12 May, 2008
Picks & Pans, May 7th, 2008
By: PCSbot
Picks & Pans for May 7th! Tons of Reviews! Samantha of Neither Doormat Nor Prostitute! Ernie Estrella! Gabe Mariani! Gavin Jasper of 4thletter! David Uzumeri of Funnybook Babylon! And last, but definitely not least, AHR of Geekanerd! Need I say more?
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PICK! Abe Sapien #4 |
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Ernie: The first three issues of this fine mini-series rush out the gates dropping hints of why Abe should be hunting down this latest mystical and nocturnal artifact. That fast pace is taken down several notches because here Abe gets the complete 411 and by the end of it, it’s not pretty. Dig out the earlier issues and re-read them all and get committed by reading these by either a single candle-light or a single dimmed lamp and read out loud–especially the incantations. Enjoying Mignola’s work is all about moody stories void of any sunlight. They’re an adventure, a horror show, and a mystery bundled in a sarcastic wrap. Alexander’s renderings of Abe Sapien though, are a joy. |
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David U.: At this point, the drama behind this issue’s creation has probably captured more hearts and minds than the story itself. That’s a shame, because Johns’s first Action Comics arc ends, although definitely belatedly, very appropriately, with an excellent extended action sequence that, although it partly falls play to Johns’s fight dialogue tics, is very well-structured and diverse and, at times, even very funny. Kubert’s art is sharper than ever - I like the effect created by the clearly uninked backgrounds with the characters inked over them - although Dave Stewart’s loss is definitely felt. Edgar Delgado does a good job filling in, but at the end of the day he’s unfortunately just not Dave Stewart. That’s really my only quibble, though. |
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PICK! Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8 #14 |
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Samantha: This issue was a pleasant surprise. With a few obvious exceptions, namely the Faith issues, I’ve generally found season eight to be a disappointment. They haven’t been horrible, by any means, but while there are certainly worse comics published every month, Buffy Season Eight hasn’t for me, been particularly memorable, either. Their biggest problem has been the complete lack of any discernible emotion. The characters, with few exceptions, seemed to be going through the motions and none of the complex interpersonal relationships shined in the way that made Buffy special in the first place. This issue pulled through, however. Not only do the characters have emotions that are in character for who they are supposed to be, in true Buffy fashion, the emotional punches are highlighted by the quirky, offbeat humor. Only in the Buffy world would we get several panels of Buffy carrying the body of a dead slayer followed by a quip from Dracula about eating the body. Unlike previous efforts, neither the humor nor the dramatic scenes seem forced, and the result was an enjoyable read that makes me hope issue 15 follows this one’s example. |
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David U.: While Olivetti’s art still looks more than a little bit ridiculous (especially the truck on the first few pages), Swierczynski’s script picks up in pace, finally starting to move the book towards territory that wasn’t given away by solicitations weeks before the book’s release. While it’s certainly not a comic book writer’s job to sacrifice the story for the sake of providing shocks, the first two issues of Cable have, for a new, continuity-central series, been remarkably uneventful. This issue begins to change that, and hopefully it’s a trend that will continue both in this book and in Swierczynski’s other upcoming work on Punisher and Immortal Iron Fist. |
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AHR: When it comes to Paul Dini’s run on Detective, I tend to run the risk of damning the series with faint praise. Each issue has been supremely solid with frequent laughs, but the impact of the short and sweet storylines never seemed to go beyond the closing of the book. This issue, however, hits hard enough to leave an mark, due to the fact that it resolves the mystery of the new Ventriloquist, a loose thread Dini’s been dangling for almost a year now. Whether or not you were wrapped up in the mystery of where Scarface’s new blonde-bombshell sidekick came from (I was), this issue fills in her backstory with the kind of sympathy Dini used to show so regularly to his villainous characters in the glory days of Batman: The Animated Series. It’s a revenge tale that hits all the right notes; good intentions, violence, and only the faintest trace of redemption. There’s a little coda at the end about Bats and Zatanna, but as is often the case, the trials of the righteous take a backseat to the more interesting and F’ed up lives of the bad guys. |
