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Snapshots for 3/19
There's no way that Don 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.
CAPTAIN MARVEL #7
by Peter David & Kyle Hotz (Marvel Comics)
 Captain Marvel has won the "U-Decide" challenge pretty handily, with one book trailing embarrassingly in sales and the other still only two issues in, over six months later. Unfortunately, victory comes with an uncertain future and a new artist, which doesn't help to keep my interest in the book. I'm also not quite as happy with the "crazy psychotic Genis" as I was when it seemed a more temporary thing, and I'm finding David's take on the character a little too dark for my tastes in this issue. On the upside, though, Hotz does a pretty effective job of filling in for Chriscross, albeit in a completely different style, and those who complain that Peter David's writing all looks alike might be surprised to find a tinge of darkness here that isn't common in his other works. So while I've grown a bit disinterested in the ongoing tales of Captain Marvel, cosmic-powered serial killer, it's more to do with my personal tastes than any failing in the level of talent on the book. 7/10
FIREBREATHER #3
by Phil Hester & Andy Kuhn (Image Comics)
 Every issue of Firebreather is a little bit more interesting to me than the last, and by now it's become a book I look forward to. Hester and Kuhn do a good job of setting up reader expectations and then taking the story in a different direction, with a particularly good misdirect on a gun in this issue, and the teenage interaction is great. Hester does not shy away from the harder parts of being a teenager, and I love that he has married the weirdness of giant monsters and government agencies with abuse, suicide and the troubles of fitting in so perfectly. And Kuhn's work, whether it's on the strange monster that Duncan fights on his "parent weekend" or the more intimate pictures of what's going on in the school, is exceptional. I've even warmed up to Crabtree's colors, which I had found a bit garish but which I've come to realize give the book a unique look. 9/10
LUCIFER #36
by Mike Carey, Peter Gross, Ryan Kelly & Dean Ormston (DC Comics/Vertigo imprint)
 A most unusual crew sets sail on a ship made from dead mens' fingernails, intending to sail past Heaven. You've got to give it up for Mike Carey's imagination. You also have to give him credit for the execution, as he introduces or reintroduces a cast of characters this issue and promises an interesting journey ahead. There's some great characterization in this issue, especially from the likable rogue Bergelmir, and especially when he interacts with the taciturn Mazikeen. And the central story reminds me of "A Dalliance with the Damned" or "The House of Windowless Rooms," exploring other planes, which has always been where the series is strongest for me. The artwork is, at least for my tastes, a mixed bag, as I still like Gross and Kelly better than the more abstract art of Ormston, but at any rate, this is a strong start for the new Lucifer story. 9/10
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