quote:Originally posted by Cobalt Kid: I'd give this a solid C+ / B- and at this point, I'm unsure whether I'll get #2. I certainly will try the other 2 comics though. Is anyone else going to pick any of these up?
I'm still thinking about it.
The premises are interesting, but the last few weeks have been big for me, book-wise. I'm also not sure if I need to be jumping into another superhero universe right now. Maybe if there's a slow week and my store still has copies.
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A review of one of my favorite Elseworlds stories, "Supergirl: Wings."
This is one of those rare examples where a hero other than Batman and/or Superman was granted an Elseworlds story that wasn't simply an annual or used as a type of sequel for something else. Heck, even Wonder Woman and Green Lantern only got two.
The basic story is a retelling of Peter David's first half of the last Supergirl series, the "Earth-Angel" saga. Matrix is now literally an angel, one of many whose task is to save those teetering on the brink of damnation, the Amenlee. Her compatriot is Zauriel, part of those who work with human souls before they are born, the Kindel. Matrix is expressing doubts about her latest charge, a girl named Linda Danvers who is resisting her every attempt at helping her. One of the reoccurring themes of this story is the idea of love and liking. Matrix and Zauriel are SUPPOSED to love humans, they don't actually have a choice in the matter. But Zauriel admits that he actually likes them beyond what his role is supposed to be, yet Matrix keeps expressing more and more doubts on whether or not she has the capacity to do so, along with the doubt that Linda can truly be saved. When you think about it, people always talk about guardian angels, yet we have to wonder if they actually love us because they choose to, or because that's what they are there for. Growing to love and like something, and being born to love something are two entirely different things.
In all of this there is Matrix's charge, Linda Danvers, who is supposedly very self-willed towards the dark side. Although we never actually see Linda committing any sins so we just go on Matrix's judgement, as well as the Spectre's, who attempts to claim Linda twice in the story. Linda's boyfriend, Buzz, is believed to be one of the guiding reasons behind Linda's sins, but as Buzz points out, everything she did was of her own free will. We're even told that Linda's original guardian angel "went down in flames, so to speak". However, Linda comes along quicker in her revelation than Matrix, which would be easier to assume, as Linda is not forced to conform to the ideas and life that Matrix was born for. Linda winds up being the one to save Matrix in a moment where she shows the most strength out of everyone in the story.
Beyond love there is also change, as Matrix keeps trying to resist her doubts and free will and longing for the days when she was just an extension of God's will, but every time she is nearly assimilated with another form of God and about to lose her identity she resists at the last minute. Whether she likes it or not, she's changing, and with those changes her newfound anger at Linda, and later the human race, continues to grow. At one point Matrix "possesses" Linda, and is disgusted at the so-called cage that is humanity. She is disgusted by the five senses and the bacteria and disease in a person's body. "They're dying from the moment they're born!" In a moment when Matrix, still in Linda, begins to make out with Buzz, Matrix becomes so repulsed after nearly enjoying it that she stops in the middle and almost kills Buzz with a lamp.
Matrix is constantly shown different perspectives on the human race beyond what her angelic existence knows, with help from others such as Zauriel and the Phantom Stranger. There are angelic re-imaginings of Superman, Swamp Thing, and Aquaman present in this story. Superman appears, first as the husband of a happily-married couple with two children in Kansas, and later we learn that he is an angel who is actually living among humanity without having gave up his abilities. Swamp Thing and Aquaman appear as reflections of God based on the Earth and the oceans, the Deva of the Trees and Ceetka, respectively. There role demonstrates an attempt at blending together the idea of sprites and nature spirits with ideas of God and angels, as angels themselves can be seen as counterparts to nymphs and fairies in certain other religions. An interesting note to point out is that no religion is actually identified in this book, although people would assume that because it deals with angels it's more attuned to a monotheistic religion. God is never referred to as "him" or "her", but "Hir", bringing on the idea that God is genderless, or rather, our personal idea of God differs amongst each person. We're also introduced to Buzz as a demon named M'yaa, who also appears as the Devil in a Batman-esque depiction in the final moments before Matrix nearly caves in.
