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Quick Critiques for 7/27/2005
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.
COMICULTURE ANTHOLOGY original graphic novel
by various (Comiculture Books/Mad Science Media)
 As the quote on the cover of this book attests, I am a big fan of Steve Buccellato's Comiculture magazine, which offered a fantastic variety of high-quality comics storytelling. Buccellato and company return with a new installment, but they've tweaked the format a bit, and I can understand why. I would imagine they're trying to attract more attention and win over new readers, and at the same time, I would imagine the black-and-white format is more cost-effective. I have to be honest, though -- I miss the color terribly. They really helped the mag stand out as highly professional and polished. The other aspects of the anthology are still strong. The opening segment, featuring some high-school girls playing at witchcraft, was quite entertaining. Sure, it was a little predictable, but it was sweet and fun. This is the sort of material I'd love to see from Marvel's Spellbinders, another comic that explores high-school sorcery. Alex Zamm and Graeme Callander's "Prune" segment is super-hero parody worthy of The Tick. I also enjoyed the inclusion of several shorter strips, notably Kerry (Halo & Sprocket) Callen's one-page farmyard sitcom. There are some new creators involved in this volume, and the inexperience of some of them shows, unfortunately. The art on some short stories is a bit rough. Kudos to Buccellato, though, for incorporating a cute comic strip in the early pages of the book in an unconventional manner (the cover is the first panel, and the subsequent panels are to be found before the book's introduction). 6/10
Note: This book was not among this week's new releases.
JSA: CLASSIFIED #1
by Geoff Johns, Amanda Conner & Jimmy Palmiotti
(DC Comics)
 I'll give Johns credit -- he certainly manages to boil down Power Girl's mixed up and convoluted history to a level at which readers less familiar with the character can understand. Conner's artwork boasts the same kind of energy and baudy quality that's made her contributions to the craft so much fun in the past. She also captures the main character's disenfranchised state without sacrificing the lighter side of her style. And the detail he pours into each panel is not only lovely to behold, but it enables her to really bring out how much power the heroine wields. I just wonder if the tone of this script -- which is rather melancholy -- is a good fit to the slightly cartoony nature of Conner's art. I do look forward to future issues, though. I'll read just about anything Amanda Conner is involved in, and Johns has definitely piqued my interest with a story that balances its cosmic elements with a strong, personal story as well. 6/10
Note: This comic book was not among this week's new releases.
THE OMAC PROJECT #4
by Greg Rucka, Jesus Saiz, Cliff Richards & Bob Wiacek (DC Comics)
 Well, it turns out this title isn't a six-part limited series after all -- it's a 10-parter. The problem is that four of those chapters -- essential chapters to the plot -- unfold in four other titles, and readers who aren't falling for the crossover money-grab will find themselves completely lost when they check out the first page of this issue. Rucka surprises with the sudden left turn the plot has taken, but again, I reiterate, that turn came in this week's issue of Wonder Woman. This is really part five of the four-part Superman "Sacrifice" story. Also disconcerting is the inconsistency of the artwork. I'm pleased DC is making efforts to keep the title on schedule, but the storytelling suffers. Ultimately, I find the story to be interesting. This is really an extension of a plotline that originated in JLA a few years ago, in which it was revealed the Batman had prepared to take out his superhuman teammates should they turn rogue. The twist in the plot, though, takes away some of the impact of the conflict. It was far more fun to hate Max Lord than a cold machine. 4/10
Email Don MacPherson with your comments about this review.
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