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52 Week #28 [Review]

Posted on February 13, 2011 by Walt

Quick Rating: Good
Story Title: Beyond the Black Stump

Batwoman’s back, Tornados show up, and a check-in ‘n revelation in the goings-on of the lost-in-space heroes (and heroine).

52week28Writer: Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka, Mark Waid
Art Breakdowns: Keith Giffen
Pencils: Drew Johnson
Inks: Jack Jadson, Rodney Ramos & Ruy José
Colors: David Baron
Letters: Rob Leigh
Asst. Editor: Harvey Richards
Assoc. Editor: Jeanine Schaefer
Editor: Stephen Wacker & Michael Siglain
Cover Art: J.G. Jones & Alex Sinclair
Publisher: DC Comics

After the ‘revelation’ that Montoya and the Question stumbled onto last issue, the two are back in Gotham City to contact Batwoman, and make her aware of what is prophesied to transpire with her involvement. We get a look at a group of people apparently playing with parts of the Red Tornado…truth be told, I’m not terribly sure what’s going on there. Finally, just earlier this week I’d been thinking about how it’s been a number of weeks since we got to check in with the heroes-lost-in-space…and voila! Here they are again…though a different light is cast on Lobo and the entity they’re facing in combat.

Overall, I am enjoying this series. Just over halfway in, it seems we’re into the thick of things, stuff’s happening, and there’s a number of questions cropping up as well as pointers at the title holding more significance than simply being a one-year/fifty-two-week periodical.
A certain pace seems to be in place, and being this deep into the series, it’s no longer as unfamiliar or unexpected as it seemed in the beginning.

This issue in particular I’m not nearly as thrilled with: I don’t care at all about this Batwoman character, and if I recall the previous issue correctly, there was a certain logic-jump that seems rather "forced" to me (isn’t BatGIRL’s surname Cain?)

I’m also not familiar enough with the Red Tornado to particularly care at the ‘cameo’ situation in this issue.
Structurally, this series could greatly benefit–in my opinion–by an introductory page to remind us of where things were left with certain characters when we last saw them, given the number of pages between appearances.

Visually, nothing jumped out at me; the art is solid and on the whole, it works very well for me; no complaints from me on that.

This is definitely an issue that will likely only really appeal to those already following the series; there doesn’t seem to be anything that in this issue singly that greatly affects the greater DCU, and doesn’t seem to particularly stand all that well on its own without the ongoing context of the series-as-a-whole.

The Origin of Catman
Writer: Mark Waid
Penciller: Dale Eaglesham
Inker: Art Thibert
Colorist: Alex Sinclair
Letterer: Rob Leigh
Asst. Ed.: Harvey Richards
Assoc. Ed.: Jeanine Schaefer
Editors: Wacker & Siglain

Not a bad couple of pages; this pulls together the different portrayals of the character and makes for a singular narrative of the character, acknowledging both the ridiculous/goofy past and the sharper current stuff. The art’s attractive, and as far as these origin segments go, this fits right in with the rest.

I still would prefer a single special with nothing but origins, in exchange for a couple more pages of actual story per issue, though.

Ratings:

Story: 3/5
Art: 4/5
Overall: 3.5/5

Filed under: 52, Classic Reviews, DC, DC Universe | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

52 Week #24 [Review]

Posted on February 12, 2011 by Walt

Quick Rating: Quite Good!
Story Title: Just Imagine

The rise of the NEW Justice League, what the Martian Manhunter’s been up to, a bit of magic, and the origin of Booster Gold (from the JLA’s archives).

52week24Writer: Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka, Mark Waid
Art Breakdowns: Keith Giffen
Pencils: Phil Jimenez
Inks: Andy Lanning
Colors: David Baron
Lettering: Pat Brosseau
Assistant Editors: Harvey Richards & Jeanine Schaefer
Edited by: Stephen Wacker
Cover Art: J.G. Jones & Alex Sinclair
Publisher: DC Comics

The first thing that stands out with this issue is the cover…the flag background seems to be quite similar to the one used for last month’s Justice League of America, perhaps a simple nod to that series and what this issue represents story and history-wise to the overall Justice League. (That Ambush Bug has a shirt reading ‘This Shirt’s a Clue’ is amusing in itself, given all the little clues folks look for that I tend to not "get.")

