Cool News
AICN COMICS! Get an @$$load of MK SPIDER-MAN, IDENTITY CRISIS, CAPT. AMERICA and More!!
Hey @$$holes, @CR editor Greg Scott here.
Okay, I'll admit it. We're pooped.
After last week's ULTRA SUPER-HUGE MEGA-MONSTER COLUMN and this week's @$$HOLES ABROAD WIZARD WORLD 2004 Report, we're a little worn out. Add the fact that our columns keep getting bumped halfway down the front page almost as soon as they're posted, and we're a little demoralized too. Almost makes a guy want to give up.
But are we giving up? Who said we're giving up?
Did we "give up" when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? HELL NO!
Sleazy G.: Germans?
Ambush Bug: Forget it, he's rolling.
And we aren't giving up now!
- Attention Mark Millar Fans: We have not one, not two, but THREE positive Millar reviews this week! Three! Even we can barely believe it!
- Buzz Maverik takes a sobering look at the latest CAPTAIN AMERICA, and discusses the impact of Batroc the Leaper on 21st century Franco-American relations!
- Our IDENTITY CRIS@$$ series continues, albeit with dramatically less fanfare, with Jon Quixote's review of IDENTITY CRISIS #3!
- Plus Buzz Maverik's Book Club, Tales from the Crevice, Cheap Shots, and More!
All right, who's with me? Let's Go! Come on! AAAAEEEEEGGGHHHH!!
(Click title to go directly to the review)
MARVEL KNIGHTS SPIDER-MAN #5
CHOSEN #3
Buzz Maverik's Book Club: THE SAVAGE TALES OF SOLOMON KANE
BMWS FILMS' THE HIRE #1
IDENTITY CRISIS #3
CAPTAIN AMERICA #30
GOTHAM CENTRAL #22
Cheap Shots!
Tales from the Crevice!: THE GIFT
MARVEL KNIGHTS SPIDER-MAN #5
Written by Mark Millar
Art by Frank Cho
Published by Marvel Comics
Reviewed by Buzz Maverik
Marvel Knights? Isn't that the imprint for people who want to pretend that they're not reading superhero comics?
Snarky remarks? They make me feel like a big man!
So Marvel is publishing another title called SPIDER-MAN? That's cool. The old SPIDER-MAN title was cool in kind of a crappy way. I loved the first issue, written and drawn by Todd MacFarlane, where all Spidey does is fight the Lizard in the rain. The art was great and I had to admire someone who, at the time at least, could not write or even tell a story doing it anyway with such confidence. I checked out the title much later when Erik Larsen was doing it, to find Spidey and the Hulk and a bunch of other characters fighting the Sinister Six. The characters were armed with some big, comic booky guns that somehow still didn't kill anybody. Why the hell would Doc Ock need a gun? Those issue sucked in kind of a crappy way.
But this is a new title that I never would have known about if some of my friends here hadn't reviewed it. The reviews, positive and negative, were interesting enough to make me check out those issues in the shop, and the issues looked good enough to make me want to read the comic.
Writer Mark Millar thinks we hate him here at AICN. Okay, so we're not exactly MillarWorld, but we don't hate him. ... Okay, I don't hate him, anyway. In fact, I think he wrote a damned excellent issue of Spidey here.
What did Mark do so well? The opening Venom gag for one thing. His Mary Jane dialogue for another. I don't read many monthly issues, being more of a first issue/mini-series/trades kind of guy, but Millar has given us the most human, likable, intelligent yet slightly sardonic Mary Jane I've seen in my entire six months of comic book reading. Stan Lee is my idol, but his Mary Jane always gave me the creeps because she was essentially Stan's persona in a go-go dancer's body. And most writers aped that, even to this day. I liked MJ's reactions to the Black Cat. You could tell she was a little threatened, but she acted like a mature person would when forced to be around their spouses ex. Personally, I always hated the wish fulfillment thing of MJ being a supermodel. That was over the top, '80s b.s. to me. There's millions of great looking women who aren't supermodels. When I find an element in a comic that I can't stand (like Jean Grey being alive or Emma Frost not being a villain) I make up my own continuity. So MJ Parker was never a supermodel. She was a wannabe actress who came close but didn't make it and she works the perfume counter at a nice department store in the city. Anyway, Millar's MJ is great! And she's caused herself and her husband some very interesting, very real, very adult grief. Not big, dramatic "I screwed the Rhino" grief. Real grief that married people can relate to. And Pete's reaction was beautiful. It wasn't high drama. It was the reaction of man who loves his wife, which made it good drama.
Millar is also one of the few writers aside from Stan who has made me feel like the Peter Parker stuff isn't just tacked on to try to be intelligent or for filler. It all works together with the Spidey stuff. It was superb.
We get to see Pete in a state that most superheroes would walk around in about 90% of the time: shredded. Like Bruce Willis at the end of DIE HARD when he says, "Hi, honey" to Bonnie Bedeilia.
What else? I dug that Doc Ock was out of character and that he was supposed to be that way. And Frank Cho's cover was old school cool because it depicted action from the book that wasn't really like the action inside the book!
Frank Cho did a great job this issue! First rate perspective and motion. Destruction that was both dramatic yet restrained. I don't like the way he draws Ock's tentacles, though. They don't have the raw power of Romita Sr.'s or Gil Kane's classic Ock. On the other hand, his Mary Jane and Felicia Hardy are good examples of work by an artist who can draw beautiful women who don't look completely ridiculous.
Since this isn't MillarWorld, though: I hated the Courtney Cox joke. C'mon, Mark, why'd you pick Courtney Cox of all the names to drop? Nothing against Ms. Cox, but there are surely fresher names out there with more meaning to the younger dude readers. And the SWAT team's actions at the end are the sort of thing that bugs me in movies, TV, comics, etc. I won't SPOILER it for anybody, but let's just say that the team is motivated into their actions by something that would be prohibited to police officers in the line of duty. A cop might try to do something like they're doing, but it would be on the sly. As a lefty, I'm sure Millar sort of dislikes cops; but as a writer, he should try to figure out what kind of dirty deeds they'd only be able to do in secret.
SPIDER-MAN #5 or MK SPIDER-MAN or whatever you're calling it ... I just call it a really good Spidey comic.
CHOSEN #3
Written by Mark Millar
Art by Peter Gross
Published by Dark Horse Comics
Reviewed by Lizzybeth
Would you believe this is the first Mark Millar comic I've read? I've
certainly heard a lot about him from my fellow @$$holes, but he doesn't
really write the kind of comics I'm interested in these days (i.e., superhero stories, supposedly trading on shock-value). Then I
find this comic.
This is the kind of shocking I can go for.
Not that I gravitate towards sacrilegious images, exactly. I didn't read PREACHER,
and that's pretty much the standard for these kinds of irreverent religious excursions.
But CHOSEN has two things sorely needed in comics right now: balls, and
brains. Putting out a miniseries about a modern 12-year-old Christ
figure, in a year where the biggest film draw was watching the original
bleed for 2 hours? Balls. As for the brains, that's where this issue, CHOSEN #3,
comes in.
See, CHOSEN #3 is where you learn how Millar has toyed with our expectations
from page one. With actual insight, he spins a new and interesting
story with all the common ingredients of the Christian Apocalypse. I
hate to even mention a twist, which tends to ruin the fun, but it's
hard to recommend this comic without mentioning that the ending made me
go back and reread the entire series on the spot - and after that, to
start shoving it into people's hands, literally.
The sad thing is how
many will shy away from the confrontationally edgy cover images. Millar
has gotten a reputation for empty shock tactics I mentioned earlier (whether it's deserved
or not) and the covers seem to send that same message.
Readers, do me a
favor: Read the book before you judge.
This isn't brainless
Christian-bashing, Millar is up to something else, something entirely
appropriate to these times. Here you have a kid who's acting according
to his destiny, but with no idea of what his destiny really
means. Even at the end, it's not entirely clear why Jodie
Christiansen is still following his path. Is it his will, or his
Father's will? Or is he simply playing out the hand he was dealt, with
the same brutal sense of purpose as an abortion clinic bomber?
