Brad Anderson | Comic Reviews by Walt

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Superman: World of New Krypton #11 [Review]

Posted on January 27, 2010 by Walt

Story: 2.5/5
Art: 2.5/5
Overall: 2.5/5

Filed under: cxPulp.com, DC, DC Universe, Superman: World of New Krypton | Tagged: Adam Strange, Blond, Brad Anderson, DC, DC Comics, Gary Frank, Greg Rucka, James Robinson, Krypton, Matt Idelson, Nei Ruffino, New Krypton, Pete Woods, Ron Randall, Steve Wands, Superman, Wil Moss, World Against Superman, World of New Krypton | Leave a comment »

Superman: Secret Origin #3 [Review]

Posted on November 28, 2009 by Walt

Mild-Mannered Reporter

Writer: Geoff Johns
Penciller: Gary Frank
Inker: Jon Sibal
Colorist: Brad Anderson
Letterer: Steve Wands
Assoc. Editor: Wil Moss
Editor: Matt Idelson
Covers: Frank w/ Anderson
Publisher: DC Comics

While I generally enjoy stuff Johns does, my feelings toward this series have been trending toward the negative. Initially, I thought it was sorta cool that elements from the various versions of Superman were being incorporated into this. But as this series has progressed and I consider it further, it seems more of an amalgamation than something definitive. It’s like a “PC” version of Superman intended to offer these little bones to as many readers as possible, without giving any one group a clear Superman.

This issue picks up with Clark’s (or should I say Kal’s?) early days in Metropolis, with a sinking Daily Planet where he’s been hired to replace someone else. From the country-boy-in-the-city bit to getting his briefcase stuck in the door to sliding into the parasitic elevator man, this is a Clark Kent far too much like the silver age “Clark-is-the-mask” persona put forth than I care for. There’s also a distinct feeling of Christopher Reeve’s presence here…it’s easy to hear his voice in the character.

Arriving in the office itself of the Daily Planet, Clark meets Jimmy, Ron, Steve, Perry, and of course Lois. Cat Grant is present, looking very much like she does in the current “present-day” story, which seems to do away with all the great characterization from her introduction through the mid/late 1990s–as if that version of the character never even existed.

Lois takes to clark just fine from the get-go…just another reporter for her to break in. The two head to a Lexcorp technology demonstration, where Lois uses Clark as “bait” to distract the guards while she slips by (apparently anyone from the Daily Planet are expressly not welcome around Lexcorp). Lois winds up falling of the building in an attempt to avoid getting squished by a helicopter that malfunctions, leading to a duplication of that scene from 1978’s Superman film in which Superman arrives on the scene, catching the falling Lois and a helicopter as his first public act. (Though people surrounding him and Lois demanding favors and askins salvation is kept, to give him something to go home and think about).

The art, truly, is the best part of this book. It’s just a bit much, though, that it’s so easy to see Christopher Reeve…that’s the primary problem I have with the visuals. It’s not that one shouldn’t be able to see Reeve, but that this Superman is then tied to that vision of the character, anchored in a past rather than freed to grow into the future.

The writing in and of itself is not bad, by any means. Johns certainly knows his stuff, working in subtle elements of the various Superman origins/backstory through the years–the films, the silver age comics, Byrne’s revamp, and presumably a bit of Birthright and Smallville (though if so, the latter two are over my head at present). It’s great that recognition is given to all the different visions…but it’d be better if there’s just one definitive version, rather than this bastardization of so many takes on the character.

Ultimately, this is a good issue in and of itself…just that the reworking of the character to bring so much of the silver age and films into the comics seem to rob the character of so much development that was accomplished over the past 20-some years.

Story: 7/10
Art: 9/10
Whole: 8/10

Filed under: Comic Reviews 2009, DC, DC Universe, Superman: Secret Origin | Tagged: Brad Anderson, Clark Kent, Comic Reviews, DC, DC Comics, Gary Frank, Geoff Johns, Jon Sibal, Matt Idelson, Metropolis, Mild-Mannered Reporter, Secret Origin, Steve Wands, Superman, Superman: Secret Origin, Wil Moss | 1 Comment »

Superman: Secret Origin #2 [Review]

Posted on November 1, 2009 by Walt

The Boy of Steel

The silver age is apparently back. This issue–while including smaller moments of Clark and his parents, and of Luthor and his own life, as well as some of LUthor’s interaction with Clark (establishing them as acquaintances if not exactly best buds)–primarily focuses on the Legion of Super-Heroes and their first meeting with Clark, and allowing him to tag along “back to the future” with them. While in the future, recently-introduced elements (I believe from Superman and the Legion of Super-Heroes) are established as being present from the get-go of things. It’s also pretty easy to fit the original silver age story of the characters’ first meeting between the pages here. The issue’s finale introduces another character whose presence means the current Superman is all the more NOT the character I grew up on.

