Fast Thoughts - The Week of 6/20/07

Go Starman! It's your birthday! Read the comics! Write a review!

...

Yeah. I promise never to do that again.




AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #541 - Ah, Wilson Fisk. You have been missed, sir. Anti-climactic as this issue is regarding the confrontation between Spider-Man and Kingpin (we already know that Fisk will escape the prison brawl unharmed, thanks to recent issues of Daredevil) it is effective in building the drama regarding an injured Aunt May. And full props to JMS for the reference to Stan Lee's story with Peter having to donate blood for Aunt May's transfusion.


CONAN #41 - After months of waiting, it is here. - Part One of Tim Truman's adaptation of Robert E. Howard's Rogues in the House. While quite a bit has been adapted and added-on (Conan is decidedly more verbal in this first part of the tale) the gist of the story is captured perfectly and indeed Truman remains truer to the original story than even Roy Thomas was in his adaptation of the story for Marvel Comics. Thumbs up from this die-hard fan of the world's most famous barbarian.


COUNTDOWN #45 - Well... that was... anti-climactic. And am I the only one confused as to who most of the Moinitors are working for now?


FLASH THE FASTEST MAN ALIVE #13 - Okay, I've never been the biggest Bart Allen fan - especially after he was forcibly grown up, forcibly aged and forced into becoming The New Flash - but to have the book end like this is just disrespectful.


HELLBLAZER #233 - The more and more I read Andy Diggle's take on John Constantine, the more I wish he was writing Green Arrow past the upcoming Green Arrow: Year One. Diggle had delved into the past of John Constantine and the continuity of other writers with a glee and zeal not see in many writers besides Geoff Johns. Still, this issue, based on a throwaway bit during Paul Jenkins severely underrated time on the title, is a real treat as we see Diggle move John back toward being the John Constantine of old rather than the more generic mystical hero written by Denise Mina over the last year. If you aren't reading Hellblazer, now is a great time to start.


JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #10 - By the same token, re: The Flash, while I have always liked the character of Wally West - there had to be a better way to bring him back than this. Was there really THAT much outcry against the current Flash book that we had to waste three months of time in JLA and JSA to bring Wally back the same week that Bart dies?


SAVAGE TALES #2 - A bit flat compared to the first issue. The Sonja story ends in a predictable manner. The Atlantis story feels far too slow. The story with the Hunter seems a standard middle chapter. Only the continuation of the story of how The Old Ones from Lovecraft's books came to Earth seems to hit the high-mark set by the first issue. Not a bad book by any means - but the first issue seemed much more exciting by comparison.


ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #110 - Okay, Bendis? I know you have a major man-crush on Moon Knight. And I know that the Ultimate Universe characters are, for the most part, different people than the Regular Marvel Universe. That being said... I don't like Daredevil threatening innocent lives and meaning it. I don't like Danny Rand being a whinny bitch. I don't like Doctor Strange being an incompetent poser. But mostly, I don't like Peter being robbed of the moral victory he wins here just because you wanted to make your version of Moon Knight look like a bad-ass. Okay?

Fast Thoughts - The Week of 5/16/07

Yes, I know the column came out before the Fast Thoughts this week.

Ironic, no?

Well, between two job-interviews keeping me from being able to write and barely having time to get to the comic shop on Wednesday before work, you're all lucky to be getting this before the weekend.



ALL-STAR BATMAN AND ROBIN #5 - Has it truly been over a year since we last had an issue of this book? It hasn't been long enough.

Honestly, I'd like to believe the theory that Frank Miller is attempting self-parody and that this whole series has been one big in-joke that him and Jim Lee have planned. I find this preferable to the idea that Frank has either stopped giving a damn about his craft or has descended into some form of dementia.

That being said... I wouldn't mind seeing him write a Plastic Man series. His take on Plastic Man here is actually very good. That's the only character he manages to capture though and I can only assume the reason that the whole of the Feminist Blogosphere isn't attacking this book en mass is because they've decided it's far too easy a target.


CONAN #40 - A semi-sequel to the original Robert Howard story The Scarlet Citadel, this tale centers upon two evil wizards who plagued Conan joining forces to deal with Cimmeria's favorite son in this flash-forward tale to Conan's days as King of Aquilonia. A top notch issue with a funny (yes, funny) ending, though these constant one-off issues are breaking up the flow of the on-going story of Conan moving towards his eventual destiny of kingship. Still, with a story like this it is not nearly as annoying as it has been in past months. On the bright-side, the long-awaited (by me at least) adaptation of Rogues In The House begins next month.


COUNTDOWN #50 - A bit duller than last week, but I seemed to enjoy this issue a little more than most of my colleagues thus far. What can I say? I'm a sucker for a good Rogues scene. Though I must admit I am curious just how Jimmy Olsen knows who Dick Grayson and Jason Todd are... did Superman tell him? And if he'll let Jimmy know that, why doesn't Clark trust him with his identity?


FABLES #61 - It's still the best damn book to come out every month.


FLASH THE FASTEST MAN ALIVE #12 - A bit trippy reading this AFTER Countdown, where Trickster and Piper are being asked to prove themselves to rejoin The Rogues when here they are, thick as thieves (pun very much intended), helping Inertia and the rest of the Rogues with their wicked, wicked plan. Still, it's nice to see this book finally going somewhere after running in place for the first six issues. And I loved the scene with Kadabra/Inertia scene where both characters - both arrogant sons of witches - bounce insult after insult off of one another.


JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #9 - Is it just me or is Ed Benes' work becoming more and more Liefeldesque? Maybe it's just the inking and coloring. Still, it's nice to know where Hawkman has been the last year (rebuilding Thanagar in the wake of the Rann/Thanagar War) though I am still deeply disturbed by the revelation of a Carter/Power Girl romance.

Not that there's wrong with the idea, save that Carter is the ultimate he-man macho type and I can't see someone as willful as Kara falling for someone like that. Then again, opposites DO attract...

