Good questions.
We, the @$$holes of AICN Comics, are a diverse roster of critics with fat and exciting resumes -- life and work experiences which lend us, shall we say, a credibility that other sites just cannot approach, and render all other opinions completely invalid.
So, because you have no follow up questions whatsoever, I present to you this week's slate of reviewers:
- Eagle Scout and Falklands War Vet Vroom Socko gushes all over ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR!
- Fields Medal Runner-Up Cormorant analyzes STAR WARS: REPUBLIC!
- The author of MOBY DICK, Superninja, stops by to give us her take on Brian Azzarello and Jim Lee's SUPERMAN!
- And Olympic Biathlete Ambush Bug graces Joe Quesada's DAREDEVIL: FATHER with a review!
- Plus much, much more!
And me, Jon Quixote, Poet Laureate of Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan; secret lover of Nicole Kidman; and the first man to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean?
I'm just doing the intro.
(Click title to go directly to the review)
ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR #5
SPIDER-MAN/DOC OCK: NEGATIVE EXPOSURE (TPB)
FLASH #209
STAR WARS: REPUBLIC #63
SUPERMAN #204
GOTHAM CENTRAL: IN THE LINE OF DUTY (TPB)
X-STATIX #22
DAREDEVIL: FATHER #1
Cheap Shots!
Ambush Bug's "I Read It So You Don't Have To" Book of the Week!
Tales from the Crevice: USAGI YOJIMBO
ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR #5
Brian Michael Bendis/Mark Millar: Writers
Adam Kubert: Artist
Marvel Comics: Publisher
Vroom Socko: Gone ape#$%^ insane
Good gravy, I wish this creative team wasn't breaking up.
Don't get me wrong, I think Warren Ellis is going to do some interesting stuff with this title, especially in relation to Doom, but I don't want Bendis and Millar to go away, damnit. Especially after this issue, where the team is really coming together, writers and characters both, in what may be the best single issue to come out of the Ultimate line to date.
In essence, all this issue consists of is one hell of a fight between the Mole Man's pet kaiju and Reed, Johnny and Ben. Holy hippo shit, what a fight. Kubert's work on this issue is stupendous, especially the moments with the Thing. When the clobbering commences… goddamn! But what makes this battle really work is how these three heroes are using the experience to assist them in understanding their new abilities. Not that anyone other than Reed is consciously doing this, of course. But the moments when Johnny discovers he can fly, or when Ben finds out just what sort of abuse he can take… those moments are magic. That's not to mention the interaction between these three. Their verbal sparring is classic FF, while being just new enough to be fresh and original.
What makes this issue work is the alchemy that is Bendis and Millar. Someone needs to clone these two guys then run them through a teleportation pod. As a team, these two cancel out each other's weaknesses. Bendis is a wizard of characterization, and loves to challenge the idea of what a superhero comic can be. However, his material isn't as visceral as superheroics can (and sometimes should,) be. Millar has an imagination that is over the top, and he loves to give us new and exiting ideas. His characters, unfortunately, often come across as caricatures pumped full of shock value for its own sake. Bring them together, with Millar on concepts and Bendis on character, and you've got the ideal superhero writer. I'll even go so far as to say that this pairing is the equal of Lee and Kirby, with Bendis as the 21st century Stan and Millar as this generation's Jack.
I don't want this to end. I really don't. I want to see a Bendis scripted HERBIE. I want to see Kubert creating a new look for the Red Ghost and his apes. I want to be shocked and awed at a Millar-ified Galactus. I'm sure Warren Ellis is going to do some amazing stuff on this title. Hell, I have it on good authority that the work he's already completed will give fans of PLANETERY a quivering sensation in their pants. But he sure as hell's going to have to work his ass of to equal what B&M have done so far.
Really, is bringing these two guys back to do the introduction of Galactus too much to ask?
SPIDER-MAN / DOCTOR OCTOPUS: NEGATIVE EXPOSURE (TPB)
Writer: Brian K. Vaughan
Artist: Staz Johnson
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Reviewed by Cormorant
[Note: the following is a reprint of my pre-existing review of the entirety of the NEGATIVE EXPOSURE miniseries. Since that review covered the material in this trade precisely, I'm digging it up again. Shameless, I know, but this trade deserves your support, so I'm willing to be shameless! - Cormorant]
I'm on a Brian K. Vaughan high. His Vertigo offering, Y: THE LAST MAN, just found renewed momentum with the recent, disturbing S&M issues. His Cloak & Dagger two-parter in RUNAWAYS just reminded everyone that you can still do fun crossovers in a continuity-lite Marvel Universe. Hell, I even re-read the trade of his Marvel MAX miniseries, THE HOOD, a gleefully amoral tale that all but demands a sequel.
I know what you're about to ask: if I love Brian Vaughan so much, why don't I marry him? Well according to Governor Arnie, our union wouldn't be legal, but if it were I'd be all over Vaughan, 'cause Spider-Man's my all-time fave superhero and Vaughan has just written, without fanfare, one of the best Spider-Man stories of the last ten years.
His story begins with a Daily Bugle photographer named Jeffery Haight (Dickensian? Sure. It's a superhero comic.). He's a pro who never makes page one, even as amateur freelancer Peter Parker perpetually gets the spotlight. I've seen Parker in rivalries with fellow photogs before (anyone remember Lance Bannon?), but Haight, a frustrated artiste, has more personality. He's a bit of an asshole, but a sympathetic one. He's just can't seem to wrap his mind around Parker's seemingly natural talent:
Haight: Where does it come from? Who are your influences?
