Showing posts with label bongo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bongo. Show all posts
Monday, July 28, 2008
What I Read This Week
glamourpuss #2 -- Dave Sim's schitzophrenic juxtaposition of high fashion, subversive satire, and the history of cartooning continues here, with more focus on our de facto star glamourpuss, plus an appearance by her evil twin, Skanko. Sim's work has never been straight-forward in my experience, but this is really out there, ranging from glamourpuss talking about how a lot of the world's problems could be solved by beautiful women flying into hotspots and staring down the "mama's boys" until they cracked, to Sim examining how everything from the art styles Jack Kirby and Bruce Timm relate back to Terry And The Pirates. Luckily, just because it's out there doesn't mean it's not good reading.
Futurama Comics #38 -- Trapped on a primitive jungle planet -- the only have dialup, for instance -- Leela becomes the queen of a tribe of nerds who ship books from the Amazon. Meanwhile, Fry tries to avenge Bender's untimely destruction by wearing his body as a suit of armor in what may be the greatest parody of Tales Of Suspense #39 ever ("Get out of here, you owls!"). Your usual array of wacky Bongo hijinks and comic book riffs, including the blonde muscleman known as 56K-Zar, king of the jungle.
Two-Face: Year One #1 -- Mark Sable and Jesus Saiz team up to explore the early days of ADA Harvey Dent, working to shut down the mob in Gotham City and dodging allegations that he is the Holiday Killer, all while controlling his own inner rage. I really enjoyed this story (admittedly, I am biased... I mean, Two-Face) because it ties into what has already come before -- namely The Long Halloween -- while still offering a new and different tale of the young and idealistic Dent. (There's a funny bit which ties directly into a character's murder in Long Halloween which at first seems contradictory, but in the end makes sense.) If you like Two-Face as a character then you should definitely check this series out -- stinks that we have to wait till September to get the second issue!
Captain Action: First Mission, Last Day -- In the 1960s, a secret government organization is convened to battle the silent alien menace of the Red Crawl -- the ACTION Directorate and their champion, Captain Action! A "comic novella" (that is, a text story with accompanying illustration) of the original Captain Action, this reads like a Destroyer novel with lots of science fiction overtones. Nicieza is game here, and his prose has a nice style to it which plants it firmly in the men's adventure genre, as I said. The illustrations, provided by Ruben Procopio, are nice pinup style pictures, and provide a nice visual aid for some of the more outlandish images Nicieza describes verbally. While I know that Moonstone is intending on using the young Captain as seen in their #0 issue as the star of their future stories, I would very much like to see more tales like this one featuring the original, "classic" Captain Action as well. The only major drawback here is some confusing copy-editing problems in the text that really should have been caught in proofreading. Other than that, very enjoyable.
The Pick Of The Pile is Two-Face: Year One. Yeah, probably a bit obvious for me, but I really enjoyed that issue, which is saying something considering that all four of these were very, very good comic books.
So what did YOU read this week?
Monday, June 2, 2008
What I Read This Week
Well, it seems that the links below didn't work as well as I thought via email, so hopefully these will work out better!
Action Comics #865 -- After Lex Luthor and Brainiac, Superman's rogues gallery has traditionally not been the strongest. A change to that staus quo starts here as Geoff Johns and Jesus Merino pull a "Rogue Profile" on Toyman. Who is Winslow Schott? Is he the gentle toymaker who was pushed into a life of crime? Or the cold, monsterous child murderer? Johns made these types of tales on of his trademarks on Flash, and it works equally well here, as we feel some sympathy for Toyman while at the same time not too much sympathy. I really liked Merino's rendition of the grotesque "classic" Prankster as well. About the only complaint I have from this issue is the cover by Kevin Maguire, which looks nothing like any version of the Toyman seen within. Worth picking up if you like the classic Superman foes.
Justice League of America #21 -- I picked this one up on a recommendation from several people, including Lilbones. And, I must admit, as a prelude to Final Crisis (see below), this is a pretty enjoyable comic book. The talky bits with the "Big Three" were a little tedious, and somewhat hard to follow, but the balance of the issue, dealing with the Human Flame and Libra, were very well done; I'd have taken that part of the issue as a sort of Final Crisis #0. McDuffie's script meanders a bit at first, but settles down in the second half, while Pacheo's style is well suited to the action elements. Still not really an issue of Justice League, but otherwise worthwhile reading.
