| #28 | 11/30/05 | #4 |
(Click title to go directly to the review)
NEW AVENGERS #13
BATMAN #647
THE 13TH SON #2
ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #646
INCREDIBLE HULK #89
CHEAP SHOTS!
NEW AVENGERS #13
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Pencils: David Finch
Inks: Danny Miki
Publisher: Marvel
Reviewer: Ambush Bug
I can already hear the groans. “Here we go again…Ambush Bug reviews another Bendis book.” But before you pass judgment, hear me out.
I’ve been following and been mildly entertained by Bendis’ NEW AVENGERS from issue one. It’s certainly not the Avengers I grew up with. It’s not necessarily a great team book. The art is amazing, but I was never one of those guys to follow a book solely on looks alone. Still, I keep reading every issue. Over-emphasis on tertiary characters like Spider-Woman, Sentry, Cage, and now Ronin, and under-emphasis on those who should be stars in the book, Captain America and Iron Man, plus the addition of members who should never be in a book like this in the first place such as Wolverine and Spider-Man, have all been factors in my dislike for this title, but my love for team books keeps me coming back for more. I guess the simple fact is I love watching these characters interact with each other. And maybe that’s the problem here.
I’m not sure where it started. Maybe it was the annual baseball game between the Avengers and the X-Men or the Thing’s poker games where heroes of different corners of the Marvel U gathered and lost their shirts or maybe it was the old JSA/JLA team-ups over at DC that started it all. I don’t know. But somewhere along the line, the powers that be at Marvel and DC realized that the readers liked to see the characters on their down-time just as much as they enjoyed watching them face cosmic menaces, whupping super-villain glute, and defending humanity. I have to admit, I love these quiet moments too. Seeing characters interact with one another on a more common basis (that is, not beating the snot out of each other) was a trite way of making them seem more three-dimensional. These small moments fleshed out the characters and offered a view into an aspect of their lives that was often not seen. But that was a long time ago and in true American fashion, if something is popular, it is inevitably amplified and shoved in our faces with more and more frequency.
Enter one Brian Michael Bendis.
Although I am not Bendis’ biggest fan, some may be surprised to hear that he is not my least favorite writer in comics either. All of my criticisms (the over-speak, the trade-pacing, the plot pointlessness, the big build-up and all-encompassing letdown, the disregard for any Marvel history other than his own) still stand and continue to be evident in NEW AVENGERS. But aside from all of my criticisms of Bendis, I can’t help but understand the guy and where he comes from. You see, Bendis seems to live for the little moments. The cool interactions. The downtime babblings. The stuff the glues together the big events that happen in these heroes’ lives. Think of a memorable Bendis moment and I’ll bet it occurs in conversation or happens as a result of the bypassing of action. Like many writers, Bendis seems to be an observer. Someone off to the side, passively listening, and taking notes. This is an ok role for the writer to take because in order to write, you must witness some type of experiences and must be paying attention while doing so.
The problem is that writing a comic book contradicts this type of passive mentality the writer (in this case, Bendis) often exhibits. Comic books are a visual, dynamic medium, utilizing art and words to tell fantastic tales of action, morality, humanity, and heroism. Heroic comics often show life in vivid, bold strokes. In a novel, the writer doesn’t have the advantage of visuals and must elaborate on the minute details, slowing the pace down in order to flesh out the scene and make it meaningful and effective. In comics, that can be told in a well placed establishing panel shot. Unfortunately, Bendis thinks like a novelist, not a comics writer, and this is his biggest flaw.
At its core, NEW AVENGERS is one big “glue between the big events” book. The focus of the book is not the action or the conflict or the heroism. The focus is on the downtime. The smart-assery between punches. The witty banter between teammates. Take issue #13, for example. Last issue ended with a standoff between the Avengers and the Silver Samurai and the Hand. This issue begins with said standoff, which leads to a few pages of conversation between the two parties. Then in one panel (well actually, two and a splash page), Iron Man lets off a concussion blast, knocking out the entire Hand army and ending any possibility of seeing the Avengers in action as a team. Commence back-and-forthing for a few more pages. Tiny bit of intrigue between Spider-Woman and Lady Viper. Then it’s back to the forth and backing. Finally, the big Ronin identity reveal (yawn). And end of story. Most memorable moment of the issue? Iron Man wipes out the Hand? No. Spider-Woman swoops down to save Cap? No. Ronin is revealed to be…ugh. Nope. Had to be the textured interaction between Silver Samurai and Luke Cage where the Samurai throws Cage’s quick accusatory tone back in his face by pointing out that he too was once a criminal. I kind of liked that moment.
