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Snapshots for 11/17/04
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.
AVENGERS: EARTH'S MIGHTIEST HEROES #2
by Joe Casey & Scott Kolins (Marvel Comics)
 I really want to love Earth's Mightiest Heroes. The focus on the early days of the Avengers should provide a nice counterbalance to the "end of an era" stuff going on in Bendis's run, and the artwork, by Scott Kolins and Morry Hollowell, is as good as anything Kolins did on The Flash. I mean, anyone who can make the admittedly dorky outfits of the original Giant-Man or pointy-headed Iron Man cool deserves some credit at the very least, and the panels are insanely detailed and yet perfectly clear to read as well. Unfortunately, while the book looks absolutely fantastic, it reads like Casey retro-fitting a more modern, Ultimates-style approach onto these classic characters and stories, and that rubs me the wrong way just as much as Bendis disregarding continuity and character logic to level the building so he can build New Avengers on the foundation. Casey has some neat ideas, like the science and business oriented Tony Stark grinding gears with the magic and medieval logic oriented Thor, but it makes both characters, ideally heroes, seem like self-absorbed jerks. The notion of Cap acclimating to modern society a little more slowly, with no small amount of horror, is a good one, but I hate moving the rebirth of the team into the '90s with Fear Factor and middle eastern war references and the channels that Cap happens to catch feels a bit too easy and a bit cliche. I like the role Jarvis plays in re-inspiring Captain America, but... well, there's no but there, that's a pretty good moment. In the end, however, the tone of the book and the approach Casey is taking seems a bit too "feet of clay" for me, and doesn't have the pure pop fun that I think superheroes, especially Silver Age superheroes, should have. 6/10
BIRDS OF PREY #76
by Gail Simone, Joe Prado & Ed Benes (DC Comics)
 The Birds of Prey kick off their new travelling status quo and the new "Hero Hunters" storyline by heading into Ohio to hunt down a teenage vigilante who's been offing drug dealers. Simone has a tricky story to sell here, because her vigilante heroine is remarkably sympathetic (and wicked cool in terms of powers), and the people she's been killing arguably deserved their fate. She pulls it off admirably, though, because the Birds don't come off as judgmental or hypocritical (impressive given Huntress's own past slip-ups) but instead as genuinely trying to pull the girl back from an abyss, and we get to see the slippery slope she's on by the end fight sequence. I thought that Simone might have given up an easy answer to a hard question when Black Alice turns on an innocent, but the way the situation was resolved was unusual (and unusually non-violent) for a superhero book and perfectly in line with the, if you'll forgive the generalization, more feminine and nurturing side that the Birds have that most testosterone-fueled heroes lack. The big fight scene is a little weirdly laid out, in vertical and then horizontal slices that don't really give a clear sense of the action, but the rest of the art is solid, and the shifting look of Black Alice's costume is a particular standout. 8/10
BRODIE'S LAW #1
by Alan Grant, David Bircham & Daley Osiyemi (Pulp Theatre Entertainment)
 I'm a fan of noir. I'm even a fan of over-the-top, borderline parody noir like Sin City or 100 Bullets. Brodie's Law, however, crosses the border and lands in the realm of self-parody. Brodie, our narrator, speaks only in dime-a-dozen cliches like "I make eye contact, like a hollow point to the soul" or "Odessa's boys move in. Hatred glistening like neon parasites" and makes nonsensical decisions like kidnapping his junkie ex-wife so he can put her in charge of looking after his son. It's hard to care much what happens after that, because you're too busy chortling at the ridiculous dialogue or wondering what kind of idiot thinks brow-beating an unfaithful drug addict into babysitting is a good idea. The artwork is interesting, given a black and white look with a red tinge and featuring some very dynamic moments, but the storytelling is unclear and the unusual storytelling choices often leads to unnecessary clutter. Two of these names are unfamiliar to me, but Alan Grant is a longtime writer in British and American comics, and I'm surprised that he was involved in what comes off as a fairly amateurish production. 2/10
MASKED COMMANDER #1
by John May, Chris Samnee & Andy Pursley (Meridian Arts)
 Now this is kind of... weird. This comic, available now on Amazon but due in comics shops in November, features the adventures of fictional U.S. President James Weston, who has a masked secret identity as the superhero Masked Commander. Truthfully, I was hoping that these creators would play it a little more straight, but the approach here is much more Silver Age goofy, akin to the style of Freedom Force but with the added ridiculousness that the costumed hero is the President of the United States. I was also hoping for superpowers, but it turns out the President has just trained himself, ala Batman, to be this type of hero, and when he's not running the country, he's off fighting goofy archetypal political villains like Anarchy, Foreign Affair, The Grand Jury and Deficit. A little too silly for my tastes, and yet taking itself too seriously to be actually funny, I'm afraid that Masked Commander misses the mark completely for me. However, if you're into the retro-goof stuff like Image's Big Bang Comics, Masked Commander might be worth a look. 4/10