Peter (off-handedly): You mean, photographer-wise? Well, when I was a kid, my Uncle Ben gave me this book about Margaret Bourke-White. She seems pretty great.
Haight: Margaret Bourke-White? That's such a hacky answer, Parker! What about Bischof or Capa or...or Eisenstadt?!
Later, Haight anguishes to himself: Why, God, why? Why did you give your eyes to this dork? His turmoil will eventually see him becoming the pawn of wily prisoner Doctor Octopus, whose portrayal is the best I've seen since Bill Mantlo made the character truly dangerous back in the '80s (look what Ock did to Black Cat!). Vaughan's makes it explicit that Octopus is a killer, but the killings themselves aren't explicit - just the right balance for a Spider-Man book. And Vaughan gives him one inspired scene after another. He reveals Ock's cultured side in his attempt to steal this famed da Vinci drawing, supposedly an inspiration as he designed his mechanical arms. Then there's Doctor Octopus as Hannibal Lector-esque manipulator, luring Haight into his web, preying on his insecurities as a means of getting at Spider-Man. Lastly...Octopus the full-blown madman. When he fights Spider-Man, this bastard is absolutely a serious threat. Gone is the Elton John bowl-cut (can we all agree this is one positive influence of the pending sequel to the Spider-Man movie?), but the classic, violently exasperated personality is fully intact, and the battle scenes are an old-school thrill.
And Spidey himself? Vaughan's got him nailed too. Like Brian Bendis, Vaughan is one of the few modern writers to actually crack me up with Spider-Man's quips. He's got Spidey singing the pop-a-matic bubble song from the old Trouble boardgame ads while he beats on Mysterio's fishbowl head. He's got Spidey enraging the Vulture by wondering aloud, "Should I go with my bald jokes...or my jokes about hunchbacks? I can never decide with you." It's a blast, and yes, you get several guest-throwdowns with the aforementioned villains as Octopus works his schemes behind the scenes. Woohoo! Action!
Now I suppose NEGATIVE EXPOSURE isn't the most innovative story I've seen, but holy hell is it well-crafted. Everything works. The humor, the action, Doc Ock's return to A-list villainy, and the side-story of Haight's downward spiral. When kids see this summer's Spider-Man movie sequel and burst into their local comic shop looking for more, THIS is the series to give them (either in back issues or the inevitable trade). In many ways, I think it's as close to a perfect Spider-Man story as I've seen since Roger Stern's run in the '80s, approachable by younger readers but wholly entertaining for adults as well.
I'm afraid I don't have much to say about the art by Staz Johnson other than, "Damn fine job." He's a Brit artist, his work is very detailed and energetic, and the confident style has me thinking of him as a more-polished Mark Bagley. Lookee! If you're tired of all the quasi-manga artists making your favorite superhero look like Astro Boy, you'll like what Staz has to offer.
I hope Brian Vaughan had fun writing this book. It feels like he did, like he was just having a ball playing with such classic characters. And that last page of the series...whew, it won't have much effect if you just view it out of context, but as the culmination of the photographic themes running through the series and of Doc Ock's pseudo-refined villainy...what a capper. Gave this Spider-Man fan a big ol' grin.
FLASH #209
Written by Geoff Johns
Pencils by Howard Porter
Inks by Livesay
Published by DC Comics
Reviewed by Village Idiot
"Many people are liable to claim that Waid's work on THE FLASH is the watershed run, but I'm willing to bet the farm that the work that Geoff Johns, Scott Kolins, Doug Hazlewood and James Sinclair are doing on THE FLASH *right now* is going to be talked about in the years to come as one of those great runs in comic history. Lucky you, for $2.25 a month, you get to be a part of it."
- Village Idiot throws down the gauntlet, in his review of FLASH #186, June 6, 2002
My, that was some Mighty Big Talk, wasn't it? To tell you the truth, I've always been a little edgy about whether I went overboard on that one. I mean, I'm basically saying that Johns and Kolins' run on FLASH was one of the best in history. Bold? Sure. Influenced by post-read giddyness? Perhaps. Wrong? Not so fast.
That stuff there -- that was some good stuff. Real good stuff. No single work is going to please everybody, but if you're a superhero fan, and you haven't read the "Crossfire" storyline from FLASH, I would argue that you haven't lived.
In any event, it's now nearly two years later. Geoff Johns is still around, but Scott Kolins, whose almost baroque artwork was stamped in mind as such a integral part of the series, is gone. The structure of the story changed, with Wally West, The Flash, regaining a secret identity. While that change was being implemented, we went through a wilderness where Wally didn't know his identity. Interim artist Albert Dose, like the story itself, was a shock to the palette. Mow we have the superhero-friendlier pencils of former JLA artist Howard Porter.
And through all of this change, I think the series has held up pretty well. Things still aren't completely back to normal story-wise, but Johns and Porter seem to be easing back into things just fine, with FLASH #209 being a really terrific issue, and one of my favorite in recent memory.
FLASH #209 was essentially a character study of Wally West set amidst a world-wide race with Superman. As the story begins, Wally has recently regained his memory and has come to accept his role as Flash. But ambivalence has begun to creep back in, especially since his wife Linda left him over his superhero career. Meanwhile, his superhero colleagues in the DCU remember that they used to remember his civilian identity, but they don't remember what that identity is. In FLASH #209, the JLA confront him about the situation, but instead of explaining, Wally bolts. To sort out his confusion, he seems to revert to his usual way of coping: he tries to find solace with Linda, chasing down where he thinks she might be, spanning the globe. Meanwhile, Superman, trying to reason with him, races behind. Finally, Wally realizes that there is no finding Linda, he can't run to her this time, and he has to come to terms with the situation on his own; or really, with the help of the friends he was running away from. At the end of the story, not only do both we and Wally himself know The Flash a little bit better, we get a fairly comprehensive primer for how The Flash relates to the rest of the DCU.
