Mini-Review Friday

So this was to be a post for Saturday, but Gwen is having Internet problems and should be posting this Saturday. She is coming back - really she is!

This week I did not have time to do any good full blown reviews for Wednesday night so this Friday I wanted to get up some mini-reviews of some books.

Joe The Barbarian #1 (of 8) – This maybe the best book of the week. Grant Morrison and Sean Murphy have a great start to this series. Lately my passion has been turned to just stories. I’m not concerned if it contains the unreal or super power or not, what I find most intrigues me are good stories. Joe the Barbarian was one hell of a bargain for $1. In this issue we meet Joe who is a young man in high school who does not fit in with the rest of the crowd. He is a loner, his father died in a war, he is somewhat nerdish, he is picked on by the school bullies, he is an artist, he is often lost in a fantasy world and he is diabetic. This issue we see him taken to school by his Mom, go on a field trip, get picked on by the school thugs, has a girl who wants to befriend him, go home and look in on his pet rat and appears to be falling into a diabetic coma and falling in and out of a world where all his toys and action figures are alive and in danger. Is it a diabetic coma fantasy or is it “real”? Time will tell us, but I want to come back and see. I was not like Joe, but I can feel for Joe from page one and by the end of the story I’m hoping Joe is not dying and I also want to know what danger are the toys running from. Part Fables, part Stuff of Legend, part Essex County, all Grant Morrison telling a simply captivating tale of a young man and inviting us into this moment of his life. Sean Murphy’s art is stunning. He has a realistic style, but a wonderful sense of story telling. His panel layouts are innovative, yet clean and simple to follow. Joe’s house and room of toys is a wonder to behold filled with details that make you linger over each page. His ability to convey emotions is excellent. This is a perfect marriage of words and images and looks to be another hit from Vertigo and one of Grant’s best stories.

Green Lantern Corps #44 – The planet lantern Mogo shows up at OA and saves the day. Mogo purges the Black Lantern’s from OA and manages to destroy them by absorbing them into his core and will burn them for all eternity. Apparently the Guardians had given Mogo a Primacy Directive in case of such a dire emergency. Unfortunately Guy is still consumed by the red ring and Kyle and company are going to try and save him before Guy kills them. This book has great writing and great art, one of DC’s best series.

Cowboy Ninja Viking #3 – Remember how I said that I more attracted to great stories lately, well this is an exception to that generality. CNV is a story that I’m not worried about following all the details with it because it is a convoluted crazy mess, but boy is this book fun. I mean with AJ’s dialogue; such as Duncan saying “and yes after shootin’ baddies, I like getting’ my dingle dangled”, well who doesn’t. Add into that we have more triplets introduced and the tragedy of San Cristobal will apparently be revealed next issue. The artwork is amazing as Riley uses the full canvas of the Golden Age format to it best purpose. The action is unbelievable, the art is great and the dialogue and characters are outrageous good fun. I’m sure there is a plot in here somewhere, but I’m not sitting here reading this book pondering some small plot point I just strap on my seatbelt and hit the gas and let AJ Lieberman and Riley Rossmo give me a thrill ride on their crazy highway.

Come back Tuesday and see if any of these books made the final cut.

Marvel Preview Review for March Part 2 of 2

Continued from yesterday...

HERCULES: FALL OF AN AVENGER #1 (of 2)

(W) Greg Pak & Fred Van Lente (A&C) Ariel Olivetti
Agents of Atlas Back-up by Jeff Parker & Reilly Brown
When the most beloved Olympian of all time falls, who will mourn him? Acclaimed INCREDIBLE HULK artist Ariel Olivetti joins writers Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente for a two-part mini-epic that marks the end of an era and the beginning of something utterly unexpected for Hercules, the Lion of Olympus. Bring your hankies -- and your golden adamantine maces -- as an all-star cast including Thor, Namor, Namora, Snowbird, Alflyse, Bruce Banner, and of course, Amadeus Cho send off the Son of Zeus with shocking tales, smash-tastic action, bawdy tomfoolery, and heart-rending drama that will change the course of Marvel's marvelous mythological milieu... forever! Plus: There are some missions that require a woman's touch- so the rest of the Agents of Atlas hang back and let Venus and Namora go out and show their stuff! 40 PGS …$3.99

Jim: Not buying the death of Hercules. What I am buying is this should be a good read and is probably leading up to a re-launch and giving Hercules a #1 issue.
Lee: It’s all pointless hype but I agree that it should be good. But, I have to ask why this wasn’t in the regular series! It’s becoming ridiculous that more and more stories are being told in one-shots and separate mini series. There was a time when you could collect one title and actually get the entire story.

IRON MAN 1.5 #1 (of 3)

(W) Joe Casey (A) Barry Kitson (C) Brandon Peterson
An all-new adventure set in the movie world of IRON MAN and IRON MAN 2!When Tony Stark announced "I am Iron Man" at the end of the blockbuster Hollywood mega-smash, his life changed forever. When IRON MAN 2 opens, it's months later and the world is totally different. What happened during that time? How did Tony Stark put a new chapter in the history books? And how did Iron Man break and rewrite all the rules? Find out in this OFFICIAL in-movie-continuity story! 32 PGS …$2.99

Jim: Two points. First, why has Barry Kitson almost faded away after coming over to Marvel. Second, in-movie continuity story – really? Really? Maybe this can be handed out at movies to give people a sample of a regular comic book.
Lee: Gotta love movie season! But giving away free comic books at the theatres isn’t a bad idea.

