Oy...

I just got forwarded an e-mail from the head editor at Comics Nexus.

Seems somebody has become so offended by my Titans East review that not only does he refuse to get comics news from us anymore (which is odd as the site switched to a mostly-reviews/criticism format a LONG time ago anyway) but he is going to "have us added to the corporate block site at work".

That's probably for the best, anyway. Unless you work for a comic company, you probably shouldn't be reading about comics at work. I know my workplace frowns upon such things.

I just can't help but reflect upon how funny it is I only ever hear this boo-hoo-hoo stuff from Judd Winick fans and not... oh... say... Chuck Dixon fans.

I'm going to bed. Work tomorrow and then.... Wizard World.

Fast Thoughts - The Week of 11/14/07

FABLES #67 - This book becomes more and more difficult to review with every passing issue. The English language allows me only so many words to describe the exact greatness of Willingham and Buckingham's Magnum Opus. If Fables has a flaw, it is that it is so complex and so epic that it is impossible to begin reading in the middle of an arc.

It has been particularly difficult to review The Good Prince - the storyline which has taken up the book for the last half-year - for this reason. Unless one has been reading the book since the very first issue, one cannot really appreciate the story and the grand transformation that has made the comic Flycatcher (aka Ambrose, The Frog Prince) into an epic hero, great leader and all around bad-ass.

If you've been reading Fables, this issue is a perfect 10. If you haven't, I fear it will be too easy to be lost and confused as to who is fighting who and why reading this issue, though the heroes and villains are made plain. Still, there is quite a bit of good action here and Buckingham's art does not disappoint, as per usual. So if you haven't been reading Fables - and I can't imagine why you wouldn't be - do yourself a favor and pick up the first few trades before catching up on the recent issues. I promise you'll be glad you did.



SPIDER-MAN/RED SONJA #4 - You either hate this book or you love it. Me? I love it.

Yes, I know that the covers by Michael Turner are - even by the lax standards of Michael Turner covers – abysmal. By Crom, Sonja appears to be a ballerina stretching on a pole rather than a warrior maiden wielding a sword!

Yes, this book is based on an unmitigated silly concept. It’s centers around the concept that an evil wizard is awakened, transforms New York City into a Hyborian metropolis, everybody but Peter Parker is changed along with it and Mary Jane is possessed by the spirit of Red Sonja.

Yes, I know that the fact that it is an unmitigated silly concept that has its' roots in a story that was created by Chris Claremont and John Byrne back when they were both at the top of their game excuses nothing.

Yes, I know the fact that this book is being overseen by Mel Rubi and Michael Avon Oeming – the team who brought Red Sonja back to greatness in her only monthly book – also excuses nothing.

And yes, even I admit that Kulan Gath being possessed by the Venom Symbiote is probably one of the stupidest things I’ve seen in comics all year.

And yet, I don’t care.

Because all is shattered by the sheer unadulterated awesome that is Joeseph, Son of Robert; Rebel Leader!

Seriously. You do not get better comics than the Joseph “Robbie” Robertson speaking faux-Shakespeare wielding a sword and getting ready to put the smack down on a group of trolls without help. And if you can’t appreciate that, then you really can’t appreciate this book.

Yes, this book is a bit silly. But it is unashamedly silly, like a child with a towel tied around their neck insisting in all seriousness while smiling widely that they are in fact Superman. More than a lot of comics today, this book is fun. And that can allow me to forgive a lot these days when so few comics – even the ones I enjoy – are truly fun.



WONDER WOMAN #14 - Gail Simone takes over the title with this issue and not a moment too soon! Of course, it goes without saying that this issue is at least 1000% better than anything done with Wonder Woman since the beginning of One Year Later. But if I don't say it, this will be a very short review.

In all seriousness, this is a stellar premiere issue. Given the problems this title had over the last year, coming into this mess and trying to do anything - much less build upon the generally loathed status quo - would be a daunting task for any writer, even one as experienced and capable as Simone. After Amazons Attack and the farce that was the Jodi Picoult run, I think most comic fans would be happy to have a Wonder Woman book that is readable much less wonderful.

Rest assured though; the first issue IS wonderful. What Simone has done here is captured the essence of everything Wonder Woman is and should be. She is tough. She is smart. She is clever. She has a dry sense of humor. She is more than capable of handling herself in a fight but is always looking for ways to avoid fighting when possible. She is compassionate. She is understanding. She is, in short, every bit the wonder her name implies.