I have to mention Peter Gross's art, which is a marvel in itself:
Clean, cold, and chilling. That Committee member on page 5, with his
too-white grin, gives me the heebies. Even the coloring is excellent.
Jeanne McGee does a wonderful job with the muted tones in the balance
of the series, making way for the rush of color in Jodie's big miracle,
and the steel-gray of the final pages.
Dark Horse did well to make room
for Millarworld, where perhaps the Scottish phenom's talent will be
better spent. Seems a shame to waste him on costume-retreads when he
could be writing stuff like CHOSEN instead.
THE SAVAGE TALES OF SOLOMON KANE
by Robert E. Howard
Published by Del Rey
A Buzz Maverik's Book Club Fightin' Puritan Selection
You damned hippies keep knocking the Puritan work ethic that made this country great. That and your damned peace marches make me sick! Thanks to CONAN creator, pulp genius Robert E. Howard and the folks at Del Rey who have kindly published a new edition of the Solomon Kane stories, we get to see a Puritan who goes around killing pirates, demons, monsters, and ancient civilizations!
Put that in your bong and smoke it!
Robert E. Howard is my favorite writer. Sure, he wasn't the best writer who ever channeled a pre-Celtic warrior-king, but he strikes a chord. And he was the best pulp writer (the rules being that only writers who never transcended the pulps are eligible in this category). He could write action and horror. He had a flair for language and imagery that is unmatched.
You know Conan. My governor played him in a movie. Of course, that Conan was in many ways more similar to Howard's hero King Kull. In fact, there were almost as many elements of Howard's Bran Mak Morn (e.g., trading sex to a lonely, but hot witch/changeling for information on an enemy) as there were true Conan moments in the movie. But that's okay. It was a good movie anyway.
As a pulp powerhouse, Howard wrote it all. Sword 'n' sorcery. Horror. Humorous boxing stories. Westerns. Historical adventure. Pirate tales. Supervillain, or weird menace tales. What was called, at the time, "Oriental Adventure," would now be likened to INDIANA JONES and THE MUMMY movies.
Before Conan, Howard wrote a series in WEIRD TALES, a pulp where most of his writing was published, about a wandering Puritan named Solomon Kane. Kane was a master swordsman and a crack shot with his flintlocks. Many of his adventures took place in Africa where he also armed himself with a mystic, cat-headed staff given to him by a witch doctor. In some of the best stories here, such as "The Moon of Skulls," Kane would take up long, dangerous quests simply because it was the right thing to do, and - like many a semi-modern superhero to follow - because no one else could do it. Not that Solomon Kane was a superhero, or even a Conan. He's one of Howard's few civilized heroes, and that includes all of the 20th Century boxer characters named Steve Costigan. In "Wings In The Night," Kane is helpless to save an African tribe that trusted him to protect them from winged men. Kane can only avenge.
The weakest stories, such as "The Footfalls Within," rely on the old Howard/pulp standard of a tomb or cairn being opened and a demon coming on and slaying everyone except the hero. The hero doesn't die because he makes the same sword strokes that everyone else made. There is, also, a certain inherent racism in these stories. Why do the Africans always need a white guy to save them? Yeah, there's a real historic precedent for that. Understand that this was writing from the 1920s and 1930s by a man with recent, southern plantation roots who was deeply interested in his own genealogy. That's no apology, but it is the case.
Kane is cool, but not as much fun as Conan. I have a theory that Howard, a curious combination of intellectual, brawler and recluse, probably hadn't had sex when he wrote the stories of Solomon Kane and the virginal King Kull. But I'll bet he got his cherry busted in some border town bordello while on a road trip with his buddies before he came back and created Conan.
The great thing about this 2004 Del Rey edition is that it is heavily illustrated by artist Gary Gianni. Gianni's biography notes that he did an INDIANA JONES series for Dark Horse comics and well as creating a back-up feature in HELLBOY. He states that he wanted to do a book with timeless illustrations. He succeeds here! The artwork could be from the best pulp artists or from classic 19th or 20th century illustrators. The opening plate of Kane with sword and pistol in hand, killer scowl on his face, must have delighted Howard up in pulp heaven.
BMWS FILMS' THE HIRE #1 (of 6)
Writer & Artist: Matt Wagner
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Reviewed by Dave "Cormorant" Farabee
Everyone here seen those BMW short films from a year or two back? A series of witty, action-packed car chase vignettes from directors including John Frankenheimer, Guy Ritchie, John Woo, and Tony Scott? If you passed 'em up just because they were essentially big commercials and you're some anti-capitalism stick in the mud...pal, ya missed out. There're a few duds (Ang Lee's outing is a sort of prelude to the quality of his HULK movie) but most were a blast-and-a-half, and BMW's especially to be congratulated for letting their cars get trashed and generally shot to shit in many of 'em.
So did you miss out? If so, go here and put your high speed internet connection to some non-porn use, then get back to me.
The premise behind Dark Horse's THE HIRE is pretty much identical to the BMW films: done-in-one stories from high profile creators, each one centering on an unnamed but badass driver for hire. The opening entry comes courtesy of writer/artist Matt Wagner. He's best known for MAGE and GRENDEL, but since those slipped under my radar back in the day, I just know him for the excellent LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT arc, "Faces," and his phenomenal writing on SANDMAN MYSTERY THEATRE. Dude's definitely one of the underrated greats (and I promise to buy that MAGE hardcover when it hits).
Wagner's story concerns a Paris Hilton type wrapped up in scandal over a sex tape gone public. She's holed up at a hotel besieged by a ravenous press, and the driver's job is simply to get her the hell away from 'em. A lightweight premise, but like those CLONE WARS shorts on Cartoon Network, these things are all about the twists and turns within the action. True to form, the high-speed fun kicks off as soon as the driver and his hot-but-dimwitted charge hit the open road. There's some amusing banter between the pair, but I got a bigger grin from the pack of gun-wielding motorcyclists who overtake them such that we see that each passing rider in turn has a sign taped to the back of his jumpsuit. Together they read:
"PULL OVER"
"WE WANT"
"THE GIRL"
"OR ELSE!"
Fun! And that's the tone of the chase the follows, replete with well-choreographed jumps, skids, bootleg reverses, and the occasional cactus impact. Visually, Wagner's take on "The Driver With No Name" has more in common with grizzled wheelman Clutch from the old G.I. JOE comics than with "Brit-rugged" Clive Owen from the BMW films, but the car chase stuff is all aces - cleanly depicted, easy to follow, good sense of motion, and we even get some gear-shift close-ups for some of the maneuvers.
If THE HIRE has a flaw, it's simply that it's not manga. No offense to Americans comic creators – I love you guys to pieces and your writing generally trumps what I see in manga – but, dammit, you just can't depict car chases with anywhere near the visceral quality of those wacky Japanese guys with their obsessive vehicle fetishism and ultra-cinematic stylings. They've got GUNSMITH CATS (babes in cars), AKIRA (future punks on motorcycles), INITIAL D (street racers) and even the speeder bike chase in the RETURN OF THE JEDI manga...but I can't think of a single truly great car chase in an American comic. Wagner's stuff is good, and I think I recall a pretty decent chase from an issue of CHECKMATE in the '80s, but this is one area of the comic book Olympics where the best we can possibly hope for is a bronze medal.
So...to Matt Wagner, I award the bronze – not half bad! – and I've got three or four more for pending writers Kurt Busiek, Mark Waid, and yes, the single greatest evoker of geek man-love, Bruce Campbell.
But the issue of THE HIRE I'm really waiting for is the one by Katsuhiro Otomo of AKIRA fame, and yes, it is going to happen. If he gets anything less than a gold I vow to renounce Eastern comics forever!
