| #47 | 3/19/08 | #6 |
FLASH #238
Writer: Tom Peyer Art: Freddie E. Williams III Publisher: DC Comics Fastest Reviewer Alive: Ambush Bug
For a FLASH comic to work, it has to have a few things going for it.First, a FLASH comic has to have a good hook. Mark Waid's first go around had the Speed Force. Geoff Johns had the development of the Rogues as major players. A comic about a guy who runs really fast, while it may be a dynamic power, isn't really a subject to hang a meaty premise off of. Johns and Waid have proven that FLASH is a comic that can very well be good by coming up with a focus that is heavy enough to garner reader interest and make one care about Wally West or whoever dons the Flash's red skivvies.
Secondly, a FLASH comic has to read fast. Waid and Johns knew this as well. Both writers made picking up a FLASH comic a quick, fun read. Action moved fast and furious, plots darted by, split off, and came together. There was a constant feeling of motion during those two classic runs. If you yawned while reading a FLASH comic, there was something wrong with you. The storytelling style was representative of the character of the book. It wasn't breezy by any means, but it did move at a fast pace. Decompressed storytelling is a four letter word ‘round Central City. Flash is a character whose mind raced a million miles a minute and so did the stories about him.
Mark Waid and Geoff Johns both provided entertaining yet distinct runs on the FLASH title. For quite a while FLASH was one of DC's top tier titles. Since Johns left to destroy the DCU an infinite number of times DC has tried to find a new direction for the Flash to run towards, but so far, in greater or lesser degrees, the title has failed to catch up to the momentum of Waid and Johns' entries. After Johns left the title, it should have ended then and there. Instead, DC filled the final issues of that series with fodder fill-in stories that all but killed the momentum that Johns and Waid before him built with the title. After Wally West disappeared in INFINITE CRISIS, Bart Allen stepped into the Flash's shoes, only to be struck down pretty durn quickly by the Rogues and a plodding plotline. After Wally returned, so did Waid, with Wally's wife and two kids in tow. Waid's new run didn't really interest me. The FATHER KNOWS BEST schtick only went so far, and the alien storyline that threaded throughout Waid's return to the title seemed an odd fit for the series. In the words of fellow @$$Hole Sleazy G, Waid proved that you can't go home again with his overly saccharine and oddly plotted arc.
Now the baton has been passed to a new team to pick up the plot where Waid left off (Wally is still the father to two rambunctious, super-powered children and must both protect and teach them how to use their fluctuating speed powers). Last issue's fill in by Keith Champagne clued us in to the fact that Wally is unemployed and in search of a means to provide for his family. In this issue, the new team runs with that plot point.
Now applying these two truths about FLASH comics, let's see how this first new issue stands up.
The hook: I haven't really seen one. If it's “will Wally get a job?”, that's a pretty boring one. So far, Wally's return has been pretty blasé and this issue's FULL HOUSE-style trappings continue the G-rated feel that Waid brought to this book when he returned. It's easy to blame the kids and say that this "family-friendly" title doesn't have what it takes to be taken seriously, but I feel that there really are no bad plots, just uninspired writers writing them. There's a story in there involving Wally trying to be the best father to his two super powered children. Hinted at in a previous issue, Jai (Wally's son) perked up and suggested a solution of crime when the family was faced with a financial problem. This suggestion was quickly squelched and wrapped up in a pretty bow in that issue. But a hero whose son is starting to show a villainous streak sounds like a pretty interesting story to me. How can Wally stop his children from becoming criminals? Now that's a problem I could sink my teeth into.
Waid also provided a heavy topic that wasn't really explored to its fullest potential, in that his children are literally burning themselves out and growing at a rate faster than normal children. This sped up life cycle could mean that Wally and his wife need to find a cure on order for their children to live a normal life. Again, this is a heavy and interesting problem for our hero to face. But so far, only snippets and hints to these two themes have been dropped.
