The blank panel

‘You’re stuck here. I’m sorry’

2005-11-19T20:16:00.000-08:00

Captain Atom: Armageddon #2
‘Brave new world’
Writer: Will Pfeifer
Artist: Giuseppe Camuncoli

My almost non-existent knowledge of the Wildstorm universe gets me confused in some bits of this crossover-with-DC mini, but Pfeifer is definitely crafting a nice super hero story with it. While I don’t really understand all that’s going on, the writes manages to get Atom’s feeling of loneliness quite well and, in many ways, as a newcomer to this universe, I can relate to the main character’s feelings quite well. Camuncoli’s art is great and he shines penciling a wide array of Wildstorm characters. The sole fact that he makes this weird new Captain Atom costume work is a testament to this guy’s talent. Issue #2 doesn’t have that much action in it, but it’s still a tight read and sets up some interesting stuff for what’s coming next. 7/10

‘It is time for me to feast’

2005-11-19T19:23:00.000-08:00

Marvel Knights Spider-Man #20
‘The other’ part 5: ‘Retreat’
Writer: Reginald Hudlin
Artist: Pat Lee

There must be some curse on Marvel Knights Spider-Man, because no writer seems to get a story right with this book. This time, ‘The other’ takes a dive in quality, with the weakest issue so far. Hudlin fails to explore the drama of a man expecting his own death, and Peter seems way too comfortable with the fact that he’s going to die. The ‘time machine’ thing doesn’t even make much sense and seems more like an excuse for the novelty of May and Mary Jane wearing Iron Man’s old suits. Pat Lee’s art in pretty bad shape this issue, mainly because he doesn’t convey the emotions the characters are going through. So far, ‘The other’ has been much more about characters than action, which makes this fault even worse. Hopefully it gets better in the next action-centered part of the crossover. 3/10

‘Not if I can help it’

2005-11-17T23:02:00.000-08:00

All-Star Superman #1
‘...faster...’
Writer: Grant Morrison
Artist: Frank Quitely

Morrison writes what’s probably the best Superman issue I’ve read in years. The weird thing is that the action itself is a bit weak in this first issue, but it’s the characterization that saves the day. Morrison shows that he was made to write the Superman cast of characters, with a few well-placed lines of dialogue he nails both Superman and Clark Kent, Lois, Perry and, above all, Lex Luthor. You also have to admire the man’s genius to pack the whole origin of the character in one page, leading to a superb double splash by Quitely. This guy’s art is on par with the writing, his storytelling is magnificent and the style fits perfectly with Morrison’s narrative. If I have to make on complaint about the art, it’s that Lois a bit weird... still, this is what a Superman book should be. Iconic all the way. 8/10

‘I regret nothing’

2005-11-15T22:25:00.000-08:00

Breach #11
‘Cost’
Writer: Bob Harras
Artist: Marcos Martin

Breach ends in a strong note, even if this final issue doesn’t have that much action in it (or maybe because it doesn’t have much action). Some key questions are left unanswered, but Harras made the right decision and chose to center the ending on the characters instead of rushing everything to conclude every little plot thread. The writer gets some pretty strong character moments, and the best is that it’s all subtle, there are no big dramatic scenes. Breach co-creator Marcos Martin returns for the final issue and does a great job overall, you’ve got to admit that the costume design for Breach is really cool, simple and striking. There are many dramatic layers that will probably never be explored with this character, but we’re promised he will at least make an appearance in Infinite Crisis, so fans might want to check that out. Sad thing to see this book go away so soon, good stuff could have come from it down the line. 7/10

'I have to get home’

2005-11-15T17:07:00.000-08:00

Gotham Central #37
‘Sunday bloody Sunday’
Writer: Greg Rucka
Artist: Steve Lieber

Caught in the middle of Infinite Crisis and with the next storyline involving the Spectre, this is a weird time for Gotham Central. Still, Rucka manages to make this tie-in a strong stand alone story of a man who has to cross chaos to get home to his family. Rucka transforms Gotham into a war zone, which reminds me of the numerous Batman crossovers we’ve read through the years, but he focuses on the individual drama of detective Allen, which gives the book its trademark ‘real life’ feel, even with seven deadly sins and Captain Marvel cameos. The writer also takes this opportunity to write a tale about faith, with great results. Lieber’s art style is a perfect fit for this issue and it’s cool to see his more ‘human’ depiction of a hero such as Captain Marvel. This book is heading in a dangerous direction with the upcoming Jim Corrigan/Spectre storyline, but if Rucka manages to keep the same tone of this issue, I’m all for it. 8/10

‘I am the destroyer restored’

2005-11-15T16:22:00.000-08:00

Drax the Destroyer #3
‘From the ashes’
Writer: Keith Giffen
Artist: Mitch Breitweiser

Giffen takes an issue to bring the old intelligent Drax back, but this part is actually more about the side cast than the title character. Fortunately, the writer has created a really strong set of characters to tell this particular story. The teenagers get the best moments this time around, but he writes the villains particularly well. The ‘resurrection’ of Drax isn’t really the strongest moment in this issue, which can be seen as a downside, but it’s still a pretty impressive read. I can’t wait to see the showdown of Drax vs. the intergalactic villains in the conclusion next month. Mitch Breitweiser is churning out some of the best art in superhero comics right now and his portrayal of the teenager characters is responsible for much of their dramatic effect. These Marvel minis are easily some of the best stuff by the publisher these days and, much like Ghost Rider, this title (or at least this creative team) would be a great pick for an ongoing in the future. 8/10

‘Oh, a long way down, Miss Catmint’

2005-11-14T22:26:00.000-08:00

Ghost Rider #3
‘The road to damnation’ part 3
Writer: Garth Ennis
Artist: Clayton Crain

The third issue in the Ghost Rider mini is a bit slower than the previous two, and doesn’t present us with as many new crazy elements, but it’s still easily among the best reads on the stands. Ennis is somewhat contained this time, but his trademark humor and taste for over-the-top stuff are the greatest quality of this book anyway. The introduction of Father Adam makes things more interesting, Hoss gets to be a pretty interesting character and the action sequences are pretty strong all around. Clayton Crain’s artwork is just out of this world and would be enough reason to get this book even if Ennis wasn’t writing it. There are some really unbelievable stuff in terms of art here. This mini is quickly becoming an obvious pick for an ongoing down the road. 8/10

‘You can call me Renegade’

2005-11-14T21:20:00.000-08:00

Nightwing #114
‘Cowboys and indians’
Writer: Devin Grayson
Artist: Phil Hester

Hester’s pencils are easily the greatest thing going for this book. His narrative is clear and classy, and the action flows very well. Overall, this ‘insider’ story is pretty average, but this issue adds some interesting elements, such as Nightwing and Arsenal going at it once again and Barbara trying to find out what Dick is up to. I’m under the impression that she’ll be the reference point through which the reader will learn what is going on with the title character, which would be nice. I don’t really dig the fact that Dick is training Ravager, and this series has obviously been derailed from its initial intentions from editorial demands, but putting Nightwing along with the likes of Luthor and Deathstroke could make up for some good moments. 6/10

‘It’s all fucking true’

2005-11-14T21:09:00.000-08:00

DMZ #1
‘On the ground’ part 1
Writer: Brian Wood
Artists: Riccardo Burchielli, Brian Wood

