Project Superpowers #5

One-sentence summary: Dynamite's public-domain superhero project is moving along, this issue bringing the elements together to close this chapter and set the stage for the various spin-offs.

For me, after having them built up my whole life, Golden Age comics were a bit of a disappointment. Sure, there were a handful of ones with some interesting gimmicks or art, but the Golden Age of comics was golden only in terms of sales; the stories were formulaic, the characters massively derivative from each other (with a few gems), and the art generally as quickly done as possible.

However, Ross and Krueger sat down with these raw materials and thought up an intriguing universe. They took each character and flushed out their personalities, their flaws, and what they should be like in a post-WWII environment. Taking these characters, drawing the lines on good and bad, and plotting things out, they've created a truly great universe. Taking forgotten characters and turning them into original masterpieces is a comic tradition, from Moore's Swamp Thing to Morrison's Doom Patrol, and that's exactly what they've done here.

This issue is much less plot-intensive than ones in the past, with many of the story developments taking place in the background, allowing us to see these fighters in what proves to be their element; brawling. Normally I get bored with issues like these, but given the number of characters in any number and style of fight, I really loved every panel of this.

Project Superpowers is one of the better titles of the year, and definitely among the top superhero comics out there. Given no hype at all, this Golden Age-themed comic has yet to disappoint me.

Reign in Hell #1 (of 8)

One-sentence summary: This ambitious mini-series begins with a declaration of intent, giving the reader a good feel for where it wants to go, and it's delivered well so far.

Hell is unfamiliar territory for DC. Not so much for Vertigo, no, but as a whole DC has left its Hell rather uncharted, with just an occasional demon popping up here and again. Consequently, Reign in Hell could supply something rather unfamiliar to mainstream comic fans -- an obvious world w/in the comic universe that remains uncharted.

First off, I was glad to get my dose of Shadowpact in this issue. It wasn't much, sure, but I was grief-stricken when that series got canceled, so it's just nice to see them again. There are a couple other cameos I won't spoil but were intriguing surprises to me. The art is great, with that sort of gritty detail that's been a mainstay for Hell since Bosch. The story seems solid, with definite direction and purpose, which is nice to see in a premiere issue. The dialog is...ok. I'm pretty neutral toward it; it never grabbed me, but it also never distracted me, so that balances out. What really sells this title to me is the purpose: organizing DC's Hell only to break it apart, and possibly how magic works (though that never seems to amount to much). I'd like this to reflect the events in Final Crisis, but I'm guessing it won't, since anything with even a vague connection to that series is stamped all over.

The back-up story was a bit weaker, I thought. Maybe it was my unfamiliarity with Dr. Occult, but I just found myself one step behind the whole story through; this isn't that rare for first issues, though, so I won't condemn it for that.

All said, at the end of this Hell will no longer be so unfamiliar. Whether that will add a neat element to the DCU or if it will simply eliminate one of the few true unknowns in that universe, we'll see.

Marvel Comics Presents #11

One-sentence summary: As this 12-issue arc draws near a close, the series continues to output neat one-shots and interesting arcs.

I'd like to think that I like this series for reasons that extend beyond it fitting my stunted attention span, giving me four short stories in a relatively small (30ish pages) frame.

For one thing, I like how it's done a story on the Collective/Guardian/Whatever. He seemed like he should be a gigantically important character, but just got tossed to the side; it's nice to see what's going on with him.

As a general rule, that's what I like about this. It's giving little known characters a chance to get some panels in. I imagine the Hellcat series inspired the current Hellcat mini, which is neat, and I'm enjoying the Machine Man going on right now. The one-shots, while sometimes a bit odd, are usually at least a little enjoyable. This issue had a one-joke Stingray story, but it was still fun. Vanguard (the other 12-issue story) has been good, but this one ended somewhat crazily -- I'm looking forward to the conclusion.

All in all, I'm hoping next issue isn't the last, but I'm not sure. I haven't checked the solicitations. Regardless, it's been a good 12-issue run -- attention span notwithstanding.

Glamorpuss #2

One-sentence summary: Dave Sim's bizarre half-satire/half-stream of conscious art essay continues, though somehow less satisfying than last issue.

I thought I'd do a review on a more indie comic, though it's certainly getting its share of coverage as it is Dave Sim, of Cerebrus fame, doing it. I actually really get a kick out of the stream-of-conscious art essay portion of it, as I don't know a ton about that era of artist (it's essentially about the pre-comic book artists of the 30s). In general, his parody of Cosmo and ilk aren't too far off, though I thought this issue's rant against anti-depressants was a bit weird (though, honestly, if you're familiar with Dave Sim you know to expect weird).

