JSA Kingdom Come Special: Superman (*****)
Should I even review this? This the mainstream of the mainstream, but at least I can offer another opinion to accompany your own. This is not just part of an incredibly long JSA arc, it’s also an addition to the famous Kingdom Come, and this vehicle is driven only by Alex Ross. Ross writes, pencils, and inks this story. Take that in for a second. For years I, as well as you, have seen Ross’s impressive sketch work and have wondered what the man’s craft would look like sans paint. The result is quite startling. Don’t worry, impressive comes to mind first, but I use startling because it’s a bit weird to see Ross’s art look this way. Still, it’s astounding none the less. So not only does the book look unique, but it’s also fantastic. How’s the story? Passionate would be my first response. Though KC Supes is an incredibly intriguing character, he has been played down a little in JSA recently. But here he’s the star of the show and it’s pretty heart-wrenching. This book is more about Kingdom Come than JSA, but it’s definitely special. This is the classic tragedy of a man with infinite power who can’t help those he cares most about.
Batman: Cacophony #1 (***1/2)
“You tell’em, Steve-Dave!”
cacophony (ca-coph-o-ny) n. Jarring, discordant sound; dissonance.
You see what I did there? I quoted Walter Flanagan, the artist, from a Kevin Smith, the writer, movie. I also sort of referenced Pulp Fiction and educated those who weren’t familiar with the word cacophony. I’m awesome (And humble) I know. But how awesome is this book? Well, I’d say if you liked Smith’s earlier work in comics, you’ll probably like this. If however you did not, then you can probably skip it. Smith’s prints are all over this. The opening commentary on current America, the excessive dialogue, the drugs, and of course the slightly immature humor are all his. Some of these are still entertaining while some are a bit tiring. It’s nice to see Smith and Flanagan working together, especially since I’m a huge Kevin Smith fan, but I have to admit that Flanagan isn’t that great of an artist. Although he does his best and Sandra Hope (Did I mention that she’s the hottest inker in the biz?) aids him immensely. It’s not as disastrous as you may think and I can even say that his art doesn’t detract from the story. I’m glad that Smith managed to include so many characters into this tale. You’ll find Deadshot, Joker, Zsasz, Maxie Zeus, and of course Onomatopoeia. Hopefully Smith will flesh out that last character a little more. I’d say that Smith mostly understands these villains. But they did seem a little off to me. This is the first issue so I can get all my complaints out of the way. I’m confident that the rest of the series will be even better. This was entertaining, but I must add that if you’ve never read any Smith comics, read his Daredevil and Green Arrow runs first and just wait for this story’s trade. Oh, I didn’t address Smith’s lateness did I? But if I remember correctly, Smith has never been late for DC before. I hope that continues.
read/RANT! 