| #49 | 4/5/06 | #4 |
(Click title to go directly to the review)
THE OMAC PROJECT: INFINITE CRISIS SPECIAL #1
ANNIHILATION: SILVER SURFER #1
CRISIS AFTERMATH: THE BATTLE FOR BLUDHAVEN #1
MOON KNIGHT #1
DETECTIVE COMICS #818
Big Eyes for the Cape Guy presents GOLGO 13 V.1
Big Eyes for the Cape Guy presents LIFE V.1
Indie Jones presents BIG MAX #1
Indie Jones presents…
Indie Jones presents a few Indies from the San Fransisco Alternative Press Expo
CHEAP SHOTS!
THE OMAC PROJECT: INFINITE CRISIS SPECIAL #1
Writer: Greg Rucka
Art: Jesus Saiz
Publisher: DC Comics
Reviewer: Ambush Bug
Out of all of the miniseires leading up to INFINITE CRISIS, I have flipped flopped the most with THE OMAC PROJECT. It was one of those series that had some interesting moments, but it just didn’t live up to its potential for me. I couldn’t help but think that this story was unnecessary as a miniseries and more fitting to take place in one of the Batman books. I understand Batman was busy with all of that Red Hood business, but I always thought that the issue that Batman was so paranoid that he designed a satellite to monitor all superhero activity and neutralize it, if needed, seemed to be a bigger, more interesting story than the tale of a resurrected sidekick. To top it all off, it seemed like a redundant plot because Batman practically did the same thing in a JLA arc a few years ago when he made files on how to take down the Justice League if he had to. But in this miniseries, Rucka did a great job with juggling characters like Booster Gold, Fire, Sasha Bordeaux, and the like despite Batman’s role only as supporting player. I also loathed what Rucka did with Sasha Bordeaux. Having read Rucka’s run on DETECTIVE featuring Sasha acting as Bruce Wayne’s bodyguard, I found it disheartening that such a rich character was reduced to being a fembot spy and member of an uninspired DC version of the Hellfire Club meets SHIELD. I loved the conflict Rucka added to Sasha’s character in ‘TEC as she struggled with her duty to protect Wayne and her desire for adventure with Batman. In THE OMAC PROJECT, I didn’t really see any of these aspects in Sasha’s character. She seemed to merely be acting as Batman’s agent, searching for the truth behind the OMAC business, soulless and uninteresting.
But now that most of INFINITE CRISIS is over and we’re dealing with its aftermath in One Year Later and 52, Rucka returns to OMAC with this special and I found this issue to be a pretty darn good read. Sasha Bordeaux is once again the focus of this issue and looks to be the star of the new CHECKMATE series which springs from the events that happen here. Sasha’s robotic aspects are taken care of in this issue and she’s handled pretty well as a character. She’s determined, strong, and resourceful. I haven’t read a lot of Rucka’s non-superhero stuff, but I hear he always has strong female protagonists. I’m glad Sasha didn’t fade into the back bins when she left DETECTIVE COMICS and this issue intrigues me as to where Rucka will take her in CHECKMATE.
But the highlight of this issue for me is that the book is a testament to Rucka’s power with the written word. Rucka really makes the feelings and sensations palpable in this book. Read this passage as Sasha feels Brother Eye trying to control her.
I’m halfway down the hall to the safehouse when I hear the machine calling to me.That’s strong wordplay. And there’s more of that throughout this issue as Sasha fights Brother Eye’s influence in order to regain her humanity. This is very much Sasha’s story, setting her up to be a major player in DCU’s future.
I’ve heard it before…
the buzzsaw whine of its almost voice sends me reeling.
I’ve heard it before, that’s not what scares me.
What scared me is that this time…
I hear myself answer it.
The art is equally strong in this issue. Jesus Saiz has a clean style, with a raw touch for his action sequences, all the while delicately handling his female leads. This is a type of versatility that not too many artists have. Saiz’s females aren’t out of proportion, they’re realistic and grounded. His action scenes flow in a consistent and clear fashion.
As I read through this issue, I was instantly taken back to Ostrander’s SUICIDE SQUAD series. Much like JLI, SUICIDE SQUAD was one of the series that made me fall in love with the DCU. With the inclusion of Amanda Waller and Fire, this OMAC PROJECT SPECIAL and the upcoming CHECKMATE series seem to hearken back to a time when I way first becoming a DC-head. As long as Rucka’s writing continues on such a superior level, I’m on board for the upcoming series and fully recommend this OMAC PROJECT SPECIAL.
ANNIHILATION: SILVER SURFER #1
Writer: Keith Giffen
Penciler: Renato Arlem
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Reviewed by Humphrey Lee
There's one main reason I liked this book, and it's really very damned simple: The Surfer actually gets pissed and decides to become proactive in something for once!!
