The Immortal Thorsday Thoughts 16

The villains that Al Ewing chooses for Dario Agger’s group of “Gods of Midgard” are amongst the oldest to appear in Thor stories in the comics. Not a complete list of the oldest – even the oldest human villains – but amongst them. All four predate other human villains like the Absorbing Man or the Wrecking Crew. In most cases, the four chosen have gone on to actually be villains more for other heroes than memorable as “Thor villains.” Mr. Hyde is probably thought of as a Daredevil foe more than Thor’s – while the Radioactive Man has had a lot of appearances over the past couple of decades in a variety of places, most notably as a member of the Thunderbolts. Grey Gargoyle even had a moment as a bit of a major Iron Man villain thanks to turning Paris to stone in Fear Itself. Looking through their respective histories, all four are very much characters of the Marvel Universe at large with only the Grey Gargoyle actually appearing in a Thor comic proper in the 21st century. Basically, after their first appearances in Journey into Mystery, they all went off to be villains at large rather than staple Thor villains.

Their first appearances, both in comics and as Thor villains, occur over a 21-issue span of Journey into Mystery, beginning roughly a year into Thor’s time headlining the title. During that first year and interspersed were a variety of other villains like Loki and other Asgardian threats, several low-level human threats that kind of fizzled away, and one human threat that remained a somewhat recurring Thor villain, Zarrko the Tomorrow Man. Radioactive Man is a bit of an outlier, but, once Human Cobra (as he was originally known) is introduced in issue 98, nine of the ensuing 16 issues featured Human Cobra, Mr. Hyde, and Grey Gargoyle in some combination:

Journey into Mystery #93 – Radioactive Man

Journey into Mystery #98 – Human Cobra

Journey into Mystery #99-100 – Mr. Hyde

Journey into Mystery #105-106 – Human Cobra and Mr. Hyde

Journey into Mystery #107 – Grey Gargoyle

Journey into Mystery #110-111 – Human Cobra and Mr. Hyde

Journey into Mystery #113 – Grey Gargoyle

Their order of appearance in Journey into Mystery is how they show up in The Immortal Thor #16: Radioactive Man, Cobra/Mr. Hyde (same panel, teaming up), and, then, Grey Gargoyle. There are other allusions, like Radioactive Man’s arrival in New York recalling his original arrival in the city, walking through customs with impunity – or the way he tries to discredit Thor in front of the police being a variation of his original hypnosis of the hero, or even Thor throwing Mjolnir away. And the attacks of the other three are pretty much what those three do. It’s all very effective. Further disrupt the idea of Thor as a hero on Earth and, then, kill him. But, why these four? Of all of the superhumans that Dario Agger could recruit, why these four who have failed so many times before?

As Thor follows the body of the Radioactive Man across town as it’s propelled by Mjolnir, he thinks “[...] I AM MADE TO SEEM THE VILLAIN--AND HE THE HERO. NOT AN AUSPICIOUS START, THOR.” And so we return, once again, like a broken record, to the teller of the tale. Part of Thor’s identity is tied in his superhero persona on Earth and, if Loki is to destroy all that makes up Thor, then that part must be targeted as well. Amora, Skurge, and Dario did part of the job with their Roxxon Thor, but that still left lingering doubts. What Thor is real? If there are two, which one is good? Which one bad? There’s no way to know. So, you go back to the beginning and his earliest superpowered human villains, all working together to, first, make Thor seem the villain and, then, kill him – at least in a manner that will last on Earth. They supplant the God of Thunder as Gods of Midgard, filling the void his absence leaves. That seems important somehow: something for something.

I know, I remain fixated on this approach to reading these comics, but I can’t see any other. It’s all one story with one direction and purpose. For any of these issues to be throwaway stories that don’t contribute to that larger story seems wrong. Maybe it’s right, who knows. I’ve decided to give Ewing more credit than that with respects to this story.

The way that Thor’s image is meant to be remade before some of his earliest villains kill him is a variation on a retcon. By reliving those early days, it’s like a retcon in real time. It doesn’t change the past at all, but it does change the perception of the past. Like, maybe Thor was always bad and these four were always good, that everyone misinterpreted what happened. A spell that travels back through time, remaking history. It’s not entirely dissimilar from Skurge destroying the bridges and that disconnecting Thor (and Asgard) from Earth. The events remain, but something shifts. This would be more of a collective delusion than that, though. Like a reinterpretation of history where the facts aren’t so much in dispute as what they mean is. It fails, of course. I’m not convinced that it was ever meant to work completely, its true purpose to add to the cumulative effect of knocking bits off Thor until nothing is left, reducing him to bits and pieces, literally here.

