[Not reviews, just whatever I feel like saying about this week's batch of books that I didn't review for CBR.]
Absolution #2: This series isn't as engaging as I hoped it would be. Not as far out there or pushing things as I figured it would either. Two-and-a-half issues into the story and it hasn't really progressed beyond the one idea. Because I trust Avatar, I'll stick with this, but this was a weak issue.
Batman and Robin #5: Man, Grant Morrison cannot get over Alan Moore being... around? I don't know what the deal there is, but it seems unnecessary. Thankfully, it also doesn't really impact the story. Oddly, the reveal of Jason as Kovacs is the only panel in the issue that I actually like. One panel out of 95 or so. The writing is good, better than last issue, but the art continues to kill kill kill this book.
The Boys #35: It's good to have Darick Robertson back as we get the first half of a two-part story detailing Mother's Milk's origin. An odd story that's actually rather touching in that way Garth Ennis-penned origin stories usually are. He can take any stupid/absurd concept and make it work it seems. I love the last page where Hughie asks that question we all had on our minds.
Criminal: The Sinners #1: A good issue, but not great. It's a lot of status quo setting bits that will become more important later in the story. Probably one of the weaker issues of Criminal yet, but it's still better than 95% of everything else (maybe not this week, which was big -- for me). Just a little disappointing after such a long wait for more Criminal.
Dark Reign: The List -- Secret Warriors #1: As much as I like Ed McGuinness, I'm not sure he was the right artist for this issue. He doesn't do dark shadows nearly as well as he does bright kicksplode, and this is an espionage story. An artist more suited to that sort of material may have been more in line. Not that he doesn't do a good job, I just wonder if this issue would have been better with a different artist. That this issue takes place after the next issue of Secret Warriors is a little annoying (then again, the Avengers List issue took place after the current story...), but not a big problem. I love the bit with Nick Fury's list and the information at the end is another possibly huge revelation.
Greek Street #4: Still not sure about this title. It seems too busy and full of material for us to get a handle on any of the plots or characters. However, it does read a little better with each issue. My problem (and it's not a big problem): there really isn't any character to latch onto. Eddie is supposed to be that character, but he just doesn't do it for me. He's not so much "loveable loser" as he's just a fucking loser. I don't feel like rooting for him, honestly. But, I do trust Milligan and plan to stick with this for now.
That's that.
Showing posts with label i bought comics tag 2. Show all posts
Showing posts with label i bought comics tag 2. Show all posts
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Friday, October 02, 2009
I Bought Comics: Final Two Weeks of September 2009
[Not reviews proper, just whatever thoughts I have when I'm writing these.]
Final Crisis Aftermath: Dance #5: The progression of the Super Young Team has been somewhat expected and unexpected. Casey continues the concept of young versus old that Morrison infused the team to begin with (itself a progression of his New X-Men run)... the confrontation between the three SYT members and Big Science Action is a great scene, especially when you notice which group had the hotheaded assholes really to throw down... not the obvious choice. Still not loving the larger plot, honestly. It's weaker... necessary, but weaker than Casey's exploration of a young superhero team in the 21st century.
New Avengers #57: This issue didn't leave much of an impression on me, honestly. Luke Cage is dying... Osborn has made a deal with the villains... the Hood has powers again... it's all very nice and good... Stuart Immonen's art is fantastic as always. In a few years where enough issue have been built up, I'll discuss this story as part of a blogathon most likely...
The Boys: Herogasm #5: After last issue, this one feels like a midway point between two important events/revelations. Some interesting scenes and the Homelander's speech was heading in an intriguing direction, but not a lot going on here. The Homelander's speech has me interested because of the ramifications it would have on this world. It also raises the idea of superpowers taken to their natural end point (or superheroes taken to their natural end point) and how that's in conflict with corporate concerns. Not a new idea, but one that's worth exploring. I did like Ennis's self-mockery in the 'picking on comic books is a cheap laugh' bit.
glamourpuss #9: Man, this issue made me laugh. Part of me always worries about laughing at Sim's women's magazine parody stuff, but... sometimes, it's pretty damn funny. Also, the multiple universes glamourpusses, including one that's a building is great. Add to that, more fantastic art discussion and this is definitely one of my favourite books. It doesn't always click, but this issue does.
Final Crisis Aftermath: Dance #5: The progression of the Super Young Team has been somewhat expected and unexpected. Casey continues the concept of young versus old that Morrison infused the team to begin with (itself a progression of his New X-Men run)... the confrontation between the three SYT members and Big Science Action is a great scene, especially when you notice which group had the hotheaded assholes really to throw down... not the obvious choice. Still not loving the larger plot, honestly. It's weaker... necessary, but weaker than Casey's exploration of a young superhero team in the 21st century.
New Avengers #57: This issue didn't leave much of an impression on me, honestly. Luke Cage is dying... Osborn has made a deal with the villains... the Hood has powers again... it's all very nice and good... Stuart Immonen's art is fantastic as always. In a few years where enough issue have been built up, I'll discuss this story as part of a blogathon most likely...
The Boys: Herogasm #5: After last issue, this one feels like a midway point between two important events/revelations. Some interesting scenes and the Homelander's speech was heading in an intriguing direction, but not a lot going on here. The Homelander's speech has me interested because of the ramifications it would have on this world. It also raises the idea of superpowers taken to their natural end point (or superheroes taken to their natural end point) and how that's in conflict with corporate concerns. Not a new idea, but one that's worth exploring. I did like Ennis's self-mockery in the 'picking on comic books is a cheap laugh' bit.
glamourpuss #9: Man, this issue made me laugh. Part of me always worries about laughing at Sim's women's magazine parody stuff, but... sometimes, it's pretty damn funny. Also, the multiple universes glamourpusses, including one that's a building is great. Add to that, more fantastic art discussion and this is definitely one of my favourite books. It doesn't always click, but this issue does.
Friday, September 18, 2009
I Bought Comics: September 16, 2009
[Less reviews than reflections, rants, random thoughts...]
Batman and Robin #4: So, Greg Burgas has thrown down the gauntlet and I am picking it up to smack him in the face with it. If you've seen Robin Hood: Men in Tights, you'll know that getting smacked in the face with a gauntlet hurts like a sonuvabitch. The issue: Philip Tan's art, which I don't really like. Some say that Morrison writes for Tan's strengths here and (this is actually an idea I want to explore in greater detail at some point -- just warning you), having read work by writers who do gear their writing at artists (like Warren Ellis), he doesn't here. Nothing about the way that this issue is written suggests to me that Morrison changed a single thing for Tan since the pacing, the scenes, everything is much too similar to the first three issues... to Morrison's work with Tony Daniel and Andy Kubert... And Tan isn't really any better than Daniel was... Want examples? Well, let's examine the opening scene of this issue, shall we?
Page 1, panel 2: Odd perspective problems where it looks like Lightning Bug's hand/gun are closer to the man than the man's own hand... despite the first panel clearly establishing that Lightning Bug is standing up straight, a couple of feet from the man on the ground.
Pages 2 and 3: Bravo to the ambition to depiction this frantic chase/running away in a layout that highlights just how frantic it is... but Tan's skills aren't at a level to pull it off. Take the bird bit, which I nearly missed the first time I read it because the panels are practically buried or that the upper left-hand corern of page three could have been used better to give the other panels more breathing room. Never mind the spatial issues on the second page where Lightning Bug goes from the ground to atop a building... when it looked like he was just hopping a wall?
Pages 4 and 5: Scarlet's movement at the bottom of page 4 is done awkwardly and terribly. Lightning Bug's face is the sort of graphic ugliness that has personified DC's output for a while now... and is just ugly. Not in a good way, just in an ugly way.
Ugh... I don't have the energy for this. Look at the party pages and tell me this guy has any storytelling skills involving people. Look at Gordon's awkward wave and facial expression...
Is this the absolute piece of crap art we all feared? Nah, but it's not far off. It's Tony Daniel-esque work, which we all can live with but would rather not. Tan surpassed/met expectations by not churning out pages that I could draw better, but the bar was set pretty damn low... clearing it isn't much of an accomplishment when you consider that this is a Big Selling Flagship DC book. Especially when he doesn't clear it by a whole lot.
I could tell what was going on for most of this book. Most. Not all.
The colouring also reminds me of the colouring during Daniel's tenure on the book. The highlighting of red, white, and black -- especially at the end. Morrison's writing is good, but doesn't sing because of the art limitations. Which is a shame, because Morrison's script places a lot of onus on visual nuance and people's expressions here and Tan doesn't pull those off. At all. Ever.
So, there, you go, Greg. Happy?
Edit (I said this to Greg in the comments of his post): Like I said, I think this issue relied on subtle nuane between characters at times... which is a flaw in Morrison's writing as I'm not sure he knows exactly what he wants either. How are we to take Grayson's body language in the party scene? I couldn't tell what Morrison and Tan were going for really -- in the art or writing, honestly. I liked Morrison's dialogue in the Red Hood/Scarlet scene, but Tan's art (his choice of angles a lot of the time) brought it down.
Captain America Reborn #3: Say what you will about this book, it contains 31 pages of story, so there's not to be any bitching about the extra buck charged. Nine more pages for a buck means that this comic costs 12.87 cents per page compared to a 22-page comic at $2.99, which comes to 13.59 cents per page. Not that any of those figures matter one fucking bit to me, but it does to some of you morons, so schtum! What matters is content and it's decent. Some action, some plot movement, albeit not that much. Sharon Carter continues to behave like an idiot, but what else is new. I liked last issue's cover more -- and had no problems with Captain America choking out Hitler from behind. Not heroic? PFT! More like most heroic act ever! You make that fucker tap out and then go to town on him. Hitch's art in this issue is a bit rougher than usual and his Namor is grotesque -- in a good way. I love how the gutters in the past are black, but are white in the present. Nice subtle indication to let you know what timeframe you're in. I'm digging this book.
Dark Avengers #9: Bendis handles the Ares/Nick Fury confrontation well, playing off some of the groundwork he's laid over the past few years. Did we get a subtle indication that Ares can make himself invisible/unseen? I love that Ares is the one thing that the god of fear is afraid of... The end of this issue is the first time that Bendis has approached the level of creepiness/fucked-up-ness of Ellis's Thunderbolts. And Mike Deodato is just so perfect for this book, although some of his layouts are a little too out there in places.
Final Crisis Aftermath: Escape #5: Speaking of 'out there layouts'... or, more properly, speaking of the lack of out there layouts, I miss Marco Rudy on this book. Cliff Richards does a fine, steady job. His figure work and drawing ability isn't that much worse than Rudy's, but Rudy did some fantastic layouts in the first three issues that really added to the mood of scenes... and Richards's layouts are boring in comparison. The writing on this series is still obtuse, but quite interesting. Tom keeps going back in time to discover the truth about Electric City and to test his limitations... I am looking forward to next issue, so I can reread all six issues in a single sitting and see what to make of this series. Ambitious and experimental... we'll see if Ivan Brandon can bring it home in the end.
