Published at: March 8, 2002, 7:39 a.m. CST by staff
Hey, everyone. "Moriarty" here with some Rumblings From The Lab.
These columns are always crazy-long. Let's just get right to it, shall we?
Andrew from GrayHaven Magazine.com here with another batch of reviews, including two for our overwhelming favorite of the week: Ruse. Check em out.
Batman #600
Written by Ed Brubaker and illustrated by Scott McDaniel
Published by DC Comics
Reviewed by Paul Weissburg
To be perfectly honest, I have mixed feelings over the latest developments in this storyline. By way of recap, Bruce Wayne has been framed for the murder of his ex-girlfriend, Vesper. The evidence is so damning that even Batman's allies have begun to question his innocence. Now, after days of sitting in jail, Bruce Wayne has escaped and Batman is back. All of which brings us to Batman #600.
Without getting into details that might ruin the story for those of you who have not yet read it, Batman's basic attitude in this issue is "To hell with Bruce Wayne." To me, that seems odd. I understand that Batman is a very driven individual and that he might sometimes think of Bruce Wayne as the secret identity and Batman as the "real" person, but even so.. This just doesn't feel right.
At first, I thought maybe Batman's attitude was an act, put on to deceive his allies until he can get to the truth. That may still prove to be the case, but the caption boxes in the final pages that reveal his "inner thoughts" suggest that he really is done with the Bruce Wayne persona. Another possibility is that Batman is somehow being brain-washed or mind-controlled. If that's the case, then this whole story becomes rather inane, in my opinion, because I absolutely hate mind-control stories.
If nothing else, Batman should be concerned with Sasha, who's still sitting in prison to keep his secret. His behavior in this story makes no sense to me, and I'm not sure I believe that the Bat-writers are going to pull this whole thing off in a way that satisfies me. So, where does that leave us? I have no idea. The mystery is intriguing and there were some great moments in this issue. I enjoyed reading it. (And the back-up features are cute, if nothing else.) Batman #600 is a decent, but not great comic.
In the end, I'm not feeling very confident about the overall storyline. As I look at this month's Previews and see that there's no resolution coming any time soon, I can't help wondering how long we readers are expected to follow along.
It's rarefied air amongst the best humour strips in history: Peanuts, Krazy Kat, and Calvin and Hobbes almost certainly define three of the top five.
Krazy Kat has never really gotten the popular attention it merits, but the new collections from Fantagraphics will hopefully go toward remedying that at least a bit. Peanuts and Calvin and Hobbes collections, of course, have historically filled shelves at bookstores everywhere, and that's how I nearly missed this historic, incredible new volume.
Browsing the humour section of a local Waldenbooks, I saw the usual selection of Calvin volumes. Having an enormous admiration for the imagination and art of Bill Watterson, I stopped twice to read the title on the spine. This was something I hadn't seen before, and something that promised to hold up Watterson's art in a way utterly appropriate, and yet one that newspaper editors for years refused to do. This most recent volume, then, is a celebration of the innovative way Watterson held sway on the Sunday funnies page for years, captivating the minds and hearts of all who read it: This is how Calvin and Hobbes should be seen.
What this is a collection of just a few dozen of Watterson's best, most innovative and unusual Sunday strips, published in full-colour, with the facing page of each strip featuring the original art of the same strip. Not just a black and white version of the colour page, but a photo of the actual art - every whited-out mistake, every registration mark, and every taped-down copyright notice is there. It's absolutely the next, best thing to holding the original art of these strips in your hand.
These strips were originally chosen for an exhibition of the creator's work at Ohio State University. Watterson provides commentary on most of the pieces, giving insight into his creative process and ongoing struggle with editorial conformity that finally brought him to take a hiatus while he re-imagined what the strip should be. The final half of the book sees Watterson free of fears that the first two panels would be removed or that the entire strip would be rearranged, say, as a series of vertical panels. It's after a new deal was struck with the syndicate and a new, unchangeable format was agreed on that you see Watterson's experimentation with design and form really explode. It is fairly spectacular to see, and even more wonderful to have Watterson's comments every step of the way.
