posted
Cloak & Dagger: I loved these guys in the 80's, so I'll always see what they're up to. Spider Island crossover nonsense aside, (it's barely part of the story) this is its own story and it's all about character! (seriously, it's like a breath of fresh air) It's also about New York City as much as Daredevil ever has been. This is definitely the "The rent is too damn high/everyone lives in Brooklyn" NYC as much as their origins were steeped in the "Taxi Driver/Times Square is a cesspool" NYC back in the day.
The double narration could have been cliche and predictable, (I'm talking to you, "Superman/Batman") but here it's well-done and really gives you a sense of who these people are. And they're clearly recognizable as the same people, but modernized in a good, (non-pandering) way. This is only a mini, but we need books like this as ongoings!
From: New York, NY | Registered: Jul 2003
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^I'm actually thinking of grabbing this and your rec definitely helps Drake!
A series I'm surprisingly enjoying is Kirby Genesis by Dynamite. Everyone knows I'm a big Kirby fan but the series is actually much more of a Kurt Busiek series than anything. So I'd say regardless whether you like Kirby, I'd say it's more about how much you like Busiek's style. It's very Astro City / Marvels in usage of POV characters, ensemble cast and grandiose nature of it.
I'm enjoying seeing Kirby characters I only ever saw briefly (like his Topps universe stuff) and ones I've never been able to read (like Captain Victory). Like most of his creations the untapped potential is just so raw.
The art by Jack Hebert is very much in the mold AC's Brent Anderson with obvious Alex Ross influences. I'm liking it quite a bit.
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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posted
Over the last coupla days, I read the TPB of Suicide Squad: From the Ashes, which collected the 8-issue miniseries "Suicide Squad: Raise the Flag". Not sure at all why they changed the name for the TPB. What mattered to me was at the time the mini was released, I was on a bit of a sabbatical from monthly comics and totally missed it. Had I been getting the monthlies at the time, this would have been a "must buy" as I was a HUGE fan of Ostrander's classic run on SS during the late '80s.
I eBay watched this for a long time, but never seemed to find the kind of bargain I like to get when purchasing back issues or trades. Finally, I got the trade as part of a large order from mycomicsshop.com in June. (I got it NM for $9 when the trade has a cover of $19.99!)
While it started out a little slow and somewhat confusing in its timeline, this story really started to click on all cylinders and show that John Ostrander still could tell a frickin' AWESOME Squad story that pulled no punches.
Drawing it was Javier Pina, a name I'm unfamiliar with but one who has a clean, realistic style. Some of the faces were a little inconsistent and less fully rendered at times, particularly with the character of Rick Flag. But overall, the art was fine and very pleasing.
This story took place after Capt. Boomerang's death (and before his Blackest Night resurrection), but Ostrander managed to work him into the flashback sequences that opened the story. And nearly all the other surviving Squad favorites were there as well: Bronze Tiger, Deadshot, Nightshade, Amanda Waller and other notable alumni like Count Vertigo and Plastique. Boomerang's son, Multiplex and some obscure guys rounded out the cast.
Front and center was Rick Flag. Flag was one of the mainstays in the old series until he was apparently killed off a couple of years into the series' run at ground zero of a nuclear explosion. But we learn that the reports of his death were greatly exaggerated.
Flag is back and his loyalties to the Squad in question because also involved is one General Wade Eiling, who fans of Captain Atom's defunct Bates/Broderick DC series will remember very well. Eiling also showed up occasionally during Ostrander's classic SS run, and this appearance follows up on where Eiling was left by Grant Morrison during Grant's classic JLA run in the body of JLA for the Shaggy Man. Flag worked for Eiling prior to Flag joining the Suicide Squad. In this story we learn a lot more about Eiling's role in Flag's life.
So the Squad reunites to remove a deadly viral agent from the hands of a greedy corporation looking to sell it to the highest bidder. Eiling, conscripted into Squad service by his rival Waller plans to betray the Squad and throw in with the corporate baddies. Will Eiling have the last laugh?