Final Crisis #1 -- Or, Grant Morrison and JG Jones Destroy The DC Universe. Well, honestly it doesn't come to all that in the first issue, but as far as first issues of such things go, this one is quite good. Beginning with Metron giving Anthro the gift of Knowledge (in the form of fire) and then following "Terrible" Dan Turpin hunting down some missing kids, and seguing into Libra demonstrating a sample of his power, I thought that this issue crammed a lot into it's page count and made me hungry for more. And that's pretty much all I asked of it. Two points. First, the death which we have all known about for such a long time happened in such an unusual way that I was unsure what to feel about it, and still am. I mean, I know it's comic book death, but the handling of it was a little... odd. And secondly, DC is using the "low gloss" paper which has shown up on a few other projects I have seen from them lately, including House of Mystery. This paper rocks!
Futurama Comics #37 -- Stuck on a farming plnet inhabited by giant robots called the (wait for it) Transfarmers, Fry and Leela, along with super-stud Zap Branigan, must find a way to escape or else end up as victims of a pest-control protocol. Meanwhile, back on Earth, Bender has a few magnetic problems of his own. Any comic which opens with a whole planet acting like Pac-Man, features a barn turning into a giant robot, and a plan by Zap Branigan to build an army though "making it" with the women is pure gold.
Dead, She Said #1 -- Another pickup thanks to Lilbones' suggestion, this pairing of Steve Niles and Bernie Wightson seems pretty obvious after the fact. Following gumeshoe Coogan, who seemingly had a very bad night, as he tries to find the guy who shot him, leads down a lot of weird alleys in the big city, as well as out in the coutry. Some nice hard-boiled stuff, with big heaping helping of strange mystery on top of that. So far, this one has a lot of potential for awesomeness.
The Pick Of The Pile is a tough call, mainly between Final Crisis and Dead, She Said. I am going to give it to Final Crisis just because of the anticipation that I have had for it, which the issue itself did nothing to deflate. Dead, She Said was quite cool as well, and a very welcome surprise since I knew nothing about it going in.
So what did YOU read this week?
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
What I Read This Week
Well, I managed to get the Weekly Dose and Links posted (early, even!) but a mix-up at work left this post unfufilled until today. What a revoltin' development.
Tiny Titans #2 -- Started to get annoyed now, as Borderlands still has not received copy one of this title.
Freddy vs Jason vs Ash #6 -- This one was not on the Diamond list for last week, nor did I see it, but evidently it was released. Hopefully I can find it this week.
Batman And The Outsiders #5 -- Moving on to comics I actually did manage to purchase, we catch up with Batman's covert crew in the South American jungle, trying to prevent the mysterious Mr. Jardine from making his space shot. A lot of action this time out, as the Outsiders have to deal with Jardine's mercenaries, including the heavy hitter, Militia, and the trigger happy Gunhawk and Gunbunny -- luckily they get a timely assist from an unlikely duo. Dixon is working on his own pace here, and it's a pretty enjoyable read for it. Lopez's pencils remain eye-pleasing and solidly rendered for the action sequences, although Katana's torn costume -- revealing juuust a bit of cleavage -- was a little gratuitous. I do have to wonder how the team is going to get out of this cliffhanger, and that's a sign of a good team book, I think.
The Flash #238 -- New series writer Tom Peyer joins Freddie Williams II to introduce the newest member of Flash's Rogues Gallery -- Spin, who is able to amplify the public's fears into a mind-numbing paranoia and terror. And a slip of the tongue by Wally West is poised to make him Public Fear No. 1. Peyer impresses in his debut, both in his ability to pick up the strings of Waid's arc (Keystone City's infastructure is in danger due to the removal of water content thanks to the alien invaders, the kids' aging dilemma) and even Keith Champagne's fill-in (Wally is unemployed) as well as writing a true Flash story. I mean, there's a guy with a costume and a super-power stealing something! And then using his power to put the Flash in a bizarre bind! That's Flash comics, people! Williams' art shines; he's a really good fit on this title. And Spin himself is a very interesting villian, from his visual to his powers to his voice, he has the potential to cross over into the DCU at large in addition to giving the Scarlet Speedster headaches. If you were not thrilled with either The Fastest Man Alive or the Waid relaunch, then you should definitely pick up this series again. And if you liked them, well, then you are already reading.
Futurama Comics #36 -- The Planet Express crew travels to the planet of New England, populated entirely by robots (no, it doesn't have oceans of clam chowder, that's New New England!) and gets embroiled in the mystery of the notorious Jak The Deleter! Meanwhile, Amy, Hermes, and Dr. Zoidberg try to have an adventure of their own, without much luck, sadly. Silly and enjoyable Futurama-y goodness, although the art is a little iffy in places. The wide range of British jokes alone makes this worthy of pick-up.
