Comic Reviews: August 5th Releases

Another week, another mixed bag. Marvel's Dark Reign storyline is a great idea, but so many of the books involved are treading water as events unfold that I'm suffering DR Fatigue. If regular crossover events are going to be sales drivers, the big two need to be careful to prevent this. Of course, since DC's big events are so badly marketed and executed, they probably won't feel any difference - unless DC Zombies, whoops, I mean Blackest Night starts to go south.

Here's the rundown:

DC

The Mighty #7

There are too many of these "real-world" rogue superhero books going right now (see my reviews of two more in the indie section), and few of them have the impact of the obvious inspiration, Miracleman. This is one of the better ones, and after catching up on the previous few issues, I'm eagerly anticipating more. The Johnson covers help, too.

Jonah Hex #46

The best book DC is publishing, IMO. Palmiotti is doing great work on the title, although this, the 3rd part of a rare multipart Hex story, is let down a bit by the artist's storytelling skills, which makes the plot seem more convoluted than it really is. The whole thing will probably read better in a trade.

Justice League: Cry For Justice #2

Much online griping about this book, primarily the supposedly "out of character" portrayals of the top DC icons. My view is that the core books are the ones that dropped the ball and that this is closer in spirit to who these people are (ie, not the whining pussies they have morphed into in the monthlies). The art is nice, the story is going somewhere and you don't need a copy of "Who's Who in the DC Universe" at the ready when you read it, three things you can't say about most of DC's lackluster output.

The Hangman #1

DC is obviously trying to re-launch the Red Circle heroes with some real juice, employing fan-fave Straczynski as writer and Bill Sienkiewicz as inker, but sadly, this is an epic fail. Highly reminiscent of a plethora of origins that have come before it, the best thing I can say is that it is a serviceable comic that does not bode well for the Red Circle relaunch, especially as lesser talents are creating the rest.

Dead Romeo #5

If someone can tell me why I'm still reading this, let me know. Once I realized this revenge story of a reanimated hair metal band frontman wasn't Jesse "Blaze" Snider (son of Twisted Sister frontman Dee) working out his daddy issues, I lost interest. Only one issue to go before it grinds to a boring conclusion.

MARVEL

Amazing Spider-man #601

Cute and well illustrated issue featuring two short stories, one by Waid and another by Bendis. The Waid piece is a typical "that goofy Peter"story, with the slight twist that Parker bangs his room-mate after a drunken party, and has apparently blacked out so he can't remember where he promised to meet MJ, who showed up in #600. What a hero! The Bendis story is nothing more than a set-up for Jessica Jones' return to costumed adventuring. Well done, but overall this feels like it's moving pretty slowly.

Hulk #13

Tom Palmer should never, ever ink Ed McGuinness. As usual, barely anything happens. Norman Osbourne almost in last panel.

Ghost Rider: Heaven's On Fire

I really enjoyed the last GR run, which ended with the devil taking over heaven, which seems to me like a bigger story than Norman Osbourne taking over SHEILD, but what do I know? This picks up where that left off, and is another solid effort, including the return of Son Of Satan. NOTE: I would be happier to pay $2.99 instead of $3.99 and not get the umpteenth reprint of old Ploog GR stories that are looking to be the regular back up feature of this book!

Deadpool: Merc With A Mouth #2

No one is happier than I to see multiple Deadpool books on the shelves, although I am not feeling them all. The main book is great and I'm happy to say this one is a close second. Top mayhem and carnage with old skool Marvel humor, largely provided by the Zombie Deadpool head.

Captain America Reborn #2

I like all the talent involved here, but this is hardly a testament to their talents. Again, don't bore us, get to the chorus! Norman Osbourne in last panel.

Destroyer #5

Great mini-series from Kirkman wraps up in style, neatly sidestepping an ending that had been telegraphed since issue 1. Kirkman is at his best here, writing a refreshing take on the trad superhero story. It's a skill much needed in more writers, and the proof is that the most popular writers are able to do it well. Kirkman beats Bendis at his own game here.

