|
Snapshots for 6/30
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.
BATGIRL #53
by Dylan Horrocks, Dave Ross & Jesse Delperdang (DC Comics)
 When I read Batgirl #53, I was struck by how beautiful the artwork was. Dave Ross does spectacular artwork with a realistic style, and it looks like he's added a touch of European to his work that really agrees with him. Whether it's the detailed design of the unique gun, the stunning backdrops of Gotham, the perfect anatomy or the expressive faces, there is just nothing to dislike about this art, and if Ross and Delperdang are the regular art team on Batgirl, I may have to start reading this book. Which is saying something, because the character does nothing for me, and the story in this issue didn't really work for me either. To be fair, Horrocks is hitting one of my big hot buttons, which is to show a dad who would put his little girl into danger to save his own skin, and I had trouble getting past that. Even leaving that aside, though, there's a general lack of punch to the story, as Horrocks uses the modern situation to sort of reinforce Robin/Cassie's past but doesn't really make much of a point beyond saying that it's a cycle that continues, a rather depressing outlook for a superhero book that makes its protagonists look pretty ineffectual. Still and all, it's a decent story, and more to the point, features artwork from a guy who I'm betting will be on the "A" list in a few years. 6/10
GRENDEL: DEVIL'S REIGN #2
by Matt Wagner & Tim Sale (Dark Horse Comics)
 A tricky memory can be a gift, as when I don't remember the stories to be found in the pages of Grendel: Devil's Reign, and thus get to experience them as if I was reading them for the first time. Wagner's story of geopolitical science-fiction with vampires and telepaths thrown into the mix is a sophisticated, intelligent and surprisingly dark little tale. His heroes are manipulative and unscrupulous in many ways, but they're fascinating characters, and the strange, almost post-apocalyptic vision of the future that Wagner has here is equally engaging. In addition, Tim Sale, with new colors by Matt Hollingsworth, provides stunning artwork here, whether it's in the ingeniously-designed lead feature or in the bloody and entertaining tale of the vampire casino, Grendel's Palace, in the backup. It's also worth noting, in these days of six-issue decompressed story arcs, that these creators pack a ton of material into this issue, with a lot going on in the lead story of world politics shifting, a very effective vampire tale that plays off those events thematically and one of the few remaining lettercols in comics to boot. 9/10
SPIDER-MAN/DOCTOR OCTOPUS: YEAR ONE #2
by Zeb Wells & Kaare Andrews (Marvel Comics)
 It seems that from the mandate of a year one look at Spidey's foe, Wells and Andrews have cooked up what can only be described as a psychological horror story with touches of '50s monster movie. The obsession with atomic power is a really nifty addition to the character, and the absolutely twisted sexual dynamics of his relationships with women are just creepy to read. In principle, I'm against adding this kind of depth to what should really be fairly clear-cut comic-book villains, but I can't deny that there is excellent craft at work in this book, from the fascinating character interaction to the stylized look that Andrews has given the book to some very imaginative sequences, such as a love scene set underneath a set of X-Ray machines or a version of Doc Ock's tentacles that makes them seem to move with an alien life of their own. 8/10
Email Randy Lander comments about these reviews. |
