Hey @$$holes, Village Idiot here.
So we've got a new graphic. As you can see, Lex Luthor is desperately working the controls of his computer, trying to link to one of the articles on Ain't-It-Cool News. But as many of you already know, AICN defies the the machinations of even the most brilliant of criminal masterminds -- including Rich Johnston.
Of course, the column isn't just cheap visuals, but content. Beautiful, beautiful content. Content like:
- Bug looks at Joss Whedon's ASTONISHING X-MEN. Does Whedon have a another BUFFY or ANGEL on his hands, or another, uh, FIREFLY? Find out here!
- Four, count 'em FOUR reviews by Lizzybeth. It's our most Lizzybeth-erific column yet!
- Curl up with a nice warm cup of cocoa and some mild hallucinogens -- It's time for Buzz Maverik's Book Club! This week, Buzz midwife's a review of John Wyndham's seminal "mutant oppression" book, RE-BIRTH. Prenatal fun for everybody!
- And I manage to say a few things about SUPERMAN #205. God forgive me.
- And, of course, plenty of Cheap Shots to top things off.
So there you go. We did all the writing and junk, you get the easy part. Read on!
(Click title to go directly to the review)
PROMETHEA #30
TRANSMETROPOLITAN Vol. 10: ONE MORE TIME
X-MEN RELOAD Week 4: ASTONISHING X-MEN #1
Buzz Maverik Book Club: RE-BIRTH
SECRET WAR #2
THE PULSE #3
MYSTIQUE #15
TALES OF ORDINARY MADNESS
SUPERMAN #205
SHANGRI-LA
Cheap Shots!
PROMETHEA #30
Written by Alan Moore
Art by J.H. Williams
Publsihed by America’s Best Comics (DC)
Reviewed by Lizzybeth
The countdown continues for Alan Moore’s brilliant magickal mystery tour PROMETHEA, which by most accounts will end with issue 32. I am frequently awe-struck at the quality of this series; even among the higher caliber of Moore’s ABC titles it is simply on another level. The artwork by J.H. Williams regularly surpasses that of Moore’s previous collaborators, and perhaps only Eddie Campbell has been more in sync with the man’s artistic vision. Most artists I know say that, while the honor of working with Mr. Moore would be great, contemplating one of his infamously lengthy scripts is enough to make one pass out in exhaustion. I can’t even imagine the script for this issue, which calls for a multitude of illustrative styles and requires that the artist visualize no less than the end of the universe. Of course, we do get a little glimpse at the script for this issue over the shoulder of Mr. Moore himself, who appears on the next-to-last page of the story. More on that later.
Some readers have complained that PROMETHEA is a polemic for Moore’s views of the world, specifically his interest in magickal elements such as the Tarot, the Kabbala, and other occult symbolism. This complaint is not inaccurate. But so what? I can think of worse reasons for writing a comic than expressing one’s views of the world, and when one’s views are as unique as Moore’s and expressed so vividly, thoughtfully, and most importantly with an experienced eye towards entertainment, it only makes for a more fascinating reading experience. I may not be a druid magician but there are aspects of Promethea’s journey that strike true for me, as any well-told story should.
The final storyline not only concludes the PROMETHEA series but also will completely eradicate the ABC universe in which the majority of Mr. Moore’s comics have been set in the past few years. Unfortunately, this indicates that for a while at least he will make good on his promise to retire from comics for the long-term. Oh, he’ll do things here and there (I doubt he could help himself), but all the continuing series are wrapping up with this epilogue, where Promethea, the goddess of human invention and story sets in motion the end of all stories, the end of the world. How it happens has been largely a mystery – the build-up to this version of Armageddon has been long and unbearably tense. But rest assured that there will be no last-minute rescue. This really is the end for our characters, and in issue #30 we get an idea of what precisely they face. The event seems to be, crazed visions and rising of the dead aside, a universal joining of hands to greet the next life. There doesn’t seem to be a physical destruction in store at all, but a new dawn – as the title and cover shows you, there is a new sun – for mankind, breaking down the barriers between all minds and creating in the meantime both madness and oneness. What we know of reality is breaking down, to be replaced with what?
This is where the barrier between reader and comic starts breaking down as well, as a few visual tricks implicate the reader as a part of the action. It is true that tying in a comic to the real-world, trying to make implications as to the connection between fantasy and reality (what we post-modern readers refer to dissmissively as “meta”), has been done both frequently and successfully in recent comics. However, I don’t think the intent is to shock the reader or mess with your head, as writers like Grant Morrisson and Brian Michael Bendis have used this device. The meta-elements, although surely jarring to a reader unfamiliar with this tactic, are meant more to clarify what is happening and connect us to the story, pulling the reader and the creators of the comic into Promethea’s speech, much as Neil Gaiman’s “The Wake” invited us to a funeral in our dreams. The tactic works, although its effects will be more truly determined by the next issue, which will show us what is left when the world as we know it is gone.
Analysis aside, I will miss this book greatly once it is gone. I don’t think it was ever truly appreciated in the manner of Moore’s most prestigious work, but I think this will change with time. TOP TEN and LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN were certainly witty and expert exercises in their genres, but only PROMETHEA truly pushed the envelope in both form and content for comics. It has been a pleasure to watch this title grow and develop into one of the finest titles that Alan Moore has produced in his long and illustrious career.
TRANSMETROPOLITAN Vol. 10: ONE MORE TIME
Warren Ellis: Writer
Darick Robertson: Artist
DC/Vertigo: Publisher
Vroom Socko: Professional Bastard
Well, this is it. The finale to TRANSMETROPOLITAN, one of the titles that (like PREACHER and SANDMAN before it,) has become one of the major books of the Vertigo imprint. The saga of Spider Jerusalem and his filthy assistants is now available and complete in TPB form. A form in which these magnificent characters will be maintained, and eventually discovered by a whole slew of readers who will never even see an individual issue of the series.
