Top 5 Best Comics of August 2009!

And the Summer’s over! Really? That…went fast. I had fun, though. Hope you all did, too. Back to school, kiddies! I read 20 comics in August, and these were the best.

 

5. Invincible Iron Man #16

Matt Fraction’s writing is absolutely top-notch. Yes, this story will read better as a whole, but our connection to Tony, Pepper, and Maria is so strong, it hardly matters. The only thing that brings this issue, and the entire series, down, is Salvador Larroca’s Greg Land-esque art.

My Review

4. Ultimate Comics: Avengers #1

Speaking of Summer, you like those blockbusters that accompany the season, right? Well then, this is the comic for you! Just some awesome-kickass, supercool fun! Mark Millar gives it to ya, and Carlos Pacheco makes it look pretty. This opening salvo features a bombastic helicopter fight and a terrifying new villain.

My Review

 

3. Secret Six #12

Like my previous selection, this too is filled with action and good times, only with more twisted villainy. But this comic also has character and soul, and that counts for a lot. This is Jeannette’s issue to shine, and I think she blinded me. Carlos Pacheco’s beautiful interiors certainly contribute to UCA’s placement, but you know what? I’d put Nicola Scott up against Carlos Pacheco any day. Yeah, you read that right.

DC Lebeau’s Review

 

2. Batman and Robin #3

Holy hell, Batman! This series just gets better and better! The first and second issue topped my list in their respective months, and it’s only by some Marvel miracle that this one didn’t. Since I don’t have a proper review of this issue, I want to go over a few things:

Professor Pyg’s “sexy disco hot.” Who else had this song in their head?

Any guesses on who was watching Alfred? Could it be the same person who spied on Bruce & Jezebel all those issues ago?

Awhile ago, DC said, “Scarlet isn’t who you think she is.” That was a damn lie, and I’m pretty sure Red Hood is who you think he is too.

Seventh Soldier’s Review

 

1. Daredevil #500

A phenomenal conclusion to what turned out to be a great run. Brubaker did DD proud, and definitely cast away Bendis’ shadow. On top of that, you get a great short story and a reprint of possibly the best Daredevil comic ever! Yeah, I’m pretty sure that this isn’t just the best comic in August, it’s the best Marvel comic of the year.

My Review

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Advanced Review: Irredeemable #6

Note: Irredeemable #6 will be in stores on September 2.

Writing: Six issues in and Mark Waid is still full of ideas. He’s created an amalgam that blends Silver Age concepts with contemporary storytelling. It makes for a highly appealing product. I always enjoy comics with madly creative ideas that can’t easily be seen in film. Unfortunately, Waid spends a little too much time being clever, and the characters are thinner than I’d like. The only one that’s fully developed is the Plutonian. However, the flash more than makes up for the lack of substance.

Art: Peter Krause is right there with Waid, every inspired step of the way. Whether it’s vast, apocalyptic landscapes or horrifying, skeletal people, Krause renders everything Waid throws at him.

Final Word: Waid & Krause produce another thrilling issue. So thrilling, in fact, that it contains not one, but two cliffhangers. Now, I really want to know what happens next issue!

Grade: B+

Irredeemable #6 PREVIEW

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Review: Green Lantern #45

This was a bad week for me and Geoff Johns.  As I mentioned in my Flash: Rebirth review, I can’t stand it when Johns uses characters as his own mouthpeice.  In Flash, Professor Zoom monologues for pages on end.  In this issue, Carol Ferris and Sinestro spend pages arguing over how awesome Hal Jordan is.  Both characters think Hal is awesome (because that is the entire point of Geoff Johns’ run on Green Lantern.  But apparently they each think the other one needs some reminder of just how awesome Hal is.  Because Hal Jordan is just that awesome!

Also, Johns manages to work in the beginnings of a Sinestro retcon.  Because Sinestro is awesome too.  And retcons are awesome.

The rest of the issue consists mainly of check-ins with all the factions of the War of Light.  Not much really happens, but it’s a good reminder that hell has broken loose as a result of Blackest Night.  If anything, I would have liked a little more meat to some of these scenes.  For instance, the battle between Larfleeze and the Blue Lanterns has been going on for several issues now and I’m not sure why.  Seems like Larfleeze should be up to his eyeballs in blue rings by now.

Speaking of Larfleeze, the scene in which the black rings came to his lair was a highlight.  “Yuh-oh” indeed!  It was almost out of place, but I laughed nonetheless.

The shining star of this book is Doug Mahnke.  He’s as awesome as everyone seems to think Hal Jordan is.  In spite of all of my misgivings about Johns’ story, this book was worth reading just for Mahnke’s art!

