Looking To The Stars: Crisis of Infinite Reviews!

The quick-read among you may have noticed that it has been quite a few weeks since I have written a review for the regular reviews section of This Ol’ Nexus. The reason for this has been a combination of weeks when I wasn’t picking up that many books or the result of me asking for a break due to a vast workload in class.

I won’t bore you all with details or excuses. Suffice it to say that I will be well and pleased when I finally get my Masters Degree and I never have to do a group project where I am one man doing the work of four again.

But since I spent over $40 on comics this past week, the result of most of my pull list coming out the third week now… I think it long past time I let loose with some opinions.

Amazing Spider-Man #519

Would that this issue had come out a week or two earlier. Then I could have been spared the rantings of a thousand Mark Millar fanboys about the new writer of Marvel Knights Spider-Man had no idea how to write Peter and why was he biting Wolverine’s head off and wasn’t it sudden how Peter moved into Tony Stark’s tower? Here, all is explained. How Peter, MJ and Aunt May moved on up to the East Side. How Peter started getting really possessive of MJ around the hairy midget with the thing for redheads. And how Hydra is coming back in force. I’m not digging the Peter as an Avenger idea so far, but with JMS writing like this, it may grow on me yet.

Score: 7.5 out of 10.

Birds of Prey #81

Oddly enough, they repeated the JL Unlimited titled “The Cat and the Canary” this past weekend and this issue has that title on the cover. Black Canary and Wildcat team-up to take down drug-dealers in Singapore. Meanwhile Huntress, who walked out on the team last issue, reemerges in Gotham with two other Oracle agents gone rogue, apparently intent on taking over the Mafia in Gotham… as Helena Bertinelli. I was liking the way Helena was really starting to play of Barbara and Dinah as a team player, but I’m sure Simone is going somewhere good with this. And any story with Helena sneaking into the Mafia that updates her status in the wake of Greg Rucka’s atrocious “Cry of the Huntress” mini-series is okay by me.

Score: 8 out of 10.

Conan #15

Cary Nord takes a break and Greg Ruth takes his place this issue. And Ruth does a good job in this story showing the early days of Conan as an eight-year-old warrior in training. This is another title that everyone should read.

Score: 9 out of 10.

Conan and the Jewels of Gwahlur #1

The writing and art style is different than that of the regular monthly title, but this three-part special by the legendary P. Craig Russell is no-less enjoyable. Russell proves himself as skilled as any writer who has ever adapted Howard before and his art is fine as ever. All fans of heroic fantasy, as well as Russell’s work at Vertigo will want to pick this up.

Score: 8 out of 10.

Ex Machina #10

This book got nominated for an Eisner in writing for every category it was eligible for. That says a lot more for it than I ever can except that it is bloody good and everyone should be reading it.

Score: 10 out of 10.

Fables #36

I don’t know why, but this introductory issue to the saga of Boy Blue trying to infiltrate the lands of the forces of darkness just seemed a little flat to me. Not bad by any means, but not nearly as entertaining as I usually find Fables. Perhaps it is because we are looking at general monsters and not the specific reimaginings of classic storybook characters that the book usually centers on. Regardless, this is merely a good issue of a great book.

Score: 7 out of 10.

JLA Classified #6

Every issue of this comic seems like a black comedy now. The more the Countdown to Infinite Crisis continues, the more it seems that characters in this book disappear. The real shame is that this title interests and me more than the “excitement” over in OMAC Project. But then again, I’m a sucker for any story with Etrigan. The REAL Etrigan who is, I just realized, also on the way out thanks to John Byrne. I’d be laughing a lot more if this book weren’t so sad thanks to other people’s work. As it is, I’m still laughing a lot.

Score: 9.5 out of 10.

JSA #72

Geoff Johns is still writing it. It is still one of the best books out there. If you’re not reading it, you should be… whether you’re a DC fan looking for more info on Infinite Crisis or just a fan of good writing in general.

Score: 9 out of 10.

Knights of the Dinner Table #102

With all the big “event” stories going on, it is to the credit of KenzerCo that this issue did not promise a big surprise on the cover. For we did get a big surprise of major importance to the Knights history in this issue with little fanfare. And yet, that makes it all the bigger news. I won’t say what because I’m hoping that maybe some of you non-gamer types might give this book a shot.