Next issue, we’ll keep on following this path with a look at the human side of Thor’s soul in The Immortal Thor #17 and what exactly Donny Cates did to Donald Blake.

The Immortal Thorsday Thoughts 06

Now, don’t get me wrong, I like a good retcon as much as the next guy...

But, let’s go back to the original Marvel Comics Thor retcon, one that launched a thousand retcons and revisions for a character whose entire existence is a revision and retelling, taking some of what was already there, changing it, adding more, and creating something new. Thor, the mythological Norse god of thunder, upon whom Jack and Stan based their idea for a new superhero and, upon whose stories, those stories would draw upon in varying degrees. It’s all a version of Loki’s warning to Thor of “FOR A TALE RETOLD MAY NOT GO AS YOU REMEMBER...” If you are knowledgeable of the Eddas and their stories, you may recognise bits and pieces of them in Thor comicbooks, particularly in the Kirby-driven “Tales of Asgard” backup stories wherein he looked to Norse mythology for inspiration – yet told still through the filter of “Marvel Comics’ Thor.” This sort of revision in retelling is a bit of what I’m talking about and, on a large enough scale, it effectively acts as a retcon by overriding and replacing the original stories within the collective minds of the masses, but it’s not the sort of retcon I’m referring to.

No, we need to go to Thor #159 for the first major retcon of “Marvel Comics’ Thor.” Coming after an issue that reprinted the first Thor story from Journey into Mystery #83 within some framing pages, issue 159 is titled “The Answer at Last!” and seeks to handle the underlying problem of the series of Donald Blake. Originally, these comicbooks were based around the idea that a weak man with an injured leg could transform into a powerful god simply by smacking his walking stick on the ground. A typical “ordinary becomes extraordinary” sort of story that Marvel’s 1960s heroes tended to be based around. However, over time, Blake’s importance to the series waned as it became obvious that a big part of Thor’s appeal were places like Asgard and space where Blake wouldn’t work as a character, but could be used to set Thor apart. After all, while it’s fun to see Thor stop a bank robbery from time to time, that’s something that any of Marvel’s heroes could do. Now, Thor fighting trolls and giants as they storm the gates of Asgard? That’s something unique to Thor.

Heading into this issue, Blake/Thor had begun to question the nature of their joint existence. How can Blake become the real Thor? And, if that’s the case, what about Thor’s life before Blake? Journeying to Asgard, he confronts Odin for the truth and the All-Father’s ensuing tale is one fairly well known to readers by this point: using a couple of examples, Odin tells Thor of a time when he was brash and arrogant, lacking in humility. Seeing that his son needed to learn humility in order to wield his mighty power with wisdom and grace, he created a human form on Earth and put Thor’s spirit into it, giving life to Donald Blake just as he was to begin medical school. In essence, Blake is Thor and has always been just Thor with all elements that are Blake merely a bit of magic worked by Odin to his goals.

This issue is a crucial moment in the history of Thor, not just for the specific revelation it provides – but for the endless after effects that would stem from it. The answer that Odin gives of creating Blake as a magical shell for Thor to live in and learn humility is the retcon that launched a thousand retcons when it comes to Thor. A sea of answers to questions no one asked. Soon, it would be Keith Kincaid was the human on which Odin patterned the idea of Blake. And, then, eventually, Blake was actually a real person. Or was he? Was Odin’s magic so strong that it basically willed into existence a being that could not be undone? What about the wisdom of this plan in the first place? And what about when Blake becomes no longer needed? So many – so many – future stories hinge upon this single issue. This “retroactive continuity” solution to the issue of Thor and Blake’s shared relationship is like a scab that no one will stop picking at. The effects of it are felt right up into The Immortal Thor #25.

A single moment that directly affects all that follows, while altering all that came before, that’s what a retcon is. That’s the fire that Al Ewing plays with in The Immortal Thor #6 as he retells Thor #272 and uses Loki as his tool to change it, retroactively altering the events of that comic. When Dario Agger refers to the comic changing in front of this eyes, it’s a literal application of what a retcon does. After issues six and seven of The Immortal Thor, how many will read Thor #272 without the influence of Ewing’s changes? How many will even go back and read the issue? At the end of this issue, it’s revealed that Dario is literally holding a copy of that issue, presumably published through the Marvel of the Marvel Universe.