Later
Batman and Robin #4: So, Greg Burgas has thrown down the gauntlet and I am picking it up to smack him in the face with it. If you've seen Robin Hood: Men in Tights, you'll know that getting smacked in the face with a gauntlet hurts like a sonuvabitch. The issue: Philip Tan's art, which I don't really like. Some say that Morrison writes for Tan's strengths here and (this is actually an idea I want to explore in greater detail at some point -- just warning you), having read work by writers who do gear their writing at artists (like Warren Ellis), he doesn't here. Nothing about the way that this issue is written suggests to me that Morrison changed a single thing for Tan since the pacing, the scenes, everything is much too similar to the first three issues... to Morrison's work with Tony Daniel and Andy Kubert... And Tan isn't really any better than Daniel was... Want examples? Well, let's examine the opening scene of this issue, shall we?
Page 1, panel 2: Odd perspective problems where it looks like Lightning Bug's hand/gun are closer to the man than the man's own hand... despite the first panel clearly establishing that Lightning Bug is standing up straight, a couple of feet from the man on the ground.
Pages 2 and 3: Bravo to the ambition to depiction this frantic chase/running away in a layout that highlights just how frantic it is... but Tan's skills aren't at a level to pull it off. Take the bird bit, which I nearly missed the first time I read it because the panels are practically buried or that the upper left-hand corern of page three could have been used better to give the other panels more breathing room. Never mind the spatial issues on the second page where Lightning Bug goes from the ground to atop a building... when it looked like he was just hopping a wall?
Pages 4 and 5: Scarlet's movement at the bottom of page 4 is done awkwardly and terribly. Lightning Bug's face is the sort of graphic ugliness that has personified DC's output for a while now... and is just ugly. Not in a good way, just in an ugly way.
Ugh... I don't have the energy for this. Look at the party pages and tell me this guy has any storytelling skills involving people. Look at Gordon's awkward wave and facial expression...
Is this the absolute piece of crap art we all feared? Nah, but it's not far off. It's Tony Daniel-esque work, which we all can live with but would rather not. Tan surpassed/met expectations by not churning out pages that I could draw better, but the bar was set pretty damn low... clearing it isn't much of an accomplishment when you consider that this is a Big Selling Flagship DC book. Especially when he doesn't clear it by a whole lot.
I could tell what was going on for most of this book. Most. Not all.
The colouring also reminds me of the colouring during Daniel's tenure on the book. The highlighting of red, white, and black -- especially at the end. Morrison's writing is good, but doesn't sing because of the art limitations. Which is a shame, because Morrison's script places a lot of onus on visual nuance and people's expressions here and Tan doesn't pull those off. At all. Ever.
So, there, you go, Greg. Happy?
Edit (I said this to Greg in the comments of his post): Like I said, I think this issue relied on subtle nuane between characters at times... which is a flaw in Morrison's writing as I'm not sure he knows exactly what he wants either. How are we to take Grayson's body language in the party scene? I couldn't tell what Morrison and Tan were going for really -- in the art or writing, honestly. I liked Morrison's dialogue in the Red Hood/Scarlet scene, but Tan's art (his choice of angles a lot of the time) brought it down.
Captain America Reborn #3: Say what you will about this book, it contains 31 pages of story, so there's not to be any bitching about the extra buck charged. Nine more pages for a buck means that this comic costs 12.87 cents per page compared to a 22-page comic at $2.99, which comes to 13.59 cents per page. Not that any of those figures matter one fucking bit to me, but it does to some of you morons, so schtum! What matters is content and it's decent. Some action, some plot movement, albeit not that much. Sharon Carter continues to behave like an idiot, but what else is new. I liked last issue's cover more -- and had no problems with Captain America choking out Hitler from behind. Not heroic? PFT! More like most heroic act ever! You make that fucker tap out and then go to town on him. Hitch's art in this issue is a bit rougher than usual and his Namor is grotesque -- in a good way. I love how the gutters in the past are black, but are white in the present. Nice subtle indication to let you know what timeframe you're in. I'm digging this book.
Dark Avengers #9: Bendis handles the Ares/Nick Fury confrontation well, playing off some of the groundwork he's laid over the past few years. Did we get a subtle indication that Ares can make himself invisible/unseen? I love that Ares is the one thing that the god of fear is afraid of... The end of this issue is the first time that Bendis has approached the level of creepiness/fucked-up-ness of Ellis's Thunderbolts. And Mike Deodato is just so perfect for this book, although some of his layouts are a little too out there in places.
Final Crisis Aftermath: Escape #5: Speaking of 'out there layouts'... or, more properly, speaking of the lack of out there layouts, I miss Marco Rudy on this book. Cliff Richards does a fine, steady job. His figure work and drawing ability isn't that much worse than Rudy's, but Rudy did some fantastic layouts in the first three issues that really added to the mood of scenes... and Richards's layouts are boring in comparison. The writing on this series is still obtuse, but quite interesting. Tom keeps going back in time to discover the truth about Electric City and to test his limitations... I am looking forward to next issue, so I can reread all six issues in a single sitting and see what to make of this series. Ambitious and experimental... we'll see if Ivan Brandon can bring it home in the end.
Later
Friday, September 11, 2009
I Bought Comics: First Two Weeks of September 2009
[Discussed below are some comics I haven't already reviewed from September 2nd and 9th. Not reviews proper, just some thoughts.]
Ghost Riders: Heaven's on Fire #2: I'm not entirely sold on this yet though I will get the final four issues, because I'm enjoying it enough. Roland Boschi's art is just wonderfully twisted and energetic. Aaron's writing swings wildly between lame 'Heaven's been conquered by a rogue angel' plots and cool, fucked up horror fun. The inability to mix those two in a satisfying way is a big flaw in his run -- at least for me. Not sure about Hellstrom's makeover.
Greek Street #3: Trust in Milligan... I tell myself that, but this book isn't cohering yet as I would like. I'm giving it to issue six to win me over. It's still all over the place, not really providing the key character or scene to hook me. Also, I'm getting sick of the muted, bland Vertigo colouring.
Strange Adventures #7: Compare the cover art inked by Rob Hunter to the interior art inked by Al Milgrom and join me in hoping Hunter is never allowed near Jim Starlin's pencils again. Christ. I'm torn between calling this a return to form by Starlin and calling it a self-parody. Elements from his Warlock run show up as Starlin switches from his favourite topic, religion, to his second-favourite, psychology. His depiction here and in last issue of the Weird's psyche is interesting, but nothing mind-blowing or that innovative. This series is a lot better now than when it began, though. The rotating art for the back-up has bugged me, but that's the way it goes.
Sweet Tooth #1: Another Vertigo first issue offered for a dollar, so how could I resist? The concept of this book didn't really wow me ahead of time and the issue itself was better than I was expecting, but still not my thing necessarily. It was interesting enough that I'll pick up the second issue and see where things go there. I feel like this debut needed to be double-sized like The Unwritten or Greek Street -- hell, the preview for this comic was the end! They gave away the end to bring people in! That's odd. I will admit that part of my sticking with this book a little bit longer is Tim's love of Lemire's work -- and that Lemire is originally from the area where I live currently.
Dark Reign -- The List: The Avengers #1: David Uzumeri and I discussed Marko Djurdjevic's work here yesterday on Twitter and it's good. David, correctly, gives credit to inking from Mark Morales who does a much better job than Danny Miki did on Djurdjevic's Thor work. No bad attempts at hyper-realism, just crisp, clean art. A more liberal use of inks give this a more cartoony look and it works quite well. Definitely Djurdjevic's best interior work yet. The story is okay. Clint Barton making a raid on Avengers Tower to kill Norman Osborn. Spider-Man continues to be whiny as fuck in his protests. Bendis walks a good line between telling this story and spoiling the events of the current New Avengers arc... Overall, a very solid issue that I dug.
Ultimate Avengers #2: I would call it "Ultimate Comics Avengers," but the cover and the legal indicia, this comic is called Ultimate Avengers, so... A decent issue that fills in some backstory, but doesn't really advance the plot much. I do love the suggestion that Gail's dad got out of the house so she and Steve could have sex. The man understood his role in the war effort. This new Red Skull is interesting, but I hope he turns out to be a bit more complex than 'daddy wasn't there when I was a kid,' because that doesn't quite explain his behaviour. The variety of inkers hurt the art, which varies in quality from page to page. It never gets bad or anything, it just doesn't keep a consistent look is all. I am interested in seeing this group of Avengers that Millar puts together, like Tony Stark's older brother.
That does it for now.
Later
Ghost Riders: Heaven's on Fire #2: I'm not entirely sold on this yet though I will get the final four issues, because I'm enjoying it enough. Roland Boschi's art is just wonderfully twisted and energetic. Aaron's writing swings wildly between lame 'Heaven's been conquered by a rogue angel' plots and cool, fucked up horror fun. The inability to mix those two in a satisfying way is a big flaw in his run -- at least for me. Not sure about Hellstrom's makeover.
Greek Street #3: Trust in Milligan... I tell myself that, but this book isn't cohering yet as I would like. I'm giving it to issue six to win me over. It's still all over the place, not really providing the key character or scene to hook me. Also, I'm getting sick of the muted, bland Vertigo colouring.
Strange Adventures #7: Compare the cover art inked by Rob Hunter to the interior art inked by Al Milgrom and join me in hoping Hunter is never allowed near Jim Starlin's pencils again. Christ. I'm torn between calling this a return to form by Starlin and calling it a self-parody. Elements from his Warlock run show up as Starlin switches from his favourite topic, religion, to his second-favourite, psychology. His depiction here and in last issue of the Weird's psyche is interesting, but nothing mind-blowing or that innovative. This series is a lot better now than when it began, though. The rotating art for the back-up has bugged me, but that's the way it goes.
Sweet Tooth #1: Another Vertigo first issue offered for a dollar, so how could I resist? The concept of this book didn't really wow me ahead of time and the issue itself was better than I was expecting, but still not my thing necessarily. It was interesting enough that I'll pick up the second issue and see where things go there. I feel like this debut needed to be double-sized like The Unwritten or Greek Street -- hell, the preview for this comic was the end! They gave away the end to bring people in! That's odd. I will admit that part of my sticking with this book a little bit longer is Tim's love of Lemire's work -- and that Lemire is originally from the area where I live currently.