Most revelatory are the strips here that spring from the premise that the laws of nature have been rewritten. A number are included, and each is a delight, delving deep into Watterson's capacity for stretching the artform to its very limit in just a handful of panels. One of these, in which the world is reduced to black and white, also served as Watterson's reply to those who felt he was being inflexible about how his artwork was presented.
Have no fear about any dating of these strips. Even the one that kinda, sorta comments on Reagan-era war-mongering still manages to provide a timeless, snarky commentary on the utter stupidity of violence. All these strips have a timeless feel, with even the earliest showing the creator stretching his visual wings and brilliantly illuminating the character of everyone in the strip within a panel or two.
My favourite strips here are the ones that show Watterson really exploring the outer boundaries of the strip's potential; Spaceman Spiff battling amid devastatingly rendered space backgrounds, for example, or dinosaurs piloting fighter planes. The best of these, both visually and in terms of utter imagination raw on the paper, is a soap-opera parody so convincing that you actually might have mistaken it for a real soap-opera strip among the rest of the strips on the Sunday that it originally appeared. The artwork is a masterful switch in styles for Watterson, and the irony presented in the punchline is a delicious and bitingly apt depiction of male-female relationships at their most absurd.
Fittingly, the book closes on Watterson's final Sunday strip, an evocation of bright future possibilities for a boy and his tiger who earned a happy retirement from the comics pages. From the narration, it sounds like Watterson is enjoying his new life of painting and music. I'm thankful he took the time to put together this new volume, a wonderful, unexpected love letter to readers who remember and appreciated Calvin and Hobbes for the short time it was in the cultural spotlight; it's also an extraordinary glimpse at the creative mind of one of the best cartoonists in history.
Overall: 10/10
Daredevil #30
Written by Brian Michael Bendis and illustrated by Alex Maleev
Published by Marvel Comics
Reviewed by Paul Weissburg
Could this series be any more excellent than it currently is?
Doubtful.
For those of you who aren't currently picking up Daredevil, allow me to fill you in - Mafia style. Thus far, we've seen the Kingpin of crime brutally attacked by his own underlings and left to die in a pool of his own blood. (So, that kinda' sucked for him.) Meanwhile, there's this new character, Mr. Silke, who is not at all a super-villain but very much a flesh-and-blood reg'lar guy kind of mafiosa from New Jersey who, for reasons that were originally unclear, was behind the murder of the Kingpin. Also, there's a bounty out on Matt Murdock (our hero) though we didn't initially know for certain who was responsible for that either.
In the latest issue, Bendis takes us through a series of flashbacks to show us why these things have happened and how it all fits together. The herky-jerky style he uses is strangely reminiscent of Christopher Priest's writing style in those early Black Panther comics, albeit without the humor. Bear in mind, if your idea of an enjoyable comic is a series of slugfests, the current Daredevil storyline may drive you insane. Bendis is concentrating on characterization first, and there's very little action, per se. His take on DD has been more like watching The Sopranos or Goodfellas than reading a superhero adventure.
As for the art, Alex Maleev is working miracles in this book. New York City looks dark and foreboding, the bars are all full of smoke, and the people (like Ben Urich) look weary. Kingpin's son looks like a two-bit loser (and he used to be the Rose?!?) and Mr. Silke is your classic bully wanna' be -- a guy who thinks he's more slick than he really is.
All told, Bendis and Maleev are giving us the most gripping Daredevil storyline I've seen in a long, long time. I cannot recommend this title highly enough.
Overall: 10/10
Hawkman #1
Written by Geoff Johns & James Robinson and Illustrated by Rags Morales
Published by DC Comics
Reviewed by Aaron "Vroom Socko" Button
Finally. Hawkman has his own book again.
