5/16/12

Twelve books this week! If JH can’t show up to draw Batwoman, it looks like poor Kate is going to get squeeeezed out, I’m sorry to say. On the other hand, this is as strong a week of Non-Big-Two offerings as I can remember consuming, really crushing. I always try to save the best for last but there was no chance of that after two months of waiting for this next installment (six weeks, incidentally, being how long it had taken me to dole out consumption of the previous 29 issues):

BEST OF WEEK: 

LOCKE & KEY: CLOCKWORKS #6—Joe Hill, Gabriel Rodriguez, and Jay Fotos deliver the goods on every level in my new Very Favorite Series Being Published Today. This is the final issue of the fifth and penultimate volume, in which we conclude our flashback to how it all went down 25 years ago before getting suckerpunched with an unreal final page that leaves you scratching your eyes out waiting for the final volume to arrive. I don’t want to get into the plot at all, really, just because I’d hate for someone to even skim over something and miss out on experiencing this for themselves, but the reason I think this book is the best on the rack is because it features the most fully-realized characters stumbling their way through a plot that always feels like an organic extension of what’s come before, never ever like a master storyteller just throwing the sickest shit at you imaginable as fast as he can, even though that’s happening too, and then the artists are a freakshow, never heard of either one of them outside of this and they simply burn it down with every single page. Just realized that trying to make it through the last issue of this is going to have me as twisted up as ALL-STAR SUPERMAN #12 or the finale of that show about the island did. Strong strong work. I highly recommend you purchase the first two volumes and then try to stop yourself from there.

THE MANHATTAN PROJECTS #3—Man, just an immensely satisfying slab of serial narrative, here. I think I liked it better than FF, which makes it just improbably batshit good. This series takes a premise so wonderful that it would cripple the most ambitious mind this side of Morrison and then succeeds on every level. A triumph! And we’re just getting started, it appears that this has been a staggered three-issue rollout and now we’ve got the full cast and are ready for things to get rolling under something resembling a status quo. For as long as it lasts, anyway, this book is the opposite of static, all crackle. Pitarra continues to turn in beautiful pages, though I think I liked Cris Peter’s colors just a little bit better on the first two issues. Love Einstein & the Monolith, there’s your first spin-off, right there.

SAGA #3—Another enjoyable enough installment, though the wonder is starting to fade a bit for me. I had a problem with Izabel’s voice, her tone. You could argue that making her talk exactly like a present-tense teenage girl is some kind of universal statement, youth is youth is youth, no matter what end of the galaxy you’re from, but pretty much all of her word choices just made BKV come off as lazy to me, like he couldn’t write any more depth into the character. Which I know not to be the case, I mean, have been all the way down two long trails with him, but that’s just the way it seemed, whenever she’d say something like “I’m a fucking ghost, lady,” or “suck-ass,” it was just grating. So, not promising, as she’s clearly going to be around. Also, the cliffhanger fell pretty flat for me, especially given what a pro he is at jawdroppers month after month after month. This is still good comics, Staples keeps tearing it up, but I expect a little more from Mr. Vaughan on a monthly basis.

GLORY #26—Incredible cover from Ulises Farinas, verging on Stokoe levels of greatness. I found this issue a bit more meaty, very much a part of the larger tale as a whole but perfectly satisfying in its own right. There wasn’t any one thing, just that the sum of the parts felt like enough. I did love the parasite telling Xavier that this was awkward. Also a big fan of the new big alien guy, who I could swear is named Henry but I can’t find that anywhere in the book now. He looks like a Henry to me, I guess.

CONAN #4—Man, and then just with both barrels, Harren blows it up out of the water. I was very very morose to learn that Becky Cloonan was bailing after three issues, the long-time synergy between her and Brian Wood is a big reason why in a short time I’ve fallen harder for this series than I have with recent adaptations by such notables as Truman or Busiek/Nord. But we hold on to Dave Stewart’s magnificent tones and his B.P.R.D. collaborator James Harren gives us phenomenal lines, a double-page splash of the port of Messantia at Argos to rival the greatness we got in #1. Gripping until the last page. Just too many fantastic new series lately.

WONDER WOMAN #9—Man, they put it on the cover and I was still as blindsided by Hades’s gambit as Diana. Outfoxed! Akins does a fine job once again picking up for Chiang, who will presumably carry us into the homestretch of this story. Are he and Azzarello hanging out after this arc? I’d be surprised, it really feels like they are going for broke all the way and will let somebody else pick up the pieces.

JUSTICE LEAGUE #9—And here’s that Mr. Lee back in the fold. Nice of them to give us that initial splash of Batman & Superman vs Arkham Breakout, what big fun. Wasn’t The Key in Morrison’s JLA #9 fifteen years back yonder? I thought Johns did a pretty solid job cramming five topically relevant mini-flashbacks into all the shenanigans. Spinning lots of plates. I still don’t get, though, why torture/Xtreme violence is now just like his go-to for any attempt at gravitas or creating a credible threat. The guy who went all Warren Haynes on the JSA and resuscitated them from life-support or imbued Old-52 Connor Kent with all of his heart and soul should be able to do better than just have the bad guy tear someone’s arm off or break a bunch of bones as shorthand for what a horrible villain he is. The SHAZAM back-up still looks great, but I still don’t care for how we’re apparently making Billy Batson grim’n’gritty here in 2012. Have we learned nothing from the 90s?

