Occasionally, when Gail Simone writes a scene where the Atom references Karate Kid or Matt Fraction throws a scene where the Order fights a bear in a jetpack, I’ll make a joke about how today’s comics creators are pretty much writing things just for me.
When you actually know one of the guys that wrote the comic, however, it’s a lot easier to convince people that they really are:
Thanks, Kevin! But don’t worry: we here at the ISB pride ourselves on our journalistic integrity¹, so don’t expect that sort of thing to influence my reviews more than throwing in a chops to the face normally would. Of course, considering that my reviews are generally based entirely around the presence of foot-on-face violence, that might not be saying much.
That’s right, folks: It’s Thursday night, and these are the Internet’s Punchiest Comics Reviews! Here’s what I picked up this week..
…And here’s what I thought of ’em:
Comics
BPRD: Killing Ground #2: This one may have narrowly missed its chance at bringing home an unprecedented Best of the Week Trifecta², but the fact remains that when you can walk into a comic book store for three weeks in a row and pick up a new comic written by Mike Mignola each time, it is a good time to be alive.
Of courese, I’m pretty sure that we all knew that already, but if there ever was any doubt, this week’s BPRD would’ve overturned it pretty quickly. It’s great stuff from Mignola, Arcudi, and Davis, but that’s hardly news since BPRD‘s been unfailingly solid for the past few years; what’s remarkable is how it manages to stay that way. The characters–which were interesting to start with back when they were just the supporting cast of Hellboy’s various adventures–just keep getting moreso as the stories move on, and with the underlying thread of the Plague of Frogs linking the series together, their world’s matching them every step of the way. Even Johann latest bit of character development–which was used as a gag for Bender in an episode of Futurama–has a sinister, underlying air of danger rooted in his relationships with the other characters, and it makes for some fantastic reading.
But like I said, that’s hardly news: It’s a great series, and if you haven’t been reading, you’re missing out on some of the best horror comics
Casanova #9: As the record will clearly show, Matt Fraction has spent the last year and a half becoming one of my absolute favorite comics creators, but before my recommendation here is dismissed as the by-product of my action-packed man-crush, allow me to assure you that while Casanova is a great comic, this is by far its greatest issue.
Don’t get me wrong: I like the first story arc a heck of a lot, but in the two issues since Casanova‘s returned to the shelves with Fabio Moon on art and electric blue highlights, it has been blowing that stuff away with the sheer amount of fun and excitement poured into every issue. And it’s not just because there’s a throwaway reference to a character called Sister Fister, The Kung Fu Voodo Queen either, although believe me, that goes a long way around here. That aside, Fraction ups the stakes with every issue, building off of what’s already been established but taking it one step further at every turn: Zephyr Quinn’s awkward post-breakup encounter with Newman Xeno turns into her accepting a contract for a hit on her father, Kaito struggles with being a substitute for a missing Casanova, and perhaps most importantly, there is a sex scene set in the body of a giant robot. It may actually be the definition of “Fun Comics.”
As for Fabio Moon’s art, it’s every bit as fantastic as his brother’s was on the first arc, and maybe more. He does, after all, manage to pull off Sasa Lisi, a character who wears both an old-fashioned space-bubble helmet underneath a cowboy hat, and that’s just to start with. His designs for the characters and the clothes they wear alone is fantastic, and everything that’s built around them has the same great talent applied to it. Put simply, it’s a beautiful comic.
And what’s more, it’s a comic that’s meant to be read as a comic: It works beautifully as a single issue, and even at a dollar less than most everything else on the stands, the “slimline” format of sixteen story pages never feels short in this book. And that’s not even counting the notes from Fraction at the end of each issue, which in this case also include a bit from Moon explaining why one of the characters looks like, and I quote, “Dragonball Wolverine.” Seriously, when even the conversations about how the comic comes together are entertaining, you know you’re doing something right.
Or at the very least, something awesome.
