Looking To The Stars - 09/17/07 - The Week In Reviews

DAREDEVIL #100
Company Name: DC Comics
Writer: Ed Brubaker
Artist: Michael Lark, Stefano Gaudiano, Marko Djrdjevic, John Romita Sr., Al Milgrom, Gene Colan, Bill Sienkiewicz, Alex Maleeve and Lee Bermejo.

Like Daredevil #50 over four years ago, this comic makes use of multiple artists in order to justify it being a "very special issue". However, unlike Daredevil #50, rather than switching artists at random in the middle of one long fight scene, the art styles are used to mark a change in the hallucinations Matt Murdock experiences after being doped-up by long-absent nemesis Mr. Fear.

This approach is, to my mind, a much more effective use of the format. And what is more, Brubaker’s script caters to the artists and allows them to showcase their strengths relative to whichever portion of Daredevil history they were famous for doing art for in the past. The classic romance-comic style of John Romita Sr., the slightly harder pencils of Gene Colan and even the painted abstract expressionism of Bill Sienkiewicz are all in evidence and displayed quite well.






My one complaint; for all this book does to showcase some very fine artist and for all Brubaker’s skill in constructing a fast-paced story that moves us through Matt Murdock’s various visions of his past, not much else really happens, save that Matt finds out at the end of the book about the major event that occurred last issue. There are no amazing revelations in this issue. No sudden reveals, sudden deaths or even so much as a good-old-fashioned twist ending.

But in the end, that’s fine. Who ever said a 100th issue (especially when it’s actually #480 depending on how you count) had to be a be-all, end-all, extravaganza?

GRADE: A



GREEN LANTERN #23
Company Name: DC Comics
Writer: Geoff Johns
Artist: Ivan Reis and Oclair Albert

I think it's safe to say, by this point, that anyone who would want to read this series probably is.

It has been two months and a recent poll on an independent blog, showed that Sinestro Corps is the most popular "event" series by a wide-margin right now. This is no surprise to those of us who have been reading the series since the first issue and were floored by the sheer audacity of teaming the two villains between the two biggest Crises in the last 25 years, the ultimate villain at the end of the highest-selling graphic novel of all time and a squadron of the worst the universe has to offer and letting them loose.

It would have been easy for the series to go downhill from there but it didn’t. Building off the mythology of one obscure story written by Alan Moore before his falling out with DC Comics, Sinestro Corps has become The Book of Revelation for Green Lantern fans as The GL Corps becomes a house divided and the wheels of Fate turn as piece by piece of a dire prophecy is set into place. And every single issue has ended with what I call a Doctor Who moment – a line, a revelation or a visual so amazing that the only basis for comparison I have is the kind of sudden cliffhangers that were routinely found on the very best episodes of Doctor Who.

If you haven’t gotten into this series by now, it’s not too late. The first book is on its’ fourth reprint and the rest should be easily available from any decent comics shop. You’ll thank me later, trust me. This is easily the best comic-crossover in decades – possibly of all time.

GRADE:A



JLA WEDDING SPECIAL #1
Company Name: DC Comics
Writer: Dwayne McDuffie
Artist: Mike McKone and Andy Lanning

In all honesty, this book should have been Justice League of America #13. Because apart from some brief comedy at the start with Hal Jordan trying to get rid of a group of unwanted strippers and a quick flash of Dinah Lance's own bachelorette party, this issue had precious little to do with the upcoming wedding of Green Arrow and Black Canary.

And you know what? That’s just fine. Though part of me will always wonder whose idea it was to have a bunch of superheroines go out – in costume – to a place called “The Meat Locker” and if it was Diana who requested the Spartan Strippers.





But what this issue lacks in nuptial-related material it more than makes up for with sheer awesome including 100% recommended amounts of:

• Joker being written as the gods intended him; not taking anything seriously and quoting Mel Brooks..
• Lex Luthor, the greatest criminal mind of our generation and the greatest Joker straight-man ever.
• The Hall of Freaking Doom, baby!





But wait, there’s more! You also get the best scene with the new Firestorm ever, a guarantee of more John Stewart doing Green Lantern things by 2008 and a promise that the new Justice League comic will feature far less stories about people sitting around and talking to other and more stories with superheroes fighting actual super-villains!

If McDuffie can keep this ride going, this promises to be the best run any writer has had on Justice League since Grant Morrison.





Shame that McKone’s square-faced figures and uniform hairstyles (his Big-Boy Hal Jordan and jarhead Roy Harper scare me) are horrifying enough to force me to lower my grade on this one.

GRADE: B



THOR #3
Company Name: DC Comics
Writer: J. Michael Straczynski
Artist: Oliver Coipel

By now everyone has seen the previews which showed the first few pages of this issue. Enough was seen to know that an epic smackdown of godly proportion was about to begin.

But are the fists of a god of thunder the surest thing to humble a man of iron? Nay, there is one thing better for inflicting wounds than the righteous might of the Odinson…

… and that is the righteous words of the Odinson!

Behold!





Straczynski’s dialogue hasn’t shone like this in years and he seems to slowly be building an epic tale worthy of his reputation and the name of Thor. And Coipel’s pencils crackle on the page with every crack of lightning and thwoom of thunder.

The only flaws I see in the thunder god’s armor is that this book is not for the impatient and that I can see new readers being lost since much of the story thus far depends upon the reader already being a fan of Marvel’s Asgardian Pantheon and familiar with what happened at the end of the last Thor series. Still, if one can bravely venture past these thorns in the path, they may fine a comic worthy of the gods themselves!

GRADE:B