AVENGERS VS X-MEN #4—At last my man Hickman shows up to script. And . . . it’s pretty much a unified tone with what’s gone before. I guess that’s a good thing when you’ve got a revolving door of five writers, but I was expecting a bit more of the FF-style balls-to-the-wall science-fiction sickness. I guess I do have two other books this week alone for that. As we finish this first arc, there’s definitely the feeling of a shell game. Look, these people are over here, these others are over there, and they’re all fighting! I mean, really, we’ve had a few character moments and amusing exchanges of dialogue, but after four issues, all that’s happened is we’ve been handed the premise and now everyone’s up on the moon about to keep fighting (I guess I don’t have much room to complain when it says Round 4 right there on the cover) when the Phoenix shows up. That’s something, at least. Let’s get a little bit more of the What Happened Next? in here, now. Johnny Rom Jr, man I guess this series is the first time where I crossover to the side of people who feel like his art is just too stylistic and cartoony to be taken seriously for something like this. I was totally on-board with WORLD WAR HULK and Gaiman’s ETERNALS, really loved JRJr’s work on that first arc of Bendis’s relaunched AVENGERS this last time a couple of years ago, but it looks like he took about two weeks to draw this issue. The storytelling is of course there, but the rendering is a bit too rushed for my taste. As much as I love my Kirby. I think I’m probably going to dig on the more photorealistic work of Coipel coming up here just a bit more.

AVENGERS #26—So I guess you can just skip the three SECRET AVENGERS issues because they of course fail and then wind up over here? The art continues to flummox me in this one, Simonson definitely brings the justice, but I feel like Scott Hanna and Jason Keith are not realizing these pages to their fullest possible glory. We couldn’t get Miz Laura Martin coloring Uncle Walt’s return to Thor et al? I will say that I’m interested to see where this story is heading, and that’s success in and of itself, given that this is a tie-in. The biggest thrill of all, though, is seeing that famous signature on the cover. 1/13/12 was a good day.

DAREDEVIL #13—Man, I feel like I’m coming down hard on Marvel’s art today, but that’s the way it’s gone. I love love love Waid’s work on this title, and this issue is no exception, but the fact that Khoi Pham delivers sub-par work on this issue before getting shuffled off the book is much much more galling given the fact that this is, I believe the third issue to come out in four weeks. The Marvel overshipping thing is seriously pissing me off. Even at $3 a pop, here. We’ve got what appears to be the climax to the first year’s worth of stories and it’s the worst art the book has had so far. And don’t get me wrong, it’s not terrible art, just nowhere near the incredibly high bar set by Martin, Rivera, and then even Samnee last week or the week before. Very satisfying resolution to the long plot of the 4 data drive, though, along with a couple of great cliffhangers. What did Foggy find? And what the hell is up with that ending? The title character suddenly finding himself imprisoned in a glass case in a Latverian castle, in THE Latverian castle, should be the go-to shocker for any book finishing up a slow-burn long arc. Give it time.

X-FACTOR #236—It is with a heavy heart that I type these words. I’ve been picking this one up since PAD relaunched that new #1 years ago. It’s been, what, maybe a hundred issues, now? He’s always entertained with an engaging ensemble and done a fine job plotting out the long game so that there’s serious payoff for readers who show up, month in and month out. But yeah, that’s the thing. The fact that the next issue is three weeks out with this one having been basically bi-weekly for some time now . . . man, I just can’t keep doing it. This one’s another fun romp. The art has never looked better, Leonard Kirk is a machine. Twelve issues a year with the odd special, I’m glad to support this, but like twenty issues per annum is just more than I can afford.

FANTASTIC FOUR #605.1—Crediting Lee/Kirby as the Universal Constant is a fine way to begin. Have I been missing that or is this the first time? I haven’t been feeling Choi’s Oback-less covers of late, but he turns in pretty good-looking work, here. You just know things aren’t going to go well for old Nazi Reed, that’s a permutation who’s going to have even more than his fair share of trouble. I do think this is hilarious being framed as an accessible “jumping-on point.” It’s much more like, “fucking awesome if you’ve been religiously devoted to this book for the last three years and change.” I am here to tell you. Should really have seen those last two pages coming, but of course they completely took me by surprise and made my night, just to come back around to the beginning of it all. Can’t imagine how Hickman’s going to get off this crazy ride, but it’s going to be a beautiful thing. In about ten years, I hope. Fifteen.

5/09/12

BATMAN #9—The T-Rex! Because, of course. How many fanboys wish they thought of that? The crossover gets properly underway this week as Capullo/Glapion manage to not only make their ninth monthly deadline but ship a week early, terrifying, given the quality of these pages. Thus far, this gives every indication of being the opposite of, say “The Resurrection of R’as Al-Ghul,” meaning the links are tight and organic as opposed to tenuous and forced, there are thus far no continuity errors and the writing in general is top-shelf. The Albuquerque back-up, though, man, gives every indication Snyder’s going to retcon the Wayne murder. Dodgy tightrope to walk, but I trust him.

BATMAN AND ROBIN #9—I love Damian in this issue. The one line where he straight up dresses-down the commando, ending with calling him an imbecile, is about the most I’ve ever enjoyed the character, so pitch-perfect. Which is fortunate, as Bruce is now stuck over there with Capullo and the gang and this is essentially a Robin solo-title. The kid can more than carry the weight. Not sure I’ve ever witnessed such an effective character rehabilitation, from his first appearance/return in BATMAN #655 up until now. And speaking of the first volume of Morrison, Lee Garbett clocks in here to deliver solid fill-in work, not quite up to the level we’ve come to expect from Gleason/Gray, but getting the job done. And Lord knows the lads needed the time off after the first eight issues.

FRANKENSTEIN, AGENT OF S.H.A.D.E #9—Oh wow, so he just backtrails Animal Man? That’s . . . that’s wonderful, particularly since it wasn’t like advertised or anything, to the best of my knowledge. THIS is what we’ve been needing, not dozens of crossover tie-ins kicking off every April or May, just solid well-crafted issues that are entertaining enough in their own right and, hey, if they logically progress toward including one another, so much the better. I’d recommend this title, ANIMAL MAN, and SWAMP THING to anyone who’s ever been intrigued by the characters, and it’s a cool thing to see them naturally come together in a bigger story that’s not going to get me one extra dollar out of pocket, as I’m already showing up every month for all of the them anyway, delighted to see What Happens Next.

