You know, I don’t know what Bucky’s favorite song is, but I do know that he likes to hear a little Sweet Chin Music:
Finally: He has achieved his boyhood dream.
But enough thinly veiled references to the WWE! After all, it’s Thursday Night on the ISB, and that can only mean that it’s time for another round of the Internet’s Most Heartbreaking Comics Reviews!
Here’s what I picked up this week…
…but could any of them succeed without the juggernaut of hype that is MySpace.com? Find out now!
Comics
All-Star Batman and Robin, the Boy Wonder #9: Wow.
What can I say about this issue of All-Star Batman that hasn’t been said already about Russ Meyer’s 1965 classic Motorpsycho? How about this: After the dismal effort that Miller and Lee put forth last issue–wherein the most enjoyable story element was a cover that featured the Joker’s massive Yakuza tattoo–this one represents a pretty strong return to form, as it is hilarious, awful, and–perhaps most important of all–hilariously awful. And surprisingly, Miller never once refers to his title character as “The Goddamn Batman.”
And really, if that hardcover comes out and it’s not called All-Star Batman v.1: I’m the Goddamn Batman, then DC’s Marketing Department will have severely dropped the ball.
Instead, Miller goes to the old comedic standby of having a twelve year-old carny punch Green Lantern’s throat out, and now that I actually typed that out, I had to go back and make sure that it actually happened and wasn’t just part of some beautiful fever dream. And sure enough, there it is, right between “DAMN YOU AND YOUR LEMONADE!”–easily the best new catchphrase of 2008–and the scene where Batman decides that it’s time to go cry. And that, my friends, is the sum total of this issue’s plot.
Fan-tastic.
Blue Beetle #24: When it’s all said and done, there is no doubt in my mind that Rogers and Albuquerque’s run on Blue Beetle is going to go down as one of the best DC Comics of its time.
Of course, I also have the sneaking suspicion that it’s going to go down as one of the more underrated titles, but what matters more is that this is a book that just does not miss a step, and this issue shines even more than most. It’s got all the standard elements, even clichés, of the sweeping super-hero epic: the hero stripped of his powers and facing down a massive, unstoppable force with nothing but his own daring and wits–not even pants. But Rogers manages to pull it off in a way that’s more thrilling, engaging, and downright fun than just about any other comic out there, and the art just compliments it perfectly.
I know I’m approaching hyperbole here–and that I sound like I passed it a few minutes ago–but I can honestly say that Blue Beetle is one of those few titles out right now that reminds me every month why I’ve been reading comics for the past twenty years, so if you haven’t already, give it a shot
Crime Bible: Five Lessons of Blood #5: Well, that one sorta ground to a halt there, didn’t it?
Don’t get me wrong: I like Greg Rucka a lot, especially when it comes to stuff like Queen & Country
It’s tempting to say that the problem here is that Rucka’s taking what struck me as a very, very silly concept and treating it as Very Serious Business, right down to the overwrought Crime Bible passages that lead every issue, but the fact of the matter is that comics are all about taking silly concepts and treating them seriously, so it really just amounts to a comic book that’s not all that interesting.
Or maybe it’s just that hat she’s wearing. Makes her look like she should be in the video for “Smooth Criminal,” I swear.
Criminal v.2 #1: I’ll tell you right now that reviewing this week’s issue of Criminal is all but pointless. After all, there’s really not a whole lot I can say about a comic that achieves its goal as perfectly as it possibly can.
And that’s exactly what this one does. Not that anyone should really be shocked by this: Criminal‘s won enough Eisners at this point that I’m pretty sure the word’s gotten out about how good it is, and even if you haven’t read a single issue, there’s always the chance that you’ve read some of Brubaker and Phillips’ previous collaboration, the flat-out phenomenal Sleeper
But when something this good comes out, it’s always worth mentioning. Make no mistake: The story in this issue is bleak, and even if you missed out on the first stories
But that’s what’s so good about it: Its relentless portrayal of a guy boxed into a bad situation with no way out, with all the noir-style trappings heaped on top of him for good measure that just hits you right in the gut by the time it all finishes. And believe me: That’s something these guys know how to deliver.
Kick-Ass #1: Well, that was no damn good.
Yeah, I know: Given the type of comics I tend to get a kick out of, along with Mark Millar and John Romita Jr.’s track record with Wolverine: Enemy of the State
To be fair, JR Jr. draws the living hell out of the book–which, you know, is what JR Jr. does–but all the pretty art in the world can only do so much with what essentially amounts to commercials for Marvel Comics with stunted, incredibly unnatural dialogue and the most predictable ending that the issue could’ve had.