Score: 7 out of 10.

Lucifer #61

With a little over a year before this title comes to its’ appointed end, things are starting to wind down to a big war between the Angels of Heaven and the children of Lilth (both by demons and by a rogue Angel named Sandalphon). And somewhere in the middle is the retired adversary himself, his half-angel niece Elaine and Jill Presto- a stage magician impregnated by a living Tarot Deck. This is one of the strangest and certainly one of the best books put forth by Vertigo and I will miss it when it is gone. This is a very difficult book to jump into, so new readers would be advised to start with the Trades and work their way up.

Score: 8 out 10.

OMAC Project #1

It’s a good thing I had recently read the revised Batman: The Ultimate Guide by Scott Beatty. Otherwise, I might have been totally lost as to who the heck this Sasha Bordeaux woman is. I read most of the Bruce Wayne: Murderer storyline and I still had to struggle to remember her. Odds are I’m not alone and Greg Rucka really would have done well to have explained her background a little more and not assuming the readers are all brazen fanboys; Particularly on a series which, according to editorial, is meant to bring in new readers. As it is, I am still deeply worried about the darkening tone of the DC Universe but I’ll probably still read this for another issue if only to see where this is going. As it is, this is a rather poor introduction that explains little and keeps the reader wanting more only because so little is given to us.

Score: 4 out of 10.

PS238 #11

You know, maybe it’s because the market is becoming saturated with several books along this theme (most of them coming out from Image in the near future), but this humor book about an elementary school devoted to super-powered children has just been a little bit stale for me lately. I think perhaps the problem may be that I am not the target audience, since Williams’ stories of late have centered more upon the magic of childhood than on superheroic satire, which is more my speed. Also, the book just hasn’t has seemed as funny since it adopted the non-powered Tyler as a main-character. There’s only so much that can be done with a non-powered kid screaming in terror or diving for cover as things happen around him. The stories here could take a page from the recent Death Jr. book and take a good look at the lives of each kid without using Tyler as an everyman. Because sadly, Lil’ Spawn’s vague descriptions of the realm he was born of and the brief speeches by Lil’ Dream (aka Murphy) are so much more amusing than the idea of a 4-Square tournament of Doom!

Score: 5 out of 10.

Spectacular Spider-Man #27

Spidey swings into the sunset on the cover as Paul Jenkins swings into a long rest and this title swings into antiquity. Thanks be to Marvel, who had the good graces to let Jenkins close out the title he started after a long and often ignored run on this book as well as on Peter Parker: Spider-Man. Aside from giving us one of the best “character” issues of all time, we also get a cute little tribute to the long lost Calvin and Hobbes comics of my youth. Take a bow, Mr. Jenkins. You deserve it. Rest well and get better. I’ll want to see you writing Spider-Man again someday.

Score: 10 out of 10.

Ultimate Spider-Man #76

Sadly, I got more entertainment value out of the comic at Spider-Fan then I did this issue or indeed the entire Hobgoblin storyline. There’s no sense nor motivation to Harry’s transformation other than foreshadowing what might happen in Spider-Man 3 and adding more unnecessary drama to the Peter/MJ relationship. It seems that all claims that Bendis is getting stretched too thin with his current workload and getting lazy are justified. At least Bagley’s artwork is still good.

Score: 4 out of 10.

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

PS238 #8 - A Review

Written by: Aaron Williams
Penciled by: Aaron Williams
Inked by: Aaron Williams
Colored by: N/A
Lettered by: Aaron Williams
Editor: Aaron Williams
Publisher: Dorkstorm Press

You ever notice how even though they it was a school, that until recently we never actually saw any classes being taught at Charles Xavier’s School For Gifted Children in all the X-Men books? Aside from all those real-world combat exercised in the Danger Room, of course.

We never got to see Scott Summers sweating it out over mid-terms. We never got to see Professor X having to get the school inspected for meeting all the state standards as an independent educational facility. And, seeing as how most of the students were practically adults or orphans, we never got to witness any parent/teacher conferences regarding little Billy’s failure to correctly use his powers when he snuck inside the girl’s locker-room while invisible. And while X-Men has usually been a fine comic in other respects, it has never accurately portrayed what a real school for super-powered youths might really be like.