The Annihilation Wave is in full effect and it comes to the Surfer full force. Agents of Annihilus are out on the hunt for the Surfer and all the other former Heralds of Galactus as we actually see the re-emergence of good old Gabriel Air Walker, found by the Surfer locked in combat with these acolytes. And while I'm not exactly the biggest fan of this little section of the Marvel Universe, I did follow along with it a lot back in the days when I first started reading comics. That sort of "almost-intimate" knowledge of these characters is probably what made this issue an overall enjoyable read for me. Seeing Air Walker again was actually a bit of a shock as I wasn't sure anyone at Marvel remembered that he existed. At the same time it also made his unfortunate demise a little more potent. This actual event was handled pretty well from a storytelling perspective so that I'm sure even readers that have no clue as to who he is at least felt a little bit of that "awwww" feeling, but seeing him in his last hurrah kinda takes me back, y'know?
But despite my overall positive feelings towards this book in question, there are some rough patches. There are some very well-written bits like Gabriel's aforementioned swan song, a good old-fashioned cosmic slugfest, and the scenes at the end that start to urge the Surfer to action. On the other hand though there's some heavy and somewhat boring exposition at the beginning between Ravenous (one of Annihilus' commanders) and the two former Heralds, and there's an interlude with Thanos halfway through the book that is somewhat confusing, and mildly annoying as well, though it seems to serve a higher purpose for later as the story progresses. Overall though, I don't think these detracted from the parts of this book that were genuinely very good. And speaking of which...
I don't know who Renato Arlem is, but I'm already a big fan. If there's one huge positive I would use to push this book, it would be his art. Very reminiscent of one Alex Maleev I would say, it's just an impressive sight. Lots of detail in the backgrounds, very streamlined and yet unique looking character designs, and a great command of emotion in the facial expressions and body language of the figures he's depicting. This is the kind of stuff I could use more of. Though one thing I would give over the artist I use to compare this to (who is by no means bad at his trade) is that his figures are a lot less "statuesque" when it comes to fighting scenes, giving it much more oomph in that regard. I'm anxious to buy the rest of this mini to see more of this art alone. Plus those Gabrielle Dell'otto covers ain't to shabby either.
But there you go. This is a decent chapter in setting the stage for this giant cosmic "event" I would say, but I'm not sure if you can get the full effect of this book without being exposed to this part of the Marvel Universe before. This part of the story is in essence straightforward enough, but if you don't know these characters you might not care. That pretty much seems to be the rub for this entire series actually, as it really is dealing with a pretty lowbeat part of the MU. But I think this issue was worth it, if just to see the Surfer do more than float around on his board and lord over events like a glorified Watcher. So I say give it a shot. You never know. If you're not acclimated to these guys this might interest you enough to go out and learn more about them. And if it doesn't accomplish that, well at least you have some pretty pictures to look at.
CRISIS AFTERMATH: THE BATTLE FOR BLUDHAVEN #1
Writers: Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti
Artists: Dan Jurgens and Jimmy Palmiotti
Publisher: DC Comics
Reviewer: Sleazy G
I was one of the many people surprised to see the destruction of Bludhaven get relatively short shrift in the pages of INFINITE CRISIS. After all, you’d think the destruction of an entire city caused by dropping a brain-dead schlub of a giant radioactive balloon-man villain would deserve a little more attention. Hearing the story was wrapped up so quickly and easily in the pages of a Superman title didn’t restore much faith. Still, when I heard this new miniseries was supposed to fill in a lot of the blanks and saw who the creative team was I thought it might be worth checking out, since the fallout from the Chemo event had some potential for interesting storylines.
The basic idea is this: the Teen Titans jumped into the disaster area to try and help civilians trapped in the city, but are told to get the hell out by a new band of government-sanctioned operatives called Freedom’s Ring. A year later, the refugees of the disaster are still forced to live outside city limits with no homes or belongings, no jobs, and very little assistance for housing, food or water. They’re struggling, they’re angry, and things are heating up. We meet a civilian who was caught in the blast, but instead of being killed or disfigured he’s somehow picked up a few new abilities, like being able to create flames from his hands and the whole “leaping great heights” thing. Apparently he’s not the only one to have undergone changes, though, since we also hear tell of a scientist who’s in stasis to prevent him from blowing up on a regular basis…
Meanwhile, inside the city limits the government is guarding something odd: a fetus floating in that tank Luke was in at the beginning of “Empire Strikes Back”. It’s apparently non-terrestrial and part-organic, part machine (although decidedly not technorganic, so to speak). Naturally, everybody wants to get their hands on the li’l tadpole, so we’ve got roving bands of baddies popping in periodically. Freedom’s Ring has been defending the government’s agents and scientists, not to mention their find, while there’s a third group of unknown intent running around as well, liberating the “test subjects”—the people who have manifested abilities as a result of the attack by Chemo.
