought it during this one.
Wow, Johnny Karaoke's really cool, not to mention a lot of fun. And, of course, it's always nice to see more Asian characters around.
This was a decent issue, but I found the way it ended pretty strange, very abrupt. The final page/panel (it was a splash, so they're one and the same) isn't really a proper ending. I know it's part two of a four-part story, but individual chapters of a multi-parter usually still have a structure to them; even when the ending's a cliffhanger, it's still some kind of chapter conclusion. What we had here was... just a scene that happens; it *felt* like something that'd have more pages following it.
My guess as to the killer's identity: It's the sister, Amina Franklin. She, and not her brother, is the person behind Grotesk.
-- Will I re-read it anytime soon: No.
Fables 56
Jiminy Christmas
-- It took me a while to get into Fables, but I'm glad I stuck with it because I'm now really liking it month in and month out. This issue was simply delightful, from the surprising gag at the start to the warm character interaction at the end.
Those readers who are bereft of souls will no doubt complain about how Santa delivering presents to mundies makes no sense because the Fables are legally required to keep their existence strictly secret. But, well... they have no souls.
It's interesting how, with 1001 Nights of Snowfall (one *great* book) having been released, references to its stories snowballed in this ish. I wonder if Willingham will continue referencing it to such an extent in future issues.
-- Will I re-read it anytime soon: No.
Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis 47
Crown of Thorns, Part II: Coral Song
-- Reading this title gives me a strange feeling. I can't fully immerse myself in the story because I know a new writer's taking over in just a few more issues, before Busiek'll be able to bring everything to its conclusion. Every time we see a new development in the larger story or the beginning of a new subplot, I can't get too excited over the question, "Where's this headed?" because I know the answer might end up being, "Not where it was originally intended," or even, "Nowhere." I have no idea how many of the seeds Busiek sowed Williams will pick up, but even for those he does, there'll be the knowledge that we're not seeing the original vision those seeds were planted for. Heck, I'm not even sure I'll be sticking with Williams's run; I haven't read enough of his work to guess how much I'll like his writing.
This issue works as much as an example of the above as any. Here we have some nice seed-sowing, with the appearance of the coral-haired girl, the introduction of Reef's End, and the "thornéd crown" prophecy. It's a nice setup job for future issues, but since that setup *might* end up being for naught...
Don't get me wrong, I have no problem with completely stand-alone stories that have no impact on the future. That's why I dislike it when people use the pejorative term "filler," as if there's something bad about a story that doesn't contribute to some grand arc. However, in this particular story's case, a large part of its appeal *comes* from what it sets up for later. What it sets up might come to fruition, true; even if Williams chooses to not follow up, Busiek still has two issues left. Still, knowing of the *possibility* that it won't affects me.
Because of all this, I couldn't really get into this issue, couldn't commit myself to the reading experience. Not with these nagging thoughts in the back of my head.
-- Will I re-read it anytime soon: No.
Saturday, December 16, 2006
Pym-Sized Pull List, 12-13
I think I'm going to drop making the spoiler text semi-invisible. Aside from the fact that something like that is pointless when my reviews have an audience of one (namely myself), it feels like an unnecessary hassle. I figure, if someone wants to read my comments -- God only knows why -- merely providing a spoiler warning should suffice, so... SPOILERS ahead. Bought three comics this week.
Fantastic Four: The End 3
--I'm not sure why I'm not liking this mini-series more. I loved Alan Davis's JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA: THE NAIL Elseworld, and this has all the ingredients of that. They're both out-of-continuity stories with a overarcing mystery, one whose direction I can't begin to guess but at the same time keeps moving forward. Yet at the same time, this mini-series is different enough not to feel unoriginal.