THE NEW AVENGERS #26—Bendis treads on dangerous hallowed ground here, having the audacity to enlist Hickman’s da Vinci Marvelization into this tie-in. For a couple of pages, there, I was blinded by nerd rage, thinking that the YEARS AGO… caption meant like the 1950s instead of, I guess, HUNDREDS OF YEARS AGO…, was thinking that after all of this time having Weaver crank out S.H.I.E.L.D. pages as fast as he could, Bendis was just going to scoop our protagonist up into the present and hurl him into the frontlines of the latest Big Event, because why not? This proved thankfully not to be the case and we instead find the latest issue of this flashback tie-in getting much more interesting. Though, like Hickman retconning the Renaissance (or whatever era it was) to repel a Galactus invasion, suddenly saying here and now that, oh yeah, there was this whole other time with the Phoenix Force on Earth with this redhead in a monastery like hundreds of years ago does kind of take the shine off the original Saga. Deodato, though, man, even manages to channel Weaver with that big gun/sensor thing. The guy is incredible.

FATALE #5—Brubaker/Phillips/Stewart turn up with the last issue of the first part of their Lovecraft noir and do a fine job bringing this initial flashback set-up to a logical conclusion that pays off what’s already happened and, of course, sets up more of the scratch-your-eyes-out horrah. Enough can’t be said about how well these men make comic books together, the depth of the quality of their work. In their hands, most little moments that are no more than “Guy gets out of the car and looks around,” not even character moments but just occasional little flashes of filler you can’t cut to get from Point A to Point C, even these beats are things of majesty. I will say that I find it odd that this series is the one of theirs that’s like the breakout hit, apparently. It made total sense to me that INCOGNITO would do better than CRIMINAL, b/c you’ve got the entire demographic of the latter + everyone who will only buy superheroes potentially signing up for the former, but it doesn’t make sense that this one would come along and blow them both away. Ah, well. We wish them success wherever they find it. I also love Brubaker apologizing for no back-matter, like we’ll just storm his gates when we find out there is none, only to turn around and be like, “I’ve got the best Jess Nevins essay evah here on my hard drive, but we’ll just see you kids in a few months whenever I figure out how to write Issue Six . . .” 

MORNING GLORIES #18—Warn’t this supposed to be the conclusion of PE? Not the case, apparently, as we get the hot and dirty lowdown with a Hisao-centric and the results are . . . well, let’s just say topically relevant? I guess if you wanted to, you could make an argument that this title isn’t “mainstream” since it’s creator-owned at Image and isn’t like THE WALKING DEAD, but I think the trade’s been rocking the NYT bestseller list hard enough, all of this to say that the scene that goes down in here is a bit, ah, progressive for a title with as wide of a fanbase as I suspect this one has. Spencer again executes the Lindelof Manuever to perfection, brings us right back to the cliffhanger of, what was it, #14, confirms the image that we’ve had in our heads all along and then slams the door shut, we’ll see you next month. This remains the best arc of the series thus far, strong stuff.

There was no demonstrably apparent BEST OF WEEK this week. It was all pretty excellent. Sorry. Hey, it’s an election year!

5/02/12

Well, I dropped two more Fractions, IRON MAN and DEFENDERS. Just spending too much and the $4 Marvel singles have to go first. Was particularly digging the latter but it really hurt to bail out on Fraction/Larocca, especially on AVENGERS week, I’ve been hanging with those guys on this run since Wednesday after Favreau/Downey Jr. first showed us how viable a shared cinematic Marvel continuity could be. Alas. Can’t afford 18 or however many 20-page $4 singles. I wish Tony continued sobriety and will eagerly raid quarter-bins at Half Price Books in the months to come to check up on him. But I did buy . . .

BEST OF WEEK: ACTION COMICS #9—Terrific fun here as out of left field we blast over to Earth-23, first glimpsed on the opening pages of FINAL CRISIS #7, once again demonstrating that Morrison-continuity trumps corporate reboot policy, and tune in to the exploits of one President of the United States Calvin Ellis as he teams with his non-racist but nonetheless hateful arch-nemesis Lex Luthor to battle a brand-name permutation of Superman from another dimension thought into existence by that plane of reality’s Clark Kent, Lois Lane, and Jimmy Olsen in a thinly veiled indictment of corporate treatment of creators. I don’t think I really have to say anything else. Gene Ha’s art looks terrific, as usual. Also, Cully Hammer blows it up on the back-up. This was a very entertaining slab of alternate continuity and great fun to have drop in on us in the monthly title.




ANIMAL MAN #9—It’s still looking bleak for the Bakers as Steve Pugh takes over full-time duties. Glad we get to keep Foreman for covers and Kindzierski on colors, which really helps with the transition. You know what, though, they’ve been driving in the direction of Alec Holland for like half of this series, now. Hit the gas! A deft segueway into . . . 

SWAMP THING #9—Paquette throws down a hell of a gauntlet for the first few pages before Rudy takes over and carries the torch very well. That ending definitely seemed too pat before the reveal at the end. No idea what these guys are going to do for an encore after this inevitably shuts down in #11 or #12, though. Sometimes following yourself can be the toughest act of all.

THE BOYS #65—I really wasn’t sure to expect after all of that climactic madness last month, but I guess this is about right. Butcher with the bazooka on Page Four is as iconic an image as anything this series has produced. Russ Braun’s characters’ facial expressions are some of the best acting in the business. So, we’re powered down, here. However, it is only the first part of a climactic eight-issue arc of one of Ennis’s very strongest efforts. Probably going to get pretty ugly before too long. I’m sure someone’s thought of “Ennis puts the ‘graphic’ in ‘graphic novel’” before me? 