LOCKJAW AND THE PET AVENGERS UNLEASHED #1 (of 4)

(W) Chris Eliopoulos (P&C) Ig Guara & Chris Sotomayor
Once upon a time, in a world of super heroes and villains, there lived a team of animals that saved the universe…and no one knew it. These creatures asked not for fortune or fame, merely to help the humans that pet them. But a new threat to the world has arisen, which only they know of, that could change everything…and kill one of them. 32 PGS …$2.99

Jim: One time is fun, two times is pushing it. With all big companies we have 20 times if the sales numbers hold and we will drive a fun concept and idea into the ground.
Lee: Again, I think you miss the point of these books. They are done enough to be beaten to death! This cannot be compared to Deadpool. It’s a humor title and we all know that humor titles aren’t your favorite. I for one like these series and the limited nature is perfect for me.

THE TWELVE: SPEARHEAD

(W) Chris Weston (C)Paolo Rivera
Europe, 1945: Captain America leads a mission to destroy the Nazis' missile program...and The Phantom Reporter wants in! An untold tale from Marvel's Golden Age featuring the forgotten heroes who would go on to become "The Twelve"!40 PGS./One-Shot …$3.99

Jim: Please let this be a prelude to the Twelve finally finishing. I really want to see the last four issues of that story. If JMS never finishes this story it will break my heart, but Squadron Supreme was left in mid story also.
Lee: This is just a depressing preview because I don’t think the story will ever be done. Notice that Weston is writing this? Yep, it official, JMS has moved on and we’re never getting an ending which is too bad.

BREAKING INTO COMICS THE MARVEL WAY! #1 & 2 (of 2)
(W) C.B. Cebulski With Brian Michael Bendis, Chris Yost, Marc Guggenheim, Stuart Moore, Mike Benson, Kathryn Immonen, Peter David, Jonathan Hickman, Mike Carey, Simon Spurrier, Kevin Grevioux & Frank Tieri
(A) Michele Bertilorenzi, Paul Davidson, Serena Ficca, Damion Hendricks, Christian Nauck, Joe Suitor, Tomasso Bennato, Thomas Labourot, Matteo Scalera, Stephen Thompson, Shaun Turnbull & Gabriel Hernandez Walta
(C) issue #1 by Matteo De Longis (C)issue #2 by Lost Fish
Want to know what it takes to break into Marvel Comics like these guys? Then look no further than this two-part book which is a must-have for anyone wanting to be a Comic Book Breakout Star! After traveling the globe and meeting scores of talented illustrators, intrepid writer, editor and talent manager C.B. Cebulski is giving twelve rising star artists the opportunity to do their breakout work at Marvel Comics! But not only will BREAKING INTO COMICS THE MARVEL WAY showcase the work of these up-and-comers, C.B. will also provide an insider’s commentary on how these artists got their work seen and what it was that landed them the gig. And with step-by-step submission information and a sample Marvel Comics script, these books are MUST HAVES for anyone interested in doing their breakout work and breaking into the comics industry!56 PGS …$3.99

Jim: Shhh…It’s a secret there is no “Marvel Way” anymore. Basically Marvel and DC recruit you from the minor leagues (Hickman and Remender) or you have a friend who brings you over from another industry.
Lee: I agree there isn’t a “Marvel Way” anymore but this is still a good book. Anything that helps people figure out how to get into the system is a good thing. I doubt it’s super insightful but it’s nice that Marvel tries to reach out to fans.

Jim: You meant reach into the fans. Reach into their pockets.

X-MEN: SECOND COMING

(W) Christopher Yost & Craig Kyle(A) David Finch(C)Adi Granov
The climax of four years of X-Men stories is the X-Event of 2010! What started in HOUSE OF M with the Decimation of mutantkind and erupted with the first new mutant birth in MESSIAH COMPLEX finishes here. In the epic crossover SECOND COMING, Cyclops’ faith pays off when Cable returns to the present with Hope, the girl he believes to be the mutant messiah. But will she be the savior or destroyer of mutantkind? We may never know, as she is the target of an initiative for mutant eradication unlike anything they X-Men have ever experienced. Many will be wounded. Several will die. Is Hope worth it? 48 PGS…$3.99

Jim: One day I hope Marvel finds a way to revamp the x-verse and it allows me to get back into it, as I enjoyed that material a lot when I was younger. This does not look like it will be it.
Lee: Yep, I stopped reading the X-verse years ago too. But, I’m not sure I’ll ever return. It just doesn’t hold the same thrill anymore.

MILLAR & MCNIVEN'S NEMESIS #1

(W) Mark Millar (A&C) Steve Mcniven
Civil War? Nothing. Kick-Ass? A warmup. What if the smartest, toughest costumed bad ass in the world was totally evil? Meet Nemesis. He’s systematically been destroying the lives of every police chief in Asia, and he’s now set his sights on Washington, DC. Between you and me, the police don’t have a chance. Do not miss the book that EVERYONE will be talking about by the creative team that made CIVIL WAR the biggest book of the decade. 32 PGS …$2.99

Jim: This has apparently been delayed over some issue regarding possible copyright things with the naming of stuff. I’m not a big Millar fan, but I will check out issue #1.
Lee: Millar's been on a roll lately with commercially successful books between Civil War, Old Man Logan, and Kick Ass so I'm sure this will be too. Now the merits of each story can be debated but no matter what we thought they were all huge hits.

PUNISHER NOIR PREMIERE HC

(W) Frank Tieri (P) Paul Azaceta (C) Dennis Calero
It’s the Roaring Twenties and mobster Dutch Schultz's iron-fisted reign is about to meet its greatest challenge. But will the greatest threat to his criminal empire come from Thomas Dewey and the government? Will it come from fellow mobsters like Lucky Luciano or Al Capone? No, it'll come in the form of a man sporting a familiar skull symbol and a gun in his hand. Because once the Punisher hits the scene, the mean streets are about to get a whole lot meaner. Collecting PUNISHER NOIR #1-4.112 PGS…$19.99
Jim: I have been very negative on Marvel this month (and others) but as the number one company I expect them to treat fans better and they have taken the tack of ripping off the fans as often as possible. Another example is Marvel used to produce some great hard cover collections of new stuff in 12 issue chunks and sell them for $30, $6 less then getting the monthly issues. Now we get 4 issue mini-series with just 22 pages for $4 a crack and the hard cover cost $4 more then the mini-series cost as single issues.
Lee: Hardcovers now cost more than the single issues??? I can’t believe I missed that. I was watching hc pricing for awhile then stopped looking so it’s my fault but still. This will definitely cut into the number of hc's that I buy.

