Rob's Comic Ramblings

Weekly Comics - 02/15/2012

2012-02-16T17:12:00.000-08:00

DC Universe Presents#6 - Dan Didio, Jerry Ordway/Jerry Ordway

I thought I’d give this new arc a try, given that the title’s first story was a pleasant surprise and I’ve never read anything by the infamous Dan Didio. OMAC has been getting great buzz, so maybe his re-imagining the Challengers of the Unknown held similar promise? No such luck. This was fairly lifeless from start to finish. The Challengers are re-imagined as the crew and celebrity cast of a Survivor-style reality show, whose plane crashes in the Himalayas. They awaken in Nanda Parbat, and the quest for a mysterious artefact behind their troubles begins. There’s some effort here to play around with timeframes, reminding me of what Duane Swierczynski did a couple issues back in Birds of Prey, when the cast awoke to find themselves displaced from where they had been, with hazy memories of it. Needless to say, the trick is pulled off with less style here. The issue just feels clunky – outside of a couple of personalities, the cast members are ciphers, the introduction of Nanda Parbat and the threat aren’t very engaging, and there is a lot of talking heads. For a concept that I assumed would be about high-adventure and espionage, we get a lot of sitting around and talking, by some fairly dull characters. The lead female character is at least slightly interesting, and her reaction to the loss of her boyfriend in the plane crash provides some emotional hook for the story. But that’s about as deep as this one gets. The art by Jerry Ordway is old-fashioned, but fun, with some strong visuals in the few action scenes. There are a lot of talking heads scenes here, though, so I wish he got more interesting things to draw. The opening Deadman story was a treat, so this issue is a disappointment. I may be back for James Robinson’s Vandal Savage story in #9, but I’m going to skip the rest of the Challengers arc.

Batman#6 - Scott Snyder/Greg Capullo

This is the issue after the infamous hold-the-book-upside down issue. It's not as audacious, but it's equally excellent. Batman is still stuck in the Court of Owls' maze-like tomb, but instead of focusing on his disorientation, this issue deals with his efforts to regain self-control and overcome his opponents. It's the story of a man struggling to find that one piece inside himself that will give him the strength to persevere. This issue goes for some big moments and bizarre visuals that obviously are occurring somewhere in Bruce's rattled head as much as they are in reality, and it works. Snyder sucks us right into Batman's mindset, so that when he does lash out and have his moment of lunacy, we are right there, buying in to the wild visuals. Snyder and Capullo work together to create an unhinged Batman, determined to beat his oppressors. Their deranged, fanged Batman works perfectly, and it's just "out there" enough to sell the intense action scene that follows. The splash page of a snarling Batman, swatting away the Court members pawing at him, is truly a highlight for this run so far. I loved the culmination of Batman's battle with Talon, where he so desperately wants to reassert himself as a master tactician. He pulls that off, but his need to explain why his plan was so successful to Talon really shows the fear and insecurity he's feeling (especially given the haunting fate he later faces). Snyder also gives us a lot more insight into the Court in this issue, with a chilling portrayal of their society, their rules, and their means of operating. Capullo is in lock step for this, portraying a deranged, maniacal society of mask-wearing evil creatures. From the old woman in the wheelchair to the bloodthirsty young girl, we're now seeing more of the Court beyond just Talon, and it is a vivid and frightening world. This title is the story of two creators working in tandem to create something special. The two have created a world that is visually stunning, dark, violent, and unsettling, while telling the story of one hero trying to navigate it. Excellent stuff, once again.

Birds of Prey#6 - Duane Swierczynski/Javier Pina

Swierczynski plows along with the Choke story. Everything that makes this book enjoyable is in full force – fast-paced action and intrigue, exacting portrayals of the lead characters, and a dark, exciting vibe to the proceedings. My one reservation is the length of this story. After this issue, we will be entering the seventh chapter of a story where the antagonist has been kept deliberately vague, and his goals equally unknown. Some of that is coming into focus now, but I do think this may be stretching on a little longer than it should. Thankfully, Swierczynski always keeps it interesting and exciting, maintaining the quick pace, fun action, and attitude of the Birds in action. That is the draw of the book, along with the increasingly deep portrayals of Black Canary and Starling. The action also jumps ahead here, with the Birds back on top of their opponent after last issue’s mind games. There’s a jump in time – the team has made some big strides and regained their momentum against Choke. Some may find it jumpy, but it feels like Swierczynski planned this as the next beat in the story and it works dramatically. The jump in the action fits right in to the tone and pace of the book. Javier Pina does full pencils this time, and his style is remarkably close to Jesus Saiz’s. A bit less rounded and soft in spots, but he maintains a consistent look for the characters and action and the book looks good. So while I have reservations on the length of this particular story, this issue maintains the tone, pace, fun, and great characters the book is known for.

Wonder Woman#6 - Brian Azzarello/Tony Akins

This issue continues the machinations of the gods in the wake of Zeus' disappearance. I think it is this title's least gripping issue so far, but it makes great strides in the plot while telling an engaging action story. This issue is the first time Diana has taken an active role in the familial drama unfolding around her, rather than waiting to act, and it's great fun. Watch her navigate promises to Poseidon, while fighting him, watching out for Zola, and keeping tabs on Lennox's activities, makes for a great read. Akins handles the action well, particularly the wordless scenes as Diana volleys around to keep Zola safe. It's fun to get some greater focus on the desires and goals of the other gods. Each of them have such strongly defined personalities and visual looks. Hades proves himself to be nothing but trouble, Poseidon is still over-the-top, and Hera's confrontation with Diana is appropriately epic. Lennox is also a fun character, a clear John Constantine take-off, but a welcome voice in the parade of godly characters. If there's one failing to the story, it's that the mechanics of Diana's trickery get a little lost at the end - too much happens too quickly, and I wasn't sure exactly how it was all accomplished. Still, the issue is enjoyable, with a fun, fast pace and strong character portrayals. Akins does a great job here, but I wish we got some of the bigger panels we did last time. Part of the reason the action at the end is a little confused is because of his smaller panels. Still the character acting is strong and the look he brings to the title is unique. This is another strong issue; perhaps not quite the gut punch earlier chapters have been, but a strong piece in the larger story Azzarello is telling.

Uncanny X-Men#7 - Kieron Gillen/Greg Land

Erghh. This is not doing it for me. The characters have essentially been stripped out of the story, and I’m left with the in-depth conflict of two advanced creatures at war with each other. I’m just not engaged with the concept of this Tabula Rasa story at all, and it feels like the X-Men are so removed from it. It started out as a problem Psylocke needed to resolve, and that was the character hook of the story. But she appears for two pages here before being knocked out. Colossus and Magik are absent, and Magneto is wallpaper, so all the interesting characters are off the table. What we’re left with is a fairly detailed exploration of the conflict between two characters from Tabula Rasa, with the X-Men following around trying to keep up. It’s just not engaging to me at all, which is disappointing, as the first two issues tried to bring the X-Men in to spice up the story. They’re absent in any significant way here. Also, there’s another issue of this story left! Talk about dragged out. I think this title could use some subplots – Wolverine and the X-Men is brimming with little side stories and character moments. You could argue that’s what comprises every issue. And it feels lively and full of character. This book has nine lead cast members and they all mainly sit there as blank ciphers. And the book is badly suffering because of it, because these stories don’t have enough to keep my interesting.

Weekly Comics - 02/08/2012

2012-02-10T15:15:00.000-08:00

Frankenstein: Agent of S.H.A.D.E.#6 - Jeff Lemire/Alberto Ponticelli

Lemire begins to bring this book into different territory in the sixth issue - he starts exploring Frankenstein's past while delving into the intrigue at S.H.A.D.E. It's a wise choice. For as great as the first arc was, it was a big fight book, with a lot of humour. It's nice to add some layers to the story. Here, we meet Frankenstein's team mate from the Vietnam War, Colonel Quantum, who defied his superiors and deserted the battlefield on a mission back then. Quantum is an interesting counterpoint to Frank. He feels bad for the deaths he caused and wants his suffering to end. In the face of Frank's stoic resolve to kill him, Quantum is a figure of pity, but one who retains dignity because he accepts his less-than-proud past. Frank's coldness here is an extreme take on his abrasive personality. In fact, of all the freakish lead cast members, Frank comes off the worst here, as even his team mates show some squeamishness at the thought of killing Quantum. Speaking of his team mates, Lemire continues to refine their interaction, with some truly cutting and funny moments as they travel through Vietnam. The action at S.H.A.D.E. hq is strong stuff as well - the Humanid servants we met at the start of the series have developed enough of a consciousness, thanks to Father Time’s mucking with Brother Eye last issue, to rebel. Lady Frankenstein is highly entertaining here, but, even through the comedy, Lemire sells the danger of the situation. The end hints at more secrets from Frank's past coming out. Ponticelli continues to do great work on this book. His depiction of an aging, deformed Quantum is appropriately sad and Quantum's death scene is larger than life. I also really liked his work at S.H.A.D.E. hq, where he fused crazy machinery with some shadows and atmosphere. This issue isn't as overtly wild as previous ones have been. But I appreciate its efforts to show us another side of Frankenstein's past while starting some bigger stories. Another strong issue for this surprisingly compelling title.

Batgirl#6 - Gail Simone/Adrian Syaf

Gail Simone's curse on this title is to jam-pack each issue with too much content. This issue alone gives us Gretel's origin, wraps up her story, has Barbara reflect on her relationship with Batman while teaming up with him, features Barbara's mother trying to make amends, forwards Detective McKenna's story, and contains two lengthy battle scenes. This could be a mess, and it does often feel like a lot is going on, but I can't help but really enjoy it. It feels busy, but controlled, like Simone is doling out her plot elements as she sees fit. It is also always held together by Barbara's narration, which is full of life, even when reflecting on the pain and loss she has faced. And just when it feels like the book’s events are chaotic, Simone throws in a moment of true clarity and tenderness. A standout one here is Barbara reflecting on how Batman comforted her after her accident. The Batgirl/Batman relationship is really well-handled here. Simone gives Barbara her own unique connection to Bruce, and their interaction has both a familiarity and a standoffish quality to it. The story of Gretel is also very well done. The cut away to Gretel reflecting on her past doesn't feel out of place at all. Instead, it's a fairly gripping origin that drew me in right away. Simone once again parallels Batgirl with her foe, but it doesn't feel overdone. Both Barbara and Gretel have been left for dead by ruthless criminals, and Gretel’s journey to move on from an incident like that doesn't end up as well as Barbara's did. The use of Barbara's mother is much better here as well. Again, Simone seems to be telling this story at her own pace, and the snippet here is quite humorous (particularly in how Barbara sneaks two of her mother's baked goods after rebuking them). Syaf's art occasionally falls victim to the weight of the content - at times, his figures are a little cramped. But, in general, his faces and action scenes have life and movement to them, and he seems a strong fit for Simone's sensibilities. I would usually rally against a script this busy, but against all odds, this book is working. The key to it all is the strength of Barbara's portrayal. Good stuff.

Batwoman#6 - J.H. Williams III, W. Haden Blackman/Amy Reeder

This is it. The big one. J.H. Williams steps back as artist for this arc, and Amy Reeder joins the book to draw the current story. This character's entire world has been defined by such a unique, strong visual sense. How will it hold up as drawn by another artist? It turns out Reeder isn't here to emulate Williams' style or even his general aesthetic. She boldly brings her own sensibilities to the book. Pages live and breathe in completely different ways than Williams would have depicted them. Characters emote and express themselves in a different way than Williams would have shown them, but no less distinct and visually interesting. Reeder plays with giant splash pages, as Williams does, but in her own way. Images don't dance across the splash page, but boldly or even angrily jump out. I think I was most pleasantly surprised with that harsher aspect of Reeder's style. Williams' world is softer and more graceful, but in Reeder's, the action and the emotion are a bit harder. I'm happy Reeder is experimenting with her style on the book. If another artist has to draw this title, it needed to be one who brought their own unique visual sense to the table.

As for the story, it jumps around, both in time and character point of view, to catch us up on all the players in Kate Kane's world, after the brutal twist of events in the previous issue. All of the individual scenes here are strong. And while I applaud the writers once again trying something different, I don't know if the narrative trick really worked to produce a complete issue. I felt like this was a 'catching up with each character' issue, not part one of a new arc, which it is. Now, every scene here is great, I just prefer the less obvious way they have jumped between characters and stories in the past. The highlight here is how the writers continue to develop the world around Kate. Maggie is an interesting love interest because she challenges and questions Kate in ways this closed-off woman usually tries to avoid. I also like the hint of a troubled past they introduce for her here. Kate's father takes a larger role, in a touching scene where he visits Bette in the hospital. The Weeping Woman story is also being fleshed out into a lengthy story, with hints of a back story provided and intrigue in the present explored. I loved the fight scene Batwoman and Chase embark on. Where, last issue, it seemed like Chase trapped Kate, here, Kate is so brazen in her crime-fighting tactics, that Chase is frightened and off-guard the whole time. Kate seems to be subverting her captor by being so outlandish on the battlefield, and it's a great reversion. It's also a stunning-looking fight scene, with Reeder's most dynamic pages. Barring a storytelling experiment that didn't fully come together, the individual pieces here are as strong as ever, and the art brings a bold new voice to the book.

Superboy#6 - Scott Lobdell, Tom DeFalco/R.B. Silva

The first thing I noticed here is that Bob Harras has brought another 90s Marvel staffer, Tom DeFalco, in to script this issue over Scott Lobdell's plot. And, to be honest, it's the kind of script I would have expected from Lobdell before this book started. Instead, he has been understated, intelligent, atmospheric, and somewhat insightful. The quieter, introspective scenes Lobdell has brought to the lead character are all laid on the table here - instead of having pondering his free will and the nature of human suffering, DeFalco has Superboy literally asks these questions. Lobdell has crafted some great inner monologues that touched on deeper issues, but DeFalco loses all sense of subtlety or elegance in his dialogue. The script in general is weaker here. Superboy's meeting with Supergirl should have been disquieting and interesting. Instead, every thought and problem is laid bare and the interaction between them is wooden as a result. This isn't even a bad issue, I was just surprised how much it stumbled without Lobdell's script. The events of the issue are all good - the fight with the Teen Titans was enjoyable, given that I don't read their title. And the meeting with Supergirl yields some interesting revelations about Superboy, causing him to attack N.O.W.H.E.R.E. And Superboy remains likable in his earnest desire to understand his life and the choices he faces. R.B. Silva's art is as good as ever. His lines are crisp and clean, and his characters fluid and energetic. The page designs are always sharp, drawing us in to the attractive figures. I just wish Lobdell had scripted this issue. He has brought a cold, antiseptic sense of atmosphere to this book that really worked, as well as surprisingly strong scripting. DeFalco's script doesn't have any life to it, and loses the book's typical nuance by being too literal. A bit of a misstep, but hopefully a one-off mistake.

Wolverine and the X-Men#5 - Jason Aaron/Nick Bradshaw

Jason Aaron ostensibly starts a new arc here, with the invasion of Brood aliens via Kitty's pregnancy. But, really, that is just one of many plotlines running though this issue, which once again has a large number of things happening, most of them highly amusing and entertaining. The high point of the issue is probably Beast leading the students through a tour of Toad's stomach. It's funny and inventive, and the dynamic amongst the student body is refined more and more with each issue. Aaron takes this group dynamic and brings it into many other scenes. In fact, the student interaction is really the highlight of the issue, particularly Quentin's insults towards Broo. But there's a lot going on here - Kitty is pregnant with invading Brood aliens, Angel is stripped of his finances, Wolverine goes off in search of funding, and a wider alien threat emerges. Aaron has a talent from cramming each issue with tons of jokes, little character moments, and details around the school. This approach is really working for the book. It feels different from other Marvel titles. I know I can count on it to deliver a quality read that goes above and beyond to entertain. Nick Bradhsaw continues to grow in his role as artist. The whole package is a bit less visually exciting than it was under Chris Bachalo's pencils, but Bradshaw has his own unique, quirky style that suits the tone of the book. His depiction of Toad's insides captures the wonder and humour of the scene perfectly. This is another strong issue. It's a set up issue for a new story, but it is full of so many small moments of character and humour that it feels like a substantial read.

Weekly Comics - 02/01/2012

2012-02-05T06:47:00.000-08:00

Action Comics#6 - Grant Morrison/Andy Kubert, Sholly Fisch/ChrisCross

This is for a sure a love it or hate it book. I don't have much of a connection to Superman, so I can come into it a bit fresher, but I can imagine purists not loving this unconventional telling of Superman's modified origin. It jumps around in time and space and doesn't hold the readers hand through it's narrative. It also does a lot with the Legion of Superheroes. This is a touchy subject in Superman's origin for die-hard fans. As I'm not one of them, I can only judge but what I see in this issue. What I got was a vibrant, compelling look at Superman's youth told through a conflict his future self faces which was exciting, interesting, and, at times, confusing, with wonderful artwork. The figures that appeared on last issue's final page become clear immediately - it is the future (adult) Superman and the Legion of Superheroes. The Legion must get into Superman's head to retrieve the Kryptonite that powers his rocket ship, which has been shrunken down for a negotiation session between the Anti-Superman army inside Supes' brain. All the while, he must fight his former friend Erik (no clue who this is), who is mutating into a variety of forms and was involved in the Kryptonite theft. Oh yeah, add in a number of flashbacks to Clark's childhood and his first meeting with the Legion as children. This issue requires patience along with an understanding that it's more frenetic plot elements may become clearer in the future. Once you get in that mindset, it is a wild ride, but one that never loses an inspiring sense of heart. The Legion really come on strong here. I like their unwavering confidence and intelligence and how Superman must struggle to keep up with them. He feels out of his depth in this crisis, and it makes his struggle against Erik feel more personal. The sense of friendship amongst the heroes creates some nice moments, particularly the ending, where the Legion balance their disappointment in Superman with his excitement when he met them as a child. Morrison is toying with some great ideas here - the Anti-Superman army negotiation session, the fact that it's going on in Superman's brain, and the interesting idea of the rocketship needing to be in balance. It has slowly grown to become a key concept in his run, and here there is this great feeling that, if it is not whole, bigger problems will arise. There is a lot packed in here, and perhaps Morrison could have spaced out the issue's contents. The flashbacks to Clark's childhood could definitely use more space, but they capture his desire to connect with other superpowered beings and his relationship with his father well. Andy Kubert's art has done wonders for Morrison's unconventional origin story. It never loses step with his wild plotting and temporal shifts, retaining an energy throughout. At the same time, Kubert emphasizes wonder, fear, and worry in Superman's face at the right moments, humanizing this otherworldly time travel story.

The backup continues to explore Clark's time in Smallville, with this one focus on him leaving after his parents' deaths. This one is subtle and touching, as Clark reflects on his childhood when moving out of the family home. There also nice moments with Lana Lang and Pete Ross, exploring the deeper friendships Clark left behind. I remain impressed with how Chriscross has adjusted his style for these stripped-back, personal stories. He has brought a whole new expressive look to his characters, emphasizing their youth and inexperience, but also their earnest and true feelings. The colours are nicely washed out, lending an appropriate look to the flashbacks. There's always something interesting to be found in these backups. Sholly Fisch has a talent for these smaller, personal stories and I'd like to see more of them here.

Animal Man#6 - Jeff Lemire/John Paul Leon, Travel Foreman

Animal Man takes a breather issue, as Buddy's son Cliff watches the movie his father starred in (mentioned in #1) on his phone while the family continues to drive away from the Rot. I think a breather at this point is perfectly fine, and Lemire takes the opportunity to tell a creative story set within the backdrop he has already created for this book. The movie segment takes up the entire issue, outside of the last three pages. Drawn in a heavily moody, but stark, style by John Paul Leon it presents a look at a retired superhero at the end of his ropes, trying to move on in life. The story nicely parallels Buddy's situation when the series began, without ever going to overboard with the in-jokes or meta-commentary. Instead, the story of the movie character is told in a pretty straight style. It's a stark, depressing portrait of a hopeless man, but told with respect and tenderness. There are strong parallels (the headstrong, somewhat rude, but ultimately caring, wife, the disinterested children), but they work to highlight what Buddy's life was like when he chose to take on this role as an actor. I was surprised at how much I was drawn in to the movie character's story, particularly in trying to connect with his son. Lemire treats the character with respect and the tragedy of his situation really comes through. It's the kind of softer storytelling Lemire brings to Sweet Tooth. I've always loved John Paul Leon, and am happy to see him as guest artist. His strong brushstrokes create a great mood and his characters are real and vulnerable. There are some in-jokes here (Cliff's phone buffering at one point, "A Ryan Daranovsky film"), but, as mentioned, the reader is not inundated with them and they are well-timed. The final three pages catch up with the family, and are illustrated by Foreman. The sense of dread and anguish the family faces are palpable, a joke between Buddy and Cliff is perfectly placed, and the final page is a chilling end. All in all, a great little experiment of an issue. If more breather issues had this level of creativity and substance put into them, I'd be happy.

Stormwatch#6 - Paul Cornell/Miguel Sepulveda

And here, in Paul Cornell's final issue as writer, things really come together. This book has at times felt like organized chaos and at others a little too full for its own good. Here, the characters and storylines are put in place to provide a streamlined roster, a mission statement, and an antagonist for the book, while keeping the frenetic pace and tone. To start with, the initial bloated 9-person roster is down to a manageable 6, each with personalities that are starting to get more defined and a group dynamic that is shaping up nicely. The lost team members still exist as part of the larger story, with Harry Tanner's betrayal providing the book with a major antagonist and Adam One's hidden secrets providing a new mission for the group. And while Jenny is still a blank slate, the other five team members get a fair amount of page time here, fleshing out their motivations and reactions to this crisis. Cornell is unafraid to jump right into Apollo and Midnighter's mutual attraction. It's nothing more than an attraction right now, but it's enough to drive both men to stay on the team. The sense of tradition behind the team is played with in interesting ways here. With the Shadow Lords mysteriously not chiming in on finding a new leader for the group, they violate that tradition to find their own. Meanwhile, Jack uses his knowledge of Daemonite culture and physiology (they can't refuse a good deal) to repair Stormwatch's ship and keep everyone alive. This is a great sequence, with a very clever hook to it. It also sets up another potential long-term development for the work. The pacing is also quite good here. Cornell creates a sense of chaos around the destruction of the team's shape, as the various members work to stay alive and fix it. The intercutting between scenes is fun and exciting, and there is a lot of room for character interaction. Sepulveda's art is also strong. His figure work improves with each issue and he captures the action well. The fake space backgrounds get distracting, but when those effects are toned down, strong art emerges. I can comfortably say all of the pieces are in place for a solid book now. It's a shame Cornell won't be here to explore the new status quo, but I have hopes the book can go to good places from here.

Swamp Thing#6 - Scott Snyder/Marco Rudy

Scott Snyder plows along with his Swamp Thing epic. I feel like, plot wise, this may be one of the lighter issues, but when it comes to creepy visuals, fast-paced chases, and dramatic story turns, it packs a whallop. It seems like Snyder may have written parts of this directly for guest artist Marco Rudy's style. Rudy's work on the human characters is in keeping with the look Yanique Paquette has created for the book, and is very good, But his scratchier, looser style comes to life in the burning of the Parliament of Trees in Brazil, where Rudy emulates Paquette's panel structure but fills the pages with an angrier look that is wholly is own. Same goes for the vision of a world overtaken by the Rot. Snyder seems to provide these opportunities for Rudy to really let loose with his style. The visual of Abby merged to the Rot, the key figure of the issue, is a haunting mass of sinews, blood, and veins, with one pained human face struggling to break free, and it is a great piece of work. The extended chase sequence is excellent as well, with a terrified Alec, having lost his only ally, riding off as horrific undead vultures pursue him. Both writer and artist are at their best here. These events are wrapped around the revelation that the Rot want Abby, not her brother, as its host. Snyder does a great job conveying Alec's pain at losing the only person he has connected with, in Abby,and his fear at facing the challenges ahead. The ending has Alec returning to the Green, volunteering to become Swamp Thing to fix things. It's haunting and tragic, complemented by Rudy's swirling panels and some muted colours. This book continues to be one of DC's best. This issue is a bit light on plot, but rides on the energy and strength of its characters, high intensity action, and fantastic visuals. Every issue is exhilarating and a true page turner. A must read.

Uncanny X-Men#6 - Kieron Gillen/Greg Land

This is leagues better than this title's first arc, but I'm not fully drawn in to it. It just feels a bit too much like a mission this team has undertaken. The personal connection to it is not there, and so I feel a little removed from the story. Last issue's compelling look at Psylocke's guilt over causing Tabula Rasa is ignored here in favour of the internal politics within that enclosed world. Granted, Gillen is putting a lot of effort in to exploring what such an advanced world would be like, and it is well thought-out and interesting. I'm just not that drawn in by it. It just sits there as some good ideas but doesn't grab me. But I do like the concepts about evolution played with here. The underwater scene in particular is strong, as Namor discusses how the sea creatures have no concept of moving water and aren't equipped to deal with currents. One thing working in Gillen's favour is the pacing. There is a lot going on here, and Gillen deftly moves through the various scenes, touching in on the various characters, and slowly providing a bigger picture of what is going on here. The character interaction is also shaping up to be much better than it was in the first arc. The characters finally have some chemistry on panel together, and Gillen knows how to play it subtle. Psylocke has added a lot to the book, and her interaction with Magneto is good stuff. And I'd be remiss in not mentioning the moment where Magneto, looking for a quick weapon, turns his helmet into blades of metal. Sublime. So I'm not drawn in by the main story, but there is still a lot of good here and Gillen is finding his footing after some rocky opening issues. (Note: Until Greg Land starts drawing and stops tracing, I can't discuss his art.)