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Gavin: This second half of a story about Zatanna and the new Ventriloquist mostly works as a way to explain the backstory of Arnold Wesker’s voluptuous replacement. Considering how much of an afterthought Wesker’s death was in the Face the Face storyline, the story for how Sugar took the Ventriloquist mantle isn’t a bad one. The great thing about the storytelling and the art is that even though we know that Scarface is just a dummy, there’s still the benefit of the doubt due to his expressions and the tension between him and Sugar. Once the origin flashback ends, the story rushes towards the finale. The action sequence and the epilogue zoom by so fast that you wonder if Zatanna was really needed in this story. Sure, she was there to save Bruce at one point, but it isn’t like we haven’t had enough of her in that Joker two-parter a few months back. As one of those characters this writer loves to shoe-horn, Zatanna just felt really unnecessary. |
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Gabe: The issue consists of an enormous amount of exposition - done “info dump” style through flashbacks, the most boring way to tell a story ever – about a character created a year ago that I still haven’t found a reason to care about. Dini’s Zatanna obsession crops up again as well, and by the end of the comic she is basically begging Bruce to love her. We get an unsatisfying conclusion to two story arcs I can’t imagine anybody cared about anyway. I’m growing tired of the inconsistency between issues and story arcs on this comic; issues randomly vary from excellent (his Joker/Robin issue) to boring (this arc). Ah, well. At least Dustin Nguyen is making it pretty to look at. |
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PICK! Dock Walloper #4 |
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Ernie: Ever since the fantastic debut issue, Dock Walloper has been a solid read–not mind blowing–introducing more characters and the complete story taking shape. In the latest issue though, everything converges and it’s done in a tragically beautiful way. John “The Hand” Smith is plotting against his boss because he’s got the plan, the backup, and the dame. But he’s in for a rude comeuppance. Tear that main character down, I say. There’s great chase scenes and escapes but the Grade A beef behind the story continues the nice balance that keeps you interested and involved. These characters have firmly made a home in the bank of stories I want to share, perhaps not to the seasoned superhero reader, but the Walloper drives home the limitless possibilities and levels of storytelling that can be done well in sequential form. I know there are a bigger crime stories with bigger names in comics, but Dock Walloper really has a complete feel to it. Thomas’ art and colors really make this world created by Burns and Palmiotti, believable and makes the journey back to the Depression a fully imaginable experience. Despite his more expressive style and loose scribbly lines, there’s a lot of detail and thoughtful design which goes unmentioned in most books but the little things that make this a big time book. |
| PICK! House of Mystery #1 Writer: Bill Willingham & Matt Sturges Art: Luca Rossi & Ross Campbell Colorist: Lee Loughridge & Ross Campbell Publisher: DC Comics/Vertigo |
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Ernie: Vertigo’s hoping the Fables writer combo of Sturges and Willingham are enough to draw you into the undefinable corner of the Vertigo selection of books. This comic starts out in the house of Cain and Abel but visits many more houses. Five people are stuck in the House of Mystery and have converted it to a bar where visitors can drink for free–as long as they have a story to tell. The premise is simple and allows for stories to be told within stories. For people with the gift of gab or can dominate a party with an anecdote, Vertigo may have created this book just for you. It’s a title with no genre attached, or explained, it’s a title that can encompass everything, really, twisted that is. And the House of Mystery may be a way to have an anthology of sorts work, but not be an anthology book in the truest sense. See, even that sounds as unexplainable as the actual book. The story told within this issue, is enough to twist your stomach into a shroud knot while leave your mouth gaping long enough for devious things to crawl into it. If a mixed drink was comprised of the TV show Cheers, the variety of stories told in Fables, or you’re in search of something really different, feast away. |
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David U.: Last issue rejuvenated my interest in this title, but now I’m feeling lost again. I’m still very confused as to what this team’s purpose is, why it exists, and why suddenly people in the DC universe are suddenly fearful of superpowered heroes with questionable backgrounds. I understand where Milligan was going with this book, and a psychotherapy-themed superhero comic certainly sounds intensely interesting, but I don’t think it’s really hit it off anywhere near as much of Milligan’s previous work has (X-Statix, anyone?) and the catastrophic sales numbers certainly don’t distract from that view. I really can’t place my finger on why this book doesn’t work - Fiumara’s jolting scene transitions in the first few issues certainly didn’t help - but there’s a disconnect somewhere between concept and execution that’s hurting this book’s quality. |
