The Best and The Rest of Last Week

I had become jaded by event comics but War of Kings was a pleasant change of pace from Marvel and then Blackest Night just set the bar for how to do an event comic right. This does not mean I will be signing up for event after event, but it does mean that I can at least try out an event without having a bad vibe about it going in.

BEST

Blackest Night #8 – Writer Geoff Johns, Pencils Ivan Reis, Inks Oclair Albert and Joe Prado, Colors Alex Sinclair. - In my initial review I wanted to avoid talking about who is back and who is not so be aware if you have not read Blackest Night #8 yet, there are some SPOILERS ahead. Of course I did not reinvent the wheel, so some of this will be a repeat of Wednesday’s post.

What a great comic book. This is when super hero comic books are at their best. Johns and Reis hit a grand slam with this book and especially with this ending. It did not re-set the entire DCU, but the repercussions of what has occurred will reverberate throughout the DCU for years to come. Blackest Night is that rarest of rare creatures, an event series that was good from beginning to end and it had things that happened that will have an actual impact on the DCU and yet did not force itself into every other series or cause disruption to any other series.

The battle has a great ebb and flows and as the heroes finally win the day and Nekron is severed from his connection to the real world. The white light returns quite a few heroes and villains to life. Some of my favorite was seeing Maxwell Lord, Jade, Martian Manhunter and Deadman be returned to life. The story possibilities that these open up are tremendous and I was shocked that Boston Brand is now alive as it “kills” the character who I have always loved. I hope these threads and storylines are explored sooner rather than later. DC has a history lately of throwing at some great ideas and often taking forever to follow up on them. The epilogue was well done as we see Hal and Barry at a graveyard and Hal states that dead is dead from now on. One could only hope, but I have a feeling as much as Geoff Johns would like that to be true it only lasts as long as editorial allows that to last.

As great as the story and this series has been, it would never had been as good without Ivan Reis, Oclair Albert, Joe Prado and Alex Sinclair, Ivan on pencils, Albert and Prado on inks and Sinclair on colors. These guys did the job and then some. The art was breathtaking in scope and an amazing ability to handle the huge battle scenes as well as the quite moments.

Comics work best on an emotional level for me and this one hit the right notes. It felt heroic, it felt like good versus bad, life versus death, hope versus depression and it made me feel like the best is yet to come.

Madame Xanadu #21 – Writer Matt Wagner, Pencils Amy Reeder Hadley, Inks Richard Friend, Colors Guy Major. This series continues to be a high quality book. Every issue drawn by Amy Hadley just makes the book perfect. This issue we get back to the main story that is happening in the fifties as Morgana has returned and Madame Xanadu is trying to figure out what Morgana is doing and how to stop it. This is a Vertigo title but Matt Wagner has kept Nimue firmly in the regular DCU and this issue we have John Jones (the Martian Manhunter) as a guest star helping Nimue in her quest to stop Morgana. Jones never lets on that is anything other than a super powered human. This book has a great story, great art and is one of the best books on the stands. This issue also brought to light again what a great character the Martian Manhunter could be if done like a straight Detective set back in the fifties. The character would be a great noir type character and there are so many themes to play with that the series is just screaming to be done, maybe as a Vertigo titles set in the DCU like this book.

Other Books of Note

Cowboy Ninja Viking #5 – I thought last issue wrapped things up, but this issue felt more like the ending of the first chapter. I really have enjoyed this series and look forward to more, but I will also confess that I have gotten a little lost in trying to keep up with whom is who due to the fast paced and furious actions and the fact that many people are three characters. I’m getting the trade so I can re-read this arc.

Fantastic Four #577 – Nothing happened that required the FF at all. Hickman has some great ideas and concepts, but I often feel he is writing for one big reveal panel at the end of his story. That barely worked with Pax Romana and I’m worried he has forgotten about making the FF super heroes as well as explorers.

GI Joe Cobra II #3 – This issue we get to see Chuckles moving forward with his plan and no matter what Chameleon says he is going to try and bring down Cobra. Obviously Chuckles can never win this war, but I can enjoy the battles. I also can enjoy the characterization of Chuckles as we see he has pulled away from the Joes and has gone rogue, but he is still a good guy.

JLA #43 – DC needs to stop producing this book. It is obviously being crushed by editorial mandates as rosters are announced and disbanded with more regularity then most people change their socks. DC was heavily promoting the new line-up and over three quarters of the group are already gone. Between Blackest Night, Rise and Fall and other imperatives in the DCU the JLA becomes a cesspool for any writer trying to start up a story. Either let the writer have a group he can use for a couple of years by having second tier heroes carry the book or stop worrying about the continuity as what happens in the JLA can be its own thing or just drop the book until things are settled enough to give a writer a chance to do something that matters with the group. This was almost a worse book but I think Robinson and Bagley are making the best of a bad situation.

