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Justice Society of America #1

Script: Geoff Johns
Art: Dale Eaglesham & Art Thibert

What, no zero issue?

It’s nearly impossible to read this restart without making comparisons to the revamped JLA title Brad Meltzer is penning. These sister titles may have roots separating them by a generation and a slightly different sensibility about them, but there is still great commonality between the them.

So let’s get the comparison out of the way early: this is a much better start than JLA.  Geoff Johns accomplishes more in one issue than Meltzer has in four -- although if Meltzer would drop all those annoying verbal ticks he’s introduced to the script we’d only be on issue two -- he has a better sense of character development and, unsurprisingly, a better feel for how to tell a story in this medium. Johns’ writes like the seasoned pro you’d expect, Meltzer more like the novelist he is, who gets to play with some new toys he’s always wanted but not quite sure how to use.

This isn’t to say the book is flawless. After 70 some-odd issue of the previous JSA run it seems almost imponderable he would get Wildcat this wrong, although I do like the plot development dropped at the end. And is there something in Johns’ contract requiring a certain number of gruesome acts of violence per book? Maybe I’m just old school, but that business with Mr. America’s family should have happened off-panel.

The JSA was lost a bit in the INFINITE CRISIS shuffle and what little has been addressed in the pages of 52 has shed no real light on their planned direction. So it's nice to see Johns do a reset here in regards to the group itself and its direction. He also takes the opportunity to introduce a few new characters and revamp some old ones. I like the new Red (Green?) Tornado character although her backstory is a bit contrived and I’m not sure how long it will be before the goofy, awkward teenager shtick wears thin. I really like the new Starman, he strikes me as quirkier, more interesting Sentry. I guess every super team needs a character with a personality disorder these days.

The art in this issue is solid I only wish Eaglesham had taken as much care in distinguishing the younger male heroes as he does with the big three (Flash, Green Lantern, and Wildcat, that is.) All the male characters are overly muscled stereotypes while the women are typically brick shit-houses. I could have done without the scene where Liberty Belle and Hourman appear to be in a pose-off for the semi-finals of the superhero body-building championships. Beyond these things, the storytelling is solid and Starman’s costume rocks. Here's hoping for another solid 70-80 issue run for Johns.

Ex Machina: March to War

Wildstorm
Script: Brian K. Vaughan
Art: Tony Harris/Tom Fiester; Chris Sprouse/Karl Story; JD Mettler

(MARCH TO WAR covers EX MACHINA #17-20 and EX MACHINA SPECIAL #1-2)

I buy most of Brian K. Vaughan’s work in trade paperback. His tendency to spend months stringing along multiple plot threads, with frequent sidetracks, make the trades a more satisfying read for me. Unfortunately, this will probably be the last EX MACHINA trade I buy as lately Vaughan seems to have gone completely astray of the direction he set in the first year or so of the series. At this point he’d need an ATV with a hoist and ninety feet of manila climbing rope to get back on path.

I may be guilty of imposing my own interpretation of what EX MACHINA’s direction was to be and this is what Vaughan had planned all along. You see, I thought the title was about a guy who gets a strange power, uses it to fight evil, gets a crazy idea to run for Mayor of New York and wins. Then the really weird stuff happens. I didn’t realize the whole talks-to-machines ploy was really Deus ex machina (sorry, couldn’t resist) for wedging a character into a position where Vaughan could roll out all his pet civics theories. I suppose it could be he’s slowly working his way back around to the elements that made this book so enjoyable in the early going, but since it’s now being promoted as a “political thriller”, I doubt it. And while I like a political thriller as much as the next guy -- I’ve seen Enemy of the State five times! -- for Vaughan that seems to mean character’s spouting off like freshman poli-sci students and creating a chain of straw man plot hammers so he can throw out buckets of what I’m sure seemed like clever rejoinders to all the base CNN/FOX/CNCBC reactions and responses to the Iraq War. It’s his book and he’s certainly free to use it as a bully pulpit for any topic he fancies but by the end of this arc I couldn’t tell where most of his characters, or Vaughan himself, stood on any issue. I think he bent over a bit too far trying to cover the angles or at least to appear that he had. On the whole it could have used a lot more intrigue and less monologuing.

