(Click title to go directly to the review)
Advance Review: SHERLOCK HOLMES VS. HARRY HOUDINI #1
ROCHE LIMIT #1
AVENGERS #35
FUTURES END: BOOSTER GOLD #1
TOM CLANCY’S SPLINTER CELL: ECHOES #4
ELFQUEST: THE FINAL QUEST #5
Advance Review: LOBO #1
LOKI – AGENT OF ASGARD #6
FUTURES END: SUPERMAN #1
BOB’S BURGERS #2
THUNDERBOLTS #31
FUTURES END: TEEN TITANS #1
DEADPOOL #35
JUSTICE INC. #2
FUTURES END: BATMAN & ROBIN #1
Advance Review: KILL SHAKESPEARE: THE MASK OF NIGHT #4
Optimous Douche’s F#<%Ton of FUTURE’S END Reviews & Spoilers!
In stores this week!SHERLOCK HOLMES VS. HARRY HOUDINI #1
Writers: Anthony del Col & Conor McCreeryArtist: Carlos Furuzono
Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment
Reviewer: Lyzard
Writers Anthony del Col and Conor McCreery are having a good week. Just as their latest run of KILL SHAKESPEARE is ending, their newest venture into appropriating famous historical figures has begun. SHERLOCK HOLMES VS. HARRY HOUDINI puts two of the greatest debunking minds to the test.
The first issue is based very much in fact, despite prominently including a fictional character. Houdini's handcuff escape at Scotland Yard did lead to the rise of his popularity in Europe, beginning with several performances at the Alhambra Theater. He was also a debunker of spiritualists and mystics, though in actuality this wasn't a pursuit of his till later on in his career. Houdini was constantly being tested and challenged, so what if this time he is being harassed by a "supernatural" force that asks him to renounce his sinful ways and admit to its spectral power? Everything else is so accurate that this twist in the plot, nor the inclusion of Sherlock Holmes, seems at all outrageous.
But this book is titled SHERLOCK HOLMES VS. HARRY HOUDINI, not HOLMES & HOUDINI. Despite the fact that these two would probably get rather chummy over a spot of tea discussing the absurdities of the paranormal, their egos prevent such a kinship from arising. Holmes must be the smartest man in the room. Though Sherlock is able to deduce how Houdini fooled Scotland Yard, it is hard to take a man seriously when he is unable to escape from his own cell. Here we have the darker Holmes, the drug addict, the ends justifies the means Holmes. Of course, even when down and out, Holmes is still an undeniable talent, and neither master of logic is too proud to ignore their need for each other when the supernatural becomes all too real.
From my experience in reviewing del Col and McCreery's work, they do not shy away from lengthy dialogue. In this case, these characters were made for grand speeches and endless wit. It is almost play-like. Verbal fencing if you will. Very apropos for the time period.
However, this is not a story presented on stage, but a comic, and a comic requires the visuals to speak just as loud as its words. Carlos Furuzono captures the glint in each of our main characters’ devilish eyes; however, their overall designs are a bit too similar. Perchance this was intentional, in order to draw our attention to how much these two men are very much one and the same, but it is much more a distraction than a unique observation of these characters. It can be hard to distinguish between each when there is such little detail on the page. Instead of the ornateness featured in the writing, Furuzono's drawings focus more on movement and point of view. It is about drawing your eyes to what is important, and in this case a less is more manner is chosen to do so. Do I miss seeing a variety of faces, background figures, and environments given more than a cursory inking? Yes. Did I notice this while I was reading the comic? To some extent, from time to time. But there were enough pages packed with energy that brought me right back in to the story, if only to be distracted several pages later.
I wish so much that I could end this review with a magic pun or misquote Mr. Doyle, but that would be an insult to a comic that succeeds ever so well in respecting its stars.
Lyzard is Lyz Reblin, a graduate student at the University of Texas pursuing a master's degree in Media Studies... which is just a fancy way of saying she plays a lot video games, watches far too many horror films, and then tries to pass it all off as "research."
ROCHE LIMIT #1
Writer: Michael MoreciArtist: Vic Malhotra
Publisher: Image Comics
Reviewer: Humphrey Lee
“Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar”--some guy who once upon a time just couldn’t take the “you sure do love those dick-shaped things in your mouth, huh?” ribbing he got (I think that’s how it went--I’m terrible at historical anecdotes). But sometimes expectations and assumptions can be deceiving, and that cigar really is just a substitute for some sweet, sweet cocksucking fixation that can also be lit on fire and smoked to fill your body with sweet, sweet nicotine. Science! Basically, what I’m getting at is that, yes, some things are what they obviously are, and some things are also an implied meaning within that item. And sometimes, like with ROCHE LIMIT here – the point of this analogy gone horribly fucky – the implications blur and what you got is indeed not quite what you expected. I thought I had an idea of ROCHE LIMIT’s implications when I picked it up, but I guess I was just a wee bit off.
What happened here in this case of “Cigar v. Dick Symbol” is that I thought ROCHE LIMIT was going to be a big ol’ heap of science fiction mixed in with a bit of noir. Space suits, unexplainable interstellar phenomena, and all bundled up in a seamy underbelly. And it certainly seems that way, as the debut kicks off with a fistful of pages mostly explaining what the Roche Limit Colony is in a brief origin intertwined with some poor bastard being dragged outside of a vessel in deep space to be torn apart by the outer space aberration that is the Roche Limit. The Limit itself is an absolute intriguing idea. What Moreci and company have devised here is a light and energy devourer, somewhat like a black hole but without being an everything crushing gravity well. It hangs out there, being all anomalous, while the Roche Limit Colony – created within a dwarf planet, no less - hangs about, being a bastion of wasted potential where the name of the game is corruption instead of the inspiration it was built to provide.
From there on out, it’s basically crime city…er, space colony. Putting aside all analysis aside from the material following our little interstellar download to begin the issue, it feels somewhat deflating to go from such a high concept start into a significantly more grounded place. There’s a lot to chew on with an extended cast that absorbs as many brain cells to remember as it does to contemplate the implications of what an anomaly such as the Roche Limit could entail. We’re got an ex-cop looking for her sister running into and finding help from a drug maker hounded by fellow unsavory types, a one-eyed madam, and some shady science types doing kidnappings and illegal experiments, it seems. Lots of stuff to digest, lots of faces and intrigue going on looking to grab onto the reader, and yet I spent most of it wanting to go back to the stuff we got right off the bat. That’s what really grabbed me, and I couldn’t help but feel the loss of it throughout this starter issue.
