Yow! Over 20 titles in the “buy” column this week, and even though many of them could use extended commentary, we’ve only got time and space to talk about a fraction of them. If you think the comics industry is in trouble, though, check out all this stuff (if it’s not the best single week ever, it’s the best in a long time, kids):
All-Star Batman and Robin #9 — Writer: Frank Miller; Penciller: Jim Lee; Inker: Scott Williams
I wonder if all the haters will hate this one, too, or finally admit that Miller has something going on here (no; they’ll argue that the emotion’s too calculated). There’s something kind of cool about this raw, early Bat-Man, flipping between psychosis and compassion, furious at all the idiots around him and trying to find an anchor. Mark my words: this will turn out to be a good series.
Kick-Ass #1 — Writer: Mark Millar; Penciler: John Romita Jr.; Inks: Tom Palmer
Only a start, but this (so far) very real look at the beginnings of a costumed hero is intriguing (and, with the Romita Jr./Palmer art, gorgeously rendered). I’m not sure it’s as good as it thinks it is, but it’s definitely capable, as the best Millar is, of grabbing you by the collar and refusing to be ignored or taken lightly.
RASL #2 — Writer/Artist: Jeff Smith
Smith is the Pixar of comics: his people don’t quite look “real,” but they have their own cartoon logic, and the supernatural elements look great (the scene with the lizard in the trenchcoat is worth the price of the book). It’s not clear what’s going on here, but it’s clear that Smith’s got a good story to deliver.
Donald Duck Adventures: The Barks/Rosa Collection Volume 2
Three Barks ten-pagers (well, two plus a rare eight-page Cheerios giveaway he did in 1947) plus the Rosa sequels to each, plus two pages of Rosa talking about all three stories. It’s $8.99, but if you don’t have these already and you want to call yourself a comics fan, you need this book.
Ultimate Spider-Man #119 — Writer: Brian Micjael Bendis; Penciler: Stuart Immonen; Inker: Wade von Grawbadger
Worth mentioning just to note that Kenny has now become the coolest character in the book — which probably means he’s about to die horribly (please, Bendis, keep your finger off the Tragedy Button, and let this group of well-realized kids hang out together, at least for a while…).
Nexus #100 — Writer: Mike Baron; Artist: Steve Rude
Let’s see: a 24-page lead story, a ten-page article about the book’s history, and an 11-page, fully-painted Sundra origin story where Rude/Baron channel caricatures of both Hillary and Ted Kennedy. For $4.99. It’s not self-enclosed (the lead’s part of a continuing story), but when it comes to quality comics storytelling Baron/Rude can match Miller/Lee, Millar/Romita Jr., Smith, and Brubaker/Phillips, and create yet another must-have book for any serious fan this week (Barks/Rosa don’t make the list because they’re in an even higher class).
Criminal Volume 2 #1 — Writer: Ed Brubaker; Artist: Sean Phillips
For #3.50, we get a 30-page, self-contained story, plus four pages of editorial material. No prior experience required, and, if you like Brubaker’s work in Daredevil and Captain America, or Phillips’s art in Marvel Zombies 2, you should try this non-super, non-fantasy little slice of hard-edged crime fiction.
Legion of Super-Heroes #39 — Writer: Jim Shooter; Penciller: Francis Manapul; Inker: Livesay
You have to admire how carefully Shooter gets his narrative hooks into you, issue by issue, so that suddenly you’re addicted: you care about these characters, and want to know what happens to them next. It doesn’t even matter that you can see what he’s doing; it works anyway. It’s best as a monthly, too, because the rhythms, the repeating patterns and the escalating tensions (and the cascading complexity of all the characters, their actions and interactions) is best in 20-page doses; this wouldn’t work as well if read all at once. Face it: the man may know only one thing about storytelling, but he knows it very, very well.
Damage Control #2 (of 3) — Writer: Dwayne McDuffie; Artist: Salva Espin
Lots of fun, as McDuffie’s very human contractors face down idiots, powered and otherwise, and McDuffie himself continues to repair various holes and leaks in Marvel characterization wrought by less-careful previous writers (Penance and Bl– er, Goliath, among others).
X-Men: Legacy #208 — Writer: Mike Carey; Art: John Romita Jr./Klaus Janson and Scot Eaton/John Dell
Xavier lies comatose, his brain flinging up shards of early X-encounters (rendered, in his second gorgeous art job this week, by Romita Jr., this time inked by Janson), sprinkled through a modern-day plot as the bad guys who’ve captured him discuss what to do next. OK, I suppose, although it’s hard to see how this is going to work for more than a couple of issues — but I’m willing to trust Carey (especially after his well-constructed, if not unexpected, last-page reveal this issue), at least for a little while.
Stuff I bought and liked, but don’t have anything new to add to whatever I’ve said about it in past reviews, so go look them up in the archives if you care:
Dan Dare #4 — Writer: Garth Ennis; Art: Gary Erskine
Fallen Angel #24 — Writer: Peter David; Art: J.K. Woodward
JLA Classified #53 — Writer: Roger Stern; Penciller: John Byrne; Inker: Mark Farmer
Jack of Fables #20 — Writers: Matthew Sturges and Bill Willingham; Pencils: Russ Braun; Inkers: Andrew Pepoy and Steve Leialoha
Action Comics #862 — Writer: Geoff Johns; Penciller: Gary Franks; Inker: Jon Sibal
Batman #674 — Writer: Grant Morrison; Penciller: Tony Daniel; Inkner: Sandu Florea
Fables #70 — Writer: Bill Willingham; Guest Artist: Nico Henrichon
Captain America #35 — Writer: Ed Brubaker; Penciler: Butch Guice; Inkers: Butch Guice and Mike Perkins
Daredevil #105 — Writer: Ed Brubaker; Artists: Michael Lark, Paul Azaceta and Stefano Gaudiano
Marvel Zombies 2 #5 (of 5) — Writer: Robert Kirkman; Artist: Sean Phillips
Blue Beetle #24 — Writer: John Rogers; Artist: Rafael Albuquerque