Of course, if you’ve read Thor #272, you’ll know that it’s actually a story told by Thor to a group of kids to illustrate a point. Much like this retelling of the story is from the perspective of Loki and is told in a manner that reflects their memories – and their intent – that original issue is based within the memories of Thor and the intention he holds in telling to those kids. Yet, intent doesn’t matter, except as explanation. What was the intention of Jack Kirby when he conceived of Thor #159? To provide an entertaining comic? To address a problem posed to him by either his own musing, or Stan Lee, or, maybe even, a reader? Does that intent matter when you look at everything that followed that issue’s revelation about the true origin of Donald Blake? Is that intent still there when the story is retold in a movie? When it exists in the collective memories of the readers/viewers?

That’s the fire that Ewing plays with in this issue as he, through Loki, retcons Thor #272 over the course of two issues of The Immortal Thor, not with anything so big and sweeping as the ‘true’ origin of Donald Blake, but with subtle, small changes, many rooted in The Prose Edda where this story is also told. But, what questions will it raise? What scabs left to be picked?

Think of this as an introduction to next week where I will get into The Immortal Thor #7 (and issue six as well), Thor #272, and the original story contained in The Prose Edda.

Riding the Gravy Train 1964 (The X-Men #9)

This is the original "Avengers vs. X-Men." The one that sets the tone for every meeting the two teams would have from that point on. It's basically the first rosters of each team pitted against one another in a battle to the death as the fate of Earth hangs in the balance! It's the original five X-Men (Cyclops, Marvel Girl, Beast, Angel, and Iceman) against the second (third?) iteration of the Avengers (Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, Giant-Man, and the Wasp), all because Professor X demands it!

The fight is actually a quaint affair, like most superhero vs. superhero fights of the era. Both teams are trying to stop Lucifer from his evil schemes, but, when Professor X learns that Lucifer has connected a bomb to his heart, he has the X-Men pick a fight with the Avengers to delay their interference. The two teams weren't even going to fight at first (aside from Iron Man -- he wanted to beat up some punk teenagers). It's a far cry from the subsequent relationships we've seen -- and the two teams hadn't even met before! That's a little backwards, don't you think? Here, they meet for the first time, and their first impulses aren't to attack one another, but, later, after they've worked together dozens of times, any sort of disagreement immediately causes violence? Have superheroes somehow devolved over the years? We like to think of them as unchanging, yet there's clearly a more civilised tone to the behaviour of both groups here. When they cease fighting at Xavier's command, the Avengers sort of shrug, concede jurisdiction to the X-Men, and walk away back to their own comic, concerned more about who is the chairman this week than the danger facing the world.

The two teams don't fight for a sustained period of time; just long enough to compliment one another on their fighting ability and get in a few other quips. The best part is when Iceman encases himself in a giant block of ice as a defence against Thor. That, and Beast catching Captain America's shield with his feet before using his body as a projectile against Iron Man. It's like his performance here (the only stand-out of the team) sets ups his eventual Avengers membership. You can just see the Avengers walking away laughing about Iceman hiding in a block of ice or Cyclops's lack of certainty, and adding at the end, "Yeah, but that fella with big feet was pretty good..."

Besides the larger sense of civility, the lack of a larger philosophical motive for the fight stands out as a difference from the other Avengers/X-Men fights we've seen. There's a difference of perspective with the X-Men knowing more about the situation than the Avengers, but the basic goal is the same for both teams: stop Lucifer. There's no issue of mutant rights, no weight of the world on the shoulders of the X-Men, or anything there except being a superhero team. That's not meant to position this as 'better' than what we've seen in the decades following. It reminds me of the line X-Men: Schism where Idie looks at a picture of the original X-Men and wonders why they're smiling. It's very much a case of things being simpler 'back in the day,' and this will not doubt come up again post-Avengers vs. X-Men in All-New X-Men when the original X-Men are brought to the present. Putting this comic next to Avengers vs. X-Men is like a sneak preview of the culture shock.  After all, this is the team that stands behind Professor X as he says "Because we X-Men are pledged never to cause injury to a human being -- no matter what the provocation!"

How will those X-Men cope with the future we've seen? Hell, how would the Avengers shown in The X-Men #9? (All of which leads to how would Stan Lee and Jack Kirby of 1964 view the Marvel output of 2012, I guess...) 'Quaint' is the word I used to describe the encounter between the two teams in this issue, but it was also refreshing to see both teams focused on a singular goal. Is that also what post-Avengers vs. X-Men will be? Is The X-Men #9 a vision of our future in a sense?

Next week: Avengers vs. X-Men #11, New Avengers #30, Uncanny X-Men #18, and Wolverine and the X-Men #16.