Dark Reign -- The List: The Avengers #1: David Uzumeri and I discussed Marko Djurdjevic's work here yesterday on Twitter and it's good. David, correctly, gives credit to inking from Mark Morales who does a much better job than Danny Miki did on Djurdjevic's Thor work. No bad attempts at hyper-realism, just crisp, clean art. A more liberal use of inks give this a more cartoony look and it works quite well. Definitely Djurdjevic's best interior work yet. The story is okay. Clint Barton making a raid on Avengers Tower to kill Norman Osborn. Spider-Man continues to be whiny as fuck in his protests. Bendis walks a good line between telling this story and spoiling the events of the current New Avengers arc... Overall, a very solid issue that I dug.
Ultimate Avengers #2: I would call it "Ultimate Comics Avengers," but the cover and the legal indicia, this comic is called Ultimate Avengers, so... A decent issue that fills in some backstory, but doesn't really advance the plot much. I do love the suggestion that Gail's dad got out of the house so she and Steve could have sex. The man understood his role in the war effort. This new Red Skull is interesting, but I hope he turns out to be a bit more complex than 'daddy wasn't there when I was a kid,' because that doesn't quite explain his behaviour. The variety of inkers hurt the art, which varies in quality from page to page. It never gets bad or anything, it just doesn't keep a consistent look is all. I am interested in seeing this group of Avengers that Millar puts together, like Tony Stark's older brother.
That does it for now.
Later
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.
Friday, August 07, 2009
I Bought Comics: August 5, 2009
[Who knows what I'll say here? I sure don't! I never plan these things out. It probably shows. Oh well. Remember, as always, these aren't reviews, these are just whatever thoughts I happen to have on these books right now...]
The Boys #33
Great, John McCrea is in the actual title, too. You know why The Boys will never be as great as Preacher? The art. Every issue of Preacher was done by Steve Dillon, only specials and one-shots done by others. Not so here. And, I know, Robertson had a snake bite thing and contractual obligations at DC, but his absence really kills this book, because a guy like McCrea can't measure up to his standard. Otherwise, decent issue.
Captain America: Reborn #2
I'm liking this.
Dark Reign: Zodiac #2
Now this is the motherfucking Joe Casey that I know and love. Partner him with a energetic, fantastic artist and let him go hog wild, and see what you get... a fantastic comic book. Pitch fucking perfect.
Ghost Riders: Heaven's on Fire #1
This was alright. I love that Roland Boschi is back, but the story itself doesn't grab me. I still want to know how an angel could overthrow Heaven and God if God is supposedly omnipotent and omniscient... unless God is just fucking with everyone because it's part of His plan. If so, I might enjoy this more.
Strange Adventures #6
Jim Starlin's art never looks better than when Al Milgrom inks it. It's a fact. Gorgeous pages. The story continues to intrigue me, especially Synnar's involvement as he goes from the Bad Guy of the previous story to Good Guy of this one. Also, Starlin doing a nice little romp through someone's psyche? Always good.
The Boys #33
Great, John McCrea is in the actual title, too. You know why The Boys will never be as great as Preacher? The art. Every issue of Preacher was done by Steve Dillon, only specials and one-shots done by others. Not so here. And, I know, Robertson had a snake bite thing and contractual obligations at DC, but his absence really kills this book, because a guy like McCrea can't measure up to his standard. Otherwise, decent issue.
Captain America: Reborn #2
I'm liking this.
Dark Reign: Zodiac #2
Now this is the motherfucking Joe Casey that I know and love. Partner him with a energetic, fantastic artist and let him go hog wild, and see what you get... a fantastic comic book. Pitch fucking perfect.
Ghost Riders: Heaven's on Fire #1
This was alright. I love that Roland Boschi is back, but the story itself doesn't grab me. I still want to know how an angel could overthrow Heaven and God if God is supposedly omnipotent and omniscient... unless God is just fucking with everyone because it's part of His plan. If so, I might enjoy this more.
Strange Adventures #6
Jim Starlin's art never looks better than when Al Milgrom inks it. It's a fact. Gorgeous pages. The story continues to intrigue me, especially Synnar's involvement as he goes from the Bad Guy of the previous story to Good Guy of this one. Also, Starlin doing a nice little romp through someone's psyche? Always good.
Friday, July 31, 2009
I Bought Comics: July 29, 2009
[Thoughts, memories, musing, rants, raves, just don't call them reviews.]
glamourpuss #8
There has never been a comic book like glamourpuss and there never will be again. That's a shame, because this is such a great read. Each issue goes off in unexpected directions, providing more information than you'd think possible, and really challenging you to keep up with where Sim is going. I'm surprised to learn that the glamourpuss Book Club selection here, Influence by Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen is a real book. The Olsen Twins interview people related to the fashion and art world? Really? Weird. I also learned in this issue that the author of Gone with the Wind, Margaret Mitchell was apparently a porn junkie. Weird.
Ignition City #4
The art looks worse, less complete here. At first, I thought it was a different inker (since I thought the inker was another Italian), but, nope. So no clue what happened here. I still like this book quite a bit. Ellis is one of the most optimistic and sentimental writers around -- he just disguises it under lots of bastard stuff. I don't like the trick of hiding the BIG REVEAL from us, but whatever.
New Avengers #55
Stuart Immonen is here praise the lord no more of that shitty Billy Tan spew that one poster on the CBR forums though invalidated one of my reviews as I dared to call it ugly which it was ugly uglu ugly art oh but not the work of Immonen who is fantastically wonderful oh yes yay Immonen is here
Secret Warriors #6
I really enjoyed this issue, but something about it left me cold. The last page reveal is good, but not too shocking. The action was good. I don't know. Could just be an off day on my part. Can't wait to see what Hickman has in store for us in the next arc.
glamourpuss #8
There has never been a comic book like glamourpuss and there never will be again. That's a shame, because this is such a great read. Each issue goes off in unexpected directions, providing more information than you'd think possible, and really challenging you to keep up with where Sim is going. I'm surprised to learn that the glamourpuss Book Club selection here, Influence by Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen is a real book. The Olsen Twins interview people related to the fashion and art world? Really? Weird. I also learned in this issue that the author of Gone with the Wind, Margaret Mitchell was apparently a porn junkie. Weird.
Ignition City #4
The art looks worse, less complete here. At first, I thought it was a different inker (since I thought the inker was another Italian), but, nope. So no clue what happened here. I still like this book quite a bit. Ellis is one of the most optimistic and sentimental writers around -- he just disguises it under lots of bastard stuff. I don't like the trick of hiding the BIG REVEAL from us, but whatever.
New Avengers #55
Stuart Immonen is here praise the lord no more of that shitty Billy Tan spew that one poster on the CBR forums though invalidated one of my reviews as I dared to call it ugly which it was ugly uglu ugly art oh but not the work of Immonen who is fantastically wonderful oh yes yay Immonen is here
Secret Warriors #6
I really enjoyed this issue, but something about it left me cold. The last page reveal is good, but not too shocking. The action was good. I don't know. Could just be an off day on my part. Can't wait to see what Hickman has in store for us in the next arc.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
I Bought Comics (July 22, 2009)
[I purchased comics today. I have reviewed many of the comics I've read this week. Here, I will discuss the ones I haven't reviewed in ways that have nothing to do with reviewery. Yay.]
The Boys: Herogasm #3
...did... did Hughie get a thumb shoved up his ass? And why was he huddled when Butcher went looking for him, but back as Black Noir left him later in the issue? Meh. This mini is inferior to the main title. I'm enjoying it, but not as much as The Boys proper. Nothing much seems to actually happen here, you know? And you would think a mini-series that is happening at the same time as the main book would exist because things need to happen. Enjoyable, but not great.
Captain Britain and MI:13 #15
THE END.
It sucks that this title has ended, but, now, I can go back, reread it and enjoy a very, very good 16 issues of comics. I don't think this issue ended as well as it needed to given that it's the final issue of this fantastic series. That's a lot of weight of expectations. Were this simply the end of "Vampire State" with issue 16 out next month, it would read better -- and that's clearly how it was written, for the most part. Cornell obviously threw in a few character beats to give the series a bit more closure, but this is mostly the end of a storyarc. A very good storyarc, of course. I'll miss this book. Expect a reread review on it at some point in the future.
Only two non-review books. I guess I'm not reviewing Wednesday Comics #3, but I discuss that series with Tim, so... Next week will be a bigger crop of non-review books since I reviewed so many books this week and want to take it a bit easier -- especially since I'm moving in with my girlfriend this weekend and, then, next weekend, we'll be at her friend's cottage. A week or so of stepping back from comics a little. Not completely, of course, but a bit. Expect any thoughts on San Diego to show up in my random thoughts post over at Comics Should be Good on Tuesday at 5 pm EST. It's posted at that time every Tuesday. Just as I aim for my reread reviews to go up at 2 pm EST on Sundays. I like the regular schedule, as you can guess.
Now, I'm off to eat some doritos and watch Malcolm in the Middle, a highly underrated show.
The Boys: Herogasm #3
...did... did Hughie get a thumb shoved up his ass? And why was he huddled when Butcher went looking for him, but back as Black Noir left him later in the issue? Meh. This mini is inferior to the main title. I'm enjoying it, but not as much as The Boys proper. Nothing much seems to actually happen here, you know? And you would think a mini-series that is happening at the same time as the main book would exist because things need to happen. Enjoyable, but not great.
Captain Britain and MI:13 #15
THE END.
It sucks that this title has ended, but, now, I can go back, reread it and enjoy a very, very good 16 issues of comics. I don't think this issue ended as well as it needed to given that it's the final issue of this fantastic series. That's a lot of weight of expectations. Were this simply the end of "Vampire State" with issue 16 out next month, it would read better -- and that's clearly how it was written, for the most part. Cornell obviously threw in a few character beats to give the series a bit more closure, but this is mostly the end of a storyarc. A very good storyarc, of course. I'll miss this book. Expect a reread review on it at some point in the future.
Only two non-review books. I guess I'm not reviewing Wednesday Comics #3, but I discuss that series with Tim, so... Next week will be a bigger crop of non-review books since I reviewed so many books this week and want to take it a bit easier -- especially since I'm moving in with my girlfriend this weekend and, then, next weekend, we'll be at her friend's cottage. A week or so of stepping back from comics a little. Not completely, of course, but a bit. Expect any thoughts on San Diego to show up in my random thoughts post over at Comics Should be Good on Tuesday at 5 pm EST. It's posted at that time every Tuesday. Just as I aim for my reread reviews to go up at 2 pm EST on Sundays. I like the regular schedule, as you can guess.
Now, I'm off to eat some doritos and watch Malcolm in the Middle, a highly underrated show.
Friday, July 17, 2009
I Bought Comics: July 15, 2009
[Last week was fun, wasn't it? I'm not sure this week will be just as fun, sadly. But, let's see, shall we? As always, these aren't reviews, just whatever thoughts and feelings come up.]