DAREDEVIL #12—Huh, yeah, this is good, love Samnee and especially Javier Rodriguez on colors, but this is the first issue that feels almost like filler. It’s not, quite, Waid’s too good for that, but very much comes across as a quick little flashback he banged out in between regularly plotted arcs when told that he would need to be producing 16 scripts for this first twelve months of DD. One out last week and another due in two. It is one of the best books Marvel puts out, and is still only $3, but this over-shipping thing is really starting to stick in my craw.

 X-FACTOR #235—See, here, with this one, too. I feel like I’m coming home with it more weeks than not. And another one’s out in two weeks. Same deal, not quite ready to walk, Kirk is blowing it up on art, PAD is as deft and long-term as ever, and I’ve been on-board since the first issue back, that second #1, but Marvel is making it easier and easier to walk away from books I’ve been happy to pick up for years. Just, you know, every four or five weeks instead of every two like clockwork.

AVENGERS VS X-MEN #3—You can tell that JRJr is slamming this one out, not taking the most time in the world with it, but there’s nothing wrong with that, it is big dumb fun. Of course you throw Wolverine out of a Quinjet, if you’re Steve Rogers, that’s the only move that makes sense in this crazy world. This issue actually felt a little skinny on content, which, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, but the first two seemed to pack more of a wallop. It will be neat when we finally make it to the issues scripted by Hickman and Fraction. I will continue to give this one a big thumbs-up while laughing at the chumps plunking down an additional $4 on the off-weeks for two 10-page fight scenes, also while simultaneously expressing confusion and dismay at all the kids pointing and laughing when I pick this one up off the rack.

4/25/12

BEST OF WEEK: FF #17—This is really for all intents and purposes a Peter Parker issue. And I mean that, it’s not really about his alter ego at all, instead putting the spotlight on Peter’s disastrous capitulation made amidst the climactic events of FANTASTIC FOUR #604 to have Johnny Storm move in with him in a delightful update of The Odd Couple. Peter excels in the role of Felix. Hickman certainly nails the tone of the character but this issue, as with last month, succeeds in large part due to Nick Dragotta’s art. The guy does a fantastic job recreating the overall vibe if not exact shape of the original Ditko Parker, whose head never looked quite right, couldn’t contain all of that brilliance. Of course, just when Peter can’t take any more, he gives in yet again, which leads to another no-dialogue montage that is a perfect thing of beauty and must be experienced by all. I especially loved Johnny’s closing conversation on the phone, one-sided, but we know exactly what’s gone down. In your face, Parker. This book is so good it can still toss out ninety percent of its cast and be better than everything else this week, no problem, just from smashing two characters we know so well together and managing to not even quite surprise but seriously entertain us all along the way. 

DAREDEVIL #11—All right, big finish to a crossover of which I have completely missed the first two parts! No problem. Waid’s got us covered. This Checchetto lad holds it together, doesn’t send the orbital artistic bar in place for this title hurtling back to Earth, in itself a tremendous accomplishment. My big worry coming out of this one was how poor Frank is going to be able to enjoy Whedon’s latest in 3-D. Surely someone’s already made that joke? 

THE NEW AVENGERS #25—It’s much more within Fraction’s wheelhouse to drop a hundreds-year old Iron Fist story in out of nowhere, but Bendis pretty much pulls it off, even while limiting all the serious Phoenix Fu to a couple of prophetic dreams that drive all the other walking around and talking that is, let’s be honest, the wheelhouse Bendis just about built at this point. Mike Deodato continues to tear it up, dude is just a hoss. FLASH #8—Manapul and Buccellato continue to provide a gorgeous up-tempo serial adventure starring The Fastest Man Alive! Interesting developments about what role Barry plays in regulating the Speed Force. And, hey. Grodd.

AMERICAN VAMPIRE #26—Roger Cruz shoulders the mantle of not-being-Rafael-Albuquerque-and-drawing-this-book with grace and dignity. Snyder, again, does fine work, drawing us in to a brand-new setting within a few pages and engaging us with the small picture while slowly building up the overall mythos. Big fun.

SPACEMAN #6—More greatness from one of the most criminally unsung team in comics. I know everybody loves 100 BULLETS, but why isn’t anybody talking about this? Every page is a thing of beauty. Horrible and graphic, but beauty nonetheless. Mulivihill is not of this world. Not so much happens in this installment except for when that one guy gets his right hand chopped off, but it’s a slow burn before the home stretch, here. God bless Vertigo.

KIRBY: GENESIS #7—I thought this was an ongoing! But, yeah, it’s not hard to see that this hyperslambang is about to go Kirbynuclear and be done. It would have been cooler to hang out a bit longer, let all of these different properties bounce off of one another at a calmer rate, but I certainly haven’t minded all the crazy that this pace has provided. It’s . . . ah, I guess it’s safe to say that it’s all about to come crashing down? There are giant space gods about to reappear to unmake humanity or prove their salvation? A myriad of characters are scattered across time and space and the only thing they have in common is their dynamic krackle.

4/18/12

BATMAN #8—So, it turns out that the really quite excellent first arc of this new volume was nothing more than set-up for this first mini-crossover event. And the result is madcap! An army of Talons decide to grab a few dozen of Gotham’s most influential folk and storm into Wayne Manor with no idea what they’re getting into. As soon as the first Talon “Hoo Hoo”s his way down into the cave, I was all, “Alfred, you’re going to need to make a break for that giant penny, suh,” and could not have been happier a few pages later when that’s exactly how it went down. And what a last page, these guys are really bringing the fun. Also, cool way to do the backup, not filler at all, but actually expanding upon and advancing the plot of the main feature. Out of the gate, this looks like a hit, a logical progression from groundwork that’s been intentionally set up since September, but thrilling in its own right. Lots of viable contenders breathing down its neck, but this one’s still the best of Batch 52. 

WONDER WOMAN #8—Man, that is one hell of a cover by Chiang. More Greek Amazon shenanigans, here. I love how London is the template for Hell. Obviously. I wish Hades didn’t just remind me of Skinless Warren from BUFFY, that’s no good. Can’t stand that guy. Distressingly obvious confrontation at the end. Really trust Azzarello, but the luster is fading on this gem. Though I’m sure the next three issues will now make me eat my words.

