Hey, everyone. "Moriarty" here with some Rumblings From The Lab.
Here’s the familiar, the recognized, the frequently quoted... Gray Haven Magazine.com’s weekly batch of comic reviews...
Hey Gang. Andrew from GrayHaven Magazine here with another batch of reviews, including 3 for the highly anticipated re-launch of Captain America as a Marvel Knights title and Ron Zimmerman’s much improved follow-up to his Punisher story. Enjoy
Our Guide:
Don't Miss- A flawless example of a comic book. From writing to art, there is nothing that could be improved upon.
Highly Recommended- While not absolutely perfect, a grade of Highly Recommended goes to books that are a cut above the rest. These are essential reading for any fan of comic books
Recommended- A book that is a bit better than average. A few shortcomings, but otherwise a very good effort.
Mildly Recommended- Average. Books with this rating aren’t terrible but they may fall short in one area or another and while they aren’t to be discounted, most likely these issues appeal to only the die-hard comic fans.
A Bright Sunny Day
Written & Illustrated by Dan Warmer
Published by Desert Island Comics
Reviewed by Mike Gagnon
John Victory had a good night -- too good in fact. At a company function he got plastered and made a complete ass of himself, made out with his boss, made out with his ex, made out with a man, and took one of his co-workers home! Did we mention John has a fiancée? Oh, yeah, he's also begun to see what is apparently the grim specter of death following him!
A noirish, humor-laden look a modern single (well almost single) male life with some supernatural thrown in would be the easiest way to describe A Bright Sunny Day. The character makes you sympathize with him while also making you realize he's a bit of a bastard. This is a great indy comic that continues in a series called Cocopiazo. If you've read any of my reviews before you know I do mostly indy, so you should know what to expect. Although there's an occasional spot where the characters look a little distorted, the ink work is nice and crisp so overall, this was a job well done.
Although you feel for the character he also does things to make you feel the opposite. He really doesn't seem to care very much about his innocent fiancée and the fact he's cheating on her with everything that moves. The surrealness and supernatural element of Death is what really saves this book.
Overall: RECOMMENDED
A Tail of Two Worlds: The Bridge
Written by Brian Holguin and Illustrated by Angel Medina
Published by Image
Reviewed by Christopher Hillman
Issues like these just go to show us why we read comics. "The Bridge" introduces us to Ben Nakadai. A businessman that has traveled to Japan to assess the possibility of salvaging an ancient temple that is currently standing in the way of his firms new resort site. While sleeping in his hotel room, he dreams of the past and sees his ancestral homeland as it once was. As he walks through the dream, he is stopped dead in his tracks by a mysterious bridge that is connecting our world to another. This part of the story is an example of what a good writer can do with just a couple of pages.
Brian Holguin beautifully expresses Ben’s resurfacing past memories with his return to his homeland. The dream sequence that brings Ben to the main focal point of the story was pulled off flawlessly. The art of Angel Medina’s only gets better each time I see it. I think he did a hell of a job on these two issues. The eye flow is so fluid that the panels almost seem to move along by themselves. And I can’t leave this paragraph without talking about the other people that contributed to the look of these two books. The inkers that gave these books their depth and life should be very proud. Bringing the penciled line to life is no small feat and the efforts of Danny Miki, Victor Olazaba, Allen Martinez, and Crime Lab Studios show what dedication is all about. Now what life would be complete without its soul? Brian Haberlin, Dan Kemp, and Haberlin Studios provided the soul with the greatest of detail. I’ve always been a great admirer of the Spawn coloring jobs. They never let me down when it comes to establishing the mood and feel of a story. The attention to detail was unwavering in each and every panel. The cover of the story speaks for itself.
On the next day, Ben goes to the hotel restaurant and is visited by a relatively new player to the Spawn mythos. The villain that first appeared back in issue 88 sits down with Ben and the two begin to chitchat with one another. As the conversation continues, our mystery man tells Ben the story of Isanagi Nakadai. Nakadai is a direct ancestor of Ben’s. The warrior that had to face his demons, slay his dragon, and in process became a hero for Japan. The story gets interrupted by a waiter that lets Ben know he has a phone call. Ben excuses himself and leaves. This is where we get a name out of our mystery man. He tells Ben that he can call him "Mykoto". A storm has come as Ben goes back to his room. Lighting strikes and thunder roars as another character enters into the story – Spawn himself.