Incognito #5
This book has gotten stronger as it's progressed. Sean Phillips is better than everyone else, basically. This paper is really nice.
Rasl #5
I need to reread the first four issues, because something's not lining up for me. Odd to see Jeff Smith do a sex scene -- and odder that he felt the need to make sure we see absolutely no nudity. I'm not saying throw it in there for the sake of it, but when you're carrying a 'mature readers' label and were going to have the scene there already, it's distracting to go to the effort of covering things up. Unless he's making a point of doing it here to show that when he has a sex scene, it's not just an excuse for nipples.
Scalped #30
Damn good. Damn damn damn good.
Young Liars #17
"IT'S TOO LATE IT'S TOO LATE IT'S TOO LATE IT'S TOO LATE IT'S TOO LATE!" The words run through my mind like that. It is too late. Another stellar issue. I can't wait to see how it ends.
Incognito #5
This book has gotten stronger as it's progressed. Sean Phillips is better than everyone else, basically. This paper is really nice.
Rasl #5
I need to reread the first four issues, because something's not lining up for me. Odd to see Jeff Smith do a sex scene -- and odder that he felt the need to make sure we see absolutely no nudity. I'm not saying throw it in there for the sake of it, but when you're carrying a 'mature readers' label and were going to have the scene there already, it's distracting to go to the effort of covering things up. Unless he's making a point of doing it here to show that when he has a sex scene, it's not just an excuse for nipples.
Scalped #30
Damn good. Damn damn damn good.
Young Liars #17
"IT'S TOO LATE IT'S TOO LATE IT'S TOO LATE IT'S TOO LATE IT'S TOO LATE!" The words run through my mind like that. It is too late. Another stellar issue. I can't wait to see how it ends.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
I Bought Comics: July 8, 2009
[My girlfriend is out of town this weekend camping with friends. I am lonely as a result. What? Weekends are our time to hang out and all of the things that that entails. But, no, this weekend, I'm sitting in my basement apartment all alone, tired, cranky, and ready to talk about comics. Oh lucky you, imaginary reader. You shall be the recipient of my Wisdom on this dark Saturday morning. I come not to review comics but to talk shit. Rock and roll.]
Dark X-Men: The Beginning #1
Because I am a sucker and god forbid we didn't know every small stupid mundane detail about how it came about that the Dark X-Men were formed. Fuck you for buying this and fuck me, too. I hate it when I'm part of the problem. I hate myself right now because of a dumb comic... what the fuck? When did my life come down to me writing about comics online at 2:33 am and hating myself for buying a dumb, shitty comic? And make no mistake, this is a DUMB SHITTY COMIC, people! I don't care how you try to dress it up, there is no reason for this comic to exist except to feed the beast and I'm beginning to hate the beast. I've been digging Fraction's little crossover so far, because it's a logical extension of the larger story -- why wouldn't Norman Osborn form his own X-Men? Why won't he form his own Fantastic Four? Or his own Heroes for Hire? Or his own Secret Defenders? Why not Dark Guardians of the Galaxy? DARK ELDERS OF THE UNIVERSE! Oh yes, it shall be glorious and then we can have dozens of specials detailing how Norman Osborn personally approached each and every character to recruit them to his team and we can be aware of every small bit of continuity, because we have to know. We must know! Because god forbid we didn't know exactly how, detail-for-detail, second-for-second why a lame-as-fuck z-list bullshit character like the Mimic joined the Dark X-Men. You know why? Because Matt Fraction said so. The character wasn't doing anything and Fraction thought he'd make a good addition to the team. That's why. In the story, it's basically the same thing: he wasn't really doing anything and Norman decided he wanted him. It's goddamn metafictional. Art imitating life. No one cares about the Mimic, so why not throw him on the stupid mirror mirror version of the X-Men? He's like Dark Angel or something. And Dark Beast? Well... I can't even remember what happened in that story. It was rubbish and pointless. The Namor one at least built on recent events, because his joining the team actually requires an explanation, because, when we last saw him, he was ready to rip off Osborn's skull and shit in his brain. You want to know why Namor joined up? Because he doesn't know why. Or maybe he did it all for the nookie. Who the fuck knows? And I paid four dollars and something for this comic and I'll probably buy the next two issues, too. I am pathetic and part of the problem. I mean, I've got to know what's up with this team. I just got to. Fuck.
Gravel #12
Another solid issue of Gravel. I'm not sure where this is going, but each issue is enjoyable. Highly underrated book.
No Hero #6
Warren Ellis wins, you fucking bastards. I don't know exactly what, but he wins. Everyone give up, because the superhero comic is officially dead. The last page of No Hero #6 killed it. The final page grabbed the superhero comic's spine, ripped it out of its back, and then the final page proceeded to attach the spine to itself using excess skin -- it made itself a giant penis out of spine and uttered
There's nothing else you can do with superhero comics anymore. I sure as shit don't know what else there is. I thought I'd actually seen it all, but then I saw a guy rip out a spine and attach it to his groin in triumph. And he's been the fucking portagonist of this comic. He's our point of view character. The new recruit. Our eyes and ears. So what does that say about us? Why did I feel excited about that final page? Does Warren Ellis know something about my superhero-loving brain that I don't? Because Josh is me and I'm Josh, so I secretly want my penis to fall off and then replace it with a superhero's spine? Of course I do, because I just realised that superheroes are just about money. All of the high ideals I worshipped, the morals, the ethics, the saving the world -- all a facade in the pusuit of money. I gave up my social life, I stayed inside weekends, pouring over my precious superhero comics, escaping into their worlds, I gave it all up and it's just about money. That's all. Oh sure, they'll say that it's about art and the love of the characters, but I know for sure. They raised the price by a dollar not because they had to, not because that's the only way to keep the comics coming, for superheroes to keep saving the world, but because they want more money. They're happy to lie to our faces, to laugh about it, to bullshit us -- they make us care, make us obsess, make us devote large chunks of our lives. We could be out getting laid and drinking and having fun, we could be making friends, but we don't. We're willing to exchange our cocks and our appearance if it means we can live the superhero dream. AND IT'S REALLY JUST ABOUT MONEY. IT WAS ALWAYS ABOUT THE MONEY. FROM DAY ONE. We've been had, we've been bilked -- and when we realise the truth, we'll want our cocks back by any means necessary... Warren Ellis knows this and he's shown us the truth. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Oh fuck and he's right. That final page is so goddamned fucked. And it's a mirror, people. Look at Josh's mask. It's a mirror that reflects our faces. Because he is us and we are him. Enjoy your comics.
Dark X-Men: The Beginning #1
Because I am a sucker and god forbid we didn't know every small stupid mundane detail about how it came about that the Dark X-Men were formed. Fuck you for buying this and fuck me, too. I hate it when I'm part of the problem. I hate myself right now because of a dumb comic... what the fuck? When did my life come down to me writing about comics online at 2:33 am and hating myself for buying a dumb, shitty comic? And make no mistake, this is a DUMB SHITTY COMIC, people! I don't care how you try to dress it up, there is no reason for this comic to exist except to feed the beast and I'm beginning to hate the beast. I've been digging Fraction's little crossover so far, because it's a logical extension of the larger story -- why wouldn't Norman Osborn form his own X-Men? Why won't he form his own Fantastic Four? Or his own Heroes for Hire? Or his own Secret Defenders? Why not Dark Guardians of the Galaxy? DARK ELDERS OF THE UNIVERSE! Oh yes, it shall be glorious and then we can have dozens of specials detailing how Norman Osborn personally approached each and every character to recruit them to his team and we can be aware of every small bit of continuity, because we have to know. We must know! Because god forbid we didn't know exactly how, detail-for-detail, second-for-second why a lame-as-fuck z-list bullshit character like the Mimic joined the Dark X-Men. You know why? Because Matt Fraction said so. The character wasn't doing anything and Fraction thought he'd make a good addition to the team. That's why. In the story, it's basically the same thing: he wasn't really doing anything and Norman decided he wanted him. It's goddamn metafictional. Art imitating life. No one cares about the Mimic, so why not throw him on the stupid mirror mirror version of the X-Men? He's like Dark Angel or something. And Dark Beast? Well... I can't even remember what happened in that story. It was rubbish and pointless. The Namor one at least built on recent events, because his joining the team actually requires an explanation, because, when we last saw him, he was ready to rip off Osborn's skull and shit in his brain. You want to know why Namor joined up? Because he doesn't know why. Or maybe he did it all for the nookie. Who the fuck knows? And I paid four dollars and something for this comic and I'll probably buy the next two issues, too. I am pathetic and part of the problem. I mean, I've got to know what's up with this team. I just got to. Fuck.
Gravel #12
Another solid issue of Gravel. I'm not sure where this is going, but each issue is enjoyable. Highly underrated book.
No Hero #6
Warren Ellis wins, you fucking bastards. I don't know exactly what, but he wins. Everyone give up, because the superhero comic is officially dead. The last page of No Hero #6 killed it. The final page grabbed the superhero comic's spine, ripped it out of its back, and then the final page proceeded to attach the spine to itself using excess skin -- it made itself a giant penis out of spine and uttered
THERE.
NOW I LOOK LIKE A REAL FUCKING SUPERHERO.
There's nothing else you can do with superhero comics anymore. I sure as shit don't know what else there is. I thought I'd actually seen it all, but then I saw a guy rip out a spine and attach it to his groin in triumph. And he's been the fucking portagonist of this comic. He's our point of view character. The new recruit. Our eyes and ears. So what does that say about us? Why did I feel excited about that final page? Does Warren Ellis know something about my superhero-loving brain that I don't? Because Josh is me and I'm Josh, so I secretly want my penis to fall off and then replace it with a superhero's spine? Of course I do, because I just realised that superheroes are just about money. All of the high ideals I worshipped, the morals, the ethics, the saving the world -- all a facade in the pusuit of money. I gave up my social life, I stayed inside weekends, pouring over my precious superhero comics, escaping into their worlds, I gave it all up and it's just about money. That's all. Oh sure, they'll say that it's about art and the love of the characters, but I know for sure. They raised the price by a dollar not because they had to, not because that's the only way to keep the comics coming, for superheroes to keep saving the world, but because they want more money. They're happy to lie to our faces, to laugh about it, to bullshit us -- they make us care, make us obsess, make us devote large chunks of our lives. We could be out getting laid and drinking and having fun, we could be making friends, but we don't. We're willing to exchange our cocks and our appearance if it means we can live the superhero dream. AND IT'S REALLY JUST ABOUT MONEY. IT WAS ALWAYS ABOUT THE MONEY. FROM DAY ONE. We've been had, we've been bilked -- and when we realise the truth, we'll want our cocks back by any means necessary... Warren Ellis knows this and he's shown us the truth. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Oh fuck and he's right. That final page is so goddamned fucked. And it's a mirror, people. Look at Josh's mask. It's a mirror that reflects our faces. Because he is us and we are him. Enjoy your comics.
