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Snapshots for 9/22
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.
THE AMAZING SCREW-ON HEAD
by Mike Mignola (Dark Horse Comics)
 I've heard a lot about this book, so on this latest printing, I finally decided to snag a copy and give it a read, and it definitely lives up to the hype. Amazing Screw-On Head isn't wildly different from what Mignola does in Hellboy, in fact it could probably fit into that world if he were so inclined, but it takes the pulp adventure feel of Hellboy and mixes it with a madcap streak that makes this a more of an overt humor book than the funny-serious mix that Hellboy contains. The concept itself, that of a special operative head who screws onto robotic bodies and fights evil scientists at the behest of President Lincoln, would seem about as out there as you can get, but then you throw in the crime-sniffing Mr. Dog, the villainy of Emperor Zombie and the terror of an otherworldly, Lovecraftian turnip, and you realize that Mignola is just throwing every funny thing his weird imagination can come up with into this book. The artwork is also a treat, with the same mastery of shadows and amazing sense of design that Mignola brings to Hellboy (I particularly love his designs for zombie's undead army and of course the turnip god) that maintains the wacky sense of humor as well. Amazing Screw-On Head is a subtle change from Hellboy, but it's a welcome addition to Mignola's repertoire, and I'd love it if we'd see more of this in the future. 10/10
ASTONISHING X-MEN #5
by Joss Whedon & John Cassaday (Marvel Comics)
 If nothing else, Astonishing X-Men is an argument for keeping the cast of these books small, because Whedon makes these characters more human and real than we've had them in quite some time. However, "if nothing else" really doesn't apply, because Astonishing X-Men #5, the best issue of the series thus far, also contains fantastic action, some terrific continuity geek scenes that don't get too continuity geek, the famous Whedon sense of humor and did I mention fantastic action? Whedon is definitely the spiritual heir of what Morrison was doing with New X-Men, maintaining the new elements he introduced (like Emma and her Stepford Cuckoos) in fine fashion as well as exploring them from new angles. Even better, he maintains this sense of new while playing around with very old school superhero concepts, like the resurrection of a fan-favorite character and some classic superhero action. Cassaday's super-real artwork, which I wasn't at all sure of at first, turns out to be the perfect match for Whedon's work, which is clearest in the sequence where the X-Men rise up to take on the villains of the piece. This is the issue where Astonishing X-Men passed from good to great for me. 9/10
PUTTIN' THE BACKBONE BACK
by Jim Mahfood (Image Comics)
 There's not too much to say about sketchbooks in general, especially when they're one-man affairs, so really, the best I can offer up for Puttin' The Backbone Back is that I've always enjoyed Mahfood's artwork, and it was a blast to get a look inside his private sketchbooks. The book is organized into four main sections, which are for the most part relatively indistinguishable from one another, divided more by the purpose they were created for than by any real change in the art, which is always a reflection of Mahfood's hip-hop meets hot girls meets technology interests. The section that does differ is the one devoted entirely to girls and life drawing, which is a collection showing off Mahfood's skill at creating believably hot chicks (seriously, the photo-referenced eye candy of Greg Land or Mike Mayhew have nothing on the sexy streetwise grrls created by Mahfood). A few of these pinups make their way into the other section as well (notably a really kickass native american girl in the random stuff section), but those are devoted more to party scenes, other people and stuff that belongs on rock show flyers and that kind of thing. This is a quick read for $10, but it's something I see myself going back to again and again, to appreciate the skill and style that Mahfood brings to comics. 8/10
SLEEPER SEASON TWO #4
by Ed Brubaker & Sean Phillips (DC Comics/Wildstorm)
 Just as the first "season" of Sleeper took a few issues to really make its purpose clear, so did Season Two, but this issue makes it crystal clear that the conflict of Season Two will be less about Holden and more about Lynch and Tao, the two movers and shakers of the Wildstorm universe. However, while this is the conflict, we're still viewing it through the lens of Holden Carver, which means we see how he uses an extraction for his own purposes (the way he manipulates Peter Grimm, and the unapologetic way he explains it to Tao, are priceless), how he keeps trying to figure out the angles that his bosses are working and how he really isn't sure of his own purpose at this point. The hope that Lynch holds out pulls the series away from the somewhat nihilistic viewpoint it has embraced and gives Carver a more clear-cut goal, even as it raises questions of what secrets Lynch and Tao are holding out on the lead character so he'll do what they want. Sleeper Season Two continues to impress, with excellent dialogue, intricate characters in every shade of bastard and gorgeous artwork by Sean Phillips. 9/10
TEEN TITANS #16
by Geoff Johns, Mike McKone & Marlo Alquiza (DC Comics)
 It's time for another Legion revamp, and yeah, those of us who were digging the Abnett/Lanning run have reason to be annoyed, but there's also plenty of reason to be happy, because the architects of this revamp are guys with a great deal of respect for the material and talent in working with it, namely Geoff Johns and Mark Waid. The revamp seems likely to actually get started with the new Legion of Super-Heroes #1, while the Titans/Legion story might serve as sort of an epilogue to this current version, if this issue is any indication. This issue explains how and when Superboy got pulled into the Legion's future (as shown in the last dozen or so issues of Abnett/Lanning's run), how and when he got back and how that drags the Teen Titans into a team-up with the Legion and conflict with their futuristic foes. It's classic superhero stuff, especially the brief but satisfying fight between The Persuader and the Titans (with great art by McKone and Alquiza) and a nifty big panel meeting of the Legion and the Titans that has just the right sense of being an historic moment. Truly, with a revamp right around the corner, a story featuring the soon-to-be-outmoded Legion feels a little beside the point, but for fans of the Abnett/Lanning run, it's a great last fling, and for fans of Johns's Teen Titans, it's another solid superhero outing. 7/10
THE WALKING DEAD #11
by Robert Kirkman & Charlie Adlard (Image Comics)
 This issue features the zombie group attack that we've seen in a few other issues, and as with other issues, it's chaotic, intense and very scary. Adlard could have made the action a little bit clearer as to who is getting bitten and who isn't, but that is perhaps a necessary evil of the chaos and maybe a result of a pretty large cast in the book that could use a little zombie pruning. At any rate, in every other respect his artwork continues to grow into this book, to the point where I now think he's equal to the work that Tony Moore was doing early on. As with every issue of The Walking Dead, though, this issue isn't just about the zombies, but about the humans and how they interact. Hershel's unusual take on the zombies and the heated fight that results with Rick is a terrific scene and Allen's slow burn deterioration after his wife died continues to build suspense as well, but the real kicker is the last page, a worrying cliffhanger that reminds us that the dangers in this world might not just come from zombies. 9/10
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