Advanced Review: Irredeemable #3

Note: Irredeemable #3 will be in stores on June 3, 2009.

The beginning of this issue is so unsettling. It’s a full-page splash about love and tenderness. I thought it was a flashback of the Plutonian’s Halycon days. Of course, on the next page, I get a punch in the gut and a large dose of creepiness. And that’s just one of the many examples in this book that proves: Mark Waid and Peter Krause are on the top of their game.

Irredeemable, if you don’t know, is about a Superman-esque character, the Plutonian, who’s gone bad. Well, if this was Superman, we may have a good idea why he turned bad, but Mark Waid is using completely new characters in a completely new world. So, Irredeemable has surprisingly become a mystery. Mark Waid wants us to ask: Why did the best of us go bad? And what’s his plan?

Well, like every issue, we get a few more clues. In fact, this issue gives us the deepest insight into the Plutonian. But this issue is mostly about the villains of the Irredeemable universe. On top of that, Waid gets another Superman relation out of the way. Just like last issue dealt with the Clark Kent/Lois Lane/Superman love triangle, this issue mentions the Superman/Batman dynamic. Again, Waid is wise to get these similarities out of the way quick. Oh, and can you guess what Superman would do to Batman if Superman stopped acting like a Boy Scout?

Irredeemable #3 is another solid issue from a fresh, new series that I’m already quite excited about. Actually, it’s more than solid. It’s exceptional. I’ve never considered myself a big Mark Waid fan, but honestly, his writing here is astonishing. Everything is so well-crafted. And that Peter Krause is no slouch, either.

Grade: A-

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Batman and Robin #1 Preview!

It’s almost here!

Check it out here and here!

Read our review of the first issue here!

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JH Williams III on Newsarama!

I’ve been pimping this book a lot. So let’s continue that, shall we?

Check it out!

Fashion is not my thing, but the new costume design is fascinating, another reason why Williams is so great. I looked at her old 52 costume, and it just looks stupid. I’m really looking forward to this book.

Jump on the trolley!

Review: Incredible Hercules #129

There was a time when I was a Marvel Zombie.  Looking back at my review list now, many of you may find that hard to believe, but it’s the truth: up until the ceaseless push of hack events began to swallow every decent idea the company produced in an effort to become increasingly grim to push a faux-realism, I really did not see the appeal of DC Comics.  Every so often, Marvel will do something great – Patsy Walker: Hellcat, for example, or The Immortal Iron Fist.  Brief genre projects less concerned with fitting in with the overarching company-wide directive of misery than with telling fun, fast-paced stories.

Incredible Hercules, while far more wildly uneven than either of the previously mentioned books, fits the same mold.  Despite bearing the “Dark Reign” banner and being hip-deep in the whole Osborn schtick, remains a quick, clever book.  Ryan Stegman’s art is competent and dynamic, capturing the fun and the action in equal measures – and if Incredible Hercules has anything, its action and comedy.

Though the book in general is wildly uneven, #129 is an great entry for the middle of the arc, as Herc, Amadeus and Athena travel together into the Underworld in an effort to free Zeus and overthrow the scheming of Hera and Hades.  Despite the “Dark Reign” banner, the issue doesn’t touch on the metaplot of the MU in any significant way.  The series is never quite as funny as it wants to be and has some underlying issues, but strong characterization and a breezy plot help keep the book fun and relevant.

Grade: B

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Review: Wonder Woman #32

This week offered us part 7 of the 8-part “Rise of the Olympian”, Wonder Woman’s big story for the year, a massive arc that brings to bear a whole host of new problems for the Themysciran princess.  Writer Gail Simone’s run on Wonder Woman has been disappointingly uneven, caught between a desire to by mythic and grounded at the same time, the need for High Action mixed with the rising tension and epic drama.  ”Rise” has all the same problems that has plagued the rest of her run, but perhaps because of the extended length, it also has enough time to fit in Simone’s patented wit and charm amidst all the mayhem.

Lopresti, back after a fill-in from Chang last issue, continues to improve over the arc.  I still feel that Lopresti’s clean, beautiful style doesn’t entirely sit with the bloody, ugly mess that Genocide is supposed to have caused, but it is undeniable that the artist knows his stuff, drawing both the action and the drama clearly and expressively.  The grittier bits of the action don’t quite come through, which hurts the tone of the Genocide arc considerably, but aside from that, Lopresti is doing some of his best work here.