But, even though the bulk of this review has been talking about items not necessarily representing what they appear to, I’m also not in the habit of reviewing books as they could be instead of as they appear. I was hoping for noir wrapped in a high science fiction shell and we have here the converse, and it is still intriguing enough. Some poor bastard, as the history of the Roche Limit was being unfolded for us, was dragged through the abnormality and torn asunder, and I want to know how this came to be. Sonya, our ex-cop, looks to be our foil in this burg as she hunts down her sister, who looks to have been kidnapped by our illegal experimenters, who also seem to be leeching girls from our resident brothel space. There’s a lot of dirt and grime to wade through in this end of the galaxy, which is why it’s also ironically fitting that the best help Sonya can find is Alex Ford, drug maker and smartass asshole who gets in trouble easy enough. Even though their coming together is of the contrived “he helps her because fuck it why not” nature, their interactions are enjoyably blunt. Sonya’s got a fierce nature to her and is channeling that to find her sister; meanwhile, Alex gives no fucks and seemingly has the station’s entire underbelly gunning for him. This is the epitome of the ingredients need to create a “hijinks ensue” entrée.
The book does ooze style; that cannot be denied. I’m not exactly sure why what has to be a relatively not-close future, fully-functioning space station has kind of like a Bioshockian retro society in that they resemble ours a decent bit on its decks, but it works. The pimps, the pushers, the ex-police all have their attitude and play their parts well, grabbing what little they can while the impossible transpires outside the Roche Limit’s portholes. Vic Malhotra’s pencils, combined with a deep and shadowy color job, really bring the atmosphere of this futuristic crime ball to life. Overall, the appeal of this book looks like it’s really going to be driven by those pesky expectations. I’d prefer more sci fi, but I’ll never turn down a good piece of crime fiction. Ideally, for me it would be more balanced than what I’ve seen here between both the on and off ship happening and also with the characters getting deeper, as for the most part they are just presented as a collection of attitudes or intentions and not with a lot of real substance yet.
But I like what we have here as a start to ROCHE LIMIT: it’s got intrigue on both ends of its spectrum from the physics of the Limit to the perversions on the colony decks. The potential is limitless given the genres at play and what can be done with them if melded properly; it’s just a matter of execution from here on out. Will ROCHE LIMIT be just a crime comic with a way cooler than normal backdrop, or with it be the high concept hybrid it begs to be? Sometimes a book is a book that lives up to its potential and sometimes a book is a book that really ends up being a case of what could have been…
Humphrey Lee has been an avid comic book reader going on fifteen years now and a contributor to Ain't It Cool comics for quite a few as well. In fact, reading comics is about all he does in his free time and where all the money from his day job wages goes to - funding his comic book habit so he can talk about them to you, our loyal readers (lucky you). He's a bit of a social networking whore, so you can find him all over the Interwebs on sites like Twitter, The MySpaces, Facebookand a blog where he also mostly talks about comics with his free time because he hasn't the slightest semblance of a life. Sad but true, and he gladly encourages you to add, read, and comment as you will.
AVENGERS #35
Writer: Jonathan HickmanArtists: Jim Cheung, Paco Medina, Nick Bradshaw, Dustin Weaver
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Reviewed by: KletusCassidy
Leading up to the Avengers movie I really started bulking up on my Avengers books, but alas, I also had more money to spend on comics. So when it comes time to cut a book, this title will never find itself on the chopping block while Hickman is piloting this machine. I made that mistake before, but by god I'll never do it again. I missed the last issue due to distributor error, so I struggled on whether to wait for the last ish or press on, but the quad threat of Cheung, Bradshaw, Medina and Weaver was too much for this weak old man. I'm guessing by now you can tell what my decision was--thus my review of AVENGERS #35.
Since this issue is a tie-in to FUTURES END…I mean, uh...TIME RUNS OUT (heh), the conclusion to the previous story isn't spoiled as we move 8 months into the future. This seems to be a future where the Marvel Illuminati have been ousted and are now being hunted by a very new group of Avengers. This is a fun set up story that works well as a single issue but is also a fun look at how the Marvel Universe may or may not look in the near future. The art in this book is great, and since each artist tackled essentially their own story, the change of pencils wasn't distracting--plus all these guys are awesome in ol’ Kletus' book, so the more the merrier. I think I like the Amadeus Cho story the best, mostly because of Jim Cheung and we get to see some sweet S.H.I.E.L.D.-issued Avengers uniforms!
If you haven't picked up any Avengers books lately I'd say check this issue out if you want to jump ahead of one of the two (don't forget about AXIS) next big storylines for Marvel. The story is fun and the art is top notch. It is a little more expensive, but if you aren't already buying a million books (like me) then it'd be a great introduction for things to come.
FUTURES END: BOOSTER GOLD#1
Writer: Dan JurgensArtists: Moritat, Dan Jurgens, Will Conrad, Steve Lightle, Stephen Thompson, Ron Frenz, Brett Booth
Publisher: DC Comics
Reviewer: Matt Adler
Picking up from 2012's JUSTICE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL ANNUAL #1, Booster Gold is back, written once again by his creator Dan Jurgens. Booster is bouncing through the DC multiverse after having vanished at the end of the aforementioned annual, which provides the opportunity for a passel of different artists to portray the worlds he visits in this issue.
The standout of the issue is Ron Frenz, who does an excellent Kirby homage while Booster drops in on Kamandi and friends. Gotham By Gaslight is also an interesting locale, though Booster's visit is all too brief. And the trip to Earth-Charlton is fun both for the chance to see Captain Atom in his original Ditko outfit as well as the moment where a Ted Kord who is not part of the DCU wonders who the heck this weirdo is.
This story is really just a tease, though, in service to the larger ongoing plotlines of the DCU, and you won't have much more idea where it's all going by the end of the issue. Booster's seemingly random world-hopping is in a way symbolic of the lack of focus the DCU has suffered from in recent years. The Powers That Be certainly seem to want to use the multiverse concept to tease fans who long for continuity gone by, but do they really intend to go back to the pre-New 52? It doesn't seem likely, so perhaps they shouldn't dwell so much on what they're not going back to, but rather what the readership has to look forward to. That much, at least, remains unclear.
Still, regardless of the bigger picture questions left unanswered, for fans of Booster Gold's temporal escapades this issue comes as a welcome diversion. Kudos to Dan Jurgens and company for a fun story featuring an old favorite.
Matt Adler is a writer/journalist, currently writing for AICN among other outlets. He’s been reading comics for more than 25 years, writing about them for more than 10, and spends way, way, too much time thinking about them, which means he really has no choice but to figure out how to make a living out of this stuff. He welcomes all feedback.
TOM CLANCY’S SPLINTER CELL: ECHOES #4
Writer: Nathan EdmondsonArtist: Mark Laming
Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment
Reviewer: Lyzard
I originally had no intention of reviewing SPLINTER CELL: ECHOES #4, not because I didn't enjoy the series--on the contrary, I have consistently given it positive reviews. But writing pleasantries again and again, over and over, can be tiring for a critic. I've made my points clear multiple times. This is a comic worth picking up. So why should I continue to emphasize this point?
While all that it is true, I didn't realize that this was the last issue of the series, so obviously I am obligated to give my two cents. But I write this not just out of professional responsibility, but because there are new comments to be made besides "strong action" and "well drawn."
