Avengers #15 – Review

by Brian Michael Bendis (writer), Chris Bachalo (pencils & colors), Tim Townsend, Wayne Faucher, Jaime Mendoza, Victor Olazaba, and Mark Irwin (inks), and Cory Petit (letters)

The Story: Steve Rogers sends a strike-team to Brazil to tackle the Worthy-fied Hulk, including a Spider-Woman still searching for her big moment of redemption.

What’s Good:  While I know that he has his detractors, I personally quite like Chris Bachalo’s art.  It’s cartoony flavour has a kind of good-natured sincerity to it that feels genuine and positive.  His action scenes are also lightning fast and overall, he handles the hectic stuff about as well as anyone could hope.  Mostly though, his strength is in the fact that his unique style does well in making characters naturally likable, which is crucial in an issue like this.

Both Bendis and Bachalo also did really strong work in coordinating the running battle this month.  And really, that’s the best way to describe it: coordinated.  The action had a nice, organic flow to it and really gave off the sense that the Avengers involved were working in tandem and employing strategy.  Better still, we got to see guys like Hawkeye, the Protector, Ms. Marvel, and Spider-Woman at the forefront of the fight, using a whole range of their abilities.  It’s a nice change, given that these characters usually take a backseat to the bigger-names when it comes to sharing page-space in fight sequences.

What’s Not So Good:  ]It seems that Bendis has been using Fear Itself as a kind of narrative vehicle through which characters can define themselves by.  We saw it last month with Red Hulk, and we saw it in this month’s New Avengers issue with Mockingbird.  The thing is, there were reasons to focus on those two and there were fresh motivations and changes to both characters that left them wanting to define themselves.  Rulk’s a former bad guy and had just joined the Avengers, while Mockingbird had just had a near death experience and had just gained superpowers.  Both characters were in new places in their lives.

Comic Podcasts: A survey…

Comic podcasts are great.  If you spend a lot of time in your car, otherwise commuting, exercising, etc. they can really make that time spent more enjoyable.  There are a LOT of comic podcasts out there and this list is by no means meant to be all-inclusive.  These are just the ones that I happen to listen to regularly.  Also, as a preface…I listen to all of these podcasts on a regular basis, so they are all good and I enjoy them all.  Anything below that might come off as a criticism is merely to illustrate differences between the various podcasts.  If I thought a podcast sucked, I wouldn’t be commenting upon it here.  🙂

[Note: I’m including links to their sites, but you can find all of these podcasts via iTunes.]

11 O’Clock Comics Podcast – If I was forced to pick a favorite podcast, it would be this one.  This podcast comes out weekly (usually on Thursday) and features a regular cast of Vince B, David Price, Jason Wood and Christopher Neseman.  It typically runs for ~2 hours and covers a wide variety of topics of interest to the comic community.  The guys do offer their thoughts on individual comic books, but it is NOT a review-of-the-week podcast.  To the extent they discuss comics, they are usually at least a couple weeks old, so you don’t have to worry about spoilers too much if you stay caught up on your comics.  A few things set this podcast apart (in my book).  One, the hosts are all intelligent, fully-grown men with jobs OUTSIDE the comic industry.  Their perspective is like my own: They enjoy comics and are willing to devote their free-time to generating comic-related content, but they aren’t doing it to build a name in the industry.  They just love comics.   Another unique feature is that they (especially Vince) aren’t afraid to venture into the world of lesser-read comics.  And they don’t stop at Image either; they discuss some truly weird comics, so if you’re looking for a place to get some oddball recommendations, this is the place to be.  Third, when they discuss the business side of comics, Jason Wood’s background as an investor really helps.  Let’s face it, there is a lot of discussion of the business of comics online, but most of it is coming from creative types who don’t really know what they are talking about.  Jason is a big asset to the community in this regard.  They also host one of the BEST message boards for comic discussion online.  It isn’t the most active, but has virtually zero asshats in the core community and is very welcoming to newcomers.

Around Comics – AC has recently returned from a hiatus and its primary host, Chris Neseman (also on 11:00) seems to be shooting for a monthly schedule.  AC also features high-level, mature comic discussion and is recorded at one of the various comic shops in Chicago.  All of the hosts are actually in the same room and guests often include people from that actual comics industry who live around Chicago like Skottie Young, Tim Seeley, Christian Alamy, etc.  It is very interesting to hear the thoughts of these comic professionals in a non-interview setting.

Comic Geek Speak – The king in terms of quantity of content!  If you have limited time to listen to podcasts, CGS could probably soak up that time all by itself.  Often putting out ~3 shows per week, the group of “geeks” is led by a revolving cast.  Again, all of the geeks are adult men with jobs.  Their shows range from general comic discussion to creator interviews to shows focusing on specific comic events or movies.  It is just a wealth of content and all of it is high quality and intelligent.  They also host a very active comics message board.

iFanboy – This is mostly a weekly podcast that focuses on reviewing each week’s comic books.  It is very much a here-and-now show.  The hosts: Ron Richards, Connor Kilpatrick and Josh Flanagan are very disciplined and keep their show to ~60 minutes and limit their side jabber.  It is a very professional done show with good production values.  This show typically comes out on Sunday and I enjoy it every week although I personally avoid listening to it until I’ve had time to finish all of my major reviews for WCBR (so as not to cross-pollinate any thoughts).  I do love listening to this podcast to see if the guys agreed with me on various comic issues (and they usually do). It is important to note the hosts of this comics podcasts are doing this as their JOB.  So, they have a different perspective.  I would also say that they have a younger perspective than many of the other podcasts I tend to listen to.  These guys seem much more young, hip, urban, into alternative music, etc.

Halcyon #1 – Review

By: Marc Guggenheim & Tara Butters (writers), Ryan Bodenheim (artist), Mark Englert (colors), Dave Sharpe (letters) & Aubrey Sitterson (editor)

The Story: Guggenheim & Butters begin to explore what happens when the heroes “win”.