What Sim's doing here is certainly ambitious. He is, essentially, trying to revive a long-dead art style single-handedly. In doing so, he's also trying to personally work through the whys and the hows of all the bigger name early artists (Hal Foster, Alex Raymond, etc). In order to give some sort of structure to the title, though, he's including a few parodies of fashion magazine-style articles, in particular with the cover of each issue. I think this is hit or miss and much prefer his essay portion, but that's me, I'm sure there are others who just like the Glamorpuss portion.

All in all, I think there is a definite audience for this book. For someone either interested in comic art theory or early comic history would probably like this. However, someone looking for the average comic is going to be feeling disappointed, but, then again, why are they buying an indie title by Dave Sim?

Ambush Bug: Year None #1

One-sentence summary: How many jokes you get from this book is essentially like a scale of how much of a comics nerd you are -- casual readers beware.

Ambush Bug is one of those characters you either love, hate, or have never heard of because he's almost as obscure as the jokes he makes. If you doubt my emphasis on the obscurity of the jokes, here's a list of some of the references I caught and remember off the top of my head:

• Sugar & Spike (comic from early Silver age about a couple of kids)
• Several references to earlier Ambush Bug mini-series (such as Cheeks, or Jenni DC)
• Girlfriend-in-the-fridge
• Captain Carrot
• Etc

So, I defend that this book is really for die-hard comics fans only. There'll be plenty for them to laugh at, sure, but this is probably the most self-referential book put out in the last few years; it's definitely not for the casual reader. Is that good or bad? Am I one of the ones who loves Ambush Bug, or do I hate him?

I almost feel like leaving this review on a cliffhanger in honor of him, but I'll not and just say the Bug makes me laugh. And that probably is a sign of how high on the scale of comic nerd I rest.

Uncannny X-Men #500

One-sentence summary: A daringly different direction (it's issue 500, I get to write like Stan Lee for a sentence) for the X-Men that it'll be interesting to see through.

The X-Men titles have, for quite some time, been stuck in a rut that not even the best writers have really been able to help with. Sometimes the rut has produced good stories, sure, but there have been few X-Men stories in recent years that couldn't have been from ten, twenty, even thirty years ago.

That being said, this issue really makes the reader feel as if we're on the cusp of a big change. The move to San Francisco is a really good choice, in my mind; the location makes sense and it's nice to change scenery once every few decades. Also, I really liked the idea of a shock artist using real Sentinels as a piece of art -- it really is a fairly accurate, Marvel version of shock art. Bringing back major villains is an attention-grabber too, which I'm looking forward to, and the change of the X-Men from exclusive team to open embassy (ironically similar to Genosha) is interesting. The writing style for the team, as a whole, seems much fresher than it has in quite some time, and is a major contributor to that feeling of change this issue just oozes.

That said, there's some bad stuff that's not insignificant. For one, part of what makes the X-Men who they are is that the team should experience change w/in the members. So, why is everyone (Emma Frost excepted, though she's written here as a slightly naughtier Jean Grey) on the team from at least 30 years ago? In addition to that, the green-ness of the book got on my nerve. I'm not this monstrous tree-burner, but it was pretty irritating in this issue. I was fine until they throw a car and the line "Did it have to be a hybrid?" was said...ugh. We got it during the two pages about it earlier, it doesn't have to be stressed that much.

Brubaker and Ellis seem to be dragging the X-Men out of their rut. Whether they'll do a good job with that or not remains to be seen, but as they're two of my favorite writers, I'm optimistic.

Justice League of America #23

One-sentence summary: The second battle against Amazon continues in a truly ridiculous fashion that goes essentially nowhere.

Alright, first off, I am biased on this issue. I'm, for whatever reason, just not a fan of Vixen, so how prominently they're trying to feature her doesn't jive well with me regardless of story quality. That said, this issue is pretty weak. It opens, essentially, on Amazo taking on the Flash, which was actually somewhat interesting. The main glaring problem is that they try to cover up a potential problem (one that always comes up with characters like Amazo) with another one; w/Flash's super speed he could easily kill everyone, but if Flash can take it away why didn't he do that before getting himself beaten to a pulp? I know I know, it's a comic book, and normally I don't take issue with these sorts of things, but clearly the entire sequence was done entirely because the writer had taken issue with a similar problem. C'est la vie, all the same.