The Phantom #22 -- Without time to mourn from the events last issue, the Ghost-Who-Walks throws himself headlong into the investigation of the terrorist attack on Bangalan soil. As the Phantom works on one end, we see the machinations on the other, as all sorts of bad people are involved in a scheme which threatens far more than the Deep Woods, or even the African continent. The pace slows down here as Mike Bullock sets up the big conflict, which draws on a lot of the last few years of Moonstone Phantom stories. It's a different place for this title, which normally goes pretty all-out -- due, in no small part, to the fact that this is the first 5-issue story for the title. As such, it's a bit of a letdown from the normal jaw-smashing action. There's just not that much for Szilagyi to draw. Still, it's a good read, and there is the always popular sense of impending doom hanging over the entire affair, which is good, and the cliffhanger promises more chin-checking next time out.
The Pick Of The Pile is a title which hasn't gotten that honor in some time, and that is The Flash. Peyer's debut is a fresh read, with script that manages to be clever without being cute (a rare trick indeed). Combined with Williams' continuing on pencils, the title has been given a shot in the arm, and, retroactively, "The Wild Wests" now looks more draggy than it was.
Tiny Titans #2 -- Started to get annoyed now, as Borderlands still has not received copy one of this title.
Freddy vs Jason vs Ash #6 -- This one was not on the Diamond list for last week, nor did I see it, but evidently it was released. Hopefully I can find it this week.
Batman And The Outsiders #5 -- Moving on to comics I actually did manage to purchase, we catch up with Batman's covert crew in the South American jungle, trying to prevent the mysterious Mr. Jardine from making his space shot. A lot of action this time out, as the Outsiders have to deal with Jardine's mercenaries, including the heavy hitter, Militia, and the trigger happy Gunhawk and Gunbunny -- luckily they get a timely assist from an unlikely duo. Dixon is working on his own pace here, and it's a pretty enjoyable read for it. Lopez's pencils remain eye-pleasing and solidly rendered for the action sequences, although Katana's torn costume -- revealing juuust a bit of cleavage -- was a little gratuitous. I do have to wonder how the team is going to get out of this cliffhanger, and that's a sign of a good team book, I think.
The Flash #238 -- New series writer Tom Peyer joins Freddie Williams II to introduce the newest member of Flash's Rogues Gallery -- Spin, who is able to amplify the public's fears into a mind-numbing paranoia and terror. And a slip of the tongue by Wally West is poised to make him Public Fear No. 1. Peyer impresses in his debut, both in his ability to pick up the strings of Waid's arc (Keystone City's infastructure is in danger due to the removal of water content thanks to the alien invaders, the kids' aging dilemma) and even Keith Champagne's fill-in (Wally is unemployed) as well as writing a true Flash story. I mean, there's a guy with a costume and a super-power stealing something! And then using his power to put the Flash in a bizarre bind! That's Flash comics, people! Williams' art shines; he's a really good fit on this title. And Spin himself is a very interesting villian, from his visual to his powers to his voice, he has the potential to cross over into the DCU at large in addition to giving the Scarlet Speedster headaches. If you were not thrilled with either The Fastest Man Alive or the Waid relaunch, then you should definitely pick up this series again. And if you liked them, well, then you are already reading.
Futurama Comics #36 -- The Planet Express crew travels to the planet of New England, populated entirely by robots (no, it doesn't have oceans of clam chowder, that's New New England!) and gets embroiled in the mystery of the notorious Jak The Deleter! Meanwhile, Amy, Hermes, and Dr. Zoidberg try to have an adventure of their own, without much luck, sadly. Silly and enjoyable Futurama-y goodness, although the art is a little iffy in places. The wide range of British jokes alone makes this worthy of pick-up.
The Phantom #22 -- Without time to mourn from the events last issue, the Ghost-Who-Walks throws himself headlong into the investigation of the terrorist attack on Bangalan soil. As the Phantom works on one end, we see the machinations on the other, as all sorts of bad people are involved in a scheme which threatens far more than the Deep Woods, or even the African continent. The pace slows down here as Mike Bullock sets up the big conflict, which draws on a lot of the last few years of Moonstone Phantom stories. It's a different place for this title, which normally goes pretty all-out -- due, in no small part, to the fact that this is the first 5-issue story for the title. As such, it's a bit of a letdown from the normal jaw-smashing action. There's just not that much for Szilagyi to draw. Still, it's a good read, and there is the always popular sense of impending doom hanging over the entire affair, which is good, and the cliffhanger promises more chin-checking next time out.