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Ernie: Yes, there are now two titles starring Tony Stark, yes he’s present in Avengers and Secret Invasion, and yes, he’s becoming a risk of being overexposed more than Wolverine–okay that’s a bit too far, but the aftermath of Civil War has elevated Stark into a more interesting read and seeing the Marvel Universe through his perspective is the balance I enjoy reading. Let it be known, I’m a Cap guy, too. In all the years I read Iron Man, I wish he was written AND drawn this good all the time. It may be redundant for me to gloss on about how great the film is but Marvel is capitalizing greatly on the fine work done by the film and backing it up with a great new Iron Man title. It’s contemporary, relevant and addresses all facets of Stark’s life: The playboy, the industrialist, the mechanic, the new director of S.H.I.E.L.D., and the Marvel’s future forefather of THE weapon of mass destruction which has evolved into something out of his control. As far as first issues go, this has it all and proves that Iron Man can be done so well that he belongs in the same breath as Captain America by Ed Brubaker. Matt Fraction outdid himself and if Iron Fist has to suffer some, or Punisher War Journal, then so be it because I love this creative team. Larroca’s art was the only thing positive in the Brand New Day debacle and I thought, “Damn, this guy needs a regular book!” and oh glorious prayers have been answered. If you saw this guy drawing X-Men books back in the day then you know what a beautiful evolution his style has become, and the look and the weight of the style of the Iron Man film is present in the pages of this comic. Great creative team, even better story. |
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Ernie: Favreau just couldn’t get enough of Granov’s design work on Iron Man. Can’t blame the man, because Granov draws and colors, the coolest looking Iron Man I’ve ever seen, and as a longtime reader and admirer of Tony Stark’s mythology, that’s a firm statement and I have the “marvelous” film to back me up. So these two guys get to have a little fun and go wild with Stark playing up the playboy millionaire and attempt to make Fin Fang Foom cool. The first part’s easy, the second… not so much. But they take a real fun stab at it, and we’ll see in the subsequent issues if there’s enough meat on this rib to enjoy or if it’s going to be just another great portfolio piece for Granov. I’m not skeptical with my grade so much as I am just patient for what’s to come. |
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Gavin: This was my first Hex comic in a while, but the beauty is that you can pick up just about any issue and go from there. This issue deals with Hex hunting down a mysterious man in a red mask that has been robbing a town dry. The identity of the masked man is more obvious than a Scooby Doo rerun, but that’s not what this is about. This is about various parties trying to prove who is the smartest by attempting to screw each other over. Of course, there’s a lesson to be learned in this little adventure: even if you are smarter than Jonah Hex, telling him that makes you an idiot. Paulo Siqueira’s pencils and Amilton Santos’ inks do a beautiful number. This is definitely one of the better issues of the series I’ve read. |
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Ernie: I thought by the end of this series I would have walked away with a satisfying slice of Logan’s past. I don’t know if I got that. This three issue jaunt down memory lane seemed almost like an exercise to work the Hiroshima bombing into Wolverine’s past rather than a real reason as to why he was in Japan in this moment of time. I think Vaughan captured Logan’s voice, and Risso defined a great new visual take on him, but perhaps his relationship with the villain just wasn’t as compelling as his relationship with Atsuko. Call me crazy but I think I’d rather see a whole story on just him and Atsuko, or perhaps I’m just professing my love of Japanese films about life, but I was often distracted at the conflicts with Lieutenant Warren. I’m overall underwhelmed by the series as a whole, but glad to have some new black and white art by Risso. |
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Samantha: I’m torn on this one. Fury’s little gang of caterpillars seem fun and likable enough (much more so than say, the Teen Titans, which is sad.) But more than one aspect of the story stretches my imagination to its breaking point. In the first place, all of the kids get their powers through heredity, yet no one but Fury knew about them? That makes the Initiative seem even lamer than before. Also, powers of a god or not, one of the kids is ten years old, and despite how otherwise enjoyable he might have been, that one sticking point is enough to make me roll my eyes. The issue itself was hard to judge, as it was mostly just filler. But I did like the characters and wanted them to succeed. And possibly go beat down the Teen Titans. |