I’ve heard the argument, “Everyone has seen Cap throw his shield, everyone has seen Hawkeye shoot an arrow, everyone has seen the Hulk smash, so why do it again?”, and I cringe. True, it’s been done before, but the writer’s job is to make every one of those moments interesting. And if you can’t do that and have to avoid all of these actions in order to tell your story, well…then…maybe you shouldn’t be telling these types of stories.
And that’s what I see Bendis doing time and time again in not only this series, but in many of his other superhero books. Instead, Bendis does what every writing instructor always tells his or her students: write what you know. Too bad that means avoid action at all costs and focus on the little stuff. I think that tells us an awful lot about Bendis as a person. It doesn’t make him a bad person, just a person that doesn’t know how to separate the passive role of the observer from the active role of the characters of the story. A writer of comics (or any medium, for that matter) should be able to do this. I don’t see that happening in NEW AVENGERS.
But I still keep buying NEW AVENGERS. Why? Well, as I stated above, I love those in-between moments. The quiets between storms. The glue between big budget blowouts. And that’s what NEW AVENGERS is all about. It may not focus on the action. But it’s got character (albeit character through the lens of Bendis) and some of the biggest names in the Marvel Universe. I just wish Bendis would have them actually do something.
BATMAN #647
Writer: Judd Winick
Penciler: Doug Mahnke
Publisher: DC Comics
Reviewed by Humphrey Lee
There are three main things that came to my attention while going through this book. First and foremost, JOCK is one hell of a cover artist. Every time I see one of his covers they just seem to ooze style. Second, if Judd Winick has done anything well on his current run of this book, it’s issues like this where the main focus is an action bonanza and the good old Dark Knight has to think on his feet and whip up something special to win the fight. And third, Doug Mahnke is a perfect fit on art chores for the same kinds of issues and has great dynamic when it comes to these kinds of throw downs.
As alluded to above, this book is pretty much all action. The simple gist is that Black Mask has finally had enough of the new Red Hood's meddling in his affairs and pretty much running all over his life as Gotham's leading Crime Lord. In order to eliminate this new threat, he calls upon a favor from the DCU's Secret Society (come on, like you thought we were going to get through a DC comic with even a minute tie in to Crisis) in order to try and finally take down the bastard for good. This help comes along in the form of three C-class or so level villains; Count Vertigo, Captain Nazi, and former Firestorm menace Hyena (all of whom were probably seen in some random issue of VILLAINS UNITED). As the Hood fights for his life against these three third stringers, Batman has no choice but to intercede and help out his formerly deceased sidekick before things get really ugly. And that's where the good times begin.
Again, this is just a fun issue. From some pretty humorous back and forth dialogue between Black Mask and Deathstroke at the beginning of the book, to the fight itself that runs half this issue, it's just an enjoyable ride. Nothing mind-blowing, but it brings a smile to your face. The fight between the Hood and Bat against the benchwarmers from the Society is very kinetic. Winick actually brings in these lower tier villains for a reason because of the way their powers benefit each other, which is a nice touch, and it makes it all the more enjoyable as we get to watch Batman do what he does so well and figure out just how to overcome all the advantages these guys have. And obviously, forcing the returned Jason Todd and Batman to work together is a nice way to trigger some minor nostalgia in some, or to kinda give a bit more of an emotional twinge to the circumstances surrounding this title and Jason's return.
