Sunday, February 26, 2006

Looking To The Stars - What's in The News?



Don't expect a big focused rant this week, folks. There's big changes coming to the Nexus and I'm too busy cleaning up sawdust and hammering up plywood to pick one big story to focus on.

So what do I have for you this week? A few links. A few rants. And a few quick reviews and odd notes.

Let's get it on, then.



The 2005 Comics Nexus Year End Awards

At the time of this publishing, there is still time to go vote in 2005 Year End Awards . So go vote! It's your patriotic duty! Our voting process guaranteed to be 100% Diebold free!



House of M: Part Four

The final chapter of Matt Gardner's masterpiece parody of House of M is finally up!

NO MORE FATHER! NO MORE CROSSOVERS!

Would that it were so...



PREVIEW: CIVIL WAR

Read it and weep, Fanboy!

It's going to suck.

Not because Bendis is masterminding it. Not because Millar is writing it. Not because the whole stated purpose of the series is to bring back the unified Marvel Universe Stan Lee envisioned and yet it's being built upon the backs of the two stories that did more to screw up Marvel Continuity in recent memory.

No, it will suck because Spider-Man has a new costume.

Nothing good has ever come of any storyline where Spider-Man gets a new costume. It's like Ted McGinley joining the cast of a show – disaster WILL strike!

Seriously, the stink off this story is so bad that not even a good writer like... I dunno, Paul Jenkins could save this...

*ahem*


What?!?

*whisper whisper whisper*

You're kidding me!

*whisper whisper whisper*


Seriously? Well,okay...



PAUL JENKINS TO PEN "CIVIL WAR: FRONTLINE"

Damn you, Marvel!



PREVIEW: GREEN ARROW #60

Nothing's happening and...It's over. A lot of people look pissed...

I rag on Judd Winick a lot for this book. And small wonder as Green Arrow is one of my top five favorite characters of all time. Still, I had some hopes that maybe, with the chance to do a fresh start that maybe he could finally do a simple story in less than eight issues.

My optimism seems to have been misplaced. Seven pages here, nearly 1/3rd of a whole comic book and what do we see?

Resolution of what has happened to all of the supporting cast, one of whom has been buried under rubble for three whole issues at this point?

No. We get treated to seven pages where we find out that gangs are robbing people, bullets are scarcer than food and that the crime-lord wannabe Brick has apparently become a hero. And except for one panel, we get no hint that Green Arrow is anywhere to be seen. Still, the conceit of Star City having become a war zone in One Year is a nice, original idea.

Shame it was done already in the Batman books six years ago.

Can you say "Hack" boys and girls? Sure. I knew you could.



Giffen/DeMatteis Give Humorous Exclusive to BOOM!

BWA-HA-HA-HUH?

NOOOOOO! This means no more Giffen/DeMatthias Defenders!

Oh well. Good news, Dan Slott! Until Mike Carey takes over X-Men, you are my only Monthly Man At Marvel. (I also pick up Joss Whedon's books... but those aren't monthly purchases).



REVIEW: Green Lantern #9

I came down kinda hard on issues #7 and #8 a few weeks ago, so I wanted to take this opportunity to say that issue #9 has got me willing to give this book a chance for a while longer. Numerically, I'll give it a solid 8. Worth reading if only for two things.

1. The modernized Tattooed Man – I've been saying they needed to bring this character back with a modern twist for years and Geoff Johns has finally done that thing here.
2. Hal Jordan gets Batman to lighten up. 'Nuff Said!



REVIEW: Amazing Spider-Man #529

Proof that even a pro like JMS can crank out a bad issue when Editorial forces him to toe the company line. Tony Stark calls Peter and MJ his family, despite them only having lived with him a few months. Peter's new suit is apparently dampening his Spider-Sense as he should have sensed a man drawing a gun and been able to jump-carry a victim out of the way of a bullet easily. Even the humorous acknowledgement of how badly each issue of "The Other" flowed into each other (i.e. the How DID Mary Jane's arm heal so quickly?) isn't enough to save some bad characterization and faulty power portrayal. All for the sake of unveiling... bleh... the new Spider-Suit.



FINALLY, A THANK YOU!

Thanks to all the well-wishers who sent me their sympathies regarding my friend Sam. It means a lot to know that my story touched you. And I think you'll really like something that I'm going to be presenting fairly soon.

So with no further ado, I shall bid you adieu.

Tune in next week. Same Matt time. Same Matt website.

2 comments:

  1. Hey there Matt. Paul Sebert. here.
    Good column but I have an issue with your critique of Civil War. Not that I'm looking forward to Mark Millar's "Bodycount O' Fun" but I don't think your point about Spidey's new costume stands. Why?
    Cause I got two words for you "Secret Wars."
    The "Black" period of Spidey's carear includes "The Death of Jean DeWolfe," "Kraven's Last Hunt," and "The Mad Dog Ward."
    Not that I'm saying Spidey's new costume is the greatest design in the world, but I'm kind of warming up to it.
    Then again, if you absolutely have to see classic Spidey, Marvel Adventures Spider-Man has actually been quite a good read lately.

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  2. Ah, but that was when he was in the black cloth costume.
    Pretty much everything that came after Venom first appeared can be easily skipped. :P

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