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Snapshots for 6/9
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.
FALLEN ANGEL #12
by Peter David, David Lopez & Fernando Blanco (DC Comics)
 I had soured somewhat on this book, as the previous arc had not pushed the emotional buttons for me that it was meant to, and while I still think this is a terrific book, I had decided that maybe it just wasn't for me. Then along comes #12, right before the trade hits, and suddenly I'm right back on the bandwagon. David, Lopez and the rest spend this issue telling of the first meeting between the Fallen Angel and Dr. Juris on the streets of New Orleans during Mardi Gras. It's another step toward mature readers for the book, upping the sex and nudity quotient up just a little bit but in a way that seems fitting for the setting, but more importantly, it provides a few answers as to two of our main characters. Just a few, mind you, and I'm still a little disturbed that David seems to have no inclination to give us a little more concrete detail on the nature of Bete Noire, but I can't deny that this ambiguity fits nicely with the tone of the series, which is one of heavy moral ambiguity. That's to be found here as well, because the Angel comes off looking like a ruthless bad guy at times, Juris the high-minded good guy and we all know that not to be entirely the case. David does some fine banter between the two characters, really building up the chemistry between them, and while I missed the usual denizens of Bete Noire, I was glad to see this little bit of backstory for the characters. Dark, a touch on the rude side and undeniably fun, Fallen Angel #12 is a good issue to check out if you've been hearing the buzz but don't want to dive full-on into a trade of the series. 9/10
SCURVY DOGS #4
by Andrew Boyd & Ryan Yount (AIT/Planet Lar)
 As two-parters go, you don't get much better in terms of "What has come before" recaps than "Well, we're tied up and the Hobo Mafia's gonna kill us in a few hours. This sucks." Another thing that Scurvy Dogs does well, I suppose. The main thing that Andrew Boyd and Ryan Yount do well, however, is to make me laugh, out loud, to an almost embarrassing degree. Every page brings with it something hilarious, and it's the kind of humor that you never see coming. I mean, c'mon, a brotherly rivalry over Anson Williams and a manatee? Foiling the Hobo Mafia with a bunch of tribute rockers? Boyd and Yount reference everything from the A-Team to the Golden Girls to cheesy '90s hair bands, and they do it in such a way that is funny to those who didn't grow up with this stuff but absolutely fall-down hilarious to those who did. Really, the A-Team sequence in this issue mocks in a way that only those who can see the original sequence in their head will fully appreciate. Even if anyone can appreciate making fun of the A-Team. Scurvy Dogs is a necessary injection of manic weirdness into the comics industry, and always a welcome sight on the stands. 10/10
STREET ANGEL #2
by Jim Rugg & Brian Maruca (Slave Labor Graphics)
 Street Angel is fucking awesome. I know, it's crude and maybe a little short, but I can't think of a better summation for this wildly imaginative and undeniably hysterical comic book. Ninjas, conquistadors, an Australian space hero and a surprisingly laid-back Incan God crash into the life of 13-year-old homeless skateboarder and superhero Street Angel, and I was just laughing my ass off. Rugg and Maruca have an imagination that doesn't just border on the bizarre, it crosses the border, drinks all the liquor and has its way with a couple of whores in bizarre town. It's also worth noting that the artwork in this book is very good, sometimes great. The style reminds me at time of Paul Pope, at other times of Farel Dalrymple, and it always has just the right amount of detail and ideal comic timing. When the artist can go from spaceships to pirate ships to ninjas without losing a beat, you've really got something there. If, like me, you sometimes feel that comics are losing their fun or becoming too formula, take a Scurvy Dogs with a Street Angel chaser and call me in the morning. 10/10
THE WALKING DEAD #8
by Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard & Cliff Rathburn (Image Comics)
 It's only fair to note that I still miss Tony Moore, but that's really the only complaint I have about Walking Dead, which continues to uphold its well-earned reputation as one of the best comics on the stands, horror genre or otherwise. Kirkman takes the pregnancy storyline off in a direction I hadn't expected, not quite blowing the secret relationship just yet, but at the same time he raises the specter of future problems, whether it's that relationship coming out or just the medical facts that have to be worried about. He also gives a little more insight into the newest cast member, a very likable guy named Tyreese whose previous occupation took me by surprise and gave me a bit of a chuckle. Perhaps more importantly, though, he and Adlard also continue to deliver on the creepy moments, with a terrific shock splash that reintroduces zombies into a story that had gotten a little bit quiet and comfortable for a moment and serving up a really chilling finale that felt like a message from the grave. Adlard's work, with Rathburn's gray tones, is a little more dark and shadowy, not as open as Moore's work, which I think is a mistake for the book, but that said, it is undeniably great work, and I remain confident that as he grows more familiar with the characters and more comfortable with the genre he will eventually equal or even surpass the trend-setting work that Moore did on the book. Walking Dead is solidly in my top five books at the moment, and whether you're a horror fan or not, it should be in yours too. 9/10
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