I've admitted in the past to being a story-lover, and it's true, so when an entire issue features nothing but a fight going nowhere, yes, I tend to get irritated. Maybe other people love meaningless fight issues? Personally, I'd at least require really original art to make up for such a thing. Instead, the art here...meh. I didn't care for the overly sketchy, lots-of-muscle-lines, style back when it was popular in the '90s. Now I don't care for it and it feels dated.

I'm sad about not liking this series right now. As a concept, I love good superhero teams, and I'm pretty ok with the current Justice League line-up. so it's actually a bit of a challenge for me not to like this series. However, using Amazo twice in less than two years (not to mention the arc he had in the now-canceled JLA Classified) is overkill for a pretty lame character (sorry everybody, but any mimic-type character is inherently lame due to the fact they never make any sense, even in comics).

I might be biased going into this, but, sadly, I'm more biased towards liking this series, and I still can't say I even vaguely like this.

Avengers: The Initiative #15

One-sentence summary: This series continues the Secret Invasion tie-in arc with a rather blah issue.

I've been a pretty big fan of the last few Initiatives. I thought they were fairly tightly scripted with a good mix of action and humor. Last issue did the same, while being, what I thought, a pretty good tie-in with Secret Invasion that might actually have some implications. This didn't surprise me, since I was pretty happy with their tie-in with World War Hulk, praise I gave exclusively to them.

That being said, this issue was a let-down for the same reason Secret Invasion as a whole is sort of bleh, and that's that nothing happened. Great, we get some background on a character for an issue. Woo. Awesome. Is it particularly amazing background? Not really, no. It's ok. It'd be ok if it had been a page or so of exposition in order to use it later in the issue/arc as material, but it's clearly just a one-shot with this character. Ugh. I'm so tired of everything having to do with Secret Invasion being mired for the past 2 or 3 months in the exact same 5 minutes.

That being said, who knows -- maybe they'll finally get to do something next issue.

Green Lantern Corps #26

One-sentence summary: The Mongul storyline concludes in an amazing explosion in this excellent title.

Man, when did every space title become awesome? On the Marvel side, all of Annihilation has just been incredible, and for the last 2 1/2 years Green Lantern has just again and again been one of the best titles in the DCU.

That continues this week. Both GL titles are taking a bit of a time-out from the mega-arcs they've been on, but while GL has been doing the origin story, GLC has been following Mongul and the Black Mercies. This issue concludes it in a thrilling fashion, giving us plenty of good fight panels, as well as an amazing finale to it. The conclusion is interesting, too, and goes to illustrate a bit about the green and yellow rings which, while obvious, was neat nevertheless.

So, yes, Green Lantern Corps maintains the record of space titles being awesome.

Daredevil #109

One-sentence summary: Brubaker & Rucka continue to deliver tense Daredevil stories with their grim, realistic edge, with pencils by Lark perfectly complementing things.

I should put out there right now, I don't think I've read a Brubaker/Rucka venture I haven't really loved (GCPD was a fantastic DC title, for example). It should come as no surprise, then, that I really enjoy their run on Daredevil. The writing is tense, the consequences real (for Daredevil, at least), and the plots non-obvious. I also like that we spend as much time with Murdoch -- maybe more -- than with Daredevil. He's an attorney, it's a busy life, and it actually shows in the comics. Crazy!

That being said, it's not perfect. For one thing, even for Brubaker, this is a dark comic. It's been a very long time since Murdoch's life has had anything good happen in it. If this was the only comic I read, that might be a bit of a bummer, but as is is just a change of pace.

There, I did it, I levied a (milktoast) criticism against a Brubaker comic. And I didn't even get struck by lightning or anything. Weird.

The Brave and the Bold #15

One-sentence summary: Waid continues to deliver old-fashioned, quality comic stories along with his take on DC's characters in this team-up title.

In a lot of ways, Brave and the Bold feels like a throwback title. After finishing up their larger-arc recently, they've been doing mostly smaller stories (I think this one was two, maybe three issues). These stories really don't have consequences outside of this title, and rarely does it reflect the state of things in the DCU. The bright, if basic, colors and pencils seem to me to be more reminiscent of a Neal Adams style than anything modern. It doesn't use thought balloons, but they wouldn't seem out of place.