The story itself isn’t bad–Johns has a great handle on things. However, I’ve bristled for years now at elements being “snuck” back into the Superman mythos that I’ve thought make him too much “super” and not enough “man” and this story really puts aside any sneaking and is quite overt at putting things back into the mythos. At the same time, I imagine that going back to re-read Superman and the Legion will reveal references to what is shown in these pages.

I’ve been curious as to exactly what is and is not official cannon in the Superman books of late, so I’m glad to see his secret-since-Infinite-Crisis origin revealed at last. The execution seems to be working quite well, even if I don’t like the content all that much.

The art team provides fantastic visuals. Even Clark as “Superboy” comes across as pretty realistic–he looks rather awkward in the costume and it’s easy to see that he’s not entirely comfortable in it yet. At this point, Frank is pretty much my favorite Superman artist, and very certainly in the ranks of Dan Jurgens, Jim Lee, and Alex Ross.

Again, while far from enamored at the undoing of so much of the Superman I grew up with from 1989 to present…I can’t deny that in and of itself, the story and art are both of high quality, and taken apart from my preferred continuity, this issue has some of the best Superman work of the last decade.

Story: 8/10
Art: 9/10
Whole: 8.5/10

Filed under: Comic Reviews 2009, DC, DC Universe, Superman: Secret Origin | Tagged: Brad Anderson, Clark Kent, Comic Reviews, DC, DC Comics, Gary Frank, Geoff Johns, Jon Sibal, Legion of Super-Heroes, Matt Idelson, Secret Origin, Steve Wands, Superboy, Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes, Superman, Superman: Secret Origin, Wil Moss | Leave a comment »

Superman: Secret Origin #1 [Review]

Posted on September 23, 2009 by Walt

The Boy of Steel

I don’t know how to describe it, really…but there’s something special just about the look of this issue. The cover’s fantastic–Gary Frank is by far one of my favorite Superman artists. The logo on the gradient-blue sky background stands out very nicely (and yet does not look out of place). This is the first issue of a mini-series…the Secret Origin part tells us we’re going back to the “beginning,” and seeing a young Clark on the cover, happy and with his parents, also both looking happy–speaks volumes to the characters. Perhaps it’s that this really gives credence to that saying about a picture being worth a thousand words–a thousand words to the positive thus hit before one’s even looked inside the issue.

Then again, perhaps it’s none of that, and simply the anticipation for this issue–after it was announced last year, and I thought it would be out by early summer and had to wait these extra months for it, and I just so enjoy finally getting to begin reading a definitive origin for the character since the Byrne stuff was chucked awhile back.

The story begins with Clark playing football in answer to challenge from classmates. Peter Ross breaks his arm tackling Clark, and guilty as Clark feels for that, he’s guilted further by facing Pa (in a scene that somehow put me VERY much in mind of that scene with Peter and Uncle Ben in the Spidey film as Uncle Ben lectures Peter on Responsibility). We see other elements introduced–Lana, and the school, Ma and Pa, Smallville itself, Lex Luthor, to name a few. These all come together as the issue progresses and we see first the discovery and solution to some newly-developed/discovered powers on Clark’s part (and how his parents play a strong role in that) and then the implementing of his powers as disaster strikes Smallville. Finally, we see the development of the costume.

The art–as I said above about the cover–is just fantastic. There’s a detail and realism to the visuals that works so well with the story and getting things across…and yet, it doesn’t feel like it’s being overtly realistic. It just captures a level of detail that makes it easy for the mind to fill in the blanks and set these static images to motion as you read.

For newer readers, this is simply an “origin” story–telling the beginnings and background/motivation to things we’re seeing play out in the current issues of the Superman books.