Best of 2011: Ten Pre-2011 Comics that I Read in 2011

Something that always gets lost in the end of the year round-ups of the best comics published that year is the influence of past works upon the year. No one just reads brand new work the entire year and ignoring the comics from prior to the year in question gives an incomplete view of the year. When I used to run down my favourite albums of the year, I'd always do a section for the albums from prior years that I'd only just gotten that year. I figured I'd do the same for comics this year. Presented in alphabetical order are my ten favourite comics (or groups of comics) that I read in 2011 that were published prior to 2011.

Astonishing X-Men: Ghost Box, Astonishing X-Men: Exogenetic, and Astonishing X-Men: Xenogenesis by Warren Ellis, Simone Bianchi, Phil Jimenez, Kaare Andrews, and others. I honestly can't remember if I got Ghost Box this year or in late 2010. Let's just assume it was this past year to make things easier. These three trades comprise Warren Ellis's three stories on Astonishing X-Men and, if you're a fan of Ellis's writing, they're entertaining little stories where he treats the X-Men like the frontline response of an endangered species struggling to stay alive, protect the future, and fuck up anyone who crosses them. Not a take that everyone likes, but I really like it. Ellis's approach to the characters is very much in line with where Cyclops is right now and that's an interpretation of the character that I enjoy. Hell, it may be my favourite version of the character. Ellis also focuses heavily on genetics, alternate realities, and variations on the idea of a 'mutant.' He's paired with some good artists and is obviously just having some fun with the tools available.

'Breed: The Book of Genesis and 'Breed: The Book of Ecclesiastes by Jim Starlin. With Image publishing 'Breed III this year, they also put out trades of the first two 'Breed mini-series. The three volumes function together as a whole to tell one big story: Ray Stoner discovers, while serving as a soldier in Vietnam, that he's not human -- he's half human, half demon. Demons have been softening the world up for decades to make it right for them to come here and consume it. So, he must go against the demons and other 'breeds to try and destroy the leader of the demons, his own father. I didn't know much about 'Breed before reading 'Breed III and these trades made that a lot clearer. Jim Starlin has said that this is his favourite series and it's one that allows for a wide range of concepts and stories. He may have stuck to a fairly strict straight line, but, in there, is magic, sci-fi, war, romance, noir... basically, it's a series that accomodates everything. Hell, in 'Breed III, he brought in all of his other major creator-owned characters to help Stoner out! This was a major gap in my Starlin knowledge, now filled.

Elektra Lives Again by Frank Miller and Lynn Varley. I got one of the reprints that's regular comic size, something that Retailer Tim informed me was a mistake. Me, I'm just happy to have gotten a chance to read this story. Frank Miller applying some his later style to Matt Murdock and telling a story where Murdock wanders around not knowing what's really going on. It's a story about a superhero out of his depth and utterly ineffective. So much happens that we don't know about because we're so tied to Murdock. It's original and rather astonishing. And utterly gorgeous.

The Flash: The Trial of the Flash by Cary Bates, Carmine Infantino, and others. I got this because of Graeme and Jeff talking it up so much. One of those rare instances of DC using their 'Showcase Presents...' books to collect a big story rather than just X number of issues of a title. The story itself is a rather loose one throughout with a lot of the usual superhero bullshit popping up. What made the biggest impression upon me was how this changed my opinion of Barry Allen. Before this, I thought he was a boring, one-dimensional character. Now, I understand that he's a selfish asshole like every other Silver Age DC hero. One of the main subplots of the story revolves around Barry's fiancee going crazy because he stood her up on their wedding day -- where the Flash apparently killed the Reverse-Flash to save her life. Instead of just telling her that he's the Flash and he was late because he was fighting his arch-nemesis, he lets her get put in a mental hospital and, then, fakes his own death. Now, if this Barry Allen was the one currently in the DCU, I think I'd be much on board with the character. This was also my first extended exposure to Carmine Infantino's art. I know it's later in his career, but he made a lot of strange choices. Lots of slanted panels mixed with extreme close-ups that left you wonder what you were looking at. Very different from most superhero art.

Jack Kirby's Fourth World Omnibus Vol. 1 by Jack Kirby. DC has finally begun releasing these omnibi in softcover for those of us who missed the hardcovers. This first volume is mostly introductions and Jimmy Olsen comics. I rather like the way that Kirby was establishing his own little corner of the DCU with four comics, each offering a different perspective. He just hits the ground running and doesn't look back. The common thread through all four titles is Darkseid as he schemes to find the human who can comprehend the Anti-Life Equation. You can already see the connection to The Eternals, which was more focused and shied even further away from the superhero stuff. There isn't a lot of straight up superhero content in these comics aside from Superman. The New Gods all wear their costumes and have powers, but don't seem like 'superheroes.' I'm curious how those ideas will further develop over the next three volumes -- all of which I'd love to see released in 2012.