This issue focuses on Wally West, unemployed dad. Again, there are meaty plots whizzing all around him, but none of them are yet to be realized. I know writer Tom Peyer is just coming onto the title, but so far he's done the same thing that Waid and the fill-ins before him have done and danced around the meaty stuff in favor of the lighter FATHER KNOWS BEST schtick.
The new villain (painfully named Spin after his power to make news headlines come to life) provides an interesting hurdle for Wally to jump, but again, if Wally's financial woes are going to be the focus of this series, I'm going to lose interest quick. Sure, creators think that giving the heroes real world problems makes them more accessible to readers, but when those problems involve something like money issues and lack thereof, all it does is stress me out and make me re-think about the money I just plopped down to buy the book. If you want readers to stop reading, start making them conscious of how much money they're throwing away with each issue. It's a surefire cure for high sales.
So sans interesting hook, does this book move fast?
Well, not really. The reason why Johns’ stories moved so fast was that they were brimming with ideas. The cliffhanger of the last issue is resolved by page three and already Wally was off to another adventure. Waid did the same thing with the pace of his stories. Peyer is moving along at a more leisurely pace. He’s established a villain and is now having that villain wreak havoc on Wally’s life. That would be ok for any other book, but there needs to be more going on here than just one singular plot thread. Again, this is early on in the game. Peyer may be just getting his footing, but FLASH readers are used to a fast pace. So far it’s not meandering, not speeding. More like a brisk steady jog. This isn’t THE STROLL: THE GUY WHO WILL GET THERE EVENTUALLY. This is THE FLASH: FASTEST MAN ALIVE. The pace needs to pick up.
One thing this book has going for it is the art. I really like Freddie E. Williams III’s panels. They are dynamic--reminiscent of Bart Sears’ puffy people, yet the musculature is much more reserved and the panel to panel transitions are much more cohesive. Facial expressions are top notch, especially in the children. The kids look like kids, not shrunken adults. Speed and motion is communicated with great efficiency, another must for every FLASH comic.
So in conclusion, enough with the dancing around the good stuff. Good stories are there and ready to be told. The hook is being dangled in front of us readers who want to love the FLASH again. So far, Peyer isn't biting. But it's still early in his run. Here's hoping that he takes the bait, picks up the pace, and runs with it.
Ambush Bug is Mark L. Miller, reviewer and co-editor of AICN Comics for close to seven years. Look for his first published work in MUSCLES & FIGHTS 3 coming soon from Cream City Comics. Bug also can’t wait til THE SECRET TOURNAMENT OF INFINITE @$$-KICKERY begins! “What is the SECRET TOURNAMENT OF INFINITE @$$-KICKERY?”, you ask? Just wait and see…
FABLES #71
Writer: Bill Willingham Artist: Mark Buckingham Publisher: DC Vertigo Reviewer: Optimous Douche
Just when I was certain that this title couldn’t surprise me, when I was positive that the Brothers Ham have bled the well of ancient Germanic tales of child abuse bone dry, they deliver an issue that is not only an exquisite appetizer for a much larger story to come, but also a stand-alone masterpiece of story-telling.For those that still shun the fringes of pulp culture and see Vertigo books as nothing more than fodder for goth angst, allow me to offer a brief synopsis of the story thus far. FABLES is quite simply the story of our favorite immortal storybook characters from childhood forced to live in modern day New York amongst all of us mundane mortals.
Most previous attempts at trying to modernize these characters have ranged from the insipid (who remembers THE CHARMINGS?) to the walking innuendo (Zenoscope’s, GRIMM FAIRY TALES). What keeps this title veering from plagiarism and crashing straight into genius is the intricate and painstaking detail in which Willingham and Buckingham have updated these timeless characters with new identities that reflect our modern world while still adhering to timeless cannon. This issue is truly the fitting crown jewel in what has been a comic series of countless treasures.