Jim: Marvel has a lot of work to do in my opinion to get me back to being more of a Marvel fan. I’m still enjoying Hercules, Realm of Kings and some solo books, but the rest of the stuff needs to get a little better.
Lee: Well, you and I are in the minority when it comes to Marvel fans. Marvel still commands a huge market share and can force whatever drivel they want down our little fanboy throats. Adn they do.

Marvel Preview Review for March Part 1 of 2

Jim: Lee was having a hard time getting into the Marvel books this month so I took the lead to pick out some titles. There is sameness with the super hero stuff and after awhile it becomes very predictable as I’m sure some of our commentary… maybe.
Lee: The problem isn’t the sameness to the stories, well only partially, it’s the interconnected-ness (is that a word?) of the Marvel Universe. Everything is in the latest super-stupendous event. If you started the event then this is just a future teaser. If you aren’t reading the event then Marvel literally offers you nothing.

SIEGE #3 (of 4)

(W) BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS (A&C) OLIVIER COIPEL
In the halls of Asgard and on the streets of small town America the entire Universe is gripped in a the greatest battle ever seen: SIEGE!! Lives have been lost! Lines have been drawn! And the battle for Asgard is in full force. The moment for revelations and life-changing moves is here, and for some, this will be the last choice they ever make in this world. What happens next is so epic, so historic, that it changes the entire dynamic of the Marvel Universe. You're gonna want to be there for this one...trust us. 40 PGS …$3.99

Jim: Okay a minor point but the covers of these books constantly show Captain (Steve Rogers) America with his shield. We just had the one shot aftermath called “Who will wield the Shield” making a big deal over Cap giving it to Bucky Cap to carry. I know continuity does not have to be king, but geez at least make it last more then two panels after making a huge deal over it.
Lee: I’m not reading this story so I can’t comment directly but it seems that everyone is getting pretty riled up about the continuity gaffs in Siege. This is one of the problems with tightening up continuity, people want it more and more exact and it’s not that precise.

SIEGE #1 DIRECTOR’S CUT

(W) BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS (A&C) OLIVIER COIPEL
Get a behind the scenes look at Marvel’s premiere event of 2010! Beginning with the ravaging affects of Avengers Disassembled and following the aftermaths of House of M, Civil War and Secret Invasion, culminating with the evil Reign of Norman Osborn, the Marvel Universe has been left with its greatest villains holding more power and control than ever before. On the brink of madness, Osborn, in his final bid to take total control, targets the final obstacle in his mission…Asgard. Events are set in motion forcing our heroes to put aside the deep rifts that have grown over the past seven years. Opposing them stand a horde of evil that has begun to take down the gods of the Golden Realm! SIEGE will rock the foundations of every super hero, villain and team in the Marvel Universe. As an era ends, one word will ring above all others…”SIEGE.” This bonus edition reprints SIEGE #1 in its entirety – plus the SIEGE PROLOGUE, previously available only online, and other choice extras.48 PGS …$4.99

Jim: Marvel’s marketing arm is telling fans, look we got you to pay $4 for the book 2 months ago, now you can pay $5 for almost all the same material and some crap we put online that had no real impact to the story. This crap is ridiculous and insulting to the fans. This stuff can be added into a nice hard cover collection down the road, but trying to sell the same book twice in three months is pure greed.
Lee: Yeah, but someone is buying it! And, I’m sure production costs are lower because it’s already been sent to the printer once. Do you want a second printing or do you want this?

GIRL COMICS #1 (of 3)
(W) TRINA ROBBINS, DEVIN GRAYSON, ANN NOCENTI, G. WILLOW WILSON, VALERIE D’ORAZIO, LUCY KNISLEY, COLLEEN COOVER & MORE!

(A) STEPHANIE BUSCEMA, MING DOYLE, NIKKI COOK, MOLLY CRABAPPLE, LUCY KNISLEY, COLLEEN COOVER & MORE!
With the most controversial question in the Marvel Universe finally answered right on the cover, Marvel is proud to bring you a celebration of amazing women in comics with the first of a three issue anthology entirely created by the most talented and exciting women working in comics today, including Ann Nocenti (DAREDEVIL), Amanda Conner (Power Girl), Laura Martin (SECRET INVASION), G. Willow Wilson (Air), Devin Grayson (Nightwing), Stephanie Buscema (WEB OF SPIDER-MAN), and more! With stories featuring your favorite Marvel characters, from the Punisher to Mary Jane, don’t miss what will be the one of the most talked about series of the year! (Please note: She-Hulk would totally win). 48 PGS …$4.99

Jim: This is almost insulting I think. Where are the Jew Comics, Black Comics, Gay Comics, Senior Citizen Comics, White Hetro Male Comics, Right Wing Comics. I mean really many of these creators are very talented and do not need stuff that panders to them.
Lee: I know what you’re trying to say but I really think that you miss the point. This book is a chance for women to produce comics in a male dominated environment. I think it’s a great way to showcase female talent. And, I think it’s a great way to target a specific audience, ie the women that read comics.

Jim: Wow - Lee is being very PC.