It’s pretty clear what’s going on here: we’re looking at a way to rebuild the Freedom Fighters after they were decimated in INFINITE CRISIS #1. Father Time, this new Firebrand kid, a new Human Bomb…and that’s just issue one. I’m cool with that, and I definitely want to see more of these new characters. Still, all the new characters are part of the story’s weakness as well. Other than the aforementioned Titans appearance, it’s nice to see Monolith and his pals Tilt and Alice pitching in to help the needy in this issue, but that’s pretty much it for familiar faces. We encounter so many characters--eight in Freedom’s Ring, six in the Nuclear Legion, six in the Atomic Knights, plus at least another handful beyond those teams—that it’s hard to care about any of them. Just as I was starting to get interested in the Ring, for example, they end up…well…worse off than they started, to say the least. There’s so much jumping around and so many characters to track that I didn’t really feel invested in any of it.
Don’t get me wrong, Gray and Palmiotti do a solid job with the dialogue, and you can’t accuse the book of lingering longer than necessary on any one scene. They keep things humming along, jumping from scene to scene and advancing the plot pretty quickly. Jurgens and Palmiotti’s art is solid, too, and I really dug the character designs on Firebrand and Freedom’s Ring in particular. Overall, it’s a decent read with a lot of potential. I just hope that future issues will slow down a little and give us a chance to get to know some of these characters a little better; otherwise they won’t make much of an impression and could end up lost in the shuffle OYL.
MOON KNIGHT #1
Writer: Charlie Huston
Pencils: David Finch
Inks: Danny Miki
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Reviewer: Ambush Bug
I read an issue like MOON KNIGHT #1 and I’m torn. The thing is, this isn’t a bad comic, but it features some things that really annoy me that have become the norm in today’s books. Because I’m a fan, I can sit back and enjoy it for what it is, easily ignoring the parts that bother me. But as a comic reviewer, I have to point these things out.
You see, Moon Knight isn’t Marvel’s Batman. Although I respect my fellow @$$hole, Buzz Maverik’s opinion, I have to disagree with him when he calls him this. Yes, in the past, writers who don’t really know what to do with the character go ahead and categorize him as Marvel’s version of the Dark Knight, but I always found Marc Spector, the Moon Knight, to be a much more complex character. He’s a character drenched in psychological problems. He doesn’t only have to cope with the difficulties of having a dual identity. Marc Spector struggles with multiple identities. More so than any other hero, Moon Knight is a character at war with himself. He’s a man who, despite his faults and failings, tries his best to do the right thing. To me, Moon Knight is one of those characters who just hasn’t had that perfect “treatment” or run yet. No one has come along and “got” the character and took him to a place out from under the shadow of the Bat.
There’s a lot of good in this first issue of MOON KNIGHT. Writer Charlie Huston focuses most of the issue defining just what Marc Spector’s role is in the Marvel U. He establishes that while the X-Men, the Avengers, the FF, Daredevil, and Spidey are busy fighting world threatening menaces and costumed madmen, he’s busy taking out the street crime. He gets into the down and dirty of it all and in a nice bit of characterization, Spector admits that he has a hell of a lot of fun doing it. All of this is revealed during a pretty well crafted and brutally intense action scene.
What comes next is equally well played. The drama which Huston introduces in this issue shows Marc Spector about as low as it gets; crippled, pitiful, alone. In the end we find that Spector has undergone some kind of real tragedy. The questions Huston pose to folks are how did he get there and what will he do now that he is there? These are nice questions and the snippets of information piece together a nice puzzle for the reader to figure out. I have to admit I am intrigued and seriously can’t wait until the next issue.
That said, this issue is peppered with some of the worst trends in today’s comics. First and foremost, the abundance of splash pages throughout. I understand that David Finch is the type of artist who adds spectacle to his comics and his work is pretty…well…pretty. But this issue has one title page of text, three single pages of splash, one double page splash, and a letters page, leaving only a few pages to establish some type of story. I understand that this is an issue filled with dramatic beats and reveals, but seeing an issue where almost every fourth or fifth page is a splash feels like a waste in my opinion.
And that’s the thing. This is clearly a set-up issue. Its purpose is to introduce new readers to the character and a story and remind old readers just how cool Moon Knight is. It does that, but I put this book down wanting more. Not more in a sense that I can’t wait to come back to see what happens next (even though I do have that feeling too), but more in a sense that I didn’t get enough to satisfy my appetite for a single serving of a comic book.
But that seems to be the trend these days. Make it flashy. Make it splashy. Toss in an obligatory action scene and advance the plot an inch. Huston does this like a pro. The problem is that it has become the norm. Intro page, bit of action, start drama, leave them hanging till next issue. It’s got the structural creativity of a shampoo container. Wash, rinse, repeat. Formula accomplished. I’d just love to see this norm strayed from. Tell a whole story with a resolution in the first issue to let the reader know what to expect. To let the reader know if this writer is one of those people who start out strong and peter out or if he can write a comic with a finish as powerful as his start. I’ve not familiar with this writer or his style. I shouldn’t have to “be patient” and buy a few issues to know if I like it or not. At the end of this issue, I was left with the usual feeling I get from an intro/set-up/Marvel 1st issue. That feeling of “hmn…not bad. I guess I’ll check out the next few issues and see.” And frankly, I’m kind of sick of that feeling. I’m sick of waiting to see if I like the issue until a few more comes out. I’m sick of not knowing how to feel about a comic until it’s too damn late and I’ve bought four issues. I’m sick of being served a potato chip bag of a comic and finding that most of the stuff inside is air and crumbs. I want a whole chip or three, dammit!
