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Every so often, I take the comics I read in a given week and sort them into two stacks. In one stack are those that have a cover decently expressive of the interior. In the other are those that say little to nothing or are misleading.
This week, I review Astonishing X-Men #25 as a bonus!
American Dream #5–The mini series comes to climactic finish and can you guess the focus? American Dream versus a giant crystal monster! Sure, they don’t burst through the ground and fight above the city. The conflict is the draw and it happens to be the final one in the issue. Comics from the week of Independence Day and this one makes it in the first stack. Kinda cool.
Astonishing X-Men #25–Warren Ellis and Simone Bianchi pick up the X-Men after the events of “Messiah Complex”. The X-Men have moved to San Francisco and are still trying to figure out their new method of operation (which readers can figure out if they read the recap page at the front). Due to this, and probably the likelihood of people buying the title simply because of a change in creative team, Ellis spends the first half of the comic introducing us to the characters, their relation to each other, their respective roles on the team, and how they’re adjusting to San Francisco life. My only complaint here is that nearly everyone is funny, even when they don’t seem like they’re supposed to be (such as Storm describing how she got permission to be on the team).
Bianchi’s art is decent, and the odd layouts work well enough. However, there are no real dynamic sequences for him to draw. The art works well for this issue, but can Bianchi handle a more action-packed issue?
There are clever concepts (such as the secret of Chaparanga Bay) and nods to continuity. But as character issues go, since that is essentially what this it, it’s nothing exceptional. I give it a 3:5. And, no, the cover doesn’t make the first stack.
Batman #678–The cover shows Batman standing in the city underneath a psychedelic light. It probably is meant to show that Batman is somewhat insane inside, which he might be. The cover is a bit symbolic that way. However, there are other important aspects and, well, that thing on the cover looks to me like an attack from above more than it does psychosis. Close, but not quite.
Billy Batson & the Magic of Shazam! #1–Here, Captain Marvel is depicted as slowly turning into Billy Batson. Or maybe vice versa. Either way, this is both an inaccurate depiction of the character, and says little to nothing about the story.
Dark Tower: The Long Road Home #5–From the cover, one can see that in this issue there should be a confrontation between these two guys and that the one on the right wants to kill the one on the left. More or less, that covers the first half of the story. First stack, away!
Dynamo 5 #14–The first third of this issue deals with a mysterious new protector of the city named Vigil. (And if you check out the back cover, that name is provided.) She does fight a strong guy and a guy with an electric fist. Good enough, but just barely.
Grimm Fairy Tales #28–The story is about a girl’s life as influenced by the tale of The Ugly Duckling. The cover seems to express this simply by including a group of ducklings and a swan. However, the focus of the cover is a bikini-wearing-girl that is presumably the mysterious redhead that essentially guides the story. So, I can interpret the cover going backward. But just looking at the cover itself beforehand, I’d assume it’s a standard poster wannabe.
House of Mystery #3–The cover depicts a shadowy figure standing in front of a skull. The figure in question appears toward the end, but has little impact on this issue specifically. Death is an important concept here, as well. However, learning important details about the story is nigh impossible.
Legion of Super-Heroes #43–The team above are trapped on Rimbor, on the run, and getting shot at whenever they make their whereabouts known. So, yes, they do flee from the sewer while hiding and, yes, Colossal Boy gets shot. It’s not a pivotal moment of the issue, but it is relevant and does adequately express one of the plots. I’ll put it in the first stack.
Nightwing #146–”BURIAL AT SEA”, it reads, while showing Nightwing surrounded by corpses. That scene isn’t that important, and is handled within the first two pages.
Noble Causes #35–I’m going to be lenient and let this one into the first stack. The Nobles confront the metallic guy on the cover, and his machinations are in pretty much every part of the issue. It would help if the cover showed everyone that attacks Crucible (said metallic guy), but I won’t be picky.
Rann-Thanagar Holy War #3–The main characters are in the clutches of a villain! (He’s named Deacon Dark, but you can’t know that from the cover.) Within the issue, they are, but they aren’t. Dark himself plays a small role in the issue, but it’s what he does and has done that’s of more relevance.