Cover Girl #5: With this issue, Andrew Cosby, Kevin Church, and Mateus Santolouco close out their story of action and adventure in Tinsel Town by getting the eponymous girl into the tiniest possible shorts and, well, you saw the picture up at the top of the post. It’s pretty much that kind of thing for the entire issue.
Nah, I’m just kidding. And in this case, it’s appropriate: For the whole five issues, Cover Girl‘s read–by design, I’m sure–like an action movie with a sharp sense of humor, and it’s made for a very entertaining series. To be honest, the ending comes off as more than a little predictable in the sense that it’s the only happy ending that could come from this story, but even with that, it takes a fun route getting there. Plus, there’s a neat twist on the story’s roots of image and deception that manages to neatly circumvent the de riguer shootout with the bad guy. It’s the type of thing that puts Cover Girl a step above what it easily could’ve been, and it ends up working out pretty well.
To stretch the action movie metaphor to its absolute limit, I’ll just say this: It’s worth at least two and a half Starsky and Hutches, and Church and Cosby didn’t even have to bring out Snoop Dogg to pull it off.
Daredevil #100: Maybe it was just the folks around my store, but I was surprised when the last issue of Daredevil came out by the number of people who didn’t seem to know who Larry Cranston was. Admittedly, the costume was the giveaway for me rather than Daredevil’s great, almost spit-take reaction upon seeing him with the Enforcers, but really. Mr. Fear’s kind of a big deal. I mean, he framed Karen Page for murder in the last issues of Daredevil v.1, and while it occurs to me that fewer people probably read that story than any other DD arc in the past ten years–seeing as it came right after a pretty rough Joe Kelly yarn in which Daredevil lost his memory, got his eyesight back, and worked for SHIELD in Paris–it’s still a little surprising.
In any case, those of you who were confused out there need worry no longer, as this issue’s giant-sized spectacular includes reprints where you can see Cranston show up and promptly get the living crap kicked out of him by Matt Murdock. But of course, that’s not really the draw when the rest of the book is taken up with the truly fantastic Ed Brubaker writing an artist jam issue that actually has a reason behind the different art styles, including two pages of Bill Sienkiewicz drawing Elektra that are worth the extra dollar alone. Oh, and also: The Enforcers. So you’re pretty much gonna want to buy this one.
DMZ #23: In at least the five months since I’ve moved everything over to the new website, I haven’t actually reviewed an issue of Wood and Burchielli’s DMZ once, and to be honest, it’s probably a little bit longer than that. That should not, however, be taken as a sign that I don’t like the book; on the contrary, it’s been as enjoyable as it ever was, with the last two storylines–one of which hit the shelves
Not coincidentally, they’re also some of the heaviest, and while this might come as a shock, my reviewing style often leaves me at a loss when it comes to talking about stories built around a character infiltrating a terrorist organization or investigating the truth behind a civilian massacre in the middle of a war zone. Go figure. Anyway, I think that’s one of the reasons I enjoyed this issue so much. If memory serves, it’s the first time since the text-heavy “guide to the DMZ” issue that Wood did solo that the book’s shifted things up for a single-issue story, and by DMZ‘s standards, it’s relatively lighter fare.
Then again, that means that it’s a story set in a bombed-out New York that ends with a character getting hauled off to a prison camp for what will probably be the rest of his life, but still, there’s at least a sliver of optimism there that’s been understandably absent in the last storylines. And it’s great timing: “Friendly Fire” was nothing if not an emotionally draining experience, and with an issue like this to act as a breather, the next story has a chance at hitting even harder. And given the track record here, it’ll probably do just that.
Gen13 #12: Be warned, gentle reader! Some things, once seen… cannot be unseen!
Justice League of America Wedding Special: Lo, and the clouds did part, the skies did open, and choirs of angels could be heard singing… for the Justice League was good again.
And really, I never would’ve guessed that it’d happen in a special ostensibly revolving around Green Arrow and Black Canary getting hitched, if not for the fact that it was written by Dwayne McDuffie. It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of his, dating back to his work on the crazy / awesome / crazy-awesome Prince comics and his work on the Justice League animated series, but with his current run on Fantastic Four, he has just been knocking it out of the park on a monthly basis, and I’ve been excited about seeing what he’d bring to the JLA.