What’s Good: There are a couple of common questions in superhero questions, such as, “Why doesn’t Batman just kill those villains since they just bust out of Arkham and cause mayhem again?” or “Are heroes causing crime by being an attractive nuisance for criminals?”  Halcyon seems to be touching on a tangent to those types of questions: What would the heroes do if there was no more crime?  Would they decide to settle down or would some of them prove to be such adrenalin junkies that they would find a way to create some crime to fight?

This issue only begins to establish the world of Halcyon.  The writers take us through introductions to the main heroes.  This series of vignettes is nicely done as each character gets a box with their name and power.  More comics need to use this technique because it is nice to know what these peoples’ names are.  The heroes are all pretty recognizable archetypes from our Marvel/DC comics, so one wonders if this is a bit of misdirection such that we will be surprised when the “Captain America dude” does something that the Marvel Cap never would.  We’ll see.  But, as the stories unfold, the heroes come to the realization that all crime is coming to a stop.  Not just super-powered crime, but also muggings, et al. Of course, this may or may not be scheme by the one super villain we meet in this issue.  It is an enticing concept and it’ll be interesting to see where it goes.

The art works.  It is serviceable and tells the story written by the writers without trying to show off and free lance.  It isn’t without its flaws (an odd looking characters here and there, sparse backgrounds), but it perfectly fine for the story.

Lettering is one of those thankless tasks where it is usually only noticeable when it is done poorly, so we try to offer praise whenever possible.  In this case Dave Shapre uses a really neat font for a scene in Pakistan that makes it 100% clear these folks are speaking a foreign language without resorting to: “<Drop your gun!!>”*       * – Translated from the original Farsi

Shadowland #4 – Review

by Andy Diggle (writer), Billy Tan (pencils & inks), Victor Olazaba (inks), Guru eFx (colors), Joe Caramagna (letters)

The Story: Izo’s band of heroes race to stop Daredevil as Elektra makes her move.

What’s Good: One of the big problems that the main Shadowland series has had has been finding its identity.  It seems divided on whether to approach this as a standard Marvel event or as a Daredevil comic.   The result has been that as an event, it feels strange and off-kilter while, as a Daredevil comic, it’s a failure.

The good news is that with this issue, I feel like I finally have a clear picture of what Shadowland wants to be, as the book finally settles into being just another Marvel event.  It seems the comic has given up on any loftier aspirations and has more or less given up pretending to be a Daredevil comic.  While this does make for a mediocre comic, at least it means that the book is far less confused and messy than it has been, even if it is a little straightforward.  Certainly, I feel that reader expectations can properly adjust as well.  Shadowland, with this issue, gives up on even attempting to be like the Daredevil comics of old; it’s a Marvel event comic that’s dedicated to getting the character, and the universe, to a particular point.  At least, now, we can know what we’re getting.

If you like action, there’s a lot of action this month and all of it is done fairly well.  Action scenes are fluid, dynamic, and exciting.  A lot of this is due to Billy Tan, who continues to do surprisingly solid work on this comic.

New Mutants #17 – Review

by, Zeb Wells (writer) Leonard Kirk (penciller)

The Story: Just as Cannonball and Moonstar share an intimate moment, Magik shows up with a call to arms, dragging the team to Limbo to rescue kidnapped X-Man, Pixie.  Then they get their asses kicked.

What’s Good: Wells has done a superb job keeping this title engaging and entertaining, and the reason he’s so successful is because he puts character first.  Not only do each of the cast members make realistic and believable decisions, but their personalities completely jibe with what has come before in previous stories by other creators.  Any other title would suffer from starring not one but three ‘back from the dead’ characters (Warlock, Magik & Cypher, in case you’re lacking a scorecard), mainly in the likelihood of annoying long-time fans with their presence.  But just as the likes of Ed Brubaker or Joss Whedon have done with characters like Bucky and Colossus, Wells has silenced most if not all of those naysayers by writing them with respect for who they are and how they’ve acted in the past.  As a result, this series feels like a natural extension of the New Mutants’ lives and not just a retread of older stories (or an affront to them).  This issue continues with that feeling, especially concerning the scene with Dani and Sam kissing.  Some might disagree, but this feels like an organic direction that their relationship would travel in, and I’m curious where it might take them and how it will affect the team dynamic.  There are plenty of other great moments in this issue that reiterate the strength of the script, from Warlock’s continued self-doubt to Illyana’s no-nonsense demeanor to the confrontation with the grown-up Inferno babies at the climax.  Wells is delivering solid issue after solid issue and is quietly making this the most dependable X-Title on the stands every month.

Afrodisiac – Graphic Novel Review

By: Brian Maruca & Jim Rugg

Review: “Alan Diesler, a frail, humble janitor in Hardwood Elementary, awoke to his true calling the day jerk aliens invaded his turf.  While trying to protect the student body, Diesler used the only weapon at his disposal – an old beat up cane – the magical pimp stick, Mackjolnir.  Slamming it on the ground for emphasis magically transformed the meek, crippled janitor into the legendary… AFRODISIAC!

This is but one of the many origins that Maruca and Rugg give as the origin of their hero in the awesome original graphic novel, Afrodisiac.  Although they were deadly serious at the time, 1970’s blaxploitation movies have become the kings of unintentional comedy and this book pushes very hard to ramp up the unintentional comedy factor while NEVER knowingly making fun of itself.

In terms of presentation, Afrodisiac is 94 pages of 6″x9″ fun.  The book is presented as a compilation of silver age comic material, so you get a series of shorter stories (5-6 pages) with random covers interspersed throughout.  The only downside to this presentation is (alas) Afrodisiac was not a real silver-age comic and unfortunately you cannot go buy the back-issues.  Maruca and Rugg made it up.  Sigh…..

