A while back, Alec Berry and I began our next Direct Message discussion on Alex Ross, specifically Kingdom Come and Marvels. It sort of petered out and died, mostly because of Alec. But, I understand. Part of his problem is that he's still finding his voice in criticism and just wasn't happy with what he said here -- mostly how he said it. He's struggling a bit with trying to be honest and not too influenced by others and it's something that we've all gone through at different times. So, I never had any issues with him not wanting to continue this one. But, why let it go to waste? It's up over on the Chemical Box and we're going to begin another one soon on The Manhattan Projects. Now, I stand by everything I say in this discussion and how I said it.
You can read Direct Message 3.5 HERE!
Showing posts with label alex ross. Show all posts
Showing posts with label alex ross. Show all posts
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Monday, August 15, 2011
Blogathon 25: Put on Your Tights and Give Them Hell Part Four
[Continuing my discussion of The Dark Knight Strikes Again.]
I get the feeling that Kingdom Come is an induction speech to a Hall of Fame or for a Lifetime Achievement Award, while The Dark Knight Strikes Again is a roast. Both tributes that show affection and love, but do so in different ways.
Take the use of Captain Marvel. In DKSA, he's a little goofy and old fashioned -- then again, that's who Captain Marvel is. He's always been a little goofy and old fashioned. Here, he has a wisp of grey hair and wears little reading glasses. He eventually sacrifices his life and it's a truly heroic moment. He gets a similar moment in Kingdom Come, but, before that, he's treated like an evil Superman almost. A manipulated, drugged manchild that's struggling with what's right and able to stand toe to toe with Superman. Both treat him with respect; one pokes fun and the other takes him seriously. Neither is right or wrong.
The biggest difference is the fundamentally different views on Batman. That goes beyond the jokey/serious differences of the two books. In both, Batman doesn't necessarily trust the guys with superpowers, he thinks himself better and more capable than them. But, that's a universal aspect to Batman. Where they differ is their willingness to take control and change things. That's his main issue with Superman in Kingdom Come: the unwillingness to change things. He doesn't like the idea of Superman and the Justice League rounding up bad guys and won't join up. He's content to sit in Gotham and have robots police the streets. He's a fucking old man that's become set in his ways and is afraid to go outside almost. When he does go out, it's in big battle armour that makes him feel tough and scary. No one noticed the irony of that being a book attacking the '90s and their Batman wore fucking armour.
Frank Miller's Batman can't just sit at home. He has his soldiers, but he likes to get his hands dirty. He's the one to organise people and start fucking things up. And it doesn't take a big inciting event. It just takes him looking out his window and noticing a corrupt world that needs fixing. Then again, The Dark Knight Returns covered the whole 'coming out of retirement' bit that Superman goes through in Kingdom Come. Would a more accurate comparison be DKSA and The Kingdom? Ha, oh god, that would awesome. Someone get on that.
The kiss between Superman and Wonder Woman in Kingdom Come seems like a Frank Miller moment. But, Batman bossing around their kid in DKSA is funnier and more entertaining then the three adults sitting in a restaurant and talking like boring folks.
In 30 minutes, I'll continue this, I imagine.
[Don't forget to donate what you can to the Hero Initiative! (Details in this post.) After you do, let me know via comment or e-mail (found at the righthand side) so I can keep track of donations -- and who to thank.]
I get the feeling that Kingdom Come is an induction speech to a Hall of Fame or for a Lifetime Achievement Award, while The Dark Knight Strikes Again is a roast. Both tributes that show affection and love, but do so in different ways.
Take the use of Captain Marvel. In DKSA, he's a little goofy and old fashioned -- then again, that's who Captain Marvel is. He's always been a little goofy and old fashioned. Here, he has a wisp of grey hair and wears little reading glasses. He eventually sacrifices his life and it's a truly heroic moment. He gets a similar moment in Kingdom Come, but, before that, he's treated like an evil Superman almost. A manipulated, drugged manchild that's struggling with what's right and able to stand toe to toe with Superman. Both treat him with respect; one pokes fun and the other takes him seriously. Neither is right or wrong.
The biggest difference is the fundamentally different views on Batman. That goes beyond the jokey/serious differences of the two books. In both, Batman doesn't necessarily trust the guys with superpowers, he thinks himself better and more capable than them. But, that's a universal aspect to Batman. Where they differ is their willingness to take control and change things. That's his main issue with Superman in Kingdom Come: the unwillingness to change things. He doesn't like the idea of Superman and the Justice League rounding up bad guys and won't join up. He's content to sit in Gotham and have robots police the streets. He's a fucking old man that's become set in his ways and is afraid to go outside almost. When he does go out, it's in big battle armour that makes him feel tough and scary. No one noticed the irony of that being a book attacking the '90s and their Batman wore fucking armour.
Frank Miller's Batman can't just sit at home. He has his soldiers, but he likes to get his hands dirty. He's the one to organise people and start fucking things up. And it doesn't take a big inciting event. It just takes him looking out his window and noticing a corrupt world that needs fixing. Then again, The Dark Knight Returns covered the whole 'coming out of retirement' bit that Superman goes through in Kingdom Come. Would a more accurate comparison be DKSA and The Kingdom? Ha, oh god, that would awesome. Someone get on that.
The kiss between Superman and Wonder Woman in Kingdom Come seems like a Frank Miller moment. But, Batman bossing around their kid in DKSA is funnier and more entertaining then the three adults sitting in a restaurant and talking like boring folks.
In 30 minutes, I'll continue this, I imagine.
[Don't forget to donate what you can to the Hero Initiative! (Details in this post.) After you do, let me know via comment or e-mail (found at the righthand side) so I can keep track of donations -- and who to thank.]
Blogathon 24: Put on Your Tights and Give Them Hell Part Three
[Continuing my discussion of The Dark Knight Strikes Again.]