Brian Wood’s new Vertigo ongoing starts with a pretty strong impact. This is a great first issue, laying a pretty scary foundation for the stuff to come and promises a vision of war with a strong sense of reality and individual civilian drama. The chain of events that leave the main character stranded in a war zone is kinda predictable, but what gives this first issue a very particular spin is that he actually decides to stay there by himself. The last pages of this issue pack an impressive punch and promises great things for the future of this series. Riccardo Burchielli’s art is awesome, I love how he mixes the very realistic and detailed backgrounds with some exaggerated facial expressions, and the style works wonderfully overall. I’m a bit bugged by the coloring choices in this book, since I was under the impression that it would have an almost entirely black and white feel, like the cover, and it got a bit used to, for me at least. Still, this is a great kick off for what seems to be another great offering from Wood. 8/10

‘Dead’s not what it used to be’

2005-11-14T20:23:00.000-08:00

JLA #122
‘World without a Justice League’ part 3: ‘Omac nation’
Writer: Bob Harras
Artist: Tom Derenick

The current JLA arc gets a little better with this issue, but some of the stuff that goes on in this issue seems to have no purpose. Harras manages to showcase the Omac menace nicely, with some pretty good action, but their attack in itself is a pretty random excuse for a tie-in. Like in many DC books right now, Donna Troy appears at the end of the issue to recruit some heroes to save the universe or whatever, but this (and some other points of interest, like the Flash being sick) will be followed elsewhere, which seems a little pointless here. The main storyline with The Key barely advances, and the Batman thread seems to be completely cast aside at this point. Tom Derenick is doing a great job in this arc and keeps getting better with each issue, and right now his art is easily the best thing you’re going to find in this book. 5/10

‘The perfect time... to meet Tim Drake’

2005-11-13T19:58:00.000-08:00

Teen Titans #29
‘Life and death’
Writer: Geoff Johns
Artist: Tony S. Daniel

Johns gets to write the awaited first meeting of Tim Drake and Jason Todd. It’s kinda weird that it happens in a Teen Titans issue, since this is more of a Robin story than anything else, but the writer takes advantage of the team environment and writes a very strong issue. To Johns’ credit, he also makes the mandatory Infinite Crisis tie-ins feel natural here, which makes sense, since he is writing both books. Jason Todd is once again shown as a formidable opponent and the Robin vs. Robin fight is pretty good, both in terms of dialogue and pure action. Daniel does some weird action poses now and then, reminiscent of the early nineties style art. Sometimes it’s a bit hard to tell who’s beating who, because both Tim and Jason are wearing Robin outfits for the fight, and the storytelling could be clearer. Still, overall he seems to be a great choice for artist in this title. Much better than Rob Liefield, anyway. 8/10

‘That might hurt you a lot more than me...’

2005-11-12T19:54:00.000-08:00

Wildcats: Nemesis #3
‘The dark side of the blade’
Writer: Robbie Morrison
Artists: Talent Caldwell, Horacio Domingues

This Wildstorm mini is turning out to be a pretty nice read for me. I don’t really have a lot of knowledge about the universe as a whole, so I don’t know exactly what is new and what isn’t, or if all the backstory that is being explained here is some deep mystery kept in the dark for years, but overall this is just a fun action-centered over-the-top book so far with some cool characters to boot. And the fact that it works for a newcomer such as me is really nice. Robbie Morrison writes sharp dialogue with a frantic pacing, which makes the action pretty effective. The art team in this is great, and both the ‘present’ and ‘past’ styles work greatly. All in all this is some pretty good flashy comics stuff, much better than I expected before reading issue #1. 7/10

‘I don’t even have a life insurance’

2005-11-12T18:40:00.000-08:00

Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #2
‘The other’ part 4: Bargaining
Writer: Reginald Hudlin
Artist: Mike Wieringo

Hudlin turns the action rate of ‘The other’ up quite a bit. There are many special guests in this issue, which is always nice (gotta love the Hulk showing up), but Hudlin’s writing is still a bit off. He seems to be trying too hard to make Peter (not to mention all of the other characters) funny all the time and it feels forced in the end. Also, some stuff is just way off in terms of characterization, like the Cage and Spider Woman dialogue, which comes across as a poor excuse in trying to be funny. The intention of bringing back the humor in the Spider-Man books is nice, but it really doesn’t fit in this imminent death situation... and we all know he isn’t going to die, anyway, so there’s little drama in the end. Wieringo’s art is great and the guest starts make this a very interesting issue, art-wise. 5/10

‘I really hate magic’

2005-11-12T18:17:00.000-08:00

Action Comics #833
‘Depths’
Writer: Gail Simone
Artist: John Byrne

Reading this book made me realize what a mistake DC is about to make by switching Action Comics’ creative team. This issue isn’t anywhere near groundbreaking, it’s just a great superhero action story, which is all you’d expect from a title like this. Gail Simone has developed a great sense of what works in a Superman book, and makes writing them seem easy. This is just a really fun read and it doesn’t hurt that John Byrne is doing some of his best work in recent times here. His Superman is just as iconic and heroic as the character should be. Byrne gets to draw a ‘knight in a shining armor’ version of Superman here, which is fantastic. It’s just sad that this team will leave the book (and probably the character). I still think DC should put Simone and Byrne on a new Captain Marvel ongoing, especially since the writer declares her love for the character every chance she gets. 7/10

‘X-Men stand down’

2005-11-12T17:49:00.000-08:00

Decimation – House of M
‘The day after’
Writer: Chris Claremont
Artists: Randy Green, Aaron Lopresti

It wasn’t my original intention, but I decided to try this book because the conclusion of the House of M mini actually impressed me. While this one-shot issue does a decent job in setting the stage for things to come, it just doesn’t work on a dramatic level. There are some nice character moments overall (the opening sequence comes to mind), but the constant interruption that move the ‘humans hate muties’ plot forward take away their strength. Also, this isn’t a self contained story, it’s a batch of scenes that lead into the wave of X-books to come this month and beyond (that are advertised by the end of the issue). The art is pretty nice, if nothing spectacular. For the avid X-reader, this book has an obvious value, but for the average comic reader, it’s a poor read. 4/10

‘Told ya I’m full o’ surprises’

2005-11-12T17:07:00.000-08:00

Incredible Hulk #88
‘Peace in our time’ part 1
Writer: Daniel Way
Artist: Keu Cha

I’ve gotta say that picking Daniel Way to write the Hulk was a pretty good follow-up to the disappointment of Peter David leaving the book. Way’s debut is a pretty slow start in terms of action, but has a strong sense of mood and character, which kinda reminds me of the beginning of Bruce Jones’ run (even if the feel is really different overall). Still, Way gives readers a great cliffhanger in the last page, which points the arc in a completely different direction than what we’ve seen here, apparently. It’ll be interesting to see where the writer is going to take the character, and as a ‘first issue’, it works pretty well in a subtle way. I’d never seen Keu Cha’s art before and the guy impressed the hell out of me. His style is pretty strong and, more importantly, he draws a great Hulk. This issue gives me high hopes for Way’s run on the title. 7/10

‘You can bet more people are going to die as a result’

2005-11-11T21:47:00.000-08:00

Hawkman #46
‘Sins of the past, present and future’
Writers: Justin Gray, Jimmy Palmiotti
Artists: Ron Randall, Art Thibert

Is there any sense in publishing a prelude to Rann-Thanagar War now, with Infinite Crisis rolling and all? Apparently, DC thought there was, and thus Hawkman #46 is a worthless stand-alone story that doesn’t add almost anything of value. The scene with the Ray and maybe the end with Fadeaway Man retrieving his cloak are the only possible points of interest, but even then the dialogue and narrative of this particular issue is seriously lacking. It seems as though Gray and Palmiotti themselves have little interest in writing this story, so it’s pretty hard to get anything out of it. Apart from that, the constant switching of art teams in this book is a grave mistake. There is no consistency at all and, even though the guest artists do a decent job, this factor is taking its toll on this book. 4/10

‘This corrupted and darkened earth must be forgotten...’