However, in no way am I using this bash the title. Sure, it's not a masterpiece showing where the medium is headed, etc, but it's good fun, which is something that Waid's good at (see: Impulse). I think it's a great title for the comic nerd or a younger reader -- it's clean, innocent fun, which, sadly enough, isn't true for a lot of basic DC titles (not trying to sound like an old fogey, I just think DC's missing out by not having more quality titles that kids can read). Also, I think it has appeal to those two demographics by having the random selection of rotating characters. The new readers can get introduced to neat characters who might not have had an appearance in a couple years, and old fans can see their favorites again.

In addition to that, it's not sloppy writing. Waid does interesting things with the characters together, making sure their interactions aren't forced. They know each other, they operate in the same world, and they fight using all of their abilities. This issue is one of the best highlights of that, with Deadman talking about knowing the Flying Graysons back in the day (which makes sense, since they were both acrobats), and other cases I won't spoil.

Sure, this feels like an anachronism, but it feels like a really, really good one.

Punisher #59

One-sentence summary: More military intrigue from Ennis, with a guest appearance by Morgan Freeman.

Ennis does military books. It's something I don't think he really minds being known for, as he's good at them. Normally he does historical ones, but in this case he's using his military history to mix it with modern political intrigue, all centered (somewhat) about the Punisher.

I say somewhat for a reason. While this is a Punisher book, he's really as much a plot device in this as a character. This is a bit of a mixed-bag. On one hand, it allows for a story that, really, is getting wrapped up in a nice way, as well as shifting onto a character you don't know well enough to figure out. On the other, though, this is a Punisher book, and fans might want to see more of their protagonist doing more than supplying an address off panel and being tied up.

Of course, as a MAX title, it can follow a more adult story and not adhere to some of the constrains (such as the main character bit) that a normal title, due to audience, is forced into. Personally, I think the story more than justifies this, and I think that, as an arc, this has been great and is going to have a good conclusion.

Ennis writes military stories. Don't be shocked that that when he brings the military into Punisher, the Punisher takes a bit of a backseat.

Checkmate #28

One-sentence summary: I love watching two walrus-monsters attack each other as much as the next guy, but isn't this my intrigue series?

If a comic book series promised me walrus-on-walrus action, I'd first wonder why they didn't choose a better choice of words and double-check what part of the comic store I'm in, but then I'd probably pick that book up, knowing my $3 would be well-spent. I'd especially love this if I were told that one giant walrus was transformed from an ex-soldier who can no longer think for himself, but does cause the giant walrus to have a giant tattoo. This sounds awesome. It makes it sound even better if I were promised more of the same in later issues.

Why, oh why, would I think this sounds awesome? Because I like stupid comics, gosh darn it, and if it weren't stupid it sounds like it'd at least be hilarious (ala Nextwave).

So, why am I less than excited about this? Because it's in one of DC's more plot-intensive, intelligent comics. I really like the political intrigue, character-based drama, and plot twists that are the standard of Checkmate arcs.

However, I guess I'd rather have this than the series be canceled. If I just have to get used to Checkmate going from blackmail and diplomacy to walrus-on-walrus fighting, well, I can adapt too (though not into a giant walrus. More into a reader of giant walrus drama).

Joker's Asylum - Poison Ivy

One-sentence summary: This quality series of one-shots continues with another pretty good installment.

I normally don't like these sorts of series -- I'm a very story-addicted man -- but this has been good. I thought it'd be just a sort of intro/origins type series, but, while it does deal somewhat with origins, each story is much more than that. It helps that it's being done by good writers, so the stories are actually pretty good.

The Penguin issue has been my favorite so far, with this last one as my least favorite, but it's still been cool. The art's steady, the writings pretty nice, and they're each pretty good one-shots, for the lover of the character or the new reader, which is DC's intention I imagine.

Moon Knight #20

One-sentence summary: Neat?

I'm a bit confused on this one. Don't get me wrong -- I've liked this run of Moon Knight quite a bit. I wish they had let this one be a MAX title; I think it really could've flown under those conditions. As is, they've let it interact with the mainstream Marvel universe in pretty interesting ways (its connection with the registration is, I think, fairly well-done). That said, here's why I'm confused about this one:

They've been building up to this issue for quite awhile, with previews of it going into books months ago. The way they made this such a large issue, clearly they think (rightfully) that Moon Knight could support a larger audience and are trying to draw their attention to it with a new reader-friendly issue that also is packed with bonuses for a relatively cheap price. I'm completely in support of that. What I don't get, then, is why you use this opportunity for a one-shot that's sort-of not impressive. This was actually a pretty good idea for a story arc -- villains inducing lycanthropy in bums and kidnapped folks in order to have underground werewolf fights -- so to waste it on a one-shot sort of bummed me out. Also, I always thought the rule of thumb for getting new readers was to get them hooked, not just show them a neat comic. I suppose both techniques can work, but I'd just think the former would just naturally sell more (maybe I'm wrong on this; I don't have the numbers to support either way).