These types of stories that focus on different people other then Spawn aren’t always that good, but I was really drawn to this story. Isanagi was a great character and gave the story its story. Warriors can always be appealing for their codes and disciplines. The tragedy of his story is timeless. Love and loss is always a powerful plot device that never seems to lose its drawing power. The fight between Isanagi and the dragon was the stuff of legends and was executed with style and finesse. This first part of "The Bridge" perfectly laid the groundwork for what would come to be in the second book.
SPOILER SPACE
The next part of "The Bridge" begins with Ben finding a gold chest called the cask. Upon opening the cask, Ben unknowingly lets out the spirits that were trapped inside. This is when Spawn resurfaces. He’s come to undo Ben’s mistake and restore balance to the world he has claimed as his and takes each spirit into himself. All but one submits to Spawn. Isanagi Nakadai. He is one warrior that will not be dishonored and won’t go without a fight. Being a warrior himself, Spawn understands and gives the ghost his wish. The two soldiers go at each other with pure skill. This is a battle that can only leave one person left standing. And in the end Isanagi is delivered by Spawn and the bridge crumbles. As the story approaches its end we are treated to another conversation between Ben and Mykoto. It is revealed that Mykoto was behind every step that Ben took. Finished with Ben, Mykoto kills him and leaves for New York to "attend to matters neglected for far too long". The story ends with the ghost of Ben Nakadai walking down an endless hallway looking or his room.
END SPOILER SPACE
"The Bridge" was a fantastic tale that you won’t soon forget. The characters played well with each other. Visually, it delivered with great panel work and the flow of action was like watching a movie. It wasn’t without its down points, however. Nothing is. I would have liked to see more development and focus on Isanagi Nakadai’s character. He seemed to have a lot of history that would have been worth exploring. Mykoto seems to be a cheap substitute for Jason Wynn. He needs to find his own identity so he can establish himself as a unique bad guy in the Spawn universe. He has a lot of potential that I wasn’t seeing used in "The Bridge". In the end though, this story has all the elements of an ancient tale that will please anyone who reads it.
Overall: RECOMMENDED
Black Widow: Pale Little Spider #1
Written by Greg Rucka and Illustrated by Igor Kordey
Published by Marvel Comics
Reviewed by Chaos McKenzie
Okay, so the basics… Greg Rucka is one of my top favorite comic book writers. I find his words are often passionate and gritty. My biggest beef with Rucka is that I never get a chance to review his work, and sing his praises because I’m consistently disappointed with his artistic pairings, such as what happened in his stint on Elektra. In fact I assumed that Black Widow would escape comment since to date I’d been completely unimpressed with Kordey’s work on New X-Men (notice the lack of X-reviews from me in the last few months).
Imagine my surprise when suddenly I fell to the hype… the new Black Widow mini series kicks ass.
Pale Little Spider focuses on the young Yelena Belova, Russia’s newest Black Widow designate who suffers for a serious self-esteem problem due to the inferiority she feels to the original (and still sexier in my books) Black Widow, Natasha Romanov. This tale instantly up grades Yelena from being a confused antagonist to a full-fledged basket case of a protagonist. Brought in to investigate the murder of one of her teachers, Yelena goes deep into the world of sexual fetish. Props to Rucka for continuing to prove that he has his finger on the day to day activities of the world, my cousin in Russia often talks about the "boom" in sexual fetish activity in those highly suppressed lands.
What absolutely blew me away in this issue was how none of the typical Russian visual stereotypes were used to establish the scene. Instead Rucka and Kordey establish the small things that really show it’s global location by playing up those commonalties of humanity seen worldwide.
And yes… I really did enjoy the art. For the first time I found that Kordey’s style was extremely coherent in combination with the dirty line style that I’m a huge fan of.
Impressive…cheers
Overall: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Captain America #1
Written by John Ney Rieber and Illustrated by John Cassaday
Published by Marvel Comics/Marvel Knights
Reviewed by Aaron Weisbrod
A lot of hype surrounded the announced relaunch of Marvel’s faltering Captain America title under the Marvel Knights imprint. Was Steve Rogers going to be killed and replaced by an African-American Captain America? Was the book going to get revamped into a hipper and more modern Tom Clancy/Metal Gear Solid sort of title? Was the book going to be more "street," yo? All of these rumors and more continued to circulate on comic-related message boards for quite some time, and the events of September 11th seemed to add even more gasoline to an already fairly well-fanned fire.
For obvious reasons, after 9-11 Captain America once again had relevance. The shield suddenly meant something again. The uniform suddenly meant something again. Hell, even that big "A" on his forehead suddenly meant something again. It was no longer a question of who or what this rumored "new" Captain America would be, but rather a question of how the old Captain America that we all knew and loved would address our recent national crisis.
