Yeah, I bought comics on Wednesday. Just hadn't gotten around to this post until now. Mostly because I spent all of Thursday blowing my nose every twelve seconds -- and, on days like that, the only thing I can stand to do is watch TV where blowing my nose doesn't actually interrupt anything. I watched around 20 episodes of King of the Hill. Awesome day. Aside from nose-blowing. (I'm about a third of the way into season three of King of the Hill after getting the first five seasons on DVD from Michelle's mom for Christmas and my birthday. As I said on Twitter, I think, on the whole, I prefer King of the Hill over The Simpsons. At its peak, The Simpsons was funnier, no doubt. King of the Hill is better at blending a lot of different elements consistently -- similar to what Parks and Recreation does compared to 30 Rock, say. Also, Pamela Adlon's voice acting of Bobby is some of the best voice acting ever done. Simply stunning stuff.)
Daredevil #9: One of the weakest issues yet -- which sounds negative, of course, but it was still a good issue. Conceptually, this issue had a good focus and some of the bits with Matt's radar was quite clever... it just doesn't connect with me. In the hands of a lesser artist, this issue probably would have fallen completely flat for me. Personal preference, I suppose. [***1/2]
Uncanny X-Men #7: Damn, Kieron Gillen wrote the hell out of this issue. Then again, I have a fondness for alien lifeforms that talk down to humans... Greg Land's art didn't bug too much most of the time. That's as good as it gets with him, isn't it? [***1/2]
Winter Soldier #2: When Bucky stands up and yells "Nobody move! This is a raid!" I laugh myself silly. It's just so fucking dumb. [***1/4]
Hellblazer: Phantom Pains: The one thing that I really liked about this trade was how Peter Milligan had John forget various spells at different times. He's an old bastard, he's losing his touch, and he will fuck up even more in the future... at least if his wife isn't there to save his ass. Now the wait for the next trade begins... [****]
Uncanny X-Force: Deathlok Nation: Three issues less than the Hellblazer trade and a buck more expensive. Fuck you, Marvel. This was fine. I'd read the 'point one' issue before and found it tedious here. The 'main story' (of three issues) was entertaining in its way. The Deathlok concept never really landed as well as intended and, goddamn, Esad Ribic's art is much better on The Ultimates with Dean White on colours. This is the necessary trade that bridges the first with the third and fourth... and judging from what people are saying about the comics after that, that will probably be where I get off this little ride. I did like the Fantomex Deathlok bit. (Also, the more we explore Fantomex as a character, the less interesting he is.) [***1/4]
Later
Showing posts with label peter milligan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label peter milligan. Show all posts
Friday, February 17, 2012
Monday, January 30, 2012
CBR Review: Justice League Dark #5
I recently reviewed Justice League Dark #5 for CBR and, in the process, wrote the following sentences: "The conclusion to 'In the Dark,' the opening story of Justice League Dark, is surprising in the way that it subverts the usual concepts of heroism and team-building. By this point in the ‘origin story’ of a superhero team, the members will have united to fight their common threat and, once defeating it, realize that this little team they’ve formed is pretty great and should continue. That doesn’t happen here. Instead, what we get is the singular triumph of one man despite the best efforts of his supposed teammates and a splintered group of individuals who want nothing to do with one another. It is both an impressive feat to pull off and the logical endpoint (or, jumping off point perhaps?) of this series."You can read the rest HERE!
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
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.
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.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Sketch Reviews (January 12 2012)
Batwoman #5: Interesting turn of events -- the art still outpaces the writing to a large degree, which makes me a little worried about what happens come next issue. From what I've seen, Amy Reeder is a good artist, but she's following an amazing one that's been the sole reason to buy this comic. There always feels like there's something missing in each issue. Not like they've left out stuff you don't need or can figure out... like there's something essential missing. I don't know what it is, though. I'm useless, I guess. [****]
Captain America #7: Well, shit, Steve Rogers, if you didn't get on board with torture, maybe you wouldn't be doubting yourself so much. Also, stop hating mutants and just hire a telepath to shut those riots down. Tactical genius my ass. Ooooh, Alan Davis art! [***1/2]
Frankenstein, Agent of SHADE #5: The other side of OMAC #5 and it blends scenes we saw there with no information that fleshes them out. A really well done crossover between the two books. Really interesting to see someone other than Giffen draw OMAC as well. I liked Ponticelli's interpretation. [****]
Journey into Mystery #633: I love how those fear beings are a subtle wink at the Endless. Each one is described with one of the names of the Endless -- or is so obviously one of them. Funny little joke. Also, Loki ain't no snitch. [***3/4]
Justice League Dark #4: My shop finally got the copies they were shorted on a couple of weeks back... I'm not entirely sold on this series yet. The slow gathering of the characters isn't my ideal structure. However, this issue saw more progress in that department and actually ramped up the plot a bit. [***1/4]
New Avengers #20: The two-page splash where the New Avengers and New Dark Avengers rush at one another is a fun video game page. The concept is a little dumb, sure, but the execution is inventive enough, especially now that there are only a few one-to-one matches on the two teams. What's going on with Jessica, though? I can't see how she would be the mole in the group... who knows though. With two Avengers teams, it's nice to see that Bendis is having Osborn take two different approaches to each one. [***1/2]
Punishermax #21: Someone needs to do a comparison between this and Scalped #55, which also came out this week. Two big fight scenes, two brutal-as-fuck fight scenes, and both approached very differently by two different artists. Maybe I will if I find the time -- and, as much I would like to, CBR isn't set up with reviews to do a joint review like that (and that's totally understandable since why should they be ready to have someone review two comics from two different publishers at the same time because they both happen to have fights scenes written by the same writer?). The mixture of memories was masterful, especially when it got to the present in a quick succession. I have no idea what's coming in issue 22 and I can't wait. [****1/2]
The Unwritten #33: That is one hell of an ending -- and damn clever. I loved the different stories. Great storyarc. [****]
Wolverine and the X-Men #4: A really good 'breather' issue after the first story. Nice to take some time and get a sense of the school some more. Hell, I'd be happy if that's all this book did. But, I also miss The Intimates... [****]
Later
Captain America #7: Well, shit, Steve Rogers, if you didn't get on board with torture, maybe you wouldn't be doubting yourself so much. Also, stop hating mutants and just hire a telepath to shut those riots down. Tactical genius my ass. Ooooh, Alan Davis art! [***1/2]
Frankenstein, Agent of SHADE #5: The other side of OMAC #5 and it blends scenes we saw there with no information that fleshes them out. A really well done crossover between the two books. Really interesting to see someone other than Giffen draw OMAC as well. I liked Ponticelli's interpretation. [****]
Journey into Mystery #633: I love how those fear beings are a subtle wink at the Endless. Each one is described with one of the names of the Endless -- or is so obviously one of them. Funny little joke. Also, Loki ain't no snitch. [***3/4]
Justice League Dark #4: My shop finally got the copies they were shorted on a couple of weeks back... I'm not entirely sold on this series yet. The slow gathering of the characters isn't my ideal structure. However, this issue saw more progress in that department and actually ramped up the plot a bit. [***1/4]
New Avengers #20: The two-page splash where the New Avengers and New Dark Avengers rush at one another is a fun video game page. The concept is a little dumb, sure, but the execution is inventive enough, especially now that there are only a few one-to-one matches on the two teams. What's going on with Jessica, though? I can't see how she would be the mole in the group... who knows though. With two Avengers teams, it's nice to see that Bendis is having Osborn take two different approaches to each one. [***1/2]
Punishermax #21: Someone needs to do a comparison between this and Scalped #55, which also came out this week. Two big fight scenes, two brutal-as-fuck fight scenes, and both approached very differently by two different artists. Maybe I will if I find the time -- and, as much I would like to, CBR isn't set up with reviews to do a joint review like that (and that's totally understandable since why should they be ready to have someone review two comics from two different publishers at the same time because they both happen to have fights scenes written by the same writer?). The mixture of memories was masterful, especially when it got to the present in a quick succession. I have no idea what's coming in issue 22 and I can't wait. [****1/2]
The Unwritten #33: That is one hell of an ending -- and damn clever. I loved the different stories. Great storyarc. [****]
Wolverine and the X-Men #4: A really good 'breather' issue after the first story. Nice to take some time and get a sense of the school some more. Hell, I'd be happy if that's all this book did. But, I also miss The Intimates... [****]
Later
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Sketch Reviews (November 24 2011)
Man, this past week, I pissed off Batfans with my CBR reviews. Funny thing: it didn't even occur to me that I was reviewing three Batbooks until my review for Red Hood and the Outlaws #3 garnered a "Nevett strikes again!" reaction on the CBR forums. My favourite part is the hate mail and the chance to respond with absolute literalism. That's always fun. But, I did want a break from comics a little, so I took Tuesday off from Random Thoughts. I went shopping in Detroit instead. I've long blasted the States for its lack of potato chip flavours, but, this time, it countered with many different M&M flavours not found here. I'm loving these dark chocolate M&Ms -- because, clearly, dark chocolate is the superior chocolate. Anyway, let's get to some new comics...
