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Snapshots for 5/25/05
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.
100 BULLETS #61
by Brian Azzarello & Eduardo Risso (DC Comics/Vertigo)
 A whole hell of a lot is going down in the city of Miami, and Azzarello and Risso just pack this book with that story from just about every angle. A young man and woman with a say in the future of the conspiratorial Trust; a beaten-down bellboy (who has lost the mother of his child) and his new friend, a dangerous out-of-towner who looks and acts like Sin City's Marv on a bad day; a journalist with too much information and someone who is likely to punish him for it and even a few peripheral players all go a few rounds in a few bars in this issue. Like the first part of "Staring at the Son," it's a whirlwind of activity, a beautiful rendition of club-life Miami to compete with Risso's take on ass-end Texas or the scuzzy part of New Orleans, and it doesn't always make complete sense, but there's definitely the sense that it all will when you read the whole story, and even if everything doesn't quite click yet, there are so many satisfying moments (like Spain laying out the cocky Bosco) that the issue is still satisfying on its own merits. Though it never really lost it, with this story, 100 Bullets has got my full attention once again. 10/10
ARMOR X #3
by Keith Champagne & Andy Smith (Image Comics)
 I had some harsh words for Armor X #1-2, but #3 takes a slight turn for the better, as the weak elements of high school melodrama fade a little in lieu of an explanation for what the armor is and who the guy is that's tracking it. Sure, there's still some really cheesy dialogue between Carson and his would-be girlfriend, and the whole schtick of the armor is reminding me a bit too much of the original concept for Spider-Man's Venom, but the "Man in Black" style investigation of an alien robot into this armor, which he treats as little more than a parasitic infection, is always entertaining. I'm not sure where the story is going, and if Champagne was hoping to make the lead character sympathetic at any point, he doesn't have much room to do it in (at this point, I'm rooting for the aliens to blow his head off), but the focus on some of the sci-fi elements in this issue made it a more enjoyable read than the first two issues were for me. 5/10
CONCRETE: THE HUMAN DILEMMA #5
by Paul Chadwick (Dark Horse Comics)
 I can't help but feel that the resolution of Walter Sageman's quest for population control came to a bit of an anti-climactic end in this issue, but that doesn't make it any less shocking or realistic, given the way the story has been building. The good news is that with that story all but concluded, issue six of this fascinating series will be given over almost entirely to the really meaty stories of the relationship between Concrete and Maureen (now complicated and made even more interesting by the addition of a child) and some sort of resolution of Larry's cheating on Astra. Leaving aside some great movement on all of these plots, Chadwick also has some very memorable (and surprisingly funny) moments in this issue, from the bordering-on-easy-joke "No, no, I see your point! Absolutely!" to the funnier acerbic screed that Larry unleashes in the bar and the violent repercussions he suffers as a result. Chadwick's artwork is a treat as always, and for all that his work has a gentle humanity to it, he's also clearly adept with the uglier side of life, whether it's Sageman's sad and sudden fate or the gruesome acidic bile that flies from Concrete's mouth or the strange and mildly grotesque look at Concrete's innards when he finally gives birth. 9/10
GREEN LANTERN #1
by Geoff Johns, Carlos Pacheco, Ethan Van Sciver & Jesus Merino (DC Comics)
 In some ways, the big cosmic re-alignment of the Green Lanterns in Rebirth was the easy part. Sure, Johns had to dodge continuity landmines and restore the characters after a decade or more of damage, but the mandate was clear and, succeed or fail, the general direction was clear enough. But a brand new first issue, with Hal Jordan at the helm? Well, it's failed before, and it's a lot tougher to make something interesting when you can't fall back on Earth-shattering consequences and continuity revisions. Fortunately, Johns has been doing this kind of solid superhero stuff on JSA, Flash and Teen Titans, and Green Lantern #1 doesn't disappoint. Van Sciver, Pacheco and Merino provide stunning visuals, from the "dogfight" in the early part of the issue to the air rescue later on to the newly-redesigned "ghost town" of Coast City, and Johns plays well in these visual playgrounds. He establishes a supporting cast that includes an intriguing new love interest, a returning family member (reinforcing Jordan's love of his father, an important element in Darwyn Cooke's New Frontier and Johns's take on the character as exemplified in the Secret Files story) and an old pilot friend. He puts Hal as a civilian back into a place where he can have interesting, non-Green Lantern-related subplots, and even has a little superhero fun revealing the new status quo of the "yellow" limitation and presenting an old foe in a creepy new light. Boiled down to a simple statement, Green Lantern: Rebirth was a well-constructed launching pad; Green Lantern #1 is where the character takes flight again. 8/10
RUNAWAYS #4
by Brian Vaughan, Adrian Alphona & Craig Yeung (Marvel Comics)
 I have to admit, the central mystery of Runaways Volume 2 (Who is Victor Mancha's father?) hasn't engaged me on the same level as the one that drove volume one, but I still love these characters. Whenever the Runaways are doing their teenaged best to act like grown-up superheroes in intimidating Victor Mancha, I'm completely riveted to the book, and Vaughan's sense of humor and well-attuned pop culture namedropping senses seem just about perfect. The Excelsior subplot, on the other hand, has gone off the rails for me, as I'm not really buying into the shaky motivations of these kids, and aside from a really great take on Julie Power and Ricochet, Vaughan's take on the characters isn't really resonating with me. Fortunately, most of the book is still given over to the Runaways, and I was glad to see the reveal of Victor's father in this issue, as the subplot was verging on running too long, and the cliffhanger this issue leaves me anxious to find out the answers rather than wondering when we're going to get some, an important distinction for a serial medium like comics. Alphona, Yeung and Christina Strain also continue to impress, and I especially love how expressive their characters are, and I got a big laugh out of Nico's frustration with Chase. 8/10
SLEEPER: SEASON TWO #12
by Ed Brubaker & Sean Phillips (DC Comics/Wildstorm)
 The conclusion of Sleeper: Season Two leaves me satisfied and yet, a little unhappy at the same time. Brubaker takes the story to the only conclusion it could really have with the utter beatings that Holden's friends and loved ones have taken throughout the tale, but holds off from going completely nihilistic on us by wiping out two of Wildstorm's big players. Granted, that kind of thing probably required a kind of latitude with the universe that he didn't have, but Sleeper: Season Two does wind up looking like a 24-issue extended "fuck you" to its lead character, which is even darker than I thought the series was going to be when it started out. Still, it's consistent in tone with the series, especially season two, and all told, Sleeper stands out as a bold mixture of the superhero genre and noir sensibilities. Certainly anything Brubaker and Phillips collaborate on in the future will get a look from me. 8/10
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