Moving to the art department, David Finch is channeling his inner Jim Lee big time in this issue. This may be a detractor or a plus depending on how you feel about Jim Lee. To me, I kind of liked Lee and kind of like Finch too. Finch has a much better eye for panel transition than Lee though. The sketchy, highly-detailed, rippled muscles, flowing capes and overdrawn intricacies are there, but Finch’s style is much more cinematic. He draws a pretty imposing Moon Knight and he splices the action scenes together sharply. Like I said, Finch likes the spectacle, which can kill the flow of the story, but once the panels start falling with more frequency, his skill as a storyteller comes out. This is definitely an artist who needs to forget about the splashes and concentrate on telling a fluent story. He’s able to do it, but the splash pages are the sure fire way to make this guy lose credibility quick.
Don’t get me wrong, despite my criticisms, this is a pretty entertaining read. It’s a light snack of an issue, teasing us with a hint of a story and a bunch of pretty pictures and reminding us of who Moon Knight is and why he’s so damn cool.
DETECTIVE COMICS #818
Writer: James Robinson
Penciler: Leonard Kirk
Publisher: DC Comics
Reviewed by Humphrey Lee
Alright. Here we are. One Year Later round two. Most of the new spinoff series are still waiting in the wings for their debuts, but now we're starting to get deeper into where a lot of DC's main titles are now standing. This week's DETECTIVE COMICS is showing us that we're standing in the middle of a full-fledged murder mystery. And for that I am very happy. As much as I occasionally enjoy seeing the "UberBat" (Y'know the one I mean--the guy that takes down White Martians like third rate thugs) this kind of "Noir" setting is where Batman thrives and really should be. There's a reason why this book is called DETECTIVE COMICS, after all. Just by making this move back into that kind of environment, I almost want to call this whole "relaunch" with the OYL concept a success. But there's still a bit of a hangover from all said relaunch nonsense that causes this issue to lag a little bit.
So yea, apparently there's a new serial murderer roaming about Gotham and eliminating some third tier and lower Batman villains pretty systematically (KGBeast, you'll be missed *sniff*). This issue continues straight from the last issue of BATMAN as the Bat finally gets to see this murderer's dirty work first hand as he's on the scene of the newly deceased Magpie. Apparently both she and KGBeast have been taken out the same way, two simultaneous gunshot wounds to the head. And obviously that kind of clue has to bring up Two Face. But he's good again, right? Well, I guess we'll have to see as that unfortunately is mostly all we get as far as this murder case goes this issue, with the exception of yet another number added to the body count at issues end.
The majority of the rest of the issue is again "status quo" work. Pages and panels reminding us that yes, Batman and Robin are once again the fabled "Dynamic Duo" and raising a lot of hell in Gotham. Also, Batman is worried about Tim Drake's mental stability as he now combats the loss of his best friend, as well as still coping with life without his father. Obviously this is some central stuff to the overall tone of the book, but like I said before the book tends to lag under it as it pulls away from the main plot. Mainly it's the execution. There's a lot of cutting away to actually show these things and that just kinda cuts into the time that should otherwise be going towards developing the murder story better. The best example of this I can think of to show what I mean is the actual point where Batman is talking to Alfred about his worry for the boy. We get some words of dialogue between the two taking up a page of this, and then we cut to just a page of Tim sitting around by his lonesome and getting a little emotional in front of a picture of his father. Stuff like this could have served much better for the pacing, in my opinion, if say, the conversation between Bruce and Alfred had overlapped via dialogue boxes on the page where Tim was moping around. Using a page to talk about Tim being sad, and then a page to show it is a little bit of overkill is pretty much what I'm saying, and there's been a few too many instances of stuff like this so far in the three parts of this story.
But overall I'm enjoying this new era in the Batman legacy. A lot of that is definitely just a joy in seeing Batman back on his home turf so to speak, but there is a legitimately interesting story going on in this little crossover here. The overall tone is dark, but not crushingly so, just like Batman should be. And so far I think both Kirk here and Don Kramer on BATMAN have been doing a tremendous job of bringing this to life. The art itself has had some great flow from panel to panel, even if I do think the writing hasn't directed it well. And the books both look just as dark as the writing pushes, but again without ever becoming overly bleak. Plus, hell, this issue even has a pretty fun "interlude" story of a sort, featuring long lost character Jason Bard (a detective character not seen since Dixon's BIRDS OF PREY run I believe), who will apparently be coming to some sort of a role of prominence in the world of Gotham now as he'll be working for the Bat. Hell, pulling that off alone makes this an interesting read. Now if we can just pick up the pace a little and streamline the plot threads, I think we'll have ourselves a pretty darn good story on our hands.
