One Good Thing And One Bad Thing About Ex Machina #47

BAD THING: Questions just lead to further questions the closer we get to the endgame. And even as things are starting to be explained, nothing is really being explained. I suppose given the open-nature of Y: The Last Man this is not to be unexpected, but I had been hoping for some sense of closure to this series.

GOOD THING: This series still provides the best closing-page cliffhangers in comics, bar none.

The Final Verdict: Still one of the most riveting reads out there, though it seems - like Y: The Last Man before it - the series finale will leave more loose ends than it will resoulutions.

Looking To The Stars - Because You Demanded It!

We’re going to take a brief break from the Hellblazer Guide, kids. This is partly because even I can only write about John Constantine for so long and partly because some of you folks out there asked me to take a break because you missed my reviews over the last two months.

Two months? Yes. Two months since I did any quick reviews. It was a shock to me too.

My, how time flies when you’re staring into the maw of Hell.

Just remember, what follows is all...

ACTION COMICS
Company Name: DC Comics
Writers: Geoff Johns and Richard Donner;
Art: Adam Kubert

I don’t care if it doesn’t neatly fit into continuity.

I don’t care if this is just salvaged from the remains of “What Might Have Been Superman 3”

I don’t even care that Jimmy Olsen and Perry White have been reduced to being parodies of themselves in the one brief scene we do see them in or that Zod and company appear to have gotten matching outfits from Foot Locker of the Phantom Zone.

The simple truth is that this story is one of the most interesting, most exciting and just plain COOL stories to be told with the Man of Steel in more years than I care to think about.

Grade: A




BATMAN/THE SPIRIT
Company Name: DC Comics
Writers: Jeph Loeb and Darwyn Cooke
Art: Darwyn Cooke and J. Bone

I haven’t read a book that was quite this fun in forever!

The police commissioners of both Gotham and Central City attend a police convention in Hawaii as The Joker, The Octopus and a gathering of the Rogues Galleries of both Batman and The Spirit gather to have a vacation and blow up the hotel after they leave. And of course it falls to the two respective masked detectives to save the day.

The plot is pretty basic stuff but the execution is anything but. The love for the characters is evident in the script and Loeb and Cooke manage the rather neat feat of balancing the sillier Spirit character with the darker Batman without it seeming the least bit unnatural. And the artwork is picture-perfect, looking like something the old master Eisner might have drawn himself.

Cooke has a monthly Spirit title coming out in 2007. If this is any indication of what we have in store, then you can sign me up now. And I’m sure that Will Eisner is looking down from his big drawing table in the sky right now and smiling, knowing that his legacy is in good hands.

Grade: A




BIRDS OF PREY
Company Name: DC Comics
Writers: Gail Simone
Art: Nicola Scott and Doug Hazlewood and Paulo Sequiera and Robin Riggs

If you had told me that an enjoyable, worth-while title could be made out of Birds of Prey with the absence of Black Canary... well, I still probably would have believed it after I asked “Is Gail Simone still going to be writing it?”

The first thing I noticed about the recent #100 issue wasn’t the story though. It was the art. Specifically, how with the range of female characters that we see in the opening pages that all of them were shown to have realistic body-types with no uber-cleavage even on the characters where it would be expected. Indeed, the only character who looked “off” in any respect was Power Girl, who looked more like a female bodybuilder and less like Darlene Kurtis after some weight training. Still, Kudos are to be given to new artist Nicola Scott. Or whatever kind of candybar she likes. ;)

I won’t spoil who the new Birds team is except to say that there will be a lot of happy fanboys who were worried about their favorite heroine finding a place after her cult title got canceled. Suffice it to say, another one of them made a big impression on me.

But for me, the back-up story with Dinah Lance getting ready to move was the real treat. Not just because it finally ironed out some questions regarding her background in the wake of New Earth but also because it has opened the door to a reigniting of the Black Canary/Green Arrow romance. Way to make me squeal like a teenage girl, Gail.

Grade: A




CONAN
Company Name: Dark Horse Comics
Writers: Tim Truman
Art: Cary Nord

I had to double-take when I looked at the credits page of this book. You see, I knew that Tim Truman was scheduled to take over the writing duties on this title at some point. I just didn’t know it had been two months ago!

Truman has effortlessly and seamlessly taken Kurt Busiek’s place as author of this book and I honestly hadn’t noticed any change in the tone, action or dialogue. Indeed, I doubt I would have ever noticed the writer had changed unless I’d looked at the title page so I’d know who to credit as I wrote this review. Such is Truman’s prowess as an author and his knowledge of the character.