Again, I thought this issue was pretty terrific. Most of the griping I've read online about this issue concerns an impatience for things to "move forward," or at least to return to the status quo; and really, Wally has been trying to sort out his identity since issue #201. But I think the wait is worth it if we get issues like this. I enjoyed this look into Wally and his world; it was fun seeing each member of the JLA get a chance in the spotlight. Anytime you have a race between Superman and The Flash, it's a Red Letter Day. This time, we had Wally explaining to us what is was like as they were running, and how Superman could almost take him. And really, considering the point at which the issue started and where it ended, I'd say it moved forward enough.
Meanwhile, Howard Porter's art goes down pretty nice. His work that I remember from his run on JLA always struck me as a little stiff and static, even when the characters were engaged in wildly dynamic poses. But none of those problems seem to be in FLASH #209, and I thought Porter's work complemented the action with minimum complaints.
So I stand by my claims of greatness for Johns and Kolins' work on THE FLASH. (Again, "Crossfire," my favorite.) Do Johns and Porter rise to the same standard? We'll have to wait and see after they get a few more stories under their belt; but whatever the case, FLASH #209 is a great start.
STAR WARS REPUBLIC #64
Writer: John Ostrander
Artist: Brandon Badeaux
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Reviewed by Cormorant
There are those who will tell you that, as a result of the STAR WARS prequels, George Lucas raped their childhood.
I think that's a bit extreme. At worst, Lucas took my childhood out for dinner at Wendy's and copped a feel without even Biggie-Sizing my fries. To be frowned upon? Yes. Yes it is. I'll forgive a lot, though, in remembrance of the good times the guy provided me as a punk kid wearing an iron-on EMPIRE STRIKES BACK t-shirt and toting around a plastic Tauntaun with belly-slit for Luke-cramming action.
You know what I mean, don't pretend you don't. Geeks.
But while I'm not about to call for Lucas's head, I thought I'd pretty much put the prequel-verse behind me...right up until those damn CLONE WARS shorts on Cartoon Network. Sure they were depthless, but in critical parlance, they were also what we refer to as "Cool as shit." Wild visual style aside (though I liked it, of course), they represented what I'd wanted from the prequel movies. Scary bad guys, witty heroes, utterly bad-ass Jedi, and action sequences that sang rather than warbled. And no Trade Federation politics! The Clone Troops came across as the unlikely heroes they were meant to be, Mace Windu was the bad mutha we all hoped he would be, and Anakin...well, he was still kind of a whiny jerk, but after an astounding three-episode lightsaber battle, I was inclined to let it slide.
Long story short, the CLONE WARS shorts led me to peek at the CLONE WARS graphic novels from Dark Horse and they were also pretty darn good. I recommend 'em if, like me, you've found yourself jazzed for any of the prequel stuff against your better judgment. They're surprisingly dark, have superior art, and happily for me, feature some notable stories from one of my old favorite superhero writers, John "Suicide Squad" Ostrander.
Ostrander's also behind the issue of STAR WARS REPUBLIC we'll be looking at today. It begins with Senator Palpatine addressing the Senate Chambers, and...hey, where're you going? Not so fast, o doubters! In the best old-school Star Wars tradition, you'll see shit blowing up on the very next page, so don't panic. Besides, Palpatine's political machinations play out far more interestingly on the comic page (where there's space for a modicum of sophistication) than in the movies. In the movies, his manipulations are cartoonish, but in the comics, as in this opening scene where he evokes falsely compelling sympathy for the loss of a Jedi command unit he himself manipulated to its doom...gah, he's a legitimately glorious rat-bastard! He's the kind of villain you really do love to hate.
What sold me quickly on the issue was the opening flashback to the grim final moments of the Jedi unit being overrun. It's a land battle with orbital ship support, and Jedi Master Ronhar Kim is well and truly screwed. Casualties are nearly total, his starship support is pulling out, and his apprentice has just died, his ship shot down in a last ditch rescue effort. "You always were a willful, disobedient Padawan," Kim whispers with regret as he kneels to honor him. "May the Force be with you." Then, one last exchange with a resolutely obedient Clone Trooper:
Clone: General, the enemy's advancing. There are only nine of us left. Any orders?"
Kim: Take out as many of them as you can. Die well.
Clone: Copy that.
Now isn't this the kind of valiant downfall of the Jedi you wanted from the Clone Wars in the prequels? With scenes like this, Ostrander, will have you forgetting the likes of Jar Jar and Anakin's clumsy love story and the Jedi Council bureaucracy. He makes the stakes immediate, emotional, and camp-free, reminding me of how I felt when Obi-Wan died in the first STAR WARS or when the Rebels were being overrun by the Imperial Walkers in EMPIRE. Best of all, like the animators of the CLONE WARS shorts, Ostrander has returned the Jedi to the stature they deserve.
The rest of the issue is made up of flashbacks as well, each one jumping back to an earlier time (think MEMENTO) to reveal the full extent of Palpatine's treachery. Even in and of itself, I enjoyed the novelty of the backwards chronological order. But this is a story about manipulation, and how even people of good, heroic character can be bent to Palpatine's will.