While there are some obvious points of compare/contrast with The Dark Knight Returns, I've always felt the more natural comic to look to was Kingdom Come. I don't know if Frank Miller ever read it; I don't care. Both are books that take place in the DCU's future and offer a big battle ground for heroes, particularly ones with a Silver Age feel. Where Kingdom Come put the emphasis on Superman and Wonder Woman with Batman a secondary player of sorts, DKSA puts Batman front and centre with Superman and Wonder Woman as secondary players. That simple inversion presents an entirely different sort of story, especially when you consider the radically different take on Batman Miller has from... well, pretty much everyone. His Batman is a guy who loves being Batman. That's what the Goddamn Batman really is. That's why I like Miller's take so much. He gets how much fun it would be to be Batman and how Batman would go for bigger and bigger thrills, especially as he got older. Superman is almost reluctant to come back in Kingdom Come. And his return is a limited sort, one focused mostly on making heroes 'respectable.' Batman wants to tear shit up.
It's their approach to nostalgia that I find particularly illuminating. Kingdom Come was about the '90s and the types of heroes that had become popular, about emphasising a more traditional heroism. "Back in my day, superheroes wore tights and fought bad guys and drank milk and never swore and..." It's a 'I wish things were like they used to be' nostalgia. DKSA is the sort of nostalgia that makes a guy take all of the characters he loved as a kid and tosses them into an insane situation where they get to rile up young people and attack the status quo. It's the nostalgia of being young, of wanting that feeling back instead of wanting things to be like they were. Hell, I get that nostalgia and I'm only 28. It's applying the idea of taking on the world to old men. Of giving those characters another chance to shine, albeit in a different way.
It's easy to see why Kingdom Come is more revered. It's notalgia is the popular one with the comics set. It's iconic nostalgia. These characters are icons and must be treated seriously and with respect and never mocked even though they're pretty fucking silly. Miller gets that they're silly and loves them all the more. He doesn't take them seriously. Why would he?
What's especially telling: in Kingdom Come, the 'villain' is the future. The new kids are brats and they must be taught respect. Eventually, better villains emerge; still, it's not traditional. Miller is much more traditional. His bad guys are bad guys and the kids are alright. Miller's mockering is gentle, while Kingdom Come seems to look around and declare everything shit.
I used to like Kingdom Come, but, man, it's hard to sometimes. There are moments of beauty and poetry in it. Some moments that really sing for me. Not like The Dark Knight Strikes Again, which is only, what, five years later and feels like it comes from an entirely different generation.
I just get the impression that Kingdom Come is for kids and men in their thirties, while The Dark Knight Strikes Again is for teens and people in their twenties.
In 30 minutes, we reach the halfway mark of the Blogathon and I continue my ramblings on The Dark Knight Strikes Again.
[Don't forget to donate what you can to the Hero Initiative! (Details in this post.) After you do, let me know via comment or e-mail (found at the righthand side) so I can keep track of donations -- and who to thank.]
While there are some obvious points of compare/contrast with The Dark Knight Returns, I've always felt the more natural comic to look to was Kingdom Come. I don't know if Frank Miller ever read it; I don't care. Both are books that take place in the DCU's future and offer a big battle ground for heroes, particularly ones with a Silver Age feel. Where Kingdom Come put the emphasis on Superman and Wonder Woman with Batman a secondary player of sorts, DKSA puts Batman front and centre with Superman and Wonder Woman as secondary players. That simple inversion presents an entirely different sort of story, especially when you consider the radically different take on Batman Miller has from... well, pretty much everyone. His Batman is a guy who loves being Batman. That's what the Goddamn Batman really is. That's why I like Miller's take so much. He gets how much fun it would be to be Batman and how Batman would go for bigger and bigger thrills, especially as he got older. Superman is almost reluctant to come back in Kingdom Come. And his return is a limited sort, one focused mostly on making heroes 'respectable.' Batman wants to tear shit up.
It's their approach to nostalgia that I find particularly illuminating. Kingdom Come was about the '90s and the types of heroes that had become popular, about emphasising a more traditional heroism. "Back in my day, superheroes wore tights and fought bad guys and drank milk and never swore and..." It's a 'I wish things were like they used to be' nostalgia. DKSA is the sort of nostalgia that makes a guy take all of the characters he loved as a kid and tosses them into an insane situation where they get to rile up young people and attack the status quo. It's the nostalgia of being young, of wanting that feeling back instead of wanting things to be like they were. Hell, I get that nostalgia and I'm only 28. It's applying the idea of taking on the world to old men. Of giving those characters another chance to shine, albeit in a different way.
It's easy to see why Kingdom Come is more revered. It's notalgia is the popular one with the comics set. It's iconic nostalgia. These characters are icons and must be treated seriously and with respect and never mocked even though they're pretty fucking silly. Miller gets that they're silly and loves them all the more. He doesn't take them seriously. Why would he?
What's especially telling: in Kingdom Come, the 'villain' is the future. The new kids are brats and they must be taught respect. Eventually, better villains emerge; still, it's not traditional. Miller is much more traditional. His bad guys are bad guys and the kids are alright. Miller's mockering is gentle, while Kingdom Come seems to look around and declare everything shit.
I used to like Kingdom Come, but, man, it's hard to sometimes. There are moments of beauty and poetry in it. Some moments that really sing for me. Not like The Dark Knight Strikes Again, which is only, what, five years later and feels like it comes from an entirely different generation.
I just get the impression that Kingdom Come is for kids and men in their thirties, while The Dark Knight Strikes Again is for teens and people in their twenties.
In 30 minutes, we reach the halfway mark of the Blogathon and I continue my ramblings on The Dark Knight Strikes Again.
[Don't forget to donate what you can to the Hero Initiative! (Details in this post.) After you do, let me know via comment or e-mail (found at the righthand side) so I can keep track of donations -- and who to thank.]