And here’s the thing: It was even better than I expected. That probably has to do with the fact that, despite the name, there’s actually very little that relates to the wedding in this thing. Instead, what you get is what McDuffie had planned as the first two issues of his Justice League run, which kicks off with a great parody/homage to Brad Meltzer’s interminable scenes of the heroes sitting around the table picking out a team. Unlike Meltzer’s, though, McDuffie doesn’t drag it out for three months, but wraps it up in two pages and moves on to the more pressing concerns of–and you might want to prepare yourself for total radness here–Lex Luthor, the Joker and the Cheetah throwing down on Firestorm.
And it’s darn near perfect if you overlook the fact that McDuffie’s keeping around the annoying trope of having the Leaguers refer to each other by their first names even while they’re out in public–which I guess is just what those guys do now–with some fantastic fight scenes and great character moments, all beautifully drawn by Mike McKone. It’s absolutely fantastic, and with the prospect of having something that good from the Justice League for the first time in five years, I’m more excited about this title than anything else on the stands.
Suicide Squad: Raise the Flag #1: …except this one. I’ll admit it: Ever since it was announced that John Ostrander was going to be returning to the Suicide Squad, I’ve been a little nervous about it. Ostrander’s original run on the Squad was easily one of the best comics of the ’80s–and believe me, that’s saying something–and probably one of the best DC series of all time, with a full five years that rarely if ever missed a step. That said, it’s been a long, long time since the book ended, and for every time Grant Morrison comes back to the JLA, there’s far more instances that work out like Chris Claremont coming back to the X-Men. Add that to the fact that Greg Rucka’s work on the obviously Squad-inspired Checkmate
If this first issue’s any indication, I really shouldn’t have worried. Ostrander is completely on form for this one, and it is classic Suicide Squad. Literally, in fact; this first issue serves as an “untold story” from Ostrander’s original run, set sometime after Rick Flag’s apparent death in SS #26, right down to the archetypical team that everyone knows and loves from the initial run. In fact, it’d be very easy to label it as a “greatest hits” approach for Ostrander, seeing as the story even pits the Squad against their longtime enemies in the People’s Heroes, but it’s so well-done that it just seems like an actual lost issue. The fighting’s clever and brutal, the setup fits right in with the storyline of the time, and the characters are perfect, right down to Deadshot’s constant, cold-as-ice demeanor through the whole thing. And it looks great too: In the absence of Luke McDonnell (who I really, really would’ve liked to see return for this one), Javier Pina turns in the same great-looking work that I came to expect from him on Manhunter
As a fan of the Squad, I’d like to say that this is exactly what I was hoping for out of this series, but I can’t, because I honestly didn’t think it was going to be this good. Here’s hoping it holds up!
Now if we only got that Showcase…
Trades
The Adventures of Red Sonja v.2: And now, the ISB proudly presents what may actually be the worst cover blurb of the ’70s:
Confessions of a Blabbermouth: Okay, I don’t know if you guys know this or anything, but apparently, kids today are into these things called “blogs” where they go online and talk about stuff. You ask me, it’ll never catch on.
Clearly, I’m in a kidding sort of mood tonight. Anyway, I’ve mentioned my affection for Mike Carey’s work pretty often here on the ISB, and not to knock the other people working on the titles or anything, but if DC just went ahead and got him to write all the Minx books, I think I’d be pretty okay with that. ReGifters
Our main character for this one, Tasha, is the terribly smart and occasionally petulant girl that seems awfully familiar, but instead of failing where Lottie (of Clubbing) did, there’s some nice character moments for her that see her feeling bad about her flaws and trying to be a better person. It’s zippy and entertaining, and Aaron Alexovich’s art is highly reminiscent of Sonny Liew’s, but with an entirely different style of expressive faces that really do a great job of bringing it to life.