For those of us who have ever seriously wondered what such a school WOULD be like, there is PS238. Taken from the imagination of writer/artist Aaron Williams, the comic offers up lots of laughs along with the occasional spoonful of sentiment.

This issue continues a theme from last issue, in which the students of the PS238 secret school for superhuman children had to do a group report upon a great historical superhero. While this might be an ordinary assignment, it is made extraordinarily easy when one of your classmates has the power to walk backwards in time and interview the subject of your report. This time, we get to see the report of a student named Lyle. Lyle has the rather unusual superpower of being a super-detective - able to see the synchronic connections between seemingly unrelated events.

Lyle is one of a handful of students registered in what is called The Rainmaker Program; a part of the PS238 school designed to educate and train children with super-powers that might not readily lend themselves to crime-fighting, such as being able to dig through the earth super-quickly or change inorganic material into food. Lyle’s report is upon the first subject of the very first Project Rainmaker: a young man who had the power to control the rain, and how he would wind up changing the course of history for superheroes everywhere.

Sadly, this issue of PS238 is nowhere near as enjoyable as the last few have been. The revelations about original Rainmaker Project are rather muted compared to the rather dramatic story told in the last issue. And the comedic moments are few and far between, with this issue apparently being the founding moment of some greater story to be told later on. So the usual elements that make me recommend this book - the humor, the sweetness and the satire - are sorely lacking this time around.

This is not to say that the book is not up to the usual high standard of quality. William’s art is as good as ever, perfectly capturing the cuteness of a bunch of eight-year-old superheroes but still capable of being serious enough when needed. And what few jokes there are in this issue are pretty good. In fact, that sums up the entire issue - it is pretty good. But when one is used to greatness, pretty good isn’t good enough.

PS238 #4 - A Review

Written by: Aaron Williams
Penciled by: Aaron Williams
Inked by: Aaron Williams
Colored by: N/A
Lettered by: Aaron Williams
Editor: Aaron Williams
Publisher: Dorkstorm Press

Ah, the class field trip. An essential part of the American school experience as youths are taken into the real world to learn more about it. And it is no different at PS238, the exclusive school for the super-powered children of super-powered adults. Of course at this school, the typical field trip leads to some decidedly untypical places; in this case, the moon.

This is the brilliant conceit behind Aaron Williams’ PS238. On the one hand, it is a comic about kids trying to cope at school and it is all about the typical problems we all met when we were in school. But the typical concerns are turned on their head, as the equipment check for the trip includes radios, respirators, helmets and an in-flight demonstration on how to use the anti-gravity toilets.

On the other hand, this book is also a rather hilarious parody of some of our favorite superhero titles. The “team” for this book includes Captain Clarinet (son of this world’s Man of a very strong metal indeed.), the son of Emerald Gauntlet, Suzi Fusion (“Doctor Positron says my internal body temperature can melt lead!”), would-be world-conqueror Zodon and… Tyler, the non-powered black sheep of his parent’s family, currently apprenticing under the watchful eye of the Batman-esque Revenant.

Williams, who draws each issue as well as writing it, manages the neat trick of building serious drama even as he delivers some high quality laughs. This is in spite of Williams’ cartoonish drawing style which lends itself better to exaggerated expressions than depicting the darkness of space of the menace of an ice-breathing man-monster. (And I must say I love Zodon’s face as he finds out the school’s head technician snuck a tracking device onto his hover-chair.)

Excellent marks overall. A+, Mr. Williams. We expect your mother will put this work on the fridge door!

PS238 #3 - A Review

Written by: Aaron Williams
Penciled by: Aaron Williams
Inked by: Aaron Williams
Colored by: N/A
Lettered by: Aaron Williams
Editor: Aaron Williams
Publisher: Dorkstorm Press

It’s not easy being the new kid in school. Feeling that you are totally different from everyone around you is the second-worst feeling in the world. Of course, the worst feeling is KNOWING for a certainty that you are different from everybody else around you. Throw in a pair of exceptional parents who are unwilling to accept you for what you are and are trying to force you into a role you are totally unprepared to take, and you have a pretty bleak existence.

