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Snapshots for 12/22/04
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.
CATWOMAN: WHEN IN ROME #3
by Jeph Loeb & Tim Sale (DC Comics)
 At this point, it's almost ridiculous to critique a Loeb/Sale comic, because what they're going to deliver is a known quantity, and you either like it or you don't. Personally, I'm enjoying Catwoman: When in Rome, which features Sale using gorgeous, open panel design to really show off his art style and tell a story, and coloring god Dave Stewart is of course doing a phenomenal job bringing Sale's layouts to vivid life. Loeb contributes his usual brand of inner monologue, which can occasionally verge on hokey but is usually clever and fun. For all that I found the dream sequences to be a touch too goofy, I loved the interaction between Selina and The Blonde (another interesting creation from Loeb and Sale), and for all that introducing another hero's villain into the book seems like cheesy fan service on one level, it's undeniably fun on another. Catwoman: When in Rome is a fun action-oriented romp that puts Catwoman in the protagonist role early in her career (before she'd reformed from being a criminal) and drops her into an exotic setting where she fits perfectly, and it's another notch in the belt of Loeb and Sale in terms of enjoyable miniseries. 8/10
GREEN LANTERN: REBIRTH #3
by Geoff Johns, Ethan Van Sciver & Prentis Rollins (DC Comics)
 Part three of this six-issue series brings with it, by necessity, a metric ton of backstory infodump and subtle retroactive continuity. It's not quite as character-driven or straightforward as the previous two issues, but Johns does a really good job of re-weaving the recent history of the Green Lantern Corps in a way that restores the luster to Hal Jordan that was lost in "Emerald Twilight." The key is in his redefinition of Parallax, turning him into less of an "evil Hal Jordan" (boring) and more of a cosmic threat related to the Guardians and tied into one of GL's oldest enemies, resulting in another terrific last page cliffhanger. There's also a subtle tweak of why Spectre bonded with Hal Jordan, and I found it to fit in nicely with this story as well as just being a neat standalone idea. In admidst all of this continity fixing, though, Johns, Van Sciver and the rest have some pretty fun action (a possessed Kilowog versus a Guardian, Kyle Rayner teaming up with Green Arrow), and Van Sciver, Rollins and colorist Baumann draw probably the scariest (and thus coolest) Parallax I've ever seen, with a touch of demonic horror to him. Green Lantern: Rebirth is great fun for any superhero fan, and a dream come true for Green Lantern fans. 8/10
JINGLE BELLE #1
by Paul Dini, Jose Garibaldi, Stephanie Gladden & Mark Caballero (Dark Horse Comics)
 Jingle Belle is a neat idea, but one that has always paled for me beside Dini's contribution to bigger properties like Batman, Superman, the Justice League and, most recently, Lost. However, 'tis the season and all, and I find myself in the mood for some Christmas-themed comics, and Jingle Belle is right up my alley, a sort of deconstruction of the Christmas spirit from a sour point of view but with an underlying holiday sweetness to it all as well. Jose Garibaldi is the artist on the main story, and he gives the book a cute, animated classic look with a twisted underlying sensibility that is perfect for Jingle's character. Stephanie Gladden's work on "Nibble Nibble" is likewise very cute and surprisingly detailed, and does a lot to convey the high-energy gonzo storytelling style of that tale. By far the highlight of this issue, though, is the story by Dini, Garibaldi and computer artist Mark Caballero, who neatly and hilariously skewer television producers and Christmas specials, all the while touching on the nostalgia buttons by featuring characters like the Heat Miser, with a special geek in-joke about the Star Wars Holiday Special. Jingle Belle is an unusual holiday treat, but if you're in a holiday mood, it's definitely worth a look. 7/10
JLA: CLASSIFIED #2
by Grant Morrison, Ed McGuinness & Dexter Vines (DC Comics)
 It may seem strange to call a book "loony fun" when it includes Gorilla Grodd eating a superhero, promising to wipe out all human civilization and even subjecting Batman to a little light roasting in preparation for his own role in Grodd's gullett, but that's just what JLA: Classified is. It's a big upraised middle finger to the pointless murder and rape of beloved characters, to "decompressed storytelling" where it takes six issues for the hero to do anything, to the notion that the superhero genre is at its best when it is realistic and relatable. Morrison's JLA story is whacked-out insane action, finding Batman taking on Grodd with a robot Justice League, Grodd subverting the superhuman Ultramarines with brain parasites and the League tracking a superhuman killer in a tiny universe while the Squire tries to track them down, ala an Operator in The Matrix. Ideas come fast and furious, and they are beautifully executed by McGuinness and Vines, who give the whole thing the same larger-than-life quality that comes through in Morrison's script, and this just might be the most fun superhero comics have had all year. I wouldn't want all superhero comics to look like this, but I'd sure like the pendulum to swing a little bit more in this direction and soon. 9/10
SHAOLIN COWBOY #1
by Geoff Darrow (Burlyman Entertainment)
 I love Darrow's art, and getting a comic out of him is certainly worthy of celebration. But did it have to be this comic? Seriously, this is a bimonthly book, it's $3.50 an issue, you have got to give the readers more than what amounts to a 10-page giant splash and a couple of beautifully-executed action sequences. There can be no denying that this book is gorgeous, a true artistic achievement, but there is absolutely nothing in the story to encourage the reader to stick around. No explanation of the main character, no background on the world, nothing but "badass laconic hero encounters army of bad guys and takes them down in spectacular bloody fashion." If that sounds like enough story for you, by all means pick this up, as the artwork is to die for, but this book makes Warren Ellis and Brian Bendis look like Stan Lee in relative decompressed writing terms. 4/10
ZED #5
by Michel Gagne (Gagne International Press)
 Michel Gagne has some twisted sensibilities. His character, a young boy whose invention destroyed an entire planet (with some help from the villain of the piece), blew himself (and another planet) up at the end of the previous issue of Zed, at least to the best of my recollection. This time out, he meets his guardian angel and God, not to mention a few other familiar faces. It's trippy and could easily have come off as morbid or saccharine in the wrong hands, but Gagne makes these unusual meetings and reunions kind of sweet and strange, and his distinctive art style really gives life to the otherworldly backdrop. It's been a long time since we saw an issue of Zed, but I'm glad to see it return, as this quirky, all-ages read remains a great deal of fun. 8/10
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