The Pick Of The Pile is a title which hasn't gotten that honor in some time, and that is The Flash. Peyer's debut is a fresh read, with script that manages to be clever without being cute (a rare trick indeed). Combined with Williams' continuing on pencils, the title has been given a shot in the arm, and, retroactively, "The Wild Wests" now looks more draggy than it was.
Monday, February 11, 2008
What I Read This Week
Justice Society of America #12 -- I'm not sure why exactly Geoff Johns feels the need to introduce EVEN MORE characters into this title, but a new trio of heroes make their debut this time out anyway, while Wildcat puts Judomaster through her paces and Jakeem Thunder makes his return. It's enjoyable to see the interactions between heroes new and old, but considering that this is part of the ongoing "Thy Kingdom Come" storyline, there's precious little having actually to do with that plot. There's an interesting development of a sort of "Boys' Club" in the JSA this issue as well, with Wildcat, Wildcat Jr, Citizen Steel, Starman, and Damage all hanging around being dudes. Also of note is not one, but two old school Outsiders references, including the wholesale slaughter of one of Barr's villain teams (the New Olympians).
Annihilation Conquest #4 -- While reading this issue, I started thinking about the major differences between this title and its predecessor from last year. And the biggest change is of course the fact that in Annihilation, it was all-out war, where here in Conquest, it's about resistance. What that means is that this entire series seems a little smaller in scope, because we don't have vast cosmic armadas duking it out, but instead focus on smaller conflicts and groups. If nothing else, it helps to make this a wholly different experience from the first story, while still being a recognizeable part of the same over-reaching corner of the universe. Things look bleaker and bleaker by the minute for our heroes, but it looks like Ronan has the tools to break the occupation -- but what about the cost? Really fun science-fictiony stuff.
Futurama Comics #35 -- Go Go Go New Justice Team! The new (old) adventures of Captain Yesterday, Clobberella, and (the greatest one of them all!) Super King take center stage here as our intrepid heroes battle the fiendish Son Of The Human Sun! Great, goofy fun with sight gags a-plenty as lots of Silver Age tropes are sent up in riotous fashion. Also, be sure not to miss the Professor's venomous hatred of the 1980's musical scene. Considering that this title is published bi-monthly, I don't think you have much of an excuse not to buy it, really.
Transformers: Beast Wars Sourcebook #4 -- Foreword: My review of this title shall consist of only two words. As such, some opening remarks. Namely, if you enjoy sourcebooks and Beast Wars Transformers, you should have already bought this series. This issue contains a few more major characters, including Tigatron and Waspinator, and otherwise continues with the same quality as the previous installments. Thank you.
Review: SKY SHADOW!
The Phantom #21 -- After the breather last issue with the flashback story, we're back in the present-day for the Ghost-Who-Walks, and kicking off a big new storyline to boot. When groups of armed soldiers begin using a small Bangalan village as a battleground, the Phantom puts a swift end to it. But in the process he catches wind that one of his past enemies is making a comeback, and the wife of recently defeated dictator, child-kidnapper, and all-around piece of crap Him has begun to make waves as well. And then everything comes off the tracks, and the fight turns personal. Bullock's script and Szilagyi's pencils are in sync, and this comic really looks great (especially on the newly glossy paper). And the story itself builds up vrey nicely -- slowly at first, but then taking a harsh and nasty twist which redefines the Phantom (at least in the context of this series) in a way which both intrigues me and angers me. Hopefully it will be played for what it is and not just used as a plot device. But given the history interent to the title, I have a lot of hopes that it's not going to go the typical route. In any event, this series rarely disappoints, and it doesn't here.
The Pick Of The Pile this week goes to Futurama Comics, which despite being light and silly, was super-enjoyable (pun intended). All of my purchases were enjoyable, and quality comics, but after the grim stuff going on in most of them, Futurama was a really nice change of pace.
Annihilation Conquest #4 -- While reading this issue, I started thinking about the major differences between this title and its predecessor from last year. And the biggest change is of course the fact that in Annihilation, it was all-out war, where here in Conquest, it's about resistance. What that means is that this entire series seems a little smaller in scope, because we don't have vast cosmic armadas duking it out, but instead focus on smaller conflicts and groups. If nothing else, it helps to make this a wholly different experience from the first story, while still being a recognizeable part of the same over-reaching corner of the universe. Things look bleaker and bleaker by the minute for our heroes, but it looks like Ronan has the tools to break the occupation -- but what about the cost? Really fun science-fictiony stuff.