It’s just too bad that the final volume stinks to high heaven.
Oh, there’s some great bits of Ellis dialogue, and plenty of decent small moments. I was especially pleased to see the return of the tollbooth operator from issue #1. But the bulk of the story seems far too rushed, which is amazing to me since the previous volume came across as a bit padded. I can’t help but think that the book might have been better all around if it had been either six issues longer or three issues shorter.
Then there’s the matter of the ending, one that’s become quite popular, and is considered by many to be quite hilarious. And it is funny, but it’s an uncomfortable sort of funny, one that’s quite brutal and sadistic, with a twist that’s twisted. For some reason it reminded me of a moment from the movie THE SANDLOT, when the geeky ten year old character starts to drown, then when the sexy lifeguard starts to administer mouth to mouth he slips her the tongue. Not my favorite moment of the movie, and not my favorite part of the book.
The worst part, however, involves one of my favorite minor characters from the series. Mary, the Revival from the 20th century, manages to provide Spider with an important picture that helps prove the involvement of the Smiler in the death of a friend of Spider’s. The first problem with this is that the picture shows one of the President’s lackeys hiring the assassin. Now, we’ve been told explicitly that the assassin is unidentified, reduced to a protein stain with a suicide pack. If no one knows who the assassin is, how can this picture be so damning? But that’s not the worst part. The worst part is that Mary took this picture with the camera Spider gave her. You see, the assassination took place in issue #18, the conclusion to “Year of the Bastard.” But the camera was given to Mary in a scene from “The New Scum.” Issue #22, to be precise.
See if you can wrap your head around that. Mary took a picture of an event with a camera that she didn’t own until long after the event took place.
This is something that is referred to in polite conversation as a continuity error. I call it a Chuck Austen level fuck-up, and it’s not the only one. Up through “The New Scum,” the Smiler is said to be staying at Greenbrook Towers, but after that it’s referred to as the Hotel Avalon. That is, except during Vol. 9, when the Smiler amazingly swaps hotels with his election opponent and was staying at the Hotel Fat. It gets especially surreal when a recording is made in Vol. 9 that mentions the Hotel Fat, then when it’s played in this volume it’s once again become the Hotel Avalon. I have to wonder if Ellis, like Spider, was on some really fucked up drugs when he was writing this stuff.
Now, I adore the character of Spider; he’s my kind of crazed bastard. But if you’ve never read about him before, and you can only afford one TPB, pick up either “Lust For Life” or “Spider’s Thrash.” This volume is for completists and fanatics only. And even then, you’d have to be one massive fanatic. Like me.
X-MEN RELOAD, Week 4
Ambush Bug's look at the X-MEN revamp
I used to smoke cigarettes. I used to feel the rush of coolness when I went through the ritual of taking one out of the box, twiddling it in my fingers, placing it in my lips, flicking my lighter a few times, cupping my hands, and inhaling that dark vapor deep, deep, deep inside. It wasn’t the nicotine that I was addicted to, but the ritual. That’s what made me keep coming back. Then one day, I felt unhealthy. Things got harder to do. I realized that they were harmful for me, but there was a part of me that was mislead to believe that I could only feel better if I bought and smoked more. But upon that realization, I decided I’d had enough, wanted something better for myself, and decided to walk away from cigarettes and that damn cool ritual once and for all. I quit cold turkey and haven’t smoked since.
Hey folks, I’m Ambush Bug and last month, I came to the realization that the X-Men are like cigarettes to me. I used to love the X-Men, but recently that love has faded. Morrison’s run, focusing on everyone but the X-Men, pushed me away from the appeal I once felt towards our favorite muties. Austen’s continued mistreatment of the characters sealed the deal. The ritual of reading about the X-Men month after month had grown stale to me. I’d had it. I was ready to drop the X-books; something I have never been able to do since I was a wee Bug picking up my first comics at the 7-11 along with my first box of fake candy cigarettes.
Then X-MEN RELOAD came along. New creators were being brought on and old favorites were scheduled to return. I decided to give the X-Men one more chance. May would be my litmus test, deciding whether or not I should continue to buy X-Comics. Over the last few weeks, I’ve covered five of the biggest X-books released in May. Both of Chris Claremont’s endeavors, UNCANNY X-MEN and EXCALIBUR, provided me with a heavy mix of strong storytelling and a nostalgia long missed. DISTRICT X showed promise in its premise, but fell a bit limp in the execution (although I’m willing to stick around for an issue or two to see if things get better). Chuck Austen’s X-MEN continued to seal Austen’s place in history as the Worst Comic Book Writer of the 00’s, edging out Ron Zimmerman because of his assignment to high profile titles. And X-MEN: X-ACADEMY was forgettable and lame.
This week, TV writer extraordinaire, Joss Whedon, comes to comics to write the premiere issue of THE ASTONISHING X-MEN. Right off the bat, I have to say that I’m not a fan of BUFFY or ANGEL, so I can’t compare this book to any of Whedon’s previous works. The comic itself is pretty damn good. It’s cinematic as hell, but the guy is a screenwriter, so I’m willing to give him a break. After a few subplots are introduced, Whedon follows Kitty Pryde as she returns to the X-Mansion after a long hiatus. She strolls down memory lane, comes in late to a meeting with the new students at the School for Gifted Youngsters, and learns that she is going to be the poster child for the X-team because of the non-threatening aspects of her mutant phasing powers. The story moves quickly popping between moments of intrigue involving inspired subplots (A subplot in a comic book? What is this the 80’s?), a few bits of action, and snappy dialog between the X-Crew. There is an especially fun moment when Logan confronts Cyclops about his relationship with Emma Frost; a relationship that, in Logan’s opinion, has happened too soon after Jean Grey’s death.
