Batman ’66 #5 – Review

By: Jeff Parker (story), Rubén Procopio & Colleen Coover (art), Matthew Wilson (colors)

The Story: Batman’s going to get a good rest, even if he has to fight crime to do it!

The Review: This title has got itself in a permanent bind.  Because it features a gentler, kindlier world of Batman, it can never reach past a limited boundary of appropriate violence, pathos, and complexity.  At the same time, subsisting on a regular diet of mercenary, buffoonish villains is bound to get old.  Somehow, within this narrow framework, Parker’s got to find new ways to challenge Batman without overstepping his bounds.

So far, Parker has impressed by giving the revolving door of villains fairly clever plans that fit the campy tone of the series, but still feel as if they have some brains behind them.  Our latest rogue, the Sandman (not of Justice Society fame), makes good use of his sleeping powder and its hypnotic side-effects, a fire truck, and Gotham’s emergency broadcast system to purloin the city en masse, but also to discover Batman’s secrets.  It’s not glamorous, but at least it’s original.

Monkeybrain Comics – Lauch titles Quick Review

Background: You may or may not have noticed something trending on Twitter the other day called Monkeybrain comics.  What is this?  Well, it is a new publisher founded by writer Mike Roberson and his wife Allison Baker.  You might remember Roberson as the writer who picked up the pieces after J. Michael Straczynski’s run on Superman fell apart or as the writer of a some Fables spin offs or the Vertigo title I Zombie (which I’ve mostly enjoyed).  A month or so ago, Roberson had a public falling out with DC over the issue of creator rights.  He basically said he could no longer work for a company that had so little respect for creator rights (now and in the past) and DC responded by taking him off all their comics.  I Zombie had already been announced as ending, but I suspect it was probably related to this disagreement.

My assumption at the time was that Roberson would go back to writing novels or we’d see his name attached to something like a new Fathom miniseries.  But it turns out that Roberson had something much more ambitious in mind: MonkeyBrain Comics.  MonkeyBrain is a new publisher of digital-first, creator-owned comics that are available through Comixology (on any smart phone, tablet or PC).

Twitter went atwitter and Comixology and MonkeyBrain decided to make their launch titles available on Monday, July 2 (a few days earlier than expected).  And….why not?  They’re digital-first.  There’s no reason to be beholden to the “new books on Wednesday” comic shop model.  With FIVE titles launching and prices at either $0.99 or $1.99, it was worth checking out.

So, how were the comics?

Bandette #1 – Written by Paul Tobin with art by Colleen Coover, this was a charming first issue.  At 99 cents for a 13-page reading experience, it was just enough to introduce the central character: Bandette.  She’s a young French (Belgian?) woman who is a cat-burglar with a heart.  We meet her as she’s robbing some nasty, arms-dealer dude’s home and also learn that she is a bit of a problem solver for the local police.  The whole thing is light-hearted and sweet.  Coover’s art is delectable.  It looks a lot like her traditional watercolors, but I’d bet she did this digitally.  Everything is sweet, soft and happy in her art.  I’m definitely looking forward to MORE of this title.

Amelia Cole and the Unknown World #1 – Written by Adam P. Knave & DJ Kirkbride with art by Nick Brokenshire, Amelia Cole is a story about magic.  We meet Amelia; she’s a young woman with magical powers who bounces back and forth between the “magic world” and the “normal world.”  Trouble ensues.  Amelia is the star and you feel like you know her character pretty well at the end of the first issue’s 28 pages (this title was $1.99).  The art isn’t anything I want to be buried with, but it is perfectly fine and communicates the story well.  This is a quality title.  Probably not something I’ll stick with because I’m not such a fan of magic, but there are a lot of people who feel differently.

Edison Rex #1 – Checking in at 13 pages for 99 cents is this entry written by Roberson with art by Dennis Culver.  This introductory issue shows us Edison Rex, who was once the world’s greatest scientist but has become the world’s greatest villain.  We see him outwitting a Superman-like character in this issue and you can’t help but think that THIS is something Roberson would have enjoyed doing with Lex Luthor and Superman if he’d continued with DC.  It’s a fresh spin on superheroing with good art and it’s 99 cents!

There are two other titles that I haven’t checked out yet, but will: Aesop’s Ark #1 by J. Torres and Jennifer Meyer claims to be stories that the animals told to each other on Noah’s Ark to pass the time.  The art looks divine.  The October Girl #1 by Matthew Dow Smith and the teaser says it’s a fantasy story about a young girl working at a coffee shop who learns that the world is not what she thought it was.  Both are 99 cents for 13 pages.

Creepy #8 – Review

By: Jeff Parker, Doug Moench, Rick Geary, Dan Braun & Bruce Jones (writers), Colleen Coover, Kelley Jones, Geary, Kyle Baker, Bernie Wrightson (artists) and Coover, Geary & Nate Piekos (letters)

The Story: Another horror anthology guided by Uncle Creepy.

Review: I had mixed feelings on this issue. One one hand, we got a pretty nifty little story from Jeff Parker and Colleen Coover.  Seriously…I don’t think I ever would have imagined that Coover’s breezy and light-hearted style would find its way into the pages of Creepy. But there it is…  And it works so well.  It just goes to show that we shouldn’t assume limitations for creators just because we haven’t seem them do “it” before.  We also got some mighty fine artwork by Kelley Jones and that’s always good.  Jones is an artist who really understands what Creepy is all about and ups his already gothic style to a whole new level.