Although I and most others have lumped Afrodisiac into the blaxploitation-spoof genre, the stories really are not pulled from that type of source material and that is why this book really shines.  I’m not sure if there were blaxploitation comics in the 1970’s or not……  But, if there were, they wouldn’t have been able to do more than a story arc or two about the hero protecting his turf from slum lords or white drug dealers who were selling heroin/guns/booze in their neighborhood.  Pretty soon those comics would have moved onto the types of situations you see in Afrodisiac: fighting aliens, staking vampires, dealing with kung-fu guys, thwarting killer computers, etc.

Hulk #23 – Review

by Jeph Loeb (writer), Ed McGuinness, Dale Keown, Sal Buscema, Mike Deodato, Herb Trimpe, Ian Churchill, John Romita Jr., Tim Sale, & Leinil Yu (artists)

SPOILER WARNING! If you’re a trade-waiter and haven’t read the issue before this, then you might not want to read this review.  Just sayin’.

————–

The Story: The curtain is finally pulled back as we get to see not only how and why General Thunderbolt Ross became the Red Hulk, but why he is the man he is today.  Meanwhile, the Red Hulk fights the Cosmic Hulk Robot.  (You know, that sentence alone would make me buy this issue.  A Red Hulk throwing down with a Cosmic Hulk Robot?!  Hello, awesome!  It’s not what’s awesome about this issue, though.)

What’s Good (and pretty awesome): Jeph Loeb finally slows down a second to tell an actual story and it only took him two years.  I’m not saying that I didn’t enjoy the month after month big dumb fight scenes he was throwing my way every issue, but I can only eat so many corn flakes before I start getting a hankering for some eggs and bacon, if you catch my drift.  The scribe tells an engaging tale of Ross’ past, smartly starting nearly at the beginning, when the General was just sixteen years old.  It sets the stage for the rest of the character’s life, as we learn that he’s not only always had an indomitable will but that he also seems to have a knack for escaping the bony claws of the Grim Reaper time and again.  Loeb jumps around in the timeline of Ross’ life, mainly showcasing it in relation to Bruce Banner and the original Hulk.  By doing this, he’s able to explain why such a man who’s shown nothing but hatred for the rampaging monster that is the Hulk would allow himself to be transformed into a nearly identical being.  The desperation, ego, and envy that drive Ross to the depths that he falls to in Loeb’s script are believably conveyed by the writer.  The fact that Ross envies Banner, not only in the raw power that he possesses but in the love he receives from Betty, is a nice revelation that I don’t believe I’ve seen noted elsewhere.

This is a veritable who’s who of Hulk artists and that alone makes this issue a lot of fun to flip through.  In particularly fine form are Trimpe, Keown, Deodato and, of course, McGuinness.  The other artists certainly do a good, if not great, job with the interior art, but these four knock it out of the park.  Trimpe’s a classic artist, and the one page he pencils here (which opens the story) showcasing Ross’ adolescence just pulled me right in.  It’s a shame he could only supply one page of art.  Keown is, basically, MY Hulk artist, by which I mean that he was pencilling the title when I started reading it.  Bias aside, the artist’s double-page spread just screams strength and power as the savage Hulk wails on the U.S. Army.  My only complaint is that, regrettably, he doesn’t pencil the version of the Hulk  that he’s famous for.  That’s left to Churchill, which I though was odd, but oh well.  Deodato’s portion ties together a lot of the events we’ve seen before in the title’s earlier issues and fills in the blanks for us.  With this in mind, the penciller somewhat apes McGuinness’ style but still puts his particular stamp on it.  A risky move, but it completely works.  And then there’s McGuinness.  He’s possibly the only reason I’ve stuck with this title for so long.  He handles the present tale, which include the Red Hulk vs. Cosmic Hulk Robot scenes and they are dynamic as all hell.  He also supplies the visuals for the final showdown between our anti-hero and the Leader, with a down-pouring thunderstorm in the background.  You should buy this for the first page of that alone.  I’m not even kidding.

Amazing Spider-Man #633 – Review

By: Zeb Wells (writer), Chris Bachalo & Emma Rios (art), Tim Townsend, Victor Olazaba, Mark Irwin & Bachalo (inks – over Bachalo’s art only), Antonio Fabela (colors) & Joe Caramanga (letters)

The Story: The wrap up of The Lizard story line: The Lizard personality has completely driven Curt Connors from his mind and gained the ability to telepathically cause humans to release their inner lizard.

What’s Good: I’ll miss Chris Bachalo after this issue.  So much so, that I went and dug out a bunch of older issues of Uncanny X-Men that he drew for back-issue reading.  I’ve said it on the last few issues, but I love his art.  It is so nice to see someone just drawing without using all sorts of the bad elements of photo-reference (i.e. tracing).  I don’t need a comic book to look like a photograph and this art just screams “comic books!” at you.  Plus, his artistic design work through this issue is top notch from the panel layouts to the way that Spidey’s mask gets all wrinkly when he pulls it up to drink.  Nice work!

It has been true for every Spidey-rogue who we’ve seen in the Gauntlet, but I like how the Lizard comes out of this arc.  By the end of the story, it seems like the personalities of Lizard and Connors have basically merged and the reptile brain starts to feel some compassion and shame for having killed Billy (Connors’ son).  It will be interesting to see how this creative choice plays out in the future because one of the defining characteristics of Lizard has always been the split personality, but I’ll give the creators credit for doing something bold.  You can only do so much with the Lizard as he was before: Connors loses control, Lizard rampages, Spidey does something to help Connors regain control, The End.  Now I have no idea what will happen the next time Lizard shows up.

Deadpool: Wade Wilson’s War #1 – Review

By Duane Swierczynski (writer), Jason Pearson (artist), Paul Mounts (colors) VC’s Clayton Cowles (letters and production)

The Story: Deadpool (outside of the normal Marvel Universe continuity) testifies before a Senate hearing about a secret black-ops mission he participated in 25 years ago. This goes about as well as you’d expect.

