Hi, everyone. "Moriarty" here with some Rumblings From The Lab...
If you’re curious about SUPREME POWER after reading the reviews here today, we may have a treat for you in the days ahead. Let’s see what I can put together with the TalkBack League and Marvel. In the meantime, let’s get down to our weekly overdose of marvelous work from the group that got too big for steeeenkin’ TalkBacks...
Well, hello there. How YOU doin? My names Ambush Bug. You know. That smooth talkin’ guy from the TalkBack League of @$$holes. I noticed you browsing the web. Why don’t you set that mouse down for a while? Us @$$Holes will treat you right. Ease those weary bones. Let me get that coat. Tell me a bit about yourself.
Oh, you’re a TalkBacker. That’s odd. I could have sworn you worked for UPS. Why, you ask? Well, it’s just that you’ve been checking out my package all night long. That’s why.
Whoa! Wait! Now, hold on. Don’t go. We ain’t all that bad. We’re diving into a hot ‘n heavy @$$hole four-way review focusing on a new take on the classic Marvel superteam, the Squadron Supreme. Yep. Thought that would get your attention. And how about a peek at the next to-next to-next to last issue of ALIAS. Mmm-hmm. Then we get down and dirty with Buzz Maverik and his SWAMP THING review. That’s right. Relax. We’re reviewing a Batman book, a Superman book, and a book that teams them both up. Let me dim these lights and put on a little mood music. And as this column reaches its climax, we get a Wizardworld Chicago @$$holes Abroad report from Sleazy G and myself. Didn’t I tell you we’d treat you right?
SUPREME POWER # 1
Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Art by Gary Frank & Jon Sibal
Published by Marvel Max
An @$$hole 4-way by The Comedian, Vroom Socko, Buzz Maverik and Superninja
Buzz Maverik:
Hey, Comic Book Lovers! You're probably wondering why it takes three guys and a girl to review one comic book. In this case, it's because SUPREME POWER # 1 was the most interesting comic book put out last week, and one that we all wanted to write about.
SUPREME POWER is writer J. Michael Straczynski and artist Gary Frank reinventing some Avengers villains/fringe Marvel Universe characters, The Squadron Supreme. The Squadron itself was Marvel's reinvention of the Justice League of America in the 1960s, long before the days of company crossovers. It was writer Roy Thomas and artist John Buscema seeing what would happen if the Avengers met up with the Justice League.
In SUPREME POWER #1: SPECIAL EDITION, the Squadron's original appearances in AVENGERS # 85-86 are included, which is cool ... except those issues were kind of weak. Marvel style, ya know. Buscema was probably trying to match Kirby's five page a day pace and it shows. Kirby was an iron man who could draw 16 hours a day and it was all top quality. No one should feel bad for not being able to match Jack Kirby. And Thomas probably wrote the stuff after Buscema drew it without more than a vague idea what he was going to get. That was the start of the decade-plus stint where you bought Marvel for the writing and DC for the art.
In the 1980's, writer Mark Gruenwald, best known for CAPTAIN AMERICA but largely unrecognized as the comic book genius he was, wrote an incredible SQUADRON SUPREME twelve-issue miniseries that has been collected in trade form. This was KINGDOM COME more than a decade before KINGDOM COME. I highly recommend this book and gave it rave review in an earlier @$$hole column.
This is my first experience with JMS, aside from his screenwriting column that used to run in WRITERS DIGEST. Never read his AMAZING SPIDER-MAN or RISING STARS or MIDNIGHT NATION. I've never seen one second of BABYLON 5 (I'm not much of a space opera guy). You know what? This guy's pretty good!
Recreating THE SQUADRON was a smart move for JMS, artist Gary Frank and Marvel. These are characters that Marvel creators have used to examine social issues from unusual perspectives (see, the Squadron lives on and occasionally rules an Earth in an Alternative Marvel Universe). I think Marvel has always felt free to go a little nuts with the Squadron because; essentially, they’re DC characters. Here, not only to Straczynski and Frank get to reinvent the Squadron, they get to reinvent most of the JLA / DC icons. In this issue, we get Superman and the Flash. Eventually, you'll see Batman (who will one day be President of the United States in the Squadron's world), Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Aquaman, Green Arrow, Black Canary and others.
Also, I think you'll like JMS / Frank's allusions to SMALLVILLE and some interesting implications that series has wasted. I know I did.
Superninja:
I read the classic Squadron Supreme trade and I absolutely loved it. Never picked it up before. I absolutely love Gruenwald. He was so talented. I miss writers like that - the kind that love superheroes and their worlds and know how to balance reality with fiction. He was a bit corny at times, but at least it was a nice sort of corny.
It made me feel good after reading it and I know it's in part due to his writing style because I loved his Captain America stuff. But it was a lot of fun to see him play around with the DC archetypes and go where DC won't. I'm probably alone on this but I thought the pseudo-fight between Nighthawk and Captain America on a trampoline was very creative and, well, FUN! I had heard of the Squadron Supreme, but didn't know anything about the characters. I told a guy in my shop after looking at it, "This is a complete rip-off of the JLA!" and he said, "That's the point. Read it, it's good." He was right!