Various Hellblazer comics by Jamie Delano, Si Spencer, Peter Milligan, Ian Rankin, and a whole host of artists. I continue to own more Hellblazer comics than any other series. I added, what, nine trades, two original graphic novels, and a "Vertigo Resurrected" reprint to my collection this year? The bulk of that was comprised of comics written by the first Hellblazer writer and the current one, Jamie Delano and Peter Milligan. I don't buy single issues of Hellblazer much and, usually, wind up reading big chunks of issues. It's strange to read the beginning of the series and where it is now in the same year. John Constantine has changed quite a bit -- although not as much as you'd think. Jamie Delano's Constantine is a bit of fuck up and neophyte when it comes to magic. He knows some stuff and is a player, but he's got a lot to learn and is definitely not the biggest man on the block. By the time we get to Milligan, Constantine is the fucking man. Guys like Warren Ellis and Brian Azzarello wrote him in a way where magic wasn't a problem at all. He could almost do anything. His main problem is that he's a selfish bastard. Milligan amps that personality defect up to the point where it gets in the way of magic. Everything is so easy for him that he has to struggle with his true nature to not abuse his power -- and there are always types of magic out there that he still knows shitall about. Milligan's version of the character is one that definitely goes back to its roots. Before 2011, I'd read more Hellblazer comics than any other series (probably) and, yet, I was missing a big chunk of what makes the character who he is. And I'm still missing stuff. Bring on 2012.

Pretty much the complete Marshal Law by Pat Mills and Kevin O'Neill. I already owned some of Marshal Law and read most of what I didn't own since my dad had them when I was growing up. But, this year, I bought everything I didn't have and read the entire run of mini-series and graphic novels, including the two novellas Mills and O'Neill did. It's funny how influential these comics were (something that's still not recognised really, even though everyone who writes about them mention how influential they were) and, yet, how, with each progressive series, they became more childish, more self-parodic, and less influential. That doesn't mean that they stop being 'good,' just that there isn't much new said after the initial six-issue series. There are small moments in the rest that add to the good Marshal's character or further explore the concepts of abuse of power, guilt, and sense of betrayal by the government and superheroes. That the character is continually pushed to the point where, in the novellas, he suffers a full psychotic break between his 'real life' as Joe and his 'night life' as Marshal Law. Towards the end, neither Mills nor O'Neill seem to care as much. And why would they? What is there to say in a crossover with the Mask except that no matter what, Marshal Law is the dominant personality? They even forego the usual parodies by the end. How long can you keep making the same jokes? The Boys found some more to make, but even those grew tired at times. It's funny that, by the end, Marshal Law returned, in a sense, to where it began: focusing on broader statements and the characters, not worrying about sticking it to specific superheroes.

100 Bullets by Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso. I don't know what to say about this. I read this series for the first time in a week? Maybe less? It's all kind of a blur. A blur that I really enjoyed, which is why I read through it so quickly. A big series about violence and power that was every bit as good as everyone told me it would be. The way that it mixed in the larger story with the smaller contained elements, building on what came before was impressive. I'd read a few things that Risso had drawn before, but prolonged exposure to his art was something entirely different. Watching him build the world and characters with Azzarello, making the visuals matter as much as the writing (more in places). I think that's part of what makes these longterm Vertigo series work for me: a strong, consistent visual voice. It's part of what makes Preacher and Transmetropolitan so great -- and part of the reason why The Invisibles is always lacking to a degree for me. If there's one comic I want to reread in 2012, it's 100 Bullets. A slower read where I can take my time and really think about things as I go.

Ronin by Frank Miller and Lynn Varley. Another comic that my dad had and I'd flipped through a bit. I'd never read it proper. Bought the original issues cheap this year and... wow, this is Frank Miller throwing everything he can on the page. Every influence, every bit of craziness, all of it is just tossed out like this could be the last comic book he ever gets to make. And why not? It was his chance to do six issues of a comic where he wasn't stuck working with decades of continuity and expectations -- these were his characters, his world, and he didn't slow down or back off of anything. You can see the grotesque side of his art coming out in places here and that's the Miller I like best. I like the messy, ugly Miller. This isn't my favourite work of his yet... probably not top five. But, I've only read it once and moved on. It was a busy year of catching up after finally getting a full time job. Hopefully, I'll get the chance soon to go back and slow down, give it the look it deserves. Hell, I can say that for everything here, can't I?