What’s Good: Well, this is only a four-part mini-series and not a new monthly book, that’s something good (and more on that later.) The actual content itself…none of it is really “good,” but it’s also pretty benign and inoffensive. “Bland” is the operative word to describe this issue. And since that’s more than I can say for a lot of Deadpool chaff on the stands right now, I’ll count that as a positive.

The story is mildly interesting, and might actually get better in the next issue now that the pieces are set up and in place. Swierczynski’s writing is okay; he gets in a couple of fun jokes and moments, but nothing that any casual fan of Deadpool hasn’t seen or heard before. None of it is bad; it’s just that none of it is really good either. The art is very similar: competent, with a couple interesting gags and panels (I really like the smiley face badges on ‘Pool’s class-A uniform) but nothing that will stick in your mind after you finish this book and move on to the next one in your stack.

Avengers Prime #1- Review

by Brian Michael Bendis (writer), Alan Davis (artist), Mark Farmer (Inker)

The Story:  Thor, Iron Man, and the original Captain America try to iron out their differences in the aftermath of Siege when the trio are pulled into the Nine Realms against their will.

What’s Good: Bendis and Davis deliver a first issue that will prove to be a blast for any Avengers fan out there.  While Avengers #1 a few weeks ago proved to be a mixed bag for many readers and felt much like Bendis doing his best impersonation of a traditional Avengers tale, Avengers Prime fires on all cylinders and succeeds where it’s much more hyped sister title faltered.  Much of this is due to Alan Davis’ and Mark Farmer’s amazing artwork.  Davis’ renditions of the Earth’s Mightiest Heroes’ Big Three just feels right.  He brings the perfect amount of grandeur to the proceedings.  One only needs to open this issue to the initial double-page splash that opens the story to see what I’m talking about:  the fallen city of Asgard, burning in the distance, while our three heroes watch in grief.

It’s not only an awe-inspiring image, but appropriately sets the tone for rest of the plot.  Not only does the artist efficiently sell the big set pieces and action scenes, but he does a hell of a job with his character work.  For example, there’s a scene where Tony and Steve get lost in an argument that’s been brewing for years, and Thor solemnly asks them to please leave if they’re only there for his sake.  Davis close-up of the God of Thunder’s eyes as he speaks says everything that Thor isn’t saying with words, and it is a sobering moment.  Another wonderful beat in the story that is all artwork in it’s success is the silent page where Steve, having just defeated a small army of troll-like creatures, spies a shield on the ground, and as he picks it up, there’s a small hint of a grin that crosses his face.  It’s a great capper to a fun little scene that Davis knocks out of the park.

Gotham City Sirens #12 – Review

By: Tony Bedard (writer), Peter Nguyen (pencils), Jack Purcell (inks) Tony Avina (colors) & Steve Wands (letters)

The Story: Is Selina Kyle possessed by an evil spirit?  Her cuckoo sister sure thinks so!

What’s Good: This is a nice little story that revolves around Catwoman and her nutty sister, Maggie.  Maggie is convinced that Catwoman is nothing but the manifestation of an evil spirit that possesses her sister (Selina) and that Catwoman needs to die so that Selina can be free.  This is going to cause obvious problems for the Gotham City Sirens.  Guest writer Bedard nails the characterization and I especially like what he does with Harley.  I always think regular writer Dini (who is taking another vacation from this title) writes Harley as too much of a ditzy-dingbat.  That characterization of her is so one-note that it gets old really fast, so I really like the way Bedard writes her in this issue: young and naive.  “Young and naive” has some legs (no pun intended) and can be an interesting character to read.  I think Bedard also deserves some kudos for making Maggie so creepy and insane.  Let’s face it, we get to see lots of nutty characters in comics and we all start to become immune to it, so you know a writer is doing something right when he/she is able to make us take notice of insanity.  Hey– bludgeoning a cat and a nun to death with a fire poker will do that!

We also get a new artist with this issue: Peter Nguyen.  I think he is pretty new to comics in general and I like his initial efforts here.  His style is a little manga-inspired and that usually bothers me, but I like this work a lot.  The art is pretty heavily inked and I’d almost like to see a little more of Nguyen’s art peek through because I think it looks strong enough that it could take less ink.

Madame Xanadu #23 – Review

by Matt Wagner (writer), Amy Reeder (pencils), Richard Friend (inks), Guy Major (colors), and Jared K. Fletcher (letters)

The Story: Madame Xanadu faces off against Morganna in a final bid to save Betty

What’s Good: It’s sort of neat to see Madame Xanadu behave, in many respects, like an honest to goodness superhero.  Her final confrontation with Morganna and the magical battle that ensues is the kind of epic clash between good guy and bad guy that I wouldn’t necessarily expect from this book.  That said, it works, largely because Nimue is so naturally likable and Wagner continues to do an awesome job in writing Morganna.  I could not imagine a more humorously cackling villain.  I mean, how can you not laugh when a villain says “goblin balls!” as a curse?  With wonderfully written narration that always carries that simultaneous air of determination and vulnerability, it’s impossible not to root for Nimue, while with her continued mad arrogance, it’s equally impossible not to root against Morganna.

Then there’s John Jones/J’onn J’onzz who continues to be a joy to read under Wagner’s pen.  The character is continually written with that sly little wink as Wagner makes so much use of our knowing something that the characters do not.  He also makes us desperate to see J’onn in his true form, but he never quite lets us have it.  Instead, Wagner gives us little hints here and there of the Martian beneath the human form, always, delightfully, just on the periphery of Nimue’s awareness.  A blur of green might rush to her rescue and at one point, we even see a distinctly Martian looking hand reaching out to grab her.  Wagner teases us as much as he does Nimue herself.