2005-11-11T20:33:00.000-08:00

Infinite Crisis #2
‘The survivors’
Writer: Geoff Johns
Artists: Phil Jimenez, George Pérez

The second issue in DC’s crossover event is much more of a setup and explanation chapter than actual action. Johns goes for a fragmented narrative, just like in the first issue, intertwining the main narrative focus (this time, it’s Earth-2 Superman and Power Girl) with scenes that don’t really point at something concrete as of yet. Sure, Johns is a great writer and pulls out some intense moments, which means the issue still has its power, but in the end this is directed at readers who haven’t followed the build-up to the mini (alright, some of this ‘build up’ was published 20 years ago, so there is a purpose). Also, the last page will have fans talking for the next thirty days, just like Infinite Crisis #1 did. Jimenez draws some great scenes and his splashes are splendid. He also does a new design for Booster Gold’s costume that works perfectly. Of course, a four-page contribution by George Pérez explaining the multiverse and original crisis doesn’t hurt, either. A solid second issue, but I do hope next month things start to heat up. 7/10

‘I’ll tell your pa you died like a man’

2005-11-07T20:30:00.000-08:00

Jonah Hex #1
Giving the devil his due
Writers: Justin Gray, Jimmy Palmiotti
Artist: Luke Ross

After reading Loveless last week, it’s a bit harder to be really impressed by a western book, but Jonah Hex still fares better than I expected it too. The Gray-Palmiotti writing combo do a nice job in setting the tone for the character, a classic bastard-with-a-heart gunslinger. The story is nice and flows well, even though it doesn’t always work as a #1 issue. The weird types Hex meets are cool and add some flavor, but you’d expect more bang to grab readers right from the start. Still, the greatest thing about this book is easily Luke Ross’ art. He doesn’t reach for for that cinematic western feel, but his style is all over the place, with some great characterization for the main character as well as the side cast. On an interesting note, the guy is Brazilian (like me) and seems to draw some of the supporting characters inspired by Brazilian actors (just like his Jonah Hex is inspired by – who else? – Clint Eastwood). 7/10

‘With great power... comes great fish’

2005-11-07T19:33:00.000-08:00

Spider-Man House of M #5
Writers: Mark Waid, Tom Peyer
Artist: Salvador Larroca

The main House of M mini went from average to something really cool as it advanced. The opposite could be said about this Spider Man spin-off, which started nicely and ended in just about the worst way imaginable. Well, not that badly, but it’s still really weak overall. The worst thing about this conclusion is that, basically, almost nothing happens and the little that does goes against the essence of Spider Man. The guy just gives up and ends the mini talking about fish. What the hell? Jesus! That was weird. But, really, Peter’s decision in the end is kinda shocking and his little message to Magneto is pretty ridiculous any way you want to look at it. Also, it doesn’t make any sense that when Logan went after Peter in House of M #5, he was still Spider Man, not living happily ever after fishing in the countryside (I mean, continuity problems with an 8-issue mini is a joke). The only thing that saves this last issue from being utter trash can material is Larroca’s art. He does a great Spider Man and his new uniform design was about the best thing in the whole series. He would be a great choice for handling Amazing Spider-Man, now that Mike Deodato will be leaving for New Avengers. 2/10

‘The fucking internet. It feeds cowards’

2005-11-07T19:13:00.000-08:00

Powers #14
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Artist: Michael Avon Oeming

There’s no doubt that Powers is one of the best titles being published right now, but this current story arc isn’t among my personal favorites. Sure, this is still part two and I might be saying the dumbest thing I’ve ever in my life, but that’s the feeling I’m getting so far. There’s nothing exactly wrong with this issue and you’ll find most of the trademark Powers stuff in here, particularly some sharp superhero humor a la Bendis. Still, the storyline doesn’t thrill me, the final cliffhanger didn’t really get to me and the monologues kinda disrupt the flow of the read. Still, it’s better than most comics you’re going to read any time soon and Oeming’s art is as great as ever, easily one of the main reasons this book works as well as it does. Also, you gotta love some of the coloring choices (like the interrogation of Microbe scene) by Peter Pantazis. 7/10

‘What in the name of God have I done?’

2005-11-06T20:16:00.000-08:00

Punisher #27
The slavers part 3
Writer: Garth Ennis
Artist: Leandro Fernandez

Ennis on a Punisher title is an easy win, and his current arc is one of his best so far. In this issue, Ennis decides to suggest extreme violence instead of showing it, which makes for a slightly more subtle book than his average. He has also built a very strong set of side characters for this arc, even bringing an old acquaintance from the Marvel Knights Punisher days. Overall, this is more of a character-centered issue, since nothing much happens, but it’s still a great read and sets up some more extremities in the issues to come. Leandro Fernandez keeps up the great work from the previous issues, the guy just draws one of the most menacing versions of Frank Castle I’ve ever seen. Dan Brown’s coloring is a great asset in making this book’s art great. The coloring in the bar scene is just incredible. 8/10

‘Youth doesn’t last forever. Unless you’re a superhero’

2005-11-06T20:03:00.000-08:00

Seven Soldiers: Bulleteer #1
Ballistic: how the Bulleteer began
Writer: Grant Morrison
Artist: Yanick Paquette

Morrison’s idea-per-square-meter rate seems to be on a low in this issue, but this new Seven Soldiers mini still seems deeper than 99% of the comics being published by the majors. This book reflects many cool ideas on the whole superhero genre and many different perceptions about the subject are portrayed here. That’s the greatest strength of this particular issue, and just about everything could happen as the mini develops. It’s a bit hard to guess just where the new Bulleteer will fit in the whole Seven Soldiers scheme, but that leaves Morisson to what he does best: be unpredictable. The art by Yanick Paquette is great, obviously directed at a sexy approach, and the final result is a big success. The costume design for the Bulleteer is a small downside, though. It just doesn’t seem to take advantage of the high sexual power they develop and portray during the issue. 7/10

‘Come fight a war with me’

2005-11-06T19:51:00.000-08:00

Outsiders #30
Unoriginal sins part 2: All hell breaks loose
Writer: Judd Winick
Artist: Matthew Clark

Winick manages to turn this Infinite Crisis tie-in into a decent story with his trademark use of humor. His style isn’t subtle, but it adds a personal touch to most of his writings. While I’m let down by the fact that the battle against Sabbac seemed too easy (especially counting the fact that he was supposed to be ultra-powerful right now), the writer makes good use of the seven deadly sins, and the addition of Katana makes up for an interesting issue, even if she doesn’t stick to the team in the future. I wish Nightwing hadn’t left the Outsiders, but the cast is pretty interesting with Captain Marvel Jr. being an odd but effective member. The final cliffhanger, however, doesn’t really hook me in, perhaps because its effects will really be felt elsewhere. Matthew Clark’s style is still great, and has a nice level of dynamics fit for a team book. 7/10