Green Lantern #44

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Review: The Flash: Rebirth #4

It’s been a little while since the last issue of Flash: Rebirth.  Late books happen, but sometimes the delay is more disruptive than others.  In this case, the tardiness of the book was significant enough to comment on.  The events in this issue have already been reflected in other books including Blackest Night.  As a result, those stories had scenes that read awkwardly and this book has lost some of its relevance and momentum.

Late books are bad, mmmkay?

If you’ve read my previous Flash: Rebirth reviews, then you know I haven’t been a fan of this mini-series.  In my eyes, Johns has taken the formula of the commercially successful (though criminally over-rated) Green Lantern: Rebirth mini and duplicated it here.  But it all feels so forced and tired.

(On the upside, the book didn’t have a lot of momentum to lose in the two months since the last issue.)

I liked this issue less than any of the previous issues.  As a long-time reader of Geoff Johns, I’ve gotten tired of some of his story-telling crutches.  And this issue is filled with the Johnsisms that I hate.

Professor Zoom gets talky.  He “monologues” long enough for Fro-zone to shut him down.  There’s just no reason for it other than for Johns to shove his point-of-view down the reader’s throat.  These aren’t things the character would say.  He’s just Johns’ mouth piece.  (See also: Sinestro in this month’s issue of Green Lantern.)

The story itself is pretty pointless.  This isn’t a story at all.  It’s an exercise in house cleaning.  Geoff Johns is reshaping the Flash mythos to suit his needs.  And of course that means he retconned the shit out of everything until Barry Allen became the center of the universe.  Yep, Barry created the Speed Force now.

Honestly, these kinds of stories annoy me.  I don’t need a 6-part story to justify continuity “fixes”.  Johns’ retcons don’t feel any more natural just because he wrote a story where Professor Zoom “explained” it all.

There are some good moments in the issue.  I was glad to finally see Wally, Bart and Max Mercury each get a moment to shine.  (Granted, each of them only got a moment.)  And Ethan Van Sciver’s art was definitely worth the wait.

I mentioned before that I thought Green Lantern: Rebirth was criminally over-rated.  Both min-series consistently mostly of retcons to ser-up Geoff Johns’ run on the ongoing series.  In the case of Hal Jordan, the retcons were needed to make him a viable leading man.  But all you needed to do with Barry was bring him back and that already happened in last year’s Final Crisis.

Fortunately, Green Lantern turned out to be a pretty good book once Johns got all the house cleaning out of the way.  Hopefully, that will be the case with the Flash as well.  So, let’s get on with it guys!  Pick up the pace!  No more late issues!

Prior reviews:

Flash: Rebirth #3

Flash: Rebirth #3 (by Bruce Castle)

Flash: Rebirth #2

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Review: Superman #691

Thus far, James Robinson’s work on Superman has been pretty stellar non-stop since Superman left the title to charmingly awkward Daxamite Mon-El.  With the recent “Codename: Patriot” arc spread across all Superman titles (and a one-shot), however, the recently-excellent Superman family books have devolved into a predictable mess, and worse yet, a predictable mess that requires you to be reading all the Superman family titles to enjoy.  

The book starts in the middle of a conflict about… something… between Kara and Mon-El and Nightwing and Flamebird, and things don’t get much clearer from there.  A lot happens in the issue, but it’s all so intricately tied into the “Codename: Patriot” story that regular readers of Robinson’s run shouldn’t even bother picking the book up unless they’ve invested in the entire arc.  This is not to say that you can’t follow what’s happening; after a few pages to orient yourself, you should have no trouble with that.  The problem comes with the realization that you just won’t care to – these problems, taken out of context, seem trite and dull.  Even Guedes, normally excellent, offers a clunky opening fight scene, though he comes back up to his usual high standards shortly thereafter.

Supposedly, Gail Simone’s much-rumored Big Event for next year has been either pushed back or shelved indefinitely in favor of a Johns-penned Earth/Krypton war.  If “Codename: Patriot” is any hint at all as to what we could expect from such an event, all it will do is drag a number of otherwise excellent titles through the mud in pursuit of the sort of racial-themed action books that X-Men has been doing pretty much nonstop for the last 40 years.  We get it: humans hate everyone and everything indiscriminately.  Can we move on yet?

Grade: D+

- Cal Cleary

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Superman: World of New Krypton #6

Superman #689

Review: Batman and Robin #3

And so concludes the first arc of Morrison’s Batman and Robin - and, at least for now, Frank Quitely’s involvement.  Throughout their arc, Morrison and Quitely have introduced the Circus of the Strange with their bizarre ringleader, Professor Pyg, a demented villain turning the citizens of Gotham into ‘Dollotrons’ through disfigurement and potent narcotics.  And if that isn’t horrific enough for you, this issue sees Pyg dance as he imagines a sexy woman would before tearing off his shirt.  Now that’s a creepy Batman villain.