Justice Society of America #37 – I’m enjoying this story, but I can’t help but to be tired of using the whole Nazi thing. I know the JSA has ties to WWII, but enough is enough.

Realm of Kings Inhumans #5 (of 5) – This was so well done that I could have easily enjoyed this as an unlimited series. Medusa has changed and not for the better and you have to wonder how this will all play out as she tries to rule an Empire.

Sword #23 – Next issue we get to the end and the twist ending with this issue was well done. Of course we had been set-up by a lie told in the story, but those conventions are hard to avoid in telling certain stories. Regardless, the surprise ending was effective and has me looking forward to the end of the story. The Luna brother’s art continues to wear on me and this book could look much better with a solid pencil artist.

X-Men Second Coming #1 – The longer you stay away the harder it is to come back into a series, especially one like the X-Men. Still this was done well enough that I will continue to follow it for a few chapters. I hope Hope can fix the extinction problem as that issue has been going on long enough and the whining about it has to stop. Especially when they say stuff like having only 181 is not enough to continue the race. Since most of the X-Men were born of human parents when did it become an imperative to only interbreed amongst themselves? Logic flaws aside, I’m going to jump into to the Second Coming for a few more chapters and see if I can become an X-fan again.

It is hard to complain about a week that had Blackest Night #8 in it. I’m happy to hear that Brightest Day and JLI Generation Lost are both going to be following up on all that has happened with Blackest Night. DC has often failed to capitalize on some great story ideas over the last few years.

The Best and The Rest March 30

I have to avoid the political rant on this column as then we get mired in that discussion and not about last week's books. Of course very few people comment, which is at times disappointing since I know based on hits that we do have readers out there. I'm always interested to hear what other's have to say.

BEST

Power Girl #10 – Writer Jimmy Palmiotti& Justin Gray, Art Amanda Conner, Colors Paul Mounts. – I almost have tears in my eyes knowing that this creative team is only on the book for two more issues. I will give the new team a chance, but damn if this is not one of the best books on the stands. I hope DC collects this 12 issue run in a hard cover so I can add it to my collection. From the cover of this book until the final page you are just flat out entertained. The book has humor, characterization, action and builds masterfully on what has come before. The art work is not your standard more photo realistic super hero fare, but is masterfully designed, laid out and rich in its detail and has great ability to convey emotion. This book could be a course in how to do comic books rights. This issue we see Power Girl be saved by Terra from Satanna, we have the kid who is black mailing Power Girl with his photos of her, we see Kara at work, we see her pay off the kid by taking him to a comic store and the great reveal that Terra is not Terra and in fact the Ultra-Humanite has taken over Terra's body. The story and art go hand in hand mixing drama, comedy with big and little moments with equal aplomb.

Nemesis #1 (of 4) - Writer Mark Millar, Art Steve McNiven, Colors Dave McCaig. This book delivers the goods as a fast paced, slam bang, over the top action pack story that grabs hold of you and then never lets you go. Say what you will about Millar but the man has his finger directly on the pulse of a segment of the market that loves the big wow moments and could care about whether or not there is a coherent plot. I'm a harsh critic of Mr. Millar but I have to hand it to him that in the midst of Blackest Night and Siege he manages to have a book that has to be the number one book for the week. No the actual events themselves are not out this week, but of all the books that hit the shelves this week, this was the one I wanted to read first and I bet it is the same for many comic fans. Whether it is morbid curiosity or anticipation if you are a fan, this is the book you need to have read this week to be part of the comic scene. Also remember while Marvel publishes the book and allows the book to use their distribution channel this is for all intents and purposes a self published book. Millar knows how to promote himself which is hugely important in this type of market. Of course having Steve McNiven on the art side doesn't hurt this book at all, as every page looks great and all the action is shown in graphic and gory detail. Steve captures the big moments and conveys the subtle moments with equal aplomb. While I sometimes miss his older style from the Crossgen days I get that this super hero style sells and this book is some of Steve's best work ever. I hope both Mark and Steve make a ton of money selling this to the movies because it makes sense if someone else uses their ideas to make a big time movie that the people who had the idea reap the rewards. See my full review here.