Sunday, May 29, 2011
CBR Review: Kirby: Genesis #0
I recently reviewed Kirby: Genesis #0 for CBR and, in the process, wrote the following sentences: "Kirby: Genesis reunites the Marvels duo of Kurt Busiek and Alex Ross, joined by artist Jack Herbert, to tell the story of a universe populated by the Jack Kirby characters not owned by Marvel and DC. Whether known like Captain Victory and the Silver Star, or barely anything more than a sketch and a name, Busiek and Ross are using them all, trying to tell a coherent story. This zero issue is a preview of the series along with some backmatter. Although, exactly what kind of comic this previews is anyone’s guess; it reads like a pseudo-retro mess."You can read the rest HERE!
Thursday, December 02, 2010
CBR Review: Bring the Thunder #1
I recently reviewed Bring the Thunder #1 for CBR and, in the process, wrote the following sentences: "This week, Dynamite launches something of an anomaly in comics: an original concept Alex Ross-overseen comic. Ross is usually known for delivering his unique take on existing characters at Marvel, DC, and, recently, with Project: Superpowers and its updating of public domain Golden Age heroes. Bring the Thunder is a new concept by Ross with Jai Nitz co-plotting and handling the scripting duties. Surprisingly, it doesn’t read like your stereotypical ‘Alex Ross superhero comic,’ which is either a good or bad thing depending on your opinion of Ross’s work usually. This debut issue is an interesting beginning, but a little too vague in its presentation of the central concept to act as a proper introduction."You can read the rest HERE!
Friday, October 09, 2009
CBR Review: Project Superpowers: Meet the Bad Guys #2
I recently reviewed Project Superpowers: Meet the Bad Guys #2 and, in the process, wrote the following sentences: "I was surprised by the first issue of Project Superpowers: Meet the Bad Guys, as it was much better than the previous Project Superpowers comics I’d read. This second issue continues that tradition thanks to some unexpected choices by Joe Casey and Alex Ross in the writing. Recently, Casey has written some fantastic supervillain-centered comics with Dark Reign: Zodiac and the supervillain congress plot in Gødland, and he brings that same skill and off-beat sensibility to this book."You can read the rest HERE!
Friday, August 28, 2009
I Bought Comics: August is Almost Over
First and foremost, I want to close the books on this year's blogathon by announcing that when all was said and done, $225 was raised for the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund thanks to donations from Tim Callahan, Joshua Schroeder, Michelle Farwell, Eric Rupe, Eric Owens, Leighton Connor, Dean (no last name provided), and Nick Eliopulos. Thanks to those fine folks and everyone else who supported me throughout. It was a good time and, hopefully, I can do it again next year.
Now, onto comics, where I've got a few weeks of catching up to do. Remember, these aren't reviews proper, they're just whatever thoughts occur to me when it comes time to write about these particular comics. Okay? Okay!
Final Crisis Aftermath: Escape #4
Marco Rudy is missed in the Nevett household. His work wasn't fully polished, but, man, he brought it with the page layouts in the first three issues. The new artist, whose name I forget and I'm too lazy to look up, isn't bad, he's just not nearly as exciting. The bigger shape of the story is beginning to appear. One of the most stunning DCU books in years, honestly, in term of experimentation and freedom. Normally, you need to be Scotish to get permission to write like this there.
Unwritten #4
This issue didn't wow me as much as previous ones. I think the initial novelty is wearing off, so we'll see if there's actually enough substance to carry this book forward. I forget where I read it (honestly -- I read a lot of stuff online), but someone was talking about how this issue is the final part of the first storyarc and, yet, it doesn't feel like the end of an arc (was it Graeme and Jeff in their podcast?). That's an interesting complaint/point and I think it's a valid one. I have no problem with larger, ongoing serials, but at least have some point to using storyarcs then. Previous Vertigo series told large, ongoing stories, yet managed to understand that if you call something a storyarc, it better have some sort of conclusion... which this one lacks. Not a huge complaint since I'm on board already, but it does make me wonder.
Doktor Sleepless #13
Man, the release schedule of this book really sucks the energy out, doesn't it? Some big things happen here, but I'm sure I only caught 3/4s of them, because I forget various things. Three more issues in this story and then I'll go back and reread it. Still, definitely worth picking up in some form if you're a fan of Ellis.
Final Crisis Aftermath: Dance #4
Not much to say... Joe Casey continues deconstructing the superhero team and advances the larger plot in some big ways. I'm really liking this series.
Gravel #13
This storyarc has been a bit too slow-moving for my tastes, but I'm reserving absolute and total judgment until it concludes, which should be next issue. I'm interested in seeing what Gravel comes up with regarding the death of Lady Avalon. Still one of my favourite books and one that I look forward to quite a bit each month (or whenever it comes out).
Project Superpowers: Meet the Bad Guys #1
Not too bad. Better than that Death-Defying 'Devil series Casey did for this property. Each issue will be self-contained and introduce new bad guys. The motivation for this one is sketchy and kind of lame, but it was an enjoyable issue.
The Boys: Herogasm #4
Wow. Wow. I've been rewatching The West Wing with my girlfriend (who hasn't seen the series really) and, when the show was first on, I was in high school. It aired at the worst time for me: Wednesdays at 10 pm. I don't know about you, but Wednesday nights, I was usually dead tired -- but I knew that the show was good and wanted to watch it... but missed episodes and didn't always follow along as best I could. One thing that always stood out to me, though, was the revelation that not only did the Vice President not play a big role in the White House, but he and the President didn't even like one another. Now, that may seem obvious to adults, but when you're young, you assume that people get along, particularly two guys who lead a country together, right? Well, Bartlett and Hoynes have nothing on Dakota Bob and Vic the Veep. Christ Ennis is fucked up.
Cerebus Archive #3
What makes this book so enjoyable is Sim's total willingness to mock himself, which he does a lot. And rightly so.