Didn't know anything about Supreme Power (or Rising Stars, which I've never read) and then lo and behold, it's a revamp of Squadron Supreme! Lucky me. I liked it. It's thoroughly modern with its paranoid sensibilities, which of course come with a high creep factor. The kid nuking the puppy. Creepy. Understandable, but creepy. But that kid grown up floating in the air saying, "I'm staying here because I love you and mom. You love each other, right? And I love you as much as you love me." Chills.
It was very well done. I haven't read a lot of JMS's stuff, but I'll definitely be following this to a point. I was a little disappointed with the Power Princess sketches. I understand the need for cheesecake, but Frank's comments about her outfit being like what a stripper would wear if she were dressed like a superhero kind of says that these guys are going to try to push the envelope in ways that are very predictable and possibly annoying regarding that character. I also thought it was a little silly to show Bush, Sr. with dom fantasies. While titillating ('cause, garters are titillating, are they not, boys?) it was corny, and not in that "nice" sort of way like Gruenwald. Still wonder why we need a MAX series when the trade I just read talks about people screwing constantly throughout and shows characters making out and fondling each other.
Vroom Socko:
Damn woman! A little focused on the kinky stuff, aintcha?
Not only is The Gru's twelve-parter one of my most read TPB's, I also have fond memories of their earlier appearances. Marvel'd do me a colossal favor if they were to collect the Serpent Crown and Overmind storylines in a trade. It's enough, though, that they've issued a new printing of that fabled miniseries, easily some of the best post 60’s work to come out of Marvel, if not the best.
I'm also a major fan of JMS, both on TV and in comics. Rising Stars was one of the first comics to follow in Squadron Supreme's footsteps that offered that much vaunted realism without having all it's characters be bitter, arrogant caricatures. (No, that's not a bash on The Ultimates; it's a bash on that other one. You know, the one where Hyperion's the pitcher and Nighthawk's the catcher.) Nevertheless, I was somewhat concerned when I first heard about this project. How, oh how, would the book be able to make it out of the shadow of the Gruenwald. Even without the knowledge that this would be (for lack of a better word,) an Ultimate version of the team, I shouldn't have worried.
First of all, the artist is Gary Frank, Straczynski's partner in crime on the amazingly wonderful Midnight Nation. Second, based on what I heard from the man in San Diego, JMS has a level of admiration for the silver age JLA that's comparable to Gruenwald. But, he's willing to take these characters in, shall we say, uncomfortably real directions. This first issue feels like what would really happen if an alien craft were to crash in a cornfield carrying an infant. The highlights, of course, are the two moments Superninja just mentioned: The puppy and the I Love You speech. The puppy, because it's the sort of situation that seems likely, yet still shocks the hell out of you. The speech, because when you read between the lines you realize that it's actually a threat.
This is one of the strongest debut issues I've seen in a while, especially from Marvel. Sure, it feels like something JMS is doing to keep his Rising Stars concepts alive in his head, but why would publishing a book with the same vibe as Stars be considered a bad thing? In any case, I'll still be reading this book long after Top Cow manages to get their act together and Rising Stars is finally finished. Straczynski is one of the best writers currently with the Big Two, and as long as he's working for Marvel (Well, him, Bendis and Gaiman,) all of the problems I have with that particular publisher are minor.
Comedian:
Well, I really dug the shit out of this book, mostly for the same reasons my brethren and sistern (is that a word?) did. Like the Gru's version, this book shows that you can do deconstruction without that bitter, nihilistic aftertaste. All the Wizard zombies who've been clamoring for an "Ultimate DC" book need look no further. Like everyone else has commented, I too was struck by the overwhelming creep factor with the Hyperion stuff. They set his "parents" up as these two government agents in completely over their heads and suddenly finding themselves trapped in a bad Twilight Zone episode. The most arresting moment for me wasn't the "I love you as much as you love me" but the "closet" scene between the two of them. This was one of those moments that could have easily been tagged on for shock value but didn't feel that way at all. Overall, that's what got to me about this book.
This how they SHOULD be doing books like The Ultimates. All this creepy, dark stuff happened but it wasn't handled in the typically smug, nihilistic fashion we've seen with these kinds of stories lately. I didn't pick up the special edition so I didn't get to see "the Power Princess as a stripper" design sketches. I do wonder though, if they're setting Hyperion (i.e. Superman) as the borderline nutcase than just what kind of crazy shit do the have in mind for Nighthawk (i.e. Batman). We'll have to see.
Vroom:
So there you have it. A full two thirds of the Talkback League of @$$holes are telling you this is a must buy book. And since Bug, Sleazy, Corm, Quixote, the Idiot and Lizzybeth are already arm wrestling over who’s going to review issue two, I’d say the rest of the team agrees.
DETECTIVE COMICS #785
Written by Ed Brubaker
Penciled by Patrick Zircher
Inked by Aaron Sowd
Colored by Jason Wright
Published by DC Comics
A Jon Quixote Review
So, you’re reading Batman, but not Detective Comics. You’re making a mistake.