The “Olympian” arc is exciting and fun, but it is not resonating with the importance that Simone seems to want it to.  Genocide is a surprisingly efficient monster, more effective in many ways than Doomsday was in design and creation, and the behind-the-scenes drama of the Greek pantheon, while nowhere near as exciting as it was in Rucka’s run, still offers up some intriguing bits for future stories, especially in light of Athena’s revelations last issue.  On the whole, “Rise” is a good, if a bit slight, story that jumps between exciting action segments and occasionally interesting drama that has been hurt more by the marketing and hype of the story than by the quality of it.

Grade: B+

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News: Dwayne McDuffie Off JLA

On his blog, Dwayne Mc Duffie confirmed that he has been fired from JLA.

This probably isn’t surprising given the frank comments McDuffie has been making about his frustating experiences writing the book.  McDuffie confirmed that is the reason he was fired:

“Nope, it was my own doing. I was fired when “Lying in the Gutters” ran a compilation of two years or so of my answers to fans’ questions on the DC Comics discussion boards. I’m told my removal had nothing to with either the quality of my work or the level of sales, rather with my revelation of behind-the-scenes creative discussions.”

McDuffie went on to explain where things were headed before he was fired. 

“I have to say I’m a bit disappointed, because next summer was planned to feature a JLA-driven crossover, where my book’s story line would have been the driving force. I’m distressed by where I left Black Canary, as my intention was to use the current subplot to strengthen her character and relationships with the new membership, and instead I’m leaving her at the bottom of a hole I’d intended to rebuild her from. I was also just about to get a regular artist for the first time since I’ve been on the book, which would have been nice. That said, I’m sure DC’s going to put together a creative team that will generate major excitement around JLA, which is as it should be.”

It’s definitely a shame he left Black Canary where he did.  I hated seeing the character portrayed as that weak and ineffective of a leader.  I would have liked to have seen McDuffie get a chance to rectify that.  But, oh well.

Interestingly enough, Rich Johnston of Lying in the Gutters fame posted the following response:

“I am gutted.

Obviously not as much as you.

I’m so so sorry. I certainly thought that since comments had been published by, you know, DC’s Message Board, without being removed or edited… well, I don’t know what I expected but I didn’t expect that.

I know many people found your forthrightness enlightening, interesting and thought provoking, which is why I wanted to share them.

Indeed, I didn’t get any kind bitterness or anger from you. Just an valuable, insightful, explanation of the way things work in commercial art. Compared to, say, Mark Waid’s comments on working on 52 and about Countdown, they hardly seemed as offensive or critical. Just accepting.

Damn.”

Okay, I’ll grant you that McDuffie’s comments were unusually honest.  And DC didn’t come across especially well.  But it was obvious reading Justice League that this sort of thing was going on.  Maybe not to this extent, but you could tell that McDuffie was working under extreme editorial control.

Should he have been fired?  It’s hard to say.  In my line of work, I’d definitely be fired for making negative public comments about my employer.  But as a creative field, comic books are different.  I will say that DC is giving itself even more of a black eye.  First they came across badly for not letting McDuffie write his own book.  Now they come across as petty for firing him for speaking up about it.

McDuffie really strikes me as a class act.  (Dan Didio, not so much.)  And I’m glad for him in the sense that he has plenty of other projects to work on.  And I doubt any of them will be as frustrating as working on Justice League under Didio.

My review of the McDuffie’s last issue of JLA can be read here.

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Reviews: DC’s Team Books

JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #33

It’s a sad time to be a fan of the Justice League.  The book just hasn’t been worth reading for a long time.  After reading Dwane McDuffie’s on-line comments about some of the bizarre editorial mandates inflicted on the books, I’m kind of amazed that the book  has been readable at all.

Having said that, this issue was actually more readable than most.  It feels like a lot of the outside pressures and influences eased up a little this issue and the story actually got a little room to breathe.  It probably helped that a lot of second and third tier characters took center-stage.  (Black Canary and Superman may be on the cover, but don’t expect to find them in the book.)