One of my favorite subplots in JSA has been the relationship dynamic between Hawkman and Hawkgirl. Now that storyline is the main focus of it's own title, and I couldn't be happier. Having said that, reading JSA isn't required to follow the storyline of this first issue. (Although why someone wouldn't want to read JSA is beyond be.)
The story kicks off with Hawkgirl investigating a new clue in the murder of her parents. Hawkman, of course, sticks his nose in her business. Can you blame him? These two lovers have been reincarnated together since the time of ancient Egypt, but now she doesn't want anything to do with him. Soon one thing leads to another, and faster than you can say "Indiana Jones," the two of them are off to India after a missing archeologist.
Geoff Johns has a gift for characterization that's hard to beat. His Hawkgirl has been one of my favorites on the JSA roster for a while now. As for his rendition of Hawkman, well, he's the badass of the current team. Rags Morales artwork is probably the best possible for this title. The two protagonists have a visual confidence on the ground, and breathtaking majesty in the air. The splash page at the end of the two of them together is just beautiful.
If you read JSA, or even if you don't, give this book a chance.
Overall: 8.5/10
Howard the Duck #2
Written by Steve Gerber and illustrated by Phil Winslade
Published by Max Comics (Marvel Comics)
Reviewed by Paul Weissburg
As someone who read and very much enjoyed the original Howard the Duck series back when it first came out, I was dubious about Gerber returning to his greatest creation some 25 years later for a sequel. My feeling was that he'd said pretty much all there was to say with the character.
Boy, was I wrong.
This time around, Howard the Duck has all the dark satire, all the dark humor, and all the absurdity that made Howard the Duck such a hit back in the 70's. Kudos to Phil Winslade, who manages to capture Howard and Bev perfectly, while maintaining his own, unique approach to the book. I'm no fan of Winslade's art, as a general rule, but I'd be hard-pressed to think of a better choice for this series. My only complaint, in fact, is that I don't want this to be a limited series. I want it to go on and on. I want Howard to deal with John Ashcroft and Enron and the War Against Terrorism (briefly touched upon in this latest issue) and all the craziness that Gerber seems so well-suited to mock. And I want to continue to watch Bev and Howard grow as characters.
And, just for the record, I think issue #2 of Howard the Duck may contain the single best comic-book moment of 2002. Of course, the year is still young, but I just don't see anyone topping the ant-eater scene in the shower.
Genius.
Overall: 9/10
Midnight Nation #10
Written by J.M. Straczynski and Illustrated by Gary Frank
Published by Image / Top Cow
Reviewed by Drew Haverstock
And the clock moves closer to midnight.
It's been said that every comic should be treated as a potential "first" for a reader, and should be set up so anyone can understand what's going on in the story and pick up within the first few pages. JMS's polite response: F-you.
For those of you that haven't been reading the story so far, understand that you're going to be lost. Period. JMS doesn't spend any time recapping the previous events surrounding David and Laruel. He doesn't waste space giving cursory "who I am" schpiels during awkward conversations. Midnight Nation is meant to be read from start to finish - damn all the conventional storytelling rules. If you haven't been reading, wait for the TPB. If things end as strongly as they've been going up to this point, it'll be worth every penny.
This issue shows David's descent into becoming a Walker, abandoning all of the worldly pressures built up over a lifetime and embracing the freedom that their adversary has provided. As with nearly every issue, Laurel presents the option to David - "let me kill you now, before it's too late." Not wanting to drag her into the abyss, David leaves.
The entire issue centers around two things: 1) David's romp through the city, and 2) Laurel's acceptance David's departure and the ongoing torment it will bring her. Running through the streets of NYC in this alternate yet synchronous reality, David begins to think about the trek that brought him to this point. How have things changed for him since meeting Laurel, and on what level does he take responsibility for his own actions? The long history between the adversary and Laurel is touched on as well, even hinting the two were together as one at some point. And while this easily could have turned into another tired and trite "battle for your soul", JMS's strong use of internal dialogue helps keep us away from some of the trappings that spring from a story such as this.