Most people are always criticizing the Earth-Angel story, but in my opinion it's much more enjoyable than the whole "bad girl emo" shpeel we had to deal with for the first two or three years of the current Supergirl series.
Yes, there were a couple of things I found about the ending that were hokey, such as the scene of all the secondary characters gathering, and smiling, during the moment of big truth, and when Matrix/Linda sports her new appearance with the blank shield on Matrix's outfit now sporting an "S", even though there's no actual reason for it. But I was willing to overlook it due to the fact that someone was willing to do a Supergirl (not Superman or Superboy) Elseworlds that didn't put her in the future or just recast her into another timeline, but took the less-then-popular "Earth-Angel" storyline and reworked it into a struggle of good versus evil where the proponent of good is the one who is more likely to fall than the girl she is trying to save. In regular comics, it was up to Matrix to save Linda's soul, here, it becomes the other way around.
-------------------- I want to be hated by lies - Bring Back Lian Harper
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I give a lot of positive reviews on Legion World so when I read something I feel very negatively about, I'm almost shocked by it and instantly want to know if anyone is enjoying it. Such is the case with Knight and Squire by DC and Paul Cornell.
These are two characters I like a real lot--I loved the way Grant Morrison brought the concept back to DC and I love the obscure and surprisingly complex history of the characters. So I was excited for a mini focused on them, which only furthered my disappointment.
I found #1 to be an issue in which almost nothing of any note happens, and instead if jam-packed with British in-jokes. I like British culture quite a bit (especially London and it's history) but I have no great knowledge or interest in that many obscure references to British pop-culture. I actually felt a bit cheated by it for spending my money on this.
Not a single moment provides any way to giving insight to either Knight or Squire, which is unfortunate. Given this Knight is very similar to the current Dick-as-Batman scenario, it would be a good time to showcase the fact that Knight is the son of the original (and former Squire) who has taken up his father's mantle.
I'm pretty bummed out by how bad I thought the issue was.
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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Something that I did find highly enjoyable was the Valkyrie one-shot by Mice Templar's Brian Glass and the consistently good Phil Winslade. I wish this was #1 of an ongoing series as it did a great job establishing Val in this new Asgard era and made me want more.
Glass is an excellent writer as seen in Mice Templar and he's a natural to handle the Asgardians in the MU. Here he does a great job at showcasing the various facets of Val. She's an ass-kicker and that needs to be shown, but he is also clear that she is not a man-hater (groan) and actually her origins in Der Ring des Nibelungen show her as someone who believes in the idea of love and that men, like women, can truly be worthy of it.
Phil Winslade has been knocking it out of the park with his Jonah Hex stories in the last few years and he continues it here. His action sequences felt very 70's to me which is fitting since it's the era most associated with Val. He does a good job at making his art scratchy/gritty like in Hex, or more clean / well-finished as here. I thought he did a great job.
The use of Piledriver was welcome and well-done. It's probably his best appearance since the mid-80's by Stern.
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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What could possibly be the very best work Mark Millar has ever done, and by far the best artwork Leinil Yu has every produced, has arrived in the form of Superior, an independent comic released by Marvel's Icon imprint. Millar is a writer many love to hate, but I've always felt he was very talented and his independent work has always been his best stuff. He is a naturally at evoking the 'teenage emotions' in his reader, but here, he does a great job evoking the sense of wonder that a kid or pre-teen would feel and it was very refreshing! Millar's recent track-record included a sub-par Fantastic Four run and a really good Nemesis miniseries (creator-owned) and I think here he turns that creator-owned success in quality into a streak (likely continued with Kick-Ass II).
Leinil Yu, who is an artist that to be honest, I find to be one of the weaker 'hot' artists in comics, is suddenly proving me wrong by providing artwork for a story that he clearly loves and is invested in. The level of detail is huge! The scope switches from tight 'small-screen' moments to scenes incredibly epic and grand, while throughout the whole thing conveying a sense of wonder.
Dave McCraig, who does the colors, also does a wonderful job bringing some 'pop' to the artwork. Superior really felt like an iconic, coloful superhero who could exist in the great eras of comics past as well as today.