IDENTITY CRISIS #3
Written by Brad Meltzer
Art by Rags Morales & Mike Bair
Published by DC Comics
A Jon Quixote Review
I want to write about IDENTITY CRISIS.
I don't want to write about violence, misogyny, and women in refrigerators. I think it's a very real trend, and IC#3 throws another victim into the morgue here (umm…spoilers), and it probably should be addressed. But not in this review.
When I read the death of Sue Dibny, it was like somebody punched me in the gut. Meltzer put me in Ralph's shoes just enough to get a taste of what it must be like to have the thing you most love in the world murdered. Devastating. And now, another DC hero gets to go through that. It's awful, but it has to be.
I don't want to write about a Mature Readers label. I think that this series probably could have used something, but there's also the commerciality of such a thing and questions about the audience and the topic is really complicated.
I'm not a kid. And if I was giving a comic to a kid, I'd read it first. I know lots of parents won't, and it's not their fault for not knowing they should. But it's not my province.
I don't want to write about the ramifications IDENTITY CRISIS will have on the DCU, whether or not it will swing the world permanently away from its relatively innocent roots. I don't want to speculate about whether or not black & white morality has a place in comics anymore.
It might make for an interesting editorial. But maybe tomorrow.
I just want to talk about IDENTITY CRISIS. The issue in my hands, the two that came before it. Meltzer's words, Rags's pencils. The engrossing mystery. The thrilling fight scene. The really interesting moral questions.
The pretty flippin' cool comic book. Not perfect though.
I enjoyed Meltzer's run on GREEN ARROW, but I couldn't shake the feeling that the guy was slumming it just a little. Not that he didn't like his work or appreciate the canvas upon which he painted, but that it didn't seem to be crafted with the attention one would expect a New York Times Bestselling Mystery Author to bring to the table. It was a little all over the place, but harmless. Forgettable.
I have no such complaints about IDENTITY CRISIS, which has obviously been composed with a great deal of love and attention. And talent. I'm hooked. This is weighty stuff by a man who knows his craft.
But perhaps the danger here is that there's too much craft. Because my main criticism about this issue, and to a lesser degree the last one, is that it seems a bit overwritten. And that invites overanalysis.
As much as I want to just dismiss the rocking fight scene between Deathstroke and the JLA that opens this book as "kewl," Meltzer won't let me. He breaks down Deathstroke's methodical take-down of the league methodically. He invites us to think about exactly how Deathstroke plotted and executed his strategy, and the more we think about it, the more we realize that it doesn't work.
I wouldn't care, except Meltzer breaks it down in such a way that I have no choice. It requires the JLA to stand around like they're fighting Bruce Lee. I hate that! The fight is so freakin' well thought out – the narrative is cool! The takedowns rock! Deathstroke is a badass! So why does Green Lantern stand around waiting for his 6 teammates to attack and drop, before deciding that the way to win the fight is to THROW A PUNCH? Even if Kyle was dumb enough to punch the martial-artist mercenary killer, how does Deathstroke grab his ring hand and break his fingers through the ring? Fuck!
The willpower thing was pretty cool though, but why could Meltzer come up with all these cool ways to dispose of each hero, and not a single excuse to explain why some of them have to stand around and wait for their turn?
That's the thing about a good, talented writer trying to write entertaining and thought provoking stuff: he's going to get scrutinized a lot more thoroughly than the guy who just writes the story where Superman punches the robot. We start to expect more
Want hate? Write something controversial and weighty and fill it with holes and stupidity. Promise something grand and then let them down.
Of course, pull it off and the world is yours for the taking.
IDENTITY CRISIS started strong. But over the past few issues, we've got a lot of exposition, a fight scene that is either retarded or awesome or both, and not a whole lot of plot movement. The momentum and goodwill garnered by issue #1 has slowed somewhat. It kicked off with a beautiful heartwrenching issue filled with love and shock and tragedy, morphed into a fascinating mystery that encompassed the DCU…and hasn't really done much since. These aren't crushing criticisms, but on something this ambitious the need for precision is amplified.
It's really quite nice. It's nice to have a comic from which I'm demanding so much. And at this stage, I'm reasonably hopeful that the end will be accompanied by my satisfaction. Reasonably.
CAPTAIN AMERICA #30
Written by Robert Kirkman
Art by Scot Eaton
Cover by Dave Johnson
Published by Marvel Comics
Reviewed by B.U.Z.Z.
In CAPTAIN AMERICA #30, Kirkman brings in an old Cap foe, Batroc the Leaper. Many fans view Batroc as a punk; as a lame villain. They're not wrong, because as a fictional character, when portrayed as lame punk, Batroc will be a lame punk.
However, because comic book fans are known for their open minds, I recommend that you check out ESSENTIAL CAPTAIN AMERICA VOL. 1 & 2 for Joe Kirby's Batroc. The character was a French mercenary with a high level of martial arts and acrobatic skills. Sure, he's been written with the stupidest accent this side of Chris Claremont dialogue, but he made a great sparring partner for Cap. He had a sense of honor, and yet he was just in it for the dough. I have a 1976 Marvel Superheroes Calendar with a great Batroc gag: "I fight for ze honaire, ze gloree...ze monee!"
Kirkman wisely avoids writing Batroc's accent. We know he talks funny. Before he became a joke himself, Jean Claude Van Damme was an action star and a martial artist. He could kick all our asses combined. That's how I see Batroc. Van Damme gone bad ... or is that an oxymoron? No, wait, he's not Steven Segal. And I do enjoy a character that is just a regular person with an extreme skill and personality who puts on a costume to either commit crimes or fight them.
Batroc's caper is kind of lame: A big heist at a baseball stadium. It could have been DIE HARD GOES OUT TO THE BALL GAME. Could-have-been.
Meanwhile, there's a subplot involving a cabal of evil SHIELD agents scheming to take over SHIELD itself. They don't convince me: Nick Fury will wipe his @$$ with their heads. They have an encounter with the Red Skull that reminded me of a story in Frank Miller's original DAREDEVIL run in which Foggy took on the identity of "Guts" Nelson to try to get info on the Kingpin. He kept trying to brace hoods for the skinny and they'd tell him to get lost and he'd say, "Okay." It's too bad these renegade SHIELD agents don't have Matt Murdock there to back them up.
In that encounter with rogue-SHIELD agents, the Skull reminds me more of a SUPER-PATRIOT nemesis than the Nazi/subversive we know and despise. He's in some sort of exo-skeleton, which is pointless because he's got a cloned Captain America body. I don't like him as a hulking brute. Also, he's not evil or arrogant enough here. Like Dr. Doom, he would not have left these dark SHIELD guys alive. And he would have never thanked them. In thanking them, he reminded me of a talkback troll who also makes sure to say "please" when he tells me to go away.
More Skull-like was Skull's use of Diamondback, Cap's ex-supervillain ex-girlfriend. I'm not sure I care for how Diamondback is being depicted, but I like the story. It does seem like the Skull would have people to work with her instead of having to do it himself. Also, Gru's Red Skull was a bit of a lady's freak and would have probably had sex with her. Fortunately, Cap does.
I dug the killer ending with the return of some old villains! I hope they are a major threat and not half-issue villains the way Mr. Hyde and Batroc have been. The ending reminds me of a Kirby issue from the recently tpb-ed MAD BOMB story arc, in which Cap and the Falcon are forced to compete in a ROLLERBALL type game (the Norman Jewison ROLLERBALL, not the John McTierran CRAPBALL ) and one of the opponents does something that really gets Cap pissed.
Scot Eaton's art is bold and clean, a perfect look for CAPTAIN AMERICA. His action is bigger than life, but he is talented enough to include scenes from life. I always find it interesting that realism a big buzzword among modern comic fans, but so much of the art is less realistic than ever. Eaton's stuff is realistic when appropriate and fantastic where it should be!