Zodiac #2

Artist Nathan Fox apparently thinks he is Paul Pope and that Paul Pope's style is appropriate for a superhero/crime book. He is wrong.

War Machine #8

I really enjoy this gritty take on Iron Man's loose cannon counterpart, and this issue is no exception. Great pacing, art and storytelling, and an interesting take on WM. Although I'm troubled by the appearance of Norman O in the last panel, which is apparently how you cliffhang a Marvel book this week.

THE REST

Astro City: The Dark Age Book Three #4

I typically enjoy an Astro City story, but this one has gotten away from Kurt & Brent. Looking forward to this mini ending and the re-launch of the regular monthly series. Hopefully we won't find that Busiek is burnt out, as this used to be one of the most enjoyable books published in the genre.

Irredeemable #5

Feels like the wheels have come off this book, which started as another take on the "good guy turned bad" theme. I initially had high hopes, thinking Waid's formidable background working on mainstream books would inform some new twists. It now feels hackneyed and stereotypical, and I'm not confident there are better days ahead, especially as this issue is touted as a "great jumping-on point", which it really isn't.

Absolution #1

Yet another "good guy turns bad" story, this time from writer Christos Gage. I find Gage's work elsewhere fairly pedestrian, so I was curious to see if he would cut loose here. The reality is less than I hoped, but this is still a promising start, with subtler overtones than the other books mining the same ground. Looking forward to issue two.

Chew #3

You should be reading this book, it's a gas. Not a huge fan of Guillory's art, but the package works and every issue so far has felt fresh - maybe not such a big deal considering this is issue three, but considering how many books blow their load in issue one, this is cause for celebration.

Weekly Comics Swill Report

This week was light with only a handful of books from DC (to meet demand perhaps?) and a smattering from Marvel & the Indies. It was also the first week in the last four that Bowen Designs wasn't shipping two or more mini-busts and the only hardcover of note was DC's horrible Final Crisis, so my bill was moderate.

DC:

Batman #687
The normally reliable Judd Winick turns in a script that's reminiscent of everything else about the "Death of Batman" storyline; a wasted opportunity.

From the failure to make any noise marketing-wise, to it's falling guillotine on Grant Morrison's previously brilliant career (some of those issues were as bad as the Sopranos coma/dream episodes), to the"dredge up and insert some rightly forgotten history" directive that seems to be infecting all DC titles, to it's thin and predictable plot points, this issue lands with all the excitement of a lead ballon. Artist Ed Benes can do better and here seems to be reaching for the same sub-Jim Lee style that evaded Tony Daniel before him.

Like all DC in-continuity superhero books of late, this book has had its identity edited out of it. The issue plods towards a much-ado-about-nothing reveal of Nightwing as Batman at the end, in the most squandered "death of a major character" story in recent memory. Some of Marvel's 90's X-Men Annual crossovers were better executed events than this load of crap and that's saying something.


Flash: Rebirth #3
This is another continuity crazy book that is virtually impenetrable to an outsider. Not a good way to re-launch a book that features the return of a beloved character, especially one whose best stories were relatively simple stuff. Every issue feels more and more like a boring lecture about the speed force delivered with all the enthusiasm of a 65 year old physics Professor on downers. I expect more from both artist and writer. Van Sciver in particular is pulling off the tricky stunt of making his art look both busy and lazy at the same time.

Preview of upcoming JSA JLA mini/maxi-series:
The one potentially bright spot in DC's core universe might just be this upcoming mini that was given a seven page preview in last week's books. It features nice painted art and a compelling premise; Hal Jordan's Green Lantern is tired of getting abused by the bad guys and calls on all the DC teams to do some ass-kicking of their own, essentially calling Superman and Wonder Woman pussies in the process. It's the wish-fullfillment of every disenfranchised DC reader.

I don't know about you, but I'm ready for a DC book that's about as plot heavy as a Transpoter film. After all the abuse these characters have taken under the current regime, a monthly book where they stay even marginally in character while beating on DC baddies is just the sort of stupid relief we all need.