This issue basically serves to introduce us to the "new" Justice League that’s forming in the absense of the big guns. We also get to see what the Martian Manhunter’s been up to the last few months, and the continuing development of the Ralph/helmet plot.

This issue’s art by Jimenez is great overall, capturing a detailed, clear look at the events of the story and its characters. The bottom-right panel of the first page with Ollie is possibly the best I’ve seen the character look in recent memory (granted, I don’t read the character’s solo title). The visuals just seem to click in this issue, and aside from the occasional apparent shift (go from that panel with Ollie to the 3rd page and compare it visually to Firehawk’s cape/wings/whatever to get what I mean) is very much up there in my list of well-done art that is cool to look at in itself rather than "merely" as a vehicle to suggest imagery for the story being told.

The story itself here runs true-to-form of late for this title…rather than a couple pages here and there for a bunch of simultaneous plots, the core of the issue ("episode," if you want to use the tv analogy) focuses on Firestorm’s Justice League forming (they’re working to recruit Green Arrow as this issue opens), chronicles their first big battle, and sets the stage for events to come. In a way, the plot of the issue is largely simplistic–nothing too terribly deep–but it shows development of events as well as the characters (Firestorm–THIS Firestorm–pulling together a Justice League? Skeets back? Citizen recipients of Luthor’s metahuman treatment springing into action?) Components just fall into place believably, and I think we’re really beginning to see payoff from the foundation the earlier issues worked to lay.

While we don’t see MUCH of the "usual" cast, we continue to see the interactions between the DCU characters active during this year. Though just a couple pages, the Black Adam Family scene would hold very little resonance had we not seen the development of things with Black Adam himself the last 5-6 months, nor the last several months’ development with Isis, and so on.

Following this series from the beginning allows for that deeper "getting" of the overall story…but it by no means excludes one from reading this issue in particular. Even if you’re not following this series, I highly recommend this issue, for the Justice League stuff alone. The closest I came to "discovering" the classic Giffen League initially back in the early 90s was the Doomsday issue. I would love to see a title starring an incarnation such as we see here; I find this League’s story more interesting at the moment than the ‘core’ version with its own title now.

The Origin of Booster Gold
Writer: Mark Waid
Penciller: Dan Jurgens
Inker: Andy Lanning
Colorist: Alex Sinclair
Letterer: Pat Brosseau
Asst. Editor: Harvey Richards
Editor: Stephen Wacker

I’m still not terribly thrilled with these origin segments, but growing used to them (as opposed to the initial disappointment of the format), this one’s pretty good. The art’s quite good–I really like Jurgens‘ visuals–and I actually learned something from it. (I suppose that’s another dissatisfaction with other issues’ origins: when it’s a character whose background I’m already quite familiar with, seeing such a boiled-down version is disappointing).

I might’ve said it in an earlier review, but I’ll reiterate it now (and likely again in coming months): I think that while these make for an ok backup feature, I’d rather see a single "special" or one-shot that contained a bunch of these, and get a couple more story-pages per issue in their place.

Ratings:

Story: 4/5
Art: 4.5/5
Overall: 4/5

Filed under: 52, Classic Reviews, DC, DC Universe | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

52 Week #20 [Review]

Posted on February 11, 2011 by Walt

Quick Rating: Good
Story Title: Week #20: God is Fragged

Supernova in the Batcave, Steel grows into his new powers, and the heroes in space come under attack…

52week20Writer: Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka, Mark Waid
Art Breakdowns: Keith Giffen
Pencils: Chris Batista
Inks: Ruy Jose
Colors: Alex Sinclair
Lettering: Travis Lanham
Assistant Editors: Harvey Richards & Jeanine Schaefer
Edited by: Stephen Wacker
Cover Art: J.G. Jones & Alex Sinclair
Publisher: DC Comics

