Gumby #3 — Writer: Bob Burden; Art: Rick Geary
Kids’ lit for cool kids; the surreal jumps from giant Heath bars to cannibal timeshare salesmen to Sherlock Holmes tributes (with laser teeth added) would make perfect dreamlike sense to a six-year-old (even the accidental duplication of page 18 with page 19 somehow works). This third issue concludes the first story, although reading all three issues at once might permanently unmoor you from reality.
Jonah Hex #24 — Writers: Justin Gray & Jimmy Palmiotti; Art: David Michael Beck
A Hallowe’en story guest-starring El Diablo and Bat Lash. Palmiotti’s and Gray’s charms sometimes elude me on other titles, but never here: They’ve always got the exact historical tone, and the exact grasp of their crotchety protagonist, to deliver their grim fun.
Action #856 — Writers: Geoff Johns and Richard Donner; Artist: Eric Powell
I continue to marvel at the inspired choice of Powell to draw a Bizarro story; his rough-edged Superman could only look good next to his even-more-twisted imperfect duplicate. The violence, where a Bizarro Doomsday literally rips apart a Bizarro clone, and smashes the head of two others into jelly, is, um, interesting, especially considering that the front cover sports a Comics Code sticker — but after the last-page splash of the Bizarro Justice League, I’m ready to forgive them just about anything.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Eight #7 — Writer: Brian K. Vaughan; Pencils: Georges Jeanty; Inks: Andy Owens
Vaughan continues an impressive guest arc focusing on Faith; he’s good at this kind of smart adventure writing, and he and Jeanty mesh seamlessly; the balcony scene, where the two working-class heroines bond despite being on different sides, is as good as anything in the Whedon issues.
JLA/Hitman #2 — Writer: Garth Ennis; Art: John McCrea
Ennis and McCrea finish their fond look back at Tommy Monaghan, with plenty of superhero action and some pointed commentary on why, sometimes, you need a flawed-but-human killer to do a superhuman’s job. With Ennis wrapping up his Punisher run over at Marvel, it’s interesting to compare the two characters: Both are killers, and both have their “kill only the bad guys” code, but Frank is insane, driven by grief and revenge, while Tommy just does it because he’s good at it. That lets him retain his sense of humor and connection to humanity; he’s got both perspective and friends, whereas Frank will always be grim and alone, just this side of a monster (as Ennis proved by having him blow away his former sidekick). Both are great characters, but Tommy’s definitely the one you’d look forward to having a drink with; getting to see him again was the best part of this mini-series.
Omega the Unknown #1 (of 10) — Words/Story: Jonathan Lethem with Karl Rusnak; Art: Farel Dalrymple
A line in the credits says “A version of an unfinished dream by Steve Gerber, Mary Skrenes and Jim Mooney,” and they aren’t kidding: this is a faithful remake of the aborted ’70s series, with many scenes the same as in the original, although updated and with additional information that indicates there’s an actual ending planned. The art’s going to get all the attention, and Dalrymple does give the story, off-center from the beginning, a big dose of indy cred. It’s a nice package, and I hope it does well, although I miss Mooney’s clear eye, and Gerber/Skrenes’ cold anger at how society treats its intelligent, talented outcastes.
Vinyl Underground #1 — Writer: Si Spencer; Penciller: Simon Gane; Inker: Cameron Stewart
A stereotypical Vertigo title, with its London setting, its team of young, beautiful, alienated outsiders, its straightforward art, and its dollops of sex, violence and the occult. Similar prior offerings have trailed off and burned out trying to duplicate the success of the prototype — Morrison’s The Invisibles — and this is nowhere near the inspired insanity of that comic, but I’m tentatively on board for at least the next issue.
Phil Mateer
