(Click title to go directly to the review)
Advance Review: THE GIFTED #1-2
AXIS #4
TOOTH & CLAW #1
GREEN ARROW #36
DEATH OF WOLVERINE: THE WEAPON X PROGRAM #1
JOHN CARTER: WARLORD OF MARS #1
Indie Jones presents STRANGE NATION VOL.1
VELVET #8
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #9
SUPERMAN UNCHAINED #9
ALICE COOPER #3
TOOTH & CLAW #1
Available in December 2014!THE GIFTED BOOKS 1 & 2 (OGN)
Writers: Damian & Adrian WasselArtist: Nathan Gooden
Publisher: Creative Mind Energy
Reviewer: Optimous Douche
THE GIFTED is simply not for every comic fan. As much as I enjoyed this journey through the first animal’s awakening of sentience, THE GIFTED triggered my innate emotions and beliefs rather than spoon-fed what my reaction should be. There are no words in THE GIFTED, which makes sense. When we first realized our existence outside ourselves, we didn’t say, “Oh, fuck I could die one day? And there’s a thing called the future? Fuck, I can die one day!” Instead we, like the creatures of THE GIFTED, reflected in our eyes the obligations and horror that come with even our limited understanding of this universe.
This is all me. What I saw as I looked at each panel of Gooden’s gifted charcoal landscape were my own beliefs that animals, especially dogs, have already made their first four-legged steps to understanding the abstract as well as the concrete. My long-time fans will know that my spirit animal, my guide, my patronus to get into fantasy terms, is the golden retriever. My Politically Incorrect Golden stream on Instagram is proof that I consider my good boy Fergus my son. Again, these are my beliefs that I would never be so brazen as to present as fact for all. I don’t shun any naysayers who look at me and go “he can’t love you, it’s an illusion based on food and creature comforts.” I will however laugh in their faces when their spouse saunters up a minute later to snuggle in for warmth and then their kid comes up to ask for money for dinner. Ahhhh, amore indeed.
I have to dabble in thoughts and feelings for this review because to look at the plot, this would be a one-sentence wrap-up. “Wolf looks over horizon, wolf goes over horizon, wolf meets man, man is an asshole, and wolf finds other enlightened animals to get some payback.” THE GIFTED deserves more than this--perhaps not the animal rights debate I’m sparking above, but certainly more than a cursory sum of the experience. In all comics, each panel can and should tell a story. However in an age of grand events, universal collapses due to bad business decisions of the past, and the pursuit to squeeze every last dollar out of creativity by creating comics for cross-media viability, we have essentially lost the desire to innovate. Much like the modern societal norm towards everything, we gorge instead of taste and appreciate.
One cannot gorge on THE GIFTED. This review took me so damn long to complete from UPS drop off to publishing because I saw care and craftsmanship from all parties. I was not going to sully this hard work with a phoned in write-up. I carefully looked in each panel for the spark of life to appear: the transition from animal tracker looking to fill its gullet to tracker seeking a guide to the larger world. The transcendence of knowing that man is both friend and foe. Hell, simply the recognition of transcendence to ruling the world as opposed to simply being part of it and sharing that forbidden fruit of knowledge with others who are close to seeing the spark themselves.
This is my Rorschach interpretation of THE GIFTED; see what yours will be in December (or sooner, I don’t know. I can barely keep track of my own schedule--just go to the website).
When Optimous isn't reviewing comics he is making the IT words chortle and groan with marketing for MaaS360, enterprise mobility management www.maas360.com. He also has a comic coming out sometime soon, for updates head to robpatey.com.
AXIS #4
Writer: Rick RemenderArtist: Leinil Francis Yu
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Reviewer: Masked Man
Now I'm sure some of you are saying “Masked Man, why the hell are you still reading this thing?!?” Fair question. If it was a TV show I'd be long done with it, mocking people still watching it. As one of my favorite jokes goes, “You're 60 minutes into ‘Jaws 3’, and you still think in might get better”- slaps head. But I'm a comic book guy--what can I say? Also, I'm curious if Remender is really writing this bad of a series, plus it's my job to protect you from bad comics (yer welcome, 'merica!).
All right, let's start with some spoilers. As you may recall, the Red Skull has pieces of Professor X's brain and therefore his powers. He then went all Red Onslaught on the Marvel heroes, with the help of Tony Stark's hero-busting Sentinels. Magneto, with the help of the world's fiercest villains, managed to save the day as the Scarlet Witch and Dr. Doom cast the Inversion spell, returning Red Onslaught back to just Red Skull. Now we start book 2: “Inversion”. Based on the solicitations of this series, we have finally hit the meat of the book: heroes being villains and villains being heroes, although heroes haven't just started running out and robbing banks (which could be very Silver Age amusing, mind you). No, more like their viewpoints have become more extreme and their gauge for what is and isn't appropriate has gone all out of whack. Avengers care more about themselves and protecting this new status quo, as they are aware of what happened, but like it. The X-Men believe it's finally time for war with the humans, and Tony Stark has started drinking again, plus he's giving out free Extremis makeovers to anyone. On the other side of the coin, we got your friendly neighborhood Carnage. Then things get weird as Apocalypse becomes the new leader of the X-Men and The Hulk evolves into the Kluh. Lastly, keeping in line with the FOREVER EVIL riff, Lex Luthor…err, Magneto…is the only one who seems to be concerned about all this (Ok, poor Jarvis too).