You see, why I was caught by surprise in this being the finale is that the story seemed to have so much more to explore by the end of issue #3.
Sam Fisher was in the middle of a mission reaching its climax, and I hardly saw him succeeding so easily. While I was correct in this guess, the comic does resolve the major threat of the series too cleanly for my liking. It is typical for the genre, especially in the narrative strategy of video games series like SPLINTER CELL, that the immediate threat is eliminated, only to find out that they were merely a pawn for a much bigger problem. I would hate to spoil the end of issue #4, so all I'll say is that too many elements are tied up in a nice little bow.
There was also a sub-plot featured throughout the series that I never touched upon, mainly because I didn't understand it. I never brought it up as an issue because it was easy enough to ignore without affecting my readings, but this storyline is featured prominently in the final issue and is integral to its plot. A few years back, Sam Fisher was led to believe that his daughter was dead. In my research I found out that this is indeed part of the SPLINTER CELL mythology. However, I am not a big enough fan of the series to have known this. Throughout ECHOES there have been flashback scenes interspersed of Sam angered over his dead daughter. Obviously, I was confused because the series begins with Sam bonding with her. This may seem like a useless gripe, but balancing an adaptation between winks to the fans and clarity for new readers is integral and a common point of failure for many video game adaptations into any new medium. I can't really find any reason why this sub-plot was necessary to the story of ECHOES.
SPLINTER CELL was at its best when it was a stereotypical, simple action tale. Sam Fisher was most entertaining when he was quipping rather than monologuing. The side characters directly involved with the mission, the friends or the enemies, were more interesting than Sam's family and other random acquaintances. For the most part, the series relied on its strengths.
I still say go out and buy the SPLINTER CELL: ECHOES series, though don't be fooled into buying the version released last year as there is more material in the 2014 issues. But don't get your hopes up for the strongest of conclusions.
ELFQUEST: THE FINAL QUEST #5
Writers: Wendy and Richard PiniArtist: Wendy Pini
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Reviewer: Corey Michael Dalton
The first ongoing ELFQUEST series in 15 years, THE FINAL QUEST, rumbles on with issue 5, and, unfortunately, it still hasn’t found a compelling story to tell. In this installment, Ember is tortured, her lifemate Teir nearly drowns, and the elves’ magical palace—guided by a group of long-dead elfin spirits—swoops in to save both of them. Yep, a magical building flown by ghosts solves the protagonists’ problems. You can probably see right off the bat why the plot is less than enthralling: there is no sense of danger. Ever since the elves learned how to control their powerful and portable ancestral home (not to mention commune with their dead loved ones who reside inside it), the World of Two Moons has lost much of its drama. It’s just hard to care about the predicaments the living elves get into when you know they can call for a rescue at a moment’s notice. And if an elf does die, so what? We know his/her spirit will turn up in the palace anyway, always on hand to divulge some handy backstory or make a familial revelation or two. This narrative problem has been solved a couple of times (by sending the palace into the future in KINGS OF THE BROKEN WHEEL and by shattering it in SHARDS), but right now the deus ex machina is in full effect.
Aside from the lack of tension, much of this series has also seemed like an exercise in looking backwards, reexamining or retconning past events to set things up for future stories. For example, quite a bit of the previous issues simply retold the events from the ELFQUEST SUMMER SPECIAL 2001 with a few strategic changes. Ardan Djarum, the villain from the Wavedancers’ storyline (which originally took place further in the elves’ timeline) has now been retconned from being a sea-faring descendent of Grohmul Djun into his insane/confused bastard child and half-brother of the antagonist of this story, Angrif Djun. The human member of Ember’s tribe, Khorbasi, has also been modified from being a normal human into a human with an unnaturally long lifespan (thanks to Mender, the tribe’s healer), so he can live long enough to fill a role in this story—saving other humans. In this issue alone, we get two big changes to established history: 1.) Teir’s parentage, and 2.) how recognition works. Because so much time has been spent reexamining and changing the past, there doesn’t seem to have been much forward momentum in the series. I’d prefer new events and ideas instead of tweaks to old ones.
As unexciting as the plot is for experienced ELFQUEST readers, I can’t imagine that all the rearview mirror-looking would make the series entertaining for new readers either. Why would a new reader care that Teir’s parents aren’t the Go-Backs that we thought they were or that he didn’t actually inherit his animal bonding powers from his “unusually gifted” adopted father? A new reader probably doesn’t even know who Kahvi is, let alone why she asked Windkin to be a sperm donor. And the fact that recognition, the supposedly unavoidable biological need for two elves to produce an offspring, can now just be “turned off” and ignored is disappointing for new and old readers alike. I get that it’s a kind of statement about family planning, choosing to not have children, etc., but recognition was always one of the more interesting concepts in the series and a great way to create drama. One more source of tension off the board, I guess …
I feel like I’m being very down on this series, but as an ELFQUEST reader for 25 years, there are certainly things I liked in this issue. I enjoyed it when the spirit of Kahvi taunted Teir (who, let’s face it, has always been a bit of a whiner) to get him to swim for his life because it seemed exactly like something the rather harsh Go-Back chieftess would do--and I just like it when people yell at Teir. I also thought the small moment between Skywise and his daughter Yun was very sweet. I’d love to learn more about their relationship. Finally, the ending, where the elves and their friends spot something exclamation worthy on the top of a mountaintop, has me intrigued to find out what they’re seeing.
No review of ELFQUEST would be complete without mentioning co-creator Wendy Pini’s wonderful artwork. Wendy still has the goods, that’s for sure! (In fact, it is my goal in life to one day own an original piece of her art. I have small dreams.) The double-page spread where Kahvi reveals Teir’s true parentage was lovely, and Sonny Strait’s colors helps convey the dreamy atmosphere. Although her art is great at its core, some of the computer effects feel extraneous and can actually distract from her work. For example, the overlaid image of Teir on the front page, the “stars” in Kahvi’s eyes when she’s speaking to Teir, and the blurred glow of the palace are things that stand out to me and pull me out of the story.
Bottom line: I’ll keep buying this series because I am an old-school ELFQUEST fan, I still enjoy Wendy’s art (although I prefer it in black and white), I want to support Wendy and Richard (and Dark Horse for publishing their work), and I have faith that the story will get better (please, please get better!) I wouldn’t advise a newbie to jump into the ELFQUEST oeuvre with this series, however. If you want to give ELFQUEST a try and see why it is a classic, go buy the black-and-white THE COMPLETE ELFQUEST: VOLUME ONE that Dark Horse recently released instead. That book contains all 20 issues of the original 1978-1984 series. Now those are some top-notch comics! And at just $24.99 for 720 pages (or $15.80 on Amazon, the collection is one heck of a steal.
Corey Michael Dalton has written and/or edited trade books, magazine articles, short stories, novels, comics, plays, radio shows, reviews, websites, blogs, and more. You name it, he's probably written it. Except religious scriptures. He hasn't gotten around to those just yet. Soon ...
