Action Comics #9 - A Review

Returning to a concept first introduced in his Final Crisis series, this issue of Action Comics reintroduces us to Calvin Ellis.  He appears to be an ordinary African American man but is secretly the Superman of Earth 23.  Ellis balances his duties as Superman with those of his day job - President of the United States of America. 





Fresh off a victory against his arch enemy, Calvin confronts a mysterious trio who appear suddenly from a portal.  The two male figures are badly burned and the one female figure is missing an eye.  She explains to Calvin that they created a device that enabled them to make thoughts real as solid sound-waves and that they attempted to sell the device in order to promote their idea for an idealized guardian of good - a Superman.  But the Superman concept was diminished in an effort to commercialize it to the masses until a new Superman - a brutal, pitiless monster - was turned loose upon its' creators.  A monster traveling to Earth 23 even as they speak...


 
There is no reason for a story like this to work nearly as well as it does, as it can be read several different ways. Straight comic book story?   A parable about creators' rights? A warning about the dangers of corporate culture controlling the creative process?  It works on every conceivable level.  This isn't the first time Morrison has merged elements of the textual and metatextual made manifest into a script but the spin here is a unique and interesting one.

Gene Ha pulls the art duties this time, filling in for Rags Morales.   Ha proves an able replacement, offering a grittier, darker style than Morales but one that fits this darker, stranger story perfectly.  Credit must also be given to colorist Art Lyon, whose prefect palettes further define Ha's pencils and inks.

No less enjoyable is the back-up story by Sholly Fisch, which details a day in the life of Calvin Ellis as he attempts to balance both his duties as a member of Earth 23's Justice League and President of the USA, negotiating with the leader of a terrorist nation over the phone even as the JLA is destroying the secret labs where said leader is building weapons of mass destruction.  The story raises some interesting ethical questions and I'd love to see more stories done with the Justice League we see here.  The art by Cully Hammer (most recently of The Shade mini-series) and colorist Dave McCaig is top-notch.

Action Comics is one of the best values for your comic-buying dollar for sheer variety, if nothing else.  It is superhero comics done right and a must-read for any fan of the genre.

Green Arrow #9 - A Review

There's a general rule of thumb I've developed after years of reading comics - any comic whose cover depicts an archer hero using guns will inevitably suck.  It was true years ago when I first read Green Arrow #84 and Green Arrow #85.  And it's just as true this week with Green Arrow #9.






  

The above image should tell you everything you need to know about just how far off the rails this book has run under the pen of Ann Nocenti.  It matters not one whit that once we get into the issue we see that the guns in question are apparently the six-shooter arrows we heard mentioned back in Green Arrow #7.  So the six-shooter arrows are... a gun?  It doesn't matter if the ammunition has pointy arrow-head shaped tips - they are still bullets, not arrows!

 

I hope you'll forgive me for singling out this one point.  I harp on the guns because to discuss the other problems with this issue in-depth would be repetitive in the face of my earlier review.  The King Lear metaphors are hammered even harder into our heads, as one of Leer's creations is called "The Fool".  There's talk about the environmental damage caused by mining randomly squeezed into Ollie's dialogue with some friendly natives that would be preachy even by the standards of Dennis O'Neil.  The nearby mining town, which is having its' wealth stolen by Leer, appears to have been taken from a stock Western, with the one woman we see dressed as a saloon girl!  I'll remind you all that this story is set in modern day Canada and that this all-in-one general store/inn doesn't seem to be a theme restaurant that would encourage its' employees to wear period dress.  And even if it were, it wouldn't explain the rest of the patrons dressing like refugees from a John Wayne movie.

In the end, three things have killed this book for me, the first being Oliver's inconsistent morality.  The man who refuses to use his weapons when facing down mutant wolves for fear of harming another living creature has no qualms with using dynamite to start an avalanche and bury the abominations unto nature Leer has been creating underground.  To say nothing of the damage an avalanche might do to the already perilous local environment! 

The second factor is the artwork, which continues to be among the worst I've seen in any professionally published comic.  Harvey Tolibao's work continues to be under-inked and badly shaded.  Colorist Mike Atiyeh, who worked on the majority of this book, manages to make it look somewhat better than the previous issues colored by Richard & Tanya Horie...but just barely.  The seperation between Leer and the background is much better, but Ollie's costume still looks like a muddy mess of run-together greens.