Gary Frank's crisp layouts, eye for detail, and varied POVs help make Midnight Nation JMS's finest body of work to date. I've notice that here at Grayhaven we have a tendency to focus on the tremendous amount of quality writers the industry is sporting these days. Moore, Jenkins, Smith, Miller, David, Kelly, Azzarello, etc. all seem to get top billing across the board. But I'd be one to argue that the artists on the charts today have met the challenge of their counterparts, and Gary Frank is a prime example of just that.
In the end, we have two issues to see if David's prophetic response to himself can be altered.
"How does she die?"
"We kill her…"
Overall: 8.5/10
Promethea #19
Written by Alan Moore and illustrated by J.H. Williams III and Mick Gray
Published by America's Best Comics
Reviewed by Paul Weissburg
What amazes me is that there are people who don't buy this title. In my Best Of/Worst Of column for 2001, I voted Promethea as Best Ongoing Series. For that matter, Alan Moore won Best Writer and J.H. Williams III and Mick Gray won Best Art Team.
(So, yes, I like this comic.)
Promethea is about this woman who.. see, there's this girl and she.. uh….this is a very hard book to sum up. Maybe this will do it. It's about Tarot Cards and Numerology and Religion and Quantum Physics and Magic and Sex and Life and Death and, uh, let's see.. oh, yeah.. it's also about the Weeping Gorilla and the Five Swell Guys. Yep, that about covers it.
Given that it's beyond my meager skills to clarify just what it is that Alan Moore is doing with this series, I implore you to simply pick up the latest issue and just.. just LOOK at it. Just read the first three pages, for God's sake. Or the last couple of pages. Or any of the pages in-between. Because this is, arguably, the best that comics have to offer.
Understand that like most of Moore's work, Promethea is NOT a quick read. It's something that requires a slow, careful thought and will reward you if you do so. This issue is a fine example of how luscious art and depth of the story can work together to create a true comic journey, rather than a simple slam-bang affair.
Read Promethea and discover how good comics can be.
Overall: 10/10
Ruse 5
Written by Mark Waid and illustrated by Butch Guice
Published by CrossGen
Reviewed by Elliot Kane
Master detective Simon Archard has mysteriously vanished, leaving his assistant Emma Bishop on her own and faced with a series of horrifying murders that must be solved. A number of street walkers and one very respectable bank secretary have fallen prey to Partington's version of Jack The Ripper, and the city is held tight in the grip of terror.
But is anything ever the way it seems in Partington? Can Emma solve the crime on her own, and what has happened to Simon? And what type of cliffhanger will Mark Waid use this time to get us to read the next issue?
It's worth reading to find out.
We meet a number of Simon's agents in this story, all of them excellent characters in their own right, with an ex-prize fighter in training to be a gentleman almost stealing the show at times. Emma, clearly feeling lonely and abandoned, finds her thoughts turning to romance when she meets a dashing young policeman.
Waid's characterisation continues to be excellent as he sheds light on more aspects of Emma's personality. Interestingly, while she has a clear confidence in her mental acuity and strength of character, she seems to have a real insecurity about her looks. This weakness adds depth to her character and prevents her from seeming vain, which is a good thing. It is little touches like these that make a character more likeable, more human, and Emma is portrayed as being very human indeed.
Butch Guice delivers his usual superb renditions of the intricate and multi-layered costumes that made Victorian London such a colourful place, and of the people who inhabit those costumes. Emma in disguise is a particularly fetching sight, although the lady herself appears to think otherwise, and the background in many scenes is remarkable in both its detail and its attention to period accuracy. From Guice's artwork, it is easy to believe that Partington is a great and bustling city, the centre of its world's greatest civilisation.
Anyone seeking a good detective/adventure series should be reading Ruse. Period.
Overall: 9/10
Ruse #5
Written by Mark Waid and illustrated by Butch Guice and Michael Perkins
Published by CrossGen
Reviewed by Paul Weissburg
First of all. Great Cover.
