The Spirit #10 — Writer/Artist: Darwyn Cook; Finishes: J. Bone
The parody dial’s kind of turned up to eleven, and I had to read the ending three times — although, in fairness to Cooke, it does make sense (“two more people,” but not the Spirit; I get it, although I still don’t like scenes where the hero’s in mortal peril and has to trust to luck instead of skill to get out). Have to admire all the work that went into it, though, and the flashy-but-more-than-competent sense of design and fun that glows in these pages.
Justice League of America #13 — Writer: Dwayne McDuffie; Penciller: Joe Benitez; Inker: Victor Llamas
Big fight with the Injustice League, all the heavy hitters, continued from the JLA Wedding Special and very nicely done. It reminds me of the Ross Justice, but more focused and lighter on its feet. McDuffie, who’s been over at Marvel rescuing the FF, may be the best pure superhero writer in comics right now; buy this (and the Special, if you can find it), and see why.
Batman #669 — Writer: Grant Morrison; Artist: J.H. Williams III
I said best “pure” superhero writer: Morrison’s a contestant, but he’s always had that affinity for the weird that makes him more, say, Lee/Ditko Dr. Strange than Lee/Ditko Spider-Man. This third issue/conclusion of his League of Batmen/And Then There Were None mashup felt a little off to me, maybe because it climaxed last issue, too soon (that middle installment was where he and Williams really seemed to be in sync, art meshing with story in flashy pulp glee), and now has to throw too many quick plot reversals at us (He’s dead! No he’s not! It’s really him! Or him!), make its last Christieish bow, and dart off the stage before the pages run out. All three issues together, though? More than worth it.
Astro City: The Dark Age Book Two #4 (of 4) — Writer: Kurt Busiek; Artist: Brent Anderson
Another candidate for best pure superhero creator — and this title has always been the best evidence of that, being Busiek’s (and Anderson’s) own created universe. Like many labors of love, though, it only comes out when it’s done (I can’t remember issue three at all, really, and the Book One/Silver Agent stuff seems like a decade ago), so this isn’t the best place for a new reader to latch on; get one of the trades instead.
Criminal #9 — Writer: Ed Brubaker; Artist: Sean Phillips
Brubaker, on the other hand, might be the best pulp storyteller: he can do noirish superhero, over in Daredevil, and straightup crime here, and it’s all good. This is the penultimate issue of five, so it’s not the best place for new readers to start, either, but it deepens our knowledge of its characters, moves them forward at their various cross-purposes, and sets up what promises to be a suitably bloody and karma-specific resolution next issue.
Ultimate Spider-Man #114 — Writer: Brian Michael Bendis; Penciler: Stuart Immonen; Inker: Wade Von Grawbadger
And here, in Bendis, may be the superhero writer of the last decade, although he’s more Old Gun than Hot New Prospect now. Between Powers, Daredevil, New Avengers and this, he’s certainly delivered sales and interest — and while New Avengers, particularly, has sometimes been controversial, Ultimate Spider-Man has featured consistently good storytelling throughout its run — even during the occasional silly plots, the characterization, humor and solid sense of exactly who Peter Parker is supposed to be have carried it along and kept it dependably entertaining for the last seven years.
Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder #7 — Writer: Frank Miller; Penciller: Jim Lee; Inker: Scott Williams
And here, we have a creator who was at the top of the list 20 years ago. It’s ironic that, as the “regular” world discovers Miller through the Sin City and 300 movies, he takes so much heat from us, his own people, who now complain about his exaggerated, over-the-top combination of archetype and parody. I’m still arguing that this title is nowhere near as bad as some people think, and may actually read well when it’s collected in one place; certainly, the shorter time between the last few issues has made it easier to remember what’s going on, and made the narrative flow seem less choppy and abrupt. Waiting for it to all be done and collected in one place may take us beyond the current decade, though — there’s only 2 1/2 years left until 2010, after all, and the storyline, at issue #7, looks nowhere near wrapping up anytime soon.
Speak of the Devil #2 (of 6) — Writer/Artist: Gilbert Hernandez
Hernandez, of course, is on the short list of best comics creators period, no matter the genre. His non-Palomar stories, for me, have often had a problem with the endings; they tend toward the mystic and impenetrable, all symbols and mystic Jungian mystery. Here, his attempt at a B-movie plot seems to be keeping things more focused, and it’ll be interesting to see if the last 2/3 of the story stays as linear and accessible as these first two issues have been. Even more than with Cooke, though, the sheer design/composition mastery alone is worth the price of admission, so it’s all gravy anyway.
Usagi Yojimbo #106 — Writer/Artist: Stan Sakai
… and, finally, perhaps the most impressive creator of all. You know Bendis/Bagley’s almost 7-year run on Ultimate Spider-Man? Well, triple that time, and have just one guy be providing both art and story over all those years, and close to 170 issues. That’s Sakai’s Usagi, and it continues to provide adventure, humor, and tutorials about medieval Japan as seen through the eyes of its lupine protagonist, still at the top of its game after all this time.
Phil Mateer