All I'm saying is that while this was a good issue with a neat idea at its core, it (odd for the age of 6-issue arcs) felt rather rushed and didn't really showcase Moon Knight doing what he does best (moral-pushing thug-fighting). Oh well -- I guess if being confused about the way a good story was plotted is the worst I have to complain about, it's probably a pretty good comic.

Batgirl #1 (of 6)

One-sentence summary: Pick this issue up if, for some reason, you're simultaneously dying for new Batgirl adventures and have absolutely no idea of her origin.

I, to some degree, read comic books for mild escapism. Not all of them, sure, but I go into the ones I'm initially neutral about (like this one) with a relative tabla rasa of opinion and am usually willing to overlook little things like awkward story-telling, which is why I rarely complain about those details. However, this was such a heavy exposition issue it almost physically hurt. It was like reading a wikipedia entry on Batgirl's history for a few pages as Nightwing droned on and on about it.

There's a couple major problems with a solution like that. For one, it's an incredibly inelegant solution to the problem of explaining what a reader needs to know about a character. There should be about a dozen alternative solutions you could just come up with off the fly (gradual introduction? Writing the story so you don't need to know all the background? Making portions of the background into elements in the story so the explanation of them is fluid?) which take care of this issue without brazenly drawing the reader's attention to what you're doing. The other problem is, like many comic characters, her history is ridiculous when you sit there and just spell it out like that. There's a certain suspension of disbelief when you read comics, sure, but there's only so much it can handle.

The story itself seems fine so far. It doesn't seem like it required all that background, but whatever. Unless you're a Batgirl fan, this seems like a pretty throwaway title to me so far, and a bizarrely plotted one at that. Escapism is far less enjoyable if you're made aware of it.

Ghost Rider #25

One-sentence summary: Jason Aaron improves this run of Ghost Rider, and does leave us with a good ending to the issue, but there was still something off...

The good: Aaron's run of Ghost Rider has been ridiculously better executed than the previous, taking the root of the last several issues and really drawing it out to a decent quality story with some good action scenes.

The bad: It has that feel of "been done."

I think the biggest problem when writing Ghost Rider is that, since the '90s, when the taboos of what you could do (profitably, I might add) in regard to religion were shattered by Preacher, books upon books have built on the same basic idea: Heaven's not really that great, the angels tend to be dicks, and some human with a heavenly/hellish connection has to stop them. Whether it's Preacher, Sandman, Lucifer, or even Scud the Disposable Assassin, this plot has become tried-and-true. And do you notice something else about that list? With a possible exception of the last (Scud had its moments), those are some of the best books of the last 20 years. It's not that you're trying to do a common story; it's that you're trying to do a common story better than the best.

That being said, it's not like it's a hopeless endeavor. Rarely is it a very super-hero-ish character that accomplishes these tasks -- if Aaron plays on that, it could lead down a more unique path, and, based on some reports I won't duplicate here, it definitely will in one major regard. There's also the fact that, in most those other books, you had a theology that was essentially Judeo-Christian; since this is Marvel Universe-proper, that's not really true, and so either you can try to force it to be, or, again, you can tie that in with your story and twist this off the tried-and-true counter-culture Heaven-fighter plot.

Up to this point, it's all been introduction. I thought the use of the Deacon character was a little short-lived. Not that he was much beloved by me, just that, if he's not in the story past this issue, there was a bit too much time devoted to him in order to justify two issues of exposition. I'll hold out hope for this story, which is essentially counting down to issue #28, but it could easily become a modern cliche if Aaron isn't careful.

Final Crisis - Rogues' Revenge #1 (of 3)

One-sentence summary: This final crisis "tie-in" seems like it could be an interesting series, and the detailed, almost gritty art really works well for a series about villains.

First off, I need to get my biggest criticism of this series off my chest, simply due to the fact it has no bearing on the quality of the book. I hate DC's habit lately of doing tie-ins that are, in no way, tie-ins. At Marvel, even if the tie-in sucks, it usually has something to do with what it's being tied in to. Not so at DC. You'll have Countdown tie-ins with characters from 52, or with Captain Carrot for Pete's sake, and now you have a final crisis tie-in that I can almost safely assume will have nothing to do w/Final Crisis.