Dark Avengers #8
Finally, things happen. But, they're not the sort of things that really pay off from the extensive build-up of parts 2 through 4 of this crossover, sadly. The story is still way too decompressed for its own good, but now that it's going somewhere, I'm happy again.
Detective Comics #856
Great art, okay writing. No, scratch that: goddamn gorgeous art, okay writing.
New Avengers #56
Why is Bobbi in her Mockingbird costume on the cover, but wearing a different costume inside the issue? Otherwise, an interesting issue. Wait, doesn't Luke Cage have the Wrecker's crowbar? What's going on? The bad guys striking back is definitely good stuff. Some people have been growing tired of these guys dealing with the Hood and the other bad guys, but, having just reread the entire series, I'm enjoying it more than I was before. It's nice to see a threat maintain itself like this and change and grow over time. Yes, the Hood and his gang keep showing up, but, each time, it's different. Good stuff.
Scalped #31
Oh fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck. A slower issue, but you can tell that things are going bad for a lot of people and soon.
Secret Warriors #7
Jonathan Hickman is flying solo... and it reads the exact same. I didn't get the issue of Thunderbolts that this crosses over with, but it doesn't seem essential. Maybe it is. Whatever. I trust in Hickman to keep me up to speed. The artist for this arc is okay, but I have a strange fondness for Caselli. JT is playing a dangerous game with Fury -- one that's going to bite him in the ass since we know that he will die sometime... a few possibilities there: after much conflict with Fury, he sacrifices himself for the greater good; he doesn't listen to Fury and gets killed; Fury kills him. I'm hoping for anything but the first one since it's cliched and overdone.
And, shit, that was a lot of comics for the past few weeks. Again, thanks to all who donated money to the CBLDF.
Now, onto comics, where I've got a few weeks of catching up to do. Remember, these aren't reviews proper, they're just whatever thoughts occur to me when it comes time to write about these particular comics. Okay? Okay!
Final Crisis Aftermath: Escape #4
Marco Rudy is missed in the Nevett household. His work wasn't fully polished, but, man, he brought it with the page layouts in the first three issues. The new artist, whose name I forget and I'm too lazy to look up, isn't bad, he's just not nearly as exciting. The bigger shape of the story is beginning to appear. One of the most stunning DCU books in years, honestly, in term of experimentation and freedom. Normally, you need to be Scotish to get permission to write like this there.
Unwritten #4
This issue didn't wow me as much as previous ones. I think the initial novelty is wearing off, so we'll see if there's actually enough substance to carry this book forward. I forget where I read it (honestly -- I read a lot of stuff online), but someone was talking about how this issue is the final part of the first storyarc and, yet, it doesn't feel like the end of an arc (was it Graeme and Jeff in their podcast?). That's an interesting complaint/point and I think it's a valid one. I have no problem with larger, ongoing serials, but at least have some point to using storyarcs then. Previous Vertigo series told large, ongoing stories, yet managed to understand that if you call something a storyarc, it better have some sort of conclusion... which this one lacks. Not a huge complaint since I'm on board already, but it does make me wonder.
Doktor Sleepless #13
Man, the release schedule of this book really sucks the energy out, doesn't it? Some big things happen here, but I'm sure I only caught 3/4s of them, because I forget various things. Three more issues in this story and then I'll go back and reread it. Still, definitely worth picking up in some form if you're a fan of Ellis.
Final Crisis Aftermath: Dance #4
Not much to say... Joe Casey continues deconstructing the superhero team and advances the larger plot in some big ways. I'm really liking this series.
Gravel #13
This storyarc has been a bit too slow-moving for my tastes, but I'm reserving absolute and total judgment until it concludes, which should be next issue. I'm interested in seeing what Gravel comes up with regarding the death of Lady Avalon. Still one of my favourite books and one that I look forward to quite a bit each month (or whenever it comes out).
Project Superpowers: Meet the Bad Guys #1
Not too bad. Better than that Death-Defying 'Devil series Casey did for this property. Each issue will be self-contained and introduce new bad guys. The motivation for this one is sketchy and kind of lame, but it was an enjoyable issue.
The Boys: Herogasm #4
Wow. Wow. I've been rewatching The West Wing with my girlfriend (who hasn't seen the series really) and, when the show was first on, I was in high school. It aired at the worst time for me: Wednesdays at 10 pm. I don't know about you, but Wednesday nights, I was usually dead tired -- but I knew that the show was good and wanted to watch it... but missed episodes and didn't always follow along as best I could. One thing that always stood out to me, though, was the revelation that not only did the Vice President not play a big role in the White House, but he and the President didn't even like one another. Now, that may seem obvious to adults, but when you're young, you assume that people get along, particularly two guys who lead a country together, right? Well, Bartlett and Hoynes have nothing on Dakota Bob and Vic the Veep. Christ Ennis is fucked up.
Cerebus Archive #3
What makes this book so enjoyable is Sim's total willingness to mock himself, which he does a lot. And rightly so.
Dark Avengers #8
Finally, things happen. But, they're not the sort of things that really pay off from the extensive build-up of parts 2 through 4 of this crossover, sadly. The story is still way too decompressed for its own good, but now that it's going somewhere, I'm happy again.
Detective Comics #856
Great art, okay writing. No, scratch that: goddamn gorgeous art, okay writing.
New Avengers #56
Why is Bobbi in her Mockingbird costume on the cover, but wearing a different costume inside the issue? Otherwise, an interesting issue. Wait, doesn't Luke Cage have the Wrecker's crowbar? What's going on? The bad guys striking back is definitely good stuff. Some people have been growing tired of these guys dealing with the Hood and the other bad guys, but, having just reread the entire series, I'm enjoying it more than I was before. It's nice to see a threat maintain itself like this and change and grow over time. Yes, the Hood and his gang keep showing up, but, each time, it's different. Good stuff.