SIF #1

(W) KELLY SUE DECONNICK (A) TBD (C) TRAVEL FOREMAN
The Asgardian warrior Sif was no stranger to battle; the heft of steel, the pitch of combat, the spray of an enemy's blood...she even craved it. But when Asgard and its people made their glorious return through the power of Thor, Sif's body was stolen and possessed by crafty Loki. Cowed by such defilement, Sif hasn't been her true self...until a former lover and mate in arms comes to her with a call to battle and blood-spattering adventure...Now Sif sets out with Beta Ray Bill to fight her way back to true warrior's glory! 32 PGS./One-Shot/ …$3.99

X-23 #1

(W) MARJORIE LIU (A&C) ALINA URSOV
X-23 has spent her short life being used by those in power, from the military to the X-Men. But when she is forced to confront a being who can control her life with nothing but a thought, will X-23 finally learn how to fight -- not for others, but herself? Guest-starring NYX! 48 PGS./One-Shot/ …$3.99

SHE-HULK: SENSATIONAL

(W) PETER DAVID & BRIAN REED (A&C) IBAN COELLO & TBA (C) GARY FRANK
You NEVER ask a woman her age…especially when she can bench press tractor trailers! But She-Hulk’s big secret is out, because Marvel’s celebrating 30 years of the jade giantess and you’re invited to the party! Join acclaimed Shulkie scribe Peter David for an anniversary tale unlike any other! And if you’re still feeling savage, writer Brian Reed (MS. MARVEL) and artist Iban Coello are hosting an after party in honor of the buff bombshell and her most fabulous friends! With a classic John Byrne She-Hulk reprint as the nightcap, you’re guaranteed to have a gamma-gamma good time! 80 PGS./One-Shot/ …$4.99

Jim: This is all such pandering it kills me and wait a minute Peter David and Brian Reed are guys, why are they writing anything. It all smacks of the PC crowd trying to force something as opposed to just letting it occur in a more organic fashion. Still if they can generate more female fans it will have to help get some of the fan boys out of the basement of Mom and Dad’s house.
Lee: You were way too angry when you made these comments! This is a great tie in to Girl Comics and will load the stands up with female characters for at least one month. It’s not pc, just smart business acumen.

Jim: We will see when the sales numbers come out.

PRELUDE TO DEADPOOL CORPS #1 - #5 (of 5)

(W) VICTOR GISCHLER

(A) ROB LIEFELD (ISSUE #1), WHILCE PORTACIO (ISSUE #2), PHILIP BOND (ISSUE #3), PACO MEDINA (ISSUE #4), & KYLE BAKER (ISSUE #5)
Witness the birth of the most important super hero team ever in a universe-spanning event that will rock the month of March! Wade Wilson has been tapped to save the Universe, and to do that he’s going to need help. Enter: The sexy-but-insecure Lady Deadpool! The devious-but-lovable Headpool (a.k.a. the Zombie Deadpool Head)! The bratty-but-brilliant Kidpool! And the irascible mutt known as Dogpool! Individually, they’re, well, kind of messed up, but together, they’re the unstoppable force know as DPC. Issue #1 40 PGS./ …$3.99 Issue #2-#5 32 PGS./ …$2.99

Jim: I continued to be amazed at how popular Deadpool is for Marvel. Obviously sales and order numbers support doing more and more with him but it really reminds me of how Lobo was handled by DC. Eventually we all OD’ed on him.
Lee: Every 10 or so years there is a minor character that gets beaten into the ground. There was Punisher in the late 80’s, Venom in the 90’s, Lobo in the 90’s, and now Deadpool. I ready for this particular character fade to be over.

ULTIMATE COMICS NEW ULTIMATES #1

(W) JEPH LOEB (P&C) FRANK CHO
If only a few super heroes survived the Ultimatum -- who is left to become the next super powered team to be reckoned with? The NEW Ultimates! With Thor gone, Loki takes his revenge unleashing the worst of Asgard on Earth. Iron Man must gather the heroes for their biggest Ultimates adventure yet. But who has made the final cut? And who can’t be trusted? The Ultimates face evil once again and you’ll never guess the new enemies they’ll find…or should we say old friends? Superstar creators, JEPH LOEB and FRANK CHO (in his Ultimate Comics debut!) bring you the new face of the Ultimate line in NEW ULTIMATES: THOR REBORN! 32 PGS …$3.99

Jim: Jeph Loeb and Frank Cho together on a book. Now I will pass as I no longer want to read anything by Loeb, but add Frank Cho on it and you might as well book getting the first arc in a trade on Dec 21, 2012.
Lee: I’m not sure what you’re complaining about! I think this will be great. The author will write a story that may or may not be comprehensible. The artist will draw whatever he wants to anyway without regard to the script. AND, it will be in continuity so we have to buy it. What’s not to love?

CLOAK AND DAGGER #1

(W) STUART MOORE (A&C) MARK BROOKS
Marvel’s most-requested duo return in this all-new one-shot, spinning out of X-MEN: NATION X! Cloak -- dark, brooding teleporter. Dagger -- deadly, shining mistress of light. Having quit the Dark X-Men, Cloak and Dagger find their partnership strained as they struggle to fit in among the mutants of Utopia. But when a new menace targets Cloak, Dagger must make a fateful choice for both of them. Guest-starring the X-Men, and written by Stuart Moore (WOLVERINE NOIR) with stunning art by Mark Brooks (YOUNG AVENGERS). 40 PGS./One-Shot/ …$3.99

Jim: Cloak & Dagger just never worked for me, but I know a lot of people who loved them. I’ll pass on this as I’m almost 100% “X” free now, but Stuart Moore is a decent writer.
Lee: I’m a Cloak & Dagger fan from way, way back but that’s mostly because of Leonadi’s art in the first series. I still don’t understand the point of this issue. Seriously, a one-shot? This will have marginal sales at best because it’s second string characters. This is nothing more than Marvel trying to force other books off the shelves.

DOOMWAR #2 (of 6)

(W) JONATHAN MABERRY (A) SCOT EATON (C) JOHN ROMITA JR.
Doctor Doom's latest power play has the Marvel Universe up in arms. Wakanda has been conquered and Storm faces execution in the next 48 hours -- unless the X-Men, the Fantastic Four and the two Black Panthers can rally to the rescue! With Doom only minutes away from stealing enough Vibranium to help him conquer the world, T’Challa faces the most dreadful decision possible: let Doom win…or let Storm die!32 PGS …$3.99
Lee: So, here’s the question… as an artist, is it ok to swipe yourself? Don’t believe me? Check out this cover to Uncanny X-men #197. Seems awfully similar if you ask me.
Jim: This seems to be a stand alone kind of series, not sure why Marvel is even making it. At least to celebrate woman’s month we have a nice violence against woman cover.

