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Snapshots for 1/29
There's no way for Don and I to 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.
AGENT X #7
by Gail Simone & Udon Studios (Marvel Comics)
 Simone's last issue of Agent X is also her funniest, and even those who missed out on the fun first story arc of the book should make sure and give this standalone tale a look. The plot centers around Agent X being hired by an unusual fetishist to recapture a pair of rare underwear from another fetishist, making room for a whole lot of gags, and Simone and Udon take advantage, providing plenty of laugh-out-loud moments and a delightfully warped happy ending as well. There's a sense of "what might have been" in reading this, as hints are dropped about Agent X's true identity and the finale has some genuinely sad moments and the setup of a new status quo, but overall this is a reminder of how funny Agent X has been and how sad I am that Simone is leaving. While I wish guest writers Scalera and Dorkin luck, and I hope to enjoy their contributions, in my mind this book has been synonymous with Gail Simone, and I think it's going to lose something without her. 9/10
BIPOLAR #3
by Tomer and Assaf Hanuka & Etgar Keret (Alternative Comics)
 Bipolar is a split book by two brothers, one focusing on self-contained stories and the other a continuing serial with a rather "out there" concept. The self-contained story this issue is about a man with fairly deep personal problems, loosely related to the "might be a true story" of a telekinetic, and it has an interesting style but sort of falls apart for me in the end, and I was left wondering largely what I was supposed to interpret from the story. The lead story, however, is absolutely brilliant, a combination of an unusual concept and strong characterization with beautiful gray-toned artwork. The notion of a dead man searching the bizarre afterlife for his lost love, and the suitably surreal setting that results, is a fantastic idea and it's carried off with skill and style by Assaf Hanuka and Etgar Keret. I will anxiously await a trade paperback collection of "Pizzeria Kamizake," the lead story. 7/10
CAPTAIN MARVEL #5
by Peter David & Chriscross (Marvel Comics)
 Every time I think I have the direction of this story figured out, Peter David switches up the status quo. That's good for keeping the book interesting, but at the same time I think some of the story elements, such as Captain Marvel in the Kree army or Rick Jones adapting to life in the Microverse, had a lot more life in them than David used, tossing them aside to throw another change-up at the readers. Still, there's plenty to enjoy this issue, as Genis goes even crazier and more violent, quite possibly beyond redemption, and the force behind all this is revealed, a cute tip of the hat to Marvel's cosmic entities like Death, Chaos and Order and the ilk. Then there's Chriscross's artwork, which is gorgeous as always, and the digital coloring works surprisingly well with it, especially when used on unusual effects like the starfield "costumes" of Genis and the being that has been manipulating him. 7/10
FADE FROM BLUE #5
by Myatt Murphy & Scott Dalrymple (Second 2 Some Studios)
 I freely confess that I've sort of lost track of the assassin/organized crime subplot that makes up Marit's story in this book. And that's a shame, in that it seems to be the spine of the over-arcing story, but it doesn't really take too much away from my enjoyment of the book, which is founded on the strong characterization and great dialogue of Myatt Murphy. Christa's tough facade is showing some cracks as she is too afraid too approach the guy who likes her, and I'm really curious to see how Elisa dealt with this little problem. In addition, Iya's difficulty with the stress of unemployment and the unenviable status of hiding and uncertainty that has defined the girls' lives continues to fascinate as well. Dalrymple's artwork makes the city and the characters come to life as much as Murphy's words, and all told Fade From Blue continues to be a great read. 8/10
GLOBAL FREQUENCY #4
by Warren Ellis & Roy A. Martinez (DC Comics/Wildstorm)
 As light entertainment, Global Frequency is a great read, and shows off both Ellis's skill with a script and a variety of talented artists. The story this issue is particularly slight, as two Global Frequency agents are armed and sent in to kill about a 100 cultists, a plot that would seem thin in a Van Damme flick, but it doesn't matter because it gives a chance for artist Martinez to show his stuff. The name isn't one I've seen before, but I'll be happy to see it again, as his work reminds me of a cross between Frank Quitely and Darick Robertson, and the action is phenomenal to look at. In addition, just because the plot is slight doesn't mean the dialogue lacks any of that usual Ellis zing, and the back-and-forth between Aleph and the cult leader is terrific. In the end, this is equivalent to a big summer action movie, but it's equivalent to one of the good ones. 8/10
HULK/WOLVERINE: 6 HOURS #2
by Bruce Jones & Scott Kolins (Marvel Comics)
 Given the talent behind this mini-series, I expected to at least enjoy it if not outright love it, but a less-than-convincing central plot and some surprisingly sketchy art instead have left me disappointed. The story is predicated on us buying into the importance of whether or not a kid dies of poison, ignoring the extreme coincidences that drive the plot and finding something rather novel about the "real time" approach. Unfortunately, there are problems with every aspect, including a failure to make the reader care overmuch beyond the poisoned boy beyond the obvious "he's a kid, it'd be bad if he died," and the fact that real time doesn't really work in comics the way it does in television. Combine with Kolins doing some work that doesn't live up to The Flash and Thing: Freakshow (there are some pages where the faces of Banner and Wolverine aren't even drawn in, and it looks sloppy rather than like a stylistic tic) and you've got a recipe for disappointment. 3/10
