Thor #603 — Writer: J. Michael Straczynski; Penciler: Marko Djurdjevic; Inker: Danny Miki
This is Staczynski’s last regular issue of this title (he’s leaving because Marvel’s going to make Thor the linchpin of a Big Event Crossover next year, and he wants no part of it); he’ll resolve the current storyline in one of those Giant-Size Specials next month. I’m surprisingly sad to see him go; I thought the beginnings of this relaunch were just OK, but he was very careful about laying all the bricks into the overstory’s foundation, one by one, and at this point Chick Loki, Lord Balder, the alliance with Doom, and all the other machinations and manipulations have gelled into a cool narative (he’s also proven the best at regular earthers’ interactions with the Asgardians — and vice versa — since Walt Simonson). Raise a glass of mead to his passing, and hope that the conclusion is as effective, and affecting, as the rest of the story has been.
Astro City Special: Astra #1 (of 2) — Writer: Kurt Busiek; Artist: Brent E. Anderson
The first of a two-parter focusing on the daughter of Astro City’s First Family (Busiek’s FF-like avatars), as she graduates from college and gets ready to live her life. Full of all the ordinary-superhero-day moments that he and Anderson are so good at, with all the characters three-dimensional and the constant sense that this is a real world, with all kinds of interesting things happening just around the corner. The letter-page news that they’re gearing up to make Astro City an ongoing series again is welcome news for fans of their expert combinations of vast cosmic events and everyday human interactions.
Bad Dog #3 — Writer: Joe Kelly; Artist: Diego Greco
Amazing Spider-Man #607 — Writer: Joe Kelly; Pencils: Mike McKone and Adriana Melo; Inks: McKone, Lanning, Justice, Smith and Benes
Two by Kelly this week. Bad Dog is better just because it’s his, not work-for-hire stuff, and so he’s free to run wild with this tale of a werewolf bounty hunter with a painful past — so painful that he’s barely hanging on to his sanity through a self-medication regime consisting of equal parts humor, violence, cynicism and alcohol. Kelly, wisely, supplies only hints of the hero’s backstory, preferring to focus on the present, and between the border smugglers, vampires and colorful supporting characters (especially the Danny Devito-like partner), it’s a lot of fun. Points for setting the whole thing in Arizona, and having the title guy wake up at one point, after an impressive bender, in front of the CPS building in downtown Phoenix, wrapped only in an Arizona state flag.
Spider-Man has little of Bad Dog‘s gonzo charm, but it’s still smoothly told, as the Black Cat and Our Hero battle Diablo and rekindle their relationship; the dialogue really snaps, although the art suffers because it’s coming from two pencillers and five inkers. The J. Scott Campbell cover, featuring a post-coital Felicia Harding dressed in Spidey’s shirt, is just this side of shameless and exploitive, but also hard to resist, in a guilty-fanboy kind of way.
Batman: The Widening Gyre #2 (of 6) — Writer: Kevin Smith; Penciller: Walter Flanagan; Inker: Art Thibert
Speaking of stuff for fanboys: Smith throws in every past-continuity element but the kitchen sink here, most notably Silver St. Cloud. Some of it’s badly-conceived (the amusement-park serial-killer guy from Gaiman’s Sandman? Really? And he’s still wearing the same shirt? And has a gun? Really? Plus, I’m not sure that anyone but Judge Dredd should ever call anyone “perp,” especially Batman), but it’s also all undeniably entertaining; it rattles right along, throwing off sparks and jolts and thrills, and if it can all hang together for the entire six issues without imploding it might turn out to be pretty good.
Jack of Fables #38 — Writers: Matthew Sturges and Bill Willingham; Pencils: Russ Braun; Inks: Jose Marzan Jr. and Andrew Pepoy
Focusing mostly on Jack’s kid, learning the adventuring biz as he wanders the Fable homeworlds, but worth mentioning for the few pages on Jack himself, and the metatextural subplot wherein he pissed off Russ Braun, the artist, a few issues ago, and now is being drawn as increasingly fat, bald and bewildered. I’m not sure why this amuses me — maybe because it’s drawn so skillfully, and with such wicked fun — but Jack’s now-enormous belly, peeking out of his pink T-shirt (“Sexy,” it reads) makes me smile, and the last-panel payoff of Gary in the chicken suit, and the look on his face, make me laugh out loud.
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:
Usagi Yojimbo #123 — Writer/Artist: Stan Sakai
Glamourpuss #9 — Writer/Artist: Dave Sim
Knights of the Dinner Table #154 — Creators: Jolly Blackburn, Steve Johansson, David S. Kenzer and Brian Jelke
Phil Mateer