Maybe it's because the DC Universe was a lot fresher and newer to me when I read THE NAIL than the Marvel-verse is to me now, so the sense of discovery is dampened. Maybe it's because I built my expectations too high due to just how much I liked THE NAIL, to the point where *anything* was bound to disappoint. Maybe this type of mystery tale reads better in trade format, where you can see how everything's cohering into the big picture in one go. Heck, maybe it even has to do with the absence of Pat Prentice's lettering. Davis's work just doesn't look the same without it, darnitall, though I realize that has more to do with how used to it I am than any flaws in FANTASTIC FOUR: THE END's letterer, Dave Lanphear.
All that said, I did enjoy this issue, just as I did the previous two. Something doesn't have to be up to THE NAIL's quality to be good. Plus, the art, as ever, is *gorgeous*.
Ex Machina 25
Standalone
--A single-issue story devoted to flashbacks of a supporting character's life is something Vaughan's done a couple of times over in Y: The Last Man. I could never really get into that series, though, and eventually dropped it. When I saw that he was doing the same kind of one-shot here, I became excited to see what my reaction would be to the approach being used on characters I was actually interested in.
In the end, I have to say that yes, it was enjoyable, but it's not up to par with a regular issue of EX MACHINA. This kind of thing is a fine example of showing rather than telling, letting us see what's shaped Bradbury into who he is without spelling it out for us. It's a little drawn out, though; regardless of whether the information was shown or told, it didn't feel like there was enough information there to take up a whole issue. As a result, some parts of the flashbacks came off as filler, contributing to the portrait of Bradbury in too tiny a way to be worth the pages used. Maybe this kind of story isn't suited for the standard 22-pages but instead suits a shorter format? I don't know.
Gargoyles 2
Clan Building, Chapter 2: The Journey
--From what I can remember of the episode this issue (and the previous) was adapted from, Greg Weisman was very, very faithful. Understandable, since he wrote the original episode. Unfortunately, it's a plot that works better on the screen than in the comics medium. Goliath jumping around from rooftop to rooftop, evading the helicopter and its guns that are hot on his heels, that's something that works better when the audience can see movement. Here, it winds up being a tad monotonous. Then again, maybe that feeling had more to do with the fact that, having seen the original episode, I already knew where everything was headed.
I supposed this issue was as enjoyable as could be expected given that I'd already seen the (near) exact story. Next issue, when we move on to *new* stories, should be when thing really start firing up; I'm quite looking forward to it.
Fantastic Four: The End 3
--I'm not sure why I'm not liking this mini-series more. I loved Alan Davis's JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA: THE NAIL Elseworld, and this has all the ingredients of that. They're both out-of-continuity stories with a overarcing mystery, one whose direction I can't begin to guess but at the same time keeps moving forward. Yet at the same time, this mini-series is different enough not to feel unoriginal.
Maybe it's because the DC Universe was a lot fresher and newer to me when I read THE NAIL than the Marvel-verse is to me now, so the sense of discovery is dampened. Maybe it's because I built my expectations too high due to just how much I liked THE NAIL, to the point where *anything* was bound to disappoint. Maybe this type of mystery tale reads better in trade format, where you can see how everything's cohering into the big picture in one go. Heck, maybe it even has to do with the absence of Pat Prentice's lettering. Davis's work just doesn't look the same without it, darnitall, though I realize that has more to do with how used to it I am than any flaws in FANTASTIC FOUR: THE END's letterer, Dave Lanphear.
All that said, I did enjoy this issue, just as I did the previous two. Something doesn't have to be up to THE NAIL's quality to be good. Plus, the art, as ever, is *gorgeous*.
Ex Machina 25
Standalone
--A single-issue story devoted to flashbacks of a supporting character's life is something Vaughan's done a couple of times over in Y: The Last Man. I could never really get into that series, though, and eventually dropped it. When I saw that he was doing the same kind of one-shot here, I became excited to see what my reaction would be to the approach being used on characters I was actually interested in.
