Books you should read (a.k.a. catching up on the reviews)

It's always a busy time in the land of Devastation!, and sometimes that means deserving books don't get their proper dues come weekly review time. To fix this, here are some recently released books worth checking out:


The Amazon #3: In 1989 writer Steven T. Seagle and artist Tim Sale collaborated on a miniseries about a reporter who goes into the Amazon rainforest tracking the story of a missing logger. This just happens to coincide with a series of attacks on a logging camp attributed to locals by the Tanando, the spirit of the forest. What ensues is a Heart of Darkness-style trip down the river, where the reporter encounters the depths and riches of the Amazon, and finds the truth about his story is more complex than he’d thought.
For a work which is 20 years old, The Amazon feels fresh and current. Sadly, issues of deforestation and colonization are still present, which keeps the book from feeling dated. And while it does brandish its message a bit on the blunt side – the image of logging equipment overrun by foliage being fairly pointed – it still works as an examination of man’s interaction with (and exploitation of) both nature and fellow man.
Seagle uses an interesting and effective narrative device of using the reporter’s notes and story as narration. The contradictions and similarities give a rounded dimension to the action and character and give insight into the self editing that goes into making a story. Sale’s thin line work and use of shadow work well with the script, capturing the simultaneous vast expanse and claustrophobic density of the jungle. His art really brings the story to life, especially in scenes where the narrator interacts with the forest villagers. This book is a rare, if slightly flawed, gem that Dark Horse did justice by revealing.


Phonogram: The Singles Club #2: The first Phonogram series, Rue Britannia, was brilliant on many levels – not just in the way writer Kieron Gillen seamlessly interwove the worlds of magic and the Britpop movement of the 90s (as well as music in general), but also that it was filled with strong characters and an emotional depth that made the story satisfying regardless of whether you knew the music or not. Or so it seemed; having been– okay, continuing to be a huge Britpop fan, I really have no idea if someone not familiar with the intricacies of British guitar rock circa 93-97 would be lost or not. But Gillen did provide extensive liner notes and commentary in the back, which one would hope would be effective. Then there’s Jamie McKelvie’s art, which is clean and crisp and just about perfect in every way.
The new series, The Singles Club, takes place in – wait for it – a dance club, and chronicles one night from numerous characters’ perspectives. While the core elements of the first series are present – music, magic, hot young Brits running around – this series focuses more on the people involved, and benefits all the more for it.
This issue is probably the most accessible of all Phonograms so far, both in storytelling and subject matter. This issue introduces us to Marc, a.k.a. Marquis, who along with being young and hip is just (barely) getting over some girl. He and a pal end up in the club, and all is fine, until the Cursed Song comes on, and he comes face to face with the image/spirit of the vibrant, cute, Eastern European girl who broke his heart. Or so it seems, although his reminiscences seem to imply differently.
Everyone’s in top form here. Gillen’s dialogue is just great – from the (unnamed) ex’s accent (“They are nothing but bullshits with bad record collections” has officially entered the lexicon) to Marc’s pal Lloyd’s attempts at pop deconstructionism – and the interactions are revealing in what is and isn’t said. McKelvie’s art is stunning in this book, full of energy and motion, and aided greatly by Matthew Wilson’s colors. All around, this is one of the best books on the stands, and definitely earns the coveted




The Umbrella Academy: Dallas #6: The second series featuring Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá’s dysfunctional family/super-team ends with a bang – several, actually. Picking up where the first series left off, Dallas finds the team in a collective state of despondency after one of their own tried to destroy the world. Each member is pulled – sometimes dragged – out of their individual states when a pair of sugar-addicted assassins with oversized cartoon-character masks try to track down UA member Number Five, whose future/past self (oi, time travel) is supposed to assassinate John F. Kennedy. Along the way, team member Séance meets a cowboy-on-horseback God, team leader Space Boy fights monsters during the Vietnam War, and the Earth blows up. And we learn the secret of one diner’s amazing apple pie.
With just his second series Way has proven to be a consistently talented and flexible writer, able to balance the sci-fi/fantastic elements with genuine emotion and a healthy sense of the absurd. Bá’s art suits the writing well, blending a Mike Mignloa-esque cartoonishness with a strong storytelling ability. While this series possesses a bit more of a downbeat vibe than the first, it’s a fun read, and bodes well for future installments.