In stores this week!LOBO #1
Writer: Cullen BunnArt: Reilly Brown
Publisher: DC Comics
Reviewer: Optimous Douche
And with a few million volts of electricity, the battle has been decided. Lobo is dead; long live Lobo.
What?
For anyone who has shunned the New 52 space sagas, we were introduced over the past year to the true last Czarnian in the pages of books like SUPERGIRL. What we learned was that the buff biker that bludgeoned the galaxy all through my youth was an imposter to the throne of last, the second to last Czarnian if you will. The true heir to the bloodbath of a planet and species, is the rogue to his predecessor’s warrior, the basketball player to the football juggernaut, this guy is really really svelte and actually kind of purty.
I know my description makes purists throw up in their mouth a little. Even my tempered id wept when my release for it was being remade glutton-free and way more concerned about cardio. But, then I realized those are amber-trapping thoughts that make the young hate the old and the old hate everything. So instead of spewing bile I simply read the past panels of new Lobo, and now this issue, without a wisp of pre-FLASHPOINT canon to cloud my judgment.
What I found was that I actually liked this vacuum-sealed version of the albino assassin association. Where Lowbrow (my new name for old Lobo) punched, Lobo parries; where Lowbrow swears, Lobo slices with a rapier wit; where Lowbrow gorged on galactic Jersey Shore whores, Lobo seeks a more refined call girl for carnal pleasure.
“THAT’S NOT LOBO, DOUCHE!!!” No, it really is, I just read the first issue by the company who developed the property. If you’re looking for a seedier side of life, sadly, you need to move on. Sorry. However, if you would like to take a divergence into a book that is 100 BULLETS in mission, a ballet of art style rarely seen in one artist and a layer of character complexity the ol’ bastich simply could not deliver (except when he went to kill God, that was pretty rad), let me introduce you to LOBO.
At first I spat upon the lack of ceremony during the “final” battle between Lobo and Lowbrow that sparked page 1. Pretty much Lowbrow was already decapitated from a prior story and Lobo simply supercharged the cigar chomping skull with the appropriate amount of voltage as described in “Czarnian Cranial Cooking & French Sauces”, and off we go to the capture of our new hero.
Well in Bunn I now trust, because he pulled out these moments of antihero rising-ish action with a dream state when Lobo is knocked unconscious that was the best use of a coma since the conception of T.S. Garp. Welcome back to the time before the fall of Czarnia, a people who live a Naboo-like lifestyle of opulent gardens, fine arts pleasures of painting and song, and just generally ensuring complete gratification of all instincts base or esoteric. I don’t ever remember seeing the planet before the fall, but I also know my attention to detail can be wanting at times. If we have not seen it before I’m glad we were introduced in new continuity. I can only imagine the urinal cake smell that the planet had if Lowbrow was one of the cool kids.
While the story shift was interesting, and I appreciate Bunn giving this new hero a nice psychological scarring of lost love and, oh yeah, that genocide thing, I must pause to applaud the pencils of Brown. Not only does this artist push good pencil in the modern style of big bodacious and lots of definition lines, but I swore that Lobo’s water color dreams of horror were another artist completely. It’s an amazing diversity of talent and a story tonal shift that shook up story staccato and was appropriately different. As always, I will defer to more trained art eyes to tell me whether my amore should be redirected to inkers. ‘Til then, applauds.
The rest of the issue is where I invoke 100 BULLETS, and that’s so not fair for an assassin simply being given marks to go kill from a jailer who needs a heavy and offers freedom with profit. So off Lobo goes a-killing to a backgalaxy mudball not even good enough to be part of the trade federation. Stupid planet.
But on this welfare rock, Lobo learns that the assassins he has been sent to kill not only disrespect human life, but all life as exhibited by their machine ready to extract the core and launch the poor into space debris. Lobo don’t like people, but try to kill planets or dogs and you shall feel Lobo’s wrath.
I keep getting asked whether I like titles, and quite frankly I find it irrelevant to the conversation. I don’t read comics like you and for the sake of humanity, I hope not everyone reads with the same universal need for gratification I place on each title.
However, here is my final. To say you like a comic series after one issue is as shortsighted as proposing to a woman after the first date. We know nothing about each other yet, but LOBO gave good conversation in this issue, wore pretty makeup and stroked my pleasure centers good night. I liked LOBO, but I read the DC universe, NOT just DC books. I’ll ask LOBO out again, but we are only getting married if he plays nice with the rest of my comic family.
When Optimous isn't reviewing comics he is making the IT words chortle and groan with marketing for MaaS360, Enterprise Mobility Management. He also has a comic coming out sometime soon, for updates head to robpatey.com.
LOKI – AGENT OF ASGARD #6
Writer: Al EwingArtist: Jorge Coelho
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Reviewer: Rock-Me Amodeo
A few years ago, Marvel did something extraordinary on two fronts (well, maybe several, but I’m only going to talk about two). They took a character…a villain…who had existed in comics for 50 years, and made him more interesting than his primary opponent.
And they did it in the movies AND the comics.
THOR used to be one of my favorite off-the-rack comics, all the way back to the John Buscema days. But now, I’ll take Loki. Now that Wolverine has been housebroken, and the Punisher is having “relationship talks” with Elektra, and Deadpool meanders between the fourth wall of reality and the third wall of banality, Loki’s the only interesting anti-hero around.
This title’s biggest problem is the high bar set by Kieron Gillen when he was running his game on the JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY run. And I don’t think we’re quite hitting that stride here, but it’s not bad. Not bad at all.
The main players here, of course, are the newly-minted teen hunk Loki, his new friend Verity (a woman who can’t be lied to), mean and nasty old Loki (still kinda scratching my head on that one) and Doom. Oh, and Valeria, in the role of “Igor”, basically. With three master gamesplayers and a straightwoman, one would think the hijinks would abound.
Yet despite some excellent exposition regarding space and time travel, I found myself wondering where we were going more than I was enjoying where we were going. Looking back, I think the cutscenes showing life outside the castle walls were too much, and brought me out of the main story. Show don’t tell, and all that. I get it. But still.
So here we are. Doom has discovered something rotten in the state of Midgard, and Loki’s the root of it. And Doom wants to hit the ‘pause’ button on Loki’s life.
The artwork is nice--beautiful in some areas (faces and scenery and overall layout), a tad rushed in others. But it’s still ten times better that mess in ALL NEW ULTIMATES. (I’m looking at YOU, Mr. Milonogiannis). Gak. So I’ll take this any day.
I’m hoping this story, and this title, really take off, because we have a crap ton of fascinating characters here, just dying (hopefully only figuratively) for the chance to be used correctly. Writing clever characters requires a clever writer, and still must balance between action, smart dialogue and plot twists. This hits the mark--barely. I’ll tune in next month; Ewing earned that.
But I miss Leah.