I also read Fatale#2 (Ed Brubaker/Sean Phillips), but I'm going to hold on comment until I have a few more issues.

Weekly Comics - 01/25/12

2012-01-26T17:58:00.000-08:00

Justice League Dark#5 - Peter Milligan/Mikel Janin

Milligan notionally wraps up this title's first arc, as June Moon and the Enchantress are defeated and these disparate individuals have a discussion about teaming up. Granted, it doesn't go very well, as they angrily go their separate ways, but these characters have faced their first conflict as a group. This is the kind of story that I'd love to go back and re read in light of this issue's events - namely, that Madame Xanadu had more to do with causing the problem than solving it and that the Enchantress and June weren't nearly as sinister as Xanadu herself (despite her apparent best intentions). This issue is bigger on plot movement than most, as the group struggle amongst themselves to unite June and the Enchantress. It's laced with character conflict, as the pain and bitterness each character experienced individually in the first four issues is preventing them from coming together as a unit. Deadman, in particular, cannot bear to be around the others or help them against June. However Milligan plans to keep this group together, there is a great dynamic here, rooted in this anger and pain. It's to his credit that scenes of fantastical magical opponents are always grounded by these characters trying to reach out to each other. Zatanna kissing Shade to remind him what is real is particularly effective. Most the issue takes places in a mindscape, where the characters jump between scenes, appearing to help and antagonize each other, and it's a disorienting and effective set up. The final scene is also great, with the assembled characters confronting Xanadu about what she's done and leaving. There's a softness and vulnerability to her character, the supposed evil mastermind, and I can't wait to see where she goes from here. Janin continues to surprise on the art. His figures are soft and believable in their facial expressions and body language, but they are thrown into any number of horrific settings against different creatures. It's a very pretty book. Even the various creatures and mindscapes are meticulously rendered. At the end of this first story, I still don't necessarily know what the premise of this title is going to be. That said, Milligan has created a deep, interesting world, and a cast of fully realized characters, so I'm happy to keep following it.

Flash#5 - Francis Manapul, Brian Buccelato/Francis Manapul

Manapul and Buccelato continue to great work on this book. In one sense, they wrap up their first story, leaving dangling threads for future stories. And, in another, they use this story to continue to expand on the Flash's power set in innovative ways. The Manuel Lago story wraps up with this creative team's typical flair for high octane superheroics and startling artwork. The set piece here is an experiment run by Dr. Elias to correct the genetic imbalance in Manuel's clones, and Manapul uses it as an opportunity for some stunning visuals. Sound effects invade the very pacing and structure of the page, bringing an innovative look to the action. The climactic splash pages, where the Flash stops the experiment, are a beauty to behold, bathed in a pale green and mixing the right amount of pathos into these cartoony faces. The writers leave Manuel's story open ended - the threat has ended in tragedy, but the door is re-opened at the end for the returnof Mob Rule. I like how personally connected Barry has been to this fight. Last issue's flashbacks are built on, so that the friendship between Barry and Manuel is at the core of the heroic, but impulsive, choices Barry makes here. Events from this story directly lead to the bombshells of the final scene, where Barry learns how his powers are causing time travel incidents - the EMP blast that abruptly descended on the city in the first issue is traced to his actions here, among other incidents. There is a nice serendipity to this twist, explaining some random elements from previous issues with grace. At the same time, this wrinkle in Barry's powers is presented as a grave danger, surely a threat to be explored further. It's a paradigm shift for the book, and I was really grabbed by this twist. There's a lot more going on here - Iris' rescue from Iron Heights (a wonderful action scene as drawn by Manapul), Barry flirting with Patty and Iris in his two different guises, and the set up for a future opponent in Captain Cold. I do still think the writing team have some kinks to work out, albeit minor ones, but the final product is always great - fantastic, inventive artwork wrapped around energetic, fun stories.

Fantastic Four#602 - Jonathan Hickman/Barry Kitson

Wow. Hickman really ramps things up here. The previous issue of FF started to show how everything connected, and this one continues in that vein. But, at its core, this is a strong action issue with a lot of fun character work. I tend to find Hickman's action issues to be quick reads, but he peppers a lot of team interaction through this one. His run has been so focused on high concepts, that the characters can sometimes get a bit lost, particularly the fun team dynamic. Hickman rectifies that here, with a playfully scheming Reed and Sue planning a big move while their two team mates struggle to keep up with them. It's fun, while contributing to the bigger story. The action also moves along at a great pace, jumping between the different parties involved and keeping a wider story going in the background. But the big moment here is the final sequence with Galactus. I've previously said the Kree/Inhumans/Galactus elements felt out of place with the time travel/alternate Reeds/Nathaniel story Hickman had been building since his first issue. Here, Hickman shows how they are all connected, and, read in conjunction with FF#14, a wonderful tapestry is emerging. Galactus, particularly, seemed like a late-game addition to the big story, but his purpose is revealed here, and it's a great twist that makes perfect sense. Barry Kitson guest pencils the issue, and is typically excellent. His figures and faces are crisp and expressive, his action scenes are clear and powerful, and his style is a great match for the book. Things are coming together at a controlled pace here. At the same time, the action is big and fun. A really great issue.

FF#14 - Jonathan Hickman/Juan Bobillo

Hickman's also revealing more pieces of his grand plan in this issue. Namely, the role of the Celestials, more background on the alternate Reeds, just what Valeria and Nathaniel have been plotting, and what role Doom will play in everything. We're beginning to see how a number of Hickman's plot elements, going back almost three years, fit together into one sequence of events, all leading to this point. If this is what the payoff to a sometimes plodding long, long-term story feels like, it's worth it. The lengthy flashbacks to Nathaniel, Valeria, and Doom are great scenes, teasing at the big reveals without outright spelling everything out. It's enough for the reader to piece things together. As for the present day scenes, they retain the fun group dynamic of previous issues, while adding the gravity of the fight with the Celestials. There is weight to the proceedings here that makes the events feel as important as the war with the Kree in Fantastic Four. I also love Doom's role - I tend to like when he joins with the Fantastic Four as an ally, and his willpower and sense of sacrifice here adds an interesting layer to the story. Bobillo also continues to impress, with a great depiction of the children and an offbeat look for all of the deranged adults populating the book. The space battle looks great, and he continues to play with panel arrangement and blank space in effective ways. I don't think this one was quite as urgent as this week's Fantastic Four, but it was still a strong read that continues putting the pieces of a major story together.

X-Men: Legacy#261 - Christos Gage/David Baldeon

Christos Gage properly gets his run underway after the Point 1 issue, picking up on some of Mike Carey's threads. And I can safely say it is coming off a lot more obvious than Carey would have handled it. I hate to be comparing Gage's tenure to Carey's but when he is drawing on Carey's stories and character arcs so strongly, it's hard not to. It starts with the characterization. From the opening scenes where Rachel and Rogue discuss the latter's relationship with Magneto and Frenzy and Gambit discuss their kiss, it is all just laid on the table. Carey was always a bit more opaque and subtle with his character work, and here it is all out there. It's fine stuff, it just lacks the layers and depth a more stripped back presentation would give it. Exodus' arrival draws on one of Carey's best issues, #225, where Xavier convinced Exodus and his followers that the dwindling number of mutants need to unite, not fight amongst themselves. It was a brilliant examination of the X-titles and a strong direction for their future. Here, Exodus arrives, angry at the schism in the X-Men, and Carey's earlier idea loses a lot of its subtlety and sharpness. Again, the conversations are laid right on the table, and the topic of mutant unity just becomes the backdrop for an enjoyable, but generic, fight scene. By the end of the issue, it seems the conflict is over, then Gage tacks on plot where Exodus will attack Cyclops for causing the schism. It's all nicely executed, and the fight scene is energetic, with artwork much improved by Baldeon, but it feels pedestrian compared to the depth Carey could bring to the book, even in a wordless scene. I hate to dump on this book in Gage's second issue. This is a good issue, but subtle it ain't, and the comic is weaker for that.

Weekly Comics - 01/18/12

2012-01-19T17:40:00.000-08:00

Batman#5 – Scott Snyder/Greg Capullo

This is it. The big one. I'm not sure if I can say more than what has already been said in online reviews, so I'll stick with my gut reaction. I loved every page. Snyder and Capullo have created a masterwork with this comic. The writing is haunting and unnerving, the panel compositions are hypnotic, and the image of an exhausted, frightened Batman struggling to come to grips with his surroundings was captivating. By the time the now infamous page-flip happened, I was completely drawn in to this world, and felt as disoriented as Batman. Suddenly, I was reading a comic upside down, as bewildered as Batman was. And, when the second big twist came at the end, it was a gut-punch. But the chaos here was so controlled - the panels presented to achieve certain effects and the sudden scene shifts as Batman hallucinates expertly presented for maximum effect. They ramp up when the book flips, mirroring Batman's state of mind as the reader struggles to keep up. There isn't so much a story here as a tale of Batman struggling to stay afloat through the maze of torments that the Court of Owls has put him through. There are two brief framing scenes, and the rest of the issue takes place in the maze. Those framing scenes don't take away from the rest of the issue at all. They add a layer of humanity to Batman's disappearance. Commissioner Gordon and Damian Wayne's insistence that the Bat Signal gives people hope is touching. Batman's journey through the maze is hard to comment on. It continues the story Snyder has been building. Whereas before, Bruce adamantly denied the existence of the Court, now, faced with their existence, he finds other things to deny, constructing his own explanations for the horrors they are showing him in order to stay somewhat in control of his situation. It's a harrowing portrait of the consummate hero, able to stand up to anything, worn down, physically, and mentally, to nothing. Batman's journey through the maze takes the hero through a number of disturbing rooms and visuals, and the narrative jumps suddenly, mirroring his mental state. It's fantastically well done. Capullo produces some stunning visuals. The barest hint of cartooniness to his style is the secret ingredient. It brings just the slightest exaggeration to his work, from Batman's impossibly large, bedraggled cape to the minor excesses in Batman's dwindling physical state and the vividness of the final attack. His unique style brings an edge to the visuals. That's to say nothing of the setting itself, bathed in haunting whites by FCO. The setting is less a maze and more a series of disturbing, impossibly large rooms, one after another, where even a series of framed pictures looks disturbing. The white really helps. Instead of bathing the issue in shadows, the setting are presented to us in stark whites, adding an unusual feeling of terror to the book. Even Batman's costume, wearing away after a week, is an odd white shade that is very effective. Altogether, an outstanding piece of work. This is a very special comic, but it's really just one shining piece in a run that has been uniformly excellent.

DC Universe Presents#5 – Paul Jenkins/Bernard Chang

Jenkins wraps up the five part Deadman story with an issue that unfortunately loses its sure hand at the end. The opening two-thirds of this issue continue the philosophical discussions at the story's core. But once Deadman resolves his dispute with Rama, Jenkins moves to wrap up the wounded veteran's story, and it doesn't quite come together. The Deadman story is thankfully up to the quality of earlier issues. Jenkins has lead Deadman down a path of self-discovery. He has grown in courage to be able to even ask the questions about the purpose of his existence. Here, he confronts Rama about the journey she has set him on and how long it must continue. Their conversation builds on last issue's existential dialogues, leading Deadman to ask the important questions about his life. It's compelling stuff, bringing Deadman's character arc full circle in his quest for some measure of understanding and independence. I knew nothing about this character going in, and Jenkins has proven that beneath his power set lay the potential for interesting questions about the nature of his heroism and the impact he has on the lives of others, as well as the purpose of his own life. It's been an interesting story, and I'm glad to have read it. That said, the story then has Johnny, the wounded soldier Deadman is currently possessing, attack the arms dealers we barely met last issue to get his own closure. I get the ideas Jenkins is going for here, but this isn't the best way to get there. The arms dealers are a hastily introduced plot device and Johnny's heroic mission is out of step with this story's thoughtful tone. Jenkins is able to wrap it up with a nice monologue, but this resolution is still out of step with the rest of the five-part story. Chang's art is up to its usual standards of quality, bringing life and expression to mystical characters in his trademark blocky style. I just wish this story had stuck to its unusual, talky roots right up until the end. As it stands, the final scenes don't ruin the story, but they don't quite sync up with the type of story Jenkins had been telling.

Birds of Prey#5 – Duane Swierczynski/Jesus Saiz, Javier Pina

Swierczynki takes a bit of a break here, but in a good way. The frenetic action of the earlier issues is stripped back. The issue has the Birds recuperating in the wake of a fight where one member is missing, injuries have been healed, and no one can quite remember what has happened. This title definitely needed the space to breathe and get to know these characters better, but having it happen under this fog and haze of uncertainty lends and air of doom to the proceedings. Swierczynski is successful in creating this tone through the script, as each of the Birds struggles with how exactly they have awoken, in perfect condition, in the middle of a street after last issue's battle. The character building scenes that result are top notch stuff. Poison Ivy is embroiled in some nefarious scheme, possibly connected to her membership in the team, and its nicely set up. Black Canary and Katana get a scene that finally humanizes the latter, showing her reaching out for companionship with her teammates. The dialogue is fun, but also does a good job developing these characters. Battle-hardened and weary, Black Canary is showing cracks that reveal her true self. Batgirl is put to interesting use here. Obviously, she is the missing link who disappeared after last issue's battle. Yet, here, she remembers nothing. She's a good addition to the book, skeptical of the team and playfully sparring with Canary. Starling gets a lot of focus, with hints about her personal life and her thoughts on her role in the team. As the only new character in this book, she remains a vibrant and compelling one. The wider plot is still going on here, with a minor skirmish at the start and bigger revelations at the end, leading to a cliffhanger for Starling. As usual, the plot itself is good stuff, but is overshadowed by the pace, tone, and energy of the proceedings. Even in a breather issue, that remains true, and Swierczynski flips through the various characters' personal lives at a good clip, giving us enough to get drawn into their respective stories. Saiz provides layouts here, with Javier Pina finishing his pencils. Saiz' strong page designs and attractive figures shine through as usual, but I won't deny they lose a bit of their lush fullness under Pina's finishes. It's still a strong-looking comic, just not as polished as when Saiz provides full art. It's another strong issue for this title. Swierczynski changes up the focus and gets worthwhile material out of his cast members as a result. One last thing - can this please be the end of these awful David Finch covers?

Wonder Woman#5 – Brian Azzarello/Tony Akins

Brian Azzarello continues to redefine the world of Greek mythology Wonder Woman operates in, and this issue is his strongest statement on that yet, as the big story starts to reveal itself. Not only is Zeus Diana's father, but he has disappeared, and a fight for his kingdom is about to break out. This issue thrusts the action into this story with the same commanding confidence and strong voice Azzarello has brought to the book so far. Like much of his run, the concept is simple. But Azzarello commits to playing it on a godly scale, with a variety of godlike beings weighing in on it and the stakes presented as Earth-shattering. It completely works in the tone Azzarello has developed for this book. There's sinister messengers, dire prophecies, and age old grudges at play here, and the proceedings feel suitably epic. At the centre of this is the trio of Diana, Hermes and Zola, struggling to accept their role in the conflict. Azzarello keeps their interaction playful, providing a nice counterpoint to the rest of the action. Zola and Diana, in particular, are developing a friendly banter and a caring relationship that really humanizes the latter character. I also like Diana's struggle to accept her new family. Through her words and hesitant actions, she is still coming to grips with not only the fact that Zeus is her father, but that she has such a perverse, evil family lineage because of that. The confrontation with Poseidon is a wonderful scene, where Diana must confront her new uncle about her father's disappearance. It comes to life thanks to Tony Akin's portrayal of Poseidon as a giant, lumbering sea creature. I was excited to have Akins on a guest penciller. I loved his work on Jack of Fables, and thought his playful qualities would work well on an aquatic issue like this. His design for Poseidon is sublime and he captures the other creatures equally well. His style is in keeping with the look Cliff Chiang has developed for the book, but with a bit more quirk to the facial expressions, which suits the fun and banter of some of the scenes here. Overall, it's another stellar issue of this title, which takes Azzarello's direction for the book into the next phase of the plot with its usual strengths in writing and art.

Uncanny X-Men#5 – Kieron Gillen/Greg Land

I'll give Gillen credit: This is one of the better issues since this book relaunched. Similar to last week's Wolverine and the X-Men, this one is seeped in events from Uncanny X-Force. The entire conflict spins out of it and much of the material surrounding Psylocke comes from her role in that title. I know the broad strokes of what has been going on in that book, so I could follow things pretty well, with the exception of a couple moments. In general, there's enough background given here that non-readers of that title should be fine getting through this. The Tabula Rasa conflict is a fine idea for a story. It is a bit disconnected from the X-Men (only because all of them except Magneto don't know X-Force exists, so this isn't a personal mission for them like it is for Psylocke), but it works as a good starting point. There's the potential for some great visuals in it. One page even has Colossus comment on how beautiful it is. Unfortunately, this is accompanied by some muddy tracing by Greg Land. Gillen seems to recognize that the bloated cast of this book have mostly been ciphers. So he has the team split up into pairs here for some potential characterization. He's partly successful in this. The Colossus/Illyana scene is great. Their relationship has been ignored since #1, and there is a lot to it in its current form, which Gillen nicely delves into. Psylocke and Magneto get a strong scene as well, discussing her complicity in creating Tabula Rasa. On the flip side, Namor and Hope get some forced banter and Storm makes things uncomfortable with Scott when she casually mentions the Beast's name. That scene had the subtlety of a sack of manure, and was a ham-fisted attempt to remind us of Schism. Thanks, but I'd rather forget about it. Still, Gillen is putting some effort into this cast, and I can appreciate that. Meanwhile, in more non-subtle territory, the build-up to Avengers vs. X-Men begins with a scene straight out of Matt Fraction's terrible Uncanny run. Captain America tells Cyclops that the press are trying to present the X-Men and the Avengers as at odds with each other. Um, since when? Is this going to be another forced, contrived conflict, like the aforementioned Schism? Who cares, I've already decided I'm not reading it. But that scene was painful. So it's a mixed bag. The book still feels impersonal and cold, and the inhuman Greg Land art doesn't help that. But there is a genuine effort made with some of the characters here and the story is just fine. Not completely successful, but certainly a better issue than most for this struggling title.

Hellblazer - Parliament of the Trees. Could use a bit of a pruning, in my opinion.

2012-01-18T15:46:00.000-08:00

Hellblazer - Black Flowers (#181-186)

If Mike Carey’s first volume on this title, Red Sepulchre, was an exercise in constructing a strong story, building up mysteries and character relationships, and reaching a satisfying conclusion, Black Flowers shows that Mike Carey is attempting this exercise on a wider scale. Red Sepulchre was a solidly constructed single story, but, in Black Flowers, Carey reveals that he’s taking his knack for strong plotting to build up a mystery and a threat for John to confront that spans volumes. This volume comprises three shorter stories, each building on the threat that revealed itself in Red Sepulchre and is lurking on the fringes here. But these three stories are also brimming with a vibrancy that Carey was only touching on in his first volume. As the mysteries deepen, Carey is getting a stronger handle on John, the pace of his adventures, his connection to people around him, and how to bring excitement and danger into this book.

The first of these stories, “The Game of Cat and Mouse,” is a single-issue story drawn by Jock. It’s a chase story, in which three demons called Lukhavim are after John for killing Fredricks in the previous volume. Jock’s design for the creatures is great – they look hulking and imposing, but also sit quite naturally in panels with human characters. The issue itself has a great balance. It’s a very typical John Constantine encounter, with the magician walking the demons into traps and calmly gloating as they wither away. But, at the same time, danger lurks around the proceedings. Enough cryptic warnings are provided by the demons that it is obvious their pursuit of John is tied to a bigger problem. Their first attack on him is jarring, in that it actually hurts him. This puts John on edge through the rest of the story. For as calm and cool as he remains, he knows they mean business and can hurt him, and it shows. The pace of this story hits just the right balance as well. I also like that Clarice, the rich old woman from the previous story, is being used as John’s advisor on all things Hell. A fun ride, and there’s a lot happening here.

Lee Bermejo pencils the two-part “Black Flowers” next, and it is a treat to see his interior artwork. The human characters have a strong realism to their faces and the inhuman characters are so commanding on page that they truly feel like they are intruding in our world, which is the point of the story. The art is dark, but not overly so, with shadows being used to accentuate the locations. The story involves Angie getting John to help her with an outbreak of madness in the town where her brother is a psychiatric patient. This alls ties into the wider plot Carey is working with. Namely, that “there is a disturbance at the border” – something nasty from the otherworldly realms is creeping into ours. These spirits have turned the town mad, and three murderous shepherds from that realm have come here to set things right. The story does a great job digging into Angie’s character. Carey wisely places a lengthy scene between her and her jerk boyfriend early on, to give us more insight into her regular life before plunging her into this. She’s on edge for the rest of the story, struggling to accept John’s world but equally angry towards her brother. Carey also tells the story really well. The cutting of scenes between John discovering something is amiss as Angie gets deeper into it is expertly done, building up tension effectively. The climatic moments also work nicely, aided by Bermejo’s designs for the shepherds. And, as well as this works as a standalone tale to build up John and Angie’s relationship, Carey swings things on the final page to remind us how this otherworldly invasion seems to be part of a bigger danger John is facing. The tension is effectively built, allowing this story to fit into a larger whole.

Marcelo Frusin is back to pencil the final three issues, the “Third Worlds” story. John takes Angie across the world with him, first to South America to get Swamp Thing’s help and figure out what may be coming from another realm, then to Iran to find the followers of Cain, and finally to New Zealand for more information. This doesn’t feel like wacky globe-trotting, mainly because it is all tied together so nicely by the threat of the otherworldly invaders and the strong narration from John and Angie.

The Swamp Thing chapter contains some card game shenanigans that are a bit off-course, but the visit with Swamp Thing is perfect. Carey gets their antagonistic dynamic, and John brings a lot of humour to the situation. Frusin, an artist grounded in darkly cartoony Vertigo books, creates a captivating vision of Swamp Thing, growing out of a giant old tree. The visit to Iran is another fun chapter, as John must answer for an old theft and Angie comes into to her own as an adventuress. There are hints that the evil John seeks goes back to the Garden of Eden and also an old-school trial by ordeal with humorous results. Very strong stuff, and Frusin’s depiction of arid desert life is great. The Tasmania chapter swings things into the deeply personal category. John learned from Swamp Thing that the evil he seeks also escaped from Tasmania two centuries ago, and journeys back in time to colonial slavery to learn about it. At the same time, Angie must ward of Aboriginal spirits and relays the story of her brother’s mental illness to them. These two story threads, coupled together, create an incredibly compelling narrative of pain felt throughout the years. Carey doesn’t downplay the years of pain felt by the Aboriginals when their land was taken over, but it’s a very poignant moment to have one of the spirits acknowledge that Angie’s family has also faced great suffering. The issue gives Angie remarkable depth. Just the fact that she stands up to the spirits shows a strength she didn’t have when we first met her, and a growth since accompanying John on the road.

I think what I like just as much is that Carey keeps the ominous threat feeling both sharply drawn and very vague. The point of the Tasmania story is for John to get information from the natives in the past. He gets it, but the scene cuts away as that conversation starts. At the end of the issue, he relays that he learned what he needed too, but we still don’t know what it is. Throughout this volume, the vague threat of something breaking through the wall between realms and entering ours is pervasive. But the terms are never laid out in stone, the threat is never delineated, and the dangers don’t have to be spelt out. Something bad will happen, and John is trying to learn more to prevent it. The danger feels real, partly because it is so vaguely sketched. In presenting it that way, Carey is allowing these individual stories to live and breathe as standalone tales and leaving ample space for character interaction. But it always feels like these pieces are building towards something, even if we don’t have a clear picture of what yet. It’s incredibly strong story structuring, and, aided by three strong artists, a sharp and effective package.

Weekly Comics - 01/11/12

2012-01-13T04:02:00.000-08:00

Batgirl#5 - Gail Simone/Adrian Syaf

Simone starts a new story for Batgirl, and, once again, there is a lot going on here. It works for the book. I like the multiple plot elements. But sometimes there is even too much going on within a scene. In the opening action scene, there are so many players doing so many things at once, that it does get a bit cluttered, especially since these are all new characters. Now, this does work to replicate Batgirl's confusion at facing so much at once, and it certainly has impact once new opponent Gretel enters the scene, but there is a lot happening here. That said, the issue is still a strong one, and I do like the multiple events going on - Barbara tries to reconcile her differences with her mother, Detective McKenna's vendetta against Batgirl continues to build, there's some roommate bonding, and Gretel makes a second strike. I like the general randomness of Gretel and her motivations. By her second attack, Simone has smoothed it out. That sequence still feels chaotic, but more organized. The opener had Simone playing with too many ideas, while the chaos at the end is engaging. We feel as bewildered as Batgirl at the tactics of her opponents and the final page twist. Gretel is an interesting figure, standing around, seemingly in control, while a brutal fight wages around her. The characterization of Barbara remains strong, balancing anger, hopefulness, and a desire to move on. The roommate dynamic is also developing nicely. The scene with Barbara's mother isn't fully satisfying, and deliberately so. It touches on their issues, with Barbara's hard shell up the whole time. I suspect there's a lot more to come here, and for now it's a good start. Finally, Simone and Syaf work in a clever "Occupy Gotham" subplot (including some graffiti in an earlier scene), where citiziens of Gotham are protesting Bruce Wayne's philanthropic building plans (built up so favourably over in Batman). I love the willingness to play with this idea and present this title as coming from a different place than Batman. Syaf's art remains strong, and at it's best with bigger panels - Batgirl swooping through the skies, Gretel's first attack. When Simone is cramming a lot into a scene, and Syaf has to do the same, it shows. But the book still has a strong look to it. This remains a complicated book, overall. It is dealing with complicated issues surrounding its lead character, and still ironing out how to tell her story. Even with that, there's something special here. It's certainly always engaging.