Futurama Comics #35 -- Go Go Go New Justice Team! The new (old) adventures of Captain Yesterday, Clobberella, and (the greatest one of them all!) Super King take center stage here as our intrepid heroes battle the fiendish Son Of The Human Sun! Great, goofy fun with sight gags a-plenty as lots of Silver Age tropes are sent up in riotous fashion. Also, be sure not to miss the Professor's venomous hatred of the 1980's musical scene. Considering that this title is published bi-monthly, I don't think you have much of an excuse not to buy it, really.
Transformers: Beast Wars Sourcebook #4 -- Foreword: My review of this title shall consist of only two words. As such, some opening remarks. Namely, if you enjoy sourcebooks and Beast Wars Transformers, you should have already bought this series. This issue contains a few more major characters, including Tigatron and Waspinator, and otherwise continues with the same quality as the previous installments. Thank you.
Review: SKY SHADOW!
The Phantom #21 -- After the breather last issue with the flashback story, we're back in the present-day for the Ghost-Who-Walks, and kicking off a big new storyline to boot. When groups of armed soldiers begin using a small Bangalan village as a battleground, the Phantom puts a swift end to it. But in the process he catches wind that one of his past enemies is making a comeback, and the wife of recently defeated dictator, child-kidnapper, and all-around piece of crap Him has begun to make waves as well. And then everything comes off the tracks, and the fight turns personal. Bullock's script and Szilagyi's pencils are in sync, and this comic really looks great (especially on the newly glossy paper). And the story itself builds up vrey nicely -- slowly at first, but then taking a harsh and nasty twist which redefines the Phantom (at least in the context of this series) in a way which both intrigues me and angers me. Hopefully it will be played for what it is and not just used as a plot device. But given the history interent to the title, I have a lot of hopes that it's not going to go the typical route. In any event, this series rarely disappoints, and it doesn't here.
The Pick Of The Pile this week goes to Futurama Comics, which despite being light and silly, was super-enjoyable (pun intended). All of my purchases were enjoyable, and quality comics, but after the grim stuff going on in most of them, Futurama was a really nice change of pace.
Monday, December 3, 2007
What I Read This Week, Pt. 1
Batman And The Outsiders #2 -- Chuck Dixon throws everything in the blender and spits it back out as he pushes the new Outsiders team in his own direction. Lopez's pencils are nicely matched with an action story, and although there is a weird panel here and there, it's nothing distracting. The script has some abrupt bits -- Catwoman's departure makes sense, but Manhunter's, not so much -- and some weird continuity questions -- do Metamorpho and Katana not know that Bats is Bruce Wayne anymore, or are they playing dumb? -- but the action is good fun and the last page cliffhanger is nice, even if it pushes the title further into "Bat-Book" territory; I'm not overly happy with that as the strength of of the old series in my eyes was that it was not a "Bat-Book." But I'm keeping an open mind to see where things are headed.
Scream #1 -- I picked this up on a whim, mostly because I'm always trying to keep an eye out for new Horror comics if I can find them. This one, with words by Peter David and art breakdowns by Bart Sears (whoa... double 90s flashback) is a play of sorts on the Hulk archetype, with a small man, Danny Duncan, stuck in a meaningless job at the Post Office, returning to work after a stay at a sanitarium. The problem is, he doesn't exactly remember his time there, and weird things continue to happen around him. And where does the savage red monster who seems to show up whenever he is angry fit in? A pretty interesting concept, but overall I wasn't too terribly impressed. Sears' linework is great for the fantasy stuff, but here, rendering the real world, he is out of place. I might get the rest of this series, but right now I am on the fence.
What If? Annihilation -- What happens when last year's two biggest miniseries in the Marvel Universe collide? You get this one-shot, which details the chaos and terror of the Annihilation Wave unleashed on Earth. You know thigns are going to be good when Nova effectively points out how mind-boggling stupid the "Civil War" was in the span of about two panels. Mico Suayan's artwork is dark and harsh, which fits the story but is not pleasing to the eye. I am not sure if he uses the same style over on Moon Knight, but it's better suited to that character than the bright colors of the mainline Marvel crew. David Hine seems to have a real knack for the Watcher, who acts not only as the narrator but has a role in the story as well. In the end, obviously this What If? is just that -- a What If, a possible road which Marvel Editorial could have taken, and it has all of the expected carnage inherent when all bets are off. And yet, it's satisfying at the end, seeing Captain America and Iron Man side by side instead of at each other's throats when the chips are down. Fans of Annihilation will want this, but those happy with the current MU, or with CW in general should avoid this special.
