| #43 | 1/10/07 & 1/17/07 | #5 |
THUNDERBOLTS #110
Writer: Warren Ellis Artist: Mike Deodato, Jr. Publisher: Marvel Comics Reviewer: Prof. Challenger
"Oh God. They're going to kill you for being a super hero, Jack…" - LucyI should really hate this comic.
But I don't.
Now, here's why I should hate it…and why I don't.
I should hate this comic because it revels in being smack dab in the middle of the pervasively negative CIVIL WAR cynicism that is strangling all sense of enthusiasm surrounding the mainline Marvel Universe books. This newest THUNDERBOLTS incarnation just screams corporate mind-think: "Ok, JQ, how 'bout this? *puff on cigar* *roll up sleeves* Think SUICIDE SQUAD meets NEW AVENGERS! Get it? We'll take a bunch of our most popular villains, mix them with some wannabes, and then have the guv'mint draft them into action tracking down the rebel terrorists like Capt. America, see? If they get out of line, they die. If they fulfill a year's worth of service to their country, they get a presidential pardon and a buttload of money to retire on. And see, we suck all the money from the fanboy geeks just like we did with NEW AVENGERS. Doesn't even matter if it's any good so long as we put in villains like Venom and Bullseye. Heh heh. Them zombies'll buy anything with those guys in it. Genius, right? *loosens tie* *sits back and flatulates proudly*
I should hate this comic because the entire concept is morally reprehensible. Taking a misanthropic concept like serial killers capturing and killing heroes on behalf of the government and grounding it in a rather realistic comic book gives it an air of political and social commentary that I find distasteful.
I should hate this comic because I actively dislike raving lunatic villains such as Bullseye and Venom. I should also hate this comic because it further advances Norman Osborne as a Lex Luthor clone set in the Marvel Universe. I've said it before and I'll say it again: Bringing Norman Osborne back from the dead was the jump-the-shark moment for Marvel. He functioned much smarter and more effectively in death as a catalyst for character and plot development than he does post-resurrection where he's just a sleazy Lex Luthor clone with a dab of Joker thrown in. Which drives me to a digressive rant to just ask why the hell does Marvel have to rip-off DC so blatantly with characters like the current take on Osborne, Sentry, Moon Knight, Parallel super-hero universes, etc.? You'd think with the level of writers and artists under contract with Marvel that they could stop mining the competition for ideas. I know DC's raided Marvel before, but mainly on technique and style -- not so much on creative concepts and characters. Rant done.
I should hate this comic because in my view it violates, or misunderstands, the entire concept of the Thunderbolts. The Thunderbolts are all about voluntary redemption - villains doing their damnedest to try and be better people but discovering it's not so easy to change one's character. Now, the Thunderbolts are pure villains, with no sense of redemption, falsely portrayed to the media and the public as heroes by a corrupt totalitarian government. For the life of me, I'll never understand why this concept was attached to the THUNDERBOLTS comic book. It seems to me that a smarter, and even more marketable, idea would've been to let Fabian Nicieza just wrap up the THUNDERBOLTS nicely with a pretty red bow and then let Warren Ellis premiere with a new series taking an unused team name with a bit of history attached to it - THE CHAMPIONS. If the concept is one where the government is trying to manipulate the public into accepting these "former" villains as heroes, then I would actually think the THUNDERBOLTS name would be an obstacle to their propaganda success. But labeling these characters as "Champions" would've been a smart way to subliminally plant a trusting seed in the public's collective mind. And Ellis could easily have borrowed the splendid Moonstone, as well as Songbird and Radioactive Man from the recently defunct THUNDERBOLTS. But, once again, Joey Q. neglected to call or email me for advice.
So, after all of that, why don't I hate it?
I don't hate it because Warren Ellis is a very good writer who always finds some interesting idea or original thought to bring to the table and Mike Deodato is a very good artist. That's really it in a nutshell.
I don't hate it because Mike Deodato is a fine artist who knows how to draw super-hero comics consistently and effectively. In fact, I remember he was the artist on the first Ellis-written comic I ever read - the “World Engine” 4-parter in THOR many years back. Deodato's girls may have a little more swing to their hips than reality says they should, but not to the level of excess distraction. At least they have hips, which a lot of current artists could take a lesson about. Working within Ellis's usual narrative layout with lots of wide-panels, Deodato does a nice job working within the darker and more mundane style that's become pretty much the new Marvel love-it-or-lump-it house-style.
I don't hate it because Ellis took this turkey of an idea and structured it effectively by grounding the entire concept and story in psychological manipulation. The comic opens with Osborne just torturing Bullseye with smooth but searing words. Later, he's shown psychologically manipulating Dr. Karla "Moonstone" Sofen into leading the new Thunderbolts team. There are layers in the dialogue between the two of them that reveal much about both characters. Ellis also intercuts the T-bolts scenes with glimpses of how the brain-dead, press-release-driven tragedy-TV "news" media is breathlessly reporting on every movement of the new team as they take off on their first mission to track down another rebel terrorist (read: rogue super-hero). Then, in usual Ellis fashion, there are satirical moments smeared in pop culture such as the hilariously unsettling TV commercial for the Thunderbolts action figures: "Thunderbolts are GO!" I laughed out loud. Seeing the kid using his Venom and Penance figures to take down terrorist masked man Capt. America (with "screaming" voice chip no less) was disturbing, funny, and in six panels pretty much summed up the current state of the Marvel Universe for anyone new to the party.
Finally, the other smart thing that Ellis did was utilize a Z-tier character like "Jack Flag" as the superhero that the T-bolts are deployed to take down. Made me flashback to Capt. Comet and the Creeper as the token Z-tier super-heroes in the old SECRET SOCIETY OF SUPER-VILLAINS comic book. The less well-known the character, the more room the writer has to play with characterization. In this case, I've got a pretty large canvas of Marvel info imprinted on my brain regarding the first 30 some odd years of Marvel history. But Jack Flag doesn't strike a memory chip. Did he show up during the Gruenwald run on Cap? Doesn't matter though. Ellis provided me with all I need to know about the guy, his background, and his current positioning. I'm worried about the poor guy. Next issue image shows Jack scurrying away from Venom's fang-filled face while the blurb reads: "Run, Jack Flag, Run!" 'Nuff said.