All of this is accomplished through one heck of a fight-scene with the forces of Gorilla Grodd. But apart from giving us talking ape assassins– something which automatically bumps up any comic a full letter grade in my book - Simone has crafted a perfect entry-level story. If you've never read an issue of Wonder Woman before (and given the last year, who can blame you?), you can safely pick this one up and rest assured that the status quo will be made clear. Indeed, Simone manages to give us all the back-story we need and then some without it seemingly like we are being exposited to.

Simone even manages the neat trick of bringing back what appears to be a new Etta Candy, who appears to be a slightly over-weight hardass like her Golden Age predecessor. And yes, even Hippolyta – unseen and forgotten in the months since Amazons Attack – even she is seen to be doing something in the background that will no doubt have major repercussions in the months to come

Coupled with the excellent artwork of The Dodsons, I’d say that Wonder Woman is in good hands. Of course it’s still a bit early to say that Simone can completely undo all the damage that has been done to the mythos of Comics’ First Lady. But I have every confidence that she will. Diana Prince isn’t the only Wonder Woman in comics, after all.

Double Review of Titans East Special #1 & Batman and the Outsiders #1

Many of you are probably wondering why I'm reviewing these two books together. Is it because of some compare/contrast essay I wished to pen? Was I trying to create a sort of Zen balance by reviewing one book each by one of the most outspoken liberal writers in comics (Judd Winick) and one of the most outspoken conservative writers in comics (Chuck Dixon)? Did I wish to compare Winick writing an entirely new team book to Dixon taking over the team book Winick left?

These are all very valid guesses, but they are wrong. The main reason I'm combining my reviews for these books is because I can't be bothered to write a full review for both of them. It's more than I can take.

So granting off the bat that both of these books contain a level of hack writing that is becoming increasingly commonplace at DC Comics and that the artwork by Ian Churchill and Julian Lopez is woefully sub-par, which of the following points should we comic fans be most insulted by?


a. Judd Winick and/or his editor failing to do the basic research to learn that Hawk is Dove's younger sister - not her older one. A fact easily discovered after 30 seconds on Google.


b. Cyborg apparently knowing about Power Boy's "run-in with Supergirl" (i.e. the stalking, kidnapping and attempted rape of Supergirl) and not having any problem with this guy being on his team.





c. Yet another Judd Winick one-shot ends in death, in order to promote a new series.






d. Batman making an unprovoked disapproving remark about Thunder and Grace's lesbian relationship.



(The Following Transcript was provided by a man who has asked only to be identified as 'Roy'. He had the issue in question but no scanner, but was none-the-less willing to give me a transcript of the next page of the comic.)

THUNDER: WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT GRACE AND ME? Have you been spying on us? You like watching, freak?

BATMAN: You have too many issues competing with your primary role in this group. You have skills. You may be even be gifted beyond your powers. But you're not ready. The simple fact that you would interfere with me while your teammates are in the field proves that. And I surmised that you and Grace were good friends by observing your body language when you're together. I didn't know it was more than that until you told me.

THUNDER: Oh.

e. The idea that the World's Finest Detective is unable to tell the difference between close female friends and lesbian lovers.



f. The return of generic 'Batman is a dick' characterization.



g. All of the above are so equally offensive, it's hard to pick just one.


Me? I've got to go with G. I'm giving both of these books a 1 out of 10 rating and welcoming you all to record your votes at the Comics Nexus boards . You will need to register to vote, but if you've never been it is a fun little forum with more intelligent conversation than most comics news boards.

Thoughts on HEROES: Week 8 - Four Months Ago

Peter/Nathan - Glad to have it resolved just how Nathan survived, what the deal was with the visions of his burned self and where the heck Peter has been all this time. Clearly The Company is big enough that Bob was able to keep Peter under wraps without Angela being any bit the wiser.

Elle - Huh. Sociopath who likes electric-play. Again, I can hear the fanfic being written across the Internet as we speak.

Angela - More hints that she has some kind of power involving hyperpersuasion. There were hints of this last season with her touching people as she's trying to get them to listen to her (i.e. talking a reluctant Nathan into going along with the plan to let Peter die)

Niki - Okay. On the one hand, I'm glad they've finally confirmed that she's DiD. And I think - now that they HAVE confirmed that - Ali Larter's acting has become a lot better as a result since we got to see her do a lot more this episode than "intense/sultry" and "worried". On the other hand, that STILL does nothing to explain the vanishing tatoo.

DL - I liked the guy last season and now I'm pissed as hell that not only did he find a way to redeem himself AND use his powers in a way that let him be an effective hero... but that he went down like a total punk. He didn't even get the dignity of last season when he almost got killed taking a bullet for Niki, tossing himself between her and Linderman.

