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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Blogathon 45: Hellblazer #250

[Discussed in this issue: "Happy New Fucking Year," "Christmas Cards," "All I Goat for Christmas," "The Curse of Christmas," and "Snow Had Fallen" (Hellblazer #250).]

The final discussion of an actual Hellblazer comic specifically... This issue is an anthology issue with all of the stories revolving around the holiday season. I'll do these one story at a time...

"Happy New Fucking Year" by Dave Gibbons and Sean Phillips: John is asked to get back the Scythe of Osiris for the English Museum on New Year's Eve. Turns out the guy who stole is going to use to kill a baby and get immortality or something. John stops him by stealing a champagne bottle and giving him a swift kick to the balls. Nothing really wrong with this story. It's got Sean Phillips on art after all. Gibbons throws in a great joke where the saved baby's name turns out to be Brooklyn and John, of course, thinks the kid may have been better off with scythe.

"Christmas Cards" by Jamie Delano and David Lloyd: John goes to a bar to watch a poker game (he's not allowed to play). Chas gets tapped out and it comes down to two guys: a bald thug of a man and this old guy that we learn is in town trying to bring his daughter back home. She's had drug problems and he needs the money to buy her from her pimp. At the end, despite owing money and not usually having much of a conscience, something makes the thug lay down four queens and let the old guy have the pot. It's a sweet little story. I have no idea if John was meant to have done something. David Lloyd on art... shit, he gets across the emotion so well. I love the pencil crayon look of his colours.

"All I Goat for Christmas" by Brian Azzarello and Rafael Grampá: This is a weird one. It's a poem about John being hired by a bunch of Cubs fans to break a curse involving a goat. John does it by turning a goat into a demon goat of sorts and the people in the bar have to eat it to break the curse. Azzarello's poem has a good rhythm. Short lines, lots of rhyme... and art by Rafael Grampá. Grampá's line work is fairly unique. A little odd, but intricate and detailed, but also highly idiosyncratic. It tells more of the story than the poem. I don't mind Azzarello returning to the character for something like this. It's so out there and weird that it seem divorced from his run on the title.

"The Curse of Christmas" by Peter Milligan and Eddie Campbell: The ghost of an MP who died under mysterious circumstances the previous Christmas at the same time as two others wants John to figure out how he died. Turns out it was in the Queen's Christmas address. The guy who wrote it's wife slipped the spell in to help him rise through the ranks quicker. John doesn't do anything to them, seeming to think that being married to one another is punishment enough. Cynical and funny. Eddie Campbell does the art! His John has a look of age to him, too. He mostly looks over 50 years old.

"Snow Had Fallen" by China Miéville and Giuseppe Camuncoli: This is my least favourite story of the bunch. John investigates a chemical plant accident and some strange occurances. Devils coming to children in the night after they played in some waste from a plant explosion. Turns out, though, that since the factory was refining evil, the waste was pure good -- the unnecessary bits. When the children played in it and made snow angels (thinking it was snow), they created real angels... sort of. Giuselle Camuncoli does the art and it's not often you'll hear me say that his is the weakest in a comic, but, in this case, it is. It's actually bit weak for him in general. Not up to his usual standard.

A nice little collection of short stories. None that blow my mind, but most are pretty good. I'm torn between the Delano and Milligan ones for my favourite.

In 30 minutes, I'll write a few words on the writers of Hellblazer...

[Don't forget to donate what you can to the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund! After you do, let me know via comment or e-mail (found at the righthand side) so I can keep track of donations -- and who to thank.]

Blogathon 03: Hellblazer #31, 35 & 84

[Discussed in this post: Hellblazer #31 ("Mourning of the Magician"), 35 ("Dead-Boy's Heart"), and 84 ("In Another Part of Hell").]

Up next is a trio of Jamie Delano-penned issues, all drawn by Sean Phillips. The second two (along with issue 11 and the three issues in the next post) come from Rare Cuts, a trade collecting some (then) uncollected issues of the series around the time that Constantine came out in theatres. I'm also discussing #31 because I just happen to have that issue. All three are solid little stories that show off both Delano and Phillips's skills.

