The Boys #26 — Writer: Garth Ennis; Artist: John Higgins
Between Ennis’s propensity for the grossout, and his gleeful skewering of pop culture (this current Boys arc involves a satire of the X-Men mashed up with a tribute to Animal House), it’s easy to forget just how good a writer he can be, too; he seems here to be setting up a crisscrossing skein of mistaken motivations worthy of the Coen Brothers. Whether the two young lovers at the heart of his story end up in a tragedy or a comedy is still unsettled, but the very fact that he can get a jaded comics fan like me to worry about them, and care about the outcome, is a tribute to his talent.
The Invincible Iron Man #9 — Writer: Matt Fraction; Artist: Salvador Larroca
Fraction is starting to remind me a lot of Ed Brubaker (it’s no accident that those two guys teamed up so well on Iron Fist): much like Captain America, Iron Man is turning into a dependably exciting action series, with enough well-drawn supporting characters and subplots to make it a fun, addictive ongoing read. Here, he’s stripped Tony Stark of his fame and fortune, and sent him on the run from both the government and the bad guys (represented in the single imposing form of Norman Osborne); given how inconsistently (and sometimes downright stupidly) the character has been portrayed by lesser writers over the last few years, Fraction’s ability to make readers sympathize with him is an impressive magic act.
Hellboy: The Wild Hunt #2 ( of 8 ) — Writer: Mike Mignola; Artist: Duncan Fegredo
Fegredo continues to get better with each issue; he’s almost a match for Mignola now, with his moody inks and his way of drawing various goblins, ghosts, giants and other monsters (and, with Mignola doing the scripting, both this and B.P.R.D. continue to slouch toward Armageddon very nicely, thank you). With Guy Davis providing a six-page backup story, the level of talent on display here is impressive.
Blue Monday: Thieves Like Us #1 (of 5) — Writer/Artist: Chynna Clugston
It’s always a pleasure to see another installment of Clugston’s high school soap opera, a kind of brainy indy version of Archie Comics (it’s set in California, but something about her style always makes me think it should be in some English public school). Here, it’s very early springtime, and everyone’s thoughts (especially Bleu’s) are turning to sex, especially after a trip to the zoo; it’s all sophisticated, cute, and well drawn, with a lot of heart at its center.
Faces of Evil: Solomon Grundy #1 — Writer: Geoff Johns and Scott Kolins; Artist: Scott Kolins
Johns and Kolins, who’ve been a team since they were both on The Flash (… geez, eight years ago?), know something about resurrecting a Rogue’s Gallery. Here, they take one of DC’s oldest villains, strip him back down to his origins, and then start to build him back up again. Some of the remake skates a little too close to Bruce Banner territory, but then Grundy has often been written as a poor man’s Hulk (“Grundy smash green-light man!”), so anything that can make him interesting again is worth a look.
Jonah Hex #39 — Writers: Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti; Artist: Rafa Garres
A straightforward story for a change, without all the experimental crosscutting and small scenes of some previous issues; this is good, because when Palmiotti and Gray aren’t trying to be flashy, they can actually construct a solid story. Garres’s art ladles on the moodiness (which sometimes turns into murkiness, especially because the coloring tends toward monochromatic sepia tones), and makes everyone look like a contestant in “Who’s More Grizzled?”, but if any title is appropriate for that style, it’s this one: it works, and the result is a solid, good-looking western tale.
Official Index to the Marvel Universe #1 — Head Writers: Stuart Vandal and Al Sjoerdsma
I’m not sure I need one of these (the first Marvel Index I ever bought was one of George Olshevsky’s original computer printouts, back in 1973), but it’s a nice package: one or two entries per page, with cover shots, credits, character lists, and very detailed synopses of each issue. This first installment offers Spider-Man (Amazing Fantasy 15, plus ASM #1-52 and the first four annuals), Iron Man (Tales of Suspense #39- 73, including the horror story backups and, later, the Captain America stories), and the X-Men (#1-50), all for $4; any Marvel fan who doesn’t already have access to this information should check out this book.
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:
Secret Six #5 — Writer: Gail Simone; Penciler: Nicola Scott; Inkers: Doug Hazelwood and Rodney Ramos
Doktor Sleepless #11 — Writer: Warren Ellis; Artist: Ivan Rodriguez
The Sword #14 — Writers/Artists: The Luna Brothers
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Eight # 21 — Writer: Jane Espenson; Pencils: Georges Jeanty; Inks: Andy Owens
Amazing Spider-Man #582 — Writer: Dan Slott; Pencils: Mike McKone; Inks: Andy Lanning and Kris Justice
No Hero #3 — Writer: Warren Ellis; Artist: Juan Jose Ryp
Phil Mateer