The Unwritten #1: Tommy Taylor is a ridiculously popular series of books about a teenage wizard. Tom Taylor is the man who, as a boy, was the inspiration for the books. Or so the story goes. Except that a woman shows up at a press conference with evidence to the contrary. And one of Tommy Taylor’s nemeses shows up to take out Tom Taylor. And there’s still the mystery of why Taylor’s father, the author of the Tommy Taylor series, disappeared. And what does this have to do with a map?
Writer Mike Carey and artist Peter Gross have managed to interweave geek/celebrity obsession, the fantasy/reality overlap, the nature of stories, and a straight-up mystery in what is one of Vertigo’s best offerings in a while. The high concept of the central question – who is Tom Taylor, really? – is buoyed by various real world aspects, as shown by the IMs surrounding a life-feed execution of Tom Taylor by a real-life version of Tommy Taylor’s enemy Count Ambrosio.
It’s hinted that the true scope of the book will be far greater than just one character’s real identity, but even without that the book shows enough promise to warrant further reading. And the first issue’s only a buck, so you can’t go wrong.

I think that catches us up, and just in time for New Comic Day! Time to get back to my experiments of making compost out of all those old Youngblood issues.

New Comics Reviews!

A short stack of reviews this week, partly because it's a slow week, and partly because I haven't had time to read everything. But not to worry, there'll be a list of things that have fallen through the cracks soon... I swear.

But for now, I present to you:

This Week's Reviews!

Final Crisis Aftermath: Escape #1: Have you ever wondered what it would be like if Franz Kafka and James Joyce co-wrote an episode of The Prisoner using characters from the DC Universe? “Who hasn’t?” you say. Well, now this dream has finally been realized, thanks to FCA:E. The issue begins with former secret agent Nemesis awakening in an undesignated prison cell, surrounded by three women with bobs and mod dresses offering to be his friend. Now, while Your Humble Blogger would call this Heaven, Nemesis is obviously not happy with the situation, especially given the distinct lack of humanity present in his “friends.” His attempted escape leads through an unmarked hallway where he encounters a very ominous looking Mr. Terrific. Then Nemesis runs across Count Vertigo... that's where the acid kicks in*.
Writer Ivan Brandon sets up FCA:E much the same way Patrick Mcgoohan did the Prisoner TV show: base everything around the central character, and play up the sense of confusion and claustrophobia. Except where the Prisoner’s trippy-ness was subtle, here it’s all out, giving Grant Morrison’s meta-writing a run for its money. Artist Marco Rudy handles this well, with panel and figure work that effectively keeps the action just off-kilter enough.
Oh, and then there’s that last page. Yeah, this’ll be worth checking out.

The Punisher: Frank Castle #70: Any issue of the Punisher that opens with a Mexican stand-off between FBI agents, gang bangers and the Russian Mafia is pretty much an automatic win. Crime novelist Duane Swierczynski has delivered the best post-Garth Ennis Punisher storyline so far with this conclusion to his “Six Hours to Kill” arc. For those needing a refresher, the Punisher follows a ring of criminals to Philadelphia, where he is kidnapped and injected with a drug he’s told will kill him in six hours; for the antidote, he merely has to kill a particular mob target. This being the Punisher, he rejects the deal, and a night of mayhem and bloodshed ensues. Swierczynski succeeds in balancing the humor, twists, and straight-up carnage that made this one of the best books for misanthropic thrills. If you’ve missed the previous issues then catch the trade (no doubt coming soon).

The Walking Dead #61: Seriously, if you’re not reading this book, just start already.