In regards to this last point, Captain America #1 does not fail to deliver. The first half of the issue deals with Captain America (yes, he’s still the same Steve Rogers many comic fans were betting would kick the can a year ago in Marvel’s extremely anti-climatic "Who’s Gonna Die?" publicity stunt) aiding with the clean up at Ground Zero. The dialogue is terse and emotional. Upon reading this segment of the story, I literally felt as though I had been whisked back to the days immediately following the terrorist attacks.
The combination of Ney Rieber’s somber tone and Cassaday’s impeccable art makes this story one of the most haunting and starkly realistic comic depictions of Ground Zero (clearly surpassing the much ballyhooed, but ultimately disappointing, Spider-Man #36, which came off as more of a gospel hymn than a story). Of special impact is the eyebrow raising confrontation between Steve Rogers and Nick Fury, an extremely charged scene which managed, in only a few brief pages, to once again breathe life into two classic characters whose development have stagnated in recent years. This scene, along with a very dramatic moment in which Captain America draws a surprisingly shocking parallel between vigilante-justice and terrorism, justify purchasing the issue.
The second half of the issue takes place on Easter Sunday, seven months after 9-11. It is dedicated to the beginning of Captain America’s overseas mission in a country ravaged by (you guessed it!) terrorism. Both the pacing and the narrative of this half of the issue were much clunkier than the first. Furthermore, the story’s set-up (especially) the dialogue/narration seemed much more contrived and forced. Read the following segment of a conversation between Cap and Fury for a perfect example:
Fury: [Referencing the terrorist/dictator] "He’s a monster…"
Cap: "So am I."
Uh…yeah. Sure. Here I thought Captain America considered himself the living embodiment of all that America stands for. Does that mean that America is a monster? That all Americans are monsters? Or was this just tough guy banter gone horribly wrong? Whatever the excuse, Captain America’s remark seemed way out of character.
However, even with the flaws present in the second half of the issue, Captain America #1 is definitely worth at least a cursory read off the rack. As always, Cassaday’s artwork never fails to be anything less than stunning (his love for the character is obvious) and Ney Rieber’s dialogue and story elements hit many more times than they miss. Under the guidance of these two talented men (see Cassaday’s work on Planetary or Ney Rieber’s underrated Four Horsemen mini-series for Vertigo’s V2K imprint), Captain America seems well on his way to once more becoming a flagship character for Marvel. Who knew the old guy still had it in him?
Overall: RECOMMENDED
Captain America # 1
Written by John Ney Rieber and Illustrated by John Cassaday
Published by Marvel Comics
Reviewed by HD Schellnack
The fact that Marvel is currently hard at work making their comic book icons relevant for a new audience is hard to miss these days. The Spider-Man books (all of them, actually) have gone from beyond bad to "can’t miss". The Hulk is quite stunning – and I’d never have thought I’d enjoy that book again, as the Hulk simply is not my favorite character. The New X-Men are beyond good or bad, this simply is the best mainstream superhero book at the moment. To have the main Marvel superstars rejuvenated, all we need now is a solid Fantastic Four book and, of course … Captain America.
After canceling the lukewarm received Dan Jurgens Cap expectations ran high for this reboot – and Marvel aims to please. John Ney Rieber is a very solid writer who has proven his mettle on the Tim Hunter books over at Vertigo, and John Cassaday has reached Superstar status with his work on the Warren-Ellis-scripted Planetary, a book that is as constantly late as it is worth waiting for. And sure as heck, the artwork on Captain America # 1 is awesome. Bigger than life, yet as close to reality as you can get, detailed, lovely, warm, heroic… there aren’t enough positive adjectives to nail down the effect of Cassaday’s artwork. While you can count any link on Cap’s chain mail, you also get the feeling that this is more than just another guy in a spandex suit … the iconic character of this WW II veteran is actually oozing out of the panels. Wonderful, stunning artwork.
But of course there also is the writing. And while there may be those who claim that, yes, Cap has been invented to be a war propaganda comic character; the writing leaves a somewhat bitter taste in my mouth. I grew up with the anti-communism Cap in the Stan-Lee-penned Avengers, and even that didn’t strike me as one-dimensional as this incarnation of the super soldier. It may be the fact that, as a European, I’m not as quick in assessing the whole US/Afghanistan situation and don’t quite see the whole as simple black and white as the writer of this book – "save your anger for the enemy"–, but the writing makes me wonder. This is a simplified "us-vs-them" philosophy offered here, that nowhere even comes close to actually touching the massive complexity behind the 9-11 attack and the so-called war following that black day. Terror and the political and religious dynamics behind it simply aren’t stuff for comics, maybe not even for movies. These media do need to over-simplify complexity as it tends to clutter the plot, hinders the flow of the action.