More tomorrow...

The Best and the Rest of Last Week

It has been a quiet couple of weeks to start off the New Year and when you add into the mix no books really shipped the last week of 2009 we have had three weeks of relative calm. I know Marvel started the Siege, but as with many of the event type of books it was more about set-up then getting the story going. Plus I think there is very little mystery as to where we are going with this story since Marvel is trying to move to the heroic age. Now quiet week or not we had some great books this week and one book that I putting into the Worst category. Finally I have decided on the last category to be called Other Books of Interest and have Thomm to thank in finding that titling.

BEST

Daytripper #2 (of 10) – Writers/Artists Fabio Moon & Gabriel Ba, Colors Dave Stewart. If I said I know where this story is going I would be a liar. Brás de Oliva Domingos who was apparently killed at the end of last issue is again our central character. This time we seem to be back at an earlier point in Brás’ life as he and a friend are traveling around their native country of Brazil and are in Salvador. Brás meets a beautiful woman Olinda. She is mysterious and beautiful and Brás is quite taken with her. After a passionate night of sex he goes to find her amidst the celebration of Iemanja’s Day and dies as a drowning victim while offering gifts to the Queen of the Seas. In some ways when you peel back the story you almost wonder why you are so taken with the story. It is deceptive in how simplistic it is and yet how utterly charming and engaging it is at the same time. Are these dreams, hallucinations, or wishes for what he would have wanted his life to be? Perhaps it is a story of slices of life inter-cut with fantasy, a different way of looking at a life and as a chapter ends it is like a death? Why I don’t know where we are going I do know I want to be onboard for the journey. Of course the simple explanation is Brás is an obituary writer and these maybe just him inserting himself as the person who died and embellishing what occurred.

Ghoul #2 – Writer Steve Niles, Art Bernie Wrightson, Colors Tom Smith. I have a huge crush on the work that Niles and Wrightson have been doing lately. From the Dark Horse story, to Dead She Said to the Ghoul each series has gotten progressively better. If the Ghoul is over in three issues and we never see the Ghoul again I may breakdown and cry. This character is so much fun and Klimpt as the LA Detective being pulled into Ghoul’s world is a great point of view character. This issue we learn the Ghoul’s name is Kevin, that you can use big guns to kill demons in our world, we meet Doc Macabre and more. Each page reveals more about the Ghoul and we see Detective Klimpt slowly accept all of the insanity that he is being drawn into. Now we are only getting 16 pages of story and art, but the spot illustrated text piece in the back is giving us tons of backstory on The Ghoul and is an excellent second story. The horror/monster/private eye noir category may only have one true entry, but they win the genre prize as well as the prize for great story telling and great art. The fantastic seems real and the characters are people we would want to meet.

WORST

Invincible Iron Man #22 – Okay so Marvel is pulling together Cap, Iron Man and Thor to usher in the new Heroic Age, but boy are they treading water with this title and while it tries to be good this story is falling apart for me. Last issue ends with Thor hitting Cap’s shield to restart Tony and this issue we find it does not work. All the heroes disappear and all of a sudden it is like we are in a hotel that is the hospital they have been doing all of these procedures to bring Tony back to life. The Ghost shows up and Maria Hill is getting people to carry Tony Stark who is comatose and Pepper who is recovering from heart surgery into a stairwell. Cap brings back Dr. Strange, (who now seems to be pretty good with his hands and magic regardless of all the build up in Dr. Voodoo and his own mini-series showing him to be a shell of his former self) in order to revive Tony. Dr. Strange goes into Tony’s dream world that we have been seeing flashes of for the last three issues as some sort of allegory for what is happening in the real world. On top of that we see Cap (Steve Rogers) floating around with the shield. This is a problem since Marvel made a huge deal about the shield and it was going to Bucky and that book seems to have only been read by the fans as the writers have ignored it totally. On top of that the Iron Man title has been an exercise in treading water to keep Tony off stage until the proper time. That idea is okay because they are trying to keep tight continuity but it goes off the rails with what they are doing with Cap and Dr. Strange. I’m barely hanging onto this series.

OTHER BOOKS I WANTED TO MENTION

Absolution #6 (of 6) – A very good issue that explored what John Dusk had done and how it was being viewed by various cast members and the world at large. I’m still not sure if I liked how the book ended or not, because it left it wide open for a sequel. If no sequel is ever forthcoming then the ending is fine, if he does a sequel it will need to be a very different kind of book as killing for the right reasons works as a mini-series but not a series of series. One reason I liked this book is because I have come to believe right or wrong is often situational and this book showed John Dusk coming to that same conclusion.

Batgirl #6 - This book is really doing well. Every issue is building on the one before and all the characters are being developed well. I was really hesitant about Stephanie being Batgirl, but now she is fast becoming a great character. The art by Lee Garbett and Trevor Scott doesn’t hurt at all. When they have enough time to give it their all Garbett and Scott are a top flight art team and one to watch for in the future.

Catwoman #83 – The Blackest Night book is another revived title for one more issue. I liked this book a lot. Tony Bedard took the story point of Catwoman killing Black Mask and made it into one heck of a story. On top of that he tied it into Gotham Sirens and added a nice twist with Selina’s sister escaping the asylum she was in and setting her up as enemy of Catwoman. This was a heck of lot to do in what could have been a total throw away issue.