This issue gives us some fairly continuous action, opened with a moment of quiet as Supernova infiltrates the Batcave. Steel begins to grow into his new powers/strength, saving a number of lives from a burning building. The rest of the issue pretty much focuses on the hereos-in-space: Starfire, Adam Strange, and Animal Man…and of course, their new best buddy, Lobo. These folks come under attack by a bunch of (other) aliens, and wind up bringing more trouble down on their own heads due to the means by which they end the battle.

All in all, not a bad issue at all. I found it to be a good read–though I feel like we’ve not gotten to see nearly enough of the "new" Steel, so it almost feels like he was just tossed in to remind us he exists (though more likely, he’s there for us to see that he’s growing into his new powers, and learning to make use of ’em and in general, keep on truckin’ as a hero).

The battle in space works–I’m not totally into it, but hey, action-in-space and all that. Seeing what happened to Lobo was rather gruesome, though actually made sense, having read his origin a few issues ago–I wasn’t lost or dumbfounded at his state after the battle.
The art continues to work well, serving the story quite well. I really don’t have any complaints with this.

On the whole–this issue and the series in general–I continue to be satisfied with the product as a whole. It’s one of the better ‘values’ in comics these days, per individual issue, and just has a grand FEEL as a true serial (as opposed to other books that don’t often make the every-30ish-days frequency). I think this series challenges my recent expectations of comics–even with certain stories meandering in and out, I feel that I "get" more out of it than the same number of issues of most anything else.

All that said–chances are, if you’re not on-board yet, you probably aren’t gonna change your mind based on a few remarks from me. And if you’re STILL on-board…you’re probably similarly-minded on the series.

I’m enjoying it–it’s worthwhile and keeps me going to the comic shops each week. Nothing blows me away, but this is simply a solid, reliable series that builds on itself week after week.

Ratings:

Story: 3/5
Art: 3/5
Overall: 3.5/5

Filed under: 52, Classic Reviews, DC, DC Universe | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

52 Week #18 [Review]

Posted on February 10, 2011 by Walt

Quick Rating: Good
Story Title: Dismantled

Black Adam attempts to bestow an honor on The Question and Montoya, while the Shadowpact and Ralph attend to the helmet of Dr. Fate…and as an ‘afterthought,’ Booster gets a funeral.

52week18Writers: Johns, Morrison, Rucka, Waid
Layouts: Keith Giffen
Pencils: Eddy Barrows
Inks: Rob Stull
Colors: Alex Sinclair
Letters: Travis Lanham
Asst. Editors: Jann Jones and Harvey Richards
Editor: Stephen Wacker
Cover Art: J.G. Jones & Sinclair
Publisher: DC Comics

I’m not terribly thrilled with the choppiness on these issues–it sometimes seems like the story "jumps" a bit, and given the format/size of the issues, there’s not much room for "smooth transitions" exactly…and I can see where one would totally benefit from reading several weeks’ issues in a row. Even for a comic that’s out each week, a "previously" page would certainly come in handy. Viewing this series as a massive tv series (2-3 seasons in one, by giving new episodes for 52 weeks) makes for a good way of looking at it–with some episodes having a focus on one theme, others focusing on a specific character or largely on just a specific character. But even weekly shows often show a few clips of what happened "Previously, on __________."

Noticing the art seems to me to come largely from reading others’ thoughts the last several months, about there not being "top-tier talent" on the art for this series–I honestly don’t mind the so-called "second-stringers" on art–as usual, I’m not offended by the art, the characters are all recognizeable, and it’s clear what’s going on panel-to-panel, really. There’s nothing in the art that totally jumps out at me or blows me away–but I for one am definitely satisfied with said art.