Scalped #36 – Writer Jason Aaron, Artist Davide Furno, Colors Giulia Brusco. Jason takes a bit character Shunka and breaths some depth of character into him. In some ways making Red Crow's tough brute of a character gay has almost become a cliché within the entertainment medium, but still that was just one element of the entire story. Not only did we get a glimpse into the world of being gay for a Native American, we got a glimpse inside of the heart and soul of a background character that has been in the book for quite some time. Shunka was about to walk away from the killing of another gay Native American but had the cab driver stop as he is going to return to the town that killed him. Next issue looks like a typical revenge fantasy, but Jason usually does more than expected in Scalped. What I enjoy is how Jason takes the various players in this drama and makes them three dimensional. This makes the main story line have more of an impact because you have come to know almost every player in this drama. Artist Davide Furno has been my least favorite fill in artist on this book, but his ability has seemed to take a step forward with this job and he is becoming a capable fill in artist for this series. Of course it doesn't hurt that colorist Giulia Brusco is helping.

Worst

Uncanny X-Men #522 – Okay Kitty Pryde is back, but she can't become solid and they put her in some sort of hyperbolic chamber. She was bought back by Magneto who used his power across light years, read that again light years and then he collapses and the medical staff has him on a table trying to help him. I wanted to try and get back into the X-Men but this type of crap just stops me at the front door. We want Kitty back, okay you have her, but not really as she can't talk and is permanently in a phantom like state. Then the method to bring her back is such a ridiculous extreme use of Magneto's powers that I can't even believe it in a comic book. You want to bring back an old fan give me something I want and at least make it plausible in comic book terms. Certain writers in comics today think anything goes because it is a comic. Cyclops eye blast are not only destructive but when he wishes they can heal, he just never knew it before Emma unlock the part of his brain that was still afraid of his power, the Beast can actually transform to his human form now as the mutation has continued to progress, Bobby can actually become ice and reform if broken, no matter what it is, it is okay because it is just a comic. This destroys any internal logic and instead of making comics fun it disrespects what has been established and what has gone before. Of course this allows writers to pull any damn rabbit out of a hat to fix a problem. In this case Magneto can reach across light years to bring back the missile and X-scientist can hypnotize satellites around the world. The problem with that method is now nothing matters and no internal logic exists and I can never even try and figure out anything when a solution is pulled out of the writer's a**.

Other Books of Note

FVZA #3 (of 3) – I really enjoyed this story and thought David Hine did an outstanding job with the whole concept. I loved the cross and double cross at the end. I hope we get to see more of the FVZA in the future and more of Landra.

Green Lantern #52 – This was a good lead up to next week's Blackest Night #8. Johns has really crafted a great story and I have enjoyed the entire event so far, one book to go.

Justice League The Rise of Arsenal #1 (of 4) – A lot of re-hashing of what I had read in the Rise and Fall Special and even in GA, but all done from Roy's perspective so it give it enough of a difference to be good. A nice start and I'm curious to see where this goes I rooting for Roy to come out of this as the new Green Arrow.

The worst category made an unhappy return this week. I think the X-Men should be so much better then what it is that it just stirs the passion in me. The characters even after almost 50 years still have potential in them but it seems mired in the role of being the outlaw hero type ideal. The other category got short shrift as only a few books made me feel like commenting. Often middle chapters in strong series don't need a comment and some weak books don't need to be raked over the coals for the heck of it.

The Best and The Rest March 23

I have to do a little political rant, I’m very sad about the passage of the Health Care Reform bill. Not that we don’t need reform, but what was passed pushes us into the social democracy models of Europe and is a vast change from what our country is today. It will not do what is advertised and is more about changing the country then actual healthcare reform. Remember the Patriot Act was very unpatriotic. It is not saying Shazam type of change, but it changes us into a more socialist state and that change will end up transforming the country for the worst. The only thing going for us is we are already bankrupt so this should force the process a little faster to driving us over the brink. Remember no great civilization thought they were failing, I fear this signals the beginning of the end of the USA as we know it. We will not truly know what we have lost until it is too late. I fear I leave my children with less than my parents have left me.

BEST

American Vampire #1 – Writer/Creator Scott Snyder, Writer Stephen King, Artist Rafael Albuquerque, Colors Dave McCaig. I loved this book and I have to say that I liked the first half of the book by Scott a little better then the back half by Steve (I heard he likes to be called Steve). The only reason I liked Scott’s side better is because you fall in love with Pearl, you don’t fall in love with Skinner. First off I want to mention the artwork by Rafael and the coloring work of Dave McCaig. Rafael achieved a few things with his work on this book. First off I believe his work has moved up another notch. It was obvious from his work on Blue Beetle that story telling and layouts were already part of his skill set. As time progressed on that book you could see the actual art itself improving. Not that he was ever a poor artist just that he got stronger and more consistent. I thought his work was a little more on the lighter side for the super hero work and was questioning the choice of him on this type of story. I shouldn’t have, his work was outstanding. He has very distinct characters and every person in the book looked unique. I have to think he spent a lot of time on character design and it shows. I have already fallen in love with Pearl from the first story and the countless expressions and body language that Rafael portrayed were excellent. Then add into that the second half of the book where he adjusted the style of his art to achieve a different look, but still totally Rafael. I have to read his interview to learn how he achieved the effect, but both halves of the book are Rafael, but the second half has a heavier feel to it and is grittier as befits the time. In this type of job the work of the colorist to carry the tonal feel of each story can’t be understated. Dave did a great job and achieved keeping each story having its own flavor yet being true to being one larger canvas. The first story by Scott Snyder is called “Big Break” and focuses on Pearl a gal who is trying to make it big in Hollywood in 1925. See my full review here.