Not for reading Batman. I’m loving “Hush.” In fact, I had not bought an issue of Batman since Knightfall before getting sucked in by the Loeb/Lee combo that is topping the charts. It’s been a fun, interesting ride that has kept me in smiles, helped resurrect my interest in DC Comics, and has me dying to see where it’s going next. It deserves all of the critical and commercial success it has garnered.
Detective Comics is better.
It’s better in almost every respect. Better plotting, better dialogue, better atmosphere, better art. It’s smarter, deeper, tighter, snappier… and subtler, which is probably one of the reasons it’s being overlooked. And this isn’t to disparage Loeb & Lee, but simply to provide perspective as to just how good a job Brubaker, Zircher, et al are doing on the title. About the only thing it lacks that the other big Batman title has is the landmark factor, that Loeb & Lee’s run might change the Batman Universe forever by resurrecting Jason Todd. Detective Comics is merely providing a murder mystery. A simple murder mystery.
A decade-spanning, creepy bewildering roller-coaster-ride of a murder mystery that also serves as a de facto tour of Gotham City and some of the richer characters in the DCU, teaching me things that I didn’t even know I wanted to learn.
50 Years previous, a rash of murders terrorized Gotham. Four victims – including Gotham’s then Mayor – were killed, and discovered with the words “Made of Wood” carved into their chests, the message apparently referring to Gotham’s then protector, the first Green Lantern, whose sole weakness is wood. The murders stopped without Green Lantern ever discovering who was behind them.
But now the murders started up again. Former Commissioner Jim Gordon stumbled across a murdered man with the same message carved into his chest. The Dick Clarkian Lantern has teamed up with Batman to solve the case and redeem himself. More bodies are being discovered. And Gordon’s own investigation into the killings leads into a bloody cliffhanger that actually made me gasp.
And people used to laugh at me when I said Ed Brubaker is the best writer in comics today. And Patrick Zircher is a revelation, a dream Batman artist; these renditions are breathtaking in their perfection. It’s how Batman should look.
Did I mention that the back-up story in this issue is a fun little number about a Gotham City Dog Catcher who stumbles across the Joker’s mutt?
It’s a great time to be a fan of the Dark Knight, and Detective Comics is the best Batman book on the stands. Some of the top talents in the field – not the “Wizard anointed” top talents, not the guys working on the Diamond Top Ten Books, but the guys who consistently deliver phenomenal work month in, month out – are putting out some seriously artful entertainment within these pages. If you’re enjoying the other big Batman title, or even if you’re just a fan of comics in general, you owe it to yourself to check it out.
ALIAS #25
Brian Michael Bendis: Writer
Mike Gaydos & Mark Bagley: Artists
Marvel MAX: Publisher
Vroom Socko: Absolutely not kissing ass
Remember that scene near the end of Brewster’s Millions, when Richard Pryor takes a look at the room he had designed, saying, “This is the room I want to be in when I die.” Alias #25 is that room.
This is a perfect comic book.
The story? Perfect. Even though this is part two of a story arc, it works just fine as a stand-alone. And yet, the story itself is one that will be most appreciated by longtime readers. Plus, there’s all sorts of great little touches, things like the old yellow Power Man shirt hanging up in Luke Cage’s closet, the mini-premise with “Stan Lee presents: Jewel in…” bit on the title page, even the New Warriors joke. And I like the New Warriors.
The art? Perfect. Gaydos is at his best when drawing conversation pieces, and this is one hell of a conversation. As for Bagley, his version of the classic Avengers and Defenders lineups is a wonder. Astute readers will notice that his earlier work on Alias foreshadowed their appearance here. I’d be very interested in seeing Bagley draw a Bendis-penned Jewel series that focused on Jessica’s superhero days. And then there’s that final page. Oh my holy god of thunder, that final page is the best piece of art Marvel has published in a good long while. I’d beat Buzz Maverik into unconsciousness if it meant I’d get to own the original of that page afterward.
The cover? Perfect. Mack’s best cover ever. Ever.
The fact that there are only three issues left? Perfect. Yes I said perfect. The way I see it, Bendis is allowing Jessica to grow and change in ways most characters in the Big Two normally aren’t allowed. If her story no longer needs the MAX imprint, then by all means let’s move on. As long as she’s still being written by Bendis, I see no need to worry. We’re going to have Jessica around for a good long while, and to me that sounds, well…
Perfect.
SUPERMAN: BIRTHRIGHT #2
Mark Waid - Writer
Leinil Francis Yu - Pencils
Gerry Alanguilan - Inks
Dave McCaig - Colors
Published by DC Comics
Reviewed by Village Idiot
Let me try to cut through the bull for you: BIRTHRIGHT is a retcon. It alters some basic elements to the Superman story without interrupting the current narrative thread in the DCU. Writer Mark Waid has fundamentally changed Superman's origin in order to establish new relationships between Superman and his world. Meanwhile, many of the elements created by John Byrne have been consigned to DC's attic.