Punishermax #7 – Review

by Jason Aaron (writer), Steve Dillon (art), Matt Hollingsworth (colors), and Cory Petit (letters)

The Story: Bullseye tries to become the man he’s hunting as he tightens the noose on Frank.

What’s Good: Jason Aaron really dives in head first this month in creating his own unique, MAX version of Bullseye and the character truly sings.   He’s completely manic and gleeful in his sadism.  There’s this childish joy that Bullseye takes in his grisly work that’s a lot of fun to read.  Yet, beneath it all lurks a cold, calculating animal.  Bullseye is a character who is mostly smiles, but that smile can disappear very quickly.  It’s hard to determine which side of Bullseye is more terrifying: the wacky psychopath or the ice cold, brutal murderer beneath.  Either way, he’s delightfully creepy.

One of the problems that I’ve had with this series is Aaron’s occasional fumbling with comedy.   This month, Aaron’s character work with Bullseye proves to be the perfect vehicle for the Punisher’s brand of black comedy without disrupting the books tone.  Instead of overly long gross-out sequences, it’s Bullseye’s dialogue that brings the laughs.  From the absurdity of his interrogation questions to his eccentric methods, Bullseye definitely elicits laughs.  Better still, it’s comedy that feels organic and spontaneous.

Though our time spent with Frank is more limited, Aaron again makes the most out of the character’s time with Dr. William Bayer.  The scene is rife with a sense of heavy tragedy which brings a clear focus on Frank’s deterioration.  Aaron also continues to intrigue with the suggestion that Frank’s original motivation for donning the infamous t-shirt has long since eroded into what is now an existential void.

Steve Dillon does really well with Bullseye.  Dillon makes the character look intimidating, despite his small stature.  Dillon also does a great job on Bullseye’s facial expressions.  Most of the time, Bullseye carries an expression of madcap good humor completely incongruous with his surroundings, but is able to turn on a dime to a more serious expression of violence and menace.  The quick shifts to this latter look make for a scary character.

Irredeemable #13 – Review

By: Mark Waid (writer), Diego Barreto (art), Andrew Dalhouse (colors) & Ed Dukeshire (letters)

The Story: Bette Noir reconnects with her father and gives us a flashback of the initial rampage of the Plutonian from the heroes’ point of view.

What’s Good: I enjoyed seeing the depiction of the Plutonian’s destruction of Sky City from the heroes’ perspective.  As with any crisis, when the information is coming in real-time, you are going have pretty big gaps in your information, so it was pretty realistic to see them trying to locate Plutonian to come help them with the disaster before they knew he was the cause of the disaster.  Even then, they think he must be some villain with shapeshifting abilities (because haven’t we all seen that situation play out in comics….).

Of course, once they realize that Plutonian is behind the mess, the heroes all ask Bette if she knows of any weaknesses Plutonian has because she “knows him the best.”  Little to they know how well she “knows” him.

One other cool item is that I seem Waid possibly reinventing this series’ story yet again with the ending that shows a comatose Cary (who was abducted by Orian the Demon), flopped next to that weird binary/digital character (who kidnapped Encanta) while the robot Modeus (who snuck off around issue 5 or so) looks on.  WTF?  The neat thing is that I’ve heard people who don’t want to read this series say, “That’s just a ‘What if Superman was evil?” story.  Who needs another one of those?”  That IS how this series started out, but it has successfully changed gears a few times since showing that Waid has a lot of story to tell.

Red Robin #12 – Review

By Chris Yost (writer), Marcus To (pencils), Ray McCarthy (inks), Guy Major (colors) and Sal Cipriano (letters)

The Story The epic “Collisions” storyline comes to a conclusion as the League of Shadows threatens everything and everyone Bruce Wayne holds dear. As time begins to run out, Red Robin finally comes face to face with Ra’s al Ghul.

What’s Good: Red Robin has been a fantastic book since issue #1, but the whole creative team really pulls out all the stops for the conclusion of this first arc. In addition to being an absolutely excellent and suspenseful story as a whole, Tim Drake himself gets some wonderful character moments. The way he relies on his brain even more than his (not insignificant) fighting skill during his confrontation with al Ghul cements this Red Robin’s place as a worthy addition to the Bat-family, while the courage and character he exhibits earns him the title of ‘hero’ in his own right as well. This book has allowed Tim to mature in the best way, both as a person and a character, and the payoff we witness in this issue is a wholly satisfying pleasure to see. The actual conclusion—both to the issue and the storyline as a whole—is…not what I expected at all, but it works very well and is actually quite heartwarming to watch, after everything Tim has been through and sacrificed in the last year.

Amazing Spider-Man #630 – Review

By: Zeb Wells (writer), Chris Bachalo (pencils), Tim Townsend & Jaime Mendoza (inks), Antonio Fabela (colors) & Joe Caramanga (letters)

The Story: The Lizard is back, and Peter Parker has girl troubles.

What’s Good: This is why I love the almost weekly schedule that ASM is on.  Last week’s issue wasn’t so hot, but it’s Wednesday again, and time to turn the page to a good Spider-Man story so I don’t have to think about that unfulfilling Juggernaut/Captain Universe arc any more.  This is really a pretty simple issue: The Lizard re-emerges at the end of the issue and that promises a fun, dark and good story.  I like the Lizard as an enemy because he is truly dangerous, but Spider-Man is very conflicted about really going after him because of the fondness he has for Dr. Connors.  The entire lead-up to the Lizard re-emerging is really well written by Zeb Wells.  I love the little Lizard inner-monologue mixed with Connors’ explanation of the nasty instincts of reptiles.

Meanwhile, we get some good, Peter Parker love-life stuff.  I know it’s old and cliché for this series, but I really never get sick of the issues where it looks like Peter is hitting it off with a new girl and Wells writes his budding relationship with Carlie really well. Even us old married guys remember how wonderful it felt to hit it off with a new girl!