Scalped #31
Oh fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck. A slower issue, but you can tell that things are going bad for a lot of people and soon.
Secret Warriors #7
Jonathan Hickman is flying solo... and it reads the exact same. I didn't get the issue of Thunderbolts that this crosses over with, but it doesn't seem essential. Maybe it is. Whatever. I trust in Hickman to keep me up to speed. The artist for this arc is okay, but I have a strange fondness for Caselli. JT is playing a dangerous game with Fury -- one that's going to bite him in the ass since we know that he will die sometime... a few possibilities there: after much conflict with Fury, he sacrifices himself for the greater good; he doesn't listen to Fury and gets killed; Fury kills him. I'm hoping for anything but the first one since it's cliched and overdone.
And, shit, that was a lot of comics for the past few weeks. Again, thanks to all who donated money to the CBLDF.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
CBR Review: Project Superpowers: Chapter 2 #1
I recently reviewed Project Superpowers: Chapter 2 #1 for CBR and, in the process, wrote the following sentences: "Project Superpowers presents an entry problem beyond the plot since none of the characters stand out and grab the reader. With a cast so large, everyone just blends into the background, even those few who get a few more lines here or there. While previous works by the pair have included characters that act as stand-ins for the readers to allow them to figure out what’s going on with this mass of people, here, it’s difficult to find grounding."You can read the rest HERE!
Friday, March 27, 2009
CBR Review: The Death-Defying 'Devil #4
I recently reviewed The Death-Defying 'Devil #4 for CBR and, in the process, wrote the following sentences: "For three issues, the ongoing subplot of whether or not this was really the Death-Defying ‘Devil has been raised with a former Wise Guy (the ‘Devil’s support team) stepping into the role of the Dragon, a ‘Devil lookalike, trying to prove the ‘Devil a fraud. Now, here’s the fourth and final issue of the series, so a resolution of this plot should have been the centerpiece of this issue, but, instead, all that’s given is another ‘to be continued.’ So, what was the point of this series exactly?"You can read the rest HERE!
Friday, March 06, 2009
I Bought Comics: End of February, Beginning of March 2009
[Not reviews, just some quick thoughts on non-CBR-reviewed comics...]
Dark Avengers #2
That Sentry splash made me stop. Still wondering what will be done with Noh-Varr. Not bad; not great, but not bad.
Death-Defying 'Devil #3
I forget what happened in this comic. That's not a good sign.
Captain America #47
Still awesome.
Boys #28
I see bad things going down. Bad, bad things.
See? Told you my thoughts would be short. Also, won't be seeing Watchmen until next Friday at the earliest.
Dark Avengers #2
That Sentry splash made me stop. Still wondering what will be done with Noh-Varr. Not bad; not great, but not bad.
Death-Defying 'Devil #3
I forget what happened in this comic. That's not a good sign.
Captain America #47
Still awesome.
Boys #28
I see bad things going down. Bad, bad things.
See? Told you my thoughts would be short. Also, won't be seeing Watchmen until next Friday at the earliest.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
CBR Review: The Death-Defying 'Devil #2
I recently reviewed The Death-Defying 'Devil #2 for CBR and, in the process, wrote the following sentences: "I’m having a hard time figuring out the point of this comic. Why does it exist? Of course, that leads to wondering why any comics exist, which leads to wondering about all forms of entertainment and art, but, let’s focus on this comic. Why does The Death-Defying ‘Devil #2 exist? What does this comic bring to the world that is unique and worthwhile that makes it stand out from all of the other comics on the shelves? Why spend your hard-earned $3.50 on this instead of something else?"You can read the rest HERE!
(Oh, and how about that lovely George Tuska cover? I make it a habit of trying to use the cover that I get for my reviews (Avatar books are more difficult and don't always result in me using the cover I got) and was strangely thrilled when my shop had a copy of the issue with that cover. I saw it previewed in the back of the first issue and really, really like it. Just figured I'd add that.)
Thursday, December 11, 2008
CBR Review: The Death-Defying 'Devil #1
I recently reviewed The Death-Defying 'Devil #1 for CBR and, in the process, wrote the following sentences: "Since the goal is to throw into question the validity of the ‘Devil’s claim that he is who he appears to be, having him silent and a closed book throughout the issue works against that purpose. An enigmatic hero works, and so does a supposedly fake hero, but, together, the reader is lost at sea, because there’s no frame of reference to work with. How are we supposed to know, or care, if this is the real ‘Devil? Say that he isn’t and there’s no pay-off, because it’s just a silent guy in a costume."You can read the rest HERE!
Thursday, November 06, 2008
CBR Review: Justice Society of America #20
I recently reviewed Justice Society of America #20 for CBR, about which I wrote the following sentences: "The use of artists Dale Eaglesham and Jerry Ordway is wonderful, with Eaglesham drawing the regular DCU, while Ordway handles Earth-2. The slightly retro look of Ordway’s pencils works for the slightly retro feel of Earth-2, but his work does overshadow Eaglesham’s a little. Comparing each artist’s composition and ability to depict so many characters, Eaglesham’s panels often looked crammed and awkward next to Ordway’s."You can read the rest HERE!
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Schools--A Snippet
Figured I'll begin updating a bit more with non-reviews.
One of the classes I'm currently taking is a seminar on modern drama, specifically the avant-garde. This week's we're doing a little bit on the Futurists. Last week it was Symbolism or something like that. Each week, it's something different. And it made me think: why don't we see more schools/theories/whaever in comics?
Maybe they're there and I'm just not paying attention. And I don't mean the traditional superheroes vs. everything else division. I mean, strict divisions over the purpose of comics, the style of creating them, the motivation of creators, etc. As I said, that may be there. You sometimes see it pop up in what we love to call feuds between creators, but those always seem childish.
One reason I've been thinking you don't see it often is that a lot of comics are done on a work-for-hire basis, which would mean a lack of theory behind the work, the creator supressing its own desires in favour of those of the publisher. The same way you don't necessarily see strong theory divisions betwee TV shows, rather just different genres and styles.