Another great aspect of this book is that it basically blasts out the middle finger to those who think spandex isn’t cool or that leather isn’t a costume. In a well done Cyclops monologue, Cyclops tells the rest of the team that, like it or not, the X-Men are super heroes. They’ve tried to label themselves as outlaws or outcasts, but what they’ve been doing since their inception is save the world over and over. And that’s what super heroes do. Is it self-referential and self-conscious? Yes, but Whedon presents it in a way that is interesting and as believable as it gets in a world where mutants exist.
Artist John Cassaday is stellar as usual. The facial features and posturing are top notch. There is a simple panel where Scott and Emma are lying in bed together that shows that this artist knows how to draw realistic characters, yet keep it within the context of the fantastical environment that they reside in. He’s one of the best artists in comics, and it’s too bad that we will probably get only three to four issues of his work until he peters out and requires a fill in.
The book ends with an imposing and startling revelation that I won’t reveal, but it ensures the purchase of the next issue for me. All in all, this book lived up to the hype for me. There was enough character moments, action beats, and subplots to reel me in.
So at the end of this X-MEN RELOAD month, I have to say that I’ll probably stick around the X-Mansion a little longer. UNCANNY, EXCALIBUR, and ASTONISHING are definitely worth picking up and DISTRICT X shows promise. Just stay away from X-MEN and X-ACADEMY if you know what’s good for you. Whedon’s book is definitely the best of the bunch, but this relaunch has sparked my interest in all things X again. So it looks like I’m not going to be able to kick my addiction to X-Men just yet. Man…I need a cigarette.
RE-BIRTH (aka THE CHRYSALIDS)
by John Wyndham
Out of print
Reviewed by Buzz Maverik
THE ORIGIN OF THE X-MEN PART AYE-AYE!
"Watch thou for the mutant!" sermon after sermon tells young David Strorm, hero of RE-BIRTH. David is a closeted mutant who can communicate telepathically with other closeted mutants in a post-apocalyptic future. And nobody does post-apocalyptic future better than John Wyndham, author of DAY OF THE TRIFFIDS (killer space plants) and THE MIDWICH CUCKOOS (that's VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED and JOHN CARPENTER'S VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED) to all you movie dorks.
David's world sort of resembles a cross between LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE and THE CRUCIBLE. His father is the region's greatest citizen and biggest mutant hater. In fact, all religion in the future centers on the destruction of mutants. A government official called an Inspector investigates all strange crops, livestock and human births. One must have a certificate of purity to be acknowledged as living. David has lost a brother, a cousin and apparently an uncle to the Inspector. One extra toe and you're a briquette. The future sucks.
David, his cousin/girlfriend Rosalind (so it's that kind of family, eh) and his baby sister Petra initially escape detection because their mutations or deviancies are not physical in nature. But anything out of the norm attracts attention in this world.
RE-BIRTH, known in the UK as THE CHRYSALIDS, was first published in 1955. As with Ted "Theodore" Sturgeon's equally superlative novel MORE THAN HUMAN: Do ya think somebody at Marvel named Stan or Jack might have read the book before creating the X-MEN? MORE THAN HUMAN probably had more influence on the original X-MEN while RE-BIRTH seems to have been a precursor to the mutants-as-oppressed-minorities direction of today's ALL NEW, ALL DIFFERENT X-MEN, especially the Chris Claremont/Brent Anderson graphic novel GOD LOVES, MAN KILLS which was the basis for the film X2: X-MEN UNITARIAN (or so I'm told ; I refuse to see X-MEN movies because I think I should be directing them instead of Bryan Singer).
But RE-BIRTH (as with everything by John Wyndham) is worth reading on its' own. Wyndham should at least be a bigger cult favorite. He writes great paranoia and he will make you afraid of groups (if you aren't already) .
Incidentally, Wyndham may have not only influenced the creation and direction of the X-MEN but the naming of another Marvel superhero. When David, Rosalind and Petra are forced to flee to The Fringes, a wild country where mutants/deviations rule, David meets his uncle, a man born with freakishly long limbs. David refers to his as the Spider Man.
I give RE-BIRTH three big thumbs up!
SECRET WAR #2
Brian Michael Bendis: Writer
Gabriele Dell'Otto: Artist
Marvel Comics: Publisher
Vroom Socko & Cormorant: Secret Reviewers
Cormorant: Three months ago, Vroom Socko and myself took a look-see at the first issue of Brian Bendis’s big ol’ painty miniseries, SECRET WAR. The issue set up a rare “Marvel Universe with a capital M” story, featuring a hodgepodge of unlikely heroes (Spider-Man, Luke Cage, Wolverine, Nick Fury, Black Widow, and Captain America) being brought together for a hush-hush espionage mission (full details here). Vroom was the good cop in our review, liking just about everything Bendis served up. I was the bad cop - well, make that mildly surly cop - loving the premise but thinking the interrogation scene, the underwhelming painted art, and a few of the character beats undermined it.
Well, Vroom ol’ buddy, prepare to do a spit-take with your beverage of choice, because I thought the second issue was near flawless. It’s the recruitment phase of the story, and I couldn’t have been happier with the sparks between these heroes. For the sake of this two-in-one-review format, I hope you’re about to tell me you thought it stunk up the joint...