Sunday, July 05, 2009
I Bought Comics: The Day After Canada Day 2009
[Back to the same old, same old. NOT PROPER REVIEWS AT ALL!]
Batman and Robin #2
I liked this. Not sure what else to say.
The Boys #32
Someone's gonna get fuuuuuuuuuuucked. Wasn't sure that it was Annie here at first, though. The fight is brutal and it's nice to see the group against enemies that require more than brawling. Looking forward to next issue.
Cerebus Archive #2
I haven't actually read this yet. I will, though. I've been busy with various other things.
Strange Adventures #5
So... Manuel Garcia is gone and so is Rafael Alburquerque... but Starlin steps up to do the main story's art... not bad. This series is somewhat entertaining.
Uncanny X-Men #513
Combine this issue and last week's Utopia one-shot and you get a great beginning to this crossover... if you imagine them as one comic. Stupid slow comics. Otherwise, I like this idea and the vague ambiguity about how much Cyclops knows about Emma working for Osborn.
That's it for now.
Batman and Robin #2
I liked this. Not sure what else to say.
The Boys #32
Someone's gonna get fuuuuuuuuuuucked. Wasn't sure that it was Annie here at first, though. The fight is brutal and it's nice to see the group against enemies that require more than brawling. Looking forward to next issue.
Cerebus Archive #2
I haven't actually read this yet. I will, though. I've been busy with various other things.
Strange Adventures #5
So... Manuel Garcia is gone and so is Rafael Alburquerque... but Starlin steps up to do the main story's art... not bad. This series is somewhat entertaining.
Uncanny X-Men #513
Combine this issue and last week's Utopia one-shot and you get a great beginning to this crossover... if you imagine them as one comic. Stupid slow comics. Otherwise, I like this idea and the vague ambiguity about how much Cyclops knows about Emma working for Osborn.
That's it for now.
Friday, June 26, 2009
I Bought Comics: Dark Reign: Zodiac #1 Review plus Two Quick Ones
[Trying something different: doing proper reviews for some books I buy. Not quite proper, but done in the CBR format. If I feel like it. Other books get the quick treatment, I suppose. Only because I don't feel like reviewing them properly. Or at all. That's the way it goes. Yay. Enjoy.
Title: Dark Reign: Zodiac #1
Story by: Joe Casey
Art by: Nathan Fox
Colours by: Jose Villarrubia
Letters by: Albert Deschesne
Cover by: Nathan Fox
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover price: $3.99 (USD)
Release Date: June 24th, 2009
Rating: 4
Blurb: Guess who’s back. Back again. Casey’s back. Back again.
Along with Final Crisis Aftermath: Dance, I think it’s safe to say that Joe Casey’s back. Okay, he wasn’t really gone, but, aside from Gødland, he hadn’t really been writing anything that great for a while now. Charlatan Ball, Youngblood, and The Death-Defying ‘Devil were all... well, they invented words like ‘mediocre’ and ‘lacklustre’ for works like those. But not Dark Reign: Zodiac #1 where Casey places the work clearly within his own little private Marvel continuity that includes his runs on Cable, The Incredible Hulk, Deathlok, and even his Heroes Reborn: Masters of Evil one-shot despite this being a different Whirlwind technically.
Joe Casey does free-wheeling, off-the-wall dialogue better than almost anyone and his Zodiac talks circles around people. There’s an obvious hint of Ledger’s Joker here, but also Nickelhead from Gødland... in a recent interview regarding that supervillain series he’s doing for Dynamite relating to that Project Superpowers thing, Casey discusses how he likes his villains to have a nihilistic feel about them — that they embrace their villainous lifestyle and that’s what this book is about. People like to say that no one sees himself as a villain, but Casey calls that bullshit... because it is. Some people would, but in that glorious rebellious way where it’s less of a genuine evil motivation and more of a cultural identity one. Zodiac declares himself a villain, partly because he’s a bad guy, but more because he likes the idea of being a bad guy, the way that someone likes being a punk or a goth... being a villain is just an identity that this guy has embraced.
He’s joined by various ancillary characters from the Marvel universe to make up his little group, Casey once again showing that he knows his stuff. Remember, Wizard once called Casey the next Kurt Busiek because of his use of old characters no one remembers. I find this third appearance of the Clown in a Casey book an interesting one since he resembles the Clown that appeared in Casey’s Hulk run instead of the one from Deathlok. It’s the same character, but, visually, the two are distinct and I’m kind of surprised that Nathan Fox (perhaps at Casey’s urging, perhaps not) went with this one. This version is small, fat, comedic... whereas the thinner, more punk-ish Clown from Deathlok seems more appropriate for this tone of this book. It’s an interesting choice.
Nathan Fox fits this book perfectly. His frantic energy matches Casey’s so damn well. I love the way Fox draws Johnny Storm — almost the way that Zodiac views the character. The colouring is a bit too dark and muddled for my taste at times, but it’s also appropriate. I dunno. Otherwise, he really brings life to these characters, even Zodiac, who could fall flat given his mask. I love his inclusion of sound effects throughout the issue, too.
The revelation of Zodiac’s real face at the end... is that supposed to be someone we know? He looks familiar, but he’s not ringing any bells. But, yeah, this is a pretty good book and I’m looking forward to the next two issues. Along with The Last Defenders, Casey shows again that he can take the overlying plot of the Marvel universe and give a different perspective on it. In that case, it was a different view of Stark’s Initiative program, here’s it’s Osborn’s ‘Dark Reign.’
Detective Comics #854
What can I say that Jog hasn't already? Gorgeous fucking comic. I got this issue to see if I'd bother with future ones and I think I will. Rucka's writing is in top form here, coupled with Williams's art... AND the bonus of Cully Hamner? Well, how can you say no?
New Avengers #54
Billy Tan is done! Stuart Immonen is coming! Keep on rockin' in the free world!
Title: Dark Reign: Zodiac #1Story by: Joe Casey
Art by: Nathan Fox
Colours by: Jose Villarrubia
Letters by: Albert Deschesne
Cover by: Nathan Fox
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover price: $3.99 (USD)
Release Date: June 24th, 2009
Rating: 4
Blurb: Guess who’s back. Back again. Casey’s back. Back again.
Along with Final Crisis Aftermath: Dance, I think it’s safe to say that Joe Casey’s back. Okay, he wasn’t really gone, but, aside from Gødland, he hadn’t really been writing anything that great for a while now. Charlatan Ball, Youngblood, and The Death-Defying ‘Devil were all... well, they invented words like ‘mediocre’ and ‘lacklustre’ for works like those. But not Dark Reign: Zodiac #1 where Casey places the work clearly within his own little private Marvel continuity that includes his runs on Cable, The Incredible Hulk, Deathlok, and even his Heroes Reborn: Masters of Evil one-shot despite this being a different Whirlwind technically.
Joe Casey does free-wheeling, off-the-wall dialogue better than almost anyone and his Zodiac talks circles around people. There’s an obvious hint of Ledger’s Joker here, but also Nickelhead from Gødland... in a recent interview regarding that supervillain series he’s doing for Dynamite relating to that Project Superpowers thing, Casey discusses how he likes his villains to have a nihilistic feel about them — that they embrace their villainous lifestyle and that’s what this book is about. People like to say that no one sees himself as a villain, but Casey calls that bullshit... because it is. Some people would, but in that glorious rebellious way where it’s less of a genuine evil motivation and more of a cultural identity one. Zodiac declares himself a villain, partly because he’s a bad guy, but more because he likes the idea of being a bad guy, the way that someone likes being a punk or a goth... being a villain is just an identity that this guy has embraced.
He’s joined by various ancillary characters from the Marvel universe to make up his little group, Casey once again showing that he knows his stuff. Remember, Wizard once called Casey the next Kurt Busiek because of his use of old characters no one remembers. I find this third appearance of the Clown in a Casey book an interesting one since he resembles the Clown that appeared in Casey’s Hulk run instead of the one from Deathlok. It’s the same character, but, visually, the two are distinct and I’m kind of surprised that Nathan Fox (perhaps at Casey’s urging, perhaps not) went with this one. This version is small, fat, comedic... whereas the thinner, more punk-ish Clown from Deathlok seems more appropriate for this tone of this book. It’s an interesting choice.
Nathan Fox fits this book perfectly. His frantic energy matches Casey’s so damn well. I love the way Fox draws Johnny Storm — almost the way that Zodiac views the character. The colouring is a bit too dark and muddled for my taste at times, but it’s also appropriate. I dunno. Otherwise, he really brings life to these characters, even Zodiac, who could fall flat given his mask. I love his inclusion of sound effects throughout the issue, too.
The revelation of Zodiac’s real face at the end... is that supposed to be someone we know? He looks familiar, but he’s not ringing any bells. But, yeah, this is a pretty good book and I’m looking forward to the next two issues. Along with The Last Defenders, Casey shows again that he can take the overlying plot of the Marvel universe and give a different perspective on it. In that case, it was a different view of Stark’s Initiative program, here’s it’s Osborn’s ‘Dark Reign.’
Detective Comics #854
What can I say that Jog hasn't already? Gorgeous fucking comic. I got this issue to see if I'd bother with future ones and I think I will. Rucka's writing is in top form here, coupled with Williams's art... AND the bonus of Cully Hamner? Well, how can you say no?
New Avengers #54
Billy Tan is done! Stuart Immonen is coming! Keep on rockin' in the free world!
Friday, June 19, 2009
I Bought Comics: The Middle Weeks of June 2009
[I wrote five reviews on Wednesday, so I'm reviewed out until after this weekend where I'm getting out of town with my girlfriend. It's her birthday and she wants to visit her parents, so off we go. The point: as always, these aren't reviews, they're just whatever thoughts pop into my head.]
The Unwritten #2
I really enjoyed the first issue of this book and the second issue continues in the same vein. Not sure if this will get a spot on my pull list since I usually give books 4-6 issues before making that determination, but this has a very good shot.
Captain America #600
As I pointed out over at Comics Should be Good, this is actually the second Marvel comic to centre around the one-year anniversary of Steve Rogers's death. And, as others have said, this is a another good chapter in Ed Brubaker's run, but it's not exactly the sort of comic you base a big media push around. It's based very much on context and a solid knowledge of what came before. It's rather good, but I really am curious how much it would grab a guy off the street. I really loved the inclusion of a Golden Age Cap comic with some art that is weird and wild and just fantastic.
Captain Britain and MI:13 #14
Paul Cornell writes the hell out of this comic, pulling back from the end of last issue with a major twist that makes perfect sense and doesn't feel like a cheat. Everyone else, take notes, and learn. Only one more issue left. Dammit.