"I know what I am," Kim confides in his seeming friend, Palpatine, at one point, "A good Jedi, but not more than that. Adequate." It's a chilling moment, because for Kim it's a very personal, very private revelation, but we, the readers, have seen precisely how Palpatine will use this to kill him and allay suspicions he would later have of Sith infiltration of the Senate. Definite overtones of Greek tragedy here, including even a father/son rift and Kim's recognition that his apprentice is perhaps destined to exceed him. Yet it still "feels" like STAR WARS.
This was easily my happiest surprise of the week's comic readings, and because of its stylish format, gripping emotional qualities, strong action sequences, and refreshingly dark context...I'm recommending it to just about anyone who's ever had an interest in STAR WARS. I'm pretty sure that's all of you. It's an exceptional issue that's likely to win over even the naysayers, reminding us that Lucas's greatest gift has always been his ability to surround himself with talents that exceed him.
SUPERMAN #204
Writer: Brian Azzarello
Artist: Jim Lee
Artist: Scott Williams
Colors: Alex Sinclair
Letters: Nick Napolitano
Reviewed by superninja
In an attempt to capture lightning in a bottle twice, DC has paired Jim Lee with another hot writer on a flagship title, this time, 100 BULLETS' Brian Azzarello. On the one hand, you've got a writer that is known for establishing atmosphere and motif; on the other, you've got an artist that is the known for his majestic superhero poses. So how did it work out?
Not so well.
The actual plot of the story is pretty simple: In the wake of a giant mystery disaster event, Superman and a priest share to discuss how self-doubts have lead to a crisis of faith: for the priest, his belief in God; for Superman, his belief in himself.
There is a lot left to be desired about this issue, but to be fair to Azzarello, I think Lee is a big heapin' hunk of the problem here. A great deal of the dialog between the priest and Superman calls for subtlety, requiring a storyteller who can give meaning to an expression, or who can craft a quiet transition between panels to give a moment weight. Lee has the subtlety of a sledgehammer, and he is simply not the guy to tackle this kind of material. I admit Lee fares well in this issue with a few panels of Superman in space, and Lee also captures the intricate background of the cathedral setting on Earth. But then classic Lee-isms pop up, such as Supes and the priest looking like the exact same guy. Or the interesting female cop character from Rucka's first Supes issue showing up here looking interchangeable with any of Lee's Hot Babes(TM). But again, the subtlety needed to sell the emotional beats just wasn't there.
Of course, the writing was a tough sell anyway. To be fair to you, the reader, I don't think this comic book is for anyone looking for a classic interpretation of Superman (and admittedly, Azzarello and DC never sold it as such). The entire issue is Superman down on himself. Why? Because he didn't save the world. ("It's not easy to be me," says the first page, setting the mood; as if everyone hasn't gagged enough on that Five for Fighting song.) If the world isn't a better place because of him, is Superman really needed? I think this type of introspection from the Man of Steel makes him look both a) whiney and b) selfish; and the crisis of faith comparison between Supes and the priest only punctuates it, making Superman come across as having a God complex. In one of the worst lines of dialogue ever uttered by Superman, he tells the priest:
"I was a million miles away...chasing my Holy Trinity. Three words...'Superman, save me.'"(Hey, Supes, pull your head out of your butt and be glad that you're not a young Catholic Priest struggling with a life threatening illness!)
I almost want to say Supes was out of character here, but I feel I've known Whiney Superman for some time now (I think purple Kryptonite causes it). This seems like yet another attempt to make Superman seem relevant by making him seem to be more like "us folks" -- which takes all of the fun out of super. Nevertheless, I think the issue would have far more readable hands of a more appropriate artist; but that not being the case, I'm not really feeling what Azzarello's shooting for here.
GOTHAM CENTRAL: IN THE LINE OF DUTY (TPB)
Writers: Ed Brubaker & Greg Rucka
Artist: Michael Lark
Publisher: DC Comics
Reviewed by Cormorant
As big a fan as I am of GOTHAM CENTRAL, I'm not about to give you guys the hard sell on its first trade paperback. See, I can understand why more readers haven't tried it yet. Cop dramas aren't exactly big in comics, and I figure many a reader sees TV as having that market cornered. And then there's the visuals: a little drab at a glance. Michael Lark's a consummate craftsman from the Alex Toth school of minimalism, but there's not much snap and crackle to his stuff. Same goes for the Vertigo-style coloring.
So I'm not gonna bust your chops for not trying it till now.
I will point out, however, that GOTHAM CENTRAL is unlike every other TV cop drama you've ever seen. Oh, you'll recognize the ensemble cast hook and gallows-humor investigations, but every other cop drama doesn't have a police department that unofficially condones the presence of a masked vigilante. Every other cop drama doesn't have to contend with the paralyzing fear of the Joker behind the scope of a sniper rifle. Every other cop drama doesn't have to use a crowbar to pry (and shatter) a corpse's frozen hands from a steering wheel after Mr. Freeze has indulged in his modus operandi.
It ain't pretty, but it's sure as hell interesting. GOTHAM CENTRAL is writers Ed Brubaker and Greg Rucka giving us the chance to ride along with Gotham's finest in the most freak-ridden city in the DC Universe.
I think one of my favorite scenes is still the first one: it's the end of the shift for Detectives Driver and Fields, and almost on a whim they're following up on a junkie's unlikely tip of suspicious activity in a flea-trap motel. Probably nothing, but maybe, just maybe it's a lead on the kidnapping case they're working.