Vroom Socko: Not to any extent, but I did think it wasn’t quite as good as the first issue. Oh, don’t get me wrong; Dell’Otto’s work is just as good, if not better. I was especially impressed with his Spider-Man, which bucks the McFarlane trend by making his eyes as narrow as possible.
Corm: And thank god for that - I'm all for the return of the thin-slit "Ditko eyes." I think Dell'Otto's work showed distinct artistic growth between issue one and two - and why not? The series is quarterly. Specifically it seems his characters' faces became more expressive and subtle. Also loved the red-faced Wolverine, hearkening back to his excellent painted depiction by Kent Williams' in WOLVERINE/HAVOK: MELTDOWN. And howsabout that stunning splash page of Latveria? I think this guy could end up a contendah after all.
Vroom: The thing is though, the story just didn’t click for me. This issue is almost 100% flashback, showing Nick Fury collecting the group of superheroes he needs to investigate the tech villain conspiracy. Since the government has prohibited any action on S.H.I.E.L.D.’s part, Fury has to do this in secret; hence the title. In fact, he’s working in such secrecy that his recruitment involves visits to Matt Murdock’s office and Peter Parker’s home. Now that’s not conspicuous, no not at all.
Corm: Fair criticism.
Vroom: Then there’s the moment when this little team first comes together in the first class section of a flight to Latveria. Bendis not only has Wolverine falling down drunk, but he’s all but screaming that the guy sitting next to him is Spider-Man. Now, I know that Bendis has a distaste for secret identities, but he’s got the Ultimate book to muck around with things like that. Does he have to do it to the original Spidey too?
Corm: Blowing Spidey’s secret identity once again is my one complaint with the issue. Bendis has said he doesn’t believe it would be possible to maintain such a secret identity in the real world, but the Marvel Universe ain’t the real world, - just a spandexed facsimile - and his need to “out” Spider-Man is borderline fetishistic. I seemed to forget about it, though, with all the entertaining sparks flying between the assembled heroes crammed onto an airplane. I loved falling-down-drunk Wolverine! I’ve never liked Wolverine as elder statesman of the X-Men and welcome a return to his rowdier days of old. I also liked seeing Captain America’s commanding presence suddenly put him in check.
Vroom: I must admit that Bendis has the sort of real world handle on Cap that might have actually worked in his own book. Too bad we got stuck with duds like Morales. But why the fuck does this little team include Angelina Jolie’s character from HACKERS?
Corm: Can I just say that I think that’s one of the hottest haircuts an already hot chick can have? Especially on women like Jolie and the Vulcan babe from ENTERPRISE - you know, with the big, pouty lips. Therefore, having a Jolie look-alike actually earns points from this reader.
Vroom: I also have to wonder about the timetable for this story. The flashbacks to a year ago show Matt playing the Daredevil game we all know and love, and looking damn cool doing it. The thing is, a year ago DD was standing in a bar proclaiming himself Kingpin. So is the flashback supposed to be set back then, completely contradicting Bendis’ own work? Or is the flashback set in the now, with the assault on Luke Cage taking place a year from today? And if that’s the case, Jessica Jones is in her, what… eighth trimester?
Corm: Ha!
Vroom: Yes, this is, in the end, mostly insignificant obsessive shit. But I care about a lot of insignificant shit. So there.
Corm: I might consider this more of a criticism if Marvel's companywide policy for the last several years hadn't been for every book to ignore every other book. Maybe it's a case of lowered expectations, but man, I'm just happy to see that Luke and Jessica were a couple in ALIAS, a couple in THE PULSE, and are still a couple in SECRET WAR. I allow for a lot of leeway when it comes to timelines in superhero universes, because timelines always fall apart under close inspection.
Vroom: Then there’s the plan Fury has for Latveria: a hostile takeover of the entire country. Now, it certainly will make for an interesting story. In fact, I thought it made for a great story six months ago, when the Fantastic Four did THE EXACT SAME FUCKING THING! Honestly!
Corm: Another case of Marvel's right hand not talking to its left and another case of it not bothering me much. If the story ends up good enough to re-read in a few years, I'm hardly going to care that some other book had a similar story when it was released. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to see Marvel building a coherent universe once again, but that's just not their tradition right now. I'm not gonna beef about Latveria being overthrown if the story features Luke Cage reeling off great lines like, "I think I just increased the black population in this country by a hundred and fifty percent."
'Sides, I doubt Bendis will be showing an overt military takeover as in FANTASTIC FOUR. Let’s see how things play out.
Vroom: Oh, I’m definitely going to see how it plays out. Like I said last time, the only way I’d drop this book is if somehow, some way, the Beyonder shows his ugly mug. I expect that this issue will read better as part of the whole, and that we’ll have plenty of twists in the future. It’s just that this individual issue wasn’t that great.
Except for Dell’Otto. Did you see the part when Fury takes off his disguise? Damn!
THE PULSE #3
Writer - Brian Michael Bendis
Penciller - Mark Bagley
Published by Marvel Comics
Reviewed by Lizzybeth
Let’s get this out of the way – I dislike THE PULSE because it isn’t ALIAS. Hey, I’m nothing if not honest. I loved ALIAS. It ended, and the main character was carried over to this new title, making THE PULSE at least connected to the 28-issue Max title if not a direct continuation of it. But the current title belongs to the mainstream Marvel universe, which means no more swearing, and a lot more guest appearances. The former I can live with, but I can see the latter wearing me down.