FUTURES END: SUPERMAN #1
Writer: Dan JurgensArtist: Lee Weeks
Publisher: DC Comics
Reviewer: KletusCassidy
You probably know the premise of FUTURES END by now, unless you are as lazy as Ol’ Kletus, in which case allow me to explain. Basically, Old Batman sends Future Batman (Batman Beyond) back in time to stop Brother Eye from taking over the Earth using reanimated cyborg hive mind heroes, but instead of being sent back to before when the problem started, Terry McGuiness (Batman Beyond) is accidentally sent to five years from now (hence why all the tie ins start with 5 years from now...), where the DCU is a lot different and things have already started to go awry. Oh yeah, there’s a possibility that the Future Batman who was sent by the Old Batman to the past, which is our future, may have to fight the Old Batman who in our time is a slightly younger Batman, which was told to Future Batman by the Old Batman from the future....whew...got all that? One of the big mysteries in the FUTURES END weekly series was that Superman was wearing an all new costume (pretty badass in my opinion) complete with a helmet that covered his face, leaving folks to wonder "who is that masked man?" (Sorry, I couldn't resist). I yearned for the answer to that question (my guess was Shaq) and I love the artist, so how could I not review FUTURES END: SUPERMAN?
This is a great issue that is more than just a tie in to a larger story, it's a really good tale of someone standing in for a hero that everyone looks up to. To me, the best Superman stories are ones that really try to deal with the impact of having a being like him on our planet and how someone with seemingly infinite powers can remain purely honest and true in a world that doesn't always have an easy answer to its problems. So when a being like Superman leaves or dies or what have you, the void to fill his shoes is enormous but necessary, and that is kind of what this issue is about. This would make a great “What Ever Happened to the Man Of Tomorrow” type of story even if this was just a random single issue not tied into a larger series. I actually would love to read a comic where legendary creative teams would get a chance to each write a final single issue Superman story. I thought this issue was an interesting look at how much people rely on Superman, not just for his strength and abilities but also the inspiration his symbol gives to people and heroes alike. I also really like the idea of (blank) filling in for Superman which really makes sense given what he/she is, plus it makes for a fun, heartfelt issue.
I bought this comic because Lee Weeks was drawing it, plain and simple. If he is on a book, I am 100% buying it. I don't think I've ever seen him draw the interiors of a DC book; I'm almost certain he's only worked for Marvel (let me know, talkbackers) on books like DAREDEVIL and AMAZING SPIDER-MAN to name a few. I can't think of another artist with a style like his (maybe Luke Ross?); he has kind of a loose sketchy style slightly similar to Marc Silvestri but with loads of well-placed shading. I think his greatest talent is his use of space; his panels never look crowded, there are lots of varying camera distances and even though the panel layouts aren't crazy, they are still different enough that each page has a unique look. Weeks is one of my all time favorite artists and he doesn't disappoint here.
This is by far the best FUTURES END tie in I've read so far. FUTURES END: BATMAN was pretty cool too, but this issue was an awesome story on its own that could live on as one the better “Whatever happened to Superman” stories. Why does it feel like some of the best modern DC stories come from alternate timelines or Earths? Is it because DC can be a little more experimental and less rigid with its characters? I digress; this was definitely a fun issue, although if you don't want to spoil who is under the Super helmet, ya may want to hold off on this one. The art is great and 75% of the reason I bought the book and if you trust Ol’ Kletus' good eye, you'll be as stoked as he was...uh, I am to check out this book. I hope that Lee Weeks gets more work at DC, because I miss seeing his art at Marvel and I wouldn’t mind seeing him on an ongoing series. I also like this Superman costume and hope it remains around the DCU kind of like the Ronin suit for Marvel, where multiple people use the suit at times and the reader has to guess who it is; I’m a sucker for that stuff, which is what partially drove me to buy this book. Anywho, last week my buddy Aaron aka Porkchop aka Cool Ranch aka Sandman let me borrow his FUTURES END comics and after this issue, I'm pretty damn delighted to dive deep into the dystopian destiny of the DCU.
If you’d like to hear more from Kletus Cassidy (I know, why would you right?), you can listen to him and his good buddy Steve discuss comics, comic news and more on the SANCTUM SEQUENTIAL podcast now on iTunes. Email questions, comments and hate mail here! Thanks!
BOB’S BURGERS #2
Writers: Justin Hook, Jeff Drake, Chad Brewster, Mike Olsen, Rachel HastingsArtists: Frank Forte, Tony Gennaro, Robin Brigstocke
Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment
Reviewer: BottleImp
Though this second issue of the comic based on the animated series isn’t as strong as the premiere issue, BOB’S BURGERS still has some bits that fans of the show will chuckle at (while those who still haven’t drunk the Kool-Aid will no doubt leave scratching their heads). As with the previous issue, this comic features a smorgasbord of stories starring the Belcher kids, with filler pages from the pens of parents Bob and Linda.
Tina’s “Erotic Friend Fiction” segment goes to the future with “Battleship Galac-Tina,” where peace and romance bloom when Admiral Tina takes to the dance floor with a robot who bears a striking similarity to Jimmy Pesto, Jr. Rabbit-eared Louise stars in this issue’s best story, “Louise’s Legacy,” a mystery whodunnit that (unlike the other tales in this series thus far) would work just as well as a plotline for the cartoon series as it does as a static comic book.
The low point of this issue—and indeed, the least effective segment from issue #1 as well—was the “musical” story starring Gene Belcher. This time around Gene is shunted into the Salieri role for “Genemadeus, The Musical.” The problem inherent with the concept is easy to see: what’s the point of writing a story that’s supposed to be read as a musical when there’s no music to hear?
A rather inauspicious second outing for the Bob’s Burgers clan, and I’m not sure that the comic book medium will treat them as well as it’s treated other animated characters over the years. I think the problem is that the cartoon is so idiosyncratic; its humor comes from the unique blend of writing, character designs and voice talent and music. Take out just one of these key ingredients, and the humor suffers. BOB’S BURGERS (the comic) won’t be bringing any new initiates to BOB’S BURGERS (the show), but devotees of the latter might still like to take a peek at the former.
When released from his bottle, the Imp transforms into Stephen Andrade, an artist/illustrator/pirate monkey painter from New England. He's currently hard at work interpreting fellow @$$Hole Optimous Douche's brainwaves and transforming them into pretty pictures on AVERAGE JOE, an original graphic novel to be published by Com.x. You can see some of his artwork here.
THUNDERBOLTS #31
Writer: Benjamin AckerArt: Gerardo Sandoval
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Reviewer: Henry Higgins is My Homeboy
"THIS ISSUE INCLUDES A PUNISHER HULKBUSTER SUIT".
Seriously. There is a scene in this comic where The Punisher shows up in a giant Iron Man suit with a big skull on the front that you KNOW Punisher did himself, in a garage. I saw that, and I couldn't stop laughing. Not because it's ridiculous - it is, but it also makes perfect sense as something The Punisher would do. It was just such a great turn, such a gonzo development, that I had to laugh.
