Jonah Hex #50 — Writers: Justin Grey and Jimmy Palmiotti; Art: Darwyn Cooke
An anniversary issue, featuring a 37-page story that acts as a coda to the last year or so of adventures, and wraps up the Tallulah/Jonah relationship in typically grim fashion. As always, when Palmiotti and Grey get a good artist (and Cooke, doing his deceptively-simple Toth impression, is one of the best), they turn their storytelling up a notch, and the result is an affecting, understated but blood-soaked tale of insanity, murder, passion, redemption and revenge — not necessarily in that order.
Empowered Special — Writer/Artist: Adam Warren
Empowered, Warren’s project for the last few years, follows the adventures of a superheroine who struggles at her job, with a fragile costume that gives her powers, but tears at the worst times, leaving both her skin and her self-esteem exposed. This sounds juvenile and exploitive, but, remarkably, it’s not: Warren knows exactly what tropes he’s playing with, and stands them on their heads through perceptive, sympathetic characterization, witty dialogue, intelligent and techno-savvy plotting, and incredibly tight and accomplished pencils. This series is currently available in five trades, and Dark Horse is making this one-shot of new material available to give readers a taste of what they’re missing. Take the bait, pick it up, and see if you don’t want to read more about these people and their very well-crafted world.
Uncanny X-Men #518 — Writer: Matt Fraction; Penciler: Terry Dodson; Inker: Rachel Dodson
Between this and Iron Man, Fraction’s currently responsible for two of the best monthly superhero action soaps out there, with crackling plots and dead-on character work that gives everyone a spotlight and knows just what makes them work for the reader (note his treatment of Scott, Emma, Bobby Drake and Hank McCoy just in this issue). Add Dodson’s clean, detailed and attractive pencils, and you’ve got a book that makes us remember the kind of flashy fun that attracted us all to comics in the first place.
Echo #17 — Writer/Artist: Terry Moore
An infodump issue, where the three main characters don’t even appear, but we get the story of the beta suit, the Phi Project and alloy 618. This would normally be boring (especially as an episode of the comic instead of just a chapter in the larger trade), but it’s saved because (a) Moore knows how to frame the story around other bits of business and character arcs (and endings), to keep it visually interesting while the info is being dumped, and (b) the “base phi” stuff is a startlingly-clever concept, one that’s semi-plausible and compelling enough to remind us that, under all those artistic chops, there’s a very good structural storyteller lurking, too.
Siege: The Cabal #1 (of 1) — Writer: Brian Michael Bendis; Penciller: Michael Lark; Inker: Stefano Gaudiano
Dark Avengers Annual #1 — Writer: Brian Michael Bendis; Penciler: Chris Bachalo; Inkers: Tim Townsend with Jaime Mendoza and Al Vey
Your mainstream Marvel event comics of the week, both brought to you by the omnipresent Mr. Bendis: Seige kicks off the next four months, and the endgame to the last few years of continuity, as Norman Osborn holds a villain meeting, finds out why you don’t throw down against Doctor Doom, and gets career counseling from Loki; Bendis/Lark prove a good, gritty team, heavy on the noir dialogue and surprisingly nimble on the action sequences. Dark Avengers gets us caught up on Marvel Boy, who has a consult with the Supreme Intelligence and gains negabands, a costume, a mission and a girlfriend, all roughly simultaneously. Here, the attraction is the Bachalo art, with its wonderfully fluid motion and expressive faces, and the last-page surprise panel; it, too, works to set up The Seige, and so is a good companion to The Cabal.
Grimjack: The Manx Cat #5 (of 6) — Writer: John Ostrander; Art: Timothy Truman
While the first few issues of this mini-series seemed too repetitive of past stories with the same characters, the last few issues have entered new territory, upping the ante and creating something more than just a pastiche. Ostrander and Truman are adept at ricocheting between the mundane and the cosmic; there’s always a little bit of alien shimmer in their gritty street scenes, and a little bit of alleyway grime in their cosmic ones. Add to that Grimjack’s attraction as a tragic character — one who, like John Constantine, is always going to win, but always going to pay a steep price for the victory — and this story is both a good introduction to the world of Cynosure for new readers, and a reminder of past glories for older ones.
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:
Glamourpuss #10 — Writer/Artist: Dave Sim
The Sword #20 — Writer/Artists: The Luna Brothers
Ultimate Spider-Man #5 — Writer: Brian Michael Bendis; Artist: David Lafuente
Strange #2 (of 4) — Writer: Mark Waid; Art: Emma Rios
The Boys #37 — Writer: Garth Ennis; Art: Darick Robertson
Jack of Fables #40 — Writers: Bill Willingham and Matthew Sturges; Pencils: Braun; Inks: Andrew Pepoy
Supergod #2 (of 6?) — Writer: Warren Ellis; Art: Garrie Gastonny
Batman: Unseen #5 (of 5) — Writer: Doug Moench; Art: Kelley Jones
Phil Mateer