GOLGO 13 V.1
Creator: Takao Saito
Publisher: VIZ
Reviewer: Dan Grendell
The world's best assassin is for hire.
There's always been something about GOLGO 13 that has bothered me as slightly off, and this first volume collecting what VIZ considers the best of the long-running manga's stories finally clued me in to it. The basic premise of the book is that Duke Togo, AKA Golgo 13, takes various jobs around the world as an assassin, usually killing with an M-16. He's the consummate professional, and gets laid all the time, but is cold as ice. Okay, people love badasses, that's nothing new. So what bothers me about this one?
He's good at EVERYTHING, that's what. There's a rundown of various data in the back of this volume, and it's ridiculous. His IQ is "quite high", he has a knowledge of ballistics that fills mathematicians with wonder, the medical expertise of an MD, advanced engineering and computer programming knowledge, and he can fire a pistol with both hands. He's a skilled knife fighter (thrown and carried), Olympic-level in wrestling, judo, and boxing, trained in several martial arts systems, has a complete command of self-hypnosis, the "voice of a movie star", can outrun cyborgs, ranks with the worlds top linguists, and has, believe it or not, "an amazing penis". Why in the hell am I supposed to believe that ANYONE has a chance against this guy? He's too perfect, so I don't care.
There are two stories in this volume. The first, Supergun, involves the building of an Iraqi supergun during Clinton's administration aimed at the US. Golgo 13 is sent in to shut it down, and he snipes the cannon to death with one shot from his M-16. That's right, he kills the fucking supergun, blowing it up, with one bullet from his mighty M-16. That's how awesome he is. In fact, he's so awesome, he isn't even in the second story - the threat of him being called in is enough to make a scumbag confess to a crime. He must have been off somewhere using his amazing penis.
Artwise, the manga isn't bad, though the people's faces all tend to look as if they were sculpted out of clay. Vehicles, guns, and buildings all look very impressive and accurate, however, and are the high point of the manga. This is clearly where Saito's strength lies.
I think I'll be giving future reprint volumes a pass. I've had enough of Duke Togo for now.
LIFE V.1
Creator: Keiko Suenobu
Publisher: Tokyopop
Reviewer: Dan Grendell
"...I get rid of all my worries, all my confusion... with pain."
You just know there's gonna be something different about a manga when it says on the back cover that there's a postscript by a licensed clinical psychologist. LIFE is not one of those fun, cute books, nor is it full of action or jokes or any of the stuff you find in most manga. No, buckle up for a look at real issues, people, and it ain't pretty.
LIFE focuses on Ayumu Shiiba, a teenage girl with some academic issues. With the test to see which high school she can qualify for fast approaching, she leans on her best friend Shii for help, but when Ayumu makes it into Shii's target school and Shii doesn't, it drives a wedge between them and sends Ayumu into a deep depression. Overwhelmed by her emotions, she begins cutting herself with a razor, finding release in the pain, and that behavior continues as she starts her new school year in high school, confused and alone. Though she makes friends, one in particular is even more damaged than Ayumu, and in no position to offer her support.
I was quite impressed with the way LIFE portrayed cutting, a well-known behavior among therapists and the like, and one that I have some personal experience with. Suenobu tells it like it is without glorifying the act but without demeaning Ayumu. She does the same with suicide, to a lesser extent, and that is handled well also. Neither of these are subjects that I would have expected to read about and not feel uncomfortable, but Suenobu has written them in such a way that you feel too much empathy for the characters to be discomfited by their actions.
The art is very evocative, pulling emotional strings easily. At times Suenobu goes from very detailed work to an almost-sketched panel, and this produces quite a bit of emotional impact when done skillfully. Overall, the art is much like many shojo manga, so when disturbing things like cutting happen it has that much more impact.
I'm very interested in the next few volumes of this manga. Real-life issues, dealt with skill like this, don't come along every day.
BIG MAX #1
Writer: Dan Slott
Artist: James W. Fry (pencils) & Andrew Pepoy (inks)
Publisher: Mr. Comics
Reviewer: Prof. Challenger
"Get Ready to Go Ape!"
— Big MaxIn a recent AICN Comics interview, Javier (Javi) Grillo-Marxuach, writer of SUPER-SKRULL, said he felt there were a couple of things missing from the current crop of comics being published: “the funny” and “monkeys.” So, what happens when you combine both into a hilarious one-shot? You get BIG MAX, a pun-filled charming cheese ball of a romp by comics’ number one go-to guy for “the funny,” Dan Slott and exuberantly illustrated with some nice cartooning by James Fry and Andrew Pepoy.