This is the major miscalculation of THE PULSE: readers who enjoyed ALIAS are not necessarily the same readers who devour, say, SPIDER-MAN (cover subject for the past 3 issues). In my case, ALIAS was one of only a handful of Marvel titles that I actually enjoyed. My interest in Spider-man is approximately zero. Yet the assumption of this first storyline seems to be that I will not only be interested in a Spiderman story, but that I am already familiar with its roster of characters, including series regulars Ben Urich and J. Jonah Jameson, the Green Goblin, and Peter Parker himself. In the previous series, when a storyline centered around a character like Captain America, it didn’t really matter whether I was familiar with him or not – all that mattered was that Jessica Jones was, and I could see the character through her eyes. ALIAS was a very POV series that created a new window into the Marvel Universe. Now we’re back on the inside, and interesting characters like Jessica are being shuttled to the sidelines of a fairly typical Nu-Marvel superhero story. There’s nothing wrong with preaching to the converted, but it’s a fairly disappointing follow-up for those readers who follow Bendis as the author of JINX and TORSO rather than the author of SPIDER-MAN and X-MEN.
Standing alone, THE PULSE is a good quality mainstream Marvel book. Mark Bagely’s art is really quite good, although I simply can’t get used to his depiction of Jessica Jones. She looks about ten years younger, she smiles all the time, she wears skirts, and is generally glossier and more generic and completely un-Jessica-like. Now I understand why some comics readers bitch about costume changes and the like. I’m sorry, but Bagely’s Jessica just does not look right. But on the plus side, everyone else looks great, especially the men - they are allowed a lot more character in their faces than the women. He’s got Jameson nailed. And he works well with Bendis’s pacing. The scene between Luke and Jessica, although they look completely different from the characters I know, was still pretty funny. Bagely’s facial expressions make even the recycled “pregnant women are emotional” joke from SECRET WARS (I can’t believe I bought Secret Wars. I need help.) kind of funny and sweet. As for the premise, I wasn’t sure in the beginning that the adoption of POWERS by Marvel wouldn’t make THE PULSE kind of redundant, but I’ve thrown out that idea even before Bendis’s creator-owned project relaunches. THE PULSE is actually much closer to WITCH HUNTER ROBIN than to POWERS in its style and approach to the characters. Slower, creepier, more of an ensemble piece, and the only character with a personal life is the new girl with undefined powers. It’s hard to get a feel for how the newsroom setting will play out in the book, and I have to wonder if this was the best storyline to kick off the book for that reason. But my main problem, as I mentioned, is that THE PULSE is not ALIAS, and what’s more, it’s not trying to be. This is not necessarily a flaw for a title that is clearly meant to be more accommodating to the average Marvel reader. What it does mean, however, is that this title is not for me.
MYSTIQUE #15
Writer: Sean McKeever
Artist: Manuel Garcia
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Reviewed by Cormorant
I’ll be honest – I was planning to drop this book when Brian K. Vaughan left the book with issue #13. It’s not that Vaughan’s run had been so unbelievably astounding – it was just fun, if Bond- and ALIAS-derivative superhero espionage – but replacement Sean McKeever had done little for me on his Marvel books, SENTINEL and INHUMANS. I figured I could live with one less “fun” book on my subscription list.
But McKeever’s keepin’ the heat on, the wily bastard. He’s only had two issues, but he’s done a terrific job of maintaining Vaughan’s spirited momentum. In fact, hopefully he won’t be offended by the following comment which is intended as a compliment, but I’d almost say his issues could be mistaken for Vaughan issues. We’re all used to the modern approach to superhero comics where writers are given so much room to reinterpret titles that series change focus with each new creative team, and maybe that’s what makes McKeever come across as a rebel for actually making this a smooth transition. Why, it’s almost like he’s honoring the work that came before him instead of reinterpreting it into something wholly different! The nerve! The audacity! The...
Class?
Yeah, class. Now maybe McKeever is gonna shift gears more drastically in the near future, but if so he’s doing it in the most honorable way possible. He’s earned this reader’s respect for it, and I hope it rubs off a bit on some of his colleagues (looking at you, Chuckie).
The current story, begun last issue, has Mystique investigating a dermatological company rumored to be testing its revolutionary skin cures on mutants. Cool premise. Turns out, however, that the installation has alarms set up specifically to detect Mystique – curiouser and curiouser – and so her infiltration becomes a spirited escape attempt. It’s a great opener with its leaps, groin-kicks, innovative uses for shape-changing, and the beginnings of a stronger field role for Mytique’s field handler, the mutant, Shortpack.
Yep, Shortpack’s a badass, and that’s something you rarely hear when it comes to superheroes who can shrink (and he can’t even do that - he’s permanently smurf-sized!). But he’s also a low-level telepath, he’s got a good personality, and McKeever cooks up a fantastic action sequence with him later in the book that finally gives him his due. Not since John Ostrander’s depiction of an imposter Atom in the pages of SUICIDE SQUAD in the late ‘80s have I been able to get so behind a shrimpy superhero! How is it that Vaughan and McKeever have made this supporting character mutant so cool while NEW X-MEN: ACADEMY X (nee NEW MUTANTS) has yet to produce a single interesting mutant from its ensemble cast?
Ah well, no need to harp on the negative. This is a positive review for a good book that I’m happy to be able to get behind once again. Yes, it’s still derivative in general premise, but on a moment-to-moment basis it’s energizing and fun. And as I’ve noted before when Vaughan was on the book, it’s also about the only place in comics where you can find a mixture of superheroes and international espionage, and that’s a potent combination when done right.
Keep the expectations a little moderate, but do give this book a try (ideally beginning with issue #14). It has a sexy, blue woman in leather pants, changing shape and kicking ass. It’s got stealth infiltrations and fun, twisty plots. It has a five-inch tall sidekick who doesn’t wear leather pants but also kicks ass. It’s also got ties to the X-Men, but they’re just icing on the cake.