The first arc concludes rather suddenly as Dick and Damian confronts Pyg in his lair.  We get the origins of Pyg, learn more about his plans for Gotham, watch a few extremely well-illustrated action bits, and see how Dick and Damian make up after their split last issue.  It’s a lot to handle in a single issue, and despite Morrison’s best efforts it still feels rushed in places, especially given that the issue ends with an epilogue introducing Scarlett to the Red Hood to set up the next arc.  Even the ‘character’ after which the issue is titled (Mommy Made of Nails) receives only a single panel and, despite inspiring an excellent line from Pyg, is too heavily linked to the issue’s weakest moments – Pyg’s insane rants as he prepares to turn Damian.

Regardless, Batman and Robin #3 is an exciting read from start to finish.  Quitely’s unique style makes the brief action sequences thrilling and dynamic, while also contributing a fairly monstrous look to the Dollotrons and their creator.  His visual sensibilities will be sorely missed next issue, but he’s only half the team – despite the book’s first missteps this issue, Morrison continues to make the book a fun, action-packed exploration of Dick and Damian’s dynamic.  If it’s DC’s objective to make us miss Bruce Wayne, they’re failing miserably – this is some of the most fun Batman’s been in awhile.

Grade: B+

- Cal Cleary

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Review: Dark Entries

Along with Brian Azzarello’s Filthy Rich, also released this past week, Dark Entries marks the launch of the Vertigo Crime line of comics.  Rather than collecting monthly issues into a trade and calling it a graphic novel, entries in the Vertigo Crime line will be a single story released in novel form.  And while Azzarello’s Filthy Rich is noir by a master of the form in comics, Dark Entries is a John Constantine story by an internationally acclaimed novelist, meant to draw an audience.

Unfortunately, they didn’t pick the strongest title to do so, instead going for name recognition.  Dark Entries is by no means a bad book – Rankin’s story is an engaging twist on the haunted house scenario, and he has the character of John Constantine down surprisingly well.  It’s a fun, slight story that isn’t helped by the fact that, for all his acclaim as a novelist, Rankin is quite new at writing comics.  The dialogue is occasionally extremely clunky, and the social commentary is heavy handed at best.

Dell’edera fares better on art.  Shadows are used quite expressively throughout, the characters are all distinct and recognizable, and the pages of the book actually shift from a white background to black to signify a major plot twist.  All-in-all, Dell-edera’s art is stylish and suitable, and while it isn’t flashy enough to stand out, it gets the job done quite well.  

Despite some heavy-handedness, Dark Entries is a relatively solid book.  It’s hardly the best Constantine story you can find, and I suspect it’s far from the best Rankin book you can find, either, but fans of the character shouldn’t leave too disappointed, and it’s more than stand-alone enough to draw in new fans.  Fun and just a little creepy, with a hard edge of cynicism and a dark twist, Dark Entries suggests that the Vertigo Crime line might one day be something impressive, if it gets over a few initial speed-bumps.

Grade: B

- Cal Cleary

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Review: Daredevil #500

 

Brubaker’s run concludes, and delivers on the promise to shake things up. Bendis’ run ended with Murdock in jail, and while I won’t directly spoil the new status quo, I’m pretty sure you can guess from this upcoming Daredevil cover that Marvel released before this issue. It’s a satisfying change, and while it may not be the most original, it has the potential to provide some great stories from new Daredevil scribe, Andy Diggle. Speaking of Diggle, one of this issue’s special features is a preview of Diggle’s first DD issue, The List, the upcoming Dark Reign special. It’s underwhelming, but mostly because of Billy Tan, and going from Michael Lark to Billy Tan just exacerbates the problem.

Michael Lark produces some stunning work, as he always does. Whether it’s the opening, tender shots of Matt and his tortured wife, Milla, or the electrifying showdown between Daredevil, Lady Bullseye, and the Kingpin, Lark hits all the right notes. Matt Hollingsworth, the colorist, also does a fantastic job, and it should be noted that Andy Diggle isn’t the only one with big shoes to fill. I hope Roberto De La Torre will step up to the challenge, and from what I’ve seen, it looks like he will.

The first special feature of this anniversary issue is the aforementioned List preview. After that, former Daredevil scribe, Ann Nocenti, provides the story, 3 Jacks. Nocenti was known for her controversially preachy storytelling, but she’s a better writer now, and the subtext is subtler. Nocenti is also smart enough to give her collaborator, the brilliant David Aja, a bone-crunching fight scene to render. I don’t think I’ve ever been more impressed with a back-story. I’ve longed for more Aja output for awhile, but now, I want more Nocenti too.