Incorruptible #5 – Review

By: Mark Waid (writer), Horacio Domingues (art), Andrew Dalhouse (colors) & Ed Dukeshire (letters)

The Story: What exactly is the nature of Max Damage’s relationship with Jailbait?

What’s Good: The first thing you notice when you open this comic is that we’ve got a new artist.  The art for this series has really held it back and this art by Horacio Domingues is an immediate improvement.  It’s not perfect (as I’ll discuss below), but these characters look like living organisms and not cardboard cutouts that have been posed (which we had in the first 4 issues).

Not surprisingly, art that makes you feel like these are real characters leads to the best issue of this series so far.  Anyone who has read this series from the beginning has wondered what is the deal with Jailbait.  When Max Damage was a bad guy, you “knew” what she was for.  But now that he’s reforming himself, what is she going to do?  She has no powers and you kind of wonder why he doesn’t send her home since going on missions is kinda dangerous.

Waid shows us in this issue why Damage is keeping her around.  What I like about this series and it’s sister series, Irredeemable, is that they really explore the darker side of heroes/villains.  Turns out that the reason …[SPOILER]… Damage keeps Jailbait around is that he’s protecting her.  The man has a lot of enemies…and they’re not all superheroes.  Some of them are nasty and depraved villains.  So, when Jailbait gets angry at Damage in the last issue and stomps off, she is suddenly very vulnerable.

Captain America #605 – Review

by Ed Brubaker (writer), Luke Ross (pencils), Butch Guice (inks), Dean White (colors), VC’s Joe Caramagna (letters)

The Story: Captain America—Bucky’s Cap, that is—must find a way to escape from Evil Cap’s clutches before a heinous act of terrorism is committed. Not far away, the Falcon is working to stop a runaway train while also trying to get to the site of the Cap vs. Cap showdown in time to provide Bucky with some much-needed backup.

What’s Good: I’ll be very upfront here: while I love Bucky and had no problem with him guarding the colors while Cap was gone, he will never be the Captain America for me; Steve Rogers carries that title in my heart now and forever, whether he officially wields the shield or not. That said, Bucky does a great job in this issue—watching him struggle against a villain like Evil Cap, as well as his own self-doubt and demons from the past, is very engaging. Brubaker gives the interaction between our hero and villain all the weight it requires to be effective. The quiet moment at the end between Bucky and Sam is a nice counterpoint to all of the tense, frantic action of the last couple issues (especially this last one) and ends the story on a very nice note. In fact, this is easily the best-plotted and best-written script of this arc, and brings to a very exciting and quite satisfying conclusion.

Ross’ art complements the story nicely, endowing the characters—especially Bucky and Evil Cap—with plenty of gravitas and emotion. This gives the story a solid human center point to work from, and lets us know that the struggle we’re witnessing is as much a war of ideology and philosophy taking place in the hearts and minds of the combatants as it is a physical battle between superhero and terrorist.

The Brave and the Bold #33

By J. Michael Straczynski (writer), Cliff Chiang (artist)

Bear with me for a moment.

Most of us read comic books because we tire of things constantly turning out exactly how we assume they will.  The train will come at 8:35am like it does every weekday, the turkey sandwich we packed for lunch will taste okay but not great, and the rent will need to be paid every 1st of the month, just as its always been.  A predictable life is by far not a horrible life to lead, but it can get a tad boring at times.  So the minority of us who were lucky enough to be introduced to comics at some point in our lives look forward all week to that ever-elusive next Wednesday.  Who doesn’t love new comic book day?  You’re sure to be given a ticket to fantastic planets, rollicking adventures, and new people who, quite literally, are out of this world.  Unfortunately, even this sanctum sanctorum of escapism and excitement can fall into the trap of monotony.  Read the X-Men or Wonder Woman or Scott Pilgrim for long enough and odds are you’ll be able to guess what will happen next or what beats your favorite creator will hit.  It’s the burden of being a devout comic reader.  This happens to me often, and to battle against it, I’ll once in a while pick up a random issue of a series I don’t usually read.  That was how I picked up The Brave and the Bold #33, and it ended up being the best comic book I’ve read in the last two weeks (in the past month, if not for S.H.I.E.L.D. #1 having come out earlier this April).

Straczynski’s script is wonderful.  Not only does he capture the voices of Wonder Woman, Zatanna, and Batgirl with relative ease, but also I was never anything less than focused on turning the next page.  Keep in mind there are no explosions or fist fights in this issue (Okay, maybe a little bit of one).  It’s all character moments on stage here, set against the backdrop of a girls’ night out, and he knocks it out of the park.  I’ve never been the biggest fan of any of the characters spotlighted in the story, certainly not enough to read about them hitting nightclubs and performing karaoke, but I was pulled into the plot all the same.  In twenty-two pages, not only does he make me care about all three of the super-heroines, he makes me want to know them better.  I want to be their friend, which makes the ending that much more heartbreaking.

American Vampire #2 – Review

By: Scott Snyder & Stephen King (writers), Rafael Albuquerque (art), Dave McCaig (colors) & Steve Wands (letters)

The Story: Fresh vampires are being “born” in America and they’re “new and improved” compared to the classic models.

What’s Good: Rafael Albuquerque!  Goodness, goodness what nice art!  After I read this, I actually started poking around online to see if the original art pages were for sale.  It’s that good!  (Didn’t find them, btw…).  What’s all the more impressive is that this two-story issue has slightly different artistic styles for each tale, and Albuquerque nails them both.  And what until you get a load of his lady vampire!  Bravo!

So, once you finish looking at the pretty pictures, you can enjoy the really fun story.  Like issue #1, the issue is split into two stories.  The first story again focuses on a struggling actress named Pearl in 1925 Los Angeles, whereas the second focuses (again) on a cowboy/criminal named Skinner Sweet in the wild west of the 1880’s.  I really enjoyed both stories and it helped indicate the direction for this series (it wasn’t clear after issue #1).

