Detective #853 — Writer: Neil Gaiman; Pencils: Andy Kubert; Inks: Scott Williams
This two-parter’s been controversial with reviewers — some have liked it quite a bit; others have found it flat and disappointing — and I suspect the divide is… not age, exactly, but family status. If you’re a parent, its picture-book reference toward the end (I’ve got that thing memorized, too, having read it to my own kids a million times) and snake-swallowing-its-own-tale conclusion are just right; that would be Bruce Wayne’s reward (other than “you get to be Batman”): a few years of childhood happiness, followed by a life spent trying obsessively to save others, especially kids, from having their own happiness shattered. This is as far from the Alan Moore Superman “last story” as possible — but of course that’s a good thing, and on its own terms it provides a (temporary) farewell to Bruce Wayne that’s true to the character and tone-perfect.
Amazing Spider-Man #592 — Writer: Mark Waid; Pencils: Mike McKone; Inks: Andy Lanning
Waid’s a good choice for a new Spidey arc — he’s the heir to writers like Marv Wolfman and Len Wein, able to move superhero icons through their paces, hit all the right beats, wring clever variations out of their usual themes, and in general deliver an entertaining, satisfying story (I actually like most of his corporate-character stuff better than his own creations, since those are mostly twists on standard super-tropes, too, but with new characters standing in for the ones we actually care about — see Empire, for example). Here, not everything works — JJJ would have a SWAT team shooting at Our Hero? Really? — and the last-page shocker is just kind of icky (I mean, yeah, she was going to marry Doc Ock once, but you never got the feeling that they were actually… ewwww), but it’s both fun and thoughtful, and definitely worth reading.
New Avengers #52 — Writer: Brian Michael Bendis; Art: Billy Tan, Matt Banning and Justin Ponsor & Chris Bachalo, Tim Townsend and Antonio Fabela
Dr. Strange explains why the Hood’s much more dangerous than you’d think (although the whole “Gee, who could be possessing him? It could be any of thousands of demons…” bit is kind of disingenuous, considering who is possessing him). As always with Bendis, I like the conversation and characterization; I don’t like the eight million artists, although since it means we get Bachalo drawing demons and mystic battle I suppose I shouldn’t complain….
Astonishing X-Men #29 — Writer: Warren Ellis; Pencils: Simone Bianchi; Inkers: Bianchi and Andrea Sylvestri
Ignition City #2 — Writer: Warren Ellis; Art: Gianluca Pagliarani
No Hero #5 — Writer: Warren Ellis; Art: Juan Jose Ryp
This week’s triple-Ellis fix; none of them stand out, but all are competent, careful and craftsmanlike. Astonishing is standard superhero stuff, enlivened by the dialogue and tech-speak; the art might be the most visually accomplished of the three books, although it’s often too design-oriented at the expanse of clear storytelling: it’s two-dimensional and fails to provide a clear flow of the action from panel to panel. Ignition City is accomplished old-school science fiction, set on a hardscrabble spaceport on an Earth weary of cosmic travel; its main character is a tough young woman investigating the death of her once-famous, space-faring father. No Hero is a nasty, very-darkly-comic parody of superhero aspirations in a cynical world (sometimes too cynical for its own good; the last-page twist rings false, both for the supporting characters who supply it, and the main one who blandly, and too quickly, accepts it); the art fits it like a glove: Ryp’s Geoff-Darrow-like obsession with rendering every scrap of metal, blood and bone serves him well. It’s a tribute to Ellis’s seemingly-endless creativity that these three books are so different from one another, and yet, despite some flaws, all manage to deliver their stories so well.
Thor #601 — Writer: J. Michael Straczynski; Pencils: Marko Djurdjevik; Inks: Danny Miki
Thor, now exiled from Asgard due to the Asgardians being complete dumbasses when it comes to Loki’s machinations, ponders his next move, and lets Don Blake handle things for a while. I like Djurjevik’s art much better than Bart “Nobody’s Jaw Could Be That Square” Sears’s; I like Straczynski’s way with dialogue (especially in a Dr. Doom/Balder/Loki conversation); I like the way the Warriors Three are handled just right (and get just the right amount of space, so they don’t overstay their welcome); I like the romance between the random Earth guy and the minor Asgardian girl — it reminds me of something Walt Simonson would do, and that’s very good company to be in when you’re talking about Thor stories. That’s a lot to like, and it’s why, finally, I’m buying this book again.
Justice League of America #32 — Writer: Dwayne McDuffie; Pencils: Rags Morales; Inks: John Dell
A good new-arc first-chapter story — and better than the last couple of issues, with fewer characters, so it doesn’t seem so rushed, and a chance for McDuffie’s strengths at character and at superfight strategy (he’s very good at move/countermove action on both sides, so that the bad guys seem scarily competent, but then the good guys are just clever enough with their own moves to trump them… maybe) to shine. Even having no Batman/Superman/Wonder Woman seems like an advantage — at least for the moment — because it’s giving everyone else a chance to get some screen time, and show why they’re on the team.
Jack of Fables #33 — Writers: Bill Willingham and Matthew Sturges; Pencils: Russ Braun; Inks: Jose Marzan Jr.
Part two of the Fables/Jack/Literals crossover, and guest-starring Bigby and Snow from the “main” title. I covered part one last week, so don’t have anything new to add, except that if you’re following Fables, you should get this too.
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:
Kick-Ass #6 — Writer: Mark Millar; Pencils: John Romita Jr.; Innks: Tom Palmer
Daredevil #118 — Writer: Ed Brubaker; Art: Michael Lark, John Lucas and Stefano Gaudiano
Phil Mateer