While the story has moved into perhaps the more clichéd part of the overall plot (opposite day), Remender is finally turning in a good script. Gone are the really bad jokes, except one from Spider-Man. Gone are the illogical and uninspired plot developments, and as he did at the end of issue #3, Remender has started to write characters and character conflicts as opposed to randomly moving action figures around. Even though the characters have had the whammy put on them, their actions are still coming from their core characters. I really wish Remender could have started the series this strong. This is the stuff we enjoyed about his UNCANNY AVENGERS: crazy-@$$ adventure, epic stakes, yet characters who are treated like characters, not plot devices.
Leinil Francis Yu continues to give this series some style, which was seriously lacking in the first two issues. While I think the book could be tighter (especially with two inkers helping out), it's never becomes as unfinished-looking as issue #3 did. Although I have seen better from him (seriously, was this whole series a rush job, Marvel?), he really excels at all the head shots in the issue.
I'm not willing to call this series a winner yet, but Remender has managed to do what no writer of an event crossover has managed to do before: Pull out of a serious nosedive. Here's hoping he can keep it up and even crush its seemingly predictable conclusion as Magneto saves the day and becomes the leader of the Avengers (or at least one of them).
TOOTH & CLAW #1
Writer: Kurt BusiekArt: Benjamin Dewey
Publisher: Image Comics
Reviewer: Frida Gurewitz
I’d like to think I know my way around the fantasy genre. I can more or less hold my own in a game of Dungeons and Dragons, despite it having been years since I’ve played. I’ve seen all of the Tolkien-focused movies, even the animated Hobbit film. The genre has always appealed to me. So I approached TOOTH & CLAW with a lot of excitement. A piece that combined two of my favorite things: fantasy and comics. I was thrilled TOOTH & CLAW is described as “Conan meets ‘Game of Thrones’ meets Kamandi in an original high–fantasy epic for mature readers”. Reading it, this fantasy influence is incredibly apparent, though I would have to disagree with its own diagnosis. It is more “Secret Lives of NIMH” combined with “Game of Thrones” and maybe “Elder Scrolls”. Reading it I was also reminded of JLA: THE RIDDLE OF THE BEAST, though that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. But what it seems to be advertised as is not what it is. Coming into it I was expecting much darker. It was much wittier than I expected it be.
Kurt Busiek writes TOOTH & CLAW. The story focuses on a world where magic exists. A council has come together to discuss its dying out and its mysterious, shadowy savior. The characters are animal humanoids. This only heightens the fantasy focus of the piece. It helps to suspend reality, which is necessary in this genre. The thing that really makes the story is that we have a true central protagonist. He is a dog-like character: with the face of a bull terrier and the body of man, Dunstan is optimistic, inquisitive, and intelligent. He narrates the piece briefly, now and then. His thoughts are post-climatic and past tense. The main conflict of the piece is the problem of how to remedy the dying magic. Dunstan allows us to have eyes to view the situation through. It made the piece more palatable to have a character to focus on in this high tension, to have a narrator makes the narrative more concrete. Toward the end of the piece we are introduced to a little owl girl, Enna. She is the daughter of one of the dignitaries from one of the many kingdoms, come to discuss the lack of magic. She is sweet though undeveloped. She is mostly there as a companion to Dunstan when the practice of magic goes array.
The story does feel like the beginning to an epic. It is the beginning of a journey. It is thoroughly developed, which is refreshing. A key component in fantasy and even science fiction, I believe, is a well-developed universe. If you’re suspending our reality you have to place us in a reality that makes sense and feels complete. Busiek’s world of magic, animal people, and flying steampunk-esque ships feels as such.
The art is done my Ben Dewey. It matches Busiek’s fantastical yet grounded style. The ways the characters are placed in the panels are honestly my favorite part. It’s something I’ve never said. The way Dewey has drawn these characters, you can see the scale and majesty of the world. It gives the piece movement. Characters and places don’t feel static; rather, they feel dynamic, like we are really just peeking into a snapshot of their conversation. Character design is also incredibly done. Each character is an animal/ human hybrid. They are each incredibly detailed while being anatomically correct. Busiek has taken the time to develop each character fully, from facial expression to clothing.
Overall I would recommend TOOTH & CLAW to fantasy lovers and comics lovers alike. They are blended pretty seamlessly in the piece and it’s an enjoyable comic, albeit a little long, though I suppose that’s a badge of the genre.