Maya - Okay... did we REALLY need another two instances of her freaking out and killing random extras? She can't control her powers and her brother can defuse hers while being immune to what she does. WE GET IT. It has been established TO DEATH. Get on with Sylar killing them!

What makes this last part truly annoying is when you consider all the people who COULD have gotten a scene here but didn't and all the stuff that could have been shown. Like, say...

1. Bennet having to explain EVERYTHING to his wife and son and why they'll be moving.

2. The reaction to Linderman's death. I'd just love to see Candice's reaction that her meal-ticket just snuffed it.

3. Matt having to explain to his wife where he'd been for the last few weeks.

4. Matt meeting with Mohinder and going about figuring out how a soon-to-be divorcee and an immigrant/visiting alien are going to adopt a young girl.

5. How The Bloody Fornication Did Sylar Get Away, Get Captured By The Company And Wind Up In Mexico?

Fast Thoughts - A Goodly Number Of Reviews

DAREDEVIL #101 - For the last two years, this had always been the one Marvel Comic I could always count on enjoying. Part of this is because the creative team, Ed Brubaker and Michael Lark, were stolen away from DC Comics where they had an established track-record of being able to do good, gritty street-level stories. The other part of this was that Daredevil somehow managed to remain free of the contagious stupidity that infected almost every other Marvel title, thanks to countless, endless crossovers that promised to break the Internet in half.

I far these salad days may be over based on this last page.

I've only broadly been keeping up with what has been going on in New Avengers, but the short version is that relatively new criminal "The Hood" is making a bid to become the new Kingpin. So far, his plans have been limited to attacking Tigra (who, curiously, did not fight back against the man assaulting her, despite having always been one of the most temperamental of Avengers) and this apparent attempt to bring down Daredevil baddy Mister Fear.

I don't know how this is going unnoticed in Tony Stark's brave new SHIELD-run world. Perhaps The Powers That Be are too busy hassling the registered superheroes over paperwork and cracking down on unregistered superheroes to keep an eye out for this sort of thing?

Ignoring that, this issue is more of the same fine work that we've come to expect from Lark and Brubaker. I can only hope that The Hood's time here will be brief and not a precursor to a longer storyline tying into whatever Brian Michael Bendis is doing with his latest man-crush character.


GREEN ARROW: YEAR ONE #6 - I find myself at a loss as to how describe this series other than to say that this is easily the best Green Arrow story in years. What Andy Diggle has presented here is a portrait of Green Arrow at his purest.

Diggle has managed the amazing task of retelling a classic origin story that has - for good reason - remained largely unchanged since the Golden Age of Comics while modernizing some of the trappings. He has taken the past continuity of not only Green Arrow's origins but of several key Green Arrow stories and added elements to this origin that will go on to foreshadow future adventures. What is most impressive is that he has done this in a way that is easily accessible to new readers while speaking to the old-fans like myself.

But even those words do little to convey just how perfectly Diggle has captured the essence of the character of Oliver Queen; who he is and what he becomes. And it certainly does nothing to display the skill of artist Jock, whose talented line-work has made this book as wonderful to look at as it is to read.

I think the only thing that can possibly convey the beauty of both the writing and the art is a scan of this page.

THIS is Green Arrow. He is Robin Hood in the modern world. The defender of the defenseless. The savior of the oppressed. The man who never gives up no matter what the odds are against him. The man who flips Evil the bird and then tries the impossible, rather than bargain or beg favors from it. The one who stands up and says "no".

He is all that. And a damned good showman to boot!

This is my Green Arrow and I will miss him until someone at DC has the good sense to put Diggle and Jock to work on the character on a monthly basis.


HELLBLAZER #237 - With the 20th Anniversary of John Constantine's monthly book's first publication fast approaching, it seems a fitting time to reflect upon what has come before while considering how things are now. This is ironic considering that despite the many changes this book has gone over two decades the state of things is remarkably close to how they were twenty years ago.

Andy Diggle made Hellblazer his own book from the very first issue and set about seeing John reborn. This was necessary since the last substantial run on the book, penned by Lucifer writer Mike Carey, ended with John alienating nearly every ally and friend he had left, most of the London magical scene and John destroying his entire storage-unit of magic books and artifacts. With none of his resources and connections, but all of his enemies and his tendency to attract trouble when he isn't actively looking for it, John underwent a magical rebirth of sorts and emerged looking slightly-older and somewhat-wiser but still the same loveable rogue he was way back during the Jamie Delano run.

The similarities between Diggle's run thus far and Delano's run extends past their portrayal of John as a character. Delano's stories drew heavily upon the history and legend of magic in England as well as the theme that while there are horrible things in the Earth, the true horror lies in the hearts of Mankind. Diggle has established the same themes in his Joyride storyline, as a dark magician uses the Druidic magic of England to develop his own power while simultaneously corrupting dozens of relative innocents by promising them the power to get revenge on their enemies.