"Mourning of the Magician" focuses on the aftermath of the death of John's father. John's relationship with his father is a somewhat complicated one where John's mother died giving birth to him. We learn later that she died because John's father pushed her to terminate the pregnancy. As a result, John's father was left raising him and his older sister, Cheryl, and resented the fuck out of John. That John was always a bit of an evil fuck didn't help. John's dad died because of John and someone who wanted to strike at him. Here, Gemma, John's niece, is being haunted by the ghost of her newly deceased grandfather. Her parents can't see him and she doesn't know what to do. John eventually intervenes and we learn that, when he was 14, he put a spell on his father, tying him to a dead cat. As it decayed, his health got worse, so bad that John regretted his decision and put the cat in a jar of formaldehyde to keep it from decaying any further, and buried it. John's dad's health stopped deteriorating, but also didn't get any better. His ghost has been lingering because it's still tied to the cat, so John digs it up and dumps it out, allowing his father's spirit to pass on... to Hell, we later learn.

It's a good little ghost story with some emotional elements tied in. Gemma's relationship with her uncle is an interesting one as she looks up to and admires him despite his desire that she doesn't. John skips the funeral for the most part, preferring to watch his father get cremated. He obviously doesn't like the 'emotional' stuff. We also learn more about the effects of magic and how it can lead to unintended consequences. Sean Phillips was early in his career at this point and the art is a little rough. The colouring is very moody and willing to just use one blanket colour for entire panels if it seems appropriate. An interesting looking comic.

"Dead-Boy's Heart" focuses on John when he was eight and living with his aunt and uncle because his father was arrested for stealing women's panties apparently. It's a rather good story about a young boy who feels lost in the world and gets by through his imagination. He annoys his sister, is bullied, is misunderstood by adults, and has an encounter with the boogeyman, a local name for a man who lives in a shack at the abandoned quarry. When some older boys dare him to go down and steal some porn mags from the shack, John is nearly caught and comes across the remains of a young boy. He takes the reddish-rock-like heart for himself. There's an interesting scene where we see that he's built this little prison for bugs and kills them with the dead-boy's heart. It's disturbing and you can see some of the sociopathic tendencies of the character in that way little boys have. In the end, John feels guilty about taking the heart, thinking the dead-boy may need it, so he returns to the quarry and throws it back, but it lands on the shack... and the boogeyman doesn't come out. He realises that it must have went straight through and killed him. He's horrified and runs away, realising that he's become a monster in his own way. Very good art by Phillips here. Much clearer and he handles the eight-year old John very well. There's a real precociousness in the way he draws him. He looks like a little shit who gets up to a lot of trouble.

"In Another Part of Hell" came out after Garth Ennis left the book and Delano returned for a one-off issue. In it, John's best friend and sidekick, Chas, has just become a grandfather and John hangs out at Chas's place until Chas returns with his wife, daughter, and granddaughter. While waiting, he remembers living there with Chas and Chas's mother for a time period. Chas's mother, Queenie, was a fat, ugly bitch who ruled over Chas, bossing him around, and acting a tyrant. She never left her bed, using a monkey in a dress and wig to be her eyes and ears all around. It's just some funny, awful stuff. John realises that to get at Queenie, he needs to kill the monkey and does so by hinting that he's in love with it so it will let its guard down. Not a groundbreaking issue, but a nice little one-off. There's also some good Renee (Chas's wife) yelling at John stuff (as she hates him). Phillips returning was a good call since he did a good chunk of Delano's run and he was coming on board the book full-time again.

In 30 minutes, I'll do the two issues Grant Morrison wrote and a random Ennis-penned issue...

[Don't forget to donate what you can to the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund! After you do, let me know via comment or e-mail (found at the righthand side) so I can keep track of donations -- and who to thank.]

Blogathon 02: Hellblazer #11

[Discussed in this post: Hellblazer #11, "Newcastle: A Taste of Things to Come."]

Hellblazer is a comic told in something approaching real time. John Constantine's birthday is May 10, 1953, making him 57 years old right now. The events of this issue take place in 1978 when John was 25 and what happens here is sort of his 'Uncle Ben got shot because Spider-Man didn't stop the robber' moment, except a little bit worse and with different lasting effects. It just rates that high in his history for its effect and what came after. The issue is told in the present (1988) with John thinking back after coming to Newcastle and the site of the events.