The premise, in which a pre-teen with MS suddenly finds himself transformed into a grown-up superhero (similar to Captain Marvel, but with some twists including not knowing how to change back) is very solid. Millar does a great job making very clear the lead character's point of view in being shocked and then terrified at the turn of events.
Something should also be mentioned: there is no excess violence, sex, smut, gross humor or other trademarks many may think should be here. In fact, this is very clearly something you could hand an 8 year old, while incredibly entertaining to a 30 year old like myself.
I highly recommend this and I also dare those with a preconception of Millar (or Yu, like me) to try it out and be surprised...and delighted.
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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Some time ago I had decided that other than Ultimate Spider-Man, I had given up completely on the Ultimate Universe. After a steady decline for several years, I realized I just didn’t care anymore. So recently when I saw Ultimate Thor on the stands, I passed it by several times before I eventually bought it. The reason for doing so can easily be summed up: Jonathan Hickman. Hickman is so good these days, based on Fantastic Four and especially SHIELD, that his name carries a lot of weight with me.
Ultimately, I made the right call. Just like SHIELD, I was very impressed by the scope of Ultimate Thor and the suspenseful and grandiose method in story-telling which is being used. It already feels incredibly epic: Baron Zemo in WWII; Ragnarok; a young Thor, Loki and Balder having adventures together; Dr. Don Blake visiting Ultimate Thor who may or may not be losing his mind. Hickman can write and I love his style.
Carlos Pacheco, who isn’t my favorite artist, does a fantastic job here, and impressed more than he ever has before. His art looked very clean and exciting.
This was a pleasant surprise and I’m committed to the rest of the series now.
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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Hey LW! Where are all the Random Reviews?!!
I’ve decided I will at least be trying out all of the Stan Lee / Boom Studios comic books for the first issue, and make a decision about collecting them after that. Having already decided not to continue Solider Zero, I also picked up Traveler and read it; this one I was a little more excited about because of Mark Waid’s involvement, as for the most part, I’ve enjoyed Waid’s superhero stories tremendously over the years. Overall, I’d say Traveler is much better than Soldier Zero, though there are still some things about it that could be much improved upon.
The good: the basic premise, while still not completely clear, is a very science-fiction-y superhero type setting that I find very appealing, especially when in conjunction with Mark Waid’s writing. Though only one issue into it, the pacing and entire “feel” of the series is similar to Waid’s Flash (which I loved), and that was very helpful. Now, to be clear, it’s certainly not there yet but I feel like it *could* get there (unlike, say, Fantastic Four by Waid, which I feel never did). Waid does a great job pacing the comic with sprinkles of science-fiction while not letting it overwhelm the story. He also brings a very fresh approach to time-related science that I found interesting and am curious to know more about.
The slightly annoying: what I dislike, and so far every single comic I’ve ever bought from Boom Studios has this problem, is that you don’t really get a full story in a single comic. I felt like way too much was left out of the issue and I didn’t really get enough bang for my buck. And I hate that. The story could have used some additional pages providing a little more *something*. A lot is left unanswered, which isn’t always a bad thing, but IMO, it’d be better to at least have learned something about the character, the Traveler, or at least something about the premise, or at least something about the way time/his powers work. That’s three major factors that remain unexplained. C’mon guys—there’s a lot of things competing for my $$ and you need to step it up.
The art: Chard Hardin provides the artwork, whom I’m unfamiliar with (or at least, can’t remember him from anything). It’s a solid effort that I thought accomplished what it sent out to do, though to be perfectly honest, a few days later and I’m not recalling all that much about it, so that isn’t perhaps so great. In other words, it was good, but not fantastic—but with potential to get there.
All in all, I think this was a “pretty good” first issue with potential to get good and then possibly great; it all depends on how long I’ll stick around to let it get there. At this point I probably will buy #2, but I won’t guaranty it—there are plenty of times I’ve said I’d buy the next issue but forgotten about the comic and never followed up.
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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quote:Originally posted by Cobalt Kid: The art: Chad Hardin provides the artwork, whom I’m unfamiliar with (or at least, can’t remember him from anything).