The cool thing about these stories is that Skinner spans both and seems to be a pretty neat character.  In his own tale, he’s the new vampire, but in Pearl’s story, he’s the father/mentor.  I especially like that he and Pearl seem to have new fangled (pun intended) abilities compared to old-fashioned vampires.  You’ll love the words of wisdom that Skinner gives to Pearl!

Uncanny X-Men #522 – Review

by Matt Fraction (writer), Whilce Portacio (pencils), Ed Tadeo (inks), Justin Ponsor (colors), and Joe Caramagna (letters)

The Story: Magneto brings Kitty home as Nation X comes to a close.

What’s Good: This is easily among the best issues of Matt Fraction’s run on Uncanny X-men, as the man who writes Invincible Iron Man shows up rather than his louder, dumbed down counter-part.

Really, this book essentially gives you everything you could want from an X-Men comic.  The opening scene is done in epic form with an excellent use of “storybook” styled narration, turning Kitty into a sort of fairytale “princess in a high tower” while relating this to Magneto’s stay with the High Evolutionary.  The storytelling feels grand in this sequence, as it should.

Beyond that, there are several great character moments, the sort that Uncanny so often lacks.  Emma Frost has a kind of confessional about Scott Summers to the mentally dormant Magneto that is touching, riveting, intelligent, and painfully honest in just one of several great scenes.

Despite the gravity of the events in this book, Fraction finds time for comedy as well.  A “travel game” between Fantomex and Wolverine certainly got a laugh out of me and was a welcome relief in a book that is otherwise very weighty.

All told-this is a beautiful issue with a number of poignant moments.  While the reunion of Colossus and Kitty is cut short, this is made up for by the issues ending montage, which wordlessly sums up the status quo after Nation X, and it really is touching.  The montage is so wonderfully executed, that you’d almost forget all of the sloppier moments that have occurred over this arc.  It makes what came before look better, which is just what a concluding issue should do.

On the art, it’s hard not to look at Portacio’s work here as accomplishing what Land strives for, and fails at, with every outing.  We have the big, splashy, impressive images and we have the hyper-realistic style, but this does not come at the cost of detail or narrative flow.  Portacio’s outing here is basically what an Uncanny X-Men should like: impressive, big-budget, epic, yet human.

The back-up, also written by Fraction but illustrated by Phil Jimenez, is magnificent and well worth the extra dollar.  While completely barely related to the X-universe, it’s a poignant and very emotionally touching tale about a world facing Armageddon.  It reminds us that Fraction, at his best, is able to move us, and that’s just what this back-up does.

The Best & Worst of ‘09

FORWARD

Welcome to WCBR’s year end comic book industry report card. In essence, this report card is a list of offerings we’ve enjoyed and disliked for the entire year 2009. There was definitely a lot of debate over each editor’s pick, and in the end we just decided to let everyone have their say. Let us know if we’re out of our minds, or if you concur.

BEST ON-GOING SERIES

Detective Comics – Detective has reached consistently dizzying heights throughout the year.  The sheer creativity and astounding quality this title has seen in 2009 is simply mind-blowing.  From March to April, we had Gaiman’s “Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader.”  Then, we quickly moved into Greg Rucka and JH Williams’ landmark work on Batwoman.  Gorgeous artwork met epic storytelling all year long.  We started out with a beautiful farewell to one great character, only to be introduced to another.  -Alex Evans

Captain America – Ed Brubaker’s smart, suspense and intrigue stories with a doubting, redemption-seeking hero really top the game in the ongoing category.  -DS

Detective Comics – Greg Rucka and JH Williams took this B-list character from the forgettable pages of 52, and made 2009 her year. Batwoman in Detective Comics makes a strong case for a series of her own. -Ray

BEST NEW SERIES

The Unwritten – The Unwritten is the smartest book on the racks today.  It’s an English major and literary critics dream and by series end, I expect it to be appearing on the university syllabuses of more liberal-minded professors, right next to Sandman.  Yet, despite all that, it’s also got enough mystery and fancy to entertain and pull in the average reader.  And of course, its pop culture awareness is more than enough to grab anyone’s attention.  This is a must-read.  -Alex Evans

Batman and Robin – It’s difficult to argue against Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely, dealing with the heir apparent to DC’s second biggest pair of boots (some might argue biggest). The amount of conflict, psychological tension and sheer creepy villainy set the bar for the noir avenger corner of the superhero industry.  -DS

Sweet Tooth – This is indie genius hitting mainstream, while managing to maintain its literary charm. Jeff Lemire’s Vertigo title offers us a fresh new journey/ coming-of-age story, while providing us a bizarre and post-apocalyptic world filled with violence and isolation– all the ingredients for an entertaining and relevant series.  -Ray

Blackest Night: The Flash #1 – Review

By Geoff Johns (writer), Scott Kolins (artist), Michael Atiyeh (colors)

The Story: This story begins between Blackest Night #3 and #4, when Barry Allen, the Flash, starts assembling the force of superheroes that will converge on Coast City to fight the Black Lanterns collected around their battery. It covers history of the Flash, as well as the history of the Reverse-Flash, who is resurrected by the Blackest Night. In the meantime, the living rogue’s gallery (the collection of villains who fight the Flash) are arming themselves for the expected attack from the black lantern rogues. Barry also seeks help from the Gorilla City.

What’s Good: I am not a Flash virgin, but I haven’t really followed Barry since his death in Crisis on Infinite Earths. This issue is perfect for me to get back on board. Johns’ writing is clear and the exposition is very natural. He’s chosen to go text-box heavy, which may slow down some experienced Flash fans, but given that the texts are all in either Flash’s or Reverse-Flash’s voice, they’re a fun read on their own. I also like Johns’ pacing. In a first issue like this, he has to make it accessible, but he’s found a way to keep the tension up, while setting up all the pieces that have to go boom in the next two issues.