That is where this book has exceeded. It is at its best when Deadpool is fighting aliens or the Punisher body slams Ghost Rider, an actual demon. This book is sometimes the "Crank 2: High Voltage" of superhero comics, and I mean that as a major compliment. It's clearly the tone they're going for, and when they nail it? They NAIL it. It's just that the writing and the art get in the way.
This is a book, especially the new creative team took over, that has benefited from such a light, 80s action movie tone. It worked beautifully this whole arc (that has been The Punisher vs. Everyone) that saw Deadpool cut to pieces and put in a filing cabinet and a romantic subplot that ended beautifully and perfectly in character for both members; the book has not taken itself seriously, at all, and that has been a terrific boon for the series. This is indeed a comic where the Punisher shows up in a Punisher Hulkbuster suit. Those flights of fancy have been marvelous.
However, what brings this issue down is what separates it from the rest of the story - this is the issue where people talk. Characters explain motivations and reasoning, and in the super-stylized fun world that's been constructed (around which Punisher got an actual magic sword), logic doesn't work. Why didn't Red Hulk tell everyone why he was innocent? Reasons. Why isn't he backing off from attacking The Avengers? Plot. Logic has no place in this comic, and this is unfortunately an issue where logic tries to worm its way in. In turn, it leads to awkward dialogue (nothing drags me out of a story quite like Punisher calling someone a "jerk" instead of using his PUNISHER LOGO WEARING ROBOT SUIT TO FIGHT A HULK) and convinces. This is a plot where the story is window dressing for the over the top fun, but now we're being asked to scrutinize the shitty drapes. Well, they're shitty. I want to look and see a 65 year old man fight Punisher and actually put up a decent fight, not plot holes.
The art ends up going the same way! When it focuses on the weird, out of your mind concepts, the art excels. It's dynamic, and exciting, and clear. But as soon as we pull in to listen to people talk, the art becomes muddled and unclear.
This is a book I'm really going to miss, because after next month’s issue, it's done. And it has been an amazingly fun title. This is an example of its strengths and weaknesses. And the strengths include a Punisher Hulkbuster, and that's incredible.
FUTURES END: TEEN TITANS #1
Writer: Will PfeiferArtist: Andy Smith
Publisher: DC Comics
Reviewer: Lyzard
I liked this new run of TEEN TITANS. I thought that writer Will Pfeifer and artist Kenneth Rocafort had taken it in a fun direction. But TEEN TITANS: FUTURES END...I'm just not sure what DC is doing with this month's special issues. Of the three FUTURES END comics I've reviewed, they've all been so different. GRAYSON told a fascinating story that really addressed the past, present, and future of Dick Grayson. BATGIRL was (intentionally or not) a retrospective and transition piece for the series. But I'm not exactly sure what the aim was with this one-shot.
Five years from now there is no familiarity between this world and the prior two issues of the most recent run of TEEN TITANS. Screw being wary of spoilers, and let it be known that none of the current Teen Titans appear in this comic. That isn't to say there isn't some random connection to TEEN TITANS #1 and #2, but it comes rather late in this issue AND could be a huge spoiler for the series as a whole. With FUTURES END GRAYSON, there was nothing that occurred in the future that hinted towards any events that would occur in the next few issues in the present. Same goes for BATGIRL, but for very different reasons. Here, however, we are given a glimpse into the future that has a direct connection to the events currently occurring in the "present” run.
Frankly, I think Will Pfeifer was trying too hard here. He creates a whole new batch of adolescent avengers, all with their own cheeky references, quips, and jokes galore. The more things change, the more they stay the same. Worst of all, these are interesting "new" characters. It is as if Pfeifer was trying to set up for a whole new series, and I'd be aight with that. But that isn't what's happening, unless DC wants me to eat my own words.
As a one-shot it is an utter failure. If you have been following the series, then it contains spoilers. If you haven't been reading this new run, then you are left wanting more because this comic feels just like an origin story, an issue #1 with no issue #2 in sight. Good writing and artwork aren't enough to validate the existence of this comic.
Honestly, just save your money for what I feel is gonna be a great October for DC fans.
DEADPOOL # 35
Writers: Brian Posehn & Gerry DugganArtist: Mike Hawthorne
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Reviewer: The Kid Marvel
DEADPOOL continues to be one of Marvel’s consistently solid titles thanks in part to writers Brian Posehn and Gerry Duggan, who have done an excellent job mixing the comedic side of Deadpool with the dysfunction of his past and current life. It’s also a positive the art teamed finally changed, because I just am not a fan of John Lucas on Deadpool and I’m glad to see someone else take the helm.
DEADPOOL #35 is an interesting issue, covering essentially all aspects of Deadpool in Marvel continuity for the last couple arcs, between his daughter, pissing off Dracula by stealing his bride to be, and finding help for the North Korean test subjects he rescued from Butler. Posehn and Duggan are able to cover a lot of things broadly enough the issue doesn’t feel cramped, but in enough detail the story doesn’t feel empty.
First, Deadpool’s interaction with his daughter is awesome. He doesn’t sugarcoat things in detail, but he’ll also avoid topics even he deems too serious, which is an interesting take on a character who is generally without a filter and a nice way to see Deadpool grow through the writing as a father now.
Second, I like how Posehn and Duggan have shown Wade connecting with the North Korean test subjects, showing genuine concern for what Butler did to them and understanding completely from the experiments he was also subject to.
Third, Dracula using an old school Spider Slayer because he was so injured from his last encounter with Deadpool is pretty freaking solid as a comedic piece. I mean, Deadpool fights him in his underwear, and that should say enough right there.
The whole issue works beautifully for a Deadpool comic, once again mixing something serious with the ridiculous. Posehn and Duggan are perfect for this series and know what works and what doesn’t, even adding and making the character grow in a way that’s true to Deadpool’s history, for the most part. There have been some lower points in the Posehn/Duggan run, but even when the book was bad, it’s still pretty good in comparison to a lot of other series out right now. It also helps that the writers actually seem to care about the character and staying true to who he is, even if they deviate away slightly, which I’d assume is simply for creative reasons.
As for DEADPOOL #35’s artwork, it’s not spectacular, but it’s way better in my opinion than the ORIGINAL SIN tie ins were for DEADPOOL. Hawthorne does a good job of capturing Deadpool’s emotions through his mask, which helps in the panels to convey Wade’s large personality. Hawthorn also keeps physical proportions of who he’s drawing realistic and symmetrical in physical sense. However, the art doesn’t necessarily pop or stand out as something different or unique. I’d classify it as good, but lacking its own personality.
To conclude, if I haven’t said it enough already, DEADPOOL #35 is another quality book even if you aren’t a Deadpool fan. It’s very entertaining, which is one of the basic points any comic should have, which is entertaining the reader. It’s not an issue that alters or drastically adds to the run, but it does a good job of touching on keys points and developing them a little bit more. I obviously recommend this to anyone who is a Deadpool fan, and I’d also recommend it simply from an objective point of view for a reader. Posehn and Duggan are good for this series--very good.