After that, we get a wonderful pinup gallery rendered by a variety of artists from Brian Michael Bendis to Patrick Zircher. The standout is the one you see above you, from the Brazilian artist, Rafael Grampá. He’s pretty new to America, but he’s already won an Eisner, and after seeing that Daredevil, I think he’s going to go far. Check out his Batman and Robin!

Rounding out the extras is a reprint of one of, if not the best, single issue from Frank Miller’s run, Daredevil #191. Remember when Matt plays Russian roulette with a paralyzed Bullseye? Yeah, that one.

You put that all together and you get one of the best comics from Marvel all year! Brubaker concludes everything, and leaves his mark on Daredevil, giving him a bright future ripe with possibilities.

Grade: A

For more comic goodness, go here.

Review: Spider-Woman: Agent of S.W.O.R.D. #1

There’s no question that print media is slowly being supplanted by digital formats.  Marvel and DC have both been slowly trying to diversify the types and formats of their publications, and this is the latest move along those lines.  Though Spider-Woman #1 is hardly the first motion comic, it is a pioneer in that it is the most high-profile, and the first to begin as a motion comic and then be changed for future print publication.  Unfortunately, Marvel choose a poor book with which to launch this particular endeavor: though the format proves impressive, the story within is… less so.

Bendis’ dialogue may have become a staple of his comics, but here, read aloud, it just doesn’t work.  The voice actors – Nicolette Reed, Stephanie Thomas and Geoff Boothby – offer relatively stilted line-readings throughout the production, but even the most gifted voice actors on the planet would have a hard time with lines like these:

“This is a very cool doohickey you can’t buy at any stores.”

“This is what we call bull-caca.”

“We have a rendezvous point thingamajig and we’ll get out of here.”

Maleev’s art, on the other hand, works extraordinarily well in motion.  The striking visuals give the production a haunted look as we pan over the dimmed neon glow of Madripoor, see Drew fight against a Super Skrull, or watch her have a shadowy conversation with Abigail Brand.  Anyone who had their doubts about the viability of motion comics should have some of them put to rest as they see how well it can work here.

Ultimately, Spider-Woman #1 offers a bizarre obsession with mentioning Wolverine at least once every 2 minutes, way too much heavily stylized dialogue, and a whole lot of gorgeous art.  With someone like Ed Brubaker, the already noir-touched art might have found a more able companion, and Marvel might’ve launched their new initiative with a bang.  As is, they instead provide an unsatisfying opening chapter to a story we’re given little reason to care about.

Grade: D

- Cal Cleary

Read/RANT

Review: Superman Annual #14

I’ve been reading comics long enough that the term “annual” has become more or less synonymous with the phrase “overpriced filler”.  It’s rare that I ever bother picking up annuals anymore.  But the recent Action Comics Annual #12 bucked that trend, so I decided to give the Superman Annual a try.

This issue is hardly essential reading like the Action Comics Annual.  But it was great supplemental reading which is what I think an annual should be.  The issue tells the “secret origin” of the planet Daxam, its people and Mon-el in particular.  With Daxamites Sodam Yat and Mon-el all over the DCU these days, this is a story worth telling.

In a lot of ways, Robinson’s story reminds me of Peter David’s Atlantis Chronicles.  (In case you’re wondering, that’s high praise.)  In that mini-series, David created the mythical history of Atlantis that served as the background for most contemporary Aquaman stories.  Robinson does the same thing with Daxam in this issue.  He also strengthens Daxam’s ties to Krypton and ties Mon-el’s history to Superman’s in some surprising ways.

I’m unfamiliar with artist Javier Pina.  But I really enjoyed his work here.  I thought he captured the epic scope of the story which is part mythology and part history.

While this issue is hardly essential reading and the $4 price tag may scare you off, it’s worth a look.  Once again, Robinson has impressed me with his ability to make me care about Mon-el, a character I had zero interest in previously.

Superman #690   Superman #689

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Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man #1

Writing: Bendis continues his Ultimate Spider-Man work, with a six month jump after Ultimatum. Peter has a job, and is romantically involved with Gwen Stacy. A new mysterious figure, who looks like the Hood, shows up, and appears to be a hero. These events are all well and good, but the narrative barely progresses. Bendis is more comfortable spending four pages on an old lady upset about French fries.

Art: Lafuente’s art is already the subject of much controversy, being criticized for looking “too cartoony.” I’ll admit, it’s not to my liking. It’s the kind of art that can’t properly delve into the realm of maturity. That doesn’t seem to be Bendis’ objective anyway, so, for what it’s a part of, Lafuente’s art gets the job done. Hopefully, over time, his comedic skills will improve, as his work doesn’t have the humor it should.