I make this comparison as praise for Diggle's ability to exploit the continuity and themes that have come before him in order to tell new stories that ring true to the original intent of Hellblazer - not to suggest that he is ripping-off a long-established writer. Far from it.

Indeed, Diggle's work here is the work of a true master. Like all the great Hellblazer writers before him, his work has a unique voice all it's own and yet it still seems as if his vision of John Constantine - drawn as it was from the works of others - is true and definitive. I miss Mike Carey's work on the title but if he were to return, I would miss Andy Diggle just as much.

This skillful writing is partnered with an equally skillful artist. Leonardo Manco is a perfect choice for Hellblazer, which requires an artist who can depict in equal parts the horrific fiends and terrors of the Abyss as well as the more mundane horrors, such as a horrific hit-and-run accident and the facial expressions of an astrally-possessed punk, who finds out that he raped his own sister while he "slept".

Vertigo Comics longest running title is in good hands. I highly recommend that if you're not already reading Hellblazer, you start next month with #238 and the new arc.


JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #10 - I was, like many of you, nervous when the news came out that the Superman of Kingdom Come would become a part of the JSA team for some time. Kingdom Come was, of course, one of the best graphic novels written in the last twenty years and a tribute to the ideals of DC Comics, America and heroism in general.

Given the attempt to recapture that same magic with the lackluster The Kingdom mini-series to say nothing of the varying levels of success with which certain elements of the KC Universe have been added into the reality of New Earth (a time-displaced Thom Kallor as the Starman of three worlds and three times, Ma Hunkle's granddaughter as a new Red Tornado, Damage now wearing the costume of "The Atom" among others), we fans can be forgiven for being somewhat skeptical of this storyline.

We can be forgiven... but we can also be relieved.

For with Alex Ross assisting with the story and Geoff Johns (the one writer at DC Comics as trustworthy than Mark Waid in regards to respecting the past of the company) handling the writing chores, this story thus far is very true to the spirit of Kingdom Come.

Ross also contributes a few painted panels, but the lion's share of the artwork in this issue is ably illustrated by Dale Eaglesham, who is - as ever - a master of both high-action and facial expression. He is one of the best visual storytellers in the business and even during the confusing moment in which Superman must fight his way past the entire JSA, change into his costume and rush to save a woman attempting suicide, the progression of action is smooth and logical despite occurring in a matter of seconds.

This story isn't really a sequel to Kingdom Come. And as good as it is thus far, I doubt very much that this story may prove to be the equal of Kingdom Come. But taken on its' own merits, it is a damn fine story about Truth, Justice and The American Way. And that is all that it needs to be.


TALES OF THE SINESTRO CORPS: SUPERMAN-PRIME - Based on what I've seen on the message boards, you either hate The Sinestro Corps War or you love it.

Me? I love it. I love it as a brazen Green Lantern geek who has always dreamt of a story in which Sinestro gathered an army of like-minded individuals and set to spreading terror across the universe. I love it as a comic history geek who recognizes the numerous references to Alan Moore's work on Tales of the Green Lantern Corps as well as his unpublished proposal for a story involving the end of the DC Universe titled "Twilight of the Superheroes".

And this issue - despite some erratic artwork caused by two artists with dissimilar styles - I even love it because it has given Geoff Johns a chance to do what he does best and do something he wasn't allowed to do during Infinite Crisis. Namely, he has given us a look inside the head of Superman Prime a.k.a. the boy formerly known as Superboy Prime.

Johns spells out Prime's origin in detail. How he was the one superhero on his Earth. How he finally won the love of the girl of his dreams and had a chance to be the hero he wished to be as a child. How all of that was destroyed and how he sacrificed everything in order to save the multiverse and give it a chance to be reborn. All of this gives us an insight into his character that was lacking during Infinite Crisis. We now see how an idealistic young man - a Superman in the making - could come to be so filled with anger at the universe and become convinced that he had to make things right by any means necessary.

We also see how very different he is from our Supermen and the difference between them. While our Superman relishes the gratitude that others bestow upon him for his good deeds, he does not expect it. Superman Prime is still a lost child seeking the praise and approval of the parents and loved ones he lost a lifetime ago through the teaming masses he is working to "save". He is not worthy of the name Superman. He isn't even worthy of the name "man"

It is a credit to Johns' skill as a writer that he can write a tale in which we can feel both sympathy and contempt for the same character for the same reasons. And it is that level of writing which has made the entirety of The Sinestero Corps War a real treat.