That being said, it could be a good story. The first issue was a good set-up, some neat stuff happens, and the artwork really was pretty neat. However, as it's the first issue, it's tough to judge how the series will be; the main plot of the story hasn't really been reached yet.

All in all, I think this series has definite potential, and I'm digging the art, but don't expect any actual connection with Final Crisis. I mean, why should you -- it's just a tie-in with the words "Final Crisis" in the title. Friggin' DC.

Omega the Unknown #10 (of 10)

One-sentence summary: This was a quiet epilogue to a great series.

I really appreciated Marvel for giving 10 issues to Omega the Unknown. It's such a bizarre title to publish under your main imprint. That being said, I really ended up liking this. The art fit the story, and the characters are fairly realistic in that there are few black-and-white, good-and-evil types. Characters are neurotic, needy, narcissistic, greedy, etc. In addition to that, it was a far more complex story than the average superhero tale, and less obviously told. Due to that, yes, it's a bit more of a challenge to read, particularly in month-separated chapters. That month-separation also makes this epilogue a bit of a let-down; I waited this whole last month just to learn the main bulk of the story ended last month.

However, I can't blame the story for that. The story flows perfectly well as is, and I absolutely can't wait for the trade of this. This has been one of my favorites from the last month, and I can only hope Marvel dares to do things like this more often.

Marvel 1985 #3 (of 5)

One-sentence summary: Millar, predictably, provides a compelling story, more steeped in humanity than much we've seen.

I'm honestly not sure of the numbers/popularity of this series. I generally try to avoid that stuff to keep myself unbiased (I'm an easily influenced guy, I'll admit it). That being said, maybe because it's Millar, maybe because it's just been good, but I've always assumed this was a big-selling comic. It just has that epic feel to it.

Tommy Lee Edwards art is great for this, giving it a bit less of a cartoonish feel than the average comic, which clearly fits the story well. At the same time, though, its sketchiness removes the story from reality; I'd say the art is sort of magic realist, which I think appropriately defines this story, too (though that will depend on the how of the story, which hasn't been explained yet).

I like this story, and I liked this issue. It's much darker than I thought it would be, but it was a pleasant surprise. Seeing MODOK actually be evil again was sort of refreshing. I think that comic book readers tend to forget that the average villain is supposed to be a villain, not a cartoon (except, of course, in the cartoons).

This has been a great series. If it weren't a name like Millar behind it, I'm sure it'd be one of those great, underrated reads that gains a cult following slowly through the years, but as is, I'm sure it's getting plenty of attention. For once, I'm pretty happy about that -- it deserves it.

Secret Invasion (Thus Far)

One-Sentence Summary: Marvel's summer epic is being done precisely as an event like this should be.

Alright, so if you really wanted to you could go back through my archives and read about my opinions you'd know that I wasn't a big fan of World War Hulk last summer. I thought there was essentially little to no story behind it, and the tie-ins were even worse in that regard (see World War Hulk: X-Men for the biggest waste of 3 issues ever).

That being said, it's just not the case for Secret Invasion. In a reverse of World War Hulk, I'm actually enjoying the series much more than the lead-up to it. Bendis has made not only a good story, but it's a story that's almost perfectly adapted to actually work with tie-ins. I'm sure that, to some degree, this was a very business-based decision, but the flow of the tie-ins is organic enough that I don't care.

If I were to bring a criticism to it, it's that the last few issues of several of my favorite comics have, as their tie-in, done flashbacks to show how the Skrulls set up team A to fall. This is interesting, and on an individual scale each of these issues has its own merits, but, as someone who wants to see how the heroes are dealing w/Secret Invasion outside of just that title, it is a touch frustrating.

Overall, this is such a stupendously better summer for comics than last year that they don't really compare. Secret Invasion is a good book, it will be a good trade, and, so far, I really haven't been too disappointed with the tie-ins. Marvel learned its lesson from World War Hulk -- let the guy writing everything leading up to it go ahead and write the event, too. For that, I'm thankful.

Jonah Hex #33

One-sentence summary: Cooke illustrates a beautifully simple tale showing Hex to be the true anti-hero that he is.

I, as a general rule, like the latest volume of Jonah Hex. Occasionally there'll be an issue I'm not a huge fan of, but this was not the case with 33. Now, am I completely biased because I'm a Cooke fanboy? Almost certainly. But that doesn't stop me from appreciating the harsh story, narrated in an appropriately dated style.