So yeah, that's it for now. And remember to visit Detroit Comics and pick up all the "Old Man Logan" reprints, so Owner Brian's kids can eat. You don't want his kids to go hungry, do you? Do You?

*Thank you Kids in the Hall.

Wolverine vs. Star Trek - a lesson in trailers

If there’s one thing I’ve learned about this summer’s blockbusters, it’s never trust the trailers.


Take X-Men Origins: Wolverine, for example. From the trailers, it looked like it might share its tone and style with Brian Singer’s X-Men movies, properly balancing a thoughtful, well-written script with some exciting action scenes, all supported by a highly-talented cast. Instead, we got a really talented cast wasted on a script that felt like it was thrown together the weekend before shooting started – and which seemed like a waste of some good characters.



The biggest problem with Wolverine is that it really had a paint-by-numbers feel, introducing various scenes and characters from the comic without any real cohesion. Yes, it all tells one story, but it feels Frankenstein-ed together, and never delivers the impact it was supposed to. That even goes for the action scenes, which end up being a little too CGI-prefect to be really wow-ing.
But hey, it did an ass-ton at the box office, and the sequel (and spin-off) is already in the works, so what do I know?


Logan would like to discuss my criticism personally.

On the other hand...



We have the re-boot of Star Trek. Granted, I may have been a little too purist in my pre-judgment – who could possibly replace Shatner as Kirk? – but I was definitely trepidatious about this film. Yeah, it looked really flashy and hip, but that was never what Star Trek was about – even in that episode with the space hippies.



But thanks mainly to my geeky friends I did end up seeing it, and was happily proven wrong. Very wrong, as it turned out. Give J.J. Abrams (and the screenwriters) credit for keeping what worked with Trek (the personal interactions, the drama, the pseudo-science) and discarding the rest (Scott Bakula – I kid, I kid). Not only did it stay true to the spirit of Star Trek - albeit light on the political metaphor – but it made for a very involving and moving film. And thankfully did well enough that the sequel is in the works.


Spock shows us his happy face.

So the question arises, is the trailer really an inverse indicator of the film’s quality? Not always, of course. But looking at these two examples, maybe there’s hope for Terminator: Salvation after all.


"So, T-800, you ever listen to Huey Lewis?"

New Comics Reviews!

Thursday evening, and you know that can only mean one thing...

This Week's Reviews!

Daredevil: Noir #2: Definitely one of the best books this week. Picking up from the first issue: Tensions between the rival gang bosses are building, and our characters are getting ready for the impending war. Meanwhile, Daredevil/Matt discovers that gang boss Orville Halloran was the man who killed his father, altering his motivation greatly. And the mysteries of the Bull’s Eye Killer and Eliza, Halloran’s moll deepen. The minor complaints I had with the writing in the first issue are gone; Alexander Irvine’s script is taut, and not only plays the split between the Matt Murdoch and Daredevil identities well, but takes the “overwhelmed senses” exposition from last issue and shows how it plays into DD’s heroics. Tom Coker’s art is still top notch, especially in a rainy sequence at the end of the book. This book manages to merge the Shadow-style pulp with the straight crime stories of Mickey Spillaine, and doesn’t come off in any way cliché.

Destroyer #2: Still brilliant. With the premise set up, writer Robert Kirkman goes right into the meat of the story, focusing on Destroyer’s search for his arch nemesis Scar, while trying to protect his family from the inevitable backlash that comes with deciding to kill all the super villains before he dies. Unfortunately, he finds his efforts aren’t as effective as he thought.
All the raves I gave this book last issue still apply, and along with Daredevil: Noir it gets the