I mean really: It’s obvious that Millar’s going for something edgy or shocking with this one, but come on: How shocking can it be when we’ve been seeing interviews and assorted shilling for the past three months begging questions like “What would happen if a real person dressed in a costume and fought crime?” Well, they’d probably get their ass kicked, and hey! Turns out, that’s what happens, and while there’s no attempt to hide the fact that it’s heading in that direction (what with the framing sequence to start things off), that in turn sets up the “shocking” brutality of the issue’s climax to carry the weight of the story. And when your protagonist is just another Mark Millar Tough Guy in a different set of clothes–but, interestingly enough, with the same Paris Hilton jokes–it’s more trouble than it’s worth to be bothered to care.
And thus, I no longer do.
The Many Adventures of Miranda Mercury #295: So is it just me, or has anyone else noticed that ever since Mouse Guard–which was excellent this week, by the way–exploded into popularity last year, Archaia Studios, which I was previously aware of only as the publisher of Artesia
In any case, one of those interesting new properties is Miranda Mercury, and while I was originally drawn to it by the book’s High Concept, but I was surprised at how many High Concepts this issue actually had. There’s the most obvious one, of course–The fact that the series is building towards its title character’s death in #300 without actually bothering with the hassle of actually doing the 25-odd years of comics to actually get to #300–but the issue itself has one, too: Miranda and her kid sidekick (“Jack Warning: The Boy With the Golden Brain”) have to solve an impossible cosmic Rubick’s Cube to free the soul of a godlike half-robot samurai who grants wishes.
Now that, my friends, is High Concept.
Of course, the big idea is only half the work; it’s the execution that matters in the end, and on that front, I’m happy to report that Brandon Thomas and Lee Ferguson do a pretty good job with Miranda’s first and/or two hundred ninety-fifth outing, with a story that went in a direction I really wasn’t expecting, casting the heroine as a much sterner character than her lightning-bolt ponytail would indicate, including a forty-two panel double page spread that actually makes solving a Rubik’s Cube come off as a very tense sequence. It’s very fun stuff, so give it a look.
The Nearly Infamous Zango #1: And at last, you now know the origin of the MySpace joke in tonight’s introduction: See, I’m a friend of ol’ Zango (FOOZ?) on MySpace (FOOZOM?), where creator Rob Osborne has been pretty diligent about promoting the release of Zango‘s first issue over the past few months–and just so we’re clear on this, I have absolutely no problem with that. Besides, in my case anyway, it totally worked, and I grabbed a copy Wednesday purely on a whim.
And I’m glad I did: For all of my skepticism when I originally saw it in Previews, Zango is actually pretty darn funny, and in a way I didn’t expect. Given that the cover and the opening scenes of the book itself feature a past-his-prime super-villain yelling at his television in bunny slippers, I was expecting it to veer more heavily to the slapstick, and while that’s there–along with what seems like the requisite “Lenny from Of Mice And Men” Joke, there’s a lot that’s very dry. A couple scenes, in fact, are more reminiscent of The Venture Brothers
“You’re giving me a monkey?”
“Not a monkey, milord. A killer gorilla assassin.”
“Well I’m very unimpressed.”
I got a pretty good chuckle out of it, and while the violence of the first issue is a little jarring when it finally comes through, it’s far oughtweighed by some solid comedic bits and the main character’s apathetic approach to skullduggery. Look for it at your shop and give it a read.
And that’s the week, and man, there sure were a lot of indie books this time around. In any case, if you have any questions or comments about one of the roughly six million comics I bought this week, feel free to leave it in the comments section below, and rest assured that I plan on covering pretty much every single page of Showcase Presents Superman Family v.2
In the meantime, though, I’m gonna go sleep off the rest of this cold and wait for Mass Effect
Entertaining as always! There are too many bloggers and reviewers out there who forget that they read comics because they are fun, and not because they absolutely hate everything published ever.
Very glad you picked up The Nearly Infamous Zango! Rob Osborne has always made me happy inside, and I loved this book.
I’m writing up the Jimmy-with-beard story first, Sims, so just keep your hands off.
P.S. Don’t get the flu or any such shit next week. The most important comic of the year hits the stands.
Argghh! You’ve dropped New Warriors before me. And you actually LIKE the book. I feel dirty…
And Jack scoring the Trifecta doesn’t even get a mention? Come on! All three! And then he brags about it!
Also does anyone know if a trade is planned for House of M: Avengers or not?
You missed Thor #6!
“Tis my aim to the first Asgardian with a tan” and Volstagg describing plumbing arrangements.
Chris, you break-a my heart….
I picked up the Blue Beetle trade, despite my vow to save money by not buying anything but ‘Essentials’ and ‘Showcase Presents’ anymore, and it did not disappoint. Truly, it is of the awesome. Long may this series run.