JUSTICE LEAGUE #8—Johns continues to turn in a much much better script now that we’re through the inaugural arc (and that pesky Jim Lee is out of the way, what a shame it would have been if he and Williams had also provided the interiors for the past two issues, it drives me insane_) I love the dynamic that they’ve appropriated Apokolips tech and boom around all over the place but are rolling the dice with every port, at any point they might materialize at Darkseid’s doorstep. And then Cyborg all of a sudden bumping up against Talons? After not much of the reboot really lining up, this is quite the sudden interlock. And just a hell of a double-page Reis splash with the team throwing down with J’onn. So is/was he um bad guy? Or is this yet another of classic misunderstanding? And about the Shazam reboot, I really think I would have gone with more of an emphasis on the wish-fulfillment aspect of things, every kid can be a superhero, as opposed to reintroducing the Marvel Family as an update on Fagan’s gang. Though Frank of course continues to bring it.

FABLES #116—Well, Bad Sam is on the first page, so we’re going to go ahead and mark this one down in the W column out the gate. Incredible layout on pages 4 and 5, boy and tiger making the journey. I’m kind of worried about Therese’s nutritional requirements. Will somebody get these guys an Eisner, already?

AVENGERS VS X-MEN #2—All right. On the one hand, Aaron does a really really great job of nailing the classic Claremont tone in those narrative captions, while updating it for this day and age by only bombarding us with say about one-third of the word-count. It is a bit cheesy, but a perfect fit for people who have been reading these characters since the eighties. So straight-faced. That “The first of the day’s concussions” lining up with Cyclops getting the shit knocked out of him by Cap’s shield was total lolz, you guys. I did think JR,Jr’s art took a bit of a dip on the following pages, when the two teams face off. Wonky anatomy. On the other hand, that three-panel gag with Wanda was laugh-out-loud TURRble. Just an abomination. Wanda turns off the TV, walks away, and then we get a big reveal in the last panel. She’s been keeping a dream journal! We know because on the page that the dream journal happens to be opened up to, it says Wanda’s Dream Journal right there across the top. Then, we have the most recent entry, which consists entirely of, “This is how the world ends,” followed by a sketch of the Phoenix on the opposite page. Wanda has serious penciling chops! Maybe she can do one of the later issues if Coipel or inevitably Kubert has trouble making deadline? It’s just . . . I am having a really hard time reconciling the mind that created SCALPED out of empty white space, at this point in his career, dropping the Scarlet Witch’s dream journal on us to belabor the point that The Phoenix Is Bad. I’d probably better move on, it’s never going to make sense.

AVENGERS #25—Still not sure how to feel about this. In principle, I love it, bring in Simonson to help Bendis anchor the Big Event in one of the two flagship titles. No problem. I don’t know if I like needed the pages to be newsprint or something, but the combination of old-school Simonson art with the glossy stock and digital coloring, but it definitely disturbed me for the first few pages. Simonson Thor does totally show up, though, not as much right when he first drops in on Steve, but that Avengers Assemble! splash. I do have to strenuously object to Bendis making Noh-Varr a mole, that pretty much runs diametrically opposite to the character as established in his initial mini and, unless he turns out to be a Skrull again, then they might as well not even be using that particular character. When is a Marvel Boy not a marvel or a boy? (unless he’s a triple- or quadruple-agent, naturally) THE

DEFENDERS #5—Another fine slice of adventure comic, this. Fraction welcomes the Breitweisers to lend a hand in providing an opening page that is about as pulpy a thing as I can recall seeing from the House of Ideas in quite some time. Undersea adventure! And the footer fun continues with a journey into I guess Atlantean? In twenty pages, Fraction sends our intrepid band on a deep-sea mission that unearths the Nautilus, triggering a flashback strongly suggesting that Captain Nemo is actually Namor’s father, then Iron Fist excavates the ship before busting out some Tuvan throat-singers and Al Green on Misty Knight before some dead-looking dude busts down the door. Big American fun time! THE

INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #515—I swear, “Dammit” is just all over the place in the books this week. It was just in the Next Month teaser for DEFENDERS and Tony utters it right out (over) the gate, here. Pretty dire finale to the latest arc. I’m definitely still on the hook to see what happens next. As evah. X-FACTOR #234—Mm, got to say my man PAD phones it in a bit with the recap page, we expect something greater. Havok is really rocking a TRON look these days, almost to the point of distraction. Kirk and Milla turn in seriously gorgeous pages.

THE MANHATTAN PROJECTS #2—Another gripping installment from the men who brought us THE RED WING. I am really and truly in love with this one. It is a delight to see Feynman make an appearance, as well as learning that the radioactive monster scientist is one Harry K. Daghlian, in no way deceased but just secret origined up a couple of decades before Stan the Man started coming up with increasingly improbable reasons that his uncle’s company’s characters could have powers with which to astound the masses. Pitarra and Rosenburg continue to turn in beautiful work, this is a grade-A production right here, top to bottom. A delight.

BEST OF WEEK: PROPHET #24—Graham and Dalyrymple reduced me to a gibbering mess, not unlike one of the several dozen memorable creatures who have been granted brief walk-on roles in this gorgeous science adventure slice of perfection, part four. I really and truly hope that this isn’t the same one from the last three issues, we’re getting the adventures of a brand new John Prophet, a trend that will continue for the next little bit here. Or maybe this was a one-off and we’ll be right back with our Prime guy when Roy returns next month. It really doesn’t matter, because every one of these is everything a comic book should be, a wild exhilarating blast of future shock that looks like it was sent back from the future via tachyon solar storms by the seventieth regeneration of Moebius clones. We are so so lucky to have it.