Final Crisis Aftermath: Dance #2
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaand ChrisCross is gone already? The comic suffers as a result, because the pair of artists that step in can't quite match him. Comparisons to The Intimates continue as the horrible art that plagued the end of that series happens here in the second issue. Compare this issue to the first and you can see with crystal clear accuracy just how much bad art can hurt an issue. And I don't meant to dump on the artists here, but their work is ugly, cluttered, and pretty bad, and the issue reads bad as a result. Joe Casey's writing is butchered here. We'll see how it reads in the future, but this issue was a disappointment despite Casey hitting all of the right moments, expanding on his character building, and, again, giving us action that dovetails with the vapid nature of the group. But, goddamn.
The Unwritten #2
I really enjoyed the first issue of this book and the second issue continues in the same vein. Not sure if this will get a spot on my pull list since I usually give books 4-6 issues before making that determination, but this has a very good shot.
Captain America #600
As I pointed out over at Comics Should be Good, this is actually the second Marvel comic to centre around the one-year anniversary of Steve Rogers's death. And, as others have said, this is a another good chapter in Ed Brubaker's run, but it's not exactly the sort of comic you base a big media push around. It's based very much on context and a solid knowledge of what came before. It's rather good, but I really am curious how much it would grab a guy off the street. I really loved the inclusion of a Golden Age Cap comic with some art that is weird and wild and just fantastic.
Captain Britain and MI:13 #14
Paul Cornell writes the hell out of this comic, pulling back from the end of last issue with a major twist that makes perfect sense and doesn't feel like a cheat. Everyone else, take notes, and learn. Only one more issue left. Dammit.
Final Crisis Aftermath: Dance #2
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaand ChrisCross is gone already? The comic suffers as a result, because the pair of artists that step in can't quite match him. Comparisons to The Intimates continue as the horrible art that plagued the end of that series happens here in the second issue. Compare this issue to the first and you can see with crystal clear accuracy just how much bad art can hurt an issue. And I don't meant to dump on the artists here, but their work is ugly, cluttered, and pretty bad, and the issue reads bad as a result. Joe Casey's writing is butchered here. We'll see how it reads in the future, but this issue was a disappointment despite Casey hitting all of the right moments, expanding on his character building, and, again, giving us action that dovetails with the vapid nature of the group. But, goddamn.
Friday, June 05, 2009
I Bought Comics: May becomes June
[Random thoughts, impressions, feelings... maybe I should spend this entire time discussing how these comics make me feel. Nah, just whatever I feel like saying. These aren't reviews, so please don't think of them as such.]
Final Crisis Aftermath: Run! #1
I read somewhere the idea that the Human Flame here is a stand-in for Dan DiDio and even that idea doesn't make this comic read any better. It's pretty fucking bad and pointless. I bought it for the Splash Page. Not sure it was worth it.
Captain America #50
I know this a big round number that's easily divisible by ten, is half of 100 and so on, but it didn't require the bigger price tag. The lead story is the normal 22 pages and the bonus material easily could have been shifted to this month's 600th issue. Other than that, a fairly mundane story about Bucky not having a birthday cake until the Avengers make him a birthday cake. Wow.
Ghost Rider #35
Once upon a time, I loved Ghost Rider. It was a mean, energetic grindhouse horror comic. It was messy and played loose, unafraid to be a bit crazy. Then, it became a very, very, very mediocre story about angels and a war in Heaven and the International Club of Ghost Riders and I was this close to dropping the book. Then, that story ended and Tony Moore came on board to do the art and, for the past three glorious issues, the book has returned to when it was one of the goddamn best books on the shelf. This was the last issue. Soon, there will be a mini-series that finishes up that heaven/angels/International Club of Ghost Riders plot. No justice in the world.
glamourpuss #7
I'm torn on what to think about this issue. The discussion of art isn't nearly as prominent as usual, but the fashion mag parody has been replaced with superheroine parodies. Ms. A? Both an homage to Ditko's Mr. A and a purposeful misinterpretation through 21st-century fashion celebrity. The other superheroines are rather entertaining, including Girl Flash (created apparently because the trademark on a female version of the Flash has lapsed) and Leather Cleavage.
Gødland #28
Holy shit is this issue jam-packed with content! EVERY PAGE BLEW MY MIND AND THEN SWALLOWED THE SWEET, SWEET BRAIN JUICES!
The Boys #31
Holy fuck. Holy fuck.
Dark Avengers #5
Why do I do it to myself? I'm buying this book, partly because Noh-Varr is in it -- and I can't fucking stand the way Bendis writes the character. Fuck. Otherwise, this issue was weak in a lot of spots. The Osborn TV interview was so fucking cliched and obvious. The Sentry stuff continues to be interesting, though, and Ares... Ares is the best thing about this comic.
Scalped #29
Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ.
Seaguy: Slaves of Mickey Eye #2
The best Morrison book of the week. Of course.
Strange Adventures #4
This book has hit its stride, which isn't amazing or anything, but it's pretty solid in quality. I never thought I'd say this, but Jim Starlin not doing any of the art helps. Maybe if Al Milgrom were inking him, but it seems that Ian Hunter gets that assignment most of the time these days and the art suffers considerably. The plot here reveals a larger pattern -- and there's a nice friendly jab at DC editorial here over the handling of the whole Hawkman dead/alive debacle.
Final Crisis Aftermath: Run! #1
I read somewhere the idea that the Human Flame here is a stand-in for Dan DiDio and even that idea doesn't make this comic read any better. It's pretty fucking bad and pointless. I bought it for the Splash Page. Not sure it was worth it.
Captain America #50
I know this a big round number that's easily divisible by ten, is half of 100 and so on, but it didn't require the bigger price tag. The lead story is the normal 22 pages and the bonus material easily could have been shifted to this month's 600th issue. Other than that, a fairly mundane story about Bucky not having a birthday cake until the Avengers make him a birthday cake. Wow.
Ghost Rider #35
Once upon a time, I loved Ghost Rider. It was a mean, energetic grindhouse horror comic. It was messy and played loose, unafraid to be a bit crazy. Then, it became a very, very, very mediocre story about angels and a war in Heaven and the International Club of Ghost Riders and I was this close to dropping the book. Then, that story ended and Tony Moore came on board to do the art and, for the past three glorious issues, the book has returned to when it was one of the goddamn best books on the shelf. This was the last issue. Soon, there will be a mini-series that finishes up that heaven/angels/International Club of Ghost Riders plot. No justice in the world.
glamourpuss #7
I'm torn on what to think about this issue. The discussion of art isn't nearly as prominent as usual, but the fashion mag parody has been replaced with superheroine parodies. Ms. A? Both an homage to Ditko's Mr. A and a purposeful misinterpretation through 21st-century fashion celebrity. The other superheroines are rather entertaining, including Girl Flash (created apparently because the trademark on a female version of the Flash has lapsed) and Leather Cleavage.
Gødland #28
Holy shit is this issue jam-packed with content! EVERY PAGE BLEW MY MIND AND THEN SWALLOWED THE SWEET, SWEET BRAIN JUICES!
The Boys #31
Holy fuck. Holy fuck.
Dark Avengers #5
Why do I do it to myself? I'm buying this book, partly because Noh-Varr is in it -- and I can't fucking stand the way Bendis writes the character. Fuck. Otherwise, this issue was weak in a lot of spots. The Osborn TV interview was so fucking cliched and obvious. The Sentry stuff continues to be interesting, though, and Ares... Ares is the best thing about this comic.
Scalped #29
Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ.
Seaguy: Slaves of Mickey Eye #2
The best Morrison book of the week. Of course.
Strange Adventures #4
This book has hit its stride, which isn't amazing or anything, but it's pretty solid in quality. I never thought I'd say this, but Jim Starlin not doing any of the art helps. Maybe if Al Milgrom were inking him, but it seems that Ian Hunter gets that assignment most of the time these days and the art suffers considerably. The plot here reveals a larger pattern -- and there's a nice friendly jab at DC editorial here over the handling of the whole Hawkman dead/alive debacle.
Friday, May 15, 2009
I Bought Comics: May 13, 2009
[Normal reviews may buy my comics these days, but they're kind of boring sometimes, you know? A little too 'you must write this way all of the time' for my tastes. Sometimes. I'm not complaining. It's just that there are a lot of rules and people get annoyed if you stray too far. Examine an issue solely on its own merits and they get pissed. Examine an issue within the context of the whole and they get pissed. Call a writer a "stupid motherfucking retard who obviously learned English thirdhand two hours before shitting out a turd that some inbred editor decided to call a script" and your editor makes you rewrite. Not here, my friends. Not here where I don't do proper reviews. Calling them reviews would be wrong, oh yes. They are simply whatever I feel like saying about a particular comic. Blessed freedom.]
Captain Britain and MI:13 #13
Um... what? This arc is only half over and it looks like the bad guys have won. I mean, the team's all dead. They're all dead! Where do you go from there? Paul Cornell knows and I trust him. I'm a cynical fella and don't buy that all of those characters are dead, but it's still shocking to see them all slaughtered with such ease.
Final Crisis Aftermatch: Escape #1
I read this twice on Wednesday. I wasn't sure if I was going to pick this up or not, but the preview pages convinced me to give it a shot. Out of these four Final Crisis Aftermath titles, I knew I would be getting Dance for certain, while Ink and Run looked like shit -- Escape was the only one that had me debating. It was Dan DiDio's pet project with him editing it directly, which was a strike against it, honestly (I tend to take a dismal view of ANY project where an editor is heavily involved -- and the more power said editor has, the less I want it -- Mark Waid over at BOOM! is an exception, of course). But, promises of it being similar to The Prisoner had me intrigued. Marco Rudy on art was also a plus since I dug his Final Crisis stuff when it wasn't too rushed. I have no idea who Nemesis is, but this was one damn good comic. A real mindfuck that doesn't even attempt to explain anything. Number Six himself even shows up. Reminds me a bit of The Filth (the Mr. Green/Mr. Yellow issue in particular). Rudy pulls in all sorts of influences from Williams to Weston to Mandrake, and it's a visual joy. The writing isn't quite at that Morrison level, the narration a bit too heavyhanded at times, but there's promise -- and it's better than a lot of the other shit out there. Not the sort of comic you'd expect DC to publish, at least not in its regular Universe. Hard to believe that this is the same company that gave out Blackest Night #0 for free, permanently damaging lords knows how many minds. Good show, Ivan Brandon.
Gravel #11
If this story is going where it looks like it will be going, I am very pleased. That direction, for the record, is Gravel just killing off the Major Seven entirely. Why bother solving the mystery when you can carbetbomb the whole lot? Lateral thinking. Solider thinking. He's not a detective and he doesn't like trumped up idiots who sit around and do nothing except admire how brilliant they are. Wolfer fucking draws the shit out of those final pages. Some very good work.