Final Word: Bendis’ writing has upset me lately, and this is no exception. It’s just not for me. He spends so much time on such insignificant details. That’d be fine, I suppose, but it’s not even that amusing. I wonder if this series will be as popular. With a worse artist, and a pretty good weekly Spidey series to compete with, why bother?

Grade: D+

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Review: Invincible #65

Writing: The Conquest commotion has calmed down. This is, as it says on the cover, an aftermath issue. There is absolutely no action to be found here, but that doesn’t mean it’s not entertaining. Kirkman takes a minute to check in on the building threats, and remind us that Cecil is still a bit of a bastard. At its core, this issue is about Mark and Eve’s relationship. What are the ramifications of the event taking place on the cover? And what effect does the Conquest-inflicted trauma have?

Art: Ottley has been bringing us the gore and partial nudity in the last few issues. The former is absent, but there’s still a bit of the latter here. Ottley also gets to render some welcomed comedic moments. Just check out the preview. That bit of saliva flying from Mark and Eve’s mouths is classic.

Final Word: This is a transitional issue, for sure. It lays the groundwork for future events, and leaves us wanting more. It’ll be very interesting to see Mark’s actions after his epiphany on the last page.

Grade: B+

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Review: Supergirl #44

Sooner or later, it was bound to happen.  A mediocre issue.  The Gates/Igle run of Supergirl has been consistently good and the Codename: Patriot crossover has been exceeding my expectations.  So it probably shouldn’t be a big surprise that this issue was a bit of a let-down.

Regular Supergirl readers who haven’t been keeping up with Codename: Patriot might feel a little left out.  The first seven pages of the issue detail Ral-Dar’s escape from General Lane’s holding cell.  All the information that is needed for comprehension is provided, but I’m not sure these readers are likely to care if they haven’t been following the other Superman books.

If you have been following Codename: Patriot, the issue hits a lot of the same story beats as last week’s superior Action Comics.  After five pages recapping who all the characters were and how they related to each other, we get a fight scene in which the characters are being manipulated by Mirabai.  All of this was better done in Action where it also had the benefit of being done first.

Due to the nature of cross-over stories, the issue just kind of ends without anything being resolved.  The last few pages have characters commenting that “something big” is about to happen, but it doesn’t happen in this issue.  And we’re not given any clues as to what it might be.  Sure, there’s a cliffhanger on the last page.  But it’s nothing you can really sink your teeth into.

While Action Comics got a jolt out of the Codename: Patriot crossover, it seems to have interrupted the flow of Supergirl.  And as part of the larger crossover, this issue just felt like recaps and filler material.  Hopefully, the next issues of Supergirl and of the Codename: Patriot story will be a return to form.

Supergirl 43

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Review: Batgirl #1 *spoilers*

It’s impossible to have any kind of intelligent discussion about this book without revealing the identity of the main character.  So consider yourself warned.  Turn back now if you don’t want to know who’s weaing the mask.

*Spoiler Watrning*

The new Batgril is… Stephanie Brown.  Robin fans may know her better as Spoiler.  It’s a reveal that is only slightly more shocking than Dick Grayson becoming the new Batman.  Which is to say that most of us already guessed Steph would be Batgirl.

Before I address the quality of the book itself, let’s address the elephant in the room.  The question of who should be Batgirl has been hotly contested for years.  It’s not quite as divise as the great Hal/Kyle debate, but it’s up there.  As a fan of Barbara Gordon, I did NOT want to see her return to the role.  Oracle is a much more interesting and unique character than just another vigilante in a Batsuit.

Once you rule out Babs, just about any established girl of Gotham works just fine for me.  I’ve always liked Stephanie Brown, so I am glad to see DC is gatting some use out of her.  I do feel bad for Cassandra Cain’s fans.  DC has treated that character badly over the years and she gets the brush-off here.

The issue itself is pretty bland.  If you’ve ever seen any of the early episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer or read any of Chuck Dixon’s early Robin issues, you’ve seen this all before.  Steph is trying to be a “normal girl” but her crime fighting duties keep getting in the way.  She even has to keep her secret from her single mom.  If the premise sounds less than original, the execution is equally mediocre.  There’s nothing terrible here.  But there’s nothing to get really excited about either.

Both former Batgirls also make appearances in the book.  Although poor Cassandra Cain’s time in the spotlight is brief.  Her scene is two pages long.  Page 1: Spoiler and Batgirl fight thugs.   Page 2: Cassandra strips off the Batgirl costume and gives it to Steph with something that barely qualifies as an explanation of her actions.  Basically, she’s there to make sure everyone knows her time as Batgirl is done.