Final Crisis Aftermath: Run! #1: As much of a mindfudge as Final Crisis was, it was still an Event, and as such requires its share of spin-off series. What else are superhero comics about, right? FCA:R is the first of these, and focuses on Mike Miller, a.k.a. the Human Flame, a third-rate super villain whose claim to fame in FC is that Martian Manhunter was killed on his behalf, and he was the first villain to fall victim to the Anti-Life Equation. Now that the Crisis is over, he’s fresh out of a coma and trying to high-tail it out of town before the cops/super-heroes/pissed off super-villains get him. In the course of doing so, and with the aid of a stoner friend, he incurs the wrath of the Kyrgyzstani mob. Madcap hi-jinks ensue.
The book is obviously trying to play up the farcical elements of the story – there’s even a shoot-out in a farm-themed fast-food restaurant (a nod to Kevin Smith?) – but it doesn’t quite connect, and the humor just falls flat. We’ve seen the “loser as protagonist" schtick played well, but here the jokes just seem tired. Miller insults hospital patients, steals his ex-wife’s car after convincing her he’s a changed man, or using his old (and predictably defective) prototype suit, and while it could work, it just feels very by the numbers. I guess I’d hope for more from a book featuring a main character who looks like Carl from Aqua Teen Hunger Force.

The Flash: Rebirth #2: Barry Allen, the Silver Age Flash, is officially back from the dead. For readers under 40 this may not be the “ZOMG massive awesome event” that DC editor-in-chief Dan DiDio hopes it to be, but thanks to writer Geoff Johns it at least makes for decent reading.
This issue continues to examine Barry’s reluctance about returning to life. A flashback introduces us to his first meeting with wife Iris, and sheds light into the motivation for his crimefighting career – the apparent murder of his mother by his father, whose guilt Barry questions. Problems with the Speed Force arise, which brings all the speed-based heroes into story. As with the other DC Silver Age heroes who were brought back after being gone for a while (Green Lantern, Green Arrow), the series tries to update the character while remaining true to its roots. So far, Johns is doing a good job of this, by keeping the focus on the mystery behind the return. If they have to bring the dead heroes back, there are far worse ways to handle it.

New Mutants #1: In the ‘80s, the New Mutants was one of the most distinct X- books, thanks mainly to artist Bill Sieniewicz’s unique art, but also Chris Claremont’s bringing back the “teenage mutant” vibe that X-Men were too established to convey. The new series reunites four of the core members, all grown up, as they investigate the disappearance of two of their team mates. This leads them to small town Colorado, and some very unnerving discoveries.
As with most X- titles, having a working knowledge of the characters really does help, although having not read the X-Infernus series or really, any X- book since the ‘90s, I could still pick up enough from the dynamics to follow the story. And credit writer Zeb Wells with pulling off the best element of Chris Claremont’s writing, which was the interplay between the numerous characters. This book is a good continuation of the spirit of the first, and the story’s intriguing enough to warrant further interest.

Power Girl#1: Power Girl has always been an odd duck of a character. Created as a cousin of the Golden Age Super Man, through all the continuity revamps at DC her back story has changed almost as often as Wolverine’s, and as a character she really wasn’t much more than a second-rate Supergirl. With this issue writers Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti try to reconcile that and make her a character in her own right. In the course of this we see P.G., aka Karen Starr, try to establish a new life, having been separated from her birth universe. In the middle of this, alien robots show up in New York City, and start smashing the place up while emitting rays causing mass hysteria and violence in the streets. And then the Ultra-Humanite, a super-intelligent gorilla with telepathy, makes his entrance.
There’s a lot to take in in this issue, between the action scenes and Karen trying to create her alter ego life. Gray and Palmiotti manage to balance it all, and future issues will see if they can keep it up. For now, not a bad start.

And that's a wrap! And remember to pick up your books at Detroit Comics, a.k.a. the Fortress of Attitude!

New Comics Reviews!

Face it True Believers, it's time for

This Week's Reviews!