We’re basically 1/3 through the story now, and starting to get some handy payoff to plots that’ve been building throughout. Ralph Dibny seems to be getting around quite a bit, when he does show up. Here he’s interacting with the Shadowpact, as they attend to the helmet of Dr. Fate, and the liquified previous user (who, I suppose, was previously established somewhere, but the name means nothing to me). I’m definitely interested in Ralph’s story, a lot more than I would’ve thought a few weeks ago–but between his dealings with the Connor-Cult and now the helmet…I’m interested in where these writers take the character.

This issue also gives us a look into the aftermath of the Question and Montoya’s actions at the Black Adam/Isis wedding and the impact things are having on them–especially Montoya. I don’t remember much detail from anything I read of her in the first One Year Later, except that she apparently dealt with some traumatic stuff in the missing year–this looks to be at least one of those events.

We also get to see the crap-fest that is Booster’s funeral. Apparently the pall bearers are of some "classic" significance to long-time readers; I didn’t recognize any visually or by name–but I suppose that’s as much the point as not. I don’t like the way Booster’s been portrayed in much of this series–but one has to admit, at least, that even in the funeral situation–there’s a consistency to this particular portrayal.

There’s a glimmer of potential as to the future found in this issue, and if you’ve seen the cover to next week’s issue online, you should have a pretty good idea of what’s coming.

Overall…this issue’s a bit of "same old, same old" as far as this series is concerned–the story moves forward, the art gets the visuals across to complement the story, and there’ll be an issue next week.

If you’re following the series anyway, it’s worth keeping up. If you’ve not been drawn in yet…I don’t think this issue’s gonna do much to change your mind.

The Origin of the Question
Writer: Mark Waid
Art: Joe Bennett
Colors: Alex Sinclair
Letters: Nick J. Napolitano
Asst. Edits: Harvey Richards
Edits: Stephen Wacker

I’m still not entirely thrilled with these origins…the visuals can be cool, but the way I, for one, am wired, I see panels laid out and I want a story, more of a narrative than just fade-in/fade-out flashes with a little bit of text in captions.

The highlight for me of this particular origin is that it’s a character I am not terribly familiar with, so it at least has some new information for me–or at least, confirms stuff I’d sorta picked up without realizing it.
While I’d prefer a couple extra story pages to this sort of "origin," 1. I could see these making for a nice special issue in themselves, as a collection of all these "origin backups" once the series concludes. Perhaps as Who’s Who of 52 or some such. and 2. even though not highly detailed, they at least would allow someone to be able to say "Hey, I recognize that guy..!"

If you’ve enjoyed these 2-pagers, this should be no exception.

Ratings:

Story: 3.5/5
Art: 3/5
Overall: 3/5

Filed under: 52, Classic Reviews, DC, DC Universe | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

52 Week #10 [Review]

Posted on February 9, 2011 by Walt

Quick Rating: Good
Title: Stop the Press

Black Adam’s conference is interrupted, Clark Kent is on Perry White’s bad side, a new superhero shows up, Booster’s ticked off at events unfolding contrary to Skeets’ historical records, while Will Magnus and Professor Morrow converse…

52week10Writers: Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka, Mark Waid
Art Breakdowns: Keith Giffen
Pencils: Chris Batista
Inks: Jimmy Palmiotti & Jack Jadson
Colors: Alex Sinclair
Letters: Jared K. Fletcher
Assitant Editors: Jann Jones & Harvey Richards
Editor: Stephen Wacker
Cover Art: J.G. Jones & Alex Sinclair
Publisher: DC Comics

This series seems to be hit or miss for a lot of people, and while many seem to be losing interest entirely, that’s definitely not the case with me. Things are taking awhile to develop, and the overall story seems to be moving pretty slowly…but overall, I’m liking things pretty much as they are–though if we get in deep, I can find plenty of faults.

This is the tenth issue–and tenth week–of this series. For as slow as things seem to be, enough has happened already that I believe I would just have to dig out the previous issues to make sure I could list ’em all, if I were to attempt to do get into that. At the same time, as far as "big" or "major" stuff…not so much.