Of course Cary Nord’s pencils are as sharp as ever, so I need not say much about the art. What I do need to say is that this is still easily the best fantasy book on the market.

Grade: A




CONNOR HAWKE: DRAGON'S BLOOD
Company Name: DC Comics
Writers: Chuck Dixon
Art: Derec Donovan

The biggest problem with this issue is that there isn’t enough Connor Hawke.

After seeing him shunted to the background so much in the current Green Arrow title, I had hoped we’d come in to the middle of a big action scene – not a three page nightmare followed by a brief scene of Connor talking to a mook about an archery contest.

And then we spend half the issue going over a list of other mooks who are going into the same contest. Doubtlessly we DO need an introduction to all these people at some point but I can see this being a little off-putting to newer readers who don’t learn much about Connor other than he’s living in a monastery, he has father issues and he’s an archer/martial artist.

The art stuffers a bit from being overly shadowed, looking like a muddier version of Mike Mignola’s work on Hellboy. Still, give the coloring team credit – they DID remember that Connor isn’t Caucasian, which is more than we’ve gotten from anyone else in some time. I’ll keep going through the next issue (Dixon does have five more to play with, after all) but things had better heat up fast.

Grade: C




CRIMINAL
Company Name: Marvel Comics
Writers: Ed Brubaker
Art: Sean Phillips

I told you all some weeks back that I got to meet Ed Brubaker at Wizard World. What I didn’t tell you was the good news/bad news Ed gave me. The good news is that he reads this column. The bad news is that he wondering “Why haven’t you written about my work lately?” In specific, he asked “Why haven’t you read Criminal yet?”

The answer to both questions was simple. In the case of the former, I’ve never been a big Captain America fan and I didn’t really have much to say about his Daredevil run past “This is way better than Bendis ever was!” I do try not to repeat myself. And in the case of the latter, my comic shop kept selling out of it before I could get a copy. I’m still waiting for them to get a restock on the second issue, but I was finally able to get a hold of the complete first issue. And oh baby, what a first issue!

The plot is the stuff of a thousand heist novels and films, but Brubaker turns the clichés on their heads with some amazing and unique characterization. Career criminal Leo is an amazing anti-hero – a smart (for once) crook who is primarily concerned with looking out for Number One, but still looks after an increasingly senile ex-con named Ivan and allows himself to be talked into a questionable job offered to him by bent-cop Seymour by the needy wife of an ex-partner in crime.

All of this is beautifully and darkly illustrated by Sean Phillips, who I’ve said plenty of nice things about recently in Part Three of my Hellblazer Episode Guide. But I’ll say it again – when it comes to depicting gritty, life on the street amongst the common folk in an illustrated novel, for my money there is nobody finer than Sean Phillips.

Trust me – you don’t want to miss out on this title. It’d be a real crime.

Grade: A




DETECTIVE COMICS
Company Name: DC Comics
Writer: Royal McGraw
Art: Marcos Marz and Luciana del Negro

How soon until we get Paul Dini back?

Don’t get me wrong. This story isn’t that bad by a long-shot. But the Starman fan in me weeps that they couldn’t just create a new Doctor Phosphorus instead of bringing back the old one. Lab accidents happen all the time! Still, give them points for acknowledging my favorite series of all time even if they did sort of undercut Ted Knight’s attempt to finally stop the villain who would have killed him. This story is a good one and the art suitably electric.

Grade: C




FABLES
Company Name: Vertigo Comics
Writers: Bill Willingham
Art: Mark Buckingham and Steve Leialoha and Inaki Miranda

The book’s been a little more low-key than usual of late, with The Adversary’s forces plotting how to best invade the mundane world. Still, the lack of high-paced action has not made this title any less enjoyable. Willingham has shown that he is still capable of surprising us all with a series of small, short epilogues that show us some simple day-to-day scenes involving Fables we have not seen before. And Buckingham’s pencils still astonish after nearly five years of publication. Every issue of this book is a wonder to behold. But it is no wonder that this book has secured as many Eisner awards as it has.