Annihilators #3: Damn, this comic is reading like the big event book Marvel should have pushed to the forefront instead of Fear Itself. It's pretty easy to see how this could have been made 'bigger,' especially the Magus taking over a third of the US population -- throw in an issue where it's the Avengers vs. a bunch of heroes and villains that are part Magus and you could kill plenty of time. Instead, it's a nice little mini-series mostly ignored. Ah well. [***1/2]
Captain America & Bucky #624: As always, gorgeous, fantastic art from Samnee and Breitweiser. The story is less a story than some fragments shoved together, especially the end of the issue with Bucky's sister. [***1/4]
Justice League Dark #3: What's so crazy about recruiting Mindwipe? I'm not familiar with the character... I'm enjoying this book, but think I would have been better off tradewaiting it. It's moving at such a slow pace across so many characters that it's hard to get too enthused over each new issue. [***]
RASL #12: DANGER DANGER HIGH VOLTAGE! Lots more Tesla talk and I'm completely okay with that. An interesting issue -- and an educational one! [***1/2]
Scalped #54: We keep walking towards our death... [****]
Vengeance #5: No Russian supersoldiers during World War 2... because the Red Skull killed them all in a camp during the war. Everything is connected and we move towards Latveria... we all know who Z is, of course. The way that Casey blends together all of his work in this series is fantastic -- same with the arrogance and self-doubt of youth he captures so well. Miss America calls She-Hulk a 'puta' rather than accept a ride home from the sixth dimension... goddamn, this is just some good comics, son. [****1/4]
Wolverine and the X-Men #2: I don't know why, but I'm a little bothered that this is the first time Iceman tried that trick and it works perfectly. Still, nice to see Jason Aaron actually pushing things a bit. Just some crazy fun this comic... Bachalo captures the manic chaos better than almost anyone else. [***3/4]
Later
Annihilators #3: Damn, this comic is reading like the big event book Marvel should have pushed to the forefront instead of Fear Itself. It's pretty easy to see how this could have been made 'bigger,' especially the Magus taking over a third of the US population -- throw in an issue where it's the Avengers vs. a bunch of heroes and villains that are part Magus and you could kill plenty of time. Instead, it's a nice little mini-series mostly ignored. Ah well. [***1/2]
Captain America & Bucky #624: As always, gorgeous, fantastic art from Samnee and Breitweiser. The story is less a story than some fragments shoved together, especially the end of the issue with Bucky's sister. [***1/4]
Justice League Dark #3: What's so crazy about recruiting Mindwipe? I'm not familiar with the character... I'm enjoying this book, but think I would have been better off tradewaiting it. It's moving at such a slow pace across so many characters that it's hard to get too enthused over each new issue. [***]
RASL #12: DANGER DANGER HIGH VOLTAGE! Lots more Tesla talk and I'm completely okay with that. An interesting issue -- and an educational one! [***1/2]
Scalped #54: We keep walking towards our death... [****]
Vengeance #5: No Russian supersoldiers during World War 2... because the Red Skull killed them all in a camp during the war. Everything is connected and we move towards Latveria... we all know who Z is, of course. The way that Casey blends together all of his work in this series is fantastic -- same with the arrogance and self-doubt of youth he captures so well. Miss America calls She-Hulk a 'puta' rather than accept a ride home from the sixth dimension... goddamn, this is just some good comics, son. [****1/4]
Wolverine and the X-Men #2: I don't know why, but I'm a little bothered that this is the first time Iceman tried that trick and it works perfectly. Still, nice to see Jason Aaron actually pushing things a bit. Just some crazy fun this comic... Bachalo captures the manic chaos better than almost anyone else. [***3/4]
Later
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Sketch Reviews (October 27 2011)
I bought comics yesterday and read most of them while waiting in the car while Michelle taught a class at the gym and, then, the rest in a mall food court while she was at some meeting related to teaching glasses at the gym. When we got home, we watched TV and went to bed. So, that's why this post is going up today instead of yesterday. Plus, there were a lot of comics to read. Giant week.
'Breed III #6: The progression throughout the issue of Stoner looking down on everyone to eventually realising that he's a punk bitch next to the likes of Dreadstar and Darklon was pretty funny. That the cover to this issue is a reference to Dreadstar #1's cover is awesome. Jim Starlin knows what people want. [***1/2]
Butcher Baker, the Righteous Maker #7: Speaking of homage covers... that's a lot of shaded cock at the end of this comic. [****]
Captain America & Bucky #623: Decent issue. Samnee's art is gorgeous. Honestly, more looking forward to next issue and leaving behind World War II... though, ending with a concentration camp... what do you say about that? [***1/4]
Daredevil #5: The line "Send six." made me laugh. The art is wonderful and the villains are evil, but their secret plan that the blind translator came across is right up there with the evilness of the bad guys in The Phantom Menace. When criminals become too much like businessmen, they stop being entertaining. You may as well read the business section. But Marcos Martin is amazing and Waid's peppy/smart writing grabs. [****]
Incredible Hulk #1: My gut said that this wouldn't be for me, but I just had to give it a shot. My gut was right. My gut is always right. I knew I'd hate the art, so that wasn't it. Jason Aaron's writing was not to my taste. Dull with an end that made me roll my eyes. Not for me. [*]
Justice League Dark #2: So... ghosts are constantly horny? That makes sense. After all, they can see naked people any time they want, but can't do anything about it. Peter Milligan gets this. That Dawn lady should have just dumped her ghostly boyfriend and let him be the serial rapist he obviously wants to be. Now, that's a Deadman comic I'd read. [***1/4]
The Mighty Thor #7: Hahahahahahahaha... that's it? That's the secret history of the Serpent? He became king after Bor died, became corrupt, and Odin killed tons of people to take him down? Wasn't all of that implied already? And, by 'implied,' I mean so heavily implied that I kept waiting for the twist. I guess it was meant to be that Odin killed so many people to get to his brother, but that sort of fell flat and was very underplayed. I did like the execution of the scene where Odin cut his eye out. [**]
The Red Wing #4: Hey, fuck you, dad. [Christ, that felt good...]
