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Quick Critiques for 6/16
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.
ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #629
by Greg Rucka, Renato Guides & Edde Wagner
(DC Comics)
 Rucka is doing a great job of fostering my interest in the super-hero plotline with the blanket of mystery surrounding the unseen villain. Furthermore, the Lois-as-war-correspondant subplot brings some real-world credibility to the book and offers Rucka a chance to comment on the military's attempted manipulation of the media during the Iraq War. Where the script falls flat is with Lt. Leocadio's behavior. She's trying to assert her authority over the world's great super-hero, but that strength and will is eclipsed by her implausible sexual appetite. Does it make sense that there are women out there who want to bed the Man of Steel? Absolutely. Does it makes sense for this woman to throw herself at him? No, I don't buy it. I realize Rucka is trying to develop some discord in the Clark/Lois relationship, but hardly seems to be the most mature and plausible way to accomplish it. Guides does a fine job with the art. His style makes for a consistent look with the story of the absent regular penciller, Matthew Clark. 6/10
BATMAN: GOTHAM KNIGHTS #54
by A.J. Lieberman, Al Barrionuevo, Javier Pina, Francis Portela & Jimmy Palmiotti (DC Comics)
 Writer A.J. Lieberman does a good job of humanizing the Joker in this issue by exploring the path an average little man took that led him to become a murderous madman. The problem is that Lieberman didn't really write it. He rehashes and re-presents a big chunk of Alan Moore's classic Batman: The Killing Joke here. It's the foundation of his story about the Joker's hunt for the man who killed his family, so the flashbacks are necessary. However, I think Lieberman goes overboard here. Furthermore, why the Joker is suddely lucid and bent on revenge isn't clear at all, and the Riddler's connection to the Joker's past is all too convenient and difficult to accept. While the colors do instill a dark tension in the story, the art doesn't accomplish the same task. I'm reminded of Tom Lyle's style here, and the approach doesn't really make these characters seem like intimdating figures. The Hush storyline is all but abandoned for this issue as well... which actually comes as a bit of a relief, given my complete disinterest in the character. 5/10
BIRDS OF PREY #68
by Gail Simone, Joe Bennett & Ruy Jose (DC Comics)
 "Hey, lookee here!," exclaimed penciller Joe Bennett. "These ladies! They have themselves some boobies, don't they! Weeeeeeee!!!" That was my interpretation of Bennett's portrayal of the Black Canary and the Huntress in the opening scene of this book. It was quite distracting, so it's a testament to Simone's script that I enjoyed this issue as much as I did. She offers an accessible script that also manages to address a number of continuity points. Given how many other titles these characters are connected to, it's quite a feat. The writer also brings these characters down to earth by exploring the non-heroic sides of their lives. Simone writes a great Jim Gordon, and I hope we see more of his character in these pages. Back to the art... aside from the T&A factor, Bennett does offer some strong visuals. His work here strikes me as a cross between the styles of Jim (Exiles) Calafiore and the title's regular penciller, Ed Benes. It makes for a welcome consistency in the look of the series. 7/10
MARY JANE #1
by Sean McKeever, Takeshi Miyazawa & Norman Lee (Marvel Comics)
 Who better than Sean McKeever, the brains behind The Waiting Place, to bring a teen drama book to Marvel Comics? No one, of course. Though this book had something of a quiet debut, it merits plenty of attention as it has the potential to draw a lot of new readers into the world of comics. Mary Jane strikes me as an Archie type of book, but one that's a lot smarter and more genuine in its effort to bring the teenage experience to life. It's not angst-ridden, but it's not goofy either. it's set in a continuity all its own, and it works. Miyazawa's manga art captures the youth of the various characters quite well, and to my relief, he doesn't emphasize the female characters' sexuality at all. There's an innocence here that's quite endearing, both in the art and in the characterization. McKeever still manages to include some super-hero action here, but this is definitely not a super-hero book. Fans of other Spider-Man books may be put off by this title, but that's OK. This is for their girlfriends, or for a younger, untapped readership of young girls. Marvel would be well advised to push collected editions of this series to those Spider-Man movies fans who were into the romantic subplot rather than the special effects. 8/10