A comic book IS about black and white, Superman vs. Lex Luthor, the good guy vs. the bad guy. Mixing that kind of storytelling logic with real life events (which tend to be a tad bit more grey in grey) just can’t always work. Here, I'm left wondering still. On the one hand it tends to diminish the tragedy of the actual catastrophe, exploiting it as mere comic book plot fodder; on the other it simply takes archetypical writing to another level. Very few writers can pull this mix off and even make it work – Will Eisner did, for example, but Will probably could do anything and make it look easy. But J.M. Straczynski already failed at making the 9-11 tragedy a comic book event, simply by overdoing it… and now J.N. Rieber falls into some of the same traps in regards to the Afghanistan war. The writing, to me, feels soapy with some inner monologue of the worst kind. It was oftentimes brutal when JMS did it in Amazing Spider-Man # 36 and while it is somewhat better here, it's not by much.
All things considered, though, the artwork alone is worth buying this book, especially for the times that it gels perfectly with J.N. Rieber's script. Between Bryan Hitch’s approach to Cap in "The Ultimates" and this, I’ve not seen such a wonderfully drawn Captain America for quite some time. Cassaday’s larger-than-life-touch just makes this book sparkle and shine like a diamond… and I’m sure, once we get past the Afghanistan shtick, Rieber can deliver solid storytelling and plot development. Personally, I always liked the Frank Miller "Born Again" Cap the most, the idealistic soldier living in a society in which ideals simply don’t seem to work anymore… but maybe the time isn’t right for that sort of approach. And although I’d rather see John and John give Cap more depth than the US-Army-commercial we have been given here, this still is a book well worth checking out, especially if you’re into patriotic and completely irony-free straightforward story telling.
Overall: MILDLY RECOMMENDED
Captain America #1
Written by John Ney Rieber and illustrated by John Cassaday
Published by Marvel Comics/Marvel Knights
Reviewed by Andrew Goletz
(Shipping 4.24)
‘It doesn’t matter where you thought you were going. You’re part of a bomb now’.
Those are the first words you read as you open this first issue and are taken inside one of the planes that was hijacked on 9-11. The reader is then moved to quick shots of the terrorists, first waiting, and then celebrating their deadly victory. Finally, we see through the haze and dust in New York City. We see a figure of one of the many men in the ruins of the World Trade Center, doing what he can to help save lives. He’s Steve Rogers, Captain America.
The opening sequence of this first issue is extremely powerful. I must have reread the first few pages a half dozen times before writing this. It’s certainly not easy to look back on the events of September 11 and try to humanize it, regardless of whether it takes place in a comic book, television program or newspaper article, but we have to acknowledge that it did happen and come to terms with it.
If you haven’t guessed by now, the first issue of this newly re-launched series takes place in the aftermath of the attacks on September 11. Our first image of Captain America is as a ‘civilian’, with Steve Rogers assisting firefighters and other volunteers looking for survivors in the rubble. I can only imagine that there will be a sect of comic readers who are offended that a comic book dare tackle a real life event. They’d rather see a story about the Cosmic Cube or some other cosmic nonsense. If any character needed to be used to comment on the horrors of that day in September, it’s Captain America. He’s not just a superhero, but also a soldier. Ideally, his actions should take place as much in the battlefield as they do on other worlds.
The tone of the story changes pace in the last third of the issue and I didn’t think that it was as strong as the initial segments. While I understand the rational behind the scenes, just didn’t work quite as well as the rest of the book. Too much introspection and ‘mood’ shots and not enough actually happening in the story for my tastes, but it’s not a complete loss as there are still effective scenes in towards the end, as well.
John Cassaday’s art is amazing. For many readers, he will be the real draw to the book and deservedly so. Real emotion and life comes across in all of his characters. You can see it in their faces and their eyes. In an early scene, Nick Fury tells Rogers that he is needed in the Middle East immediately. Rogers’ rage at being pulled away from the recovery work and looking for survivors is expressed wonderfully. This is not a person you want to get pissed off. Cassaday has also tweaked the costume a little bit. It shouldn’t offend purists, but the modifications make for a more realistic and less spandex feel than the traditional uniform we’re used to seeing.
Fans have been anxiously awaiting this issue since the announcement of the re-launch was made almost a year ago. Realism seems to be the operative word here. Captain America is as much a super soldier as he is a costumed superhero and now there’s a creative team on board that acknowledges that. I was looking forward to seeing whether a new creative team and a new direction could win me over. It did.