Of course, it does have its problems, most notably in the ending. The biggest problem is that Jed, from all the evidence presented in the book, is a pretty unrepentantly horrible person who bullies both Tasha and his own daughter pretty mercilessly right up to the end. There are even scenes that come off as genuinely creepy about the guy, and although the implication is later cleared up, it sticks with him. He’s unquestionably the villain of the story, and yet he never gets punished–heck, he never even apologizes–and is instead rewarded with love and success.
The more I think about it, the more it seems like a major flaw within the story, especially given that the payoff for the girls of standing up to Jed and exposing him as a fraud is that he stops being quite such a jerk in the end, which I guess is a happy ending after all. It just doesn’t seem like enough.
And that’s the week. As usual, blah blah blah, comments and questions about something I read, skipped, or didn’t bother with are welcome in the comments section below.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go find a way to voice my displeasure at the utter dearth of plots based on vengeance and retribution in the Minx fall line. Seriously: Girls love that stuff.
¹ : This is a lie.
² : An award which does not, technically, exist. But if it did, I’m sure Mignola’d prop it up on the mantlepiece right next to his Eisners. His Eight. Freakin’. Eisners.
*sigh* My comics shop got shorted this week on several books. Including Casanova and Confessions of a Blabbermouth. Which means I have to skip about 90% of this week’s entry…
Not to be ‘that guy’, but I’m going to be ‘that guy’.
The last Mr. Fear story was certainly Joe Kelly’s last in his run, but it took place before the sighted SHIELD agent arc. That arc, by the way, was written by Scott Lobell and was indeed pretty terrible.
I just didn’t want to good name of Joe Kelly (or his fantastic Daredevil run) to be besmirched for the wrong reasons.
Cheers!
I don’t have a copy of Gen13 but I’ve seen the pages I believe you’re referring to. sheer comedy gold and proof that Gail Simone has all the proper loose screws.
Before even reading the reviews I’m surprised you’re not buying Booster Gold, and that you’re buying Showcase Outsiders.
Archies I now understand. This I do not.
I enjoyed the JLA special because in addition to having Firestorm in it, it also had 100% less Red Tornado “Oh no! I’m so lonely because I’m not human anymore, even my hot wife and adopted child can’t understand my loss!” and 100% more Geo-Force getting beat up off-panel. Seriously, he should get his ass kicked off-panel in every issue.
I have to echo the surprise at Booster Gold, and also have to wonder where Thor #3 is in the midst of all this.
Granted, about the only way JMS could be more blatant in swiping ideas from Neil Gaiman’s American Gods is if he had Odin show up being a wandering con-man/used car dealer in that Oklahoma burg, but there’s a lot worse things he could crib from.
Though I do agree with Dwayne McDuffie 110%. He even signed my copy of Damage Control V1 #4, where Wolverine gets hit in the face with a pie. Shocked the hell out of him considering he was expecting Fantastic Four signings at the time. :)
Did you not pick up The Nightly News trade paperback by Johnthan Hickman? It was my favorite series of last year, and you sir, get props in the acknowledgements! So cool to be Chris Sims. . .(i’m jealous of your coolness):)
JL Wedding Special for the win.
“I’m Batman.”
And good for McDuffie for tackling the fanboys head-on. “You always end up having to take a lot of crap…”The Black Latern” and all that.” Nice.
Are you sure that Mike Carey’s daughter is called Lousie? If so, that’s pretty cruel.
Hey, no mention of Essential Punisher vol 2’s awesome cover
? I mean, Punisher is about to kill a guy. With a bazooka. That is 3 feet from his face. Thru a window. While climbed to the side of a building!
Mr Sims, you’re obviously saving a whole WEEK of reviews for the latest and greatest Groo outing, which explains the lack of precis here. That must be it, surely?
Hmmm?
this first issue serves as an “untold story†from Ostrander’s original run, set sometime after Rick Flag’s apparent death in SS #26, right down to the archetypical team that everyone knows and loves from the initial run.