Prior to the events of this issue, John had been in a punk band called Mucous Membrane and had played in a club in Newcastle called the Casanova Club. Now, a short time later, he and a group have returned to that site to investigate some strange stuff. There, they find a little girl named Astra, the daughter of the club's owner. She's in something of a trance and there's a bad vibe throughout. They also find a huge pile of rotted, twisted remains of people in the basement. Apparently, her father would not just sexually assault his daughter, he'd throw these parties full of drugs and sex and make her watch... and participate. Eventually, it was more than she could stand and she somehow summoned an elemental creature that she called Norfulthing and it protected her by killing everyone. It's still loose and it needs to be caged/destroyed/just gotten rid of.

So, John, still young and naive and cocky as shit, decides to raise up a demon from Hell to get rid of the elemental creature. Except he fucks it all up and some people die. Worse than that, he and Astra are taken to Hell. While he escapes, he isn't quick enough and Astra doesn't make it through, only the arm attached to the hand John was holding makes it through. Because of his actions, the soul of an innocent little girl was sentenced to Hell and some of his friends died. The results were guilt that he's never gotten over and two years in the 'Ravenscar Secure Facility for the Dangerously Deranged.'

In many ways, the events of this issue tell you everything you need to know about John Constantine and that he never really learned his lesson. He has a compulsion to be the hero, to save the day, but, because of those he is forced to deal with and the means through which he acts, things often get cocked up and someone else pays the price. In many ways, what happens here is a mixed up version of every Hellblazer story. It's always about guilt, John's arrogance, and, really, John not being nearly as smart as he thinks he is.

The issue was written by Jamie Delano, the book's first writer (though Alan Moore created the character) and the storytelling is solid. It's not entirely clear why John and company are in Newcastle (never made explicit) and having John narrate ten years later gives the right perspective. On the second page, there's a fantastic bit of foreshadowing where John walks through the junkyard that the property where the Casanova Club has begun and, when he places his hand on a wrecked car while standing around, a doll's arm falls out of it, previously stuck in the door. He freaks out and we learn later why.

The art isn't the best. The layouts are sometimes confusing and muddled. The style a little overwrought in its attempt at realism.

The key things to remember from this issue are: John's guilt over Astra, that almost always someone has to pay the price for John's mistakes (and it usually isn't him primarily), John makes a lot of mistakes, and John always feels the need to save the day. He may act too cool for that sort of thing, like it isn't his problem... but he comes around.

In thirty, I'll cover some other Delano-penned issues...

[Don't forget to donate what you can to the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund! After you do, let me know via comment or e-mail (found at the righthand side) so I can keep track of donations -- and who to thank.]

I Bought Comics: The First Three Weeks of December 2008

[In which I deliver thoughts and musings on comic books which I have read, but have not reviewed for CBR. Not really reviews, so don't take them as such. Unless you want to. Okay?]

I haven't done this for a few weeks, which makes sense since at least half of what I get each week is for reviews, so letting it accumulate makes sense. I will be doing this in chronological and then alphabetical order. As well, included are two graphic novels I received for Christmas on Tuesday. Yeah, we did ours on Tuesday since both of my sister had to work today. It actually didn't change much since the actual date of Christmas is pretty arbitrary and doing it two days sooner isn't really all that different. It also meant that when I woke up this morning at quarter-to-nine, I'd slept in compared to my previous 24 Christmases. Weird.

Final Crisis #5

Well, Tim and I discussed this in a cross-blog Splash Page, so I'm not sure if there's much to add. I dug this issue quite a bit and it's fun to see how Morrison's overall plan is unfolding. Tim and I didn't discuss it, but I didn't find the art changes distracting or annoying in any way.

Secret Invasion: Dark Reign

Didn't really impress me. It's nice to see that the villains weren't planning this, this is just Norman Osborn trying to make his life easier. I actually looked at New Avengers: Illuminati to compare/contrast and, wow, Alex Maleev's art sure has changed. Namor, in particular, suffers. His Osborn also has normal hair. What the hell? I'm actually not that enthused over "Dark Reign," but that's a pretty easy stance to take when you thought Iron Man was an asshole post-Civil War. I do like the reversal, but nothing I've read including the end of Secret Invasion, this and the most recent issues of the two Avengers books has convinced me that I should give a fuck. But, more on that towards the end.

Ghost Rider #30

This book loses me more with each passing issue. What began as a quirky grindhouse horror comic has become another book about various versions of the same character with a stupidly cliche villain that's playing the turncoat for a chump. The fall of this book in my esteem has been drastic and I'm very close to dropping it. What comes down to is, I'm bored when I read it. I don't care about the International Spirits of Vengeance, I don't care about a renegade angel, and I really just don't care about this book. I may give the run so-far a reread and let that decide its fate.

