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.
 

Comments

[Guy LeCharles Gonzalez]

Hey, Kurt! I hear you on the false starts; I've made several the past few months. Just stopping by to say hello before I likely disappear again. Hope all is well.