(Say “hi” to Ryan Choi when you get to comic book limbo, Cassandra!)

Barbara Gordon may not be Batgirl, but she has a pretty meaty role in the book.  It seems likely that she will stick around as Steph’s mentor; kind of Giles to Steph’s Buffy.  However, Bryan Q. Miller’s portroyal of Babs jest felt off to me.  Check out this narration:

“That anger is really all I know anymore.  Every day.  And it isn’t a comfort like a blanket.  It’s a film that I can’t scrub off my skin.  Every day is a constant reminder that things will never change.”

It’s always hard to review the first issue of a new series because the nature of the beast is that they require a lot of set-up.  But unless Miller shakes up his premise soon, it feels very tired already.  And since the execution leaves something to be desired, I can’t must up much enthusiasm for this book in spite of the fact that I am pleased with the identity of the new Batgirl.

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Review: Blackest Night: Superman #1

It’s interesting to note that, in the span of a single issue, Blackest Night: Superman manages to feel more menacing overall than the entire build-up and first two issues of Blackest Night combined.  It has been noted that Blackest Night is Johns dabbling in horror, trying to find a way of meshing a genre that’s all about the loss of control with superheroics, a genre that’s all about power.  It’s a fine line to walk, and the main mini has suffered at times from its inability to do so.  Blackest Night: Superman seems to suffer no such problems, and while you could by no means call the book ‘scary’, it does manage to meld the two genres fairly seamlessly.

The cover above is the best illustration of that, with the angles and lighting you’d expect to see on the poster of a horror film.  The issue itself is almost parodic in the way it follows the beats of an 80′s horror film.  We open on the origin of the monster, in this case Earth-2 Superman as he is called to rise from his grave, and move to the sunny, brightly lit Smallville, where everybody knows your name and even ex-presidents can be good, salt-of-the-earth people.  Then, slowly, as black clouds gather, they begin to die from some off-screen threat.  And we watch as the Black Lantern power level percentage (conspicuously absent in both Green Lantern Corps #39 and Blackest Night: Batman #1) rise, and know without being told exactly what’s happening to this idyllic town.

Of course, the story is not without its superhero beats as well.  Clark and Conner are having dinner with Ma Kent, Clark having returned in secret to Earth for the Memorial discussed in Blackest Night #2, and they’re eager to jump at the fight with Kal-L as the three have a massive aerial battle that takes them far above Smallville and nearly into space.  Meanwhile, the first Black Lantern ring reaches New Krypton shortly after Kara’s return… and that can’t be good for anybody.

Barrows is easily the book’s weakest link.  The tone of the story calls for a writer capable of furthering the chilling atmosphere without sacrificing any of the excitement of the action.  Barrows’ action is well-handled, though little stands out about it, but he fails to match the general tone of Robinson’s story, despite a few excellent panels that suggest hidden depths to his talent.

The issue thrives in using the Blackest Night devices – the power level clock and the color-coded emotional read-outs of everyone – far better than Blackest Night itself.  Thus far, the issue appears far less vital to the masterplot than Blackest Night: Batman #1 was save maybe as an explanation as to what Superman is up to, but it is nonetheless the strongest single issue to be involved with the Event thus far.  More chilling for what you don’t see than what you do, and more exciting by focusing what you do see only on the most vital events, Blackest Night: Superman #1 is definitely a able thematic heir to the main mini, improving upon its flaws without contradiction it at all.

Grade: B+

- Cal Cleary

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Blackest Night: Batman #1

Bruce Castle’s Mini-Reviews

I’m down, but not out!

Blackest Night #2

I was right there with Lebeau on the first issue, and you can find a bigger, better review of this issue from him. Johns definitely decreased the needless exposition this time around, but it’s not enough. This event is still moving at a dead snail’s pace. He spends too much time relishing in ghastly, deceased heroes terrorizing live ones. However, you can still find scenes to enjoy here, especially if you’re already fond of Johns’ particular brand of fun. Nightmarish sharks devouring Atlanteans here, a two-page, vertical splash of a resurrected Spectre there. The most impressive element of Blackest Night so far has been the images rendered by Ivan Reis. He’s officially a superstar.

Grade: C+

The Boys #33

Why is John McCrea drawing this? Shouldn’t he be drawing Herogasm? I’m not complaining. Carlos Ezquerra’s art has been sloppy the last few issues, and while McCrea is no Darick Robertson, his work here, and especially on Herogasm, is more than satisfying. Although, he’s still not the right artist for the job. This is a dark, violent arc of The Boys, and McCrea’s images are too cartoony. Ennis’ writing, however, is still top-notch. This issue was a blast. Watching Butcher systematically take down the Boys-filtered Avengers was very entertaining. The fact that this arc is so action-heavy makes it all the more upsetting that Robertson is absent.

