Incognito #1 — Writer: Ed Brubaker; Art: Sean Phillips
Kind of a step backwards for Brubaker and Phillips, into Sleeper territory — and, since it’s under the creator-owned Icon imprint, there’s no connection to the Marvel Universe, either, which might have been fun (still, noir-with-superpowers is something this team is very good at, so it’s hard to begrudge them wanting to own the whole package, instead of just getting royalties for using someone else’s characters). If you’ve been following Criminal, this is more of the same, except with masks, which is to say that it’s still very much worth reading.
Green Lantern #36 — Writer: Geoff Johns; Pencils: Ivan Reis; Inks: Oclair Albert
Give Johns his due: we now have yellow, red, blue and (um, indigo, violet? Whichever color turns you into a slut, apparently…) lantern energies, with black on the horizon, and in anyone else’s hands this would be the stupidest thing imaginable. Somehow, he and Reis make it work; it’s just the kind of sprawling, well-thought-out cosmic fun that this title should be providing.
30 Days of Night: 30 Days ‘Til Death #2 — Writer/Artist: David Lapham
This property continues to be a good fit for Lapham: he jazzes it up; you’ve got satires of bourgeois life, comparisons of vampirism to alcoholism (or sex addiction, leading to lines like “Have you ever been with someone you’re supposed to love, but all you really wanted to do was rip their head off and drink their blood?”), and Lapham’s knack for rendering both the believable little tics of everyday life and spasms of extreme cartoon violence. It’s miles above the usual knockoff vampire/zombie crap that passes for comics horror these days, and well worth a look.
Marvels: Eye of the Camera #2 (of 6) — Writer: Kurt Busiek; Artist: Jay Anacleto
This seems to have come in under everyone’s radar: a sequel of sorts to Marvels, continuing that mini-series’s examination of the Marvel Universe through Phil Sheldon, its nonpowered, ground-level reporter/photographer character. Busiek has thought quite a bit about heroism, both super- and not (see Astro City), and this offers both a literate, thoughtful take on that theme and a big valentine to ’70s Marvel continuity — better than 50 comics stories from that period get referenced, without it getting too cloying or obvious. A neat trick, that, and yet another reason to like this comic.
Justice Society of America #22 — Story: Geoff Johns and Alex Ross; Writer: Geoff Johns; Penciller: Dale Eaglesham; Inker: Nathan Massengill; Painted Pages: Alex Ross
The conclusion to the Gog/Magog/Kingdom Come story, and while it went on about three issues too long, this conclusion is effective: it handles a large number of pieces efficiently and well, closing off its plotlines and returning all of its characters neatly back to their toyboxes. Not only that, but it also features seven pages of Ross art, some of it a callback to events in KC, and some a coda to it; that’s enough to push it into the “buy” category, especially since DC resisted the temptation to make this a double issue, and is only charging the regular $3 for it.
Batman: Cacaphony #2 (of 3) — Writer: Kevin Smith; Penciller: Walter Flanagan; Inker: Sandra Hope
Smoother than the first issue (there’s nothing cringe-inducing, like references to the color of the Joker’s pubic hair), and Smith shows a knack for writing Batman in the Grant Morrison extremely-competent mold; that, and the patented snarky Smith pop-culture references, make this a well-above-average Batstory.
Wolverine #70 — Writer: Mark Millar; Penciler: Steve McNiven; Inkers: Dexter Vines and Mark Morales
Still readable, although I’m not sure why; I saw this issue’s big twist coming about halfway through Part One, four issues ago, and there’s always that weird Millar dialogue, with its run-on sentences and rhythms that may make perfect sense in Scotland, but sound unbalanced when American superheroes are saying the words. Still, between the full-page splash of Wolvie laying his head on a railroad track, waiting for the double-E (which obligingly comes along and decapitates him), and the little kid with the Antman helmet, there’s enough pulp weirdness to keep the plot boiling.
Stuff I read and liked enough to buy, but don’t have much to say about, so read previous reviews in the archives if you’re interested:
Punisher War Zone #4 (of 6) — Writer: Garth Ennis; Art: Steve Dillon
Legion of Super-Heroes #49 — Writer: Jim Shooter; Penciller: Francis Manapul; Inker: Livesay
Jack of Fables #29 — Writers: Bill Willingham and Matthew Sturges; Pencils: Tony Akins; Inks: Jose Marzan, Jr.
The Goon #31 — Writer/Artist: Eric Powell
Fantastic Four #562 — Writer: Mark Millar; Penciler: Bryan Hitch; Inkers: Cam Smith and Andrew Currie
Justice League of America #28 — Writer: Dwayne McDuffie; Pencils: Jose Luis; Inks: JP Mayer
Captain America #45 — Writer: Ed Brubaker; Pencilers: Luke Ross with Butch Guice; Inkers: Rick Magyar, Mark Pennington and Butch Guice
Phil Mateer