And now for another opinion on THUNDERBOLTS #110
THUNDERBOLTS #110
Writer: Warren Ellis Penciler: Mike Deodato Jr. Publisher: Marvel Comics Reviewed by Humphrey Lee
Like the cover of this says, the THUNDERBOLTS have a brand new team coming straight out of the pages of CIVIL WAR. Apparently the theory is that if this assemblage of thieves and even mass murderers is good enough to be used by none other than Tony Stark (yeah, that still doesn't sound right) then they're good enough to have their own title. Which I guess is fine. I mean, it still follows in the vein of how this book was started (y'know, Masters of Evil, bad guys, pretend they’re good guys to try and take over the world) but with a bit of a twist. Unlike the original T-Bolts which were a "rogue" team of supes that won America's hearts by thwarting supervillains, this version is actually a sponsored one with none other than Norman Osborne as their handler (think more Suicide Squad now) and they're actually media darlings despite being well known sociopaths.Now I know that's all a bit hard to swallow. Really, when presented with this group in the pages of CIVIL WAR itself I thought it was one of the more moronic ideas I've seen in a while, given the context. Basically I gave this issue a shot because of the man writing it, Warren Ellis; a man whose work rarely lets me down, though I was all set for this to be one of those exceptions. But to be honest, I kind of dug this debut issue. The thing of it all is, I like the context this version works in. While when they were shown in the pages of the old CW, they were some sort of like, maniacal backup plan of Tony Stark's in order to take down Cap's anti-registration squad which, again, just reeks of mischaracterization. But here they're handled like the bastards they (or at least most of them) are. Whenever they're taken on missions they're basically shackled down with the threat of bodily harm if they try anything. Likewise, the majority of them have body implants to keep them in line, or possibly even kill them if they get out of it. Apparently the reason they're so accepted is because it looks like Cap's side has been so villainized by the media, to the point where they're even called terrorists, that the American public is willing to tolerate them as long as they're kept safe. It's a pretty blatant spin, given the state our actual society is in after 9/11 and our current war in Iraq, but I think it still has some mileage to it.
One thing I wasn't exactly keen about, but kind of see where this is coming from, was the pacing of the book. I don't want to say the book was drawn out, because there was a good bit of plot development going on, but we really only saw glances of each one because so many were introduced. Apparently Ellis is taking a one-by-one approach towards keying us in on why each member is present on the team. Bullseye is basically bullied into it with those implants I mentioned earlier, but meanwhile you have Moonstone basically given a little bit of an ego-stroking with a touch of blackmail to do so. But we're not given any insight towards Radioactive Man, or the Swordsman, or especially Penance which is a big one after the reveal of his identity in the latest FRONTLINE. Add into those that we're given an introduction (or reintroduction depending on your exposure) to one Jack Flag. Jack is a would-be hero who has basically hung it up due to the Registration Act, but who occasionally ventures out into the streets to put down your odd bit of crime. It looks like Jack's going to be playing the role of our resident Idealist, as he's been targeted by the new T-Bolts for his newly illegal activities under the Registration Act. It was definitely an interesting presentation of the character; hopefully it keeps up once the team gets involved.
As for the art chores, we've got the ever popular Mike Deodato bringing some really good game here. By now you probably know what to expect from the man, and he delivers. There's a lot of detail to be had out of his pencils, with tons of background details, and very smooth and nuanced lines in the facial features to give the characters that added bit of, uh, character. There's nothing really dramatic in the panel flow, it's your standard panel to panel transition, but he still makes the story flow, even if it's in more of a matter of fact fashion (which works given the tone of this particular issue). The art really is just damned good when it all comes down to it, though I have to admit I'm not a big fan of Mr. Deodato randomly "Greg Landing it up" in this as anytime Osborne comes on panel... well, he's Tommy Lee Jones, there's just no two ways about it. I'm not sure why this is necessary, it really doesn't add anything to the book, but it really doesn't detract from it either so I'm not going to dwell on it. Still stellar stuff in spite of.
So there you have it. I know all that is a bit much to chew on when you look at it from the outside given the kinds of ideas being thrown about, but I really do think this issue was well written enough that it's worthy of a read to see if you can dig it once it's given some context. There's still a long road ahead to make this work though. Ellis, and Marvel as a whole, is really going to have to push this new status quo of outlawed heroes to make me bite that this team can and should exist. Playing up that terrorist angle is a solid, albeit a little derivative, start but if it's expanded upon properly I can see this working. Plus, as much as I don't want to geek out over it, they really did put together an impressive assemblage of badasses here. I know I don't mind getting a Bullseye fix whenever I can, I'm just hoping they do what they can to keep the overexposure to a minimum. But this is a good first step towards winning me over, and I do think the creative team has it in them to make it so. I guess we'll see.
HELMET OF FATE: DETECTIVE CHIMP #1
Writer: Bill Willingham Artist: Shawn McManus Publisher: DC Comics Reviewer: Ambush Bug
I’ve hit it.I’m there.
I’m officially fed up with the inundation of “events” that are coming from DC right now.
There hasn’t been a time to breathe and just soak in all of the changes that have occurred. The missing time set up with OYL, the mysteries set up in 52, the epic ripples that came from INFINITE CRISIS and all of the miniseries leading up to it. Now we are hit with this non-event of an event to drive the dagger deeper. I’m officially burnt out with DC right now and it’s their own damn fault. As much as I like to complain about Marvel’s missteps, I have to call DC out for theirs as well.
