Out this week:
Runaways 22: I continue to read this story as mere preparation for Joss Whedon taking the thing over in a few months, which I think will be fantastic. God Bless Joss Whedon and everything he stands for.
Wonder Woman 3: pop, fluffy fun, but not enough of any of those things. I would not really recommend it. Like Morrison's Batman, it would make a great animated thing for a younger audience (like Morrison's Batman the art is fun and cartoon like), but to me it feels thin.
Punisher War Journal #1: I myself was surprised to be picking up a Punisher comic book, much less a Civil War tie in, but this one is written by Casanova genius Matt Fraction, so I had no choice. It's kind of fun but the tone seems to me -- and I don't know the character very well -- a bit off, a bit imported from Casanova (and Casanova is very much unlike the Punisher, I would have thought). Stuff such as the caption box with a arrow that read "This is me" felt not so much like the Punisher. But I like Fraction and will probably read more of this. Just a note: If you pick it up, the copy with the black and white cover is not just a variant cover -- the whole issue is black and white, which surprised me (and annoyed me) when I went to read it.
Casanova #6: my big Casanova review should be online soon (so the guys who are going to publish it have told me), and I can't just do a short thing on this one issue, so let me reiterate my main point. Casanova is my favorite comic book of all time, and this issue further solidifies me in this thought. READ CASANOVA. IT WILL KNOCK YOU OUT.
In the news: Mitch has an article on Comic Geek Speak at Silver Bullet, Alan Moore will be on the Simpsons (as the owner of a cool comic book store and a rival to comic book guy), and Mark Miller had a great, huge, interview at Newsarama. Also just put up today on Newsarama -- Joss Whedon talks Buffy season 8 comics.
With Thanksgiving I won't blog until Monday, but will leave a free for all comment post up over the weekend.
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15 comments:
I forgot to say it in the post but you should know by now: review, recommend, discuss.
"Search your feelings Patrick, I sense conflict within you. You still love Buffy. Let go of your hate."
"That name no longer has any meaning for me. It's too late for me, Geoff....Veronica Mars is my Master now."
Zephyr Quinn crossed a line this issue. Now she has to die. Which makes me sad...
And after watching Reefer Madness: the Musical Ms. Mars can be my Mistress any time she wants...
I was about to pick up Wonder Woman, looked at the end where Diana Prince was still not Wonder Woman, and decided to leave it at the store.
I mean, who does DC think it's kidding? Who is Wonder Woman? But isn't Wonder Woman--Diana--present and accounted for in Justice League? So, Wonder Woman is Diana, DUH! We need editors who know what they are doing.
Okay, I bought the Infinite Crisis hardcover because I'm a sucker for the Earth-2 Superman.
Action Comics and Ultimate Spiderman were my two picks of the week--mostly because I'm having fun with the obvious movie-inspired aspects of Action. I've considered Ultimate Spiderman to be THE real Spiderman for quite some time. The Clone Saga is great. I've only read the first hardcover of Runaways and am awaiting the second.
Does anyone reserve certain titles for trades and others for monthlies? I do this, but I don't have a formal logic for which ones I get in what format.
Patrick: that's hilarious -- have you read Whedon's little piece on the greatness of VM?
lurker: me too, but I am not going to specify what part of what you said I am responding to.
roger: I often end up waiting for the trade because it takes a lot of hype or a lot of separate recommendations to get me to pick a book up.
Wondering where the Real Grant Morrison had gone after 7S?! Look no more, he's in 52!
"What's your speciality?"
"Technology from another world -- a higher, brighter, more terrible world has fallen to earth Doctor Magnus, 'I saw a star from the sky which had fallen to the earth. The key to the pit of abyss...' Oh to live in such times. To See the world changed forever"
---
"Is a mutant flesh-machine as far beyond the capabilities of your puny vermin species as you are beyond the swarming protozoa funny?!"
Runaways 22: My first brush with this title aside from Civil War: Young Avengers/Runaways, which was awful, but not bad enough to put me off either series. I finally got onboard because I've never read anything by Vaughn I didn't like, and I saw that this issue was the first part of a new arc. Not bad, but the same thing that bothered me in the miniseries shows up here - references to how "grown-ups" suck. No one over the age of 12 speaks or thinks like that - teenagers spend more time thinking they ARE "grown-ups" than thinking of them as an inferior seperate species.