Among the many things that makes this story great is the respect that Ostrander has for DC history. He uses Cliff Carmichael from the old Firestorm book. We see a little bit of Skartaris, home of the Warlord. Eiling was a great character that had fallen completely off the map after Morrison used him. All the nods to previous versions of the Squad and to its own rich history during Ostander's run.
Ostrander is a master at his craft, and this especially shines through in his dedication to character building. All the characters, major and minor, in this book get moments to shine. Two deaths that otherwise wouldn't have been a big deal for me simply were because Ostrander made me care about them.
Yes, this is Suicide Squad, so not everybody makes it out alive. It was a very suspenseful read with lots of great moments. (How deadly is Deadshot blindfolded? Pretty deadly, it turns out!) Bronze Tiger, Flag, Waller and even Boomerbutt, Jr. all have plenty of room to shine. I also liked the character of Rustam (who also survived the nuke that would have killed Flag) in this book quite a bit.
I loved this book! It's a shame that a long-awaited Squad revival is finally around the corner but without Ostrander being attached. At this point with John and with what looks like the crappiest version of Harley Quinn yet involved that it will be a hard pass.
A crying shame, I say.
-------------------- "Suck it, depressos!"--M. Lash
From: The Underbelly of Society | Registered: Jul 2003
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Fish Police: Hairballs, by Steve Moncuse (volume 1)
This is a collection of comics published in 1985.
Fish Police is a noir-themed cop story, with Inspector Gill as the main character in a world populated by fish with arms and humanoid faces (and clothing, for the most part).
So it's a fish theme, with fish jokes and fish names (Dr. Calamari, Goldie, Angelfish, etc.). Gill is investigating the crime organization S.Q.U.I.D., which allegedly is producing a drug called Hairballs. This drug allows users to "live in a universe filled with people who walk on two legs" and S.Q.U.I.D. wants to invade and exploit this universe. Gill is fascinated, not just because of the potential crime, but because he was in fact once a human.
There is no explanation of how he became a fish, which I found frustrating. Perhaps it was in a separate issue not included in this collection?
The art is black and white and does a great job on the anthropomorphic fish.
It sounded unusual and wacky, but, honestly, I didn't love it. The jokes weren't that funny, the story wandered off at one point and the lead character was more of an immature goof than a hard-boiled detective.
Worth taking out of the library, if you can find it, but, personally, I wouldn't bother with a Volume 2 if there is one.
quote:Originally posted by Lard Lad: Over the last coupla days, I read the TPB of Suicide Squad: From the Ashes, which collected the 8-issue miniseries "Suicide Squad: Raise the Flag". Not sure at all why they changed the name for the TPB. What mattered to me was at the time the mini was released, I was on a bit of a sabbatical from monthly comics and totally missed it. Had I been getting the monthlies at the time, this would have been a "must buy" as I was a HUGE fan of Ostrander's classic run on SS during the late '80s.
I eBay watched this for a long time, but never seemed to find the kind of bargain I like to get when purchasing back issues or trades. Finally, I got the trade as part of a large order from mycomicsshop.com in June. (I got it NM for $9 when the trade has a cover of $19.99!)
While it started out a little slow and somewhat confusing in its timeline, this story really started to click on all cylinders and show that John Ostrander still could tell a frickin' AWESOME Squad story that pulled no punches.
Drawing it was Javier Pina, a name I'm unfamiliar with but one who has a clean, realistic style. Some of the faces were a little inconsistent and less fully rendered at times, particularly with the character of Rick Flag. But overall, the art was fine and very pleasing.
This story took place after Capt. Boomerang's death (and before his Blackest Night resurrection), but Ostrander managed to work him into the flashback sequences that opened the story. And nearly all the other surviving Squad favorites were there as well: Bronze Tiger, Deadshot, Nightshade, Amanda Waller and other notable alumni like Count Vertigo and Plastique. Boomerang's son, Multiplex and some obscure guys rounded out the cast.