Scalped #53: Slow build to something horrible with some excellent scenes like the one with Nitz and the sherrif. [****]
Secret Avengers #18: Goddamn, David Aja! Ellis knows how to write a nice, short little story that allows artists to go mindfuck crazy. This was one of the best weeks for art that I can remember in a long time and this issue is right near the top. [****1/4]
Wolverine and the X-Men #1: Fun first issue. Some scenes worked, others kind of fell flat a bit. Lots of potential here. I think this goes on the pull list. [***3/4]
Later
'Breed III #6: The progression throughout the issue of Stoner looking down on everyone to eventually realising that he's a punk bitch next to the likes of Dreadstar and Darklon was pretty funny. That the cover to this issue is a reference to Dreadstar #1's cover is awesome. Jim Starlin knows what people want. [***1/2]
Butcher Baker, the Righteous Maker #7: Speaking of homage covers... that's a lot of shaded cock at the end of this comic. [****]
Captain America & Bucky #623: Decent issue. Samnee's art is gorgeous. Honestly, more looking forward to next issue and leaving behind World War II... though, ending with a concentration camp... what do you say about that? [***1/4]
Daredevil #5: The line "Send six." made me laugh. The art is wonderful and the villains are evil, but their secret plan that the blind translator came across is right up there with the evilness of the bad guys in The Phantom Menace. When criminals become too much like businessmen, they stop being entertaining. You may as well read the business section. But Marcos Martin is amazing and Waid's peppy/smart writing grabs. [****]
Incredible Hulk #1: My gut said that this wouldn't be for me, but I just had to give it a shot. My gut was right. My gut is always right. I knew I'd hate the art, so that wasn't it. Jason Aaron's writing was not to my taste. Dull with an end that made me roll my eyes. Not for me. [*]
Justice League Dark #2: So... ghosts are constantly horny? That makes sense. After all, they can see naked people any time they want, but can't do anything about it. Peter Milligan gets this. That Dawn lady should have just dumped her ghostly boyfriend and let him be the serial rapist he obviously wants to be. Now, that's a Deadman comic I'd read. [***1/4]
The Mighty Thor #7: Hahahahahahahaha... that's it? That's the secret history of the Serpent? He became king after Bor died, became corrupt, and Odin killed tons of people to take him down? Wasn't all of that implied already? And, by 'implied,' I mean so heavily implied that I kept waiting for the twist. I guess it was meant to be that Odin killed so many people to get to his brother, but that sort of fell flat and was very underplayed. I did like the execution of the scene where Odin cut his eye out. [**]
The Red Wing #4: Hey, fuck you, dad. [Christ, that felt good...]
Scalped #53: Slow build to something horrible with some excellent scenes like the one with Nitz and the sherrif. [****]
Secret Avengers #18: Goddamn, David Aja! Ellis knows how to write a nice, short little story that allows artists to go mindfuck crazy. This was one of the best weeks for art that I can remember in a long time and this issue is right near the top. [****1/4]
Wolverine and the X-Men #1: Fun first issue. Some scenes worked, others kind of fell flat a bit. Lots of potential here. I think this goes on the pull list. [***3/4]
Later
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Sketch Reviews (September 29 2011)
And so ends the wild ride that was September Comics. If I'd gotten my comics yesterday, that would have also ended on the same day as the end of the wild ride that was September Baseball... and it was a pretty fucking wild ride last night, wasn't it? Both Wild Card spots determined, two collapses completed, a few insane comebacks (with Tampa Bay's being the most insane), and just a ton of excitement for those of us who care. Plus, earlier in the day, while I was at work, the Jays won their final game of the season. So: good day. Same with today and the final batch of September comics. As always, these are brief thoughts and anything I'm reviewing for CBR isn't mentioned.
Annihilators: Earthfall #1: Already more enjoyable than the first Annihilators mini, which I found to be a bit of a letdown. I loved the part where everyone was ganging up on Quasar for wanting them to take it easy because they're on Earth when he has no problem letting loose on 'alien' planets. To the rest, Earth is an alien planet, so suck it, kid! The promise of the return of the Magus also has me engaged. More than that, Tan Eng Huat's art has a rougher edge this time out, more reminiscent of his work pre-Annihilators and I dig that look more. The back-up story is a back-up story. [***1/2]
'Breed III #5: And, just like that, 'Breed III becomes Starlin's version of what Vengeance is for me. That final page seemed fairly obvious once Wyrd mentioned having gathered some allies, but that doesn't stop it from being a total geek out moment for this Starlin fan. Besides that, a really good sustained bit of action in this issue and done in a visually inventive manner a lot of the time. Maybe finally reading the first two 'Breed series has gotten me more into this book, but I'm really excited to read the final two issues now. [***1/2]
Captain America & Bucky #622: Entertaining. Gorgeous. Yup. [***1/4]
Journey into Mystery #628: Talk about art just killing a comic... I like the writing, but the art made this a chore to get through. It's the sort of art that causes my eyes to slide off the page and hope for it all to be over soon. Gillen brings it... Portacio takes it and dumps it in the toilet. [**1/4]
Justice League Dark #1: Some interesting bits. Some great art. Like a lot of #1s I've seen this month, nothing about this felt complete or like anything more than the barest of introductions. Which I guess is where we are now in comics. This was the first act of an hour-long TV pilot... and those tend to have five acts. But, what I liked I liked enough to bring me back next month. [**1/2]
Secret Avengers #17: Not as distinctive as last issue with the dialogue, but pretty damn entertaining. I've liked Kev Walker's work for a long time now and glad to see him as one of the artists for Ellis's run. Lots of fun little moments in this issue like the eyeball mood speedometer or the final page or Steve's "Oh hell" panel. Already looking forward to the next one. [***3/4]
The Ultimates #2: Wow. This was a wonderfully constructed little comic that pretty much told a complete story within the larger story and pulled off something big... in issue two. I liked the first issue, but felt a little underwhelmed at the same time. For all of the "You can do anything in the Ultimate universe" talk I heard, I wasn't seeing that. Well, here it is. Shit. And Esad Ribic continues to draw the hell out of this comic. Skipping this new Ultimate relaunch looks like a mistake right now, anyone who did that. [****1/2]
Holy Terror: I'll keep this brief: I wasn't offended. I didn't find much in here particularly offensive. I'm also pretty hard to offend. I found it cartoonish and ridiculous in a laughable way. I'm not offended mostly because there isn't anything here worth taking seriously enough to be offended. The story is rubbish and the dialogue is Miller at his worse. The art is stunning and gorgeous and worth studying. I haven't encountered a disconnect between amateurish writing and masterful art this large in quite some time -- maybe ever. So: writing [-**]; art [*****]
Later
Annihilators: Earthfall #1: Already more enjoyable than the first Annihilators mini, which I found to be a bit of a letdown. I loved the part where everyone was ganging up on Quasar for wanting them to take it easy because they're on Earth when he has no problem letting loose on 'alien' planets. To the rest, Earth is an alien planet, so suck it, kid! The promise of the return of the Magus also has me engaged. More than that, Tan Eng Huat's art has a rougher edge this time out, more reminiscent of his work pre-Annihilators and I dig that look more. The back-up story is a back-up story. [***1/2]