‘Just... goodbye’

2005-11-04T19:13:00.000-08:00

Superman #223
‘Stones’
Writer: Mark Verheiden
Artists: Ed Benes, Ivan Reis

Like almost anything else DC publishes these days, this issue of Superman has direct ties to Infinite Crisis. While I’m enjoying the crossover as a whole, many of these tie-ins lead absolutely nowhere. Luckily, Verheiden manages to create some strong scenes this time around and he writes a great Talia Al Ghul. The new Blackrock is also a great character and actually seems like a menace to Superman. On the other hand, Supergirl’s speech to the villain is corny as hell, I can’t believe the writer couldn’t come up with something better. The art is handled by two Brazilian artists: official penciller Ed Benes has some great moments in this issue, and it’s great seeing him draw Supergirl again (my first contact with his art was Peter David’s last arc on his defunct Supergirl title). Ivan Reis does half the issue and this is some of the best fill-in art you’re going to see anytime soon. 7/10

‘I had the strangest dream’

2005-11-04T18:35:00.000-08:00

JSA #79
‘Lost and found part 2’
Writer: Keith Champagne
Artist: Don Kramer

Inker Keith Champagne is doing an above average job as he fills in for official writer Geoff Johns. While nice, his writing certainly doesn’t match Johns’ level, which isn’t a bad remark anyway. His ‘search for JSA’s magical heroes’ story has a nice pacing and some interesting ideas, it just lacks the kind of impact readers of this series are used to. Still, he places the JSA in some nasty situations, and it will be interesting to see how exactly they will manage to save themselves. The upcoming Nabu vs. Mordru fight, particularly, is a promising moment. Kramer shows some nice superhero art, and the splash of Wildcat knocking Mordru out is awesome. This is a solid issue, really better than your average fill-in stuff (especially counting that the writer is more experienced as an inker). 6/10

‘I remember all of it’

2005-11-04T17:52:00.000-08:00

House of M #8
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Artist: Olivier Coipel

Bendis does what he’s best in the final issue of House of M, which means he writes some really powerful scenes, all of them about personal, intimate drama. Even if the consequences of this story will be felt by the whole Marvel universe, he still manages to make it work through each of the characters’ individual feelings on the whole thing. The only problem with this conclusion is that it ‘concludes’ just about nothing. As far as emotional impact goes, it’s great and will have fanboys arguing eternally, but it doesn’t answer crucial questions. In many ways it just feels like a cheat, since I don’t intend to follow the spin-offs that are headed our way, and I don’t know what the hell happened to some key characters of the whole story. Still, Bendis does what he set out to do, and does it with class, wrapping the whole thing up better than I expected (and he actually manages to make fun of DC’s mind-wiping heroes in one moment). Coipel does a spectacular job on the art, and I hope to see this guy draw more team books in the future. 8/10

Introductions all around (Book of lost souls #1)

2005-11-01T20:16:00.000-08:00

Writer: J. Michael Straczynski
Artist: Colleen Doran

Straczynski kicks off the first ongoing for the Icon imprint at Marvel in a slow pace. Almost no action whatsoever takes place in this issue, and some of the obvious central characters are presented to us. Unfortunately, the talking isn’t that impressive for the most part, since the writer opts for an odd mysterious tone that loses the reader in certain moments, but he manages to point the book in an interesting direction by the end of the issue. It’s clear that Book of lost souls will be full of secrets ahead and one issue in, it’s still pretty hard to figure out what these are going to be. In times of decompressed writing, it’s pretty hard to judge a book with only one issue (especially if it’s the first), so we are left with only a faint idea what this is all about for now. Colleen Doran’s art is nice, but I have some problems with the coloring style chosen for this book. Not a particularly intriguing first issue, but Straczynski is a solid writer, so I’m interested in what he has saved for us down the line. 5/10

The Murdock papers part 3 (Daredevil #78)

2005-11-01T18:49:00.000-08:00

Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Artist: Alex Maleev

Bendis approaches the end of his run on Daredevil, which is destined to become a seminal era in the history of the character. His last arc has been excellent so far and this third act keeps the overall quality quite high. The writer brings most of the important players since the beginning of his run to the table and he shows how good an understanding he has of each one of them (I still think Fisk giving up is a bit off, but we may be in for a surprise soon). Possibly, the greatest thing about this book is that it’s pretty hard to predict what will come next, since Bendis has already done the unimaginable with the character before. The Elektra moments are easily the highlights of this issue, along with a huge cliffhanger in the last page. Maleev’s art is as good as ever and he has proven to be the definitive artist for this title a long time ago. 8/10

Incredible Hulk Destruction #4

2005-11-01T18:26:00.000-08:00

Writer: Peter David
Artists: Jim Muniz, James Raiz

The final issue in this Abomination-themed mini kicks up the quality a bit, but still ranks among the weakest Hulk-related work David’s ever written. The writer gets some really nice moments, such as the powerful ending, which almost redeems the series as a whole. The whole ‘Bruce Jones’ run never happened’ bit is a strong downside, however, and will only be understood by someone who read David’s return arc on Incredible Hulk. Also, creating the Mercy character seems a bit pointless right now, since he isn’t writing Hulk books anymore and the series just ended. I could be wrong, though, maybe he has plans for her in the future. The real downside to this series, however, was the art. The Liefield-inspired art we get from Muniz is pretty uninspired and Raiz (on the flashbacks) is even weaker. Still, this issue saves the series from being a waste. 6/10

Illegal aliens (Drax the Destroyer #2)

2005-11-01T18:14:00.000-08:00

Writer: Keith Giffen
Artist: Mitch Breitweiser

People should really be talking more about this book. They really should. It isn’t at all groundbreaking, but Keith Giffen has managed to take Drax of all characters and create something exciting around him. Obviously, restoring the character to his intelligent self is a great idea (even if Giffen would probably pull off a great dumb bwa-ha-ha Drax if he so desired) and the league of alien villains in the book is just great, as are the human characters (even the anonymous old lady rocks). The dialogue is sharp and you can tell the Drax crew is having a lot of fun with this miniseries. Highest possible kudos go for Mitch Breitweiser, who’s probably on the verge of becoming a mainstain is superhero comics (he should be). His art here is nothing short of spectacular and his breakdowns make the last sequence an immediate highlight. 8/10

It’s Dormammu’s world – you’re just living in it! (Defenders #4)

2005-11-01T18:11:00.000-08:00

Writers: Keith Giffen, J.M. DeMatteis
Artist: Kevin Maguire

The bwa-ha-ha team of Giffen and DeMatteis just can’t do wrong. Their recent work with their Justice League characters was great and their Defenders mini has only one problem so far: the Silver Surfer jokes just aren’t funny. They’re probably saving him for something on the next (final) issue, but so far he’s not much more than an afterthought in the whole series. Apart from him, the other Defenders’ humorous versions are actually faithful to their ‘classic’ portrayals, only they are... funny. This issue is great and the Dormammu-world versions of Marvel characters add a special flavour. Kevin Maguire is doing a spectacular job with this series and his famous facial expressions are just as good as ever. He also gets the chance to redesign some Marvel heroes for their twisted versions, with great results. If this issue is any indication, the conclusion next month will be absolutely bombastic. 8/10

The Sentry #2

2005-11-01T17:46:00.000-08:00

Writer: Paul Jenkins
Artist: John Romita Jr.