I think one-shots are risky things. Sometimes they (probably rightfully so) feel like filler, just the stuff that takes place between story arcs and won't find collection in a trade. Other one-shots are just meaningless fun, or maybe they'll feature some big-name guest artist or writer. Others will be an issue-long illustration of a character, reminding the reader of who they are. This issue's a mix: it's a guest artist (Cooke), but it's definitely a quality character study. Despite being a fan of the series, the climatic panel of this comic was a surprise, one which initially surprised me, but as it settled in I was immensely satisfied with the story.

So, did it help this issue was illustrated by Cooke? Of course -- but it could've been illustrated by just about anyone and I'd still have liked it. As is, I loved it.

Final Crisis (#1-2)

One-Sentence-Word Summary: Crazy!

I think that sums it all up. I mean, I like it, but it really is a very intense, jumpy comic. The way the comic's set up is supposed to put you in the mindset of the heroes -- confused, bewildered, a little scared. There's characters gruesomely dropping left and right, and we barely have time to react.

This isn't going to be everyone's cup of tea. That's ok, too. I think it's worth trying out, but some people are simply not going to like this. Does that mean it's bad? No -- if you're doing a comic no one dislikes, it means that it's most comfortable, per-par comic imaginable.

I'm not going to talk about Final Crisis much, mostly because every detail should be experienced in the comic, not ruined by a review. Just dive in -- it's worth it.

Comics that have gotten better, or just stayed awesome

It's a companion piece to the last post. I'm avoiding comics which did stink and continue to because, well, there's just little reason to ever talk about that. For that matter, I'll save the more detailed discussion of these for later, too.

Nova & Guardians of the Galaxy: Two different titles, I know, but they're their own niche, so I feel they belong together. Plus they both rule. I know, I'm being super-literary today. Also: Cosmo is crazy-awesome.

Criminal, Captain America, most everything Brubaker touches.

Iron Fist (though creative team is changing so the future is in the air).

Doktor Sleepless: It's so dreamy. Seriously, though, Sleepless is probably my favorite comic of the last couple years, or at least tied with Cooke's run on the Spirit. Every issue pushes the boundaries of comics, in my opinion (or at least the boundaries common to comics). You can enjoy Sleepless without thinking about it, but I wouldn't recommend it -- it's much more fun to really get into it.

Incredible Hercules: Probably my favorite Marvel title right now. This one just keeps getting better and better. It wraps itself in the Marvel universe, drawing on characters from its rich past, all while being distinctly original and mythic. Truly one of the best things out there, proving again the talents of Pak and Van Lente.

Batman: I'll say it right now: I'm a Morrison fan-boy. That being said, I prefer his writing when he's really unhinged (more Doom Patrol, less JLA - style). So, Batman RIP is right up my alley, and I'm excited to see what will happen, I'll admit.

JSA: I liked this series already, but the Gog arc has been really something. I thought it might be a bit forced, coming off as a "remember when you all liked Kingdom Come?" but its been its own breed. Plus, seeing poor Commander Steel get the shaft in the last issue -- it was actually sort of tragic.

There's others, don't get me wrong, but those are among my favorites...the ones I'll rush to on the shelves on Wednesdays.

Comics that have gotten worse since last year

Alright, so I'm just being lazy here. Here's a probably-short list of comics that have tanked since the last time I wrote.

All-New Atom: *sigh* Oh, I loved Simone on this, but then Remender took over and the title went from one of my favorites (sure, a troubled favorite, but a favorite nevertheless) into something I dreaded reading. It wasn't just a trainwreck; it was a trainwreck that involved characters I'd grown fond of dying or being hideously mutilated, along with their backstories. This was the first time in a long while I was actually happy a book had been cancelled.

The Spirit: This was a tragic tale. Darwyn Cooke's take on the Spirit was one of the best things to happen to comics in a long time. His quitting over Dave Stewart, while understandable, was a tragic blow to a license (a license that's going to get destroyed by Frank Miller's take on it anyhow, though). Aragones and Evanier's take on the Spirit is sort of a bummer, too, as Groo is so great I had expectations. However, their take on things lacks wit or feeling, substituting it all with bad slapstick and moderately chauvinist writing. Sadness.

The Amazing Spider-Girl: I had a soft spot for this title in my heart, but as of the last few months DeFalco has had the protagonist continually act out of character, which just gets old after awhile. Not so bad that it's a dead title to me, just a bit worse.