Overall: RECOMMENDED
Daredevil #32
Written by Brian Michael Bendis and Illustrated by Alex Maleev
Published by Marvel Comics
Reviewed by Drew Haverstock
And the world of Matt Murdock continues to be turned on its proverbial ear with Bendis and Maleev’s tale of mob power struggles gone awry. What I respect is the fact that Bendis has stated that he will stay on for a long duration on this title and follow up with the many potential ramifications of what this issue brings to light. Normally I’d use spoiler space for this review, but if you can’t tell from the cover what is coming after the end of last month’s issue, than you’re as blind as Daredevil himself.
Twenty-two pages are engulfed with the discussion of what Sammy Silke has turned over to the FBI at their Manhattan headquarters at 3:00am – Daredevil’s true identity as Matt Murdock. Since this tale is told in a non-sequential format, this issue serves great purpose in realigning the events we’ve been shown thus far and putting them into a coherent whole.
As the tale unfolds, the detectives slowly begin to put together the fact that Daredevil and Matt Murdock are one in the same, clinched by the fact that his file is classified 2-7, putting him under the veil of S.H.I.E.L.D. What follows is a great slice of reality, because whenever things like this are discovered there’s always some silly way that things remain under wraps. (Lex Luthor conveniently dismissing his computer’s deduction that Clark Kent is Superman is a prime-example.) Here, Maleev is wonderful in his effort to show the ramifications of loose lips in the closing pages with Foggy’s reaction to the front page of the Daily Globe.
As a Daredevil fan, I must say that I’ll miss the give and take chess matches between the Kingpin and Daredevil. Their unwritten code of honor was an interesting relationship unparalleled in comics today. In the same sense, each great writer on a title has done something to turn a book on its ear, and hopefully Bendis will do wonderful things going forward.
In the end I’m sure people will want to know if I’m for or against this change in status quo, and ultimately I have to say I’m undecided. What matters to me most is that compelling stories follow. After his first "Ninja" storyline, I wasn’t sure Bendis was the man for the job. Now, five or six issues into his run, I’m enjoying being wrong.
Overall: RECOMMENDED
Fused #1
Written and Illustrated by Steve Niles and illustrated by Paul Lee
Published by Image Comics
Reviewed by Christopher Hillman
For those of you that don’t know Mr. Niles work on Hellspawn, you’re seriously missing out on a nice piece of horror fiction. Steve takes Spawn down to the nitty-gritty and takes the ghost-like Spawn to a whole new level. If you like horror, you should really consider picking up an issue of Hellspawn.
But that’s not why we’re here today. We’re here to talk about Fused. Written and created by Steve Niles, Fused shows that this guy has an imagination when it comes to variety. Fused brings you into Mark Haggerty, a robotics engineer that gets trapped inside an experimental exoskeleton suit. Issue one is out now and I found it to be a good read and definitely worth taking a look at. The series is just getting started so there isn’t much to tell. With that in mind, this article will be nothing more than me ranting. I liked this book. I hope it does very well. From what I can see, the book is going into a direction that is rarely seen in the comics of today. It looks like the book is going to answer a question that no one has every been able to answer before -- Does a person with powers have to be a super hero or can they go on with their normal life? That is a pretty big question, especially in the world of comics. I hope that Steve knows what he’s getting himself into.
I read articles all the time that say comic are going down but I don’t know where they’re getting that. Comics to me seem more exciting then ever. When I was younger, comics were all looks and some brains. As I aged, I saw everyone move more toward telling a good story and leaving continuity behind. I love this movement toward story. As an aspiring comic creator, I’m extremely happy to see writers put in the spotlight. And because of this movement, comics are becoming accepted by people that fifteen years ago would have never thought twice about looking at a comic. Steve Niles is on the front line of this movement. He can make us laugh. He can make us cringe. And he can make us look at comics in a whole new light.
I’m getting really pumped while writing this article. Comics rock. Steve Rocks. Fused rocks. I won’t give anything away but the book is something that you want to get in on the ground level with. Just like any good piece of literature, you want to jump on and see were it takes you. And if you want to do that, you have to get the first issue and read it slowly. Let it marinate in your brain. Let the words flow off your minds eye. Let the whole book infuse your senses and when you’ve closed the last page. Let the anticipation for the next book consume you until it’s all you can think about. Steve deserves it. He’s done a good job here and you should be happy that a comic fan just like you or me is writing this stuff. If fans like him weren’t putting their hearts into this stuff, you could kiss the comic world good-bye. I, for one, am not ready for that and I hope you aren’t either.