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Gavin: Once again, Bendis gives us a neat background issue for Secret Invasion, but at the cost of what Mighty Avengers is about. I mean, granted, this one has Ares in it for a couple panels, but could it have killed Bendis to have made these past couple issues into a double-sized annual or special of some sort? We should be getting scenes of Sentry punching a hole in a giant robot walrus or something instead. Anyway, past that it’s a pretty cool introduction to Nick Fury’s new crew. We get enough personality from each member, though one slips through the cracks when it comes to explaining where he comes from and what he does. It adds to several mysteries, including one that lends itself to the X-Men side of the world. But like I said, I’m not really interested in reading this comic for the sea of new blood. I want Ares decapitating an evil Santa Claus with Doc Ock metal arms. Also, I have to say this just so I can get it off my chest: Ghost Rider wasn’t even supposed to be here today. |
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Gabe: As a reader who just got into Marvel comics through Civil War, I don’t know much about Nick Fury’s history in the mainstream Marvel universe. This short arc is a good introduction to the character and what he’s capable of. Fury continues to prepare for the inevitable conflict with the Skrulls by assembling a team of “caterpillars:” superpowered adolescents and young adults (though judging by Maleev’s artwork on some of the new characters, you’d be hard pressed to tell) that neither SHIELD nor any government has a record on. Bendis has done a great job creating interesting characters right off the bat. I hope we get more time with Fury’s team before they explode onto the pages of Secret Invasion. There was one misstep, in my opinion: the way Ares interacts with his son is very different from the original Ares miniseries. Oeming made Ares a loving, sensitive father to contrast with his godly persona. Here, Areas acts like he does when he’s fighting Ultron. I hope the trend doesn’t continue, but I’m willing to give Bendis a pass on this considering the current atmosphere in the Marvel U. Maleev knocks the book out of the park, as usual. |
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Ernie: There’s a bit of comic magic that occurs when this team of creators collaborates on something. For years it was Daredevil, and they reunite to expose what Nick Fury’s been up to in his absence from the Marvel Universe. This issue features absolutely no Avengers activity, just Fury playing Cerebro and finding the youngest bunch of super-powered punks on the planet, and who will inevitably become major players in the Secret Invasion. It’s a formulaic type of story, but it’s a formula that always seems to work. After all of this Secret Invasion stuff is done, I would hope Marvel has plans for a Bendis-scribed Nick Fury title because he knows how to write him well, heck, attach Maleev and Hollingsworth while you’re at it. C’mon Marvel, this is a monthly I want to see! If anyone else feels the same, let’s hear you! As for Mighty Avengers, ever since Secret Invasion started, all of the Avengers titles have stepped it up to the point where I feel I am going to miss something if I don’t pick them up–so this is an easy recommendation from me. |
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Samantha: Every month I open up Nightwing expecting that Tomasi will slip up and this issue won’t be as wonderful as the month that came before. I don’t really have a reason to believe this about Tomasi, but I consider it Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder from the first 124 issues of the Nightwing title, which were frankly all crap. But this was yet another month in which I wasn’t disappointed. Everything, from the fast paced action the interactions with Deb to the confrontation with Talia was perfect, and excellently characterized. Two very significant things stick out in this issue. One, the sheer confidence with which Nightwing moves in every panel - as it should be for the man who led the Titans since he was a kid. Sorry, Devin, but this is how the boy should behave. Not moping in the shadow of the Bat. Also, it is very obvious from the fun that Dick is having with the new girlfriend that if DiDio did nothing else right, the man needs a medal for keeping Dick and Babs apart. Dick is relaxed and happy with Deb in a way he never was with the woman he supposedly wanted to marry. I’m fond of them together, and I’m fond of Deb in her sheer non-Battiness. I hope she sticks around for a while. |
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Gavin: Fraction understands that there is more to tossing Frank Castle into the 616 world than just having him fight supervillains and evade Daredevil. It’s the little things, like tossing in a pair of jet boots into a chase sequence. Also, Fraction isn’t afraid to make Frank more likable than the grizzled monster from Ennis’ MAX series. A good chunk of the issue involves Frank going through a social routine, meeting up with people who he’ll respond to with more than an annoyed grunt. It may not be the best use of comic space, but considering how sparingly Frank has been used in the past few issues, it’s a welcome sight. The Jigsaw plot comes into effect and while the media and government are shown to be made of short bus passengers in their reactions, it’s par for the course. Jigsaw himself finally acts despicable in this storyline, at least in the way that shows him as a worse human being than Frank. And good going for Fraction introducing a new character to the main cast who has found a way to counter Chaykin’s face-drawing. Hell, Chaykin’s stuff has been fairly easy to handle for most of this run. |
