5/18/11

TINY TITANS #40—Balthazar’s version of Croc is probably my favorite redesign of any of the four or five dozen DCU characters that populate this book, so getting an All-Croc issue is a very good thing. My kid was pissed, though, she’s got all 28 faces on the first page memorized and loves to bust them out every chance she gets, and when they up and added that fifth row of Batcow and Marvel family members, she did not appreciate it in the slightest. Probably have them down pretty soon, though. Can’t decide if it’s cooler that this book includes a character called Batcow or that they actually feature he/she/it on the front page right underneath Robin.

LATER . . . .

AVENGERS #13—Bendis pulls a hell of a trick, here, one that you’ve really got to step back away from to fully appreciate. He just straight-up zooms out from the oral histories he’s been rocking as backmatter since the relaunch and crashes those interviews into the main narrative. So, yeah, all of a sudden, it’s Bendis talking heads. And I know that’s a gripe with some people, but he does it so so well, I love it. Just crackling characterization. Of note, too, is the way that he fractures the interviews, spacing them out over years to excellent dramatic effect, oh, there’s the Wasp, these are all taking place pre-Secret Invasion, but then, no, they’re suddenly talking about the first issue of FEAR ITSELF. And what fanboy’s heart doesn’t beat faster at the sparks flying across the room between Hawkeye and Spider-Woman? Bachalo’s cartoony style is a great fit for all these interviews, he does a fine job of giving everyone distinctive expressions. So, yeah, even though the last two-page splash we pretty much already saw last month written by Fraction, even though they even drop the 22nd page from this issue and still charge $4, I’d say it’s still worth it. Maybe it’s the eight pages’ worth of 12-panel layouts. But Bendis makes it all sing. I mean, this entire thing is, by definition, set-up, there is no payoff whatsoever, but it’s so well done, I’m just enjoying the ride, and more engaged with the event than I was before, even.

INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #504—Fraction gives us maybe the best page of Tony and Pepper yet. Larroca continues showing up with the goods, as well, though something about D’Armata’s choices when it comes to coloring faces is putting me off. It’s like Tony’s wearing rouge or something. And it’s been going on for a little while, now. Regardless, the team lays it on thick and it doesn’t look like Paris will ever be the same. Sacre bleu!

GENERATION HOPE #7—I’m still really digging on this, loving the tone of the team dynamic Gillen’s got between these kids. Really reminds me of early Claremont NEW MUTANTS, which I mean in the best possible way. Espin got just a bit too cartoony for my taste on the last few pages, but it wasn’t a dealbreaker. Also a fan of these short arcs. On to the next thing.

X-FACTOR #219—Oh, Lupacchino, never never go. Ride this crazy train out with Peter David just as long as you both can make it. Digging on the return of silly to the recap, but that’s even trumped by the explanation for Jameson’s hair, after all this time.

FABLES #105—Ha, that cover is a hoot. Probably the first time anyone’s written the words “after Bogdanove,” I’m thinking. It certainly set the tone for a great deal more tension during Bigby’s confrontation with his father than it turned out was warranted. It really feels like all of these creators are in it to win up to #250 and beyond.

LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #13—Mm, I still can’t decide if I want to hang on to these. They aren’t bad, they’re just not crushing me. Mon-El getting the ring is really the only development that I care much about, and that’s not what you want when you’ve got a cast of like three dozen. Will I hang out through #16? Stay tuned!

BATMAN: GATES OF GOTHAM #1—This fell just the least bit flat for me, but that’s pretty much because I got confused and thought Sean Murphy was working with Snyder on this instead of the AMERICAN VAMPIRE mini. And Snyder didn’t even do dialogue, as it turns out! Still, this Higgins chap turned in fine work and I was all right with Trevor McCarthy’s somewhat mangafied approach. I like the idea of exploring the secret history of Gotham. If everyone could be made to give such a shit about Opal City, well, you know, half of your work is done for you, here. Only speedbump is it looks like they’re bringing Hush in at the end, there? Not the bait for me, my friends, but I guess I’ll ride this one out anyway, since they finally kicked me off of BATMAN & ROBIN by bringing in Winick. You know, not just that, I think I still would have given it a shot, but not Winick writing Jason Todd, nuh-uh, not going to happen. Jason Todd’s still dead, you know. The Joker killed him. It was a really good story, and it happened.

****

BEST OF WEEK: ROCKETEER ADVENTURES #1—Good lord. Quite the devastation of talent. Cassaday & Martin lead off with a sublime eight pages, short on plot but long on wow, that perfectly set the tone for the character’s first time out while not under the watchful eye and steady hand of his creator. Of course, it’s a huge blast of wonderful to have the PLANETARY team reunited, with my man Johnny Cassaday picking up scripting duties like he can direct serial television episodes or something. Pacing was perfect, though there was no uppercut, nothing about these pages shocked me, but it just really did a fine job of nailing that timeless or classic tone that Stevens had down pat, the RAIDERS guy channeling perfect 40s pulp in the 80s.

Oh, man, and I thought Mignola was doing an entire story, not a pin-up. So, that was kind of a drag. But, great page, of course.

Then the Allreds convinced me to pull the trigger on that gigantic MADMAN ATOMICA thing for this Christmas. Am a huge fan of Mike’s askew hand-lettering. Guy is such a master at this point, once Cliff took to the air, seems only this one mind could have given that interpretation. Dude has got to be a fan of Brendan McCarthy.

Oh, but then that last one just sneaks in and gives it to you on the mouth. It was hard, reading it, not to picture what the previous art teams were thinking about while going through those final pages, just punching the air all freaked out. As much as I loved the first two stories, the structure of this thing just smashes them all to pieces, and then virtuoso Mike Kaluta and good old Dave Stewart really you can’t say anything but mop the floor with all the beautiful pages we’ve made it through. Just an insane level of detail in these pages, completely breathing the story to life. Perfection.

This was perfectly sequenced. The list of next issue’s contributor’s freak me out almost more than anything. Unless Joe Casey really hits that VENGEANCE thing out of the park, which I’m not particularly expecting, this one right here is already looking like a lock for best mini-series of the year. Just astonishing stuff.