I also really like Barry’s torments. I know it isn’t new to this issue, but the whole angst that Barry suffers, first not feeling, then feeling, then facing a black lantern apocalypse that feeds on emotion, makes for a difficult run for Barry. This gives him some great lines like “Keep your heart standing still, and run as fast as you can,” and “Stop. Don’t hope. He’s dead….You mourn later.” There’s a lot of character in Johns’ writing.

Other interesting touches that have me guessing now (and hopefully for the next two issues, possibly for Johns’ run on the Flash in 2010) are: (a) the diagram of the speed force that Barry finds in Gorilla city, (b) the entangled origins of Flash and Reverse-Flash and (c) the weird time paradoxes that Johns is sure to exploit.

What’s Not So Good: The motivation for the villains in this situation wasn’t clear to me, nor did I understand why the black lantern rogues would be out to get the living ones. It could be a meta-human thing in general, but that isn’t something that the main Blackest Night title has made clear yet.

More importantly, I find Kolins’ art rough and unattractive, without having any stylistic benefits to justify the lack of draftsmanship. In other reviews, I’ve pointed out my preference for more realistic art, but I still respond to grittier, scratchier styles, like those used effectively in Detective Comics by Williams or in Amazing Spider-Man by Azaceta. The faces produced by Kolins communicate, but they just seem grossly proportioned and dominated by thick, unappealing lines. Reverse-Flash’s teeth look a lot more like Solomon Grundy’s (from the recent mini that Kolins penciled) than the teeth of any regular human or any other black lantern drawn by any other artist. Kolins’ work on background and the villain Tar Pit were clearer and more attractive.

Conclusion: The story makes this issue worth picking up, especially at $2.99. The art held the book back, though.

Grade: B

-DS Arsenault

Madame Xanadu #17 – Review

by Matt Wagner (writer), Amy Reeder Hadley (pencils), Richard Friend (inks), Guy Major (colors), and Jared K. Fletcher (letters)

This is probably the best issue of Madame Xanadu in months.  Of course, this is thanks in no small part to the jaw-dropper ending.  I was absolutely stunned, as it was played and set up perfectly by Wagner.  It’s the return of an element we haven’t see in a very, very long time in the series and as such, it comes out of left field.  Even better is the fact that Wager is a master when it comes to his use of red herrings.  He’s so good at it that this month’s ending simply comes out of nowhere; it’s one of those rare cases where it’s jarring in a good way.  I absolutely cannot wait for next month’s issue.

Beyond that, this month essentially does everything that Madame Xanadu does well.  It’s full of that sense of dark whimsy that has made the series such a success.  As was the case last month, while Betty’s torments are clearly horrifying and while she certainly is a sympathetic figure, it’s all rendered with a kind of black humor.  That said, this month, when her curse reaches its apex, Wagner does a great job at portraying her desperation and emotion.  While the humor is still there, this month is heavier on the horror, as Betty begins to lose not just her appearance, but her personality.  Last month, we saw her physically becoming someone else and this month, we see the mental transition, which is unsettling.  That said, Wagner still manages this with a comic touch.

And that’s it really.  Wagner is able to portray what would be some gritty, dark stuff in an accessibly light-hearted fashion.  This month’s introduction of a mysterious satanic cult, for example, is hard not to read without a smile on your face, despite none of them actually cracking jokes or making pratfalls.  It’s purely a matter of tone and atmosphere, and a mark of Wagner’s ability.

Of course, this atmosphere is also thanks in no small part to Hadley.  The satanic cult is funny because Hadley makes them funny.  There’s also a very humorous scene involving Betty’s husband and his lecherous “Tuesday night” efforts that really is quite a laugh, largely thanks to Hadley’s excellent illustrations of Betty and her husband’s respective facial expressions.  All told, it’s just a beautiful book and I’m also happy to report that colorist Guy Major is back to his usual quality fare, as opposed to the insanely bright work we got last month.

This comic really was a pitch-perfect and an enjoyable experience throughout. It has everything that got Xanadu to the Eisners. Wagner scores high with what is by far the most enjoyable issue of Madame Xanadu in a very long time. The ending will have those who’ve been on-board from the start gasping.

Grade: A-

-Alex Evans

The Walking Dead #67 – Review

By Robert Kirkman (Writer), Charlie Adlard (Pencils & Inks), and Cliff Rathburn (Gray Tones)

The Story: Rick has a heart to heart talk with his son and the scientist reveals a little more about himself.

What’s Good And What’s Not So Good: Despite being a slow, slightly boring read as a whole, The Walking Dead #67 manages to satisfy, thanks to the key character moments/developments that Robert Kirkman focuses the issue on. The talk between father and son is heartfelt, honest, and personal, while the information about the scientist manages to be just the right type of thing needed to stir up the direction of both the series and the main characters (Abraham, in particular, benefits from the reveal). The stuff that happens had to happen at some point and, now that the plot beats are out of the way, the overall plot can, I’d assume, start to move forward once again.

As expected, the artwork by Charlie Adlard and Cliff Rathburn compliments Kirkman’s script really well. Adlard captures realistic human emotion far better than most artists and since the latest Walking Dead is all about revealing character emotion, he really gets a chance to shine. Cliff Rathburn’s gray tones, as usual, elevate Adlard’s work and really capture the mood and tone of Kirkman’s book.

My only real complaint about The Walking Dead #67 is that the reveal about the scientist isn’t all that shocking or surprising. The moment adds a lot to the scientist, Rick, and Abraham as characters, but the twist itself is pretty lame. I’m certain most of Kirkman’s audience saw it coming shortly after the character got introduced.

Conclusion: Great character work more than makes up for the weak twist in The Walking Dead #67.

Grade: B

-Kyle Posluszny