Between the writing and art I really don't have much to nitpick about this issue at all. As much fun as this was, I would really like things to pick up a bit and maybe get some resolution as to the circumstances around Jason Todd's return, and maybe get some background as to what he's been doing these past years since his "resurrection." Hopefully we'll get to this soon, but I'll take what we get here and enjoy it for the time being.
THE 13TH SON #2
Writer/Artist: Kelley Jones
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Reviewer: Sleazy G
I still remember the first place I ever came across the art of Kelley Jones. It was back when DC turned ACTION COMICS into a weekly 48-page title that told a few different continuing stories, and Kelley did an eight-part Deadman story. I’d never seen Deadman before, and was immediately wowed. His work was unlike anything I’d seen in comics before, and his bizarre, disjointed style blew me away. I met him a few years later and told him so, and he said he was actually unhappy with his work there because it was so rushed. It’s easy to be critical of oneself, of course, and I can understand why he felt that way, but it didn’t color my opinion at all. I know that was a pivotal project for him in the minds of fans like me, editors over at DC/Vertigo, and for fans-to-become-editors like Dark Horse’s Scott Allie. Since then I’ve followed Jones from project to project, including work on SANDMAN, his creator-owned THE HAMMER, a ZOMBIEWORLD one-shot, and all the way up to his newest creator-owned project, THE 13TH SON. What keeps me coming back again and again, be it a Big Two project or his own concept, is that he is one of the most uniquely creepy creators working today.
Kelley Jones’ love of the grotesque is his work’s biggest selling point. There are some artists who spawn imitators or who inspire others to work in a similar fashion, but I’ve never seen anyone who comes even close to what Jones has developed over the last two decades. He certainly has his share of detractors—there are those who find the proportions ludicrous, or take issue with the lopsided camera angles used, or think his work is too heavily lined, or that it’s too lumpy, or find something else to nitpick about. These detractors are entitled to their opinions. They are also idiots. There is an energy and vibrancy to Kelley’s work that grabs me every time I read an issue of his work. Huge, muscly warriors lost out of time, monsters clawing their way out of others’ guts, zombies gnawing on peoples’ brainpans, impossibly curvy women who should be condemned due to structural issues—this stuff is all visually arresting and vastly entertaining.
Jones is an entertaining writer, as well. This far into his career he’s clearly got a favorite subject matter, but he is forever honing his skills when dealing with that subject. THE 13TH SON is another creator-owned project that allows him to have fun working in a genre he clearly loves. It’s a fairly straightforward concept so far: a journalist is writing a book based on tales of something called “The 13th Son”, apparently a legendary creature like the wendigo or the werewolf. Except, of course, that he likes to go around killing those creatures for reasons yet to be revealed. It’s pretty clear, though, that it isn’t because he’s a “good guy”, so to speak—he’s butchering the creatures for his own reasons, not to save anyone, and his intentions may be just as foul as theirs.
In the second issue of this series, we get a little more background on The 13th Son, including his origin and a little time spent with his mother, a witch who’s been alive for over 300 years (which gives us a rough idea of how old No. 13 himself is). Like most kids, Sonny still wishes mom would just leave him alone to live his life as he sees fit, and like most moms, she can’t help meddling…which in this case involves calling up a wendigo to eat her kid and brings us to the centerpiece fight of the issue. This guy does hulking behemoths like nobody’s business, and he’s got a real knack for viscera, so there’s plenty of fun to be had. Like with his previous Dark Horse mini, THE HAMMER, there’s plenty to look at, and like that series, we have no real reason to trust the protagonist, both of which are major selling points. If there’s any one criticism I have of THE 13TH SON, it’s that it’s missing a little bit of Jones’ usual black humor. If he’s just keeping it in check, or if he wanted to tell a more serious story, that’s cool too, but I hope we see at least of the odd moments he usually uses to lighten the grim proceedings up a bit. Other than that, though, this is another fun horror-action romp from a creator who stands in good company at Dark Horse along with the likes of Mike Mignola and Guy Davis, among others. If you’re not a Kelly Jones fan, this isn’t a book that’s suddenly going to change your mind. If you’ve ever enjoyed his art or writing, though, or if you’re looking to try something a little different, give the first two issues of this four-part mini a shot. I considered passing on the series, and now I’m really glad I didn’t.
ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #646
Writer: Greg Rucka
Penciler: Karl Kerschl
Publisher: DC Comics
Reviewed by Humphrey Lee
This is the issue that Mr. Rucka's entire run on this book has been leading up to. We finally get some revelations that have been long, long, long (did I mention long?) withheld from the reader for almost two years now as they've been dragged out and/or interrupted by countless tie-ins and crossover plot threads. Who is Ruin? Who shot Lois? What exactly has been happening with Mxyzptlk and so on and so forth are what we finally get here. And are these answers worth the wait? Eh, not really.
I'll say this right now, the book is well written as always. The circumstances surrounding Mxy's "depowering" I guess is the term and his interaction with Supes as he struggles to remember what's going on and deal with what essentially are his final hours are actually very touching. But the answer to "Who is Ruin?" left me just shrugging my shoulders and saying "meh." It's just flat. One, it's been done before with the same character. Two, it really doesn't impact anything major in the life of Superman as it would have if it did end up being a Pete Ross, or hell, a Lana Lang even. Instead we just lose another secondary supporting character who is rarely even used anymore, and again, it’s been done before. Say what you will about this week's Ronin reveal in New Avengers, but at least the hype surrounding that can be used to give that character exposure and maybe boost their popularity with fans (okay, probably not, but the potential is still there). This just essentially takes one of the more interesting new villains I've seen in a long while, and makes him feel like nothing but a rehash.
And the reveal as to who shot Lois has pretty much become painfully obvious over the past few months given all the tie-ins this book has had with THE OMAC PROJECT, and now that it's finally in the open, again, it's just "meh." All it does really is push Maxwell Lord's and Checkmate's influence down our throats a little more, and quite frankly, makes Lois look like a bitch. The more I read of the character these days, the more I wonder how Superman stops himself from turning her into a smear at the dinner table for being such a mouthy wench.
So there you go. Out of all the dangling plot threads, the only one I feel was done justice was a very touching bunch of moments with Mxyptlk. I really hope and doubt this is the last we'll see of the character, but even if it is "permanent," it was a very good way of doing so. I just hope Ruin can be redeemed as a creative and original villain, but I don't think there's any way to save him from mediocrity at this point without having him start offing some major everyday characters in Supes’ life.
INCREDIBLE HULK #89
Writer: Daniel Way
Artist: Keu Cha
Publisher: Marvel
Reviewer: Ambush Bug
Who is this Daniel Way and why is he writing every other title at Marvel these days? The last time I saw this type of single-writer blitzkrieg was when Quesada touted Chuck Austen as the second coming of the Fonz, and we all know how that brilliant move turned out. You’d think that the powers that pee at Marvel would be a little hesitant before throwing a virtual unknown writer onto so many titles again. And yet Daniel Way is writing NIGHTHAWK, PUNISHER VS BULLSEYE, WOLVERINE, and the subject of this review, INCREDIBLE HULK.
I guess I’m coming into this review a little bit leery. You see, to me, there is no other writer than can write the Hulk better than Peter David. I was brought up during David’s first monumental stint on the title. I watched the Hulk twisted and turned in all possible adventurous and psychological directions. From Mr. Fixit to the Hulkbusters to the Pantheon to Rick and Marlo’s wedding to Future Imperfect, I was in awe of how many different directions David could take the Hulk and make it work. He proved that the Hulk was a true icon, able to fit into almost every story. It’s going to take someone pretty special to come along and replace David as the quintessential Hulk writer.
Which brings me to Daniel Way. I have yet to read an entire Daniel Way story. So far, I was impressed with his first few issues of NIGHTHAWK and disappointed with the first issues of PUNISHER VS BULLSEYE and WOLVERINE. But these series aren’t over with and one issue does not a stinker or winner make.