The Roy/Hawkgirl romance still seems forced, though...


RED SONJA #22 - I am officially bored with this storyline. How bored? Not even zombie pirates can make me care about Sonja's sidekicks or this other female pirate who, after months, STILL has nothing to do with the main story. Honestly, they need to cut bait and soon and get Sonja back on the road to adventure by her lonesome, as it was meant to be!


SUPERGIRL #17 - Okay. My mind has been completely blown in a good way by the last page. And hey, let's give it up for the art team for drawing teenage girls that actually look like fit teenage girls.


ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #109 - Such a joy to see Kingpin being written as Kingpin should be.


ULTIMATES #13 (VOL. 2) - This book and All-Star Batman come out the same day.

Don't tell me that's a coincidence.

It's Ultimates. It continues to be Ultimates. Either you like the mindless action-flick on paper or you don't. And I don’t. I can't help but wonder why nobody seems to do anything about Hawkeye killing a woman in her hospital bed, even if she IS a traitor to her team and adopted nation. And what's up with the flashback ending showing Steve Rogers with his girlfriend before the war?

Fast Thoughts - The Week of 3/28/07

BATMAN #664 - I am deeply ammused by the thought of a hooker offering Batman a freebie and deeply touched to see that someone remembers that Batman does just as much to fight crime in ways that don't involve punching thugs, as witnessed by Bruce offering a woman with no education a job in a call-center. Of course now I know that any good Bruce does as Batman is negated by the fact that he willingly employs telemarketers...

CONNOR HAWKE: DRAGON'S BLOOD #5 - Sometimes, it's nice to read a book that doesn't have any point to it besides a lot of fires and wanton destruction.

DAREDEVIL #95 - Good to see someone doing something with Gladiator. He always was one of my favorite Daredevil villains, especially after he reformed and opened a costume shop. Something always struck me as funny about how one of the men with the worst costumes in history got a job making them for other people. I mean, look at this...





This is not a man who needs to be giving anyone fashion advice! Then again, it works in the same way as the urban legend that Shel Silverstein started doing children's books when he couldn't sell his cartoons to Playboy because they were too filthy. Untrue, as far as I can tell, but a good story. And this is a good story too!

FABLES #59 - For those of you who remember Bill Willingham's classic Sandman Presents one-shot Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Dreams But Were Afraid to Ask, this was a real nostalgic treat. And for those who don't it was a regular treat. Answering several questions that some readers asked about minor characters (such as what happened to a now unemployed bodyguard from the 'Arabian Nights" story) or unimportant bits of trivia (such as how Buffkin the Flying Monkey keeps getting liquor) this is a wonderful little break in the action of the war-preparations storyline.

GREEN LANTERN #18 - Okay. Carol Ferris back as Star Sapphire. That's good. Having her fighting and then possessing Hal's new girlfriend, Jillian? That's better. Hal Jordan actually getting to use the phrase "There's plenty of me to go around"? Priceless. The art has taken a turn for the worse though and I'm inclined to agree with a thousand feminist comic bloggers that the new Star Sapphire costume is bad. Not because it is sexist and scanty and skimpy - it just plan looks terrible. Of course I've never been a fan of the "wrap around, leave as much skin in the middle of the body as exposed as possible" look...

ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #107 - Nice to see that the whole world ISN'T revolving around Peter, no matter how much me may think it at times and that Kitty Pryde suddenly showing up after his school after his suddenly deciding he didn't want to date her anymore is just conincidental. Also, Wilson Fisk - from this day forth - will be "Fatty McEvilstein" to me.

WONDER WOMAN #6 - Diana Prince realizes that she is kinda out of touch with the modern "real" world. Good point. Needed to be addressed a while ago. But can we please retire the cliche that a person is clueless and out of touch simply because they do not know how to order coffee at a Starbucks? And why is it we laugh at the people who just want black coffee in a small cup and insist that they are the idiots? Why do we not laugh at the Starbucks people who insist that we must order a Venti coffee instead of a large coffee? They know what the small, medium and large cups are! Is it really that important to the Starbucks branding scheme that they cannot just get people the appropriate size cup without making a big to-do about it? "Oh, we do not serve small coffee here... we serve Tall, Grande and Venti". Oh yeah. Well you can serve it to somebody else pal cause I'm going to get my coffee from someplace where they don't push customers over tiny details!

Fast Thoughts - The Week of 3/7/07

Since I have a lot of thoughts on some things that need to be said this week that won't make it to the column - and since I'd like to have something special for my fans on LJ - starting today, my brief thoughts on whatever books I read each week are getting posted here.

There will be some spoilers, so be warned.



52 WEEK #44 - Nice to see why Black Adam went back to being a bad-ass in One Year Later. The Four Horsemen are seriously underwhelming. And I still don't care about "Next Question".


CAPTAIN AMERICA #25 - Am I the only one struck by the irony of a Captain America comic with such a strong anti-authority message featuring a GO ARMY advert on the back? Regardless, this story - which is making headlines in the mainstream non-comic press - is one of the best so far this year. I don't expect the events to actually stick - but even before that moment, this book had me thinking that as much as I hated Civil War, Marvel Comics isn't completely hopeless yet. That's Reason Number One.


DETECTIVE #829 - (sung to the opening line of "Money For Nothing") I want my Paul Dini. And it's still way too early to be doing "terrorist-blowing-up-financial-centers" storylines.


FANTASTIC FOUR #543 - As Ben says, "If you think Cap has given up, you don't know him at all." Between that line and the crowds of people showing up to support Cap at his trial, I think THAT is the real reason Cap allowed himself to be taken into custody. He can't beat Tony and the pro-registration forces by beating them up - but he can damn well make them look bad and put their "New World Order" to the test as we see how they go about throwing the man most consider the greatest hero in the world in a secret prison for trying to help people. All this, Dwayne McDuffie setting up a chance to write the two most prominent Black heroes at Marvel AND a classic Stan Lee story with Mike Allred art. Reason Number Two Marvel Comics is not totally doomed yet.


JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #6 - Lot of the same flaws as Identity Crisis - way too scattered (what the hell was with the GeoForce scenes?) and as much as I dig the use of Vixen's powers, that was still WAY too Deus Ex Machina - which doesn't seem a fitting phrase for a fight in which a god-like machine is destroyed by a woman with the speed of a falcon and the weight of a dinosaur... but it's all I've got. Still, a damn sight better than anything done with the JLA since Mark Waid was writing it.


RED SONJA #20 - This book, too, is becoming far too scattered. The title is Red Sonja. I want to read the adventures of Red Sonja. Not see the mooks she's traveling with being put on trial ala Planet of the Apes. Not seeing some mysterious pirate wench (whose name is too close to that Howard heroine Valeria but is obviously not Valeria) running about dealing with impending disaster. Not seeing random villagers turning to barbarism - well, a more bloody barbarism, at any rate. Sonja is in danger of becoming a supporting player of her own title, being in barely half the pages of this issue and a majority of those being splash pages with little to no dialogue.


SHEENA PREVIEW - I picked this one up for three reasons. First, the price (99 cents). Second, I figured my girlfriend - who loves tough girl comics - might get a kick out of it. And the third - well, call me a sucker for anything inspired by the work of Will Eisner. And make no mistake - this book is Eisner-worthy. No pin-up book this, this book leaves the feminist and conservationalist leanings of the original Jungle Queen character pretty much intact. And while the series appears to have been modernized in some respects - Sheena now protects the Amazon rainforest from a corrupt Banana Republic government and loggers rather than the Congo from poachers and cannibals - the base idea of a woman who protects nature through the help of her animal friends and her own animal cunning that was the heart of Sheena, The Jungle Queen is still there. Highly reccomended.


ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #106 - I rag on Bendis a bit, but then he does an issue like this that reminds me of why Ultimate Spider-Man was such a breath of fresh air when it first came out. And after the sheer depressing weightiness of some of the Marvel books of late, it's a pleasant surprise to read a book where Peter Parker's biggest worries involve Kingpin buying the rights to his name, talking his way into keeping his job and a Kitty Pryde/Mary Jane Watson love triangle. Reason Number Three Marvel Comics is not totally doomed yet.

Looking To The Stars - The Week In Review

Quite a lot of news this week. And yet, I read more than a few comics this week. And it has been ever so long since Unca Stars has treated everyone with a batch full of reviews.

Lucky you. I’m Super-Sizing your column this week, free of charge!

Okay, it’s always free. But you’re getting more bang for the buck you aren’t giving me. Should anyone feel that I am worth a buck, please e-mail me for Paypal instructions.

And now that I am done with my joking and likely pointless shilling, LET THE NEWS REVIEWING BEGIN!

Marvel reverses labeling policy for gay characters

I’d be more impressed with this most progressive news if…

a) Marvel had bothered to put out more than ONE title with a gay/lesbian/bi-sexual main character in all the time the MAX line has existed.
b) Marvel’s two main teen-books (Runaways and Young Avengers) didn’t have three openly gay members between them.
c) Joe weren’t quite so proud about declaring gay hero Freedom Ring the star of Marvel Team-Up… which is due for cancellation, so who cares if people complain about it before then?
d) Marvel weren’t desperate for any kind of good publicity in the wake of the massive delays on Civil War announced last week.

IMAGE PROVIDES RETAILERS WITH FREE COPIES OF “STRANGE GIRL” #10

Retailers drop free copies in Quarter-Bins to save time, make money faster.

TONY HARRIS ENTERS THE QUICKENING: AWARD-WINNING ARTIST NOW REGULAR HIGHLANDER COVER ARTIST

Matt Morrison enters state of bliss: Tony Harris Fanboy now giving Highlander a shot.

“DARKMAN VS. THE ARMY OF DARKNESS” RAGES ON

I’m going to have to start sending my paycheck to Dynamite Entertainment at this rate. Between this, Highlander and the Red Sonja and Xena comics my girlfriend collects, seems like half the books I actively collect are by DE.

Well, it may SEEM like it. But it’s not quite true, as this week’s batch of reviews will clearly show…

52 Week #16
Company Name: DC Comics
Writers: Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka and Mark Waid
Art: Various

This issue wasn’t bad but it didn’t thrill me as much as past issues of 52. After the bang-up ending last time (sorry…sorry), this issue just felt a little flat. The Question/Montoya doesn’t seem to be going anywhere and Black Adam’s whirlwind romance is coming off as being a bit rushed. Still, who am I to question the wisdom of gods? The sight of Mary Marvel being alive and well was an uplifting note, at least.

Grade: C

Birds of Prey #97
Writer: Gail Simone
Artists: Paulo Siqueira and Robin Riggs

Glad as I am to see that at least one writer has not abandoned the idea of The Society (being played for chumps by Luthor aside, it DID work really well for the villains) this issue came off a little forced. Emo-brat Black Alice was always shown as being a little more canny that she comes off here. And I am looking forward to seeing this new Batgirl storyline resolved even though I know we are being massively played on what we are supposed to expect.

Grade: B

Daredevil #88
Writer: Ed Brubaker
Artists:Michael Lark and Lee Bermejo

A one-off issue centering upon the now-in-hiding and thought dead by the world (and Matt Murdock) Foggy Nelson this one is a Brubaker bread-and-butter special. We get some nice factual information on what life is like for someone in the witness protection program. And ninjas fighting the Mafia. Everything goes better with ninjas!

