Batman #664 — Writer: Grant Morrison; Penciller: Andy Kubert; Inker: Jesse Delperdang
Morrison’s Wayne is a super-competent international playboy, instead of someone pretending to be a klutz, and that’s kind of fun. Nasty things are happening in Gotham, and Batman gets smacked around and there’s talk of “the black casebook,” apparently one of those shadowy Morrison conspiracy-of-the-weird things, and that’s it: the first chapter of a new story. Andy Kubert’s been a good match for Morrison; he’s good at standard superhero poses, but he’s just off-center and gritty enough to have a style. Look at that cover: it’s generic at first glance, but something about the expression on Batman’s face, and the way he’s posed, draws you in — and then you notice those three cops in the background, and the way they’re posed, and the streetlight and the fog, and then you notice the credits (Andy Kubert and Joe Kubert), and then you have to admit, that’s a pretty nice piece of art.
Pirates of Coney Island #5 ( of 8 ) — Writer: Rick Spears; Art: Vasilis Lolos
This is the first issue that’s really clicked with me: Cadillacula, the Cherries slumber party, Cadillacula again, and then the Romeo-and-Juliet-in-a-knife-fight climax. The art is… disturbing but stylish, I guess, in a Paul-Pope-but-even-more-deliberately-grotesque way; it’s able to sell the slightly-surreal setting, and make me believe it. In Teenagers From Mars, Spears had a similar relationship that he let end happily, as the characters rode off into the sunset; it’ll be interesting to see if he does it differently this time.
Usagi Yojimbo #101 — Everything: Stan Sakai
Another great cover this week, maybe even better: dozens of those little skull soul icons that Sakai uses to indicate death rise up, light blue against the darker blue background. In the foreground, a demonically-possessed Usagi grins evilly. Behind him, pale on the ground, are the dozens of bodies those souls inhabited maybe ten minutes ago, before Usagi slaughtered them all. And now he’s walking toward us…..
I’d buy any issue of Usagi Yojimbo that Sakai chose to publish; who wouldn’t?
Wonder Woman #6 — Writer: Jodi Picoult; Penciller: Drew Johnson; Inker: Ray Snyder
OK, and worth the benefit of the doubt as the first issue by a new creative team. I’m not sure keeping the Diana-Prince-works-for-Homeland-Security bit is a good idea (it requires highly-trained agents to be too stupid to figure out who she is), but let’s see where they go with it. The scene where Diana is suddenly out of character, and you wonder whether Picoult is insane, was the one that sold me on the book.
Fables #59 — Writer: Bill Willingham; Artists: M. K. Perker, Jim Rugg, Mark Buckingham, Andrew Pepoy, Joelle Jones, D’Israeli, Jill Thompson, David Lapham, John K. Snyder III, Eric Shanower, Barry Kitson
Willingham answers reader questions about the book’s huge cast of characters, cleaning up continuity and filling in the blanks with a series of one-, two- and three-page vignettes by a bunch a guest artists. If you don’t normally buy the book, check out the artist roster to see if you might be interested in this issue.
52 #47 — Writers: Johns, Morrison, Rucka, Waid; Breakdowns: Keith Giffen; Pencils: Guiseppe Camuncoli; Inks: Lorenzo Ruggiero
The main stories are the Crime Bible and Montoya, with some of the Irons family, quite a bit of Buddy Baker (although the aliens look off-putting for some reason), a lot of Bruce, Tim, and Diana, and a page that indicates that Black Adam is having a very bad week.
Ultimate Spider-Man #107 — Writer: Brian Michael Bendis; Penciler: Mark Bagley; Inks: Drew Hennessy
Running through the last storyline from the book’s original (and only) creative team. Kitty starts class at Midtown High, which works for about five minutes. Peter and Mary Jane have a refreshingly mature conversation about it, although there’s one panel of Mary Jane clutching her hand that doesn’t bode well (“cured,” huh?). The Ultimates versions of Dr. Strange, Daredevil, Moon Knight, Shang-chi and Iron Fist decide maybe somebody should, like, kill the Kingpin, because he’s the bad guy. They invite Spidey, who pees all over their party by living up to his billing of Most Instinctively Moral Guy In The Room, and explaining why it won’t work (and standing up to Daredevil, too). Nice twist at the end, although it may not have finished twisting (maybe it’s all part of a larger plan…).
DMZ #17 — Writer: Brian Wood; Artist: Riccardo Burchielli
This has been the arc, after almost two years, where Matty’s really grown into his job as a wartime journalist; he says at the beginning of the issue that he’s either going to win big, or screw everything up, and then finds out it’s possible to do a little of both. Another satisfying story, in a book that’s been consistently worthwhile from its first issue.
Phil Mateer