The art as usual, is wonderful. I don’t know if Tony Harris is underrated -- because I don’t really know how he’s rated -- but he handles facial expressions and distinct characters better than anyone I can think of. And his storytelling is excellent. I credit him with making a number of Vaughan’s slower scenes at least visually interesting. One thing I found odd was the way some of the scenes were shaded. If I recall, in previous issues a sort of sepia tone was used to help indicate a flashback sequence but it was used here in a couple of places that were part of the normal plot sequence and my conditioned little brain got confused. A small quibble at best.

At the back of this trade is the two issue special, LIFE AND DEATH which is a far more interesting read and much closer in spirit to the EX MACHINA I enjoyed early in the run. In one of those odd twists, I had planned to stop buying this title after the last trade but picked up the special in floppy, because it was only a two-issue commitment (I’m easy and have a short attention span) and I really had to see what kind of story Vaughan could tell in two issues. I liked it so much I decided to give the book one more go. Sadly, because Vaughan is an extremely talented writer and capable of better, the rest of the book is a waste.

Ultimate Vision #0

Marvel Comics
Script: Mark Millar
Art: John Romita Jr. & Jimmy Palmiotti

This is one of those rare cases where numbering a book issue “0” is appropriate since this kickoff is really just a prologue to whatever will take place in the rest of the series. Here we’re given a little Vision/Gah Lak Tus backstory to frame up the soon to come five issue mini series, through a narrative “vision” presented to Sam Wilson by the freshly re-animated robot hottie. Vision was built by some long-extinct race to warn others of the coming danger, with the ability to “assume the shape and language of whatever world” she visited. I guess our world’s shape is brick shithouse.

This book takes place somewhere before the final issue of ULTIMATE EXTINCTION, making for a bit of awkwardness early on as we wonder why Sam Wilson and Reed Richards are sweating a Gah Lak Tus threat already resolved in our up-to-speed Ultimate universe minds. That passes as the book quickly moves to what I guess you would call Vision’s origin story. What doesn’t pass is the awkward transition from the work of Warren Ellis and Brandon Peterson in ULTIMATE EXTINCTION to Millar and Romita’s effort here. I like a lot of Romita’s work – I’m particularly enjoying ETERNALS – but he doesn’t have the attention to detail Peterson (or Steve McNiven) have shown for the technical backdrops this Ultimate run calls for. Peterson will draw the main series, making the point moot.

“His name could best be described as the shape of a DNA strand multiplied by something that smelled like meat burning.” Ellis has shown a flair for pulling off lines like this, but from Millar it seems somehow silly and flat. Maybe it’s just me, but this type of script calls for a bit of eloquence combined with a knack for turning quasi-scientific factoids into oddly believable dialog – it’s just not in Millar’s wheel house. In the end we get a serviceable, if somewhat forced, story that does its job of setting the table for the mini series without giving much away.

Okay, I know I’ve sort of buried the lede on this one. Yes, the Vision is female, and, well, hubba, hubba. Like most of you I did scratch my head for a brief second wondering why it had to take the form of an intergalactic hooker. Truth is, I’ve given up worrying on this kind of nonsense (although they did take the robot mammary thing to heretofore unreached levels of goofiness in this book), it is what it is. I’m not sure how this one will play out in the Ultimate universe but I’m laying even money on a Tony Stark/Vision hookup before it’s all over. Either way, I look forward to a wealth of metal and robotic related sexual puns from blogosphere.