Hellblazer #250

Though I buy this book in trades, random one-off or two-part fill-in issues pop up from time to time and it's an excuse to pick up a floppy adventure of John Constantine to hold me over until the next trade comes out. This holiday/anniversary special isn't bad. It isn't great either, but rarely are these fill-in issues, especially when creators are limited to short stories. That said, who cares, it's good stuff. Brian Azzarello's story was witty and, thankfully, didn't tie into his run on the book. Peter Milligan takes over next issue and his story shows promise. I'm this close to picking up the book on a regular basis with Milligan on board. Really, this book is a great pairing of skilled writers and artists, and just a joy to read. Not the best thing ever, but good enough.

Invincible Iron Man #8

Salvador Larocca's art pisses me off. It's butt-fuck ugly in a lot of places as he doesn't know how to draw a damn face/head. Add to that a plot that I don't care about. The more I think about it, the more I find the idea of Norman Osborn in charge just because he got in the shot that killed the Skrull Queen, the more I find the whole idea a waste of my goddamn time. This book is back to being officially dropped.

Punisher: War Zone #2-3

I don't know if you've noticed this, but, over at CBR, there are six comic book reviewers. Now, I like a good "gimmick," so I thought "Six of us, six issues of a new Garth Ennis/Steve Dillon Punisher book... we should each review an issue!" I sent an e-mail to Augie (reviews editor and columnist) and he thought it was a good idea, but wondered if it could work (I did too), but I mentioned it to the gang and they liked the idea. What I find very interesting is that reviews for the first three issues are up and each of us has given our respective issue four stars out of a possible five. Now, if that isn't an indication of the level of quality that Ennis and Dillon are delivering, I don't know what is. And we're all different, us reviewers (the two closest in taste would probably be Tim and myself, I think)... yeah, this is a four-star series. It's as good as it can be. The goofier aspects both add and detract (not equally, but close enough), and it's weekly, so it reads very well. I like that Marvel is releasing this book that way and wish they'd line up various minis by high quality teams to release this way. DC has it's mediocre-to-utter-shit weekly book and Marvel can have its various weekly minis that are quite good.

New Avengers #48

Did anything actually happen in this issue? No? Didn't think so. With the price going up by a buck (a buck-twenty for Canadians thanks to the exchange rate) next issue, I think I'm done with this book. Again, the new line-up isn't really all that different and the new status quo doesn't wow me. There are two reasons why I'd keep buying this series:

1. Because I have all of Bendis's Avengers work to this point. And that reason has a pull, but not a good enough one. Really, it's not even close to good enough.

2. Because I want to see what happens with Danielle Cage. This reason is almost good enough. It's very close, because I've become attached to Luke and Jessica, but I can always pick up trades or find out what happens online. It's not worth nearly five bucks each month (exchange rate, you whiny Americans!).

I do believe I will buy the first issue of Dark Avengers to see what it's like, but, that may be the end of me and Brian Michael Bendis's Avengers work. But, in January, I'm thinking I might start a series of posts looking at his run(s) on the book(s). Fun.

The Little Man: Short Strips, 1980-1995

One of the two graphic novels I received for Christmas. I've been a fan of Chester Brown for a few years now, but this is only the third book of his I've gotten. I first picked up I Never Liked You back in my second year of undergrad and, then, Louis Riel in hardcover shortly after, but, since then... nothing. This collection is nice and ranges in quality, most of the strips only two or three pages. I always enjoy collections like this, because I enjoy seeing how a writer/artist/whatever changes and grows over the years... not just in style and technique, but in their subject matter of choice. Considering that my first exposure to Brown's work was I Never Liked You, it's not surprising that my favourite strips were "Helder" and "Showing 'Helder,'" both very autobiographical. I haven't read all of the notes yet, but plan to tonight. One sour note: after only one read-through, the binding has come unglued... pages haven't fallen out yet, but it's not that fun to have a book fall apart so quickly. Ah well, it will make seem more read if anyone should ever browse my collection and make it seem like I'm a bigger fan of Brown than I am.

