|
Snapshots for 8/4
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.
ACTION COMICS #806
by Joe Kelly, Pascual Ferry & Cam Smith (DC Comics)
 Another year, another "new direction" for the Superman books, as Kelly and company wind down the last new direction. Reading this issue, it's easy to see why another change was necessary, but it's not because the book is bad, it just doesn't really "feel" like a Superman book. Like too many Superman runs of late, it's a book about guest stars (like Girl 13 or Natasha Irons) and supporting cast (like Lana Lang or an incredibly heartless, petty and out-of-character Lois Lane), with Superman's role being reduced to that of a prop. It has the feeling of being a book about a bunch of characters that I might know and care about if I had been reading every issue, and given that it's the first issue of a new story arc, that's not really the feel a Superman book should probably have. The strongest work on the book is actually that of Ferry and Smith, starting with a beautiful Adam Hughes/Dave Johnson-esque cover and continuing with some slick and engaging art inside, with Karl Kerschl's work a nice compliment to their work at the end. 4/10
BATMAN: DEATH AND THE MAIDENS #1
by Greg Rucka & Klaus Janson (DC Comics)
 I feel like I can't fairly judge Death and the Maidens yet, because this is issue one of a nine-issue series, and it's all setup. It's honestly a little slow-paced, introducing the cast of characters and the ideas of the Lazarus Pits and Batman's fight against them, and while it's necessary stuff, it's old hat to a long-time reader like myself. On the other hand, it does have a fascinating concept at its center that I'm sure we'll get deeper into next issue, and it has a subplot about Batman being unable to really remember his parents as well as he once did that seems like rich territory for exploration. My expectation, given the talent on this book, is that it will reveal more of itself and become deeply compelling as it rolls on. However, in this first issue, everything, from artwork to story, seems to stop at the merely solid basics level, and that's not quite enough to hook me when I've seen what else these creators are capable of. 6/10
DARK DAYS #2
by Steve Niles & Ben Templesmith (IDW Publishing)
 I caught the first issue of this one too late to review, but just for the record, I agree with my partner's review whole-heartedly. What really struck me about the first issue was that shocker ending, which promised to amp up the action, and I was pleased that this issue Niles and Templesmith not only follow through on the promise of that ending but then take the book back into unexplored and unexpected territory. This isn't just a woman waging physical war on vampires, it's a woman trying to take away one of their biggest weapons, their anonymity, which they maintain through caution and a vast conspiracy. Niles's script explores the way people might react to someone like Stella, who knows the awful truth but can't prove it to a skeptical public. It's not unlike the trouble that Sarah Connor faces in T2, although Niles has introduced a core support group that believes Stella, which makes a considerable difference. In the midst of Stella's dual war, a physical one with the vampires and a sociological and psychological one to reveal their nature to the world, Niles and Templesmith introduce another complication, a dark mirror to Stella who can't help but seem like a compelling antagonist. 30 Days of Night captured peoples' attention, partly because it came out of nowhere and blindsided them with how good it was. Given their current rep, Niles and Templesmith have lost that element of surprise, but they managed to rise to the new expectations and deliver a story just as new and intriguing as the original 30 Days. 9/10
DETECTIVE COMICS #785
by Ed Brubaker, Patrick Zircher, Aaron Sowd, Rick Spears & Rob G. (DC Comics)
 One of those stories that could easily fall through the cracks of the monthly glut but which really shouldn't, Brubaker's "Made of Wood" combines a serial killer, a cold case, a popular retired supporting character, a popular Golden Age hero with ties to Gotham and Batman into a pretty potent mix of a story. Brubaker softens Batman's "everyone's an outsider in my town" stance just enough to make his team-up with Green Lantern really entertaining, both on the streets and on the golf course, and the inclusion of former Commissioner Gordon as a third party investigator is a great treat for those of us who miss the character. It doesn't hurt that the artwork from Patrick Zircher and Aaron Sowd (with colors by Jason Wright) looks fantastic, not unlike the work of Michael Lark from Gotham Central in terms of mood and detail, but with a sharper, more defined look. And if that's not enough to draw you in, a new backup from Teenagers From Mars creators Rick Spears and Rob G. starts out as a playful cop parody exploring a hardened veteran of the G.C.A.C. (that's Gotham City Animal Control) and turns into something else a little more sinister and plenty entertaining when the word "Joker" enters the picture. If the artwork can stay at this level, and Brubaker reigns in his second story on Detective to a shorter length than his first, this could be something that fans of Brubaker's work on Catwoman and Gotham Central should really check out. Clocking in at two issues so far, it's looking like it has real potential. 9/10
DOCTOR FATE #1
by Christopher Golden, Don Kramer & Prentis Rollins (DC Comics)
 Usually I'm against spinoff mini-series from a popular brand, as they tend to be bits of unnecessary fluff, but the new Dr. Fate has been seriously shafted in the character development category, and could really use a little space of his own where a writer can explore who he is and why and how he does what he does. Golden serves up an interesting first issue, full of neat ideas (Fate is active in his town, but most people don't even know of him) that are well-executed visually by newcomer Don Kramer and veteran inker Prentis Rollins. The opening is a good mix of action and character development, and there are some potentially very interesting questions asked in the tail end of the book, from the requisite "prophecy" that seems to define every mystical character's mini-series to a helmet which looks suspiciously like an "anti-Fate" to a group of would-be magicians whose interest in Fate comes off as mildly sinister and curious. Certainly the approach here is less cosmic and more down-to-earth, without losing the mystery and magic of the lead character, and that's not a bad start at all. 8/10
ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #44
by Brian Michael Bendis, Mark Bagley & Art Thibert (Marvel Comics)
 Bendis and company are on a major streak when it comes to Ultimate Spider-Man. Flirting with dangerous territory like introducing "kewl" villain Venom, killing off an interesting supporting character in Captain Stacy and teaming Spidey up with the seemingly incongruous Ultimate X-Men have all paid off. It's the latter that pays off this issue, and Bendis does a great job of gently poking fun at the concept with mocking either Spider-Man or the X-Men at the same time. Clearly, Bendis can write telepath jokes with the best of them, with the dream sequence in this issue being both a great action sequence and a funny payoff, and there's a great gag about Peter's secret identity that made me laugh out loud. This is also the best action story that Bendis and Bagley have delivered, with two set pieces (one surrounding the plane crash from last issue, and one the afore-mentioned dream sequence) that really move. Best of all, though, is that despite this flirtation with the larger world of the Ultimates, Bendis keeps this book grounded in Peter's reality, as the building tension and suspicion of Aunt May builds to a head. Given that this is the same creative team who killed Captain Stacy out of nowhere and revealed Peter's secret identity to Mary Jane, I can't wait to see the fallout of all this in the next issue (and presumably, concluding chapter of the story.) 9/10
Email Randy Lander comments about these reviews. |