4/11/12

BEST OF WEEK: FANTASTIC FOUR #605—All right, even I can grasp how implausible it’s getting to what a ridiculous extent Hickman is doing it for me. But it keeps happening! With the last issue of FF serving as a sort of palette-clearing sorbet epilogue to the massive three-year ride that finally pulled into the station, this issue is the proper first chapter to Whatever Comes Next, which turns out to be a fine summation of the issue, as Reed and his dad jump in their cloaked time sphere and make a series of millennium-sized hops to learn how the whole deal with Ben’s serum works out. The resultant fast-forward into the future of the team and New York itself is a fascinating glimpse that is over far too soon but incredibly rewarding. This functions as a microcosm of what makes this book’s initial premise so successful, opening up with blinding blasts of science wonder but then pirouetting mid-plane and resolving on the foundation of the beating heart of what really makes this series tick. Family. How we relate to our loved ones and the lengths to which we would go to save them. There were only a few words and panels by the time we made it to 6012, but they busted me up real real bad. Ron Garney, too, I’ve never really been a fan, but he provided beautiful scope for this far-reaching tale. Highly highly recommended, particularly as a drop-in issue. It’s kind of surprising that they didn’t go with this one for the .1 issue. This should still mostly crush you, even if this title hasn’t been one of your favorite books on the rack for months and months and months.

THE NEW AVENGERS #24—I had a pretty strong hunch based on the last pages of last issue that it was about time for a Luke Cage-centric. And, no problem, this guy remains one of Bendis’s favorites and gets a strong little blast here as he is reunited with wife and child but learns that, maybe not right this Big Event, but pretty soon now, he’s going to have to make a choice between family and the big show. Worth it for the single page where Luke & Jessica go back and forth for like three hundred words in a single image. Bendis! Tricky lettering, there. Well done. Deodato continues to thrill. This should be a fine ride for the next little bit here, from as far back as CIVIL WAR, Bendis has always delivered tie-in issues that are as good or surpass whatever’s going on in the main event. It will be a fine thing to make it on over to Iron Fist next month. Especially if “Dragon VS Phoenix” means he squares off against Hope and she kicks his teeth in with his own powers.

JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY #636—Another arc comes to a close and this series continues to provide a good time. I’m not sure what else to say, it’s nothing more or less than solid serial entertainment. Go, Kid Loki.

SECRET #1—Hickman’s proud march back to the swamps of creator-owned indie that spawned him continues with the release of this first issue. The scenes are razor-sharp, clearly crafted by someone at the tip-top of his game in terms of building narrative, but I didn’t think Ryan Bodenheim’s art quite rose to the challenge. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t offensive, just strained in a few places. Whereas with Nick Pitarra, you’re like, Where did he GET this guy? and it seems like dude can probably draw anything, this much more seems the product of Hickman headhunting indie talent and making someone’s dreams come true, hoping they rise to the challenge (which is funny, because that’s exactly what happened with Pitarra and THE RED WING). But this is still a compelling initial look at corporate security and espionage and I will be interested to see where they take it. Of course, you can chalk it up as just the skill set he showed up with, but Hickman’s got the best sense of graphic design of any writer working today.

SAGA #2—Well, the first issue wasn’t an insane fluke, this one’s probably going to go the distance. As if there was any doubt. Vaughan & Staples overcome the potential sophomore slump of such a devastating first issue with a second ride that settles into more of an even pace, mixing danger, humor, violence, and a spider monster assassin. My favorite part, though, has to be Vaughan’s deranged survey that he drops in lieu of a letters column. I burned forty-five minutes of New Comic Book reading time answering those twenty-five wonderful wonderful questions.

CONAN #3—Talk about compression. Here in the third issue, we arrive at the end of the beginning of this tale, a satisfying conclusion in and of itself, even though the reader, like Conan, thrills at what adventure now awaits our titular barbarian on the horizon. This issue succeeds on every level. We get massive plot advancement, but more importantly, deeper insight into the characters. Mainly Conan, of course, but even Bêlit, who gives an indication of being every bit as crucial to the unfolding of this tale as Juliet was to that famous play she was in that time. Ah, yeah, I kind of wish this had been called Conan & Bêlit, though that’s not a very Robert Howard title. I cannot speak with enough hyperbole about Cloonan and Stewart, they are turning in amazing work, page after page after page. Everyone should be freaking out about this quite a bit more than they actually are. Nothing short of stunning.

AMERICA’S GOT POWERS #1—Wow, and then Ross & Hitch show up with 38 pages for the $2.99 cover price. 38 PAGES OF HITCH INTERIORS. Face-melting. This one very much comes across as a Mark Millar comic that’s more concerned with characterization than the Awesome Idea that he just had that’s about to get a whole hell of a lot of that Hollywood option money coming in to keep his Scottish boat afloat. The title is, of course, terrible but a perfect reflection of its subject matter, a superhero reality show. Ross does a fine job tempering the widescreen Hitch sickness—which you of course always want to lead with if you’ve got the choice—with enough expository world-building to ground all the madness in just barely enough context. I’m not like slashing open my wrists at how great this is but will probably stick around for five more issues. Especially since, let’s be honest, it’s not like #s 5 and 6 are going to show up at solid four-week intervals after #4.

GLORY #25—Considering that almost this whole issue was a prophetic dream harbinger of what’s to come, it’s still pretty entertaining. Unlike SAGA this time out, though, these guys haven’t quite managed to hit me as continually hard as they did with the first issue. Good comics, certainly, but that #23 flattened me. I do like how EXTREME it is when people’s arms get ripped off. Nineties!

THE UNWRITTEN #36—So, the eponymous antagonist is basically a blank-page version of The Nothing from THE NEVERENDING STORY? That’s what I’m deriving from this done-in-one that serves as a continuation of all that business that was going on with The Tinker a little while back. And I’m okay with that. It really makes all kinds of sense. Really interested to get back to the main characters next month, see where they’re going now that the status quo just about climaxed itself. But now I have to wait four weeks! No mean feat, after providing new material every two weeks for eleven issues running, that we’re still hungry for more even after all of that.