SHE-HULK #9
by Dan Slott, Paul Pelletier & Rick Magyar (Marvel Comics)
 To be honest, I didn't much care for the starfaring Magistrati story that much, and was beginning to worry that Slott might be losing my interest on She-Hulk. Fortunately, She-Hulk #9 is another great issue that reminds me why this book is so buzzed about, as it features just the right mixture of old school cool and goofy humor. I got a nostalgic thrill from seeing the delightfully simple-minded Hercules at play in this issue, and Slott has a great deal of fun with him as well, from his casual beatings (that's plural) of Constrictor to his joy at the ballad that seals his fate in court. There's also a lot of setup going on here, from the brief reintroduction (and equally brief and very funny de-introduction) of Titania into these pages to the continuing romantic triangle of Jen-Pug-John Jameson to the nagging question of what's going on with She-Hulk's enhanced strength and what Reed Richards knows about it. Slott manages to make fun of some cliched elements of the Marvel Universe without feeling like he's poking fun at all the stories we read and loved. In addition, Pelletier and Magyar are fantastic here, with a clean, classic superhero look that is still perfect for conveying the more humorous aspects of the script. If you've been waiting for a jumping-on issue of this buzz book to check out, She-Hulk #9 is definitely a good one. 10/10
TEEN TITANS #18
by Geoff Johns, Mike McKone & Marlo Alquiza (DC Comics)
 Early on, I said in a review that Teen Titans is one of the really good places to go for classic superhero action, and that remains true. This issue has some spectacular action sequences, including a nifty little escape piece by Deathstroke and a brief-but-cool throwdown between Robin and his future self. What it also has, though, is some surprisingly pointed criticism of Identity Crisis, suggesting that maybe the dark and gritty road that the heroes are now on might lead to more villainous futures. Given that Johns is making use of Identity Crisis in most of his other titles and is a fan of that book, I'm probably misreading the dialogue between Batman and Robin that gives me that impression, but at any rate, it's probably the most interesting use of that miniseries as a spinoff point for me so far. Beyond that, Teen Titans has the usual beautiful artwork by McKone and Alquiza and all the fun trappings of a dark future, including a surprise band of allies and some neat ideas about what the dark future might hold, such as what happens to Keystone City. Definitely fun for the superhero faithful. 8/10
USAGI YOJIMBO #79
by Stan Sakai (Dark Horse Comics)
 Some readers of the site will know that I'm working my way through all of the Dark Horse Usagi volumes for my "Backtracking" column, and that one of my discoveries in doing that was the long-term plotting that Sakai works with. This issue is a good case in point, as it deals with a character and situation that occurred way back in the twenties of this book during the "Grasscutter" story. As is typical for Sakai, though the story revolves around old grudges between bounty hunters Gen, Stray Dog and Inazuma, it is completely approachable by the new reader, and as is typical for a story revolving around Gen, it's got it's fair share of light-hearted moments. The dire fate that has befallen Inazuma is hinted to be less than permanent, which I was relieved to see, but it's clear that there are more struggles ahead, and it's just as clear that Gen and Stray Dog won't bond and become fast friends anytime in the near future either. Has the usual polished and perfect artwork by Sakai, and serves to whet my appetite for further stories of these characters as well. 9/10
THE WALKING DEAD #13
by Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard & Cliff Rathburn (Image Comics)
 I don't know how Kirkman and company went from no issues in one and a half months to two issues in two weeks, but I'm glad they did it. This is a jumping-on point but it's also the resolution of a nifty little cliffhanger, and I was glad not to have to wait any longer to find out how Rick and the rest of the crew were going to fare in trying to take over the prison from zombies. While there is an inordinate amount of action and zombie-killing in this issue, all expertly illustrated by Adlard and Rathburn, the big selling point remains the characterization, and there's a ton of character development going on here. I love the sort of "co-leader" vibe that Rick and Tyreese have taken on, and their banter as they worked their way through the prison was terrific. There's some great tension building with Chris and Julie and their resentment of the adults. The stuff with young Sophia and Carl is a nice touch of sweetness in the middle of a horrible situation. And the build-up of hunger issues adds another level of danger to a world populated by zombies, not to mention leading perfectly into another jaw-dropping (albeit kind of funny) cliffhanger. The Walking Dead remains my favorite of Robert Kirkman's works, and indeed one of my favorite titles on the stands. 10/10
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