And to some degree, that's okay. Waid seems to have made some room in the attic for Byrne by bringing down a few elements himself that had been up there for a while, specifically the idea that the planet Krypton was actually a nice place. At first, this may not seem like such a major change, but Waid is using Superman's relationship with Krypton as one of the key components of his identity, with being Superman perhaps the _expression of that identity. Maybe.
We're still early in the game. By the end of BIRTHRIGHT #2, Clark has an idea, a crazy idea: take the red, blue and yellow Kryptonian banner that was in the spaceship that brought him to Earth, and get Ma Kent to sewing. By this time, we've already learned that the familiar S-shield image means something quite profound to the people of Krypton, something like an all-purpose positive symbol for Kryptonian culture (a Kryptonian crucifix? A Kryptonian smiley face?).
But before we get to that point, we're still in Africa, with foreign correspondent Clark Kent, and his friend, Kobe Asuru, the leader of a disenfranchised tribe. Kobe is more than a leader, he's an inspiration to his people, and a thorn in the side of the ruling elite. Unfortunately, things take a turn for the tragic, and while Clark tries to save Kobe's village from attacking government thugs, Kobe is killed. Clark's time with Kobe and his own unbridled efforts to save the village fuels his later epiphany with the banner and Ma Kent's sewing skills that ends the issue.
And much of it is very skillfully written, with BIRTHRIGHT #2 even better than the debut. The story hasn't blown the doors off just yet, but you can feel how well-crafted and confident the plotting is. The action moves along so cleanly, reading BIRTHRIGHT is as easy as watching a movie; it has that feel to it, a feel that is due in no small part to Leinil Yu.
So many of Leinil Yu's panels seem like photos of life at just the right moment, and put them through some kind of beauty filter. They're not all beautiful, but they are striking and vivid, and just a bit scratchy. At the bottom of page 12, you can feel the chest-swelling heroism as Clark takes a classic pose, poised for action. When Kobe finds himself face to face with his assassin, the look on his face of fear and terror are heartbreakingly palpable. When Clark smiles in windswept bliss as he flies with the doves...okay, that one was a little much, but all in all, the renderings are pretty wonderful, helped along by Dave McCaig's sculpting colors. On the other hand, never has Clark Kent looked like such an Abercrombie and Fitch model (at least not since SMALLVILLE, an obvious inspiration), and the whole book seemed strangely eyelash-intensive.
And so, Birthright #2 is simply a well-told, beautifully drawn story, and I recommend it to you, but with a bit of trepidation. Waid seems to be putting so much emphasis on updating the character for this century, I worry that he may be forgetting what makes the character so valuable in any century. There's a scene in BIRTHRIGHT #2 that recreated the classic cover of ACTION #1 , where Superman crashes a car into a small hill to the shock of everyone around him. In BIRTHRIGHT, the car has been updated to an SUV. With people in it. Crashing through the windows to an indeterminate fate. Jerry and Joe weren't averse to killing a guy from time to time in the old stories, but I was still a little surprised to see Waid up them on this particular image. Perhaps the thugs managed to come out with just a broken collar bone, but we'll never know. I guess that's the way we're doing things now in the 21st century.
SWAMP THING: REUNION (TPB)
Written by Alan Moore, Stephen Bissette, Rick Veitch
Art by Rick Veitch, Stephen Bissette, Alfredo Alcala, John Totleben, Tom Yeates
Published by Vertigo / DC
Reviewed by Buzz Maverik
SWAMP THANG: REUNION tpb is the sixth and final volume of Alan Moore's SWAMP THINGIE stories. DC has also put of a trade called SWAMP THANG: DARK GENESIS by Swamp Thing creators Len Wein and Bernie Wrightson that is well worth picking up. The Moore stories are classics, one of the greatest runs in comics, up there with Gaiman on SANDMAN or Miller on DAREDEVIL.
It's almost not worth reviewing. Buy it! Buy them all! See how a (then) new and edgy writer can take a fringe character, recreate it without pretending the old continuity never existed, do something that wasn't being done in comics at the time, and still have exciting things happen in the stories.
The really cool thing about this volume is that Moore and his artists place Swampy directly in the DC Universe...outer space to be exact. In the last volume, SWAMP THANG: EARTH TO EARTH, Mr. Thang's electro-magnetic connection to Earth was severed by Lex Luthor, who was brought in to flush Swampo out of Gotham City. Swampy had taken over Gotham when his girlfriend, Abby, was held there on morals charges (illegal acts with a plant, Swampy being the plant in question). Swampski whupped Batman and sort of won over most of Gotham by turning their little hellhole burg into a paradise on Earth.
This volume finds Swamply leaping from planet to planet, inhabiting the vegetation on each world. On the planet Rann, he helps Adam Strange stop a famine and an invasion plot from Hawkworld. (Note on Adam Strange: he comes from that famous comic book dynasty, the Stranges. The most prominent members are Adam's great uncle, Dr. Hugo Strange, who was destroyed by Batman in Gotham City, and Adam's cousin Dr. Stephen Strange, who thought he was too good for the rest of the family and moved to the Marvel Universe where he became Sorcerer Supreme).