Grade: A




FABLES: 1001 NIGHTS OF SNOWFALL
Company Name: Vertigo Comics
Writers: Bill Willingham
Art: Various

If you’re looking for a present for a reluctant reader of comics, I can think of no better title to recommend this Holiday Season than 1001 Nights of Snowfall. Similar to Neil Gaiman’s Endless Nights, this collection of stories does not require any familiarity with the series that inspired it. Different artists contribute their talents to illustrating Willingham’s stories in an effect that creates an unadulterated treat.

Fans of the monthly Fables book will no doubt be amused by the origin stories of some of their favorite characters which are revealed here. My personal favorite was the sad tale of The Frog Prince, who I had always thought of as an entirely comedic figure in the series - until now.

Grade: A




GREEN LANTERN
Company Name: DC Comics
Writers: Geoff Johns
Art: Ivan Reis and Oclair Albert

Judging by the Comics Nexus Forums, I’m the only one who is currently enjoying this title. I’ve seen a lot of complaints about the story dragging on certain plot points and I’ll admit that things have been a little slow to take off.

But as of issues #14 and #15, the pieces are starting to come together as we see the plot points regarding...

- Hal’s missing year
- Hal’s comrade in arms Cowgirl
- The new Global Guardians
- The new Rocket Reds
- The bounty hunters going after Green Lanterns
- The new Sinestro Corps

Take it from one who slogged through the early issues of Johns’ Hawkman – this will pass. Like Hawkman, this book is like one big set of dominos. It takes a while to set up, but once everything gets moving, it’s quite a sight.

Grade: A




ION
Company Name: DC Comics
Writers: Ron Marz
Art: Greg Tocchini and Jay Leisten

TO: DC Editorial
FROM: Matt Morrison
RE: Ion

I know this is only supposed to be a 12-issue maxi-series... but can we PLEASE make this a regular series? Or at least keep Ron Marz around to keep writing Kyle stories somewhere?

Maybe it’s nostalgia as Kyle was the character who got me into comics in the first place. Maybe it’s the delays on the main Green Lantern title. Maybe it’s because they finally explained Kyle’s powers a little better and allowed him to have a life on Earth again. But whatever this reason, despite some erratic artwork, this title has found it’s way into my heart.

And the most recent issue, where Kyle has to fight a battle without his powers and tries to set an example as a warrior for peace instead of just fighting his way through hordes of minions – that’s something I haven’t seen in a Kyle Rayner story in forever. And I’m glad I got to see it again.

And lets give Kyle props for being the first hero in recent memory who had a naked, hot, willing and “it looks like the parts are compatible” alien warrior maiden ready to offer herself to him... and he turned her down.

Grade: B




JACK OF FABLES
Company Name: Vertigo Comics
Writers: Bill Willingham and Matthew Sturges
Art: Tony Akins and Andrew Pepoy

Give Willingham and Sturges credit for not being afraid to shy away from controversy. The most recent issue revealed the identity of kindly black-skinned caretaker Sam (a.k.a. Little Black Sambo) and I imagine that had they been less than subtle about it, there would have been a major outcry.

As it is, this is easily my favorite title published by Vertigo right now. What can I say? I have a soft spot for any tale of a hapless rogue who sometimes does the right thing by accident- Jack’s saving of the fairies and the convoluted means by which he concludes that Goldilocks is a spy for the enemy being key examples of this. And Akins and Peopy are worthy successors to expanding the Fables name in picture form.

Grade: A




JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA
Company Name: DC Comics
Writer: Brad Meltzer
Art: Ed Benes and Sandra Hope

Now THAT is how you put Black Canary in a fight scene!

I had been worried about the marginalization of Dinah in the wake of Infinite Crisis. She’s apparently no longer a JLA Founder according to new histories in 52 and Birds of Prey. She’s off of Birds of Prey as an active member. And our first view of her in this book was a shot from behind revealing that she’s lost the more sensible boy-shorts of her most recent costume in favor of the more classic bun-exposing bikini bottom. Given that, I had been worried that she would be reduced to an eye-candy role in the new JLA.

No such worries. Dinah still kicks much butt, even in her impractical outfits. And at least it wasn’t that hideous 80’s number with the headband they brought back. For that alone, I’m willing to give this book a little more time to hook me.

Grade: B




PRIDE OF BAGHDAD
Company Name: Vertigo Comics
Writers: Brian K. Vaughn
Art: Niko Henrichon

My library recently got a copy of this new graphic novel in and I was asked to read it and make sure there was nothing inappropriate for the teenagers who get the most use out of our graphic novel section.

Getting paid to read quality graphic novels? Yes. Sometimes my job just plain rocks - And so does this story!

