CBR Review: Halcyon #5

I recently reviewed Halcyon #5 for CBR and, in the process, wrote the following sentences: "What began as a clever concept about what superheroes would do in a world with no violence, no aggression, and no need for them, ended as a much different story about a man becoming his own worst enemy. To go from something so big to something so focused and personal is surprising and, when it hits, it hits hard. However, how it works within the context of the entire story is questionable. The ending of Halcyon #5 is an unexpected treat, albeit one that doesn’t retroactively make the story better. It merely highlights the flaws in how the story was structured and built."

You can read the rest HERE!

Sketch Reviews (March 31 2011)

You know it's a big week when it takes two hours to read all of your comics. For me, at least. I know, for some people, that's a standard week. Pity those poor bastards. So, let's do this nice and quick...

Age of X Universe #1: I'm torn on this one. I liked some parts, didn't like others. The twists Spurrier brings to the Avengers are pretty good. Not sold on Captain America here entirely. I remember Spurrier saying that it was Steve Rogers, but it doesn't seem like him. Since he's a character from before mutants, he shouldn't be as changed. Did love Iron Man. The art was very hit or miss -- Pham has a habit of drawing perfectly round heads. The Spider-Man back-up was nice in that 'I'm going to forget about it in two days' sort of way. [***]

Avengers #11: Another issue I'm torn on a little. I like the concept of the splash pages, they work for the idea of this being a big event, as does the inclusion to Uatu... but the execution just falls down. The narration is awful, overly verbose and clunky. Romita, Jr.'s splash pages are great, though. I can't complain about that. The final page... you know me, Thanos shows up and my heart skips a beat, but... 'master of death'... he's dead... ugh. [**1/2]

Captain America #616: An anniversary issue... this also begins the split between James and Steve stories in the title, which is a good approach and better than those Nomad back-ups. I'm still a little confused on the extradition procedures and agreements here, but that's my own nitpicky bullshit. This new situation is an interesting one for James, while the Steve stuff just... bores me. He spends a bunch of time wondering if he should become Captain America again and, I guess it's that 'change or die' mentality I have, but that's uninteresting to me. I do find it interesting that every other story in this issue is about Steve Rogers as Captain America. I wonder, was that requested by the editor or what everyone decided to do? A solid package with some hit or miss stories (and some really good art -- I was impressed by some of Mike Deodato's line work here... and Jason Latour! AND CHAYKIN!). [***3/4]

Detective Comics #875: This was the issue of potential realised. I really liked the first issue of Scott Snyder's tenure on the title and I'd been waiting for another issue to really say to me that this was a comic worth sticking with. I wasn't really thinking of dropping it, because it wasn't bad. It was good enough to keep buying and be worth it... I just kept waiting for it to hit that level that it seemed like it could. Partly because of the potential glimpsed in it, and partly because of the reactions others were having to it. I was finding it to be a good comic with the odd moment that was more than that. Others treated it like the goddamn second coming... maybe not that far, but you get the impression. It happens to everyone: people seem to be losing their shit over something you think is fine and you want to like it as much as they do, you just don't. At the same time, you call them all idiots for loving something that's not that good. Anyway... this is a pretty great issue. The level of skill on display here with the pacing, the structure, the confidence in alluding to previous 'throwaway' lines without calling any attention to it... Snyder blew me away here. It certainly doesn't hurt to have Fracesco Francavilla drawing the issue, but Snyder definitely showed me something that I hadn't seen yet from him here. I'm sure he'll love that. Of course, now that I know he can do it, I'll be expecting it every time. [****1/2]

Halcyon #4: I'm holding off until next issue before I pass judgement on this series as a whole, but... I'm still underwhelmed. It's hard not to see Sabre as Rorschach with a little more humanity and that's uninteresting. He's such a mundane character with his singular purpose -- and that mundaneness drags the entire story down into that same pit. Loving the art. I really dig Bodenheim's style. [***]

Incognito: Bad Influences #5: Call me a sucker for metafiction (because I am), I enjoyed Slaughter's little rant at the end. Nothing revolutionary or anything, just something that I like seeing, especially when it just skims the surface like this did. I do wish he'd lived, though. I wanted to see where he was heading. I was much more interested in that than anything to do with Overkill or Zeppelin or anything... but, hey, After the Gold Rush is my favourite Young album, so... [***1/2]

Jimmy Olsen #1: Wasn't sure if I was going to get this, but I enjoyed the first chapter I read online and like Spencer's writing. Thoroughly enjoyable comic. [***3/4]

Scalped #47: Hey, it's Scalped... so: [****]

Later

Sketch Reviews (January 12 2011)

I bought seven comics this week (six that I would be getting anyway and one just for reviewing) and all but one were $2.99... I can't remember the last time that happened. But, that's also the way the week worked out. Only two of the books used to be $3.99 and they were ones that were worth the extra dollar. Doc Savage had the fantastic "Justice, Inc." back-up feature and T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents was closer to 30 pages of comic. And the lone $3.99 comic? 32 pages of comic plus six pages of text. So, if DC hadn't gone to 20 pages for $2.99, it would have been a week of three $3.99 comics that I was more than happy to pay the price for and four $2.99 comics. Though, I did notice something: The Unwritten #21 is 22 pages... But, as I was saying to Tim (my retrailer, not Callahan) at my shop, most of DC's books were $2.99 already and I wasn't buying them already. The change meant little to me. And, as I've said, the two titles that were $3.99 and have been affected by the change suffered a little to me. Well done. Let's run through these quick like usual...