You know him from his work on Warlord (the recently-ended version), though you may not realize it. He's the guy who came aboard after Joe Prado did the initial issue or two. Chad also spelled Grell here and there after Grell became the semi-regular artist. Chad's art was solid enough and told the story well but wasn't anything jaw-dropping. I've considered picking up some of the Stan Lee/Boom titles, but having artists aboard like Hardin, who didn't overly impress, have kept me away from anything other than leaving the possibility open for checking out the eventual trades if reviews merit.
You are, however, absolutely RIGHT about Boom's essential problem of not delivering satisfying individual issues. I've felt the same about titles I've tried and dropped from them (including 28 Days Later and Incorruptible). The only Boom! title I still get and enjoy is Irredeemable, but I'll admit up front that it would probably read much better in trade form.
I feel that to succeed as a monthly, you've GOTTA deliver a satisfying product every month! Boom! obviously writes for the trades, so I'm unlikely to purchase any other ongoing (other than Irredeemable) they solicit on that basis, especially when they're uniformly $3.99 a pop!
-------------------- "Suck it, depressos!"--M. Lash
From: The Underbelly of Society | Registered: Jul 2003
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^I'm really glad I'm not the only one who noticed that about Boom! I was starting to wonder if it was just me.
IMO, from a business stand-point, the smartest way to make money in comics is to produce solid individual issues that also works cumulatively as a solid trade paperback. Then publishers get the double-whammy. When they don't this, I can't help but feel that someone is being incrediblys stupid. No doubt the Sandman stories by Gaimen work incredibly well as trades, but all those individual issues also worked incredibly well as individual issues, even when part of a larger story.
I haven't checked out Starborn yet (the third Lee/Boom title) but I've heard it suffers from the same problem. I'll probably still give #1 a try but if that problem exists, it's a huge hurdle to overcome in order to get me on board.
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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Rest, by Mark Powers (writer), Shawn McManus, Marco Castiello, Abhishek Malsuni (line art). TPB.
Full title: Why Sleep? Take REST (Seracetinol).
What could you accomplish if you didn't have to sleep?
John Barrett is a young man in a dead-end job, going nowhere with his life. Out of his past comes his old college roomie and best friend, offering him a chance to change everything. All he has to do is sign up as a test subject for a new drug, Seracetinol aka Rest.
His life certainly changes, but with the unintended consequences you would expect from such a story. The drug has some unfortunate side effects, as well as dark secrets from an earlier trial.
Pharmarceutical skulduggery, corporate spies, a trashy woman, best laid plans gone wrong... and, in the end, you can't keep a drug like that off the market - so there may be a sequel.
It was a good read, if somewhat predictable. There was a sci fi story years ago about children who were born without the need for sleep; that story was much more positive (although not without a downside). Rest is probably more realistic.
The art was good, muted colors suited to the tone but not very complex scenes. (Some of the covers from the five individual issues were very striking, notably by Tim Sale and Phil Jiminez.)
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Based on some pretty high praise throughout the internet, I picked up Marineman #1 by Ian Churchill, published through Image. It was a very satisfying read, though I'm unsure at this point if I want to continue.
For whatever reason, Churchill has never stuck out in my mind, so I can't really recall his prior work. I know he provided art for a plethora of comics I've collected (X-Men, Superman, etc.). Here, he does just about everything: writing, pencils, inks, etc. Whenever someone does that, I am always impressed (even more so if they deliver on time).
The premise is something I like--a non-superhero adventure title that would be a perfect fit for people who like the Disovery Channel, History Channel and Animal Planet (all channels I really enjoy). It captures a sense of adventure while at the same time it's--dear I say it?--educational. In other words, it's the kind of comic I'd really love for a young kid to be reading. (Naturally you can't say that or no one will buy it).
Thus far, Marineman has no 'superpowers', which I think is a good thing and hope it stays that way. It will help differentiate him from Namor and Aquaman, which he clearly is inspired by. Interestingly, his look & tone of the series thus far is much more in line with 1950's Aquaman, which was an adventure/social commentary strip more than anything.
The artwork is really beautiful IMO, and I ended up being really impressed by Churchill. Something that sticks out is the vibrant coloring, which is nicely done in contrast to the deep blues of the ocean.