Power of Shazam #48 – A very good book. Eric Wallace (writer) did a great job using Osiris’ rebirth as a Black Lantern to advance and recapture the history of the Marvel Family and the Black Adam family. I found the story to be a great read and so far I have to applaud DC with these Blackest Night issues that have been very well done and not just throw away books like I thought all of them would be, only Weird Western Tales has fell into that category. Don Kramer appears to be experimenting with his art style and I thought it was a little too heavy and dark at times, but fit the story itself very well. Kramer is another rising art star in the DC stable of artists.

PunisherMax #3 – This issue Wilson Fisk and Frank Castle kill a nasty old woman who was married to the former head of all the families. Then we see that an assassin that has been a Mennonite is called in to take out the Punisher. It was a middle chapter in the story and feels a little like filler. It is bad enough that Frank is a co-star at best in his own book and Wilson Fisk is the star, but now we add another character who gets as much face time as Wilson and relegates Castle to an almost bit player in his own title. I would prefer to see Wilson working his way up to being the real Kingpin and Frank working his way through the mob ready to take him down. Still a decent issue, just not as strong as the first two issues and gives cause for concern on the long term strength of this run.

Sadly the Ravens were beaten by the Colts, but under our sophomore season coach, quarterback, offensive coordinator and running back we have made it to the playoffs two years in a row. Now I want a Super Bowl win, but it is important to establish a solid foundation to put the team in line to be in the playoffs year after year. The Ravens have a great young core and will one day have to learn to play without Ray Lewis, but we look ready to do that. One big thing we have not done is get a decent wide receiver corps and maybe next year we can fix that problem.

What I’m Getting Wednesday January 20

Still no luck on hooking Jamie (my youngest daughter) into being our Saturday columnist or getting James, maybe I can hook them as alternating columnists. I’m looking forward to the return of Gwen to a regular weekly post, not only from a workload standpoint, but because I love to read what she thinks on different things also.

This week I’m starting off with the four hard cover volumes I’m getting. Hard covers and action figures are really the two things I need to cure myself of collecting in order to really save some bucks. Plus I really want more time to read some of these additions as there is some great older work I have never read and often stuff I just want the chance to re-read. two Marvel Masterworks are out this week (Thanks Marvel!). For some reason it makes it easier when my bill is not sky high and spread over two weeks, I know ultimately it is the same amount of money, but the impact feels less spread out. Volume #130 is Doctor Strange. This collects the end of his first series and the books that wrapped up that story and goes into the Marvel Premier work. A lot of uneven work in this volume, but I love that Marvel is keeping his run going as clean as possible. The other is Volume #131 Lorna, The Jungle Queen from the Atlas era. This I ordered on a whim and because I have always had a fondness for the various girls in their leopard skin outfits. The final two hard covers are the collection of Ellis’ second look at super heroes in the “real world” with the No Hero HC. Everyone dies, but along the way Ellis has some interesting points to make and it is a good companion piece to Black Summer. Last and far from least is the Barry Windsor Smith Conan Archives Volume 1. This two volume series shows Smith’s Conan work and he went from a Kirby clone to a beautiful illustrator along the lines of a Hal Foster. I hope this is a high quality reproduction.

Vertigo has three good books coming out. First up is Fables #92, almost always a solid book and now it is rapidly approaching the century mark. The second book is a new Grant Morrison mini-series, Joe The Barbarian #1 (of 8). Grant is joined by Sean Murphy as the artist and the series solicitation states: “Having an overactive imagination can get a kid through a lot, but it doesn't change the facts: Joe's still the kid in school that can't fit in. He's the victim of bullies. His dad died overseas in the Iraq war. And then there's the Type 1 diabetes he has to live with. So is it insulin-deprived delirium or something much, much bigger that transports Joe to a land inhabited by all his toys – from ninja commandos to action robots to magical knights to star fleet captains? Is Joe really the savior of this wild fantasyland that's been held under siege by dark magic and evil forces? With the help of a samurai rodent, is he ready to take back besieged castles and win the freedom of an oppressed people? Or is he just an over imaginative boy who could die if he doesn't take his meds?” This series sounds like it has a little of the “Stuff of Legend” themes in it, but Grant always has his own twists. Vertigo has some of my favorite books and this maybe another one. Rounding out the Vertigo offerings is the longest running Vertigo book ever and a damn fine book even today, Hellblazer #263.

Blackest Night has a few titles this week with Blackest Night The Flash #2 (of 3) being the headliner. Not only does it contain the Flash and written by Geoff Johns, but I’m expecting this series to tie into Blackest Night tighter then any other add-on mini-series. Also we have Phantom Strange #42, Starman #81 (does this go into the Starman Omnibus series?) and Green Lantern Corps #44. The GL Corps story has been a great one and there is a ton of stuff happening in that book that will impact the Corps for a long time to come.

Rounding out DC and the one Wildstorm book is Authority The Lost Year #5 (of 12), Batman Streets of Gotham #8, Brave and Bold #31, Outsiders #26, Power Girl #8 and Superman Batman #68. Authority the Lost Year has surprised me with how good that has been. While I’m questioning DC committing time and effort and George Perez to Teen Titans Games for a 23 year old story, the Lost Year is working, but it is only a couple of years old and the team is not radically different now. Of these other books Power Girl has risen to the top in many ways. She exemplifies the right way to do a light hearted book without making it a kiddie book. Intelligent, witty, light, humorous and well written are all accurate descriptions to a new series from DC that I love.

The independent side of things has a strong week with Cowboy Ninja Viking #3 coming out and Battlefields #2 (of 9) that has the 2nd part of three part Happy Valley Tale. CNV is just out of out outrageous over the top action and borderline absurdity that ends up working. Not sure how long they can make this pace hold up, but for now it is another winning and original series under the Image banner. Battlefields I have praised to death, but Ennis does great war stories and I enjoyed part one of this story talking about a squadron of Aussies who were doing bombing runs from Britain. What Garth does in the war stories is take a small portion of WWII and show us how brutal it was at the same time bringing to life some of the soldiers that fought in the war. Not all 100% true story stuff, but illustrative of what occurred.