GREEN ARROW #36
Writers: Andrew Kreisberg & Ben SokolowskiArtist: Daniel Sampere
Publisher: DC Comics
Reviewer: Humphrey Lee
What a difference a month (okay, two) makes. Just this time sixty-plus days ago I was thumbing through the final issue and dumb-fucking-money-grab-and-gimmick-cover of the Lemire/Sorrentino run and remarking that I could not really believe how well that particular issue was working out. Not only was it a fitting final testament to what that tandem had built to the Green Arrow mythos in the relatively clean slate that was his post-New 52 world, but it managed to wrap itself up while leaving the reader in a state of “how do we get there?” curiosity since it was working within the FUTURES END framework, another goddamn miracle being that aspect of the whole deal. Looks like the miracle juice – not unlike a Viagra popped a half hour ago – has finally run thin.
Now, to be honest and fair, I’m not remarking on this still-fledgling run solely in comparison to what came prior to its start. That’s just a gross standard, especially in a publishing sector of a medium where the name of the game is iterating and building upon what came beforehand. And when the scripting end of that preceding creative team is considered to be one of the biggest arisen talents in the business of the past decade, that notion of comparing becomes even more ridiculous. Absurd as that inkling is, though, you would like to think the decision makers and talent finders would at least hunt for solid or decent talent to follow a highly acclaimed run.
My problem with this fledgling run has nothing to do with bias that it isn’t what the previous run was, but that it’s simply uninspired and bland, and I was actually looking forward to some of the “Arrow” TV show talent moving over to the book when I found out Lemire’s run was coming to an end. I enjoy that particular TV show. I think that, for the most part, the characters that piece of serialized storytelling has created stand up well on their own in material that borrows generously from the lexicon of GREEN ARROW and DC Comics lore. When I picked up my first Lemire/Sorrentino GA issue and saw that John Diggle was a thing in it – as I had not read any New 52 GREEN ARROW until the first season of the TV show actually led me to delve into it since I was on a kick – I was pleasantly surprised and had no qualms with observing that particular development, and that’s because I was watching him in action with an Oliver Queen who was wrapped in a plotline that involved a bloodline conspiracy, a city on fire, a legacy that Oliver never knew he had, and facing opponents that were as badass as they were sadistic and megalomaniacal. Two issues into this run and saying I’m underwhelmed by the equivalents of those storytelling aspects is as much of an understatement as saying J.J. Abrams is liberal with his lens flares.
Here’s essentially what happens in this issue: some thugs working for a mysterious villain attempt to kidnap Mia Dearden – who in a different life was known as Speedy (a fact that the script hamfuckingslaps you in the face with thanks to some super-forced dialogue) – because she knows things she shouldn’t. Felicity Smoak, hacker and geek hottie extraordinaire from the “Arrow” TV show, makes her presence known in the comics, and we get some private time with the evil bastard that is making a move on GA’s city, and it happens to be a political figure with diabolical aspirations. All of that when broken down is not exactly a terrible start to some plot weaving and does make sense in the proper context, of course. Having a sadistic, political power-wielding shitbird be the man gunning for Ollie and crew makes sense given GA’s history with commentary on that aspect of our society in past iconic runs, and you would expect that a creator so tied into the TV show would push even further into that territory because, well, I assume that is why the editor in charge would hire such a person in the first place. These things are all quite understandable and not at all unexpected given those pieces of context; they only fall apart when you experience them and find their execution to be as bland and dry as Thanksgiving turkey.
The two biggest culprits are the dialogue and the art flow. They both fail too often to really get any mojo going as the pages run along. Felicity’s run-on sentence word streams become substantially less endearing when they’re crowding the page in word bubble form rather than coming out of Emily Bett Rickards’ lovely and charismatic screen presence. Also, the bluntness that the villains lean on with their over the top antics to put on the airs of their hardness is 80s action movie laughable more than it is imposing, and I’m pretty confident it’s not being done in a tongue-in-cheek manner, nor is it succeeding if that’s the impression the scriptwriters are going for. And the art, while standing up for itself competently on the average panel as solid, decently formed superhero art, just does not work in the action frames. When characters are bounding around the screen their motion paths just look awkward and random and off angle, the impacts are prone to pro wrestling levels of embellishment, and the flow between panels seems less congruent and feels more like there’s sequences missing as the combat progresses. This kind of goes for both ends of the words and pencils when I say the basis for solid work is there, but the polish barely has a base layer going, which does not give me the greatest of hope as things move forward and these early issues are supposed to serve as the basis for even more coats.