The new Blue Beetle is the first ‘new’ character I have seen for a long time that I think really has a chance to stick and become a regular. I know at the moment it is just an ‘internet fan favorite’ but I really do put that down to poor promotion by DC. The comic really could drive cartoons, sell dolls and t-shirts for many many years if they pushed it out there a bit. Great comic.
How sad was the end of Dan Dare #4? And yet, somehow, I don’t think we’ve seen the last of (character).
What, no love for Daredevil? When it just had an awesome conclusion to one of the best arcs of the series?
And Blue Beetle wasn’t the best of the week? Time for me to start reading this Criminal series everyone keeps talking about.
LurkerWithout, I’m sure there will be a trade for House of M: Avengers. The only reason they created that series was high demand for the House of M collection at libraries and retail outlets (so says Gage).
If you’re asking if a release date is set… I bet we’ll find out shortly.
Jimmy and the Genie, and Jimmy with the beards is great, but damn if “Jimmy Olsen, Gorilla Reporter” isn’t my favorite title this year.
Pimp Blue Beetle more, Chris! The People need to be told! “WE NEED TO HELP HIM WITH HIS SEXY FIGHT!”
I’m vaguely shocked that the latest issue of She-Hulk didn’t get a mention, since it starts off with a Badoon bounty hunter THROWING A BEAR at She-Hulk.
When Millar first hyped Kick-Ass, all I could think was “wow, that sounds bad and depressing.”
“Moron thinks himself a super-hero and gets beaten up” isn’t a new story. It’s not interesting, insightful, or exciting.
But I will say I like the title. “Kick-Ass!” is a damn fine name.
Chris, how in the world did this feeble quasi-high-concept comic also serve as “essentially…commercials for Marvel Comics?” My rubbernecker, crappy-comic-curiosity side must know. Without buying the comic.
Oh no, Mass Effect? You’re going to start missing even more updates while waiting for those damn elevators!
How is RASL? I loved Bone and his Shazam series, but this didn’t appeal to me. Is it worth picking up?
And what is the fastest land mammal?
Any opinion on Engineer? I haven’t been able to get one yet-is it worth picking up on Ebay?
Though I realise it’s not the traditional kick-to-the-face, I think this week’s Jack of Fables deserves recognition for its kick to a much more vulnerable area.
Bucky thinks he’s cute, he knows he’s sexy..
And thus ends my brief foray into comic character-centric, professional wrestler theme music parody.
Argghh! You’ve dropped New Warriors before me.
Actually, I didn’t. I read it in the store, but when I went to re-check the stack, it wasn’t there so I must’ve missed it.
You missed Thor #6!
No, I didn’t. That one, I didn’t buy on purpose, because it is fucking terrible.
How sad was the end of Dan Dare #4?
Very, but in that stiff-upper-lip way that you get from Garth Ennis sometimes where you have to stifle your manly tear and then get back to plotting your revenge. Four issues in, and it finally feels like Ennis has really hit his stride with this one, and I think it has a lot to do with the scenes with the Mekon. It’s turning out to be some really entertaining stuff.
What, no love for Daredevil?
Of course I gots love for Daredevil, but I was already devoting some space to talking about how awesome Ed Brubaker’s scripts are, and as you can tell, I often have a much harder time writing about stuff that’s consistently good than my complaints about stuff I don’t like, and that’s a book that’s been good since Brubaker and Lark came on.
I’m vaguely shocked that the latest issue of She-Hulk didn’t get a mention, since it starts off with a Badoon bounty hunter THROWING A BEAR at She-Hulk.
This is true, but, well, David’s run on She-Hulk is another one of those that just isn’t doing it for me. I don’t think it’s terrible or anything, but it lacks a lot of the charm that was keeping me interested through Slott’s stuff, and–bear-throwing aside–I just don’t think it’s for me.
How is RASL? I loved Bone and his Shazam series, but this didn’t appeal to me. Is it worth picking up?
Not bad. But it’s a little slow to start off with, and uses the phrase “the drift” so much that I was surprised Li’l Bow Wow didn’t show up to remind the main character that if you’re not outta control, you ain’t in control. Add to that the fact that it’s a big departure from Smith’s previous work (being more directed at older readers than the truly all-ages Bone and the devoutly kid-friendly Shazam!), and I just felt like I didn’t have a good enough handle on where it was going to offer up anything worth reading about it. I’m sticking with it, though.
Any opinion on Engineer?
Much like Miranda Mercury, it’s got a high concept that I just can’t pull myself away from, and it’s been that way ever since I read the phrase “an ex-cosmonoaut with an interdimensional pipe organ.” In practice, though, it’s a little wonkier: The second issue was better than the first, although the dialogue–especially in terms of action scene patter–could do with a bit of improvement. If there was going to be more than one more issue before the first series finished, I’d have a lot more confidence in the series than I actually do, but it’s definitely not a bad comic book, and it’s well worth flipping through to see if it strikes a chord.