Silver Surfer: Parable by Stan Lee and Moebius. I buy the issues and Marvel decides to put out a new collection a few months later. That's my sort of luck. I'm great at hunting down original issues only for a collection to be announced within the year. Anyway... The original issues didn't age well (which is why I'm getting the upcoming hardcover). Not the best way to read this series for the first time -- still, Moebius art on shitty paper is still better than no Moebius art at all, right? His Silver Surfer is just so casual on his board. It's not an intense riding the waves look. It's a guy who stands completely secure in who he is and what's going on. He looks like a guy standing on a street corner waiting for the bus, not someone flying an insane speeds hundreds of feet in the air. It's one of those odd approaches to a character that changes how you see them. I wound up looking at these two issues every day for a few weeks. Just flipping through them, checking out a panel here, a panel there. I did the same thing with that Incal hardcover that came out with the original colouring. Moebius is one of those artists whose work I can spend hours lingering over.

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: The Traveler #1

I recently reviewed The Traveler #1 for CBR and, in the process, wrote the following sentences: "The second of the Stan Lee overseen superhero comics from BOOM! hits the shelves this upcoming Wednesday and is more action-packed and mysterious than Soldier Zero. The concept of The Traveler isn’t as easy to grasp immediately, because Mark Waid throws us into the deep end, having the hero fight against his enemies without much of an explanation. It’s a novel approach and one that grabs you right away, driving the issue forward, but also not leaving much of an impression. Without context, the action lacks meaning and a point beyond ‘hero stops bad guys for reasons we don’t know yet.’ Even lacking that context, Waid and Chad Hardin make the debut of The Traveler a dynamic read with enough teases and clues to entice the reader back for another look."

You can read the rest HERE!

CBR Review: Soldier Zero #2

I recently reviewed Soldier Zero #2 for CBR and, in the process, wrote the following sentences: "There’s a familiarity in the concept of Solider Zero if you’ve read the first issue only: alien suit/weapon bonds itself to human, granting him powers of some kind. Not an uncommon premise, but this issue works to bring out what makes this story different. Part of that is how the suit changes the paralyzed Trautmann’s life, while a large part is the nature of the suit and what it wants. For one thing, the suit is a sentient being, a parasite/symbiote that requires a host to live and, with its host dead, attached itself to Trautmann. It can grant him extra abilities, but it’s also weakened from what it’s endured, making it an easier target for its enemies. Part of a war, the suit and its previous host were the only survivors of a battle that may have come to Earth."

You can read the rest HERE!

I Bought Comics: Beginning of February 2009

[Wherein I discuss comics that I got in the past two weeks that I didn't review for CBR. Not really reviews or anything. Just random thoughts, impressions... like, you know, whatever!]

Boys #27

The worst issue in a long time... relaxed to the point of who cares... Ennis riffing on St. Patrick's Day and America in ways we've all seen before... not bad, just feels like filler...

Secret Warriors #1

I wish this book was actually called "Nick Fury: Agent of Nothing." That title appears on the cover between the two words of the actual title of this comics and it is waaaaaaaaaaaaay better. "Secret Warriors" is a vague, kind of blah title for a comic, but "Nick Fury: Agent of Nothing"? Fucking sign me up! I don't care who's writing it, who's drawing it, if it costs $1.00 per issue or five bucks, whatever, put that book on my pull list now, because it will rock my fucking socks off. And this issue kind of did that. The art was better than I expected, honestly. Not quite what I'd look for in a comic book, but passable. Hickman's writing is a lot better at what it does than I expected, too. He's never shown a lot of character depth in his work to date, preferring to meditate on ideas than characters. And that's worked really well, so to see him handle characters with deft and ease like this is pretty astonishing. The final page "surprise" isn't THAT big a revelation when you actually read the back-up material, but it's still cool.

Gravel #9

Throughout the first eight issues of this title, characters have called William Gravel dumb, compared him to a dog--and this seemed to annoy him, piss him off, and he killed them. But, here, he does the same thing and I love that Ellis and Wolfer would do that. Those arrogant pricks weren't wrong in calling him thick, in comparing him to a dog, but, fuck, why would you do it out loud and to the face of your attack dog? Lots of emphasis on Gravel's character here, which works well. Nice to see them use this ongoing series to actually put some meat on his bones.

Incognito #2

I liked this a lot better than the first issue. Even the lettering doesn't bother me as much. Don't know what else to say. I am amused that this issue ends on the same plot point as Scalped #25.

Scalped #25

Year three begins and, wow, Jason Aaron does the unexpected by introducing a new character from off the rez. Very fucking good.