Last issue was pure set-up. Way isn’t bad with the set-up (Humphrey Lee mentions this later on in the column with his WOLVERINE cheapie). He peppered in enough action and hanging cliffs but left out enough information to keep this reader interested. My problem with this issue? More set-up. Basically, last issue was set-up for this issue. One could see this as a way to keep the reader wanting more, but by issue two, we should be privy to what’s going on and that ain’t happened yet. So I’m left with that uneasy “I don’t know how the hell I feel about all of this” feeling that I often get when I read he first few issues of a Marvel book.
The premise (from what I gather from two issues of set-up) is that Nick Fury needs the Hulk for a mission in space. Seems a spy satellite has gone sentient and plans to detonate all of the nuclear missiles on earth in their silos. Fury wants Hulk to go up in space and smash it.
The problem is that the reason is never made clear why the Hulk, out of all of the more manageable heroes in the Marvel Universe, has been chosen for this mission in the first place. Maybe this is a plot point for later. Maybe SHIELD is trying to get rid of the Hulk and finally found a way to do it in space. Maybe they didn’t know the Hulk has Banner’s smarts these days and that the “dumb” Hulk wouldn’t notice that it was a SHIELD satellite and not Hydra’s he was bashing to bits. Or maybe this was just a lame way of getting the Hulk into space. Hell, I don’t know. And if you’re looking for answers, don’t look to this issue.
But I’m not giving this book an unfavorable review. Daniel Way is fresh out of the womb to me. I don’t know if his endings are letdowns or homeruns. I don’t know if his stories drag on forever, end abruptly, or take me to places I never imagined. I guess I’ll stick around to see. For shits and giggles, you know? Hulk in space. Damn cool potential there. Way must have impressed someone at Marvel to get all of these books so quickly. I just hope I don’t end up regretting hitching a ride on this one.
Obligatory mention of the artist so as not to piss of those in the TBs who say we don’t pay attention to art. Keu Cha shows potential. He knows how to make a panel dynamic. His “camera” is not stationary and ground level all of the time, which is refreshing. He does have some kinks to work out with his consistency from panel to panel. Cha’s faces are especially problematic at times. They often look disproportionate. Another problem I have is the fact that the characters don’t really “look” the way they have been depicted in the past. Differences in artistic style aside, when you see iconic characters like Peter Parker or Nick Fury or even Bruce Banner and the Hulk, the tradition at Marvel has always been to keep these characters looking relatively the same. Cha doesn’t really do this in his renditions of Fury and Banner. Fury especially doesn’t look like himself with his slicked back, receding hairline and low brow. Cha also needs to pay a bit more attention to the backgrounds. There are way too many characters floating in colored voids in this issue. But when Cha pays attention to the background, the composition of the panel shows great potential. Nitpicks, I know, but stuff I noticed. All in all, a decent looking issue, with room for improvement.
LOVELESS #2
Here's my little follow-up to my review of the first issue of LOVELESS: it's definitely building up to somewhere, but the pacing is definitely more suited to (surprise) buying for the trade. This issue gives us a glimpse into what exactly turned Wes Cutter into the man he is today. Apparently, Wes Cutter used to be a man who wanted nothing more than to take a bride and settle down. But the war, and a bit of something else on the side, made him and his wife a very deadly and dangerous pair instead. We also get some more insight into a moment involving a black Union soldier from last issue that I thought was just a throwaway, but is looking to make its way into a bigger plot thread than I expected. I can feel it all moving into something big, but there's just no way in hell to predict exactly what Azzarello has in store for us down the road. All I know is that the writing is there, the art is there for the most part (see my little nitpicks I had with it in my review of the first issue ) and the story is something that we’re getting in teensy, tiny little pieces that makes for an engaging monthly read, but one that will probably read a whole lot better in one sitting (what else would you expect from the writer of 100 BULLETS though?). - Humphrey
GØDLAND #5