Batwoman#5 - J.H. Williams III, W. Haden Blackman/J.H. Williams III

Utterly amazing in every way. In twenty pages, Williams and Blackman accomplish so much. And they do it with grace, skill, fluidity, and beautiful artwork. This issue shows that there is a big plan for this book. The Weeping Woman isn't just an opponant to be fought and defeated in this opening arc. She is a catalyst for a much bigger story and the drive that forces Kate to make tough decisions in this issue. There's a paradigm shift in the final pages of this book that is tense, disturbing, and dark, as Chase and Bones finally make their move. In order to protect the world she has created around herself, Kate makes a tough choice, and, like that, an already wonderful comic series is propelled into a bold new direction. This issue is forward thinking. It moves the story of Batwoman forward into dark new territory, hinting at the places her story can now go. But it also looks back to the character's past with skill. Kate's final confrontation with the Weeping Woman is a moment of terror for the character, where she is forced to confront her lost sister and the person she became. Kate makes her peace with her sister's fate, and, in a rare moment of serenity for Kate, resolves to move forward, using her sister's memory for strength. Then Chase and Bones arrive and Kate's life is thrown in another direction. The book moves wonderfully through it's various movements, from action to denouement to further horror, with ease. The opening page uses the typical expository text (a brief blurb on the Batwoman character), incorporates it into the text of the story, and makes it an integral part of the story. From the horror of Kate's new predicament, the final page then swings the mood of issue, showing us the strength and resolve of Kate's character that is still present, even in her current predicament. Outside of Chase, this issue strips back the supporting cast to focus on Kate and it's a great showcase for her. It goes without saying the Williams' art is fantastic. His depiction of the fight with the Weeping Woman brings that scene to life, with sweeping pages depicting the battle in watery images. It truly feels like Kate is fighting for her life in a very personal battle. He switches to the less painterly depiction of Kate at the right moments, in a way almost reflecting the layers of her character by presenting her in completely different ways throughout the issue. There are the typical innovative layouts, dazzling splash pages, and haunting depictions of people. This issue is a game changer that proves this title as a tour de force in both writing and art.

Frankenstein: Agent of S.H.A.D.E.#5 - Jeff Lemire/Alberto Ponticelli

I didn't know what to expect from this one, a crossover with OMAC#5 (which I didn't read). They said repeatedly in interviews that this was Frankenstein's take on the battle with OMAC, and that you didn't need to read both comics to get the whole story. They were right. I shoudn't have doubted Lemire. This is an incredibly fun comic, a great crossover issue, and a piece in the larger Frankenstein story. The premise is deceptively simple - Checkmate asks S.H.A.D.E. to capture OMAC for them. With all these super science underground groups running around the DC Universe, it's inevitable they'd cross paths at some point. Lemire plays this up for humour, with an antagonistic tone between the two groups, enhanced by the fact that S.H.A.D.E.'s representative (Father Time) is a young girl in a domino mask. Frank himself is at his surly and unimpressed best here, echoing the readers' sentiment that he knows nothing about the fight he is getting into and has no background information on his target. The SHADE.net narration is used to strong effect by Lemire, stepping in to illuminate the situation with deadpan humour numerous times. The actual battle with OMAC is a great showcase for Ponticelli's artwork. He experiments with panel layouts in new ways (removing them entirely on one page, so the fight just moves down the page) and has some great splash pages. The fight itself is right in line with this title's sense of humour - Frank's unimpressed demeanour juxtaposed with OMAC's Hulk-like phrases, as mass property damaged happens in their wake. It's a lot of fun, as is the end, where Frank loses an arm and later matter-of-factly gets it back. As mentioned, some ongoing threads from the title continue admidst the crossover - Father Time shows her truly devious side, outwitting Checkmate to get needed information, hints of an atraction are brewing between Frank and Agent Mazursky, and Frank hits a wall in his frustrations with S.H.A.D.E. The book looks great, as usual. Ponticelli has created a rough and nasty world full of exaggerated creatures. He helps develop the book's over the top nature and quirky charm while also creating some nice, quieter moments. It's another strong issue. The opening arc was a bit action heavy, and I worried how long the book could sustain that momentum. This one proves that not only is that formula a winner, but there is a lot more going on in this book. Great stuff

Superboy#5 - Scott Lobdell/R.B. Silva

This book continues to impress in its fifth issue. Lobdell is doing a lot of what he's done well so far - exploring the growth and maturity of a young boy who's been raised in a laboratory. Superboy isn't exactly mature at all times, but he's making decisions for himself and acts on his own impulses for the first time in his life. That's interesting to read about. Sometimes, his choices are intelligent and good-natured, and other times, he faces wrongdoers in a way most of us wish we could. His decision-making has a certain logic and process to it, but there also are base emotions and impulses driving his actions. Lobdell is also succeeding in building a fairly deep tapestry of characters and subplots within the metal and glass of the laboratory. There are now three "lab boss" type characters vying for Superboy's trust and loyalty - perhaps one too many, but it keeps things interesting. Meanwhile, Caitlin Fairchild's character has moved in a wholly unexpected direction, with increasing comments that she is only one of a group who may betray N.O.W.H.E.R.E. Rose Wilson has risen since Caitlin was captured. Here, she's alternately hard-edged and lonely. The shot of her slumping down against the metal walls of the facility captures the sterile, alienating feeling of this series perfectly. There are also numerous references to a bigger story developing, with the Culling Day mentioned more than once (including in the wonderful twist of the final scene). Silva's artwork remains a strong fit for the book. His figures and faces have enough expression and quirk to them that they keep the cold laboratory setting feeling lively. There's also a great rounded look to the characters. At the same times, his layouts are strong and occasionally creative. So there's a lot going on here and I remain entertained watching this lead character navigate the unsavoury world he has found himself in.

Wolverine and the X-Men#4 - Jason Aaron/Nick Bradshaw

This issue is certainly a breather after the opening story. It retains the title's dense feel (almost every page is packed with little character moments and jokes), but it's not the beginning of a new story. Similar to how last week's Uncanny X-Men#4 was a breather issue, this one is too. I still don't feel like either title earned a breather issue this early on. This title doesn't have a compelling plot hook outside of "Wolverine runs a school." Yes, that's fun and all, but I just think it's too early to take a break to explore that premise more. We've had a lot of that so far. That said, this is still a lot of fun throughout. It may seem hard to establish a group dynamic in such an eclectic book, but Aaron is sticking to a central cast (Wolverine, Iceman, Rachel, Kitty, Beast) and making them work as an overextended, exhausted faculty, cracking wise as they try and keep the school together. There's also a great effort to establish a student body - Kid Gladiator, Idie, Broo, Quentin Quire, and new additions Genesis and Angel. The classroom scenes, with Kitty trying to reign them in, are funny, and good example of Aaron cramming a lot onto each page. This is also the issue where Aaron makes explcit links to Uncanny X-Force - Genesis and the amnesiac Angel get lengthy introductions (along with Deathlok delivering humourous prophecies to the students). I don't read that book, but I had no trouble following these elements. In fact, they were quite compelling, particularly the visions of the future caused by Genesis and Iceman's pledge to stick by Angel and guide him through this difficult time. It just feels like these are meant to be big additions to the book. But the book is only on its fourth issue, still settling into its setting and cast, and to throw two elements from another book in with such a big introduction was a bit jarring for me. This issue also sees the addition of Nick Bradshaw as artist. Really, he's the only artist in the X-stable unique enough to take on this role, in my opinion. He's not aping Chris Bachalo's style at all. He's got a style all his own (ok, it's heavily influenced by Art Adams), with facial expressions and sense of humour to it that are right at home in this title. So it's another very strong issue, with Aaron's humour and approach to the book fully intact. On it's own merits, it's a great comic. I don't think it was the right time for a breather issue, so early on. And I'm a little concerned about the big role two characters from another book take immediately. But, with a cliffhanger ending so funny and a strong hand in guiding this book so far, I have faith in Aaron's direction for the book.

X-Men: Legacy#260.1 - Christos Gage/David Baldeon

Christos Gage takes over this title from longtime writer Mike Carey with a Point One issue that lays out the school setting, the main cast members, and the various relationships between them. It's a good comic and I like that Gage isn't afraid to begin developing the characters in a Point One issue. But it can't help but feel a little lightweight. Part of that is down to the nature of the threat. The main cast (Rogue, Rachel Summers, Gambit, Iceman, Frenzy) stumble upon the N'Garai cairn on the mansion grounds and accidentally open it. The issue covers their attempts to take down the creatures without involving the students or disrupting their school day. It's a cute premise (maybe too cutesy), but it touches on the thing that annoyed me most about the "Schism" that brought us to this point - the notion that Rogue and co. have to take down these creatures without involving the younger mutants or harming their innocence. Without forcing them to use their powers to fight. Keep in mind the mutant students in question have been to hell (literally) and back and used their powers to fight for their lives plenty of times before Schism. The premise of the split still grates on me. I'd much prefer it was just glossed over, as Wolverine and the X-Men has done. Still, the battle scenes are well done, with fun juxtaposition of what's happening inside the school. As mentioned, Gage is not afraid to get right into the character arcs he'll be exploring in his first issue. Gambit's unrequited feeligs for Rogue, Cannonball and Husk's struggle to reconnect as siblings, a budding romance for Frenzy, and surprisingly strong material for some of the students. That's what gets me excited for his tenure on the book - not these lightweight action scenes. Much to my surprise, I'm a little wary of David Baldeon's pencils. I've liked him on past projects, so I was surprised to find his work here was so cartoony. It's borderline Marvel Adventures, which is a departure for a mainstream X-Men book. It lends the book a very distinct tone, and was certainly part of the reason why this book felt light and cutesy at points. Seriously, it makes Mark Brooks' art look grim and gritty. Still, this was a good comic. I'm happy to see Gage has plans for the various cast members. It should provide a solid foundation for future stories.

Steve Seagle and Joe Kelly's X-Men

2012-01-08T16:19:00.000-08:00

I'm continuing to read through my Uncanny X-Men and X-Men collection, and have made my way to the Steve Seagle/Joe Kelly year. When these writers took over the books in the fall of 1997, it didn't take long for me to fall in love. My only exposure to the X-Men had been under stalwart 90s writers Scott Lobdell and Fabian Nicieza. I had a large amount of Claremont's back issues, but my time as a regular collector of the monthly titles had been the Lobdell/Niceiza years. So two fresh writers, both quite popular when they came in, was a big change for X-fans, myself included.

There are a lot of problems with these two writers' runs - dropped subplots, character arcs that didn't really go anywhere, new team members that didn't get a chance before being removed from the books, and the fact that editorial interfered with the writers' plans for the books. Both writers effectively wrote only ten issues (Kelly - X-Men#70-79 and Seagle Uncanny#350-359), as, after that point, their remaining six issues on each book were almost completely editorially driven - the stories, the new lineup, the direction. So, naturally, the work they put in before that feels truncated, unfinished, and at times, unfocused. But there is a lot of good to their respective ten issues, and they both brought a voice to the books that resonated for me when they were being released.

For one thing, these issues felt fresh. For the first time in my reading history, the X-Men lineup was shaken up. Xavier was long out of the picture, and, as the two writers started, Bishop, Gambit, and Joseph also departed. Cyclops and Phoenix moved to Alaska to recover from injuries, and remained in Uncanny in a supporting role. Archangel and Psylocke's previous supporting role diminished even further. The core X-Men were Storm, Wolverine, Beast, Rogue, Cannonball, and new recruits Marrow, Cecilia Reyes, and Maggott. There's a great scene in X-Men#71, where Scott and Jean depart, that Wolverine and Storm discuss how they are going to hold this team together. I've always connected more with the second generation of X-Men than the first, so anytime Storm and Wolverine take charge of the team, I find it to be more energetic and fun. There's was also a fun dynamic here - suddenly, neophyte Cannonball was a veteran, the Beast took a more active role than he had in awhile, Rogue struggled with personal issues after Gambit's departure, and the new members each brought something to the table. Ok, Maggott is a bit embarrassing reading these issues back, but Marrow had a lot of potential and Cecilia is a gem. She's defined by her reluctance to give up her real life and become a hero, and her story is one of the more interesting ones. She slowly comes to respect the X-Men, but her disdain for their way of life and superheroics never goes away. She's a funny, fresh voice who left her stamp on this era of X-history.

But it wasn't just the characters who felt fresh. With all due respect to Lobdell, who did the best he could on the X-Men, I wouldn't say his writing had personality. Outside of a few issues, he didn't ever really create mood or atmosphere on the titles. Niceiza was a rock solid writer, generally much stronger than Lobdell, but I would say the same for him. But for the first time in my reading history, under Seagle and Kelly, the books did have a real personality to them. Seagle, with his focus on Rogue's desire to touch people and Jean's struggle with her powers, went for a much darker, more atmospheric feel. Aided by Chris Bachalo's artwork, Seagle was able to create dark dream sequences, inventive page layouts and character designs, and unique-looking characters, all within the confines of some moody, character-based issues. Kelly focused on humour, but certainly touched on darker themes as well. His artists were more conventional in nature, but just as good as Bachalo. Carlos Pacheco wrapped up his X-Men run with four of Kelly's issues, and he brought a lot of energy and emotion to Kelly's scripts. After that, Kelly is joined by German Garcia, a guest artist whose style looked a lot like John Romita jr's, and I've always enjoyed the look of his issues.

Rereading these issues (which I've done a number of times) is always fun. Back when they were first released, I always thought Seagle's Uncanny X-Men was the stronger title of the two. I think I was so taken with the fact that someone had finally brought some mood and atmosphere to the X-Men (and loved Bachalo's artwork so much) that I overlooked some of his heavy-handed characterization and weaker plots. Kelly's X-Men was fun, but lighter than Uncanny. Rereading both runs concurrently, Kelly's X-Men always stands out as the stronger book now. The plotting is solid, even with the dropped plotlines. The character arcs (for Marrow, Cannonball, Cecilia, even Storm and Wolverine) feel more well-rounded and some of the individual issues work better as complete stories than Seagle's did. Still, there is an awful number of highlights between both writers' runs. On Uncanny, #356 is a thoughtful reunion of the original five X-Men, and #353-354 is a disturbing look at Rogue's darker impulses, wonderfully illustrated by Bachalo. There's also an inspector from a school board visiting the Institute (and horrified by what she sees). This storyline never continues, but, hey, it was enjoyable while it lasted. Kelly's wonderfully handled the team interaction on X-Men, injecting realistic voices and humour into the book. He achieved some really drama as the team fought over debate what to do with the reckless Marrow, gave Beast more of a purpose in the book, and even managed to develop the hardened Marrow's character and her relationship with Cannonball.

Reading Seagle and Kelly's issues as part of the bigger X-Men story, it's easy to see their failings. They introduce a number of subplots that don't go anywhere, they introduce a lineup and new members that aren't given enough time to develop, and they introduce a direction for the X-Men that seems to get quickly pushed aside. These are all fair points, but I will always see their time on the books as one very special year, where the patterns and dynamics the X-Men had played with for years were allowed to bend just slightly, resulting in new relationships, new stories, and a fairly unique voice on the titles for the first time in years. After years of mediocrity, Marvel rebounded in the later 90s, and this isn't always acknowledged by fans. The core X-books played a small part in that.

Weekly Comics - 01/04/2012

2012-01-07T10:07:00.000-08:00

Fatale#1 – Ed Brubaker/Sean Phillips

I decided to pick up this debut issue. I’m a big fan of Brubaker and Phillips’ collaborations, although I usually follow them in trade. With their first project for Image, I wanted to show it some support in single issues and I’m happy I did. This is very similar to Criminal in that it’s grounded in noir tropes, but with a touch of the occult coming in around the fringes. I like that Brubaker didn’t hit us over the head with that aspect of the story. This reads like a crime book, but with some intriguing supernatural elements playing an undefined role thus far. The book is divided in two, with a prologue that is a bit of an homage to North by Northwest. We meet our protagonist, Josephine, in the present day, and an unsuspecting man becomes the victim of a hit, replete with an attacking plane on a winding mountain-top highway. This is much darker than the Hitchcock movie, though, and the story ends on a fairly somber note. From there, the creators segue decades into the past, where a still young-looking Josephine is entangled in a relationship with a corrupt cop, some strange occult doings, and a reporter who is trying to help her. Brubaker elegantly introduces us to all of the players and conflicts in this time period, with brief, effective scenes that nicely transition from one to the next. At the same time, there’s an air of mystery to all of this; so while the stories were clearly laid-out, they were all shrouded in intrigue. Both creators effectively capture the time period through the dialogue and locations. The reporter’s kitchen is a dead ringer for the Draper kitchen in Mad Men, and it comes off as a sly homage (completely the opposite of how I feel about the celebrity faces used as character references these days). It’s a perfectly constructed and paced book, it plays up its noir tropes without overdoing it, it’s nicely building up a number of mysteries, and the art is great. Phillips nails the dark edges of this story within the confines of some fairly conventional layouts. I also really appreciated the back matter, as I don’t get to see it, reading Brubaker/Phillips’ stories only in trade. A write-up from Brubaker and a short essay on H.P. Lovecraft’s contribution to the horror genre rounded out this package very nicely. Stellar.

Action Comics#5 - Grant Morrison/Andy Kubert, Sholly Fisch/ChrisCross

Even though this is an origin story that puts the ongoing narrative on hold for two issues, it feels like this is where Morrison kicks things into high gear. The origin neatly ties back into what we have already seen at several points. It's also chaotic, full of energy, beautifully illustrated, and brimming with interesting takes on Superman and his mythos. Large parts of the issue are narrated by the rocketship that brought Kal-El from Krypton to Earth and it's full of personality. The ship's narration is alternately heartfelt, exciting, and incomprehensible. There's a great moment where it laments landing on Earth, a place where the other machines can't talk like it can. The issue opens with Kal-El's parents sending him off Krypton as it falls apart around them. There's a lot here - a quick introduction to the Phantom Zone, Krypto the super dog in action, and a great presentation of Jor-El and Lara. It feels jam-packed and chaotic, which works for a scene where the world is ending. A large chunk of the issue is devoted to Morrison's reimagining of Jonathan and Martha Kent's discovery of the rocketship and the baby within. Coupled with the backup story (more in a moment), it works very well. There's a desperation and sadness to their desire for a child. The twist on what they find at the spaceship, and give to the military, calls back to a great moment in #2 and it's quite clever. The issue ends with a scene that did nothing but confuse me, but in an exciting way. A mysterious, shadowed group (later dubbed the Anti-Superman army) steal the Kyprtonite engine from the rocketship (I'm not sure where the ship is located at this point) and then four seemingly heroic figures (one of whom is identical to Superman) lament what has happened. The segue to this sequence is a little jarring, but it's part of this issue's charm, as it intentionally jumps around throughout. It's certainly interesting stuff, even if I can't fully make sense of it now. It feels like Morrison is adding to his Superman world by throwing a lot of elements into it in this issue. It feels energetic and chaotic and I really like it. Andy Kubert's artwork contributes to that feeling. The figures and faces are expressive and interesting looking. He plays around with perspective as well, so the destruction of Krypton feels frantic. The final sequence is deliberately obscured, adding more confusion to what exactly is happening. But its very energetic and suits the mad cap story quite well.

The backup story slows things down considerably, and I found myself drawn right into it. It chronicles the Kents' quest to have a child after their marriage. I enjoyed that it wasn't cliche or sappy - their pain and desire felt real. Sholly Fisch's script did its job well. I felt like they really drew strength from each other with each failed attempt. It also fits nicely in with the lead story, filling gaps and expanding on the Kents' scene there. It felt sincere and heartfelt, and made a nice counterpoint to the wild opening story. I've never seen ChrisCross drawn normal people to this extent, but it was really good. His focus on faces and body language really sold these characters' sadness and inner strength. I like the variety in these backups, too. Last issue was more of a straight-up origin (alberit well-done), and this was an emotional character piece.

Stormwatch#5 - Paul Cornell/Miguel Sepulveda

The best issue of this title yet, so it's a shame Paul Cornell is leaving after #6. Things are certainly hitting their stride here. There's less of a focus on world-ending threats, as the cast take centre stage. And the mix between softer characterization and squabbles between cast members is nicely balanced. Midnighter and Apollo have an extended sequence to themselves, with Cornell playing up their attraction in a subtle way, while also having them wonder whether the public could embrace them as gay superheroes. I also like how they haven't been officially added to the team yet. They're still weighing the benefits of sticking around or breaking off to form their own team. There's a lot of interaction amongst the rest of the group as the Shadow Cabinet elects a new leader, after Adam One’s failure to lead in the previous issue. Most of this intrigue is fun, and gives attention to the wider cast. We’re also getting a good sense of Stormwatch as an organization, after the initial issues dumped us into their conflicts. Here, for example, we learn their headquarters has features of a city, as Jack can only live in cities. Sepulveda’s art is also showing growth, particularly with faces and normal people. There is a lot of standing around and talking here, and he pulls it off for the most part. The issue ends with Midnighter discovering Henry’s treachery, and an ensuing fight, and it’s effective. I feel like I know the team better now and this sort of conflict holds weight. The lead up to the finale is exciting and tense, and the issue on the whole is a success. Where it goes after Cornell leaves remains to be seen.

Animal Man#5 - Jeff Lemire/Travel Foreman, Steve Pugh

Buddy Baker's fight against the Rot continues in this issue, as he, Maxine, and talking cat Socks race across country to save his family. Imagine a horror movie centered around a tortured family, like Amityville, but one that doesn't suck. This is a thrill-a-minute fight against ruthless, grotesque creatures in a forest, with the stakes being the survival of a family. Sure, this is pitched as a conflict that will affect all life on Earth, but, reading this, all you care about is how Buddy, Cliff, and Maxine are going to safely make it through the fight. It's a gripping page-turner of a fight, and there are a number of contributions to the bigger story as well. Maxine is learning the extent of her powers and Buddy learns how the Rot plans to corrupt her. But it is all about the characters and the family dynamic ultimately. When Ellen's mother cries about her dead dog as the family escapes by car, her sadness resonates. The fear and anger Buddy and Ellen feel with the children in danger cuts right to the bone. And, as usual, Lemire is still throwing humour in, as the book has a quirky voice to it. Travel Foreman handles most of the art, and it's up to his usual standards.The creatures from the Rot are disturbing and all-encompassing, the characters emote and react in believable ways, and Buddy is once again the victim of some horrific physical distortion. He also does a great job with the forest setting, knowing when to pull back from the dense forest and let and empty space, populated by these striking figures, tell the story. Steve Pugh draws the final pages, and brings a quirky and expressive look to the characters that is right at home on this title. It's another triumph for this book, ending with Socks saying "Only Swamp Thing can save us now!" Can it get any better?

Swamp Thing#5 - Scott Snyder/Yanick Paquette

Snyder jumps right into William Arcane's confrontation with Alec and Abby. I was certainly expecting this to be drawn out longer, which contributed to my surprise when I turned the page to see William and his army of reincarnated animal corpses. Like Animal Man, this is a gripping horror story, with protagonists struggling to come into their own and trust each other while facing a great menace. The actual fight sequence is great stuff, with hideous, frothing pigs and cows attacking Abby and Alec in Paquette's traditional series of jagged panels. The moment where Alec finally calls on the Green to help fight off the animals is successfully pulled off as a big moment for the series. I was riveted on those pages. But I remain happy that he hasn't fully transformed into Swamp Thing yet. His big moment of using his powers here amounts to calling on vines to tear apart the animals (which Paquette ensures is as horrific a series of images as possible). It's #5 and we have yet to see him as Swamp Thing yet. And I couldn't care less. I adore the journey of these two leads characters and want to see it keep going. Because, ultimately, this is their story, and defeating William (even temporarily) is a moment of triumph for their developing relationship and their trust in each other. We see that develop in a sweet early scene, before the fight, and later on, when Alec offers her a canned peach to calm her down. Snyder expands on the Swamp Thing mythos at the end, and keeps it firmly tied to their relationship. We learn of the connection both of them felt to the Green as children, and how they may have been reaching out to each other, culminating in an embrace that brings back the girl made of bones image from #3. There's also a subplot, tied back to William, of a man spreading the Rot in a Brazilian jungle, tied to the destruction of the Parliament of Trees, which should provide more interesting fodder for this book. This is just such an incredible comic series. I am blown away with each issue. Paquette's artwork is stellar - he alternates between beautiful, real people and images of death and horror with ease, uniting them in a very distinct visual world, made more distinct by his style of page layouts. It's a perfect complement to Snyder's writing. Like Animal Man, this book is just as focused on its characters as its overarching conflict, and their struggles breathe life into an already exciting story.