My major problem is: is this something that interests me? In a very hypocritical manner, I want this comic to suceed, yet I'm not sure if I want to be the one to buy it. (An arguement I hate from other comic book fans, yet here I am). I certainly don't want to buy something and then not really get into it. I'll have to struggle with this a bit longer and make any further decisions in the store.
What could make or break it is where the opening storyline is going. Will it venture into the more weird, with a higher sense of adventure? That could tip me.
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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I have to first state my opinion on Alan Moore. I feel bad for him in that DC continues to whore out his better works, but I also feel that he's somewhat conceited, as he has no right to criticize Blackest Night on the grounds that an event book was built out of a tiny plot point he created, as most of his work is pretty much based off of something someone else already created. Terra Obscura, Swamp Thing, Miracle Man (or Marvel Man, I don't know), Supreme, Glory, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, not to mention Watchmen would've originally been a book about the Charlton characters had DC said he couldn't use them.
However, the most work by him I extremely enjoy his America's Best Comics, my personal favorite being Tomorrow Stories. It's an anthology-type series that ran for 12 issues and two specials, although most of the segments are more humorous and meant to satirize certain comics tropes.
Greyshirt, with artist Rick Veitch. Cobweb, with artist/wife Melinda Gebbie. First American and U.S. Angel, with Jim Baikie. Jack B. Quick with Kevin Nowlan. Splash Brannigan with Hilary Barta.
Greyshirt is a take on the pulp heroes of the 1940s, a detective/vigilante dressed in a grey suit and a bandana mask covering most of his face. The stories are pretty straightforward, but consistent and certainly not boring.
Cobweb is a femme fatale/glamorous vigilante who works with her partner/chauffeur/lover Clarice, but the stories are really just Melinda Gebbie's vehicle for exploring different art styles and feminist erotica. Gebbie only worked on Cobweb until the seventh issue, at which point Dame Darcy took over for two issues, followed by Joyce Chin, and then Rick Veitch handling art in a crossover story with the Greyshirt segment.
First American and U.S. Angel highly satirizes the superhero trend, F.A. is totally inept and overwight and Angel hates him. Beyond satirizing superheroes, they also satirize pop culture, with the first issue dealing with a Jerry Springer-type parody who turns out to be an alien invader.
Jack B. Quick, a take on the boy genius trope, is a highly intelligent farm boy who does often ill-conceived experiments based on incorrect logic and beliefs. This has actually driven his parents to become suicidal. In the first issue, his mother asks "Jonathan Beauregarde Quick! You better not be usurping the Almighty's divine option again!"
Splash Brannigan lampoons the comic industry in general, Splash being made of living, 4-dimensional ink, and his co-star being Daisy Screensaver, a female inker struggling with deadlines and her crank, suicidal boss Sydney J. Kaput of Kaput Comics. The comics often questions the previous, more innocent state of comics to today's hyper-violent, sarcastic thugs. One of the comics in Splash Brannigan is actually called Sarcastic Thug.
I want to focus on the segments for each individual character that really drew my eye.
Cobweb was the whole reason I had gotten interested in Tomorrow Stories. As I said previously, each issue features Melinda Gebbie trying out different styles and themes. I particularly enjoyed the story in #5, "La Toile dans Chateau des Larmes", (Cobweb in the Castle of Tears). La Toile is actually a villainous ancestor of the current Cobweb, Laurel Lakeland, whom lived in 19th century France. The story focuses on La Toile's descent into the underworld, and consequent ascension to heaven upon realizing that everything is meaningless, done in a style similar to that of a collage of metal engravings in a violet color. The story uses phrases such as "she misplaced her wicked life on the top deck of a deconsecrated omnibus", or "the previously beloved devils of her senses now stirred nothing from her loins save nagging Lamias and damp, exhausted crocodiles". The artwork is beautiful, and while there is no dialogue, the words and tone of writing just make you want to come back for more.