Imagine a world where Superman got old, retired, and passed on the top super-hero mantle to a powerful flying intelligent gorilla. That’s your basic one-sentence premise for this comic. There’s a bit of a HOWARD THE DUCK feel to this comic….well, minus the biting political satire. Howard was an anthropomorphic duck waddling his way through a world of humans and experiencing all sort of bizarrely weird adventures. All the while, Howard was accompanied by the beautiful red-headed Beverly who was clearly in love with Howard, regardless of the fact that he was a duck. Likewise, Big Max is an anthropomorphic ape who pounds his way through a world of humans as their premier super-hero, “The Ape Wonder of the World!” All the while, Big Max harbors an unrequited crush on the beautiful human female news photographer, Anne Fries. So, when you have Big Max, Shakes, and Anne Fries together you have one of those groan-inducing, but charming, gags that Slott and Fry fill this comic with. And Ronald McDonalds’ lawyers are all now scouring esoteric legal texts trying to see if there’s a potential lawsuit here.
The comic is a veritable potpourri of pop culture reference, everything from CITIZEN KANE to the Beatles to super-models, but the main emphasis is on wallowing in super-hero silliness. This gorilla-in-tights fights villains like Knock-Knock who obsessively tells knock-knock jokes or the Get-A-Way Ghost, a mime who has the power to make his “invisible” props real. The gags come fast and furious with lots of sight gags in the backgrounds including funny newspaper headlines and such. At the same time, Slott gives enough background on each character to be sure that every reader has a good grasp on who everyone is and insight into the Super Simian’s past. One of the funniest bits is that Big Max keeps a secret identity as a human named Homer Sapien who works as a deliverer of “Gorilla-Grams;” sort of like singing telegrams but the deliverer is dressed in a gorilla suit. And…pardon me for laughing…Shakes’ secret identity is as one of those monkey toys that clang cymbals together. Slott teases the reader with just the barest glimpse of Big Max’s arch-villain, Dr. Galapagos, who created Big Max’s own version of “Kryptonite.”
Now, word from Slott on this one-shot is that if sales are good enough to justify it, more adventures of the Mammal of Might may see print soon. I really have got to say that the darker that DC and Marvel storylines get in their misguided quest for the short-term dollar gain, the more I find myself searching out and gravitating towards light-hearted fair like BIG MAX and I would love to see the title published on some type of a regular basis. The problem with humor comics in general is that “funny” is not quite so easy to write as readers tend to assume, but Slott has a real knack for it and I for one really appreciate that. BIG MAX is not the type of comic that’s going to change the world, but it is one that is clever enough for adults and clean enough for kids. In fact, I can’t imagine a young boy out there who wouldn’t get a big kick out of Big Max and Shakes. There’s a crowded field of crappy comics out there, but BIG MAX is not one of them. Search this one out at your local or online comic store and let our collective voices be heard: “More Monkeys! More Funny! Si Se Puede! Si Se Puede! Si Se Puede!”
THE FURIOUS FIST OF THE DRUNKEN MONKEY: ORIGIN OF THE SPECIES #1
Silent Devil Productions
This was a fun read about a monkey, a gal, a frog, and a quest for love. If there is one unequivocal truth about the world it is that monkey = funny. Although the use of monkeys in comics has been prevalent throughout the years, I don’t think I’ve seen such an influx of primate activity on the four color page as I have recently. THE FURIOUS FIST OF THE DRUNKEN MONKEY is yet another tale of a tough talking simian and the trouble he gets into. Like I said, it’s a fun read that takes stabs at popular comics trends and had some pretty interesting twists and turns concerning monkey/hot chick relations that made me giggle quite a bit. - Ambush Bug
UNDEAD TASK FORCE (UTF) #1
APE Entertainment
Like monkeys, zombies are another facet of comics that appear to be in abundance these days. There are a lot of books out there featuring the undead. And that ain’t a bad thing. I love the zombie genre and will give any of them a shot. It’s a good thing too. Otherwise I would have missed out on UTF. This book has a great premise: a vampire gets sick of humanity and gets himself arrested so that he can be placed in prison where society’s worst criminals are just waiting to be recruited into an undead army. Once the prison turns corpse-like, though, it goes into lockdown, and it’s up to the UTF to clean up the mess. This book has one of those premises that screams to be adapted into film. It also has some pretty cool set-up scenes as the UTF have a meeting with the President and prepare for battle. Although the UTF and the undead don’t actually collide in this issue, it does set up for a great story. This book concentrates on the horror of the undead and the UTF’s military-esque reactions to it. It’s high caliber action horror and a nice alternative to the more human-centric focus of books like THE WALKING DEAD. Plus it’s got a character named Nacho, so it has to be good. - Ambush Bug
THE SHAOLIN COWBOY #5
Burlyman Entertainment