The final factor which killed this book for me is Noncenti's half-hearted plotting.  For the past three issues, she's seemed so busy trying to make a statement that she forgot to actually say anything.  For all the Shakespeare references, the symbolic intent of Skylark being a metaphor for how women in general are portrayed in comics and the environmental message, there is remarkably little content to this comic.  We don't even get a satisfying conclusion to the subplot of Emerson's attempt to steal Queen Enterprises, being informed on the last two pages in the thought balloons that Ollie has lost everything... even though Emerson's entire scheme is dependent on Ollie being dead for it to work!

 
  Though I suspect you've all had enough of pseudo intellectual Shakespeare quoting at this point, I cannot help but be reminded of a quote from The Bard in pondering how to best summarize this three-issue story arc -  "It is a tale...full of sound and fury, signifying nothing."  And it has driven me off of Green Arrow for the foreseeable future.

Avengers: The Movie - A Review

  
I'm going to keep this short and to the point.

Joss Whedon has not created the greatest comic book movie ever made.  Avengers: The Movie goes far beyond that.  It is so much more than we have seen in any comic book movie before now.  Avengers: The Movie captures the essence of everything that makes good comic books enjoyable and conveys it in the form of an amazing movie.

There is action, yes, and it is well-played and well-paced with only a few moments where the CGI is obvious and intrusive.  But what really sells this movie is the characters and the relationships between them.  Whedon's script is full of these little moments - bits where the characters stop being characters and start being people.  Bruce Banner and Tony Stark geeking out in a lab.  Black Widow's silent vigil over Hawkeye's sickbed as she worries over the man who saw something good worth saving in her that she never saw in herself.  Thor's pleading with Loki to put aside his anger for the good of their family.  All these little moments that are nailed by a wonderful ensemble cast. 

This is a good movie.  It is a good comic book movie but more than that it is a good movie.  You don't have to have seen any of the other Marvel Comics movies leading into it - everything will be explained for those who are new to these characters.  The characters are new to one another, so there are plenty of natural introductions as the film progresses. 

My one bit of advice?  Stick around through the all the credits.  There are two extras for those with the patience to wait.

Coming Soon - My Review of The Avengers Movie

 

Regular readers know about my personal boycott of Marvel Comics and the reasons for it.  So it might surprise you all that I've decided to lift my ban, this one time, so that I can review The Avengers movie.

Is it because I'm a big fan off Joss Whedon and don't want to miss the project that - if early reports are accurate - may finally give him the mainstream success and recognition he deserves?  No.

Is it because I don't want to miss out on what may be the biggest cultural event for geeks all year?  No.

No, it's because I realized that I have a unique opportunity that I don't think any other film critic or comics blogger has at this point. 

Having not seen Iron Man 2, Thor or Captain America, I have the ability to view the film objectively as an independent work rather than a continuation of these other films.  And given that the first negative review of The Avengers made great play of the fact that the story would be largely inaccessible to those who hadn't seen all the other Marvel movies... well, I feel a need to test that. 

So sometime towards the end of this weekend... I will be seeing The Avengers.  And for good or ill, I'll be reviewing it here.  Mark your calendars.  Tell your friends.  And be sure to support your local comic book store this Saturday when you're getting your free comics.  

Skyrim: A Journal of War - Chapter Twenty-Nine: So Sewer Me

From The Saga of Matthias The Bather, Written By Sven

The tunnel out of the Thalmor Embassy emerged into a troll's den.  Though Matthias was able to slay the beast, it set upon the wounded and weakened Etienne, finishing the unfortunate man off beyond Matthias' power to heal.  And so it was that Matthias made his way back to Riverwood and Delphine's hideout.




*SLAM*

Delphine: You're back!
Me: Yeah.  You know that valuable spy you had in the Thalmor Embassy?  Dead.
Delphine: What?
Me: Yeah.  Turns out the Thalmor noticed when one of their honored guests disappeared and somehow figured out that the one person who lived there who wasn't a High Elf might be involved. No idea why.
Delphine: Truly, they are cunning adversaries.
Me: Irony is totally lost on you, isn't it?
Delphine: But did you at least find evidence that the Thalmor are behind the dragons before you escaped?
Me: No.  
Delphine: *sighs* Then this was all for nothing.
Me: Not quite.  I did find proof the Thalmor are just as confused about the dragons returning as you are and just as keen to find an answer.
Delphine: Oh?  And what is this so-called proof of yours?
Me: This journal their head torturer was writing regarding the information they were getting out of this one prisoner.  They're trying to find this guy named Esbern.
Delphine: Esbern?! You are certain it was Esbern?
Me: See for yourself.  It's written here.
Delphine: ... Esbern.  I thought he was dead!
Me: You know him?
Delphine: Yes.  He was an archivist for The Blades before the Thalmot began hunting us down.  He was a bit strange, but a noble man.  He was obsessed with the prophecies and lore of Skyrim, which spoke of the coming return of the dragons.
Me: The same prophecies that spoke about me, I'm guessing?
Delphine: Yes.  If Esbern is truly still alive, his knowledge would be invaluable. 
Me: Well, luckily the prisoner told me that he knew a man named Esbern who was hiding in the sewers of Riften.
Delphine: What?  Why, that is marvelous news!  We'll have to make arrangements to get you down there.  I'll start forging the letters that will identify you as a dunny man, sent to inspect the sewers on behalf of the Jarl...
Me: Actually, I think I can manage this one alone.  Ta!
Delphine: But...but...a plan!  Subterfuge!  False papers!  At least take a pass-word to confirm your identity!