Secret Warriors #4
Jonathan Hickman continues to improve with each issue, juggling all of these characters and situations. Nick Fury is a bastard, but that good kind. The Hydra stuff is interesting. I don't know what to say beyond this is a good fucking comic. Christ.
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen -- Century: 1910
I read a black and white .pdf of this a while back. Enjoyed it then. Haven't reread it yet, but do like the colours. Thinking I may do a Reread Review of The Black Dossier if only to show how dumb I really am. But, yeah, a really nice read that takes a different form from previous League stories -- which Moore says is a result of not having to pander as much to DC and readers. It works.
Captain Britain and MI:13 #13
Um... what? This arc is only half over and it looks like the bad guys have won. I mean, the team's all dead. They're all dead! Where do you go from there? Paul Cornell knows and I trust him. I'm a cynical fella and don't buy that all of those characters are dead, but it's still shocking to see them all slaughtered with such ease.
Final Crisis Aftermatch: Escape #1
I read this twice on Wednesday. I wasn't sure if I was going to pick this up or not, but the preview pages convinced me to give it a shot. Out of these four Final Crisis Aftermath titles, I knew I would be getting Dance for certain, while Ink and Run looked like shit -- Escape was the only one that had me debating. It was Dan DiDio's pet project with him editing it directly, which was a strike against it, honestly (I tend to take a dismal view of ANY project where an editor is heavily involved -- and the more power said editor has, the less I want it -- Mark Waid over at BOOM! is an exception, of course). But, promises of it being similar to The Prisoner had me intrigued. Marco Rudy on art was also a plus since I dug his Final Crisis stuff when it wasn't too rushed. I have no idea who Nemesis is, but this was one damn good comic. A real mindfuck that doesn't even attempt to explain anything. Number Six himself even shows up. Reminds me a bit of The Filth (the Mr. Green/Mr. Yellow issue in particular). Rudy pulls in all sorts of influences from Williams to Weston to Mandrake, and it's a visual joy. The writing isn't quite at that Morrison level, the narration a bit too heavyhanded at times, but there's promise -- and it's better than a lot of the other shit out there. Not the sort of comic you'd expect DC to publish, at least not in its regular Universe. Hard to believe that this is the same company that gave out Blackest Night #0 for free, permanently damaging lords knows how many minds. Good show, Ivan Brandon.
Gravel #11
If this story is going where it looks like it will be going, I am very pleased. That direction, for the record, is Gravel just killing off the Major Seven entirely. Why bother solving the mystery when you can carbetbomb the whole lot? Lateral thinking. Solider thinking. He's not a detective and he doesn't like trumped up idiots who sit around and do nothing except admire how brilliant they are. Wolfer fucking draws the shit out of those final pages. Some very good work.
Secret Warriors #4
Jonathan Hickman continues to improve with each issue, juggling all of these characters and situations. Nick Fury is a bastard, but that good kind. The Hydra stuff is interesting. I don't know what to say beyond this is a good fucking comic. Christ.
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen -- Century: 1910
I read a black and white .pdf of this a while back. Enjoyed it then. Haven't reread it yet, but do like the colours. Thinking I may do a Reread Review of The Black Dossier if only to show how dumb I really am. But, yeah, a really nice read that takes a different form from previous League stories -- which Moore says is a result of not having to pander as much to DC and readers. It works.
Friday, May 08, 2009
I Bought Comics: I Only Bought SOME Comics, Actually
[Not proper reviews. Not fair. Who cares. This is about some Free Comic Book Day books plus two comics I bought this week, but didn't review for CBR.]
Blackest Night #0
Shouldn't Barry think Jason Todd is Robin, not Dick? Jason had been Robin for, like, three years in the real world before Barry died, so wouldn't he still think Jason is Robin, having also known that Dick adopted the Nightwing identity? And since when are "willpower" and "death" emotions? I don't give a fuck.
Bongo Comics Free-for-All!
Tim Callahan's son liked this book quite a bit, so I'm reluctant to bash it for its utter lack of humour.
Resurrection #0
Didn't read the Tek Jansen back-up since it was originally in the first issue of that comic, which I bought and didn't enjoy at all. I'm not reading that shit again. The main story is interesting and has me wanting more.
Savage Dragon #148
I knew who the mystery woman was before the reveal! And I don't even read this comic! Who da man? WHO DA MAN? This comic was all kinds of printed on paper in colour with words and pictures and yeah not my thing.
The Boys #30
Not a free comic, but I enjoyed this more than pretty much ever free comic despite paying $3.75 for this. Yeah, that's what I paid in Canadian dollars. The fake-out at the beginning made me laugh. Some smaller moments that were nice. A breather issue. And that back cover teaser has me excited for the next issue.
Seaguy: Slaves of Mickey Eye #2
I paid $4.95 for this comic. Next time you whine about $3.99 comics, remember that. And that people in other foreign countries pay even larger sums for their books. And that we all think it's worth it. And the economy is rough here, too. Yeah. And this comic was very fucking good. I also enjoyed it more than any free comic I got on Wednesday. And that's why I usually don't give a fuck about Free Comic Book Day.
Blackest Night #0
Shouldn't Barry think Jason Todd is Robin, not Dick? Jason had been Robin for, like, three years in the real world before Barry died, so wouldn't he still think Jason is Robin, having also known that Dick adopted the Nightwing identity? And since when are "willpower" and "death" emotions? I don't give a fuck.
Bongo Comics Free-for-All!
Tim Callahan's son liked this book quite a bit, so I'm reluctant to bash it for its utter lack of humour.
Resurrection #0
Didn't read the Tek Jansen back-up since it was originally in the first issue of that comic, which I bought and didn't enjoy at all. I'm not reading that shit again. The main story is interesting and has me wanting more.
Savage Dragon #148
I knew who the mystery woman was before the reveal! And I don't even read this comic! Who da man? WHO DA MAN? This comic was all kinds of printed on paper in colour with words and pictures and yeah not my thing.
The Boys #30
Not a free comic, but I enjoyed this more than pretty much ever free comic despite paying $3.75 for this. Yeah, that's what I paid in Canadian dollars. The fake-out at the beginning made me laugh. Some smaller moments that were nice. A breather issue. And that back cover teaser has me excited for the next issue.
Seaguy: Slaves of Mickey Eye #2
I paid $4.95 for this comic. Next time you whine about $3.99 comics, remember that. And that people in other foreign countries pay even larger sums for their books. And that we all think it's worth it. And the economy is rough here, too. Yeah. And this comic was very fucking good. I also enjoyed it more than any free comic I got on Wednesday. And that's why I usually don't give a fuck about Free Comic Book Day.
Friday, April 24, 2009
I Bought Comics: April 22, 2009
[Christ, it seems all I do these days is write and think about comics. But that's not true! I also watch wrestling and Blue Jays games! I also hang out with my girlfriend! I also read books! I also talk to the police about this odd fraud scheme that some people tried to involve me in! See? Lots of stuff besides comics! Which is why I feel okay writing some more about comics here. As always, these aren't reviews, because I get paid for reviews and you bastards ain't paying shit. So this is what you get for free. Because I love you.]
Detective Comics #853
I did enjoy this comic despite it's hokey-as-fuck ending that really frustrates me. Partly because it's hokey-as-fuck and partly because it has Batman giving up. FUCK THAT SHIT. The Batman doesn't give up. I don't care if he realises he's dying and his mommy says it's time to go, the Batman says, "Sorry, mom, my city needs me" and he keeps on fighting. None of this "Goodbye, [*insert element of Batman's life*]" shit! Superman would do that, but Batman? No chance.
The other thing that bothers me is that I realised that SOMEONE should have insisted and fought for JH Williams III to draw this story. And I'm not saying that just because I love Williams's art and wish he drew every comic I read, but because he's an artist who shows a unique talent to draw in different styles on a character-by-character basis -- and that's what this story needed. Kubert does an okay job, but Williams would have made it obvious that these were characters from different eras coexisting.
Also, how cool is that Joker sketch by Kubert in the back of the issue? And why does the Joker he actually draws here (and in Batman #686) not look nearly as awesome?
New Avengers #52
Chris Bachalo continues to make Billy Tan look like a fucking hack. I can't seem to drop this book. I really like Bendis's Avengers stuff. I do.
No Hero #5
A lot of nice moments here, but Josh getting to be a hero was nice -- although is was obvious what had happened before the reveal. Not quite sure where this series is going or how it will end. It seems very relaxed and meandering. Really enjoying it. Edit: And I just noticed that the cover colour schemes match the colours of the rainbow/light spectrum. So far: red, orange, yellow, green, blue... with the zero issue being black. I rather like that touch.
That's what you get for free on a Friday morning.
Detective Comics #853
I did enjoy this comic despite it's hokey-as-fuck ending that really frustrates me. Partly because it's hokey-as-fuck and partly because it has Batman giving up. FUCK THAT SHIT. The Batman doesn't give up. I don't care if he realises he's dying and his mommy says it's time to go, the Batman says, "Sorry, mom, my city needs me" and he keeps on fighting. None of this "Goodbye, [*insert element of Batman's life*]" shit! Superman would do that, but Batman? No chance.
The other thing that bothers me is that I realised that SOMEONE should have insisted and fought for JH Williams III to draw this story. And I'm not saying that just because I love Williams's art and wish he drew every comic I read, but because he's an artist who shows a unique talent to draw in different styles on a character-by-character basis -- and that's what this story needed. Kubert does an okay job, but Williams would have made it obvious that these were characters from different eras coexisting.
Also, how cool is that Joker sketch by Kubert in the back of the issue? And why does the Joker he actually draws here (and in Batman #686) not look nearly as awesome?
New Avengers #52
Chris Bachalo continues to make Billy Tan look like a fucking hack. I can't seem to drop this book. I really like Bendis's Avengers stuff. I do.
No Hero #5
A lot of nice moments here, but Josh getting to be a hero was nice -- although is was obvious what had happened before the reveal. Not quite sure where this series is going or how it will end. It seems very relaxed and meandering. Really enjoying it. Edit: And I just noticed that the cover colour schemes match the colours of the rainbow/light spectrum. So far: red, orange, yellow, green, blue... with the zero issue being black. I rather like that touch.
That's what you get for free on a Friday morning.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
I Bought Comics: Ed Brubaker Edition
[Yeah, yeah, yeah, not reviews, just whatever pops into my head... probably not entertaining or informative in any way, but, well, fuck you, this is my blog and you don't have to read it. Not the best way to encourage readership, but what the hell? I do this to entertain myself, the rest of you being a secondary concern. I don't know you people, so how would I target anything at you? It would be pointless and I just don't care. I'm kind of sleepy, hungry, feel a bit off, and am listening to the Beatles. That last bit is a good thing. I love the Beatles as everyone should. Anyone who says they don't love the Beatles is evil and should be shot. It's one of those cases where everyone is right, they are fucking amazing, accept it. Except for "Yellow Submarine." That song is a piece of shit.]