Front and center was Rick Flag. Flag was one of the mainstays in the old series until he was apparently killed off a couple of years into the series' run at ground zero of a nuclear explosion. But we learn that the reports of his death were greatly exaggerated.
Flag is back and his loyalties to the Squad in question because also involved is one General Wade Eiling, who fans of Captain Atom's defunct Bates/Broderick DC series will remember very well. Eiling also showed up occasionally during Ostrander's classic SS run, and this appearance follows up on where Eiling was left by Grant Morrison during Grant's classic JLA run in the body of JLA for the Shaggy Man. Flag worked for Eiling prior to Flag joining the Suicide Squad. In this story we learn a lot more about Eiling's role in Flag's life.
So the Squad reunites to remove a deadly viral agent from the hands of a greedy corporation looking to sell it to the highest bidder. Eiling, conscripted into Squad service by his rival Waller plans to betray the Squad and throw in with the corporate baddies. Will Eiling have the last laugh?
Among the many things that makes this story great is the respect that Ostrander has for DC history. He uses Cliff Carmichael from the old Firestorm book. We see a little bit of Skartaris, home of the Warlord. Eiling was a great character that had fallen completely off the map after Morrison used him. All the nods to previous versions of the Squad and to its own rich history during Ostander's run.
Ostrander is a master at his craft, and this especially shines through in his dedication to character building. All the characters, major and minor, in this book get moments to shine. Two deaths that otherwise wouldn't have been a big deal for me simply were because Ostrander made me care about them.
Yes, this is Suicide Squad, so not everybody makes it out alive. It was a very suspenseful read with lots of great moments. (How deadly is Deadshot blindfolded? Pretty deadly, it turns out!) Bronze Tiger, Flag, Waller and even Boomerbutt, Jr. all have plenty of room to shine. I also liked the character of Rustam (who also survived the nuke that would have killed Flag) in this book quite a bit.
I loved this book! It's a shame that a long-awaited Squad revival is finally around the corner but without Ostrander being attached. At this point with John and with what looks like the crappiest version of Harley Quinn yet involved that it will be a hard pass.
A crying shame, I say.
Lardy, my reactions to this were posted here! I also enjoyed it quite a bit!
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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posted
Just read Image's Undying Love #4, the wrap-up to what is either going to be the first of a series of miniseries or the end of the arc before it goes on hiatus for an undetermined period of time.
Here's how Image describes the series in its solicited TPB collection of 1-4:
A tale of horror-action, equal parts vampire mythology and Chinese folklore, set in modern day Hong Kong. Ex-soldier John Sargent has fallen for a beautiful Chinese woman named Mei. The only thing keeping the star-crossed lovers apart: she's a vampire. To free Mei from the curse, Sargent sets out to destroy the vampire that made her. The only problem: Mei was turned by one of the most powerful vampires in history...
That's a pretty good description, I'd say. Undying Love is a more gritty, horror bent on the vampire genre (like American Vampire), so don't be fooled by the "Twilight" vibe of the title. This has been an entertaining, moody book with some strong action set-ups and a feeling of mythology. Setting it in Hong Kong is a welcome spin as the setting really distinguishes it from other vampire books.
I love the art by Tomm Coker here. It's a little reminiscent of Sean Philips' style (of Criminal, Sleeper and Incognito fame with writer Ed Brubaker) but is distinctive for its photo-realistic faces while also having a more abstract, scratchier quality to it. Co-writer (with Coker) Daniel Freedman is also the colorist, and his colors are simultaneously bright and gloomy, an effect that really enhances the look and feel of the book.
With the close of this arc, you get the feeling Coker and freedman have barely scratched the surface of their story. There's much to learn about John and Mei's pasts and what draws them together. We eventually see how they met, but there are a lot of blanks to fill.