This rant has been fun, but in short -- Steve Niles is a cool writer, and I can’t wait to see where Fused is going.
Overall: RECOMMENDED
G.I. Joe: Volume #1
Written by Larry Hama, Herb Trimpe, and Steven Grant, and Illustrated by Herb Trimpe, Don Perlin, and Mike Vosburg.
Published by Marvel Comics
Reviewed by Aaron "Vroom Socko" Button
I am on a nostalgia overload here, people. G.I. Joe was the first comic book I ever read on a regular basis. While everyone else was going gaga over Claremont and the X-Men, I was all over Larry Hama and the Joe’s. During a personal financial downturn, I was forced to sell my G.I. Joe collection off. Now, Marvel is taking pity on me, giving me the means to read about my favorite comic book badass again. I’ll give you three guesses as to who he is. No, it’s not Snake Eyes. No, it isn’t Storm Shadow either.
Kwinn, you fools, the Eskimo mercenary.
I knew then, and I know now that in a fight against Wolverine, Kwinn would win two falls out of three. He’s just the coolest, smartest, toughest character in this or any book, and to this day I’m upset that he never had an action figure.
But enough about my nostalgia kick; you want to know if these twenty-year-old stories hold up today (twenty years, sweet Jesus do I feel old.) With some minor exceptions, I’m pleased to say they do. Stories like Panic at the North Pole, Operation: Wingfield, and The Diplomat are just as good now as ever. The best of the stories presented here is A Nice Little Town Like Ours… the final chapter in this volume. This story set up most, if not all of the major subplots that would carry through the next fifty issue, including the introduction of Billy, the first look at both Springfield and the infamous brain wave scanner, and hints about Snake Eyes years of training in Japan.
The one exception that I mentioned earlier is the single two-part story presented here. While I still love the ending, it’s simply jarring to see American soldiers fighting against Russians with the help of Afghan rebels. I’m not saying the story should have been shelved, I’m actually glad it was included. All I’m saying is that time has not been kind to these two issues.
This summer, expect Volume 2 to come out, featuring issues eleven through twenty. That volume is definitely on my must buy list. After all, those issues feature not only the first multipart storyline, not only the introduction of Destro, but has more Kwinn. Did I mention I simply cannot get enough of Kwinn? Enjoy this trade paperback!
Overall: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
The Incredible Hulk #39
Written by Bruce Jones and Illustrated by John Romita Jr.
Published by Marvel Comics
Reviewed by Aaron Weisbrod
With this final issue of their first major story-arc, it’s obvious that Bruce Jones, John Romita Jr., and editor Axel Alonso are doing great things with this title.
As a child I was never very fascinated with the Hulk as a comic book character: the idea of a big green invulnerable monster that was hunted by the government seemed boring and uninspired (especially since I had already discovered the uninhibited joy of Godzilla). I loved the live-action Hulk TV series, though, and never missed an episode: the idea of a man who couldn’t live a normal life due to a monstrous and destructive force that was bottled-up inside him fascinated me. How could someone live like that?
It is this same angle that Bruce Jones is using with his approach to The Incredible Hulk. Rather than focusing on the exploits of a linguistically-limited, nearly unstoppable, gamma-radiated monster, the book explores how Dr. Bruce Banner, a brilliant scientist who now lives as a homeless wanderer, tries to learn how to harness the beast within him while evading capture by mysterious (and deadly) government operatives.
Jones’s background in writing horror stories brings an eerie, claustrophobic, almost X-Files-ish feel to the book, as each issue’s answers raise only more questions (which are sometimes even more chilling the questions originally asked). Furthermore, his risky approach of "less is more" in regards to scenes in which we see the Hulk appear is proving itself very rewarding. Knowing that the Hulk will not be seen going berserk every issue adds to the dramatic effect Romita’s untouchable artwork gives such scenes. This minimalist approach surely enrages readers who buy the book only to see mass-destruction (you know, the same people who were sad to see Lobo get cancelled), but once published, the collected edition of Jones’s and Romita’s first story-arc will be a perfect way to expose many non-comic readers to the power of the comic medium.
Overall Rating: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
The Megalomaniacal Spider-Man
Written and Illustrated by Peter Bagge
Published by Marvel Comics
Reviewed by Aaron Weisbrod
Blame Axel Alonso. He is the one who, under his "Startling Stories" imprint, convinced Peter Bagge (of Hate fame) to pen a story about Marvel’s most popular icon. The results are a "What If" sort of tale in which a neurotic Peter Parker discovers unflattering truth about Uncle Ben’s death, realizes the childish routine of his life as Spider-Man, reads Atlas Shrugged at his hippie-girlfriend Gwen Stacy’s request, and becomes the ruthless head CEO of Spider-Man Inc.