Grade: B-

Hellboy: The Wild Hunt #5

It’s nice to have Hellboy back. The reason for the delay was Duncan Fegredo’s, and the wait paid off. I re-read the previous four installments before this one, and Fegredo’s work is simply stunning. The Wild Hunt has featured a fight in just about every issue. It makes each chapter stand on its own as an episodic action series. Fegredo draws the hell out of the battle scenes, while Mignola crafts a menacing threat for Hellboy in the background.

Grade: B+

Ultimate Comics: Avengers #1

Off the heels of the biggest event in the Ultimate Universe’s history, at the start of a brand new status quo, is this issue exposition-heavy? @*&# NO!!! In true, Millar style, he kicks this series off in summer blockbuster fashion, featuring an extended fight scene, and a last-page shock to punch you in the face! As I mentioned with The Boys, if a comic is action-heavy, you have to provide pretty pictures. Well, Carlos Pacheco, in his glorious return to Marvel interiors, is just the man to provide such pictures. He handles all of the action, including some tricky helicopter scenes, with professional ease. Looking for pure, pop bliss? You got it!

Grade: A-

The Walking Dead #64

Dale’s situation provides a wickedly funny beginning. Then we get a typical and sentimental revelation from Dale’s lover, Andrea. I say typical because we’ve seen a lot of it in The Walking Dead, but it is a natural reaction to grief, and we’ve sure seen plenty of that in this series. The rest of the issue is mostly spent planting seeds for future events that culminate in a tremendously badass moment for Rick. Another enjoyable issue, for sure, but this is mid-arc. So, it does suffer from the necessary plot-building.

Grade: B

Uncanny X-Men #514

We’re two issues away from this crossover’s conclusion, and I don’t think it’s the event anyone was really expecting. This isn’t mindless Dark Avenger-on-X-Men action. No, with Matt Fraction at the helm, we’re getting a highly developed and well thought-out story that presents realistic situations for these characters to deal with. The downside to all that is that we’ve had more set-up than payoff, but with an oversized, Mike Deodato-drawn conclusion in the near future, I’m sure we’ll get the carnage that we crave soon enough.

Grade: B

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Review: The Big Book of Barry Ween, Boy Genius

Judd Winick is now a fairly controversial creator in comics, joining Loeb, Liefeld, Land and a few others that have camps of admirers nearly as fervent as their camps of detractors.  But while Loeb, Liefeld and Land all enjoyed a great deal of mainstream popularity that built them up a lot of goodwill over the years, the two books that got Winick recognized were small indie comics written and drawn by him.  The first and most famous, Pedro & Me is a heartfelt look back on one of Winick’s dead friends, Pedro Zamora.  The other is far more of a cult success… and a far stronger book altogether.  That was his run on the four-volume The Adventures of Barry Ween, Boy Genius, now collected by Oni Press into a single massive volume.

Barry Ween is a young genius in the vein of Dexter from Cartoon Network’s Dexter’s Laboratory, except inched slightly closer to our world and rated a hard R.  The Adventures of Barry Ween followed the titular character, a pre-teen super-genius that could make Reed Richards look like an idiot and Dr. Doom seem downright benevolent at times, through a series of random, hilarious story arcs that flesh out Ween’s mad world.

Though the humor is indescribably juvenile, the emotion behind it is anything but.  As the series goes on, you begin to notice the little things about Barry – his loyalty to his friends, his conviction in ultimately doing what’s right, and his willingness to put himself in harm’s way to help others, to name a few.  These small moments build up into a heart-breaking climax that raises the book above being a slight, fun book into a great comedy with surprising honesty.

Grade: A

- Cal Cleary

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Review: Blackest Night: Batman #1

Spin-off minis to Major Crossover Events are interesting things.  They are often posited as being important to the main story in some way, though the best crossovers know better than to make them vital or trivial and offend fans.  On the one hand, you can have the debacle that was the Final Crisis spin-offs – decent minis that had absolutely nothing to do with the main title or, even worse, which actively contradicted the main title.  On the other hand, you have Secret Invasion, which didn’t even make sense without the vastly more important spin-off titles (most notably Incredible Hercules and Captain Britain and MI:13, which featured the most vital blows against the Skrull threat).  Which type is this?  Spoilers ahead.

Blackest Night: Batman #1 seems to be leaning towards the Secret Invasion way of doing things.  As we saw in Blackest Night #1, Black Hand has Bruce Wayne’s skull, though no one really knows why.  And as Blackest Night #2 revealed, there’s actually a whole lot no one knows.  The Black Lantern Rings have caught everyone off-guard, and while everyone knows by now what they do, no one knows how or why.