It was all kinds of awesome, but we do need some Superboy punches to fit it into the original run. It’s post-Phoenix Gambit, from the Squad’s interactions with the Russians; but it’s got the pre-Phoenix Gambit status quo with Waller heading Belle Reve, Murph on security, etc. (The Eiling timeline is screwy too, but no one ever pays attention to Captain Atom continuity.)
I *think* it’s supposed to be set after the original run, since Deadshot remembered wanting to kill Boomerang and that was an end-of-run plotline. So I guess we’re just supposed to conclude that, when the run ended, Waller somehow got reappointed to Belle Reve and the beginning-of-series setup got restored, Deadshot checked back into Arkham, and Bronze Tiger for some reason stayed with the team.
Now that I think about it, the Squad appearance during Superboy did seem to be classic status quo restored: Waller could hand out pardons and explosive bracelets. And Deadshot shot Boomerang. So maybe this story is set around then– mid-90s real world.
I’ll add my voice to the choir saying “You’re not reading Booster Gold?!?!”
(Or JSA…or Green Lantern…is this a Geoff Johns thing? Because he hardly brutally killed or disfigured anyone this week, and he wrote two “No man escapes the Manhunters” riffs, and the first half of JSA was probably his best work ever…full of pancakes and dalmations and cat-men getting beat up)
It’s shaping up to be a really great series.
I don’t know if I just haven’t been paying attention, but I haven’t seen any reviews for the Thor’s return. I thought you you were one of the Odinson’s biggest fans? If you haven’t been reading them, I have to say it’s started off slow, but I thought this last one really picked up the pace. Well, that, or I’m just a sucker for seeing Tony Stark get his ass handed to him.
This was the greatest week ever for this ol’ school DC fanboy.
It’s taken 15 years, but I FINALLY get my Squad back in flawless form (the “no one in America would fall for the change-up” bit was VINTAGE Boomer), but ‘Booster Gold’ #2 was, literally, gold.
Booster’s inspired plan proved why he’s so endearing–he’s a font of noble heroism combined with complete, unadulterated fuckuppery.
(And to prove my Squad devotion, I bought an extra 15 copies of #1 at my shop, and just gave them to the clerk to hand out to people who wouldn’t ordinarily buy it. I want a permanent series THAT BADLY.)
My favourite part of the Wedding Special was seeing Batman get his ass kicked. Seriously, that’s a character that needs to get slapped around a lot more often. The Joker’s line about taking him out before he comes up with an impossible plan was right on the money too.
1) Thanks for the kind words, Sims.
2) ‘Booster Gold’ #2 was, literally, gold. – It was composed of Au? Because what I saw on the shelf was a comic book made of paper, ink, and staples. Stop using words like that!
3) “What, you didn’t read x?” is kind of tiresome to read ten times in a row.
Kevin Church,
Yeah, there is a Booster Gold #2 that isn’t printed on paper, but engraved in gold. Personally, I think they’re taking this variant thing so far.
Re you’re 3, doesn’t Sims ASK peole to ask him about what he read and didn’t every single week? (Um, except this week, where he makes a joke about saying the same thing at the end of each one).
Um, I didn’t use the wrong version of “your” in my message to be antagonistic; it was an accidnet. But I bet it is irritating, huh?
Jacob i was bothered by the Squad chronology as well.
I like your explanation, though iirc Stalnoivik’s appearance doesnt really fit with it (I seem to remember him dying after a brief period working as a member of the squad- though I could be wrong here).
Also does anyonre know who the girl on the computer was? Oracle maybe?
[i]It was all kinds of awesome, but we do need some Superboy punches to fit it into the original run. — Jacob T. Levy[/i]
and
[i]Jacob i was bothered by the Squad chronology as well. — huey[/i]
And no mention of the fact that Murph is now bald, mustacheless, and black? :)
As for the girl on the computer, it’s gotta be Flo Crowley. Either she’s very light skinned now, or she was also miscolored like Murph (for which there’s a precedent, as Flo was, in a “reverse Waylon Smithers” move, portrayed as white for a single issue (waaayyy back in [i]Squad[/i] #1.))