In the end, I have to say that yes, it was enjoyable, but it's not up to par with a regular issue of EX MACHINA. This kind of thing is a fine example of showing rather than telling, letting us see what's shaped Bradbury into who he is without spelling it out for us. It's a little drawn out, though; regardless of whether the information was shown or told, it didn't feel like there was enough information there to take up a whole issue. As a result, some parts of the flashbacks came off as filler, contributing to the portrait of Bradbury in too tiny a way to be worth the pages used. Maybe this kind of story isn't suited for the standard 22-pages but instead suits a shorter format? I don't know.
Gargoyles 2
Clan Building, Chapter 2: The Journey
--From what I can remember of the episode this issue (and the previous) was adapted from, Greg Weisman was very, very faithful. Understandable, since he wrote the original episode. Unfortunately, it's a plot that works better on the screen than in the comics medium. Goliath jumping around from rooftop to rooftop, evading the helicopter and its guns that are hot on his heels, that's something that works better when the audience can see movement. Here, it winds up being a tad monotonous. Then again, maybe that feeling had more to do with the fact that, having seen the original episode, I already knew where everything was headed.
I supposed this issue was as enjoyable as could be expected given that I'd already seen the (near) exact story. Next issue, when we move on to *new* stories, should be when thing really start firing up; I'm quite looking forward to it.
Thursday, December 7, 2006
Palmer-Sized Pull List, 12-7
Yeah, the previous entry? Witness the workings of an overworked college student's mind in the middle of self-destructing, as it makes a desperate bid to relieve tension.
Anyway, here's my review for the comics I bought Wednesday. In this case, "comic" singular, as that's all I purchased. Spoilers ahead, natch.
Batman 826: Slayride
Writer: Paul Dini, Penciller: Don Kramer
--Another engaging stand-alone by Dini. So far, the only one I haven't cared for is the Poison Ivy tale. This one's a bit different in that it's *absolutely* stand-alone. In the previous issues, there's always been at least a small mention of something from earlier in the run, like the Riddler's ad running on TV.
Overall, the stand-alone structure is proving to be enjoyable, but at the same time, I don't feel a pressing desire to purchase the next issue each month. The stories are fun but don't feel weighty. I prefer stuff with more characterization, characterization that digs further in. And I'll never get the popularity of the Joker, I think.
Kramer's artwork is pretty good, but his Dick Grayson looked too much like Bruce here. Heck, I thought that's who he was at first.
Keep in mind that I don't love the animated series the way most do. I thought it was decent, but I don't see myself going out of the way to watch episodes again.
Also, another historical moment in APLOMB's history. I received my first "visitor who found his/her way here through bizarre searchwords." Someone was looking for: flash superhero superman dc comics -rom -memory -game -psp -actionscript -video -flex. That's getting pretty specific. Huh.
Anyway, here's my review for the comics I bought Wednesday. In this case, "comic" singular, as that's all I purchased. Spoilers ahead, natch.
Batman 826: Slayride
Writer: Paul Dini, Penciller: Don Kramer
--Another engaging stand-alone by Dini. So far, the only one I haven't cared for is the Poison Ivy tale. This one's a bit different in that it's *absolutely* stand-alone. In the previous issues, there's always been at least a small mention of something from earlier in the run, like the Riddler's ad running on TV.
Overall, the stand-alone structure is proving to be enjoyable, but at the same time, I don't feel a pressing desire to purchase the next issue each month. The stories are fun but don't feel weighty. I prefer stuff with more characterization, characterization that digs further in. And I'll never get the popularity of the Joker, I think.
Kramer's artwork is pretty good, but his Dick Grayson looked too much like Bruce here. Heck, I thought that's who he was at first.
Keep in mind that I don't love the animated series the way most do. I thought it was decent, but I don't see myself going out of the way to watch episodes again.
Also, another historical moment in APLOMB's history. I received my first "visitor who found his/her way here through bizarre searchwords." Someone was looking for: flash superhero superman dc comics -rom -memory -game -psp -actionscript -video -flex. That's getting pretty specific. Huh.
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