Comic review - 03/14/07 / five titles reviewed with six remaining for later this week

So I’ve fallen behind…again.  Scads of comics to review once more but I’ll start back at last week.  If I go back further, I’ll have an insurmountable number of comics to write about.

< --- has approximately zero time lately

Justice League of America #6

Pencils – Ed Benes – What more can be said about Benes’ work that I haven’t said already?  Most titles have a weakness, be it on the artistic side of things, or the story side of things.  Benes holds up his end perfectly.  I am really enjoying his work in J.L. of A.  He makes everything in the comic larger than life and that’s what I expect from a marquee title like J.L. of A.

Colors – Alex Sinclair – For a person that commented on my last review for J.L. of A. they mentioned that I ignored the person in charge of colours in the title.  I had to agree that the colorist needed to get some recognition.  Getting the JLA together involves nearly every colour you can think of and Sinclair does a brilliant job of making everything vivid and vibrant.  The images pop right off the page.  In a comic with so many different costumes and colours, you could run the risk of things looking too busy.  It doesn’t in this title.  Everything looks perfect…seriously.

Words – Brad Meltzer – So I’m not ashamed to admit that the first few issues of this run had me a bit underwhelmed.  A story focusing on the Red Tornado?  Seriously?  Who cares about the Red Tornado?  I can answer that last question now.  I care about the Red Tornado.  He turned a two dimensional, lame-o robot into a wind manipulating character with depth and substance.  He also made Solomon Grundy an undeniable badass rather than just the token tank or meatshield that a criminal mastermind is using as a stooge.  I can only hope that Meltzer stays on this title for a good long while, and he gives Red Arrow, Black Lightning and Hawk Woman as much substance as he did for the Red Tornado.

No more lame numerical ratings from this guy.  Instead you’ll get a simple “BUY” / “NO BUY”.

If you like super group stories and you’re interested in learning more about the second-tier heroes in the DC-verse, this series of five comics leading up this sixth one is definitely for you.  BUY this comic.

If you suck or you’re a pinko-commie-bastard, then this comic is a NO BUY.

;)

Hyperion vs Nighthawk #3

Pencils – Paul Gulacy – Paul Gu-who?  Yeah, that’s what I said when I first started pulling this title, but as it turns out, Gulacy is a pleasant surprise.  It’s not terrible art, nor is it so great that it overshadows the story.  I really enjoy the detail he puts into the faces of all the characters and how they all look different.  A nice thing is that Gulacy does an excellent job of conveying emotion in the faces of the characters unlike other pencillers with bigger names and reps (Jim Lee for one).  The premise of the Squadron Supreme world is that it’s basically super heroes in today’s world, and the art conveys that premise in a convincing fashion.  All in all. I’m happy with the work.

Words – Marc Guggenheim -  So you take the “big name” heroes from the DC – verse and put them in the political powder-keg world of the t.v. show 24 and you get the Squadron Supreme universe.  Hyperion/Superman vs Nighthawk/Batman gives their rivalry more substance than what you’re seeing in the Squadron Supreme series currently being done.  In my opinion, it flesh out Nighthawk more than just an “anti-caucasian” super hero.  He makes the 619, pussy version of Nighthawk look like…well…a pussy, and he’s such a mean son of a bitch that he’d even give Batman a run for his money.  Writing about the atrocities going on in Africa seems to be “the cool new thing” lately in the comic world, but it takes a back seat to the relationship that is being established between Nighthawk and Hyperion.

If you collected Supreme Power, or collect the new Squadron Supreme.  Pick this up.  This is definitely a BUY.

If you’re looking for a different take on super heroes then this is definitely a BUY as well.

Ultimate Spider-Man #106

Pencils - Mark Bagley – Consistent, Mark Bagley deliciousness.  It’s not the best artwork out there ever, and the fact that all his female characters tend to look the same with only different coloured hair and eyes as a differentiating feature can be a bit confusing….BUT; it works for USM.  I am completely biased as he is the only artist that has been on USM and I have been reading the comic and looking at Bagley’s art for the last five years but I just can’t imagine anyone else drawing these characters.  I believe Stuart Immonen is slated next when Bagley and Bendis leave and I don’t envy him for the shoes he has to fill.  Whatever title Bagley works on next, I will probably start pulling if I’m not pulling it already, which speaks to how much I enjoy bagley’s artwork.