Basically, this HELMET OF FATE series of one-shots has very little to do with Nabu (the spirit of the helmet) and a whole lot more in common with Marvel’s Captain Universe where a single person (or in this case, a chimp) is granted the chance to be the most powerful being in the universe. This uninspired premise is the hook that writer Bill Willingham is hanging four issues of story on which basically shows how a handful of DC’s mystical heroes would handle the duties of Dr. Fate. One of the things that annoyed me the most about this book was that in the past, Dr. Fate’s powers just didn’t work this way. He was no omnipotent being. He was more like a Dr. Strange character, a sort of herald of Order, battling the forces of Chaos. Here, the power of Fate knows no bounds. I know the rules of magic were thrown out the window by the end of the INFINITE CRISIS and this “New Age of Magic” is on the rise in the DCU, but again, I was faced with that unanchored feeling where there was nothing established as stable to launch this magical stuff from other than Willingham doing his best Doug Henning “It’s Magic!” routine with no explanation of the hows and the whys of the situation (an act repeated over and over in the first few issues of SHADOWPACT before I dropped it like a sweltering tuber). Written in the same safe and uninspired way as SHADOWPACT, this book seals the deal that I simply don’t like superhero books written by Bill Willingham. I love FABLES, mind you. Maybe playing in someone else’s sandbox just doesn’t suit him, but I found SHADOWPACT and this DETECTIVE CHIMP book to be as bland as can be.
This “event” is the straw, my friends. If DC were a dude and we were buds, I’d put my arm around him and say this: Chill the fuck out, man. Look at yourself. You’re trying too hard. Stop trying to inundate us with one thing after another. You don’t even have to stop doing that if you would just wait until one event is over before beating us over the head with another one. This shit’s been going on for two years now and as a fan of the DCU, I’m fucking exhausted! Let 52 ride its course. Get a goddamn WONDER WOMAN comic out on time. Admit that AQUAMAN, HAWKMAN, and FLASH are failed attempts at relaunches, wish the talented creators well on their next ventures, and send them packing. Take care of the core titles, man. You’re slipping and losing dedicated fans, namely ME! I love the DCU, but enough with this Dagwood Sandwich style of storytelling. I’m tired, man. Just…fucking tired.
…*exasperated sigh*…
OK, to recap: I know this review may be a bit scattershot, but those are the emotions that surfaced as I read this issue which was filled with no grounding, event overkill, uninspired rip-offedness, and sheer tedium. The book did have some nice bits of detective work scattered throughout. It was the same type of cool detective stuff that Willingham proved he could tell with the first arc of FABLES. Maybe Willingham should drop all of this DC magic shit and focus on that for a while. He seems better suited. But apart from the fact that Detective Chimp is a relatively cool character when the Detective part is highlighted and the magic part is dimmed, this book left a bad taste in my mouth not only for the book itself, but DC in general.
FANTASTIC FOUR #542
Writer: Dwayne McDuffie Artists: Mike McKone, Andy Lanning and Cam Smith Publisher: Marvel Comics Reviewer: Dan Grendell
"C'mon, we have an errand to run.""Okay, but afterwards I have to help the resistance shut you down."
"Noted." Dwayne McDuffie did something in this issue that I didn't really think was possible. He explained Reed's reason for being pro-Registration, and I actually bought it. He gave Reed a reason for acting so out of character that didn't involve mind control, or shape changers, or Loki, or Hatemonger, or drugs, or whatever. He explained a way that by acting out of character, Reed was in fact being in character. And it makes sense. And it sucks to be Reed. It really does. And this is why I have been waiting for Dwayne McDuffie's run on FANTASTIC FOUR to begin. The man's a damn genius.
What actually happens in this issue isn't all that important. Johnny visits with Reed, trying to get an explanation. Reed meets up with The Thinker, because he needs an outside opinion on his real reason for being pro-Registration - he needs someone else who is a super-genius to check his figures, to be SURE he isn't wrong. Unfortunately, he isn't. Oh, and The Thing fights Hydra in Paris, and Johnny visits him too.
What's important in this issue is what people say to each other. Conversations between members of the FF, and Reed and The Thinker, which reveal all sorts of things. Most notably, that reason of Reed's I mentioned that I'm not gonna spoil. There isn't a lot of action in this issue, but a lot happens. Important things, for the FF.
McKone does an able job on art, giving Reed a haunted look that shows how torn he is. His best showing is reserved for The Thinker, however, whose craggy face and deeply shadowed eyes give him a real Prophet of Doom look that serves him well here. Though well drawn, however, much of the art lacks animation, making it seem more flat than it should be.
This is a good start to Dwayne McDuffie's run on FANTASTIC FOUR, and I'm definitely looking forward to more. Color me impressed.
CASANOVA #7
Writer: Matt Fraction Penciler: Gabriel Ba Publisher: Image Comics Reviewed by Humphrey Lee
So the first "album" (it looks like we’re calling it) of CASANOVA will be ending soon. Thankfully I've had a chance to look it all over with a peek at this finale and I can say it's...well, it's something. But that "something" is amazing, rest assured. I'm not here to ruin anything though... no spoilers, just some nods because I guess we've still got a week or two before this baby hits shelves, but since this is the final issue of this particular story I'm more here to give a general kudos to the work as a whole.I said when CASANOVA first came out: this book was something special, and it definitely continues to be so. It's been a very intriguing ride, watching this book unfold as a mesh of some retro super spy thrills and uber-hip modern day action-adventuring with just the right hit of sex to sell. There has been some turbulence, the story itself is a bit complicated and has a lot of identity issues. There's a lot of crossing and double crossing and double agency about, but if you pay careful attention it actually streamlines very well, and that right there is my nod to try and get this in a lump sum, or even wait for the collected edition.
But it's a very rewarding book if you choose to delve into it. The cast of characters are so terribly unique, and eccentric, or just downright bizarre that they pull you into the story. Matt Fraction seems to be brimming with new ideas and creative alterations on old ones. You've got dimension hopping, sex bots, a slew of anagrammical secret organizations, floating tri-head thingies, hidden civilizations, and it's all wrapped up in some stylish violence and a proper smacking of nihilism. And the bow on top of that package is some sexy Gabriel Ba art that is just the perfect vehicle for it in a "more is more" approach focusing a lot on mood, but not being afraid to overload the panel when he sees fit to further push your senses to the limit.