Captain America #49
A fairly average comic book periodical. Meant to be a character piece, but it doesn't really do much. Luke Ross's art really doesn't measure up to any of the other artists on this title. This issue would not have received four stars had I reviewed it for CBR. To be fair, I'm probably being hard on it only because I expect better from this series.
Incognito #3
We encounter another All-Star Superman situation: a book that I should love and everyone else seems to love, but I find just okay, nothing special, what else is in this week's pile? It has all of the right elements with Brubaker, Phillips, black comedy, a bit of noir... but, yeah, it's not doing it for me. I didn't find the black comedy all that funny. There's something really... I don't know, lowbrow about the book in every negative sense of that word. It's not as smart as the other stuff that Brubaker writes. It features similar characters doing similar things, but just seems like a dumbed down, more juvenile version of those other books despite having no obvious signs pointing in that direction. I can't explain it really. Sorry.
Captain America #49
A fairly average comic book periodical. Meant to be a character piece, but it doesn't really do much. Luke Ross's art really doesn't measure up to any of the other artists on this title. This issue would not have received four stars had I reviewed it for CBR. To be fair, I'm probably being hard on it only because I expect better from this series.
Incognito #3
We encounter another All-Star Superman situation: a book that I should love and everyone else seems to love, but I find just okay, nothing special, what else is in this week's pile? It has all of the right elements with Brubaker, Phillips, black comedy, a bit of noir... but, yeah, it's not doing it for me. I didn't find the black comedy all that funny. There's something really... I don't know, lowbrow about the book in every negative sense of that word. It's not as smart as the other stuff that Brubaker writes. It features similar characters doing similar things, but just seems like a dumbed down, more juvenile version of those other books despite having no obvious signs pointing in that direction. I can't explain it really. Sorry.
Friday, April 10, 2009
I Bought Comics: April 8, 2009
[For the first time ever, I will not just be discussing my non-CBR-reviewed purchases, but one of the books I reviewed for CBR as well... again, not reviews, just thoughts, impressions, what have you.
Captain Britain and MI:13 #12
One of my fellow CBR reviewers, Greg McElhatton points something out in his review of this issue that I hadn't considered before: Paul Cornell is writing a fresh and interesting vampire story that is unlike anything that came before. I hadn't thought about that, but it's true. How the fuck did he do that?
Timestorm 2009/2099 #1
What I wrote in my e-mail to Augie when I submitted my review: "So, they try to cash in on the 2099 name, but then deliver a different 2099 world... what is wrong with people? Who thought that would be a GOOD idea in any way? And will Brian Reed ever write a comic that I don't want to throw out immediately after reading for fear that it's mediocrity will somehow rub off on my other comics?" I forgot to add that Eric Battle's art is the sort of shit you'd expect to find in a random issue of Spider-Man Unlimited during the period where Ben Reilly was Spider-Man. I'm thinking of a specific issue and next time I'm at my parents' house, I may have to hunt for it to see if he actually did art in it.
But, seriously, what is the goddamn point of using the 2099 name and then changing the whole fucking thing? "Well, Chad, you have to read the series to find out." After a pisspoor comic like this, I don't quite see that happening.
(And in a possibly odd judge of its quality, I've yet to see a thread for this issue appear on CBR's forums. Normally, by this time, a thread would have shown up--even for the shittiest of comics--and someone would have called me some bad words because I didn't appreciate the obvious genius of this week's true masterpiece. Seriously. There was even a thread devoted to proclaiming how wrong I was to trash The Death-Defying 'Devil #4--not a thread for the issue, but for my review. Only two people participated and neither of them were me. But, yeah, not a single thread yet? Not a good sign.)
Wolverine: Weapon X #1
I generally like Jason Aaron's writing, but this left me cold. It feels like half a first issue. Here's what happens: Logan learns that old Weapon X technology is being used to alter people. That's it. Sure, that information is conveyed in an entertaining enough manner, but that just doesn't cut it.
Young Liars #14
On Tuesday, I was upset over the utter shunning of Young Liars by the Eisner's. On Wednesday, I was enthralled by the absolute genius of this issue and made even more upset. Best comic there is right now.
Captain Britain and MI:13 #12
One of my fellow CBR reviewers, Greg McElhatton points something out in his review of this issue that I hadn't considered before: Paul Cornell is writing a fresh and interesting vampire story that is unlike anything that came before. I hadn't thought about that, but it's true. How the fuck did he do that?
Timestorm 2009/2099 #1
What I wrote in my e-mail to Augie when I submitted my review: "So, they try to cash in on the 2099 name, but then deliver a different 2099 world... what is wrong with people? Who thought that would be a GOOD idea in any way? And will Brian Reed ever write a comic that I don't want to throw out immediately after reading for fear that it's mediocrity will somehow rub off on my other comics?" I forgot to add that Eric Battle's art is the sort of shit you'd expect to find in a random issue of Spider-Man Unlimited during the period where Ben Reilly was Spider-Man. I'm thinking of a specific issue and next time I'm at my parents' house, I may have to hunt for it to see if he actually did art in it.
But, seriously, what is the goddamn point of using the 2099 name and then changing the whole fucking thing? "Well, Chad, you have to read the series to find out." After a pisspoor comic like this, I don't quite see that happening.
(And in a possibly odd judge of its quality, I've yet to see a thread for this issue appear on CBR's forums. Normally, by this time, a thread would have shown up--even for the shittiest of comics--and someone would have called me some bad words because I didn't appreciate the obvious genius of this week's true masterpiece. Seriously. There was even a thread devoted to proclaiming how wrong I was to trash The Death-Defying 'Devil #4--not a thread for the issue, but for my review. Only two people participated and neither of them were me. But, yeah, not a single thread yet? Not a good sign.)
Wolverine: Weapon X #1
I generally like Jason Aaron's writing, but this left me cold. It feels like half a first issue. Here's what happens: Logan learns that old Weapon X technology is being used to alter people. That's it. Sure, that information is conveyed in an entertaining enough manner, but that just doesn't cut it.
Young Liars #14
On Tuesday, I was upset over the utter shunning of Young Liars by the Eisner's. On Wednesday, I was enthralled by the absolute genius of this issue and made even more upset. Best comic there is right now.
Sunday, April 05, 2009
I Bought Comics: April's Fool 2009
[Not reviews. Not at all. Just thoughts. Not necessarily intelligent ones.]
Gravel #10
I didn't know this was coming out this week. Normally, my updated Diamond list comes via Midtown Comics's website and they didn't have it listed, so imagine my surprise when I was handed this along with the other books on my pull list. A pleasant surprise. This issue is a bit slower and gets away from the main point a bit. I do like how Ellis and Wolfer don't bother to deal with the "cliffhanger" from last issue, merely showing us that, yeah, Gravel survived and has solved the problem. Good stuff. Hopefully "Gravel finds and recuits a new Minor Seven" doesn't proceed as slowly as it looks like it will. Wolfer on art is still just what this old Strange Kiss fan enjoys.
Irredeemable #1
I read this last Monday via .pdf, so eat that. It's an enjoyable enough issue. David Uzumeri over at the Savage Critics makes a good point that, perhaps, Waid is trying too hard to break from his perceived "Silver Age character lovefest" persona that anyone who's been paying attention knows is bullshit. But, this is the first issue, so let Waid overdo it a little, I say. Let him pile the shit on at first, pretty much dare you not to keep reading and then show off his regular skills in a "See? Who's old fashioned now, assholes?" move. Also, thanks to Augie, I've listened to all of the "15 Minutes with Mark Waid" podcasts and it's good stuff. All of them can be found here aside from one, which wasn't labelled properly. Check them out. Thanks to my .pdf-aquiring abilities, I'll probably trade-wait this series, but, so far, yeah, I'm on board.
Scalped #27
Scalped good. Very good. Buy Scalped.
Strange Adventures #2
Hey, did you know that this book already has a running back-up feature? Jim Starlin: several steps ahead of the rest of DC. The main part of this book is interesting as the Weird is revealed officially to be the new vessel of Synnar, which I assumed Starlin would drag out more--thankfully, he just dives in. The back-up feature continues to be the best part of this book, as it was in the first issue. Starlin on art (albeit with the godawful inks of Rob Hunter) doing a Bizarro story where Bizarro doesn't talk. I love it. Throw in an insane final image of a woman with a little Lady Styx growing out of her head that has its own Lady Styx growing out of its head and, hey, Starlin is a bit insane.
That does it for this week.
Gravel #10
I didn't know this was coming out this week. Normally, my updated Diamond list comes via Midtown Comics's website and they didn't have it listed, so imagine my surprise when I was handed this along with the other books on my pull list. A pleasant surprise. This issue is a bit slower and gets away from the main point a bit. I do like how Ellis and Wolfer don't bother to deal with the "cliffhanger" from last issue, merely showing us that, yeah, Gravel survived and has solved the problem. Good stuff. Hopefully "Gravel finds and recuits a new Minor Seven" doesn't proceed as slowly as it looks like it will. Wolfer on art is still just what this old Strange Kiss fan enjoys.
Irredeemable #1
I read this last Monday via .pdf, so eat that. It's an enjoyable enough issue. David Uzumeri over at the Savage Critics makes a good point that, perhaps, Waid is trying too hard to break from his perceived "Silver Age character lovefest" persona that anyone who's been paying attention knows is bullshit. But, this is the first issue, so let Waid overdo it a little, I say. Let him pile the shit on at first, pretty much dare you not to keep reading and then show off his regular skills in a "See? Who's old fashioned now, assholes?" move. Also, thanks to Augie, I've listened to all of the "15 Minutes with Mark Waid" podcasts and it's good stuff. All of them can be found here aside from one, which wasn't labelled properly. Check them out. Thanks to my .pdf-aquiring abilities, I'll probably trade-wait this series, but, so far, yeah, I'm on board.
Scalped #27
Scalped good. Very good. Buy Scalped.
Strange Adventures #2
Hey, did you know that this book already has a running back-up feature? Jim Starlin: several steps ahead of the rest of DC. The main part of this book is interesting as the Weird is revealed officially to be the new vessel of Synnar, which I assumed Starlin would drag out more--thankfully, he just dives in. The back-up feature continues to be the best part of this book, as it was in the first issue. Starlin on art (albeit with the godawful inks of Rob Hunter) doing a Bizarro story where Bizarro doesn't talk. I love it. Throw in an insane final image of a woman with a little Lady Styx growing out of her head that has its own Lady Styx growing out of its head and, hey, Starlin is a bit insane.
That does it for this week.
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