Turns out it's neither. Turns out its much worse. Turns out the motel is where supercriminal Mr. Freeze has been holed up for the past several days - as Detective Fields learns the hard way. Fields is frozen solid, Driver's painfully immobilized, and you just know the world is about to turn to shit when Freeze explains to his thug partner that he's not ready to flee their hideout just yet:
"In a minute, Danny... I just wanted to instruct our friend here in Gotham's more advanced curriculum...the tragedy of surviving loss..."
Freeze has never been scarier than in this book. For the first time we see him not from the point of view Batman, but through the eyes of the folks just like you and me – the people who tend to be the victims in his stories. And these cops are definitely human.
The opening two-parter introduces the cast. Some of them are familiar favorites like Renee Montoya, Crispus Allen, and Captain Maggie Sawyer (formerly of the Metropolis Special Crimes Unit), but most will be new to readers. Among others, there's curmudgeonly, wise-cracking Sgt. Davies (always a favorite); coroner Nora Fields (who'll lose her hand during the Joker's sniper-spree); and the ever-cute Stacy, receptionist and technically a temp employee, meaning she's the only person on the force allowed to operate the bat-signal (for legal reasons, no official employee of the G.C.P.D. can acknowledge the existence of Batman). Stacy's got a crush on Batman which sets up a favorite story in issue #11.
At it's heart, GOTHAM CENTRAL is a procedural. The cast is made up of both shifts of the Major Crimes Unit, and like any good cop story there's always plenty of politicking, arguing, flirting, and even a bit of honor. In the Mr. Freeze story, for instance, the cops lose one of their own at dawn and make it their mission to bring in Freeze before night falls and Batman inevitably becomes involved. And how do you track down a heavyweight like Mr. Freeze? This is some of my favorite stuff, mixing the familiar elements of investigation with the fantasy element of Gotham supervillains. The cops know Freeze needs diamonds to power his suit, so they shake down diamond merchants for tips on black market diamond thefts. They question former Freeze associates in prison. They hit a fad cryogenics lab.
All the while, the specter of night hangs over them. When is it time to put away pride and call in the Big Guy? And can they live with themselves if they do? I like that the general sentiment at the station is anti-Batman, but typical of the sophistication of characterization, not everyone's a hardliner.
If the book has a weakness, it's that it's a little too low-key at times. Which might sound strange when you're talking about guys dealing with the likes of Mr. Freeze and Firebug (second arc in the trade). But while the setting is most definitely Gotham, the tone is strictly realistic, and I wonder if some of the personalities could stand to be a little more...colorful. Not "X-MEN" colorful, mind, but maybe "THE SHIELD" colorful. Just punchier. With disgraced-but-likeable cop Harvey Bullock about to return in the monthly, I think we might see something of this.
And this has been my soft sell of the book. It's got one or two minor flaws and it's not an easy one to get RIP-ROARIN' PUMPED for. Yet it's one of the best books on the market, a brilliant way for superhero fans to dabble in crime comics without completely leaving behind the capes and cowls. The art that looks a little "blah" at a flip-through turns out to be detailed, nuanced, and perfect on closer inspection. It'll have you thinking of these cops as very real people in no time flat – especially given the deadly serious treatment of the supervillains that might be lurking right behind every door they kick down.
For ten bucks – that's right, the good folks of DC have incentive-priced this so you're paying less than you would for individual issues - I think you're gonna have a damn good time. Perfect price for trying out one of the most worthy DC concepts in years.
X-STATIX #22
Written by Peter Milligan
Illustrated by Mike Allred
Published by Marvel Comics
Reviewed by The Comedian
SAVE X-STATIX!!!!
Umm…okay well, save it if it wants to be saved. If these guys are just bored and pissing away the book that will probably mark the height of their commercial and creative success for no good reason …well then screw em.
What can I say about X-STATIX? Well I could go into the whole bit about how indirectly this entire freekin' column that all you kids love so much wouldn't exist if it weren't for X-FORCE #126. You'd all be reading Grayhaven right now (I see you, Weisbrod. Keep taking your meds. That Donnie Darko crap doesn't work.) But that's neither here nor there and has nothing to do with whether or not the book should be saved.
What I can say is that over the past year and a half or so since X-FORCE became X-STATIX there have been two main problems that have kept this otherwise awesome, entertaining and overall intelligent satire from greatness. They haven't upped the ante story wise. Admittedly I didn't read "Back from the Dead" because I thought the whole Princess Di thing was just another cheap shock ploy from the house that Jemas built and even more droll than offensive because it seemed like such masturbatory overkill on the celebrity deconstruction that was wearing this book thin to begin with. What this book always needed was to take the characters to the next level heroism in spite of the fact that they're selfish jackasses most of the time. The success of X-FORCE was the balance of both of these aesthetics and the best issues of this run have shared that same quality. The other problem for me anyhow has been the crutch of Doop. I liked the Doop bit earlier in the series but the whole super powered machiavellian and possibly evil catalyst disguising itself as a cute squishy lima bean was always cheap and boring to me. They could have nipped the doop thing in the bud a year ago and gone on to tell much deeper stories. It just feels like they've been writing a year's worth of filler since the "Bad Guy" storyline ended. But I'll get off my soapbox now and deal with the actual issue.