Justice League of America #0-3

DC Comics
Justice League of America
Script: Brad Meltzer
Art: Ed Benes & Sandra Hope

The first three issues of this revamp outsold every other book on the market except CIVIL WAR. That’s not completely unexpected given the title’s relatively high profile, Meltzer’s current star status and, I think, the hopeful promise of something that will embody a sunnier, more upbeat DC Universe. I don’t think the irony is lost on anyone that Meltzer’s IDENTITY CRISIS may be the gold standard for the darker, uglier aspect of DC story telling in the last few years. Redemption is working on a lot of levels here.

Way back in February I wrote one of the most popular (as judged by continuing Google traffic, anyway) posts in the illustrious history of this blog, surrounding the notion of who Brad Meltzer would include in the latest JLA incarnation. (If you’ve got nothing better to do you can go back and see who I predicted. I had about a 60% hit rate, although I don’t think the line-up is entirely set.) My general sense of the pre-release hype was the Meltzer was going to channel the 70’s JLA nostalgia with just enough variation to avoid the type of complaints constantly levied on Alex Ross for his never-ending homage to all things Silver Age. So how does the zero issue kick things off? With an homage to the silver age – or at least a montage. More importantly, the first few issues anchor the JLA firmly to the shoulders of DC’s holy trinity.

From the formal invitations to join the League, to splitting up into teams (if even before the actual team is finalized) with the various heroes logos kicking off each section, to the masthead of the book, these first four issues are heavily influenced by the JLA of the Me Decade. And I like the use of Red Tornado as the foundation for the story – he was crux of so many noteworthy League moments in those days. Meltzer's characterizations are solid, but they should be as most of these characters have been well-defined elsewhere.  The dialog is the solid stuff you would expect from a best-selling author.

The art and storytelling has been solid so far. I’m especially thankful no one felt compelled to riff on the now iconic first issue cover of the original JLA. But many of the background sets are indistinguishable. The panels involving Vixen and Black Lightning look like they all took place in the same backwater bar, even after BL changed locales. A small quibble, but when you’re jumping around a lot it does impact the storytelling. 

I’m enjoying much of this, which probably isn’t too surprising considering the era Meltzer most heavily references dovetails with when I first started reading comic books. In fact, the JLA was by far my favorite and I still have many of the early issues including a complete run from about issue 70 to 200. I’m curious if this influence resonates with everyone the way it does with me, but that will be Meltzer’s tightrope to walk. And I find it interesting this book has posted the early returns we’re seeing, sales-wise. Yes, it’s been heavily hyped; yes, Meltzer’s on the New York Times bestseller list; yes, there’s some direct carryover from the very successful Infinite Crisis miniseries. But the previous JLA run was lucky to crack 80,000 units in any given month and was rarely a top 10 book. And the lineup during the last year or so of that title more closely mimicked the 70’s era than any in recent memory. (Although I’ll admit the thing was completely addled during the pre-IC run-up.) Will this title fall back to those levels once the dust settles? Well, NEW AVENGERS has managed to maintain some semblance of momentum two years in, so I guess there’s hope. But only if DC continues to treat this title like the flagship it should be.

Heroes 11.13.06

I’m not a big network television guy, particularly in the fall. Work, coach soccer, watch football. That’s pretty much the extent of my schedule. Of course watching football means gritting through boatloads of commercials, especially commercials for shows that all the critics agree on. It seems NBC’s Heroes is one of those. But I hadn’t seen the show until last night as Monday is a soccer night during which I generally record MNF for post-practice viewing. I can only record one show at a time and MNF semi-regularly runs past 9pm (although less so with this season’s 5:30 Pacific Time start) so I don’t really bother with anything but football on Monday’s.

But practice was rained out last night, Carolina lowered the hammer on the Bucs around 8:30 and miraculously all the kids were in bed about that same time, leaving me with the TV to myself and no football to watch. Somehow I remembered Heroes was on – maybe it was the 47 commercials during the Sunday Night football telecast.