They have an intriguing nemesis in Shang-Ji, who is barely glimpsed in the story, and his hoardes of vampire/shapeshifter assassins. The goal is to destroy Shang, so that Mei will be freed of her curse.
Even more intriguing are the mystical fox people who seem to be playing both sides and are very enigmatic like the animals themselves are. They are seen in the bookend issues, and we can tell by the end that they and their leader shen will play a prominent role in how this eventually ends.
This is a strong, impressive start to what will obviously be a finite saga. I will definitely be buying it whenever it continues. Hopefully, that will be very soon!
-------------------- "Suck it, depressos!"--M. Lash
From: The Underbelly of Society | Registered: Jul 2003
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Project: Superman #2 was a decent read and earned its place as one of only two Flashpoint tie-in series (the other being Secret Seven) that I picked up. I did so because Scott Snyder co-wrote it and Gene ha was the artist. It's nothing groundbreaking or superlative, but it's a decent telling of this alternate timeline in which Superman was captured as a boy by the government and studied by them for military applications.
Here we get an apparent resolution to the storyline of a previous test subject and learn that this Kal shares a certain fondness for a certain Ms. Lane that the familiar versin has after young kal meets young Lois.
It's interesting to see Sam Lane take a paternal interest in young Kal as he tries to protect him from the more inhumane tests the Project attempts. The take that Sam always wanted a son is ironic given what he did in the forgettable New Krypton storyline.
A decent read. Nothing astounding, though. Wondering what the final issue may hold as the main conflict of the first two issues is seemingly resolved here. We'll see when I catch up to it!
-------------------- "Suck it, depressos!"--M. Lash
From: The Underbelly of Society | Registered: Jul 2003
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Plot: Bruce Wayne accompanies a foreign ambassador on a bus tour through a snowy mountainous region in an effort to prevent his assassination. Also on the bus are the driver, the ambassador's secretary, and two body guards. One of whom Wayne suspects of being an assassin. The explosion of a snow packed bridge strands the group on the mountain. They are quickly shot at by superstitious mountain people. Wayne runs off into the hills pretending to be frightened by the shots. Batman emerges to confront the shooters, but is confronted by their over 100 year old matriarch, Granny Bleach. Granny Bleach tells the story of how she and her family came to be tasked with the job of keeping outsiders away from the home of the legendary White Bat. The White Bat is a vampire bat who drained a member of Granny's party over a 100 years ago.
The story goes back and forth between Batman's efforts to protect the ambassador from the assassin and battles with the mountain people. Mystery, super heroics, and the supernatural come together in the finale.
My Thoughts:
This is one of my all time favorite Batman stories. O'Neil brilliantly packs a lot of story into 20 pages. Part of the story feels like an Agatha Christy mystery, as Batman attempts to discover who among the colorful characters on the bus is the assassin. Part of the story feels like a classic Swamp Thing adventure as Batman interacts with the superstition of the mountain people, and the legendary bat. Batman is out of his usual element of the dark grittiness of Gotham. He is a dark figure in the snow and sunlight. Golden captures this contrast beautifully with images that propel this outing from a simple story into a timeless classic.
[ September 05, 2011, 12:12 AM: Message edited by: Jerry ]
-------------------- No regrets, Coyote.
From: Missouri | Registered: Oct 2003
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^ That story sounds awesome Jerry! And exactly the sort of Batman story I love. I much prefer when writers take Batman out of Gotham and play him off against antagonists in exotic an interesting locales.
I would love to read more 70s Batman too. I've only read a few issues from that period and judging by the covers alone, it looks like it could be my favourite Bat-era ever.
From: Australia | Registered: Dec 2003
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The Incal Classic Collection by Alex Jodorowsky and Moebius
This is probably the trippiest comic book I ever read. First published in the 80s, it is said to have had a massive influence on sci fi books and movies.
No doubt; it's full of incredibly beautiful artwork, illustrating complex worlds of the strangest things you could imagine.