Imagine ‘The Lion King’ but with all the sex and violence of a National Geographic special left intact. That’s oversimplifying it a bit, but the sense of drama in the former is balanced against the realism of the latter in this story – the tale of four lions who escape from the Baghdad Zoo during the opening battles of Operation: Iraqi Liberation. Confused by the battle around them, they struggle to make their way to someplace better, oblivious to the conflict of the “keepers” around them.

Brian K. Vaughn wrote this so that’s pretty much an assurance of quality right there. And the art by Niko Henrichon (perhaps best known for Barnum!) offers a realistic look at the world of animals while still seeming somewhat unreal and fantastic. I recommend it for all libraries, public or personal.

Grade: A




STAN LEE MEETS DOCTOR DOOM
Company Name: Marvel Comics
Writers: Stan Lee and Jeph Loeb
Art: Salvador Larroca and Ed McGuinness

When I first heard about the ‘Stan Lee Meets’ series, this was the one I was looking forward to the most. Simply put, having Stan the Man match his own bombastic attitude against the dramatic and powerful Dr. Doom – why, it practically writes itself! And in the case of the first story, in which Doctor Doom summons Stan Lee to him in order to find out how best to improve his image in the American Comic Book Industry, it almost does.

The second story by Jeph Loeb doesn’t do quite as well, with Stan barely having a presence in the story at all and a punch-line that is far too similar to some of the stories we have seen already. Still, the artwork is crisp and clear in both stories and you get a classic Stan Lee reprint in the bargain. Not a bad investment of your clams, at all.

Grade: B


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

Looking To The Stars - Heroes, Civil War and More!

It’s official. I am addicted to Heroes. This is partly due to the execution and in part because I really DON’T know what to expect next. With the comic industry and a better part of comics fandom right now being so obsessed with previews and nearly every geek out there being eager to know more than all the other geeks out there like that makes them “better” somehow, it is welcome change to see something relating to superheroes that actually maintains the mystique and wonder of the genre.

So if you haven’t caught Heroes yet, do so. You won’t regret it. You should also give a look-see to the official on-line comic. It’s a pretty good read, particularly the most recent installment centering upon Hiro – the Japanese office worker who seems to have developed the ability to alter his position in time and space at will.

And speaking of comics, I believe I have a few – very few, since this was a light week – titles to review.


52 Week #22
Company Name: DC Comics
Writers: Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka and Mark Waid
Art: Various

Give this one props for having a great parody title (if you don’t get the joke, ask your parents – assuming one of them read the old Gold Key comics in the 60s) but not much else. I am pleased to note that they finally explained away the 1990’s series where the Metal Men were retconned into being real people in robot bodies – especially if the explanation makes Doc Magnus into a somewhat more interesting, if troubled, character. Then again, that may be redundant for a man who created a nominally female robot who is madly in love with him.

Grade: B




Detective Comics #824
Company Name: DC Comics
Writer: Paul Dini
Artists: Don Kramer and Wayne Faucher


I may sound like a broken record, but Paul Dini is doing wonders on this title. He’s found the perfect blend of humor and mystery that made so many of his Batman: The Animated Series stories sparkle and, in doing so, he has made this the best Batman title in a long time. On the humor side, we have Bruce Wayne stuck with a nightmare date that only bares a slight resemblance to Paris Hilton and a new villain, Mr. Zzz – a narcoleptic who is an amazing fighter when he is asleep. On the mystery side, we have Penguin attempting to go legit as a nightclub/casino owner and someone attempting to the bank on his casino on opening night. All this and a Lois Lane cameo.

Grade: A



Doctor Strange: Oath #1
Company Name: Marvel Comics
Writer: Brian K. Vaughn
Artist: Marcos Martin

I’ve given up my general disregard for all things Marvel at the moment in regards to this comic for two reasons. First, I’ve always had a weak spot for Dr. Strange and wish SOMEONE would do a monthly title for him. Second, this was written by Brian K. Vaughn. Brian K. Vaughn CAN’T write a bad comic. It’s impossible. Seriously. Beyond that, you really don’t need to know much about this going in. It’s a fairly standard plot – hero risks all to save a friend only to have things get more complicated. But it’s Brian Vaughn so it’s far from standard in execution.

Grade: A



Fantastic Four #540
Company Name: Marvel Comics
Writers: J. Michael Straczynski
Artist: Mike McKone and Andy Lanning

Whoever is in quality control at Marvel needs to be fired. Now.