When it comes to brand new books that I read this year, this one pretty much takes the cake, mainly being rivaled only by Warren Ellis' NEXTWAVE over at Marvel, which is funny because I like to think everything I just said about CASANOVA here goes almost hand in hand with that particularly brilliant book as well. And just like NEXTWAVE, this book has been highly underappreciated all year, but that can go for any year in particular when it comes to a hard sell such as this, let alone in one when one of the big two decides to go crossover crazy. But this was the first shot in what I hope is a volley of series to come, and it's probably more worth your hard earned cash than the majority of what random CIVIL WAR tie-ins you'll be putting in your grubby mitts this coming week. The trade is coming. It's a meager $13. Save a dollar a week until it comes out and the world of CASANOVA will be at your disposal all in one lump. You owe it to yourself. Cheers...
SHE-HULK #15
Dan Slott: Writer Rick Burchett: Artist Marvel Comics: Publisher Vroom Socko: Agent of AICN
Can I just say for starters that, after three years of NEW AVENGERS, SECRET WAR, HOUSE OF M, CIVIL WAR, and assorted other bullshit, I am sick to fucking death of S.H.I.E.L.D.? Bad enough that they have all the superheroes in the world in their pocket over in the Ultimate universe, but now if you aren’t working for them over in Marvel Classic you get a lightning bolt up your ass. I don’t know about you, but every hero on earth on one big team that’s wrapped up in government bureaucracy sounds boring as all hell.Well thank god for Dan Slott, because with his latest installment of SHE-HULK he’s made a preemptive strike on that sort of thinking. Sure, Jen is working with SHIELD as an agent in this arc, but she’s not exactly happy about it. There’s also the musings about the location of her cousin, this arc being titled, after all, “World Without A Superma” - I mean, “Planet Without A Hulk”. (Sorry, wrong company.) The melancholy tone of the previous issue centered on Awesome Andy is in full swing again here.
Oh, don’t get me wrong. The bulk of the issue is Shulkie getting into a sweet ass brawl with the Abomination, one that showcases (wrong company again?) both her brawn and her brains. And make no mistake, Burchett’s artwork for the fight is simply stellar. But what elevates this issue is the quiet moments, where Jen is contemplating the way her life has changed due to recent “events,” wondering what has happened to her moral center. (I’ve been wondering the same thing about the whole of Marvel’s moral center from the reveal of the Illuminati on… But that’s another review.)
With the character developments of the past two issues coupled with the old school action of this one, plus the way Slott is examining the implications of the current atmosphere of the Marvel universe, SHE-HULK has instantly become my single favorite book currently being published by the House of Ideas. It’s just plain fun, dammit, with characters who are actually enjoying being heroes at times. When was the last time you could say that about a Marvel book?
Now, just who do I have to sleep with at Marvel for S.H.I.E.L.D. to get shelved for the next five years?
OMEGA MEN #4 (OF 6)
Writer: Andersen Gabrych Artist: Henry Flint Publisher: DC Comics Reviewer: Sleazy G
DC Comics has spent the last few years working to pull their mainstream universe closer together. They’ve worked long and hard at coming up with story arcs that pulled in first-, second- and eighth-tier characters, giving everyone a way to participate. They’ve given us a general idea of what direction things are going, laying groundwork for later storylines and dropping hints of what’s to come.Sometimes, though, you can be so busy staring at the big picture on the wall that you don’t notice the nearby garbage can and trip over it. For a while now there’s been a feeling that certain characters or plotlines had been forgotten or sidelined for some reason. Sometimes it’s been smaller stories, sometimes not, but either way there’s been a feeling that something was supposed to be big, important or maybe even good…only to have it fade into the background or miss the mark.
OMEGA MEN falls into that category with a resounding thud.
The ADAM STRANGE miniseries from ’04-‘05 did a helluva job reintroducing DC’s intergalactic characters, spending time with Rannians, the L.E.G.I.O.N., Captain Comet, and the Omega Men among others. It also looked damned good doing it, featuring inspired art by Pascual Ferry that incorporated classic old-school costumes with a fresh new design aesthetic. The O-Men also turned up in the follow-up miniseries RANN-THANAGAR WAR. That series was perhaps a bit cluttered at times, but it had a story to tell and did it fairly well. The art was more traditional, more workmanlike, but it still did the job.
And then there’s the current OMEGA MEN miniseries. The story it’s telling feels like it should be big: it’s clearly tied to all the galactic events of the last few years’ stories, and the big impending space-borne threat is growing ever closer to Earth and the rest of the DCU. We’re talking “the end of everything” big. I mean, those are huge stakes, right? The end of the universe and all? Every character we’ve ever read about, every planet we’ve ever seen…it’s all in danger. Races, planets, entire galaxies have fallen before Lady Styx and her army of Darkstars. There’s a lot of stuff that should be BIG going on. Stuff that should be HUGE. This is all really important, and really closely tied to all the other stories of the last few years.
So why is it such a stinker?
Every issue of this book so far has been, y’know, lousy. I mean, not just mediocre, but a real stinker. Andersen Gabrych has some cool ideas here—like the idea that dark matter is a physical manifestation or aspect of death—but there are also a lot of really bad ideas. Number one on that list, for me, is the continual talk of gods and belief and faith and blah-dee-frikkin’ blah. These are issues that are difficult enough to discuss in a comic book format under any circumstances, but when you’ve got a giant planet-razing spider woman asking a green robotic asshole (seriously, that Brainiac dude from L.E.G.I.O.N. is a total dick) if he’s got a soul or not, things have just gone from stupid to retarded. You wanna say she’s out to destroy all life to gain some sort of power over the dead or whatever, fine—we’re dealing with nebulous concepts. But a story about a blue space nun? Telling people to believe in god and the way of the light to resist an impending assault from…ummm…the forces of entropy as represented by the undead bodies of all the people killed for millions of light years around in the uniforms of the Darkstars? Wow. I mean, that’s just…wow.