One direction I always thought this book should have gone in that would up the ante was to branch out and have these characters interacting with the rest of the Marvel U still within the biting satirical context but not just off in their own bubble as they've more or less been. This Avenger's storyline is an assured step in that direction. By contrasting the X-STATIX team with regular Marvel U characters it shines light on their comic flaws and makes for the quality characterization that's the main strong point of this book. The Anarchist Vs. Captain America fight was brilliant satire. Tyke Alicar is such a phony jackass that even as a black reader who from time to time identifies with him I really loved watching Captain America beat the crap out of him. The Dead Girl Vs. Scarlett Witch fight was also well crafted and showcased the deep more serious characterization that has also been a cornerstone of this books success with fans. They always use Dead Girl to tell these kinds of stories and they mark some of the most poignant moments of both series (namely her aforementioned X-FORCE #126 and X-STATIX #12). Wanda was written exceptionally as well and Allred drew her gorgeously.
So in the end is X-STATIX worth saving? Well like one of you kids in the Talkback pointed out last week they save freekin' SPIDER-GIRL every six months so why the hell not. For me it feels like these guys could be on their second wind if they can take these characters to the next level. It would be a shame if this was all part of Marvel's new seemingly retro 90's mind wipe of the last 4 years. This book and these characters transcend a "fad." They always did. If Milligan and Allred want to move on then that can be respected as well. Give another creative team a shot with these characters then. Sure they might crash and burn but they definitely deserve a better than a novel Avengers crossover.
DAREDEVIL: FATHER #1
Writer and Pencils: Joe Quesada
Inks: Danny Miki
Publisher: Marvel Knights
Reviewer: Ambush Bug
I originally thought that the latest DAREDEVIL series was titled FATHER because it centered on Matt Murdoch's relationship with his pop. But after reading it, I now realize that the title refers to the fact that anyone who purchased this issue suffers the indignity of being cornholed by Joe Quesada and the rest of Marvel as they chant "Who's your daddy!?!" over, and over, and over again.
I know there will be those who read this review and say, "Jesus, you bitch about Bendis' DAREDEVIL series for its drawn out plots, over-speak, and shoddy artwork, and now you're ragging on this miniseries too. It just seems like nothing is going to make you happy."
And in response to that, I say: "Sorry, my name is not Jesus."
To begin, let's do a little math. In an average Marvel comic, you get an intro page telling the reader what has happened in previous issues (a feature I love and wish DC would do as well), 6 to 9 pages of advertisements, a front and back cover, 2 staples, and the meat of the book, which in an average comic would be 22 to 23 pages. Being a special book, DAREDEVIL: FATHER clocks in at 32 pages; consisting of 6 advertisements, a front and back card stock cover, 2 staples, and 26 pages of meat. The problem with this book is that said meat begins with 9 splash pages, and then, just in case your splash page jones didn't get quenched, Joey Q tosses in 2 more full page panels just for the hell of it. That's 11 splash pages in one 26 page book. Almost half of this book takes place in splash. This may be okay if it were an IMAGE comic circa 1991, but nowadays, I have to call it as I see it: a filler-ridden waste of your hard earned cash and mine.
The splash page can be a very effective tool for a comic book storyteller. A well placed full page shot can convey the significance of the depicted moment. It can showcase a particularly well rendered image. It can tell the reader, "Hey, take a look at this! This is important or powerful or just damn cool!" The splash page is a comic tradition and I would hate to see it go, but this my friends, is splash page abuse of the highest order. There really isn't one page in DAREDEVIL: FATHER that is splash worthy. Maybe the one of DD cowering at the base of his father's boxing poster, but other than that, we could have been treated to a heck of a lot more story that what we got. What we got was a vanity project with Joey Q shamelessly tossing out one mediocre page after another.
So what about those non-splash pages? Well, they are pretty mediocre too. Matt takes on a new case involving a grouchy husband and a cancer-ridden wife and we're introduced to a bored philanthropist named Nero who is obviously being set up as a bad guy. Oh yeah, and some chick has some rough sex that doesn't end with "the little death," but a big one. It's not bad, but it ain't good either. Quesada sets up a mildly interesting mystery. He tosses in a few Foggy moments that fall flat as attempts at humor. It is nice to see DD in costume for a change (something that we rarely see in his ongoing series), but even those scenes aren't very dynamic because most of them are in the aforementioned splash pages. All in all, this is a hype filled balloon of a book that, like most books that achieve this level of "hype-itude," fails to live up to all of the hubbub.
The thing is, I like Joe Quesada's art. Since his run on X-FACTOR all those years ago, I thought he has been a talented artist and storyteller. But this book does not reflect the vibrancy I have come to associate with Joey Q's art. The splash pages are especially amateurish, as if he threw them together at the last minute to stretch this out to five issues instead of three or four. Once the story starts, though, the panels are stronger, but they still lack the flair of Quesada's earlier work.
It is quite obvious that this series has been stretched out to make five issues and the inevitable trade. I know its all about business, but enough is enough. I'm sick of this type of blatant piss-poor pacing becoming the norm in comics today and having the "artist/writer" write it off as "cinematic." You're getting ripped off. I'm getting ripped off. There was a time when I would buy an entire mini-series because I bought the first issue. It was the completist in me. I was listening to my inner Marvel Zombie. But I've been burned by the drawing out of these stories so many times and I don't think I want to feel that way again. So thank you, Joey Q, but no. Enough is enough. You're not going to fool me twice with this series. Avoid this book, faithful Talkbackers. Let Joey Q know that you're sick of drawn out four or five-parters that could be told with more effectiveness in a single issue. It's the only way to change this horrible trend.
This issue made me miss Bendis…
…almost.
CHEAP SHOTS!