Batman: Battle for the Cowl – The Underground #1: Seriously, how many subtitles can these books have? Anyway, this is a one-shot leading up to Battle for the Cowl #3 and the Gotham City Sirens series (not to be confused with the Gotham Girls roller derby team), hereby proving that DC is trying to outdo Marvel’s Secret Invasion for sheer volume of ancillary titles. It’s kind of a shame that this book is a one-shot, as between the art and writing it could actually make a decent series.
This book opens with the Penguin hiring the Riddler to track down the former crime boss Black Mask, who is waging a war against both the Penguin and Two-Face’s respective gangs. Besides the obvious problem, there’s also the fact that Black Mask was supposed to have been killed by Catwoman years ago. Writer Chris Yost gives us a solid crime story, filled with all the back-stabbing and mistrust one would expect of the underworld. He fits the costumed fighting in this well, especially when Catwoman confronts the armed Batman imposter. The feel is fairly reminiscent of The Dark Knight, while Pablo Raimondi’s art has a clean, almost Vertigo-like feel to it. Obviously Batman’s going to have to come back fairly soon, but reading this makes me think there could be some potentially good stories without him. Ah well, I suppose there’s always fan fiction for that.

Captain America: Theater of War – A Brother in Arms: This issue continues the line of Theater of War one-shots, featuring the original Cap in various wartime stories. AbiA takes place in Germany, 1945, where Cap and a group of Army Rangers are shot down behind enemy lines. In the process of fighting for survival they take a German soldier prisoner – much to the disgust of the group’s corporal, who’d as soon shoot him and be done. As the story progresses, the enemies find their common humanity, especially when faced with the local SS officer, who has no use for common German Army soldiers.
Writer Paul Jenkins delivers a decent enough script, balancing the action scenes with the personal interplay, and John McCrea’s art is clean and tells the story well. But the story – both the plot and way it plays out – feels a bit too familiar. Not to take away from Jenkins, but it feels a lot like one of Garth Ennis’ many war books – so much so that you can guess the ending well in advance. Not a bad book by any means, but just a little too familiar.

Final Crisis: Legion of Three Worlds #4: I’ll fully admit that when Final Crisis was in full swing, this was one of the many tie-ins I ignored, figuring that a) anything not written by Grant Morrison would probably be incidental, and b) I’ve never been a huge Legion of Super-Heroes fan. Well here we are five months after the main FC ended, and FC:Lo3W is still going, mainly I think for one reason: who’s going to tell legendary artist George Pérez he needs to hurry up? Add to that the fact that he probably crams the most panels per page of any book currently on the stands and yeah, you’re going to have to just forget about that monthly deadline.
This wouldn’t be so bad if the book provided a good read. The main problem with this book is, four issues in, all I can really get out of it is Superboy killing a whole bunch of people while whining. There are some interesting developments: the return of Bart Allen (which we knew) as well as one of the casualties of Infinite Crisis, and a twist with the Time Trapper. Maybe like the main FC series, it works better when read in one sitting, so look to try that out some time between now and, oh, the 30th century.

Justice Society of America #26: With this issue, writer Geoff Johns and penciller Dale Eaglesham end their run on JSA, and they go out not with a bang nor whimper, but a party. A birthday party that is, for teenage member Stargirl, which allows Johns to really focus on the personal interactions and human dimension of the team while avoiding having to insert any mandatory fight scenes. That’s right, not a single punch is thrown in the entire issue, giving one of those rare fun comics we see all too few of out of the Big Two any more. And of course, Alex Ross’ covers (count ‘em, three for this issue!) are simply amazing. Not a bad way to go out.

And that does it for this round!

New Comics Reviews!

So, I was hoping to get these done sooner, but was too busy celebrating Detroit Comics' award (see below) to get them done 'til now. Anyhoo, without further ado:

This Week's Reviews!

Buck Rogers #0
This is a pretty standard teaser issue, but for a quarter, you could do a lot worse. While many people (or at least, older folks like us) will remember the 1980s tv show, this book shares little with it outside of name. Which isn't necessarily bad, given the old space suits.
In this issue we find ourselves with an older Buck Rogers, shot into the future, fighting giant amoebae from Ganymede, and sucked into some space vortex to parts unknown. Basically, classic sci-fi space thrills just like you want them. Everything here points to a solid start, and it’ll be interesting to see where they go with this. And it's far better for your teeth than that gumball you'd normally get with that quarter.