I don’t mean to be overly, well, mean, and I honestly think I have something approaching a two percent negative review rate in the eight years I’ve been doing this gig, but this is just a disappointment. Again, it has nothing to do with expectations carrying over from the previous administration – of which I would like to point out that there were some truly great set pieces established there in the form of the Clans that are wastefully untouched so far – and has everything to do that I’m actually a fan of the “Arrow” TV show, and as hokey as it can be with its dialogue and melodrama, this is just on a higher plane. Occasionally a one-liner hits or there’s an action pose being struck that has good presence, but those moments are lost in the midst of shoehorned character introductions and interactions. There’s some solid storytelling basis here on both ends of script and pencils, but the foundation is mostly made of flawed materials--product that, yes, does look off in comparison to what came before—unfair, as I’ve said that to be, but it is the reality of the situation. That was a hard act to follow and it’s just nowhere near that level, nor is it of the level of product being laid forth in the live-action rendition, which makes it easy to forsake this vigilante archer product for that version without any hesitation, at least until word comes down the pipe that this ink and paper composition has started living up to the standards of its live-action brethren.
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.
DEATH OF WOLVERINE: THE WEAPON X PROGRAM #1
Writer: Charles SouleArtist: Salvador Larroca
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Reviewer: The Kid Marvel
So, when I went for my weekly pick up of books from my bin in the comics store I frequent, I did my usual thing: grab the comics I read for the week and then check out the rack of new comics that came out the same week. I noticed THE WEAPON X PROGRAM, and since it was a DEATH OF WOLVERINE title I assumed it was going to be Logan, Deadpool, Sabertooth and Weapon X alumna in some sort of flashback series--maybe even revisiting the whole program, with some new stories related to the characters, in a way to still use Logan while he’s currently “dead”. This was not the case.
THE WEAPON X PROGRAM begins with an unknown individual, face shaded out, awaking to the damage Wolverine caused in the last DEATH OF WOLVERINE issue. Everything is wrecked to crap, as the character being focused on reveals himself as Sharp. At first, before he reveals himself, you might think he’s Starlord by the design of the mask he puts on; it threw me for a loop before he dropped his name, or who he thinks he is, better yet. Sharp begins working his way through the complex meeting other test subjects; however, Sharp explains he was a volunteer. Throughout the book, Sharp begins having war flashbacks to multiple wars throughout history, presumably that he experienced, while also meeting other test subjects and having their abilities displayed as they escape the crumbling Weapon X compound. Once you make it to the end of the book, you get to the big reveal of who Sharp is after he removes his mask, showing a face that is distinctly Wolverine and him stating he doesn’t remember who he is.
First, while I haven’t read most or really any DEATH OF WOLVERINE aftermath titles, I may be jumping the gun, but it seems to have a theme since cloning Wolverine was a huge plot point in the only DEATH OF WOLVERINE comic I have read, DEADPOOL AND CAPTAIN AMERICA. Both THE WEAPON X PROGRAM and DEADPOOL AND CAPTAIN AMERICA seem really, really focused on Logan returning as a clone in some way. So is this the theme or story point that will carry on after Wolverine’s death? I don’t know, and using only two titles to make my hypothesis is a pretty weak assumption in comparison to the plethora of related titles out there, but it does make me think if this is how Marvel will be handling the stories after his death, how good it’ll be. At the moment, I don’t know how I feel about that. Most things as an idea are good; it’s just the execution of those ideas that isn’t always very positive. I think depending on what steps and directions THE WEAPON X PROGRAM takes will really decide the quality. As a first issue I enjoyed it, but as a first issue I don’t know how good the rest of the run will be; it’s way too early. THE WEAPON X PROGRAM is very much a wait and see, at least in my opinion.
Art wise, I liked Larroca’s work on the issue. His art reminded me of a high quality anime, which isn’t something very common style-wise in comics and when it happens, I’m generally a fan. My only complaint would be I wish there was a tad bit more focus on the backgrounds instead of being so character-centered. I liked the art, but I felt the quality would have stood out more if there had been more background to contrast the visual situations. So overall, THE WEAPON X PROGRAM was an enjoyable read and piqued my curiosity as a number one, which is good because depending on my cash situation at the time, I’ll probably check out issue two as well. Other than that, I don’t know the direction the series will take, so I can’t comment on it overall and whether the arc is any good, obviously. As a first issue, it could be worth your interest if you’re Wolverine fan, but if you’re one of those people happy to have him taking a break from the Marvelverse, I probably wouldn’t give this a look then.
JOHN CARTER WARLORD OF MARS #1
Writer: Ron MarzArtist: Abhishel Malsuni
Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment
Reviewer: Masked Man
Well, Burroughs fans, John Carter has returned to Dynamite, and this time they have reached a deal with Burroughs' family, so no more morality issues when buying this series. Long time DC/Marvel writer Ron Marz (GREEN LANTERN, SILVER SURFER) has been tapped to write it, and relative newcomer Abhishel Malsuni is drawing it, and in a nutshell, they put together a solid first issue here.
This is my first time seeing Abhishel Malsuni's artwork, and he does impress. As I like to judge a lot of Dynamite's artists, I'm happy to say Malsuni's work is prime time. His storytelling is good, his figures look nice, and his backgrounds (while not much to see in this issue) were very solid. His splash pages were all very cool as well. One thing he could improve upon is his airships--just dull, uninteresting gray floating boxes in the sky. Since he excels at everything else, these just looked worse by comparison, almost taking you out of the story. Also, his shadowy figure was not shadowy enough--the big reveal at the end of the issue was pretty much blown on the second page. Still, overall a nice looking book.