Seriously, you’d think it would be an easy matter to coordinate between TWO writers and get them to agree as to just exactly how and when Sue Richards left Reed Richards. But noooooooo.

(This last paragraph brought to you by Sarcasm Awareness Month.)

Mind you, I have a hard time believing that Sue would ever abandon her children and leave them with the man she’s leaving for being a fascist scumbag totally different than the man she loves and had children with. Still, I will give props to Straczynski for handling Sue in a slightly more believable manner here than the way Millar handled it in Civil War #4. Telling off Reed while holding back the tears (“Do you think I need you to protect me?”) vs. A ‘Dear John’ letter and disappearing into the night after honoring National Steak and a Blowjob day?

Grade: C

And speaking of Civil War, you can’t miss the best art-based parody of Civil War yet.

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

Looking To The Stars - A Time For Reviews

Hey everyone. Real Life (and some last minute work on other columns) are taking up most of my spare time for the next two weeks. As such, I don’t have time for a big, in depth rant about anything. But the new faster reviews style (which I’ve been pioneering for quite some time already) makes it super easy for me to collect my thoughts on what I’ve read in the last few weeks.

Aren’t you lucky? Don’t answer that. I’m having a rhetorical conversation.

Ex Machina #18
Company Name: Wildstorm Comics
Writer: Brian Vaughan
Pencils: Tony Harris
Inks: Tom Feister
Colorist: JD Mettler

If the current storyline on this title does not win the Eisner for best mini-series this year, much less get a nomination, I will call the biggest Shenanigans on the proceedings since the 2000 American Presidential Election. Current without being forced, making its point without being preachy and generally an all-around enjoyable read, this is everything a comic book about current events should be. Tony Harris has never been in better from than he is here. If you’re not reading this book yet, it had better be because you’re choosing the welfare of your children over comics.

Grade: A

Fables #47
Company Name: Vertigo Comics
Writer: Bill Willingham
Penciler: Jim Fern
Inker: Jimmy Palmiotti
Colorist: Daniel Vozzo

It is a credit to Bill Willingham’s skill as a writer that he can so skillfully weave a sympathetic and romantic story such as this around two of the villains of the on-going story. As hideous and creepy as The Wooden Soldiers (of the march of the story of the same name) were, it is somehow all the more jarring to see them in love. And the guest artists illustrate this tale beautifully… though I never would have guessed the light inks here were the work of Jimmy Palmotti who usually favors a heavier touch. I predict that much like the character on the last page, there will be a lot of people in tears over this issue.

Grade: A

Green Lantern Corps #5
Company Name: DC Comics
Writers: Dave Gibbons and Geoff Johns
Penciler: Patrick Gleason
Inker: Prentis Rollins
Colorist: Travis Lanham

I wanted to like this series. I really did. But like a lot of cosmic stories, the sheer scope of things obliterated the characterization. And am I the only one who thought Kyle Rayner was horribly out of character in all of this, back to playing eager rookie and straight man to Guy Gardner – the one character who DID seem to be in top form. Between the muddy artwork, poor visual storytelling and all around lackluster show. The one saving grace is that I like the direction of the story if not the execution.

Grade: D

Infinite Crisis #5
Company Name: DC Comics
Writers: Geoff Johns
Pencils: Phil Jimenez, Jerry Ordway & Ivan Reis
Inks: Andy Lanning, Jerry Ordway & Art Thibert
Color: Jeromy Cox, Guy Major & Rod Reis

Perhaps you have to be a brazen DC fanboy to appreciate all the nuances of this series. That is the one flaw with this series – it is a bit inaccessible to someone who hasn’t been keeping tabs on the goings-on and “Who Is Who”. Still, for those of us who can appreciate the subtle things such as a discussion on faith between an affirmed Atheist and a hero who draws his powers from an artifact of faith and the Action Comics #1 cover tribute, this is Heaven in a wrapper.

Grade: B

Red Sonja #7
Company Name: Dynamite Entertainment
Writer: J.T. Krul
Artist: Noah Salonga
Colorist: Brian Buccellato.

A fill-in team does a job worthy of the regular team, for once. Krul’s plot is standard stuff for the old Marvel Sonja comics, but it is not badly done as Sonja teams with a young pirate to recover his birthright before a group of slightly more amoral pirates and mercenaries beat them to it. I may be wrong but it feels like he put more text in this one issue than Carey and Omening did in the whole of the last six issues. Salonga’s style of art is much more conventional and a good deal more inked than the lighter approach Mel Rubi has taken with the series so far, but it is not jarringly out of place as the art in Red Sonja vs. Thulsa Doom. If you’ve missed out on this series so far, this is an excellent time to jump on the bandwagon.

