Shazam!: The Monster Society of Evil #4 (of 4) — Writer/Artist: Jeff Smith
A satisfying ending, as both Billy and Captain Marvel (and Mary) get to show smarts and heroism, and everyone ends up just about where they should be. I’m not too sure about the science (“Captain Marvel punched him too hard! The fabric of light has been compressed into a singularity! A small black hole has formed” — um, what?), although I suppose that it’s true to the genial, anything-goes fantasy of the original comics, and it certainly works in context. This has been a magical series, and a delight, and should read even better when it’s collected into book form. (Hey, though: isn’t it unpatriotic to portray the attorney general of the United States as an evil, murderous little dwarf? Listen, Smith, comics are no place for that kind of thing — everyone knows that in this country it’s the vice-president who fits that description….)
World War Hulk #2 (of 5) — Writer: Greg Pak; Penciller: John Romita Jr.; Inker: Klaus Janson
Let’s face it: this is a comic about punching things. However, on that level, it’s a lot of fun, because it’s the Hulk, and he punches things really hard. Romita Jr. delivers just the right combination of grit and grace, and Pak knows when to slip in the exposition and characterization, and when to just get out of the way. The result’s a reminder of one of the big attractions of superhero comics, and a guilty, but undeniable, pleasure.
Ultimate Spider-Man #111 — Writer: Brian Michael Bendis; Artists: Mark Bagley (15 pgs.) & Stuart Immonen (6 pgs.); Inker: Drew Hennessy
Bagley’s last issue, as Peter and Aunt May have The Talk (no, not that talk — the yes-I’m-actually-Spider-Man talk). You know, back when this comic started, it was issue #13 — Peter and Mary Jane sit in his room the entire book, and he tells her he’s Spider-Man — that convinced me that Bendis knew what he was doing; it was funny and touching and very realistically human, and Bagley’s art was the perfect match for it. Now, almost 100 issues later, this echoes that moment, and it’s an effective reminder of just how dependably this creative team has been crafting good stories over the last seven years.
Justice League of America #11 — Writer: Brad Meltzer; Artist: Gene Ha
A claustrophobic, quiet little comic, as Red Arrow and Vixen are trapped beneath the rubble of a building, in the dark (and underwater), and have to figure out how to escape. I haven’t been that impressed with Meltzer’s handling of the big multi-issue epics of this series so far, but here his experience as a novelist really shines through — it’s all about characterization, and building tension on a small scale, and he’s good at that. Gene Ha’s art, with it’s ragged, narrow panels, enhances the no-way-out, panicky atmosphere, and makes it all the more cathartic when things open up toward the end of the book. Bottom line: a surprisingly effective stand-alone story.
Wolverine: Origins Annual #1 — Writer: Daniel Way; Artist: Kaare Andrews
I’m not sure why I bought this, other than that I’m a sucker for Madripoor stories, and this one flashes back to the 1930s. One annoyance is the art, which is sometimes striking but can be all over the place — for example, look at the splash page introducing Logan’s 1930s love interest, Seraph — she’s sitting down, but her leg that’s furthest away from us is bigger than the one closest to us. Weird. Then, on the next page, she’s walking toward Logan, and she barely comes up to his chest — and she’s in high heels. Now, he’s supposed to be a really short guy, right? That means she can’t be more than 3 feet tall. Is she a “little person”? Is that why her head seems huge, the same size as the area between her butt and her neck? But no, she seems fine in relation to other people; apparently, it’s just extremely careless storytelling by Andrews (creeping Liefeldism, I suppose we’d call it). If this guy could just get some training (and editing), he’d be dangerous.
All-Flash #1 — Writer: Mark Waid; Artists: Karl Kerschl (10 pgs.); Ian Churchill & Norm Rapmund (3 pgs.); Manuel Garcia (3 pgs.) Joe Bennett & Ruy Jose (6 pgs.); Daniel Acuna (2 pgs.)
Eh. With the script by Waid, at least everyone’s in character, but all those different artists, with their widely varying styles, are jarring — it’s like they’re all auditioning for the job on the new ongoing Flash series. So, we get a plot that involves Wally beating Inertia without breaking a sweat (highlighting just how lame that character is, and hinting at why the previous Flash series ground to such a premature halt), that keeps getting whiplash from the sudden changes in visual style, and is also topheavy with dialogue (because Waid has to fill readers in on what happened to Bart, who Wally is, what’s going on now, and what’s going to happen next). Result: this isn’t a satisfying story on it’s own; it’s just a bridge between the failed Bart Flash series and the relaunch of the Wally Flash series, meaning we’ll have to wait a few more months before we can see if this new/old iteration of The Flash will be successful.
The Brave and the Bold #5 — Writer: Mark Waid; Art: George Perez; Inks: Bob Wiacek
Mostly Batman vs. the LSH, as Brainy, being Brainy, grossly underestimate’s Bruce’s deductive and fighting abilities. By the end, the bad guys seem to have won, but that’s actually good news — it signals that next issue will be the conclusion to this well-written and well-drawn, but also long and drawn-out, initial story arc.
The Spirit #8 — Writer: Darwyn Cooke; Breakdowns: Cooke; Finished Art: J. Bone
Cooke’s back with a full-length story, as both the Octopus and Agent Satin return. It’s a pretty standard plot (there’s a bomb ticking down to an explosion, and the one character who can disarm it is hit and develops amnesia — yeah, that happens to me all the time), but as always the pleasure is in the throwaway lines of dialogue and the little details, like the Spirit’s inevitable women trouble by the conclusion.
Captain America #28 — Writer: Ed Brubaker; Artists: Steve Epting and Mike Perkins
It’s amazing how little the title character’s absence has affected this book, although of course he looms over the proceedings — with Bucky, the Falcon, Sharon, Nick Fury, Tony Stark, Dr. Faustus, the Red Skull’s daughter and the Serpent Squad (oh, yeah, and Professor X and Crossbones, too), there’s plenty going on, and as usual it’s smoothly told, pretty to look at, and entertaining.
Phil Mateer