Uncanny X-Men#4 - Kieron Gillen/Brandon Peterson

After a fairly mundane (and at times outright bad) opening arc, Gillen and guest artist Brandon Peterson present a single issue tale that provides further background on Mr. Sinister's plans while telling the story of a captive alien Phalanx. The Phalanx's inner monologue, detailing its struggle to survive without the 'hive-mind' of its fellow aliens is at times elegant and haunting. It's certainly engaging, and takes up a large bulk of the issue. This portrayal of Sinister was interesting in the previous story. Here, Gillen dovetails Sinister’s recent plans to transfer his mind between clones of his body with the concept of the Phalanx's shared consciousness. It fits quite neatly, and nicely shows off Sinister as both eternally curious and a malevolent force. The alien's efforts to subsist after escaping captivity are quite good as well. He is compelled to reach out with his species, having lost the shared mental bond they previously had, and goes to great lengths to reconnect. His desperation and emptiness are conveyed through some strong narration from Gillen. The problem comes when the X-Men arrive towards the end. The alien decides to let himself die, and the team defeat him. The end. This is certainly Gillen's strongest script on the relaunched book, as he creates a vivid world for the helpless alien and nicely ties it into Sinister's ongoing plans. But, as usual, he struggles with the X-Men. They are supposed to be seen as a lean strike force, swooping in to defeat the alien, with very little in the way of any meaningful dialogue or contribution to the issue. There's a trite attempt on the last page to have Storm to express regret over killing the Phalanx, but it's a pretty hollow moment compared to the depth Gillen pulled off with the alien. I get that the X-Men aren't the focus of this issue, but I don't think Gillen has earned the right to do an issue like this yet. He has yet to satisfactorily establish this team as any sort of team, with any compelling character dynamics or relationships. To do an issue that emphasizes them as a strike force who just enter the story at the end to fight, and intentionally plays down any characterization, just brings to light how poor this has been as a team book so far. It certainly doesn't help the book to feel any brighter or less somber to have the team feel so distant from readers. Peterson does do a stellar job on visuals, with clean lines, a lot of detail, and a great portrayal of the shape-changing Phalanx. So that's all good. But this book is still struggling. I was really drawn in by the Phalanx alien's story. Then the X-Men had to show up and remind me why this book just hasn't clicked for me since it relaunched.

Weekly Comics - 12/28/11

2011-12-31T09:08:00.000-08:00

Justice League Dark#4 - Peter Milligan/Mikel Janin

Milligan is really moving forward with the story of the Enchantress here - we finally understand the connection between she and June Moon and what she is doing to find June. To get such a clear picture of the villain's motives lends a lot to the various cryptic scenes here and adds stakes to the conflict. I like what the Enchantress is after - she has been separated from June, who is her other half, and is struggling to stay alive without her. Her semi-coherent ramblings feel desperate and the fact that we now understand the chaos she is unleashing adds a lot of substance to this title. I love the brigade of June-creatures she sends out to look for the original, as well as how disposable they are (she blasts one of their heads off without a second thought). Milligan touches in on every member of the cast in their struggle to keep up with the Enchantress. Deadman and June remain the focus, and the trust building in their relationship is fun to watch. John Constantine, Zatanna, and Shade all get moments to shine here, as well. Madame Zanadu gets a stronger focus than she has yet, and the personal troubles she faces seem to be as strong a threat to the heroes as the Enchantress. Even Dove gets a return, arguing with John about Deadman. The book feels layered and deliberate in its build-up. The characters are all handled lovingly and the plotting is meticulous. At the same time, it's unsettling and unusual in its presentation of the villain's plots and the damaged protagonists. There still isn't a central premise to this as an ongoing series, but the progression of this individual story is enough to overlook that. Mikel Janin's artwork strengthens with each issue. His posed figures and faces are getting a little gruffer as the story progresses. In some instances, like the attack on Zatanna, seeing such a beautiful figure in the midst of such violence is effective. The soft colours bring a nice layer of realism to the characters, as well. Janin's also pulling off some great images, such as Deadman learning the Enchantress really is empty inside without June. This book requires patience, but it is coming together very well.

Flash#4 - Francis Manapul, Brian Buccelato/Francis Manapul

Manapul and Buccelato do a lot of interesting things with this one, including omitting our protagonist from the story altogether until the final three pages (apart from a couple of flashbacks). Instead, they focus on the story they have been building, and the supporting cast that populates the book. It made me realize what a strong world they are building for the Flash in Keystone City, along with a layered mystery at the heart of the Manuel Lago story. The story ably weaves itself through flashbacks, checking in on various supporting characters, and finally winding up at the fate of the Flash after last issue's gunshot. There's a lot of exposition here - we basically get the entire background behind the Manuel mystery - but it never feels cumbersome or overdone. Instead, the issue has an almost dreamlike quality to it, with one character literally falling into one of the flashbacks and each of them so expertly designed that they feel like compelling slices of history, not exposition dumps. I guess I was surprised how well this issue held up without the Flash. It jumps through the various plot threads the writers have set up so far without even needing the main character. Manuel, Patty, Iris, and even Manuel's clones all acquit themselves as strong characters on their own. In her first appearance in a brief flashback, even Manuel's mother feels well-rounded. The story is also quite interesting, ostensibly tied to terrorism without feeling heavy-handed and with an unsettling element of body horror to Manuel's condition. His clones, initially set up as the villains, are surprisingly sympathetic. After all, they just want to live. The art remains fantastic. The flashbacks are wonderfully designed, the fights are perfectly choreographed, Flash's reignition at the end looks great, and the characters have a fun, vibrant look to them. I remain impressed with the colours, which go for muted oranges, browns, and purples to give Manapul's work a more ethereal quality. As usual, Manapul integrates art and story in innovative ways. In addition to the flashbacks, the cover itself actually gets into the storytelling. It catches us up on the various plot lines, even showing how Patty and Manuel got from the end of last issue to where they first appear in this one. Great stuff, once again.

X-Men: Legacy#260 - Mike Carey/Khoi Pham

Mike Carey wraps up his lengthy run on this title here, where Rogue and co. rescue Ariel from her interspacial captivity and Rogue decides whose side she sits on in the Schism. The central plot is enjoyable, if a little slight. I can imagine a lot of people don't care about Ariel or understand why so much page time is devoted to her. I think it's kind of cute to have Mike Carey's obsession with minor continuity points continue into his final storyline. This issue really is about the characters, though, as Carey's stories tend to be. Through all the intrigue of Ariel's return and tying up loose ends (Korvus will escort the Shi'ar pirates home, Rogue confronts Julian), Carey traces Rogue's decision to stay with Cyclops on Utopia or go to Wolverine in New York. I particularly like her interaction with Rachel. It feels natural and familiar. The two are old friends, so they should have a comfortable dynamic with each other. I hope Christos Gage continues their friendship when he takes over as writer. In the final scene, Rogue tells Cyclops she is leaving, and it's a nice coda to Carey's time on the book. Rogue's relationship with Cyclops has been tenuous throughout this run, and it's nice to see them find common ground and value in each other. Her words about not making mistakes shows that Carey gets Cyclops better than the recent portrayals of his crazy militant side have been able to. It's a touching scene, and one that shows the sure hand Carey displayed with Rogue, who has grown under his pen into a teacher and leader. The future of this book will depend on the strength of her portrayal. The commitment seems to be there to continue focusing on her and the characters Carey did strong work on (Gambit, Rachel, Frenzy, Iceman), so I'm hopeful for Gage's tenure.

FF#13 - Jonathan Hickman/Juan Bobillo

I remain pleasantly surprised with this title, to the point where it is turning me back on to Hickman's Fantastic Four mega-story, something I had been slightly losing interest in. The highlight of this issue for me was learning even more about how everything Hickman has been doing on these two titles fits together. We're finally seeing key conversations between Valeria and Nathaniel that explain how some of the elements Hickman has more recently started (Black Bolt's return, the Kree attack, Galactus' arrival), which I have been less interested in, fit into the bigger picture of the Four Cities and the alternate Reeds. We don't have all the details, but we have some key information, and I'm impressed with the level of planning Hickman has put in. It helps that Val and Nathaniel have an endearing relationship, a grandfather and granddaughter able to communicate on a level only the other person understands. In the present day, the action remains fun. I love the execution and visuals when this rag tag group of kids and aliens venture into battle together. The story here is a little thin, but it's certainly moving things along and setting some of the players up for a finale. I still think this title has the better plot elements than Fanatastic Four proper does right now, so I find the book more compelling. And I really like Bobillo's art. His kids look like the quirky, off-centre groups of youths that they are. And I like his take on iconic Marvel characters (Doom, the Celestials, Galactus, the Supreme Intelligence). They lose some of their regal qualities when he puts his unique style onto them, and I like it. And he continues to play with blank space very well, particularly in the outer space scenes.

Uncanny X-Men#3 - Kieron Gillen/Rodney Buchemi, Paco Diaz, Carlos Pacheco

The relaunch of Uncanny marches on. This issue is significantly less depressing, if only because it's so dull and pointless. The X-Men's confrontation with Sinister ends (for now) with a whimper - after an issue of the villain speechifying around his hideout, he departs with a number of cryptic warnings for the future. The X-Men staredown the Celestials, proving how tough they are, and the issue ends. And all along, I get the feeling I'm supposed to be impressed by how "brutal" and "real" this all is, because poor Emma is walking around without an arm. Instead, it just comes off as a weird attention-grabbing stunt to me. This new iteration of the X-Men is so desperate to be the Authority it's getting annoying. But what the best Authority incarnations had in verve and energy, this makes up for with lethargy and boring characters. Where the Authority proved themselves a superhero militia through their actions, this team only proves it by telling us they are in Cyclops' big speeches. Some of Sinister's dialogue is amusing, if only because he has a sense of humour about these mutants and they don't whatsoever. But it goes on far too long with no point. The X-Men are lifeless here - at 9 members, most of them don't say or do anything of value, and those that do are wooden and boring. I'll keep harping on this until I see any evidence of it - there is no team dynamic or interesting relationships in this group of characters. The Celestial stuff is weak to me. I actually like the X-Men's staredown with them here for its simplicity, but I hate them as a plot device. Since the X-Men moved to San Fransisco in #500, the Dreaming Celestial has sat there as some undefined opponent, threatening to become a story whenever the writers remembered him. I still don't know what he is and why he is standing on a lawn in San Fran. The art is another hodgepodge - Pacheco ably draws the final scene, and Buchemi and Diaz ape his new, smoothed out style for the rest of the issue. It looks fine, but not particularly exciting, mainly because Pacheco's new style is intent on removing all the unique or powerful elements of his previous style. I believe Gillen is way better than what he has done on this relaunched book. He was significantly better before the relaunch. This has been a dull affair since it started.

Weekly Comics - 12/21/11

2011-12-23T07:38:00.000-08:00

Batman#4 - Scott Snyder/Greg Capullo

Stellar, once again. Snyder and Capullo are crafting a comic that is perfect in every way. This issue ups the quality even further with a haunting flashback to Bruce's youth. The story continues to grow around Bruce struggling to accept the existence of the Court of Owls. The master detective has doubts that stem from intuition and a lack of facts, and here we get greater insight into why he doesn't believe in the Court of Owls. The centrepiece of the issue is a flashback to Bruce's youth, where he followed a hunch that led to a full blown investigation tying the Court to his parents' murder. To assuage fans' doubts, it doesn't seem as if Snyder is trying to re-write the murder of the Waynes, as young Bruce's relentless detective work does not lead to any answers. Instead, what awaits young Bruce in an empty attic is a chilling fate. The flashback sequence is utterly captivating. Snyder shows us the dangerous path that the search for answers can take one down, while Capullo dazzles on the art. A series of horizontal panels, shaded in faded reds and blacks, depict the flashback, creating a strong atmosphere. The rest of the issue is up to this creative team's high standards. I love the space Snyder gives to Bruce and Dick's interactions. It's wrapped around a discussion of the Court and Bruce's family, but shows off their dynamic and reationship, particularly in how Dick tries to curb Bruce's more stubborn behaviour. Snyder also creates a great sense of dread around the book. From the opening explosion scene, overlaid with Batman's narration on the Court, to the haunting attack at the end, the Court of Owls feel truly dangerous. I'll admit that I got so wrapped up in Bruce's reasoning for why the Court couldn't exist from the flashback scene that the final attack surprised me. The artwork remains top-notch, with an exciting opening explosion scene and a chilling underground investigation at the end. I'm loving impossibly sqaure-jawed Bruce and his imposing appearance, which, to Capullo's credit, is looking a little more wearied with every issue. And, however overused it is, I'm a sucker for the "Alas, poor Yorick" man-holding-skull shot Capullo works in here. Overall, it's just an excellent comic. Everyone involved is putting their all in, and creating a must-read title.

DC Universe Presents#4 - Paul Jenkins/Bernard Chang

Never let it be said that Paul Jenkins isn't trying different things with this story. Deadman's quest for answers takes him to the Son of Mourning, a fallen devil who masquerades as a carny, and who, unlike most godly beings, sees humans as noble and interesting. In this issue, Deadman learns the true reason behind his possession of other people's lives and the games Rama has been playing with him, while taking a rollercaster ride with the Son. It's thoughtful, illuminating, humourous, text-heavy, and exhilarating. Similar to previous issues, through the twists of the plot, Deadman's story remains compelling because of the thoughtful, reflective voice Jenkins gives the character. Here, he learns that the reason he possesses people is not to learn the answers to life's questions, but to give context to those questions through their human experience. There is a wonderful element here of godly beings learning that humans possess profound insight through their capacity to feel and experience things. Deadman is Rama's link to the human experience, and he learns how he can use this to his advantage. Jenkins goes for profound and thoughtful here, and he succeeds. Deadman flashes back to the problems faced by his various host bodies, and their pain strongly resonates in these short scenes, played out in the grid of the rollercoaster. There's also a great scene where Deadman rapid-fire questions the Son with existential questions on the meaning of life, receiving a number of playful, deadpan answers from him. Actually, much of their issue-long conversation has a humourous aspect to it, and it helps what could have been a heavy-handed comic come alive. Chang's artwork captures the wonder and pain at the heart of Deadman's journey for answers, and has fun with the rollercoaster setting. His Deadman is stoic and pained in the face of getting the answers he has long looked for. The unpredictable nature of this story has been a great strength. Deadman is armed with his answers, and heading into next issue's confrontation with Rama, I don't know where it's going to go - A big fight? An existential war of words? A rollercoaster ride through the cosmos? I have faith Jenkins will take it somewhere interesting.

Wonder Woman#4 - Brian Azzarello/Cliff Chiang

Baby-daddy drama, played out on an epic, godly scale. The entire community of gods is dealing with the fallout of Hippoltya's revelation about Wonder Woman's father, and, as usual, the pathos, pain, and anger feel in epic in scope and quality. Diana tries to unwind in a club in London, with normal people, accompanied by her entourage of Hermes, Zola, and the meddling Strife. Like last issue, Strife's inteference is a treat, and Diana's dispatching of her is swift, brutal, and well-deserved. The drama on Paradise Island plays further with the epic, godly traditional, as Hera confronts Hippoltya for sleeping with her husband. Set against a storm, with Hera in a striking cloak of feathers blowing in the wind, this Maury Povich-style conflict feels inhumanly grand, and the severed ties and retribution it has led to feel devastating. Azzarello is playing with the godly tradition here. No hurt feeling or spurned advance is ignored. They are amplified, treated as a terrible affront, and fought over. The pain and sense of betrayal on Paradise Island comes through in every panel, but, at the same time, the Amazons still come to Hippoltya's defense. Despite what has happened, she is still their queen, who they will protect to the death. The characters operate on a different plane than normal people, which is nicely seen when Zola and Diana decompress and talk through their recent problems together. Diana is humanized, empathizing with Zola's sense of loss.The ending swings things back to the epic, with Diana's dramatic discovery of how Hera took retribution on her mother, a stunning closing. This title remains fantastic. The writing is sharp and purposeful, the storytelling embraces the drama inherent in the relationships of the gods, and the artwork is a wonderful fit. Even in exile, Diana is commanding and confident. Chiang figures and designs are crisp, clear, and powerful, but still full of character. They look like gods, but still emote and express. The page layouts and storytelling are as clear and direct as the writing. It's a great package.

Birds of Prey#4 - Duane Swierczynski/Jesus Saiz

All of the elements that have made this title a success so far are on display in #4 - a brisk pace, cracking dialogue, a fun group dynamic for the lead cast, and some great action. Jesus Saiz continues to impress on the art. In the action scenes that take up half the issue, he works with larger panels than normal, allowing his beautiful figures to run, jump, and punch across the pages in stunning fashion. He truly has a way with female characters. He makes the lead females attractive and alluring, while they remain powerful. There are some truly great images here as well, including Poison Ivy stopping a train by creating a giant plant. Swierczynski's script is up to his usual level of quality, with a strong group dynamic, a perfect pace, and a hint of fun on every page. There is a level of mistrust amongst some of the members that makes this group interesting to read. Starling may be a new character, but Swierczynski clearly has affection for her, as she narrates much of the issue and has a dynamic, fun voice. Black Canary's attraction to her doctor continues, with some fun interplay as she tries to hide her double life from him. Batgirl joins the team as they investigate their opponants at the end. It's a brief appearance, but knowing the emnity between she and Canary, I'm excited to see where it goes. As for the plot itself, the girls learn more about their opponents. It's still a bit vague, but perfectly good stuff, if a bit standard. It's in the execution that this book shines - the pacing, the action, the cast, and the beautiful artwork. Quiet and unassuming, this book has become something special. (But can we get rid of these Dave Finch covers?)

Fantastic Four#601 - Jonathan Hickman/Steve Epting

Hickman marches on with "Forever," this title's contribution to the conclusion of his mega-story (while FF runs "All Hope Lies in Doom"), and it's another action issue. This one adds a layer, as the team is reunited with the Human Torch, providing an important dramatic thrust for the story. It's great to have Hickman finally write the banter between the Torch and Spider-Man, ribbing each other about who looks better in the midst of a devastated New York. And, of course, the moment where Johnny creates a flaming 4 in the sky is a great one. But it's the changes to Johnny's character that are the most interesting. He possesses the Cosmic Control rod, weilding an armada of Negative Zone troops, a chained Annihulus, and a squad of loyal aliens at his side. As Reed points out, two years have passed for Johnny, and it really feels like he has experienced much in that time. There's a confidence to him, but it's also a bit unsettling, a side that the other heroes feel. Johnny's return adds a few twists to the ongoing Kree/Inhumans/Negative Zone battle, but it's fairly familiar besides that. The action is well-done and the danger feels real. But I have to admit I'm more interested in the plots Hickman has shifted to FF - the alternate Reeds, Doom, the future warnings, the children, Nathaniel's plotting. Those are the plots he has been building since the start of his time on the title, and they are more dynamic and engaging for me. The Kree/Inhuman war stuff that has overtaken this book has cropped up much more recently, and, to be honest, feels a bit shoe-horned in. So while the execution is top-notch, and everything to do with Johnny is great, this book houses the less-engaging plotlines, for me. Still, it's a strong issue with great art. Epting is chanelling John Buscema with many of his faces and bodies, which is always a good thing, and he takes great effort to make Manhatten feel ravaged and destroyed.

Wolverine and the X-Men#3 - Jason Aaron/Chris Bachalo, Duncan Rouleau, Matteo Scalera

Jason Aaron's first story wraps up, and it's as fun, quirky, and jam-packed as the first two issues. Much of the focus is placed on Quentin Quire, who steps into the battle with Krakoa to solve the problem, without any of the X-Men knowing about it. Aaron is clearly enjoying writing this character. There's so much fun in his portrayal - his constant jabs at Wolverine about the school, his desperate annoyance that the younger students don't know who he is, his general dislike of all of the X-Men, and a perfectly timed joke between he and Idie about Schism. It's a blast to read. Aaron also uses Quire to explore some of the newer characters, like Idie, Broo, and Kid Gladiator. Outside of the opening flashback, Wolverine and the team barely appear until mid-way through. The opening is a showcase for Quire and the younger students, and it's incredible fun, packed with little jabs and jokes and expressive artwork to convey the humour. I love how Quire eventually reaches out to Krakoa (actually, Krakoa's grandchild) to end its rampage by playing on its desire to be accepted. It shows us this side may also exist within Quire, while providing an effective resolution to the story. The rest of the X-Men run around wonderng how Krakoa was calmed down and cleaning up from the fight - Kade Kilgore is served with a property damage lawsuit, Kitty runs when Bobby wants to discuss their kiss, and Beast erases the memories of the school board administrators, who leave in a fit of laughter. All of this is incredibly fun, with rapid-fire scene changes and gags, all wrapped around a strong portrayal of Wolverine and Kitty. Bachalo handles most of the art, and his style is perfectly suited to the nature and pace of this book. Scalera handles some scenes, aping Bachalo's style. It works fine, but is a bit looser than Bachalo's art. And a personal favourite of mine, Duncan Rouleau, handles the opening flashback. He and Bachalo both use exagerration and humour in similar ways, even if their styles are different. He's a good fit for this book, and I'd love to see him back. Another fun issue, and I still can't get over how dense this book is, overflowing with small character moments and jokes throughout.

Finding some gems in the midst of an Onslaught

2011-12-18T12:57:00.000-08:00

I've been rereading big chunks of my X-Men collection, and I'm in the middle of the Onslaught crossover from 1996 (You can boo, hiss, throw rocks at me. It's ok.) Anyways, although the crossover has some pretty illogical, drawn-out prelude chapters and some dreadful tie-ins from various Marvel Universe books, two chapters have really stood out. It's two I remember enjoying from previous reads, but I was surprised at how well they held up.

The first is Cable#33 (Jeph Loeb/Ian Churchill). Now, it may be sacrilege to say this, but I've read a number of issues of Cable from Jeph Loeb's run, and they're actually not bad. They're not brimming with life or personality, but they're solid stuff, and Churchill's art is very good. This particular issue takes place before the Onslaught crossover properly begins. Uncanny X-Men#333-334 and X-Men#53-54 were a fairly effective lead-up to the start of it, culminating in the revelation that Professor Xavier was Onslaught. This issue fits between those chapters, as Cable has gone off to find Post, one of Onslaught's lackeys who had been introduced to great fanfare in X-Men#50, only to be cast aside pretty quickly. Loeb does a few good things here. He shrewdly ties Post's origin into Cable. He ties a forced crossover quite nicely into this book's ongoing stories. And he really builds suspense for the big reveal of Onslaught's identity. Cable deduces who Onslaught must be, but, with his techno-organic virus flaring out of control after fighting Post, he is unable to warn the X-Men (or even physically stand up). There is legitimate tension built here, something you don't often see in a crossover tie-in, and also a smart little script.

The other issue I really enjoyed comes in the midst of the crossover, Incredible Hulk#445. Now, I should mention that these two titles crossed over in the during the crossover. Cable#34 and Incredible Hulk#444 featured a story where Onslaught sent a mind-controlled Hulk after Cable, and Storm came to Cable's rescue. It's perfectly ok, and certainly better than most Onslaught tie-ins, but not as strong as these two issues.

Incredible Hulk#445 (Peter David/Angel Medina) has the Hulk, now free of mind-control, join the assembled heroes in New York to fight Onslaught. Tired of sitting around planning, he assembles an ad hoc group of Avengers to join him in tunneling underground to take the fight directly to Onslaught. Onslaught's mental trickery causes the Hulk reveal to this group that this mission is about proving himself superior to the other heroes; he doesn't care who has to die to accomplish that. A pall cast over the group, they return, defeated, to the other heroes.

This is a very strong little issue. David's portrayal of the Hulk is top-notch. The other heroes are skeptical of him, because Onslaught had controlled his mind, and he is immediately on the defensive. It's easy to sympathize with Hulk as these heroes turn their nose up at him. His heinous behaviour towards the end of the issue shows him in a much different light. But I can't dislike him for wanting to show up these other heroes. After years of this sort of treatment, and enduring one of Captain America's patronizing speeches here, shouldn't he be happy to prove his worth to them? The mission Hulk proposes here is so maddening that it lends an air of danger and desperation to the issue. There's no way this crack team of Avengers is going to accomplish anything against Onslaught. Speaking of Avengers, David does a stellar job with them too. Falcon is great here, trying to be understanding towards the Hulk, who helped his dying nephew in an earlier story. David even creates a great moment of tension between Crystal and the Scarlet Witch. I wouldn't expect the writer of a crossover tie-in to put such effort into the guest characters, but David does so here. He even leaves a lot of room for his ongoing stories - some Pantheon stuff, Rick Jones fighting with his wife about joining the Hulk in New York. A regular reader of this title couldn't have been disappointed by this crossover tie-in, especially because it's a complex portrayal of the Hulk that sits at the centre of this issue.

It's nice to find these surprises in the middle of a much-maligned storyline. It shows that, in an editorially-mandated crossover, it's still possible to tell a thoughtful, tense story. Both of these issues do that, while using the crossover as a chance to do something interesting.