Remember how cool Mystique was in X-MEN 2, slithering backwards under that descending blast door and flashing a wicked grin as she gave the bad guys the bird? Sean McKeever does too.
TALES OF ORDINARY MADNESS
Writer - Malcolm Bourne
Art - Mike Allred
Published by Oni Press
Reviewed by Lizzybeth
At a time when Marvel is letting one of their most innovative artists slip through their fingers, Oni Press is taking the opportunity to reissue one of his most interesting projects: TALES OF ORDINARY MADNESS, an early-90's miniseries from Dark Horse Comics cowritten with psychiatrist and author Bourne. This thing pretty much sells itself. Mike Allred drawing paranoid hallucinations? Even if you call it redundant given his current collaboration with Peter Milligan (I kid! I kid!) it’s a no-brainer. But what puts this trade to the top of the must-buy list is the writing, which is laden with the kind of detail that can only come from experience, particularly in the confusing world of mental health care.
TALES OF ORDINARY MADNESS follows patients at Newtown Hospital, showing us how they got there, how they leave there, and how they relate to a particular staff psychiatrist during that time. At one extreme is Robert, a paranoid schizophrenic who is constantly fleeing an endless stream of enemies. At another is Mrs. Yogeswarren, a successful business woman who has a paralyzing, debilitating fear of dogs. Patients are depressed, manic, obsessive, alcoholic, detoxing from drug addiction, hallucinating, developing wild schemas of belief, slicing themselves up, and attempting suicide. This is no Hollywood harmless hospital, where the patients are simply “quirky” individuals who see the world differently. These people are ill. And as we watch them enter and leave Newtown we can understand how a doctor who empathized a little too closely with his patients could end up on the wrong end of the couch.
I would have guessed at the beginning of the book that whoever had written it did not have much use for psychiatry, given the initial characterization of the doctor as a callous jerk and psych attendants as overzealous goons. But what’s really conveyed through the book as a whole is a sense of helplessness in the face of illnesses we can barely comprehend, much less treat. There are patients who cannot be helped, and some who can’t even be kept alive. Seeing enough of these cases, even just the small number that can fit into this volume, makes you understand how this doctor could go to the extremes he does.
Of course, the artwork is terrific. This is actually my favorite illustration job by Mike Allred outside of X-STATIX. The book is over ten years old and looks it, but the rougher quality of Allred’s pencils suits the black and white format perfectly, just as his cleaner lines look better in color. Allred taps into the imagery of madness just enough to be a little scary, but his faces always remind you of the human beings behind such visions. I find that Allred works best with the material of other writers, and this graphic novel is easily among his best work – it would be an excellent gift for fans of X-STATIX, or anyone who enjoys Allred’s work but craves something a little meatier than THE ATOMICS. It’s not a happy read by any means, but it does provoke empathy for a misunderstood section of society. For some situations, that is the best we have to offer.
SUPERMAN #205
Writer - Brian Azzarello
Penciller - Jim Lee
Inker - Scott Williams
Published by DC Comics
Reviewed by Village Idiot
[Warning: The following is a very negative review of SUPERMAN #205. If you are Brian Azzarello or Jim Lee, or a member of the Azzarello or Lee family, or perhaps if you feel a certain affection for this title and you don't like it when stuff you like is torn apart, maybe you should skip down to the next review. Or maybe give Buzz's review of RE-BIRTH another read through, I'm sure he'd appreciate it.]
Let me cut right to the chase: SUPERMAN #205 tries to pull all the same crap that was in SUPERMAN #204, only last time it got a mulligan because it was the first issue. By now, it looks like the full-blown creative direction for the title. And it's godawful.
Let's review:
- Incomprehensible dialog
For some reason, Azzarello has decided to fill these books with the most impenetrable dialog in comics. After SUPERMAN #204, and after all the heavy overtones, I tended to think he was shooting for something Bergmanesque (e.g., THE SEVENTH SEAL, Calvin Klein television commercials from the early nineties), and that may actually be the case. But really, how appropriate is Ingmar Bergman for a Superman comic book? Moreover, how many passes are we expected to give a panel before the dialog goes from being clever and layered to being just too inscrutable?
Of course, by rationalizing it, I think I'm being too generous. At face value, it's simply bad.
Superman: Something bothering you father?
Priest: Nothing I can't live with. Heh.
Superman: Why's that funny?
Priest: Because the alternative isn't.
WTF??
Seriously, WTF? I have a college degree from a fairly well-repected university, and I have no idea what that's supposed to mean.
- Achingly melancholy tone
SUPERMAN #205 continues the adventures of Superman and the self-doubting priest. As the self-doubting priest walks along the city, he sees the not just the grim reminders of The Vanishing, the inexplicable, off-camera phenomenon in which people from around the world suddenly vanished, but he's also confronted with signs of lack of faith, especially in the clergy; perhaps reflections of his own doubt.
Superman shows up to continue the conversation from the last issue, where he and the priest coyly talk about how Superman seems to have lost his faith as well (with the incomprehensible dialog discussed above). Superman goes on to tell the story of how he went to the Middle East to settle the problems there once and for all, taking away all the guns and threatening everybody with the Red Eyes of Impending Heat Vision (Superman's trademark badass look). And in response to this gesture of peace and harmony (and menacingly paternal red eyes), a kid hits him with a rock.
And all thoughout the book, the panel to panel pacing seems slow and deliberate, the emotions that come through feel stark and desolate. It's a drag.