A lot of the plot threads that McDuffie has been working with come together in this issue.  Starbreaker has kidnapped Dr. Light and the Justice League enlists the aid of Hardware to track her down.  Meanwhile, Anasi contacts Vixen and charges her with an important mission.  To aid her, he provides a partner last scene in a previous JLA arc.

If you haven’t been reading Justice League, this is hardly new-reader friendly.  Having been a less-than-devout follower of McDuffie’s run, I know little to nothing about the Shadow Cabinet.  And if I hadn’t read the Anasi arc, I think I would have been utterly baffled by the entire issue.  But, if you have been keeping up with McDuffie’s run, this issue starts to pay things off.

The art by Rags Morales is good.  I would prefer him as a regular artist on this book over Ed Benes.  Having said that, the art in this issue kind of lacked some of the “wow” factor I expect from Rags.  I don’t know if it was rushed or poorly inked.  It just fell a little short of what I have seem from Morales in the past.  But it was still better than the usual art on the book.

I also credit McDuffie with doing a couple of things I would not have thought possible.  One, he makes Starbreaker feel like a legitimate threat.  I can’t remember the last time the JLA faced a worthy adversary.  And two, he’s actually making me care about Dr. Light.

I also couldn’t help noticing that this JLA is the most ethnic JLA I’ve ever seen.  There was not a white man to be seen aside from the guest star Anasi whipped up.  I couldn’t help thinking that was kind of cool.  First a black president and now a racially diverse Justice League!

I also liked a lot of the smaller moments in the book.  For example, Zatanna is unable to simply teleport the League to Dr. Light.  She goes on to explain that she has a set number of spells prepared and this isn’t one of them.  I like Zatanna, but I always thought her power-level was poorly defined.  Sometimes she seems all-powerful and sometimes she’s useless.  I liked this explanation.

I am not recommending Justice League.  Not yet.  But if you’ve been reading McDuffie’s run, things look to be getting better.  Hopefully he will be allowed to continue that momentum and rebuild this once-great book.

JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #27

Last issue was the end of the Geoff Johns era of Justice Society.  And the new writers haven’t gotten here yet.  So that obviously means it’s time for a Jerry Ordway fill-in arc.  It’s hard to get too excited about a fill-in story like this.  You know going in that nothing of any significance is likely to happen.  But I decided to give it a shot anyway.

Frankly, I was pleasantly surprised.  Ordway does an admirable job with the large cast of the JSA.  and his old-school style suits the book.  Despite being a fill-in story, the issue actually feels relevant.  In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if Ordway is allowed to make some roster changes before the new team arrives.

Although several members of the cast get their moments in the spotlight, the issue focuses on two former members of Infinity Inc.  Both Atom Smasher and Obsidian have betrayed the JSA in the past.  And neither one of them is fully trusted by the team.  So, when they start behaving oddly in the name of protecting the team, not everyone is willing to take them at their word.

Doing a fill-in after Johns’ long run on the book has to be a daunting task.  But to his credit, Ordway seems up to it.  If you’re not currently reading JSA, this isn’t the issue to start.  But if you’re already a JSA reader, this issue is a good enough place holder until the new creative team arrives.  And that’s all you can ask of a fill-in.

TEEN TITANS #71

I’ve been a vocal critic of the Titans books.  The entire franchise has been a complete disaster for a long time now.  And I have hated Sean McKeever’s run on the book.  It started off mediocre and then completely crossed the line with this issue. 

I could never get invested in the book again after that.  It didn’t help matters that this book was tied up in the garbage that was Deathtrap.  It made both Titans books more skipable than ever.

This issue marks the end of McKeever’s run on the Teen Titans.  But he’ll be sticking around the book writing back-up stories for his Mary Sue, Ravager.  With Deathtrap over, I decided to give the book another look.  And I shouldn’t be too surprised by what I got.

Ravager was front and center.  In fact, this issue was less of a Titans story than it was a set-up for McKeever’s Ravager co-feature.  After her escapades with the Terror Titans, Ravager returns to Titans Tower to decide whether or not she should rejoin the team.  Meanwhile, Wonder Girl and the rest of the Titans have to decide whether or not they want Ravager back.