JLA #77
by Rick Veitch, Darryl Banks & Wayne Faucher (DC Comics)
 Some of my favorite characters and an artist who I've found a new appreciation come together to create a story that doesn't make a lick of sense. Bad characterization, an inconsistent threat (he removes the Atom's memories of size-changing, but not the scientific knowledge that enables him to be a threat?), some truly hokey dialogue and a general feeling that Veitch had a story he wanted to tell and didn't much care about thinking the logic through make this a truly terrible issue of JLA. It almost works as a parody of those goofy Silver Age stories, complete with a "then they all laugh" ending, but it's played too straight to really work on that level. 2/10
THE LEGION #16
by Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning & Kev Walker (DC Comics)
 Also in the traditional vein, but considerably more enjoyable, is this issue's Claremontian "Welcome to the (blank) team, (blank)... hope you survive the experience." In which a new member of the team is forced to stand alone against a foe, usually one that has bested the team time and again, in this case the blanks are filled by Timber Wolf and the Fatal Five. Though the plot is well-worn, it works largely thanks to gorgeous artwork from Kev Walker and Andy Lanning and some terrific tactics and toughness on the part of Timber Wolf. Abnett and Lanning have found an interesting core to this character with his determination and his multi-faceted dislike of Ultra-Boy (is it because he's married to Tinya, or because they were in different gangs?), and they really flesh out the character in this issue, as well as providing some satisfying super-hero action sequences. A good standalone and sampler for what The Legion is all about these days. 8/10
LONE WOLF 2100 #6
by Mike Kennedy & Francisco Ruiz Velasco (Dark Horse Comics)
 After sampling the previous silent issue and this one, I'm looking forward to reading more of Lone Wolf 2100. While some may have passed it by because they read it as merely riding the coat-tails of Lone Wolf & Cub, it seems to me that Kennedy and Velasco have plenty of original things to say rather than simply transporting the quest of Itto Ogami into the future. This reads more like a riff on post-holocaust stories like Mad Max, Six String Samurai and that ilk, and I like the taciturn Itto as the protagonist. Of course, the influence of feudal Japanese culture can be seen as well in this issue's plot, focusing on honor and duty amongst a pair of warriors on a collision course, and ending with something of an unfortunate tragedy as a result of that focus on honor rather than negotiation or practicality. In addition, the artwork is fantastic, whether it's Velasco's take on the cybernetic technology of the future or the sand-blasted landscapes, and while I missed Studio F's colors, the book still looks absolutely beautiful. 8/10
STAR WARS: EMPIRE #4
by Scott Allie, Ryan Benjamin & Curtis Arnold (Dark Horse Comics)
 "Betrayal," an arc which centered around the idea of the politics of the post-Republic collapse, ends not with political debate but instead with plenty of action. I'm a little disappointed that the complex politics of the whole thing boiled down to a couple of fights, but on a pure fanboy level, I had to enjoy the first meeting of Boba Fett and Darth Vader (at least in their current incarnations) and it was interesting to watch the dissent within the new Empire weeded out to make the stronger Empire that we saw in the films. Benjamin and Arnold's artwork is clear enough, with a nice portrayal of Boba Fett and some terrific fight choreography during the Fett/Vader fight, but the detail work is less impressive, in some cases quite sketchy. 6/10
STRAY BULLETS #29
by David Lapham (El Capitan Books)
 I fell off of Stray Bullets recently, deciding to pick it up in collected format instead, but some positive word-of-mouth lead me to check back in, and I'm glad I did. While I enjoyed the self-contained tales of "Sex and Violence," I was pleased to see that the latest issues, from #25 and up, are stories that connect to one another as well as back to the beginning of the saga, clearing up some old questions while also providing the usual dark and gritty pulp flavored stories I've come to expect. This particular issue takes a look at recent events from the point-of-view of a pair of cops, as well as giving us insight into the sick mind around which all of the recent stories hinge. Great and engaging writing, moody and evocative artwork and plenty of stylistic tricks besides, Stray Bullets has come back from the Murder Me Dead hiatus stronger than ever. 9/10
X-STATIX #7
by Peter Milligan & Mike Allred (Marvel Comics)
 I'll be honest, the "Bad Guy" storyline isn't holding my attention as most of the stories in this book have. I don't much care for new characters Ginsberg and Solly and the soap operatics of "who is Bad Guy" seem a little too close to sincerity for me, lacking the edge of parody that has defined the book. Maybe I'm just not getting the subtext the way I have with the previous examinations of media and super-hero cliche, but the book doesn't make me laugh or think the way it used to in the past two issues. And yet... I still love Allred's artwork, and I still find that when the final panel of the issue comes, I'm caught up enough in the cliffhanger and curious enough about Milligan's plot that I'm anxious to see the next one. So even with mixed feelings, X-Statix remains one of those books that calls out for attention. 7/10
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