But, I'm certain there has to be various schools, at least outside of the traditional North American mainstream. And if, somehow, there aren't--why the fuck not?
***
Written, like, five minutes after posting the above: Actually, a thought just occurred to me that there are different schools within the mainstream, they're just unstated. The one that springs to mind immediately contans people like Geoff Johns, Mark Waid, Kurt Busiek, Alex Ross and Grant Morrison. The Silver Ageists, I guess you could call them. Now, each of those writers has a distinct style and all are very modern in their styles, but the sensibilities harken back to the Silver Age--or, basically, the comics they grew up reading. Of course, this ties very specifically into the characters they write--and, in this case, very specifically DC characters, although you can see certain elements in their work at Marvel (Marvels, the Earth X trilogy).
The example of this sensibility showing up in a specific comic that sprngs to mind is Infinite Crisis #2, which contains a long screed by Johns on everything wrong with the DCU, going back over a decade. It's the one issue of the series that I own, because when I read my dad's copy, it just jumped out at me. It was just a huge fucking rant right in the middle of a huge company crossover--and, pretty much, laid out the philosophy behind the series. And, as my review of Superman: Up, Up and Away! discussed, the first thing I saw done with Superman post-Infinite Crisis was a setting up of pre-1986 situations. I've heard similar things were done with Batman.
I just find it interesting that a lot of this stuff goes unstated--except for brief allusions in interviews or online columns or message board posts. I, personally, would love to see essays written by creators on stuff like this.
Warrants more thought, I think. Well, now I know what I'll be doing with my break.
One of the classes I'm currently taking is a seminar on modern drama, specifically the avant-garde. This week's we're doing a little bit on the Futurists. Last week it was Symbolism or something like that. Each week, it's something different. And it made me think: why don't we see more schools/theories/whaever in comics?
Maybe they're there and I'm just not paying attention. And I don't mean the traditional superheroes vs. everything else division. I mean, strict divisions over the purpose of comics, the style of creating them, the motivation of creators, etc. As I said, that may be there. You sometimes see it pop up in what we love to call feuds between creators, but those always seem childish.
One reason I've been thinking you don't see it often is that a lot of comics are done on a work-for-hire basis, which would mean a lack of theory behind the work, the creator supressing its own desires in favour of those of the publisher. The same way you don't necessarily see strong theory divisions betwee TV shows, rather just different genres and styles.
But, I'm certain there has to be various schools, at least outside of the traditional North American mainstream. And if, somehow, there aren't--why the fuck not?
***
Written, like, five minutes after posting the above: Actually, a thought just occurred to me that there are different schools within the mainstream, they're just unstated. The one that springs to mind immediately contans people like Geoff Johns, Mark Waid, Kurt Busiek, Alex Ross and Grant Morrison. The Silver Ageists, I guess you could call them. Now, each of those writers has a distinct style and all are very modern in their styles, but the sensibilities harken back to the Silver Age--or, basically, the comics they grew up reading. Of course, this ties very specifically into the characters they write--and, in this case, very specifically DC characters, although you can see certain elements in their work at Marvel (Marvels, the Earth X trilogy).
The example of this sensibility showing up in a specific comic that sprngs to mind is Infinite Crisis #2, which contains a long screed by Johns on everything wrong with the DCU, going back over a decade. It's the one issue of the series that I own, because when I read my dad's copy, it just jumped out at me. It was just a huge fucking rant right in the middle of a huge company crossover--and, pretty much, laid out the philosophy behind the series. And, as my review of Superman: Up, Up and Away! discussed, the first thing I saw done with Superman post-Infinite Crisis was a setting up of pre-1986 situations. I've heard similar things were done with Batman.
I just find it interesting that a lot of this stuff goes unstated--except for brief allusions in interviews or online columns or message board posts. I, personally, would love to see essays written by creators on stuff like this.
Warrants more thought, I think. Well, now I know what I'll be doing with my break.
Friday, December 08, 2006
Random Reading: Justice Society of America #1, Midnighter #2, New Avengers #25, Deathblow #2, Welcome to Tranquility #1, Punisher X-Mas Special 2006
Very much a random reading because I went to local shop here in Windsor wanting two specific comics, Immortal Iron Fist #1 and newuniversal #1, but they didn't have a copy of either. So, I pretty much stood in front of that rack for five minutes and picked various titles, some I'd read before, others just because. So, let's get this under way.
Justice Society of America #1
Didn't World War III happen at the end of Morrison's JLA run? You know, Mageddon gets closer to Earth, every country in the world starts attacking every other country until the heroe step in and shut the ancient war machine down. Oh, I am such a geek it's not funny.
Anyway, never read a single issue of JSA and never really got the attraction to a superteam based around old people who should, by all rights, be pretty easy to kill. But, it got a lot of praise by a lot of people, so what do I know?
I do know this issue is all kinds of mediocre. It's not bad, it's just not great. I'm sure there are all sorts of people who read it and creamed their jeans, but I just didn't give a fuck.
The basic plot is: sometime during the missing year in the DCU that 52 is telling, World War III happened and the JSA saved the day, except the team was broken up or something, so now they need to get it together again, except bigger, better and with more young people because the old guys are really fucking old and can die any second.
So, much of the issue is recruitment of young people, like the angry Damage or the hyper-fan who talks too much or the guy from the future who lives in a mental institution. This is played off against a story about some guy named Mr. America whose entire family is slaughtered because of his connection to the JSA and he uses his dying energy to try and warn them.
See, it's not bad, it just did nothing for me. That seems to my general feeling about most of Geoff Johns' writing. I can see where he's coming from and why some people would like it and appreciate that it accomplishes what it sets out to do, but it's not my thing. It's kind of like critiquing the writing in a creative writing class: you don't comment based on taste, but on what they're trying to do and how to make that better. Johns is doing everything he sets out to do here.