But that’s part of the fun of this title–and why I’m enjoying it so far. While it’s just over three times the price of a regular issue, it’s roughly four times the size of a regular issue. And rather than get a chunk of story and have to wait 4-X? weeks for another chapter, we get a new chapter each week. Despite the old/tired comparison…it’s really like following a tv show with a large cast, where there are characters you love and hate, and even when you’re most interested in a certain character, they may not even show up in a given episode, and then be the focus of another episode, or anything in-between.

This issue takes us back to Black Adam, who has gathered together Kahndaq’s allies. While he speaks to them, he is intrrupted by a woman who slipped past guards–a woman who disagrees very much with Adam’s gathering of allies, apparently to rival the U.S.

Meanwhile, Clark Kent has made Perry’s list, and not in a good way, prompting Clark to take some rather drastic action–quite at risk to himself–to re-prove himself to the editor (and possibly begin the setup for where things were at the start of the recently-concluded Up, Up and Away! arc). This ties into what looks to be a developing arc on a new superhero: Supernova–a character I am as much in the dark about as the characters themselves.

Booster Gold is understandably frustrated, as his plans from recent weeks have completely fallen apart on him, and events around him unfold very differently from what he expected. In fact, Skeets doesn’t even have record of certain events, which leads to some curiosity as to their place in all this.

Finally, Magnus and Morrow discuss a recent development, leaving me ready and interested in the next issue.
My favorite part of this issue is the segments devoted to Clark and Perry, and Clark’s developing status-quo in this pre-One-Year-Later world. Reading the issue after this week’s Superman issue felt like a real treat: an extra helping of Clark.

Though I know virtually nothing of the characters–and other than them being part of any large-scale stories/crossovers, I don’t think I’ve read anything with them before this series–I find myself looking forward to whatever it is that’s developing, that Magnus and Morrow are finding themselves involved in.

The story overall is good, though the further into this series we get, the more "continuity-heavy" it seems to be growing. We already know the basic outcome, as we’re into the 5th month of books that take place after this series, so some of that initial "wow, what happened in the missing year?!?" factor has worn off. Of course, that means that the story is going to have to carry itself all the more, and really be a story in and of itself, and not just "hey, this happened during the ‘missing year’!"

Not much to say about the art…it doesn’t blow me away, by any means…but it serves the story, and clearly at that. It’s not bad by any means…just fits the story, gets the job done, and elicits no real complaints from me.

The largest hurdle I see to this issue is really the price–that is, collectively for this series, given the weekly nature.

If you’ve been following these, though…I would argue that it’s worth keeping with the series. We’re about 1/5th into it, and I suspect due for some decent payoff in the near future.

And if you’ve been enjoying the recent Superman stuff, you may want to check in on this issue, for the segment with Clark, pre-One Year Later.

History of the DCU
Writer/Layouts: Dan Jurgens
Finishes: Andy Lanning
Letters: Nick J. Napolitano
Colors: Jeromy Cox & Guy Major
Editors: Berganza, Cohen and Schaefer

What can I say about this? This backup feature–which, as recently as two and a half months ago, I was really looking forward to–is an absolute disappointment.

So far, it seems like it would have been FAR more appropriate to serve as its own special issue, perhaps a 52 # 0 or prelude. This 9th chapter basically brings us up to last September (2005) heading into the actual Infinite Crisis series. As far as I can tell, we’ve learned nothing "new" about the New Earth that resulted from that series.

A better "bonus" to these issues would be to save an extra twenty-five cents and cap the issue off with the main story at an even lower cover price…

Ratings:

Story: 4/5
Art: 3.5/5
Overall: 3.5/5

Filed under: 52, Classic Reviews, DC, DC Universe | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

52 Week #4 [Review]

Posted on February 8, 2011 by Walt

Quick Rating: Good
Title: Dances With Monsters

Renee Montoya and The Question do their thing, work is done to find the missing heroes-in-space, Booster and Fire discuss Booster’s current attitude and actions, John Irons contemplates what Steel means, and Ralph speaks with Cassie and her ‘cult.’