Weekly Comics 12/14/11

2011-12-15T17:00:00.000-08:00

Batgirl#4 - Gail Simone/Adrian Syaf

Simone wraps up her first storyline, with Batgirl defeating Mirror, but, like the previous issue, there is a lot more than that going on here. The compelling part of this series remains Barbara's personal struggle in the wake of regaining the use of her legs. She struggles to open up to those close to her. In a touching scene here, she begins to relate some of her past to her new roommate, a virtual stranger. With two characters sitting on the floor, talking under the lights of a Christmas tree, it's a powerful scene. She struggles to understand Mirror's motivations of punishing people who should have died, as she herself was the recipient of a second chance. Simone is at her best in her portrayal of Barbara. For a seemingly bright and exuberant woman and superhero, she is full of darkness and sadness, and it makes this title much more than a typical superhero book. Even her attack on some back alley thugs has a strong intensity and anger to it. The resolution of the Mirror storyline is a bit less successful. Simone is certainly refining her battle scenes, as the narration is well-placed here, not overpowering the action. And the comparison of Mirror and Barbara's personal issues is well-conveyed. I just don't know if, as a plot, this reached a strong conclusion. Yes, Batgirl defeats him, but was there any more to his story than that? His defeat marks the end of the story, and I just felt like there should have been a bit more to it. Syaf's pencils remain dynamic and energetic, nailing the numerous action scenes along with the quieter moments very well. It's a strong title that is still going through a bit of growing pains - fantastic character work, but plotting and pacing that still have a few issues to iron out.

Frankenstein: Agent of S.H.A.D.E.#4 - Jeff Lemire/Alberto Ponticelli

This issue wraps up the first story, and it's doing what the series does best - over-the-top action scenes involving bizarre creatures and brutal tactics, with a tongue-in-cheek sense of humour and fantastic artwork. Lemire has the action unfolding on two fronts. Lady Frankentstein leads some of the monsters in a land assault, while Frankenstein and Dr. Mazursky again take to the oceans. Lemire wonderfully paces the scenes that flip between these two groups, as well as those of the S.H.A.D.E. executives monitoring everything, for maximum humour potential. The underwater scenes in particular are great, with Mazursky developing a connection to the parentless sea creatures and Ponticelli slaying on the visuals. On land, Lady Frankenstein is developing into a fun character, tearing into her underlings at every opportunity. This book is just pure fun through and through, and embraces a wild tone and pace. Multiple times in this issue, a splash page of one of the hideous parent monsters is used as a big reveal. Lemire seems to be consciously using the same tactic, but it works every time, due to the gritty, wild visuals and the self-aware humour behind it. The team dynamic remains a highlight of the book, as does Frankenstein's personality. He is gruff and unimpressed with almost everything. And instead of looking further into a problem, he'd rather just stab someone or pull out one of their organs and move on. All of this is treated in such a deadpan manner, that it can't help but be funny. I will say that after such a big action issue, I'm ready for a bit of a change of pace or a bit more depth to be added. As long as Lemire keeps this book's distinctive sense of humour intact, I can't see how he could go wrong taking the story in different directions. A stellar book.

Grifter#4 - Nathan Edmondson/Scott Clark

From solicitations, it appears artists CAFU has moved off this title, replaced by Scott Clark. With all due respect, it is a step down in visual quality. I wouldn't usually give the art such prominence, but this such a major shift that it changed the whole reading experience. Gone are CAFU's crisp figures, strong panel arrangements, great story flow, and simple backgrounds and settings. Replacing them are an Image style that never left the 90s, ugly figures, hideous and distracting computer-generated backgrounds that look 15 years old, and a loss of any distinctive visual tone for the book. I really hope another artist can be brought in, because I'm still enjoying the story here. Edmondson has the ability to craft a fast-paced thriller, with the right amount of double-crossing and action scenes, and I'm genuinely interested in the story. Cole Cash is an enjoyable protagonist, confident and capable, but still struggling to make sense of the alien conspiracy he's been dragged into. And the involvement of Green Arrow here is surprisingly natural, with one of the aliens leading Cash to GA's company. Their interaction works well. The story, pacing, and mystery elements are all good, but Edmondson is not being met by a capable-enough artist. I wouldn't be harping on this if it was a guest artist, but it appears Clark is here for the foreseeable future.

Batwoman#4 - J.H. Williams III, W. Haden Blackman/J.H. Williams III

Williams and Blackman move forward with the Weeping Woman storyline, granting it more prominence than it has yet received in this title. Some of the character stories are put on the side for the sake of plot movement, but there is still ample characterization here along with some fairly harrowing plot developments. There is a stronger focus on Bette Kane, aka Flamebird, than we've had yet. She is desperate to prove her heroic prowess to Kate, leading to a stunning opening sequence. She takes on one of the Weeping Woman's cronies, only to fail brutally and be left for dead. As so rarely happens in comics, the danger and her injuries feel real. The shock and disbelief in her face about how poorly she did in battle feels real and sad. This battle is juxtaposed with photographic-style art of Kate and Maggie in bed together, evoking Ashley Wood's style, while remaining uniquely Williams' own. It's an excellent opening that sets a tone of unease for the rest of the issue. I like Batwoman finally taking charge on the Weeping Woman case. It has fallen to the side in the face of her personal problems, and, typical of Kate's desperation, it feels like her taking charge of it is a way of taking charge of her life. There's a wonderful splash, where Williams depicts her interrogating of one of the victims' parents through the jagged folds of her cape. In the midst of the investigations, we meet another interesting female character, a medical student who treats injured criminals for extra money. Chase's story continues here, dovetailing with Bette's injuries in scenes that show how cold and driven she is to find Batwoman. It's here that Bette's injuries feel truly real. Chase and her partner have brutally tied her up in a makeshift hospital room solely to get information on Batwoman out of her, and Bette looks near death. There's even a short scene here for Maggie and Kate's relationship to develop. It's another stunning issue, where William's style shifts from painterly, to tableaux, to lighter, cartoonier figures, to harrowing action scenes. The plot action overtakes the characters just slightly, but a compelling story is developing around this strong group of characters.

Superboy#4 - Scott Lobdell/R. B. Silva

This title remains a delight with every issue. The lead character is a great little oddity, struggling to understand the people around him, the conflicting impulses of good and bad within himself, and how to rely on himself. We start to get a lot more information on him from a man named Centerhall within N.O.W.H.E.R.E., learning about his lineage and the purpose behind his creation. Through all of this, the book's off-centre tone remains. Caitlin Fairchild is taken out of the proceedings so quickly, that you can't help but be suspicious about Centerhall and his benevolence towards Superboy. This leads to a sublime sequence in the middle of the book, where Superboy finds himself in the middle of New York during Christmas, completely at odds with the celebrations and merriment of the people around him. He lashes out with property damage, struggling to understand why he feels this way. The antagonists introduced last issue, a young couple given to wanton destruction, reappear her as nice counterparts to Superboy. Should he give into all of his negative, uncaring impulses, he could become them. Instead, he feels a desire to help people and defeats them. Like previous issues, we are kept at a distance from the protagonist, even as he is confronting personal feelings and impulses. For as relatable as some of his struggles may be, his tone is still different from the average person, and it keeps readers at a distance from him. So, even as the plot really begins picking up steam here, Lobdell is still creating an alienating effect between the reader and the characters. For me, it's a compelling, interesting direction that keeps me coming back. Silva's art is also helping in that regard. The characters are wonderfully rendered - quirky, expressive, comical, and attractive. Superboy's reactions to Christmas are wonderful. But the layouts are also strong, with a good emphasis placed on solitary figures and expressions for emphasis. This title continues to spin in interesting directions. It's certainly not what I thought Lobdell was capable of, but it's a fun surprise every month.

Magneto: Not a Hero#2 (of 4) - Skottie Young/Clay Mann, Gabriel Hernandez Walta

I was worried the first issue of this mini was a bit thin on plot, despite a strong portrayal of its lead character. Young adds some depth here, along with some subplots. The simple story of Magneto having to clear his name for crimes Joseph committed is just the backdrop for a more character-oriented story to play out over. That story involves Magneto having to justify his current stance of solidarity with the X-Men to radical villains who think he has wimped out. His speech to Joseph about the type of leader Cyclops has become, and the diminishing role he and Xavier play in the future of mutantkind, is a strong scene. We have heard glimmers of this type of stuff in the main X-books, but it's nice to have more page time and conversation devoted to it. This isn't a simple hero vs. villain story; yes, it becomes that when Joseph isn't satisfied with Magneto's reasons for allying with the X-Men, but the idea was that Magneto, Joseph, and Astra could work together to help mutantkind. There's a lengthy flashback to open the issue, in which Astra revives Joseph's consciousness in the Arctic, where he died. It's fast-paced, with a good flow to the minimal dialogue, and a good showcase for the artwork. Gabriel Hernandez Walta pencils this section, with widescreen panes and splash pages conveying the action with speed and intensity. His figures have some of the better aspects of Adam Kubert's style to them, as well. Clay Mann draws the rest of the issue, in his usually strong style. His expressions and body language are sharp and his closing action scene is kinetic and energetic. Young also adds a subplot, as mentioned, where mutant-hating humans try to fan the flames of hatred caused by Magneto's attack in the first issue. It's fairly standard, but adds another storytelling layer to the main conflict here. So I was pleasantly surprised with this. The first issue was enjoyable, if a bit thin in the story department, but this one explored some different avenues with strong results.

Weekly Comics 12/7/11

2011-12-09T03:43:00.000-08:00

Stormwatch#4 - Paul Cornell/Miguel Sepulveda

This is the issue where the scattered nature of this title, the character interactions, and the action scenes really clicked for me. It was organized chaos and Cornell lets the spotlight fall on a number of team members. So the fact that the plot moves in several directions as the group defeats the moon visitor worked for me. It helps that Apollo and Midnighter are still new to the team, and the wonder they feel makes this crisis feel big for readers. But most seasoned members of the team have good moments as well - Jack connects with the forgotten city hidden below the farmland, the Engineer is forced to take charge as Adam One is too overtaken to be an effective leader, and the Projectionist uses her abilities to act as a guide for the team. There are even the early hints of an attraction between Apollo and Midnighter. I also like the tradition that seems to govern these heroes. The threat they fight has to be of this big ature. There are rules about forgotten cities that they all seem to know. A member of the Stormwatch Shadow Cabinet descends to remove Adam as leader because he failed to step up on this mission. These heroes seem to operate on a different level from most others, under a set of rules, and it lends a different tone to the book. Sepulveda is still growing into his role as artist. He still needs to sharpen his people (even though they are getting better). But every big action shot or otherworldly creature works really well. I think because his people haven't quite clicked for me, it slightly removes me from the book, but that does kind of fit with Cornell's tone. This group operates on a plane that is above normal people, under rules we don't know about. They feel a bit distant, but it fits.

Action Comics#4 - Grant Morrison/Rags Morales, Sholly Fisch/Brad Walker (Back-Up Story)

In this issue, Morrison begins unveiling some of the bigger premises and ideas behind his run, and it’s kind of exhilarating. Most of this is a big fight scene between the John Corben robot suit (possessed by the same aliens that catalogued and preserved the artefacts of Krypton before it was destroyed), a bunch of other robots built for the same purpose, and our rag-tag Superman. It sounds simple, but there are a lot of great concepts and character moments thrown in here. These aliens are the ones that Lex liaised with to take out Superman. Instead, they are taking out his world, so he is understandably freaking out. There are some strong moments where Lois tries to reach out to John, who is struggling to regain control of himself as an alien voice sprouts out commands. And this Superman in action is a marvel to behold. With tattered clothes and a bruised face, he jumps and volleys across the page. Morales does a great job with these action scenes, but there is also worry and concern in this Man of Steel's face. He has never faced a threat of this magnitude and his inexperience and worry come through in the visuals. I also love the look of the robots. These are supposed to be robots hastily produced in factories that the aliens have taken control of, and they look it. They are not massive Sentinels, but pieces of metal and machinery, not too much taller than Superman, cobbled together to fight him. The big moment comes at the end, where we learn the aliens have been collecting and preserving some of the people and artefacts of Earth in the face of the planet’s destruction (as they did for Krypton). You can infer that they are behind the bottle city of Kandor, and their wholesale destruction here in the name of 'preserving' leads to a dramatic ending. I love Superman reaching out to the army to combat them, with both parties realizing the trouble they are in. At the same time as all this is going on, can we infer that, like Krypton, Earth is about to die (or else these aliens wouldn't have shown up)? This book is brimming with wonderful concepts, packed into an action issue that never lets up, but also makes room for character moments. And, through all this, Morrison actually succeeds in making snivelling Lex our point-of-view character, as we see some of the climactic moments through his eyes. Great stuff.

This issue also contains a back-up story that expands on a scene in the issue, where John Henry Irons (Steel in the old DCU) takes down the renegade John Corben. I like the opportunity to continue to tell the main story in the back-up, instead of telling a separate story. This one is also used to introduce the Irons character, with some brief background provided, including his role in creating Corben's suit of armour. It's an enjoyable story, where Irons shows his scientific and fighting prowess, and hopes there is a place for a regular guy like him to be a hero in Metropolis alongside Superman. Brad Walker provides art, and his faces and figures are a little crisper than Morales', but keep the general look and feel the latter artist has created for Metropolis. A fun little feature, and I look forward to what they will do with the back-up in the future.

iZombie#20 - Chris Roberson/Mike Allred

This title keeps plugging along, although it appears the zombie outbreak in Eugene, Oregon marked a shift in the series' narrative, and we're now in a second phase, where some of the key conflicts have come to light. This title has always been heavy on subplots, and it remains so, but Roberson is noticeably giving more space for some of them to breathe here. We finally learn where Ellie has been hiding the monster she discovered, and her attempts to connect with him are endearing, revealing her own lonliness. Spot's struggle to come out of the closet and connect with Gavin is also given ample page time to develop naturally. But, just as Roberson is giving these subplots more room to breathe, he is adding to them - we learn how Ellie's monster is connected to Galatea. And Spot is kidnapped by a mysterious assailant as he's talking to Gavin over the phone. There's also some great stuff here with protagonist Gwen, agonizing over how to move on after the zombie outbreak and being recruited by the Dead Presidents group. Allred's art is delightful as always, with distinct figures played against stark and simple backgrounds. He sells the humour and playful tone of the book very well. It's another solid issue of this title, which remain pitch-perfect in its diverse character portrayals and array of subplots.

I'm going to handle Swamp Thing#4 and Animal Man #4 together because the two books are really starting to connect in some interesting and organic ways. Both of these comics feature the protagonist get a stern talking-to from his respective supernatural community (the Green and the Red). Both characters are informed of the threat the Rot poses to them and they role they will be expected to play in fighting it. And both heroes respond slightly differently. The two scenes that explain this conflict don't feel like exposition dumps, but instead vivid recountings of a dangerous threat. Because both heroes are so personally tied to this impending conflict, it all resonates very strongly. Finally, it's interesting, probably because it's so simple -the Green (plant life), the Red (flesh), and the Rot (anything dead - from a corpse to skin cells). The concepts flow into each other, and the backstory feels natural and logical. The connection between the books isn't thrown in our faces, but naturally develops due to the shared framework they operate under.

Amidst exploring these concepts in the Red, Animal Man#4 (Jeff Lemire/Travel Foreman) also features the hero's wife and son tormented by a creature from the Rot. It's typical of the book's ability to bring horror right into the home, and creates some harrowing scenes. Buddy's wife is a great character - tough and determined, frightened, blinded by love for her family. And the scenes are paced like a great horror movie, with danger and tension building perfectly. In the Red, Maxine is learning how to use her powers over the flesh and Buddy is learning he is much less important than his daughter. Lemire has presented a reversal, and Buddy now feels as neutered by the creatures of the Red as he did by his wife's insults in #1. The flashback to the birth of the Rot is a wonderful scene, brimming with clean, compelling ideas and not feeling like an exposition dump at all. Once again, the art brings the scenes in the Red to life, with an array of creatures, grossly distorted physical forms, and a flashback that literally grows out of Buddy's body. But it's to Foreman's credit that he can make a talking cat look just as impressive as these otherwordly elements. Through all this, the book's sense of humour remains intact, with Maxine's precocious wonder and Cliff completely bored by everthing going on. Another excellent issue.

Swamp Thing #4 (Scott Snyder/Marco Rudy) is the flipside of this. There's no humourous tone to the dialogue here, just a dark portrayal of William Arcane's trail of destruction and Alec Holland's struggle to accept his powers and role. The Arcane scenes are as disturbing as last issue's, with the young child blazing a trail of death across the US. The opening scene is great, and Rudy nails our fist view of Arcane - a distorted close-up of his face. From there, he plays around with the panels as William releases his powers on unsuspecting restaurant patrons. The bulk of this issue is spent on Alec and Abby, with the former trying to process the changes to his life. I love that we have not really seen Swamp Thing yet. Alec is just a man who feels the plant world differently than others, haunted by a former life as a swamp creature. His aforementioned discussion with the Green is great because of this personal element. Alec wants to avoid his responsibilities, passed on through his family line, to the Parliament of the Trees, and I'm content to see how long Snyder can go without having him turn into Swamp Thing. The dynamic between Alec and Abby is wonderful, with both struggling to accept their former relationship while forging a new one. She has a hard edge to nicely counter his wallowing. And, similar to last issue's silent full page splash of a clothed skeleton girl, this issue contains another great silent tableaux, when Alec realizes Abby also has the Rot in her, and he may need to fight her at some point. Marco Rudy provides guest art, mimicking the panel layouts Yanick Paquette has created for the book, while bringing his own unique figures and swamp creatures into it. He keeps the tone established by Paquette while adding his own unique elements. Great looking stuff, and a wonderfully-written comic.

Finally, X-Club#1 (of 5) (Simon Spurrier/Paul Davidson) was released. Spurrier has written a few one-shots focusing on these characters, the science team wing of the X-Men, and they have been marked by unique art and very enjoyable, fun stories. He's now been given a five issue mini-series to play with these characters. The result is even more light-hearted than I expected. His other stories were certainly humourous, but carried a strong impact because of their dramatic plots. The majority of this issue is played for laughs, and, to Spurrier's credit, it does work. Cyclops outright lies to the public to look good, Danger awkardly tries to act like a human with Jeffries, Dr. Nemesis is prickled by everything anyone says, and Kavita Rao just wants to get away from everyone. The humour never lets up. At almost every point he can throw in a joke or insult, Spurrier does it. The plot is fairly straightforward. The science team have helped develop an elevator into space, and its launch leads into a variety of hijinks involving an oil tycoon-styled businessman, angry Atlaneans, attacking Atlaneans, and Danger going out of control. It's perfectly enjoyable, and Spurrier plays up some of the more absurd aspects of the story to benefit the humour. It's just a bit light for a five issue series. The art by Paul Davidson is nice, but I'd imagine not to everyone's tastes. I quite like how he depicts people and think it works well with the dead pan humour of the book. He has a unique style and I've always liked it. All that said, I don't know if I'm sticking with this. Five issues is a lot to ask of such a thin story. I have no doubt it will be five issues of fun, so I just have to weigh whether that is worth sticking around for. Regardless of that, still a solid comic.

Hellblazer - Where did I put that again?

2011-12-04T14:51:00.000-08:00

I'm continuing my look at Hellblazer, thanks to the full run of the series offered by Toronto Public Library. Red Sepulchre (collecting issues 175-180) marks the start of writer Mike Carey's tenure on the book, picking up where Brian Azzarello's roadtrip through the USA ended. I have the utmost respect for Carey as a writer. My only experience with his Vertigo work is The Unwritten, but he has fought hard to make his run on X-Men (later re-titled X-Men: Legacy) into a thoughtful and worthwhile read, even as editorial has wrenched it in different directions and borderline ignored it for years. I know he has the chops to turn out a strong story. In this volume, John is back in England, and the series immediately returns to a much more familiar tone and vibe than Azzarello brought to it. In comparison to Azzarello's work, this is downright tame. But, at the same time, it's very good. Carey builds the story deliberately, adding layers and characters as the explanations of what is going on trickle through. He seems to draw from Azzarello's model of storytelling in the right way, ramping up the intensity and action in the later issues, but, at the same time, the story is built on solid foundations.

A two-parter, drawn by returning Hellblazer legend Steve Dillon, opens the trade, and directly leads in to the title story. The strength here is in the character work - John, still presumed dead after the prison riots in Brian Azzarello's first story, returns home to check in on his sister Cheryl and her family. Outside of these characters and Chas, this title has never had much of a supporting cast, so I like that Carey grounds this story in them, after the title has drifted for so long. The story here is simple but compelling, with Cheryl spiraling into anti-depressants while John's niece Gemma is off in some unspecified trouble. The bulk of this story is fairly conventional. John senses a 'spike of evil' outside of Cheryl's apartment building, and enlists a waitress named Angie to help him investigate. Their interaction naturally builds, and, on, the whole, Carey's handling of the characters is top notch. He delves into the family dynamics more than most writers have, and it's strong stuff. The story leads John to pin a string of disappearances on a kindly old woman in the apartment building. Their big confrontation is quite good, and her dying words lead John to believe that both Gemma and his old friend Scrape are in trouble. No one is going to accuse this story of being groundbreaking, but it's good to see John back in familiar territory, The character work is strong, and the mystery is built up and resolved in an economical fashion.

"The Red Sepulchre" proper gets started and slowly builds into a compelling mystery. Quite typical of Hellblazer, numerous unsavoury types are introduced in somewhat cryptic scenes, and then the plot details behind who they are and what they're talking about are eventually revealed. This slow burn approach is part and parcel of the title by this point. It can be a mite frustrating, but I have faith in the writers, and the scenes are usually ominous and effective, as they are here. It's John's character that centers the book through these encounters, as his sure hand, concern for his niece, and sense of humour provide a focus around which we meet spindly old glamour queens, disembodied forces that live in the subway tunnels, and violent mobsters. Carey builds quite a strong framework here, with Gemma being used by a man named Fredricks to lure John in, so that John can help identify the red sepulchre, an ancient weapon connected to John's bloodline. It turns out that Scrape borrowed money from Fredricks to acquire it. He was killed by Fredricks in short order, and now Fredricks has to actually identify the sepulchre, amongst hundreds of boxes of Scrape's belongings, and needs John's help. It's a plot like this which proves Carey gets this title's sense of humour no problem. The story is built around the foibles of a desperate idiot, and that is the perfect setting for John to operate in. Add to this John's continued interaction with Angie and a mystical couple named Clarice and Albert, who also contributed to Scrape's purchase of the weapon and want in on it, and Carey builds a strong tapestry on which to hang this fairly straightforward story.

Carey has the fight for the weapon play out over the two final issues, and it's a wise choice. There are a number of players on the board (including a demon Clarice has summoned, and Map, the aforementioned disembodied consciousness who begrudgingly helps John), and the scene cutting that builds up the tension is very well-structured. The action of the story builds to a number of good crescendos, but it always remains rooted in the characters. Gemma, desperate to be recognized as a great magician herself, realizes she isn't, and that Fredricks only used her to lure in John. The story is rooted in her desire to get out of her uncle's shadow, and it's a compelling central conflict. In the ensuing firefights, it’s revealed that the sepulchre is merely a rope used to strangle people, one which John burns in short order. Carey does a great job pacing the build up to the end, and it’s the twist of humour about the much sought-after weapon turning out to be a piece of rope that proves he has the right stuff for this book.

Marcelo Frusin thankfully sticks around as regular artist. It's a boon for the book to have artistic consistency coming out of Azzarello's wild run, and it's great to see Frusin finally depict John operating in England. Frusin mastered the grim and dark elements of middle America, and brings those skills to London, angry demons, a séance, and a host of unsavoury characters. His style blends well with those elements. In some ways, it feels like Carey is only dipping his toes in during this first story, but I commend his craft in setting up the players and their relationships, naturally building the story, and expertly structuring the climax. It's not the dog-licking, head-shaving, getting-burnt-to-a-crisp-in-a-sex-club fun of Azzarello's run, but does everything need to be? This story boldly returns John to his more typical setting and tone, by reintroducing strong characterization and building a solid story. That's good comics to me.

Weekly Comics - 11/30/2011

2011-12-03T12:18:00.000-08:00

No DC titles this week. It's a short fifth week of the month, with some interesting releases nonetheless.

Uncanny X-Men#2 - Kieron Gillen/Carlos Pacheco, Jorge Molina, Rodney Bechemi

The ideas are good (they're actually very good). The pacing and action are effective. The art is clean and attractive. But this book is lacking something. I do feel like Wolverine and the X-Men is the fun book, with the fun characters, and the quirky edge to it. I have a lot of respect for Kieron Gillen, but this book lacks a team dynamic. There is nothing to grab onto in the interplay between these characters. As I mentioned last time, these may notionally be the more important characters to the X-Men "story" these days, but this feels like the "B"-team that none of them wanted to be a part of. It feels cold and depressing. There are moments that shine through - unlike everyone else, Hope seems genuinely excited to be there. And it was fun to see Emma to tell Scott to lighten up (she should tell the creative team of this book). And there's still a lot of good here. I love the idea of Sinister as a consciousness, embodying every body under his control, and jumping between them as the X-Men (rather brutally) kill them. I'm excited to see where this concept is taken. Gillen does well with Sinister's portrayal, as there's a playful element to his grand villainous speeches. And the pacing and action is efficient and effective throughout. Sinister's exposition is nicely balanced by some very brutal action scenes. I'm actually surprised how far things are taken - Danger is blasted into pieces, Emma's walking around with one arm, Colossus crushes one of Sinister's heads with one hand. And I'm fine with the art. Yes, Carlos Pacheco has gotten rid of any unique elements to his art, but the smooth, rounded look here is still strong, and creates some very attractive action shots. Molina and Buchemi step in to help, and, outside of the distinctive flashback scene, the transition is pretty seamless (still, three artists are needed by #2?). That said, this book still feels cold and unfriendly on every level, and it starts with the fact that the characters have no dynamic or tangible relationships with each other. Marvel has been relentlessly pushing "extreme, militant Cyclops" on us since 2008, and this is that portrayal taken to its furthest point. I don't know if it's the right hook for the flagship X-book. There's nothing human to latch on to here. It's dour and depressing and it's turning me off, even as the plot and action are enjoyable.