The rest of the independent side includes Farscape #3, Gravel #16, Incorruptible #2, Jersey Gods #10 and Solomon Kane Death’s Black Riders #1 (of 4). Jersey Gods is another delightful series that exudes the passion of the creators. Barock and Zoe have become favorite characters of mine and I look forward to their adventures. It is a book that I find makes me smile when I see on next week’s list. Also looking forward to Incorruptible #2 a lot as I’m curious to see how Mark Waid will develop this other half of the Irredeemable Universe.

Marvel has a new mini-series that has me jazzed and that is Avengers vs Agents of Atlas #1 (of 4). I swear that Marvel cancelled their series so they would not be overexposed. It is crazy following this team, but with this the Marvel Boy mini and them being a back up in Incredible Hercules #140 (also out this week), these guys are everywhere. It still kills me that Marvel has stopped the deluxe collection of 12 issues as I would buy the run of 11 the series had before being cancelled.

The rest of what I’m getting is all from Marvel. The books are Captain America #602, Dark Avengers #13, Doctor Voodoo #4, Mighty Avengers #33, Nova #33, Realm of Kings Inhumans #3 (of 5), Spider-Woman #5 and Thunderbolts #140. We have Siege tie-ins, Realm of King tie-ins, a stand alone series or two and the newest issue of Captain America. Now Captain America is apparently going to focus on the fifties Cap and where he has been, but my problem is we still have not seen Captain America Reborn #6 (of 6). How redundant and uninteresting has Marvel made that series by moving on past it in so many books.

That is a wrap for a larger week and certainly an expensive one with all the hard covers hitting. This looks to be another great week in comics. Obviously my favorite form of entertainment and in a USA that I see heading towards the brink of financial ruination a few pleasant distractions are always welcome.

Johns Society of America

It's only been about 6 months since the end of Geoff Johns's run on JSA, but I've been wavering, of late, on whether to keep going with the new team. As a result I took some time to re-read the 26 issues, plus an annual and a one shot special, that comprise the Johns story of the JSA to see if even that run of story was worth the while. The cover to the first issue certainly sums up what this book is about, at its core. This is a hell of a big group.

Because of the size of the group, the telling of the stories can slow down. There are too many people to keep focus on one story. There's always a side story to monitor. Of course, that can be a plus, too. A lot of people can make for a lot of stories. And this group is largely well formed with individual characters and voices.

Of course, there were the introductory stories to launch, which Lee has acosted for violence and sexuality beyond the levels he finds acceptible for younger readers. The original Mr America dies, much of the family of the two men who have been Commander Steel are killed off, and Cyclone has a cover for issue 3 that evokes Marilyn Monroe while defying meteorology. Drifting into that aside, and a point I don't think I made when Lee originally brought up the cover, Cyclone's not some young teen. She's a college student, possibly a freshman, so she's at least 18, as Johns has presented her back story.

Me, I'm all for stories that present the danger's to superheroes as more final. Mr America and the family of Citizen Steel are much more likely to stay dead than Bruce Wayne. Whether the depictions of the deaths are excessive is a matter of taste. Comics art being what it is, I've never found gore in comics to be as "in your face" as gore in movies or TV. There's more of a sense of remove, at least for me, because of the filter of someone having drawn the viscera that isn't there with photos or movies. This is a good thing, in my opinion, because it allows an artist to bring something of his own, whether humor, horror, action, or inertia, that a filmed view of the guts just doesn't convey in the same way.

But back to my overall feeling about the stories Johns presented. I could do without the crossovers into the JLA in the first arc that brought in some of the Legion of Superheroes. And, really, I got no resolution to that story within the pages of the JSA. I was buying JLA at the time, so I got the story completed, but I never like stories that leave the four corners of the series I'm reading. (Blackest Night being an integral part of Green Lantern and the Green Lantern Corps being somewhat different because all three are integral to one another.) Despite that, I enjoyed the opening story that established the team.

I particularly liked the small moments. The developing relationship between the father and son Wildcat nom du guerres that continues throughout the stories. The issue focusing on Hourman and Liberty Belle's marriage, and particularly her history was one of my favorites. I like the way Hourman and Liberty Belle take Damage under their wing and exert a calming influence on him. Hell, I like Damage, even with his frequent whining about his face. I never could understand why Judomaster would be attracted to him, but that's partly because she's such a cypher, I have no idea what her personality is, let alone her motiviations. That's appropriate for her character, who speaks Japanese and little English. With no one else speaking to her in Japanese, there's no way to develop her as other than taciturn.

The large story that ran from the 10th through the 26th issues, and encompassed the annual and special, was an interesting foray into Earth-22's Kingdom Come, with a bonus side journey into Earth-2. In fact, I found the story so interesting I bought Kingdom Come, which I hadn't read previously. Much of the Johns stories actually hinge on Starman, the LOSH member, whose schizophrenia is inadequately treated in the 21st century. His stream of non sequiturs and insights out of left field provide insider humor and bursts of clarity. Without him, the Superman of Earth-22 would not have been brought to the JSA's Earth.

I'm torn about the creation of Magog as a character within this Earth's pantheon. He was a total ass in Kingdom Come, but he's a much more interesting character, uncertain and self-doubting, in the Johns version. But, Johns took the potentially very interesting character of David Reid, a decendant of FDR with the ability to shoot energy beams, if focused by a curious hand held device, and turned him instead into Magog. I would have liked to have seen a lot more development of Reid as a person unto himself with the powers he already had and had someone else turned into Magog. Some of my view of this Magog is colored by the subsequent use of the character after Johns left. The Magog now is a martinet who's led about half of the team Johns created into the splinter group, JSA All-Stars, which I'm not going to follow. This has the feel of editorial dictate over writer's desired story direction. The Magog Johns created was very different, but I'd rather he were created from someone other than Reid.