Graveslinger #2 -- Frank Timmons is a strange man in a strange time. And here we learn just why things are as strange as they are, as we get the origin story and background information as to just why there are undead cowboys roaming the prarie and eating people. Cboins art remains obscure and hard to penetrate, but I like it on this title as it mixes the gruesome with the vast (and possibly desolate) in a nice manner. Denton and Mariotte's script, though, is interesting but uninvolving. It's a hard call, because it's partly because Timmons is not really a likeable guy, so hearing his story is not all that exciting for me. The next issue promises a little more action.
Captain America: The Chosen #3-4 -- The mystery of why Captain America is dying -- and why he is appearing to an American soldier in Afghanistan -- deepens here, as Corporal Newman tries to keep his wits and sanity about him in order to rescue the surviving members of his unit. Morrell doesn't seem like a first time comic book scribe. His work in the more pulpy literary fields serves him well as he retells Steve Roger's origin as well as detailing the events leading to his current "one foot in the grave" situation -- and handles it in a way that not only can I buy in a Marvel sense, but considering what we know about the military, I don't really doubt in the real world, either. Par for the course is Mitch Breitweiser, who's pages are super-detailed despite being covered in an inch of grime. While equal parts Cap and War Story, this tips a bit towards the latter, and becomes that much more interesting because of it.
Countdown to Mystery #3 -- The Doctor Fate lead story is a self-contained adventure entitled, humorously, "Self, Contained." When the new bearer of Fate's helmet visits an arcane shop, he is taken to another dimension (kinda), where he must survive the grim and strange world in order to achieve enlightenment from the King and Queen. Gerber and Justiano turn in what seems like a lot of mystical mumbo-jumbo at first, but, in a fairly subtle way ties back to Kent V. Nelson's background as well as to the current state of magic in the DCU. Overall a very enjoyable little "done in one." The backup opens with Jeanclipso attacking Jack Ryder, then quickly segues to Plastic Man going toe to toe with Batman. Its not clear what Jeanclipso is doing (though a team of Plastic Man and the Creeper would be hilarious if nothing else), nor what Spectre and Crispus Allen are doing, either. A very strange installment in what has been a strange back-up, but not nearly as bad as I would have predicted based on Jeanclipso being the star.
Heroes For Hire #15 -- With Humbug more bug than man, Coleen and Tarantula imprisoned and tortured, Paladin looking to collect, and the rest of the team in a general sort of "bad way," things do not look good for the HFH. And they get much, much worse. A depressing and distressing comic from start to finish, as the Heroes for Hire are dragged through the mud and left filthy in the inglorious send-off to the series. A complete downer, lacking any of the humor or ironic zaniness which was the hallmark of the title for it's all-too-brief run. It may have been doomed from the start, but like so many other Marvel titles I have read, it deserved a lot better. Supposedly there is more stuff coming for Misty Knight, but it's more World War Hulk nonsense which I won't be reading. Collectors of the series should buy this, but everyone else can and should leave it on the rack.
Flash #234 -- After all the doom and gloom of the What If? and HFH, I open the cover here and am immeditately blown away by the brightness. While Wally is out surveying the damage done to Central City, he discovers a new power connecting him with his kids. Meanwhile, his son Jai is shouldering some very bad news he was not supposed to know. Waid and Williams deliver a clean, solid superhero story, even with some of the heavier elements with Jai which are quite sad. But Waid's exploration of the superhero family is a lot of fun. Same goes for the backup by John Rogers and Doug... let me check... Braithwaite detailing Barry and Iris Allen visiting the alien world from last time. Of note is the return (of sorts) of the Flash Fact!
Futurama Comics #34 -- Welcome to "Planet Michelle!" When Fry discovers that in the 30th Century, he is not only rejected by women, but also by alients, mutants, and gender-confused robots, he seeks solace with a clone of his overbearing ex from the 20th Century, Michelle -- on a planet inhabited only by the two of them! Meanwhile Bender becomes a "date doctor" in order to swindle innocent losers out of as much money as he can. Futurama may have returned to TV screens, but as long as Bongo continues to create quality comics like this, I will support the printed version of the Woooooooorld of Tomorrow!