It’s all false drama.  Bombshell, who was depicted as an out-an-out villain during Johns’ run on the book, has been accepted by the Titans.  How could they refuse membership to Ravager?  Even Wonder Girl just seems to give up when arguing her point.

Of course, Ravager doesn’t make the decision any easier.  In a truly astonishing lapse of judgement, she decides to betray the Titans’ trust in order to force a confrontation with Bombshell.  Why?  Because she wants to test Bombshell’s loyalties.  Huh?!?

I wish McKeever well, but I am glad to see both him and Ravager leave the book.  I only wish the back-up feature were going somewhere else.   I plan to give the book another chance when Bryan Miller takes over next issue.  It’s just a shame I’ll still be getting 10 pages of the same crap from McKeever.

Oh well, 10 issues of crap is better than a full issue.

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Top 5 Best Comics of May 2009!

Continuing the feature I started last month, here’s my list! I read 17 comics in May, and these were the best.

 

5. Green Lantern #41

I’m sorry. I haven’t written a review for this comic, and two others on my list, but this was a great Green Lantern issue. This issue, like most of the Johns-penned Blackest Night preludes, is packed with interesting information. On top of that, Johns continues to make Larfleeze (Larfreeze sounds so much cooler) a really interesting villain. But the absolute awesomeness of this issue can be found on the last page. Oh, what a last page.

 

4. Irredeemable #2

Oh, I love this feeling in comics. The book is new, and it just feels like the best thing ever. Ok, so Irredeemable isn’t flawless, but it’s a damn fine book. When we reflect on the man’s career, this could be the best Mark Waid comic. He’s writing the hell out of this book.

Here’s my review.

 

3. Ultimate Wolverine vs. Hulk #6

It’s sad. I think a lot of people dismissed this after the delays. I can certainly understand their reason for doing so, but if you did drop this book early, you missed out on a great series. Lindelof, while being a bit too unchained, actually wrote Wolverine and Hulk as fully fleshed-out characters. You know where they stand. And it’s so refreshing that the real “Wolverine vs. Hulk” of this series was much more psychological, instead of just a flurry of punching. Yu’s art is easy on the eyes as well.

 

2. The Walking Dead #61

Often thought of as my favorite ongoing series, instead of thinking “Will this issue be good?” I wonder “Just how good will this issue be?” This is definitely in the top-tier of The Walking Dead issues. There’s some bad stuff that happens here. If you aren’t reading this series, you should be.

Here’s my review.

 

1. Wolverine #72

Wow! Two Wolverine books in one month? That never happens! That’s because, with so many damn Wolverine books, most of them are repetitive and/or mediocre at best. But that’s exactly why “Old Man Logan” is so good. Millar takes a character that has been severely overused, and breathes some new life into him. Ok, so his actual characterization of Wolverine is more like Clint Eastwood than anything else, but this is a Wolverine story that is actually innovative. This series is packed with off-beat, fresh ideas. Oh, and Steve McNiven’s art is GORGEOUS!

So there it is! Agree? Disagree? Please, let me know!

April’s list

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Review: Final Crisis Aftermath: Ink #1

Well, the last of the Final Crisis Aftermath books has finally hit with today’s Ink #1, and to my vast surprise, DC was saving the best for last.  Ink follows Mark Richards, the Tattooed Man, who, in Final Crisis: Submit worked with Black Lightning, and then went on to join Black Canary and other Justice League members to help save the world.  Inducted as an honorary member of the Justice League, Richards is trying to turn his life around.  

It isn’t easy, though – the same emotional and social issues that made him a criminal in the first place are still present in his life, and his neighborhood hasn’t gotten any prettier.  Wallace does a great job with the book’s most dicey proposition in dealing with the issues challenging Richards’ reform, most notably to do with his son.  He sets up a few different plot threads to follow through the series, from crooked cops to family troubles to a fickle public – and demonstrates a surprising amount of restraint.  This isn’t a book glorifying the violence of an anti-hero.  This legitimately appears to be an attempt to genuinely reform, and I’m genuinely curious to know if the character will succeed.