The basic idea that the JSA exists to train and give a sense of connection for younger heroes is good. I was thinking while walking home that the basic idea that's used for the Legion of Super-Heroes where ANYONE can be a member would work really well here. A real Justice Society of America. But, maybe that's where the title is moving.
The only thing I don't like is the last page and the four-panel "preview" of what's "Coming this year in Justice Society of America" because it gives the sense that this issue isn't enough to keep me as a reader interested enough to pick up #2.
If this sort of title seems like your thing, you'll almost certainly enjoy this debut issue. Me, I just don't care.
Midnighter #2
Midnighter is sent back to World War I to kill Adolf Hitler because killing him there will stop him from rising to power, but also not attract any unwanted attention. It's kinda smart.
There's actually not much to this issue. Midnighter is sent back, kills various German and French troops, tries to kill Hitler and is stopped by time-travel police or something. We're also told why Paulus has kidnapped Midnighter to do this.
The art is good, the pacing is fine, the dialogue is solid. Ennis is obviously playing to his strengths by sticking Midnighter in World War I. It's an entertaining issue, but light on plot--which isn't necessarily a bad thing.
New Avengers #25
This is the third straight issue of New Avengers I've picked up. I got the Spider-Woman #23, the Sentry #24 and now Iron Man #25. I mostly picked this up to see if Iron Man is a total fucking dick here, too. Every other tie-in to Civil War I've read has had him as a prick, so in his Bendis spotlight, does he come off alright?
Um, not really.
It begins with a disgruntled employee of his, one of his designers/engineers/armour builders breaks into Avengers Tower and shuts Tony down, pissed off that Stark would use his work like this. Tony argues that he paid for it, so fuck off. The employee, Kenny, tells him to fuck off with that bullshit because he wasn't just an employee but also a friend and he was never told his work would be used this way.
At the same time, SHIELD tries to save Stark.
The thing is, Kenny has an anti-matter generator and he's going to take the entire building out to stop Stark. Except Commander Hill, the director of SHIELD, stops him.
Yay. Day saved.
The end has her suggesting that Tony become the new director of SHIELD because it would piss people off or something.
Stark actually isn't portrayed as an asshole, he just comes off as one through the eyes of Kenny. And I guess it depends on your politics, too. If you're like me and don't think money is a good enough excuse, Stark is an asshole. If you're of the mindset that Kenny got paid, so who cares what he thinks, you'll side with Stark.
Still, a more balanced portrayal than . . . everything else I've seen.
Deathblow #1
If I understand what's going on, Azzarello is doing something very cool with this book. Michael Cray has been presumed dead for six years. That means he's missed the huge shift in global military practices, especially American military practices. And now, he's being caught up through psychological conditioning in the only place that can catch someone up: New York City.
They alter his mind a little, stick him with a family he doesn't remember, tell him his wife he doesn't remember has been killed and wait for him to respond.
At least, that's what I think is happening. I'm definitely going to keep buying this title. Fuck the trades, this issue makes me want to see how Azzarello handles things as quickly as possible.
Like with the first issue, I find the art to be horribly ugly and barely able to tell the story.
Welcome to Tranquility #1
Um, why is it that only, like, two of the characters on the cover actually appear in the comic? And the two that do aren't the young heroes that are featured in the background anymore. One of those design things that annoys me.
First off, the art is passable. It's nothing special and didn't do much for me.
Second off, same goes for the writing.
Some interesting ideas like the elderly Captain Marvel-esque hero who can't remember his special word, so reads from dictionaries of all languages constantly in an effort to stumble across it.
Or . . . well, I guess the central idea of elderly superheroes.
But, otherwise, there's nothing here that interests me. There's the requisite "old hero wants to relive glory days and causes damage" and "new asshole superperson versus old heroes" scenes.
This issue seemed to suffer from the problem with most first issues these days: it didn't feel complete. It felt like that if I'm going to have to pick up five more in order to actually be told the full premise of the book and, fuck it, I don't want to.
I assume those characters on the cover are going to show up, but they didn't appear here and nothing here makes me want to stick around and find out who they are.
Punisher X-Mas Special 2006
I love CP Smith's art. Have since his work on Stormwatch: Team Achilles and he's grown a lot since then. So, the book looks fantastic.
I haven't had much exposure to Stuart Moore except through the titles he edited back in the day.
The story is basic: it's Christmas, which means all of the big mob bosses are surrounded by family and, thus, the Punisher can't kill them because the Punisher doesn't kill innocent people. So, he's left dealing with the lower-end scumbags that he normally doesn't have time for.
In this case, it's Jimmy Nouveau, some asshole who's started his own little new age cult type thing except operates out of a strip club and was tied to the death of a cop and a small boy.
It's a decent enough story. A little cutesy at points with Punisher making a "naughty" and "nice" list. But, the ending is pretty messed up and speaks to his character well.
It won't fill you with holiday cheer, but it's the Punisher, so what do you expect?
Sometime in the next few days, I'll be doing an update where I guide you through the year-end issue of Wizard. It's been five or six years since I've read it, so let's see if it's still the shitty rag it was then.
Justice Society of America #1
Didn't World War III happen at the end of Morrison's JLA run? You know, Mageddon gets closer to Earth, every country in the world starts attacking every other country until the heroe step in and shut the ancient war machine down. Oh, I am such a geek it's not funny.
Anyway, never read a single issue of JSA and never really got the attraction to a superteam based around old people who should, by all rights, be pretty easy to kill. But, it got a lot of praise by a lot of people, so what do I know?
I do know this issue is all kinds of mediocre. It's not bad, it's just not great. I'm sure there are all sorts of people who read it and creamed their jeans, but I just didn't give a fuck.