Iron Man Annual #1 -- Welcome to Madripoor, Mr. Stark! Christos Gage and Harvey Tolibao go all 007 (by way of Albert R. Broccoli moreso than Ian Fleming, but still!) in this 48-page Annual. Tony is joined by SHIELD Agents Senyaka, Jones, and Eaton -- all gorgeous and dangerous, natch -- as he infiltrates Madripoor in an effort to embolden the local resistance to Madame Hydra in order to cause her to be overthrown. The problem is, of course, is that Billionaire Playboy Tony Stark is still known to be Iron Man, and Madame Hydra has taken measures to protect what is hers. This is the kind of story I want to see out of an Annual: a one-off, one-shot story which can be read and enjoyed by regular readers, but can also be skipped if the price is too much or what-have-you. Tolibao's pencils are lush and evocative, and he seems equally adept at drawing technology as he does cheesecake (and beefcake -- there's a loving shot of Tony's undersheath-clad butt at one point) without looking awkward or lurid. Gage shows off more of his neo-Busiek stylings, and together everything just gels.
The Pick of the Pile is What If? I understand that this selection is motivated strongly by my enthusiasm for Annihilation and my lack thereof for what became of Civil War. I think this one-shot provides a little peek into what could have been, and in the end reminds us that whether you like what's going on right now or not, they're all just stories -- and subject to change at any time.
Scream #1 -- I picked this up on a whim, mostly because I'm always trying to keep an eye out for new Horror comics if I can find them. This one, with words by Peter David and art breakdowns by Bart Sears (whoa... double 90s flashback) is a play of sorts on the Hulk archetype, with a small man, Danny Duncan, stuck in a meaningless job at the Post Office, returning to work after a stay at a sanitarium. The problem is, he doesn't exactly remember his time there, and weird things continue to happen around him. And where does the savage red monster who seems to show up whenever he is angry fit in? A pretty interesting concept, but overall I wasn't too terribly impressed. Sears' linework is great for the fantasy stuff, but here, rendering the real world, he is out of place. I might get the rest of this series, but right now I am on the fence.
What If? Annihilation -- What happens when last year's two biggest miniseries in the Marvel Universe collide? You get this one-shot, which details the chaos and terror of the Annihilation Wave unleashed on Earth. You know thigns are going to be good when Nova effectively points out how mind-boggling stupid the "Civil War" was in the span of about two panels. Mico Suayan's artwork is dark and harsh, which fits the story but is not pleasing to the eye. I am not sure if he uses the same style over on Moon Knight, but it's better suited to that character than the bright colors of the mainline Marvel crew. David Hine seems to have a real knack for the Watcher, who acts not only as the narrator but has a role in the story as well. In the end, obviously this What If? is just that -- a What If, a possible road which Marvel Editorial could have taken, and it has all of the expected carnage inherent when all bets are off. And yet, it's satisfying at the end, seeing Captain America and Iron Man side by side instead of at each other's throats when the chips are down. Fans of Annihilation will want this, but those happy with the current MU, or with CW in general should avoid this special.
Graveslinger #2 -- Frank Timmons is a strange man in a strange time. And here we learn just why things are as strange as they are, as we get the origin story and background information as to just why there are undead cowboys roaming the prarie and eating people. Cboins art remains obscure and hard to penetrate, but I like it on this title as it mixes the gruesome with the vast (and possibly desolate) in a nice manner. Denton and Mariotte's script, though, is interesting but uninvolving. It's a hard call, because it's partly because Timmons is not really a likeable guy, so hearing his story is not all that exciting for me. The next issue promises a little more action.
Captain America: The Chosen #3-4 -- The mystery of why Captain America is dying -- and why he is appearing to an American soldier in Afghanistan -- deepens here, as Corporal Newman tries to keep his wits and sanity about him in order to rescue the surviving members of his unit. Morrell doesn't seem like a first time comic book scribe. His work in the more pulpy literary fields serves him well as he retells Steve Roger's origin as well as detailing the events leading to his current "one foot in the grave" situation -- and handles it in a way that not only can I buy in a Marvel sense, but considering what we know about the military, I don't really doubt in the real world, either. Par for the course is Mitch Breitweiser, who's pages are super-detailed despite being covered in an inch of grime. While equal parts Cap and War Story, this tips a bit towards the latter, and becomes that much more interesting because of it.