Storytelling-wise, Marz gets a B for this set-up issue. He tries really hard not to make this just a set-up issue by dropping us into the middle of the story and into the middle of the action. Unfortunately, he never really moves the plot forward, he just establishes it (i.e. set-up issue). I recommend budding writers read this issue, and think about everything that works with it and then think on how to improve upon it. It's a fine issue, but it is also on the verge of being more. As for the plot itself, well, not as impressed. Spoiler time, folks:
So this series pretty much picks up where the last one ended (WARLORD OF MARS by Arvid Nelson) and where Burroughs' books (with John Carter as the main protagonist) did. John Carter is the de facto ruler of Mars (or rather Barsoom) as the Warlord of Mars and is married to Dejah Thoris (aka the hottest chick in all sci fi-dom). From this point Marz drops a big old clichéd plot on us, as Dejah does what she does best, a captive damsel in distress, in a very common sci-fi twist plot--so common that it's not really a twist anymore, with invaders coming not from Mars but to Mars (it was ground breaking in the '70s!). The main villain (as I mentioned above, poorly hidden in shadow, so spoiler) is a guy from Earth--a Union Army captain, no less--to contrast with John Carter's Confederate Army background. So it's basically a 'Phantom Zone Villain' tale, though to be fair it's not as bad as another Genosha story in X-MEN.
While hardly an original set-up, this new series/story arc does shows much promise, as both Marz and Malsuni are talented guys. I have hopes of JOHN CARTER WARLORD OF MARS becoming an entertaining read.
STRANGE NATION VOL.1 TPB
Writer: Paul AllorArt: Juan Romera
Publisher: Action Lab Comics
Reviewer: Morbidlyobesefleshdevouringcat
I’m not particularly a fan of the sci fi genre, which isn’t to say I haven’t enjoyed mediums within it, but science fiction simply isn’t one I head straight for, so it might seem odd to review STRANGE NATION, a comic involving extraterrestrials and hordes of screaming Sasquatches as part of its premise, and in all honesty I likely wouldn’t have picked it up had I not known that Paul Allor was the writer behind it. I’ve encountered a bit of Allor’s work; his TMNT: UTROM EMPIRE series with IDW, Free Comic Book Day release PAST THE LAST MOUNTAIN, and more notably small press Challenger Comics-published ORC GIRL, but I’ve enjoyed them mainly due to his ability to organically shape characters into humans. Allor’s dialogue, especially personal monologues in his characters, have always been bang on, and STRANGE NATION is no different.
Meet headstrong Norma Park, a journalist of Korean-American descent simply seeking to better the world by exposing the truth--but Park’s path is blocked when she encounters something beyond the scope of what is considered true, or even real. Duma Corp, an institution that appears to have no real purpose but still maintains a mass of employees, is in actuality a mask for a species of aliens invading Earth, and of course it appears that Park has gotten herself in the middle of it. After deciding to run with the story, Park is let go from her current paper but finds herself employed by hoax-focused tabloid Strange Nation.
Norma Park is sassy--tumblr fangirl defending Chris Pratt sassy. She is a strong female character without all the stereotypes of what a strong, female should be. She’s passionate, doing what she needs to do to achieve results, but what I admire the most of Park is her fearlessness in the face of her own passions and desires. Passions can be terrifying. Most of them feel so much bigger than our own physical statures, and choosing to pursue these dreams and desires and even individual morals can establish insignificance and self-doubt, but Park chooses to flip the bird at preying eyes. She isn’t afraid of who she is. She fights back. There are moments when her hostility is unnecessary, and at times she too easily blames others, but of course that also just adds to Park’s humanness.
That is what you are going to get with STRANGE NATION: (sort of) real live humans doubling as characters in a comic. This is only emphasized with Juan Romera’s art. A fairly simple style, Romera’s characters aren’t overly dense or realistic; they’re natural and clean, simply accentuating the characters through Allor’s dialogue, and vice versa.
It is also this creative combination that makes for some emotionally gripping pages. Although fairly lighthearted and almost manic, Strange Nation is essentially depicting the consequences of the small choices and actions of one individual only seeking to act on their moral obligations—while, you know, of course saving the world from a long time coming alien invasion to run the Earth dry of all its natural resources and kill humanity in the process. But, that is what is so great about this comic: STRANGE NATION doesn’t try hard because it really doesn't need to. It’s a fun, charismatic comic that is culturally inclusive and gender friendly with simple underlying messages of personal character. It’s about time, I’d say.