52week04Writers: Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka, Mark Waid
Art Breakdowns: Keith Giffen
Pencils: Joe Bennett
Inks: Jack Jadson
Colors: Alex Sinclair
Letters: Rob Leigh
Assistant Editors: Jann Jones & Harvey Richards
Editor: Stephen Wacker
Cover Art: J.G. Jones & Alex Sinclair
Publisher: DC Comics

History of the DCU Part 3
Story & Layouts: Dan Jurgens
Finishes: Art Thibert
Colors: Guy Major & Jeromy Cox
Letters: Nick J. Napolitano
Edits: Berganza, Cohen & Schaefer

This issue fills us in on the fourth week of the first month following the conclusion to Infinite Crisis. Several of the core plotlines are at least touched on in this issue. Renee Montoya finds herself entirely bored and frustrated at a pointless surveillance job–a job that keeps getting interrupted by The Question.

Some astronauts–I think they’re astronauts–get a glimpse of hope at finding the heroes lost in space during the crisis. Additionally, Booster and Fire discuss the way Booster’s going about his hero-ing, as Fire comments on Booster’s initial reaction to the loss of Ted last year.
Ralph Dibny speaks with Cassie and her ‘cult’ as she’s promised him answers and the possibility of seeing a certain lost loved one. The final plot touched on this issue is John Henry Irons as he contemplates what he’s done by having rushed into the hero gig without thinking–what creating Steel has done in his life and others’ as well–and leads us into what might be a bit of a change for the character.

In a way, it feels like there’s not a LOT that happens in this issue–but with no less than five simultaneous, ongoing stories all being told, that’s to be expected. The scene transitions feel a bit choppy–not entirely interruptive, but at least a couple times I found myself flipping back a page to see what day I was on, and then was surprised when the main story ended, not having registered that it was the end of the week. In a sense, it might be fairly easy to be taken out of the story considering the week ends ‘conveniently’ at a cliffhanger.

Despite the aforementioned choppiness, I didn’t feel like I was reading multiple stories by distinct writers–which I feel is a good thing, given that this is overall a singular story of the events ocurring during the "missing year." The writing in and of itself is good, and conveys the sort of slice-of-life scenes of these characters.

The artwork is good–nothing much negative to say about it, really. Visually, characters are all recognizeable and distinct, and I didn’t catch myself at any scenes wondering who a character was because of artistic interpretations of familiar characters. The art may not be singularly distinct and recognizeable specifically (the way, say, Alex Ross artwork might be)–but it is clear and clean, and gets across what needs to be conveyed visually in the story, and that is the main concern.

The only story point that really jumped out at me offhand was Steel’s–I’m not certain, but I think we’re seeing where his history has been modified somewhat, possibly undoing stuff from several years ago. And frankly, I’m ok with such modification, as I wasn’t thrilled with said events as they originally unfolded at the end of Superman: The Man of Steel.

The backup I’m not as thrilled with. This week’s four-pager informs us (yet again?) that Donna Troy remembers and/or has access to memories and knowledge of the multiverse, pre-Crisis on Infinite Earths as well as post-, and everything up to present. We’re reminded THAT there was a multiverse, that there was a crisis, and that sacrifices were made that rocked everyone deeply. For this reader, at least, it feels like nothing new that wasn’t covered in Infinite Crisis. Additionally, it feels like the framing of this history is a bit of a detraction, robbing the history/story of precious panels to keep reminding us of Donna Troy (but then, perhaps that comes from my envisioning it as a singular story, how it will read when all the chapters are read back-to-back rather than a week apart?)

Taken as a whole, I’m still not entirely sure what to make of this format. While it’s not perfect (and I can’t quite put my finger on anything that WOULD make it perfect), I’m enjoying it thus far. Of course, 4 issues down leaves us with another 48 issues to go… This ride’s just beginning, and DC‘s got me hooked for the present.