It seems that Paul Jenkins is trying to write this 8-issue miniseries as almost stand-alone tales about the intricacies of the title character. For each time he succeeds, there’s an awkward moment that takes away from the overall strength of this book. Bottom line is, he is falling into the most common trap in writing Superman-level characters, which is zero drama when he sees superhero action. The personal drama has its ups and downs, but the actual Sentry bits have little to no impact (the exception being his dialogue with The Void... you just gotta love ‘The Hippy’). John Romita Jr. is always great and will probably benefit from his temporary departure from Amazing Spider-Man, since he is allowed to stretch into other territory. His basic style hasn’t changed, but he manages to encompass all the powerful glory and the underlying madness of the title character. Still, overall this is essentially an average book so far. 5/10

Love will get you killed part 3 (Jack Cross #3)

2005-11-01T17:28:00.000-08:00

Writer: Warren Ellis
Artist: Gary Erskine

Ellis brings the plot full circle as he leads towards the fourth and final chapter in Jack Cross’ inaugural arc. The title character is the main reason why people should be reading this book and Ellis makes the ‘ruthless pacifist forced to violence’ work pretty well so far. He still has some surprises left, such as Jack cracking a joke in the middle of a helicopter crash, even if that scene doesn’t work all that well in the end. The ‘slow motion x-ray’ narrative makes its appearance and still works pretty well, even if the novelty is already fading into a kind of trademark for the book by now. Erskine does a nice job in such moments, but the overuse of this kind of narrative takes its toll in some parts, such as the helicopter scene. You also have to admire DC for publishing this book within its regular universe (I wonder if Jack will ever cross paths with superheroes... it’d be weird to say the least). This isn’t the best Jack Cross issue so far, but the writer’s ever-witty dialogue and political commentary point towards a bombastic conclusion next month. 7/10

New avengers #12

2005-10-30T20:23:00.000-08:00

Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Artist: David Finch

I really think that Bendis is better writing less over-the-top stuff (Daredevil, Powers), but his New Avengers have been an enjoyable read since the beginning. Here, his dialogue is as strong as ever and reading his Spider Man is always a joy. He also creates a classic Cage sequence in this issue. The guy just loves the Marvel universe and the heroes, but I really think his ‘villain talk’ scenes don’t have the same effect. But my biggest problem with this issue is that the ‘who is Ronin’ mystery gets tossed aside and, really, Bendis doesn’t seem to care about keeping the interest high on that particular subject. The David Finch and Danny Miki art team do a great job and save the day when it comes to the widescreen action moments or whatever. 6/10

A kin of homecoming (Loveless #1)

2005-10-30T20:05:00.000-08:00

Writer: Brian Azzarello
Artist: Marcelo Frusin

Let’s get it out of the way. Loveless’ opening sequence is one of the best things I’ve read in comics recently. Azzarello hands out his classic sharp dialogue, but Frusin’s framing and Patricia Mulvihill’s colors (keep an eye on the sky) are just out of this world. The whole team keeps the reading experience intense and intelligent throughout the whole book, and they show how much a good deal of research can take comics to another level. Azzarello manages to create a new bunch of ‘instant classic’ character material, and the ending of the first issue is built on a ‘shocker’ perspective, but much more intelligently than the average writer would. If the first issue is anything to go by, Azzarello and crew have created another son-to-be classic gem for Vertigo. 9/10

Power trip part 4 (JSA Classified #4)

2005-10-30T19:47:00.000-08:00

Writer: Geoff Johns
Artist: Amanda Conner

Johns finally gets around to explaining Power Girl’s origin, but coming out two weeks later than Infinite Crisis #1, a lot of the actual impact of this issue just faded away. The explanation we get becomes a bit obvious after Infinte Crisis #1’s last pages (with its ‘...we can even save her...’ line). Still, Johns is easily one the best in the business right now, and he still manages to make this issue entertaining. DC fanatics will certainly be happy see a lot of familiar old faces. I still can’t understand what exactly happened to Psycho Pirate, but maybe we’ll get around to that as Infinite Crisis continues. Amanda Conner was a great choice for this arc’s art, since her style encompasses a great array of different emotions (Luthor’s ‘I can’t believe this freak’ expression as he taks to Psycho Pirate is priceless) and shines on the action, too. 7/10

Wolverine #35

2005-10-30T19:03:00.000-08:00

Writer: Daniel Way
Artists: Javier Saltares, Mark Teixeira

Daniel Way closes his House of M tie-in Wolverine arc in ‘surprise ending’ mode, which makes for a solid story on the title. House of M, much like Age of Apocalypse years back, gave writers the chance to reimagine the Marvel characters under a new light, and this story is as much about Mystique than it is about Logan. These characters and also Nick Fury see a strong characterization in Way’s hand. Overall, the character-centered moments succeed more than the action sequence, which is almost unnecessary. Saltares (on breakdowns) and Teixeira (on finishes) make up for a good art team and apparently they’ll stay on the book with Way writing. If this initial story in any indication, Wolverine readers can count on a nice follow-up to Mark Millar’s big-budget-Hollywood-action-movie run. 7/10

Secret identities part 2 (Young Avengers #8)

2005-10-30T12:27:00.000-08:00

Writer: Allan Heinberg
Artist: Andrea DiVito

Marvel’s Young Avengers release was a really nice surprise. The first arc was better than probably anyone would have imagined it could be and, while this new storyline doesn’t really pack the same punch, it still manages to keep the book in the spotlight. Allan Heinberg makes the one of the best uses out of the MGH drug yet, which shows he cares for old and recent continuity alike. The team has some nice character moments and it seems like the new Vision will be an important part of this book in the future (I’m eager to see what happens when they meet Kang again down the line). Still, I’m let down by the easy way out taken in the ending of the arc, since it’s obvious Patriot won’t be away from the Young Avengers for a long time. I would imagine that Heinberg’s got some surprises for us down the line regarding the character, but this ‘solution’ disappoints me overall. DiVito’s art doesn’t quite achieve what Jim Cheung did in his 6-parter opening arc, but he’s still way above average. This is a solid issue for a great book. 7/10

New maps of hell part 4 (JLA Classified #13)

2005-10-29T17:37:00.000-07:00

Writer: Warren Ellis
Artist: Butch Guice

Ellis’ tight writing and Guice’s art prevent this chapter from being a wasted read. Not much happens in this issue apart from confirming the intentions of the ‘bad guy’, and Ellis is doing his JLA Classified arc at a decidedly stretched pacing, but the intelligent dialogue keeps things interesting. Guice’s storytelling is also a great asset in grabbing the attention of the reader, the guy draws a remarkable JLA. I love the more ‘mature’ look he gives the older characters (Superman, J’onn, Batman) and his Wonder Woman is, well, wonderful, which is always a good thing. This is a nice set-up issue and we’ll see if Ellis heightens the interest and tension rates when he pitches our heroes against ‘their own personal hells’. 6/10

Call to arms (JLA #121)