The Incal is the story of a low-joe detective John DiFool, who finds a box which identifies itself as a living being called the Incal. It sends him on a mysterious adventure to, basically, save the universe, and achieve enlightenment along the way.
There's a good review with some of the artwork (not the most stunning, IMO) at ifanboy, which says as much as I could say about this book. Really, it sort of leaves you speechless. Truly recommended for fans of sci fi high weirdness.
posted
I had missed it, but just checked it out. Very interesting! At first, I'd be hesitant to pick up another vampire related title but the Japanese aspect of it adds that dose of differentiation to give it that nice niche feel. The Japanese have such fantastic traditions in horror that enjoy seeing that combo of setting / genre.
I may pick up the trade when it comes out. It's also the type of story that is right up my brothers and sisters alley.
Tom Coker artwork is a big draw too from what I've seen.
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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quote:Originally posted by Cobalt Kid: At first, I'd be hesitant to pick up another vampire related title but the Japanese aspect of it adds that dose of differentiation to give it that nice niche feel. The Japanese have such fantastic traditions in horror that enjoy seeing that combo of setting / genre.
Chinese, Cobie...Chinese.
-------------------- "Suck it, depressos!"--M. Lash
From: The Underbelly of Society | Registered: Jul 2003
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This is the complete run of Dr. Fate in More Fun Comics. Running from May 1940 to July/August 1944. In all 44 stories. Initially Dr. Fate was in the full mask we know and love (at least I love the full mask) Inza is there from the start, but she does not know who Dr. Fate is and neither do the readers. It is not until the end of More Fun #66 (April 1941) that Fate takes off his mask for both Inza and the reader. The following issue has the origin of Dr. Fate and give him the name of Kent Nelson.
The early Dr. Fate stories have him fighting eerie menaces and scientific menaces. He fights 3 sets of aliens and in one story destroys the planet of one group of aliens. Even Nabu in his origin story is an alien from the pplanet Cilia. Most of Dr. Fate's early opponents meet with death. The description of Dr. Fate's power varies. In one telling he possess the knowledge of matter/energy conversion. In his origin he learns the secret of molecular control of his body. He is shown consistantly able to fly, have fire or energy coming from his hands, and he has a telepathic link with Inza.
Then in More Fun 72 (October 1941) Dr. Fate goes from this to this
Interesting note: On the cover of More Fun 72 Dr. Fate has the full mask.
At this point Dr. Fate faces only gangsters. Although he does have one reoccurring villain, Mr. Who. Mr. Who is a scientist who created Solution Z. Solution Z mostly allows Mr. Who to grow to giant size, shrink, and assume the appearance of other people.
Dr. Fate's powers stabilize to flight and invulnerability. He continues to use a crystal ball and now has a ring that tells im where the croook has gotten to. Dr. Fate is give the weakness that he is vulnerable to gas. This transforms into him needing air (like who doesn't) but to the extent that even just having a noose put around his neck instantly has him swooning.
Then in More Fun 85, Dr. Fate becomes a medical doctor also. The stories do have him make the decision to become a MD and studying for it. There are two stories in this phase of Dr. FAte that stand out for me. The first involves a magic painting that allows anyone to step into it and explore a whole new world. The other has Dr. Fate temporarily losing his powers but still has to save a bunch of trapped miners. In the last story it looked like Dr. Fate was about to get the comic foil sidekick.
They are typical Golden Age stories and Golden Age art. Still an enjoyable read. The visuals are pretty typical too. The villain the Octopus had a good visual. The Clock had a cartoony appearance, but I liked the use of a pencil thin mustache as the hand of a clock on his face. See above
If you like Golden Age stories, this is a book you will like.
-------------------- Five billion years from now the Sun will go nova and obliterate the Earth. Don't sweat the small stuff!
From: Boston | Registered: Aug 2003
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Hyperpath: Email this page to someone!
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