Artistically, though, Dave Johnson's cover which I'm sure you can see here is a stunner. It looks like a superhero version of a poster for a concert at the Fillmore. Wildly pop-art with the impact and fury of manga. Look at the cover and you'll say, "That's a pretty cool villain."
align=right width=150 border=0>GOTHAM CENTRAL #22
Writer: Ed Brubaker
Artist: Michael Lark
Publisher: DC Comics
Reviewed by Dave "Cormorant" Farabee
Let's take a sec to talk about the GOTHAM CENTRAL recap page first – you know, the "what came before" reminder that's the first page on a fair number of comics these days? It's only a recent addition to GOTHAM CENTRAL, but I've already noticed one poster on Brian Bendis's message board daring to champion it as the best recap page in comics.
Strong words? In the fiercely contested field of recap pages, hell yeah.
But I think the claim just might be legit. See, what differentiates the GOTHAM CENTRAL recap page from most others is that it's not a boring ol' text recap, but rather a series of visually stimulating highlight panels from previous issues. Hey, that's pretty cool! This is a visual medium, right? So it's closer to the recaps you get on your favorite TV shows, bringing you up to speed concisely but giving you an actual taste of the preceding events rather than a dry description. I like it a lot. I still see the need for a roster (maybe once per story arc?), but I can't deny the elegance of the visual recap. Hats off!
And speaking of hats...
When last we tuned into GOTHAM CENTRAL, habitually lame villain Mad Hatter was seeing perhaps the best portrayal in his fictional existence courtesy of writer Ed Brubaker. Hatter was suspected of playing a role in a recent suicide that might've had ties to an old, unsolved case involving disgraced cop, Harvey Bullock. Hatter's been behind bars since the arc began, and as it turns out, that's where he's scariest. I'd break out the Hannibal Lecter analogy, but that's not quite right. Lecter was an immediate threat, cold and calculating, but Hatter's more removed from reality, with the cops having to really work to draw out answers and keep him from retreating into his bizarre psychoses. His interrogations haven't been scary so much as unnerving, and I for one appreciate the subtle distinction.
As of last issue, though, we know Hatter's not the sole source of danger in the arc. But even as the plot has thickened, a good deal of the spotlight has shifted to Harvey Bullock and I've enjoyed the hell out of all of his scenes. As a casual Batman fan, I only really know Harvey from a few '80s comics where he was the slovenly rules-breaker who got results, and the '90s cartoon where he was a wonderfully pissed-off foil for Batman. Brubaker's depiction hasn't been nearly so larger-than-life, but his Bullock is still a commanding presence. He's at his lowest ebb ever, still haunted by a case from years ago, still reeling from leaving the force over quite the accurate suspicion that he had a hand in offing the cop who shot Commissioner Gordon years ago.
The previous issue was highlighted by an emotionally-charged confrontation between Bullock and former partner, Renee Montoya. This issue is even worse for Bullock. Where the resurrection of an old, unsolved case could've been the first step on his road to redemption, in point of fact it's just caused him to spiral ever downward. He's truly friendless and fucked-up, his last shred of hope being to go out in a blaze of glory. Bullock's the scene-stealer here, actually undercutting some the mystery aspects of the finale because dammit, who cares who's behind the killings when Harvey Bullock's got a gun to his own head?!
It's definitely one of the most powerful finales we've yet scene for GOTHAM CENTRAL. I'm not sure I bought Detective Josie Mac's sudden change of attitude – one of the key dramatic payoffs to the story – but I may yet warm to it when I re-read the entirety of the arc. All in all, though, a truly compelling story, and one I'd suggest for newbies interested in sampling this GOTHAM CENTRAL series that all the snooty types are (rightly) telling them is good.
Starts with issue 19, wraps with 22, features the "Vic Mackey" of Gotham City. You go read now.
Cheap Shots!
NEW X-MEN Vol. 3 (Hardcover) - Just wanted to remind all you Morrison geeks out there that this hardcover wraps up the reprints of his run in this fancified hardcover format. Unfortunately, these are the weakest stories from his run – the Fantomex-saturated "Assault On Weapon Plus," the occasionally satisfying return of Magneto in "Planet X" (already all but irrelevant due to retconning), and the largely indecipherable finale featuring characters no one gave a hatful of crap for. Oh well. Even Morrison's fuck-ups are pretty damn readable, and there remain some inspired moments in these stories, including Wolverine and Jean Grey's plunge into the sun on Asteroid M. On the art front, Phil Jimenez's realism is quite nice, Chris Bachalo's work alternately inspired and arcane, and Marc Silvestri's art typically Top Cow bad. Frank Quitely, where were you when we needed you?! My request to Marvel: quit skimping on the extras for these hardcovers! You've got me suckered with the format, but when the best bonus material I get is a few scans of Phil Jimenez's cover pencils, the objectively bad scribble-layouts of Marc Silvestri, and an utterly out of place Silvestri X-Men pin-up from '80s...geez, it's like buying one of those DVD's where the only extras are cast profiles and "Other Movies You May Enjoy." – Dave
TOMMYSAURUS REX (TPB) - What we've got here is an original graphic novel from Doug TenNapel, creator of the cult videogame, EARTHWORM JIM. It's his second comic book outing, the first having been CREATURE TECH, an endearingly curious mixture of monsters, aliens, and faith affirmation. I mostly enjoyed CREATURE TECH, not the least because TenNapel is a bloody talented cartoonist in the Bill Watterson tradition, but TOMMYSAURUS REX left me cold. It's about a boy getting over the death of his dog, the discovery of a trainable Tyrannasaurus Rex going a long way towards helping him. Unfortunately, the mixture of IRON GIANT-esque sweetness, poop-based humor, and a weirdly grisly final act don't mesh. That and the heavy-handed message about letting go of anger means I can't really recommend this except for the stunning art, but Moriarty wrote otherwise a few weeks ago, so I'll do the democratic thing and point interested readers to his review as well. Mr. Bigshot has lots of art scans if you're into that kind of stuff. - Dave
HEAVEN'S DEVILS #4 – There have been some good moments in the past 3
issues, but this series really comes into its own in this last
installment. The Voodoo-Environmentalism killer-virus saga finally
clicks into place with one additional element: romance. It's sort of
last minute and matter-of-fact, but it adds the human dimension that
was missing. We also get the last bit of background tying
doctor/magician Alan Wells to a killer virus in Mexico - his nutty
environmentalist mentor and former boss, who believes that the best way
to rescue the Earth is to eliminate its worst enemy – humans. Their
last confrontation paints Alan as more ruthless, and even more
interesting, than I had previously suspected. I'm not sure this series
flows very well from the first issue to the last, as it only seemed to
be finding its voice in the last two issues. Still, there are some good
ideas here. The execution wasn't perfect, but hey, it sticks the
landing. (Sorry, the Olympics are on.) - Lizzybeth
AQUAMAN #21 - So begins Will Pfeifer's second arc on AQUAMAN and I'm still not sure whether I can recommend this book. Certainly it has its moments. The beginning, for instance, gives us a truly twisted mob-style killing on the outskirts of the new underwater city of Sub Diego. It's a reversal on the classic "cement overshoes" drowning, the water-breathing victim instead being lashed to a buoy and left to suffocate in the open air. There's also a neat scene where a Sub Diegan woman gives birth to a baby who doesn't breath water, leading to a tense race to the surface with the kid in Aquaman's arms. The art from Patrick Gleason remains excellent. On the other hand, the book is still painfully sluggish overall, Aquaman's no more likeable than he's ever been, and his pending battle with aqua-mobsters doesn't exactly scream excitement. Ah, but I do love the setting of Sub Diego – it's so shadowy and well-realized! Gah, mildly recommended! - Dave
SUPERMAN ADVENTURES Vols. 1 & 2 - Before Mark Millar wrote the cannibal Hulk in THE ULTIMATES, gave us young Aunt May doin' the nasty in TROUBLE, and had Peter Parker jerkily dismissing Ant-Man for being too geeky in MARVEL KNIGHTS SPIDER-MAN...he wrote some of the squeaky cleanest Superman stories DC's ever published. No bullshit! They appeared in the SUPERMAN ADVENTURES comic (the one based on the '90s Superman 'toon) and, who'da thunk it, they're actually very readable. Action's the name of the game here, and Millar's always excelled at that, but there's also plenty of cleverness to these all-ages tales, especially the one where Jimmy Olsen and Superman switch minds. It's ideal reading for kids (and affordable priced at seven bucks per five-issue digest), but adults looking for some breezy upbeat reading should give 'em a look too. In many ways these two supervillain-packed volumes are truer to classic Superman in pacing and tone than any of the current Superman line. Subversive bonus points go to artist Aluir Amancio, whose Lois Lane wears the most ridiculously tight clothes you'll find this side of an issue of BETTY & VERONICA. - Dave
Wow. It's been a while since I've done one of these, hasn't it? To be honest, I haven't really seen anything worth talking about lately. No under appreciated or oddball comics that screamed out for the Crevice treatment, nothing that wasn't already hyped to hell and back. Thank God that I was sent along this title then, one of those little guy making it big stories that I love… and that's just what's going on with the creator!