VELVET #8
Writer: Ed BrubakerArtist: Steve Epting
Publisher: Image Comics
Reviewer: KletusCassidy
A masked intruder breaks into your house, puts a gun to your head and asks, "What is your favorite Ed Brubaker comic? You have twenty seconds to decide!" What do you do, hotshot...what do you do?!? Twenty seconds doesn't seem like nearly enough time to make a complicated decision such as this, so I'd narrow it down to three to start out: DAREDEVIL, CRIMINAL and, because I'm a sucker for spy stories, VELVET. I freaking love this book and the fact that one of my favorite artists, Steve Epting, is on this title and doing some of his best work makes the decision to put this in my top three a very easy one. If I had to choose only one, though...I'd have to ask the masked intruder if I could choose more than one, then I'd lull him into an in-depth conversation as to why I'd need to do that, I'd pull out my Brubaker collection, he'd forget all about his B & E, and we'd become great friends and laugh about the time he almost killed me over Ed Brubaker.
VELVET is about a James Bond-style character who is mysteriously murdered while on assignment, and it appears that his Moneypenny character, Velvet, may or may not have something to do with his death--only thing is, she's no pushover, and unlike the mousy character from the Bond movies, this woman can hold her own (and then some). Velvet sets out to find the real culprit behind the murder and takes us into the gritty world of international espionage and politics. This book is great because it takes the typical James Bond formula (which I love) and turns it on its head. Instead of following an overconfident male spy as he gallivants across the globe sleeping with no less than three woman per mission, we follow Velvet as she shows us the darker side of being a spy. If you like spy stories like I do, then you'd probably dig this book as we get all the things we are accustomed to in this genre, such as gadgets, hand to hand combat, disguises, secret informants, etcetera but just put through a different lens than what we are used to seeing, which makes this book feel fresh while still touching on tropes that we've seen before. If you've read any of Brubaker's past work, you know that the dialog is on point and the internal monologues do a great job of revealing a character's motivations and shortcomings, but in the most concise way possible: there are no wasted words in a book by Ed Brubaker.
Steve Epting is one of my top three artists working today; if a guy broke in and forced me at knifepoint to tell him who the other two were, I'd say “What's up with all this comic book related violence? Geez!" Epting does not disappoint here, and I'd say it's some of his best work and even though I love seeing him draw superheroes, I can't deny the quality of work that's within these pages. This is by far one of the best-looking books on the stands, and Bettie Breitweiser's colors do a lot to make this comic stand out; Epting and Breitweiser should definitely collaborate in the future. Her colors give this book a look like we are watching a spy movie from the Sixties on a Seventies Magnavox television. It's as if the coloring is done with watercolors, which gives this comic an almost washed out feel that helps this book look like it was drawn on the old non-glossy comic paper. The art itself is well worth $3.50.
A home invasion isn't necessary for me to know that this book is one of my favorite series that Brubaker has written and one my favorite that Epting has put pencils to. It seems like everyone that Brubaker works with ends up becoming an incredible team up. If you like international espionage and art that will make you want to slap your grandma, then this book is for you; Ol’ Kletus can't do that cause Granny Kletus sleeps with a loaded .357, so slaps are out of the question. Brubaker has three excellent books (haven't read FATALE but I'm sure it's great) at Image right now, and you should be reading at least one, or I'm gonna send that maniac that broke into my house to question you about the Brubaker books you aren't reading...beware.
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!
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #9
Writer: Dan SlottArtist: Olivier Coipel
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Reviewer: Mighty Mouth
SPIDERS ASSEMBLE!
Morlun’s back, and this time he and his family of predators, known as the Inheritors, are hunting and killing Spider-Men across the very multiverse. In an effort to combat this threat head on, Superior Spidey (you know, Doc Ock) has been busy recruiting Spider-heroes from different realities. With a mass of Spider-folk gathered in the one place they may be safe, Peter Parker of Earth 616 finds himself pulled into the fray with the other Spiders in hopes of surviving the conflict to come.
If you haven’t been keeping up with all the Edge of Spider-Verse books popping up over recent months, don’t panic. AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #9 functions largely as a set up issue. I’m a huge fan of altered realities featuring diverse versions of familiar superheroes and their adventures. There’s just something too cool about exploring the butterfly effect exhibited on your favorite characters. So the idea of sticking Spidey in a circumstance that requires him teaming up with multiple Spider-folk from various dimensions, well -- that works for me.
What makes this story so enjoyable is that even though there are dark overtones and the situation’s pretty forbidding, at no point does the narrative take itself so serious that it ceases being fun. From the irresistible attraction between Peter Parker and Cindy Moon to the numerous incarnations of Spider totems (even Spider-Ham’s a player in this event), I assure you, there’s no shortage of fun here.
Another on the plus side for this issue is a change-up on the artistic duties. To be clear, I have nothing against Humberto Ramos’s work, so I don’t want to sound like I’m bashing him. I’m not. That being said, I’m a huge fan of Olivier Coipel. With books like HOUSE OF M, SIEGE and AVENGERS VS. X-MEN under his belt, Coipel is certainly no stranger to big event books and once again, he proves he’s the man for the job, page after spectacular page.