Countdown to Mystery #3 -- The Doctor Fate lead story is a self-contained adventure entitled, humorously, "Self, Contained." When the new bearer of Fate's helmet visits an arcane shop, he is taken to another dimension (kinda), where he must survive the grim and strange world in order to achieve enlightenment from the King and Queen. Gerber and Justiano turn in what seems like a lot of mystical mumbo-jumbo at first, but, in a fairly subtle way ties back to Kent V. Nelson's background as well as to the current state of magic in the DCU. Overall a very enjoyable little "done in one." The backup opens with Jeanclipso attacking Jack Ryder, then quickly segues to Plastic Man going toe to toe with Batman. Its not clear what Jeanclipso is doing (though a team of Plastic Man and the Creeper would be hilarious if nothing else), nor what Spectre and Crispus Allen are doing, either. A very strange installment in what has been a strange back-up, but not nearly as bad as I would have predicted based on Jeanclipso being the star.
Heroes For Hire #15 -- With Humbug more bug than man, Coleen and Tarantula imprisoned and tortured, Paladin looking to collect, and the rest of the team in a general sort of "bad way," things do not look good for the HFH. And they get much, much worse. A depressing and distressing comic from start to finish, as the Heroes for Hire are dragged through the mud and left filthy in the inglorious send-off to the series. A complete downer, lacking any of the humor or ironic zaniness which was the hallmark of the title for it's all-too-brief run. It may have been doomed from the start, but like so many other Marvel titles I have read, it deserved a lot better. Supposedly there is more stuff coming for Misty Knight, but it's more World War Hulk nonsense which I won't be reading. Collectors of the series should buy this, but everyone else can and should leave it on the rack.
Flash #234 -- After all the doom and gloom of the What If? and HFH, I open the cover here and am immeditately blown away by the brightness. While Wally is out surveying the damage done to Central City, he discovers a new power connecting him with his kids. Meanwhile, his son Jai is shouldering some very bad news he was not supposed to know. Waid and Williams deliver a clean, solid superhero story, even with some of the heavier elements with Jai which are quite sad. But Waid's exploration of the superhero family is a lot of fun. Same goes for the backup by John Rogers and Doug... let me check... Braithwaite detailing Barry and Iris Allen visiting the alien world from last time. Of note is the return (of sorts) of the Flash Fact!
Futurama Comics #34 -- Welcome to "Planet Michelle!" When Fry discovers that in the 30th Century, he is not only rejected by women, but also by alients, mutants, and gender-confused robots, he seeks solace with a clone of his overbearing ex from the 20th Century, Michelle -- on a planet inhabited only by the two of them! Meanwhile Bender becomes a "date doctor" in order to swindle innocent losers out of as much money as he can. Futurama may have returned to TV screens, but as long as Bongo continues to create quality comics like this, I will support the printed version of the Woooooooorld of Tomorrow!
Iron Man Annual #1 -- Welcome to Madripoor, Mr. Stark! Christos Gage and Harvey Tolibao go all 007 (by way of Albert R. Broccoli moreso than Ian Fleming, but still!) in this 48-page Annual. Tony is joined by SHIELD Agents Senyaka, Jones, and Eaton -- all gorgeous and dangerous, natch -- as he infiltrates Madripoor in an effort to embolden the local resistance to Madame Hydra in order to cause her to be overthrown. The problem is, of course, is that Billionaire Playboy Tony Stark is still known to be Iron Man, and Madame Hydra has taken measures to protect what is hers. This is the kind of story I want to see out of an Annual: a one-off, one-shot story which can be read and enjoyed by regular readers, but can also be skipped if the price is too much or what-have-you. Tolibao's pencils are lush and evocative, and he seems equally adept at drawing technology as he does cheesecake (and beefcake -- there's a loving shot of Tony's undersheath-clad butt at one point) without looking awkward or lurid. Gage shows off more of his neo-Busiek stylings, and together everything just gels.
The Pick of the Pile is What If? I understand that this selection is motivated strongly by my enthusiasm for Annihilation and my lack thereof for what became of Civil War. I think this one-shot provides a little peek into what could have been, and in the end reminds us that whether you like what's going on right now or not, they're all just stories -- and subject to change at any time.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
From The Awesome Files
I'm sorry, but this image from Bongo's Futurama Comics #33 cracked me up. I love any parody of "The Night Hawks," but this is too great.
Now if I could just find an image of that Cartoon Netwoork ad with the 2 Stupid Dogs and Johnny Bravo in this pose...
Now if I could just find an image of that Cartoon Netwoork ad with the 2 Stupid Dogs and Johnny Bravo in this pose...
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