And maybe—just maybe--it could work in the hands of a truly inspired writer, somebody who was crazy enough to cram it full of so many Morrisionian concepts that it somehow kinda clicked. But that just doesn’t happen here. The dialogue is stilted, clichéd, and boring. We’re also two thirds of the way through without so much as the slightest explanation of why the Darkstars, former interstellar police, are now a bunch of dead people who were never members before and fighting for the bad guys. That one really deserved a little coverage by now. I can’t really blame Gabrych all the way, though. Maybe this kind of story is just harder for him to get a handle on; he seemed to do okay with more street-level Batman related titles, and god knows the cosmic stuff is hard as hell to get right. Beyond that, though, I suspect a much larger problem here: it just feels like it got tampered with a lot by editorial. In fact, it kinda feels like they weren’t quite sure where to go with the series, and either waited too long to make up their minds on what they wanted or made changes along the way and expected Gabrych to keep up with them.
None of the issues I mentioned are what really puts this title in the “stinker” category, though. It’s the art. The horrible, painful to look at, confusing, poorly colored, clunky, distracting art. When I first started writing reviews here a few years back I would have launched into a bitter rant about just how wretched and amateurish the art in this miniseries has been. Now, though, I’d feel bad about laying into Henry Flint. He penciled his own stuff, so I can’t put the blame there, but maybe it’s not the coloring Flint was expecting. Maybe he had to step in at the last minute and was incredibly rushed. Maybe he’s got potential to improve. It’s hard to say. All I know is that this has been a uniformly ugly and hard-to-follow miniseries from the beginning of the first issue. I hope Flint does better in the future, and I’m not trying to kick the guy, but the book just makes my head hurt.
Which is why, in the end, all the responsibility has to be put on editorial. Knowing what a hard sell the cosmic characters tend to be in comics, and making them such a big part of DC’s event books of the last few years, this miniseries should have been at the top of the list of Things To Get Right. It should have been a top priority considering how closely tied to the events of 52 it is. OMEGA MEN should have been a huge story with a top-notch story and kickass art, just like ADAM STRANGE. Instead, the series went overlooked by editorial and underpromoted by marketing, and it feels like it’ll all just be swept under the rug in fairly short order. If this series had had the kind of push that, say, the DR. FATE one shots are, it could have been completely different. Even with the current scripts intact, better interior art wrapped in covers like the ones Bolland did for DETECTIVE CHIMP last week would have insured more attention for this book. It should have been a big deal, something that mattered, something that people wanted to read. Instead it’s just kind of a mess, and it’ll be soon forgotten. It’s a sadly missed opportunity, and DC should be careful to avoid more like it.
NEW UNIVERSAL #2
Writer: Warren Ellis Artist: Salvador Larroca Publisher: Marvel Comics Reviewer: Prof. Challenger
I am dead and in Hell. So I can do anything. ” From the handwritten journal of Det. John TensenUplifting quote there don’t you think, mates?
Sarcasm aside, Warren Ellis and Salvador Larroca are actually accomplishing something akin to what the Sci-Fi Channel did when it “reimagined” a mostly forgotten old ‘70s television STAR WARS rip-off called BATTLESTAR GALACTICA. And I’ll note right here at the top that I don’t know if Marvel intends it, but the trade dress for the series is highly reminiscent of Marvel’s Ultimate line giving the series the look of an implied ULTIMATE NEW UNIVERSE.
Now, I’m sure there are some out there who harbor great love for Marvel’s NEW UNIVERSE. I’ve just never met them. It was definitely an idea before its time. Jim Shooter’s concept of a self-contained line of comics designed from conception to be part of one shared universe was original in 1988, but rule-of-thumb today for most new publishers (can we say: Malibu, Wildstorm, ABC, CrossGen, etc.?) Shooter’s concept of realistic super-heroes (meaning no spandex union suits and some level of basic physics consideration on the effects of these powers) thrust into the world outside your window was original in 1988 but old hat nowadays. Can we all say it together? “Save the cheerleader. Save the world.”
Shooter’s NEW UNIVERSE suffered primarily because those who worked on the various series were so grounded in the “old school” of comics that they just could not think quite wide enough outside of the box. In fact, almost as soon as Shooter was removed from leadership, Marvel itself ran away from the concept and tried to revamp the line by bringing in John Byrne, who had huge clout at the time (post-MAN OF STEEL) to throw some spandex onto Starbrand and try to save the line. In other words, when anxiety drives you to fear about the new and the unknown, always go backwards to what you know and are comfortable with. So, when that plan failed to bring in readers, Marvel cancelled the whole line and went with a series of prestige format miniseries where they completely lost their minds and let Byrne blow up Pittsburgh and then “entertain” everybody with nuclear fallout and a world war. As the New Universe began its slow and painful dying process, nobody cared. And nobody was gonna shell out prestige format prices for that garbage. Which is why you can now pick ‘em up for two bits at your local used bookstore’s junk comics box.
So, now the time has come (apparently) to celebrate this sad blip of a 4-year experiment because we’re heading into its 20th anniversary. Hey! How come they never celebrated the 20th anniversary of CRAZY magazine? How come they never celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Femizons?? C’mon! But I digress.
How does Marvel celebrate the 20th anniversary of the NEW UNIVERSE? By bringing on arguably their best writer and marrying his writing with the detailed, dynamic, and moody artwork of Spanish artist Salvador Larroca. I picked up both issues 1 and 2 this past week, and I was very impressed. It seems that other than SHE-HULK, about the only time I find myself truly impressed by a Marvel comic nowadays it means it must be a title that does not directly tie into the reflux that passes for current Marvel mainstream continuity. What impressed me so much about these two issues of NEW UNIVERSAL was how Ellis deftly jumped around to introduce so many different characters that had that feel of someone I remembered, yet seemed fresh and modern. I’ve basically blocked out all the character details from twenty years ago, so when NEW UNIVERSAL picks up the tale of the zombie police detective, Justice, it sparks a long-buried memory of the character but I sure don’t remember it being like this. Which is good, I think. I loved the Frankenstein-like qualities that Ellis attached to the characterization and his obsessive journaling allows for wildly interesting narration.