The Amazing Remarkable Monsieur Leotard

Eddie Campbell's annual graphic novel was my second Christmas graphic novel (if only I'd thought to put the new ACME Novelty Library on my list!) and it's a very renjoyable read. One of the pleasures of each new Campbell OGN is how he presents it--in this one, he's chosen a square(-ish) layout, often divided in four with other bits above and below the "main" panels. It's a really nice way to present the story as well as other information... I actually wish he and Dan Best (his co-writer) had utilised that space even more. Of course, that they used it sparingly makes each use pack that much more of a punch and seem that much more important. The story itself is nice and engrossing, but I always try and appreciate Campbell's work on another level, if I can. It's always difficult for me since I'm more focused on words than pictures, even with comics, and have difficulty really appreciating what an artist is doing. This was one of the books that I thought may alter my top ten of 2008 list, and I'm not sure that it has yet for sure... definitely the top twenty. But, 2008 isn't over yet, so I'm not thinking about it too much. If you haven't, though, check this book out.

That does it. Merry Christmas.

I Bought Comics (Second Week of October 2008)

[Random thoughts that may range from coherant to not.]

I'm in London for the Thanksgiving weekend (what with me being Canadian and all), so that means stopping by the old shop to get stuff on my pull list here. This time, though, I cancelled the pull list since only two items are on it right now. In preparation for this trip, I reread a lot of the series I would be buying (especially the minis). So, let's see how things stack up...

Black Summer #7

It's not a big surprise that I would like the end of this series because Tom Noir attacks John Horus for the same thing I've recently attacked a lot of so-called progressive comics for: if you're so damn smart and progressive, why did it come down to hitting things in the end? If John Horus is so powerful and advanced, why did he only think to kill the president and his advisors? He couldn't think of something better? And Tom admits that he's not better and ends it by hitting things essentially--but not before leaving a different type of legacy. That moment when he confronts John is worth the entire series. I know, we were all "Oh look, he's killed the president for Iraq! Awesome!" (except those of us who weren't), but it really just became an attack on the type of superhero comic that The Authority inspired (and became itself after Ellis left). It gives me hope for No Hero to at least have a moment of similar transcendence--a moment where it offers something beyond the limitations of the story. I'll grant you, it's not a giant leap, but it is a leap and an unexpected one.

Crossed #1

Sadistic pervert zombies are still just zombies. Nothing here suggests anything more, but I have some trust in Ennis. I'm not a fan of the zombie story--it holds little to no appeal for me. And this isn't exactly an inventive form of that story yet. I'll probably give it another issue or two--but I'm in a less forgiving mood lately, so it may not even get that.

Doktor Sleepless #8-9

Two very different issues, one ending book one, and the other beginning book two. Issue eight is a culmination of the first seven issues in a few ways as the good Doktor reveals his endgame... namely ending the world while his ex-girlfriend focuses on the disease he released that causes a few people to see angels. It's an odd sort of conversation with the Doktor feeling that he has to explain it (if only to torture her with the knowledge) and not actually caring what she thinks. It will be interesting to see how that plays out. Issue nine is sparse in its own way and could act as a decent introduction to the series for some. Much lighter on concepts and gives a fresh view of Heavenside through an entry-level character. I'm enjoying this book quite a bit.

Gødland #24-25

Solid as always. A rival conception of the universe? The Archers as champions for these rivals? Sounds good to me. Nice to see Adam more sure of himself and confident in his abilities.

Hellblazer #245-246

Decent, but not anything special. Kind of a cursory look at John's old punk band with a kind of weak magic plot. Really, this could have been one issue and the first one ends with a scene we've seen a million times before. Not bad, not that good. I expected a bit better from Jason Aaron, though.

Invincible Iron Man #6

Dropped. I'm done with this book. I'll get into more detail in this week's Splash Page, but this book isn't good enough for me to keep buying. I'm making a few cuts in the next while and since none of the issues have really impressed me since the first one, I'm done. The utterly boring manner in which this issue concluded the story was enough.

Narcopolis #4

The language games were enough to keep me entertained, and there was a glimmer of hope in this issue when Neighour is told by Officer Love that there is no big enemy, no big conspiracy and that he just wants there to be one because reality isn't exciting enough that would have made the whole thing much, much better. It didn't really contradict that, it just enforced the old safety versus freedom, and that looking at a system one way shows it to be fair and just, while another view shows corruption. Nothing revolutionary--when it suggested something a bit more interesting and more challenging. Ah well, I'd always heard Jamie Delano was a good writer and figured I'd give his latest work a shot.