Grade: A

Teen Titans #33
Company Name: DC Comics
Writers: Marv Wolfman and Geoff Johns
Penciler: Todd Nauck
Inks: Sean Parsons, Norm Rapmund & Mario Alquiza
Color: Richard & Tanya Horie

It’s the typical cross-over tie-in issue. We get to see a small part of the big picture, some good character moments, and some rushed artwork. Maybe I missed it being mentioned in the past, but I was rather floored by the revelation that Superboy and Wonder Girl have apparently “done the deed” and this does, in my opinion, explain away a lot of his reluctance to return to active duty in past issues. How weird was it for us, after all, going to school with THEM there after our first time? In the end, this is a serviceable story that well demonstrates the divide between two heroes in approach and temperament but is nothing special.

Grade: C

Ultimate Spider-Man #91
Company Name: Marvel Comics
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Penciller: Mark Bagley
Inker: John Dell
Colorist: Justin Ponsor

Much as I may despise his work in the regular Marvel Universe, I must admit that BMB’s writing on this book is as enjoyable as ever and Bagley still draws the best Spidey in the business. I like Bendis’ take on Kitty Pryde in this issue as he shows, again, his knack for creating realistic adolescent characters and getting inside their heads. Shame that all of this is just background for the apparent introduction of a character who hasn’t been used properly since Gail Simone wrote him.

Grade: C

Finally, regarding the Real-Life thing that has me so busy.

Those of you in the Dallas and Fort Worth area can meet me, at The All-Con Convention this coming weekend. Friday evening, March 17th, I will be MCing a special performance of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" at 11 pm. Saturday, I'll be exploring the convention proper. Just look for the goateed bloke with the long curly hair in the wide-brimmed black fedora.

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

Looking To The Stars: It Keeps You Reading...

With all the talk in this past week’s The Roundtable filling my mailbox as I’m trying to focus on constructing a website devoted to graphic novels for children, I found myself thinking a lot about the books I don’t enjoy. And saying more than I intended about the writers whose works I don’t enjoy.

It is easy, working in a comic shop, to develop a negative attitude towards the hobby itself. Constant exposure to whinny fanboys, speculators, Marvel Zombies and the DC equivalent that I’ve never heard a corresponding nickname for and all the Comic Book Guys everywhere – it can really make you question why you bother with the hobby at all.

That is why, in an effort to put a little more good will and positive thought out there, I put forth this list of twelve writers who keep me reading comics whenever I think about quitting.

1. Neil Gaiman

While this list is in no particular order, Neil would probably be at the top if I had any desire to organize the writers I like by “first favorite” and “second favorites” like a schoolgirl organizing her crushes. Simply put, I have yet to read anything bad this man has written which is more than I can say for most other comic writers. I do not believe it is possible for Neil Gaiman to write a bad story. That is the best compliment I can pay, I think.

2. James Robinson

While he hasn’t written a comic in a while, his influence is still felt throughout DC Comics. His Starman was the first book to spark a movement among DC Comics writers to take the long-neglected and ignored parts of the worlds’ oldest comic company’s universe and try and breathe some life back into them. At a time when DC was content to let the Justice Society die out, Robinson kept their legacy alive with his Golden Age mini-series and the many Times Past comics of Starman.

3. Geoff Johns

If Robinson is Socrates, then Johns is Plato- the philosopher who built upon the works of an earlier master to achieve even greater acclaim. Johns is pretty much THE Man at DC Comics today and it is well-deserved. A fan who made good, Johns is almost single-handedly responsible for correcting the biggest continuity snafus of the past ten years, with his work on countless titles. What is all the more amazing is his gift for characterization and telling the history of the comics he loves without boring the reader with statistics as some writers do.

4. Dan Slott

Marvel needs to give this man a lot more work. His Spider-Man/Human Torch mini-series has been the best limited series this year by sure virtue of the fact that he did something that only Mark Waid and Paul Jenkins had managed in recent years- he made a fun Marvel comic. Not just funny, but fun. Slott is a man who knows his fun and packs more into everything he writes before 9 am than most writers manage all year.