After the end of last issue I expected the follow-up to be nothing more than a mediocre way station. Just coming off of the epic nine part story of “The Good Prince”, where the characters of Fabletown established their own Green Zone within the Homelands, I fully expected the creative team of Wilbuck to take a well deserved break and offer up a tale of Bigby teaching his pups how to delouse themselves.
Instead I was treated to a spy tale of the highest caliber. Cinderella, serving in her role as Fabletown’s own James Bond, is sent to the ass end of the planet to pick up a vital package that has come through one of the remaining open gates between our world and the alternate fable universe.
Willingham brilliantly borrows conventions from Ian Fleming’s spy brainchild and delicately interweaves them in the subtlest fashion to fit into the framework of the Fables universe. A cold calculating killer? Check! However, each calculated thought is seared into the delicate pink backdrop of the thought bubble, showing the dichotomy between princess Cinderella and the her current life as Cindy, agent for hire. Gadgets? Check! Tracking devices are brought to you courtesy of Fabletown’s own magical version of Q, Frau Totenkinder. And in true bond fashion the story closes with Cindy coming face-to-face with an evil mastermind.
Like everything James Jean touches, this cover is an exquisite work of art - not just comic art. The red hue bleeding into the black and white imagery of the cover’s gun toting vixen embodies sex and intrigue in one brief glance, setting the perfect stage for what lies ahead. If I could find this cover in poster form I would proudly hang it next to my autographed MARVELS poster in my man-cave.
Buckingham once again delivers on the pencils. The man has always been a master of conveying emotion with imagery and this issue once again proves that fact. Each time Cindy squeezes off another bullet into an unwitting henchman, you see her grow that much colder and more detached from her former life as the princess that lacked proper arch support.
I’m going to end this totally hetero man-love adoration by paying homage to the subtle yet rife with symbolism page margins. Think about the opening credits of any James Bond movie; now replace Bond with a glass slipper.
Don’t just buy this book. Buy it, read it, then carefully tuck it in Mylar with a backing board. Then every time you read some craptacular issue or run of title, pull out FABLES #71, gingerly unwrap it, and you’ll soon remember why you’re a comic fan.
When Optimous Douche isn’t reading comics and misspelling the names of 80’s icons, he “transforms” into a corporate communications guru. Optimous is looking for artistry help, critical feedback and a little industry insight to get his original book AVERAGE JOE up, up and on the shelves. What if the entire world had super powers? Find out in the blog section of Optimous’ MySpace page to see some preview pages and leave comments.
The battle you never asked for! MIGHTY THOR vs. INCREDIBLE HERC! In this corner, standing 6 foot 6, weighing 640 pounds:
THE MIGHTY THOR #7
Writer: J. Michael Straczynski Artist: Marko Djurdjevic Inker: Danny Miki And in this corner: standing 6 foot 5, weighing 325 pounds:
INCREDIBLE HERCULES #115
Writers: Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente Artist: Koi Pham Inkers: Paul Neary and Danny Miki Publisher: Marvel Comics And sent to his corner, sitting down, weighing in at 170 pounds: Reviewer: Rock-Me Amodeo
My first thought (as I looked up Thor’s and Hercules’ vital stats) is that either the Marvel Universe Guide needs to be updated, or that Hercules is not nearly as dense as Thor.Let’s review what has happened thus far. We’re four months into Hercules sort of house-sitting the HULK title. And we’re seven months into a very successful relaunch of one of my favorite titles: THE MIGHTY THOR. Thor and I go way back. Why, when I first started buying comics, blah blah blah…(insert touching anecdote)…blah blah, but the hair on my legs never did grow back, and I still limp like Don Blake.
MIGHTY THOR: Anyway, Thor has always been the epitome of cool for me. He was Wolverine with a hammer before there was a Wolverine: the one character whose cape you wouldn’t dare tug on. He was basically a nice guy, but majestic enough to inspire awe even among his so-called peers. In fact, he was almost TOO majestic.