FRANKENSTEIN, AGENT OF S.H.A.D.E #8—Oh man, Lemire/Ponticelli serve up a pretty crushing explanation of Where It All Went Wrong with Frank and his Bride. Rough, rough stuff. Was this Lemire’s last issue? If so, he could not have gone out on a higher note, fine work here on every level.

BATWOMAN #8—Yeeeeeeah, maybe this would read better in trade in a single shot, but the non-linear L O S T-esque timejumping does a massive disservice to consumption of this in singles. It’s not a complete mess, but if you’re going to go with delivering little slices of four discreet stories each time out, every single one of them absolutely must deliver and pull all kinds of weight that these just don’t manage. I’m getting more acclimated to Hadley’s style. Or more receptive of Williams not drawing this? Still planning to hang out, though, Williams has all kinds of goodwill accrued with me.

ACTUALLY, TIE! BEST OF WEEK, TOO: BATMAN AND ROBIN #8—Magnificent. In terms of action, this is nothing more than an epilogue, a coda to the main event. All that happens is Bruce rushes Damian back to Wayne Manor and Alfred patches him up and then they talk about what happened. But the characterization and dialogue is so rich, this one serves as the climax to the arc in all the ways that matter. Bruce and Damian come to terms with one another with grandfather Alfred presiding over the affair with all of the dapper grace and wit that we have come to expect. Tomasi’s spot-on characterization of these delicate exchanges is matched by Gleason/Gray, who have been blowing it up this entire time but never let up, really give it to us all the way up until the last exquisite page, which for my money can hang with any last page of any Batman story ever. Really, really beautiful work.

4/04/12

ACTION COMICS #8— Morrison and friends shut down the initial run of this brand-new volume of ACTION COMICS. Very satisfying on a narrative level, but the art is crazy rushed. Not bad work by any means, but when compared to the early issues, there’s quite a discrepancy, there. I could deal with that, but the thing is, the main feature’s extended page count (and thank yew very much in that regard, 30 Morrison pages go down much better than 20) meant that Morales really did need a pinchhitter to get this one in on time, and fair play to him, but the art style for the last few pages of the main story is quite a jarring switch, this gaudily colored overpainted looking kind of mess, which isn’t really so bad until you turn the page and it’s the big climactic moment of Superman flying up, up, and away, only the foreshortening is a bit off and the look on his face is the delight of a man off to eat the legs of children while listening to their wails. Not the way I want to go out, here. Kind of wrecks the momentum of the climax. Let’s set up more of a Paquette/Rudy-on-SWAMP-THING-type situation, or the way Martin and Rivera blew up those first issues of DAREDEVIL across the street, get two guys who are both totally committed to the project and complement one another and don’t have such a massive stylistic gap between them.

O.M.A.C. #8—What a magnificent last issue. Didio cranks the writing up, providing a solid expository secret origin of Kevin Kho via multiple pages of captions while the title character absolutely wrecks shit inside Mt. Rushmore. Great nod to the end of the original O.M.A.C. #8, I’m really glad that I just jammed through that original run concurrent with this series. Giffen’s contribution here really cannot be overstated. While Didio certainly gives this last blast a very solid architecture to hang itself upon, the real thrill is all of the Kirby greatness erupting from every page. The text/image ratio works really well, an impressive balance to strike, given the amount of expository captions. This was really fine work all around, and I’m sorry to see this one go. But, as ever, grateful for the ride.

ANIMAL MAN #8—I like how Buddy’s totally okay with just sending Maxine out as his go-to strategy. No, you dick, she’s four years old! The mother-in-law certainly sums it up pretty well a few pages later. Yipe. He’s maybe calling his daughter “Little Wing” a time or two too many. It’s a cool idea for a nickname in this setting, but is losing steam through repetition. Huh. Buddy’s “got this,” too. Just like ol’ Clark at Ma & Pa’s grave. Odd synchronicity. I’m glad it picked up this time out, we’ve kind of been coasting these last couple of months. But Buddy kicking a rabbit’s head off its body, with the head in the foreground dropping an “--UT!” is all the goodness that this humble reviewer needs. But what about that ending? Oh noes!

SWAMP THING #8—Man, so great to get these new Vertigo expatriates on the same day, an even better serial experience collectively. Lemire and Snyder have done great jobs setting their situations up and building them into these monster third-act climaxes that are thrilling to read back-to-back. I really dug the one page of Swamp Thing POV with the first-person captions, fine fine work. One hiccup a couple pages later, though, I wasn’t really feeling the badass “Or maybe SOME pain” line delivered by our hero. Maybe in keeping with this iteration of the Alec Holland character as established, but it felt a little bit off coming from Swamp Thing (though not as off as BRIGHTEST DAY #24! Never forget!). That’s just a tiny little nitpick, though, man, what about that art? Paquette and Rudy, as noted above, tag-team as well or better than anyone working today. Fantastic splash of our protagonist in the air. Followed by a series of ridiculous two-page shots that are as gorgeous to look at as they are horrific. Big props to Nathan Fairbairn on colors and an amazing tandem effort from Paquette and Rudy. This franchise really couldn’t have come off any better, these guys had the odds stacked against them. Can’t imagine what they’ve got on tap for a second arc, whenever that happens.