The art, provided here by Fabrizio Fiorentino and colored by Michael Dimotta, is fantastic, a high-quality job that seriously ups the creep-factor and gives the tattooed creations of the book an otherworldly edge.  Though it takes a few pages to adapt to the style, once you do you’ll find that it works extremely well in both the action sequences and the slower, more dramatic moments.  Though the dark, slightly scratchy style might not be up everyone’s alley, it complements the book well.

The book offers compelling set-up, strong characterization, fast-paced action, and some great art.  All-in-all, Ink looks like it might just be the star of the FCA line, and it leaves me eagerly awaiting more.

Grade: B+

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Batwoman JH Williams III Art!

I found these over at William’s blog.

Honestly, if you don’t pick up Detective Comics #854, then you’re higher than Grant Morrison.

June is almost here!

Geoff Johns Interview

 

Check it out!

People do read these things, right?

Review: Uncanny X-Men #510

How do I know that Fraction is a good writer? Because even with all of Uncanny X-Men’s baggage, servicing every other X-Plot, the numerous characters, the Greg Land art, and the fact that Uncanny X-Men hasn’t been good in a decade, Fraction still manages to make Uncanny X-Men original, character-driven, and entertaining. This issue is non-stop action, which, believe me, can be very boring, but Fraction injects some wit, continuity references, and plot into the mix. Fraction’s writing is top-notch.

What about Greg Land? Well, this is one of his better issues. There weren’t any obvious swipes, except maybe this:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Isn’t that from a movie or something? Anyway, Land didn’t really bother me that much. Sure, with all the tracing going on, some of the action panels looked weird, but those generic faces looked pretty.

If you haven’t heard of the Sisterhood’s plot, it’s pretty fun. It’s an example of the twisted continuity references that Morrison mastered. It’s original, while paying homage to decades of X-Men comics. This was probably the most enjoyable installment of the current arc so far. I eagerly await the conclusion.

Grade: B+

For more comic goodness, go here.

Review: The Boys: Herogasm #1

Ah, look at that Robertson cover. I love it, but apparently a lot of people don’t. I wonder if any poor comic owners will be attacked? Anyway, the supes in this book, if you haven’t heard, are absolutely deplorable, or are they? There’s certainly a case to be made that they’re just normal humans, given infinite powers. Sorry, I’ve been reading too much Thomas Hobbes, lately.

Well, pretty much everything you can expect from that cover happens in this issue. There’s a new crossover event! “The Battelite of the Marith’rai is now confirmed as having entered our solar system.” Ennis even ties the recent G-Men business into this in a brilliant move. So, all of the heroes, villains, and loners get together to fight the alien threat! Only, there is no threat. All of the supes just go to an island to…um…have a party. Expect splash-pages of orgies, a lot of comic book nudity, and plenty of coke!

John McCrea, a longtime Ennis collaborator, is a perfect fit on this series. Like John Higgins, he captures a similar style and tone to Robertson’s work. His style is a lot more cartoony than Robertson’s, so he handles the sex and comedy a little better. But don’t worry, I have a feeling he’ll handle the gore well, too.

Ennis, as he usually does in his opening chapters, takes a moment to set things up. He puts his jokes and commentary right up front for all to enjoy. However, I highly doubt that this series will be useless. That is, after all, what Ennis is parodying. Especially with the last page, we are already starting to see the tensions build. I have no doubt that by the end of this spin-off, something big will occur. Untin then, enjoy the Herogasm!

Grade: B

For more comic goodness, go here.

Advanced Review: Poe #1

Note: Retailers can order Poe #1 up until May 26th, and it will be in stores in July.

The first thing that comes to my mind is that I should read more Poe. I’m referring, of course, to the great Edgar Allen Poe. Even if you haven’t read that much Poe, like me, you should all be familiar with the man, and his most famous poem, “The Raven.” J. Barton Mitchell, the writer, and Dean Kotz, the artist, must realize this because on the first couple of pages, we see Poe haunted by a Raven and the loss of his wife. However, this comic is a lot more than a librarian’s reminder to read more classical literature.

