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Quick Critiques for 3/10
There's no way that Randy and I can cover all of the material we have for review in full reviews, so these capsule reviews will offer some brief comments on other recent releases.
CEREBUS #300
by Dave Sim & Gerhard (Aardvark-Vanaheim, Inc.)
 I think I've read one issue of Cerebus before this one... a Flaming Carrot appearance, actually. As a non-follower, I honestly didn't follow everything that went on in this issue, but to be honest, I really enjoyed it. This is very mucha visual issue. Sim offers an appropriate ending after so many years, but this is less about plot and theme and more about visuals and the experience of something surreal and spiritual. The art is truly magnificent. I was stunned by the level of detail to be found in the art. Sim and Gerhard make some magical and existential ideas really leap off of the page. The main part of the book is far too short, though, making room for a series of lengthy fan letters and equally lengthy responses from Sim. As someone who just came in at the end, they weren't of interest to me, and I found myself wishing for more of what I found up front. This book may only be mildly recommended for the casual reader, but it's no doubt must-read fare for Cerebus fans, a significant payoff after more than 30 years of buildup. 6/10
EMMA FROST #9
by Karl Bollers, Carlo Pagulayan & Dennis Crisostomo (Marvel Comics)
 Once again, this title is just on the cusp of standing out as a strong and unique title in the Marvel stable. This time, what's holding it back is how incredibly slowly the story is progressing. Perhaps it's being designed to read better as a trade paperback, but by the end of this issue, we're not much further along from where it started. Bollers is doing an excellent job of showing how an innocent teenage girl could grow up to be a figure as ruthless and seductive as the White Queen, but the story works fine on its own as well. The reader needn't know of Emma's final destination in order to appreciate it. The art is appropriately grounded, but it's quite ordinary as well. I suppose that's the point... this isn't a super-hero book, after all. But there's little in the visuals that really grab the reader's attention either... save for Greg Horn's depiction of the title character practising some sort of hooker staking out her corner stance on the cover. And that grabs one in the wrong way, appropriate attire or not. 6/10
GOTHAM CENTRAL #17
by Greg Rucka & Greg Scott (DC Comics)
 This book is crying out for an introductory page that recaps the dramatis personae. First of all, Greg Rucka and Ed Brubaker have developed an extensive cast of characters, but more importantly, the artist here doesn't differentiate nearly enough among them, especially the white males. Silhouettes also obfuscate the characters in this issue, and the first half of this episode is quite difficult to follow. Mind you, the latter half of the book -- which focuses on just two of the Major Crimes Unit cops -- really comes together nicely. There's a nice mix of police procedure and personal characterization. Scott's art is still quite stiff and sketchy, and it's not serving the story nearly as well as the linework of regular series artist Michael Lark. Still, Scott maintains the same gritty atmosphere. 7/10
JSA #59
by Geoff Johns & Sean Phillips (DC Comics)
 When I was a kid, one of the first recurring Golden Age villains I encountered was Per Degaton. He turned up in the first few issues of All-Star Squadron, and then again in the JLA/JSA/All-Star Squadron crossover a little more than a year later. Seeing him return here was a real treat, and Johns takes a wonderful mature and complex approach to the character and his time-travelling schtick. The problem is that the script seems to assume the reader knows a little about this rather obscure character already. Sean Phillips has proven himself to be a versatile and powerful artist, and his recent work on Sleeper has proven to be especially impressive. His work here, while reinforcing the dark and mature mood fostered in the script, seems more than a little rushed. The storytelling is still more than capable, but it lacks the depth and strength we've come to expect from this particular penciller. 6/10
MARVEL KNIGHTS 4 #3
by Roberto Aguierre-Sacasa, Steve McNiven & Mark Morales (Marvel Comics/Marvel Knights)
 This stands out as the strongest issue in this new series thus far, mainly because it doesn't directly refer to the weak premise that led to this low point for the characters. In fact, the characters' fame actually seems to pay off here, albeit it in a little way. The writer still doesn't seem to know what to do with the Human Torch, though. The Thing's job woes ring incredibly true, and I can relate to it easily. Reed Richards finally starts behaving like a human being, and the scene between him and his son also boasted a genuine tone. McNiven's art is still the greatest strength of this series, though, and I would expect we'll see him on higher-profile and more interesting projects before long. My one qualm with the art is how suddenly and unnaturrally dark the colors become in the last few pages. 6/10
ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #54
by Brian Michael Bendis, Mark Bagley & Art Thibert (Marvel Comics)
 Bendis launches his "Hollywood" story arc, and to my surprise, it turns out to be one of the weakest issues of the series. There are a number of strong, grounded bits of characterization to be found here in the earlier pages, and for that I'm grateful. But the incorporation of Avi Arad, Sam Raimi and Tobey Maguire into the story strikes me as rather... indulgent. Bendis seems intent on patting these real-life filmmakers on the back rather than really telling a story. On top of that, the developing plot -- a buildup to a Spidey/Dr. Octopus fight -- is surprisingly conventional. The plot is uncharacteristically predictable. Bagley's art is pretty good, but some of the movie-set scenes come off as rather sketchy. I'm hoping I turn out to be wrong about this story arc in the end, as this strikes me as an unusually unsophisticated blip in what has been otherwise an excellent infusion of life and intellect into the super-hero genre. 6/10
Email Don MacPherson with your comments about this review.
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