No monkeys or zombies in this one (well, there is a jabbering skull that is stuck on the end of the Cowboy’s sword for the entire issue), just cover to cover @$$-kickery. The Shaolin Cowboy and his talking donkey continue their non-stop adventure fighting demons and dragons in a bleak yet ultra-detailed desert landscape filled with all sorts of evil and, of course, lots of iguanas. Hints of a plot continue to surface throughout this issue, mostly coming from the afore-mentioned talking skull on the end of the Cowboy’s sword who doesn’t stop jawing for the entire issue. I’m fascinated with this book because underneath all of the insanity there appears to be some sort of sense going on. At first glance, this book would appear to be a non-stop senseless slugfest series, but something interesting is going on underneath as the Cowboy and his burro fight to protect an infant who only says “Mine” and holds two veiny eyeballs in his bloody hands. As always, Geoff Darrow provides jaw-dropping artwork. The intricacies of each panel are worth the price of admission alone and forces one to forgive Burlyman Entertainment for such an erratic distribution schedule. This series is one of the few books I read over and over, scanning each panel and finding new surprises with every read. Pick this series up and dive into the madness. - Ambush Bug
SLAINE: THE BOOKS OF INVASIONS HC VOL.1
2000AD Comics
I probably am getting on board this thing late, but this book is by far the one of the most beautiful and interestingly rendered comic books I have ever read. I’m not completely familiar with the artistic process, but it looks as if photographs are taken, scanned into a computer and then three-dimensionally rendered and added to via computer art programs. Whatever the process, this book looks amazing. The figures don’t look static like most photo-realistic styles. There is a real sense of movement, poise, and emotion in the subjects. They don’t just stand there looking as if they are waiting for the photographer to shoot. Artist Clint Langley’s figures actually look like they are doing what they are doing in the panels, as if the camera catches them in mid-motion as they hack and slash through demon hordes and fierce warriors. I don’t know where the photograph ends and the art begins, but it’s seamless and gorgeous. Slaine is a true badass; a Celtic King whose land has been overthrown by demons and whose life has been destroyed. Now he walks the earth in search of creatures and people to bury his axe into and there are plenty for him to do that to. Although I found it distracting when Slaine and the rest of the cast use a modern form of speaking, I found this beautiful Hardcover Graphic Novel to be one of the most entertaining eye-feasts I have ever laid my peepers on. Mountaintop highly recommended for those who appreciate good art in comics. - Ambush Bug
Howdy out there in talkback land! I, superhero , have just returned from the Alternative Press Expo in San Francisco, California. I’ve brought back some of the independent mini-comics and ‘zines from the show with me to review. APE is truly an independent comic lover’s dream and I was able to find some really great mini-comics and ‘zines to share with you all. This is just a tiny taste of what was available and this week’s sampling is just what I was able to check out on the voyage back from San Fran. I’ll be reviewing some other books in the next several weeks as well. So without further ado…
EVERYBODY HAS ONE
Written, Drawn and Published by: Maris Wicks
By far my favorite discovery of the Alternative Press Expo, EVERYBODY HAS ONE presents us with cute little Totoro-like animals that discover an indispensable part of their anatomy: their butt hole. This tiny little pamphlet presents a story full of heart and humor that’s often hard to come by in any medium. It’s unapologetically simple and cute and is sure to induce a wide grin on the face of any who read it. This is a little book that deserves to see the light of day as an actual published book. But then I’m afraid that the slightly risqué elements that make it so perfect would be taken out. I take it back. Leave it alone. It’s perfect as it is.
GRITTY TALES OF ESPIONAGE AND DANGER
Written, Drawn and Published by: www.grizzledcomics.com
Take one part Frank Miller and add one part Brian Azzarelo, mix it in with a bit of Mignola and what do you get? GRITTY TALES OF ESPIONAGE AND DANGER is what you get, you bastards. Another tiny pamphlet that makes great use of the limited pages it contains, GRITTY TALES presents us with a tale of man who awakes to find himself bound to a chair with his pinkie finger cut off and his left eyeball plucked out. In true SIN CITY style, the protagonist concentrates only on escaping his situation (instead of crying like a little girl, which is what I would do). This book is a great little primer to creator Kyle Strahm’s dark and nuanced online comic book world. I’m hoping he’s actually able to get a larger work into print soon because if this little book is any indication he could have the potential to be a really great creator of crime-themed comics.
ZOD Issues 5 & 7
Written, Drawn and Published by: Jacob Steingroot
Lemme see…cute little animals re-enacting classic works such as ROMEO & JULIET and THE ODYSSEY? Yeah, I’m all in. Steingroot presents some of the best storytelling I’ve seen in comic book art in a long time. Especially when you consider that issue number five (the ROMEO & JULIET issue) actually has no dialogue at all! As tiny as ZOD is (each issue measures in at about 4 1/2 by 5 1/2 inches) each one actually packs quite the amusing punch. Not only that but the quality of each issue is top notch. ZOD is one of the few mini-comics/’zines that I saw that was published in full color. ZOD is perfect for any young reader or for any older reader with a younger one trapped inside of them. I hope this one is able to reach a larger audience as I’m pretty positive that it’d have widespread appeal if it could find a worthy distributor.
TALES OF THE DREADED ATROX!