Ratings:

Story: 4/5
Art: 4/5
Overall: 4/5

Filed under: 52, Classic Reviews, DC, DC Universe | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

Young Justice #0 [Review]

Posted on January 19, 2011 by Walt


Full review posted to cxPulp.com.

 

Story: 3.5/5
Art: 4/5
Overall: 4/5

Filed under: cxPulp.com, DC, Young Justice (vol. 2) | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

Astro City: Samaritan #1 [Review]

Posted on January 18, 2011 by Walt

Quick Rating: Great
Story Title: The Eagle and the Mountain

Samaritan and an old foe size each other up in their latest encounter, as we see key moments in both characters’ past.

astrocitysamaritan Writer: Kurt Busiek
Artist: Brent E. Anderson
Colors: Alex Sinclair
Lettering and Design: John Roshell of Comicraft
Asst. Editor: Kristy Quinn
Editor: Ben Abernathy
Cover Art: Alex Ross
Publisher: DC Comics/Wildstorm Signature Series

While I’ve read several of the Astro City TPBs, the first arc of Dark Age, and a couple other AC stories, I don’t feel all that familiar with any specific characters. They’re largely archetypal to me, and I think I read them with other characters in mind, or at least, without much of a vested interest in anyone in particular.

Samaritan to me is a different take on Superman, and this "Infidel" puts me in mind of Lex Luthor, and visually in mind of some character from Hellblazer (Papa Midnight, perhaps).

However, these characters certainly are not the others–they draw from a similar pool of ideas, but hold a rich uniqueness all their own.

The issue opens with a story about an eagle and a mountain, to set things up. The issue is narrated by Infidel, presenting things from his point of view–something that when done on occasion like this, works very well. Though we know that he is the "bad guy" (Samaritan being the "good guy"), it’s easy to see where Infidel is coming from, his motivation and such.

Through the years, Infidel and Samaritan have clashed, and despite the intensity of the battles, neither every truly gained the upper hand, resulting in a truce of sorts, as each watches the other, waiting for a moment to strike. The cordiality between Samaritan and Infidel is a bit off-putting at first, but works very well here. It is in itself a bit archetypal–two bitter enemies interacting civilly, almost friendly, neither seeking to physically confront the other…but the dangerousness of both is felt throughout the interactions, and the characters have a very real feel to them, as more than just some black/white comic-book-supervillain/comic-book-superhero interaction; there’s just more depth to it.

And that seems to me to be a large part of the way Astro City works–standard superheroes and supervillains cast in a "real world" of sorts, offering plausible answers to questions that transpose comic book situations with real world actuality. Of course it’s still a comic itself–but it gets beyond certain cliches.

The art works really well here–Anderson‘s art is clear and mood-suited as usual, conveying both the quieter and the loud, cosmic scenes quite well.

Possibly the best part of this issue is that it stands alone. If you’re a long-time fan of Astro City, it’ll add to your enjoyment of the overall "saga." However, if you’ve never touched an Astro City book, this is a great place to check it out, with a story of one of the main superheroes and maybe his greatest foe. In a world of increasing need of the "previously…" page, this issue acknowledges that with a "previously" box: What You Need To Know Before Reading This Issue! / Uh, nothing, really. Dive on in, the water’s fine.

Check it out–it’s a $4 book, but it’s 40 pages, self-contained, and a very enjoyable read!

Ratings:

Story: 4.5/5
Art: 4.5/5
Overall: 4.5/5

Filed under: Astro City: Dark Age, Classic Reviews, DC, Wildstorm | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

Spawn #200 [Review]

Posted on January 15, 2011 by Walt


Full review posted to cxPulp.com.

 

Story: 3/5
Art: 3.5/5
Overall: 3.5/5

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52 Week 12 [Review]

Posted on January 13, 2011 by Walt

classicreviewlogowhite

Quick Rating: Good
Story Title: Mighty

Summary: Black Adam introduces us to Isis, Montoya and The Question come to an agreement as to where they’re off to next, and Ralph Dibny confronts Cassie about her cult’s theft of materials from a storage locker.