Bucky thinks he’s cute, he knows he’s sexy..
And according to Rachelle, he’s got the look that drives the girls wild.
the strange thing about Thor is that JMS seems to be writing it as a comedy that has the occasional (sometimes not very good) serious moment. if you go in expecting a book about a norse god beating people up with a magic hammer, you will be disappointed.
Chris, belated thanks for the steer to Dan Dare. It and Blue Beetle are in my Top 5 Sources of Joy these days. (With The Boys fading in and out.)
BTW, taken a look yet at the Justice League: The New Frontier DVD yet?
On one hand, it looks like animated Darwyn Cooke; and there were a few plot abbreviations (like Hal Jordan’s) that I think work better in the movie.
On the other hand, this is People’s Exhibit A re: converting from book to movie without significant trimming.
I love DC: The New Frontier, but I would have been lost within 15 minutes if I hadn’t committed the plot of the book to memory.
Worth a look, at any rate. (Look at the storyboard artist credits at the end. Wow! Jam Session!)
Was the final Criminal cover changed? I could’ve sworn early art looked a lot more like Tyson/Balrog that that does. And yes. That’s the tone of disappointment.
I wasn’t really sure if I am supposed to take “Kick-Ass!” seriously or not?
While this will be the last Thor I had pre-ordered, I just do not hate it with the passion others do.
I almost got Dr.Who but thought it might be to hard to get in to. So what’s the final word?
Bookrats, I kinda feel the same way about the New Frontier video. I just watched it tonight, actually. I enjoyed it and really liked the faithful style and how they brought many panels to the screen. However, I’m not sure I would have been as jazzed without having read the comics. Things come from all directions for 45 minutes, and suddenly there’s a big fight.
Was nice to see the Metal Men still got their cameo!
I assume from the caption to “Zango” that Rob Osborne is The Guy? Awesome: now I know where to look for his work!
Patrick…I’m not Chris, but I thought it was decent. It feels a little rough in places, but there’s TV-worthy snark from the Doctor and Martha, as well as a bad guy coming from the modern era of DW. I’m hoping IDW does an anthology book where modern talent takes on past incarnations of the Doctor. Basically, it would be an excuse for bringing in a story with Nine, Rose and Captain Jack. Dare to dream, right?
Thanks Jason! I have always wanted to get into Doctor Who at some point.
Yeah, it wouldn’t be too prudent to pay import dough for Doctor Who Magazine just for the comics. I will say that the one-shot from issue #390 (cover: Kylie Minogue in a tight dress kindasorta rubbing up on a Dalek) was rather cute, even with the bizarre interpretation of Four, and how weird Nine’s forehead looked.
As for GDBatman? Wake me when the latest issue of All-Star Superman comes in. Maybe Morrison can do a scene where Batman and Robin pull the same crap on Hal, but then drop into comas from the paint fumes.
BTW, Chris, how are you likin’ WWH AfterSmash: Damage Control?
It looks to me like:
(A) McDuffie can do no wrong.
(B) The man is taking it on himself to shore up the major goofs of others (Millar, Straczynski, and Meltzer) — which makes scripting Damage Control ironic.
At any rate, he’s bringing back the fun I remember from his original D.C. mini-series. (E.g., the Chrysler Building is pissed.)
What you said, Bookrats. Damage Control is rad.
As for Doctor Who, well, I don’t think it was worth $3.99 (which, ironically, I do think the reprints in Doctor Who Classics are worth), but it was decent enough. It felt a lot like what I’ve read of the comics in Doctor Who Magazine, just longer. Which, in turn, means that it’s got longer to drag the jokes out, and isn’t quite as snappy. But there are some good gags in there, the art came off better than I thought it would, and hopefully, it’ll improve.
GDS DDLY WPON
If that doesnt seal you on Blue Beetle I dont know what will
ASBARTBY #9 was batshit insane in the best possible way. Batman fighting Green Lantern with lemonade – sweet jesus. I think I finally see the appeal, but I can’t help but wish that A) Miller would cut out all the captions entirely and B) it was drawn by someone like Jeffery Brown instead of Jim Lee.
The gracious Rob Osbourne gave me a copy of ZANGO at Staple this weekend – fun stuff! And the comparison to Venture Brothers is spot-on.
Great serie ! But we can always re-read the books and watch the movies over again. Hopefully JK will do what Stephanie Meyers is doing. Character studies in shorter novella format. There are so many things we dont’ know about Dumbledore, Snape, the Malfoy family, and many others. I hope in some years JK rowling will miss them enough to write about them again.