2005-10-29T17:17:00.000-07:00

Writer: Bob Harras
Artist: Tom Derenick

The second chapter of the 5-part World without a Justice League arc is an underwhelming read. Nothing really seems to happen and all the ‘something wicked this way comes’ visions, omens and predictions make up for a boring and repetitive theme right now. If the first chapter had some decent character moments in it, this one goes in the wrong direction and characterization is way off this time around (the heroes trying to convince Nightwing to spy on Batman is disastrous). Apart from that, The Key plot thread just doesn’t advance at all. Tom Derenick turns in some good art (he draws a great Aquaman, as weird as that sounds) and fits in the same style as the previous JLA penciller, Chris Batista, but that’s not enough to make this issue a good read. 4/10

The one you love part 5 (Catwoman #48)

2005-10-29T16:52:00.000-07:00

Writer: Will Pfeifer
Artist: Pete Woods

Five issues in, and Pfeifer’s run on Catwoman hasn’t exactly excited me. Sure, it’s way better than the fill-ins that came after Ed Brubaker’s departure, but nothing particularly remarkable. One of the things that bother me is that Pfeifer seems to be ignoring the recent events in JLA, which could make Selina much more interesting as a character. But, maybe this particular storyline takes place before the Crisis of conscience story. Also, her apparent death by the end of the issue doesn’t work as a cliffhanger at all, it’s way just too obvious that it is a fluke. Pfeifer’s writing is decent, but the art really takes the cake here. Pete Woods draws a great Catwoman and balances out the weak plot with some nice storytelling. Also, nobody’s going to complain about that Adam Hughes cover art... 5/10

The winter soldier part 3 (Captain America #11)

2005-10-29T16:03:00.000-07:00

Writer: Ed Brubaker
Artist: Steve Epting

After a brief House of M interruption, Brubaker and Epting resume their ‘Bucky returns’ saga. As a whole, this new series is the best Captain America has been in a long while, and the creative team for this book is in top form. That said, issue #11 is mildly disappointing, for diverse reasons, such as completely ignoring the Crossbones plot thread laid in issue #9. But mainly because Brubaker tells the story of what happened to Cap’s sidekick for all these years, which leads to the all-to-obvious conclusion of ‘Bucky is back’. Since everybody who can put 2 and 2 already knew that, it leaves a bad taste of repetition in my mouth. However, Brubaker’s brave choice to tell the whole story through a series of documents and dossiers works pretty well and the art rises up to the challenge. Readers are presented with a striking scene by the end of the issue, where Cap and Bucky watch themselves on a movie screen, anonymous in the middle of the crowd. 7/10

Legacy part 2: Impure thoughts (Teen Titans #28)

2005-10-29T13:03:00.000-07:00

Writer: Gail Simone
Artist: Rob Liefield

I really enjoy most of Simone’s writings. She just recently did a spectacular job on the Villains United mini and will unfortunately be leaving Action Comics soon. But this two-parter fill-in story on Teen Titans is way below her usually quality stuff. The ‘family’ drama just doesn’t really resonate and her use of Robin as the narrator leans heavily towards the corny side of things. Rob Liefield (comics’ most hated artists it seems) does his classic ‘I hate anatomy’ pencils with very little in the way of backgrounds (check out the ‘Titans fight Kestrel’ scene for a classic example). Sometimes he gets some things right, but overall his work is too inconsistent and sometimes just nonsensical (Wonder Girl punches Christina while looking at the reader – what the hell is that supposed to mean?). Overall, this was a rather weak fill-in story and I look forward to see Geoff Johns back in this title as soon as possible. 3/10

Blood debt (Wonder Woman #222)

2005-10-29T12:22:00.000-07:00

Writer: Greg Rucka
Artist: Cliff Richards

Greg Rucka loves to write the amazon. That much is obvious. To me, putting him on Wonder Woman was a strange idea, but the man is doing great things with this book. This time around, Rucka does a villain-centered piece, with Cheetah narrating her well-known hatred for Diana. The characterization is strong and the quiet moments shine, which has always been Rucka's greatest strength, really. He makes everything work nicely, such as tie-ins for Infinite crisis and his own investigation of the paradox of peace-loving amazon warriors preparing for war. The action sequences don't work as well, though Richards draws an excellent Cheetah overall. I hope the art team for this book settles down, because recently it has seen insane levels of fill-ins and multiple artists per issue. Richards wouldn't be a bad choice (his pencils here look much better than they did in his fill-in stint on Omac Project), but I was under the impression Rags Morales was the official artist for this title. 7/10

The other part 3: Rage (Amazing Spider-Man #525)

2005-10-29T11:59:00.000-07:00

Writer: Peter David
Artist: Mike Deodato Jr.

Peter David closes his initial run on Spider-Man titles with another character piece. This issue is centered around Aunt May and her perception that something is wrong with Peter. Obviously, everybody knew this since the end of Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #1, and the dramatic impact is diminished by the fact that we don't learn what's going on and that we know he isn't going to die anyway (but apparently he'll lose an organ, they say). David's writing offers some strong character moments, which is probably his main goal with this and, overall, it works beautifully (I really liked May talking to Ben about Jarvis). On the crossover perspective, however, it just doesn't click, because there is barely a plot here. This issue shows that, like Paul Jenkins before him (on Spectacular Spider-Man), Peter David will most certainly shine on stand-alone issues (as he did recently in Incredible Hulk #82), but so far The other just doesn't go forward. Deodato offers his classic good stuff, but his Tracer is pretty weird. The villain has the kind of design that works really well with less 'realistic' art, and in Deodato's style he just looks like a crazy freak going to the carnival (but then, maybe he is a crazy freak). Nice character moments hold this book in the 'above average' level, but it looks like shoving this The other storyline down everyone's throat was a mistake. 6/10

Breaking point (Adventures of Superman #645)

2005-10-29T11:40:00.000-07:00

Writers: Greg Rucka, Nunzio DeFilippis, Christina Weir
Artists: Karl Kerschl, Renato Guedes

Rucka continues to explore his Ruin storyline, but, quite frankly, the subject is getting a bit tired by now. The constant interruptions for Infinite Crisis tie-ins and the such doesn't help, either, and I've basically lost interest in the outcome of this who-is-Ruin plot thread. Lois' search for the person who shot her doesn't work that well, either, and I feel that Rucka's selection of villains is kinda weak, except for the mandatory Luthor (armor-Luthor this time around). DeFilippis and Weir do a decent job in filling-in for Rucka, who is responsible solely for the plot, but the shifiting art teams are really hurting this title (and, coincidentally or not, other Rucka-penned books). Guedes' take on Ruin is pretty awkward, as the villain ends up looking like a Mega Man robot. The ending is pretty disappointing, since it leads into Infinite Crisis #1, which was released two weeks prior to this. All in all, a rather bland issue in Rucka's solid Adventures run. 5/10

To hell with in-depth posts

2005-10-28T14:58:00.000-07:00

Really, to hell with them.

I don't have the time to write long reviews of the books I read, so, from now on, I'll do quick impressions, lame jokes and the like. I'll only write about books coming out on the week I read them, and, if I can, I'll post each the day I finish reading each one. I've decided to hand out grades from 1 to 10, too. Even though I don't really like graded reviews. Anyway, these aren't actual reviews, I'm not an actual reviewer and no one reads this stuff, either.