BATMAN: HARLEY & IVY #1 - With Paul Dini writing and Bruce Timm drawing, this long-awaited miniseries is pretty much an unquestioned purchase for me, but it's still a little disappointing. Dini does his playful/evil/sexy schtick with the two cuties, and even factoring in the pleasantly lurid shower scene, the schtick feels a little rote. Also unfortunate is the fact that Timm's quality art is somewhat subverted into a standard animation house style by the inking of Shane Glines. Not bad, but not full-on Timm. In the end, I can only mildly recommend this lightweight entry that's appearing about six or eight years too late to capitalize on the energy that surrounded BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES. - Cormorant
MARVEL KNIGHTS 4 #5 - This was one heck of a fun read. I was against this series from the beginning, but every issue I've read has impressed me. Roberto Aguirre-Sarcasa writes a fun little adventure of the FF on vacation. I really don't want to get to the nit picky question, "Why, if the FF are having financial problems, are they able to take a vacation instead of staying home and applying for food stamps?" but it should be mentioned. Ben Grimm has some great moments as he fills the little kiddies' heads with scary stories. Johnny tries to be a fireman. Reed gets lost and Sue is there to help him. Between Mark Waid's phenomenal run on the regular title and this book, it is a good time to be a fan of the Four. Plus as an added bonus, you get some of the best art in comics from uber-find, Steve McNiven. He draws the best Thing I've ever seen. And check out those aliens. Scary talented, that guy. - Ambush Bug
MYSTIQUE #13 - And so we bid a fond farewell to writer Brian Vaughan on the title. Sure, the "hot double agent babe" riff was cribbed unashamedly from ALIAS (with plenty of Bond influence as well), but where else were we going to go to see a mixture of superheroes and espionage? And with distinct, fun continuity ties to X-Men history no less? Vaughan's last story is a typically solid standalone that's essentially an extended chase through Rio De Janeiro in the middle of Carnival. Derivitive, but elevated through endearing craftsmanship. Can upcoming writer Sean McKeever do better? We'll see, but I kind of think that, derivative or not, this series was all Vaughan's baby. - Cormorant
PALEO #8 - I know this book's destined for low ratings as an indie title that most retailers are too timid to order, but given how many people profess to love dinosaurs, it sure as shit deserves a stronger following. Every issue is self-contained, and every issue features a beautifully illustrated tail of realistic dino-survival in the unforgiving world of the late Cretaceous. This one spotlights the life of a massive Alamosaurus (a hulking Southwestern sauropod) and the curious ecosystem of other dinosaurs whose lives form up around its day-to-day living. Wonderfully detailed art and good storytelling that resists any temptation to "Disnify" these very real animals. Recommended if you can find it, and order it if you can't! – Cormorant
GREEN LANTERN #176 - This was a pretty good issue, breaking the streak of more shitty GL issues in a row than I'd like to count. After Winnick and Raab's snore inducing runs, it's refreshing to see the guy who shook the foundations of Oa, Ron Marz, return to tell another tale of the Green Lantern. In this issue, Kyle Rayner returns from a year long adventure in space and finds that things have changed. And let me be the first to shout it loud. JADE IS A HO! Kyle goes out to protect the universe and when he comes back, Jade's mashing biscuits with some dude named Lucas. In Kyle's own apartment, nonetheless. And then, in true ho fashion, she has the nerve to get mad and blame Kyle for her ho-ness. Look up HO in the dictionary and there is Jade with her thumbs pointing at herself like some slutty, green Fonzie. I used to think that Bruce Wayne had it rough with the ladies, but Kyle Rayner is the official "Dude that never catches a break with the chicks." His first girlfriend ends up sliced into cutlets and stuffed in a refrigerator by Major Force. Kyle's break-up with Donna Troy was one of the best written "quiet issues" I've ever read. And now this. That ho. That slimy green ho. Jade's shown her true colors and they are red. Red light, that is. Damn, this issue got my blood boiling. Poor, poor Kyle. All it took was the return of the writer who created Kyle to make me care about this character again. Check out this book if you want to see GL done right. And it certainly has been a while since I could say that. - Ambush Bug
KISS KISS BANG BANG #4 - I think we can all be pretty certain the spy we love to hate, Charles Basildon, isn't as dead as he looked in the previous issue. Nevertheless, sparks fly nicely when his butch, Brit-chick, kung-fu wieldin' replacement signs on to partner with the recently brainwashed Stephanie Shelley. Always tawdry, always pleasantly cheesy, KISS KISS BANG BANG is the place to go for your slickly-produced '60s spy fix. - Cormorant
CATWOMAN #30 - I'm not one of those fair weather Brubaker fans ready to dismiss this book just because the art moved from animation-noir to Paul Gulacy's '70's-adventure realism, but this latest arc is pretty dull reading. Selena's ongoing angst is reminding me of Buffy's later season angst (you know, where it got tiring), and Zeiss is a forgettable villain wholly lacking in the flair of the best Gotham freaks. Not terrible by any means, but I'm ready for the next arc. - Cormorant
Welcome to
AMBUSH BUG'S "I READ IT SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO"
BOOK OF THE WEEK!