Secondly, I don't know what wonder-food the good folks at CrossGen are feeding Mark Waid and Butch Guice, but these two are doing the best work of their careers on this series. I'd pretty much written Waid off as someone who used to write great stories but now wrote mediocre ones. Ruse, however, has brought back that sense of fun and wonder that Waid used to be famous for creating.
Ruse is the story of Simon Archard, an ego-centric Sherlock Holmes with an attitude, and his lovely assistant (or is it his partner?) Emma Bishop. They live in a time and place that resembles Victorian England but with a few minor aberrations (e.g. gargoyles flying around in the background) and together they solve mysteries.
A part of the fun is that Emma is keeping some rather important secrets from Simon, and we readers don't know just how much Simon suspects. Furthermore, Simon is keeping plenty of secrets from Emma, as we see in this latest issue when Simon disappears mysteriously and Emma is left to cover for him.
Waid has created a whole cast of intriguing supporting characters who serve as "agents" for Simon; my personal favorite introduced in this issue is the very creepy Lucius (the one who has too many sssssss's in his word-balloon).
Ruse is a series of mysteries within mysteries, but the key to what makes this whole thing work is the interaction between Simon Archard and Emma Bishop. They're a fun couple to watch because their personalities do clash so beautifully. In many ways, Ruse is as much a romantic-comedy as it is a mystery.
I've still not made the leap to trying other CrossGen comics (although the upcoming bargain trade paperbacks may change that) but Ruse is currently one of my top 10 ongoing comicbook series (along with X-Force, Promethea, Daredevil, Black Panther, Ultimate Spider-Man, Powers, Legion, Doom Patrol, & Queen and Country).
While not terribly profound, Ruse is a hell of a lot of fun!
Overall: 9/10
Scion 21
Written by Ron Marz and illustrated by Jim Cheung and Brandon Peterson
Published by CrossGen
Reviewed by Elliot Kane
The plot advances on all fronts, as the armies of the Heron and Raven dynasties move inexorably towards a battle that could well decide the outcome of the whole war. Raven King Bron has taken the field at the head of his armies, and even without the sorcerous power gifted to him by Mai Shen, he would be a formidable foe to overcome.
Heron Prince Kai and his sister, Princess Ylena, lead their battle weary force on a march towards the Raven capital, guided by their war advisor Bernd Rechts. But didn't Mai Shen kill Rechts? And where is she, anyway? Questions that will surely be pivotal in deciding the fates of all concerned...
Meanwhile, in the undersea city of Haven, Heron Prince Ethan and Raven Princess Ashleigh finally confront their feelings for each other. Their kingdoms are at war, their families have hated each other for generations, and force of custom should keep them apart. Can they truly love each other? Can they afford to, or would their love bring a plague on both their houses? The comparisons with Romeo and Juliet are very obvious on this one, although I must confess that I am hoping for a happier ending for Ethan and Ashleigh.
Ethan and Ashleigh are actually in Haven to ask the inhabitants if they could provide shelter for the surface dwelling members of the Lesser Races, who are enslaved by the Ravens and used as servants by the Herons. The outcome of their mission is obviously very important to The Underground - the organisation dedicated to seeking equality for the Lesser Races, and will affect the future of Scion for a long time.
Elsewhere, Exeter, the former bounty hunter, a member of the Lesser Races bred for war and recent ally of The Underground, is spreading the word that Ethan and Ashleigh are seeking a new sanctuary - and Exeter himself is raising the standard of rebellion! This development looks like seriously unbalancing the whole power structure of Scion, and I am very much looking forward to seeing where this leads.
From an artwork perspective, this issue is also excellent. Jim Cheung's undersea city is incredibly beautiful, and its inhabitants combine an obvious undersea functionality with that beauty.
Parts of this issue were drawn by Brandon Peterson, as Cheung damaged his collarbone. Peterson will be familiar to readers of Mystic, who will be unsurprised at the high quality of Peterson's contribution.
Both artistically and in terms of the overall story Scion continues to be one of the best and most compelling titles on the market.