And as if he wasn’t majestic and potent enough before, now he’s Odin-flavored. Problem here: he was already Marvel’s Übermensch, and now he’s even uber-er. If they leave him at his current power levels, there’s no one he can really fight this side of Magog. Possible solutions: really good writing, or restore old status quo by bringing back Odin, who is at death’s door from when he was shot by a sniper’s bullet (the details escape me.) Hopefully we will get more of the first and none of the second.
So far, I’ve enjoyed seeing the other gods come back, but now that it’s over, I really do wonder: are we in for the de-powering of Thor? Personally, I would love to see him take on a few more heavyweights, but if Thor stays the way he is, then he’s going to have to stay cosmic. It seems like that would kind of defeat the point of Asgard being grounded on Earth (something I know is dear to JMS) so I’m interested to see where we go.
Despite the fact that nothing says excitement like “Thor-sleep,” it was a good issue.
INCREDIBLE HERCULES: Regarding Hercules, we have a demi-god whose humanity is so evident, it’s hard to remember he’s a part of the Greco/Roman pantheon, at least until he starts playing catch with missiles and vehicles.
I admit, when Hercules took over this book, I was initially impressed by Marvel’s gutsy call AND the really cool wordplay AND faux-Steranko of that first cover. Moments later, I wondered if this was the Renegades book it seemed like Marvel was pitching so hard in WORLD WAR HULK. Then it turned into a story about a boy and his dog, and a god and his boy. It was okay.
But then it turned into a Hercules book with Cho as a supporting character. And I like it.
This book is the last part of a showdown between SHIELD and Hercules/Cho for their part in WWH, and the fact that Cho is still tiring to take out SHIELD. We see the return of the Behemoth (which used to be seen in GODZILLA, which used to be drawn by Herb Trimpe, who used to draw HULK…just keeping up my geek street-cred) and a showdown between the newly-bourgeois Ares and the ever-proletariat Herc.
I like Herc as a working class hero, steeped in mythos and history. Hercules is more than another figure in an endless parade of super-strong, semi-invulnerable heroes. For one thing, he has better stories and a penchant for beer/mead. And seeing Ares and Athena, getting the “inside scoop” of things that happened 3000 years ago…these are good things. I hope we see more of Hercules at his best, and not just him getting in over his head and punching his way out. But the fact that I’m attached at all… Four issues in, and this doesn’t feel like a fill-in until the Hulk gets back. This feels like a Hercules book.
THOR and HERC artwork, and last notes:With THOR’s art, I was curious to see whether Djurdjevic would paint or draw (he drew.) I don’t think I’ve ever seen him draw before, and I must say, his style seems perfect for Thor, especially the dreamscape battles. As Thor gets a chance to process with Odin, and Odin recounts his own tale of ascending to the throne, Djurdjevic’s pencils keep up with the story every step of the way.
Pham does a good job on HERCULES, though some of it seemed a bit rushed. Yet there were several killer pages, and when I found myself searching for the stuff that seemed rushed, I found myself admiring all the great artwork a second time. Then the stuff I thought was rushed seemed nitpicky by comparison, so forget I mentioned it.
Finally, both Thor and Hercules are revealed as having some less than noble actions in their past. As to which title is stronger…they both had strengths and weaknesses. I’ll let you folks battle it out as to which one was the winner. It ain’t no knock-out, that’s for sure.
Ready? Ding!
Dante “Rock-Me” Amodeo has been reading comics for thirty-five years. His first novel, “Saban and The Ancient” (an espionage/paranormal thriller) was published 2006. He began writing for AICN Comics in 2007 and his second novel (“Saban Betrayed”) is due 2008. He’s often told he has a great face for radio.