Casanova: Gula #1: I haven't read the text stuff yet -- for this version of the comic or rereading the original text stuff from the original issues. Otherwise, this is just nice to reexperience. The blue doesn't seem as striking here as it originally was, which is a little disappointing. It seems to incorporate the green of "Luxuria" a little, too. A line that I missed previously by Cornelius Quinn made me laugh quite a bit this time. And Moon's art... he's my favourite Twin. The way he draws Ruby Seychelle looking down at Kato... goddamn, man. [****1/2]

Halcyon #3: This series is growing on me more and more. As it eases into the idea of a world without aggression and the investigation into how that could happen, it's drawing me in. The best issue of the series so far and I do love me some Ryan Bodenheim art. [***3/4]

T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents #3: Hey, it's Howard Chaykin! FUCK YEAH! Not sure if the Dr. Manhattan parallels are purposeful or if my mind is just connecting two emotionally distant blue superguys, but... not sure how I feel about that. I did enjoy this issue quite a bit. The main plot progresses slowly, but is very engaging here nonetheless. Definitely one of my new favourite comics. [****1/4]

The Unwritten #21: In this comic book Age of Awesome, Mike Carey wins the literary geek subaward by having Frankenstein appear in Moby-Dick. Everyone tremble in fear. [***1/2]

Later

CBR Review: What If? #200

I recently reviewed What If? #200 for CBR and, in the process, wrote the following sentences: "The lead story poses the question 'What if Norman Osborn had won the siege of Asgard?' and bases his victory around Ares being killed before the attack because of his reluctance to support Osborn’s plans. With the Sentry not as weakened from his fight with the god of war, he isn’t as easily opposed by the heroes or mentally weakened enough to be killed. The Sentry hands Osborn his victory and the heroes that defeated Osborn soon find themselves dead. From there, it falls to Osborn’s former allies in the Cabal to try and stop him. Guggenheim follows the logic of the Sentry as unstoppable to its logical conclusion and delivers a fittingly grim story."

You can read the rest HERE!

CBR Review: Halcyon #2

I recently reviewed Halcyon #2 for CBR and, in the process, wrote the following sentences: "The first issue of Halcyon showed promise and potential but seemed more like a teaser issue than a first issue meant to hook you. The second issue steps up to fill that role in a more satisfying way, though not perfectly. Picking up a month after the first issue, the world is now free of crime and major aggression, leaving superheroes in an interesting and unexpected position. The approach to the series is a smart one, but the characters still lack the necessary depth for us to care about them."

You can read the rest HERE!

CBR Review: Halcyon #1

I recently reviewed Halcyon #1 for CBR and, in the process, wrote the following sentences: "The first issue of Halcyon introduces the heroes and villain of the book as well as the situation: crime has been decreasing, slowly at first, but, now, at an exponential rate. The heroes of Halcyon don’t know how or why, and also if they should even care. It’s a strong hook, but it takes the entire issue to get there. Watching the hook of the series unfold over the issue is a waste, since there doesn’t seem to be any reason to not dive right in and proceed from page one with crime having disappeared. The heroes cluing into this phenomena and discussing it is, quite frankly, boring and doesn’t work spread out over 22 pages. The character work done isn’t so exceptional and crucial that it carries the issue either. Most characters are introduced by name and a one-sentence description."

You can read the rest HERE!

CBR Review: Breaking into Comics the Marvel Way #1

I recently reviewed Breaking into Comics the Marvel Way #1 for CBR and, in the process, wrote the following sentences: "This two issue series is a showcase of young, new artists that C.B. Cebulski has encountered in his travels around the world, scouting talent for Marvel. Each issue provides six short stories, partnering these artists with some of Marvel’s most established writers. This first issue has a pretty good showing. The preview pages give two or three pages from each story, showing what these artists can do."

You can read the rest HERE!

CBR Review: Stephen King's "N." #1

I recently reviewed Stephen King's "N." #1 for CBR and, in the process, wrote the following sentences: "This is the comic adaptation of the Stephen King short story, 'N.,' by the same writer and artist behind the 25-part webisode adaptation of the story that appeared online prior to King’s collection of short stories, Just After Sunset, came out. While I haven’t read the short story or seen the webisodes, this first issue is almost good enough to make me want to. Guggenheim’s script is confident and Maleev does his usual strong art, although the comics medium itself works against the story somewhat."

You can read the rest HERE!

CBR Review: Amazing Spider-Man #610

I recently reviewed Amazing Spider-Man #610 for CBR and, in the process, wrote the following sentences: "Marc Guggenheim concludes his tenure as one of the writers of Amazing Spider-Man with the end of the three-part 'Who is Ben Reilly?' story that is a bit of a mess. Based around an old acquaintance of Peter Parker’s clone, Ben Reilly, returning to seek revenge on Reilly over the murder of his family, the story gets more complicated by the involvement of Kaine, Screwball, and the action all taking place at Aunt May’s house while she’s out of town."

You can read the rest HERE!

I Bought Comics: I Only Bought SOME Comics, Actually

[Not proper reviews. Not fair. Who cares. This is about some Free Comic Book Day books plus two comics I bought this week, but didn't review for CBR.]

Blackest Night #0

Shouldn't Barry think Jason Todd is Robin, not Dick? Jason had been Robin for, like, three years in the real world before Barry died, so wouldn't he still think Jason is Robin, having also known that Dick adopted the Nightwing identity? And since when are "willpower" and "death" emotions? I don't give a fuck.

Bongo Comics Free-for-All!

Tim Callahan's son liked this book quite a bit, so I'm reluctant to bash it for its utter lack of humour.