Written, Drawn and Published by: Team Atrox
Atrox is a cute little dragonlike creature who apparently is trying to reform his ways. Meaning: no more eating living things as well as trying to take in artistic cinema with his overbearing intellectual monster pal, Bigfoot. ATROX is nothing short of hysterical and yes, again, cute. This mini-comic is another introductory pamphlet designed to draw readers into checking out an online comic but it’s a pretty neat little publication on its own. Even if the cover is printed on the type of green construction paper I played with in kindergarten. But that’s what adds to this thing’s charm. Not only that but the forward, written by the aforementioned Bigfoot, is worth the reading time alone. Kudos to this book. Another one that I hope gets its chance to cross over into the mainstream somehow.
DRUNKEN MASTER # 8
Written, Illustrated, Compiled, and Published by: Kiyoshi Nakazawa
DRUNKEN MASTER qualifies as more of a straight up ‘zine but there are comics in it so I’m reviewing it here. Nakazawa presents a mish-mash of absolutely crazy art, interviews, and random writings. DRUNKEN MASTER succeeds at being incredibly interesting and actually, to a certain extent, beyond description. I’ve had a chance to check out other issues of DRUKEN MASTER before and it’s always entertaining stuff and worth picking up. If you want something different and beyond the norm, this ‘zine is definitely the place to go. Wildly creative.
Remember, if you have an Indie book you’d like one of the @$$holes to take a look at, click on your favorite reviewer’s link and drop us an email.
Remember, if you have an Indie book you’d like one of the @$$holes to take a look at, click on your favorite reviewer’s link and drop us an email.
TEEN TITANS #34
DC Comics
I know I've said it to death by now when it comes to all this One Year Later stuff, but here it is: WELCOME TO THE NEW STATUS QUO!! Cyborg has been out of action for a year, there's a new and unusual line-up for the Titans after the events of OYL, and yes, a Titan has fallen. That's pretty much what this issue gives us. It fills in some gaps of the OYL leap by giving us vague and not so vague hints as to the whereabouts of the former Titans like Starfire and Beast Boy, and gives us a crash course into our current lineup. The only thing here that really piqued my interest was the very last page as we see how "well" Robin is apparently dealing with the loss of his best friend. That sets up some very interesting situations and conflicts that could arise down the road from this. Oh, and Wendy and Marvin from the old Superfriends cartoon are now in DCU continuity and are now random sidekicks to the Titans. I really don't know if that's really cool or very very sad.... Aw well. Here's to hoping the next issue of Titans has some more meat to it. - Humphrey
THE PUNISHER #32
Marvel MAX
Garth Ennis does a phenomenal job of creating yet another vile character to do battle with the Punisher in Barracuda, who looks like Michael Clarke Duncan with a set of gold-plated teeth that read FUCK YOU. The middle part of this issue focuses on corporate crime and the Punisher debating if he should get involved. I admit I was asking the same thing, but Ennis sells this plot well as Frank rationalizes it all. I like the way Ennis has structured his issues recently. He has the action occur, the plot moves forward, and towards the end of each issue, we get inside Frank’s head for some inner monologuing. This is the type of attention to character that Ennis’ old series was lacking. But Corporate lingo and characterization aside, it’s all going to come down to Frank vs. Barracuda eventually. Ennis sure knows how to make you hate a guy. Can’t wait for Frank to get this one into his sights. - Bug
AQUAMAN #41
DC Comics
I know some of the folks around here were pretty impressed with last month’s debut issue from Kurt Busiek. By the end of this issue, though, I was already annoyed with the “new” direction. If there’s any one thing that has hampered AQUAMAN for the last decade and a half (at least), it’s constantly dealing with the undersea society in Atlantis. Heroes work best when there’s something that makes them unique, which is why Arthur loses his appeal when he’s in a city full of people just like him. Beyond that, the constant bickering with the royal society in Atlantis is dullsville. He’s king, he’s not king, his ex-wife is queen, no she’s not, his advisors can be trusted but can’t, blahblahblah. I thought creating Sub Diego was a great idea because it added so many new and far more relatable conflicts to the readers, but now that’s out the window in favor of…oh, yeah. More of the same old stuff: Atlantis is destroyed again, Mera is kinda-queen of a small group of the loyal but consensus-building is desperately needed, royal guard Rodunn is kicking around, and within the first issue or two it’s so painfully obvious that The Dweller is Arthur Curry that it drains a lot of the fun and anticipation from the supposed mystery. In fact, for me there are really only two mysteries of any interest: how many months will this far less accessible approach hold on to new readers, and why the hell is New Alterna-Aquaman the only character with eyes that are solid black when everyone else who lives under water has humanoid eyes? Just wonderin’.--Sleazy
THE EXTERMINATORS #4
DC Vertigo
Ok…just…ewwwwww. There’s nothing like seeing the soiled south-bound end of a north-bound obese person to make an issue stand out as one of the best of the week. THE EXTERMINATORS continues to be the top o’ the heap of Vertigo’s most recent ongoings. This book has so many twists and turns that I have no idea where it’s going and I love every panel of it! This is one of today’s most original and most ballsy series. It’s not afraid to gross you out or give you the heebies. Deliciously uncategorizable and thoroughly entertaining. - Bug