PLASTIC MAN #7
by Scott Morse (DC Comics)
 Scott Morse gives the regular writer/artist on this series, Kyle Baker, a break, and he's a great choice. Morse's cartoony and playful style suits the title character perfectly, and the visuals here are incredible. He brings an unrestrained energy to Plastic Man and much more fluid sense of movement to the character as well. I also enjoyed the change in the colors. Morse's more muted, painted colors is an interesting style shift as compared to the brighter cartoon colors of Baker's Plastic Man. Where this issue falls short, though, is in the plot. This is about Woozy Winks trying to get a date, but instead of teaching Woozy about his own self-worth, Plastic compensates for Woozy's shortcomings. The girl isn't attracted to Woozy's cuteness or disarming bashfulness, but to the perks that come with dating Plastic Man's pal. Everyone comes off as rather shallow and a bit dim, and that detracts from the fun side of the book. 6/10
SUPERNATURAL LAW #40
by Batton Lash (Exhibit A Press)
 Creator Batton Lash marks 10 years of bringing the legal escapades of Alanna Wolff and Jeff Byrd to life in glorious black-and-white with this issue. He doesn't resort to a big, event-driven plot to do so, though, but there is a sense of this issue being something special. I think what sets it apart is that Lash focuses more on the core cast of characters here than the weird jurisprudence that serves as the main premise for the series. In a thoroughly accessible script, Lash treats these characters are regular people, not people who deal with the bizarre on a routine basis. I also love the unusual POV used to tell this story... from the perspective of the setting. It's fitting, because Lash does a great job when it comes to rendered the backgrounds here. Lash's script is a lot of fun as well; I particularly loved his incorporation of song lyrics into a scene featuring a new client with a weird case. There's a delightful amalgam of influences at play in Lash's art as well. I see elements of the styles of such artists as the Archie crowd to Ramona Fradon to Sal Buscema here. 8/10
Note: This comic book was not among this week's new releases.
THOR #81
by Michael Avon Oeming, Daniel Berman & Andrea DiVito (Marvel Comics)
 The writers successfully convey the notion that Asgard has quickly been transformed into a wartorn landscape, setting it apart from typical super-hero storytelling. The problem here is that the plotline about the villains and their enchanted hammers is wrapped up suddenly and actually kind of easily. After all of the buildup in the previous issue, I expected more from that element of the story. Instead, it seems as though that was just the setup for the real story: Ragnarok. Given the title of the story arc, that makes sense, but it still seems like a sudden shift in gears for this still-new direction for the title. Furthermore, Thor's hammer seems to be working pretty well as needed in this issue; has it been broken or not? DiVito's artwork captures the power of the title character and the other Asgardians quite well, but too often, the characters, especially Thor, look as though they're posing, not moving. The colors by Laura Villari here are vibrant and full of life, driving home the larger-than-life quality of the characters. 5/10
X-MEN #158
by Chuck Austen, Salvador Larroca & Danny Miki
(Marvel Comics)
 Generic super-hero action unfolds as a new team of baddies, ever so conveniently evenly matched to the title characters, turns up way too late to do anything but contribute an empty-headed fight scene. Oh look... a female version of Wolverine! Yes, another one. These Chinese heroes are completely uninteresting, not only conceptually but visually as well. The shared costume motif makes it difficult to distinguish among them. Larroca drops the ball as well in that we're told the X-Men are carrying the new Xorn back to their jet, but we never seen anyone carrying him. Austen's decision to maim ambit -- yes, he's been maimed again -- is ill-advised because the reader hasn't had a chance to get to know him since he's returned to this series. The bickering among the X-Men early on in the book is grating as well. I'm guessing what the problem is here is that someone decided the Xorn visual was one worth holding onto, and that priority overrode the need for a coherent story. 1/10
Email Don MacPherson with your comments about this review.
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