ASM #9 also includes a backup story by Slott and Camuncoli that offers added insight into the Inheritors and their evil agenda. It’s not a bad little read, but it’s not really essential, either. It’s more akin to an extra feature on your DVD, so treat it as such.
At a glance one might assume a story like Spider-Verse may not offer more than the novelty of its gimmick, but AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #9 quickly dispels that notion, setting in motion a story ripe with potential.
So far, so good.
SUPERMAN UNCHAINED #9
Writer: Scott SnyderArtists: Jim Lee and Dustin Nguyen
Publisher: DC Comics
Reviewer: Masked Man
Well it's been a bumpy ride but Snyder and Lee's Superman opus has come to a close. What was first announced as a new ongoing series switched to a limited series, as apparently both Snyder and Lee were too busy to keep it going. Then deadlines went out the window, and on some level it's amazing that they actually managed to wrap it up considering what happened with Jim Lee and Frank Miller's ALL-STAR BATMAN series.
Despite the complex tale, with so many moving parts, Snyder did manage to wrap up every storyline--even the Smallville flashback story, which appeared to be abandoned after issue #5 (art by Dustin Nguyen)--although I never felt Snyder really finished with the concepts or ideology he discussed in the series. The major theme of the series was, what is Superman's responsibility? Does he do enough? Does he do too little? Should he serve one country over another? All very interesting stuff, but each compare and contrast--with the army, Wraith, Ascension, etc.--just ended with a fistfight, lacking any cerebral closure. Then only Lex Luthor was given time to make an analysis on the topic, and he was barely in the series, plus his analysis and conclusion had no bearing on his final solution towards his Superman 'problem'. Likewise, Wraith's sacrifice seemed to have little to do with his build-up or his conflict with Superman. Just another convenient plot device, which this series was loaded with. Most of the major conflicts in SUPERMAN UNCHAINED were solved via deus ex machina. And I'm sorry, but no one wants to talk about the factthe U.S. military basically declared war on Superman?!? And why did they call it off? No idea.
So SUPERMAN UNCHAINED had some great concepts (maybe overly complex ones, as I'm still not sure about the whole Earth Stone stuff), some great battles, epic consequences, but for whatever reason (scheduling, etc.) it never had great conclusions. If you are a fan of Snyder or Lee, you should pick this up, because they really put forth as great effort here. For the rest of us, well, it scores a DECENT on the Masked Man's scale of CRAP, POOR, DECENT, GOOD, or GREAT.
ALICE COOPER #3
Writer: Joe HarrisArtist: Eman Cassallos
Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment
Reviewer: KletusCassidy
I was supposed to review this comic last week, but for some odd reason I forgot that my week was going to be crazy as hell due to The Fest, a punk rock event with over 2000 attendees and 200 plus bands that's taken place in my home town for the past thirteen years on or around Halloween weekend. So I agreed to review it, noting that I usually write on the weekend, but my alcohol-soaked brain failed to put two and two together and I found myself swamped in PBR cans, pop punk and thousands of bags of garbage (did I mention I was working?). "But Kletus, didn't you agree to review that book on Tuesday, thus leaving you plenty of time to write and turn in this review early?" To which I'd say, well...damn it, you're probably right about that, but if there's one man who would understand that sometimes rock’n’roll gets in the way of being responsible, I'd say it'd have to be the godfather of shock rock, the dark lord himself...Vincent Damon Furnier, better known as Alice Cooper.
This comic is about Mr. Cooper coming to terms with the fact that he needs to rescue a couple of kids that he left behind after a group called Clan Black attempted to come for him and now he feels bad--thus his change of heart. This comic was really fun and not only played with Cooper's wild stage antics but also played into his supernatural side, showing him with various powers as well as a talking snake, a young sidekick who is also a bully and a forest full of demons who play guitar. I know this sounds a little wild and ridiculous, but are you familiar with Alice Cooper? If so, you know this comic wouldn't be any other way. When I say ridiculous, I mean in a fun, Gwar type of way that makes you smile, not in a “Transformers 3” way that makes you want to hunt down Michael Bay, take him to a Gwar show and have them literally kill him on stage (I kid, I kid). We get to see an Alice Cooper performance where some of the elaborate special effects go wrong, and we also get to see him as sort of a Dr. Strange-type character who has a few mystical powers but has also made mistakes in the past but wishes to do the right thing, so as to not add to the long list of mishaps. I liked this comic; it was a fun issue that made me smile, and if you have any interest in Alice Cooper, you'll probably like this series.
The art in this book was great, and Dynamite Entertainment seems to have really stepped it up art-wise across the board in their comics. Cassallos' art reminds me of Rags Morales, although the lines aren't quite as tight, with a slight twist of Steve Niles in some panels. The coloring is also great, which I imagine was a challenge with all the weird shit going on in this book.