Resurrection #0

Didn't read the Tek Jansen back-up since it was originally in the first issue of that comic, which I bought and didn't enjoy at all. I'm not reading that shit again. The main story is interesting and has me wanting more.

Savage Dragon #148

I knew who the mystery woman was before the reveal! And I don't even read this comic! Who da man? WHO DA MAN? This comic was all kinds of printed on paper in colour with words and pictures and yeah not my thing.

The Boys #30

Not a free comic, but I enjoyed this more than pretty much ever free comic despite paying $3.75 for this. Yeah, that's what I paid in Canadian dollars. The fake-out at the beginning made me laugh. Some smaller moments that were nice. A breather issue. And that back cover teaser has me excited for the next issue.

Seaguy: Slaves of Mickey Eye #2

I paid $4.95 for this comic. Next time you whine about $3.99 comics, remember that. And that people in other foreign countries pay even larger sums for their books. And that we all think it's worth it. And the economy is rough here, too. Yeah. And this comic was very fucking good. I also enjoyed it more than any free comic I got on Wednesday. And that's why I usually don't give a fuck about Free Comic Book Day.

The Sunday Open: Superheroes are Fun

Since I'm now doing a weekly column about a new comic, I'm going to have to actually buy comics each week. That means that Sunday is definitely a day for thoughts on the books. Lucky you.

Amazing Spider-Man #549

When discussing this week's column, Tim listed a few books he would be interested in discussing and this was one of them, so I got it. I actually planned to pick up last month's three issues, too, just to provide some background, but the shop didn't have the first one. Ah well, if I can't pick up this issue and follow along fine then Marc Guggenheim obviously isn't doing his job.

Well, the good news is, I can follow along fine. The bad news is, this comic is utterly mediocre. It's not bad, but it's not good either. For every good bit, there's a corresponding bad bit. Like when Peter shows up late for an important meeting and instead of getting chewed out, he's held up as an example of a hard-working employee, always too busy to be on time. It defies expectations and is pretty funny. This is paired with the boss not rembering Peter's last name. Oh-ho-ho, that would have been so funny when I was eight, but I'm not--and neither is the vast majority of the readers. Jackpot's assumptions about the superhero lifestyle (especially calling the Grey Goblin as her arch-enemy) are fun. But...

The Jackpot and Grey Goblin plots frustrate me because they are obviously hinting at Mary Jane and Harry being these people (Harry less so). The Jackpot/MJ connection is so overdone that the writers are left with two options: reveal Jackpot as Mary Jane and have every reader go "Well, no shit!" or reveal Jackpot as someone else, at which point, all of the over-the-top MJ hints make no sense and the audience feels cheated. Maybe they've got something cool planned, but, as of now, it lacks the subtlety necessary to be a compelling mystery. All I'm waiting for is the obvious reveal or the nonsensical reveal. Fun.

I'm going to pick up the next two issues, so I can judge a complete arc. If the quality is the same as demonstrated here, I probably won't buy any further issues. It's just not worth my time or money to read mediocrity three times a month.

Batman #673 (and Batman: Gothic briefly)

Tim Callahan has a nice write-up comparing this issue to a classic issue that served as inspiration for Morrison, so go read that as I won't be touching on any of those details.

Actually, I don't have much to say about this issue since it's just a piece in a larger puzzle. I enjoyed the Joe Chill bit as it shows how far Batman will go, but then stop. He won't kill Chill to get revenge--but driving him to and encouraging suicide? Sure, why not.

I'm struck by how Bat-Mite's words to Bruce seem a guide to readers of Morrison's run: "That bats ain't so bad when you get to know them. / heheheheh / They can even be funny!" and then, he immediately follows it up with a comment that suggests that Morrison may move the book into a direction readers are familar with: "To tell the truth... / the dark ain't so bad when you learn how to make friends with it." The first quote seems a message to the readers that they need to lighten up about how they perceive Batman, that he isn't just a grim, hard-boiled asshole--and the second seems to suggest that Morrison has fought against that purposefully, but is learning that it isn't all that bad either. Weird contradictions there.

The title of the issue, "Joe Chill in Hell" makes me think of Batman: Gothic where Batman talks about Gotham being hell. I picked up that trade this week and reread it yesterday and something occurred to me: would the story in Gothic qualify as an entry in the Black Casebook? It involves the supernatural and occult, the sort of things that seem like they'd be contained in the Black Casebook. It would be appropriate.

The Boys #15

I love Hughie. I defy anyone to read this comic and not love Hughie. What you need to know about him is summed up on the final page when Annie (secretly a superheroine and newest member of the Seven) runs into him, hughs him and begs him to be nice to her (as her life has been pretty fucking shitty lately) and he just responds, "AW, ANNIE-- / WHY ON EARTH WOULDN'T I BE?" I've always hated how people tend to focus on Ennis' extreme elements and just gloss over stuff like that.

This issue is all about degradation. Annie has degraded herself to be a superhero and member of the Seven. Hughie feels he's morally degraded himself through some of his activities as a member of the Boys. The director (whose actual name I totally forget) degrades herself (in her eyes) by having sex with Butcher. Butcher has degraded himself by making himself a superpowered person. Curious to see if this arc continues with the theme.

More interested to see if things go well for Hughie, though. I love that boy.

The Immortal Iron Fist #12

There are, like, 54 things going on at once in this book. But, the big news is that, for the first time ever, an artist besides David Aja has drawn scenes that take place in the present! However, the choice of Javier Pulido is a smart one as his style is similar to Aja's enough that there is an easy to spot difference, it isn't a jarring one.