Published by Image as of the upcoming issue #8, THE GIFT is one of those comics that manages to stick into your brain and never get out. The premise is one of those things that is instantly familiar, yet feels fresh and original. I just KNOW I've seen this sort of thing before, but I can't peg down where or when. The premise just seems to have been sitting there in the ether, waiting for someone to discover it. And once it's revealed, the rest of us slap our foreheads and say "Of course! Why didn't I come up with that?"
The series stars a character known as The Ancient One, a Phantom Stranger-style hombre who, without apparent rhyme or reason, is bestowing a supernatural gift of some form or another to people in need. Just what sort of need, and what sort of gift, varies from issue to issue. A serial killer can be granted monstrous strength one issue, and the next can feature a child given the power to stand up against his abusers. The thing is, most of the time these gifts have a way of turning on their recipients. That serial killer, for example, ends up hunting down a young stripper with a few tricks up her sleeve as well. So to speak.
Series creator Raven Gregory is on to something with this book that's sure to make him the next big up-and-comer in the industry. Every issue to date has had a creepy as all fuck story with a great twist at the end, something that's not easy to do. Sure, I've seen some doozy twists in comics before, but to have them not only on a regular basis but make them work out of the story in a way that feels organic and deserved, not trite and cheap, is a tough task. Throw in plotlines that are genuinely chilling, (and honestly, when was the last time a comic scared the piss out of you?) and this is a book that is destined to have a loyal, vocal following.
The best thing, though, is how these stories are structured. So far each issue has been self-contained, but when you look at the series as a whole, there's definitely a buildup happening. To what I have no idea, but if the story so far is any indication it's going to be one helluva ride. Gregory's got a real TWILIGHT ZONE sort of unifying plot waiting in the wings on this book, and I for one can't wait to see it.
NOTE: Issue #1 is now sold out, but the complete issue is reprinted online right here. Also, the first TPB is available for preorder in the next PREVIEWS in the Image section. Preorders are your friends.
Question for Discussion
What is your favorite comic book twist ending?
-
+ Expand All
-
We're just livin' in it. The other problem is that when we DO cover indie stuff, no one in the TalkBacks seems to give a crap. We only ever seem to hear from you indie fans when you tell us we missed something. So fuck off! No, no, I'm just kiddin'. Really. The more the merrier, by all means, and given that the mainstream stuff is losing a lot of my interest of late, I know *I'm* at least going to be looking for more off-the-beaten path funnybooks. Just do me a favor and throw out some comments when we cover a book you *do* find worthy of note.
-
Aug 18, 2004 2:18:17 AM CDT
And on top of everything, you take a shot at the work of Gene Au
by village idiot
Oh come on, BACK IN THE SADDLE may not have been CITIZEN KANE, but it had its audience; and as classic populist entertainment, it's worth examining. Get off your high horse!
-
Not only did Meltzer NOT fix the gaping plot/logic hole from the end of #2 (sue being dead before being burned DOES NOT exonerate Dr. Light) Meltzer actually BUILDS on this mistake. *Everything so far* points to Dr. Light as the most obvious and (so far) only suspect. He instantly fears the League after Sue's death, (SPOILERS FOLLOW) he clearly has *some* memory of the event (now probably the entire event). But, SOME HOW, Dr. Light has been proven to be innocent, but (at best) we're not told how. I can't get into a mystery this poorly written. I still maintain hope the next 4 issues can turn this whole thing great, but I'm not really nuts over it anymore.
-
I have an old reprint X-MEN comic that has a back-up reprint of a goofy TWILIGHT ZONE-esque story by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. This guy discovers a crashed UFO with no aliens about - good Lord, they must already be roaming about on our world! He pokes around in the ship and finds nefarious written plans for infiltrating Earth! Even worse! Then he tries to warn folks in standard 1950s UFO hysterics ("They're coming for us!"), but no one will believe him, the bastards! So he takes the plans to the nearby Generic Space Center, where surely *someone* will understand him! And indeed, he finally manages to get an audience with the Top Scientist. He shows him the plans! Suddenly, the man calls in an armed guard who raises his gun on our clueless hero! What's going on here?! For the first time, WE, the audience see the alien plans he found - they're written in scary-ass alien gibberish with symbols that look like Saturn and stars and moons! No *human* could read that alien bullshit! But wait, that would mean... The guy who found it IS the fucking alien!!! AAAAAHHHHHHH!!!! It all comes back to him in a flash - he was supposed to infiltrate earth disguised as an earthman, but (and my recollection may be sketchy here) I think the accidental crash gave him amnesia and all he remembered was his training to act as an earthman. And so he did, right down to their paranoia - how embarassing! His final anguished line as he shape-changes back to a Hulk-like purple alien is a keeper: "I, of all the spies in the universe, have captured...MYSELF!" Quite a twist, eh? Quite a twist *indeed*! ******** Oh, but if you want my serious answer, it's Roger Stern's "The Kid Who Collects Spider-Man," one of the finest examples of the short story comics have ever seen. I can probably think of some others, but that one pops into my head immediately and it still holds up beautifully.
-
Hey, we ARE on the internet after all. But I like the "silence is golden" means of approval. Who knows -- there could be dozens, perhaps even *scores* of column readers out there with the same approach. We're beloved!
-
Emma, there is a rule against insulting creators, but you can see quite a few critics of Chosen #3 in last week's "New Comics" thread.
My experience on MW has been great. And like some MWers generalize about the @$$holes, it's returned in the TBs here. But that's not abnormal.
I liked the fight in IC3, then again, I don't know anything about GL so him being a goofball and throwing a punch was fine. I also had the impression that the fight happened much faster (matter of seconds) than it took to read Green Arrow's analysis.
Ah, nm.. like you said.. thinking about it too much ruins it. -
"The Walking Dead" has successfully twisted several times.
The big twist in "Runaways" was a good one too. -
I've seen some sycophants at Millarworld and a few instances of draconian moderation, but it seems the majority of posters there are pretty sharp and open-minded, and I've certainly witnessed them being critical of Millar at times. Negamit mentions criticism of CHOSEN, and I also noticed a fair amount of criticism of Millar's SPIDER-MAN in response to one of our reviews here. I'm not at the board enough to speak with authority about it, but I will say I've been generally impressed by the smarts and diverse tastes on display. ****** Oh, and as long as we're on the topic, I didn't care for CHOSEN's wrap-up, m'self. Thought the first two issues were pretty strong and that the notably Christan Mark Millar might be building towards a very personal statement...and then I felt I got a TWILIGHT ZONE twist that was lacking in any substance. I think the series was too short if it was to have been anything meaningful, too long for the twist-ending we got. I'd be curious, though, to hear Millar talk about it.