Star Trek: Enterprise Experiment #3–The cover shows Captain Kirk fighting a Klingon. It doesn’t happen. Nothing close does, actually.
Trinity #5–In a surprise twist, Trinity’s cover actually does fit into the first stack. Not only does Wonder Woman fighting the big monster (Konvikt), but that fight (though not depicted accurately here) is a crucial event.
This week, American Dream, Dark Tower, Dynamo 5, Legion of Super-Heroes, Noble Causes, and Trinity fall into the first stack. That makes the Count this week 6:8.
This week, in lieu of the Cover Count, I offer a review. That review, as if the title weren’t any indication, will be of Avengers: The Initiative #14.
Now, let me start by saying that I’m a little miffed. I hopped on board with issue #13, as it promised a new class of recruits. (It helped that among those recruits is a favorite of mine, Prodigy.) And just as I decide to hop in, it starts a playing in Secret Invasion waters. …as it will proceed to do for a few issues. Ah well.
But just how good is the first part of the crossover? Actually not bad. The issue includes three important items: how the head instructor, Hank Pym, being a Skrull affected the Initiative (and the 50-State Initiative therein), the revelation of a few other Skrulls in the organization, and an adventure with Triathlon 3-D Man in Hawaii, the state in which he is assigned. Each of them is handled tactfully, but with a bit of humor. That’s about the extent of spoilers you’ll get here.
The Hank Pym stuff is more funny than it is interesting, especially the scene in the cafeteria. The Skrull reveals (there are two, not counting Pym) aren’t that shocking. The latter of them probably should have been more, considering it led into the climax of the issue, but it’s done with a bit of confusion at first. We don’t know how he was detected until a few panels later (and after a two-page ad). Well, unless you happen to know a bit about a certain 1970s superhero. It takes a little of the oomph out of the reveal, but nothing out of the climax itself.
The Hawaii team is fun to read about. First off, they’re called the Point Men. A fairly symbolic name that they explain in the issue. They have they’re very own Pigpen of Peanuts. And Devil-Slayer returns. They’re all very cool things.
Another thing I like is that Caselli returns for art duties. I just was not enjoying Uy’s art as much. There are other capable artists that could handle this title, and some of them I would probably prefer to Caselli, but he does a fine job. I have a complaint regarding a small bit in the fight of the issue, in which something important occurs that could be better portrayed, but I’m not going to spoil that. Try finding it yourself. Like a game of Where’s Waldo?
It’s a fun issue. It’s a funny issue. It has decent art, a decent story, and leaves us with an interesting cliffhanger (though albeit a confusing one).
The positives outweigh the negatives. I give it a 4 out of 5.
I may not browse the Internet looking for comic book reviews, but of those I have seen, none review my favorite comic of last week. (Look to the title for more information.) So, as I stated in my last entry, I though I would provide one.
There are two important pieces of information I feel I should get out of the way now. First off, there is a summary of the events of the first two issues printed on the back of the cover (like a book inset, if you will–which in itself is somewhat amusing given that the story relates to a book series of the same name). The summary only fails to comment on one story element, but I’ll get to that in a bit. Secondly, this is a limited series. A five-part series, to be precise. This is part three and I think you could just jump in here. Even if you feel a bit confused or want the whole story, though, there are only two other comics previous to this one that you would have to pick up.
Now, onto what makes this comic great. Namely, this is a dramatic story wrapped with mystery that has fun with itself. It’s written by Peter David. You know to expect good stuff. The first half of the issue or so is filled with things that made me laugh. The ending, and you may want to be paying attention when you get there to fully appreciate it, offers a twist that implies a bit more about what is happening. I like this issue mostly because it has fun with itself. David offers a serious situation (an important ship being stolen and subsequently being used to cause trouble) involving a variety of characters (this is Star Trek) and injecting does of humor and mystery to keep readers entertained.