(And my apologies to Mr. Church.)
It was all kinds of awesome, but we do need some Superboy punches to fit it into the original run. — Jacob T. Levy
and
Jacob i was bothered by the Squad chronology as well. — huey
And no mention of the fact that Murph is now bald, mustacheless, and black? :)
As for the girl on the computer, it’s gotta be Flo Crowley. Either she’s very light skinned now, or she was also miscolored like Murph (for which there’s a precedent, as Flo was, in a “reverse Waylon Smithers†move, portrayed as white for a single issue (waaayyy back in Squad #1.))
(And my apologies to Mr. Church.)
Chris! I haven’t seen any reviews from you about Archie & Friends and the Tarot Diaphragm of Wonderment Special! Can it be that you’re not reading these amazing books?
I mean, Flootsnoot’s in detox! And a guy gets impaled on a dildo! (In Tarot, I mean, not Archie & Friends.)
…
Oh — my apologies. Someone left the “Sarcasm” knob at 11.
I am a big fan of Thor, but I’m not buying the new series for the relatively simple reason that it sucks ass. First issue, nothing happens. Second issue, Thor acts like a major tool and a bunch of people sit around a diner. Third issue, Thor again acts like a major tool, but this time set against pretty much the exact same story that was in Amazing Spider-Man #36, only with the added hilarity of Thor wandering around New Orleans going: “Why weren’t there force fields?”
Oh, and you also get what might be the worst Tony Stark appearance of the year. I don’t particularly care if he’s a Skrull or what, but the guy who shows up and immediately starts talking shit to Thor, his friend that he fought alongside during Raganarok is certainly not the same character who’s appearing in Captain America. Believe it or not, a big fight scene doesn’t always excuse poor characterization.
As for Green Lantern, I’ve pretty much lost interest in the character since Johns came on, and while I’ve paged through the Sinestro Corps stuff, I really can’t understand why people like it so much. It’s not something I hate or anything, it just seems pretty mediocre.
Booster Gold‘s all right, though. I did manage to read the new issue and thought that Skeets’ “No man escapes me!” was pretty fun. If it stays good, I’ll probably end up picking it up, as I think the concept’s pretty solid.
One thing, though: I know this comes down to the colorist, but there’s a scene in the new one where Sinestro’s ring blows up a big yellow football goal, and that comes right before Skeets reminds Booster that the ring can’t affect yellow. I wouldn’t mention it, but the same thing happens in Green Lantern when Jack T. Chance gets killed by some mysteriously green light that’s referred to as “yellow” right on the next page, and when you’re dealing with Green Lanterns, that sort of thing’s pretty important.
As for Suicide Squad, yes, the timeline is pretty screwy, but what caught my eye was the opening caption of “Two Years Ago,” which would set it pretty recently–only a year before Infinite Crisis–but that‘s something I was willing to overlook.
And finally…
Are you sure that Mike Carey’s daughter is called Lousie? If so, that’s pretty cruel.
Er, no. If you’ll check again, you’ll notice that it’s spelled correctly in every instance… and always has been.
… [Cough]
Oh, and about the Nightly News trade:
I didn’t pick it up because I have all the issues, but the copy we got at the store was actually pretty banged up, so it didn’t get out on the shelf anyway.
I guess if the ISB gets a mention, though, I need to buy it, if only to shelve it next to the Anita Blake hardcover as part of the growing mountain of evidence to support my run for Total Internet Domination.
If any of you haven’t read it, though, trust me: it’s good stuff, and well worth it.
As someone who greatly enjoyed Nova this week (except for the pages with Scott Hanna’s art), I was wondering about your thoughts. Good, bad? Is the overarching Conquest plot of any interest to you at all?
I found it interesting that Gamora mentions that someone taught the Phalanx to preserve independence as a way to reduce resistance. Now I’m wondering who taught them that.
My all time favorite Dwayne McDuffie book is still “Amazing Spider-Man: Hit and Run!”, one of five PSA Spidey Stories they put out up here in Canada in the early nineties. In this one, Spidey teaches bike safety.