The basic plot is: sometime during the missing year in the DCU that 52 is telling, World War III happened and the JSA saved the day, except the team was broken up or something, so now they need to get it together again, except bigger, better and with more young people because the old guys are really fucking old and can die any second.
So, much of the issue is recruitment of young people, like the angry Damage or the hyper-fan who talks too much or the guy from the future who lives in a mental institution. This is played off against a story about some guy named Mr. America whose entire family is slaughtered because of his connection to the JSA and he uses his dying energy to try and warn them.
See, it's not bad, it just did nothing for me. That seems to my general feeling about most of Geoff Johns' writing. I can see where he's coming from and why some people would like it and appreciate that it accomplishes what it sets out to do, but it's not my thing. It's kind of like critiquing the writing in a creative writing class: you don't comment based on taste, but on what they're trying to do and how to make that better. Johns is doing everything he sets out to do here.
The basic idea that the JSA exists to train and give a sense of connection for younger heroes is good. I was thinking while walking home that the basic idea that's used for the Legion of Super-Heroes where ANYONE can be a member would work really well here. A real Justice Society of America. But, maybe that's where the title is moving.
The only thing I don't like is the last page and the four-panel "preview" of what's "Coming this year in Justice Society of America" because it gives the sense that this issue isn't enough to keep me as a reader interested enough to pick up #2.
If this sort of title seems like your thing, you'll almost certainly enjoy this debut issue. Me, I just don't care.
Midnighter #2
Midnighter is sent back to World War I to kill Adolf Hitler because killing him there will stop him from rising to power, but also not attract any unwanted attention. It's kinda smart.
There's actually not much to this issue. Midnighter is sent back, kills various German and French troops, tries to kill Hitler and is stopped by time-travel police or something. We're also told why Paulus has kidnapped Midnighter to do this.
The art is good, the pacing is fine, the dialogue is solid. Ennis is obviously playing to his strengths by sticking Midnighter in World War I. It's an entertaining issue, but light on plot--which isn't necessarily a bad thing.
New Avengers #25
This is the third straight issue of New Avengers I've picked up. I got the Spider-Woman #23, the Sentry #24 and now Iron Man #25. I mostly picked this up to see if Iron Man is a total fucking dick here, too. Every other tie-in to Civil War I've read has had him as a prick, so in his Bendis spotlight, does he come off alright?
Um, not really.
It begins with a disgruntled employee of his, one of his designers/engineers/armour builders breaks into Avengers Tower and shuts Tony down, pissed off that Stark would use his work like this. Tony argues that he paid for it, so fuck off. The employee, Kenny, tells him to fuck off with that bullshit because he wasn't just an employee but also a friend and he was never told his work would be used this way.
At the same time, SHIELD tries to save Stark.
The thing is, Kenny has an anti-matter generator and he's going to take the entire building out to stop Stark. Except Commander Hill, the director of SHIELD, stops him.
Yay. Day saved.
The end has her suggesting that Tony become the new director of SHIELD because it would piss people off or something.
Stark actually isn't portrayed as an asshole, he just comes off as one through the eyes of Kenny. And I guess it depends on your politics, too. If you're like me and don't think money is a good enough excuse, Stark is an asshole. If you're of the mindset that Kenny got paid, so who cares what he thinks, you'll side with Stark.
Still, a more balanced portrayal than . . . everything else I've seen.
Deathblow #1
If I understand what's going on, Azzarello is doing something very cool with this book. Michael Cray has been presumed dead for six years. That means he's missed the huge shift in global military practices, especially American military practices. And now, he's being caught up through psychological conditioning in the only place that can catch someone up: New York City.
They alter his mind a little, stick him with a family he doesn't remember, tell him his wife he doesn't remember has been killed and wait for him to respond.
At least, that's what I think is happening. I'm definitely going to keep buying this title. Fuck the trades, this issue makes me want to see how Azzarello handles things as quickly as possible.
Like with the first issue, I find the art to be horribly ugly and barely able to tell the story.
Welcome to Tranquility #1
Um, why is it that only, like, two of the characters on the cover actually appear in the comic? And the two that do aren't the young heroes that are featured in the background anymore. One of those design things that annoys me.
First off, the art is passable. It's nothing special and didn't do much for me.
Second off, same goes for the writing.
Some interesting ideas like the elderly Captain Marvel-esque hero who can't remember his special word, so reads from dictionaries of all languages constantly in an effort to stumble across it.
Or . . . well, I guess the central idea of elderly superheroes.
But, otherwise, there's nothing here that interests me. There's the requisite "old hero wants to relive glory days and causes damage" and "new asshole superperson versus old heroes" scenes.
This issue seemed to suffer from the problem with most first issues these days: it didn't feel complete. It felt like that if I'm going to have to pick up five more in order to actually be told the full premise of the book and, fuck it, I don't want to.
I assume those characters on the cover are going to show up, but they didn't appear here and nothing here makes me want to stick around and find out who they are.
Punisher X-Mas Special 2006
I love CP Smith's art. Have since his work on Stormwatch: Team Achilles and he's grown a lot since then. So, the book looks fantastic.
I haven't had much exposure to Stuart Moore except through the titles he edited back in the day.
The story is basic: it's Christmas, which means all of the big mob bosses are surrounded by family and, thus, the Punisher can't kill them because the Punisher doesn't kill innocent people. So, he's left dealing with the lower-end scumbags that he normally doesn't have time for.
In this case, it's Jimmy Nouveau, some asshole who's started his own little new age cult type thing except operates out of a strip club and was tied to the death of a cop and a small boy.
It's a decent enough story. A little cutesy at points with Punisher making a "naughty" and "nice" list. But, the ending is pretty messed up and speaks to his character well.
It won't fill you with holiday cheer, but it's the Punisher, so what do you expect?
Sometime in the next few days, I'll be doing an update where I guide you through the year-end issue of Wizard. It's been five or six years since I've read it, so let's see if it's still the shitty rag it was then.
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