SOMETIME LATER, IN THE RAGGED FLAGON...

Me: Hey, eerybody.
Thieves: GUILDMASTER!




Vekel the Man: Morning, boss.   
Me: Morning, Vekel.  How's the rat race? 
Vekel the Man: Shut down until further notice.  Seems someone was slipping Potions of Haste to the rats. 
Me: Wow.  Someone cheating at a gambling event held in a thieves guild.  Who would have thought? 
Vekel the Man: Oh, we expect some cheating, sir.  You'd be a fool not to.  The problem is EVERYONE was feeding the rats Haste potions.  Their poor little hearts gave out before the first lap was finished! 
Me: Poor little guys. 
Vekel the Man: Ah, we'll get a new batch trained soon enough.  So what brings you by? 
Me: I need information on one of our tenants. Do we have an old man named Esbern living down there, as far of you know? 
Vekel the Man: You know, it's funny... you're not the first to ask me that today.. 
Me: Oh?    
Vekel the Man: We do have an old guy hiding out in the Ratway.  Lots of people looking for him.  Don't know his name but he's paid good money for nobody to know he's down here.   
Me: Who else was asking about him? 
Vekel the Man: Strangers in hooded robes. High elves. 
Me: Thalmor?! 
Vekel the Man: Probably.  Told them they were welcome to search the Ratway if they wanted.    
Me: You what?!?! 
Vekel the Man: Well I can hardly tell a bunch of people in dark hooded robes that I think they're suspicious and that they're unwelcome here, can I?  I'd have to kick out half the guild then!    
Me: ... Point. 
Vekel the Man: Besides, I just reset the booby traps this morning.  Figured they could help me "test" them. 
Me: Vekel?  You are going places in this organization.   
Vekel the Man: Thank ye, Guildmaster.  But I'm content to remain a fence and bartender.
Me: Still, you deserve some kind of reward.  How about I don't tell Vex who has been stealing her underpants and selling them to Delvin? 
Vekel the Man: That works too!


SOMETIME LATER... 
  
THWUNK!

Assassin: Ack!
Me: Okay.  Let's make sure these guys are really Thalmor and not just other random elves in dark hooded robes who want to kill me.


 
Me: I hate these guys but at least THEIR intelligence is actually intelligent.  "May Be An Alias."  Feh.



AFTER MUCH SNIPING OF THALMOR FROM AFAR...

KNOCK KNOCK!

Esbern: Go away!  I already paid for the month!
Me: Relax!  I'm a friend.
Esbern: I'm an old man!  All my friends are dead!  Now get off my lawn!
Me: You don't have a lawn.  We're in a sewer.
Esbern: Well... get off my filth-incrusted stoop, then!
Me: Look, Delphine sent me.  She wanted to come up with a really complicated plan to sneak down here as a dunny man...
Esbern: Hmm... welll, that does SOUND like Delphine. And I doubt the Thalmor would know that.  I suppose you can come in.  Wait a minute while I get all the locks.

*CLICK*
*CLICK*
*GROAN*
*CLICK*
*THWACK*





Me: Isn't having that many locks sort of overkill? 
Esbern: Not when the Thieves Guild are your landlords and the Thalmor are after you.
Me: Well, pack up what you can't live without.  I've come to take you to Delphine. 
Esbern: You are a Blade?  A new recruit?
Me: Well, sort of.  Actually, I'm the Dragonborn.
Esbern: What?  You're... can it really be true?  Dragonborn?
Me: I'll shout if you like but that might not be a good idea here.  
Esbern: Indeed.  There will be time enough to test you later.  At the very least you are capable enough to gert here sneaking past the Thieves AND the Thalmor. 
Me: Ha-ha!  Yes.  Snuck past the thieves....