As a bonus, the art is superb, capturing realistic perspective with a tone that suits the story. Perhaps the art being as serious as the main story helps the lighthearted sequences that much more.
You’ll recall that I mentioned that there is a sequence within the issue that is not explained in the beginning summary. Part of the story takes place on a planet where it has recently been revealed that the queen is pregnant. That story, as of yet, seems to have nothing to do with the space adventure and, I think, may be more understandable by those who have read the book series (just as there are a few elements in the first two issues that are the same).
This is by no means a perfect comic. As stated, it does a little bit of nodding to the book series in a way that may confuse new readers. Of the three in the series so far, however, this one is the most self-contained and easily accessible–plus, most of the characters are referred to by name at least once, which is nice. And you get fun (and funny) moments like this:
I give Star Trek: New Frontier #3 a 4 out of 5.
One of the things I received for Christmas was Kevin J. Anderson’s The Last Days of Krypton.
(The cover is actually bluer than that, but the shine throws off the coloring in this image.)
Okay, yes, it’s not a comic book. It is definitely comic book-related, though, so I think it still counts.
In any case, the story is about, as it claims, the last days of the planet Krypton. In essence, it is the story before Superman. All the standard players are there. Jor-El, Zor-El, Lara, Zod, Brainiac, the Kryptonian Council, etc. There are also several important figures entirely new to the story (as far as I know, anyway).
Now, the backstory of Krypton has been done before many times. The early Superman serials had a story. Byrne had a story. The current DC universe has been developing a story. There are others, but you get the point. The story of Krypton has been modified several times. A few characters from those past stories are included here, such as Jax-Ur and Lyla Lorrel. Concepts that might previously have been in contradiction between those various tellings are included here together. Some details are changed (such as Krypton having three moons instead of two) and others are added. So, there is a fair amount in the book to appeal to longtime fans of Superman.
It is okay, though, if you are like me and know very little about those previous stories. To truly appreciate the story, all you really need to know is a bit about Superman. That he’s from Krypton, his father is Jor-El (the star of the show here), and that Krypton was lost in some catastrophe. The book especially plays off that last bit, as it introduces a series of calamities that could destroy the planet. It leaves you guessing as to which one will be the final catastrophe. Well, it left me guessing, but I suppose a bigger fan of the character and the past stories of Krypton would know better. …And maybe people with greater memories, too.
Just as a side note that I think is somewhat relevant, there are some plays on Superman comics themselves, with the inclusion of such things as a “Look, up in the sky!” line.
Anyway, although the book starts off slow, I found it to be a compelling read. It has action, romance, politics, and history (it’s the history of a fictional planet, but that has got to count for something). There is a lot to keep your interest. Astonishingly, the various descriptions for the landscape, clothing, architecture, etc. does not get in the way of the story.
This is definitely above-average story, but still a little flawed, especially within some dialogue portions.
I give it a 4 out of 5.
I wasn’t going to read Brand New Day. But, since someone in my household go it and I have this compulsion to read everything that enters the house (even if I know I won’t like it), I ended up reading it anyway. And, yes, I know I’m behind and that you’ve probably read a number of other reviews by now, but bear with me. So, how is Amazing Spider-Man #546?
It’s not bad, really. As a stand-alone issue, it works quite well. The art is mostly nice. The main story is mostly straightforward, definitely fun, and well-paced. As a reader of some time now, though, I just get the feeling that we’ve been there before. Just look at the reboot in ‘99. Spider-Man was no longer Spider-Man. There was emphasis on the supporting cast. Peter was looking for a job outside the Bugle (eventually getting on at Tricorp). Someone is inspired by Spider-Man to do something (Mattie took up his mantle, this mugger uses his face for personal gain). Oh, and it came after a controversial story involving Aunt May.
I liked the reboot, as I was a fairly new reader. I just feel that I’ve been here before.
I say the story is mostly straightforward because there’s that bit with the web-shooters that I don’t understand. Where are the things that extend into his palm? Why do they fire tracers? The summary of the device on that two-page spread offers no explanations.