If you are into the godfather of shock rock and don't have this book, what the hell are you doing?!? It's a fun read with great art, and while it is a straightforward story without too much wackiness, there's still a playful element to the book that gives it a very Alice Cooper feel. If you like Alice Cooper or fun horror stories in general, pick this comic up and worship your dark master!
TOOTH & CLAW #1
Writer: Kurt BusiekArt: Benjamin Dewey
Publisher: Image Comics
Reviewer: Optimous Douche
THIS is comic booking…plain and simple.
For the past decade comics fans have been victims of consumerism. Not to say that money wasn’t always the objective of comics, but cheaper production costs and distribution channels (along with a voracious appetite from serfdom for this tube feeding) turned unbridled creativity into cautious calculation of cross-media sell. Making anything too imaginative would be less than favorable if one seeks to sell a viable idea to a production company more concerned about ROI over funding high IQ ideas. Believe it or not, this is the current mode of indie comics. The big two are now complete puppets of their corporate masters, so even if they wanted to be imaginative, the red tape would simply not be worth the hassle. If you don’t think Disney will own the DC characters before the 2020s end, you missed their latest propaganda volley against the house of Superman on ABC last week. Homogenization and the lowest common denominator of ideas will be our future, folks, as continuity caves to demographically diverse digestible dirges.
What does this tirade against The Man have to do with Busiek or TOOTH & CLAW #1? This new foray into what I believe is a vision of Earth’s future that is ruled by magic wielding animal/people hybrids is simply one more page in a career that has been comprised of resolute courage in storytelling that is protected by Busiek’s calloused by time shell against conforming to the broadest demographic appeal.
If Miller and Moore birthed the Dark Age of comics with their God particles of deconstruction, Busiek was Moses with his book MARVELS. This new fear of the flawed hero was made palpable through the street-level view of epic battles and the arduous activities of the aftermath clean up. He made me at least realize we were like Doozers, except superheroes weren’t kind enough to sing cute songs like Fraggles when they destroyed our shit. Kurt then took this concept to the next level by serializing the concept in ASTRO CITY that had a reverence for the Silver Age without forgetting modern cynical sensibilities. Heroics were restored as a new universe was birthed reflecting saviors for the flaws of the latter 20th century. Anyone can write a JUSTICE LEAGUE pastiche, but only a true originator would writes that story from the perspective of a temp working on the JLA help hotline (see the recent Vertigo incarnation of the series if my words sound appealing).
TOOTH & CLAW presents the next foray into defiance – a story impossible to emulate anywhere but within the comic medium. Magic and might, in a world like our own, but with the majesty of renaissance sensibilities fueled with modern convenience. This world is not only one of airships; its majesty is elevated by aircontinents each adorned with their own lush landscapes. Busiek may have conceived this new land, but Dewey, like any good artist, was able to interpret the unthinkable and give it this splendid form.
The denizens of these skyisles are the new 1%, a caste of species (or is it genus, I shunned biology for physics) who gain this power through the currency of magic. The true elite can wield these forces effortlessly, while also having the keenest insight into the rapidly depleting supply. Yes, magic supply. GREEN LANTERN recently postulated this as well when the skittle power well started to run dry. If matter can’t be created or destroyed, that would go for the forces that manipulate it as well. Whether it’s a cosmic ring or magic wielded by an upright eagle, beautiful dog, fucking cat, or a warthog, a finite supply of this force is a plausible and a rarely explored concept until quite recently. Of course, this is all a statement on our own current propensity to drain the natural gifts we only partially understand how to use, but when this message is expressed through such vividly expressive animal faces (once again courtesy of Dewey, who infuses human expressions from the lordly dogs to the Rocky Dennis-headed bison without ever getting creepy like in a Geico commercial) we will gladly listen.
To throw further fuel on the metaphor fire, one crazy mage seeks to reignite the magic of this universe by tapping the well of time. This is a spell that will require a circle of the world’s best mages carefully colliding magics to bring forth the original giver of this great well of almost infinite imagination to reality supply. To be even more blunt, this is like a bunch of Swedes not giving a shit about blowing up Europe in the hopes of creating a mini-sun and saying that God is indeed a particle with delusions of grandeur and great PR. I won’t say what this God of animals looked like in the brief shadow we saw or the ensuing grandiose aftermath of destruction, but it rocks you to the core in its sheer power and magnitude of scale.
Forgive me for the industry rant and the fanboy gushing, but this gig and the deluge of books I must read for the most informed opinion has made me a cynic. When I come across a book that moves my soul, hell is able to find my soul even, I simply can’t stem the desire to enlighten more fans of this medium.
Books like TOOTH & CLAW are why comics are still the medium of true creativity for artists brave enough to devour the infinite. (And if it could be made into a movie by Zac Snyder, the point will be bludgeoned in the credits with a prequel of oil well stock footage from the show “Dallas” in slow motion and then a shot of CERN scientists throwing crosses into the hydron collider rapidly).
Proofs, co-edits & common sense provided by Sleazy G
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