The Blue Beetle: This title was growing on me, giving off a very nice Invincible feel, but with its own flavor. However, the past few issues have been very stagnant on Jamie's growth as a hero, and on the changes occuring in his life. Again, hopefully just in a slump.

Are these all the titles that have gotten worse? No, just the ones that spring to mind. Also, these aren't necessarily bad titles -- they're just ones that have gotten worse in the last year that I can recall right now. Maybe I'll edit this later to add more here, but this gets around writing tons of backed up reviews.

Amazing Spider-Man (Post-One More Day)

I'm just going to give a quick review of the way they've been handling Spider-Man since the controversial reset. I'm not sure what the current issue number is, so...whatever's current.

One-sentence summary: This is probably the best Spider-Man has been in long while.

I've been a Spider-Man fan since before I could read -- due to this, I can't really tell you what drew me initially to him. The colorful cast of villains? The substantial non-superheroics which are such an essential part of the character? The light-hearted delivery of the book? Probably a mixture of these.

As someone who has been buying Spidey books for the past 20 years, I can tell you my heart has been broken by it a number of times. The clone saga was the first blow, but, worse than that was the recent turn of it into a super-dramatic, super-serious comic. That's not to say Spider-Man should never be serious -- Kraven's Last Hunt is an excellent example of good, serious Spider-Man. But, having each month be this melodrama, to have some character circling the drain (i.e., dying slowly) at almost any moment, Spider-Man swearing terrible vengeance, etc...it just got old, and it got depressing.

I went into this new fashion of Spider-Man with some hesitancy; after all, they were beginning it with arguably the worst retcon that has ever been done. But it was with good intentions; they saw the same problems with Spider-Man as I mentioned above, and the lack of much that made the title unique and gave it its character. Though in an initially awkward manner, they've essentially dealt with this.

By having a near-weekly, on-going series, it's a bit of a new thing we're dealing with here. The old standards of comic book pacing are, well, essentially moot. I've enjoyed how they divide up some of these smaller arcs into three, maybe four issue stories; while not super-intense, these do allow for some development, and a conclusion to the main plot, within a month or so. The only issue I really have with things as they are are their current use of sub-plots. Even with three issues a month, some of the developments are moving very slowly, to the point where I'm wondering if they'll come up again. However, this isn't a big complaint -- more like growing pains (on whose side, I wonder).

So, let's do a quick checklist: Colorful cast of villains? Check. Substantial plots regarding the non-superheroes? Check. Light-hearted delivery? Check. Hopefully it's clear why I feel the way I do about the new take on the book.

Trinity (#1-6)

Let's try a multi-issue review to help catch up some.

One-sentence summary: Trinity seems to have good intentions, but thus far has been a bit slow-paced, and the two 13-page stories a week are light fare.

I should put this out there right now: I am a comic book optimist. When I pick up a new book, or an old one, I hope for and look for the best. That's why I never tore apart Countdown, it's why I still read Punisher: War Journal, etc. That being said, I'm worried about Trinity, though not disliking it yet.

It's been 6 issues. I know for a weekly title that's barely 10% of the series, but for the average comic that's an entire arc. That sort of comparison makes the fact that, thus far, the "main" story of Trinity has progressed most of the way through one fight. It feels like these first few issues of Trinity have Dragonball Z syndrome -- a bunch of guys fighting, the dialogue mostly consisting of the characters talking about the fight, the subplot consisting of people watching the fight and talking about it. This is a story-telling style that wore on me in 8th grade, so my impatience is (in my opinion) understandable.

That being said, I'm intrigued by the concept being laid down here by Busiek. Having the three main DCU characters form some sort of mystical trinity fits well with the themes going on in the other mega-title right now, Final Crisis. Whether these are going to intersect at all? I wouldn't bet on it. Final Crisis is Morrison's baby, and come hell, high water, or contradictory mini-series, nothing's stopping Morrison from writing what he wants.

So what does all this mean for Trinity? It means that, at best, we can hope for a long, well-written story revolving around some neat ideas that won't have much of an impact outside of it, which wouldn't be so bad. This will require a swift progression of things from the current stagnant-style of plotting that's occurred thus far, but it could happen. Of course, there's the worst-case scenario too, but, hey -- I'm an optimist.

New post?!

Alright, just to let you guys know...I'm sorta back. Will I have time to update all the comics, like that brief, terrible, awesome summer? Probably not. But I'm going to try, sorta! We'll see how things go. But, for now, let's get restarted...