-
One of the most celebrated twist endings in the history of comics is the one for the story "Judgment Day," in WEIRD FANTASY #18. If you already know about this story, feel free to move on to the next post. If you *haven't* heard of the story, settle in._____"Judgment Day" tells the story of an Earth astronaut visiting a robot planet to determine whether they're ready to join to the Galactic Republic he represents. The robot planet is relatively peaceful, prosperous, and advanced, but the astronaut also finds that the planet is separated into two castes, the superior orange-colored robots, and the second-class, servile blue robots. Eventually, the astronaut comes to discover that the blue and orange robots are built at an assembly plant *identically*; it's only the color of their outer shell, and the way in which the robots are educated that is different. Disappointed by everything he's seen on the planet, the astronaut tells the robots they aren't ready to join the republic. In the end of the story, he gets on his ship to leave the planet, and takes off the helmet he has kept on throughout the story; thus revealing one of the most famous comic book panels of all time. _____Keep in mind that this was published in 1953, for a readership that would naturally include a lot of children, and well before the civil rights movement. All in all, his was not just a terrific twist ending (for the time), but really, one of comic's finest moments.
-
I had never heard that story before. Very cool. I was prepared for a goofy ending since the setup reads very goofy when I loaded up the panel I thought, "huh.. i don't get it." Then I read the last bit of your post and had a nice "ahhhh" moment. Cheers, mate.
-
EC, of course, built a house style out of twist endings, and I loved playing catch-up when they did those cheap reprint annuals in the '90s. Their twists ranged from the ridiculous (I remember one sci-fi story where a sentient planet *vomits up* the spaceship sent to explore it) to the sublime (including the one you mentioned, "The Big If" from FRONTLINE COMBAT, and "Flying Machine" by Ray Bradbury). It's a strong reminder that when we're all talking up worthy greats like Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and Julius Schwartz, we shouldn't forget the risk-takers of EC comics like Bill Gaines and Harvey Kurtzman. Though constrained somewhat by formula, they produced some of the most mature comics of the Silver Age, and when it comes to art, they're pretty much without peer. Even today, it's rare to see their visual craftsmanship matched or excelled.
-
great reviews as always!just dropped in to offer my support because I realize that a lot of the time its of the 'silent approval' variety.The comment that was made about being pushed halfway down the main page is true but dont take it too hard.I know I for one only come to AICN when I see the link up on Vroom Socko's page to the comic reviews and read only the @$$hole column at this site.Thanks for all the great reviews guys!I promise to try to not sit there at my desk at work and be like "damn that was a good column!" but to actually get on the TBs and tell you so.Kal out
-
Aug 18, 2004 4:01:21 AM CDT
"I, of all the spies in the universe, have captured...MYSELF!"..
by alfiemoon
...made me laugh more than is probably healthy. "The Kid Who Collects Spider-Man" is a great story, yeah, it might seem a bit heavy-handed by today's standards but it's a nice little bittersweet tale. Ex Machina #1 has a nice twist/reveal ending with the "alternate reality 9/11" - which some people seemed to take against - but that's about the most recent I can think of.
-
I can't imagine the entire fight, up till Ollie pierces Slade's face, took more than a few seconds. In telling the story, the action is slowed down to make it understandable for the person hearing thje story. It's not "First, Wally did this. He failed, so Billy did that. Then Skippy wandered up and..." No, it's more of "The fight started, bang bang bang, and Ollie pierced Slade." I doubt the fight lasted much longer than it took to say that previous sentence.
-
Because a few lines are actually spoken during the course of it, most notably when Slade paused to try to spot Atom ("Where are you, Doctor Palmer?"). That scene in particular showed enough of a pause that I had a hard time buying Kyle missing the opportunity to snare Slade and Light. And of course, his attempt to *punch* Deathstroke is pretty ridiculous no matter which way you look at it.
-
I DON'T READ COMICS, YOU INSENSITIVE CLOD ... err sorry, is this /. after all? Well, never mind
-
Aug 18, 2004 7:01:37 AM CDT
A panel of "The Boingers" from when they were thrown in jail fo
by mgthedj
Hell yeah! Well looks like I'll be headed for the comic shop this week. Keep up the good work guys. As for a favorite twist ending, mine comes from "House of Mystery" in the late 1970's I think. An actor on a vampire soap (yes it is a homage to "Dark Shadows") calls up a demon to vanquish his rival, a talk show host on another network whose live talk show's success led to the soap being cancelled (yes the talk show is meant to be "Donahue"). The TV is on and tuned to the afternoon talk show as the actor summons the demon. The demon informs the actor he must have a human sacrifice NOW! The actor point to the TV with the hosts image on it and says there is your sacrifice, go to his studio and he is yours. The demon teleports out of the room, the actor watches the TV waiting fotr the on air death, a few second later the demon return saying "You have deceived me, no one was there. You're life is forfeit" and takes the actors life. The last panel shows the corpse of the actor and the TV. The audio is "We hope you've enjoyed this rebroadcast. We will be back live tomorrow..." For a ten year old who had yet to see "The Twilight Zone" it was pretty cool.
-----later-----m -
A really good Comic writer can figure out a way to make fights between Super and Non-Super people interesting (see Watchmen, for instance). A really clever hero/villain doesn't get into a fistfight with Superman. That's stupid.
Modern hackitude expects us to believe that Flash, who supposedly can move faster than human synapses fire, gets stabbity stabbed because his opponent HAS SUPERIOR REACTION TIME. Then Green Lantern throws a punch. With his fist. That's sloppy, lazy storytelling. The heroes can't beat the villain because then the plot would be over. Lame. Deathstroke really doesn't do anything smart- he relies on the heroes to attack him one-by-one without using their super powers. Lucky break for Deathstroke. Good thing the writer is on his side.
A better example: Grant Morrison had Green Arrow and Atom KILL DARKSEID with a clever, logical plan (Atom rode a photon from GA's flash arrow inside Darkseid's head through his eyes and optic nerve and started zapping away at Darkseid's brain). That's fun to read. Zatanna with a bag on her head is not. -
... And not one cammed pasta joke? Are you guys slipping?
-
"Canned pasta" not "cammed pasta".
-
Aug 18, 2004 8:58:04 AM CDT
Favorite twist ending? That's gotta be Terra in NEW TEEN TITANS
by spyguy
I mean, who saw Tara Markov revealed as an agent of Deathstroke coming? The hell you did...
-
Aug 18, 2004 9:40:26 AM CDT
Some of the Mods at Millarworld are like people who become cops
by rev_skarekroe
On the other hand, what other forum boasts Mark Millar, Warren Ellis, Ethan Van Sciver, Rob Liefeld, Kurt Busiek, and probably a dozen more that I've forgotten about as members? sk
-
Hey, I picked up a few books last week based on mentions on this page, just wanted to say "thanks". Blankets is simply one of the best things I've ever read, comic book or otherwise
-
When Archie chooses Veronica over Betty, because the whole issue you're thinking he's going to choose Betty.
-
Aug 18, 2004 10:14:44 AM CDT
The funniest thing about the IC3 fight (well, aside from the Fla
by sideshowbob
1-on-1 the heroes get their ass kicked, but when this bounty hunter is distracted they all dogpile him and get in all sorts of cheap shots, with Hawkman saying something like "yes, please fight back". Wow, what a tough guy. This, right after they get sliced and diced in one-on-one combat. And even better
-
Aug 18, 2004 10:27:33 AM CDT
What the hell is the ISBN for New X-Men Vol.3 HC? I can't find i
by spacker dave
Any help would make my month(yep, it's been a slow month). Nice to see a Robert E. Howard bokk in print, too. Maybe Del Rey can get Conan novels back in print now.
-
Guess not. (keboard messing up, that is irony...)KEYBOARD! I CAN TYPE! I KNOW I CAN! Now I remember why I usually dictate.
-
Having something of a comic revival and would like to know which of the Fantastic Four books deals with Reed's internal organs, Ben's waste disposal and Sue's disapearance a layer at a time. I believe it gives a little scientific background to their powers.