X-Men: Legacy#259 - Mike Carey/Khoi Pham

When it comes to the X-Men, this is more like it. Mike Carey's final story returns Rogue's group to Earth in time for them to decide where they sit on the side of the "Schism." Typical of Carey's work on this book, it's thoughtful, nuanced, and insightful without being heavy-handed. The scenes where Rogue discusses whether to stay with Cyclops or go to Wolverine with Gambit, Magneto, and Frenzy are well-paced and thoughtful. We see the human feelings that go into the decision with far more depth than the recent X-Men: Regenesis one-shot, which featured snap decisions with no thought behind them. It also feels like Scott is desperate to have Rogue stay. There's a nice scene between reunited brothers Scott and Alex that gets into the emotions behind the schism with more depth than the Schism mini series managed to in its five issues. From these scenes, a plot grows, in which Rogue senses that a mutant presence has returned from space with the X-Men. The methods through which the team investigate this make for a compelling mystery and the steps they take to learn more about their mysterious companion follow a logical trail. This all leads to a final page revelation of this mystery mutant. Unless you've been reading closely, you'll have no clue who it is. Even if you have been reading closely, I doubt you'll care. But Carey ensures that these climatic moments, when Rogue encounters this person, are taut and suspenseful, so the odd choice of person is somewhat charming in how random it is. I'm curious to see where Carey takes this in his final issue. Pham's art looks sharper than it has yet on this title, with a softer look to his figures and faces. But the unique aspects of his style still come through. It's another strong issue from Carey, with a surprisingly effective mystery wrapped around a strong core of characterization.

FF#12 - Jonathan Hickman/Juan Bobillo

I had read a lot of negative advanced reviews of this, mainly focusing on the art. I have to say I disagree - I absolutely loved this, and the art played a big part in that. Juan Bobillo is probably best known for bringing a clean, quirky style for Dan Slott's humourous She-Hulk title. His style has changed a bit since then. Yes, some of the characters' faces are a bit squishy, but this is a book staring a bunch of eccentric (and some non-human) kids, and he nailed their expressions and body language. He has fun with page layouts and sparse backgrounds, playing with white space to create some unique pages. But I was more excited by the story - things are finally moving somewhere in Jonathan Hickman's never-ending Fantastic Four odyssey. We're learning how pieces fit together here - the warnings Valeria received from the future Franklin, Nathaniel's role, Doom's role, what the alternate Reed really wants (is it lame to say I gasped on the last page?). It feels like there is forward momentum involving some of the key players. I have to say I find all of this intrigue, which Hickman has been building since the very beginning, far more interesting than the Inhumans/Kree/Galactus intergalactic war stuff happening in Fantastic Four. This book is also fun. The kids have usually been crammed into subplot pages, but here they take centre stage and it's fun. Their trip across snowy mountains in the opening scene is full of funny banter. The moment where Val and Franklin run with glee towards their grandfather is great - a little slice of humanity in the middle of Hickman's clinical and methodical saga. Valeria is really stepping up as the central figure, and I'm loving her portrayal here. I had a ton of fun with this, and the fact that the story is finally reaching a climax excited me. And I liked the art.

X-Force and John Francis Moore, part 2

2011-12-02T08:23:00.000-08:00

I'm moving on in my reread of John Francis Moore's run on X-Force. Artist Adam Pollina leaves the book with #81, after which Moore shifts from his non-conventional roadtrip storyline to a much more traditional superhero book, albeit one with a strong focus on the characters and some fairly detailed plotting.

This period covers X-Force#82-100. I seem to remember the momentum trailing off . Well, I'm halfway through it, and if anything things are only heating up. When Adam Pollina leaves the book, the team moves into a warehouse in San Fransisco. From there, Moore's core five characters (Warpath, Meltdown, Siryn, Moonstar, and Sunspot) are joined by returning characters Domino and Cannonball and new character Jesse Aaronson. Except he's not entirely new. He and his brother Chistopher appeared as the Bedlam brothers in Age of Apocalypse. More than 3 years later, Moore revives the character in the main Marvel Universe, taking this blank slate and running with it.

There are two main story threads running through the first half of this period. In one, Jesse struggles to learn about his past and missing brother, a mystery which nicely winds its way through the other stories and comes to a head in some marvellously ominous and suspenseful issues. #87, where brother Christopher's plans begin to fall into place, is the strongest of this very strong group of issues. The other story thread is an odd one - Moore has dredged up Marvel's Deviants characters and decided an X-Men spinoff was the place for them. I don't think I'm off-base in saying no one has ever found these characters interesting. But I'll give Moore credit for weaving them neatly into his stories - they are connected to the woman who sought revenge on Domino during Operation: Zero Tolerance, they were behind the town that performed genetic experiments on its children, and their influence pervades a number of other areas. I'm cautiously optimistic because their story is just fine right now.

The character work is where Moore's real strength lies. I mentioned in my last entry that the roadtrip issues really felt like disillusioned youths running off to find their own place in the world. Things aren't quite so amibitious here - it's pure soap operatic character drama, but Moore excels at it. And just because it's soapy, it doesn't have to mean the characters don't feel real. Bobby and Tabitha's relationship is quickly burning out; Sam is struggling with his best friend and ex-girlfriend being together; James continues to grow and mature in the wake of discovering what happened to his family; Danielle is struggling with unusual new powers. It's also a lot of fun to have Domino back, without Cable around, She treats these kids as equals in a way Cable didn't and Moore writes her well. Jesse swoops in from nowhere to take a pretty large spotlight. He's hesitant and unsure of himself, and not particularly liked by the group. His journey has been enjoyable to read.

Jim Cheung took over as artist from Pollina with #82. It's not a jarring shift, even though their style's are polar opposites, because, like Pollina, Cheung brings his own unique look to the book. It's a book that has had a strong visual identity since Pollina first started on it, and it needs an artist unafraid to bring that approach. Cheung's style is more conventional in nature, but his characters have a very unique look, and the energy he brings to the pages in incredibly strong. I'm a big fan of his style. The one area where things don't work visually is the costumes. The yellow and purple outfits looked dumb when they were introduced in 1995, and have definitely outlived their welcome by late 1998. Pollina really started using them less as the team wandered around the US, and rightfully so. There was no need for those stories to have a traditional superhero look. With Moore taking the book back in that direction, the costumes return, and are starting to look a bit dumb. Really, all of these stories could be told without the costumes.

Moore has taken this title back to a more traditional route, and I can't help but be slightly disappointed after the roadtrip year. Still, stellar character work and layered plotting and story progression shine through in every issue. If you haven't read Moore's X-Force and are under the impression there's no worthwhile X-books from the 90s, it really deserves a look.

DC and More - Month 3

2011-11-24T17:22:00.000-08:00

Flash#3 - Francis Manapul, Brian Buccellato/Francis Manapul

Manapul and Buccellato continue their experiments with the Flash's powers, as well as their wildly inventive artwork and layouts, in this strong third issue. In another expansion of Barry Allen's power set, he vibrates molecules on an atomic level to get onto a plane falling in the wake of last issue's electromagnetic pulse. We also see the effects of last issue's "thinking fast" powers, as Barry is crippled by indecision in the arresting cliffhanger. The story remains full of life and energy, even as the plot starts to veer into darker territory. It's fast-moving, exciting, and covering a lot of ground, plot-wise. The ramifications of the power outage are a lot more than I expected, but it works quite well. Flash's rescue scenes are a lot of fun, which a nice montage double-page spread depicting them. I also love the shot of Barry and Patty riding off on horses. They begin to piece together the mystery of Manuel, one that includes stem cell research and experiments with pigs, and it leads to a strong ending. There is a short scene in the middle that is a bit confusing. I assume it ties into this story, but there are references to Captain Atom and the whole thing is a bit misplaced. However, there are hints of larger stories that I quite like - we are promised to learn more about the history of Central and Keystone Cities in future issues and Iris' encounter with Captain Cold hints at exciting villains' in Barry's future. On the art front, the book is a beauty. Once more, the artists use page layouts and power effects to tell their narrative, in completely creative ways. But there are stunning images, like the opening splash of the falling plane, starkly presented against a white background and the splash of Barry "thinking fast," faced with countless decisions in front of him. The characters have such a unique, cartoony look to them and look quirky and fun on the page. And the book is unafraid to not always be bright and vibrant in its colours - most of this issue is bathed in beautiful darkness, and the rest is in muted browns and yellows, but if lends a strong atmosphere to the art that works much better than day-glo superhero colouring would have. This remains a very strong book - the story is ramping up on several fronts and the art is fighting with Batwoman to be the best of DC's new books.

Justice League Dark#3 - Peter Milligan/Mikel Janin

I've read complaints that this book is moving too slow. I hear that, but I'm really enjoying the journey. Milligan seems to be telling the story of a bunch of disparate characters who are slowly coming together to combat the Enchantress. I don't think this needs to be treated as a team book, as the portrayal of the individual characters is so strong. Milligan explores the past romantic encounters of John Constantine and Zatanna as they come together to find the Enchantress. The dialogue is fun here, with John playfully teasing her. The Deadman segments remain strong as well. His relationship with June is developing nicely. It seems that having a new person in his life is an opportunity for him to reflect on his powers and being dead and how he feels about these things. June is also an interesting character; she is so frightened of anything magical, that she freaks out when Shade tries to contact Deadman, thinking it is the Enchantress. So just as Shade tries to contact Deadman, Milligan subverts the "gathering of the team" trope and continues to have his cast act in isolation from each other. Shade is possibly the weak link here, which is odd considering Milligan's history with the character. Dare I say he seems a little too grounded and ordinary for this story? The situations he is in are great, though - trying to reach out to gather this group (and failing) and warding off the romantic advances of the a decaying vision of his lover Kathy. Janin continues his strong work, despite the odd facial expression that is a little too posed. The figures are generally well-composed and the settings and colours convey the danger lurking around the corner. Overall, though, I'm liking Milligan's format for this series, shifting the focus to different characters as the threat of the Enchantress develops. The character portrayals are layered and deliberate, and it feels like a tapestry is building. There is an unsettling vibe around each scene that has been allowed to develop naturally. I can't imagine this operating as a typical team book, so I'm in no rush to have the whole group assembled.

This week also saw the release of Fantastic Four#600 (Jonathan Hickman/Steve Epting, Carmine Di Giandomenico, Ming Doyle, Leinil Francis Yu, Farel Darymple), which of course has been running as FF since March. Both titles will continue under Jonathan Hickman after this. Building off the death of the Human Torch almost a year ago, there is, naturally, a big event here relating to that. Don't thing I need to say more.

But, beyond that event, I wouldn't look to this to be a big show-stopper that takes Hickman's story into high gear. It's business as usual for him on this title - more plot threads are weaved in, the kids are up to no good, cosmic threats are amassing in the background, and vague hints and clues continue to be dropped. Is it blasphemy to say I'm getting a bit bored? Let me step back - I was enthralled with the first year and a half of Hickman's run and I was happy to have so many cryptic story threads growing, as they were seemingly being developed in a methodical way. But ever since the title change to FF, things have slightly faltered. After a strong start, it has lost some steam. Hickman has been writing this book since August 2009 (if you don't count the five-issue FF:Dark Reign mini series before that, which lays the foundation for many ideas) and #600 should have been the show-stopper (if not the big conclusion). But it's not over. And so much has been added, that I have lost sight of what the threat really is. The story was so nicely contained for awhile to this book, then Hickman started bringing in characters embroiled in Marvel stories outside of this title - the Inhumans, Ronan, Crystal, and now Galactus and his current story in Thor. When it was contained to the War of the Four Cities, Nathaniel Richards, multiple Reeds, and cryptic future warnings, this was taut and effective. By bringing in Marvel's current cosmic landscape, I'm losing sight of what the central conflict is. (Namely, outside of the Inhumans' connection to the Four Cities, how do all these new characters connect to the bigger mysteries Hickman had been developing?). The new and old players haven't come together for me. I'm also a bit confused most of the time.

ALL THAT SAID, this is still a strong comic. It's divided into five chapters, with different pencillers. Steve Epting returns for the opening, in which the FF and assembled Marvel heroes battle Ronan's Kree invasion. The action is nicely rendered by Epting and there are some great seeds being laid here (Doom, Kristoff, and the alternate Reed in Latveria, the kids protecting themselves from the fight). We also get some real answers as to why the Kree are going after the Inhumans. The lead up to the big reveal is as perfectly paced and energetic as the Human Torch's death scene from #587. As as much as the reveal was completely expected, the character in question looks so unusual that it's a nice twist on the typical heroic return shot. The second story, with delightfully expressive and twisted art by Di Giandomenico, is the core of the book. It explains what has been happening since we last saw our missing hero. The art so perfectly depicts the alien, war-torn landscapes of the Negative Zone that we feel as displaced and in danger as the protagonist. From the desolate prison, to the worms that burst from his body to regenerate wounds, this is the story of a man struggling to escape a dangerous and alien world. The conflict is a bit more straightforward here, with the roles of the Inhumans and Negative Zone denzeins clearly sketched (even if I don't really understand the Anti-Priest of Annihilus aspect of things), and it helps. At the end, we're left with a set up vaguely similar to Planet Hulk. I'm hoping the protagonist is sufficiently changed by what he has experienced and I look forward to seeing how it has affected him.

Three shorter stories round out the issue. Ming Doyle provides lovely artwork on a story exploring Medusa and Black Bolt's relationship and leadership roles within the Inhumans, along with his new wives. Perfectly enjoyable, but not exactly earth-shattering. Reed and Sue visit with Galactus on the moon before the events of the main story, as illustrated by Leinil Yu. I'm used to seeing him draw Wolverine, so this restrained take on cosmic material is actually very nice, with a strong, composed look to it. The story relates to the recent story in The Mighty Thor, where the Asgardians planted a new Galactus seed within Earth. I'm not enthused to see a direct tie to another title, and I don't necessarily think another giant cosmic force needs to be added to this sprawling conflict thirty issues in. But it's a fine story and it's nice to see old enemies interacting as partners. The final story is wonderfully drawn by Farel Dalrymple and explores Franklin playing his newly created pocket universe with Leech. It's very fun, but also carries some weight with it. It's also nice to see Franklin regain the spotlight after losing it in recent years to his sister Valeria.

It's a great package overall - 96 pages, no filler or reprints, for a reasonable price (ok, I almost collapsed when I first saw the price, but it is worth it). I just NEED this story to really move from here on in. I read an interview where Hickman stated the next arcs in both this title and FF are the end of this big story (after which, he will continue on to other stories). Please be true. The journey has been fun, but it's been going on for a long time.

Also, we have Astonishing X-Men#44 (Greg Pak/Mike McKone). In the past, the thought of not buying a core X-title would have horrified me, but this title has been treated as an afterthought since Joss Whedon left in 2008. I bought all of Warren Ellis' issues, but my unofficial policy since then has been to give each new creative team an issue or two to impress me then decide if I'm sticking around. Suffice it to say, I didn't make it more than one issue into writers Daniel Way and Christos Gage's runs. But I was certainly going to give a creative team of this quality a try.

And this was a disappointment. This title went from being the premier X-book to the place where lame filler stories go to die. I expected a lot more of a writer like Pak. The story is passable, but completely underwhelming and forgettable. An alternate reality (spoiler-alert ... if anyone is still reading this book) Storm lures Cyclops away from his Schism-induced depression (I feel ya, Scott) on Utopia to help fight some Sentinels. The dialogue is heavily flirtatious and out of character throughout. The much-hyped kiss on the cover occurs. Then Cyclops awakens to find he is captive on an alternate Earth, where he and other mutants use their abilities to power the planet. There is just nothing to this. The alternate reality plot is the type of filler that gave annuals a bad name, but it's going to be stretched out for four issues. And, outside of that bland ending reveal, I felt like nothing happened here. There was some opportunity in the opening scenes to explore Scott's mindset post-Schism, but Pak instead chooses to have him mope and brood around Utopia. There's no depth or insight whatsoever. The forced flirtatious banter with this fake Storm is painful to read in spots. The saving grace is Mike McKone's art, which I've always loved. His splash pages of Storm and Cyclops fighting with each other and the Sentinels are lovely, with his unique, crisp figures really standing out. It can't save the story, but his art would be the only reason to stick with this.

Alas, I won't be. I gave it my one issue to impress me and it flunked. Even Daniel Way's opening issue had more to it than this cookie-cutter alternate reality story. At $4 a pop for 20 pages, it's not worth it.

Finally, Wolverine and the X-Men#2 (Jason Aaron/Chris Bachalo) came out, and I remain amazed at how much effort is being made to make this book the fun, eclectic title, while Uncanny becomes dour and depressing. This is a fight issue against the Hellfire kids, and the Krakoa creature beneath the mansion grounds, but Aaron packs so many character moments into the proceedings - Iceman finally stepping up to the plate, Idie forming a bond with the Brood alien, Rachel kicking butt, a surprising kiss, Kitty trying to protect the school's human visitors. It feels jam-packed, in a good way. It really reminds me of Bachalo's days on Generation X, where quirky humour and small, cute character moments sat alongside the plot and action. Bachalo's art really helps create that tone, and Aaron seems inspired by him to throw in more fun little moments. This book is a great success so far.

DC Relaunch, Month 3

2011-11-19T13:59:00.000-08:00

Batman#3 - Scott Snyder/Greg Capullo

This is a stellar comic. The gist of this Court of Owls story is that Bruce is discovering a side to Gotham he was unaware of, one that is very threatening to him. The key to the whole story, which Snyder never hits us over the head with, is that Bruce is ever so quietly trying to ignore or deny that these secrets in Gotham could actually exist, without his knowledge. Batman, usually portrayed as a perfect detective, is taken aback by what has been going on for over a century. In a great moment, Bruce has to question the family history he has long accepted, to see if the Court of Owls fit somewhere he has never considered. Snyder doesn't make this a giant, obvious plot point. Bruce's disbelief and struggle to accept what he doesn't know is subtly weaved through almost every scene, and works wonderfully. I truly feel like this Batman is out of his depth, so that when Alfred delivers his typical advice that Bruce shouldn't work so hard, it actually hits home for the reader. Snyder is also intent on building the world of Gotham, and it works with this character thread. Bruce is constantly reaffirming aspects of Gotham's past and present, almost to prove he knows it well, as he can't accept an aspect he doesn't know about. But, moreover, the Gotham details are interesting. Snyder has clearly put a lot of thought into them and the role they play in this story. They never encumber the story, but give it depth. The opening flashback, to Alan Wayne's death, is a great scene that flows very well. The story bubbling behind all of this is interesting, and I remain endeared by Bruce's friendship with mayoral-candidate Lincoln. It goes without saying that Capullo does a fantastic job. I love his look for Bruce, with an unashamedly commanding face and jaw. His figures have the slightest cartoony look to them, that gives this darker book a real flair. The final scene, played fairly worldless by Snyder, look great, as Batman moves through the Court of Owls' hideout. Capullo's style is also unique. He's got all of the elements of a Batman comic down perfectly, but adds his own touches and designs to the settings and people. It's a great comic - perfectly paced, with wonderful art, and an intelligent, exciting script.

Wonder Woman#3 - Brian Azzarello/Cliff Chiang

To some, this may be the big issue where Wonder Woman's origin is revised. I don't have much history with the character, so I'm not as concerned about if she was molded from clay or Zeus' illegitimate daughter. What I got here was a fantastic comic. Outside of the origin details, I was struck more by the mood Azzarello created in the opening part of the comic. Having read interviews, I know Diana's origin is being revised to be Zeus' daughter, but, in the opening section of the comic, we don't yet know who knows what.There is an incredible sense that something has transpired since #2, some information has been revealed to some of the parties, and that relations of Paradise Island are forever changed. But we don't exactly know what has happened, who knows what, and if the full extent of Diana's new origin has been revealed yet. It creates a wonderful sense of dread and uncertainty, and Azzarello wisely moves between scenes at a choppy pace. This continues into the later scenes, where the tension between the Amazons is thick on the page. There is weight and gravitas to the story. We feel we are dealing with troubles of the gods, and this revelation of Diana's father has cut through the group, leaving mistrust and anger in its wake. As for the new origin itself, Azzarello presents it in very simple, straightforward pages, that work to convey what Hippolyta was thinking and feeling when she met Zeus rather than giving us an exposition dump. In the midst of this epic drama, there are some great touches - Strife's giant figure looming over everyone, Zola trying to get into a game of godly taunts. The proceedings feel epic and Diana's resolve at the story's end has weight to it. Chiang plays a large role in this. There's a number of wordless moments that shine with a power that his clear, clean style captures well. His Diana feels shaken, but not undaunted, by what she learns here. The simplicity of his style makes the book feel expressive and dramatic. It's a very strong comic and another chapter in a great run of issues.

DC Universe Presents#3 - Paul Jenkins/Bernard Chang

If the first issue was deeply introspective and the second a wild romp through DC's supernatural world, this one strikes a good balance between both. Jenkins provides incredibly strong narration for Deadman here that holds the issue together. We're beginning to see more layers to him. It's not that he doesn't want to help the individuals Rama pairs him with, it's that he is haunted by their troubles and failings, and wants to know why she insists those feelings stay with him long after he leaves them. There's a touching flashback to a man he possessed on death row, who was never granted a reprieve. Deadman was with him through to his death, and has no answer for how he was supposed to help this man. There's also a great follow-up scene to Deadman's current host, the paraplegic veteran, whom Deadman had left talking to a woman in a bar. Seeing how they both deal with this situation is a great, simple moment of character interaction. Around this, a wild plot is still unfolding, with Deadman tormenting the fallen angel turned librarian who knows his fate. There's a great bit where she turns red and flaming the further he takes one of her books away. There's also some set up here with a mob arms trade, but Jenkins swings things back to the supernatural as Deadman encounters another fallen angel at the circus, one who apparently can help him confront Rama. It's an eclectic book, but it comes to life through some very deliberate and thoughtful narration from Jenkins. Deadman isn't wholly altruistic and likable, but he shows moments of extreme kindness and sadness towards his host bodies. I'm over the fact that Chang's art isn't as rough and blocky as it usually is. The more polished look is helping convey the supernatural aspects, accompanied by strong colouring. And, on the down to Earth scenes, such as the bar scene, he sells the human characters and the emotions behind the scene very well. I like that I'm not sure what strange direction Jenkins can yank the plot of this story, mostly because I know the lead character's portrayal will remain the glue holding this together.

Birds of Prey#3 - Duane Swierczynski/Jesus Saiz

I've very happy I decided to give this book a try, and stick with it. Swierczynski has a knack for setting up his situations, moving through them at a perfect speed, and weaving a number of character moments in throughout. This issue continues the Birds' investigation into the organization pursuing them, as Poison Ivy reluctantly joins the group. Swierczynski continues to have fun with the group dynamic. Katana is still a nutcase, but, when faced with international criminal Poison Ivy, Starling takes to Katana like an old friend. Starling is a remarkably fun and capable character, and Black Canary's attempts to hold the group together are amusing. Poison Ivy is an interesting addition. She sees her past deeds as right, and is joining this group to continue punishing the rich. The personalities are all well-defined and their characters remain intact as the action and espionage kick in. Swierczynski is proving to be very talented in this sort of storytelling, with a mystery that bounces along between plot beats very well. The pacing is so strong - even though the action doesn't let up, the characters still feel fully realized in these scenes. The fast pace also keeps things fun, so when true danger hits home for Canary in the final pages, the impact is stronger. The plot behind the Birds' mission isn't wowing me, but I don't think that's the point. The fun is in the execution and character interaction. Saiz is doing an equally good job on his end. He is keeping up with Swierczynski's pace, perfectly structuring the pages in the train scene chase. But it's his figure work that is really strong. They have a real depth and substance to them, and sit attractively on the page. The book is an unlikely success for me, but a pleasant surprise that has yet to falter.

Thoughts on Marvel's recent announcements

2011-11-18T12:09:00.000-08:00

I can't help but be a little stunned by recent events at Marvel. The past couple days alone have seen a spate of cancellations in rapid succession (X-23, Black Panther, Ghost Rider, and PunisherMAX, although that appears to be reaching its planned conclusion). Coupled with the cancellation of a mini-series in-progress (All Winners Squad), the cancellation of a solicited mini weeks before it was supposed to come out (Victor von Doom), and the cancellation of a mini before it was solicited (Destroyers) a couple weeks back, along with a number of layoffs, and it's a lot to take in.

I have been an ardent Marvel fan my whole life. Their characters, particularly the X-Men, are near and dear to me. I consider Marvel under Editor-in-Chief Jim Shooter to be the best the comics industry ever achieved. But the company's actions in the past year, along with the pompous boor (Tom Brevoort) they have decided to make their spokesperson, have strongly turned me against them. But I'm going to try to put that aside for the moment.