The Programme #12

Stalingrad's disillusionment in this issue was the most interesting thing about it. Ultimately, this book was about two warring ideologies that weren't that different, but that's not a new point really when discussing the US and USSR. Then, there was the aftermath of the Soviet dolls' attack, but that wasn't that original either. The journey of Max throughout the series is interesting--as he's really just a pawn. As is the demonstration of how far beliefs really go as everyone abandons them at some point except for the CIA agent we don't expect to and... that's about it. Kind of interested in comparing this to Infinity, Inc. since they came out around the same time and both tackle the concept of superhumanity in a slightly off-beat manner. This series didn't really follow up on its promise, but was an interesting enough read--the manner in which Milligan told the story made it worth it much of the time.

Punisher War Journal #21-24

So fucking dropped. I really can't believe I gave this series 24 issues. I liked the first half of the first year and then much else. I kept buying it, because I was afraid that the month after I dropped it, it would turn good. But it never did. Maybe it's because I'm a big fan of Ennis's work with the character and it's hard to see them side by side without Fraction's version looking very, very lame. Also, I never really knew what Fraction's version of the character was. Who is this Frank Castle? He's part goof, part professional, part... I don't know what. I bought these four issues because the shop had them in my pull list, but this is it. I don't care that issue 24 ended on a cliffhanger. I'm done. And it shouldn't surprise anyone.

Red Mass for Mars #2

I don't think I've ever read a Jonathan Hickman-penned issue as quickly as I read this one. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but usually he's a much more wordy writer. This issue does continue his style of showing little pieces of scenes that imply other scenes and actions--it's an interesting technique and it usually works better than this. There's also a more challenging/interesting subtext to his work--but this could be his more straight-up superhero/sci-fi story and it's interesting enough. It's just not nearly as good as Pax Romana.

Young Liars #8

David Lampham is anything but boring. I will need to reread this issue along with the previous ones soon, because I'm not totally lost--but I am a little lost. And purposefully so no doubt. Different versions of the same story--the title is Young Liars... are any true? Subject views of so-called objective events? Wasn't last issue part 1 of a story? Lovely. This comic is confident and bold and apparently uses techniques used in previous Lampham works, but since I haven't read them yet, it's all new to me... I may be a little lost, but I'm liking it nonetheless. Definitely one of the books I look forward to the most each month.

The Sunday Open: Second Week of June 2008

[Note: the reviews below are not full reviews. Nor are they objective. They are often intuitive responses to what I read and lack fully formed ideas. Why? Because I spend the rest of the week trying to be smart and sometimes I just want to talk about comics without worrying about that stuff. Sometimes, I just want to have some fun with comics.]

I spent a lot of money this week. Well, not that much, but more than I usually like to. Blame the bunch of Adventures of Superman back issues I picked up in an effort to complete my collection of Joe Casey's run (only need five more). Damn you, Joe Casey. Well, let's get to it...

Captain Britain and MI13 #2

Greg Burgas pointed this out, but right before that fucking awful Uncanny X-Men #500 ad by Greg Land that has polluted every Marvel comic this month by popping up right in the middle of each issue since it's a double-page ad, we get a two-page spred by Leonard Kirk that shows Land for the lesser talent that he is. Land's picture is bland, flavourless, uninteresting, and kind of creepy (I know, I know, the porn referencing has been beaten into the ground, but I'm disturbed that the newest teenage mutant, Pixie, is obviously waiting for someone to cum on her face... I don't want images like that put in my head, but it's so damn obvious...). Kirk's pic is dynamic, packed full of action and warrants some study to see how everything is laid out (as opposed to... holy shit, how can Storm's legs bend like that? What the fuck?). The writing on this comic is pretty good, too. The way Captain Britain dies is interesting, and the sense of doom is palpable. I really do think all of these characters are fucked and the Skrulls are going to win. Why wouldn't I? THEY HAVE THE GODDAMN MAGIC! I'm not worried about the rest of the Marvel universe, but Britain seems completely fucked and probably won't be around after "Secret Invasion." Shit, then who will star in this comic? Now, I'm really worried (and also know that this book won't survive past a year most likely, which is a shame because it's good).