SHEENA: QUEEN OF THE JUNGLE # 5
Writer: Steven de Souza Artist: Matt Merhoff, Publisher: Devil’s Due Publishing Reviewer: Optimous Douche
I came into SHEENA unknowingly. In an effort to expand my blossoming reviewer skills I made myself a promise that I would occasionally tackle a title that was less heady and more headstrong.SHEENA was a good entrance. Not a grand entrance, but a good entrance. Souza has a great feel for action, which is not surprising since he penned adrenaline classics “Die Hard” and “Commando”. In the first four pages we’re treated to a prison break out, a 747 crashing and a mountain of skulls. The action only increases from that point forward.
Merhoff pencils the female form stunningly, but I offer a word of caution: don’t always assume the reader’s boner will supersede their need for reality. Even the most high-falootin’ of ladies wouldn’t wear 6 inch heels and a mini skirt suit-set into the middle of the jungle. You can still get the T&A factor with some khaki daisy dukes, heeled workman’s boots and a tight t-shirt.
Action, half-naked heroines and a shaman: SHEENA felt a lot like “Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom”, without the annoying kid. Not my cup of tea, but not a bad diversion.
CATWOMAN #77
Writer: Will Pfeifer Artist: David Lopez Inker: Alvaro Lopez Publisher: DC Comics Reviewer: Rock-Me Amodeo
Is it just my imagination, or has this book been rocking solidly for quite some time?Toward the end of the last issue, I was prepared for a crappy ending. I just knew when we saw that strange Batman, the blurb for the next issue would have those five dreaded words somewhere in the title: “The Search For Ray Palmer.” I would curse production schedules and bad editing and…and…it was not that at all. Selena was in “The Matrix,” sorta, a matrix of her own mind, and she was the Neo.
And when that wicked smile crossed her lips at the end of the book, an exact duplicate was on my face as well. All I really wanted to see this issue was Selena connecting her seven pound boots to an endless row of latex-covered posteriors.
Boy, did I get that. Sure, I knew it would come to an end, but what a lot of fun! And you know, it made me seriously wonder if perhaps Catwoman is not selling herself short. Based on the extremely plausible choreography in this one, I bet she could do pretty well if she could somehow pull a Black Canary/Shiva maneuver. Something to hope for, although I’m sure she’s a better thief than either one of them, and maybe that’s where her strengths need to stay.
Still, a great book, and even more impressive considering that Pfeifer had to stay within the editorial mandates of Selena being off in SALVATION RUN. Yeah, having your main character tied to a mini-series, that couldn’t go bad, huh? But it didn’t.
And David Lopez is getting a little better each issue. Sure, he doesn’t draw Selina the way Hughes does the covers, but who wants a heroine who looks like a cross between Audrey Hepburn and Jennifer Love Hewitt, every panel? Okay, I wouldn’t cry, but if Hughes could do that every panel, he’d be drawing the book and Lopez would be doing the covers. As it is, Lopez brings a great story. Also, hats off to the colorists, who made an effort to convey the dream-like quality of the story with their palette, and succeeded.
I know I have a weakness for chick books. But truth be told, it’s only a weakness for well-written, well-drawn chick books. Between this, BIRDS OF PREY, BUFFY and MS. MARVEL, my plate is full.