Or they could go back in time and rescue the pink kryptonite from Dr Magnus' evil great great grandfather in the time of the Medieval Batman, setting off some sort of Kirby-Fourth-World-gadget-related cataclysm that "will rock the DC Universe to it's core!!" in a preferably impossible-to-follow weekly comic that everyone will stop reading after the sixth issue, but many will keep buying so they have a complete set "in case something that affects continuity of the ongoing books they read happens (DC will categorize this as earth-shattering), like 'Snapper Carr Stubs His Snapping Finger - Forever!' or 'Martian Manhunter dies.'" Which it won't.

Marvel:

Amazing Spider-man #597
I like Joe Kelly and am not one of the Post "One More Day" Revised Continuity Haters, so I'm a little bummed out that this chapter of an otherwise promising storyline seems to exist for no reason but to remind us that Norman Osbourne is a bad guy and not a particularly good father, either. Since that's the predominant story in nearly all Marvel books these days, it doesn't bear repeating here. You can do better guys.

Deadpool #11
This book continues to be a blast to read, Deadpool having settled into the most sympathetic writer since Joe Kelly or even Fabian. Way is clearly having a blast here and although the battle with a Hawkeyed-up Bullseye is all you get, it's so well done that you don't mind that the story barely moves forward.

Fantastic Four #567
Millar is one of the top British writers still working in superheroes that hasn’t completely lost his shit. This entertaining (if slight) second part of a four part Dr Doom storyline moves right along with a nifty Doom dream sequence that tells us oodles about the character without getting all psychedelic. Hitch's work looks amazing as usual and the story is unhampered by Dark Reign continuity.

Punisher Max #71
Under the great Johnson cover is another fine Punisher story that continues in the earthy vein that Garth Ennis so successfully utilizeded in revitalizing the lead. The humor isn't as evident, but the dialogue and motivations ring true to character. Nicely written and drawn.

Wolverine #74
Great artists, great writers, in two short part ones (!) of what appear to be two leftover inventory stories that seem to have been intended for Marvel's "experimental" black and white anthology from a few years back. Avoid this issue (and apparently next month's as well), this is a pointless issue featuring material that should have printed as back up stories. At least it was only $2.99.

Indies

Absolution #0, Resurrection #1
I've lumped these two together not because they are similar stylistically, but because both feature established mainstream comics writers breaking out their own creator-owned series. That said they are both fine books, but neither is anything more than promising at this point. Christos Gage's Absolution is another "superheroes in the real world" conceit that hopefully has more up it's sleeve than the well-worn ground it covers in this preview. You can't be too critical as it's a short "zero" issue, but unless some hereto unrevealed twist is lurking in the first issue this series will be nothing but a competently done retread of familiar concepts. Resurrection from Marc Guggenheim is slightly more intriguing, although the post apocalypse (this time it's an alien invasion and occupation which as suddenly ended) survivors theme is equally ragged. The art isn't doing a many-charactered story any favors as the designs aren't unique enough to give any of them personality beyond the limited capacity of the stylized drawings, but there are enough intriguing concepts and unanswered questions here to compel me to buy issue 2.

The Unknown #2
Fine work from Waid and Oosterveer as the story picks up speed, and mysteries start to unfold. I'm not typically a fan of contemporary magic / mystery in comics as it's rarely very well done, but this, like many other Boom! original series, is an exception to the rule and a mainstream looking book with a European flavor, covering unfamiliar ground with compelling panache. If you like this, seek out Waid's Potter's Field, which just came out in a trade.

Walking Dead #62, Hack/Slash #23
If you enjoyed previous issues of either of these books, you'll enjoy these. Probably the most consistent indies published on a regular schedule. Neither book is earth-shatteringly great, but both deliver good old meat & potatoes-style cheap thrills, and as such, are a welcome relief from the endless parade of unnecessarily overworked event books from the big two.