Now for my preconceptions: If you’ve got a decent one hour show and you schedule it for prime time on a Monday you know a good chunk of the country is going to have to make a choice between it and football. To me that means counter-programming. Chick shows. That’s not a bad thing, it just has no appeal for me. Conversely, everyone know chicks aren’t really into comic books, even people who don’t read comic books, but this show is right out there with the premise - and the title for that matter. After seeing one of the early teasers I figured it was a show about cops, firefighters, etc.; no way this could be about actual “super” heroes. I guess the success of superhero movies have changed the thinking in this regard. So right off the bat there’s a mixed message, again, not necessarily a bad thing.

And I promise not to use the word "chick" any more.

Okay, okay, the show. It was alright, good even. When I saw Jeph Loeb’s name on the credits I figured it would be decent and somewhat formulaic from the comic fan’s perspective. You know, like a Jeph Loeb comic. And that pretty well describes it. It’s got a big time X-Files vibe to it, which I like, providing it doesn’t get too bogged down with aliens and conspiracy theories. The acting is solid, no one in this episode jumps out as glaringly bad or breakout good. The scene transitions were pretty smooth and the script was solid, although lacking in humor. One of the things that I always appreciated about X-Files was Duchovney’s/Mulder’s dry sense of humor. Heroes could use a bit of that. 

I was able to easily jump into this episode and pick up the thread, largely because there’s very little new ground broken from a thematic or plot standpoint. I suppose there’s a certain comfort in that and it certainly makes the show accessible, but it also puts a big load on the cast and script to make the show appealing over the long haul; one episode isn’t enough for me to judge those things.  And  you almost need a tote board to keep track of all the comic book and sci fi tropes in play, which was kind of fun actually.

Must see TV? Nah, but it’s fun and intriguing. Comic book fans will likely enjoy watching just to spot all the retread ideas and characters. And since next Monday’s Giants v. Jags game isn’t very glamorous I may tune in and see if someone actually does save the cheerleader.

Return to Returning…

…Or something like that.

I’ve been trying to avoid the seemingly inevitable blogger fate of taking months off then weakly reappearing for three or four posts before disappearing forever into the void. I’ve false started on posts a number of times but resisted publishing because I could just tell I wasn’t going to get much past that one post.

It’s not like I haven’t been trying, but between work and family obligations my time has not really been my time. I’m sure none of you can relate to that. I’m even surer that many of you are wondering what the heck I’m talking about, didn’t I just read a post from this guy last week? What’s that old saying? Something like…In your 20’s you spend a great deal of time worrying about what other people think about you. In your 40’s you stop worrying about what other people think. In your 60’s you realize they aren’t thinking about you at all.

Four Months Worth of Reviews

Not really.

I had the best of intentions but when I counted up how many comics I bought in that period…Holy Discretionary Income, Batman! I don’t want to give out the real number – on rare occasions my wife reads this blog – suffice it to say I got a personal thank you note from Bryan Singer and the Time Warner brass for allowing production on the next Superman movie to proceed.

Let’s see if I can narrow it down to some general catch-up impressions:

52 is doing just enough to keep me buying and now that we’re past the halfway mark it’s pretty much a lock I’ll complete the string. Maybe the thing I’m most happy about is Douglas Wolk’s continued analysis. The series would not be nearly as enjoyable without it.

Civil War’s a mess. But you knew that.

At it’s midpoint (issues 6-8) JUSTICE has hit that point where we all get up and get popcorn or hit the john. At 12 issues this series is overlong although I suspect it will work fin in trade. JUSTICE LEAGUE, on the other hand, is working for me on several levels. Which is a bit surprising because I thought IDENTITY CRISIS stunk up the joint.

Boy that SEVEN SOLDIERS finale felt rushed. Guess I have to reread the whole of it to have it make sense?

I like nearly anything Matt Wagner does but BATMAN AND THE MAD MONK isn’t quite grabbing me like the earlier series did.

Best books you probably aren’t reading? How about THE LONE RANGER from Dynamite Entertainment, DEADMAN via the Vertigo imprint and Ed Brubaker’s CRIMINAL. Okay, you’re probably reading that last one.   