Superman 80-Page Giant 2011 – Review

By: Too many to list—you’re better off reading the review.

The Story: Jor-El does Mission Impossible; Perry White takes a shot with Wildcat; the many lives of Jimmy Olsen; the inconsistent grammar of Bizarro World; Supergirl’s ten-second boyfriend; Lois Lane’s good deed; and Superboy, the Werewolf Slayer!

The Review: Annuals may be a grab bag of mixed features, they’ve got nothing on these “giants” DC likes to put out now and then.  You can’t always take them too seriously, but they’re often a surprisingly good showcase of unknown or rising talent in DC’s ranks.

Jor-El’s adventure into Krypton’s core starts off strong and has some great thrills, but his stream-of-consciousness narration drags the pace down.  Had Bud Tidwell more page-time, all his Krypton continuity might have paid bigger dividends, but mostly they’re distracting.  Still, you can’t go wrong with Cafu on art duties; from Jor-El’s expression of relief on his successful escape to Krypton’s skyline at night, everything’s just beautiful to look at.  And let’s just agree Bit’s inks and Santiago Arcas’ colors should accompany Cafu’s lines at all times.

Most Daily Planet stories revolve around Lois and Jimmy, the paper’s point men.  But Neil Kleid shows that they’re continuing a journalistic spirit begun by their boss.  Perry White’s boyhood tale of a run-in with Wildcat and the Guardian not only pays tribute to DC’s Golden Age stories, but speaks sentimentally to the bonds between fathers and sons.  Dean Haspiel gives a great retro look to the script that’s appropriate and lively, but also respects the emotional scenes.

In a strange twist, Abhay Khosla and Andy MacDonald’s Jimmy Olsen feature ends up the moodiest story in the issue, sort of discussing the philosophical implications of Jimmy’s multitude of wacky adventures.  It’s narrated and drawn well, and even has some good moments of humor, but lacks grounding.  It feels very Twilight Zone—you sense there’s an important point being made, but the execution is so weird you just wonder how it’s intended to affect or say something about the character.

I have nothing to say about the Bizarro story except it makes little sense—which is fitting, I suppose.  Dan McDaid’s cartoony art is perfect for fun Bizarro hijinks (though the yellowish cast over everything gets nauseating after a while), but Steve Horton doesn’t really offer much in the way of a coherent script, much less one with appreciable humor.

Joe Caramagna gets the right voice for Supergirl—curious, a bit self-conflicted, but hopeful—but it can’t be said he gives her appealing characters to bounce off of.  They seem like they’re just thrown in to give her people to talk to and some easy conflicts.  Sure, there are some clueless guys out there, but these dudes take the cake (“‘Karalinda.’  Asian, huh?”  Seriously?  She’s totally white and blonde!).  Trevor McCarthy draws it fantastically though—his lines are kinetic and youthful, though colored a bit too darkly by Andre Szymanowicz.

Lockjaw and the Pet Avengers #1 – Review

By Chris Eliopoulos (Writer), Ig Guara (Pencils), Chris Sotomayor (Colors), and Colleen Coover (Frog Thor Origin)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: I’m not really sure what to expect out of the Lockjaw and the Pet Avengers mini-series. It’s based around a fun concept and features some nice-looking artwork, but experience has taught me that those things can only carry a series. That said, I highly doubt the mini will wear out it’s welcome in only four issues.

The Story: Mr. Fantastic meets up with Black Bolt and Medusa to find the infinity gems in order to keep them from falling into the wrong hands. However, Lockjaw happens to be the first to find one and so his adventure begins. The first step? Assemble a team that can help find the rest of the gems. Pet Avengers…ASSEMBLE!!

What’s Good: In order for something like Pet Avengers to work, the creative team working on the series has to strike a specific, somewhat challenging type of tone. Fortunately, the team succeeds in doing just that. Lockjaw and the Pet Avengers #1 is lighthearted, funny, and fun without feeling silly or childish. It’s also interesting and compelling without being overly serious or embarrassed by it’s concept.

Thanks to Ig Guara’s expressive, lively pencil work, Chris Sotomayor’s vibrant colors, and Chris Eliopoulus’ enjoyable, adventurous script, Pet Avengers works surprisingly well. It’s like Homeward Bound: The Search for the Infinity Gems.

What’s Not So Good: While Colleen Coover’s Throg (Frog Thor) section looks nice, it definitely is something of a momentum killer. It goes on for WAY too long and gets in the way of the more important stuff…like introducing the other members of the fairly large cast. The origin (or BORE-igin) story probably sounded a lot more interesting than it turns out to be. (yes, feel free to snicker at my clever wordplay)

Another negative is that there is no escaping the fact that Pet Avengers #1 is pretty much just another “team assembly” book. You’ve read something like this before. And even though it’s charming and stars pets, it’s still extremely familiar and fairly generic.

Conclusion: Lockjaw and the Pet Avengers is off to an entertaining, though unspectacular start. I recommend that anyone curious about the series check it out. It’s a decent, solid piece of animal-centric entertainment.

Grade: C+

-Kyle Posluszny