I'd change the name of the blog to 'Things I read today', if I had the patience.

And the crisis rolls on...

2005-04-01T20:53:00.000-08:00

Well, the choice for a book to review this week was a pretty easy one. Quite frankly, right now, before you can even think about it, the one that will come to mind is DC’s Countdown to Infinite Crisis. The much anticipated ‘sequel’ to last year’s big hit Identity Crisis series is finally upon us, and, as expected, it deepens the emotional, dramatic take on superheroes’ lives seen on the Brad Meltzer book. What isn’t that obvious is exactly what to think about the one-shot after reading it. Countdown inspires mixed feelings, specially for long-time readers of the DC universe. Clearly, there is a lot to be loved and hated in the 80-page release.

The concept to Countdown is to gather the core exclusive DC writing talent, pair it with a strong team of artists and use this huge ensemble to lay down the foundation upon which the publisher’s monthly books will be built for the months to come, as well as start heating up towards the big Infinite Crisis event (as mastermind Dan Didio has put it, it’s supposed to be the worst day in the history of the DC universe). And I can see clearly that some people will hate the vision these guys are standing for, but the simple fact is they are giving the whole universe a focused – and generally exciting – sense of whole.

Countdown is written by the holy trinity of DC writers as of 2005, namely Greg Rucka, Judd Winick and Geoff Johns. All three are involved in writing the major DC characters, such as Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, the Titans, Flash, JSA, Green Arrow etc., which gives a good idea of how the basic Crisis concept will spread throughout the whole universe (and it has already started to, with the ramifications of Identity Crisis appearing). More than that, however, it’s astounding to see how they share a unified vision at this point, since this one issue is written by three different people and is perfectly balanced throughout each of the five acts in which it is divided. It flows so well that it’s pretty hard to tell which writer did which part exactly, and you still feel each of their contributions throughout the whole of the story.

It’s also pretty impressive to notice how much the Crisis concept is separated from the big comics events of the past. The fact is that these new ‘big events’, starting with Identity Crisis, are marketed as epic universe shattering stories, but they are told in a very intimate perspective. The actual use of the word ‘crisis’ (and now also ‘infinite’) is pretty misleading since it inevitably reminds everyone of the much-beloved (and probably most successful ‘big event’ in comics history) Crisis on Infinite Earths. As much as that was actually a complete reimagination and updating of the whole DC universe, and the ‘new’ Crisis can also be seen from that perspective, it was an epic tale in scope. As opposed to that, what we’re seeing so far in this new direction is the consequence of the personal decisions of the characters; it’s the individual that matters, not a cosmic entity.

And, as far as I’m concerned, that’s where Identity Crisis and now Countdown have found their greatest strengths. Sure, the two have their clear differences, such as the fact that in Countdown the big revelations at the end actually matter in a larger scope, in a direct practical sense. But the biggest impact the issue has doesn’t really come from the shocker ending, nor from the scenes that point towards the mini-series spawned from it; it comes from the personal feelings and conflicts of the main character that serves as the narrative focus of the story. I’m not going to delve into who he is or what he goes though here, but the fact is these ‘key DC writers’ prove once more the ability they have over comics storytelling, and raw emotional storytelling at that.

Sure, Countdown points out to bigger, splashier things in the months to come – unlike Identity Crisis, there is this huge event-like revelation at the end of the issue – but the idea to break the whole concept down into four upcoming minis and also within the monthly DC books hints that the focus will stay in showing it through a more ‘private’ view. As far as we’ve seen, the whole Crisis series is a story of lost trust, and when you can’t trust anyone you find yourself alone. This is the moment when these heroes are frail, and suspicious of one another, and so far the writers involved have done a great job in portraying this general uneasy feeling.

The same can be said about the artists taking part in Countdown. Although the general tone of the art isn’t as fluid as the writing, it still works pretty well. The story opens up with the Identity Crisis team of Rags Morales and Michael Bair, which sets the basic direction of the issue. This is also probably the greatest ‘act’ as far as the art goes, even if the other artists, Ed Benes, Jesus Saiz, Phil Jimenez and Ivan Reis all do great jobs. Benes’ second act is certainly the one that seems a little out of tone when compared to the others, simply because his style doesn’t fit in as perfectly. Jimenez’s closing chapter is a close second in terms of quality and contains both striking action sequences and raw emotional and dramatic parts, specially towards the last pages.

There’s one key problem with Countdown as a whole, and that’s the fact that, as opposed to what I felt when I read Identity Crisis, sometimes the actions of the heroes don’t really add up. I mean, you can accept the fact that the characters’ relations are shaky at this point in chronology, but the editorial vision pretty much dismisses much of the history these characters have built together in the past. There are some pretty unbelievable reactions from certain key DC characters, even if they’re trying to justify it all the time with the same excuse (that doesn’t always work that well). In a way, this feeling of isolation is the basic concept behind this story (and the whole event), but it seems pretty far-fetched at times, like not enough has happened to undo the relationships that existed before.

This decision is pretty much guaranteed to piss off a whole legion of old DC readers. And that’s understandable, since you can see these guys pissing on something that has been built throughout decades of great (and not-that-great) stories that many have commited to this whole time. More than that, it just feels out of place, sometimes. It doesn’t ring true, sounds like a lie. This disrespect for continuity is actually all the more surprising when you think that Geoff Johns is one of these key writers for the whole DC universe right now, and that he is most known for playing so well with the essence and history of each character he writes. Personally, it pains me that these guys are taking turns in destroying one of the greatest DC series ever, the Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis run on Justice League International. And it all seems all the more bizarre when you think they are actually publishing their newest story arc with these characters in JLA Classified, with a vision that’s 180º off of what is being done here.

One other thing that bugs me, even though it’s a minor complaint when compared to the big issue above, is that Countdown loses its focus and flow in some parts of the narrative, and that’s when it’s used as a marketing tool for the upcoming mini-series. Sure, they build the sense that something pretty bad is starting to happen across the whole DC universe, but it simply doesn’t have anything to do with this story. As the Countdown writers said before, they weren’t telling this to fix anything, but it was done because it was a great story. And I mostly agree with that, except when you take a couple of pages as excuses to advertise the upcoming series. It completely disrupts the flow of the ‘great story’ and simply loses all narrative focus.

In the end, it’s somewhat hard to know exactly what to think of Countdown after finishing it for the first time. At first, I felt I was losing something, since I didn’t like many of the decisions they made with this particular story. Some of these things I downright hated and it just hurts, in some specific parts. However, that hurt is also a good thing when you can actually relate to and believe in what’s going on with this key character and also with the whole DC cast. As much as I’m against some of the decicions made here, I can’t say I’m against the direction in which DC is moving. Hell, I'm actually excited with it. This isn’t really a grittier, or darker take on super heroes: it’s just a deeply emotional, personal, dramatic and sometimes tragic vision. And you can’t blame the people involved with Countdown, because they did as they promised. They did tell a great story, overall, and it gives you the sensation you’re standing on the foundation of something grand as you read it.

And they have certainly recaptured that Wednesday feeling. I can’t wait for what’s to come, for the whole of DC, even if I still have this sour taste in my mouth right now. And that counts for something.

Logan is on a killing spree (and that’s supposed to be news?)