Speaking of Brubaker, Michael Avon Oeming squeezed a cover blurb sorts out of him for the third issue of THE CROSS BRONX. (“Crime comics are back in Full Force.”) Sadly, while pretty, THE CROSS BRONX is narratively challenged.

Speaking of Brubaker again, his work on DAREDEVIL and CAPTAIN AMERICA have made those two titles about the only MARVEL monthlies this side of ASTONISHING X-MEN I look forward to.

Finally, here’s a swell link if you’d like to read Brubaker’s bibliography through late 2004.

More indepth commentary   to come. (Although I make no promises about insight.) I promise.
 

DP7 #1 & Nightmask #1: New Universe Samplers

Marvel Comics
Nightmask
Script: Fred Van Lente
Art: Arnold Pander & Kris Justice

DP7
Script: C.B. Cebulski
Art: M.D. Bright & John Stanisci

Comic shop stream of thought:

“Hey, there’s a couple of those New Universe things I’ve read only briefly about and have no real connection to since I wasn’t reading comics when they first came out and really shouldn’t be buying anyway since I’m already holding 40 bucks worth of comics, but look, Fred Van Lente wrote the NIGHTMASK book and he writes ACTION PHILOSOPHERS -- which is very cool -- and ‘NIGHTMASK’ is a pretty cool name although, **gad** gnomes and does the whole thing take place in a dream? Not bad art really, reminds me of something – not sure what. This has potential…maybe it’s just Van Lente. That guy could make the phone book interesting.

“Displaced Paranormals? Sounds like a PC term for lost kids. They’re not lost, they’re a displaced pair of normals. I shouldn’t buy this one it doesn’t look nearly as interesting as NIGHTMASK. But what if they’re connected? What happens when Warren Ellis starts writing that NEW UNIVERSAL thing this summer and I’m left in the dark? Or left in the dork, as the wife says.

“Oy. Some kind of X-men/Outsiders thing. Jeez this art’s weak. Oh and look Indians and a shaman. Can’t have Indians without a shaman. So the sister is the bad guy - er, girl? Why? Hey, zombie Indians. When all else fails write in some zombies. Eric Powell could pull this off but here it’s just stupid. Should have put them on the cover. This is really bad, now I have to buy it.

“Okay, I’m buying them both. I’m such a soft touch. That’s why our refrigerator’s full of girl scout cookies. Even those Thin Mints which are just like Grasshopper’s but four times as expensive. Eating three of those is like the financial equivalent of eating a comic book. Now there’s an idea for a column, what foods are the cost of a comic? Man, I’m hungry…”

Thing #5

Marvel Comics
Script: Dan Slott
Art: Andrea DiVito

I really like this series, but the sales number have been less than impressive (it debuted at about 30K but issues 3 & 4 came it at 21K apiece) making me doubtful it will last past 10 issues. Slott’s humor is well used and I like how he’s turned this into a throwback title of sorts – lot’s of old style Marvel mayhem and some fun villains we haven’t seen in a while. Plenty of opportunities for clobberin’ time. It seems like there would be a place for this at the Marvel table and the fact that it’s an ongoing monthly gives me some hope. But since both Marvel and DC have given short shrift to titles that can’t consistently tread above the 25K mark, I’m not holding my breath. 

This issue probably didn’t help matters in either direction; anyone jumping on board with this issue because of the good things they might have heard could be disappointed. The focus is on Yancy Street -- long Ben’s anchor as well as a source of slapstick humor -- but the vibe was bit melancholy and at times preachy, and the humor just a forced. Despite the tone, Slott continues to show a nice feel for the Ben Grimm character (far better than what I’ve seen from JMS so far in the FF proper) and I think he’s nailed Ben’s reaction to sudden riches just right. Things pick up towards the end of the book and issue six looks to be back to the same sort of romp the first four were.