Punisher War Journal: The tone didn't bother me at all - it's a far more successful attempt at injecting humour into Frank's world than Garth "good writer, dumb jokes" Ennis' "Welcome Back, Frank" run.
Action Comics 2: Better than the (already decent) first issue, I'm really enjoying this one. The first time I've seen Bizarro portrayed as anything other than intensely annoying to read, and the reveal at the end was great fun.
Casanova 6: Still knocking me out.
Roger - Currently I get Hellboy, Ex Machina and Walking Dead in trades. In all three cases it because I didn't "discover" them until a good way into their runs, and I'm content to wait for a decent sized chunk of story to consume all in one go. Walking Dead especially I think would be hell to read monthly.
Just read Daredevil, that was really good too. Woo, comics!
And even though I've spent a lot of energy promoting CGS-- Out of fairness I should point out that Alan Moore gave an INCREDIBLE interview on Fanboy Radio last week. Even if you hate Fanboy Radio, it is marvelous to hear from Moore and have all the impressions his "author photos" conjure up dispelled. I should also add that I am a quarter of the way through FROM HELL and I am completely enthralled.
This coming Sunday, FBR will have Joss Whedon.
The second issue of the Johns/Donner Action Comics more than made up for the lackluster first issue of their run. Even the Kubert Brother (still can't keep them straight) delivered big time with some very fascinating page layouts that were never confusing.
One of the biggest weaknesses in comic book movie sequels is the need to out do the previous movie by introducing more and more baddies. They end up diluting the movie more than anything else. From having no really antagonists in the first issue to 5 potential ones this issue, Johns & Donner avoid that problem, giving each set their own key moments.
The first issue left me cold and bored. I can't believe how much I enjoyed the second one.
I agree Scott... I was REALLY impressed with some of the blur effects and the entire art team as a whole. In the first issue I thought the Batman Kubert was much more impressive but have now done a full 180.
I don't really understand how Runaways could possibly get any better no mater who the creative team. Especially since that book owes SOOOO much to the jaw-dropping art of Mr. Alphona.
I know I've said this before, but I am once again astonished by how WRONG and offensive the final story in Civil War: Frontline is. Seriously, I hope some vets egg Jenkins' house or something for the audacity to equate real blood-shed with a stupid Falcon/Ms. Marvel fight which is part of a meaningless crossover which will be found in the 25cent bin before the end of the decade.
Ping: 52 should not have buried the fun stuff so deep. I only have so much free time, money and patience.
James: I think you make some fair points about Runaways. Unlike Ping, I just can't get that excited about it; it's not terrible, but it's not great either. Whedon will make it indispensable.
James, Scott, Ping: I didn't care that much for the first Action Comics issue, but clearly I am going to have to get the second one. Thanks. (This is a good thing about this blog -- figuring out what I should be reading).
Ping: can you just explain what is so offensive about Civil War: Frontline: I have not read it, and I don't want to, but I want to hear you tell me why it is so bad. Also you are welcome to tell me why you think Alphona is "jaw-dropping" -- what am I missing?
The last "story" in each issue of Frontline features split pages with the right half being a superhero fight with the left being art showing a real historical battle. The text is a Poem, letter from a soldier, news story etc from the Real World battle depicted on the left half of the page. In the new issue we get a Julian Grenfell WWI poem over pictures of The English Civil War (left) and The Falcon fighting Ms. Marvel on the right. It's just lazy and works to decontextualize and trivialize history.
Alphona: Injects so much Character and Volume and action and... LIFE into all of his pages. From dressing the characters in different clothes to suit there personality to his wonderful designs (that first page of the Werewolf Cowboys is great) I love how his work draws on so many influences (Manga, Graffiti, American Comics) but is so unlike anyone else out there. He has a personality and a quirkiness which I just love.
"their personalities." If Blogger needs ONE thing it's an edit function.
Runaways IS great, thank you very much. ^_^
Except Xavin. Xavin sucks. Dear Joss, please kill Xavin off and get Karolina a proper girlfriend.
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