Words – Brian Bendis – Hark, hark, hearken unto me!  Everything that I used to love about the original USM has returned in this issue.  Villainous villains.  Bad ass super heroes that think Peter is a weiner.  Peter and MJ are back together again, kinda sorta with a healthy dose of 90210 angsty goodness!

< --- lieks teh angsty goodness

Without sounding like a big girl, the development on the last panel of this issue has me eagerly anticipating #107.  The story involving the Kingpin and Daredevil is good too…

This issue is a BUY.  Bendis got back to basics with this issue and if you’re trying to decide if you want in on the USM fun, pick this issue up and then buy all the trades as back issues.  You won’t be disappointed.  Truly, the only “Spider-title” worth buying at the moment.

Captain America #25

Pencils – Steve Epting – The best and only Captain America run worth collecting continues with it’s bestness and onlyness. Epting’s pencils have a retro-feel without having a retro-look.  I know…it doesn’t make any sense but there you have it.  He also manages to convey a very realistic look, and couples that with a great sense of conveying motion and action.  Perfect for this title which has gotten away from Cap battling the Serpent Society and more towards political intrigue and special ops.

Words – Ed Brubaker – He has composed twenty-five issues of Captain America that I feel, have done a better job of defining the character than all the previous titles put together.  Now, regarding the story.  First, I’d like to say that I hate the vultures.  Dipshits that come charging into the comic book store to buy the issue Captain America died in because they heard about it on CNN or MSNBC, hoping they just bought a lottery ticket with pictures.  For the record, this title won’t mean shit in the ways of profit.  Atleast not for a very, VERY long time.  MAYBE if there was a good Captain America movie, or MAYBE if Captain America was as huge as Spider-Man, but neither of those things have happened or ever will anytime soon.  So…Captain America is dead…or is he?  Or isn’t he?  Or is he?  From the other comics I have read, the cat’s dead.  At the very LEAST, Steve Rogers, the guy behind the mask is dead.  Rampant speculation on who will be the next Captain America has already begun and I haven’t the desire to allocate any additional brain cells towards figuring out who it will be.  The story is good.  Cap’s betrayal, however unknowing the betrayer was is an excellent twist.  The Red Skull is actually a bad mother-fucker for once and I LOVE that they brought back Bucky and he’s a bad mother-fucker too.  Some people were unhappy with how Civil War ended.  I was pleased.  Anyone who reads a great deal of comics, knows the business and some people knew that SOMEONE was going to die, someone of note.  It couldn’t be Spider-Man, and Iron Man wouldn’t have been it because there’s an Iron Man movie in the works so Cap was an obvious choice.  Not a huge death but big enough to affect a large number of characters in the Marvel Universe.  I think Steve Rogers getting killed was a good choice and who knows how long he’ll stay dead.  Brubaker is an excellent writer and seems to have a very solid grasp of the Marvel-verse.  If it’s up to Brubaker I think Rogers will stay dead for a long time.   Personally; I’m really looking forward to seeing how this all plays out.

This title is a BUY.  If you don’t own the run, buy all the back issues too.  Buy it because Epting and Brubaker are a great team.  Don’t buy it because it’s going to be worth something in twenty years because it probably won’t.

Civil War;  The Initiative

Multiple Writers and Multiple Pencillers

These multi-writer-penciller collabs kinda irritate me but I understand why Marvel puts out things like this.  Shameless self-promotion for current titles and upcoming titles that dovetail with the conclusion of the Civil War run.

This made me realize how much I miss Marc Silvestri’s work.  Man.  The cover alone on this comic was enough to make me buy it, but the introduction of Canada’s new team, built on the ashes (literally) of Alpha Flight…ta daaaaaa OMEGA FLIGHT!  Boy oh boy am I stoked about this title and I’ll be double-plus stoked if they keep Scott Lobdell away from it.

There’s also some promoting of Warren Ellis’ Thunderbolts run which is brilliant and rapidly becoming one of my favourite titles to read.

There’s also some fleshing out of Spider-Woman (the Shield agent, Hydra agent one).  She’s annoying despite the fact that her costume accentuates her already unruly breasts.

I’m stuck in the middle regarding the recommendation of this title for purchase.  If you’re a Civil war fanatic, then definitely pull this title.  Otherwise, save your money for something you really do want.