In a tale that steps outside the standard comic book format, Swamp Thing passes through and impregnates a sentient, bio-mechanical planetoid. He is later aided by the Green Lantern who protects a planet of plant people. In a story written by Rick Veitch, he assists Metron of the New Gods and indirectly thwarts Darkseid himself, all before returning to Earth and reuniting with the woman he loves.
One of my friends complained about the extensive alien dialogue in the Rann sequence. That didn't bother me. About the only thing I didn't like about SWAMP THANG: REUNION was the title. It reminded me of one of those bad TV movie reunions of the cast of an old 70's T.V. show, like EIGHT IS ENOUGH: THEY'RE ALL CRACK ADDICTS or DIFFERENT STROKES: WHO YOU SHOOTIN' AT, WILLIS?
SUPERMAN/BATMAN #1
Written by Jeph Loeb
Pencils by Ed McGuinness
Inked by Dexter Vines
Colored by Dave Stewart
Published by DC Comics
JonQuixote: World’s Finest Comic Book Reviewer
I remember the old World’s Finest series from when I was a boy. It was one of those titles seemingly designed to pump four-color endorphins into a six-year old brain. Superman *and* Batman in the same comic? Coooooooool. Of course, back then I was completely unaware as to how ridiculous these stories often were – how goofy it was to have pre-Crisis Superman respond to a bomb threat by encasing an entire building in heat-vision fused glass and pushing it out into space, just to get Big Blue out of the way so Batman could put the beats on the bad guy.
A new Superman/Batman comic book series has a cool factor that cannot be denied. Opposite sides of the same coin. Different but equal. The two biggest characters in comics under one cover. But it also has a contrived factor that runs the risk of turning the whole endeavor into an exercise in testing just how far your eyes can roll into the back of your skull. How do you bring them together, month after month, in a believable manner? Please, please, please no more “Superman and Batman are appearing on Good Morning, Metropolis when suddenly they’re attacked by Kalibak and the Atomic Skull. So, with issue #1 finally in our hot little hands, what’s the verdict?
Cool. Definitely cool. If it’s contrived, you don’t notice, and if you notice, you don’t care. What little contrivance there is makes for good drama, like a Dickens novel or “Who Shot J.R.?” Superman/Batman employs a pulpy, soap operatic back-beat that is absent from far too many comic books these days. It’s fun – superheroes for the sake of superheroes. And God, that feels good.
The text? Fun. Pulpy, completely unself-conscious fun, tinted with depth that flirts with profundity, invoking both atmosphere and character. Check out this little Batman monologue: “Metallo can’t win. Statistically, historically he must know that. A seemingly endless cycle…Evil is a poor professor.” Straight out of Black Mask. Or Superman’s pastoral, “High above the city, I can see the horizon. Odd as it sounds, it reminds me of Kansas. The way the wheat would cut across the north field as if it were going to roll on forever. The stillness, except for the wind. And my Dad would gently remind me…it was time to go to work.” Loeb shows a connection, not just with each character, but with their role in the larger tapestry of American literature.
The pictures? Fun. Energetic, atmospherically vivid fun. Superman radiates light – big, blue, sparkling light. Batman shrouded in darkness, mysterious and grim. Ed McGuinness & his team depict these icons and their surroundings with precision accuracy, and then have some fun playing with their contrasts – there’s something awesome about seeing Superman cloaked in the shadows of a Gotham graveyard, especially when his eyes glow red with fire.
The plot? Fun. Over-the-top, potentially insane fun. Metallo’s looking for his old body, digging up graves all over Gotham. The thug he once was might have been the one who put the bullets in Batman’s parents (you know he’s not gonna be, but it adds an interesting layer). There’s a huge Kryptonite meteor on a collision course with Earth. And there’s a cliffhanger ending that cost me a fingernail to my incisors. I can’t spoil it, but even knowing Batman and Superman are going to be okay, knowing there’s going to be an issue #2, and there’s still that moment where you put down the comic and think, “They’re screwed. How the #@$% are they going to get out of this one?” What a wonderful feeling with which to close a comic book.
Superman/Batman #1 is everything a comic should be. Smart, fun, even self-aware without being self-conscious. My fears about this title slipping into silly have been conquered, replaced by enthusiasm. Bring on a Bat-Mite/ Mytzptlyk team-up. Bring on the Composite Superman. The World’s Finest are back, and I couldn’t be happier.
@$$HOLES ABROAD!
Hey, guys n’ gals. Ambush Bug here again. Every now and then, we @$$holes like to shut off our computers, put on some clothes, set down our comics, and venture out into the searing, bright light of the real world. This section will log our exploits and adventures as we spread that sweet @$$hole goodness to comic book conventions and events near you and around the world. This time around, Sleazy G and myself chime in about Chicago’s WIZARDWORLD Comic Convention.
I wasn’t at the Con on Friday. I pulled monitor duty at @-Hole HQ and couldn’t convince JQ to take my shift. So I’ll let Sleazy start us off and I’ll chime in when necessary. Take it away, G-Man!
Last year at Wizard World, I had a pretty good time hitting all the panels. This year, the panels had less of the big, juicy news to keep me interested, but the little moments were what really made it worthwhile. I’ll hit it day by day and try to give you some of the news as well as the stuff that made me feel jazzed to be there.
