Since I'm no longer 'sketching' for the actual things, in the long-standing GraphiContent tradition, I've once again retitled my brief thoughts on comics I've gotten. I think this is the most accurate title yet. And sure to be a hit getter... I expected to have this up earlier today, but the Toronto Blue Jays' opening game against the Cleveland Indians went 16 innings and almost five-and-a-half hours. Which was awesome. Fantastic way to start the season. Especially since they won. Well, let's get to this because there are too many fucking comics here...
Action Comics #8: There are two things I rather liked about this comic: 1. Lex Luthor being Clark Kent's secret source. 2. Superman won ultimately by being smarter, not stronger. I guess I also liked how it poked fun at the fact that he went from public enemy #1 to everyone's favourite son in no time flat. I'm still struggling with my personal conception of Superman and Grant Morrison's conception of Superman not meshing entirely. That and the art that manages to only look attractive maybe one of twenty-three panels. [***1/4]
Age of Apocalypse #2: There's a big problem in this comic: I don't remember who any of the humans are. Nor do I care. Moving past this, this is has some nice sick moments of dark cynicism, some surprisingly strong moments of bright optimism, some good art, and, of course, alternate versions of characters we know. [***1/2]
Animal Man #8: "It's my fault that the red is in my sperm!" Just so you know, old lady, when you wish your daughter never married that guy, you're also wishing that your grandchildren had never been born, and you're pretty much ensuring that they'll kind of hate you as they get older. Sorry... that's... uh... a little too personal a reading of this comic, right? Steve Pugh's art doesn't wow me as much as Travel Foreman's spectacular work on this comic, but it's pretty good. [***1/2]
The Boys #65: This issue had the first genuine "Marshal Law moment" of the series for me. People compare the two a lot, but the tone is actually pretty different. But, when the Black Noir stood on the White House lawn, half dead, naked, his guts spilling out, and chunks of him missing... well, that made me think "This is like something I'd see in a Marshal Law comic." I like what Garth Ennis was going for here -- a bit too exposition heavy. From the end of issue 64, I figured we'd learn that the Black Noir was behind it all somehow. I didn't expect this, though. That was pretty fucked up. As was Butcher's revenge. One more big story left and where do you go from here? [***3/4]
Casanova: Avaritia #3: Christ, now I'm going to have to put up with people going "Let's. Get. Fucked." on Twitter or in blog posts for a while now, aren't I? "It's not the band I hate, it's their fans..." Always the case. Always. That said, I'm not sure this holds together completely. It may have crossed that chaos line that this comic always gets right on top of... Maybe. We'll see in June, won't we? [***3/4]
Daredevil #10.1: It's weird to watch an artist try very hard to fit in with the visual tone of a comic like this and it become apparent almost immediately that he doesn't. The art never comes together how it should, always looking unfinished... The story almost felt the same way. It's funny that Daredevil would show up and mock the bad guys, but why not take them out one by one? Why insist that they all come at him as one? There's a certain logic there... but it seems mostly fucked to me. I'm probably not getting it. That happens sometimes. [***]
Fatale #4: Gorgeous art and writing that's so relaxed, so geared towards chapters of a novel pacing that I'm tempted to set each new issue aside until the whole series is out and THEN read it. [***1/2]
Green Arrow #8: I found the seventh issue charming in the way it bounded ahead, carried by a way of banter and energy... This issue didn't have that so much. Instead of being carried away, I had to fight my way through a bit. I guess we'll use issue nine as the tie-breaker then. [*3/4]
Hell Yeah #2: This issue was an improvement over the first issue in both writing and art, but both areas can still be improved upon. I think my biggest issue with the writing is that this comic seems to (and those two words are key) want to be wild and energetic and crazy... almost like Casanova. But it's paced like something Brian Michael Bendis wrote. And I like Bendis's writing quite a bit. But, chaotic and energetic in a way that mimics what it's like to be young and full of mad, crazy ideas... that's not what he does. And this comic seems to try to do that, but doesn't give us enough and feels slight for it. It's almost like what happened in this issue and the first needed to be the first issue to really get the tone and feeling right. If what they're aiming for is what I think they are. As always, I'm probably wrong. I do like this, just not as much as I'd like to. Or they'd like me to. [***1/4]
OMAC #8: A mirror of sort of the first issue... appropriate and leaves the door open to the future. About as good as we were going to get... I'll miss this book. [***1/2]
Wolverine and the X-Men #8: I'm not entirely sure the time jumping worked, but another fun issue with some heart. And I do like some Chris Bachalo art... [***3/4]
Wolverine and the X-Men: Alpha & Omega #4: I don't like Quentin Quire as much when he grows as a character. There. I said it. [***1/4]
Later
Exceptional X-Men #4 annotations
1 day ago