Charlatan Ball #1

A new Joe Casey creator-owned title? And with an obvious Kirby influence? Oh my god, Gødland is entertaining it's final year? And Codeflesh is returning? What do you want me to say, really? It's a solid Joe Casey comics with some decent art. It's an interesting premise and contains that typical Casey protagonist of the down-on-his-luck-but-really-decent-underneath dude with some trippy shit. In particular, that trippy splash page where Weird Mind-Altering Shit Happens. This book gets bought every month. Hells yes.

Eternals #1

I discussed this a bit with Tim, but that was more a discussion about Jack Kirby, his work, his legacy, the molestation of his memory... this comic was more a means to that end. This was not a good comic. It was tedious, it was dull, it told me nothing, and contained cliche characters. Daniel Acuna's art is great (really, that Thanos panel... wow). I'm convinced Sue Storm didn't originally have a bathing suit or bra or whatever that is. Is that Lightray on the cover between Ikaris's left arm and thigh? Little explanation was given of the Horde. Where were the Big Questions, the Big Ideas, the Majesty? Where's the love?

The Last Defenders #4

I knew the problem was Nighthawk. Or, more importantly, Kyle Richmond. I believe Joaquin will become Nighthawk by the end of the series (hence the full mask on issue six's cover). Kyle Richmond can't be a superhero anymore and who better than the SHIELD agent whose father was a supervillain? But, yeah, the problem with each of these Defenders teams (and there have been three in the book so far) has been Kyle Richmond. He is a failure of a superhero. He is the problem ingredient, clearly. In the end, he must be excised from the group in order for it to survive.

I really enjoyed the scene between Richmond, Tony Stark and Henry Gyrich. A really great indictment of the Superhuman Registration Act and its corruption of heroic ideals. I'm really enjoying this book.

Narcopolis #3

Something about this issue didn't click for me. Maybe I wasn't in the mood for the language of the book. You need to be in the mood to read something like this and I don't think I was in it. Shit. I have not done Jamie Delano a service by reading this issue when I did. I should have just put it away and maybe waited for issue four and read the whole damn thing in one sitting. Waited until I was ready to embrace this world and its language. Because I do love the langauge of this book. It's a fun read in many ways. It's about a society that is both wonderful and shitty it's about love; it's about taking drugs, both illegal and legal. It is a reflection of our world, but only in the complexity of it. A lot of writers tend to ignore that societies are never all evil or all good. Things don't work that way. Yeah, a tyrannical dictatorship sucks for a lot of people, but it fucking rocks for others. Narcopolis is an agent of evil in many ways, but it's also a great place to live if you fit in and abide by the societal rules. And is there something all that wrong with wanting to do that? Gray Neighbour doesn't seem entirely sure--he's questioning the society, trying to see both the good and evil, maybe focusing a bit on the evil because everyone around him tells him the good. But, he is questioning and that is the key to this comic (maybe). No society is one thing entirely, but what matters is the questioning, the examination of what makes a society function, of the good and bad parts. Not simply believing one side of the story without question. Okay, maybe I wasn't in the wrong mood for this comic. Who knows.

newuniversal: Shockfront #2

A very effective issue. Ellis moves forward a few plots, including Phil Voight killing a superhuman in a rather clever way. He's talked about how he killed superhumans back in 1959 and now we see that he's still got it (and next month's one-shot will provide more background). The best part of the issue is the two-page explanation by Charlotte Beck (a new character) of the history of this world since 1960, allowing us to see exactly where it differs from our world. I love alternate histories, so two pages of a character just spilling details makes me happy. Things are pushing to a head it seems. Good stuff.

Red Mass for Mars #1

The third Jonathan Hickman-penned mini-series currently ongoing at Image and this one is just as interesting and unique as Pax Romana and Transhuman. I love how this issue begins with a few stock sci-fi doomsday plots and then discounts them. Basically, aliens are coming and they are really tough, so all of the superhumans need to pull together. In many ways, it's a typical superhero book; in many ways, it's not. The whole Lightbender monologue was rather funny as he exercises his racist, xenophobia by demanding English become the primary language of Earth again... and to prove he's serious, he defiled the Queen of England... three times... er...

The art by Ryan Bodenheim is decent. Like most Hickman books, this is pretty text-heavy, but the visuals work. Hickman is quickly becoming one of the few creators whose work I buy without question. Hell, he's already there, honestly.

I bought a couple of other things, but nothing I want to discuss yet. Or, stuff I haven't fully read. Either or. I dunno.