Andrea DeVito’s art is wonderful. This is the best Thing being drawn at Marvel, bar none. DeVito doesn’t miss a beat when it comes to depicting Benjy’s various moods and that’s no easy task. Lot’s a of little touches as well -- I loved the “4” on the bottom of Ben’s boots -- making for a really fun package that reminded me a lot of the early MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE and George Perez FANTASTIC FOUR days.

Here’s hoping Marvel sees fit to let THING build an audience. With all the new titles out there I suspect this one has been overlooked and that’s a shame. It’s not ground-breaking or earth-shattering, but it is fun and only mildly tangled with current Marvel continuity; and comics can certainly use a few of these titles.

Hatter M #2

Image Comics
Art: Ben Templesmith
Script: Frank Beddor & Lix Cavalier

This is really working for me and most of the credit has to go to Ben Templesmith. The premise -- with which you may be familiar -- is straightforward: Princess Alyss has disappeared from Wonderland and Hatter M has been dispatched to our sad, grimy little world to retrieve her. Hatter M, with his assortment of knives and a wonderfully lethal hat, is a single-minded protagonist of a sort that we’re very comfortable with in comics. We expect him to prevail but the fun is in the hurdles he has to clear to do so.

And the story, taken from Frank Beddor's The Looking Glass Wars novel, has just enough depth to make those hurdles interesting. Nothing is obvious or telegraphed (at least so far, we’re only two issues in) but even if it was you’d be too busy looking at Templesmith’s fantabulous art to care. It’s just that good.

I’m sure many of you read and enjoy FELL. That’s a nice collaboration piece but its format doesn’t really allow for the range shown here. The use of light, texture and iconography is perfectly suited to the theme and the relatively spare script. This is Templesmith’s show (as acknowledged by the positioning he’s given in the credits) and he’s well up to the task. It does carry a relatively steep $3.99 cover price, but if you're looking for something fun, interesting and engaging to look at, you’ll find this a solid addition to your pull list. (And if you’d like a sample, you can preview the first issue here.)     

Infinite Crisis: Secret Files & Origins 2006

DC Comics
Script: Marv Wolfman
Art: Cast of Many

I’ll be watching the sales of this issue quite closely. It’s a peculiar book, checking in at an eye-popping six dollars, with a story that has to be crowbarred into the current INFINITE CRISIS goings on, a mish-mash of artistic talent (none of which can draw an old person) and carrying a title not wholly in sync with the contents. If DC moves the 40K+ units I expect them to on this it will become, in my mind, a part of any discussion on the effectiveness of big event comics in the current climate.

At this point nothing here is terribly secret, but Marv Wolfman does a workman like job of filling in the backstory of the Castaways from Multiple Earths. If you were wondering what turned Superboy into such an easily manipulated nutter or where Earth II Superman’s desperation came from, here you go. It was pretty good stuff. Well written, believable within the context of what we now know and interesting enough, if curiosity takes you that far. And utterly and completely unnecessary. Nothing in these pages is crucial to the larger IC story. There are no great revelations here and the various vignettes only mildly inform the characters beyond what we know of them from the pages of IC itself. And you can pretty much tell that’s going to be the case with a quick flip through the book, so any purchasing decision will likely be with the understanding that you could live without it; you’re buying because you’ve bought into this event and will purchase nearly anything carrying the trademarked IC logo or maybe you thought this might be an interesting addendum.

Did I mention the book costs six bucks? It’s a double-sized issue so the volume is there, but six dollars is quite an investment. Any success with this, combined with the hefty $4.99 price of the individual IC issues, will make it real hard for DC not to consider generating big events year round. Sure, that would get old quick, but how else will they replace this revenue? I believe Tom Spurgeon touched on this a while back, but with the kind of money spinning out of the various Big Two events, I'm more and more convinced they’ll be forced to continue the trend to keep numbers propped up. (I think we're already seeing this at Marvel.) If this book manages to finish in the Diamond top 20 for March (it will likely take 70K+ to get there and I’m skeptical of that happening) I don’t see how DC (or Marvel) can view event driven comics as anything other than a cash cow.