'Breed III #5: And, just like that, 'Breed III becomes Starlin's version of what Vengeance is for me. That final page seemed fairly obvious once Wyrd mentioned having gathered some allies, but that doesn't stop it from being a total geek out moment for this Starlin fan. Besides that, a really good sustained bit of action in this issue and done in a visually inventive manner a lot of the time. Maybe finally reading the first two 'Breed series has gotten me more into this book, but I'm really excited to read the final two issues now. [***1/2]
Captain America & Bucky #622: Entertaining. Gorgeous. Yup. [***1/4]
Journey into Mystery #628: Talk about art just killing a comic... I like the writing, but the art made this a chore to get through. It's the sort of art that causes my eyes to slide off the page and hope for it all to be over soon. Gillen brings it... Portacio takes it and dumps it in the toilet. [**1/4]
Justice League Dark #1: Some interesting bits. Some great art. Like a lot of #1s I've seen this month, nothing about this felt complete or like anything more than the barest of introductions. Which I guess is where we are now in comics. This was the first act of an hour-long TV pilot... and those tend to have five acts. But, what I liked I liked enough to bring me back next month. [**1/2]
Secret Avengers #17: Not as distinctive as last issue with the dialogue, but pretty damn entertaining. I've liked Kev Walker's work for a long time now and glad to see him as one of the artists for Ellis's run. Lots of fun little moments in this issue like the eyeball mood speedometer or the final page or Steve's "Oh hell" panel. Already looking forward to the next one. [***3/4]
The Ultimates #2: Wow. This was a wonderfully constructed little comic that pretty much told a complete story within the larger story and pulled off something big... in issue two. I liked the first issue, but felt a little underwhelmed at the same time. For all of the "You can do anything in the Ultimate universe" talk I heard, I wasn't seeing that. Well, here it is. Shit. And Esad Ribic continues to draw the hell out of this comic. Skipping this new Ultimate relaunch looks like a mistake right now, anyone who did that. [****1/2]
Holy Terror: I'll keep this brief: I wasn't offended. I didn't find much in here particularly offensive. I'm also pretty hard to offend. I found it cartoonish and ridiculous in a laughable way. I'm not offended mostly because there isn't anything here worth taking seriously enough to be offended. The story is rubbish and the dialogue is Miller at his worse. The art is stunning and gorgeous and worth studying. I haven't encountered a disconnect between amateurish writing and masterful art this large in quite some time -- maybe ever. So: writing [-**]; art [*****]
Later
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Blogathon 45: I'm Coming Down Fast but Don't Let Me Break You Part Four
[Concluding my discussion of The Programme.]
A lot of The Programme is spent shifting characters around and building to something without getting anywhere. It does eventually, but so much time is taken up with Max struggling against what's required -- so much time is eaten up. I was surprised at how long it took for the Dolls to rescue their creator from the Gulag. I remembered it as happening in, like, issue three when it's much later. They don't hit America until issue seven. The drawn out nature of the pacing isn't as problematic when reading the series as a whole, but when it was first coming out sticking with this series was an act of faith, of trusting Milligan to stick the landing.
Except he doesn't.
The ending isn't a clean one, but it's not dirty enough to really provoke thought. It falls somewhere between the two. Some of the Russians get away and the US is under martial law (which I mentioned previously). What's lacking in the conclusion is an idea of what the larger point of the series was. What was it really about with an ending like that? Max's journey is complete to a degree with him becoming the pawn of the government he was meant to be -- or was going to be before Hinks altered his programming. But, what does this say about America? Or even superhumans? While The Programme reminds me stylistically of Pynchon's writing, that the series never adds up to anything holds it back from that comparison completely.
I've long wanted to discuss The Programme and, getting that chance, I realised I didn't have much to say. I thought when I started to dig in, there would be a lot there. There isn't.
In 30 minutes, I'll begin my last topic: the Mark Waid/Howard Porter/Mike Wieringo Fantastic Four stories "Authoritative Action" and "Hereafter."
[Don't forget to donate what you can to the Hero Initiative! (Details in this post.) After you do, let me know via comment or e-mail (found at the righthand side) so I can keep track of donations -- and who to thank.]
A lot of The Programme is spent shifting characters around and building to something without getting anywhere. It does eventually, but so much time is taken up with Max struggling against what's required -- so much time is eaten up. I was surprised at how long it took for the Dolls to rescue their creator from the Gulag. I remembered it as happening in, like, issue three when it's much later. They don't hit America until issue seven. The drawn out nature of the pacing isn't as problematic when reading the series as a whole, but when it was first coming out sticking with this series was an act of faith, of trusting Milligan to stick the landing.
Except he doesn't.
The ending isn't a clean one, but it's not dirty enough to really provoke thought. It falls somewhere between the two. Some of the Russians get away and the US is under martial law (which I mentioned previously). What's lacking in the conclusion is an idea of what the larger point of the series was. What was it really about with an ending like that? Max's journey is complete to a degree with him becoming the pawn of the government he was meant to be -- or was going to be before Hinks altered his programming. But, what does this say about America? Or even superhumans? While The Programme reminds me stylistically of Pynchon's writing, that the series never adds up to anything holds it back from that comparison completely.
I've long wanted to discuss The Programme and, getting that chance, I realised I didn't have much to say. I thought when I started to dig in, there would be a lot there. There isn't.
In 30 minutes, I'll begin my last topic: the Mark Waid/Howard Porter/Mike Wieringo Fantastic Four stories "Authoritative Action" and "Hereafter."
[Don't forget to donate what you can to the Hero Initiative! (Details in this post.) After you do, let me know via comment or e-mail (found at the righthand side) so I can keep track of donations -- and who to thank.]
Blogathon 44: I'm Coming Down Fast but Don't Let Me Break You Part Three
[Continuing my discussion of The Programme.]
Max is an argument against the validity of free will. First, he's a liberal hippie type despite that being his programmed personality. Yet, that's who he is, it's all he's ever known himself to be. It's what he defends and what he sacrifices when he realises that it's not doing him any good. When he's reprogrammed, it's like that other Max never existed. He becomes everything that the United States government wants him to be and he keeps on being that, doing things he would have never done before and hate anyone else for doing. He perceives nothing wrong with, though. No matter what they program him to be, that's what he is. It's a recognition that an absence of free will would not actually affect a person; as far as he's concerned, he has free will even if he consciously knows he's been programmed to behave a certain way -- because the programming makes him think it's his choice!
