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Snapshots for 5/26
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.
BATMAN: HARLEY AND IVY #2
by Paul Dini, Bruce Timm & Shane Glines (DC Comics)
 Harley and Ivy go to the jungle in search of a mind-controlling root and fall afoul of a stereotypical South American dictator. Hilarity ensues. Okay, so Harley and Ivy hasn't been as inventive and fun as the best Harley Quinn episodes of the Batman animated series, but as light cotton candy fun goes, the series is pretty enjoyable. This issue, Dini and Timm introduce Slash and Burn, a comically named duo who are pretty obviously the opposite number of Harley and Ivy, right down to their not-so-ambiguous sexual preferences (revealed in a beautifully perfect storytelling moment by Timm). The plot of Harley and Ivy is a snoozer, not really anything new or exciting, but the details, from Timm showing Harley mowing down guards with a machinegun or Ivy accidentally killing a frog with her kiss to Dini's terrific banter between the girls, show why this pair has been so beloved by animated series fans. 7/10
CAPER #8
by Judd Winick & John Severin (DC Comics)
 After a phenomenal 3 issues, "Hollywood Treatment" comes to a close, and it's a pretty satisfying conclusion. Winick plays things out in a completely unexpected manner, with revelations coming to light at the worst possible time and some brutal violence that intrudes on Ann's life as quickly and harshly as the murder that started the whole story off. Winick has crafted a story that indicts the politics of Hollywood and the dangers of self-appointed moral police (the latter particularly apropos given the political situation in the U.S. these days) and at the same time reads like a tightly-written little piece of pulp fiction, all accompanied by realistic artwork from the legendary John Severin. Given how much I enjoyed the book, I'm loathe to complain at all, but it did seem like Winick threw in one extra twist in the ending that I found a little ludicrous and out-of-left-field, even in a story that has featured a secret sex club, a scandalous murder and a religious nut going around offing celebrities who don't fit his moral profile. It felt unnecessary, and although it did underline the seaminess of the story and what the culture of Hollywood can do to people, I thought it was a twist that would have been better left in the drawer, in favor of the more realistic "whacko killed all those people" that seemed like the more obvious explanation. 9/10
THE FLASH #210
by Geoff Johns, Howard Porter & Livesay (DC Comics)
 I've been disappointed in The Flash since Wally got his memories back, and this one still doesn't quite get back on track for me, but I can see that things are starting to move in a better direction. Johns is still focusing a little too much on resetting the status quo for my taste, but this issue introduces some fascinating stuff with the Rogues, both current and former, that preview what is probably going to be the next big story. The notion of Heatwave, Piper and Trickster, the reformed Rogues, taking on the current Rogues, is a fascinating concept, and I'm always glad to see Captain Cold back again, since Johns has probably the best take on that character of anyone. Howard Porter's artwork continues to be a little uneven as well, but when he's on, he's really on. His take on the Penguin is a little more monstrous than I prefer, but there's no denying it's a compelling visual, his Batman shot is terrific and I loved his work on Heat Wave and Grodd as well. I still miss his inker on Fantastic Four, who seemed a better fit than Livesay, and it's a shame that James Sinclair had an odd off issue on colors, as the book is way too dark and doused in deep blues and yellows, looking more like a poor man's attempt at the Vertigo style than the classic superhero colors this book needs... given that Sinclair has been great on most of this book, I'm inclined to blame it on the printing process, but either way, it makes the book muddy and difficult to read this time out. 7/10
KINETIC #3
by Kelley Puckett & Warren Pleece (DC Comics/Focus imprint)
 The slow pacing on Kinetic is a big part of what makes the book work, as we see the realistically slow discovery and acceptance by the lead character of his new abilities. On the other hand, we're three issues in and the story really hasn't started yet, and it's starting to wear on me. However, the slow burn style is perfect for Pleece's artwork, as he does some fantastic moments in this issue, from Tom's focus on the bent key, a physical representation of what happened to him, to the scared or surprised reactions that come when he reacts to his powers in the diner or uses them accidentally on a sewer grate. Given my sort of yo-yo reactions to Kinetic's first three issues, my suspicion is that I'll probably enjoy the book when reading it as a trade, but I don't know if the sales are going to let it survive to that point, and I'm not sure the "paced for a trade" style was the best way to try and launch a new and risky line. 7/10
STRAY BULLETS #33
by David Lapham (El Capitan Books)
 There's been a longer-than-usual delay between issues of Stray Bullets, which is unfortunate, because this storyline really is the culmination of what's gone on in the previous issues, and it loses a little something when I can't immediately remember everything that lead up to this point. But only a little bit, and it's made up for by Lapham's hilariously funny and cute fumetti strip at the back where he explains that his new baby daughter is responsible for the whole thing. I can certainly relate, at any rate. And more importantly, this is still just a damn fine issue. Lapham shows that he can take on Frank Miller in terms of rain effects with a rain-soaked rendition of a brawl to open the issue, and then shows his artistic skills off even more by using a mostly eight-panel grid throughout the rest of the issue. He also continues to show that Virginia, beyond being a borderline sociopath, is smart and manipulative as well as tough, and there's something kind of disturbing about her characterization, but at the same time it's a whole lot of fun, and anyone who remembers the bullying kids from high school will get a nice twinge of cathartic revenge feelings when they see how the whole thing plays out. Stray Bullets is one of those books that gave rise to a new wave of crime comics, but it really doesn't fit in the narrow definition of crime comics, being instead a slice-of-life book with a mean streak and a weird sense of humor, more like a David Lynch and Quentin Tarantino movie than straight-up Raymond Chandler. 9/10
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