The corporate Spitfire project provides Ellis the perfect plot opportunity to indulge his usual evil, shady corporate puppet master theme. This time with a special appearance by actor James Cromwell as Philip Voigt, the corrupt (possibly full-blown evil) head of the Spitfire project. The scenes with Starbrand maybe went a bit over the top for me. Although I’m not a huge fan of gore for gore’s sake, I think I get what Ellis is doing here with the realistic implications of power on the level of the Starbrand and Ken O’Connell’s struggle to control it before he inadvertently burns anyone else to a crisp. But, really, enough with the insane idiot policeman caricature. The cop whose daughter just got barbequed showed no semblance of true emotion, just B-movie “Kill the sumbitch” buffoonery. However, the stuff with Nightmask looks to be Ellis’ opportunity to go off on some more mind-blowing cosmic pontificating. Which I always appreciate. I’m still trying to wrap my mind around the last issue of PLANETARY. Was the whole thing really just all about Darkseid trying to invade Earth-Planetary? Anyway,it’s amazing what a couple of pints at the local pub can do to open a writer’s mind to all sort of extrapolation.
Issues 1 and 2 of NEW UNIVERSAL let the reader know immediately that while it was based on Shooter’s original concept, Ellis is going in a completely different direction thematically. Shooter wanted the world to be the world outside our window. Ellis has made sure from the beginning to set NEW UNIVERSAL in the world outside someone Else’s window. This is a world where the Chinese rule the space race, the World Trade Center never came down, and John Lennon is still alive (though Paul McCartney’s dead--or is he?). So, not only is the reader along for the discovery of who and what these different heroes are, they are also being exposed to a world that seems so familiar but is slightly off-kilter.
I think NEW UNIVERSAL is quite good and in two issues has already outdone the entire four years’ worth of the original NEW UNIVERSE. Now, who says I don’t give props to Marvel when they deserve it?
MARVEL ADVENTURES: THE AVENGERS #9
Writer: Jeff Parker Artists: Juan Santacruz and Raul Fernandez Publisher: Marvel Reviewer: Dan Grendell
"If you are attempting a distraction by coaxing an origin story from me, it will not work. Still, I LIKE telling my origin, so I shall widen my brainblast. There. Now I can talk without heroic interruption."Ah, MA: AVENGERS. Like a fine juice box, aged for weeks, it gives only the best in flavor with just a hint of fruitiness. Balancing just the right amount of old school heroing with charm and witty one-liners, MA: AVENGERS isn't a kids book - it's a book that's great for all ages. Done-in-one stories, fun ideas, heroes acting in character - it has it all.
This time out, our intrepid heroes encounter M.O.D.O.C. Yes, with a C instead of a K. He's a Mental Organism Designed Only for Conquest, because, you know, Killing is a bit much in an all ages book. I'll buy that. Not like the original M.O.D.O.K. ever really went out on mass murder sprees or anything anyway; Conquest was more his style.
Anyway, M.O.D.O.C. manages to capture the Avengers and in a bid to make them think like him he puts them through his origin. That's right, he M.O.D.O.C.izes 'em. Unfortunately, AIM worker Karl kinda screws up the process, so the result is Avenger M.O.D.O.C.s- complete with floating chairs- fighting villainy in a slightly more, uh, messed up fashion. They defeat an invasion by Attuma, for example, then realize his kingdom is undefended and ripe for conquest. Then they tease The Leader about how small his head is. Thankfully, the M.O.D.O.C. transformations begin to wear off, and some last minute heroics keep them from being made permanent.
Words cannot express to you how much joy an issue of the Avengers as M.O.D.O.C.s brought to me. Especially one as well-written as this one, by the very talented Jeff Parker. What really helps sell the idea, though, is the artwork by Santacruz and Fernandez. "Hey, guys, give the Avengers giant heads and tiny appendages and stick them in floaty chairs" is not an instruction many artists can pull off with this much style, but it's clear that a lot of care was put into every panel here. I also noticed that Juan Santacruz managed to put Raul Fernandez, Jeff Parker, and editors Nathan Cosby and Mark Paniccia in as AIM agents, so extra points for that.
Month after month, MA: AVENGERS continues to delight and satisfy me. Comics like this make me glad I still read superhero books.
THE SPIRIT #2
Writer/Artist: Darwyn Cooke Publisher: DC Comics Reviewed by Humphrey Lee
So okay, here's the thing; I really just don't care about THE SPIRIT. Now, just lemme explain that. Put down your pitchforks and potato guns or whatever the hell is used in lynchings these days. I of course "care" about THE SPIRIT. Obviously it's a fantastic property. Even written sixty years ago, Will Eisner handed down to us one of the most amusing, entertaining, heart-breaking and reverent pulps of all time. And yes, we all love Darwyn Cooke. THE NEW FRONTIER was excellent and the Absolute format of it is a must own. And his dabbling in the world of Catwoman via SELINA'S BIG SCORE and art chores during Ed Brubaker's run on the main CATWOMAN title were stellar, overlooked materials.But the thing of it all is, so far I've read two issues of Cooke's rendition of Eisner's classic character THE SPIRIT, and each time I've sat down, I've enjoyed it to the point where I've vocally said to myself "That was fun" and then I close it and totally forget about its existence until the next one comes out, where the process repeats itself. And see, that's the thing, this book REALLY is fun, but it's more of a dosage type thing. Maybe I'm just a little jaded, but I haven't really gotten excited about this book until it's actually up on my reading pile and I open the first cover.
Like, this issue in particular, already introducing P'Gell, a gold-digging widower and one of The Spirit's more classic nemeses. Apparently she's up to her old tricks again, though this time she has her eye on a rather wealthy middle-eastern gent who's a bit of a tyrant. The subject matter is a little weighty so that's nice but mostly it's an issue of The Spirit trying to get around the embassy and bring P'Gell to her senses. There's a lot of bumbling about as The Spirit is pretending to be blind in order to, uh, "infiltrate" said embassy to get her that leads to a lot of falling down and getting roughed up which is actually pretty comical. And there's a lot of solid throw away lines from Hussein, the Prince's aid, which add a bunch of fun levity to it all. There's also a nice little bait and switch at the end that I appreciated, a segment where P'Gell looks all vulnerable and pulls in The Spirit, and then leaves him in her dust yet again. Not exactly inspired, but still enjoyable. But that just goes to what I've been trying to say overall here all along. It's fun while it lasts and then you move on. It's yet to leave me wanting more, but I know I'll enjoy another helping when it's put before me.