The back-up stories were nice. I suppose their relevance will be revealed later, but as it is the Harry story seems almost useless, except to give us a Harry story.
So, overall not bad, but certainly not great either. A 3 out of 5.
I have tried writing this twice now. I really just can’t get my thoughts together in the proper order. Commenting on a 12-part story will do that to you. Especially if you’re commenting on it after you’ve read all 12 parts. Now I’ve got a bunch of stuff to praise and a fair bit to criticize. I should’ve just done it chapter by chapter. Gotta love hindsight.
What is this though? This is a review of Watchmen, a story originally printed as a 12-part (mentioning that a bit too much) maxiseries–in no way related to menstrual pads–that is widely available in graphic novel format.
Thanks to CBR’s Secret Santa and my Secret Santa, Mike Smash! (thanks Mike), I was able to read this beloved masterpiece. Okay, calling it a “masterpiece” might make you jump to the conclusion that I really like it. I don’t. Before I elaborate on that, though, let me provide this warning:
If you have not read Watchmen, don’t read further. I do not find it likely that there will be a reader who has not done so, but I’m not going to be a jerk. I mean, I am going to focus a fair amount on the last few chapters. So if you’ve read it or don’t mind having the ending spoiled for you, then keep reading. And if you fit entire neither of those categories and are still reading, leave now. Still here? That was my last warning. Let’s move on.
With that out of the way, I’ll expand on that statement I made earlier. No, I don’t like Watchmen. But I don’t like in the same way I don’t like The Scarlet Letter (someone else drew the comparison for me, for which I’m thankful). The Scarlet Letter is widely regarded as one of the classics, one of those pieces of literature people who like literature should read. It’s filled with history, romance, and action, all of which appeal to many. It’s filled with symbolism, imagery, metaphors, and many other rhetorical devices, all of critical value. Watchmen is no different in that sense. It’s one of the most technically well-constructed stories I’ve ever read.
From the parallels with The Black Frontier (a bit of metafiction there) to most of the backup pieces to the various items included in the art and beyond, Watchmen is wonderfully well-crafted at a technical level. As a reader, I was able to see into the minds of the various characters without thought balloons, a striking contrast to works of the time and likely the influence for the lack of those balloons today. I got into their heads other ways. Through what they say, what they write (especially with Rorschach), how they act, and so forth, I was easily able to understand the characters and their points of view. Even though this style of writing has become pretty standard in comics currently, few writers are able to achieve that. It’s astounding.
I promise that I’m getting to my negative thoughts. Just hold on.
The art is gorgeous. It includes the smallest touches of added realism that could just has easily been left out and not affected the story as a whole, like the graffiti on some walls. The art suits the tone, being suitably dark and pastel. And …and… There’s just a lot to appreciate in there.
But for all it’s great art, for all it’s connecting themes, symbols, etc., and for all it’s critical merits, Watchmen ends unsatisfactorily. It makes me think, it makes me create my own ending, and wraps up all the crucial plot points, I suppose, but the heroes lose. They lose. An explosion occurs in New York city that kills half the city. That’s fine, I suppose, as it’s big and dramatic, and shocking and all those things you want during the climax. But then you get to the aftermath. The heroes, save for Rorschach, give up. You win, Ozymandias. If we reveal your dastardly plot, the world goes to hell again. Really? What Veidt has done is unified the world’s great powers by having them perceive a potential threat to the entire planet. There is no immediate alien problem. That should readily become clear. The world stands united against what could happen. Whether or not there will be an alien threat for them to fight is not known. My point is that I don’t see why they can’t tell anyone. If the world is united on something that could happen, then why not reveal the ruse? Fear of the world reverting to the way it was? I guess? But that’s when you need a good speaker. Several good speakers. People who will make the public at large realize that this new society is worth keeping. I somewhat hope that the journal would get published, but I’m not entirely sure that it would be convincing enough. Rorschach was clinically insane after all.