Friday started out with me running a little late and coming in to the Marvel Ultimate panel after the big announcements of the day. ULTIMATE X-MEN will be co-written by Bendis and David Mack for a story arc, after which Bendis will exit and leave Mack to carry the book, which is kinda cool - I liked Mack’s work on DD. The big news, though, was that the next Ultimate Universe book will be the expected ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR. It’s actually going to be co-written, though, every single issue, by Bendis and Millar. This should be interesting, since they have such different and distinct writing styles. They did say that FF has always been about family, which is what makes it unique, but that’s even more so the case here. They seemed really excited to be working on the book, so I’ll check it out to see what they throw at us. Oh, and Bendis said he’s definitely bringing in Ultimate Dazzler, but she don’t expect to see any roller skates or disco balls. She’s gonna be a snotty little gutterpunk like Brody Armstrong from The Distillers.
I only had a few minutes, so I ran over to the Vertigo X panel to get some info. Some big items there, like the fact BOOKS OF MAGIC is coming back, with Neil somebody co-writing the first story arc with a co-writer who writes for a few TV shows, including the EastEnders. There’s also going to be a FABLES one-shot with art by P.Craig Russell this fall that serves as a prequel to the series, detailing the last stand before The Adversary drove them out into the real world. There’s going to be a book by Steven Seagle with art by Mike Allred that looks to mix things up a bit with a new format - it’s going to be only 4 inches wide, but 22 inches tall. Also, Phil Jimenez is getting a 12-issue maxi-series that looks like it could be interesting. The two most shocking things to come out of this panel, though, are that the cover to LOSERS #4 is based on a pair of editor Will Dennis’ boxer shorts (he proved it) and that Brian K. Vaughan, Brian Michael Bendis and Brian Azzarello look like their parents kept having a son, naming him Brian, putting him up for adoption and then doing it all again.
From there, it was on to the Superman panel, which had some big news that’s probably already reported everywhere else, including the return of THE QUESTION and THE VIGILANTE as part of the new Superman line. The idea is to expand Superman’s family of characters as well as Metropolis, not to mention improving his rogues gallery (watch for Gog to show up). These two new books, written by Rick Veitch and Micah Ian Wright, will be edited by Will Dennis to give them a distinct tone different from the usual Supes books. They made it clear, though, that none of the changes are a “stunt,” and that they’re working hard to view it instead as a permanent change of direction and tone for the book.
Enough about that: I wandered the floor a bit, and talked to some cool folks. I hit Kagan McCloud’s booth and picked up all the INFINITE KUNG FU stuff, and from what I’ve read so far, Ambush Bug was right - this book is killer.
Damn straight that book rocks. And I can’t seem to find copies of this book anywhere but Cons. Note to dealers: Carry INFINITE KUNG-FU! You, and your customers won’t be sorry.
I also talked to James Teitelbaum, who wrote the indispensable TIKI ROAD TRIP, a nearly three hundred page guide to tiki bars in all 50 states. He seemed like a pretty cool guy, and the book is definitely gonna come in handy over then next couple years. I had already pretty much settled on the Suffering Bastard as my signature tiki drink (it’s like a spirit animal, only with booze!) but a little extra research couldn’t hurt, right?
I grabbed dinner across the street at Gibson’s and watched several creators and fans breeze through. Then I popped in to the auction being held by the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, but having arrived there late I couldn’t get a list to see what was being sold, so I hung out for a while and then headed home.
This is where I come in to the story. It was a tale filled with action, intrigue, mystery, and excess. A story that would be whispered and echoed throughout the annals of @$$hole HQ for days and months to come. No, I’m not talking the storyline of the sequel to The Banger Sisters. I’m talking about my adventure at the 2003 WIZARDWORLD Chicago Comic Con at the Rosemont Convention Center. Last year was my first Con. I was green. I was a newbie. I didn’t know what to expect and it ended up that I had a lot of fun. This year, I faced the Con as a second year veteran, and I have to say that I had just as much fun.
Saturday was the first day I was joined by Ambush Bug. We got off to a troubled start, but it all turned out okay in the end.
I’m not going to let you get away with it that easy, Sleazy. As we drove out to the Convention Center that morning, we could feel the anticipation growing. The Sleazymobile pulled into the parking garage. We nabbed our stuff, exited the vehicle, and walked towards to arena…and then we realized that Sleazy left his keys in the car. With the lights on. With the engine running. Needless to say, it was a bad start to a good weekend.
So after the false start, we headed into the main floor. Immediately, Sleazy and I were taken aback by a cutie in a BEAUTIFUL KILLER costume. Spandex blue hose and blue panties, folks! Yoiks and away! And standing right behind her was a six year old with those cool HULK SMASH! boxing gloves. It was a truly surreal moment, twisted enough to make us forget all about the keys and the car and the wait for the tow truck.
Last year, I spent most of the day working the floor and schmoozing it up with creators. I missed most of the panels and Sleazy got to report all the big news. Well, I wasn’t about to make the same mistake this year. The first panel du jour, DC.