What is really keeping me coming back though is of course the art. Glorious, glorious Darwyn Cooke art. So "Silver Agey". Oh how I love your cartoony and pulpish reminiscings with that modern eye for detail and transition. I love the background detail, I love the exaggerated yet articulate facial features, and the physical forms he creates on the pages. And the splashes too. Always great to behold, and this one has a two-pager of Ms. P'Gell to kick it off that is very luscious as well. The art is definitely something I enjoy sinking into each month, even though the more one-off-ish stories leave me a little on the lacking side. But fun is fun, and I really can think of a lot worse that you can be spending your lunch money on month in and month out.
CIVIL WAR: FRONTLINE #10
Writer: Paul Jenkins Artists: Ramon Bachs, Steve Lieber Reviewer: Squashua
FRONTLINE is generally like a tasty dessert to wash down my typically bitter CIVIL WAR dinner. It contains 3-4 different stories about a couple reporters researching the registration groups or getting harassed by the Green Goblin, investigation into an Atlantean sleeper cell, shots of Speedball trying not to drop the soap in jail, and the occasional ham-handed comparison of the Marvel Civil War to real-life military conflicts. My misgivings aside, I prefer FRONTLINE to the usual CIVIL WAR book.Not so much in issue #10, where Jenkins just phones in the origin of Penance and has the reporters run from an unnecessarily generic fight scene used to remind us that the THUNDERBOLTS roster was just reset. The duo spend their story beating around the bush regarding some very important information about Tony Stark that is ultimately never provided to the reader. The whole thing comes off like a bad retelling of "Who's on First?" Way to go.
That's about it for the review portion of this review. Now, I'm going to pull out my soapbox and tell you why I glossed over the origin of Penance. For those not interested, other @$$holes have written reviews besides this one, go check them out.
Back when I was a young lad, I'd buy my comics at the local 7-11. It was within walking distance and always had a plethora of books on the shelves. I wasn't into anything that wasn't overtly super-heroic. I bought funny books like CAPTAIN CARROT, issues of THE THING and WHAT IF? and never missed an appearance by The Brothers Grimm in IRON MAN or the Frog Man in SPIDER-MAN. Byrne's Ben Grimm in a video game and Aunt May as a herald of Galactus kept me entertained. I'd grab anything with the Legion of Substitute Heroes and Ambush Bug, not to mention that one issue of ACTION COMICS with Ambush Bug taking on the Subs.
I avoided books with a high issue count, scared that I couldn't "get into" them. Searching for rare back issues was out of the question, and stuff like the NEW UNIVERSE seemed a little too adult for me. So it was, in the last year of middle school while sipping on a Slurpee, that I spotted a brand new hero staring back at me from the rack; bouncing around the cover and surrounded by big bubbles, with a friendly Spider-Man feel to him was SPEEDBALL #1.
I had only followed two other long-running books since issue #1: POWER PACK and THE TRANSFORMERS. SPEEDBALL seemed like the perfect book to "graduate" to. He wasn't a mutant like pretty much everyone else, didn't have Wolverine guest starring, and didn't require purchasing several tie-in issues or crossovers. Score one for the little guy.
Robbie Baldwin was fun in a corny, but not overtly silly, kind of way. The book was cancelled after about 10 issues, but since I had not yet learned to follow writers instead of characters, this led me to my next love and first major team book: THE NEW WARRIORS. Firestar I recognized from Amazing Friends, I knew Nova from an old issue of his forgotten series and Marvel Boy seemed interesting enough (and led me to purchase GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY), but I'd never heard of Namorita and couldn't care less about Night Thrasher, aka stupid-skateboarding-Batman. What really mattered to me was the presence of Speedball (and much later on, Powerpax). I bought every issue and spin-off until cancellation. Speedball didn't see the light of day until a guest appearance in ULTRA GIRL and the release of a second volume of NEW WARRIORS. With terrible costume changes, poor characterization, and uninteresting storylines and characters (Aegis?), I dropped it after two issues. I didn't bother buying an issue of the recent short-lived reality show-oriented third volume.
Which brings us to CIVIL WAR and me having come of age as a comic reader.
As I hinted at earlier, I have learned to appreciate writers over characters. If you haven't yet, you will come to understand that Superman written by Jeph Loeb or Joe Kelly is vastly different than Superman written by Grant Morrison. You might hate the entire concept of Superman, but let me tell you, Morrison makes it work.
And that's what happened to me with Speedball. Writers evolve characters to their own style and Robbie Baldwin wasn't the same old guy I knew. He had become a caricature of his old self. To me, Speedball died long before the Stanford incident. My Speedball was killed when Marvel cancelled the first volume of NEW WARRIORS. Neils the cat is dead too.
And that's why I'm OK with Penance. Except for the fact that Speedball's power generated his old costume; he would never have needed a tailor.
STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION - THE SPACE WITHIN #1
IDW Publishing
Can’t say that I’m a huge Trekkie. I’ve seen most of the original episodes, sat though the movies, and occasionally lusted after Seven of Nine. Out of all of the incarnations of STAR TREK that has graced the silver screen and the tube, I think I’ve seen the most STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION episodes. I’m no expert and I’m sure there are those detail heads who will spout endlessly about how this isn’t that in this book, but to this interested outsider, I found this book to be a pretty OK read. David Tischman captures the various personalities made famous by the ST:TNG crew fairly well with a tale of (what else?) the crew beaming down into the middle of a mysterious world. The story twisted and turned and turned out to be an entertaining read. The art is nice too. Although slightly stiff at times, Casey Maloney depicts these iconic characters with a talented hand. Maloney pays a lot of attention to making these characters look like their real life counterparts. The final product is a jarringly interesting melding of photo-realism and comic book classicism. I especially liked the Paduang-like designs of the alien race o’ the day in this episode…er…I mean issue. It looks like a STAR TREK episode and reads like one. In the end, this is a worthy addition to the Star Trek mythology. I’m looking forward to reading more adventures of the ST:TNG crew in comic book form. - Ambush Bug
HARD-BOILED COMICS FEATURING BILLY BLACKBURN, P.I. #1-2
Goodbum Studios
I had a chance to see the first issue of this series in both a rough early form and a newer slicker version of the title along with issue two and it’s nice to see the creator behind this book (Steve Earnhart) learn and grow. The story follows a hard-nosed detective on a case that involves aliens, mutants, killer clowns, and Hollywood. Earnhart definitely knows his noir and fills every panel with the detective’s voice over. Although at times teetering over the crevasse of “too wordy,” this comic is a nice homage to all of those great detective films of Hollywood’s yesteryear. The narrator talked a whole hell of a lot in those films and he does in this book too. I had a fun time soaking in the nice character designs and fun dialog in his pair of black & white issues. The story and art improved greatly between issues one and two. Like many indie titles, the creators of this book seem to truly believe in their product and this time there are definitely moments that shine and are worth checking out. - Ambush Bug
VIDEO: THE COLLECTED EDITION TPB
Lost in the Dark Press
The artist of one of my favorite indie reads of this year, FRAGILE PROPHET, Stephen R. Buell, wrote and drew this “What if?” story asking what if Jesus came back, confirming his existence and announcing the End of Days. This “remastered” compilation intelligently takes a serious look at this question and tells a powerful story through the eyes of a group of twenty-somethings. This isn’t your typical slice-of-life indie book since Jesus is floating in the sky and leaving messages on every TV and computer screen stating “Stay tuned for a message from your Savior”, but the characters are three-dimensionally thought out in full slacker-esque style. Warning: This book contains messages that some may find jarring. It may piss some people off. It may cause…*shudder*…actual deep conversation. I liked it. And Buell’s art continues to impress me as he develops his style. His characters have a simplistic cartoony limbs and bodies, and oversized heads with highly detailed scrunched up features. Sounds kind of weird, I know, but it makes for a truly interesting artistic experience. Those who think this is some kind of preachy, hippy stuff couldn’t be further from the truth. VIDEO is book that dares to take a stand, asks hard questions, and forces you to think. - Ambush Bug
ZOMBIES VS ROBOTS #2
IDW Publishing
Just when you thought this book couldn’t get any more bleak and fun at the same time that last page shows up to literally nail you in the nuts. I’m looking forward to the sequel to this two-part extravaganza. Chris Ryall and Ashley Wood are at the top of their game as the situation goes from worse to awful to awfully worse with the only guarantee being that the human race is truly fucked by the end of this book. Ryall is not going to be winning father of the year due to how the last living baby ends up in this issue, but he does have the dubious honor of writing one of the best miniseries of the year. Wood’s expressionistic style and murky colors really lend to the dismal tone of the book. But this book never loses its sense of humor. This is by far one of the best books IDW has ever put to print, mixing an unforgettable hook, some of the most beautiful art, and a simplistic and engrossing story to make comic book perfection. - Ambush Bug
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’68 #1 Image Comics
Say it ain’t so…a zombie book that I don’t like? Well, it’s not that I didn’t enjoy this book setting the zombie plague occurring during the Viet Nam War. It’s just that I found the tie-ins to NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD to be overkill. This could have been a stronger story on its own without relying on cheap gags like having the main character writing to Barbara and the end gag just put me over the edge. The concept is a strong one. It definitely could have stood on its own, especially with a powerful and horrifying action sequence towards the end. But they shot themselves in the foot trying to be cute with this one. A near hit. - Bug
GREEN LANTERN #16 DC Comics
Chapter Three of “Wanted: Hal Jordan” kicks off with the JLA, and the Golden Age Green Lantern, arriving in Russia to stop the Rocket Reds from taking down GL for the crime of trespassing. All this political borders/Global Guardians nonsense is just silly but the momentum of GL as a fugitive being chased from all sides makes this a bang-up adventure overall. I wasn’t too thrilled with Alan Scott roaring at Hal like a parent who’s lost his temper, but every scene with Cowgirl delivered the goods and the cliffhanger ending with Abin Sur’s surly little offspring is great soober-hero fun. I just love this book. - Prof.
STORMWATCH PHD #3 DC Wildstorm
Y'know, I don't know what it is, but I really can't bring myself to fully recommend this book. Like, it has all the elements that I love in an off the cuff superhero book. Unique characters, clever setting and circumstances surrounding the book, and your odd bit of ultraviolence with some pretty stellar Doug Mahnke art. But honestly, I find myself not caring about the majority of the characters in this book, despite (or in spite of depending) their quirks. The only unpowered man on the team, Paris, and former Stormwatch alum Farenheit are the only ones that I really get excited to see on page. And while the ideas are pretty fresh sometimes I find the execution a little lacking. I dunno, it's like for every bit of cleverness I find in this, there's a bit too much exposition explaining why it's clever and it becomes less so because of it. It's just odd. This is genuinely a fun and good book, but there's just a little too much of it not clicking with me still. Maybe some more issues fleshing some of this stuff out will help out a bit, but right now I can only give this one a mild recommendation. - Humphrey
BATMAN #662 DC Comics
Quitcher bitchin’ about the fact that the Morrison Joker story has been delayed. It’ll be here shortly. Until then, feast your eyes on a truly great finale to a truly great Batman story. Ostrander wraps this arc up nicely with a heated battle over icy waters between Batman and Grotesk, but it’s Tom Mandrake that has topped himself with each issue of this series. This is the best looking Batman tale of the year. I gave a full review on his work with this title not long ago and was prepared for a spectacular finish, and still my socks were blown clean off with Mandrake’s energetic panels depicting Batman in all of his iconic and menacing glory. The way Mandrake makes the snow filled air come alive and rip at the Dark Knight as he battles to save his city is something that should be noted by those who want to be professional artists and admired by all. - Bug