Echo #20 – By Terry Moore. Comics have fought to become more than just comic books and the name of our magazines being comic books is what makes the general populace in America still look down on us. We have tried graphic novels and other appellations but for me the only term to define the growing crop of well written comics is graphic literature. American Vampire, Locke & Key, Scalped and Echo are all books that are on the forefront of being strong well written stories that are being told in words and pictures. This issue by Terry Moore is another example of a beautifully done chapter of Echo. We start with Annie remembering her first sexual encounter with Dillon, only it is Julie having the memory. We have Julie and Ivy traveling back to get Dillon, and Annie’s papers; along the way we hear Ivy explain herself a little more. I’m marveling at how complex and fully developed Ivy has become from being the bad-a** secret agent type to the soccer Mom to the cool confident woman trying to set things right. We learn that Todd is willing to do anything to protect the secrets of Henri up to and including killing his boy friend in cold blood. We have the villain who has been severely mutilated but strangely still alive make his horrific reappearance as he attacks Julie and Ivy. The story is rich with a decent size cast and various moving plot points but it is so well done that issue by issue you are pulled backed into the story line. I know this story has an ending but I hope with are a few years away from getting there.

Other Books of Note

Avengers vs Atlas #3 (of 4) – I make no bones about my love for Jeff Parker’s Agents of Atlas, but in this mini-series about time travel and such the use of the original Avengers is every bit as well done as the Agents. From the Hulk attacking to trying to figure what is happening to all of them the book is a great read and highly entertaining.

Batman#697 – Tony Daniel as artist and writer has some growing to do and his reach exceeded his grasp as this six part story had way too many moving parts and too big of a cast for his skill set. The funny thing is the ending of the book worked pretty well, but Catgirl, I don’t know about that Tony and how does it fit with Sirens?

Battlefields #4 (of 9) – Firefly Part 1 of 3 – The last Battlefields story had an arc about Sgt. Stiles, who commands a tank during WWII and because Ennis wrote him with a thick Scottish accent (I believe) it was hard to read. Oddly enough I have actually grown fond of it now and this fooking arc of the book looks greet. The German tanks were truly superior to anyone else’s in the field and at times you have to wonder if the German would have been less ambitious if they would not have ended up conquering the world. Battlefields is always a great read and this first chapter starts off the next arc about the tank wars towards the end of WWII in excellent fashion.

Brave and Bold #32 – Another strong story by JMS and fantastic artwork by Jesus Saiz. I’m enjoying this run on Brave and Bold as each issue is a good story. This one had the odd pairing of Aquaman and the Demon and it worked very well. JMS should give a class on how to just tell great stories and be able to do it in one issue. This type of book is great for these “lost tales of the DCU”.

Fade to Black #1 – Not the strongest story I have ever read and the art was south of bad. This was disappointing as I normally enjoy writer Jeff Mariotte’s work, but the art dragged the book down and the story would have to have been superb to keep me getting this mini-series.

Farscape #5 – This book is such a great book. I’m really enjoying seeing the “actual” continuity of this show move forward. John and the rest of the crew continue to grow, but build upon the past. This is the first TV show comic that I have enjoyed so much.

Green Arrow #31 – I liked this issue and thought it was great for someone who skipped the Rise and Fall Special and Cry For Justice as it filled in all the blanks for a regular GA reader. I also enjoyed the confrontation with Connor. What drove me nuts is that the way Ollie escaped Hal, Barry and Dinah was totally different from the book I read last week. Those inconsistencies in what is supposed to be an overall story arc are unforgivable. Also the whole portrayal of Connor has me confused as when I last was paying attention to this character he had been totally changed into a healing factor Wolverine light type of hero who could no longer shoot a bow and arrow. Did I miss something or did DC just ignore a bad change to Connor.