For long-time readers, it may be much more. This seems set to be THE origin, the definitive story of Superman’s background in the books’ current incarnations. Forget Man of Steel and Byrne…forget Birthright and Waid…for that matter, forget Smallville. This is none of those…and yet, it seems to be quite respectful to them all, acknowledging them subtlely and taking key elements from them as the story requires.

Though I’ve looked forward to this series–and yes, delivered extremely well, meeting (and maybe exceeding) my anticipation/expectation–I remained skeptical. I grew up on the 90s Superman, beginning while the “Byrne revamp” was yet FRESH…and there are several key moments to that interpretation of the character that have been done away with in recent years that I’ve greatly disliked. While this fails to RESTORE them…something about Johns’ crafting of the story puts other things in a light that begins to redeem the changes, making them sit much better with me.

The return of what I consider “silver age elements” is handled nicely, and in a modern way that makes things quite plausible in the present.

I don’t think I could’ve asked for a better opening chapter of this mini.

Even if you’re not following the current New Krypton stuff in the ongoing titles, or any Superman comic at all…this is a book to pick up. The writing, the art, the story as provided by the blending of both…makes for a great read, and I’m already eager for not just the entirety of the story, but to see this thing put into a single volume.

Highly, highly recommended.

Story: 8.5/10
Art: 9/10
Whole: 9.5/10

Filed under: Comic Reviews 2009, DC, DC Universe, Superman: Secret Origin | Tagged: Boy of Steel, Brad Anderson, Clark Kent, Comic Reviews, DC, DC Comics, Gary Frank, Geoff Johns, Jon Sibal, Matt Idelson, Secret Origin, Steve Wands, Superboy, Superman, Superman: Secret Origin, Wil Moss | Leave a comment »

Superman: World of New Krypton #6 [Review]

Posted on August 5, 2009 by Walt

Full review posted to comixtreme.com.

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

Filed under: Codename: Patriot (Event), cxPulp.com, DC, DC Universe, Superman: World of New Krypton | Tagged: Brad Anderson, Codename: Patriot, Comic Reviews, cxPulp.com, DC, DC Comics, Greg Rucka, James Robinson, Krypton, Matt Idelson, New Krypton, Pete Woods, Steve Wands, Superman, Superman: World of New Krypton, Wil Moss, World of New Krypton | Leave a comment »

Wonder Woman #34 [Review]

Posted on August 2, 2009 by Walt

Birds of Paradise part one: A Malignant Isolation

Writer: Gail Simone
Penciller: Aaron Lopresti
Inker: Matt Ryan
Colorist: Brad Anderson
Letterer: Travis Lanham
Associate Editor: Sean Ryan
Editor: Elisabeth Gehrlein
Cover: Aaron Lopresti & Hi-Fi
Publisher: DC Comics

After following this title for the Rise of the Olympian arc, I found myself still interested (actually, more interested) in the character of Diana/Wonder Woman. Though I don’t feel I “know” the character all that much, I’ve found that the last eight-some issues have been quite enjoyable and shown me that good, solid stories can be told with the character.

This issue opens in the aftermath of last issue, with Wonder Woman now alone, having turned her back on the Amazons and her gods. Simone provides a touching moment as Morrow informs Diana that Genocide is not dead, and begs her to destroy it. In order to begin tracking down Genocide’s whereabouts, Diana turns to Black Canary for an assist, despite their recent differences. Dinah takes the lead as the two concoct costumes to hide their identities as they seek to infiltrate an underground arena fighting group. The results the two find in going undercover raises some question, as well as introducing us to someone likely to cause both of our heroines plenty of trouble next issue.

The art here continues to be very well done, and I have no real complaint with it. The stor itself for this issue does a good job of following the previous major arc, while setting things up for the current arc. We get forward movement and character development in light of what’s already happened and in what’s coming. Simone continues to demonstrate an excellent understanding of the characters she writes–specifically, in Wonder Woman–portraying her as a strong, realistic person…all the more in Diana’s willingness to seek help when she’s in over her head or otherwise knows someone better-suited for accomplishing a particular task.

Though there’ll be a certain deeper appreciation for things talked about in this issue if one’s already read Rise of the Olympian, this seems to be a decent jumping-on point for readers curious about the ongoing Wonder Woman series. There’s plenty to draw one in, and enough detail to give a general idea of who characters are, what their status quo is now, and a lot of potential in what is to come.

Highly recommended.

Story: 8.5/10
Art: 9/10
Whole: 8.5/10