Poe is institutionalized, tortured by the loss of his wife, and, perhaps worst of all, at a loss of words. Poe is taken away by his brother, and, due to his brother’s profession, the two arrive at a crime scene. Poe is surprisingly excellent at investigating. That is completely appropriate. Writers are observers. They know people for their characters, and they also have to be knowledgeable. Take, for example, Brian Michael Bendis. He writes the detective series, Powers, and, because of that, he has all the knowledge to become a detective himself. I’m serious. All he lacks is the field experience. Poe has similar knowledge. And, partly I’m sure because this is a comic, and partly because Poe’s own life is a tad mysterious, Poe has a bit of supernatural powers.

I like this book’s art. Dean Kotz has a very clear and consistent style, and every panel is rendered well. The closest comparison I could give would be to John Romita Jr. His art isn’t quite as striking as Romita’s, but who knows? It could get there in time.

I was a bit surprised how much I enjoyed this comic. I was prepared to get a boring history lecture on Poe, only to be thrust into a supernatural detective yarn. This comic is very “wordy” and doesn’t contain much action, but I was still entertained. It reminded me of the recent intellectual blockbusters, like “The Da Vinci Code” and “National Treasure.” So, this was a bit of slow start, but I was intrigued. And this story may involve a Golem, and you can never go wrong with a Golem.

Grade: B

For more comic goodness, go here.

Grant Morrison on Batman and Robin

The title pretty much says it all.

Check it out!

Oh, and that’s J.G. Jones’ variant for the first issue up above.

Review: Batman: Battle for the Cowl #3

Perhaps your enjoyment of Battle for the Cowl depends on your opinion of Tony Daniel’s art. I find his art to be mediocre and forgetful, which is pretty much how I’ve felt about Battle for the Cowl, up to this point. This issue made me realize that BFC is indeed bad, very bad. But this series is still boring to talk about, so I’ll try to keep it entertaining:

On page two, look at how Black Canary and Huntress are standing. Who stands like that? Huntress is practically turning her torso completely around to look at us. No, Daniel is just giving us unnecessary ass-shots. Thanks, Daniel. I think I creamed my pants.

Nightwing sees “Too Late” and the bat symbol on fire. Oh, how I love that trick. I would rather see Jason Todd taking the time to write out those words and the bat symbol, using gasoline. How can he write so legibly? What a waste of time, just to make one panel look “cool.”

Tim Drake speaks paragraphs worth of words to himself, even though Daniel used captions earlier in the issue. Maybe Drake is schizophrenic?

Spoilers! Jason Todd falls to his “death” in the water. How original.

Every character is so generic. None of them have any voice whatsoever.

Daniel’s art is extra bland. At least in “Batman RIP” he rendered some memorable images. Nothing is striking at all in this issue.

Spoilers! There is no good reason for Dick to put on the cowl, not even from a story sense. Earlier in the issue, Dick explains the reason why he didn’t become Batman, because Bruce told him not to, and then at the end, he just said he realized that he was Batman.

Spoilers! There is no good reason for Damian to become Robin. He doesn’t even get a cool moment. You just see him standing there, it’s not even clear that he is the new Robin.

Anyway, this issue was bad and boring. I suppose there’s a few good things about it, but I certainly would have been fine if I never read it. Oh, and I would love it if DC used the quote: “Thanks, Daniel. I think I creamed my pants.” That would really promote the series!

Grade: D

For more comic goodness, go here.

Review: Hulk #12

Oh, lord. This comic will upset people. It shouldn’t, but it will. As I’ve said several times, Loeb is writing a modern Stan Lee comic, full of bombastic action, corny lines, cool stunts, and fun. This is, as I’m sure Loeb will agree, fun fluff. It’s not hurting or helping anyone, just trying to entertain. As someone who reads about 20 books a month, I feel these types of comics are necessary. They’re a good, quick ice-breaker.

Something about that upsets people. I don’t know why. If you were upset when Rulk punched Uatu (Rulk even mentions that in this issue, a bit of a wink to the reader), you are going to be steaming after this. As you may or may not have known, Hulk died last issue. What? You didn’t hear about that in the news? No, because we’re dealing with a cosmic game of chess between gods. Anything can happen, and I do mean anything. Rulk pushes the limits of what he can achieve. Oh, it was also revealed that Rulk can absorb energy. That’s why he’s so powerful.