Thor #600

Oh hellsssssssssss yessssssssssss... although, I already get the impression that Thor and Balder are playing Loki. Loki hasn't overtly done anything wrong yet, so they're just going with the flow and waiting for a slip-up to nail her balls to the wall. I do find it interesting that the Dark Avengers show up sans Ares and Sentry, the two characters that could really give Thor a run for his money--though I did notice that Noh-Varr is not used at all--no one knows how to deal with him. This book had a slow start, but Straczynski is really building a compelling story here. The bonus stuff is great, too. Stan Lee and David Aja's story is a little... cutesy, but nice. The "Mini Marvels" story is pretty damn funny and recaps the 13-issue run to date well. Plus, bonus Lee/Kirby stories and the requisite "Every cover of the title you're reading to date" thing that Marvel does in every anniversary issue like this it seems.

Also, not "I Bought Comics" related really, but I am rather excited at the news that Joe Casey will be handling Final Crisis Aftermath: Dance, which will centre on the Super Young Team. I still say that Marvel should have tapped Casey to handle Noh-Varr if they weren't going to get Morrison to come back. Here's hoping Casey brings it.

The Sunday Open: 17/02/08 Comics

One of the reasons why I've avoided making weekly treks to the comic shop is that I spend more money that way. Where I'll only buy books I normally pick up and the odd take-a-chancer when I hit the shop once a month, I find I'm much more willing to just buy whatever looks good if I'm there every week. Now, that's bad news for my wallet, but it also means I'm checking out a whole lot more. So, let's jump into it:

Fantastic Four #554

Wow, what a boring comic. I have zero to no interest in books that simply revel in the typical, which this book does. But then again, others would simply call that showing us these characters as they were back in the glory days. My last experience with the title was the Waid/Wieringo run, which I got in hardcovers... and, yeah, why has Johnny Storm reverted back to his pre-teen self? How fucking boring. And look at Reed being actually boring! Or Ben being fun! Normally, I enjoy books with little action and lots of character development--except there is no character development here, it's all just character re-enforcement, which is all well and good, but why am I spending three bucks on a comic that's telling me things I already know?

Not a huge fan of Bryan Hitch's art here, if only because of last week's ClanDestine where Alan Davis shows up his imitator. That, and Hitch tries to make every panel look so unique as far as facial expressions go that they become almost parodic at times. Something about Johnny's face on page five just seems wrong...

I don't know, it seems like a comic more intent on recapturing old FF stories/moments than actually doing something new (aside from Sue's charity project, which is a fantastic idea, honestly). Even the so-called "cliffhanger" doesn't do anything for me, because there isn't enough information there to create an interest or any tension. (And, seriously, "Nu-World"? "Nu"? How utterly modern.)

Fantastic Four: The Lost Adventure

Remember when this was announced and everyone was all "OMG! NU KIRBY! KEWL!" and then everyone promptly forgot? That's probably for the best. This is a book for scholars, Kirby obsessors and... well, not many other people, because it isn't that good. But, don't worry, because everyone involved seems to recognise the lack of quality in this "lost adventure" that was meant to be Fantastic Four #102--Stan Lee ran #103 as #102 and then cannabalised this story in #108. It isn't bad, it's just utterly mundane. The way Marvel has put this book together, though, is pretty nice. They include a reconstructed version of the original #102, Kirby's original pencils along with his border notes and then #108 so we can see how his art was used. Not much entertainment value, but there's probably an essay or two's worthy of material in this book.

Ghost Rider #20

Tim Callahan hyped this book up so much I couldn't not get it. I don't think I've ever picked up an issue of Ghost Rider before in its various iterations. Never had much interest. But, Tim said it was all kinds of awesome and I tend to listen to Tim.

While it doesn't live up to his hype (what could?), this is a very impressive debut for Jason Aaron on the title. He establishes the book firmly within the horror/grindhouse genre and sets up the overarching story of Ghost Rider trying to get to Heaven to take revenge on an angel who was really responsible for his condition. Throw in some nurses with guns and tearing up a church and it's a lot of fun. Worth picking up--if only for Aaron's text piece at the end of the issue where he both bashes, but condones the previous creative team.

New Avengers #38

Now, this is what I'm talking about. After months of mediocre issues, Bendis finally delivers with an issue-long fight between Luke Cage and Jessica Jones after she's registered in order to keep their daughter out of harm's way. Is it a coincidence that Michael Gaydos does the art in this fantastic issue? Probably not.