2005-03-08T19:49:00.000-08:00

Well, I guess nobody actually knows this, but I’m not a big Mark Millar fan. The guy just seems to be at the top of the comics world right now, and all his projects apparently sell like cold beer on a hot summer day. Fact is, the guy’s clearly a talented writer, has a tight grip on comics narrative, can pen some excellent dialogue and all of the other stuff. So, how come I don’t really like what he writes? The thing is, the way I see it, just about everything Millar writes seems to depend on some kind of, for lack of a better word, gimmick that would be better left out as far as I’m concerned. It’s not the fact that he reveals that Jodie isn’t really the second coming of Jesus in the end of Chosen; it’s just that he does it in a way that seems more intent on shocking the readers than just telling a good story like he was doing.

Most of my issues with Millar’s books come from the way he chooses to end them, in ways that often sound like he’s saying ‘hey, look at how you readers are stupid and I’m so fuckin’ cool’, apart from making his big revelations pointless and empty. So I’m actually surprised that his first arc in the Wolverine monthly book (issues #20-25) doesn’t go that far into these things. Of course, there’s still more Mark Millar Wolverine ahead of us, and with him on board we can’t really be sure of what’s going to happen. But, as far as Enemy of the state goes, this is a weirdly entertaining story.

The basic reason why the arc works as well as it does it that Millar does exactly what he said he was going to do in the first place: that is, eliminate the deep psychological approach on the main character and bring the huge adventure feel back. So, yes, we do have high-tech spies, ninja assassins, super heroes fighting each other and, well, lots and lots of bloodshed by the hands of Wolverine. Heck, he even created yet another super-powerful-mutant-assassin-from-another-country as the main bad guy (Omega Red, anyone?) to pitch against Wolvie. And I have to admit that Millar pulls it all off with good precision.

I guess most people who are mildly interested in this already know the basic plot to the arc, but I’ll write it down anyway: Logan is killed (yes, killed) by said mysterious super-cool mutant ninja-type assassin, and then resurrected and brainwashed by a coalition of The Hand, Hydra and a new organization’s forces. He is then under their control, much like what we’ve seen done to Elektra in the past. The red-clad ninja is one of the main characters of the whole story arc, which features a huge number of classic Marvel character appearences from issue to issue. Basically, now that Logan is ‘working’ for the bad guys, his mission seems to be to track down and dispose of as many heroes as he can. So, basically, this story is a sequence of Logan vs. Random Cape action scenes, culminating with him facing his fellow X-Men and other first-rank Marvel heroes.

Some of the fighting is downright amazing, and some aren’t really that interesting. Generally, things are better when Logan is trying to kill not-that-powerful heroes, such as Elektra or Daredevil. The fight against Matt Murdock, particularly, is stunning both as graphic action and psychological confrontation. Other bits, such as the invasion of Baxter building isn’t really that exciting, and it’s obviously too ridiculous to imagine that Logan could take on the entire Fantastic Four alone and get away with it, which is basically what happens. Issue #25’s action, which sees the character going against the X-Men isn’t really that great, either, but the arc does end with a decent cliffhanger to keep readers interested for the next story arc, Agent of SHIELD.

The basic fact is that Enemy of the state is so much more an event comic than a monthly series. This could as easily have been published in a mini-series format, specially since this isn’t really that centered on Logan as the main character. Even if he is obviously the main narrative focus, the scope of the story is always so much larger than the individual character. However, that ‘contradiction’ is really the fun of reading Millar’s Wolverine. Unlike most Marvel comics nowadays, this title seems to have taken a leap back in time to when crossover plots and big event series were commonplace and the fun of reading comics was a matter of simple adventure and action, as opposed to mind-bending personal drama. And doing this kind of story in a monthly Wolverine comic is much more than taking a step back: it sounds like a statement, one about bringing pure fun back into comics. And it succeeds a good deal in what it tries to do.

Obviously, Millar’s taste for graphic violence is more than welcome in such a comic, and he uses it to a great effect. Meaningless violence scenes such as sharks devouring human carcasses in issue #21 go great lengths in establishing the mood of the arc as a whole. The writer’s sexual references, however, are much more subdued than what we generally see from him, which is to be expected in such a mainstream book (and I have to state that I see that limitation as something good). Millar does get some sexual content through, though. The Logan vs. Murdock fight, for example, is tempered with a sexual envy from Logan that really seems to be driving force of his attacks’ ferocity. The classic Jean Grey reference is used in the last issue as well, but the writer does well in standing far from the obvious way out.

He does lose one point in that regard, though, when he decides to kill Northstar by the end of the last issue. I actually think it was a pretty decent idea to have Logan kill an X-Men in the end of the arc, and the tension leading to that is built up pretty well through all of the issues. But here he just seems to go back to the ‘let’s shock my readers’ philosophy that seems to run along all of Millar’s work. It also ties in with the author’s obsession with sexual references, since Northstar is one of the few (if not the only) Marvel hero that’s openly homosexual. And it’s not really the fact that the character dies, it’s how Millar seems to ‘get rid of him’, including Northstar in the last pages of the issue so that he can eliminate him shortly after. It’s forced and plays much more like a, well, gimmick, than a true plot event.

On the art front, however, the book is almost without flaws. Well, bring John Romita Jr. in and you’ve got my attention, it’s as basic as that, really. His peculiar style as seen for years in Amazing Spider-Man, is kept untouched and it works wonderfully. Simply put, Romita Jr. is the perfect artist for ‘lightweight’ character action and that’s one of the reason why the Daredevil and Elektra fights are so intense. His costumed Wolverine is a wonder to behold and pretty much all of the heroes he draws look great (his Captain America, particularly, is outstanding). Besides, he has total control over Millar’s narrative and breaks the action down incredibly well. Apart from that, his full-page frames are just out of this world.

Klaus Janson’s inks are superb, and highlight a certain graphical tension that was absent in Romita Jr.’s pairing with Scott Hanna in Amazing Spider-Man. He brings some kind of ‘uncertainty’ to Romita Jr.’s lines that really gives the action a whole new dimension. The cover art for all issues is great, but it’s impossible not to highlight the last two issues’, colored by Richard Isanove. The Daredevil vs. Wolverine cover (issue #24) stands as my favorite for the arc and pretty much captures the intensity of the whole fight sequence.

Overall, Enemy of the state is a pretty good outing of simple, pure action and mayhem from Mark Millar. This first story arc leaves good hope for what’s to come and, even controlled by Marvel’s mainstream rules there is still a solid sense of uncertainty as to what’s going to happen further down the road. He leaves some good plot threads open and, apparently, the story will go on being more of an event comic than a monthly character title. If Millar manages to keep churning out more simply fun stuff like this, I’ll be reading it for sure. Hell, John Romita Jr. will still be the artist, so sure, I’ll be there.

Just getting started...

2005-02-28T19:47:00.001-08:00

I’ve been thinking about doing this blog-tribute to my love of comic books for a while now, even since I went back on reading this stuff in full force.

It took me quite a while to come up with the name, though. Yeah, sure, ‘The blank panel’ is a stupid name, but it fit well enough with my inability to create a decent title for it, and since the panel is the basic unit of the comic book medium and all... well, as I’ve said before, it is stupid.

Anyway, I could waste your time and my own inventing some crazy excuse for it, like a blank panel is the ultimate expression of comics perfection... but nah, I’ll just go on and write some really stupid stuff.