With Ghost Rider.
The hero with the flaming skull head, who rides his also occasionally flaming bike up the sides of buildings.
And never wears a helmet. >_>
I must be the only person who doesn’t like Casanova. And I otherwise dig the Matt Fraction. Casanova just doesn’t hold together for me. I see lots of really great, disparate ideas but they don’t add up to a cohesive narrative. Alas. I also feel this way about 3/4 of all of Tim Burton’s movies and I seem to be in the minority there, too. Maybe I aren’t smart enough.
I agree with you about Stark being a bastard here, but in books BEFORE Civil War being a stand-up guy. I think that’s why I wanted to see him get his comeuppance for Clor. I want to see the old Stark, who was a guy who doubted the existence of Norse Gods, but would still take a bullet for his longhaired buddy in a second. This new, supervillain Stark makes my stomach turn.
Ozymandias, he ain’t.
(The sad thing is, this is the only issue of Thor I’ll pick up, as the book IS just dragging)
I guess the Suicide Squad timeline didn’t bug me as timelines get compressed all the time. But you’re right, that is a little weird. Peter Parker graduating college only a few years ago I can understand, but two years between the last issues of SS and Infinite Crisis? HUH? What about 52?
Re: Thor dragging.
I have to think that this is something I’ve noticed a lot recently with other writers: Straczynski is writing for the trade paperback.
Pacing that might seem interminable when you have to wait a month between chapters is somewhat more acceptable when you can read the whole thing in one sitting.
I think the knowledge that it’s almost guaranteed that your arc is going to swiftly re-published in trade format is influencing how a number of writers are structuring their stories. Sadly, it seems to be largely at the detriment of the monthly readers…
There is no excuse whatsoever for a comic about a guy who carries around a giant hammer that shoots lightning to be boring or slow.
This is a fact, I can prove it with math, and if you give me scratch paper I will show my work.
I’ve read trades where I wished I’d read the regular issues because the payoffs were so frickin’ sweet. FABLES is a great example of this, which is why I’m now picking up the regular issues. I like JMS, but now I’m starting to understand the backlash against him.
Show us the math saturday!
You know you want to.
Re:…uh… Re: Thor dragging.
Yes a lot of writers are writing for the trade. I think I’ve heard or read Brian Wood saying that he likes his work on DMZ better in trade as it collects the arcs, but his issues work on their own. Honestly there’s about as much excuse for trade writing (which I will from now on call triting)as there is for trades of New Avengers to be released in hardcover, none.
Thor, Moon Knight, New Avengers, and (I know Sims is going to hate this) in my opinion the last arc of Punisher War Journal have all been slow and disjointed. Sure they’re all building toward some payoff (some better than others, like WJ) but if that payoff is Skrulls or symbiotes, or simply shooting one guy in the face then the writers are seriously wasting everyone’s time and money.
In short somebody should re-write the re-launch of Thor.
And still no comments about Groo, possibly the greatest character ever created.
Mendicant.
My shop didn’t get Casanova this week. Or Groo. Or Suicide Squad. Or Lobster Johnson last week. They’ve been really great, and the other shop in town is such a hole that I damn sure don’t wanna go there, but I’m not happy. So much so that I put my foot down and… spent $16 there anyway. They’re pretty cool about re-ordering, though. But if they aren’t… I have nothing to back that up with. Maybe I should embrace the Tao of Chris and kick one of the guys who runs the place in the face, but they’re pretty agreable fellows, so I kind of don’t want to. But goddamnit, I want my Casanova #8!
I’m saving my thoughts on Groo for Hell On Earth #1.
Re: Lobster Johnson: How do I know Mike Mignola is a genius?
He’s the only guy who can write pulp adventures that work today, on their own merits, as opposed to creating homages to The Shadow and Doc Savage.
Plus — I like that suit!
Is it just me, but do the strippers hired for Ollie’s bachelor party bear a striking resemblance to certain lady X-men?