INCREDIBLE HULK #71 - Has Bruce Jones ever read a comic book? Seriously. Has he? I mean, you would think that if you were going to write a story guest starring Tony Stark, you might want to pick up an IRON MAN issue or two or talk to someone who has or run the story you wrote by someone who read IRON MAN once as a kid to see if the person in the story resembles the long standing character in the very least. In this issue, we get an appearance by Iron Man, but it is unlike any Iron Man you've ever seen. This Iron Man is the Hollywood version of Iron Man if Joel Schumacher was making an Iron Man film. If this is another ruse. Another red herring that Bruce Jones tosses out so often. I'd still be pissed because Jones' one note talents. Is it possible that moving this title over to the Marvel Knights imprint made this title worse than it already was? Yes. You literally can't follow one panel to the next in this issue.. The plot is ridiculous. No one is acting in character. Tony pulls a gun on Bruce Banner. That's right, the guy who swore never to make technology that kills pulls a gun. And somehow, Bruce can turn into the Hulk at will and retains his Banner brain. Did I miss an issue? When did this happen? Last I knew, Hulk was savage again. This book has been about clones, green-haired psychiatrists who (out of the blue) act like CIA agents, little velociraptors, Abomo-wives, conspiracies, and a Betty Banner that not even Thunderbolt Ross could recognize. It's been about everything and everyone but the Hulk. Bruce Jones has no business writing comics. He is up there with Austen and Zimmerman as the worst writers in the industry. He doesn't know comics. He doesn't care about the histories of the characters he is fucking up. And he's dragging poor artist, Mike Deodato Jr.'s good name through the mud by association. Next to anything Austen writes, the HULK is the worst comic Marvel produces. No, this guy is worse than Austen. Plain and simple. Avoid this comic at all costs.
TALES FROM THE CREVICE:
Books That Fell Through the Crack!
By Vroom Socko
I first came across the star of this week's Tale during that period when being a fan of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was, to say the least, a strange experience. I'd be talking about them with my schoolmates, and while we were all on the same page when it came to the Turtles and Shredder, the look on my face when I heard names like Bebop and Rocksteady was probably the same one I saw whenever I brought up Triceratons and T.C.R.I. During this time, I got my hands on the newest Turtles action figure; a rabbit decked out in samurai armor with his ears tied in a topknot. This was no TMNT character; this was the main character of the book that just hit issue #75, USAGI YOJIMBO.
Really though, to say this was the 75th issue is a bit inaccurate. Sure, Dark Horse has published 75 issues, plus a color special. But there were also sixteen issues published at Mirage, plus another thirty-eight at Fantagraphics. That's 130 issues, not including the dozens of anthology appearances, all written and drawn by one man, Stan Sakai. That's one hell of a body of work, and I don't doubt that when all is said and done, Sakai will have given us a run that rivals even CEREBUS.
The title USAGI YOJIMBO, along with the character Miyamoto Usagi, has its origin in the mid-80's independent explosion, when it seemed like half the black & white comics on the market starred anthropomorphic animals, and half of them were Asian themed in some way. There was the aforementioned Turtles, my beloved Black Belt Hamsters, Samurai Penguin, Samurai Squirrel… the list goes on and on. Most of these were one note gag books, but USAGI YOJIMBO has stood out, and stood the test of time, because it's built on more than just a gimmick. This book is a series of classic comic book adventures mixed with Japanese mythology and culture, essentially Goseki Kojima meets Carl Barks.
The star of the book, Usagi, is a wandering ronin on the path of the bushido. He is a bit reckless, and he has a habit of standing up to bullies and tyrants, but at his core he is a man of grace and honor. Yes, I said man, not rabbit. After years of reading his adventures, I barely notice that he's a rabbit any more. The "animals" in these books are so fleshed out, so true to life that they become more real than most human looking comics characters.
This is a series that hits every high and low there is. There are installments that are straight up comedy, such as "A Quiet Meal," where Usagi is being pestered at an inn, until, with one sword stroke, he kills all of the flies that are buzzing around the bar. There's also "Zylla," where our hero meets a strange lizard that may or may not be a god. There is also tragedy, like the story "A Mother's Love," which is quite simply heartbreaking. So is "Gen," a story of honor and loss, where we learn the history of one of Usagi's longtime friends. Sometimes these beats can occur in the same story, or even the same panel. "The Shrouded Moon," for example, is a story of suspense and intrigue, but right in the middle there's an absolutely hilarious reference to an iconic moment from BATMAN that somehow doesn't break the flow of the story in the slightest.
Then there's the amazing cast of characters that inhabit these stories. Besides the abovementioned Gen, a Mifune-esque rhino of a bounty hunter, there's Zato-Ino the blind swordspig, the assassin Lone Goat and Kid, a vile instrument of the gods known as Jei, Columbo-like detective Inspector Ishida, and the warrior turned monk Sanshobo. This list of names could go on into the night, since Usagi makes both friends and enemies wherever he goes. You also never know just when a character is going to be a pivotal one. Sanshobo, for example, was only in four panels when he first appeared, but went on to become a major player in several arcs.
But the big draw for me is the epic nature of the storytelling, particularly the more memorable arcs. Of these The Dragon Bellow Conspiracy is one of the best, featuring nearly every character introduced at that point in one of the most vicious and thrilling battles I've ever seen in comics. There's a moment with Gen that's blood chilling, and an awe inspiring duel between Usagi and a rival samurai that's ten times as exiting as any action comic currently being released.
USAGI YOJIMBO is a must read book, a classic in every sense of the world. Stan Sakai is a quintessential storyteller, one of the few people I would consider as a true master of the comics form. I just hope we'll be lucky enough to get another 75 issues, or more. And that Usagi action figure? It's standing on my bookshelf now, next to all my UY trades; a reminder of my first meeting with this amazing character, one who's more than just a funny animal with a sword.
