War of the Supermen #1 (of 4) — Writers: James Robinson and Sterling Gates; Pencils: Jamal Igle; Inks: Jon Sibal
DC, having spent a year trying to interest us with a planetful of Kryptonians on their version of Counter-Earth (and, in one of the most puzzling editorial decisions in recent memory, no Superman in its Superman titles), now starts moving all of the scattered toys back into their boxes, so that in a few issues it will be like none of it ever happened: planets explode and are invaded; lives are shattered; fans yawn.
New Ultimates #2 — Writer: Jeph Loeb; Art: Frank Cho
Fans, having yawned at War of the Supermen, turn to this title with no expectations, and get exactly what they expect: some Cho cheesecake (give Loeb credit again for playing to his artist’s strengths: he includes Zarda, the Enchantress, Valkyrie and Val Cooper, Director of SHIELD in the cast, all of whom Cho draws looking like Liberty Meadows Brandy outtakes. Not that there’s anything wrong with that….), a few well-composed, static splashes, and not much flow or feel for action. Loeb is Loeb; his broad dialogue, more suited to younger readers, clashes queasily with the adult-oriented script, and it’s all vaguely embarrassing, like your grandmother trying to do a Mark Millar impersonation.
The Many Loves of the Amazing Spider-Man #1 (of 1) — Writers: Chris Yost, Brian Reed, and Roger Stern; Art: Michael Ryan and Danny Miki, Nick Dragotta, and Ron Frenz and Victor Olazaba
A Spidey/Black Cat story, a Carlie-and-Gwen-Stacy-as-kids story, and a Mary Jane story; the latter is by Stern and Frenz, and is both the shortest and the best, just as its credits suggest. The Black Cat one is an inoffensive fill-in, a 20-pager that could have appeared in any Spidey title; both it and the 11-page Carlie tale are mildly diverting and forgettable.
Demo #4 (of 6) — Writer: Brian Wood; Art: Becky Cloonan
This title continues its hit-or-miss, one-great-story/ one-OK-story pattern, following last issue’s tour-de-force with a just-OK look at a kid who discovers he can breathe underwater, after which pretty much nothing at all happens. Cloonen tries hard to do something with it, using a style that reminds me of David Lapham, but there isn’t much story arc or subtext, and it just sits there, treading water.
Batman Confidential #44 — Writer: Kevin VanHook; Art: Tom Mandrake
A sequel of sorts to this creative team’s Superman and Batman vs. Vampires and Werewolves mini-series, involving zombies at a creepy mummified-creature museum in New Orleans. Mandrake’s an effective horror artist (his style triangulates a position between Gene Colan and Steve Bissette/John Totleben), but the chapter-one script doesn’t give him a lot to work with, except for one memorable double-page splash.
Muppet Show: The Comic Book #5 — Writer: Roger Langridge; Art: Amy Mebberson
A little of the glow has worn off this book, as the pleasant surprise that someone can do the Muppets justice has settled into routine expectations. Two new characters — Miss Piggy’s boneheaded nephews — are introduced, and hijinx result; there’s nothing jaw-dropping or head-spinning, but if you need a Muppet fix this book won’t disappoint you.
The Claw and Fang #1 — Writer: Michael Kutcher; Art: Matias Basla
A slacker who spends most of his time playing online D&D-type games gets involved in a real-life, magical-apocalypse dustup involving a reanimated demon. Lots of rookie mistakes: captions that don’t advance the story enough; too little going on in the first issue; interestingly-composed pages that sacrifice clear narrative flow for flashy design; a cover that’s sexier and more striking than the interior art.
Phil Mateer