Detective Comics #853
Here we have the final send-off of Bruce Wayne, and what a fitting goodbye it is. Neil Gaiman’s strength has always been in bringing his characters to life (sometimes at the expense of the plot), and here he really delivers. This continues the wake from Batman #686; where the last issue focused on various (and varied) re-tellings of the death of Batman, this one focuses on Bruce himself, and acts as a reflection both of the character and the mythos of the Batman. Gaiman proves the perfect choice to handle this, and I can’t think of a writer who could have pulled it off better (although Grant Morrison’s Last Rites two-parter came close). Andy Kubert’s art is exceptional as well, particularly in the homage sequence at the end (I won’t give it away, but… yeah). And while the story does essentially make explicit what we all know anyway (the whole “death in comic books” bit), it is the tribute that Batman deserves. And as such, it earns this week's

Ignition City #2
The promising set-up of the first issue is continued in top fashion. With this issue, Mary Raven digs deeper into the mysterious death of her father, raising the ire of many of the locals, including his killer. Having established the world, Ellis gives us a taut mystery, almost a noir story and fills it with enough intrigue and unique characters to keep interest high. An excellent book.

Skrull Kill Krew #1
In the 1990s, Grant Morrison and Mark Millar created a series about a group of people who had super powers, and one job – kill off the alien Skrulls who were trying to surreptitiously take over the earth. There were about five people who read the series, and so it didn’t last very long. Having been one of those five, I was curious to see how Marvel would revive the not-very-high concept series, especially since it’s being written by Adam Felber, best known as one of the hosts of NPR’s Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me program. So, the question was too great to ignore: take a ridiculous concept, add a nerdy humorist, and what do you get?
After reading the first issue of the new Skrull Kill Krew series, I can say the result is hilarity. The issue flips between origin flashbacks – continuing the original series’ reference to an old Fantastic Four story as its base – and the current day, where SKK leader Ryder spends his days eating in diners, tracking down Skrulls, and picking up the girls he saves. Oh yeah, and killing the aforementioned Skrulls. This has the over-the-top black humor one would expect from the title, plus a twist which indicates there should be a decent story unfolding as well. So the next time someone calls you a highbrow snob when you say, “I heard on NPR…”, just remember these three words: Skrull Kill Krew.

That does it for this week. And remember, this blog brought to you by the store that even French Spider-Man swears by, Detroit Comics!

New Comics Reviews!

It was pretty thin this week in Comics Land, but without further ado:

This Week's Reviews!
Green Lantern Corps # 35: At Brian’s behest I started checking out the Green Lantern books – even though I fully admit having Event Fatigue after Final Crisis (which, on second reading, isn’t as bad as people seem to think) – and both GL series are gearing up for the Blackest Night storyline. But given the high quality of both this book and the main Green Lantern series, I may just have to change all that.
Give it up to writer Peter Tomasi for making an issue planted square in the middle of a couple of year buildup highly entertaining to the novice just coming in. He piles on the action quickly, then drops back for some actual (serious) character development, and balances it out just right. The highlights: Prison break on Oa, culminating in a two page spread that should make every fanboy happy; Green Lantern Sodam Yat trying to save his planet from the Sinestro Corps, despite his animosity toward it and his family; GL Soranik trying to save her planet from its own bloodlust for her father, Sinestro. While I do have some reservations about seeing characters ripped in half in an ostensibly all-ages book, hey, that’s DC 2009 for you. Still, it’s an amazingly well done superhero book, and definitely worth checking out – primarily now, while you can still figure out what’s going on.


