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Quick Critiques for 6/25
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.
ASTRO CITY: LOCAL HEROES #3
by Kurt Busiek & Brent E. Anderson
(DC Comics/Homage Comics)
 Busiek's more grounded perspective of the super-hero genre remains his strongest work to date, but this issue didn't quite click for me as past tales have. I found the plot to be fairly predictable over all, and the main character -- a teenage city girl who's forced to spend the summer in the country with relatives -- is rather unlikeable throughout the story. If anything, Busiek's script, painting her as a spoiled brat, was too convincing. The plot wasn't entirely plausible either. This small town is keeping its own super-hero secret, yet all of the key elements about this new hero -- Rousabout -- are to be found on the Web? Just doesn't make sense. Anderson does a fine job with the artwork, as he captures the main characters youth quite well. Still, the Roustabout design struck me as a mite too similar to that of Crackerjack, another Astro City character that's actually referred to in this issue as well. 6/10
AVENGERS #68
by Geoff Johns, Olivier Coipel & Andy Lanning
(Marvel Comics)
 Johns shifts the story away from conspiracy theories and political statements to more conventional super-hero plotting, but it's a logical progression in the story. The action is exciting, but the emotional intensity in the Scarlet Witch and Warbird seems to fall flat for some reason. What does work is the Falcon's scene, which paints the character in a clever and admirable light, though it's quickly eclipsed by the big (and conventional) reveal at the end. Coipel's artwork remains stunning. He brings a dark edge to the characters, and I continue to be impressed with his redesigns. Though this isn't the strongest issue in the story arc, "Red Zone" stands out as one of Johns's and one of this series's best tales. 7/10
CATWOMAN #20
by Ed Brubaker & Cameron Stewart (DC Comics)
 Bringing Cameron Stewart back was a smart move, as his brighter style suits the more hopeful tone of this new story arc quite well. He captures an iconic tone in Wildcat, and the action later on was a great deal of fun. He also handles the more grounded action -- namely, Holly's training sessions -- adeptly as well, conveying her movements and those of Ted smoothly. Brubaker brings this rather unusual road story, steeped in adventure, down to earth through Holly's narration, in the form of letters to her girlfriend. Holly is one of us, and through her perceptions of exceptional - hell, fantastic -- individuals such as Ted and Selina, we get to understand them better. 9/10
FANTASTIC FOUR #70
by Mark Waid, Mike Wieringo & Lary Stucker
(Marvel Comics)
 Waid and Wieringo continue to maintain a new sense of menace and supernatural edge to Doom. I was particularly impressed with Doom's choices for methods of torture of his old enemies. One of my problems with the antagonist, though, is his stubbornness, his self-judgment by a standard he believes was established by Reed Richards. His obsession makes sense if Doom is insane, but is that the case? I don't know, but it's an interesting question and adds to the impact of the story. Wieringo's cartoony style nevertheless manages to capture a more dire tone here, and he and colorist Paul Mounts continue to capture the energy and wonderment of the title character's powers. 8/10
HULK: NIGHTMERICA #1
by Robin Laws & Brian Ashmore (Marvel Comics)
 The plot here really isn't anything we haven't seen before in the world of the Green Goliath. What makes Robin Laws's writing stand out is the narration, shifting back and forth between the Hulk and Bruce Banner, depending on which state the character's in. Laws captures a believable tone for the Hulk's voice and reasoning, and it makes the ordinary story seem like a fresh new take on the character. The greatest strength of the book is Ashmore's painted artwork. There are moments when it's up to the standard of Alex (Paradise X) Ross's work. He employs lighter tones, yet a hazy, grey atmosphere seems to loom over the book, fostering a sense of foreboding and suspense. 7/10
INCREDIBLE HULK #56
by Bruce Jones & Leandro Fernandez (Marvel Comics)
 Randy's been critical of this series as of late, noting that a title about one of Marvel's latest big-screen heroes fails to include more than a scant look at the title character. I see where he's coming from, but I'm loving Bruce Jones's darker, more mysterious take on the life of Bruce Banner. Bringing the Absorbing Man back into the Hulk's world is a timely move, though, as there are elements of the character to be found in the new movie. The greatest strength of this issue is Fernandez's artwork. In the past, I've compared it to the work of Eduardo (100 Bullets) Risso, but here, I see that one can easily draw parallels between this artwork and the style of Joe Quesada. Fernandez's fosters the tense and dark atmosphere that's key to the story's success, selling the reader on the tension that Jones develops in the script. 8/10
LEGION #21
by Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning, Chris Batista & Mark Farmer (DC Comics)
 Given the cliffhanger in the previous issue, I should have seen the twist in this issue coming. But I didn't, and I'm pleased, as it made for yet another exciting issue featuring the adventures of the 31st century's young heroes. The writers have captured the wonder and fun of the Silver Age Legion with darker and clever storytelling elements. Batista's doing a great job here as well, and I expect this work will establish him as something other than an average fill-in artist. I was particularly taken with his depiction of the new Sensor, and given that I wasn't wild about the design change in the first place, that's saying something. But Batista convinces me of the potential of the slightly more conventional look for the character. 8/10
RUNAWAYS #3
by Brian K. Vaughan, Adrian Alphona & David Newbold
(Marvel Comics/Tsunami imprint)
 The story really gets moving this month, as the teenage title characters discover that their parents aren't the only exceptionally gifted ones in their families. Vaughan maintains the frantic and confused atmosphere, but there's a sense of wonder at play here as well. Gert is the character who gets to shine the most in this issue. She provides some wonderful -- but not over-the-top -- comic relief here. The artwork continues to impress as well. Alphona's sleek linework maintains a nice balance between the darker and lighter elements of the story, and I love his portrayal of the raptor the kids encounter. Brian Reber's colors are quite striking this month as well, especially in the scene in which the second of the teens discovers her fantastic true nature. 9/10
SUPERMAN #194
by Steven T. Seagle, Scott McDaniel & Andy Owens (DC Comics)
 Seagle has some interesting ideas on the go here. I love the notion that the title character is focused on bringing down Luthor, but he's working at it through his civilian identity and skills. I also enjoyed the new character -- Ed Seascholtz, the Lexcorp employee with the negative attitude toward the Man of Steel. Seagle developed an interesting level of intrigue through this rather crude individual. Still, McDaniel's exaggerated style just isn't in keeping with the grounded tone called for in the script. Furthermore, Seagle's take on investigative journalism is a bit outlandish, and he wraps up Clark's investigation rather quickly and too neatly. Furthermore, Lois's reaction to the whole thing seems to come from out of nowhere as well. 5/10
Email Don MacPherson with your comments about this review.
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