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Quick Critiques for 5/12
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.
BATMAN #627
by Judd Winick, Dustin Nguyen & Richard Friend
(DC Comics)
 Winick sets this story apart a little bit from the rather conventional Batman fare that the first chapter resembled. An unexpected twist at the end of this chapter really grabs the reader's attention, and not just because it's unpredictable. Nguyen provides some intense artwork that drives home the extreme nature of the violence at the heart of this story. The paths of the dynamics among the supporting characters -- such as the Penguin/Scarecrow interaction and the relationship between the latter villain and his lab assistant -- strikes me as a bit derivative and either one-dimensional or thoroughly obvious and played. This is a fairly standard but nonetheless interesting and entertaining Batman yarn, but it lacks the sense of prestige or landmark status that the previous two story arcs in this title have boasted. 7/10
INCREDIBLE HULK #72
by Bruce Jones & Mike Deodato Jr.
(Marvel Comics/Marvel Knights)
 Everything about this comic book seems to scream out that the creators want the reader to have no earthly clue as to what's going on. The goal almost seems to be confusion rather than mystery. Jones hints that the story is about a woman who killed herself and how she's connected to Tony Stark, and then it's about a weapons program. The only thing that seems to be clear is that this story is not about the Hulk or Bruce Banner in any way. The art is just as confusing as the script. In one scene, Tony and Bruce face off against one another in identical Iron Man suits, each speaking in the same font. It's next to impossible to follow what's going on in the scene. Deodato seems to be aiming for a darker atmosphere here, something in keeping with the overall tone of Jones's stint on the title. The effort falls flat, though. Deodato's own style rarely comes through here. Instead, his art sort of approximates the styles of others who preceded him on the title. It makes for inconsistent and unclear visuals. 2/10
JSA #61
by Geoff Johns, Don Kramer, Tom Mandrake & Keith Champagne (DC Comics)
 Longtime JSA fans (and I mean those who have been following the characters for decades) and fans of DC's Silver Age Spectre stories will love this story arc in which an obscure JSA villain brings the ghosts of the Spectre's past victims back from the dead. It's a thoroughly entertaining story, and it boasts an epic feel that fosters a real sense of tension and unpredictability. The problem is that to fully appreciate it, one has to be pretty well versed on the continuity that serves as its foundation. Johns provides some exposition, but I really wouldn't want to be a relatively new comics reader when trying to make heads or tails out of this story. I love that Tom Mandrake is providing some of the art, as the core theme of the Spectre series he illustrated is an important part of this tale. Kramer does a great job of capturing a Dawn of the Dead feel here, given the number of undead corpses running about the place. Johns handles the expansive cast of heroic characters quite easily as well. This is a fun and exciting story that's just been limited to far too small an audience: die-hard fans of DC's Golden Age characters. 6/10
THE PULSE #3
by Brian Michael Bendis, Mark Bagley & Scott Hanna
(Marvel Comics)
 Bendis tells an exciting and emotional story that spotlights the best and coolest aspects of the profession of journalism, but does it ring true? No, not entirely, but just as Aaron Sorkin's West Wing was a vision (even a fantasy) of what politics could be, The Pulse shows respect for journalism by exploring its ideals as opposed to how it really functions. There's still an air of realism to be found here, though. The strongest scenes are those that focus on emotion and character. J. Jonah Jameson's sorrow and anger shine through in a quiet speech about how the Bugle is going to handle the death of one of its own. And Jessica and Luke's discussion about her job offer rang incredibly true. This relationship has really taken on a life of its own, and it's got me interested in the Luke Cage character for the first time since I heard tell of the "Hero for Hire" two decades ago. Bagley's art tells the story clearly, but a more grounded, realistic style would really serve these characters better. Michael (Alias) Gaydos's upcoming tenure as regular artist on this title ought to address that. 8/10
Email Don MacPherson with your comments about this review.
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