Of course there's nothing that says that Superman can't be painted with some of the darker colors of the emotional palette. But come on, this is getting ridiculous.
Of course, all the melancholy seems to be in the service of Deep Meaning. What is the Deep Meaning? How about this:
Superman: One stone. That's all it took. Invaders from Mars, creatures on the loose, mad scientists and giant robots. Bogeymen, hiding under beds and in closets. I've always tried to show you there's nothing to be afraid of...that fear was in your mind. But then you showed me that the greatest threat to humanity...is in your hearts.
Oh shut up, Superman.
You know, I don't mind a little sanctimony coming from the character, but in the context of all the other story elements, this comes across so thick, you could pour it over pancakes and eat it.
But that's not where it gets really heavy.
Superman turns a peach pit into a diamond, and gives it to the priest, who then throws it into a park fountain.
Priest: Heh. You see, even a perfect stone creates ripples.
Oh wow. You see, this goes back to an earlier part of the conversation, where they were talking about saving humanity, and now the perfect stone was Superman, and the ripples were the effects of the Vanishing, which is a metaphor for...oh, never mind. There's some deeper philosophical exploration going on here, about humanity, and virtue, and faith in humanity and virtue, but the point was so mired in all the tone and dialog and other metaphorical jags, that I just didn't care.
To put it simply, Azzarello is overreaching. I think that this, more than anything else, is probably the root problem of this run so far. Azzarello seems to be reaching for something serious and profound, and he's just not making it, and so what we're given reads as self-important, overwrought, and over-indulgent.
- Pretty, if a bit soulless pictures
I think that with this series, DC finally decided to put the "Jim Lee can sell anything" theory to the test. Rather than pair him up a more crowd-pleasing writer like Loeb, they figured they could afford to pair him with a more challenging writer. If you read the interviews, you almost get the feeling that Lee was really struggling to find his enthusiasm for Superman, and I think bringing a less-obvious choice for writing like Brian Azzarello on board boosted the creative challenge and appeal.
Whatever the case, Lee delivers Lee, which for many people can be very good. But the art can only carry a book so far. Without an accessible story to back up Lee's work, the art felt a little remote. Pretty, sure, and appropriate enough to convey that dull melancholy I mentioned earlier, but nothing that made me really live in the story. On the other hand, I have the feeling that Leonardo Da Vinci could have done the art for this book and I wouldn't have been able to live in the story.
- More incomprehensible dialog
Superman: Hmm. So if you dedicate your life to humanity, eventually you will regard yourself as the most purely human? That's food for thought.
Priest: If you're a dog.
Superman: Heh. Now that's funny I understand.
Holy Christ, I'm glad someone does.
SHANGRI-LA
Written by Marc Bryant
Art by Shepherd Hendrix
Published by Image Comics
Reviewed by Lizzybeth
Elvis Presley. Kurt Cobain. John Lennon. Jimi Hendrix. They’re all kicking back in rock’n’roll heaven, having a pint and practicing some new numbers. It’s the most exclusive club there is, the end of the line for rock legends who went out on top. And Correy Stinson is about to join them there.
Correy, you see, got an offer he couldn’t refuse. He got kicked out of his legendary band Suplex for his prima donna behavior, and his solo career has fallen flat. The mansion’s falling apart, the groupies are taking off, and the car payments are piling up. He can’t take life as a has-been, but his pride won’t let him go crawling back to the old band. That’s when he’s approached by an organization that specializes in revitalizing the careers of fading rock stars. How do they pull it off? They stage a tragic rock’n’roll demise, setting off a flurry of tributes, public memorials, and soaring record sales. Nothing can kick-start a career like dying young. So Correy agrees to let them arrange it for him, planning to get away from the crowds and sit back to enjoy the profits. Trouble is, the organization, which is in cahoots with the record labels, fibbed about one little thing. They don’t stage your death. They kill you.
This original graphic novel is an awful lot of fun, especially for rock music fans of any age. As the plot to martyr Correy Stinson unfolds, rock legends like Frank Zappa and Keith Moon watch from the beyond, probably trading bets on how long before they have to welcome him to the ranks. They all fell for the plot, you see, not realizing that the record companies will just as soon shoot you as share their profits. But none of them were lucky enough to be assigned Jetta as their personal assassin – Jetta, the die-hard rock and roll fan who can’t bear to cap the singer of “Junk Street” and instead takes Correy on the run. That the man is a colossal prick doesn’t faze her (much), although it does make it awfully hard to keep him alive and out of the strip clubs where he may be recognized. The book is nicely paced and moves right along to the conclusion, with a nice stopover in Shangri-La.
The artwork is pretty much the style that every black-and-white indie comic is going for (think PARADIGM for a similar Image title) but few can use effectively. Unlike the convoluted and frustrating PARADIGM, SHANGRI-LA is very nicely laid out and characters are easy to tell apart, with famous faces as distinctive as the original characters. It helps to have a straightforward and self-contained story to illustrate, and it’s nice to see Image embracing the OGN form along with their support of fresh new artists. I’m just hoping that the departure of Jim Valentino from Image won’t mean the end of projects like this, which are a breath of fresh air in the increasingly gimmicky comics industry circa 2004.
Cheap Shots!