JUSTICE, INC. #2
Writer: Michael UslanArtist: Giovanni Timpano
Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment
Reviewer: BottleImp
I really wanted to like this series. Doc Savage, The Avenger and The Shadow and their pulpy brethren are the archetypes upon which many of our most enduring comic book characters were fashioned. The garish covers of their vintage magazines remain a constant source of inspiration in their bold, dynamic depictions of murderous monsters, fearless heroes and sexy femme fatales. Those old magazine covers are masterpieces of seat-of-your-pants thrills.
Why, then, does JUSTICE, INC. seem so…boring?
Michael Uslan has all the ingredients right for a pulpy yarn—time traveling heroes, vicious villains, a hidden city in the Himalayas—but somehow, the elements just aren’t gelling. Part of the problem is that the conceit of the series relies upon these disparate characters joining together à la THE AVENGERS or JUSTICE LEAGUE. Well, Uslan is running into the same problem here that those superhero titles have faced in the past when lumping together characters that are very different stylistically, in that the characters are taken out of their elements and forced into situations that clash with their individual tones. Just as Batman works best in Gotham City, so too does The Shadow need to be blazing away at criminals on the dark streets of New York City. By taking the darkness away from him (not to mention, in this issue, his signature cloak and slouch hat), Uslan has neutered that which makes the character most effective.
While the storyline isn’t yet doing the characters any favors, Giovanni Timpano is doing his best to inject the pages with visual excitement. His page designs and layouts are certainly dynamic, and generally Timpano’s figures are well-rendered, though he does have an unfortunate tendency to overdraw the characters’ faces. There are some panels where Doc Savage looks less the rugged adventurer and more like Mickey Rourke post-ill-advised boxing career and plastic surgeries. Again, I can’t help but wish that The Shadow had been allowed his traditional visual iconography—I feel that Timpano would have had a ball incorporating the swirling cape into his action-oriented artwork.
Sadly, my favorite part of this comic was the cover by Alex Ross, which has nothing to do with the plot of the book, but shows off the characters’ signature looks in all their iconic glory. And in this case you really can’t judge a book by its cover. If Uslan and Timpano can manage in future issues to capture that same sense of thrilling action that bursts off the page in Ross’ painting, maybe JUSTICE, INC. will have a chance at bringing its readers a bit of that old pulpy charm.
FUTURES END: BATMAN & ROBIN #1
Writer: Ray FawkesArtist: Dustin Nguyen
Publisher: DC Comics
Reviewer: KletusCassidy
You know what? I was pretty good tonight, I only had a few beers, I stayed away from liquor...sure now I'm up at three in the morning waxing poetic about comic books and will probably be grumpy as all hell in four hours but what the hell, YOLO right? That's what kiddos are saying...ugh, I'm done. I'm claiming ignorance on the whole FUTURES END thing--my buddy let me hold all the books but I have yet to dive in and catch up. So far I've read the BATMAN and DETECTIVE COMICS tie ins and while both of them were good, the Batman one felt more like a future story while DETECTIVE was just a continuation of the “Icarus” story, which wasn't a bad thing, I just expected something a little more future-like. I again have been trying to conserve money, so I agreed to buy one of the tie ins and my buddy bought FUTURES END BATMAN & ROBIN and here I am reviewing it.
I guess I've only read Batman FUTURES END issues, but I've enjoyed them all including this one. This story, while set five years in the future, is a conflict we've seen many times: Batman going off on his own, not telling Robin where he is and nearly getting himself killed. While it is something we are familiar with, it’s kind of fun to see these common Batman & Robin problems through a different lens. I was a little disappointed that we didn't really get to know the new Robin personality-wise, but I still enjoyed him and the story. Dustin Nguyen is one of my favorite Batman artists and does a great job in this issue, and even channels some Frank Miller just to give it that DARK KNIGHT RETURNS edge. If you aren't reading many DC books, these FUTURES END issues could be an enjoyable purchase that could spark an interest in the larger story which I plan on catching up on this weekend. Is it rude to read a stack of comics at a baby's birthday party?
So far, all the FUTURES END Batman stuff has been cool; I mean, who doesn't like to see a broken, beaten down old Bruce grit his teeth and fight even though his body is on its last leg? Hell, I almost never get sick of it. The art is really good; Nyugen is an awesome Batman artist and will someday be hailed as one of the best (check out some of his covers!). I say, if you like BATMAN & ROBIN and the inner workings of their partnership and you also like future stories about said Caped Crusader & The Boy Wonder, check it out.
In stores today!KILL SHAKESPEARE: THE MASK OF NIGHT #4
Writer: Anthony del Col & Conor McCreeryArtist: Andy Belanger
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Reviewer: Lyzard
The original run of KILL SHAKESPEARE was twelve issues; THE TIDE OF BLOOD less than half that, at only five books. THE MASK OF NIGHT clocks in at only four issues, and therein lies one of the biggest problems facing the miniseries. This run never rose to the occasion of its predecessors. The cheeky references had lost their punch, and neither the writing or artwork were outstanding; it just came off as filler. KILL SHAKESPEARE has expanded into so many markets. There is a stage play that has been performed internationally and IDW recently released a board game. THE MASK OF NIGHT could have been their first foray into online publications.
Now, that recommendation may seem like prejudice on my part towards online works. I do not believe that as a whole comics published on the web are inferior to those in print, but think of it this way: multiple television shows have taken to including prequels or side stories via webisodes. They may not be lesser in quality to their source material, but their structure and purpose are different. They are meant for the fans who want to delve deeper into the universe of the show, but are not necessary viewing.
THE MASK OF NIGHT is borderline necessary. I would assume that when (not if) IDW picks up KILL SHAKESPEARE for a fourth series that some of the events that transpired in the past four issues will be integral to the storyline. At the end of the day, only one of the twists that is revealed holds any real relevance and impact. The rest of the tale is washed away, never needing to be brought up again. However, imagine if THE MASK OF NIGHT was released monthly as a teaser right before the release next run. It would make a cleaner transition back to the war that THE TIDE OF BLOOD took us away from and allow us to delve right into the action when the print books arrive. Instead, we are given yet another distraction from the main conflict. To add more salt in the wound, we are constantly reminded of the very events we are missing.
I've said that even at its worst KILL SHAKESPEARE isn't a bad comic, and I stand by that. The problem is that the comic doesn't just compete with the marketplace but with itself, and it is there that THE MASK OF NIGHT falls short. This very last issue fared better than the first two. I could finally chuckle at the references made instead of groaning at what I felt was forced homage. The characters acted not only in a logical manner, but in ways that I could empathize with. We finally got to see an Andronicus in action, and it included the well-mixed tone of comedy and horror that has worked so well for the KILL SHAKESPEARE crew in the past. But it was too little too late. At the end of the book I felt relief. Relief that I no longer have to dread criticizing I series I love overall.