Obviously, this isn’t a typical tale of your friendly neighborhood wall-crawler.
I took a cursory glance at an issue of Bagge’s critically acclaimed series Hate a number of years ago, but the sheer self-gratuitous nature of the book, combined with the offbeat underground art style, kept me from ever giving it a second chance. Here, however, Bagge’s scathing wit and twisted insights and ideas are turned to characters I (as most other comic readers) are much more familiar with. As a result, the biting satire and borderline psychotic tendencies Bagge brings to his work are easy to digest and appreciate. Sure, the art takes some getting used to (Bagge’s characters are all drawn as if they have no bones), but it gets much more bearable after page five, and it undoubtedly suits the neurotic (there’s that word again) and schizophrenic representation of the characters.
Overall, the book succeeds because it’s both interesting and completely different from any other Spider-Man story ever told. In this world an extremely self-centered Peter Parker is a horrible husband to Gwen Stacy (who, because of Parker’s retirement of Spider-Man as a super-hero, never dies at the hands of the Green Goblin) who has whored-out the image of Spider-Man for sheer monetary gain. This Peter Parker is not a very likeable character, yet as the story unfolds we still begin to identify with, and even sympathize for, this horrible bastard. Why? Because Bagge’s rendition of the character is thought provoking and enthralling, and in The Megalomaniacal Spider-Man, he gives us a look at what Peter Parker/Spider-Man could have very easily become in the real world.
It’s an amazing fantasy indeed…
Overall: DON’T MISS
Rising Stars #18
Written by J. Michael Straczynski and illustrated by Brent Anderson
Published by Image/Joe’s Comics
Reviewed by Aaron “Vroom Socko” Button (vroomsocko@hotmail.com)
I am about to state a blasphemy. I may lose your respect for even thinking this (as if those of you on AICN have any respect for me anyway.) The point is that these reviews are just an opinion, and my opinion at hand is this:
Rising Stars is a better comic than Watchmen.
No, I’m not insane. No, JMS isn’t paying me anything to say this. I honestly believe that Alan Moore’s superhero opus has finally been eclipsed. Rising Stars is more mature, more plausible (Plausible? Superheroes?) and more emotionally absorbing than any other superhero comic.
Over the past few issues, the Specials have been using their powers to improve the world in as many ways as possible. Jason has been collecting and disposing of the world’s entire supply of nuclear weapons. Randy has his own worldwide neighborhood watch program. Jerry’ been torching cocaine fields like nobody’s business. Hell, one of the Specials even figured out cold fusion. Thanks to the Specials, the world has become a better place. And as Bill Hicks once said, “If that isn’t a threat to this country…” Y’see, certain people who were making rather large sums of money from the suffering of others aren’t happy with what’s been happening. Fortunately for them, they’ve found out the one weakness the Specials have. Their first test subject: Jerry.
What makes this issue for me is the determination and resolve of Jerry. The final five pages say more about his character with the art alone than words could ever hope to do. I miss Astro City as much as the next guy, but as long as Brent Anderson continues to draw this title, I’m not complaining.
JMS is redefining comics here, people. If you read this book already, you don’t need me to tell you that. If you’re not reading this book, start. Now. Do it or I’ll steal your copy of Watchmen.
Overall: DON’T MISS
Spider-Man’s Tangled Web #13
Written by Ron Zimmerman and illustrated by Sean Phillips
Published by Marvel Comics
Reviewed by Andrew Goletz
(Shipping 4.24)
“You’re an old, ugly, bald dude named after an old, ugly, bald bird. Going out with cute young girls is not an option for you”- Al Kraven to the Vulture.
Ron Zimmerman will get vindication for his very public thrashing over his fill-in work on the Punisher a few months ago with this issue. It’ll be interesting to whether his critics back-peddle or just simple disappear now.
‘Doubleshots’ takes place in the Bar with No Name (also featured in Deadline), a seedy little dive where super-villains can feel free to congregate, relax and BS with each other, without having to worry about being bothered by any of the heroes. The story begins with a mysterious first timer coming into the bar that he’s only known from rumors and whispers, and just observes the action around him. He soon meets his appointment, none other than the Vulture and as the two sit down to chat, they are joined at a table by another villain, Al Kraven, son of the infamous Kraven the Hunter. Aside from being villains, the men seem to share one other important trait: they’ve all had their clocks cleaned by Spider-Man.