To an outside observer, it appears as though any property not tied to a movie franchise or written by one of Marvel's vaunted "Architects" has no chance of succeeding. I have long long grown tired of Marvel's events and their tie-ins, and have stayed far away from the last few with no sleepless nights. In recent times, I have been turning to more unusual side projects (the Crossgen mini-series', the X-Club, X-Men: Pixie Strikes Back, the Oz minis). Time has taught me that most ongoing titles not directly tied to an event or major creator are gone by #6. So those types of off-centre mini-series were a way to still get a complete story from a lower-priority book. But now, knowing Marvel will easily cancel a mini halfway through its run, I'm reluctant to even try more.

The company just seems to be in an odd spot. It's become this annoying boys club of blowhard editors and the Architects spewing out boring events. (Not to mention actually allowing Jeph Loeb to write for them.) I stayed far from Fear Itself, and it seems my first instinct was correct - it didn't have a solid premise (which caused its marketing to be haphazard and confusing), it was bloated beyond belief, and it was boring (by all accounts). These epilogue one-shots that have been coming out seem to be ret-conning the major plot developments of Fear Itself (Thor's death, Bucky's death, the destruction of Paris) - so what was the point of any of it? The company has lacked direction since "The Heroic Age" began.

I'm content to stay far from these events, but now it seems like the little side projects I enjoy are in complete danger. Marvel is conditioning fans to stay away from anything not tied to the Architects or the events by cancelling anything remotely different. I'm happy the X-Men corner is stabilizing a bit, and I will always stick with the main books there. Of course, Marvel is threatening to tie the X-Men into the next big event, so I will be judiciously purchasing if that happens.

Rob Liefeld, of all people, astutely pointed out that Marvel is only concentrating on properties owned by Marvel Studios. This would certainly account for the never-ending Thor tie-in mini-series' last year, along with Captain America side projects. All of this is incredibly boring to me. Cap, Thor, and Iron Man aren't exciting characters to me (outside of a few stories over the decades) - they have little cache or flair to their personalities, as depicted in the comics. So there's another chunk of stuff I can stay away from. In addition, planned Crossgen minis Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and Route 666 have yet to be solicited. Given recent practices, I wouldn't be surprised if we never see them. But that's ok, Jeph Loeb is writing an Avengers/Cable team-up mini, which will tie in to next summer's crossover!! Kill me. I don't even want to touch the $3.99 issue, the 20 pages, and all the kicking and screaming they did towards DC last fall about these issues (only to fully follow suit).

Not to glorify DC too much, but I can applaud the diversity of genres attempted in The New 52. Not everything is working, but they put out a wide variety of titles with a big marketing push and tried some unique books. And, in cancelling X-23 and Ghost Rider (which starred a new, female lead), Marvel now has no books led by female characters. Now DC has been raked over the coals for everything woman-related recently, completely unfairly. They have Batgirl, Batwoman (featuring a squadron of wonderful female leads), Voodoo, Catwoman, Wonder Woman, Birds of Prey, and more.

I guess there wasn't any real point to this post. A company I adore, even with recent anger towards them, is facing tough times, and it's being made public news in rapid fire succession. (When I was reading the announcement of Ghost Rider's cancellation, the comments thread pointed out that Black Panther's cancellation had just been announced, so it really feels rapid-fire). I'm having trouble processing what's happening, and fearful of where things will keep going. I'm calling it now - May 2012, in time for the movie's release, Marvel will announce The New Avengers 52 (ironically all written by Brian Michael Bendis, with art by Mark Bagely).

DC New 52 Month 3

2011-11-15T18:04:00.000-08:00

Frankenstein: Agent of S.H.A.D.E.#3 - Jeff Lemire/Alberto Ponticelli

This issue continues this title's weird, fun romp to an alien planet to fight creatures consuming human children on Earth. It's the storytelling, humour, and bizarre, over-the-top presentation that really sell this. Lemire and Ponticelli are working in unison here. Lemire has made the group interaction in Frankenstein's team both cutting and frivolous, and is really refining the cast dynamic. Adding to the team dynamic is Frankenstein and his estranged wife alternately defending and putting down each other and everyone barking at Father Time. This humourous tone makes the otherworldly settings and plot (as well as cast of monsters) a bit more relatable and keeps the book fun. A couple fantastic action scenes break out here, with the cast of freaks letting loose on some alien creatures, and Frank once more tearing out a vital organ to end a threat. There's a humour to how starkly some of these ridicuolous situations are presented, as well. At the same time, some ominous subplots at S.H.A.D.E are being set up and some of the characters are getting more depth to them. Ponticelli is a marvel on art, depicting every drop of saliva and tentacled limb on the aliens in messy detail. There's a frenetic quality to his art that makes the story feel like a wild ride. Three issues in, and this book is running high on its bombastic portrayal of the bizarre, it's comical depiction of bureaucracy, and the strange cast of characters it focuses on. It's highly fun stuff, with remarkable art, and a pleasure each month.

Batwoman#3 - J.H. Williams III, W. Haden Blackman/J.H. Williams III

Another excellent issue. Just as the writers build up the tapestry of Kate Kane's world, they tear down parts of it here, forcing her to confront her past and her poor decisions. Whereas previous issues set up and checked in on the various pieces in Kate's world, this one follows one narrative, and touches on each part of her world as that narrative unfolds. I'm continually impressed by these two new writers and what they are accomplishing on the storytelling side. The progression of the plot, and it's continually rising emotional stakes, works really well. Kate is brought through the wringer more than once, leading to a final scene where she finally breaks her facade in front on Maggie Sawyer. Maggie remains the top draw of the book, barely edging out the lead character. The slow development of her relationship with Kate is believable and compelling. Maggie is fighting to break down Kate's barriers, and it's very well-played. Cameron Chase remains a strong addition. She doesn't feel like a guest star or antagonist, but full member of the cast striving to prove herself through her investigation of Batwoman. And Bette Kane is playing a larger role, growing out of being her cousin's doormat. Kate herself remains interesting - strong, silent, and incredibly capable as Batwoman, and a mess of contradictions struggling to keep it together in her human guise. And into this is injected a male presence, as Kate's father returns to reflect on the state of his daughter's life. The Weeping Woman plot is barely a factor here. It contributes to a stunning opening, but it's a side element to the trauma of Kate's life. And, of course, the art is just as strong as the writing. Williams has created very distinct styles for the human and costumed sides of the book, and now he is experimenting with mixing them in scenes, such as when the painterly Chase interacts with other non-costumed figures (depicted in the more cartoony style). Once more, there is a bevy of stunning splash pages, with incredible design sense and a level of detail and expression unmatched in most comics. The book looks special. It feels like the reader is being taken into another world. The writing possesses an intensity and strength to match the feel of the art and the whole package is incredibly compelling.

Batgirl#3 - Gail Simone/Adrian Syaf

Simone seems to deliberately structure this issue in two parts. The first section is a fast-paced, dense action scene between Batgirl and the Black Mirror. It is better than last issue's action scenes, but still suffers from their main problem - too much narration and perhaps too much happening to be properly paced out Still, Syaf fits in some stunning splash pages and the desired effect of Barbara screwing up comes through. From there, the book slows down incredibly and becomes a character study of Barbara dealing with the changes to her life since regaining the use of her legs. It's all about the character fighting to open up to people, but wanting to prove she can do it on her own. I loved the scene with her father, where the words she wants to say become a half-hearted display of feelings when she actually says them. After this, it's an aerial volley with her former lover Nightwing for the rest of the issue. I kept expecting the plot to really pick up, and them to team-up for some fight, but it never happened. It really is one friend checking to see if another is ok. Can she really deal with the changes in her life as quickly as she has? It's really nice stuff, with some soft interaction between the two, who both struggle to say what they want to. Now, I do think Simone could have pulled back on Barbara's relentless narration on multiple occasions here. There's just too much of it, at points when the emotion of the scene was saying enough for me. But there is power here and Barbara's final rebuke of help from Nightwing has resonance. She wants to face her problems on her own, at her own pace. And I can't help but enjoy that Simone essentially puts the whole plot on hold for this sequence. It's a long scene of two old friends struggling to communicate with each other, and it works. An unconventional issue, but brave and powerful in its own way.

Grifter#3 - Nathan Edmondson/CAFU

The bigger picture of this series starts coming together with remarkable speed here. Not only is Cole Cash a con man on the run from aliens only he can see, he's also a fallen Special Ops soldier pursued by the organization, beginning with his brother, a fellow soldier. It helps to get a better view of the protagonist. He has been intentionally shrouded in mystery, a con man with a violent streak, but now we know the big secret from his past, and how it led him to where we found him in #1. It's a strong narrative turn for the series, and it keeps it in line with the action thriller this is turning in to. Readers learn the main character has a lot more to him than we've been led to believe, and it is an effective twist. The rest of this follows the formula of the first two issues - intense action scenes juxtaposed with cryptic subplot scenes (which are also becoming clearer). The formula works. The action scenes remain very grounded, despite the alien foes. They are paced like a great thriller, and CAFU frames them very well. His art remains clean and crisp, with sharply drawn figures inhabiting this world where danger lurks around every corner, from train stations to deserted roads. I'm enjoying reading a book that, even with the aliens, feels grounded in its threats and locales. The alien threat is also well-played, in my opinion. They feel natural in the grounded setting of this book, and their threat is relentless. This is unashamedly a Bourne tribute, with a touch of LOST. It is striving to replicate the tone and pacing of the former, with the mysterious element of the latter('s better days). I didn't expect to be liking a book with that combo, but so far, this has been entertaining.

Superboy #3- Scott Lobdell/R.B. Silva

This was a remarkably surprising issue. Yes, the first two issues (especially the first)were very good, but this was really enjoyable. I have years of experience with Lobdell from his time on the X-books. I certainly don't hate him like much of fandom, but I would never describe his writing style as more than conventional. This is the first thing I've read of his that strives for a different tone - an unusual tone, but also an introspective one. He is really pulling it off. Superboy narrates this issue and it is very strong work. The strength is in this character discovering himself, his powers, his purpose within N.O.W.H.E.R.E., and if he should be striving to see and experience more than that. At the same time, it's deliberately not too deep - we're kept at a slight distance from this inhuman character, and it contributes to the cold, unnatural tone of the comic. I have to commend Lobdell, because it's an effective package. And, at the same time, there is a lot more going on here. Rose Wilson and "Red" are both struggling to accept their attitudes towards Superboy. Make no mistake, the scenes with these characters are still cold and clinical, but Lobdell is parsing out the humanity at a controlled rate, and it's making these two women very interesting (and that's saying nothing about the final page revelation for Red). There's more to unpack here, with two mysterious forces closing in around Superboy and the character trying to interact with a young girl he meets. I also love the take on his powers, and the deliberate way he deduces what is going on with them. Add to this is a remarkable art style from Silva. It's cartoony and expressive (in a good way) throughout, but he is playing with design and presentation to just the right degree. Figures and faces look clean and expressive, and occupy some very creative and attractively-designed page layouts. And Superboy looks superb in the new costume. This is turning out to be a great title, almost because it can't be easily defined. There is a lot going on here, and it makes for an exciting, and surprisingly thoughtful, read.

I picked up Magneto: Not a Hero#1 (of 4) (Skottie Young/Clay Mann) for a couple reasons. Skottie Young, an incredibly talented artist, has written some impressive stories in X-Men anthologies in recent years, and I wanted to see how he did on a full-length story. Clay Mann has astounded me with his artwork on X-Men: Legacy. And, I've really enjoyed the portrayal of Magneto since he joined the X-Men on Utopia two years ago. Young hits all the right beats with his character - he's commanding thoughtful, doesn't suffer fools lightly, and possessing of the right amount of humility. There's also some good interaction on Utopia, where Magneto speaks with Emma to help solve his problems. And Mann's art dazzles. He has a talent for body language and expression and his regal depictions of both suit this book. The action scenes are presented with power and the characters live and breathe on the page. It's in the plotting that this falters - Magneto is out to prove that he is not responsible for killing a group of protesting mutant haters, despite video evidence to the contrary. It's perfectly fine, but there's no oomph to it and even Magneto seems a little bored by it. I also don't like shoehorning Iron Man and Captain America into this. Marvel is intent on forcing the X-Men out of the little world they've occupied for almost 50 years, and it annoys me. For all the strong dialogue in that scene, the Avengers' involvement feels forced. Still, there is a lot to like here. The twist ending plays right into the hands of a 90s X-Men zombie like myself and Young presents his vision of Magneto with conviction. The plotting just needs some sharpening.

The only comic I own two copies of..

2011-11-06T14:08:00.000-08:00

..is Rogue (vol.1)#2. A somewhat random choice, but there's a reason why.

I recently bought the four-issue Rogue mini-series from late-1994/early-1995, after years of hearing mediocre-to-bad reviews of it. It was one of those days where my X-Men completist guilt kicked in, and I got a cheap copy of the mini on eBay. It's nothing special. It's essentially a sequel to the Gambit mini-series from a year before, which was also a middling affair. This one is a Gambit story (replete with Guilds, Assassins, Externals, and all that other boring stuff), with Rogue playing a larger role than Gambit. Anyone looking for greater insight into Rogue's character or past better turn away. Now, there are some half-decent moments between she and Gambit, and Mike Weiringo's art is nice (even if it's not really suited to a story like this), but that's about it. I recently re-read it and struggled to get through it (which is more than can be said for the Gambit mini, where I resorted to flipping through the last two issues out of boredom).

So how do I end up with a second copy of issue 2? Well, back in late late 1994, when it was released, I bought a copy from the variety store at the top of my grandparents' street. They didn't have much of a selection, and I was hungry for any comic I could get my hands on (especially an X-book), so I got it. I'm sure I enjoyed the story, but what got me was the X-Facts page at the end. It laid out the changes coming in the January 1995 releases - the Age of Apocalypse story was starting, all X-titles were being canceled and renamed for four issues, and an entire new universe was starting. There was also a tiny promo shot of X-Men: Alpha, the one-shot that started the AoA story. I poured over this article, taking in every detail of this new story and brimming with excitement over what was coming and what it all meant. Of course, Age of Apocalypse was a runaway success - a 1990s Marvel event that excited the fanbase while telling a solid story. Due to childhood budegtary constraints, I only bought about a dozen AoA issues when they were actually released, and took years to collect all of it, but it remains a cherished story for me.

So that's why I can't get rid of my original copy of Rogue#2. It's pure comic fanboy sentimentalism, but I love when I can associated specific memories with the day I bought a certain comic. And I'll never forget that afternoon that I discovered the Age of Apocalypse. So a second copy of Rogue#2 sits behind my copy of X-Men: Alpha, and has been since I bought that comic a couple weeks later. And they've both been sitting in the same ratty old plastic sleeve since January of 1995.

DC and More - Month 3

2011-11-04T04:06:00.000-07:00

Stormwatch#3 - Paul Cornell/Miguel Sepulveda

This book still has some kinks to work out, but as Cornell brings the whole group together for their first mission, the issue gets a real sense of momentum and energy. The high concept behind the villain is shaping up to be quite strong, paired with the idea that "cities" exist underneath our accepted map of the world, and that the being sent from the moon is trying to access one under rural Colorado. This leads to a great scene, where Jack Hawksmoor speaks to the spirits of different cities (represented by deity-like beings) about what is going on. There are other great displays of power here, including Projectionist preventing any media coverage, from news media to blogs, from discussing Stormwatch's activities as they fight the moon. There is a an energy to the proceedings, all leading to a strong ending, and I like having the team assembled around a common threat. If there's one area that is still being worked out, it's the characters. For every character that is being fleshed out, there's another that hasn't much space devoted to them yet. The book has been moving fast, and covering a lot of bases, since #1, and this is the result. Still, we're getting a fun sense of how Adam treats his team, and fun moments of team interaction throughout. Apollo has wisely been cast as the point of view character, struggling to accept that his hero status has been elevated to this superhuman police force and doubting his abilities as he flies off solo to combat the moon. It's a wise choice to have one member of this group be not completely acclimated to life as an untouchable superhero yet. Miguel Sepulveda is back to providing full pencils, and I'm still warming to his style. His otherworldly threats look great and his human figures are taking shape. I think the only issue is that they don't always come together on the page for me. The darker colour palette may contribute to that. Still, it's an enjoyable book. Cornell is finding his feet more with each issue and the pace and momentum help create a strong read.

Swamp Thing#3 - Scott Snyder/Yanick Paquette, Victor Ibanez

Snyder sneaks in with my favourite of the week. What an excellent little comic this was. Snyder tells two intertwined tales. In one, Abigail Arcane kidnaps Alec, and ultimately reveals that she needs his help to fight the rot (or the Black), the element that has trailed her family for generations, and the threat the Green told Alec about last issue. Snyder nails the pitch here; just as the tension rises to its highest point, he cuts to a fantastic one-page, silent shot of the skeleton of a young girl, surrounded by black. It's meant to be the moment Alec demonstrates to Abigail that he has powers, and it is the perfect catharsis, and also a stunning and disturbing image to propel the issue. There is some exposition here, but it's much smoother than the previous issue's. Abby explains her family's connection to the rot and how Swamp Thing protected her from it until he disappeared. She's a great character, with a hard edge, but also a very engaging strength and drive. Paquette also expertly lays out the two pages of exposition, so that we read Abby's story literally around the image of her body cowering in pain. These scenes are juxtaposed (perfectly, I might add) with the story of a young bubble boy named William who discovers his true abilities and turns on his doctors and fellow patients. He is Abby's half-brother, who can access the rot and turn it on others. Cue a series of increasingly horrifying shots of distorted body parts that make last issue's similar scenes look quaint in comparison (the man with the giant tongue, who can barely stand up, is the kicker). Again, the pacing is expert here. We feel for this boy's plight, and just as we are drawn in, he hears the voice of a dead fish on a placard on the wall talk to him. His attacks are great scenes and the end, where the two plot lines intertwine and we learn the full stakes, is a great moment. But I like how Snyder didn't leave the revelations until the very end. Due to Abby's narration, we have an idea what powers the boy wields and taps into and what is going to happen. His story isn't an isolated vignette that ties into the main narrative at the end. It is integral to understanding the narrative. Victor Ibanez actually draws all of young William's scenes, which I didn't realize until the end. Paquette's images are just slightly more powerful, and his page layouts continue to dazzle, but Ibanez really holds his own. He tells us the story of young, frightened, marginalized William through images, and his later outbursts feel terrible and violent thanks to the pencils. It's a very strong mixing of artistic styles. This is such stuff as dreams are made on. A really fantastic comic.

Action Comics#3 - Grant Morrison/Rags Morales, Gene Ha

Morrison is certainly charging ahead with his brave new version of Superman, as the plot takes big strides in several directions here. The issue opens with a flashback to the last days of Krypton, as drawn by Gene Ha, and it is different than any depiction we've seen before. It's a high society, and Jor-El's claims of the planet's destruction are doing nothing but disrupting parties and social plans. There are some interesting elements woven in here that make their way into developments in the present, where Morrison ties them into Lex's interstellar confidant from the previous issue. With all of that happening, the focus is still squarely on Clark, as he struggles to navigate the corruption in Metropolis and earn allies as both himself and Superman. There is maybe a touch too much happening in these scenes, but, at the same time, the fast pace is exciting and the montage of scenes works. I'm liking Clark's interaction with Jimmy and Lois, friendly rivalries that have plenty of room to continue growing. There are interesting areas explored here, with Clark's fight for the little guy getting a reality check. Jimmy is unconvinced by of it and Clark learns not everyone is happy with Superman. A group of squatters had their construction-site home destroyed in one of his battles. The two conclusions nicely tie what we saw on Krypton into the forces mounting against Superman in the present. Morales is proving to be the right choice for this book. He is completely creating and owning the dirty, busy, lived-in Metropolis this Superman is fighting for. The pages are high energy. And this Clark genuinely looks like a young guy, living on his own for the first time. This book is brimming with potential and ideas, so much so that perhaps a bit too much is happening in one issue. But it's a thrill ride nonetheless. Like Clark, Morrison is convinced of this Superman's mission and beliefs and he sells it. It also helps that the villainous plots are really starting to heat up.

Animal Man#3 - Jeff Lemire/Travel Foreman

The quirky, odd humour of the previous issues mutates further, as Buddy and Maxine descend fully into the Red and artist Travel Foreman gets to show off. The big revelation here is that Buddy did not get his Animal Man powers for any reason beyond the Red creatures wanting to get closer to Maxine, who is apparently an 'avatar' of some sort for them. Foreman excels on these scenes, with Buddy and Maxine in free-float as the former's body and face distort to horrifying levels and a variety of bizarre creatures taunt and threaten them. The details of their plan are still a bit murky right now, so it's up to Foreman to present this frightening world. And, typical of his style, he mixes stunning and detailed images of these creatures with stark, plain backgrounds (bathed in deep red), creating a great emphasis. As a plot thread, this story is still brewing, but it's a visual feast that conveys the danger the Baker family is in. Back at home, Lemire is in familiar territory in regards to the twisted family humour. With her husband off to God knows where and her son playfighting with skeleton animals, Ellen can't help but he taken aback by her son's violent videogame. Lemire masterfully plays with suspense and tension as Ellen and her son are attacked at home by a different creature from the Red (accompanied by another chilling visual). The whole thing plays like Poltergeist with a twisted sense of humour and perfect pace and pitch. Foreman's presentation of the Baker household is so clean and sparse that it truly feels like terror has come to the home. These creatures can't help but stand out against the sparse house. The final cliffhanger is great and the whole package just works. It revels in its dirty underside and both the writing and the art are unafraid to be ugly and disturbing. At the same time, it's darkly funny, with four well-sketched out lead characters. The danger also feels real - I was genuinely worried for Ellen's predicament. This continues to be a wonderful title.

Finally, Marvel has relaunched Uncanny X-Men (Kieron Gillen/Carlos Pacheco) this week, to coincide with Wolverine and the X-Men#1. And although I'm a fan of Kieron Gillen, saw a lot of potential in his take on the team, and have enjoyed the 'mutant politics' angle this book has taken on in recent years, this issue was surprisingly muted for me. It's hard not to feel like this flagship book isn't the bum team - nobody seems to have wanted to stay with Scott, they have to be flagrantly persuaded of his mission statement, and they're frankly not as "cool" as Wolverine's squad. This cast may have played a more prominent role in recent years, and be nominally more 'important,' but they can't compete with the sheer fun of Wolverine, Shadowcat, Beast, Iceman, Rogue, et al. I feel odd saying this, because if I had to pick a 'side' coming out of Schism, it would no doubt have been Cyclops' (No offense to those behind Schism, but Wolverine's position didn't make a lot of sense. Or, any sense). But this book feels like it's fighting for readers to see its mission statement as important, not ascending as the flagship X-book by right (as it should be). The cast dynamic is unpleasant, the characters all don't seem like they want to be there, and I don't blame them. If I was stuck with this lot and knew how much fun Wolverine's group was having in Westchester, I'd be out of there. There is promise here; there are some good characters (Hope, Magik, Colossus) in the mix. And if Gillen can really play up the mutant politics stuff and this team's role as ambassadors for the mutant race, it will help this book. Because, honestly, once the team goes out into the field to fight Mr. Sinister and the Dreaming Celestial, this becomes a lame duck. Pacheco's art is also borderline unrecognizable. When this man drew X-Men in the late 90s, I was riveted. His angular style and unique compositions wowed me and I still wish he had stayed on longer. Any angular or unique aspects are washed away here - every face is rounded to perfection, every angle is completely smoothed out, and any unique energy is wrenched from his art. It looks good but it has no life to it. Pacheco has such a distinct, attractive style, and seems to have chosen to get rid of it in favour of this posed, poised look. Snore. Gillen is better than this. He has been better than this on Uncanny. Last month's "final issue" (#544) was outstanding compared to this, brimming with life and feeling. This feels like a bland mission statement and a tacked on battle scene, full of lifeless characters. Not what I was expecting.

Ultimate Spider V.9 (#46, Ultimate Six#1-7) - Ultimate Six

2011-11-01T16:50:00.000-07:00

Brian Michael Bendis/Trevor Hairsine (Ultimate Six), Mark Bagley (#46), with Joe Quesada

This collection takes a break from the ongoing title to collect the seven-issue Ultimate Six mini-series, a take-off on Spider-Man’s traditional fights against the Sinister Six. Going in expecting something similar to that would be foolish, though. I remember this getting lukewarm reviews when it came out, but maybe it helps to read it all in one setting, because I really liked it. I can imagine the monthly installments felt slow, as there are some thin chapters. Reading it in one go, it’s an exciting story that really brings some new dimensions to the Ultimate Spider-Man world and a nice variety in story, tone, and character focus.

In fact the Ultimate Spider-Man issue that opens the collection is the weakest part of it. It’s a flashback story where SHIELD Agent Sharon Carter participates in a raid on Justin Hammer’s facility after the Doctor Octopus battle from volume 3. She finds Sandman, another human experimented on by Hammer. The whole set up is a bit of a rush job. I just don’t like this Carter character – there’s no flair or energy to her tough spy act. She’s just a dull, angry character. It seems like the whole issue is done to get another villain into the mix to fulfill the “Sinister Six” numerical requirement, and it’s rushed in doing so. However, there is a fantastic battle sequence here, with Spider-Man fighting Sandman. Bagely pulls off a great display of the latter’s powers and some striking panels of his face when powered-up. It does feel like a perfunctory set up issue to get one more player onto the board, but it’s an opportunity for Bendis to continue to build the tapestry of the Ultimate Universe (as Hammer’s experiments were competing for the same government contract to recreate the Super Soldier formula that Norman Osborn and Dr. Octopus were) and the battle scene is stellar.