This issue advances every plot as the tournament continues, as does the revolution and Hydra's attempts to fuck shit up. Did enjoy Fat Cobra's background stuff like him demanding his "wenches in waiting" when Steel Phoenix takes his place in a fight--or the hair pin stuck through his hand when, several panels earlier, he puts his arm around Tiger.

Great book.

Midnighter #16

I haven't read #15 yet. But, I wanted to see what Assassin8 was like and this is it? Maybe things will pick up next issue, but this issue was kind of bland.

The Mighty Avengers #8

Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeah, I read this several months ago in New Avengers. Except then it didn't have the overwrought thought-balloon monologue from Iron Man.

Narcopolis #1

So far, the plot of this series seems really basic (although it fits in with Delano's 2020 Visions--which I picked up this week and I'm halfway through), but the real fun is Delano's language. He really plays with the concept of how people would speak in this future society, much like Anthony Burgess in A Clockwork Orange. Nothing really deep here, just fun to read and get the hang of. The end of the issue suggests the plot will get better in future issues.

The Death of the New Gods #5

So, it's the Source that's killing the New Gods. And Mister Miracle becomes more an agent of the Anti-Life Equation--which is the other half of the Source that makes up a larger being. I wonder if we'll see a similar agent for the Source. Currently, the main suspect for the killer is Orion and I would love it if it turns out he has access to the Source the way Mister Miracle does the Anti-Life Equation, alluding back to where each grew up and being opposites.

I also loved the line that called the events from Crisis on Infinite Earths the "Infinity Crisis." Ah, good ol' Starlin. Looking forward to his reunion with Ron Lim on that Holy War book, too.

Omega the Unknown #5

We reach the halfway point of this book and it's still really fucking weird. I love the hand that grows feet, though. Funny as hell. Not sure what to say about this book. It's interesting, but hard to discuss as much of it will rely on the larger context.

That's it for this week. Until next week.

The Sunday Open: First Books of 2008

Let's pause for a moment and celebrate this being GraphiContent's 301st post. That's impressive, maybe? I dunno, actually. You know what, fuck it, let's get to the books.

Gravel #0

I totally skipped all of the Strange Killings minis. I got Strange Kiss and Stranger Kisses, but then missed everything. But, I always liked William Gravel and thought the idea of a combat magician was pretty cool. So, I saw this zero issue in the store and figured I'd check it out. First off, I was thrown off by the colour. I'm used to black and white William Gravel and colour is kind of weird for me. But, colour is also good. The story is simple: Gravel saves some hostages in Afghanistan since he's an SAS agent and then fucks up an occult detective that has taken his place in a group of magicians called the minor seven while he was in Afghanistan. This sets up him going after the other members of the group for cutting him out. Should be an entertaining series and, honestly, the fact that Mike Wolfer co-wrote it doesn't show.

Thor #5

So, the cover is just lying to me? On the cover, Thor is obviously in front of Sif and, in the comic, it turns out to be Loki now in female form. That means the cover is a lie. Fuck that shit.

The Mighty Avengers #7

Hey, look at that, plot points that happened months ago in another title! And, once again, Bendis has lost me with the thought balloons. There was the kinda funny moment where Wonder Man is told he needs a new costume. Otherwise, nothing really new here.

Batman #672

I'm a little (just a little, mind you) disappointed that the third Batman shows up here, just because I loved the idea of Morrison concluding that story in issue 666. Otherwise, this is a decent issue that falls in line with issues 664 and 665, everything in between not even seeming to factor in. There's not much to say about this issue specifically as it is obviously a piece in a larger puzzle, but I'm wonderng how Morrison's run will read as a whole considering the fact that this issue really does seem to come right after #665.

Wolverine #61

And so ends "Logan Dies," an arc that seems to have done two things: made it so that the next time Wolverine dies, he stays dead (like that will happen), and the return of Mariko's father from the dead. This arc should have been, like, three or four issues max. Meh.

Ultimate Human #1

After Bendis and Millar, it's weird to think that Warren Ellis has had the most impact on the Ultimate universe, although most of his stuff has taken place outside of the main titles. This series seems perfect for Ellis: two oddball geniuses, lots of science, a twisted villain (actually, combining two MU characters like that is really smart), and stuff hitting other stuff. Will this be the best comic of the year? Of course not. But, it's entertaining and a good read. Plus, the last line of the issue "I don't think I like it when he's angry" just makes me laugh.

Youngblood #1

I bought this because Joe Casey is writing and this may just wind up in the pile of crappy Casey comics alongside Infantry and Hellcop. It has potential as Casey takes the book back to its roots, recognising that Youngblood did do a lot of the things that The Authority and Ultimates have done, but years before. The only problem is that the logical thing would be to try and take this title beyond what those books have done... and Casey doesn't do that here. It reads like X-Statix lite. I'm not sure if I like the West Wing reference either--mostly because I'm not sure I want Aaron Sorkin's characters inhabiting the same world as Rob Liefeld's. Eeeeeuuugh!

The Boys #14

There's something very anticlimactic about this issue (especially for Little Nina). The group does stop the plot to take over Russia/turn it back into the USSR, but it just kind of happens. Hughie has a few nice moments, especially when he freaks the suit out. Butcher gets to blow up a warehouse of superheroes, which makes him happy. As well, Ennis sets up the corporation behind the whole thing as a future threat. It's a decent issue, but I expected more from Ennis.

The Death of the New Gods #4

Okay, I think I figured this out: the Anti-Life Equation is a living being (according to Starlin's take on it, which was first used in The Cosmic Odyssey) and it's the little globe at the end of this issue. As well, the killer is actually Mr. Miracle, turned evil by the Anti-Life Equation which he keeps using and pushes him further and further "out there." I could be wrong, but that's my guess. I am digging Starlin's work here. His layouts are so singular and unique to him and I love it. I have a total weakness for it. This series isn't the greatest, but I'm finding at least one moment each issue that wows me.