Wolverine Noir #1: We had X-Men: Noir, so really, could a Noir version of Wolverine be far behind (I mean, it’s not like Marvel would have any reason to push the character about this time of year, right?). That said, much like last week’s Daredevil: Noir, this book holds up to the concept’s promise.
Having another Noir book feature the main character as a private detective hired by some moll does seem a little repetitive, but this is our pal Logan, after all. And the femme fatale in this case is Mariko Yashida, Wolverine’s yakuza boss girlfriend in the mainstream series. This set-up allows for a series of flashbacks introducing us to Logan’s martial arts training and general childhood. Assisting him is Dog (Sabretooth), who is cast as Logan’s developmentally-challenged partner, who ends up getting more than he bargained for by taking the case.
Stuart Moore does a great job of not re-casting the characters in the noir world while retaining their essences, and C.P. Smith’s art captures the feel perfectly. A solid start to what looks like an impressive series.

And finally...

The Strange Adventures of H.P. Lovecraft #1: As someone who’s read more than his fair share of Lovecraft’s works, I admit to going into this book with a little trepidation. After all, you can count how many good movies have been made from Howard Phillips’ books on one tentacle. Thankfully, the TSAoHPL manages to be a highly entertaining read.
Writer Mac Carter makes the wise decision not to try and emulate Lovecraft’s style; in fact, the book seems to work hard to avoid it. Much of the dialogue has a real screwball comedy snappiness, pushing the story along at a fairly quick pace. Lovecraft’s own narration – while appropriately verbose and moody – isn’t an attempt to replicate his writing style, but still comes off as very literary.
The story centers on Lovecraft who, stricken with writer’s block and failing to gain the affections of his beloved (a flapper librarian, no less - who wouldn’t be smitten?) comes across a cursed ancient tome, and finds that he is possessed both of a terrible new idea, and dreams that turn out to be too realistic. There’s also the matter of his jerkwad publisher and duo of busybody aunts.
Tony Salmons’ art is great and really works in telling the story, capturing the vibrancy of a busy Chicago street and jump jazz hall, while evoking the horror of an attack by one of H.P.’s notorious creatures. Not only is this worth checking out, but it won't drive you insane after reading, earning it this week's...



As always, these reviews (and books) are brought to you by Detroit Comics - the only comic store where you're guaranteed third wave ska on your visit!

New Comics Reviews!

All right, Ladies and Gents, it's Thursday, and that means it's time for the New Comics Reviews!
"But wait," I hear you say, "Isn't New Comics Day actually Wednesday?" Indeed it is. But you see, Detroit is a union town, so things get done on their own time, if you know what I mean.

UAW president Rod Gettelfinger does not approve of the above comment.

Anyhow, enough jibba jabba...

This Week's Reviews!

Batman: Battle for the Cowl #2
I'll just come out and say what everyone's thinking: the problem with this whole "Batman's dead and who will be the new one?" thing is that come the next movie/when the new guy stops selling/DC needs a new Event, he's just going to come back. The last issue of Final Crisis even spelled it out for us, just in case anyone was worried. So reading all the Battle for the Cowl books almost seems like a pointless effort. But then, it's all about the journey, not the destination, so with that in mind, B:BftC #2.
The first book started with a lot of potential, playing up the legacy and significance of Batman and showing just how necessary his presence was to keep Gotham from descending into complete supervillain chaos. Given that artist Tony Daniel was essentially taking over from Grant Morrison, it was a nice start. This book keeps up a lot of what worked: Black Mask setting the Penguin and Two-Face, Gotham's leading crime bosses, against each other, Commissioner Gordon realizing how reliant on Batman he'd become, and pretty much every hero even remotely tied to Batman showing up to help out. But the book focuses a bit too much on the "Devil Batman," whose shocking secret identity actually makes sense, even if it's an underwhelming reveal. But for a concept which is pretty much doomed from the start, it makes for an enjoyable enough ride.