Green Hornet #1 Year One – A nice surprise as I had not planned to get this series, but apparently this is the first Green Hornet and Kevin Smith is writing the current Green Hornet and there is an advertisement for a future Green Hornet as well as some Kato series. Dynamite has jumped in feet first with the Green Hornet and this origin tale by Matt Wagner and Aaron Campbell was very enjoyable and we are just at the beginning. It was a little choppy as we got to actual Green Hornet action but jump around in time as we seen the early years of Britt and Kato.

Green Lantern Corps #46 – Peter Tomasi and Patrick Gleason do great work on this title and this final Blackest Night chapter leading into Blackest Night #8 was no exception. I loved the battles between Ice and Guy and the fight between Kyle and Alex was equally well done. The use of the Tholian Web from Star Trek was very cool as well as the whole battle with the Anti-Monitor. Riotous and fast paced action from cover to cover.

Joe The Barbarian #3 (of 8) – I was a little lost with some of the characters this issue, but the story is very effective. Grant is weaving an excellent story about Joe and his journey to try and save his life. Sean Murphy’s art is outstanding and this book should garner a lot of attention.

Marvel Boy The Uranian #3 (of 3) – It is a shame this series is over as I was enjoying it a lot. I love how Jeff Parker has managed to honor the past of the character and make the retro-con feel like it was the true story all along. The reprints with Bill Everett’s art are a treat also. Bill was an amazing artist.

Siege #3 (of 4) – Note to self, do not read Bendis dialogue on the same evening as reading a book like American Vampire. I’m enjoying the whole Sentry is going crazy, but boy was the dialogue stilted and heavy handed. Also the President was made to sound like a moron and this is from people who appear to love the guy. Also blowing up New Asgard was a WTF moment after JMS’ highly praised and touted run just restarted the whole thing. Was that Marvel’s little farewell present to him? Also Norman wearing some sort of Goblin mask under his helmet was odd. The overall story idea is okay the execution of that plot is often a miss with a few cool scenes thrown in here and there.

I find myself drawn more and more to solid story telling more than art or wow moments. I appreciated great art paired with strong writing, but for me strong writing can carry weak art, but strong art and weak writing is a passing memory soon forgotten after I read it.

The Best and The Rest March 16

I’m not sure why but it always seems like March is a good time for comics. I think it is because it is spring and the promise of the yearly renewal puts me in a better frame of mind. Additionally we are getting tons of news of the plans to come in the rest of the year. When you hear JMS is writing Superman and Wonder Woman you have to think this could be good, so until we actually get an issue of the comic we can be excited about a new creative team at the helm of various books. Once the product hits it has to deliver.

BEST

Daytripper #4 (of 10) - Story and Art Fabio Moon & Gabriel Ba, Colors Dave Stewart. I love this series. Each issue is deceptively simple yet it stirs so many feelings and emotions that it is quite amazing. This issue this story is about Bras as his wife is giving birth to their first child. At the same time as his son is being born his father dies. We see Bras at an interesting point in his life where everything seems to be the best it could be. He has a wife he loves, a new son, has just successfully published his first novel following in his father’s footsteps and then after his father dies he dies of a heart attack tragically at 41. One of the reasons this book works so well for me is that I reflect upon my own life at various points and instead of the story being about Bras it causes personal reflection and the story enriches my own life. I think about the birth of my two daughters many years ago, I think about the great relationship I have with my wife (not my first wife, but my last), I think how lucky I am that my Dad is 90 and still alive and doing well. Bras’ dying at the end of every chapter is now what I expect to happen and whether it is a story gimmick or not what it does for me is to emphasize how fragile life is and that it can end at any moment. I once read that we love something more because of it impermanence. The example used was a real rose versus a silk rose. The real rose has a short time span and we appreciate that more than a silk rose that could last forever. See my full review here.

Batman and Robin #10 – Writer Grant Morrison, Pencils Andy Clarke, Inks Scott Hanna, Colors Alex Sinclair. This book shot right back up to the top of the charts. Grant is having a great run with Batman and I hope he never leaves the book. This issue had so many great story elements that it was incredible. Damian is great in this issue, from being in the Wayne Enterprises boardroom, to giving Dick grief as they look for clues as to Bruce being lost in time. We also get to see some of Damian’s insecurities and the fact that he likes being Robin to Dick’s Batman. A final twist is Talia doing some sort of mind control to have Tim take out Batman. We also have Batman meeting with the mysterious Mr. Sexton who Grant is having us think might be Bruce Wayne in disguise. There is so much going on and it all is playing together so well. DC really needs to start collecting Grant’s run on Batman in deluxe format books of 12 issues each as this material deserves special treatment. A word or two about the art, Andy Clarke is getting better and better and I’m starting to think that DC may have a greater stable of strong super hero artists then Marvel. Add to Andy’s work the top notch Scott Hanna on inks and Alex Sinclair on colors and the book looks as good as it reads. One final thing this book shows that going with pencils and inks still produces a superior quality book. I know with a lot of the digital tools out there that original art is going the way of the Dodo bird, but going straight from pencils to coloring looks cheap (usually) compared to this work.