The DC panel had some cool stuff. Turns out JLA will be switching creative teams a lot more. Denny O’Neil will do an issue with fantastic new artist Tan Eng Huat, last seen on DOOM PATROL. That will be followed by a Byrne/Claremont arc, one by Chaykin, one by Gail Simone, and one by Dan Slott of the current ARKHAM miniseries; should be a big year or two. They’re also doing their first horror comic in forever, called TOE TAGS, which will feature work from George Romero in the first arc. Kyle Baker’s art for the new oncoming PLASTIC MAN looked great.
After that crap he tried to pawn off as art on TRUTH, he’d better start trying to redeem himself with PLAS. I have to admit. The art does look damn good. Less like comics, more like animation cells.
The biggest surprise was that DC is starting a new line called Focus. The concept is that these books take place in a world with no powers, no super beings, no aliens, etc. People, all of a sudden, start developing super powers, and the books are all about how people deal with the changes. The first book, HARD TIME, is being written by Steve Gerber and is intended to be a gritty, realistic look at how a regular person would deal with suddenly getting powers. This is the theme carried through all the books: FRACTION (a gang of thieves find and fight over a super-powered exoskeleton), KENETIC (a teen kid who discovers powers and has to learn what he can do while trying to figure out what he should do) and TOUCH (a smarmy, crass promoter backs super-powered individuals only as long as he can use them for cash).
Yay, another New Universe! Just what the kiddies have been asking for. Actually, this line sounds good. The editor even admitted that this concept has been tried before, but never handled with such maturity, talent, and sophistication. I’m going to check it out.
It was also announced that on the heels of doing the cover for TEEN TITANS #1, Michael Turner’s new Aspen Studios will be doing more work for DC, including on an unnamed Superman book.
But enough on that: we hit the floor again, and talked to some good people. I talked at the Dark Horse table to horror editor Scott Allie, and thanked him for the work he’s done there; I’m a big fan of that line, and glad somebody is doing that kind of work. We also talked to editor Mark Sumerak over at the Marvel table. Besides making me really jealous because he’s so young and editing so many titles, he seemed like a really nice guy who was genuinely excited about the work he was doing and where he was doing it.
Bug managed to fulfill his Quest, the one thing that gave his life meaning, so he’s gotta be totally bummed right now, cuz there’s not much left for him, y’know?
I ask you, “How can a guy who calls himself Ambush Bug, not have the complete run of SON OF AMBUSH BUG?” I needed #2 and 4. And I found them. I was filled with glee.
We grabbed a few drinks over which I recommended that he set a new goal, like collecting every issue from the Valiant line and Marvel’s New Universe, but that just made it worse, cuz he admitted that he already had that stuff.
C’mon, I was young and impressionable back then. I still kind of dig the New Universe though. KICKERS INC. kicked duodenum so freaking hard!
We left the Con and went to the steak house across the street. We’d eaten just a few hours prior so Sleazy had some kind of salad and a beer. And I had a beer, and a beer…and a beer (I know, I have a problem). I was drinking because my dreams of completing my AMUSH BUG collection had been fulfilled. But Sleazy was right, it was a hollow satisfaction.
I knew then there was only one way to lift his spirits, so we went to check out the first ever Wizard World cosplay contest. It took less than ten minutes for us to realize things weren’t really so bad after all, and we walked out laughing, which is the best that can be said about that.
You will believe a grown man can squeeze his fat, pimply ass into a spandex Captain America costume.
Then we went over to the private Wizard World party, where I managed to snag us some tickets to the event. While double-fisting the free drinks, we chatted and watched the crowd for creators.
Hell, yeah! We really got our squirrel-on for that event! Sneakin’ into the exclusive after party. That’s right. We’re cool. Who wants to touch me? Anyone?
Umm, anyway. Scott Allie turned up in line for drinks right behind us—I swear that guy stalked my through the whole convention, being there every time we turned around—so we talked to him briefly. We also spotted Mark Waid, Jim Calafiore, Gareb Shamus and countless others, not to mention a surprising number of attractive women—always a welcome change of pace.
There were a lot of women there. Who’d a thunk it? So we left the party after they finished giving out free drinks and sushi and made our way to a Tiki Bar and continued to get sloshed.
By Sunday I was feeling pretty whipped, I gotta say.
Yeah, I felt as if I’d been following the southbound end of a northbound mule for fifty odd miles. Sunday was a rough morning.
The highlight was definitely finally getting to meet fellow Leaguer, Lizzybeth. She picked up some cool stuff from Carla Speed McNeil and Terry Moore, cuz she rocks it indie style, and then all three of us descended on Craig Thompson over at the Top Shelf booth.
I’ve only read the first chapter of BLANKETS. But it is worth every positive word I have heard so far and much more. The first chapter was so real and chilling I forgot I was reading a comic. I’m usually a super hero comic fan, but this book is making me realize that this medium has so much more potential than it often allows itself. Everyone needs to do themselves a favor and pick up this book.