This issue changes that.  Tomasi keeps the story moving ahead at a quick pace as he smartly focuses on Boston Brand, better known as Deadman, who we saw tormented briefly in Blackest Night #2.  Here we see why – though Brand’s soul free-floats through the ether, allowing him to possess anyone with whom he comes in contact, his body has been snatched up by a Black Lantern Ring.  When Brand enters the body to try and force it back into the ground, he knows everything it knows… and that means he knows that Black Hand has the skull, that a Guardian has betrayed the others, even that there’s a power battery.  And when he finds Dick Grayson and Damian, they know it to.  Batman & Robin now know more about what’s happening than any other hero in the DC Universe.  Let’s just hope they remember that they know Oracle, and Oracle knows everyone.

Despite all that masterplotting, however, the issue is all set-up.  Tomasi and Syaf fails to deliver the shocks where he needs to as we see some of the dead Batman family begin to rise, and they seem to introduce far more threats than a three-issue mini demands.  Syaf and his art team do well matching the bleak tone of Tomasi’s story, but is a bleak tone and some set-up enough to fill a full third of a mini satisfactorily?

Only time will tell.  As a single issue, however, this one manages to stay just ahead of mediocre thanks to decent art and reasonably well-handled drama.  There’s a lot in it that has the potential to change the game for the Blackest Night mini, but little that suggests that Blackest Night: Batman will be compelling on its own.

Grade: B-

- Cal Cleary

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Catch-Up Mini-Reviews

Captain Britain and MI:13 #15

Thus ends one of Marvel’s strongest ongoing books.  Cornell and Kirk wind down their title with the massive “Vampire State” arc that should’ve been cheesy as hell but ended up being gripping, exciting and just downright fun.  The issue is packed with excellently written and drawn action set-pieces that build off of everything that’s come before to give the issue the emotional closure it needed without sacrificing the excitement.  Top quality work.

Grade: B+

Runaways #12

Immonen still hasn’t brought the energy of her absolutely fantastic Patsy Walker: Hellcat mini to the title, but her second issue shows a small amount of improvement over the first.  Pichelli’s art renders everyone and everything in the title improbably pretty, if overly cartoonish, but she handles the issue’s dramatic moments quite well.  Nothing spectacular yet, but more than good enough to keep giving it a shot.

Grade: B-

Final Crisis Aftermath: Ink #3

Ink continues to be the surprise of the Final Crisis Aftermath titles for me as it uses the conventions of the gritty crime drama to tell the story of a supervillain seeking redemption.  Wallace and Fiorentino make the tale a little more complicated than it needs to be by having Richards’ tattoos come to life, but the metaphor is apt: escaping a life of crime is already hard without having those closest to you trying to drag you back into it.  

Grade: B

- Cal Cleary

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Captain Britain and MI:13 #14

Runaways #11

Final Crisis Aftermath: Ink #2

Final Crisis Aftermath: Ink #1

Review: The Unwritten #4

The collaboration between Carey and Gross on The Unwritten continues to provide top-notch entertainment, though this might have been the weakest of the issues to date.  Carey and Gross take things pretty dark in this issue as the book opens with a grotesque parody of the Tommy Taylor books (imagine Saw crossed with Harry Potter) and follows with Pullman, sent after Tommy Taylor by a mysterious group, systematically murdering a number of people in horrible ways.

This issue is, just as much as the last one, about playing with the conventions of horror – Pullman says as much during a Scream-like monologue as he begins his wicked hunt – but it adds to it the touch of surreal wonder that Carey has become so adept at blending into his work.  Tommy and the enigmatic Lizzie Hexam dig deeper as we continue to piece together the background of the story even while things fall apart all around the pair, all of which builds up to a relatively shocking final page.

Gross continues to do fantastic work setting up the atmosphere of the book and jumping gears from the macabre to the fantastic.  Especially impressive are the scenes of Pullman’s hunt.  Gross’s figures in action sequences sometimes seem a bit static, but there’s no illustration of that problem in this issue; every action segment is brief, creepy and to the point.

This is a book in which Carey seems driven to make sure we’re never comfortable as it hurtles at a break-neck pace through plot-twists and revelations that many books might’ve drawn on far longer.  In the end, though the issue is creepy and creative, the plotting slowed down significantly, the danger felt hollow, and the whole thing felt far narrower in scope than any previous issue.  Despite those problems, though, it remains an interesting chapter in a story you should all check out.

Grade: B+

- Cal Cleary

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The Unwritten #3

The Unwritten #2