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Snapshots for 11/19
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.
BIRDS OF PREY #61
by Gail Simone, Ed Benes & Alex Lei (DC Comics)
 This is probably my favorite issue of Gail Simone's Birds of Prey so far. It's got the same sharp dialogue and characterization as all the previous issues, but it also feels sort of like a first issue, where she sets down her road map for how she views the characters. Simone brings in brief guests from other Bat-titles, notably Nightwing and Batgirl, to make some important character points for Oracle and Canary, and she also has one of the most likable (and yet still tough) takes on the Huntress that it's been my pleasure to read. In fact, as usual, my complaints come with the art, as Benes gives every woman massive breasts and usually cleavage to show it off and just generally lacks the sort of subtlety that I think would complement Simone's work better. His storytelling is basically solid, though (aside from a developmentally-disabled girl who looks about five or six years younger than she was probably supposed to, undercutting the point), and I seem to be in the minority in wishing for a completely diferent style on the book. I'm also hoping that the stories will take the characters out of Gotham again soon, but this issue shows off that Simone definitely gets these characters, such that despite the lack of the globe-trotting style that was always part of my personal view of what defined the book, this still feels like great Birds of Prey to me. 8/10
BONE #53
by Jeff Smith (Cartoon Books)
 I had expressed some doubt in my review of Bone #52 that Smith would be able to meet his projected monthly schedule, but Bone #53 comes out only a couple of weeks late, leading me to believe that the end of Bone is very near indeed. This is a sad occasion in some ways, since it means the end of this long-running classic, but in many other ways it's a good thing, given that we'll get to see Smith wind up his epic story, hopefully with the kind of impressive ending that it has earned. Certainly this issue is another step on the right path, with some wonderful strength from Thorn and a really fun new relationship between Fone Bone and Bartleby, the Rat Creature cub who has become one of my favorite characters in the cast despite his late arrival in the book. Early on, the big selling point of this book was humor, but of late, it's been more epic spectacle. I miss the humor, to be honest, but Smith's work on the epic stuff is very strong, with believably large and dangerous armies, sweeping and majestic settings and strange unearthly creatures both friend and foe. There's a classically heroic moment here when Thorn takes advantage of a not-fully-explained mystic phenomena to soar over the heads of her foes, and it's the kind of thing that would draw applause in a crowded theatre if Bone were a film instead of a comic. At this point in its life, I feel like Bone is really best enjoyed in trade paperback chunks of story, but as we near the end, it's becoming clear that Smith is right on track for an impressive ending to a saga that many have followed with delight for a long, long time. 8/10
EL CAZADOR #3
by Chuck Dixon & Steve Epting (Crossgen Entertainment)
 After two issues mostly at sea, El Cazador moves inland for a failed hanging, a daring escape and some spectacular pyrotechnics before setting out to sail once more for high adventure. Dixon's story has plenty of verisimilitude, although it pays a price in terms of approachability thanks to the amount of nautical and 17th century jargon sprinkled throughout. Fortunately, Dixon's story is also full of action of a classic swashbuckling nature, including a last-minute rescue from a hanging and a particularly impressive use of a ship set afire as a distraction. As always, the real star of the show is Steve Epting, and he delivers some jaw-dropping artwork, from his realistic (but not overly photo-referenced) characters to the lush, believable background detail to the stunning shots of ships on fire or exploding. The next few issues promise our first big ship-to-ship battle, and I can't wait to see how this creative team delivers on the potential in that conflict. With Master and Commander and Pirates of the Caribbean doing well in theatres and on DVD, now is the perfect time for this type of comic, and El Cazador is pretty much everything I had hoped it would be. 8/10
HULK: GRAY #3
by Jeph Loeb & Tim Sale (Marvel Comics)
 Hulk: Gray is another success from Loeb and Sale, and it actually makes me a little sad about their DC exclusive, because a certain high-profile guest star shows up who I'd love to see the two take a longer look at in another mini-series. Of course, both the colors for that hero have already been used in their series, so I'm not sure what they'd call it. At any rate, this issue has an exceptional and somewhat chilling opening, some interesting examination from Loeb of the notion that the Hulk, for all his childlike fury, has never really killed anyone, really fun interaction between "Thunderbolt" Ross and Rick Jones and, as mentioned previously, a big name Marvel guest star. Sale has a great take on the Hulk, and I particularly love the sort of misshapen teeth and caveman appearance he gives him, playing nicely into the monster movie motif that defines Hulk: Gray. I'm also a big fan of his stylized Rick Jones, who has a pompadour so defined that it almost looks sentient. Hulk: Gray continues to show that there's a reason why Loeb and Sale have become known for their "Year One" style takes on DC and Marvel's classic characters. 8/10
JLA: LIBERTY & JUSTICE
by Paul Dini & Alex Ross (DC Comics)