Grade: B

Jack of Fables #2
Writers: Bill Willingham and Matthew Sturges
Artists: Tony Akins and Andrey Pepoy

Jack was my favorite character from the original Fables series, so no surprise me loving this one given that I’m also a sucker for any story with a trickster hero. Throw in the fact that the villain of this piece, who we meet in this issue, is a librarian dedicated to a most literal form of censorship (pretty much the epitome of evil for a librarian like myself, who believes that information is meant to be free) and you have one rollicking good read for a mythology librarian geek like myself. But I think that the rest of you will enjoy it too.

Grade: A

Justice League of America #1
Writers: Brad Meltzer
Art: Ed Benes and Sandra Hope

I’ve had a love/hate relationship with Brad Meltzer since Green Arrow: Archer’s Quest. I love most of his characterization and dialogue but I hate his plots and 11th Hour plot twists. Still, I will say two things about this book.

1. He made me care about Red Tornado.

Not an easy feat given I’ve never liked the Pinocchio Syndrome cliché and I think the old Avengers comics with Vision pretty much handled the subject definitively. But damn me if the parts featuring him in this issue didn’t make me start to give a damn about “John Smith”.

2. This is, by far, the most ethnically diverse Justice League ever.

Indeed, it is a Justice League made up entirely of minorities.

I know this is a minor point but given all the talk of racism and religious-bias in comics I’ve seen on this site and others of late, I thought this worth noting. And I expect this to be highly debated but consider the following.

Superman – Granting that he was raised WASP, the man is still the poster-boy Alien Immigrant. And with two female Kryptonian cousins, he is now a minority in a minority.

Batman – Okay. He’s a rich White guy. But given that most of his writers agreed that Batman is Catholic, Anglican or Episcopalian – all relatively small denominations in the USA – he’s a rich, religiously repressed White guy.

Wonder Woman – Greek Mythology pagan.

Green Lantern (Harold ‘Hal’ Jordan) – Hal’s never been portrayed as a spiritual character with a stated religion, but there is a belief by some fans that Hal is Jewish. Indeed, his appearance in 1959 was based on Jewish actor Paul Newman and he once wished Barry Allen a Happy Hanukkah.

Black Canary – Never stated any religious belief as far as I know. But she’s a woman so she still counts as a repressed minority regardless.

Arsenal – Roy was raised Navajo and has been shown to subscribe to their beliefs and to be considered one of the tribe. I think that’s enough to qualify him as Native American for tax purposes.

Black Lightning – do I really have to explain this one?

Vixen – African. Not African-American. African Tribal.

Hawkgirl – Half-Latina who may worship ancient Egyptian gods.

Red Tornado – If sentient robots with souls aren’t a minority group in the DCU, then Dr. Morrow and Dr. Magnus have been putting in some overtime.

All arguing of semantics aside, this book was enjoyable enough. I’ll be anxious to see how the first arc ends (Meltzer is weak on endings, IMHO) but so far, so good.

Grade: A

Red Sonja #13
Writer: Michael Oeming
Art: Mel Rubi

The artwork is gorgeous as ever and I do like this clearer retelling of Sonja’s origin that makes it clear, once and for all, if she was honestly blessed by a goddess or just hallucinating in the pain and confusion of what happened to herself and her family. I’m still a bit confused as to what the “mystery villain” who was brought back from the classic Sonja Marvel Comics has to do with the action right now but I am content to sit and find out.

Grade: B

Supergirl #9
Writer: Joe Kelly
Artists: Ian Churchill and Norm Rapmund

Blind optimism has kept me glancing at this book in the store hoping that it would finally achieve the potential it had when Jeph Loeb first brought back the classic Supergirl. Blind optimism finally paid off. Freed from trying to finish off whatever Greg Rucka abandoned during his brief tenure on the title, Kelly is starting to turn this book into his own creature, by setting Kara up on her own and having her talk about her displacement issues with the new Captain Boomerang – who also has some issues with his parents and his place in a world he is just now learning to be a part of. It’s quirky but it works. And the set-up on the last two pages seems a natural progression for two characters who should honestly have been put together as natural friends by now.

Grade: B

Ultimate Spider-Man #99

Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Art: Mark Bagley

Well, this is better than the original Clone Saga. But if that’s not damning with faint praise, I don’t know what is. Honestly, this issue is crammed full of so many shocking twists that it isn’t the least bit shocking. Nearly everyone who was dead isn’t dead anymore and the only thing that’s for sure is that Peter is somehow going to get blamed for all of this. 10 to 1 Norman Osborne shows up in Issue #100 as the mastermind behind all of this. At least Bagley’s art is still ‘a might pretty.

Grade: D

Wonder Woman #2
Writer: Allan Heinberg
Art: Terry Dodson and Rachel Dodson

You know, I really would like to be able to care about this book. But I don’t. Much as I am glad to see Nemesis alive and well (and the in-joke about his Catwoman appearance where he ‘died” is priceless), I just can’t get all worked-up about this book. I can’t get excited about Wonder Woman as Lara Croft in her secret identity. I can’t get excited about Donna Troy’s appearance here given that we know Diana is alive and well and active. And I really can’t get excited about her doing the spin and change into costume thing at the end of the book. The Dodsons do their usual job where all the female characters looking buxom and all the male characters looking just plain weird. Seriously. Look at Robin. Weird.

Grade: D

Xena: Warrior Princess #2

Writer: John Layman
Art: Fabiano Neves

Dynamite seems intent on reviving a lot of forgotten movie and TV properties with comic-book tie-ins of late. The only thing saving them so far (apart from some cunning marketing) is the fact that as cheesy as some of the properties they’ve invested in are, they are fun. And whatever else may be said of Xena – it is a fun book that truly reads like one of the better episodes of the TV show.

The plot, such as it is, is that the Egyptian Gods and Greek Gods decide to settle their personal war by having two champions fight to the death. Through a bit of a fluke, Gabrielle winds up being chosen to be the representative for the Greeks. Thankfully, the rogue Autoylcus (played by the great Bruce Campbell) is able to convince the gods that having just one pair of mortals fight for their glory is a bit of an understatement. Unfortunately, they just open up the playfield drafting the incompetent Joxer and the psychotic Callisto for the Greek team along with Xena and the sneaky, but not a fighting-man Autoylcus.