Other Books of Note

Batgirl #8 & Red Robin #10 – We got two very solid issues of good series from DC. I have them together as this was the beginning of a cross over and the start of Ras As Ghul trying to kill anyone that Bruce Wayne cares about. It feels like all the Bat books are building up to the return of Bruce Wayne. I want Dick to remain as Batman, but I’m curious to see how this is all pulled together.

Criminal #5 – This issue concludes the arc the Sinners. It was a well done series but the ending felt a little contrived as the guy after Tracy shows up to save him and then lets Tracy finish up his business before being taken back to the Army. I get the feeling Brubaker has a Tracy Lawless in the military story in the back of his mind.

Jersey Gods #11 – A great twist to end this issue and set up the finale of the series. I hope that against all odds this book does get a second life down the road somewhere as it deserves a longer life than it has had.

Justice League Rise and Fall Special – I liked this opening chapter. The JLA discover GA has killed Prometheus apparently in cold blood and they try to capture him. Ollie escapes and is apparently going rogue and feels more people need to pay before he stops. Should be a fun ride and this has to change GA’s status in the DCU forever.

Punishermax #5 – I’m enjoying this series, but I was a little disappointed that we created a new version of the Kingpin that is very similar to the old version. Also he is still alive and I hope this is playing into a long story that Jason Aaron has in mind. Finally they introduced the Max version of Bullseye and he still has the stupid target tattoo on his forehead. Using ideas from the Daredevil movie is never a good idea. I’m hoping Jason can give us more than rehashes of people we have seen in the MU before and I hope that we get to see the Punisher take out some of these bad guys.

Rebels #14 – Dox beats Starro the Conqueror and the enslaved worlds and galaxies are freed. This is an under the radar series that is showcasing Tony Bedard’s writing skills and they are considerable as he managed to craft a great 14 issue storyline they held together very well.

Secret Six #19 – Gail is in her element with this book and this was another great issue of what is one of DC’s best ongoing series. I love how Bane has taken over this group and how irate he gets when he finds out they will not listen to him. Ragdoll was great as he stepped up and saved Black Alice this issue. The ending of this issue was also very cool as Catman was told to kill his allies or else his son was going to be put to death.

Superman Last Stand of Krypton #1 (of 3) – Nice to see Superman back in action as opposed to Kal-El. Superman is finally getting in gear and the start of Brianiac’s attack on New Krypton was well done.

The Twelve : Spearhead – This was an excellent one-shot by writer/artist Chris Weston and really maintained the spirit of the maxi-series that has been on hiatus for a long time. It served as a prelude to the original series and has whetted my appetite for the rest of the maxi-series which I guess is coming out later this year. I have read issue #9 is all but complete and now we only await word on issues #10 - #12.

After complaining last week I managed to keep this post to a realistic size. Trying to do a week in review it is almost impossible to keep it under 1,000 words, but somewhere between 1500 and 2000 seems about right.

The Best and The Rest of Last Week's Comics

This was a great way to start the month. I was very impressed with a few books that I was just curious about trying the first issue and now I’m hooked (Nemesis and “N”). I also was pleased with the ending of both Crossed and Cry for Justice. Normally first weeks tend to be not as strong, but I have to say I liked my comics a lot this week.

BEST

First Wave #1 (of 6) - Writer Brian Azzarello, Art Rags Morales, Colors Nei Ruffino. Wow, what a great first issue of this new series. My biggest gripe that this is a mini-series as I already want more than six issues. I was a little worried about Brian Azzarello on this as super heroes are not his strong suit, but none of these guys are super. I was wondering how Rags art would look as the last regular gig he was working on was Nightwing and I thought it was very good but not his absolute best. This book was his absolute best. The story and art were spot on and we are off and racing to what looks to be an exciting adventure. It is only the second book I have read this week and I believe it will win best book. Starting with the art first. I want to go a little deeper into what is making this book be so highly regarded by this reviewer. I have always enjoyed Rags Morales artwork from Black Condor to Hourman, Identity Crisis and other projects. I have felt that at times he shows the world that he is one of the top comic book artists in the business. After Identity Crisis I thought he would be the main go to guy for DC. It didn’t happen and I read different things interfere, but wow this is his best work ever and he has done great work before. No one but Rags should ink Rags and I hope he was given enough lead time to do all six issues as the work is stunning. He is one of those rare artists who have a photo realist style and a fluid style that makes him half Neal Adams and half Alan Davis and yet it is all Rags. His work hits on all cylinders and Azz’s script calls for just about everything in this first issue. See my full review here.