I can understand that this type of issue isn't everyone's cup of tea as nothing "happens" except the breakdown of a marriage between two characters we're supposed to care about. What I find especially intriguing is that Bendis doesn't try to take sides, he simply presents the characters' points of view and the reader can decide who is right and who is wrong. As well, this is the first time I've really seen the fallout of Civil War in an emotional way (okay, maybe the death of Captain America, too). Yeah, we've had the New Avengers square off with the Mighty Avengers, but who cares. This was the first post-Civil War switch that actually means something (sorry, Spider-Woman, but who cares about you when you switch sides the way most people change underwear?).

Next issue promises the truth about Echo, which should, I hope, clear up how a deaf woman can read the lips of people wearing masks... or not actually facing her...

Spider-Man Family #7

The Mike Wieringo tribute story by Mark Waid, Todd Dezago and Karl Kesel--who also draws the story in a cartoony style similar to that of Wieringo. I'm actually surprised at how overlooked this issue is--and a little bothered that they'd stick the tribute story in this comic, mostly filled with reprints of old, bad Spider-Man comics (I'm talking stuff from the '90s--like the first issue of a Venom mini-series). When I heard about it, I made a mental note to keep my eye out for the issue and, thankfully, I remembered.

The story itself isn't anything worldshattering, but it's a lot of fun in the best ways. The Looter wants to find the twin of his beloved meteorite and this leads Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four and Dr. Strange on a wild goose chase to the Savage Land and a few other places. The Looter is a great character: a man in love with a green shard of rock that he actually talks to--and there's a moment when Spider-Man has it and he talks to it and I immediately wondered if maybe the Looter isn't so crazy and the rock can talk to whoever holds it. Probably not, but a cool idea.

What impressed me the most about this story is how some of the heroes see that the Looter is a man who needs help and treat him with compassion as such. They see a crazy guy who isn't really bad, just a little deranged and take steps to subdue him in non-violent ways.

The rest of Spider-Man Family is, as I said, reprints and I didn't read any of them. I may read the Spider-Manga reprint since I've never read one before.

Wolverine #62

Shit, this is the 7th issue of Wolverine I've gotten in a row--the first being Jason Aaron's excellent one-off story with Howard Chaykin. Marc Guggenheim's run wasn't that great, but since I did enjoy Aaron's take on the character so much in that one-off issue, I figured I'd give this a look. I mean, Wolverine hunting down Mystique... hard to fuck that up, eh?

This is a solid issue with a few cool bits, especially the way Aaron makes it seem that Logan has gone over the edge in his hunt for Mystique--a shapeshifter, which would cause a lot of problems no doubt. The end of the issue is nice, too. I'll be picking up the rest of this arc.

Fantastic Comics #24

The first "next issue project" release from Image where creators do the next issue of a Golden Age title. It's a nice idea and good gimmick for an anthology. But, like most anthologies, the results are not always the greatest. Most of the stories in this issue are mediocre. Erik Larson's "Samson" story is serviceable, but nothing special. As are Tom Scioli's "Space Smith" and Andy Khun's "Yank Wilson." Those three stories read like bonus features for the main events, namely Joe Casey and Bill Sienkiewicz's "Flip Falcon in the Fourth Dimension" and Ashley Wood's "Sub Saunders."

Big surprise, I know, me digging on the Joe Casey and Ashley Wood stories--but there's a reason why I dig these guys' work... they deliver some killer stuff. "Flip Falcon" has Casey play around with the idea of time travel in a cool way, while also having the character transcend his old boundaries. It reads like a very well-written preview for an ongoing series where the Golden Age character is a jumping off point. It seems that reusing these public domain characters is the current "thing" and this is the first time I've seen someone do something new and interesting with one. None of this "wake up in the modern world and show us how it's done" bullshit--it's take one of those cool mindfuck concepts and push it into the 21st century. Fucking right.

Ashley Wood's Sub Saunders story is obtuse and difficult to understand since it features mostly black panels and German dialogue, but when you figure it out, it's a fun little ending to the issue. Especially the introduction of an android named... AUTOMATED KEATS! Okay, I may as well explain it: Wood makes fun of using these old characters instead of creating new ones. He referneces Automatic Kafka as that was a character he and Casey took off the board to avoid things like this project. At least, that's what I took from the story.

The only other story of note is the "Stardust" one with Mike Allred on art. It's a pretty typical "the modern world sucks and the old heroes knew how to do" story that I'm surprised Alex Ross didn't have some involvement in.

I will probably pick up future volumes of the "next issue project" because it is a fun read, even the bad stories. Although, after that Wood story, can I really do it with a clear conscience? Hoo-ha.