Senator Joe, on the other hand, struggles with his programming quite a bit. He breaks free of it in a sense. His struggle with what he should do, who he should be is never finalised. Even when he shows up to back up Max in the fight against the Russians, there's not a feeling that that's his final choice of who he is. He shows up because he thinks it's the right thing to do. That doesn't mean he sides with the US government ultimately. But, his showing up to fight the Russians is his choice. Too bad he dies in the fight.
The Dolls function in the same way. They were programmed to embody specific ideals and some of them do struggle with it or take those ideals to a strange logical conclusion like Stalingrad's insistance on raping an American woman because that's what the Red Army did. Mostly, they are completely loyal to their maker and their ideals.
Everything is politics in The Programme. It's not necessarily a traditional argument about free will, it's simply about ideology and politics with these constructions as pawns. Max was meant to be the German superman, was taken by the Americans at the end of World War 2 before he was grown, meant to make him the American superman, and, instead, some random guy turned him into a liberal pacifist. He never had a chance, honestly. None of them did. They represent the fictional constructs we have that exist to justify and embody specific ideas. Max is basically a character that is written one way by someone and, then, that writer is fired and his personality shifts to suit the new needs.
To be continued in 30 minutes...
[Don't forget to donate what you can to the Hero Initiative! (Details in this post.) After you do, let me know via comment or e-mail (found at the righthand side) so I can keep track of donations -- and who to thank.]
Max is an argument against the validity of free will. First, he's a liberal hippie type despite that being his programmed personality. Yet, that's who he is, it's all he's ever known himself to be. It's what he defends and what he sacrifices when he realises that it's not doing him any good. When he's reprogrammed, it's like that other Max never existed. He becomes everything that the United States government wants him to be and he keeps on being that, doing things he would have never done before and hate anyone else for doing. He perceives nothing wrong with, though. No matter what they program him to be, that's what he is. It's a recognition that an absence of free will would not actually affect a person; as far as he's concerned, he has free will even if he consciously knows he's been programmed to behave a certain way -- because the programming makes him think it's his choice!
Senator Joe, on the other hand, struggles with his programming quite a bit. He breaks free of it in a sense. His struggle with what he should do, who he should be is never finalised. Even when he shows up to back up Max in the fight against the Russians, there's not a feeling that that's his final choice of who he is. He shows up because he thinks it's the right thing to do. That doesn't mean he sides with the US government ultimately. But, his showing up to fight the Russians is his choice. Too bad he dies in the fight.
The Dolls function in the same way. They were programmed to embody specific ideals and some of them do struggle with it or take those ideals to a strange logical conclusion like Stalingrad's insistance on raping an American woman because that's what the Red Army did. Mostly, they are completely loyal to their maker and their ideals.
Everything is politics in The Programme. It's not necessarily a traditional argument about free will, it's simply about ideology and politics with these constructions as pawns. Max was meant to be the German superman, was taken by the Americans at the end of World War 2 before he was grown, meant to make him the American superman, and, instead, some random guy turned him into a liberal pacifist. He never had a chance, honestly. None of them did. They represent the fictional constructs we have that exist to justify and embody specific ideas. Max is basically a character that is written one way by someone and, then, that writer is fired and his personality shifts to suit the new needs.
To be continued in 30 minutes...
[Don't forget to donate what you can to the Hero Initiative! (Details in this post.) After you do, let me know via comment or e-mail (found at the righthand side) so I can keep track of donations -- and who to thank.]
Blogathon 43: I'm Coming Down Fast but Don't Let Me Break You Part Two
[Continuing my discussion of The Programme.]
The intricate plot of The Programme is one of details that paint a fairly clear picture: when Russian artificial superhumans are discovered, they begin to attack American forces in Talibstan. Really, it's just one, but that leads to the others and they go to find their maker in a Gulag where he lives in constant fear of rape. In response, the Americans decide to bring back to their attempt at creating supersoldiers. Max being their main hope, but his programming was altered by Michael Hinks so he would be a hippie pacifist basically. He doesn't know how to even access his superpowers. There's also another superhuman prototype: a black man that thinks he's Senator Joe McCarthy. When he learns what he is, he runs away, wanting nothing to do with a government that would do things like take his mother and use her to create him. The coming of the Russians gives excuse for some ignorant rednecks to start a race war, basically meaning that, instead of unifying to fight the Russian superhumans, America has decided to tear itself apart. Only Max can save the day... maybe...
This is the stuff of Supergod. Superhumans created to solve problems and fight wars, not treated as gods but programmable tools. One is screwed with to be a bleedingheart and the other is made to think he's Joe fucking McCarthy. On the Russian side, they're full of Marxist and Leninist ideas. One of the strangest moments is when the powerhouse of the group begins to rape a woman, not because he wants but because he's been programmed with the knowledge that the Red Army that defeated the Germans was a rapist army. And, yet, it's perfectly logical.
That sort of twisted logic is apparent through The Programme. Never mind that lives are in danger, Max, worry more about your girlfriend cheating on you. When he finally decides to join the fray, he gets his ass handed to him because he doesn't know how to fight. He has the power but not the knowledge. He actually has to request reprogramming to save America. Whereas Senator Joe is talked into abandoning the cause by the man who created the Russian 'dolls' and eventually helps only because he can't shake his patriotism.
Ultimately, it's a battle of ideals that come off as bad jokes. Old ideas come back to haunt us. Old conflicts, both internationally and locally. That a race war actually starts is one of those moves that complicates the plot further and makes you wonder what the fuck Peter Milligan is doing until it pays off in the end when the Russians and the race war are used as an excuse for the new president to enact martial law, using the newly programmed Max an his enforcer. The man goes from hippie to facist in no time flat... he saves America so it can be everything he used to hate.
To be continued in 30 minutes...
[Don't forget to donate what you can to the Hero Initiative! (Details in this post.) After you do, let me know via comment or e-mail (found at the righthand side) so I can keep track of donations -- and who to thank.]
The intricate plot of The Programme is one of details that paint a fairly clear picture: when Russian artificial superhumans are discovered, they begin to attack American forces in Talibstan. Really, it's just one, but that leads to the others and they go to find their maker in a Gulag where he lives in constant fear of rape. In response, the Americans decide to bring back to their attempt at creating supersoldiers. Max being their main hope, but his programming was altered by Michael Hinks so he would be a hippie pacifist basically. He doesn't know how to even access his superpowers. There's also another superhuman prototype: a black man that thinks he's Senator Joe McCarthy. When he learns what he is, he runs away, wanting nothing to do with a government that would do things like take his mother and use her to create him. The coming of the Russians gives excuse for some ignorant rednecks to start a race war, basically meaning that, instead of unifying to fight the Russian superhumans, America has decided to tear itself apart. Only Max can save the day... maybe...
This is the stuff of Supergod. Superhumans created to solve problems and fight wars, not treated as gods but programmable tools. One is screwed with to be a bleedingheart and the other is made to think he's Joe fucking McCarthy. On the Russian side, they're full of Marxist and Leninist ideas. One of the strangest moments is when the powerhouse of the group begins to rape a woman, not because he wants but because he's been programmed with the knowledge that the Red Army that defeated the Germans was a rapist army. And, yet, it's perfectly logical.