Which brings me to another point. We get a lot of build up with Doctor Manhattan. He goes off the Mars to think. He builds a glass citadel. He has a conversation with Laurie, one in which she convinces him to come back. Yet he adds nothing. He comes back only to find the devastation of New York and the Ozymandias feeling like he’s on top of it all. No punishing the man for his crime of mass homicide, perhaps by killing him. No aid in the city. No presence in the world really at all. He comes back, suggests that Ozymandias is right (why we should take the word of a man who is clearly out of touch with the way people think and react I don’t know) and kills Rorschach for disagreeing. Then he leaves. That’s it. All that build-up to essentially kill Rorschach. And his journal lives on, a book that is only a little less credible than the writer.
Ozymandias is a megalomaniac who wants to rule the world. Rorschach is insane. Overall noble, I think, but still insane. Doctor Manhattan never does anything particularly heroic within the confines of present-day story (he does some cool military work in the past, though). Nite-Owl and Laurie just give up and go underground. It’s a story about heroes with no heroes. One could argue that Ozymandias is the hero because he ceases the world’s conflict. The Cold War is over. But he clearly states that he’s not done. The next step is Utopia. Given that his inspiration in all this is Alexander the Great, I have no doubt that he wants to conquer. If not the world, then everyone’s mind.
An interesting thought: if they hadn’t stopped to drop off Rorschach’s journal, would they have made it in time to stop him? Maybe a bit ironic. Anyway, I digress.
I am very impressed by Watchmen. There’s a lot to see in it, a lot to appreciate. And it gets me thinking. I like when stories leave me thinking. I know it wouldn’t read as well in standard comic format. So, it kinda makes me appreciate decompressed storytelling a bit more as well. But, essentially, I don’t like it when Chapter 12 is included. Chapters 1-11? Fine. Minor quibbles at best. I just can’t wrap my head around the events of the last chapter. I enjoyed my reading experience. It’s compelling and engaging stuff. I recommend that others read it as well. It just leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
It gets a 4 out of 5.
A few years back, HeroClix, that comic book miniatures game, released an Independents set separate from their Marvel and DC sets. In there was a character named Johnny Alpha. As I played at the time, I almost instantly fell in love with that miniature. I put him on almost every team I made.
So, when DC published Strontium Dog: The Early Cases, I took the opportunity to learn about this character. As it turns out, he is just one of many Strontium Dogs or Search/Destroy Agents. Essentially, he’s a bounty hunter within a bounty hunter organization. The trade paperback was filled with fun stories, including a trip through an imaginary Hell and a time-traveling adventure involving Hitler. I enjoyed it immensely, enough to look for more.
Eventually, Rebellion Comics began publishing the Search/Destroy Agency Files. I didn’t catch them until the second one and was then unsure if I should get it, as I wasn’t sure how The Early Cases fit into this new trade run.
In any case, I did get the third trade (labeled a graphic novel) last week. I finished reading it yesterday.
It’s not as great The Early Cases but there’s some pretty good stuff in there. The “Strontium Dog in Rage” story is a pretty good read and probably the best of the stories included. It’s a revenge tale where Johnny Alpha seeks the killers of a friend and long-time ally of his (Wulf Sternhammer, a viking sent to the future from 739 A.D. whose origin is provided in this collection before his death). Johnny’s quest is side-tracked a few times by things unrelated to the killers, adding to my enjoyment. It’s a revenge tale that includes stories not based solely on that revenge. Good stuff.
One the biggest problems I had in reading these stories was MiddenFace McNulty, a Strontium Dog from Scotland. I don’t mind the character; he made for some interesting moments. I did, however, have trouble interpreting his dialogue. His words are written to reflect a thick Scottish accent. Most of the time, I can figure out what he’s saying. Sometimes, though, I get thrown off by the spelling or he says some word or combination of words I haven’t heard before. What does “jings” mean?
Even though this collection had its ups and downs and was by no means perfect, it was a bargain considering the price of comic books currently. It has enough good stuff in it that I don’t mind owning it. And since I haven’t mentioned so far, the art is superb, save one story that was not drawn by Carlos Ezquerra (the standard Strontium Dog artist).
Overall, I give it a 4 out of 5.