This is a departure from your typical mainstream comics in a lot of ways. This title has always been a place where writers could tell stories away from the norm, but this one goes one better. First of all, the focus is on the villains. There isn’t a respectable character in the story, with the possible exception of the waitress. We’ve seen plenty of anti-heroes in comics like Punisher or Deathstroke, but stories centering on all out, no regret villains are few and far between and it makes for an enjoyable diversion.
Another thing that sets this apart from most superhero books is that it’s damn funny. Not funny with silly puns and inside jokes (well, maybe a few), but Zimmerman taps into the personalities of these characters and brings out their inner most (troubled) thoughts and delusions. These villains know they’re at a place where they can be themselves and it allows for them to break out of type. A gag early on has two sad sacks debating the sexuality of Daredevil. A closer look at the backgrounds of panels reveals cameos by dozens of super-villains that are good for a chuckle or two. Most of the humor, however, is derived from the conversation that the mysterious stranger has with Al and the Vulture where the trio discuss their sex lives, the rules of crime and why there don’t seem to be any good looking female super villains. The most mileage is gained from the Vulture, whose role it is to be the butt of everyone’s jokes in every appearance he seems to make.
The story also serves to reintroduce readers to Al, son of Kraven the Hunter, who is going to have a very big role in the Marvel Universe the second half of this year, from backup features with Spider-Man in most of the Marvel Comics in May to his own limited series later on. Zimmerman has revamped the character from a carbon copy of his late father to a more sophisticated criminal with a more professional look. Gone are the animal skins, replaced with 3 piece suits. Al is a ladies man with a sarcastic wit and an attitude to match, if need be. I like the way he’s used in this story and it certainly bodes well for what Zimmerman plans to do with the character later on.
Sean Phillips delivers dependable work, as always. He manages to fill the backgrounds with a lot of detail, giving readers a chance to try and spot who’s who behind the scenes in the bar. Like Zimmerman, he gets the most mileage out of the Vulture, with his exaggerated features. The looks on the faces of those around the old bird, as he enters the bar, are priceless.
This is one of the strongest issues of Tangled Web since the series began, second only to ‘Gentleman’s Agreement’ by Greg Rucka and Eduardo Risso. There are moments of both brilliance and silliness, of tension and levity and it all adds up to an extremely satisfying read with more than a few laugh-out loud instances.
Overall: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Valentine #7
Written and Illustrated by Dan Cooney
Published by Red Eye Press
Reviewed by Chaos McKenzie
Valentine is one of those comics I never would have gotten a chance to see if it wasn’t completely by fluke. Cooney and I have recently teamed up for a pitch of significant proportions. "So," I ask him, "You ever done anything like this before?" Yeah, so I stuck my foot in my mouth with that one. Cooney’s one of those highly productive folks that gets virtually no recognition. He owns and operates Red Eye Press, which is the publishing vehicle for Valentine the continuing story of female assassin for hire, Dana Valentine. Those of you who are loyal Chaos fanatics know how I’m just a sucker for female leads with a nasty side. I love them as they make for the best characters. I love seeing where those ladies will take us next, and I love the complexity of the female mind that makes them not so easy to dissect.
This issue by the by isn’t out until June or July (I lost my copy of Diamond), so you still have time to go harass your comic store to order you one.
Red Rain marks the beginning of a new chapter in Valentine’s life, as she attempts to put the life of an assassin behind her and try the life of decent folk for a while. But of course, that never works out, and things for Valentine get a little sticky. Told mostly from the inner monologue of Valentine as she walks through her life since making the decision to change it. The story is very strong, the ideas presented are really cool and it makes for a good read, the thing is though it’s a long read. I found that though I was interested in what Valentine was thinking, her thoughts were very long and coherent for a peek into the human mind and they became more of a vessel for exposition which could have been shown instead of told. But for all the exposition, Cooney should hold his head up high with the fact that it isn’t boring, no by far Valentine’s story is very intriguing and manages to keep you interested.
Cooney has very strong storytelling technique and his pencils are very solid. This particular issue had two inkers, and two assists, which made for some extremely inconsistent artwork. What is otherwise extremely solid art becomes distracting as you try to reorient ate yourself with the switch in inkers. What’s a lot of fun is the non-sexy yet still quite sexy image of the main character. Cooney has managed to make her come off as extremely vivacious without falling on a lot of the typical "girly-girl" clichés, and above all else, she’s got small and realistically proportioned breasts. (I predict small, perky boobs making a huge comeback).
All in all, I’m intrigued, I want to find the back issues to read what happened before and if my comic store ever manages to carry books from the second half of the diamond catalogue I’ll continue to read it in the future.
Overall: RECOMMENDED
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