That sort of twisted logic is apparent through The Programme. Never mind that lives are in danger, Max, worry more about your girlfriend cheating on you. When he finally decides to join the fray, he gets his ass handed to him because he doesn't know how to fight. He has the power but not the knowledge. He actually has to request reprogramming to save America. Whereas Senator Joe is talked into abandoning the cause by the man who created the Russian 'dolls' and eventually helps only because he can't shake his patriotism.
Ultimately, it's a battle of ideals that come off as bad jokes. Old ideas come back to haunt us. Old conflicts, both internationally and locally. That a race war actually starts is one of those moves that complicates the plot further and makes you wonder what the fuck Peter Milligan is doing until it pays off in the end when the Russians and the race war are used as an excuse for the new president to enact martial law, using the newly programmed Max an his enforcer. The man goes from hippie to facist in no time flat... he saves America so it can be everything he used to hate.
To be continued in 30 minutes...
[Don't forget to donate what you can to the Hero Initiative! (Details in this post.) After you do, let me know via comment or e-mail (found at the righthand side) so I can keep track of donations -- and who to thank.]
Blogathon 42: I'm Coming Down Fast but Don't Let Me Break You Part One
[Beginning my discussion of The Programme.]
When I read The Programme, I'm reminded of Thomas Pynchon's writing. I had that feeling ever since the second issue where Michael Hinks recalls what turned him from a cog in the American military industrial complex to a liberal peaceloving anti-American. He was at a party and met a woman that changed his whole perspective on everything. She introduced him to drugs, free love, and opened his eyes to the facist state he lived in. So, in his duties as a member of the project to build an American superhuman, he reprogrammed Max to be just like him, effectively ruining the program. While not really like Pynchon's story "Entropy" in content, the feel of the two struck me as similar. There was something about the mixing of '60s counterculture, the military, black humour, and a myriad of plots that all weave together in the past and present that seemed to connect the two.
Stylistically, CP Smith draws The Programme the way I imagine Pynchon's novels would be illustrated. They reflect the sometimes obtuse nature of his writing. You can see what's happening, but it's not entirely clear. Some things are obscured. Things don't exist in realist terms. Colours are skewed to match the mood and tone of the scene. A panel in the first issue where Max, our failed superman who doesn't know he's superman, is telling his therapist about his failure to get an erection and his girlfriend's reaction is absolutely how I'd picture something in Pynchon's work: a shot of her coloured in a pinkish red with pale green cucumbers on her eyes as she says, "MAX, YOU ARE ONE WASHED-UP IMPOTENT OLD FART! BOY, YOU MIGHT JUST AS WELL BE A EUNICH ALL THE GOOD YOU ARE TO ME!"
It makes sense that, if there was an influence on The Programme it would be Pynchon. Of all the writers to look to if you were doing a comic book about the consequences of superhumans created during the Cold War now active and looking to live out the reason they were created, and the various bits of black humour that come out of a complicated plot like that, Pynchon is your man. The absurd comedy of Gravity's Rainbow is set against the backdrop of World War 2, offering a mixture of reality and surreality that's both remarkably touching and slightly offputting.
The Programme isn't as grand as Pynchon's work. It isn't as big or as deep or as funny, but the influence is there. After all, where else would you expect to find a hippie superman, a black superman who thinks he's Joe McCarthy, and a group of four Russian superhumans whose existence causes a race war in America?
To be continued in 30 minutes...
[Don't forget to donate what you can to the Hero Initiative! (Details in this post.) After you do, let me know via comment or e-mail (found at the righthand side) so I can keep track of donations -- and who to thank.]
When I read The Programme, I'm reminded of Thomas Pynchon's writing. I had that feeling ever since the second issue where Michael Hinks recalls what turned him from a cog in the American military industrial complex to a liberal peaceloving anti-American. He was at a party and met a woman that changed his whole perspective on everything. She introduced him to drugs, free love, and opened his eyes to the facist state he lived in. So, in his duties as a member of the project to build an American superhuman, he reprogrammed Max to be just like him, effectively ruining the program. While not really like Pynchon's story "Entropy" in content, the feel of the two struck me as similar. There was something about the mixing of '60s counterculture, the military, black humour, and a myriad of plots that all weave together in the past and present that seemed to connect the two.
Stylistically, CP Smith draws The Programme the way I imagine Pynchon's novels would be illustrated. They reflect the sometimes obtuse nature of his writing. You can see what's happening, but it's not entirely clear. Some things are obscured. Things don't exist in realist terms. Colours are skewed to match the mood and tone of the scene. A panel in the first issue where Max, our failed superman who doesn't know he's superman, is telling his therapist about his failure to get an erection and his girlfriend's reaction is absolutely how I'd picture something in Pynchon's work: a shot of her coloured in a pinkish red with pale green cucumbers on her eyes as she says, "MAX, YOU ARE ONE WASHED-UP IMPOTENT OLD FART! BOY, YOU MIGHT JUST AS WELL BE A EUNICH ALL THE GOOD YOU ARE TO ME!"
It makes sense that, if there was an influence on The Programme it would be Pynchon. Of all the writers to look to if you were doing a comic book about the consequences of superhumans created during the Cold War now active and looking to live out the reason they were created, and the various bits of black humour that come out of a complicated plot like that, Pynchon is your man. The absurd comedy of Gravity's Rainbow is set against the backdrop of World War 2, offering a mixture of reality and surreality that's both remarkably touching and slightly offputting.
The Programme isn't as grand as Pynchon's work. It isn't as big or as deep or as funny, but the influence is there. After all, where else would you expect to find a hippie superman, a black superman who thinks he's Joe McCarthy, and a group of four Russian superhumans whose existence causes a race war in America?
To be continued in 30 minutes...
[Don't forget to donate what you can to the Hero Initiative! (Details in this post.) After you do, let me know via comment or e-mail (found at the righthand side) so I can keep track of donations -- and who to thank.]
Thursday, August 04, 2011
Sketch Reviews (August 4 2011)
On Tuesday, Michelle and I saw Titus Andronicus in Stratford as part of their yearly festival. The only reason why we chose that play was I had a code to get tickets for $10 each and it was a day that I wasn't working. I have never read the play and Michelle has read a lot less Shakespeare than I. I knew a little bit about it (violent, over-the-top, not respected usually) and was rather impressed with the production. You could tell that there were some big weaknesses in the play -- and if you're not willing to go along with some fucked up shit, you just won't like it. The director also designed the stage and made good use of the space, the lighting, and the sound. John Vickery's performance as Titus stood out -- like a lot of men who do Shakespeare, he's developed such a commanding voice capable of a very broad range. Oddly, I was also taken with the character of Aaron, a moor who basically engineers the destruction of everyone, because... well, he's evil. Now, having the black character as the all-evil villain is not something you're supposed to like or get behind... but, Dion Johnstone was so charismatic that I was reminded of the Joe Casey style of villain. The villain who flat out loves being a bad guy and is so over-the-top in his love of villainy that he can't not be entertaining. You got the impression that, had he never been discovered and managed to destroy Titus's family completely, Aaron would have turned on his allies and destroyed them, because that's what he does. I do love a good villain. So, if you have the chance, go see it.