The Sunday Open: First Week of March Part 3

And thus we conclude this week's books...

Black Summer #5

This series continues to baffle expectations. We get the remaining Guns heading to an ammo dump and are confronted by new military Guns. Fight ensues, much fucked-up-ness. Then, we get a couple of military men discussing how their response may have been very, very wrong and maybe they should have stopped and listened to John Horus--that maybe he wasn't necessarily wrong--at which point, Horus shows up and wants to talk to whomever is in charge. I honestly have no idea where Ellis is going with this book as each issue does things I don't expect. The discussion on the military base was the big surprise of this issue as it seems so out of place somehow--and yet not.

Casanova #12

In which shit is fucked up as Zephyr just wrecks her way through EMPIRE's moon base and kills her father. Just like that. I can see a little bit of Casey's Codeflesh here with the dialogue with no sound, but that's hardly new. Mostly a silent issue with the focus on the action, and it works. Two more issues left in this arc and... much like Black Summer, it's very hard to tell where Fraction is going. Oh, and Fabio Moon's art rocks. So does Juan Jose Ryp's in Black Summer. But in different ways.

Doctor Sleepless #4-5

Hmm. Still not sure what to make of this book, but I'm digging it. I have little interest in exploring the various online interactive stuff, but I seem to have an old mind like that. I like books that I can just read and music on physical objects. Thankfully, the online interactive wiki stuff doesn't seem necessary to enjoying this book, which is pretty decent a lot of the time. It is definitely less focused and more open than Transmet was, which fits. This book is more about ideas than characters. Although, the bit with the police commisioner in issue five reminds us that John is very much an Ellis character despite some of the weirder more Morrison-like aspects to his personality (the Tulpa stuff seems more Morrison to me just because that's where I first encountered it, even though Ellis's work has long had interests in the supernatural, occult and shamanic type stuff). The openness of this book compared to Transmet is evident in the eight-issue opening story here compared to the three-issue one Tranmet began with--although, the first year, was really the opening story in many ways, but with six issues of self-contained stories instead. I actually find it funny that none of these issues here have felt like part of a storyline, nor have they felt like one-off issues either. It's more of a meandering, everything-is-connected-but-not-in-a-strictly-syntaxical-manner... it actually seems more parataxical than anything else I've seen from Ellis. Huh. Worth checking out.

Fell #9

Richard Fell is an interesting character, a police detective completely devoted to justice instead of the law. It's nothing new, but does fit with Ellis's generally optimistic tone (cynically optimistic, though). This issue is no different as Ellis again emphasises the importance of talking and listening to others. However, this prioritising of justice over the law may get Fell in some trouble--particularly that last scene. But, an engaging book if only because I enjoy Ellis's characters when they're focused on making things better for other people.

Narcopolis #2

I love the language play here, but the story itself isn't nearly as engaging as one would hope. There's potential in the main character as he's a member of the police/CIA-esque organisation now, which has us wondering if it will corrupt him or if he will corrupt it. This issue did provide a chance to explain one of my pet peeves: hiding nudity. This particularly annoys me in this comic, because there are no restrictions. What's the point of having a character naked in a scene when you're going to stategically hide every naughty bit? We live in a mature society, oh yes.

Pax Romana #1-2

While not as engaging as The Nightly News, this series presents some very interesting sociological questions about time travel and how one would change the world if given that technology. Hickman includes "transcripts" of conversations that supposedly stop the issues dead, but really allow him to deliver well-rounded conversations on the topics in only two pages rather than 12 in traditional comic form. His look at the concepts are pretty damn good.

His actual art doesn't impress me that much, but he designs his books well enough to cover up that fact. Actually, these aren't traditional comics in a lot of ways. I particularly love the two timelines given in issue one that give the reader some idea of what has been changed. Also, how can one not love the idea of Catholics funding scientists so they can go back in time and make sure the Church always rules the world?

And that does it.

The Sunday Open: Superheroes are Fun

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

Amazing Spider-Man #549

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

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

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

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

Batman #673 (and Batman: Gothic briefly)

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

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

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

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

The Boys #15

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

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

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

The Immortal Iron Fist #12

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

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

Great book.

Midnighter #16

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

The Mighty Avengers #8

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

Narcopolis #1

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

The Death of the New Gods #5

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

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

Omega the Unknown #5

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

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