Ultimates? -
It's Ultimate Fantastic Four. The 1st trade is out now. Cormorant: Dave Farabee? Is everyone using their real names here now? Sadly, my real name is Sideshow Bob, although I've considered changing it ever since that stupid Simpsons character came out.
-
Ive been reading almost 100% of what marvel has done in the past 4 years and same for DC in terms of Superheroes. I think the murderer or at least the mastermind is Lex Luthor Here some points. at the end of Superman Batman #6 Lex is outed as president appears full on crazy and is wearing his suit/armor whatever you call it and his last words when he returns "When I return there will be a crisis" flash to Identity Crisis #1 Elongeanted Man and a forgetable new female fire hero are staking out two hoods and a low level metahuman criminal. the two hoods have something in a crate that the meta wants and its revealed near the end of the issue that the contents of the crate is indeed " a Lex Luthor Armor ebattle suit" Did Lex create this situation to get Mr Dinby out of the house to leave Sue behind? The way I see it sure you can take over the world you can kill a hero but you wanna screw with a teams head " you kill the humanity the heart and anybody that read JLA in the 80's that was Sue Dinby also you wanna screw with the superheroes you kill there hoochie. Take Hoochie away thats one mad mutha . Ive read enough comics in the past 30 years that I could hazard a guess towards the next victim would be Jack Drake Tim Drakes Father. Its seems Spoiler as Robin was a blip on the radar and looks like Robin is going back to the Cave and being Robin but how can he if His dad forbid him well kill the daddy and give Tim the reason to be Robin again . I love Identity Crisis So Far its bringing something to the table that hasnt been brought in awhile its got people talking even if its good or bad but its got us talking when has another comic done that lately? Theres my Thoughts *Lowers Darth Helmet face shield * Keep Firing A$$holes
-
I took it for granted that the fight happened very, very fast. But exactly how fast? Well, Corm pointed out some lines of dialogue, which could be forgiven. But also, the heroes, as they're being taken down also were able to react. Ray Palmer shrunk down atomic and leapt at Deathstroke while Hawkman jumped off a building, flew 30 yards and raised his mace and fell to the ground while Black Canary and Green Arrow and Green Lantern apparently stood around. I wanted to like it, but analysis isn't its friend and it invited too much analysis. *** But I am digging IC, don't get me wrong. FANTOMEX has a good point about them needing to have some better information to exonerate Dr. Light. But I might point out that they *still* haven't revealed Sue's cause of death even though I expect MidNite knows it (really needed to share this issue though). Still, I think the fact that Dr. Light didn't remember until the JLA showed up (great job, detectives) and then was really pissed (as opposed to cowering) when he did pretty much exonerates him. Anyway, it's not Dr. Light, and even if the conclusion was garnered too easily, *that*'s not a major crime. But time to move on. *** Man, those old EC Comics (and the old Marvel Monster ones too!) had some great twist endings though. I remember one where this guy married this rich chick for her money, but had to live with her 'family' who were all wax statues. He sets fire to the house to melt them only to discover that his wife WAS WAX TOO!!! And then he burned to death. Great plan guy. *** But no love for the THUNDERBOLTS? It might be an easy answer or a popular answer but man did that floor me. I looked on the hype for that book with a w-t-f attitude, already being soured on comics then with the HEROES REBORN fiasco. And I thought 'how could this team of second stringers with a stupid name like THUNDERBOLTS justify such press.' BAM! There you go. Totally caught me off guard and I was hooked for life. Or a couple years until the book got dull and unreadable, right around the time Jolt got killed or something. But great, great ending and I can't honestly say that I've ever read one better.
-
Hey dude, that's on my lengthy list of things I gotta review, along with BIRTH OF A NATION, FLIGHT, CATS DON'T EXIST, and a bunch of slightly older stuff I haven't been able to write up because I'm moving next week and haven't been able to find a decent place and I hate moving with every molecule of my being. Excuses, excuses, anyway, I haven't been able to pick up Panter's new OGN but it looks amazing. Keep checking the column, it'll come up sooner or later.
-
Was the content of that crate actually revealed to be a Luthor Suit?
-
Vol.3 is 0785112006 it's not labeled as such on amazon.com, but the other two New X-Men HCs are, so this one must be Vol.3.
-
I confess, I loved the return of Jason Todd in the Batman "Hush" storyline. For a moment there, I actually thought they brought the dead Robin back, as a villain no less, and it seemed pretty cool. Okay, the next issue it turns out he was just Clayface in disguise, and now the evil Jason is a cool character that will be used to death in Scarecrow-induced hallucinations and God knows what, but that cliffhanger was worth it.
-
... the Sandman trades.
a few weeks ago I asked for some advice about what comics to get into and after carefully reading through all the suggestions (which I honestly did appreciate) I realized they would cost actual money to buy.
But, as luck would have it, my brother-in-law is a comics fan and has what I assume are all the yet-released Sandman trades, and he's working on the Death trades now as well from what I understand.
Man, these things are really great! I realize they're obviously not your standard superhero type comics, but i love em so far :) Now I just need a superhero suggestion from the peanut gallery, (after the reviews here I'm leaning towards She-Hulk) and i'll be ready to get into the fold :) -
I must agree with the posts about IC 3 being not so hot. It wasn't bad, but I'm glad I wasn't the only one let down by the Deathstroke fight scene, and I'll add another log: If these guys are now "harder," why didn't GA stab Deathstroke in his good eye? It really makes more sense and avoids killing. But I can live with that. The GL hitting thing, and Wally getting stabbed like that, then it was nothing...well, that was lame. And where is the plot? Definitely need to kick this story in to gear. Fewer women in fishnets would also be good, but I quibble. The Thunderbolts twist ending is good, but I think Jean Grey's death was a great one and my real, sincere favorite is "Alex is the mole" in Runaways, concluding the excellent "One of the Runaways is a mole" twist. Terra wasn't so good because, really, EVERYONE old enough to have been reading comics in the early 80s saw that one, Marv Wolfman wasn't exactly Mr. Subtle
-
Aug 18, 2004 4:57:19 PM CDT
Sorry The Review Didn't Read Like A Book Report, Coffee Enema...
by buzz maverik
...wouldn't want to do something here you couldn't follow.
-
Aug 18, 2004 5:03:53 PM CDT
How Can You @$$holes Cover Proletarian Dreck Like SPIDER-MAN and
by buzz maverik
Here we're treated to a black and white story of a 21 year old guy with a soul patch who can't get laid and is even rejected by hookers. Our hero, Angus, is forced to retreat into fantasizing about his friend Curtis' Mom. And when he finally gets the gumption to approach Curtis' Mom, she tells Curtis and Curtis kicks Angus' ass! Reviewing these so called comic books of your and not MOUS & VOUS is like covering PORKY'S 2 THE NEXT DAY when KRULL came out the same week. It comes complete with two early works by Chinchilla, DOLDRUMS and his piercing superhero spoof AFFECTATION LAD.
-
Aug 18, 2004 5:06:16 PM CDT
Sideshow Bob, We Are All, In Fact, Using Our Real Names Now.
by buzz maverik
I am Rico "Dubya" Maverik.
-
did anyone else read the holy terror by image? got the 1st 2 issues and they were pretty gosh darn cool. anyone know if any more issues were published?
-
Aug 18, 2004 6:35:19 PM CDT
Yeah, Satansteve, I Reviewed HOLY TERROR # 1 Right Here...
by buzz maverik
I don't remember much about it. I think I liked the art but the whole set up wasn't my cup of tequila (hey, you drink what you like, I'll drink what I like). DC had a wrestling series BIG DADDY DANGER. Also reviewed the first issue. Again, didn't thumbs up it. I like the cartoon series MUCHA LUCHA mucha better. Also, the indie character, the masked wrestler EL BORBAH is cool.