Batman: Gates of Gotham #4: The art was a step up here with Dustin Nguyen and Derec (Aucoin) Donovan. For plot reasons, I found this issue less compelling. I don't know what they could have changed, but moving towards the end of the series, there's less room for cool revelations -- although, that final page has me wondering. [***1/4]
The Boys #57: The Hughie/Annie relationship is oddly complex. Nice to see Ennis not have it all return to normal right away with Hughie still struggling with exactly what he wants. That shit at the end is fucked up. Then again, who wants to see Jack Kirby fucking Wonder Woman? NOT ME. [**3/4]
Flashpoint: Batman: Knight of Vengeance #3: Wow. That was some harsh shit. Any time Brian Azzarello gets near Batman and his world, there's always some giant mindfuck right around the corner. Revealing to Martha what Bruce is like in the regular DCU... jesus. [****1/4]
Flashpoint: Secret Seven #3: This title also turned out to be fairly fucked up by the end. I imagine this will partly lead into Milligan's Justice League Dark next month, but was an oddly compelling little story. Some people didn't really dig this mini... I did. Moreso as it progressed. [***1/2]
Moon Knight #4: I didn't really dig the third issue and this was a nice recovery. Character-driven with some good action, and a nice cliffhanger. Solid, entertaining superhero comics. [***1/2]
Scalped #51: Hey, new paper! BURN IT ALL. [****1/4]
Ultimate Fallout #4: I've got to say: I don't really care if Ultimate Spider-Man is black. Or a woman. Or gay. Or anything else that isn't straight white male Peter Parker. It's a neutral move for me, as a reader. It neither attracts me to the book or makes me want to avoid it. The introduction we get here is entertaining... yet, until the mask came off, it didn't really seem like someone who wasn't Peter in the costume aside from not knowing who the Kangaroo is or not fully understanding his powers. Otherwise, same personality. After my remark about Ultimate Tony Stark entering into a Future Foundation-esque group last issue, Hickman one-ups that and has Ultimate Reed start a twisted, fucked up version of the group... kind of. And, apparently, the US government created mutants. That is about two hundred times less interesting, honestly. When I picked up my books this week, I added Ultimates and Ultimate Hawkeye to my pull list. Good call. [**1/2]
Later
Batman: Gates of Gotham #4: The art was a step up here with Dustin Nguyen and Derec (Aucoin) Donovan. For plot reasons, I found this issue less compelling. I don't know what they could have changed, but moving towards the end of the series, there's less room for cool revelations -- although, that final page has me wondering. [***1/4]
The Boys #57: The Hughie/Annie relationship is oddly complex. Nice to see Ennis not have it all return to normal right away with Hughie still struggling with exactly what he wants. That shit at the end is fucked up. Then again, who wants to see Jack Kirby fucking Wonder Woman? NOT ME. [**3/4]
Flashpoint: Batman: Knight of Vengeance #3: Wow. That was some harsh shit. Any time Brian Azzarello gets near Batman and his world, there's always some giant mindfuck right around the corner. Revealing to Martha what Bruce is like in the regular DCU... jesus. [****1/4]
Flashpoint: Secret Seven #3: This title also turned out to be fairly fucked up by the end. I imagine this will partly lead into Milligan's Justice League Dark next month, but was an oddly compelling little story. Some people didn't really dig this mini... I did. Moreso as it progressed. [***1/2]
Moon Knight #4: I didn't really dig the third issue and this was a nice recovery. Character-driven with some good action, and a nice cliffhanger. Solid, entertaining superhero comics. [***1/2]
Scalped #51: Hey, new paper! BURN IT ALL. [****1/4]
Ultimate Fallout #4: I've got to say: I don't really care if Ultimate Spider-Man is black. Or a woman. Or gay. Or anything else that isn't straight white male Peter Parker. It's a neutral move for me, as a reader. It neither attracts me to the book or makes me want to avoid it. The introduction we get here is entertaining... yet, until the mask came off, it didn't really seem like someone who wasn't Peter in the costume aside from not knowing who the Kangaroo is or not fully understanding his powers. Otherwise, same personality. After my remark about Ultimate Tony Stark entering into a Future Foundation-esque group last issue, Hickman one-ups that and has Ultimate Reed start a twisted, fucked up version of the group... kind of. And, apparently, the US government created mutants. That is about two hundred times less interesting, honestly. When I picked up my books this week, I added Ultimates and Ultimate Hawkeye to my pull list. Good call. [**1/2]
Later
Thursday, July 07, 2011
Sketch Reviews (July 7 2011)
On Friday, my girlfriend Michelle and I got engaged. That's to say that I asked her to marry me and she sadi 'yes.' I don't know when she'll come to her senses and realise she can do far better, but, until then, I'm pretty fucking happy. Then again, I did get engage and turn around and give a comic zero stars, so who knows with me, right?
The Boys #56: Something didn't click with me. I know things aren't like they used to be, but it felt like they were and that sense of a step back threw me off a little in this issue. The sex stuff also felt like a retread, something Hughie points out. Never a good thing when a character points out that this is the same ol' shit. Sure, there are some differences and some advances... but... just fucking get to it, eh? Very nice to see Russ Braun back, though. [**3/4]
Fear Itself #4: So, the Serpent is Odin's older brother? That... that just seems so fucking boring, I must say. That's quickly becoming my reaction to this series: it's fucking boring. More than that, I still don't have a sense that it knows what it's going for beyond just bouncing the fuck around, dropping little hints here and there about stories you can read in more fucking detail elsewhere. You know what made Final Crisis work quite well at doing that? Morrison was rarely dropping in a moment that he knew was going to be explained elsewhere. He didn't have that crutch to fall back on, so, when he dropped in a quick moment, he made it fucking work in and of itself, because you weren't getting anything else. Those few panels were it. No one else picking up the slack. Yeah, there were spinoffs and tie-ins, but the only ones that seemed to matter to Morrison and influenced how he wrote the book were the ones he was writing. That isn't Fraction's approach here and that's what turns this into just another event in the mould of Civil War. Except lacking in the big moments that at least kept the attention of the reader. Look at that, Tony Stark took a fucking drink and tried to pretend it was a noble thing to do... a cool page construction by Immonen to balance the Serpent with Odin that doesn't really work because Odin also appears in a regular panel on his page... Steve is Cap again... Thor is gonna throw down... just tell the fucking story and stop reminding me that any other comics exist. [*3/4]
Flashpoint: Batman, Knight of Vengeance #2: Why didn't I see that coming? Lots of fun twists and turns and playing with everything we know to be true. A damn fun and entertaining comic. [****]
Flashpoint: Secret Seven #2: Well, Perez lasted a nice long time, didn't he? Whatever. This is a crazy comic that, like the Batman book, is just taking the freedom afforded and running with it, fuck what Flashpoint is really about. The smart approach, because what's the fun of an alternate reality if you don't spend some time walking around inside of it? Let Geoff Johns take care of the plot and just have fun. Not as good as the Batman book, but rather entertaining. [***1/2]
Later
The Boys #56: Something didn't click with me. I know things aren't like they used to be, but it felt like they were and that sense of a step back threw me off a little in this issue. The sex stuff also felt like a retread, something Hughie points out. Never a good thing when a character points out that this is the same ol' shit. Sure, there are some differences and some advances... but... just fucking get to it, eh? Very nice to see Russ Braun back, though. [**3/4]