Demo #2 (of 6) – Writer Brian Wood, Art Becky Cloonan. Okay very, very seldom can a book or a comic actually “creep me out”, but this one did. The story is about a person who has an addiction to being only able to eat a certain type of food and he does not turn it into soylent green first. Becky Cloonan absolutely knocked the art out of the park. The story is creepy enough about this guy and his eating problem, but Becky makes it all too damn real. The heavy use of darks and the dilapidated state of his apartment makes the story eerie from the start. The title page sets the tone (as shown here). Then the actual story, we see this guy is a loner at his job, but not apparently someone who people are scared of or anything, he is just someone who keeps to himself at work. Then he asks a girl out to dinner and he tries to eat normal food and that does not go well. In the name of love he attempts to take steps to resolve his problem and enjoys a meal of himself. Finally he gets himself together enough to ask to girl over to his house for dinner and we are left to wonder exactly what is meant by that. The book leaves me with a nasty feeling just typing it. For a comic to deliver that type of an emotional response, especially on a primal level is very rare. I would not want a study stream of this type of reading, but absolutely thought this was a brilliant piece of comic art.

Sweet Tooth #7 – Writer/Artist Jeff Lemire, Colors Jose Villarrubia. This book has been coming out with no delay which is important for this type of series. There is obviously a ton of story to tell and Jeff needs to build the foundation of the series. This issue starts where we left off last issue with Jeppard burying his wife. He feels he has done what he needed to get done and now he puts a gun into his mouth but can’t pull the trigger. It was a powerful scene and was a great way to start the book. From there we get back to Sweet Tooth and start to get glimpses of the lab that he has been left in. The cliff hanger is him being knocked out and taken into the lab. For Jeppard we see him wondering and having flashbacks of him and his wife learning how to survive after the apocalypse. At the end she is telling Jeppard she is pregnant. That leads back to Jeppard getting his wife’s dead body back from the lab and begs the question what happened to his offspring. A strong series that is getting better as it goes along.

Stephen King’s N #1 (of 4) – Writer Marc Guggenheim, Art Alex Maleev. – This is the week for scary books or books that just give you a creepy feeling. This is based on a short story by Stephen King and was originally done as a series of motion comics and then redone as a regular comic. The best part about that is various things were changed to make it into a comic. This is important because Spider-Woman which is also being done as a motion comic has issues with the way it reads at times because I don’t think the same level of care was given to that format switch as I felt this book had done. I never knew this was not a comic book first. The actual story by King is great, the adaptation is well done as is the art. The simple premise; Is a mental illness infectious? If it is, is it a mental illness? I rather not do a story summary because I just want you to read it and enjoy it for yourself. Just don’t read this and Demo back to back too closely as the eerie feeling may last too long.

WORST
The Authority #20 – I have never been a huge fan of the Wildstorm stuff but I was certainly enjoying the post apocalyptic version of the Authority and the Wildcats until this last event. This is a textbook example of the wrong way to do things. Both groups had manageable casts and I was starting to get a handle on the different characters that I did not know that well. The Authority I was most familiar with as I had been following them since Warren Ellis pulled the group together. The Wildcats I had followed on and off and Stormwatch I had followed here and there over the years. I even tried Gen 13 for about a year and enjoyed the odd series Tranquility during its run. All of this is to show I have a decent familiarity with these characters, but I’m not steeped in their histories and have not followed this universe enough to recognize the entire one off characters floating around. So what does Wildstorm do to shake up the status quo they pull every frigging character ever created together, shake them up and left half on Earth and send half off to space and call it Wildcats and The Authority. What I got out of it was confusion, a lack of direction and a cast that makes me long for the days of the Legion of Super Heroes and the simple cast of 25 to 30 characters. I dropped Wildcats and I’m dropping this book now. Maybe the hard core Wildstorm fan loves this, but I now have a book that is not about the group I know as The Authority and I’m not even sure what the purpose behind this book is other then utter confusion.