-
but my favorite twist of all time is the "Swamp Thing is not really Alec Holland" that Alan Moore pulled way back when. Man, talk about a twist with consequences. This little baby changed the "muck encrusted mockery of a man" into one of the most powerful characters in the DCU and laid the groundwork for so many great stories. Moore's entire run on Swampy still stands as some of my favorite comics of all time. I can't think of another comic that has piled up the creepy factor like that one did at its peak. The Monkey King, Matt/Arcane's "co-workers", Swamp Thing in hell....great stuff that holds up today. That vampire kid still creeps me out to no end. And who can forget the intro of John Constantine? Good, good stuff.>>>>As far as old creepy comic stories go, my favorite was a story of two guys climbing to this cave in the middle of nowhere to find an amulet that rendered whoever wore it immortal. Of course, once they find it, one of the men kills his partner. He puts on the amulet and (of course) promptly falls hundred of feet onto a small ledge, breaking his neck. As he lays there paralyzed, he thinks "Oh God no! I can't die!" Don't remember what comic that was in, but it made a lasting impression on my 6 or 7 year old mind. Horror has been my favorite genre ever since.
-
allright, once again a lot of people are getting their feathers ruffled about this series, meanwhile crazy old me is thoroughly enjoying it.
I did have a few minor complaints with issue, primarily:
the ole' green lantern punch scene
,the victim in this issue was a little too predictable, and last but not least, how did Dr. Light remember what he was made to forget?
However, we all know that memory loss is often temporary and if Zatanna wasn't sure of what she was doing you could argue this point.
As for the green lantern deal, yeah it was a bit too pat , but the payoff was so interesting that I could let that slide a bit.
What carries this series for me is the exact thing the reviwer crtitcized "the writing."
I love meltzer's characterizations, his hawkman and green arrow are badass and his use of the darker side of team dynamics and the problems inherent in the aftermath of battle or as Meltzer calls it :"cleanup", are largely new territory having never been explored this throuroughly ,esp. in established mainstream characters.
It's hard to sit here and listen to everybody hammer this thing to death when by and large the parameters of what you are judging as unrealisitic or unbelievable are par for the course for superheroes.
You could argue Green Lantern is so omnipotent that he could take on terminator all by himself
, or hell Zatanna could have world peace by saying it backwards negating the use for a league or supervillains , tragedy, war, et. al altogether. It's the reorganizing and redefining of team dynamics that make this series (at least so far) special.
As far as why GA didnt gouge out Slade's good eye, well I think he wanted to go for the side he didn't have peripheral vision on , since he uses 90% of his brainpower and perfect vision, yadda yadda yadda (did you know that 10% brain theory is an urban myth? they've discovered its' true.But what they can do destroy Deathstroke's main advantage?? This is the kind of miniscule stuff that should not affect your enjoyment of comics people!its called suspension of disbelief!)
and could see him comin.
Plus although the League has been up to some shady stuff that has been kept private, a gouged out eye won't look too good on the nightly news.
As for me , I'm more concerned about that glimpse of Batman and what that could mean for the story. Hey its' not perfect but its' one of the best reads I've had in awhile.
Now don't get me wrong if this series turns a bum note like a lame ending I'll call them on it.
(I still think Watchmen was the best series with the worst ending ever. Never have gotten over that.)I kinda think whodunit's are always disappointing. Hitchcock said that himself and said it's far more suspenseful to know who the killer is beforehand, thereby creating more tension, whereas a whodunit always falls below readers expectations.But for now I'm just going crazy waiting for #4!
sorry for the ramble!
-
Aug 18, 2004 10:53:51 PM CDT
"What carries this series for me is the exact thing the reviwer
by jonquixote
Actually, I criticized the moments of overwriting. And, to a lesser extent, the pacing. For the most part, I'm loving it and loving exactly what you described. The point I tried to make regarding the fight was that Meltzer made it difficult to ignore the minutia and not nitpick by getting so precise & specific about something that desperately needed some 'dumb' gloss. As another talkbacker pointed out here, there are ways to make such a fight scene work. Trying to break it down and patiently explain to us how it would work - when it wouldn't - isn't one of them. Nitpick *my* review a little bit more precisely and you'll see that's what I said. ;)
-
And I forgot to add my favorite twist ending! Finding out Yorick's sister Hero had cut off a breast and joined the Amazons in Y: The Last Man was pretty good.(was that issue #3 or #4?)
-
Hero's mastectomy is the splash finish of issue #4. My new-to-comics call as twistiest guy on the shelves today is easily awarded to Brian Vaughan.
-
Aug 19, 2004 2:37:25 AM CDT
Favorite Twist Ending: Lone Wolf and Cub and Black Panther's ins
by -=shin=-
The tale of Lone Wolf culminated over the course of 29 volumes (I believe). In the end, Itto's mortal enemy who forced him on the assasin's road is killed by Itto's four year old son, Daigoro. It wasn't the greatest twist in comics. The death of the Yagyu clan's head was the inevitable outcome, but I never guessed Itto Ogami die in the final duel, leaving Itto's son to run in and deal a final blow to the Yagyu boss, resulting in Daigoro's death as well. It was perfect fit with the samurai themes of the book and couldn't have been a more satisfying ending.***Also, Anyone who read Christopher Priest's Black Panther run knows he was famous for pulling some great endings and resolutions. While not technically twists, often times, you never knew how Priest would pull off such unbelievable circumstances and resolve them in a way that made the impossible suddenly possible and plausible. The Black Panther takes out Iron Man with Windex and a rag? It happened and no one laughed or cried foul. Priest is far and away my favorite writer of superheroes. Too bad Cap and Falcon isn't quite where it should be.
-
Why isn't Rags Doing the covers? Or Why not have them painted by LAurel Blechman and Glen Orbik? They're better artists, and tell a story better than Michael Turner. M.T. Really isn't a good artist at all. No emotion, no diversity, no nothing. He needs to stop drawing comics, wizard needs to stop making him sound good, and people need to get a clue. Boring, angry looking heros don't cut it anymore, especially for a story like this. Anyways, that's my two cents.
-
I thought the twist at the end of Red Son was pretty darn good.
One twister that gave me nightmares as a child was in Wierd Fantasy where four guys are going off to an unexplored planet and one of them has a tapeworm. Well, they land on the planet, go exploring and get swallowed whole by a giant monster. The end of the story shows them in the monster's stomach learning to survive by becoming the MONSTER'S tapeworms. -
Finding out Nightcrawler was actually a demon. I never, ever saw that coming...
Readers Talkback
User Login
Top Talkbacks
- Whitney Houston 1963 - 2012 -- 439 total posts 165 posts
- WTF HOLLYWOOD: SOLARBABIES -- 144 total posts 142 posts
- Herc’s Seen Tonight’s Return Of THE WALKING DEAD!! Discuss Also DOWNTON ABBEY, FEAR FACTOR, PAN AM, ONCE, SIMPSONS, DYNAMITE, LUCK, SHAMELESS, BAIT CAR, THE GRAMMYS And More!! Sunday Is Sweeps Day 11!! -- 153 total posts 138 posts
- Avid Comic Reader Hercules Does Battle With Tedium During Kevin Smith’s COMIC BOOK MEN! -- 55 total posts 47 posts
- There's a STAR TREK video game that is going to lead into JJ's STAR TREK 2 apparently... -- 196 total posts 45 posts
- If the Behind the Scenes Pics of the Day drops her pen, pick it up, but don’t look at her legs or else it will be on your record. -- 60 total posts 36 posts
- New JUDGE DREDD post production footage pops up -- 127 total posts 36 posts
- I am The Behind the Scenes Pics of the Day! No, I’m the Behind the Scenes Pic of the Day! -- 35 total posts 35 posts
- To Commemorate The 3D Release Of STAR WARS EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM MENACE, George Lucas Wants You To Know...Greedo Shoots First!! -- 513 total posts 29 posts
- The Sensorties Revisit The Friday Docback (And Still Smell)!! DOCTOR WHO Story #7 Again, The Coming Of Season/Series 7, And More!! -- 117 total posts 26 posts