Captain America #33

And thus Bucky becomes the new Captain America, a choice we all saw coming but couldn't quite believe. Brubaker continues to just nail these characters and have Steve Rogers play a giant role in the book despite being dead. In fact, the driving force in this issue is Rogers with every other character's actions dictated by Rogers. Plus, Iron Man gets in a fight while not seeming like a douchebag. Wow.

Thunderbolts #118

Again, a cover just lying to me. Despite what the cover shows, Doc Samson and Penance get along just fine in this issue. Norman Osborn falls apart and so does the group, further demonstrating that a group of villains is a retarded idea--but makes for good comics. My favourite moment of the issue has to be Osborn sitting on the toilet (just sitting, pants on), wearing the Green Goblin mask and saying "I'M COMING OUT."

Omega the Unknown #4

Ooooooooooooh, so that statue isn't Professor X! The head statue speaks and things become a little more confusing. This is a good book, but will read better as a whole. Am really digging the art--although the lettering on the first page is a little unclear as to the order of the balloons.

I also read Ultimates 2 and Fantastic Four: First Family, but I'll save them for next week. Give them some more space, maybe throw in some Incal and Black Diamond Detective Agency.

It's my mom's birthday, so let's celebrate with new comics!

It is indeed my mom's birthday today. Not really important to any of you, but there it is. I bought some new comics on Friday, so let's get to it.

Batman #671

So, this whole R'as al Ghul story is pretty shit, eh? I'm very tempted not to pick up the remaining three parts. But, as my roommate, Adam says, I'm a horrible completist, so I'll most likely do that this week when I buy comics here in London. Maybe it will turn out decent. Please?

New Avengers #37

Adam bought this comic, too, and hated it. I, on the other hand, enjoyed it. He didn't like Spider-Man's crack about his black costume and the art. I agree about the art--Yu has been not producing his best work on this title and I've gotta wonder what happened.

Criminal #10

I'm not sure about the ending. It works to set up more stories with Tracy Lawless, but I'm not sure it works as an ending to this story. But, otherwise, typical great issue.

The Boys #13

I also suspected Vlas of being a traitor, so Hughie shouldn't feel too bad about it. I rather enjoy this book and find myself always finishing an issue wanting the next one right away. That's a good sign, right?

Sensational Spider-Man #41

You know what? The Mephisto stuff doesn't read as bad as it could. When I read the spoilers for this issue online, I thought it was a pretty retarded idea--still do, actually--but the issue itself presents the idea in a better light than the spoilers let on. There's at least some logic at work here. Is it great? No. Not even good or average, but it's better than it could have been. That's what I took from this issue: better than it could have been.

Wolverine #60

This is one fucked up story--and not in a good way. I don't know what the point of this story is or where it's going. First Wolverine is fighting terrorists, then he's brain dead, then he's fighting an archangel, then he's getting revenge and then he's confronted by a dead man? Seriously, not getting it. But, there's something strangely compelling about this story. It's so odd and weird (in a bad way) that I can't help but see it through. I want to see if Guggenheim will somehow pull a rabbit out of his ass and make it all worth it.

Infinity, Inc. #4

Speaking of fucked up stories... Milligan got me with this issue. He's managed to sell me on the weirdness of these characters. The whole exchange between Kid Empty and his girlfriend was really fucking messed up. I mean, wow, that was some harsh shit right there. Milligan is starting to let the freaky shit come out and I'm loving it.

Omega the Unknown #3

An odd comic that is compelling in its own way. It reminds me of an indie film in a lot of ways. It exists in that strange, quirky little space that the yearly "indie success" occupies (Garden State, Little Miss Sunshine, Napolean Dynomite are all good examples of this). Strange to see Marvel publishing it, but it's a nice read.

That does it. Not much I wanted to say about these books, really, I guess. Next up is another week of Jim Starlin and Joe Casey goodness. Does anyone really care? Nope? Ah well, no worries, I'm going to do it all anyway.

Make the beats go harder

Wow, I have read a shitload of comics this past week. Last week, an eBay order containing all seven volumes of The Invisibles arrived, which I devoured over Tuesday through Thursday. I have no idea what I could possibly say about that work that hasn't already been said. I'll do some reading this week, think on it and see if anything comes up.

This weekend was spent visiting home in London, which meant a trip to the shop on Friday. Walked away with 20-someodd singles and a trio of trades. So, let's begin with some of the comics:

Midnighter #12

Um, wow, way to take an interesting storyline and waste an issue on boring boringness. Instead of more on Midnighter's spooky hometown, he fights something and there's a lot of posturing about how metahumans are bad. They really have nothing new to say with these characters, do they? They get the Authority to take over America, realise "Oh no, we have no idea how to make this work" and immediately dismantle that. They do a relaunch of titles and nothing exciting happens. Like Ennis' issues, Giffen's aren't bad per se, they're just not anything amazing. Goddamn, Wildstorm is just a reminder of all that wasted potential, isn't it?

JLA/Hitman #2

Ennis sure can write superheroes when he wants to. In the concluding half of this crossover series, Tommy solves the problem and saves the JLA--with methods they don't condone. What I find most interesting is how Clark Kent explains what happened and that you can tell he really struggles with judging Tommy simply because he was a killer. He recognises that maybe there's more to people than looking at them in such superficial ways. And, yes, judging Tommy here simply based on the fact that he is willing to kill is superficial. The JLA was powerless, Batman was taken over by an alien and all that stood between them and getting nuked were Tommy's guns. He did what he had to and while Batman and the others may be quick to judge, Superman can't do that, because he knows that Tommy had to make the tough call--and while others would have acted differently, it was just Tommy there. A very mature and nuanced portrayal of Superman--which is weird, because the rest of the JLA is pretty flat (except for maybe Green Lantern).