 Speaking of teams with a reputation, these Dini/Ross oversized collaborations have become a holiday tradition, and though my interest in Ross's art has decreased over the past couple of years, I couldn't pass up 96 oversized pages for $10. I'm glad I didn't, because this is a really fun project, like one of the better Justice League cartoon episodes starring the Silver Age classic versions of the characters. It's a little predictable, perhaps, but it's another impressive addition to the holiday collections that these two creators have done for DC. Ross's work can be a little stiff when it comes to storytelling, but there's no denying that he can do powerful and he can certainly do realistic, and there's definitely an appeal there. I was particularly impressed with how the non-realistic energy effects of Green Lantern showed up against these painted realistic backdrops, and Ross does one of the most impressive displays of Green Lantern's powers that I've seen in quite some time. It's Dini's script, however, that really has the memorable moments for me. There's some really fun stuff with Batman, especially the way he interacts with Martian Manhunter and Black Canary, and it's clear that Dini really gets these characters. My favorite moments were seeing Barry Allen's criminology skills come into play as much as his speed, and the "once a test pilot, always a test pilot" moment with Hal Jordan. I'm not one to complain about the change in the guard at DC (well, mostly), but JLA: Liberty & Justice does show why these characters are considered the classic versions of their iconic super-hero identities. 8/10
LUCIFER #44
by Mike Carey, Peter Gross & Ryan Kelly (DC Comics/Vertigo imprint)
 I'm kind of glad to see the back of this story, actually. While it had some of the same neat ideas as much of Carey's run, and certainly changed the status quo and showed off the same interesting characterization of Lucifer and his supporting cast, it relied on metaphysics that I never quite grasped and an important character whose role in the overall story I couldn't even remember. In addition, Gross and Kelly seem to have made a deliberate shift in their art style to the more abstract style that Dean Ormston uses on the book, and I wasn't crazy about the loss of detail. Fortunately, while I'm disappointed with this story in comparison to the previous arcs, the general feel of the story, showing Lucifer's ability to manipulate and think ahead as well as the steel possessed by Mazikeen, is entertaining as always. 6/10
THE OUTSIDERS #6
by Judd Winick, Chriscross & Sean Parsons (DC Comics)
 There are some neat little bits in this issue of Outsiders, including two Green Arrows joining up with the team temporarily, a who's who of DC merc villains and of course the Winick dialogue that I've come to like so much. Unfortunately, it's all smack dab in one of the most illogical, contrived villainous plots that I've ever read, which kind of kills the whole thing for me. Brother Blood's organization is capable of breaking out all the super-villains on The Slab and clearly has any number of agents, and he somehow managed to program enough agents to steal a million babies, and the big threat they need to stop is that he might get a million more followers? Winick tries to portray this is as a sort of choice of lesser evils thing, but really, it all just makes Blood look ridiculously powerful for a guy we haven't seen in years, and it makes the heroes look deeply ineffectual for letting it get to this point. There's some excellent character interaction here, and I continue to like this cast, but I hope that the next plot is a little less convoluted and makes a whole lot more sense. 5/10
SCOOTER GIRL #4
by Chynna Clugston-Major (Oni Press)
 Dark comedy is very easy to crash and burn. Too dark and the humor is lost, too light and the whole thing just feels kind of stupid. Clugston-Major has proven quite able at the dark humor in Scooter Girl, however, and this issue might be her most effective use of it, as the story revolves around a delusional lead character attempting any variety of gruesome murders and failing in horrific ways. Miraculously, Ashton still remains somewhat likable despite his murder streak, if only because he's too incompetent to really hurt someone, or maybe because there's a feeling that Ashton will always get his immediate karmic comeuppance for whatever he does. Clugston-Major's artwork is, as always, perfect for slapstick, and the story is full of amusing slapstick moments. Despite the level of implied violence, it's kept at a sort of Looney Tunes wacky level, and the result is a book that is certainly dark but also delightfully funny. 8/10
STREET FIGHTER #3
by Ken Siu-Chong, Alvin Lee, Kevin Lau & Udon Studios (Image Comics)
 Given the enormous cast of the Street Fighter games, I'm surprised that the Udon crew are taking it slow in introducing new characters, at a rate of maybe one or two per issue. Pleasantly surprised, that is, because Street Fighter continues to be a fun and action-packed read, whether you're a fan of the source video games or not. Alvin Lee does a fantastic job of keeping the artwork flashy and engaging, using a moving "camera" very well and playing up the sex appeal of both the men and women without turning this into a T&A book, and pulling off the martial arts and the recognizable moves from the games without leaving out those who don't recognize the in-jokes. In addition, Siu-Chong's story has some nice mystery and a classic comic-book sensibility, and never feels like it's just a reason for the flashy fight scenes. I'm still not thrilled with the really short backup stories, which mostly have the effect of shortening the more interesting main story rather than telling a very compelling story in the miniscule space they're afforded, but that's a fairly minor complaint in the face of a good solid comic. 7/10
WOLVERINE #8
by Greg Rucka & Leandro Fernandez (Marvel Comics)
 Rucka has always had a style that involved plots drawn from modern-day crimes and societal problems, so that his tales draw attention to a social ill as well as entertaining. Surprisingly, this style not only works with Wolverine, but seems almost ideally suited to him. Given his role as outsider in society, whether due to his animalistic nature, his mutant powers or his role as a vigilante super-hero, he seems the ideal protagonist to go after people who are either protected from the law or who are so numerous that they overwhelm law enforcement's efforts to stop them entirely. There's something nicely cathartic about Logan roughing up drug dealers who see killing people in the most cruel and inhumane manner as just part of doing business, and Rucka creates some pretty fantastic situations that involve the use of Wolverine's powers, including the very cool idea of him running out of a fire to catch the guy who tried to burn him. Leandro Fernandez's work also agrees with Rucka and Wolverine, far more than it did with the Hulk, and this is just good solid action comics with a social conscience. Mind you, I still wouldn't mind seeing Wolverine face off with something a little less grounded, like a super-villain or a ninja of old, but I'm enjoying the stories we're getting a great deal. 8/10
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