5. R.K. Milholland

Some may blanch at me including a web-comic writer/artist in with all these professional writers. But make no mistake; the author of such on-line comics as Something Positive, New Gold Dreams and the brand new Midnight Macabre is very much a professional by any standard. Not only are his comics the funniest thing on the Internet, but they are delivered on-time at the same high level of quality on a regular basis. What is more, he managed without even trying seriously to become a fully-paid artist following a half-hearted pledge drive made in response to complaints about misspelling and late comics. He told his readers that if they thought it was that important, that they could donate money so he wouldn’t have to work so many hours and that if they matched his salary for one year, he would quit his job. The fans put up, and Milholland has been living the dream of many an amateur since.

6. Mark Waid

The one writer who can get me to try any book, no matter what, simply because of the way he always puts a spin on it. The man who has done the impossible twice this year; he got me to read a Legion book and he made the free City of Heroes comic readable.

7. Mike Grell

I’ve been a fan since reading Green Arrow: The Wonder Year after retrieving the series from the dollar bin of my first comic shop in Victoria, Texas. He was by far the best writer ever to tackle Oliver Queen and one of the best writers to every work in comics period. With a new regular John Sable: Freelance series out from IDW and the original series slowly coming out in TP format after a relative eternity, I am as happy as a pig in mud. You will be too if you give Mr. Grell’s work, old or new, a chance.

8. Stan Lee

I know it’s a cliche, but if you ever find yourself hating comics- not modern comics, but just comics in general, pull up a collection of old Stan Lee. Fantastic Four or Spider-Man – pick your own poison. It’ll cheer you like nothing else.

9. Gail Simone

If Sting hadn’t already written Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic some two decades ago, comic fans might have to write that song about Gail Simone and her work. I’ve gushed over Gail enough in the past, so rather than tell about my own experiences, I will tell the story of my friend Scott. Scott is one of a dying breed- an old school fanboy who still hasn’t forgiven DC from depowering Superman after the original Crisis. Scott has had few kind words for anyone who has written Superman since 1985 and he holds an especially deep loathing for John Byrne. Imagine my surprise then when, upon my recommendation, Scott picked up the latest Action Comics with John Byrne’s name on it (though just doing artwork) and declared that it was actually good.

10. Mike Carey

From Lucifer to Red Sonja, from Spellbinders to Hellblazer, Mike Carey is perhaps the most versatile writer working in comics today. He has proven capable of writing every genre there is, from sword-and-sorcery to modern magic and mythology. He’s also handled urban drama (in his Ultimate Elektra series) as well as, this week, old-fashioned superheroics with Ultimate Fantastic Four.

11. Kurt Busiek

If I’m going to mention the co-writer of Red Sonja, I have to mention the man who writes the best Conan since Robert Howard himself. His superhero work is not that bad, either. And by not that bad, I mean superb.

12. Brian K. Vaughan

Last, and definitely not least… well, if you aren’t reading Y: The Last Man, Ex Machina or Ultimate X-Men by now, anything complementary I have to say will probably not drag you out from under the rock you live under.

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

Y: The Last Man #31 - A Review

Written by: Brian K. Vaughan
Penciled by: Pia Guerra
Inked by: Jose Marzan Jr.
Colored by: Zylonol
Lettered by: Clem Robins
Editor: Will Dennis
Publisher: Vertigo > DC Comics

There are some books it is painful for me to review. Brian K. Vaughan writes most of them. Is this because his books are painful to read? Hell no! Far from it. Vaughan is, in fact, my favorite writer at the moment and the most consistently excellent one in the business. Is there any other writer who writes such a wide variety of titles and writes them all so well? I think not.

No, the pain comes from within my own dark and twisted soul. Because I know that there is very little I can say about this book to influence my audience regarding it. I do not know anyone, not ONE single person, who has read this book and not enjoyed it. I have not heard one negative comment, sarcastic jab or even so much as a discouraging word about Y: The Last Man. It lends a certain beautiful futility to my job, let me tell you. Heck, the only reason I haven’t stopped now is because I’m hoping to get a nice blurb printed in Previews Magazine with my name under it because of that first paragraph.

Still, for those of you who haven’t started reading “Y: The Last Man” yet, let me tell you why you should start. Simply put, this is the most realistic science-fiction story I have ever seen in any comics. Yorick, and his pet monkey Ampersand, are the only males to survive a plague which has killed every male, animal and human, upon the planet. The two survived for reasons which are just now becoming revealed. They are traveling with a federal agent known only as 355 and Dr. Mann, whose research may enable the human (or should that be hu-woman?) race the ability to have children without sperm until the population can replenish themselves. In this issue, Amepersand is kidnapped by a ninja working for a mysterious employer and the book ends with our trio of heroes stuck looking for a way to follow her.

