Comics Out April 16, 2008

The Amazing Spiderman 557. One of my favorite Bachalo devices is the close up on an image that would usually be reduced -- he uses it to show moments of realization. Bachalo does a quiet one on page one of this comic (or at least that is what it looks like to me). For all my complaining when artists re-use images, Bachalo never bothers me when he does it -- perhaps because his images are so complex to begin with, perhaps because I am just giving him an irrational pass because he is so charming, perhaps because he cartoony style (as opposed to Cassaday's photo-realism, if that is the right word) makes it work -- though it bothers me when Oeming does it on powers; Oeming is too thin for my taste. The reach around from one panel to another was fun, though I have seen it many times before. Well's need for Morrison here, which I mentioned last week, may have been the inspiration, but Bachalo did fun stuff like this in Steampunk -- about which I have blogged before. The hobo-calvary was genuinely cute, but did anyone see a McFarlane influence on the last image on the second to last page? All in all, pretty good.

The New York Comic Con is this weekend. There is going to be a lot of news, which I will do my best to keep up with. I probably will not do that good a job, so if you see something, let me know. I always miss stuff in the flood on con news.

Two questions:

Did Matt Fraction have a story in something called X-Men: Divided we Stand? Cause if he did I am going to have to get that. I don't know how I am supposed to remember this stuff. Someone remind me when his Thor book comes out.

Why is the New York City Comic Con -- a major city for Jews and an industry that employs and was founded on so much Jewish talent -- being held on the two days of passover? Bendis, I know from Fortune and Glory, actually hosts a Seder at his house. I guess everyone who needs to be somewhere by dinner, and maybe it is not that many people, will just duck out early, but it seems weird to me.

Comics Out April 9, 2008

Serenity: Better Days 2. The art is OK, but having to draw the faces to match the actors looks like it is often more trouble than it is worth -- Kaylee on page 2, for example. Check out Kaylee's face during the sex scene -- isolate her face on the page and tell me she does not look somewhere between ill and bored. There is a cute exchange about showering, but the thing is pretty lackluster, especially the ending bump, which would be sub-par even for a commercial break -- the end of an issue is not the same as the end of a television show, but the month long hiatus requires more than a random rifle butt to the head.

The Amazing Spiderman 556. This is hard to review without images. I will have to learn to work the scanner. In short, I love the art enough to ignore the story and dialogue. Zeb Wells needs to read some Morrison -- I would recommend JLA Classified 1 -- to learn how to write both techno-babble, and an intimidating weird speech from an other worldly god.

In Comics News the current team on Iron Fist leaves at issue 16. It seems disappointing, but these guys are not dead and will surely go on to do other amazing work. The book will forever live in my heart because of Dog Brother #1, and learning who David Aja is.

Also, you have to love this: a proper All Star crossover I can get into, even if it is just a cover.


I am sure I will never get my real dream team -- A Batman/Superman story with Morrison and Miller co-writing, and Miller on art, with covers by Quitely. Someone should lock these guys in a room knowing Miller and Morrison would not get along, and just see what they come up with. I bet it would be coo-coo bananas.

Comics Out April 2, 2008

Casanova 13. I am busy putting together a list of my must read prestige books -- All Star Superman, WE3, Assault on Weapon Plus, Dark Knight Strikes Again (nothing that would surprise any of you) -- and this one is right on the top of the list. I love this book for the same reasons I love the others on that list -- at no point to I have to say things like "Oh, yeah, the Invisibles is great but the art is spotty in parts," or "Seven Soldiers is awesome but the end maybe leaves a little to be desired." I love the fluid line work and the colors -- like drawing with water. I love the crazy things the characters say: ""I'm a robot inside of a robot inside of another robot. I'm like a nesting doll that gives blowjobs steeped in existential ennui." And I love how Fraction thinks: I like how he balances the science fiction "cheat" -- not really a cheat since the existence of perfect replica robot people has been a core part of this book since early on --. Let me start that sentence again. I like how he balances the science fiction "cheat" to get out of the events of last issue (they were all robots) with the idea that even if you have a mad sci-fi escape maybe you should reject it for emotion and a blind faith in the power of the unique.

Punisher War Journal 18. Marvel with the product placement. Very disturbing. I have to believe it could be incorporated into the image more naturally. I mean I know they are in a guitar store, but the ad is to poorly incorporated it looks like a sticker has been placed over the art. I am not always against product placement -- people use products and GMC, for example, has some awesome product placement on 24. I don't even drive a car and now I associate the brand with the one thing that can save America. I am not saying Marvel should stop, but they should find a way to not make it so jarring. Cause it makes me hate comic books. Also, Chaykin continues to elude me.

Amazing Spiderman 555. Bachalo, on the other hand, I get. Bachalo I love. Bachalo would do a hell of a Casanova volume -- this is a guy who can do what that book needs: cute girls, and dense visual information. Check out the cover of this Spiderman issue to see how he has reached a compromise with people who say he is too cluttered: the image is a cluttered as he gets, but the colors isolate our heroes so we can see, nice and fast, what is going on. The same spare use of colors for the interior snow scenes is just beautiful and iconic. Bachalo draws a great Wolverine, though I suppose you could argue he is too cartoony. You can't argue such a thing for Spiderman. Bachalo is great for Spiderman, which is a character who needs to be a lot of fun, especially the Brand New Day version. The white borders are nice, especially with the snow, and cute girls Bachalo can draw like no man's business. Bachalo makes me want to date Betty. I know every time I write about Bachalo and cute girls -- and I write it a lot -- I sound shallow, but I think superhero comic books need cute girls and the ones that get all the attention are often no more than grotesque ... things. A note to the writer however -- grab a book on verse. There is more to writing poetry -- even Dr. Strange's speeches -- than the occasional rhyme. The use of rhythm was MAKING ME NUTS.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer 13. Oh, fine. Whatever. It is not terrible. I will keep getting this book. But you cannot make me review it every month.

Angel 6. Same here.

I also picked up an AMAZING oversized Ashley Wood book -- and I love Ashley Wood -- called Zombies vs Robots vs Amazons (and Amazons is code for lesbians), but that will need its own post I think, to capture all the greatness. Hint: the genre-mash up -- and that is kind of my thing -- is good, but the ART is what makes it work.