Fear Itself #4: So, the Serpent is Odin's older brother? That... that just seems so fucking boring, I must say. That's quickly becoming my reaction to this series: it's fucking boring. More than that, I still don't have a sense that it knows what it's going for beyond just bouncing the fuck around, dropping little hints here and there about stories you can read in more fucking detail elsewhere. You know what made Final Crisis work quite well at doing that? Morrison was rarely dropping in a moment that he knew was going to be explained elsewhere. He didn't have that crutch to fall back on, so, when he dropped in a quick moment, he made it fucking work in and of itself, because you weren't getting anything else. Those few panels were it. No one else picking up the slack. Yeah, there were spinoffs and tie-ins, but the only ones that seemed to matter to Morrison and influenced how he wrote the book were the ones he was writing. That isn't Fraction's approach here and that's what turns this into just another event in the mould of Civil War. Except lacking in the big moments that at least kept the attention of the reader. Look at that, Tony Stark took a fucking drink and tried to pretend it was a noble thing to do... a cool page construction by Immonen to balance the Serpent with Odin that doesn't really work because Odin also appears in a regular panel on his page... Steve is Cap again... Thor is gonna throw down... just tell the fucking story and stop reminding me that any other comics exist. [*3/4]
Flashpoint: Batman, Knight of Vengeance #2: Why didn't I see that coming? Lots of fun twists and turns and playing with everything we know to be true. A damn fun and entertaining comic. [****]
Flashpoint: Secret Seven #2: Well, Perez lasted a nice long time, didn't he? Whatever. This is a crazy comic that, like the Batman book, is just taking the freedom afforded and running with it, fuck what Flashpoint is really about. The smart approach, because what's the fun of an alternate reality if you don't spend some time walking around inside of it? Let Geoff Johns take care of the plot and just have fun. Not as good as the Batman book, but rather entertaining. [***1/2]
Later
Monday, June 06, 2011
CBR Review: Flashpoint: Secret Seven #1
I recently reviewed Flashpoint: Secret Seven #1 for CBR and, in the process, wrote the following sentences: "Of all of the Flashpoint mini-series and one-shots, few sound stranger and more unexpected than Secret Seven, a series that’s basically Peter Milligan writing Shade, the Changing Man once again. He recently brought the character back in his Hellblazer run and seeing him write the character in this alternate reality with George Perez on art is almost surreal. Perez is probably the quintessential ‘superhero comics artist’ in the business and pairing him with Milligan on such an odd and crazed title is inspired. The results are a little mixed, but Secret Seven #1 is always interesting."You can read the rest HERE!
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
CBR Review: Vertigo Resurrected #1
I recently reviewed Vertigo Resurrected #1 for CBR and, in the process, wrote the following sentences: "Part of DC’s new initiative to put material long out of print into 100-page eight-dollar books, Vertigo Resurrected #1 sees 'Shoot' published in full color for the first time ever, backed with eight shorts from various Vertigo anthology series featuring some of the imprint's top creators. While the chance to see some long forgotten stories from the likes of Garth Ennis, Brian Azzarello, Grant Morrison, Frank Quitely, Jim Lee, and others is a pretty strong appeal to begin with, 'Shoot' is the main draw of this book. Its announcement got everyone’s notice and is a rare time where a publisher has chosen to publish material it previously vowed not to."You can read the rest HERE!
Saturday, October 09, 2010
CBR Review: Greek Street #16
I recently reviewed Greek Street #16 for CBR and, in the process, wrote the following sentences: "Before reading Greek Street #16, the final issue of the series, I decided to reread the entire series to put the issue in a proper context and judge how it acted as a finale to the series. While the ending may be premature, Greek Street never rose above a certain level of quality, petering out at ‘decent’ or ‘good’ often, derailed by too large a cast and an ever-changing status quo that never allowed for many of the characters to gain any traction. Given the book’s roots in Greek mythology, relying on types instead of fully fleshed characters is keeping with the themes presented, but it doesn’t make for an engaging read, necessarily. There was always a sense that the story was leading ‘somewhere,’ but that remained the case for the first two story arcs, resulting in this week’s finale being that ‘somewhere’ whether it was intended or not."You can read the rest HERE!
Friday, September 10, 2010
CBR Review: Greek Street #15
I recently reviewed Greek Street #15 for CBR and, in the process, wrote the following sentences: "After the pretty solid 'Ajax' story, Greek Street limps to a conclusion with a two-part finale that is a textbook example of how not to structure your comic. Hopefully, this isn’t how Peter Milligan planned to execute issue 15 before the axe came down, because it’s rushed, sloppy, and nearly impenetrable — and I’ve read every issue of the series. It picks up where issue 11 left off basically, pretending like 'Ajax' never happened, while also introducing new characters that seem to play a major role, but haven’t been mentioned yet. All hope of this book going on a high note seems lost."You can read the rest HERE!
Thursday, August 26, 2010
CBR Review: Punisher Max: Happy Ending #1
I recently reviewed Punisher Max: Happy Ending #1 for CBR and, in the process, wrote the following sentences: "These Punisher Max one-shots all seem to fall into a pattern of presenting stories where Frank Castle is a supporting character, often trying to kill criminals while the main plot goes on around him. Considering the character’s long history and the fantastic work Garth Ennis and Jason Aaron have done on the character recently, it’s an understandable approach to take. Happy Ending is no exception, with the Punisher only appearing in three brief scenes. Instead, Peter Milligan focuses on Joseph Bonner, an unhappily married accountant whose trip to a massage parlor has him fleeing gangsters with one of the masseuses, Gi-Gi."You can read the rest HERE!
Saturday, August 07, 2010
CBR Review: Greek Street #14
I recently reviewed Greek Street #14 for CBR and, in the process, wrote the following sentences: "The news of Greek Street ending with issue 16 was met as being part of the larger story of various Vertigo books being cancelled lately. A few have lamented that this series will be ending so soon, but, for most, it makes sense. I’ve bought every issue and I’m not too surprised that this book isn’t lighting up the sales charts, because its quality varies on an issue-to-issue basis. Things seemed to be in an upswing with the end of the second story arc as characters and ideas began to cohere. Even the first issue of the three-part 'Ajax' showed that Greek Street just needed some time to get into a good groove. The end of 'Ajax,' though, is a disappointment, lacking a strong payoff to the story."You can read the rest HERE!
Thursday, August 05, 2010
CBR Review: Thor: The Rage of Thor #1
I recently reviewed Thor: The Rage of Thor #1 for CBR and, in the process, wrote the following sentences: "The unstated irony of this story is that Odin continually refers to Thor’s need for humility and, in the process, puts Thor into a position where he is Asgard’s only hope. Milligan taps into the competition between father and son, using that as the driving point for their conflict. Odin sees that his son is his rival in strength and power, so he pushes him down needlessly, driving Thor away until it’s essential that he return. It’s a pattern that we’ve seen numerous times before, but Milligan does well. By also showing us Thor’s life as Tor, a regular human, we see him happy and content in a way that he rarely is in Asgard. Thor even critiques Asgardian life harshly late in the issue in a way that hasn’t been done before, giving the character an unseen dimension."You can read the rest HERE!
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