Infinity Inc. #2

As I said with the first issue, I wish Milligan were given the freedom to run with the interesting idea of the book (namely, the psychological damage done to these people who were famous superheroes one day and powerless nobodies the next) without forcing in this utterly boring supervillain plot. Fucking genre conventions can be a pain sometimes. I'm still waiting for someone to point out how Steel was given powers by Luthor like them, but is the same as he always was, basically--especially as it's suggested that maybe the Everyman process itself fucked up their heads. But, then again, maybe he isn't fine. Who knows.

Wolverine #56, 58

I read a lot of good stuff about Wolverine #56, a self-contained issue written by Jason Aaron with art by Howard Chaykin that focuses on a man whose job it is to shoot a guy trapped in a pit. Turns out the guy is Logan, who then turns it all around on the guy and we see just how sad and pathetic his life is. It's a solid issue.

Issue 58, on the other hand, is pretty damn shitty. Marc Guggenheim pretty much fucks up Wolverine's healing factor with some bullshit about him not dying because while his body heals, his soul goes off and fights the angel of death--and wins everytime except for this one, which is why Wolverine is braindead. Um. Yeah. What really fucks it up is how half the issue is Dr. Strange messing with Tony Stark--and then the other half is Strange just telling us all of this information. It comes off forced and breaks the whole "show, don't tell" rule. Big time. Wow. Bad, bad comic.

Friendly Neighbourhood Spider-Man #24

What the fuck happened in this issue? I know nothing actually happened, but is it just me or was that nothing really fucking confusing? What the fuck?

Omega the Unknown #1

When this came out a couple of weeks back, I think nearly every blog I read had a review or two of it up. And all of them said basically the same thing: cool art, quirky writing, where will it go?, let's wait and see, etc., etc., etc. I have nothing new to add to my fellow bloggers' opinons.

Tomorrow: more comics. Yay.

Comics are closer now

One of the best things about Casa de Chadam (my new place) is that it cuts my walk to the nearest comic shop in half. It now takes me around 25 minutes to walk there, which does me just fine. Throw in browsing and stopping to buy a pop and it's an hour trip total. What I'm getting at is: I bought comics today. Strangely enough, I bought mostly comics I went there looking for. Who knew.

Amazing Spider-Man #544

The initial irony of this book is the cover: in the upper left-hand corner, it proclaims "Still only 399¢" . . . and, out of the eight comics I bought this week, it's the most expensive by a dollar. Every other comic is $2.99 US.

Oh, and then there's the irony of the cover asking "What would you do if you only have one more day?!" My answer: not read this comic.

I've always had a soft spot for Spider-Man and figured I'd check out this soon-to-be-landmark storyline and . . . this is it? Aunt May is dying, Peter won't let her be a charity case, so he beats up Iron Man and shames him into funding her healthcare only to run off at the end to find some magic cure to being really fucking old and shot. If the preview for next issue tells me anything, his first stop is Dr. Strange, which makes sense, because the only logical way to cure being old and shot would be magic.

One question: if Peter is in too much of a hurry to put on his costume before fighting Iron Man, why does he put it on at the end of the issue when she's in no better shape other than the fact that her bill is covered? Just wondering.

I do plan on buying the rest of the issues, because I'm a sucker and I do hope things pick up.

Infinity Inc. #1

Hmm, interesting. I really like the idea of a book that explores what happens to people after they lose superpowers. Not just superpowers, but the fame that came with them. Peter Milligan seems one of the best choices to handle this sort of book. I almost wish they'd just let him run with that concept and forget the standard supervillain bullshit that's obviously been thrown in. It's boring and drags the issue down. Damaged people trying to deal with the shitty hand they've been dealt is much more interesting. Hell, for me, the issue ended with Gerome (formerly Nuklon) with a doctor, discussing his obsessive narcisism and then--another Gerome shows up talking about Gerome begged him to pose nude the previous day. Then there's more stuff with the lame leather-clad, long-haired goth-esque bad guy and Natasha's feet disappear.

Max Fiumara's art is good, except for his John Henry Irons, who I think he draws a little too thing and a little too young. Otherwise, his art reminds me of a rough cross between Javier Pulido and Stuart Immonen (although the style Immonen used years ago when he was on the Superman books). (And if you're wondering where I got THAT combination, I don't know. Just the artists I thought of while looking at the art.)

Wolverine #57

I picked this up based on the recommendation of the guy at the shop. As longtime readers of the blog may know, I gave Blade a couple of shots and it failed to impress. But, hey, I did enjoy what Guggenheim did on Wolverine during the Civil War crossover.

This issue isn't bad. It begins with Logan in World War I, killing many Germans. And, then, in the present, he and an Atlantean we met during the Civil War arc, try to save Tony Stark from being killed--except it's a trap and Wolverine is left brain-dead. It's some solid entertainment and Chaykin's art is pretty good. He's a good fit for this book.

The Immortal Iron Fist #8

Writing? Top-notch. Art? Amazing. Concept? Killer. People not buying this book? Retarded.

Midnighter #11

Midnighter was a total dork growing up.

Giffen continues his story exploring Midnighter's past and his odd hometown. It's a solid arc and is actually taking the character out of his usual pseudo-Batman style. There isn't actually much here beyond another issue of introductions, in a sense. Am I the only one who's bothered by the fact that Midnighter (or should I say Lucas) is hanging out with some guy he went to high school with, but his inability to remember any of it isn't an issue?