We’ve been promised the big Rulk reveal in the next installment, Incredible Hulk #600. I’ve thought for the longest time that Rulk is this guy. We get a lot of clues in this issue:

Rulk has known Hulk for a long time

Hulk left Rulk with a broken heart

Hulk made “us all suffer,” said Rulk

I haven’t read a lot of Hulk. Anyone want to piece that together? Anyway, get your fluff where you want to, but with the zany antics and the beautiful art, Hulk isn’t a bad place to get your fluff.

Grade: B

For more comic goodness, go here.

Review: Final Crisis Aftermath: Dance #1

So far, I haven’t been terribly flattering to the Final Crisis Aftermath branding.  Run! was too generic and too slow as the first issue of an action book – and I can’t imagine it aspired to anything more than that – while Escape offered absolutely nothing in the opening issue unless you really like LOST, but thought it could use more superheroing.  The third of the four titles, Dance, seemed like it should be the hardest to do – comics does action and intrigue quite well, but there aren’t many comics that deal in teens trying to grow up; rather, most tend to revel in their angst without understanding where it comes from.

Dance #1, for all its flaws, cannot be accused of falling into many old stereotypes.  It is ceaselessly active and endlessly creative, sometimes in a way that almost reminds me of Joss Whedon’s better moments.  Much like Escape, there are plenty of small, clever touches – rather than caption boxes, we get tweets from the ever-connected Most Excellent Superbat, to give one example – that make the issue a bit more fun, and it’s needed.  Though we get more from the issue than we did from Escape in terms of action, drama and characterization, this issue is, nonetheless, pure setup for what is to come, offering only hints at the overall story – or even that there is one.

Chriscross does fine work with the art, never worrying about the drive in comics towards hyperrealism in many ways and not being afraid to shift back and forth from some of the weirder moments of the issue – the ghost of a pre-70s Japanese monster-hunter, a really quite pretty sequence of dance moves from Well-Spoken Sonic Lightning Flash – on to darker subjects like the devestation of post-Darkseid Midway City.

The Super Young Team wants to grow up, but they are a product of their generation.  I am reminded, of all things, of a quote from the recently aired FOX pilot “Glee”: “Nowadays, being anonymous is worse than being poor. Fame is the most important thing in our culture now – and if there’s one thing I’ve learned, its that no one’s just gonna hand it to you.”  In a lot of ways, that sums up the Super Young Team pretty well, or it did.  Casey throws in hints of maturation, but on the whole, the issue gives Dance a promising start.  Maybe the petty angsts of the modern Titans will finally be supplanted by a more interesting take on the concept.

Grade: B

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Geoff Johns on Word Balloon

Check this out!

That’s Geoff Johns over on Newsarama. I haven’t listened to it yet, but it seems interesting.

Enjoy!

Note:I used some ridiculous Ed Benes T & A art on my Grant Morrison news, so I continued that trend! It’s not Starfire naked, folks. But it’s something. Does that girl even have nipples?

Review: Invincible #62

Last issue, we found out what Conquest is. And what he is, is the badass Viltrumite of badass Viltrumite’s. The entirety of this issue is spent watching Mark and Conquest beat on each other. It was a good issue. I can’t really comment on the plot much, because there wasn’t much plot to comment on. All I know is that I love Mark, and Conquest is a hell of a villain. I still want to know how he lost his eye and arm.

What I can comment on, is Ottely’s art. I neglect to do so at times because I think he’s so consistently good. I read an interview with Ottley where he said that his work on early issues was bad. I was stunned. I don’t remember Ottely’s art looking poor. Sure enough, I looked back on earlier issues, and I have to say, the man has really improved. Want proof? Go read or reread Invincible #60. The man had to pack so much action, characters, and emotion into a small space, and he succeeded.

Kirkman, in his usual afterword, expressed his dislike of comic fans who cry “It only took five minutes to read.” I agree. I know several fans that do this, and it bugs me. Why would you just read the words and glance at the art? THIS IS COMICS! Gaze at that art. You’re paying for it, and you deserve it. So, this issue didn’t contain much dialogue, no doubt pleasing the fans who complain that Kirkman is “too wordy,” but it was still good. And Ryan Ottely is the reason why.

Grade: B-

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