REVIEWS & SPOILERS
Hey there, hi there, ho there FiftyTwoKateers, it’s September again and we all know what that means: some BIG September events, which should not to be confused with the BIG August events that are only tangentially tied to the Passover pass off from the January events that launch the year.
I kid, I kid…sorta. Event is simply a marketing term at this point that really holds the same impact on story as a little thing we once simply called arcs and continuity. Anyone who keeps asking where the universal synergies have gone are the same stubborn bores who will never drink from the grossly misnamed event troth in some futile battle to take the word back to the past.
So just chill. This FUTURES END catch-up is not an event summation, merely a state of one arc, five years from now, but started almost forty years from now, but not before we get the exposition about a war between Earth-1 and Earth-2 that I think will be starting very soon from now as FOREVER EVIL collides with FUTURES END…the part that is now.
FUTURES END #1-19Writers: Azzarello, Giffen, Jurgens, Lemire
Artists: Zircher, HI-FI
I was at first confused on FUTURES END’s purpose. Need proof? Watch me choke on my piss poor prognostications with this quote from my issue one review:
“The D-list gathering is, essentially, the death, dismemberment and disenchantment of every hero festering on the bottom rung of the sales charts. No one is safe, as a neophyte in consciousness Eye begins to rip the DC universe asunder. StormWatch, which I faithfully stayed with much longer than I should have, is blown to smithereens. Green Arrow gets smashed and Firestorm is such a ball of self-loathing it’s amazing he can fly without crying uncontrollably. One might think I’m not a fan of this book with this description, but here’s where the schadenfreude kicks in.”
WRONG. FUTURES END has been less about making these characters simple paste on the side of a wall; it’s actually making them all kinds of awesome. Grifter and his little psychotic pre-teen ball buster of a sidekick, Fifty-Sue, are awesome and hilariously self-aware, and the Firestorm flake-out has actually become a rather complex little dance of power as a now-bullying team of left behind Justice Leaguers try to keep what little power they have left in their ranks.
As the main title to this universal arc (not event), FUTURES END has been a fun exercise akin plot wise to the 90s favorite ARMAGEDDON 2001. It’s far, but not too far, peeks ahead give us a true voyeuristic look at our heroes’ legacy versus the romanticized history when timelines are played with too far from now. FUTURES END is also old school JUSTICE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL sarcastic, with Azzarello keeping the story very grounded in today’s more self-aware comic sensibilities.
FUTURES END seems to not be fucking around with the meaning of literal, because things are looking mighty bleak in the following FUTURES END solo stories that sit behind the glorious moving covers that when stacked sound like a fat person jogging in corduroys.
So where will our heroes be in the far-ish end of the future?
(For anyone who cares whether I like these books or not, please consider their order to be that barometer)
FUTURES END FLASH #1: Come for the amazing Brett Booth art and stay for the moral conundrum, time antics and story payoff delivered by Roberts Venditti and Van Jensen. I was a big naysayer to bringing Barry back after having spent a lifetime with Wally, but boring personalities aside, the book has always been solid. I was almost of a mind to yell no when Wally was introduced, simply because it felt forced since Barry and Iris weren’t knocking gold winged booties. Bad Optimous, because since the Valiant boys have come in and brought forth a mysterious blue flash from the future the book continues to accelerate in amazing. Five years from now, Blue Flash reveals his true face to Wally and Iris; unfortunately, it’s after he pastes their brother and uncle Daniel, the Reverse Flash. Blue bails on tomorrow as best as he can considering the Speed Force time fractures to show up and get pummeled by a silver speeder. Barry facing his killer self, Wally imbued with the speed force finally and an uncertain tomorrow gave this FUTURES END entry my top billing of the week and goosebumps for further issues of FLASH. FUTURES END SUPERMAN #1: With the cat out of the bag already that Billy Batson has been taking up the Supes mantle after Sally Struthers convinced Clark Kent he would be best served digging for water on a dying continent, I walked into this one with a fair amount of skepticism. Surprises do happen, kids, because Jurgens wrote the hell out of this confrontation between Lois Lane and Shazam with the hood on her big-mouthed reporter lady ways jeopardizing the illusion that Superman is still in action. Weeks’ pencils are superb, as the talk is perfectly counterbalanced with a distress call to fight an old foe that eventually leads to a glorious epiphany.
FUTURES END HARLEY QUINN #1: The brain child of Palmiotti and Conner has been breaking the fourth wall worse than Christopher Walken reading his cue cards in…well, everything. Thankfully, direct DC deprecation has been outlawed in the future and only good ol’ innuendo remains. After a raucous “Castaway” spoof complete with her Wilson, our favorite albino sexpot wanders into an “Apocalypto” Incan tribe. The cover don’t lie, folks--she does run into Mr. J. How did he get his face back? Shut your whore continuity-spewing mouth and enjoy the “Joe Versus the Volcano”-themed fun. FUTURES END BOOSTER GOLD #1: This would have made it higher on the list if this was 1987 and I knew what the hell Booster Gold was up to right now. I read a ton of DC books, because that has always been my deep dive universe. I love Booster of yore and it was that nostalgia that brought me to imbibe his New 52 life. My sentimental tolerance is thin, though, and the new JLI fell flat for me and I think readers by its immediate canceling. Anyway…somehow Booster ended up being jettisoned haphazardly across the time stream like Sam from “Quantum Leap”. 1800s Gotham, 31st Century Metropolis and Kamandi end days, even. Now, the real surprise is good so I won’t ruin it here, but I can’t bump this up on my pecking order. Sloppy art handoff to a cavalcade of contributors and no context of setting or moment before leaves this title low. Jurgens did fine, but when a guy who reads about 48 of the 52 titles each month goes “huh?” something is rotten in Denmark’s editorial department. FUTURES END BATMAN #1: Bruce Wayne is crippled and trying to muster up some gene tech that will let him make multiple Batmans since the Batkids seem to have delivered lowered expectations, or are in hiding like Tim Drake. An odd juxtaposition to the vehement clone hating he’s showing Ra’s over in BATMAN & ROBIN. It’s also odd considering the events of…
FUTURES END BATGIRL #1: Where Babs has actually gathered a trio of Batgirl power including old favorites like Harper Rowe and Stephanie Brown. Gail Simone’s writing simply shined in the beginning of this issue with a wedding day disaster perpetrated by a certain crazy brother that pushes Babs into full-on Bruce Wayne vengeance mode. Her first step is a very clever double agent move where she learned the tricks of bad guys before delivering a final solution. The only times I really bemoaned the books’ choices were when Babs wore the world’s worst Mexican wrestler outfit after Bane training and then the wretched after school special moment where Babs says she never took Venom, she simply became a roided out freak. I know, drugs are bad hmmmm, kay? But I have to believe if bulking up was the answer to thwarting crime the bat brain trust would have brought more brawn to the table a while ago.Proofs, co-edits & common sense provided by Sleazy G
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