In issue #7, the last Cobweb story Gebbie illustrated for the Tomorrow Stories series is done in the style of black-and-white newspaper comics from the 1920s. The story, called "Mondo Gowando", has "Congo Cobweb and Congo Clarice" taking a trip into the jungles of Gowandogandoland, where the two fall into the clutches of the Lost Housewives of New Jersey, a tribe of statuesque housewives who disappeared during a package tour, and have since assimilated to jungle lifestyle. Their speech is nothing but an exaggerated New Jersey accent, example: "Cheedeez buggzamoydah". After receiving attire from the Lost Housewives, Cobweb and Clarice spend the remainder of the story fleeing for their lives from the Housewives (who intend to sacrifice the two to their god, Gowando) Mark Male (a parody of the male jungle scientist character), and Tarquin of the Woodlice (don't ask). The artwork is more conventional, but the themes aren't less erotic, as at one point, Cobweb and Clarice attempt to camouflage themselves with mud, but simply turns into mud wrestling as the Housewives, Mark Male, and Tarquin ogle.
Despite the feminist erotic themes, Cobweb has been depicted as loving both men and women, as she has had a relationship with Greyshirt, and also had something of an SM relationship with a villain named the Mongoose, but it is implied that Clarice is her true love, and vice versa. As it turns out, there has been a long line of Cobwebs and Clarices in the Lakeland family, dating back from Incan ancestors, who discovered a way to parthenogenetically reproduce, thus meaning that Cobweb and Clarice are sisters, but not related by DNA. Most of the previous Lakeland women were thieves, murderers, and Satanists, until the companion to La Toile, Clothilde, became disillusioned and ran off with their daughters to America during the start of the 20th Century.
The reason for this explanation is that the Cobweb stories tend to take place in different times with no explanation. The first story seems to take place in the 1940s, another focuses on Li'l Cobweb and Li'l Clarice, and another a 1960s story with Grooveweb and Cosmic Clarice. The answers are provided with ABC A-Z: Greyshirt and Cobweb.
The artistic duties went to Dame Darcy as the story that Gebbie and Moore had originally wrote for #8 was shelved because the editors considered it too controversial, so it was published by Top Shelf with Cobweb's costume being colored green and renamed "La Toile".
To be honest, I actually prefer Clarice to Cobweb, as she has to deal with her mistress and sometimes act as a voice of reason.
If you guys are up for breaking taboo, I suggest you try out Tomorrow Stories. I'll be back later for more.
-------------------- I want to be hated by lies - Bring Back Lian Harper
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JSA PRESENTS: STARS AND S.T.R.I.P.E. VOLUME ONE
Collecting "Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. #1-7
My reader/author relationship with Geoff Johns has been like a tempestuous love affair where the apparent nice apple-pie guy turns out to be morose, moody, morbid, and deeply disturbed.
And yet, every time I say I'm never coming back to him, I do.
What brought this about was when I borrowed the fifth volume of Starman Omnibus from the library, and lo and behold, it included a reprint of Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. #0, included because of Jack Knight's sizable guest-starring role. And I loved the story. It was a timely reminder of how good Johns used to be. So I figured, the library has both S&S trades, I've always loved Courtney, and she's based on Johns' beloved kid sister, so there can't be anything too horrible, right?
Well, yes...and no. Johns' penchant for the grotesque and creepy is already evident -- giant bloodthirsty mosquitoes, the head of the cheerleading squad being the abused daughter of a super-villain -- albeit not in-your-face like it's been these last few years. Still, it spoils the fun.
And there is fun to be had. Courtney and her best friend Mary are wonderfully written, as is Courtney's loveable lug of a stepdad, Pat "Formerly Known as Stripesy" Dugan. Johns really knows how to do characterization, and it's something that's gotten lost of late among the gallons of gore.
On the other hand, my beloved Young Justice doesn't come off too well in their guest appearance, and neither do the Marvel Family (I assume it was a crossover with Power of Shazam, and it would have been much appreciated if DC had included the Shazam issue in this trade.)
But I'm still going to read the second trade, and hopefully I'll be pleasantly surprised.
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Courtney was awesome back in the day, but I lost sight of her after I quit "Justice Society" shortly after its relaunch. How has she been written lately?
And, Bug, just curious, has your daughter ever read back issues of "Young Justice"?
Hyperpath: Email this page to someone!
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