The artwork captures the likenesses of all the characters from the show well and odds are that if you’re a fan of the show or comedic fantasy in general, you’ll enjoy this book as much as I did.

Grade: A

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

Visit our blog at: http://www.livejournal.com/users/looking2dastars/

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: Make Mine NOT Marvel

It’s been a long time in coming, but this week I finally did it. I removed all the Marvel Comics from my subscription. This decision was not made lightly, nor was it made completely without pain. But the sad fact is that my expenses are going to be very tight this summer as I enter my final semester of Graduate school and SOMETHING had to go. And that something was, I decided, the company that made up a mere four books on the list of twenty titles I read every month.

Why Marvel? Why now? Well, to be honest most of the books I have been reading either no longer thrill me as much as they used to or have become outright unreadable. Also, I came to a realization regarding the current tide at Marvel that also made this decision a lot easier. But first things first- let us discuss each title in detail.

Amazing Spider-Man

JMS. You’re the one who got me reading Spider-Man again but even you can’t keep me reading him. So far, you’re the only writer who seems to have done anything worthwhile with the idea of Peter Parker being a member of The Avengers and I commend you for that. But sadly, the new environment is not working for me.

I think of Spider-Man and I think crummy apartments, Aunt May unable to make the house payment and Mary Jane being out of work because nobody takes her seriously as an actress because of her modeling. Moving them all into Stark Tower just takes out a lot of the natural drama that has always been a part of the book.

In short, I leave Amazing Spider-Man behind me, not that I hate New Avengers less but that I love your take on Amazing Spider-Man unspoiled. If you were allowed to write the book without having to include The Avengers, I might stay. But since Marvel doesn’t have the greatest track record about not shoving “new and wonderful” things down our throat, I must, as Groucho Marx said, be going. “I came to say I cannot stay; I must be going.”

Daredevil

The one title I can gleefully remove from my list with no complaints whatsoever. Now lest I start getting complaints about being a Bendis-basher who is still bitter over Avengers, let me set a few things straight. I’ve been reading the book consistently since Kevin Smith rebooted the title. I read through the Mack, Gale & Bendis runs and I enjoyed them all. But lately, it seems to me that Bendis is not writing Daredevil. He is writing a book full of interesting dialogue and situations… but he isn’t writing Daredevil.

This is the biggest complaint I get from people who accuse me of being an uncultured philistine who does not get the wonderful artfulness of your average Bendis story. That because I actually expect to see a guy in a red costume kicking-butt and to see Matt Murdock in court doing the lawyer thing in a Daredevil comic, that I am stuck in the past and unable to see the beauty of true art.

Let me tell you folks something: it doesn’t take a master of “art” to take six months to tell a story where three of the books are issue-long fight scenes. It isn’t art to retell the same story twice from different character’s viewpoints in two different issues over a year-long span. (Besides, James Robinson did that better in Starman.)

How sad is it that the only story featuring Daredevil that has felt like a Daredevil story that I’ve read in recent memory is the overly melodramatic Daredevil: Redemption? On every level, I find it to be inferior to Bendis’ plots, dialogue and character (outside of Matt himself, of course). And yet, I found the book much more enjoyable because while it was overdone it felt truer to the spirit of what Stan Lee and Frank Miller did with the character than anything Bendis has ever written.

Fantastic Four

Another book that I had no complaints about but I just cannot stick around to read. Mark Waid all but drug this title back to greatness from mediocrity and proved popular enough to make a comeback after being removed from action by an editor who very quickly learned why Mark Waid is as popular as he is skillful. But with Waid on the book and even with JMS coming on… I feel it is best for me to move on for now.

Ultimate Spider-Man

Everything I said above about Daredevil? Repeat that. Twice.

Of course I haven’t sworn Marvel off completely. Though I have no interested whatsoever in the upcoming House of M storyline, there are still a few specials that are well worth-reading. Dan Slott’s GLA and Spider-Man/Human Torch have been two rare treasures that Marvel has released this year and I will check out any future projects he releases. And I suspect that once JMS’s Fantastic Four begins, I will somehow find my way back into reading that once a month.

Until then, the next person who asks me to “Make Mine Marvel” will get a very polite “No, thank you.”

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

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.

Looking To The Stars: Slap-Dash

I have a pile of comics to my right, a large cup of tea to my left and a keyboard in front of me. Sounds like the time for some quick reviews.

Aquaman #21

While I've never been one of his detractors ("He's useless. All he can do is talk to fish!), I've never been a big fan of Aquaman either. Will Pfeifer, in one story, not only shows Aquaman for the cool character that he is; he also creates a new villain for Aquaman who is, like him, underestimated by many but potentially deadly in the right environment. In this case, the villain is a psychic with the ability to mentally control large amounts of water. While a minor annoyance to Batman in the relatively land-locked downtown area of Gotham City, he proves quite the danger when armed with scuba gear and set upon the sunken California town of Sub Diego. Creating waterspouts at will and boiling the very water in a person's body are just a few of the tricks he uses. But Aquaman proves no weakling here, using his powers in equally creative ways, summoning a flock of poisonous lionfish (One spine can throw a healthy adult male into cardiac arrest) to corral a group of henchman. Shame he's leaving the title in 3 issues, as Aquaman hasn't been this well written since… well, ever!

Final Score: 7 out of 10.

Ex Machina #5

It's been neck-in-neck for a while, but this is, quite simply, my favorite book being published right now. Tony Harris does his finest work since the good ol' days on Starman and Brian Vaughan shows why he is one of the best writers working in comics today. The story of a man given a great power, who abandons superheroism for the greater responsibility of political office is one not often explored in comics and never to any great detail. This series promises to do just that and more.

Final Scote: 10 out of 10.