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Samantha: Honestly, this is the first issue out of any of the overwrought New Avengers-Mighty Avengers conflicts where I actually felt sympathy for characters on both sides of the conflict. Also in the issue’s favor, Clint’s reunion was also extremely well done. Very touching, as it should be given the history between the two characters. On the other hand, the material between Iron Man and Ms. Marvel was pretty unimpressive. Carol acted as though this was her first day as a superhero, and Tony is apparently going to build a shiny new costume to be next issue’s plot device. Yawn. All in all, not a complete waste of time, but far from the highlight of my week. |
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Gabe: A lot of people are going to complain that nothing happened in this issue, and a lot of people are wrong. While the rapid-fire shocking plot reveals of the first issue made for a great opening chapter, there was no reasonable way to keep that up while telling a complete story. In this issue, Bendis takes a moment to examine (through a beautifully illustrated fight scene – no talking heads here!… well, ok, a few talking heads) the characters’ perspectives on the situation. It serves as a great introduction to the current Avengers rosters for new readers, as we get a notecard-version of their personalities without bogging down the pace of the comic. Bendis also sets up a number of future plot threads to tantalize the reader: What exactly is Iron Man up to? What is the motive behind the Skrulls’ latest moves? What’s going to happen with the Sentry? Just how much more awesome can Yu’s artwork get?? I’d imagine it can’t get much better because it is already pretty fucking amazing. Ingredients: Leinel Yu, just add inker! |
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Ernie: I’m prepared to eat some crow because I was one of the ones who really was not excited about Secret Invasion. Tired from all of the major crossovers, I was apathetic to pick this up and two issues in, I’m glad I’m not left behind on all this. The sheer size of this story and the possibilities of who is and who isn’t a Skrull has the fanboy in me itching to release. So to have the Avengers, already split in half against each other, and Skrull counterparts facing them, we’ve got a knuckle-to-knuckle brawl in the Savage Land. Good superhero writing and Yu continues to be one of great talents born out of Marvel’s late 90’s talent search. Not as juicy as the first issue, but the gears in the head keep turning on the magnitude of the series. Will this fix everything by the end? by the holidays, we’ll find out, but the hope that some of the Marvel convolution and rash decisions made over the years have been all part of the Skrull master plan schemed up from scraps of the original Kree-Skrull War and Secret War? Well it’s damn genius. In any major event there are must-haves and must-have-nots. More must-haves are the recipe for a crossover event that leaves a good taste, and will place Secret Invasion on the bookshelf or in the garbage. |
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David U.: This is rapidly becoming one of my favorite DCU books, because it takes the spirit of Jeph Loeb’s take on Supergirl - confused, somewhat naive, angry, more adolescent and rebellious - and plays with youthful idealism instead of nihilism, which makes for a much more interesting and sympathetic character. This current arc, where Supergirl is trying to save a young boy’s cancer, is smartly written not only in how it deals with the totality of the DCU attempting to find an answer but also with regards to Kara’s reasoning for this Promethean task that significantly unsettles her mentors and compatriots. It’s complicated, it’s smart, it’s got characters coming into logical conflict from opposing but still valid viewpoints - I really hope it sticks around to realize its potential. |
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Gavin: It’s a radical way to do comics, but I rather enjoy the way Thunderbolts is currently handled. Ellis writes his arcs and gets them out every two months because that’s his usual speed while Gage fills in the gaps with one-shots that work as character spotlights. He does a great job with it, especially in this month’s issue, starring two Spider-Man villains (well, more like three) in a comic that doesn’t even mention the webslinger. In this story about Venom being asked by other villain regulars to turn on the Thunderbolts and join them, we’re given two things that we never get a chance to see in Ellis’ run nor any of the special Thunderbolts appearances in other comics. For one, Venom actually gets time to shine. Other comics just show him off for the sake of sales and then relegate him to the background. Even Avengers/Invaders just has him say something badass about God and tosses him aside in a comic where he’s fighting his top nemesis. The other is that Norman Osborn gets to actually be something more than a crazy guy behind a desk. It’s awesome. When the post-Civil War Thunderbolts roster was announced, this was exactly the kind of comic I was hoping for. |
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