SPOOKS #2 Devil’s Due Publishing
Writer Larry Hama continues to dazzle in this highly energetic thrill ride of a comic. If you squint a little and read this, you’d mistake the Spook team to be Hama’s old GI JOE team. While I found the human heroes to be a bit drab, the monsters are the true highlight of the book and when the military team takes on a pack of motorcycle zombies, the action cranks up to ten and stays there until the end of this issue. Artists Adam Archer & Ryan Schifrin offer us some extremely nice panels of exploding zombies. This legion of monsters that is forming is proving to be a formidable force. I especially like the use of the Headless Horseman. The artist's rendition of the human faced pumpkin is a nice touch that creeped me the hell out. This is a great melding of military and horror, highlighting the best aspects of both genres. – Ambush Bug
THE MISADVENTURES OF CLARK & JEFFERSON #4 Ape Entertainment
I reviewed the first three issues of this series not long ago. Writer Jay Carvajal and artist Marc Borstel served up a nice combination of western adventurism meeting sci fi with a heaping load of comedy served up throughout. Issue four finishes off this first miniseries. Borstel’s aliens continue to be altogether ooky with their Geiger Alien bodies and their Communion grey alien faces. It’s a nice unsettling mix of alien species that definitely amps up the chill factor. Carvajal’s Clark & Jefferson are two likable heroes (one super-serious, the other almost self-aware and more jovial) bumbling through this sci fi adventure wishing they could just fight some injuns or outlaws instead of alien invaders. Some of the humor falls flat and the joke involving the Native American’s name is used a few times too many, but all in all this book inspired a chuckle or two. I especially liked the way this miniseries felt as if every issue was necessary; not much by way of filler occurred. Carvajal’s pacing is a refreshing thing to see since drawn out storytelling seems to be the catch of the day. A fun series worth checking out. – Ambush Bug
MR. SCOOTLES #5 hcnoel.com
“This is some CRITTERS 2 shit!” Best damn line I’ve read in a comic in quite a while. H.C. Noel’s MR SCOOTLES is one of those books that ooze imagination. It asks the question in the title page “What becomes of your creations when you abandon them?” Following the exploits of a long-forgotten animation character (Mr. Scootles), a magic reel of film, the angels and demons and villains after the reel, and two animation students caught in the middle, MR. SCOOTLES unfolds like a manic acid trip. Reality warps. Unexplained stuff happens. Nothing makes sense. And it all has something to do with a cartoon made long, long ago. MR. SCOOTLES is a Faustian tale wrapped around a Tex Avery cartoon and a Dr. Seuss story. There’s quite a bit of existentialism going on in these pages, but enough madcappery to keep it from being too heavy. I appreciated this book on both levels. This is a smart and thoughtful look at the artistic process, cartoon animals, and everything deep and breezy that comes with those two subjects. – A Ambush Bug
SULLENGREY: CEMETERY THINGS V1 TPB Ape Entertainment
Fans of SANDMAN, THE CROW, and Tim Burton may want to seek this book out that oozes with Goth lifestyle and all that comes with it. This book is often poetic and looks like a Tim Burton animated film put to print. The stories are all written and drawn by Drew Rausch, whose angular linework and muted palette set the tone for a truly dark fairy tale. There's a whole lotta brooding going on in the pages of this original graphic novel. The stories are quite dark, but told with a poetic whimsy that skews reality. If you're not into the Goth scene, this book may not be for you. But since I think Goth chicks are hot, I was fully entertained by the weirded out dreamy sequences involving murder, death, and decapitation all done by people who put on too much lace, leather, and make-up when they go out to drink at bars. If you like horror set to a Gothic backdrop, this book is for you. – Ambush Bug
ARMORED SOLDIER VALKYRION ARMORED SOLDIER VALKYRION: TECHNICAL MANUAL K.A.Z.U.M.I. PROJECT Doukeshi Productions
I had a difficult time getting into this set of books. Basically, they aren't comic books at all, but prose pieces set to Manga-esque artwork. Tiny pictures decorate the fringes giving a reference for the descriptors written on the page. There is an extremely detailed sci fi universe mapped out in this book and the accompanying manual. Down to the last detail, this universe has been fully realized. There's been an awful lot of what my college writing professor used to call "butt in the chair time" spent on these books. Everything from spaceships to weapons to planets to soldier training techniques are described fully. Not sure if it is my thing (hell, I'm not even a fan of BATTLESTAR GALACTICA), but those of you who dig sci fi and all of the science that goes along with it may want to check out the extremely intelligent and highly sophisticated universe of ARMORED SOLDIER VALKYRION. - Ambush Bug