Also, what the fuck does the cover have to do with anything? I hate generic, boring, bullshit covers like this.

Thunderbolts #116

Ellis has made Penance interesting. The fuck--?

I love how character advancement for Captain Mar-Vell was thrown in here. Apparently, he sucked at running a prison and fucked off somewhere. And then there's the "Who Wants to be Captain America?" one-page gag that doesn't actually fit into the current MU--but who cares. I wonder just how much this book fits into the MU really. The way that one-page bit works is suggesting that the reality show about people trying to become Thunderbolts could lead to a new person taking up the Captain America mantle as a member of the group. Won't happen, of course, but it's a fun little idea.

Another thing that occurred to me--and has bothered me since Civil War #1--is why do people place all of the blame for Nitro blowing up on the New Warriors? Was the team outgunned? Yeah. But, uh, Nitro was a guy who could blow himself up. Honestly, the fact that it took them this long to treat him like a serious threat is sad. He's a human suicide bomber who doesn't die. He could have been fighting the Avengers and still killed a shitload of kids. Just bothers me is all.

But, this is a solid book with lots of dark humour.

Iron Man: Enter the Mandarin #1

The fourth book in the "Joe Casey Fixes Stan Lee's Plot Holes" series. Take that, "The Man." HA!

I missed Eric Cante's art. Goddamn, it's good stuff.

Starlord #2

Heh. This book actually made me laugh. I love this group of characters as they all suck and rule in their own ways. And Giffen killed off Deathcry. Hoo-ha.

Hopefully, I'll get back into a routine and begin updating more frequently again.

Random Reading: A Shitload of Books for Break Week Part 5 . . . MATT FRACTION!

See that, Bendis, Waid, Ennis and the rest of you fuckers? Fraction gets his own day. Jealous? I think so. Well, I finish off the five days of random readings for break week (which I probably should have begun on Monday, so it actually ran for the weekdays of break week, which are really the only days I get off technically) with five Matt Fraction comics. Why? Because he fucking rocks, that's why.

Civil War: Choosing Sides

Wow, first book of Fraction day and it's not really a Matt Fraction comic per se. But, considering the fact that I bought it ONLY for the Iron Fist story, which Fraction co-wrote, I'm going to say it counts.

Anyway, yeah, this wasn't worth the money. The first story, a Venom tale, does nothing really. The Ant-Man story isn't funny when it's obviously meant to be. The U.S.Agent story just reminds me that I think the character is a douche. The Howard the Duck story is kinda funny, poking fun at the whole registration thing.

That leaves only the reason why I bought the fucking thing: the Iron Fist story. The story acts as a solid prologue for the series and is good enough that had I not wanted to buy the series (and do in fact buy the series), I'd probably pick it up. Hell, it's the best story in the book. David Aja's art is typical amazing and the writing is decent. Not quite as good as what we see in the main book, but still above the other stuff here. Good news for people waiting for the Immortal Iron Fist trade is that it'll probably be in it, so don't bother hunting down this one-shot that only exists to fill the gap left by lateness on Civil War's part.

The Immortal Iron Fist #3

The last Iron Fist story continues apace and is worth buying almost exclusively for the page where Danny punches Orson Randall and the way David Aja draws Danny as he says "C'MON, OLD MAN. I'M NOT GOING DOWN WITHOUT A FIGHT." Solid work.

The plot progresses only a little, though, which is probably my biggest concern. I wanted a little more, I dunno. We do get Danny searching for clues and trying to stave off Hydra, Hydra doing its thing, and some more of Randall's past. Plus, some cool shit where two guys with the iron fist fight.

Solid.

Punisher War Journal #3-4

In his column this week, Steven Grant says: "Speaking of burying characters and as something of a Punisher expert, his goofy newfound hero worship smacks a bit of desperation..."

Ever since reading that earlier today, I've been thinking about issue three of PWJ and wondering if it does fit the character. Would the Punisher really be so respectful of Captain America?

I actually don't know, but I think it works. Which, I guess means yes. I think it works--at least here. Fraction does a good job of making the Punisher's awe and respect seem realistic. He ties it into the Punisher's military past, which gives it a bit more depth (but not much, actually). If anything happens in issue three, it's that the seeds for Captain America surrending are put in place. It's a question of whether or not he can continue when that means having to work with guys like the Punisher--and realising that the only way to keep fighting his war is to work with guys like the Punisher, because, fuck it, he IS better than everyone else there. It doesn't explain everything, but it's better than that other shit.

I don't know what I can say about issue four that hasn't already been said. It seems to be the issue that gets talked about--even if it just came out. And rightfully so. One of the few non-Grant Morrison comics that is obviously and almost transparently about comics. The old days are gone.

My only beef is seeing characters from this issue show up elsewhere when the Punisher killed them all. Rhino? Dead. Armadillo? Dead. You could argue that they didn't necessarily die, but, yeah, they did. The Punisher done blown them up.

I'm looking forward to see where Fraction takes this book now since the first few issues (and even issue four) were all heavily tied into Civil War. The solicits tells us some, but I can't wait to see it for myself.

Casanova #7

I think I'm only going to do my initial thoughts right now and come back and write about all seven issues later this week.

First off, I'm not going to comment on Fraction's closing remarks here, because that is some heavy, personal stuff. I mean, goddamn.

Second off, I dug it. I fucking loved this issue. Tied shit up well, had the usual Fraction/Ba flavour, and a cool Japanese kid who schooled Casanova.