Hawkman #33

I wish I could say that this comic doesn't feel like a gratuitous plug for Jimmy Palmiotti's new series "The Monoloith"… but honestly, how else can you justify Batman, Mister "I Am The Lone Avenger Of The Knight" Himself, calling Hawkman and Hawkgirl into Gotham to help him track down a crime-fighting, giant stone golem? Still, the comic isn't a total wash. The scenes at the end with the two avian heroes going to a movie and talking about their relationship and where it stands is quite good and easily makes up for the cheap commercialism of the rest of the book.

Final Score: 5.5 out of 10.

JSA #66

There is nothing for me to explain in this issue after my profile of The Hourmen some weeks back. The tease we get of future issues here suggests I'll have quiet a lot to explain later about some other time-traveling characters. But since I don't have a time machine myself, we're all going to have to wait and see what I say about that. For now, go read this current issue and enjoy the here and now.

Final Score: 10 out of 10.

Knights of the Dinner Table #96

For once, the funniest parts of this magazine came not in the comics, but in the columns. This is not to say that the comics this time were not funny. Indeed, a new comic centering upon the self-devouring gamers of The Black Hands Gaming-Society and their latest attempt at a western-themed role-playing game is one of the best strips in recent memory. And another, parodying a recent gaming release (a gaming adventure titled "The World's Largest Dungeon", changed here to The Biggest Damn Dungeon Ever) promises a lot of humor in the next issue. But the funniest part of the magazine this time around came in a missive by Noah Antwiler, about why we can expect Star Wars, Episode 3 to do nothing to save the franchise by pointing out the numerous continuity problems that will have to be solved and the four ways in which Jar Jar Binks could be turned into a useful character.

Final Score: 8 out of 10.

Swamp Thing #8

It's funny how a writer can be so good on one book and so wrong for another. Case in point; while I loved his work on Aquaman, Pfeifer's two-part tale for Swamp Thing seems rather bland and lifeless. Mind you, it isn't an easy task following up the smashing introduction that Andy Diggle gave this book in its' first six issues. Still, after an epic battle with multiple elemental forces, a cameo by John Constantine and the announcement that his loyal wife was leaving Alec Holland/Swamp Thing, this issue demanded something special. This story, about a big game hunter hunting a mysterious swamp man, isn't it.

Final Score: 4 out of 10.

Ultimate Spider-Man #66

The cover title, "Even We Don't Believe This", says it all. Peter Parker and James "Logan" Howlett star in Freaky Friday. A grand story in the tradition of the old Lee/Ditko "The writer has gone insane and I don't want to draw this… help me" stories of the past, as Wolverine and Spider-Man trade more than spaces. It's hard to pick just one funny moment in this comic to share… so save us both the trouble and read it yourself.

Final Score: 10 out of 10.

Tune in next week. Same Matt time. NEW Matt Website.

Looking To The Stars: Quick Shots

Every month, there are some comics I read that I don't get the chance review that I still want to comment on. Luckily for me (and for you, should you enjoy my rantings and find my opinions valuable), I have a whole column that I can fill with my brief opinions as to what's what on my reading list. So belly on up to the bar, folks! It's time to do some shots. And as always, beware of SPOILERS!

Amazing Spider-Man #511

Just when I think this issue can't get any more twisted, JMS finds a way to twist it further once again. Of course I know SOMETHING is up regarding these kid's ages but at least this issue settles the other big question regarding this storyline, re: Peter Parker fathering children out of wedlock with Gwen Stacy. Still, I can't help the sinking feeling that part of me will be screaming in outrage for one reason or another by the time this story is over.

Final Score: 8 out of 10.

Fantastic Four #517

You know what this issue reminds me of in the weirdest way? Ghostbusters 2. There's a scene in that movie where utter chaos is spreading around New York City and The Mayor says "Get me the Ghostbusters!" An aide hurriedly explains that he had them committed after they came to him with a warning of the trouble to come. The Mayor's response there is much the same as the mayor here, who informs the aide who keeps telling him that dealing with the Fantastic Four in the wake of their falling out with the public would be career suicide, "For the last time, your opinion is duly noted. And let me also add, you're fired." Forget the Stan Lee retreads of Marvel Age, the obsession with toilet humor in Ultimates and the inappropriate darkness of the Marvel Knights title. This is Fantastic Four, the best way, and indeed the ONLY way it should be done.

Final Score: 10 out of 10.

Green Arrow #41

No time for the mushy sentimental monologues of the Smith run. Forget the calculated ethos of the Meltzer run! It's Winnick's turn and that means non-stop action with demons galore! Okay, there's no ACTUAL demons in this issue. But there's a big red guy called Brick who looks pretty demonic! Who cares? No worries about taking a whole issue to deal with the ramifications of a Black Canary/Green Arrow break-up like some other writers did in their books! This is Green Arrow, where there will be no emotional investment at all! At least until we get a writer who actually gives a damn.

Final Score: 4 out of 10, and that's purely for the artwork. Hester and Parks deserve better to work with.

Fables #27

Fans of Sgt. Fury, Sgt. Rock and any other classic war comic will love this issue about a team moving behind enemy lines, lead by book regular Bigby Wolf. Next issue promises to be even better, as the tagline at the end promises us a fight between a certain patchwork man and a certain other man who has lunar cycle issues.

Final Score: 9.5 out of 10.

Green Lantern #180

I have to admit, I got snookered but good on this issue. The double fake-out caught me as off-guard as it did Kyle. Great issue, but the sad thing is that Marz's run ends next issue. It just figures that DC would cancel this title after Rabb and Marz finally made it worth reading again after the malaise of Winnick. Oh well; hopefully Kyle will come out of this with his heroic code still intact.

Final Score: 9 out of 10.