RICHARD DRAGON #1 - Action comic book writer guru, Chuck Dixon, returns to martial arts mayhem with the return of long-forgotten kung fu master Richard Dragon. This issue sets the groundwork with your typical action movie premise: A cadre of villains are set up to be beaten to a bloody pulp in sucession by our hero. All of you tea-drinkin' intellectual types may want to pass this by, but for those of you who like your action and adventure fast and ferocious, this is the book for you. Featuring the comic book return of Suicide Squad-er Bronze Tiger and high octane art by Scott McDaniel. McDaniel's art moves on the page. You can see the fluidity in Dragon's movements. Martial arts is tough to convey in comics, but McDaniel has no problem doing it. Check this one out. - Ambush Bug
FINDER #31 – The art in this issue threw me; with the heavy pencil
shading at work I believed at first that there must have been a printer
error. The style works in places, but it isn’t quite consistent
throughout and doesn’t match up with the previous installments of “The
Rescuers.” Even so, a sub-par issue of FINDER is better than most
comics’ best, and the story is as fascinating as ever. I haven’t
figured out yet what the connection is between the kidnaped baby from
the townhouse and the mystery babies in the village (baby-swap?) but
the implications are duly creepy. And of course it’s great to see
Jaeger returning to the center of the action in this storyline. If you
picked up Carla Speed McNeil’s run on QUEEN AND COUNTRY, reissued in
trade paperback this week, be sure and check out her self-published
opus FINDER. For my money there is no better comic on the shelves
today. - Lizzybeth
HARLEY & IVY #2 - WARNING: while this particular duo might’ve sprung from the loins of the all-ages BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES, their own series is definitely not for the young ‘uns. In this latest issue, Harley and Ivy face off against evil, gay forest clear-cutters and Ivy is pleasured hentai-style by a tree. Pal, I ain’t even kiddin’. Lurid, cheesy fun, all firmly tongue-in-cheek. - Cormorant
SUPREME POWER #10 – I don’t know Squadron Supreme from the JSA myself, but I know good comics when I see them. This is a good comic. Gary Frank’s artwork continues to improve by leaps and bounds (and no, I’m not referring to the nude olympics at the end of the issue. Way to use that MAX label though...) and I love to see him continue to collaborate with J. Michael Straczynski after their superlative series for Top Cow, MIDNIGHT NATION. The characters in this one are a bit weak, to me. Like most superheros from a certain time period they are defined by their superpowers and not much else. But this works perfectly to Straczynski’s purposes; the real intrigue of the book is the emergence of these figures and their manipulation by the familiar forces of our world: government, money, prestige. As we already knew from his control-freak shepherding of Babylon 5 and his first few comics projects Straczynski is an expert in bringing plot threads together. How he’s going to bring these characters together into a team of any kind is beyond me, but that’s why he’s the writer and I’m the reviewer. Let’s all breathe a sigh of relief and pick up this series, shall we? - Lizzybeth
CONAN #4 - A good pulp swords ‘n’ sorcery story requires several ingredients: exotic kingdoms, violence and gore, creepy mysticism, and perhaps most importantly, gratuitously nude (or near-nude) women! This latest issue features Conan’s startling discovery of the true nature of the near-mythic kingdom of Hyperborea and I’m pleased to say it delivers on all counts. Decadent, violent, lusty – yes, this is Conan! My favorite issue of the series to date, and a fine jumping-on point for you newbies. – Cormorant
STRAY BULLETS #33 – Yes, I’m glad to see a new issue of everyone’s favorite twisted crime comic after nearly a year. But this one’s a bit light. It’s almost like David Lapham knew he needed to get something out and figured, since everyone wants to see more of Virginia Applejack, simply watching her do messed-up stuff for 20 pages will be enough. Not really. This issue reads much faster than the typically dense issues of the past, AND is completely missing the patented Stray Bullets Fucked-Up Ending. So, relative to my expectations it’s a letdown, but I still love the artwork and am glad to see Mr. Lapham back at work. - Lizzybeth
CATWOMAN #31 - I heard rumors somewhere that the Catwoman comic might give Selina’s physical prowess a quasi-mystical boost to coincide with the pending movie, and this latest issue has me genuinely terrified that’s coming. It’s also the worst issue of the series to date. Brubaker seems very out of his element with Catwoman adventuring in a sort of mystical Middle Eastern city and wooed by its chieftain/mystic. I don’t so much mind the premise or even artist Paul Gulacy having a little fun with harem-girl visuals so much as the by-the-numbers storytelling. I’m worried that Brubaker might be burning out or laboring under editorial constraints, and if this series doesn’t regain some of its spark soon, I may end up looking for a jumping-off point. - Cormorant
X-STATIX #23 – Sure, it’s cool that Marvel got Joss Whedon and Bryan Singer to write new X-Men series for them. But there was already an X-Men for the new millenium. It was called X-STATIX. And since it’s getting canceled, there’s really not much point in getting excited, is there? Except, of course, to finish out the X-Statix vs. The Avengers run, which will almost certainly end with heaps and heaps of death and other sundry insanity. So I’m starting an Alive Pool - who’s going to survive the series? Anyone? My money’s on Doop, with everyone else going out in a sweeps stunt. - Lizzybeth
STAR WARS: EMPIRE #20 - This issue begins a new, Leia-centric arc for the series, and if Ron Marz’s writing is a little corny, somehow that doesn’t seem too out of place in the Star Wars franchise. The issue’s set after STAR WARS but before EMPIRE, and has Leia running into a would-be beau in her search for a new planet as the staging ground for the Rebellion. There’s some interesting stuff with the guy’s brother blaming Leia for the destruction of Alderaan (his former home planet as well), but before things get excessively soap operatic, Leia and her old boyfriend get trapped in a ferocious animal preserve stocked with all kinds of big Star Wars monsters. Night’s falling, they’re unarmed, and yeah, it’s all contrived and a little silly, but again, that kind of describes the entirety of the franchise. An entertaining read if you’re in the mood for such stuff, and quite nicely drawn. - Cormorant