It also had Casanova being a fucking man for once. Right on.

And that moment when Zypher sees her mom . . . shit, motherfucker.

I wish, someday, I can write a comic this cool.

That does it for the break week random reading extravaganza. Fun, fun, fun.

Random reading: Random books!

Another trip to the shop here and another pile of books chosen at random. Well, let's dive in!

Blade #5

Actually bought earlier this week at the bookstore because I thought "What the hell, I'll give the book another shot!" based entirely on the badass cover of Wolverine's claws running through Blade's head--and Blade smiling because he fucking loves it.

Yeah, the comic sucked compared to that cover. Too much space wasted on a cliched flashback subplot and not enough space devoted to a badass fight where Wolverine runs Blade through and then Blade is all "Motherfucker, that's the way I like it!" and then it's REALLY fucking on.

Teen Titans #43

"Hey, let's do a story where it's like an evil Teen Titans!"

"You mean like an Injustice League, but with the Titans?"

"Yeah!"

"Yeah!"

So, yeah, the real Titans get their asses handed to them by the evil Titans and I'm sure this matters to people who read this title and care about these characters.

Green Lantern #16

Green Lantern is an idiot.

That sums up this issue.

Apparently, to keep things separate, Hal Jordan, while flying in the air force, is dumb enough to NOT WEAR HIS MAGICAL RING THAT WILL MAKE SURE HE DOESN'T DIE! And the he got caught by terrorists and put the woman he loves in danger and caused an international incident and is being pursued by alien bounty hunters because the kid of that alien who died and made him Green Lantern now wants his daddy's ring. And if this idiot had just worn his ring to begin with, this would have all been solved rather quickly, but he's an idiot and we're supposed to feel sorry for him, except he's such an idiot we don't.

The Creeper #6

Yeah, I didn't see that this was issue six of six until I got to the end and it was the end.

I bet if I had read the previous five issues, I might have enjoyed this issue more. Except there's fun bits of dialogue like:

"BACKSTAB ME, WILL YA?"

Said by the Creeper after punching Batman in the face.

Yeesh.

Fantastic Four #542

I rather liked this comic. It reminded me of that episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine where Dr. Bashir and the group of genetically-enhanced people figure out using math that the Federation WILL lose the war with the Dominion no matter what. No hope. No chance. So why not surrender now and save billions of lives?

I always agreed with that choice and I find myself agreeing with Reed here. He's figured out the way to save the planet is to do shit like the Registration Act and he's going to make damn sure it happens no matter the cost.

I only hope that Marvel has the balls to see the story through where Reed is right. THAT would be impressive, I think.

But, they'll probably puss out in favour of the whole "siding with good will beat the odds" bullshit eventually.

Civil War: The Return

Oh, shut up, it wasn't that bad.

First off, it doesn't negate the death of Captain Marvel. He doesn't even come back from the dead really.

Second off, the Sentry story was kind of interesting--at least if you're a fan of the Sentry. It did more to explain his joining up with Iron Man more than Bendis' spotlight issue did.

Third off, it wasn't that great either, but I read worse comics THIS WEEK let alone in the past few years.

Fourth off, I do think that the Mar-Vell story could have worked better as a full-issue story. It was a little too compressed, especially when he returns, for my taste. Everyone seems to accept what's happened a little too quickly--they don't even ask WHERE he came from, they just go "Oh, you're here, run the prison!" Seems kind of stupid.

X-Factor #15

I'd heard good things and this issue was good. I've never been a big fan of Peter David's comic stuff--his prose has always done it for me--but this was good. Interesting characters, snappy dialogue and the funniest way of taking down terrorists I've ever seen--while being disturbing at the same time. I'm tempted to hunt down all the previous stuff for this series. (And I just checked with Amazon.ca and I could get the Madrox trade and two X-Factor collections for a decent price, so maybe I will sometime soon.)

The Spirit #2

So, the Spirit gets his ass kicked and then later kicks the asses of those who kicked his ass plus a few more people without much effort? I can't stand it when shit like that happens. It's something that happens in shit like this and it takes me right out of the story. It's one thing if the hero comes up with a sneaky way of overcoming the difficulty, but when there is literally no difference in the two situations I just don't get it. (You COULD argue he does it so he can find out later what the real plan is, but I don't see why he couldn't have, I don't know, kicked a little ass since doing that and then leaving wouldn't have affected anything except how much pain he'd be in.)

But, this book is steeped heavily in such conventions and it adheres to them well. Not my thing.

Captain America: Winter Soldier Vols. 1&2 and Winter Soldier: Winter Kills

Well-drawn, well-written, well-conceived. They brought Bucky back and did it in a way that adds to the character. Never thought I'd see that coming. I do think had I read this without that knowledge, it would have been better. So sorry, I just spoiled it for you, but I figure everyone knows it by now. I don't know what to say. As is obvious, I'm not great at praising stuff, I'm much more of a "tear shit down" guy.

I did think the Jack Monroe interlude issue killed the pacing of the story a bit without adding a whole lot.

The Winter Soldier special had some touching moments, especially at the end. Am confused about how the trio of Young Avengers say they won't kill anyone, but then they knock out all the Hydra members before burning the warehouse down--did they carry them all out?

Come to think of it, Hydra has been popping up a lot lately in the MU. In that Spider-Woman issue of New Avengers, in Iron Fist, in X-Factor, in Fantastic Four, here. And in nearly every case (Iron Fist is the odd one out), they are getting their asses handed to them and losing large numbers of people and equipment. Kind of makes Iron Fist look like a little pussy, doesn't it? I'm going to have to think about that.

Random Reading -- Blade #1

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