Hawkman #31

Yet another one of Carter Hall's girlfriends is killed just to prop up some new villain. But whereas Johns took time to develop Cater's relationship with his co-worker before killing her, Palimotti barely gives us a chance to get to know the psychic singer Domina before snuffing her out. While this could be seen as tragic, it comes off more as lazy writing. And the villain, a walking disease farm who thinks himself the patron saint of healers reborn is sorely lacking.

Final Score: 3 out of 10.

JSA #64

If you're a DC history fan, you'll love it. If you're a Sandman fan, you'll love it. If you're a Geoff Johns fan, you'll love it. If you enjoy good comics, you'll love it. If none of the above applies to you, then you're probably a drooling Marvel zombie, wallowing in your own filth and a small stack of double poly-bagged X-Force #1's.

Final Score: 9 out of 10.

JSA : Strange Adventures #1

This one has me hooked for another issue at least. Perfect balance of Golden Age heroics and humor, as Starman and Green Lantern fight Nazis over Gotham City. Meanwhile, Johnny Thunder tries to break into pulp writing by writing about the exploits of his teammates. This entire sequence is a laugh, with Thunder's internal injections as to what his friends should say being appropriate, but utterly horrible prose.

Final Score: 6.5 out of 10.

Phantom Jack

This series comes to a brief end with this, the highly anticipated "With Special Guest Star Saddam Hussein issue. Though the series is going on hiatus, there is a promise at the end of the book of more issues along the way. Good thing, because this is easily the best thing to have come out of Marvel's recent attempts to revive the Epic line and Image got one right for once in snatching this out of their hands.

Final Score: 7.5 out of 10.

Ultimate Spider-Man #65

What starts off looking like Breakfast Club 2005 turns into the typical 'Peter is reminded that "With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility" Issue'. This is not altogether a bad thing, although I still think that the death of Gwen Stacy in this book was an awful mistake and that the book will suffer from her absence. And I'm somewhat let down by what Flash Thompson has been trying to talk to Peter about for the last… god, how long HAS that subplot been left dangling? Taken for what it is, this is a good issue… but not a great one.

Final Score: 6 out of 10.

Y: The Last Man #26

This entire issue reads like several of the series of cut scenes from a DVD Special Features menu spliced into one story. What we get here is to see expansions on past scenes as well as some new "cut" scenes which show the life of Hero, sister to our main character Yorick as well as an explanation for what she's been doing the past few years in the comic. What we see does not bode well, particularly the revelation on the last page.

Final Score: 9 out of 10.

Tune in next week. Same Matt time. NEW Matt Website.

Looking To The Stars: What I've Been Reading Lately

As I’m sure you’re all aware, I do quite a bit more for this little rag then merely bang out the occasional rant regarding which writer is screwing up which book and which overrated and over-hyped project I’m most dreading the release of. I also write more serious and focused reviews of some of the things I read every week.

This begs the question; Starman, what happens when you want to review something but fate (and the Dark Overlord) don’t let you write something about it that week?

What indeed? What happens is that I turn this little space to other purposes for a week or two and give my quick thoughts on everything I read in the past week instead of churning out one more chapter from my upcoming book: Dr. Strange Fate Or How I Learned To Stop Worrying About Characterization And Love Mark Millar. (Available At All Fine Comic Shops the day after Hell freezes over.)

Green Arrow #36

Is it impossible for Judd Winick to write a story in the DC Universe without demons these days? After the last Outsiders and this issue of Green Arrow, it seems so. We started out with a nice story about Riddler doing what he does best, driving heroes up the wall while laughing it up in a big pile of money, in the last issue. This issue degrades the storyline into Riddler acting as a distraction as his rich employer, who is summoning demons on some mystic site in a public park on the other side of town.

Ignoring all the problems I have with this portrayal of Riddler after the excellent “Hush” and the current storyline in “Gotham Knights” and the question of just how many millionaires there are in Star City who perform Satanic rituals (remember Kevin Smith’s “Quiver”?), I do not believe that Riddler would call in his threats to the police from the same room as the bomb. What are you going to do if they refuse your demands? Blow up the city with you in it? That logic works for religious fundamentalists but not for someone as intelligent, greedy and interested in self-preservation as The Riddler. Even if the bomb is a fake (and we never DO get an answer to that), surely someone with half an ounce of common sense would say “Hang on… “

All in all, I can’t wait for the new writer to take over on this title. Yes, I know there isn’t a new writer scheduled to take over this book yet. But a fan can dream, can’t he?

Score: 3.0 out of 10.0 and that’s purely for the artwork.

Hawkeye #5

It started out interesting but the opening arc of this book, The High Hard Shaft, now feels like a cloth-yard shaft in a short compound bow: too long and unwieldy. I fear this series is suffering from Tradeitis and, like many books today, is being unnaturally stretched into six issues to make way for the inevitable trade paperback. The only problem with this approach is that at the rate this is going, all the fans will leave this book by issue #7.

Not much of interest happens in this issue except for a whole lot of flashbacks of Vietnamese peasants getting killed, some trekking through the jungle and the final big payoff we’ve been waiting for after three issues of watching Clint Barton fumble around playing detective.

Don’t get me wrong: this is a good book and I like the artwork. It just… drags a little bit. If you’re a fan of smart-aleck archers, you’ll love it. The rest of you can give it a pass.

Score: 6.0 out of 10.0

JSA #59

And once again, I am reminded why Geoff Johns is simply the man when it comes to team books. Using one forgotten villain of the Golden Age, we get a collection of quick stories, taken out of joint in time as we follow the Nazi time-traveler Degaton on his latest mission.

But this villain has not come to cause trouble, no. He has come to revel in the fact that while he does not defeat the individual JSA members, he has still been able to see their deaths. The idea of time travel as a psychological weapon is an unusual one and Johns runs with the ball as Degaton informs Hawkgirl that he spent an afternoon watching all her deaths and how the one in this life will be the worst ever. Likewise, he revels in the pain of Stargirl and Captain Marvel’s relationship collapsing as Billy Baston finds himself unable to tell the team his secret identity because of the Wisdom of Solomon and that there really is nothing wrong with his seemingly mid-twenties self seeing a 16 year old girl.