We then move onto the seven-issue mini. It opens with a short piece that I guess may have been promotional material. Joe Quesada draws it, and it features Electro awakening in a hospital after the fight in volume 2, attempting to escape, and being recaptured by The Ultimates. I liked it. Quesada does a good job conveying Electro’s disorientation upon awakening and his unique style is a treat to see.

The mini-series then properly begins, and the first two issues are centered around an idea that is executed to near-perfection. SHIELD and Henry Pym have five villains hostage on the Triskelion – Doctor Octopus, Electro, the Sandman, Kraven, and Norman Osborn. In an effort to rehabilitate them, there is an experiment being conducted where they are trapped in a giant energy sphere and led through group therapy sessions. Some of them break down and show emotion, while Osborn tries to remain above it all. There is a wonderful atmosphere of oppressive captivity, with the tables turned on the villains, who are powerless in this set up and reminded of it regularly.

Their crimes relate less to their violent public attacks and more to the genetic experimentation they all participated in. It’s all tied to the US government’s bid to recreate the Super Soldier formula that created Captain America in the 1940s. Both Osborn (working with Ock) and Justin Hammer were working to win this government contract, experimenting on people (and, in Osborn’s case, on himself). There’s almost a hint of jealousy or anger in Nick Fury’s attitude towards this – a sense that he let this get out of government control and now has to clean up a mess he’s partly responsible for commissioning. The crime isn’t because these men are super villains, per se, but because they performed genetic experimentation on themselves and others. It’s very interesting territory to get into.

The story alternately gets underway, and stalls, at the end of the second issue, when Ock deceives his captors, gets access to his mechanical arms, and uses them to free his fellow prisoners. The third issue is a tour de force, with the villains’ escape and Fury and The Ultimates reacting and trying to hold the situation together. Bendis shows these heroes as soldiers, with Fury commanding them and trying to control the problem. This is where Spider-Man enters the story. Osborn has been mentioning finding his “son,” assumed to be Harry, but revealed to be Peter, and Fury moves to protect him. Bendis achieves a sense of excitement, tempered by the danger of Osborn and what he might do to Aunt May and Mary Jane. The third issue is a taut, compelling thriller and all parties pull it off wonderfully.

The problem at this point is that the villains don’t really have a solid plan or motivation. They basically just want revenge on Fury for holding them hostage. Osborn and Ock want to acquire Peter as a sixth member, as they created him (but, acquire him for what purpose, I don’t know). The villains are just hiding out, making threatening phone calls to the president. This bit didn’t really work. While I love the idea of Fury having to answer for his actions (was the villains’ imprisonment, without trial, lawful whatsoever?), it feels a little unconnected from the main narrative. Bendis gets a lot of points for keeping the action moving, despite the fact that the villains have no motivation. There is genuine tension around the fact that the heroes have no idea where the villains area and the call between Peter and May is a touching moment that reinforces the danger he puts his loved ones into.

Once Osborn does capture Peter, some sort of master plan still doesn’t emerge. He blackmails Peter into helping him by threatening his aunt and girlfriend and that’s about it. They then attack the White House and, as soon as Peter finds out May is safe from Captain America, he joins the fight against the villains. So the plan basically amounts to fighting Fury/the President. It just doesn’t have the weight that Osborn has brought to his previous conflicts.

The last segment of the book is largely action-based, and, similar to the first Goblin fight and the main Venom fight, it’s where the narrative is kind of put on hold. The fight scenes, however well-drawn, just seem too thin to take up this many pages. Harry Osborn inexplicably shows up for the final issue to talk his dad out of fighting. Similar to his appearance in volume 4, he is wasted here. He makes a speech to his dad, the fight continues, the villains are defeated, and he disappears. The aftermath of the fight is rather good, though – each of the villains try and talk their way out of punishment, while Osborn lies half-alive. May and Peter are reunited, with her none the wiser as to what really happened.

The Ultimates make a strong showing here. I did feel like Bendis went too far trying to capture Mark Millar’s ‘kewl’ dialogue in some of the group scenes (like Janet casually mentioning her multiple doctorates), but the individual portrayals are largely strong. I like the use of Pym, at this point demonized in The Ultimates, trying to help SHIELD where he can. Cap and Fury have a strong scene where Cap reflects on his the Super Soldier serum in his veins that caused all of this trouble. This is ultimately more Nick Fury’s story than Spider-Man’s, and he holds it together well as the lead character.

Trevor Hairsine draws the mini and it’s certainly a departure from Mark Bagely. His figures resemble some other artists’ styles – Bryan Hitch, Whilce Portacio, Mike Deodato, even Greg Land’s tracing – but I liked the look overall. He created a lot more drama and grittiness than Bagely could have. The menace and tension as the villains escape and wreak havoc owe a lot to the mood and sense of danger his art creates. His faces and expressions are generally quite good. He makes the final action issues come to life, with expansive panels and splashes. It livens up those two thin issues and looks great.

Overall, Ultimate Six is a very worthwhile excursion from the main title. Even at seven issues, I still felt Bendis told a tight, exciting story, with tension and drama at the right points. I was expecting a mess due to the number of villains, which Bendis can struggle with, but that never happened. The lackeys are designated as such early on, and Osborn and Ock ascend as the main antagonists. There’s an odd bond between these long time friends that emerges in their quest to unite all genetically-modified people, and bring Peter, their joint son, into the fold. It is uncharted territory to position Spider-Man as the inadvertent creation of a much bigger project, but it allows him to interact with different corners of the Ultimate Universe in new ways. It’s an unlikely success from Bendis, and I hope some of the ideas here can make their way into the main series.

X-Force and the Burning Man festival

2011-10-29T15:36:00.000-07:00

I've been rereading John Francis Moore's run on X-Force lately. That might bring out snickering from the crowd, but it's quite good stuff. It's just got a couple comic stigmas against it - 1990s X-book, it was started by Rob Liefeld. Moore picked up the baton from a truly bland run by Jeph Loeb (who in turn picked it up from Fabian Nicieza, who had been doing some good work on the book) and ran with it.

The above cover is from #75, a true favourite comic of mine. At this point, Moore had pared down the team to five (Sunspot, Warpath, Siryn, Meltdown, and Danielle Moonstar) and had them turn their backs on Xavier and Cable, going on the road with no money to their name. This is a beloved era for fans. The X-books have always been steeped in youth, but how often hadthose youths legitimately rebelled against their elders? Yes, Kitty called Professor X a "jerk" (sidebar: Uncanny 168, what a great comic) and the New Mutants went off a couple times when Xavier said "no." But this X-Force represented a different opportunity. These characters weren't the youthful teens of earlier mutant books, but characters in their later teens/early 20s, who had all been around Xavier's school and dream long enough that they were a little bored and jaded with it. Moore had them go off and try to build something for themselves.

The art for this run was from series mainstay Adam Pollina. I don't think Marvel ever recovered from losing this guy. His characters alternated between lithe and attractive and bizarrely ugly, but they wore it well. His females almost always bared their midriffs, and Pollina was so relentless with this look that he made you believe that this is the only possible style of top, and any woman who didn't wear it is impossibly out of style. His page layouts dazzled, his body language was sublime, and his art style was uniquely his own.

The entire road trip story, which ran for almost a year, is great fun, but #75 is a true gem. Moore has the team stop at the Burning Man festival, where a boatload of stuff happens. There's a fight with Selene and an animated Burning Man and guest appearances from Karma, Cannonball, and Cable, but, like all of Moore's run, it was all about balance. The focus remained squarely on the characters and advancing their story arcs. So while this issue is a wild trip through the festival, there is always space for James to reflect on his family's death and be comforted by Dani, Dani to question her place in the team, and Tabitha and Bobby feel a growing attraction to each other. Moore expertly brought this balance to his entire run, including the Operation: Zero Tolerance crossover issues, where ongoing plots and character arcs never stopped for the sake of the crossover.

John Francis Moore's run on X-Force is highly recommended stuff, with the highlight being these road trip issues (#71-81). At a time when the main X-books were floundering, he brought believable character growth, well-structured long-term plotting, and fun to a book that had always been perceived as a joke, because of its roots.

DC Relaunch and more

2011-10-28T04:08:00.000-07:00

Justice League Dark#2 - Peter Milligan/Mikel Janin

Milligan is taking his time here, and, while that may be grating for some, this continues to be a layered exploration of a group of damaged characters who are slowly uniting against a common foe. The focus here switches to Deadman and Dove, two characters I'm not too familiar with. But one doesn't need to be to understand the relationship problems that impact their involvement in the plot. Milligan sets the tone of their relationship up well, so that all of the reactions and problems that arise feel natural and expected. They reminded me of John and Laurie in Watchmen, trying to connect and relate to each other, but coming from different frames of reference. There is a lot of time given to them here, but I found it to be strong material, well paced, ominous, and interesting. The wider plot is also starting to come together, with Zatanna and John Constantine separately investigating the Enchantress, while Madame Xanadu's plots in the background begin coming to light. There's a lot going on here, but the pacing still feels methodical and the proceedings have a haunting feeling to them. I'm coming around to appreciating Janin's style, which I still think is a bit too posed and photo-referenced on faces, but is still capturing the expression and body language needed for the softer moments. This book is an enigma - what is it going to look like when the plot really comes together? I have trouble imagining a traditional team book. It's wearing it's non-traditional style and plot construction on its sleeve right now, and I hope that keeps up.

The Flash#2 - Francis Manapul, Brian Buccellato/Francis Manapul

Manapul and Buccellato continue their artistic experimentation with this issue, and it makes for such a unique reading experience. I have never read something that so incorporates the art into the flow and progression of the story. The character's speed powers come to life in new ways in this book, and also contribute to some of the visual effects on display. A new idea is explored here, with the Flash using his speed power on a mental level, using it to 'think faster,' and process everything he sees on a busy city street at once. Manapul produces some stunning visuals for these pages, with a succession of small panels depicting the activity around Barry, with his stunned face in the centre. There are other great artistic choices, like a splash of Barry running as he processes information about the Manuel Lago case. Story and art are fused in this book, with colour choices and panel arrangement contributing to plot progression as much as the story itself. As for the story, it is nicely building on a couple of fronts. There is a foreboding feeling to the Manuel plot that nicely contrasts with the brighter world of Keystone City being created, and it's going in several interesting avenues. I am also loving the supporting cast and work environment the writers are building for Barry, with a gentle love triangle progressing and a likeable lead character at the centre of it all. This book looks and feels fast-paced, it's fun and vibrant, and it's also building a strong story. Manapul and Buccellato are going out of their way to make the book feel special, and it's working.

Birds of Prey#2 - Duane Swierczynski/Jesus Saiz

I decided to pick up this second issue because I was impressed with the first. It was the right choice. Swierczynski has a very strong handle on pacing and story progression. He sets up his players and their mission and plows ahead fearlessly with a fast-paced action romp. At the same time, the dialogue of the three Birds is very strong, and we get a good feel for these characters and their interrelationships in the midst of relentless fun and action. Katana is a strongaddition, as her less mentally-stable characteristics are not overplayed and create some amusing moments with the other two. Starling is a vital and fun character, and Black Canary is growing into a strong lead. Her narration shows a confident, sure hand that is nagged by doubts and the inability to let herself relax. There is a fun interlude where she struggles not to lose focus on her mission and feel attraction to a doctor helping with this case. I'm enjoying the gathering of this team too. Not one of the women has answered why they are joining the group, and the last page arrival of Poison Ivy is a great moment - what would draw an acknowledged villain to this team? I can't wait to find out and see how her inclusion changes the great group dynamic that already exists. The mission over which this all plays out is perfectly fine, but it's the execution that really draws me in. Saiz' art mirrors the story - great work on the action, shadows, and fast pace. But a closer look reveals that, like Swierczynski, he too brings a depth and weight to the female leads, with vivid figures and expressions. These women command the page, both as characters and as drawings. A really surprising book.

I an X-completist, I also picked up Wolverine and the X-Men#1 (Jason Aaron/Chris Bachalo). This new title is coming off the heels of the X-Men: Schism mini series that I had huge problems with. That story was well-told, particularly the thrilling middle chatper, but I did not buy the "Schism" that split Wolverine and Cyclops one iota. The stance Wolverine took made no sense to me. And, because Wolverine can never look less than 'ultra-cool' in a comic/movie/cartoon, and Cyclops can never be anything more than the lame boy scout, Cyclops' position had to be the 'loser' side of the equation. Even though it logically made way more sense that Wolverine's side. The whole situation felt shoe-horned and forced, nothing about Wolverine's actions felt natural, and it all felt like it just existed to get us to this point. To add to it, in the atrocious X-Men: Regenesis one-shot, where characters chose if they were going with Wolverine or staying with Cyclops, almost none of them even mention the issue behind the Schism as their reason for staying or going! Most were like 'I like school, I'm going!' or 'No, I'm staying,' with nothing more. So much for "the schism that split the X-Men in half" - the majority of them didn't seem to care about the issue one way or the other.

Anyways, all of that nonsense brings us here. Was it worth it? Sure. This was a wholly enjoyable first issue, with the wit and charm of Scott Lobdell and Chris Bachalo's old Generation X mixed with a harder edge and some quirky characterizations. I love the idea of Wolverine, Shadowcat, and Beast at the core of this new school venture, and this title. All of the extra material on the curriculum and class lists was very fun as well. It didn't necessarily go anywhere as a first issue - it just introduced the school,the premise, and the light-hearted tone of the book, but it nailed its version of the lead characters and it's a tone I tend to like. I'm of course held back in my enthusiasm because I just didn't like the forced logic that brought us to this point, but I'm sure I'll get over it if all issues are this good. Jason Aaron's work at Marvel so far has just not even come close to touching Scalped for me, but this was probably the strongest I've seen him yet on a mainstream Marvel book.

Hellblazer - So. I guess Fredric Wertham was right.

2011-10-23T16:46:00.000-07:00

Brian Azzarello wraps up his run on Hellblazer with this mammoth collection. Eleven issues are collected in Highwater (#164-174), with two single issue stories sandwiched between two longer stories. There certainly is a lot to digest here. Against all odds, Azzarello seems intent on having everything in his run connect into one larger story - the story is all about finding out how John ended up in prison, framed for murder for the suicide of his friend Richard Fermin, back in Azzarello's first arc. For me, I think it was a case of the parts working better than the whole. I didn't need all of this to come together into one full story and I wasn't as engaged with this as a narrative as Azzarello may have hoped. The strengths are still in John's portrayal, the compelling side characters (who alternate between sympathetic and horrifying), the snide sense of humour, and the climatic moments of confrontation. Is a ranting lunatic, homosexual pastiche of Bruce Wayne really where this story's strengths lie? I guess that's in the eye of the beholder, but he sure takes up a lot of page time.

The opening story, "Highwater," stands as one of Azzarello’s strongest efforts on the book. That’s partly due to the fact that it could easily be read as a freestanding story. John goes to the town of Highwater to apologize to Fermin's widow Marjorie, and ends up embroiled with a white supremacist group who lord over the town. It features John in a dark and hopeless place whose populace is so overtaken with irrational hatred that they barely acknowledge his typical parade of sarcastic comments. Azzarello has fun with John's supernatural side, as Fermin's hole-in-his-head corpse following John around and writes notes of advice. Azzarello expertly blends the true horror of the story, that a seemingly nice woman like Marjorie can sprout of racist diatribes during a casual walk down the street, with this title's typical tone. When some of the locals kill their arms dealer once they learn he also sells to black men, John is called in to clean up their mess. It's at this point that a character named S.W. Manor, the angry boss of the murdered arms dealer, enters the story to get vengeance. Marcelo Frusin draws this, and creates a vivid portrayal of the town and its inhabitants. It's a dark story, but he sells the lighter elements, like Fermin's corpse, just as well by playing it so deadpan.

Giuseppe Camuncoli does a superb job drawing two interlude chapters. His figures and faces are a lot more blocky than Frusin's, but it's a refreshing change of pace. The content of these issues is less compelling. The first starts as a fun bingo game, with John trying to win money to pay for a prostitute. Unfortunately, he ends up berating two older women in a lengthy sequence, simply for being old. It's completely out of touch with the character's true nature and this book's sensibilities. It's the wrongly-righteous, the stupid, and the troublemakers who deserve John's wrath. Not two old women who just want to enjoy their bingo. There are a lot of pages here devoted to building up S.W. Manor, and it becomes clear he is the American John conned in the flashback story in the previous volume. It's here that Azzarello starts to connect everything, and it's also the point when things start to feel a little scattered.

"Ashes & Dust in the City of Angels" is the difficult five-part story that closes Azzarello's run on the book. It's difficult because I wanted to love it. Certain elements are great, and others are so over-the-top, I'm not sure what to make of them. FBI Agent Turro joins a female detective in investigating the seeming death of John Constantine in an L.A. sex club, where he was burnt to death. This story does its absolute best to repulse, disturb, turn off, and excite (the last through Manor’s ridiculous portrayal), but it's the interaction and relationship between these two law officers that I really enjoyed. Azzarello did a great job with almost every side character in his run, and these two are fun to read. In the midst of the depravity of this case, the woman asks Turro on a date, and it's one of the strongest moments - an attempt to reach out and connect with someone. A parade of club goers are brought in as witnesses to the crime, and Azz pulls no punches here. The interrogations paint a disturbing portrayal of the club and John's activities there, with wonderfully moody art from Marcelo Frusin.

Into this investigation is dropped the home life of S.W. Manor. I can only assume he is Azzarello's take on what Batman would be if he were a complete nutjob, living in a giant home, surrounded by bats, ranting and raving through his various brooding sessions. Some would say that this is Batman, not a parody of him. Oh yeah, he’s also gay, living a life of obsession over the men he's encountered through in the past, starting with John. There's no disguising the Batman pastiche here - Manor's parents were killed, his former ward Jason (whom he lusts over) died, he has taken in a young child named Tim, and his butler is named Fredo. Also, he only perks up when John kisses him while he hangs from chains. Azzarello attempts to tie all of Manor's schemes to entrap John back to the three Fermin brothers we've crossed paths with, as well as Marjorie. The details are almost immediately lost because the real point here is that Manor did all of this due to his spurned, unrequited lust for John, Things continue to snowball, with Manor chewing the scenery to the extreme in his home, as the detectives arrive and violence ensues.

I honestly have no idea what to make of this finish. It's like Azzarello built up a story through careful construction, mood, pacing, and pitch, exploring different areas of American society as John passed through the country. And then, he attempted to bring it all together with a psychotic gay Batman who just wanted a kiss and cuddle. It's almost like he played a joke on the audience, who expected traditional story construction, and got a ridiculously over the top ending and a villain that doesn't have any credible motivation outside of getting back at a spurned crush from years ago. It's hard to take much of the final story seriously, even the strong interrogation scenes. And John barely appears in it. Outside of flashbacks, he shows up in the last scene, comforting the dying Agent Turro in a religious pose. What in God's name anything in this final story meant goes beyond me, but I still find myself getting enjoyment out of it and the bizarre backtrack it does on giving readers a genuine conclusion to the story of Richard Fermin's suicide.

So what can be learned from Brian Azzarello's tenure on Hellblazer? He sent John on a trip through hell via rural America, encountering townsfolk who make increasingly depraved pornography to stay financially afloat, the horrors of prison life, all the trouble that can ensue when someone is stabbed with an icicle, a bunch of crazy skinheads, and finally a homosexual Batman who just wanted to be loved. Everything besides the last story could basically exist as incredible compelling, well-paced standalone arcs. The final story, that attempts to tie them together, was almost a parody of stories that try to do so. I'll give Azzarello marks for aplomb in doing that. I enjoyed it to an extent. At the same time, I also understand comments I had been reading about people hating his run on Hellblazer. Because this certainly isn't for everyone.

DC Relaunch 2.3

2011-10-20T17:02:00.000-07:00

Wonder Woman#2 - Brian Azzarello/Cliff Chiang

Wow. This continues to be just as good as the stunning debut issue. But in this one, Azzarello weaves in much more of the gods and mythological elements, to wonderful effect. These figures are truly larger than life here, with jealousies, rivalries, and egos all played on a grand scale. They are also fairly primal figures, not following any sort of lofty code, but ruthless in their tactics and violence. When Diana, Hermes, and Zola arrive on Paradise Island, the Amazons come off as a threatening, pervasive force (until they realize the new arrivals are friends). Diana herself is a strongly-drawn protagonist, with a commanding presence, but also a compassionate side. So in terms of mood and characters, this is great stuff. But Azzarello is also telling a strong story. There was a directness to the pace and violence of #1. This issue is considerably less violent, but no less direct in its focus. The stories establishes its points, then plows forward with confidence. The plot threads of Zeus' affair with a human woman, Hera's vengeance, and Strife's brutal attack on the Amazons are presented with intensity, and come together to create a very powerful issue. Even Diana's origin is simplified to such an impactful, short sequence, and fits nicely in with the revelation at the end, to create a dynamic finish. It goes without saying that Chiang's work is excellent here. Like the writing, his figures and settings are clear and dramatic, jumping powerfully off the page, even in the softer moments. His extra-large Strife, and Diana's fight with her, looks great and Diana's duel with Aleka is a perfectly choregraphed sequence. Azzarello is showing anyone who thought Wonder Woman was lame that there is a power and drama to the character and the concepts in her book. He exhibits a sure hand in his portrayal of her world, and sells it for me.

DC Universe Presents#2 - Paul Jenkins/Bernard Chang

What the hell was that? I mean that in a good way. The first issue of Deadman's story was a subtle, thoughtful exploration of a selfish man struggling for redemption in death. This issue plays with that idea, but also has him fight his way into club full of supernatural characters in the hopes of learning how long he will be helping troubled souls for. For every tender, subtle scene (such as Deadman leading his parapeligic host body to start conversing with a woman he meets), there are ones where he body-jumps through a variety of creatures to reach a winged-librarian who can tell him his future. It's an eclectic mix of settings and characters, and was certainly fun. Through all of it, including the opening confrontation with the woman who put Deadman in this role, is a strong portrayal of the character, who is only doing anything he does here for the sake of finding out when his life as Deadman will be over. I like that Jenkins isn't fearful of showing this selfish, unpleasant side of his lead character, who is still interesting and charasmatic enough to remain likeable as we learn more about him. Chang has fun with all of the creatures on display here, and his angular characters look quite good. I still think his strong lines are being over-produced and over-coloured, but it's undeniably a good-looking comic. I went into this expecting more of the somber, quiet exploration of the lead character we got last issue, and got a zany romp through DC's supernatural characters. Through all of this, the focus was squarely on the troubled lead character, and I appreciate that Jenkins is exploring like this while telling his story of self-discovery.

Batman#2 - Scott Snyder/Greg Capullo

My only negative thought about the first issue was that, in being so polished, the comic lost a bit of the grit that Snyder had brought to Detective Comics. I take it all back. Not that this issue swings in a gritty direction, but it's becoming clear that this isn't the book for that. This is the refined, polished, almost cosmopolitan Batbook, where ominous danger lurks in a brightly lit skyscraper just as strongly as it does in a morgue. In terms of threats, the story is strongly focused on the claim for Bruce Wayne's life made at the end of the last issue. Snyder explores this plot in some expertly-paced scenes, particularly the one in Wayne Tower, where, thanks to the flashforward opening, we know danger will strike at any moment. What's great about these scenes is how Snyder world-builds in the midst of advancing the plot. We get more insight into the Batman/Jim Gordon relationship, Batman's various CSI technologies, Bruce Wayne's political maneuverings to get his latest project off the ground, and, in a great opening page, the landscape of Gotham and the legacy of the Wayne family in builing it. There's also a scene of Batman chasing thieves on a motorcycle that is deliberately added in to show how in-control of his busy schedule Bruce is. Within the confines of one plot moving forward, there is a lot to unpack here. The art from Capullo remains a treat, with big characters and expressions, great layouts and action scenes, and a strong mix of lightness an cartoonier figures with darker elements. It's a unique looking final product that leaves and impression. I criticized this for being pitch-perfect last issue. I take it all back.

Birds of Prey#1 - Duane Swierczynski/Jesus Saiz

I decided not to stick with Blue Beetle and try out the second printing of another first issue I had heard good things about. This was a fairly straightforward debut, but it was fast-paced and had a fun portrayal of its two lead characters, and I was pretty happy with it.

This debut issue had a strong balance between setting up the basics of the premise and getting the story moving, and it did both well. The story moves at a fast clip, with strong action sequences, and is juxtaposed with brief flashbacks to Black Canary getting the Birds assembled and her and Starling discovering the reporter on their trail. I personally loved this setup, as the action scenes were very fun, but would have been too thin on their own. The flashbacks give more insight into these women, their skills, and their personalities. During the battle scene, Swierczynski weaves in details about their powers seamlessly and showcases their interaction and adventurous side. A lot of time is also given over to the reporter, and there's a good sense that he's in over his head with these women. The focus on him makes the final page that much more surprising. I've read complaints about the role Barbara Gordon plays here, and to that I say that's nitpicking for the sake of it. I came in fresh to this, and the whole setup and her role in it feels natural and easy to follow. On the art front, Saiz nails it. His women bounce off the page, but through strong shading, they also have depth and weight to them. This is a fairly grounded comic, and his people look attractive. So I had fun with this. It kind of hits the right notes and doesn't miss a beat. It's not telling the deepest story, but it shows a lot of skills in telling an action/spy story, but also knows how to have fun.