ALMIGHTY OGN Self Published by Laroche
Sometimes I wonder what the hell is wrong with comic book publishers these days. Out of all of the books on the shelves (and c'mon, let's face it, a lot of it is pure crap), how does this book have difficulty finding a publisher? I favorably reviewed ALMIGHTY a while back and stick by that recommendation. This is a very effective sci fi, post-apocalyptic book reminiscent of WASTELAND and films like THE ROAD WARRIOR. Survival is the game everyone plays in this book, some more successful than others. Writer Laroche doesn't only have a keen eye for pacing and story development; he also does a great job drawing this book too. Panel to panel transitions are cut in a rapid manner. Characters don't all look like carbon copies of each other. Story is communicated with a clarity that shows that the writer understands the medium and how to push it to its most entertaining level. This isn't a pretty story. The characters are put through hell and the outcome is far from being tied up in a pretty bow. Shame on you, publishers, for not giving this book the proper look-see or fighting chance on the shelves. And bravo to writer/artist Laroche, who took the matter in his own hands and published himself. Stick it to the big publishers and give this book a chance. - Ambush Bug
FEAR AGENT #19 Dark Horse Comics
If there has been anything I've truly appreciated about Rick Remender's writing in FEAR AGENT thus far, it's how he can take a situation that in itself is already pretty dire and then insert another variable that makes the whole shebang even more of a clusterfuck that looks nigh impossible to get out of. But the beauty is that no matter how bad the odds you know that salvation could always be around the corner for those involved, with some collateral damage along the way. And that's exactly what this issue of FA was, as well as being yet another showcase of why this is arguably the best adrenaline rush in comics. – Humphrey Lee
THE CIRCLE #5 Image Comics
And thus, THE CIRCLE comes to an end. I wish more people had checked this book out. Brian Reed can write comics, but you really have to check out Ian Hosfeld’s artwork. Really, if you pick up the first issue (which was very good) and then look at issue three and look at this issue, you can literally see an excellent artist getting better right before your eyes. Regarding plot, since most of the story was spelled out in the first four issues, this one is mostly payoff. If you like a little espionage, some wetworks, and cute, butt-kicking young women (and who doesn’t?) then this WOULD have been your book had you checked it out. As it is, catch the back issues and see if you find yourself saying, “Gee, it was just really picking up steam…” Like a circle, it comes to and end, but the end could just as easily be a new beginning. - Rock-Me
EX MACHINA #35 DC Wildstorm
What might be the one and only complaint I have about this title, brilliant as it is, is that for all the centralization of the story around Mitchell Hundred's powers there still hasn't been a terrible lot of build towards the nature of them. Obviously the focus on this book is more on realism and politcs and more on exploring Hundred himself, but a hint at just what Hundred experiences is always a welcome digression. Except, in the case of this issue, it wasn't a digression at all, but an enabler to give us just that smattering of politics and introspection that makes this comic what it is: easily one of the top comics produced today. There was some reaching at times in order to get the point of this issue's story across, but this is probably one of the best issues we've seen so far in a series not lacking for greatness. – Humphrey
RED SONJA #31 Dynamite Entertainment
Yeah, yeah, I know – I promise, I only read RED SONJA for the articles. I check in with our favorite she-devil with a sword from time to time just because the thought of a female barbarian who wears a chain-mail bikini is just so non-PC, I can’t help it. Plus, Marcos has been drawing a LONG time (hey, remember IRON JAW #3 from back in ’75?) and his Sonja is pretty easy on the eyes. (His barbarians, however, occasionally hit stances that make even Spiderman go “Ouch!” and there are scattered sightings of Liefieldian muscles.) But as I was flipping through it, I found that Christos Gage had put together and interesting story, and darned if I didn’t wind up sitting down and reading the whole thing, cover to cover. I gotta give them their props: this was a good issue. You can’t ask for much more classic swords-n-sorcery than this. - Rock-Me