That’s just plot though. As always, Vaughan’s strength lies in characters and knowing how people work. The book works at its’ best when dealing with the idea of how a world run by women would really work and what it would be like to be the one man stuck in it. With little touches such as a group of feminist actors traveling from city to city in the medieval tradition and finding that their risky plays aren’t wanted and that there are women who want them to act out their favorite soaps, the book can be just as much a comedy as it can be an epic about the end of the world.

Ex Machina #6 - A Review

Written by: Brian K. Vaughn
Penciled by: Tony Harris
Inked by: Tom Feister
Colored by: JD Mettler
Lettered by: Jared K. Fletcher
Editor: Ben Abernathy
Publisher: Wildstorm Comics

Okay. You have no excuse not to read this book now. Yes, I’m talking to you.

I know, I know. I’ve said before that “Ex Machina” is the greatest thing since sliced bread and you should be reading it. So you tried picking up issue 4 or 5 and it didn’t make a lick of sense. And you thought I was being an elitist snob having fun at your expense, recommending some trendy arthouse book that just went over your head.

Well, we all make mistakes. And I can cop to mine. See, I’ve been reading this book since issue one and I’m a big fan of the work of Brian K. Vaughn (Y: The Last Man, Ultimate X-Men) and Tony Harris (Starman, JSA: The Liberty File). I’ll admit my jonesing over two of my favorites working together did blind me to the fact that there’s some stuff you miss unless you’ve been reading since issue one. This is a great book but it is somewhat difficult to just pick up and read. Throw in the fact that the first five-issue arc was something of a mystery and that there’s a lot of flashbacks to a past that we know little about… and I can see why you got frustrated with this title.

But it’s different now. This one, Number Six, starts a WHOLE new story arc. Nothing you need to know going in, except perhaps the basic premise of the series. And that, I can give you for free.

Mitchell Hundred was raised by a single mother who was something of a political activist. One of his babysitters was a Russian tinker who he called Kremlin. Mitchell grew up to become an engineer working for the city of New York. He would be called out to investigate a bomb threat under the Brooklyn Bridge, only to be caught in the explosion of a strange device that did not hurt the bridge, but left Mitchell changed forever.

Somehow, Mitchell gained the ability to speak to machines and control them. Any type of machine, clockwork or electronic, is his to command. He can command guns not to fire, answer his phone without the touch of a button and even set off the airbags in a car before impact. He tried to use his powers as a superhero called The Great Machine with only Kremlin (who built several crime-fighting devices as well as a jet-pack for Mitchell) and Bradbury (a Harbor Patrol cop who was on the scene when Mitchell got his powers) aware of his secret. Mitchell accomplishes quite a bit, much to the chagrin of the Police Commissioner, who isn’t crazy about a vigilante working in her city.

Still, Mitchell decides to give up the superhero act, reveals his identity to the world and parlays the instant celebrity into a bid for Mayor of New York City. A bid that becomes a sure thing when he puts his costume on for the last time, in order to save the second World Trade Center Tower on 9/11/2001. It is now March 2002, Bradbury is now his security head, Kremlin is now estranged from them both and Mitchell is slowly learning the ropes of how to run the biggest city in the world. It is a daunting task his superpowers can’t begin to help him with. Rounding out the cast of regulars is Suzzane Padilla, a reporter who makes Lois Lane seem demure; Dave Wylie, Mitchell’s deputy mayor and intern/special advisor Journal Moore.

As far as the artwork goes, it’s about damn time we got Tony Harris on a regular monthly title again. He hasn’t had one since Starman and he’s been sorely missed since he left about halfway through that also long-missed series. He’s had a few projects since then, the JSA books and a lot of covers at Marvel among them, but nothing steady until now. And boy does every panel of this book make me realize how much we’ve been missing out on.

Whether you are, like me, a brazen fanboy of these two great masters or a total newbie to the world of comics and the work of Brian K. Vaughn and Tony Harris, you should be reading this book. Even if you know their work and, for some reason I can’t begin to conceive, didn’t like it… you should read this book. It is unlike anything that has ever been done before and, I think, anything we will ever see again.