Daredevil: Noir #1
Here we have the third Marvel hero to be re-imagined in a 1930s setting, and of the characters given the Noir treatment so far (Spider-Man and the X-Men), he seems the one best suited for this sort of re-imagining. Writer Alexander Irvine does a solid job of translating the essential characters to that era, and even using time-appropriate plot devices: In his secret identity, blind Matt Murdock is not a lawyer, but assistant to his friend Foggy Nelson, who is - what else? - a private detective. The two are approached by a gangster's moll, offering give them information on her mob boss boyfriend to prevent him from starting a gang war with none other than the Kingpin. Irvine balances the elements well, and the superheroics actually fit in quite nicely, mainly because Daredevil's heroics consist of roughing up gangsters and torching a mob warehouse.
Irvine is obviously writing this for the reader who's unfamiliar with the character, and plays a bit too heavily with Matt's super-senses; anyone who's read Frank Miller's run on the original series knows that having the four remaining senses turned up to 11, 24/7, is a maddening experience. Still, it's a minor complaint, and one that doesn't detract from the book. Also, Irvine was born in Ypsilanti and is now on the east coast, which means he has truly lived the dream.
Tomm Coker's art is spot on as well, his heavy shadows and stark line work really evoking that noir feel. All in all, a good start to what looks to be an interesting series.


Dark Reign: Hawkeye #1
I think the best summary from this issue came from Brian Kelly (Detroit Comics owner)* himself: "It's basically an issue showing us how psychotic Bullseye is." That pretty much sums up the plot right there, but in case you haven't been following, former Daredevil villain Bullseye has now taken the role of bow-and-arrow slinger and Green Arrow analog Hawkeye in the new Avengers team. The whole villain-turned-hero mantle is never an easy one to wear, especially when said villain has no intention of not being a crazed killer. It's a concept that, in the wrong hands, could easily be dreck, but give writer Andy Diggle credit for some great characterization and the right amount of black humor to make a book about a guy with no qualms about letting three dozen bystanders die in the course of stopping a super-criminal actually fun.


Ignition City #1
Warren Ellis brings us yet another new book (seriously, does the man sleep?), and folks, this one gets the thumbs up. Here, he takes the basic idea behind Steampunk (anachronistic technology in a past era) and gives us a world where in 1956, not only have humans already made it to space, but we've fought wars with aliens and decided not to go back. Space travel has pretty much been outlawed everywhere, except for one lone island. This island also happens to be where our heroine - Mary Raven, former space pilot - has to go to collect the belongings of her recently deceased father, also a space pilot. Oh, and as it turns out, the island is pretty much a third world wreck filled with broken-down (physically and otherwise) astronauts and cosmonauts.
There's a lot of information needed to set the story up, and Ellis does a good job of catching the reader up quickly in the first few pages. From there, it's Mary's trip to Ignition City, and the promise of a deeper mystery behind her father's demise. Ellis definitely has a knack for character-based stories, and it's the characters - along with the novel world they inhabit - that make this worth checking out.

Last Week's Honorable Mention

Destroyer #1
What happens when you take The Walking Dead Robert Kirkman and combine him with Battle Pope Robert Kirkman? Brothers and sisters, I give you Destroyer.
Taking one of the more interesting Captain America analogs from the 1940s, Kirkman sets him as an aging superhero who learns he could drop dead at any minute. So, he decides to do the logical thing in that situation, which is to kill every supervillain possible before he dies, starting with his own brother.
As we've seen from his previous works, Kirkman knows how to delve into some serious darkness, and also knows complete farce (seriously, Battle Pope!), and with this book, he balances the two quite nicely, almost in a "come for the violence, stay for the humanity" ploy. Is it bloody? Let this unfinished art from page 1 answer your question. But then, not a few pages later, where we see the Destroyer as an old man at a family get together, and especially in his dealings with his wife pre- and post- diagnosis, it's actually touching. This book definitely gets the Fist of Approval!

That's it for this week, folks! Check back, and remember, you can always pick these books up at Detroit Comics!


*Can I get that raise now, boss?