It’s a situation that many of us have found ourselves in, one way or the other. We are totally out of our depths, unable to get any help or support and we begin to count our days in terms of survival and not enjoyment. Funny how this perfect portrait of the doldrums of depression should come from a funny book.

Tyler Marlocke is the newest student at PS238- the government’s secret school for super-powered children. His parents are two of the most powerful super-beings on the planet and have just made a gift of a new teleportation beacon for the school. The only problem is that Tyler doesn’t have any superpowers. Not a one. Of course his parents are certain that “the universe is biding it’s time, awaiting a crucial moment” for his powers to manifest, but Tyler’s teachers are not too sure.

The book is filled with slapstick comedy as Tyler tries desperately to survive gym class (quite a feat when your classmates can throw a dodge-ball faster than a speeding bullet) and then visiting the school nurse, where he tells him “I should let you know, I’m going to be here a lot.” He also has run ins with two would-be world conquerors (who are taking applications for evil minions the way most students would conduct an election for class president) and a nosy normal student who has clued into the fact that there is something “not right” about some of the students around him.

Aaron Williams is a greatly unappreciated double threat, who handles the writing and the art chores on this book with ease. He has a clean, cartoony style that manages the neat trick of showing characters simply, but still making each individual distinct and easily identifiable. He even manages to pull off drawing a certain distinct guest hero from another universe (who I won’t name as to maintain some surprise) and make him look like he belongs in this universe while still maintaining his unique look. And I would be remiss in not mentioning that this comic also comes with an official minion application form for aspiring Lords of Darkness everywhere. (Hope you got that, Daron!)

PS238 #1 - A Review

Written by: Aaron Williams
Penciled by: Aaron Williams
Inked by: Aaron Williams
Colored by: N/A
Lettered by: Aaron Williams
Editor: Aaron Williams
Publisher: Dorkstorm Press

I’ve been following all the books published by Dorkstorm Press for a while now and been impressed with most of them. PS238 is the latest in their line and it is done by Aaron Williams, most famous for his work on Nodwick, a humorous parody of fantasy comics. Like Nodwick, PS238 is a parody book; a superhero parody to be specific.

The book takes place in a public school, run by the government and a number of superheroic teachers underneath a real elementary school. Special technologies are used to hide the abilities of the “metaprodigy” charges as the superkids are give a basic education as well as training in the use of their powers. In other words, it’s the same basic concept behind the original X-Men but played for laughs.

Obviously this book will appeal mostly to the superhero loving crowd, since many of the characters and concepts parodied are taken from the major archtypes of that genre. There is Mo-Ron, son of this world’s Superman, who is afraid to fly and has the unlikely name of Captain Clarinet. There is Bernard, who looks like a younger and more hyper Incredible Hulk. There is the unusually pale Murphy, who claims to be a fragment of the psyche of an extra mentional being who rules the dream realms. (Awww… lil’ Dream all grown up to 10 years old!) And then there is Zodon, an evil genius in a mechanical flight chair whose chronic swearing is kept in check only by a “Barry Ween” chip that changes all his profanities to harmless friendly words and causes him to sing showtunes when he gets REALLY angry.

This kind of strict parody humor could get tiresome very quickly. Thankfully, the humor lies not only in the in-jokes for the fanboys but in the witty dialogue as well as some playing with how a school for younger superbeings might really function. To say nothing of the real humanism to the parents and children and how little superpowers really changes things. For example, Mo-Ron’s mom makes him a cape to grow into and he has a childish panic attack at the thought of having to tell her that he lost it.

The artwork by Williams is reminiscent of his style on Nodwick The characters are all distinctive and sport unique looks despite their costumes, so there is never any difficulty in telling who is who like in SOME superheroic books. My one complaint is that even though this book could really stand to be displayed in color. Some of the scenes just scream for some lush colors to bring them to life, such as all the scenes after “Ron” finally does conquer his fear of flying and plays his instrument in the clouds.

Still, this is one of the funniest reads I have had in recent memory and I have no quibbles with it aside from thinking it could be even better in full color. Pick a copy up, if only for the collectors value. This is one to watch, kids.