Larfleeze #6 – Review

by Keith Giffen, J.M. Dematteis (Writers), Scott Kolins (Artist), Mike Atiyeh (Colorist)

The Story: Larfleeze learns a good deal about his connection to the orange energy, while Stargarve is unfortunately still in the clutches of the Wanderer.

The Review: There are times when a reader tries a book, hoping to like it. Of course, everyone getting a specific issue always hope to fall in love with it, yet there are always time when a creator, artist or character is right there, tempting some to buy it even though they aren’t completely sure if the book will deliver.

Larfleeze is a book I really want to like. It has both Keith Giffen and J.M. Dematteis as scribes, Scott Kolins on art and it stars a character that I rather like. Hell, it even features cosmic themes and humor, two things that I really enjoy. The recipe is there for me to simply savor it and let something different be a part of my pull list.

However, it seems it’s not meant to be, as despite the fact that everything is there for me to like, there are several problems that plague this title just enough so it never really reach the potential it does have as a cosmic comedy or as an exploration of just who Larfleeze is in terms of importance to the larger DC cosmos.

Larfleeze #5 – Review

by Keith Giffen, J.M Dematteis (Writers), Scott Kolins (Artist), Mike Atiyeh (Colorist)

The Story: Stargrave tries to get away from the Wanderer and her crazy antics as Larfleeze unfortunately gets used as a slave.

The Review: I can certainly appreciate a book that tries. When writers are actually throwing stuff at the wall to see what sticks, it can lead to either a boring or just plain chaotic read, but there will always be moments when something really great is set before the readers. Not everything works, of course, but trying is always a nice thing to see. Trying, however, is not a synonym of succeeding.

There are many things that just don’t really work in this book despite how Giffen and Dematteis tries to entertain those who bought the book. Humor, a bit of action, some cosmic development here and there, there’s simply a lot of elements that could mix together to create a satisfying read, yet it never really does attain that state.

One of the main problem would be a lack of direction, which is currently plaguing the book. With this issue still dividing its focus on both Stargrave and Larfleeze, the book tries to set up some narratives and idea that could lead to a bigger and more cohesive structure, yet both writers never seem to hint at how or why yet. While Stargrave is once more the butt of the jokes here as his unlucky temperament makes him a victim of all the most dangerous circumstances, many of the story elements simply pass him by. While The Wanderer and her visit to meet her sister hints at a much grander plot, they aren’t fully shown, nor connected to any of the protagonists yet, making them a bit unsatisfying.

Larfleeze #4 – Review

by Keith Giffen, J.M. Dematteis (Writers), Scott Kolins (Artist), Mike Atiyeh (Colorist)

The Story: Larfleeze receives the anger of those that were trapped within his ring as Stargrave continues his sad life as being the plaything of things much more powerful than him.

The Review: I can respect a good many things when reading a comic. When I review an issue, I usually try to see the intents that the creative team wants to convey to the readers. Is the point of this issue to advance the story, show a battle of wits between two or more characters? Each scenes have a certain purpose behind them and trying to see what it accomplish is part of the point, as expectations always play a part in the readers appreciation of the whole thing. While I read an issue, I always try to see if the creative team did try something original or if they went ahead and did succeed in setting a consistent tone throughout. Ambition and consistency are two things I can generally be content about when it is achieved.

However, there are always some exceptions to those rule, this time represented by Keith Giffen and J.M. Dematteis on Larfleeze. In this month’s issue, there are many things that works really well, with a consistent humorous tone, plenty of action and some new concepts thrown in. It is even heavily cosmic, which is something that should win me over. However, there are also a good deal of things that, despite all those elements, work against the comic in itself.

T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents #7 – Review

By: Too many to list—check out the review.

The Story: Most of the time, you say, “I’m gonna kill my mother” rhetorically.

The Review: When DC chose to “hold the line” at $2.99 and cut the page count of its issues in exchange, the results were varied: some creators adapted right away, others went through some growing pains, and a few still haven’t adjusted to the change.  None have managed to confront how to squeeze multiple storylines into a significantly shrunken medium without some pain.

Even a skilled writer like Spencer isn’t immune, although he deals with the problem as best as you can hope for.  It might have been wiser for him to scale back or eliminate altogether one of the “features” he includes in this issue, but as he said in a CBR interview, the talent had already hopped aboard and he was unwilling to let it go to waste.  Given that, you wind up with pieces that are strong in themselves, but don’t really further the issue’s goals overall.
It’s hardly worth mentioning the current story, where Colleen gets precisely two pages (underutilizing the always terrific Cafu, Bit, and Santiago Arcas on art) to take an airplane to Morocco and deliver a teaser line.  The moment packs a punch, and promises good things for next issue, but otherwise does nothing to advance the story.

This is problematic since the bulk of the issue involves a drawn out flashback.  In fact, the pacing of it is such that it seems Spencer forgets he’s only got so many pages to indulge in this kind of luxurious storytelling.  But the sequence needs this slow push to work; the prolonged scenes of domesticity tighten the wire of calm before snapping it in an all-out rush of chaos.  It’s the jump in gears from cutting cucumbers to tossing the knife into a man’s neck that gives the flashback some worthwhile tension.  And Mike Grell draws it all so beautifully, showing how an old-school, retro style can still bring intensity to both drama and action, though it’s Val Staples’ warm colors with a yellowish cast that gives the art its period look.

The flashback also gives you some essential bits of info that’ll make Colleen’s upcoming conflict that much stickier: her parental union between one of the greatest T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents and one of the Agents’ most notorious enemies.  An interesting twist to be sure, it also brings new meaning to her sympathy for Toby’s two-faced loyalties last issue.  But Spencer brings layers to most everything he writes.  Why else would he choose Dion’s “The Wanderer” to soundtrack the early parts of the flashback?  An oldies tune sung in doo-wop fashion, the rollicking rock rhythm of the song masks the rather dark undertone of its lyrics: the line “I with my two fists of iron and I’m going nowhere” certainly rings true for Colleen’s parents, given their backgrounds.