Other Books I Wanted To Mention

Adventure Comics #8 –This book was a lot of fun for a dyed in the wool Legion fan like me. Plus we got three stories instead of just one. What I like best about the whole set of stories is the Legion story is being moved forward and the Superman story line finally seems to be taking off. The first story was all about the LOSH in the future and featured arguably the most important Legionnaire of all time Brainiac 5. It set up a disaster that is occurring in the 31st Century that has its origins in the 21st Century. It also explains why Brainiac 5 is named after his hated ancestor Brainiac. The second story gives us some background on why a bunch of Legionnaires have been hanging out in the past and what they need Mon-el to do for them. Both stories lead into the Last Stand of New Krypton. The last story is about a Kryptonian who has infiltrated General Lang’s operation. I love stories about undercover agent’s as often the sacrifices they make in order to sell themselves to the enemy or to blend in are the hardest for anyone to do. Eric Trautmann did a brilliant job writing this story and he seems to be a rising star at DC.

Chew #9 – Always a blast, this book is well structured and constantly amazes me with the depth of the story telling.

Cinderella #5 (of 6) – Great ending for this issue! Loved it!

Crossed #9 (of 9) – Depravity and killing and scenes of violence that are horrendous on any scale and yet the ending work very well. Ennis is a funny guy, because just when you think that he has given us a book without any hope at all, he shaves off a small slice of it and lets a glimmer shine through. A really good and “realistic” portrayal of what a post apocalyptic world could be like. This sealed the deal on wanting the hardcover collection of this series.

Jonah Hex #53 – I just hope that DC keeps publishing this book. I love the one and done adventures and the various artists are a blast. Billy Tucci turned in a terrific art job and this was another good adventure with some great twists at the end. Gray and Palmiotto do the best tales of Jonah Hex.

Justice League Cry for Justice #7 (of 7) – This series has been hurt by many, many factors, yet the ending still had some punch to it and I think made its point, only time will tell. The negatives are the obvious editorial interference. It went from an unlimited series, to a mini-series, it had multiple artists to try and get this book finished and this last issue looked like a rushed art job. It changed direction during the course of the series and never really come together as a cohesive whole. The death of Roy (Red Arrow’s) daughter was done poorly as it becomes Green Arrow’s tragedy and Roy was not even present for it. Yet, with all of these flaws and failures the ending as Green Arrow tracks down Prometheus and kills him was a strong statement and within character for Ollie. I liked it because I have always wanted Batman to kill the Joker or any super hero to stop the totally insane and murderous bad guy as opposed to capturing him and letting him kill again. The bad guy killed 90,000 people in Star City alone and killed Ollie’s “grandchild”. In my world and in a world where you look for justice and not enforcing the law, the bad guy needs to die. Now we get to see the repercussions of this play out as no one knows Ollie has crossed that line. If done well this could make the Rise and Fall storyline one well worth reading as the issues it could touch on are seldom addressed in comics.

Nemesis The Imposters #1 (of 4) – Throws you right into the middle of the story and then never lets go. I’m not 100% sure what is going on or why, but the mystery has me intrigued. In fact it has me so hooked that I’m picking up the trade of the prior mini-series about Nemesis that I dropped before it ended because it was so confused. I may have been a little premature in kicking that series to the curb as this opening issue was very good.

Realm of Kings Son of Hulk #2 (of 4) – I’m not sure why but this book has made me want to learn more about this character then what I know now. It has way too many people in it and has way too much going on with people I have no clue who they are, but I’m now curious enough about this “Son of Hulk” to want to get the trade of his own book and follow this series to its conclusion.

Sparta #1 (of 6) – I’m dropping this book and not putting it in the Worst section because it was not a poorly done book, it just did not grab my interest enough to want me to invest another $15 in the story. I understand things have to be set-up in the first issue, but it just never drew me in enough to keep me around. Often I believe some stories are better served being released as an OGN and this maybe one of them. By releasing it as a mini-series I lose interest after one issue and never hang in to get the whole story, which may be good. I’m willing to take a flier on solid talent like Lapham and buy the OGN for $20 rather than hope the story pulls together down the road.

The Sword #22 (of 24) – The battle between Dara and Malia starts up with harsh words and some shocking revelations about Malia and Dara’s Dad. We then have a fight; Malia gets pissed off and tries to kill a bunch of people revealing her true self then flies off. For the most part I have enjoyed this series, but the more I read of the Luna Brothers work the more I realize that the work from both a story structure and art style is very simplistic. Since it only has two more issues I want to follow it to the end, but their next project would have to really have a big wow factor to draw me back into another series from these guys.

Warlord #12 – Nice to see Mike Grell as writer and artist again, but he killed Travis Morgan! That took me by surprise and now his son will carry on as The Warlord. Okay I was testing the waters on this book to see if I could get into the Warlord again and this has me hooked on the story again. I love seeing a second generation of a hero and it makes it more exciting knowing anything can happen.

No matter how I try to rework or shave down this weekly review posts they always end up too long. I guess this column just ends up being what it is, but at least I have avoided ranking every book and commenting on every comic, which could really get insanely long.