Batman and the Outsiders #13 — Writer: Frank Tieri; Penciller: Fernando Dagnino; Inker: Raul Fernandez
Remember last month, when I said that I had never, ever read a Frank Tieri comic that was any good? Still true.
Punisher #64 — Writer: Greg Hurwitz; Artist: Lawrence Campbell
Well, that didn’t take long: we’re four issues into the post-Garth Ennis Punisher era, and already this book has slid completely off the rails. It doesn’t help that, although this issue is part four of the current arc, it’s so disjointed that I thought it was a brand-new storyline; it also didn’t help that it’s full of dialogue that tries to be badass and just sounds stupid, and art that’s murky, ugly and hard to follow. No, what really did it was the last-page Big Bad Guy reveal, a character who not only just got done appearing over in the much-better-written-and-drawn Punisher War Journal, but is also both the only Punisher recurring villain and the most boring antagonist imaginable. Oh, and, while his appearance at the end is supposed to be a big surprise, the climax of this issue, he’s on the cover of the book. After eight years of buying this title every month, it’s now off my list; wake me when, or if, it gets good again.
Moon Knight #24 — Writer: Mike Benson; Layouts: Javier Saltares; Artist: Mark Texiera
Now this title, on the other hand, has never been good, at least in its current incarnation. Here, we get a pointless fight with the vastly-overexposed Thunderbolts, one so badly plotted that the big confrontation with Venom, one that most of last issue spent building up to, takes three pages, and ends when Moon Knight hits Venom with his little nightstick once and then walks away, so confusing the monster that he can’t find him and can only howl in frustration. And then how does MK get away from the others? Down a convenient manhole cover; that stymies the combined forces of the Thunderbolts and SHIELD, who are all standing right there and somehow don’t think to, you know, go after him with all their superpowers and tracking devices and stuff. Did I mention the bad-’90s-flashback art? Or the cover, which, just like Punisher, features the villain who’s the subject of a big dramatic reveal on the last page of the comic? Or the fact that both of these books are edited by Axel Alonso, who’s supposed to know what he’s doing?
Kingdom Come Special: Magog #1 (of 1) — Writer: Peter J. Tomasi; Penciller: Fernando Pasarin; Inker: Mick Gray
Speaking of pointless: more Kingdom Come fatigue, as DC continues to beat a horse that dies ten years ago, in a “special” that’s basically just another issue of the current Justice Society storyline, except that nothing really happens and there’s a bunch of gratuitous violence, and not even any pretty Alex Ross art to look at it. For this, they want $4, but that doesn’t mean you have to give it to them.
Deadpool #4 — Writer: Daniel Way; Pencillers: Carlo Barberi and Paco Medina; Inker: Juan Vlasco
This is the first book this week that actually has some things going for it; Way isn’t bad at getting Deadpool’s schizophrenic voice and sense of humor. The plot — zombie vampires — sounds much better as a concept than it does as an actual story, though, and neither artist brings anything to the table besides bad anatomy, poorly-drawn faces and uninspired page composition (I don’t know if I’m particularly grumpy this week, or if all the mediocre artists just happen to have work out at the same time). And, hey: since when did Wade’s “horribly-scarred” face become just a couple of indentations in his scalp — ones that, Rob Leifeld-like, are never drawn in the same position twice?
War Machine #35 — Writer: Christos N. Gage; Penciler: Sean Chen; Inker: Sandu Flores
Standard-issue superhero stuff, competent but not at all memorable. It doesn’t help that it’s a Secret Invasion tie-in; by now, who wants to see any more of that? It’s like being with someone who’s just now carving pumpkins and putting up Hallowe’en decorations: been there; done that; can’t we move on?
Phil Mateer