Thompson was a genuinely nice guy, and very appreciative of everybody who’s been buying the book. I haven’t had time to read my copy yet, but I recommend it anyway, along with any of the other fine stuff Top Shelf cranks out. We kinda drifted for a while, and then Lizzy had to fly out again, so we said our farewells.
Hey, here’s Lizzy now. We’re doing an @$$holes Abroad report here, LB. Do you have anything to report?
Well, David Mack told me the new Kabuki comes out in January, but I don't know if that's news to anyone but me. And these two strange guys were following me around the whole time.
Hey, we didn’t see two strange guys following you. Did you, Bug?
No, and we were right there behind her the whole time. Weird.
After LB took off, Sleazy and I hit the MARVEL panel. There were a few announcements, but none as big as the ULTIMATE FF and X-MEN news from earlier. The event started out with yet another public apology to Mark Waid. Waid was there and said that there will definitely be more FF for him in the future and that there was no bad blood between him and Marvel.
Chuck Austin is taking over AVENGERS when Johns leaves. He’s bringing back a major Marvel character who has never been an Avenger before, but was tight lipped about it. There’s going to be a MAX ANT MAN series coming out soon. PUNISHER is moving over to MAX with Ennis on board so that he can say “fuck” and shoot people’s noses off. It’ll start with another #1 issue. John Jackson Miller is taking over IRON MAN after Robin Laws leaves. Tony will be forced to team-up with the military as a contractor and eventually as Secretary of Defense. CAPTAIN AMERICA is being taken over by TRUTH writer, Bob Morales and artist Chris Bachalo. THOR promises to still kick ass. Editor Sumerak says that Jurgens has been planning this story for a long time and that it will NOT be returning to status quo at the end of the story. Thank god. This is a great book and finally it’ll be getting a regular artist - Scott Eaton.
This was definitely a kinder, gentler MARVEL. Joe Quesada spent a lot of time talking about a return of a fan community at Marvel. He promises more letters pages and Cup O Joes in the future. Coincidentally, Jem@$$ was not present for this fan-friendly event.
Phil Sheldon is coming back in EYE OF THE CAMERA, the sequel to MARVELS. Busiek is writing and the art looks phenomenal. Mark Millar was the highlight of the panel. Say what you will about the guys writing, but he’s funny as hell on stage. He showed up late to the panel and announced that he hadn’t been to bed yet. He then announced plans for an ULTIMATE HITLER and ULTIMATE JESUS series. I think he was joking.
Kevin Smith’s unfinished symphonies (SPIDER-MAN/BLACK CAT and BULLSEYE) are still in limbo, but Joey Q said that he has talked to Smith about them. DEADPOOL and CABLE will return together in an offbeat buddy book. Peter Bagge returns with THE INCORRIGIBLE HULK. There will be a new HAWKEYE series, a definitive DOCTOR OCTOPUS mini, and a new EPIC series about the adventures of Millie the Model’s niece.
I’m all over that title when it comes out!
They don’t call you Sleazy for nothin’. Everyone plugged TSUNAMI titles, which are obviously hurting since sales are low. Someone asked Austin about a new WAR MACHINE series and a cringe befell the entire crowd. I mean, did you read last series? Ewwwie, eww, eww.
They finished off with announcements for the new Epic line. The new open submission writers are Mark Campbell’s NORTHWOOD SAGA, Rob Woorley’s YOUNG ANCIENT ONE, and Jason Henderson’s STRANGE MAGIC (an LOTR-type deal). There’s also plans for a What If?-like tale of what Spidey would be like if Uncle Ben hadn’t died and lived to see the success of his rice recipes.
From there we hit a couple more panels, including the Mark Waid vs. fans trivia competition. The fans did pretty well, but Waid never even broke a sweat. The guy’s knowledge of old-school DC can only be described as “sick”. It got to the point where they stopped asking questions, rattled off an issue number like “FLASH #149” (original run) and he new the exact story. It was just insane.
Yeah, that guy is smarter than Alex Keaton on the episode of Family Ties where he takes ludes to pull and all nighter studying for a test. He’s that smart, folks.
The day ended with a three-day quest for IRON WOK JAN finally being realized. We had found some Saturday - but no #1. Finally, we find it - and there’s only one, and I forgot my wallet, so Bug gets it. Man, it was like touching the Stanley Cup but not getting to drink a Labatt’s Blue out of it. Crushing.
I got IRON WOK JAN! And you ain’t got none! Keep on wokkin’ Sleazy. That book was mine!
So, to sum up: I had an absolutely exhausting weekend, met a lot of cool creators, spent too much money on comics, connected with some Leaguers, slept too little, and drank too much. It was all well worth it. One of the things about these conventions is they put a very human face on comics. Joe Quesada came off as a genuinely nice guy who loves comics. Mark Millar and Paul Jenkins were pretty damned funny and charming. Bendis was astonishingly accessible to fans for three days straight. Mark Waid was intelligent and jovial. We sit around and read their stuff, and we take a lot of shots, but it’s good to be reminded sometimes that they really are just regular guys who love what they’re doing. I can’t wait to go back next year and meet more of them and get to laugh along with them.