SUPREME #63—Shit, I’m so into my preferred rotation of the first week of the month, that I completely blew it and didn’t read brand new Alan Moore Supreme right up next to Grant Morrison Superman. Certainly never going to get another chance to do that again. Ah, well. The Chris Sprouse comment threw me. Did Larsen or Stephenson throw that in after the fact or was Moore already a fan fifteen-odd years ago? The thing is, man, I really really wish they’d gotten Sprouse or really a long list of folks to show up and knock out the pages on this ancient old script. Larsen’s facial expressions have improved, but I’m not a fan of his, shall we say, stylized anatomy. A few panels were on the far side of Liefeld, just chicken-scratch sketches. The really uncool thing is on the one page where New Dax is walking away, just a series of four horizontal panels, Larsen just straight copies his backgrounds for the entire page, meaning it’s a static shot of like five characters having the exact same reaction as one character walks into the foreground, the only thing that changes about the entire page. That kind of thing is all right with me when it shows up sparingly in INVINCIBLE or back a few years ago, Bendis used it as a crutch to convey his faux-Mamet beats, but, guy, you’re dusting off The Last Alan Moore SUPREME story. It’s kind of a big deal. Spend an extra afternoon on four panels worth of acting/varying facial expressions for some background characters. Overall, though, the art doesn’t throw the reader off the experience too much, just because it’s of course kind of what we grew to expect from the original run. Some Extreme horrah! The dialogue still sings all these years later, recaptures the Silver Age madness every bit as well even though it’s now so much further back in the rearview mirror. Such a damn shame that Moore didn’t finish the last issue of his second arc, or that they can’t talk him into jamming it out now. It seems like Image might be poised in a way that the Big Two of course aren’t to make some conciliatory gesture to bring him back into the fold for one last damn issue, and what a magnificent thing that would be. Drawn by Sprouse, naturally.

CHEW #25—Man, I love this series. Much much more satisfying in singles than I would have thought after jamming the first four trades. Nice to see Jay and Silent Bob kicking it with Statler and Waldorf (man, what would THAT group have done with Tony if they’d’ve won the auction?!?), always a pleasure to see Amelia on the case, and what a magnificent 35-issue flash-forward. This one really is on the short-list of comics that every lover of the medium must must must be reading.
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I keep forgetting that Poyo is one of my favorite characters in all of comics and then again every time he pops up, I get that shock of thrill and delight right back for the first time. Poyo!

FATALE #3—Man, I’m buying more Image regularly than ever before, it seems. As a rule, Brubaker/Phillips/Stewart operate at such a high level of ideal energized collaboration that they are incapable of turning in work that is without hyperbole pretty much anything less than the best of which the medium is capable, whatever they want to call it. Right now, it’s FATALE. But it’s also still the best episode of SLEEPER, INCOGNITO, and oh laws yes, even CRIMINAL yet. That said, Phillips gives off more than a hint of rush here, not coasting as much as scrambling to get it done. All praise to Kirby. Did Phillips just crib the last panel on the second page for the cover here? That’s one way to get the book out on time, Johnny! I’m okay with that, though, especially if this one’s going to take as long as Brubaker has said, maybe the end chapters could stand to take a little bit longer, get every line in their right place, but there’s something to be said for just jamming it out, too. BONUS: You’d think that with losing Jess Nevins, the bar would drop a little bit on the essay, but this other fellow Stephen Blackmoore shows up with the secret origin of Phillip Marlowe via Harry Raymond and Raymond Chandler, and it is nothing less than riveting. Vice & Corruption in Prohibition LA!

KIRBY: GENESIS #6—Aaaaaaaaand on the opposite end of the spectrum, we have this. Of course, why not throw some non-Marvel Asgardians and Ulysses into the mix for good measure? What I love about this title is the insane scope that it’s managed to retain after six issues, where you still pretty expect the ground to start quaking halfway through any given issue and giant robots battling bionic subterranosaurs to roar up out from the center of the earth. This thing is frothing-at-the-mouth-insane and I hope it never changes. *(Dynamite is going to release an OGN of DINOSAURS vs. ALIENS?!? I guess I’m on the hook for that one . . .)* And the climactic confrontation begins next issue? Serious times.

THE BOYS #65—Wow. This plays out as a pretty satisfying climax to all that’s come before, in and of itself. I mean, I could probably deal with a single oversized issue to epilogue this entire situation. The fact that we’ve still got a five-issue arc left to go is almost as horrifying as some of the events that take place upon these pages. The mystery of Black Noir is finally revealed, and Butcher finally gets his. This is nothing but damn fine comics, the $5 price-point doubled up with CASANOVA made for a pretty tight week, but 38 pages of greatness over here is more than worth it. Also, cool that KIRBY: GENESIS finally showed up this week, I likes my groupings by publisher.

DAREDEVIL #10.1—All right, well, I see what the deal is/was about Khoi Pham. The linework certainly isn’t bad, but it’s nowhere near the astronomically high bar that Martin and Rivera have set. It might be best for him to move on and let Samnee take a shot, the man’s got the stuff. Waid gives us a few pages’ captions worth of status quo exposition to knock out the .1 aspect of things before thickening the plot with a meeting of the minds and subsequent escalation from Matt. Not reading Spidey or Punisher at the moment, but figure Waid will treat us right next month, folding us regulars into the third and final part of a crossover that we’re just stumbling in to.

BEST OF WEEK: CASANOVA: AVARITIA #3—This is beautiful work, everything coming together and escalating in a way and to a degree that it hadn’t quite worked its way up to in the first couple of installments back. That shot of Cass walking into the hospital room on the fourth page is almost my favorite Bá shot ever. And of course the new epilogue from GULA makes all kinds of sense now. Good night, this entire series is such a mindfuck. I’ve been through the whole thing at least half a dozen times and can just barely wrap my mind around what’s going on, and I’m pretty sure that what I’m understanding is a mirage. No, wait, the Kirby crackle time machine on Page 8, THAT’s my favorite Bá art. Cris Peter really steps it up, on this volume as a whole, but in particular with this issue. And as many letters columns as have suddenly come rushing back, the words generated by this crew of readers are no problem the most consistently entertaining and intelligent. Happy to spend $5 or whatever they’re asking for this piece of sequential entertainment, this slab of my heart frozen and recorded upon what appear to be static pages of two-dimensional space/time though I suspect they are so much more.