52week12 Writers: Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka, Mark Waid
Art Breakdowns: Keith Giffen
Pencils: Barrows
Inks: Stull
Colors: Baron
Letters: Lanham
Assistant Editors: Jann Jones & Harvey Richards
Editor: Stephen Wacker
Cover Art: J.G. Jones & Alex Sinclair
Publisher: DC Comics

I don’t think I knew who "Black Adam" was two years ago. After reading the Countdown stuff, I was surprised when I went back through my Superman collection and found an issue in which he was prominently shown on the cover–point being, even if I’d heard of him, certainly had no clue who he was, nor what he’s all about. I’m still not certain, but something about him has had me quite interested–and for roughly $2.50/issue I’d gladly follow a series with this character in the starring role if of such quality as 52.

As-is, this issue is mostly Black Adam’s story, with a few pages of the other two plots thrown in. While this is a bit of a let-down as far as seeing what’s going on with Steel, or Booster–or anyone else, for that matter–the story held my interest, and regardless of what comes down the line, has an air of significance to it, as to Black Adam’s story, and the Marvel family in general. Adam’s actions do seem a little rushed, but given what he’s been up to lately, I wouldn’t see it as out-of-character…especially if there’s more to it all than we as the readers have been let in on just yet.

Ralph and Cassie’s angle, while brief, also has some good stuff, even though I’m not entirely interested in that particular plot. Possibly my favorite part of their exchange is Ralph’s comment about everyone confusing him with Plastic Man–something that I was definitely guilty of before Identity Crisis. Cassie seems a bit out of character, though it may well simply be my reading of things and that I’ve not figured her out yet.

Renee and The Question get 3 pages this issue, and while they keep that particular thread going, I’d have prefered 3 extra pages of Black Adam–right now, I’m just not all that interested in their story–especially just a snippet like this.

I think my favorite part of this issue involved Billy, and seeing how he’s adjusting to his new role.

The art on this issue is good–everyone’s recognizable and things are easy to follow. Facial expressions–particularly Adam and Billy–come across well, and give depth to the characters visually without even considering dialogue. I have no complaints offhand with art on this issue…

Overall, a strong issue that looks to affect Adam (and the Marvels) for quite awhile, though there’s not too much from other stories going on here. Certainly worth getting if you’re following the series; worth getting if you’re just a fan of Black Adam or the Marvel family, and so on. Recommended.

The Origin of Wonder Woman
Writer: Mark Waid
Art: Adam Hughes
Colors: Laura Martin
Letters: Nick J. Napolitano
Asst. Editor: Harvey Richards
Editor: Stephen Wacker
Special Thanks to: Mark Chiarello
Wonder Woman created by: William Moulton Marston

If you’re looking for short ‘n sweet origin snippets, that’s what you’ll find here. This 2-page origin seems woefully inadequate to do more than tease just the barest, shallowest stuff involved with the character, and unfortunately, by itself doesn’t inspire me to want to know more about the character, other than the fact that this is so brief that almost anything would BE learning more about the character. The first 2/5ths-of-a-page panel/header seems a waste, and based on that visual, it’s a wonder that the character isn’t some porn-star.

The rest of the art on the pages works well, though being just a couple pages isn’t much to go on yay or nay. The bottom 2/5ths-of-a-page on the 2nd page offers a brief "Powers and Weapons," "Essential Storylines," and "Alliances" textual profile.

I’m not familiar enough with the character to know if anything in this 2-pager is new or sheds any light on any possibly "New Earth" changes/retcons, but nothing "feels" like new information to me. I hate to complain, but as with the disappointment the Origin of the DC Universe, this one is also a disappointment to me, and seems that it would serve better as some trading-card than taking up 2 pages that could have been used for continuing the overall 52 story.

Ratings:

Story: 4/5
Art: 4/5
Overall: 4/5

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