What is IBOGA? I still don't know, but it sounds "cosmic" and Kirby-esque, and it somehow flashes through Adam Archer's brain when he is in desperate need of some deus ex machina. Such an interesting setup here with the super-powered Archer and his three non-powered sisters. This issue sees Archer and his sister, Neela, team up to try and save the popular Crashman from the evil clutches of the uber-sadistic Discordia. Once again, Tom Scioli's Kirby-style art proves the perfect choice for Joe Casey's melodramatic cosmic adventure. Even though the dialogue is littered with mild expletives that are jarring simply because of the retro artwork that accompanies it, the character development has been well-done throughout these first five issues. With thought-balloons and entertaining letters pages, GØDLAND always jumps right to the top of my stack for required reading. - Prof. Challenger
ZOMBIE TALES: DEATH VALLEY #1
RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD is to NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD as ZOMBIE TALES: DEATH VALLEY is to THE WALKING DEAD. While both of the latter are serious looks at the destruction of humanity set in a post-apocalyptic zombie infested world, their counterparts offer a fresh and hip take on the zombie genre. Seen through the eyes of a group of teenagers, ZOMBIE TALES: DEATH VALLEY offers a fun zombie experience. All of the clichéd teenage stereotypes are here: trendy outcasts, dumb jocks, pretty boys, and mindless cheerleaders. But story conceptuoso Andrew Cosby and writer Johanna Stokes seem to firmly grasp the potential of these stereotypical personalities and manipulate them in an entertaining fashion through the discovery of the zombie menace to full on acceptance that they may be the last living people on earth. This book is a fun romp drawn with cartoon quirkiness by Rhoald Marcellus. - Bug
WOLVERINE #36
Setup, setup, setup. All setup. Wolverine has his memory back, and the shit is going to hit the fan. That's pretty much what we get here. Now, obviously, setup isn't a horrible thing, but that's what this is. The issue is dedicated to Logan apparently not being happy, and putting himself in a certain spot in order to accomplish something we have no clue as to yet. And also, it's to remind the world that he knows his past now, and that, according to Dum Dum Dugan of SHIELD, is a very bad thing. There's some general badassery here and some very solid art and writing, but we won't really have an idea what is going on in Logan's mind until next issue (I hope anyway). - Humphrey
DOOM PATROL #18
Oh come on. Byrne started this series out with a whimper and goes out spewing gas. Not only that, he's once again found an opportunity to draw an underage girl naked. It wouldn't really be an issue to me considering that the scenes of her all naked are supposed to be "in the hidden corridors of her mind" except that everyone ELSE who showed up "in the hidden corridors of [their] mind" is all fully clothed. Does that make any kind of sense? You know, I gave a favorable review to that one issue I picked up where Robotman was time-jumping around. That was pretty good. This perfunctory "final" issue has two things going for it: (1) Metamorpho (instead of that stupid rip-off version in OUTSIDERS), and (2) the 4 core members of the DOOM PATROL are left looking more similar to their "classic" versions than the "modern" looks that Byrne saddled them with at the start of this series. So, by the final full-pager, if you photoshop out that unquantifiably lame four-armed ape and the idiotically-named "Nudge", then we are left with a nice Byrne pinup of the original Doom Patrol. Which leaves me wondering what the point of this "reboot" was in the first place if Byrne was going to end the series with Robotman back in a body that looks just like the "original", Neg-man with the face on top of bandages look, and Chief back rolling around in a wheelchair? It tells ME that all the criticism over the reboot was justified since it appears his ultimate goal was to put the Patrol back in classic mode anyway. Should've just taken the Patrol as it stood 18 months ago in continuity and used the first story arc to return the core members to classic form. Then there would've been no bitchin' and the series wouldn't have been a huge waste of paper. - Prof. Challenger
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #525 VARIANT EDITION
GOD DAMMIT!!!!! Quote verbatim after I realized I picked up this issue of AMAZING SPIDER-MAN only to find out that it is a “variant edition” of the same comic that I bought a month ago. Click on that cover image. That’s what Marvel thinks of you, me, all of us suckers, who rush through the store and trust that a different cover released weeks after the book’s last issue means that it is the next issue. You got me, Marvel, you swarthy pieces of lemur dung. You got me. I hope you’re proud of yourselves. I guess I should take this opportunity to say how awful this Spidey “Evolve or Die” storyline is, but I’m too damn steamed that my wallet was once again prison raped by the so called House of Ideas. - Bug