The Gog story that is tied to the Kingdom Come Superman's involveent and that concluded Johns's tenure bore a religious overtone that I found entertaining and interesting. Gog is a very large alien entity whose head alone survived a trip to Earth. That head landed in central Africa and was at some point an object of veneration, complete with a power staff created by the worshippers. The head of Gog, by the way, has been here a few thousand years. During that time Gog somehow reconstructed a body to go with his head, presumably from the Earth. When he arises now, he walks a much in need central Africa dispensing miracles, benignly, initially. Damage, Sand, Dr Mid-Nite, Power Girl and Starman are all beneficiaries of these miracles, though benefit is questionable for all but Damage.

Along the way there are internicine battles for the JSA, largely along the lines of what will eventually become the splinter JSA All-Stars group, as well as a confrontation with the Earth-2 JSI. What I found most interesting about the concept was that if Gog were allowed to walk the Earth for 7 days he would become intrinsic to the Earth so that if he were damaged or destroyed, so too would be the Earth. It's an only slightly veiled assault on the mythos of God creating the Earth in 7 days (6 and one for rest, a bizarre concept for an omnipotent being) and demanding the denizens he's created worship him. We even have some evil Egyptians, well Black Adam and his family, for a full on Old Testament feel. It's too direct an assault for most "Christians" to use as an opportunity to consider the tenets of their faith, but for an atheist like me it was a joy of thought provocation.

As with all of my favorite writing, it's the character development and individuality, especially in a large team book like this, that really makes it enjoyable. The larger plot arcs serve as constructs for interactions. The conflict within the JSA during the Gog story fits in a logical pattern. The doubters of Gog are lead by Earth-22 Superman, the elder Wildcat, Green Lantern and the Flash, all of whom have lived through eras of demigods or humans who thought they should be treated as such. Hawkman, Magog, Damage, and Citizen Steel lead the troop inclined to follow Gog, the former because he wants peace on Earth at any cost after centuries of reincarnations, and the latter 3 because of their own issues and miracle engendered loyalty to Gog.

Johns also creates or uses little known characters like the newest Wildcat, Cyclone, Lightning (daughter of Black Lightning) and Judomaster to excellent effect. These newer characters bring out elements in stories and have their own interactions that provide nice development. Little bits of humor are also prevalent. In fact, the entire last issue isn't some grand finale, full of panache, but a visit to Stargirl's family for her birthday and hoped for removal of her braces. That story alone emphasized the theme Johns presented throughout his run, that the team is a family more than a fighting force or quasi-police organization, such as the JLA. That was a far more fitting end to his term as writer than than the preceding issue that had ended the Gog story and essentially said that anyone who wanted to be on the team was on the team.

One final note. Throughout the Johns run JSA did one thing all comics should do, and I don't mean provide excellent writing and interior art, which it did. Every one of the 28 issues that comprise Johns's involvement had beautiful, eye catching covers. The first 10 issues largely featured a single member of the team on a black background, but the action covers on the subsequent 18 were equally up to the task of selling the book to the casual browser.

The Details Aren't Important

It’s probably no surprise that I love details. I love the details of conversations. I love the details in art. I love exact and precise things. I don’t do generalizations and I’ve learned, mostly the hard way, that there are times to be precise and times to let it go. But, it’s come to my attention that a lot of people don’t know when to let it go. So, today’s post will help clarify when it’s a “good time” to be detailed obsessive…

To help your understanding, I’ve thought up a hypothetical situation involving a Man and his Wife having a conversation early one morning.

Man: How did you sleep last night?
Wife: Not so good. I had stress dreams and I kept waking up.
LEARNING POINT #1: Mood is terribly important when trying to determine whether asking for details is acceptable. In this case, the Wife is tired from a lack of sleep. That makes her grouchy. So, this is a good time to walk away while saying something like, ‘Awww, that’s too bad!’

BUT, since this is an exercise, let’s assume that the Man pressed on clueless to the danger he was getting into.

Man: Ewww. That’s never fun. What were the dreams about?
Wife: I don’t know. I’m just stressed and it all turned up in the dreams. It was one of those extended stress dreams that had everything in it.
LEARNING POINT #2: As you can see in this example, Wife, through verbal cues, has already established that she’s grouchy and doesn’t really feel like talking about it. By again pressing on, Man has gone from slight danger to walking straight into the lion’s den with a sharp stick in hand.

Since sharp sticks can only be used to poke, prod, and otherwise annoy savage beasts, this would be a good time to say something like, ‘Awww, that’s too bad. I’ll make breakfast for the kids!’ and walk away.

BUT, since this is an exercise, let’s assume that the Man continued on, pressing for more details.

Man: Everything? Were the kids in it?
Wife: Yeah. And other stuff too.
Man: Was it house related stuff too?
Wife: Yeah. A little bit of that too.
Man: Some zombies?
Wife: What? Zombies? What are you talking about?
Man: You know zombies! No stress dream in complete with zombies. There’s the ‘I’m falling’ stress dream. The ‘house is collapsing’ stress dream. The ‘work is overwhelming’ stress dream. And, the ever popular ‘zombies are chasing me’ stress dream. But it’s gotta be classic slow zombies, not the nouveau fast zombies to count as a stress dream.

But, it appears that you didn’t have zombies so you didn’t have a stress dream. You had what I call more of a mild annoyance dream.

LEARNING POINT #3: At this point, you’re pretty much screwed. You can potentially escape with a minor flogging if you stop at any point prior to the zombies. But, pushing ever onward to explain that zombies are required for it to be a true stress dream (NO MATTER HOW RIGHT YOU ARE) will only lead to dire consequences.

If this had been a real story the above conversation might have concluded with a glare and “Don’t you need to go to work now?”

The appropriate response is “Yes! Yes, I do.” NOT “What? I’m trying to help you better understand your dreams. Someone got up on the wrong side of the bed today.”