The real treat to this issue, and one I fear that will go neglected by most who will appreciate the significance of it, is the Dream of the Endless cameo. In the last issue, Lyta Hall was found alive and well, imprisoned inside the amulet of Nabu. She is free now and Hector Hall (Dr. Fate) has taken a hiatus from the team in order to spend time with his long missing wife. Lyta, fans of “The Sandman” will remember, was directly responsible for what brought about the death of Morpheus and that a new “Dream” was reborn from Lyta and Hector’s son, Daniel. Degaton arrives in the Tower of Fate and a presence from a mirror stops him from approaching, saying…

“No, Degaton. You wish to terrorize the Justice Society of America. Continue to do so. But my parents deserve some peace. And they shall have it.”

A quick tangent here: I can’t think of anyone else but Dream who would have cause to call Fury and Dr. Fate his parents. My friend Tanner, however, insists that it can’t be “Dream”, because in “The Wake’, “Dream” denied the name “Daniel” when Lyta talked to him before putting a mark on her to ensure her protection. I do not think this is necessarily contradictory; he may still recognize the fact that they were responsible for his mortal creation, even if they have no connection to what he is now. While that may not be enough to force his intervention, his promise to protect Lyta would be.

Regardless; this is still a great read and one of the few books that leaves me aching for more at the end of each issue.

Score: 10.0 out of 10.0

Ultimate Spider-Man #54

I was dreading this storyline when I first heard the idea for it. Granted, some of the Marvel ventures into mixing their characters into “the real world” have been worth reading. I fondly recall the book where the Avengers went on Letterman and enjoyed the Spidey meets the Original Cast of Saturday Night Live comic. These have been the exceptions though, and most every other attempt to put a real word celebrity into a Marvel book have been.... well, Jay Leno saving Spider-Man from ninjas. ‘Nuff said.

Imagine my shock then that Bendis not only keeps this from achieving total cheesiness but also manages a neat little tribute to one of Stan Lee’s original script ideas: Spider-Man trying to cash in on someone else making a Spider-Man movie. Yes, we do get celebrities in this issue... though only a brief shot of Tobey Macguire with quite a bit of Sam Raimi and Avi Arad. We also get quite a bit of the now infamous teenage rage at the corruptness of the world around him, as Peter informs everyone on the set that they all suck. Except Sam Raimi, of whom he admits, “All right. Evil Dead 2 was cool, but the rest of you suck!”

Still one of the top ten books on the market. My one complaint is that we finally see Gwen in this issue for the first time in what seems like forever AND the subject of her still thinking Spider-Man killed her father is raised AND is quickly dropped. I thought the guy robbing the banks dressed as Spider-Man was caught. Even if he hadn’t confessed after the fright of his life that he got from Peter, wouldn’t the police have had enough evidence to charge him with Capt. Stacy’s murder? It’s not a big point, but I really would like to see Gwen’s issues with Spider-Man given a little more time for discussion. Just a thought…

Score: 8.5 out of 10.0.

Penny Arcade

One of the more acclaimed web comics out there, I was recently introduced to this one from someone asked me if I was a “fan” since I promote nearly every other major gaming comic out there. I’d never read Penny Arcade before this past week though I had heard quite a bit about it and most of it mixed. Having read all of them in the past week, I am also somewhat mixed on the comic.

One complaint I’ve heard about the comic is that it is too dependent on in-jokes. I must admit that there is some justice to this claim. Some of the strips are dependant on things such as knowing who John Romero is or knowing of the feud between EA and Microsoft regarding X-Box Live. However, the vast majority of the strips are easily accessible even to a guy like me who until recently, hadn’t touched a counsel game system in years. For instance, I’ve never played Final Fantasy XI and have no intentions of doing so but I can still laugh at a comic showing how a starting fighter in said game starting is so weak that they can get their butt kicked by a rabbit. People getting attacked by cute little animals is funny; something all true masters of comedy understand.

Another complaint is that there is way too much use of “frat boy” and/or “geek” humor. Overuse of the word “wang” and the F-word, bloody and cartoonish stabbings & mutilations and even a little bit of sexual innuendo do abound throughout. Of course considering that most of the people who play video games and read web comics are frat boys and geeks, this is not a serious complaint. Knowing your customers and pandering to their demands is not bad. In fact, I believe this concept is the basic cornerstone of most of the world’s economic system.

Of course, all of this makes for interesting social discussion, but how does it read a comic? Honestly, I think it’s pretty good but not great. I smiled at some, but laughed very rarely. The art is cute but I’ve seen better. But when all is said and done, this comic does exactly what its’ title suggests; provide us with some cheap laughs about games and gamers; a proud accomplishment which most web comics cannot match.

Score: 6.5 out of 10.

For more web comics, that DO fit the bill, here’s Unca Starman’s regular reading list:

Something Positive - One of the most famous and certainly one of the funniest comics out there for all fans of twisted humor. Centering upon a wide cast of various colorful weirdos in Boston and Dallas, this one has had me laughing uproariously since the very first comic.

Queen of Wands – Second on this list, but second to none, this strip does an excellent job of balancing its’ own unique style of humor with a sense of drama more touching and genuine than anything you’re likely to see in the wasteland of prime-time television. Plus, anything with a redhead pagan grrrrl in the lead is cool by me.

8 Bit Theater - The sprite comic to end all sprite comics! If you’re a fan of gamer humor, twisted humor, Final Fantasy or just plain weirdness, you need to be reading this if you aren’t already.

Halloween Man – If you like pina coladas and getting caught in the rain, this isn’t for you. If you like Sam Raimi, zombies and the kind of horror movies you find in local-owned video stores horror sections, this is so up your alley it is already parked outside your house.

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