Ye Olde Iowa
02-14-2008, 12:12 PM
Each week when Diamond releases the week’s shipping list, I make note of each book I need to pick up and then pre-rank them based upon how I feel they will turn out, taking into consideration the creative team, the previous issues, preview pages, and solicits. Then, after I’ve read through them all, I re-rank them based upon how I feel after actually reading them.
Below are the books I picked up this week, counting down from worst to best, creating my “power rankings” for this week. The numbers in parentheses represent where the book was pre-ranked. Let me know what you all think and feel free to post your own list. I attempt to keep everything as spoiler free as possible, but keep in mind that there may be the occasional minor spoiler that I overlook.
If you have any questions about the Rankings or just want to drop me a line, you can email me at ryanreviews@gmail.com (ryanreviews@gmail.com)or you can always PM me through the message boards. I have been asked recently if I accept review copies; I most certainly will. Any book sent to me will be reviewed. Just drop me a line if you want me to check out your book. I’d be glad to give it a look.
-Ryan “the Iowan”
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14. New Avengers #38 (11)
Written by Brian Michael Bendis
Art by Michael Gaydos (art) and Jose Villarubia (colors)
Letters by Albert Deschesne
Cover by Marko Djurdjevic
New Avengers continues to flounder this week with issue #38, which was clearly written with the best intentions, but falls flat in its execution. The issue centers around the marital issues of Luke Cage and Jessica Jones (the latter having recently defected to live safely at Tony Stark’s Avengers Tower). It’s one of Bendis’s infamous “talking heads” issues, which normally I don’t take issue with (I’ve always enjoyed Bendis’s methodical approach to storytelling). However, there are too many problems that plague this issue that I simply I cannot overlook. The most glaring problem is that the artwork simply does not match the tone of the dialogue; characters are smiling when they really shouldn’t be, an absolutely stone-faced Jessica Jones screams at a bored looking Luke Cage, etc. For an issue that is mostly dialogue, the artist has to carry the load to make things fresh and interesting. It honestly looked like Gaydos was drawing from a completely different script. It doesn’t help that Gaydos’s art is completely lifeless and stiff, accented by flat, dull colors by Jose Villarubia. In what should have been a heart-wrenching issue, I found myself bored, which is not a good sign. Also, as a side note, either we can count Echo as being a Skrull or Bendis knows nothing about the character; she is deaf, so she shouldn’t be able to hear people that are behind her and she shouldn’t be able to read Hawkeye’s lips when he is wearing the Ronin mask. Which is it Bendis?! On the bright side, at least this dud had absolutely no appearances by The Hood (so, there is a silver lining…sort of).
13. Evil Dead #2 (03)
Written by Mark Verheiden
Art by John Bolton
Letters by Steve Dutro
After blowing me away last issue, Dark Horse’s retelling and expansion of Evil Dead continues this week, but in a considerably more disappointing manner. While longtime Evil Dead fans like myself will still enjoy the additions to the characters’ back stories, this issue offers little else. Mark Verheiden, who had an excellent take on Ash in the first issue (writing very much in line with Bruce Campbell’s performance in the first Evil Dead film), falls prey to the “Army of Darkness Ash” approach to writing the character (which really ruined the Dynamite Entertainment Ash comics for me). Ash’s dialogue, especially his inner monologue, is simply too-cartoony and repetitive, which doesn’t feel with the tone of the book or this version of the character (plus seriously, how many times does he say “No way, Jose” in this issue?). John Bolton’s art is also a step down in this issue. While he still brings the creepy in full force, his style goes from surreal to sloppy the moment the Deadites really start going crazy, making the action hard to follow. While I was amazed by how much I really loved the first issue of this miniseries, I’m now amazed by how disappointed I was by this one.
12. Green Lantern Corps #21 (08)
Written by Sterling Gates
Art by Nelson (art) and Guy Major (colors)
Letters by Steve Wands
Cover by Nelson and Guy Major
Sterling Gates begins a in-depth look at the Alpha Lanterns in this issue with extremely mixed results. On one hand, if the Alpha Lanterns are to be as big of a part of Final Crisis as it has been hinted, I’m glad that we are going to get the opportunity to learn more about them. Gates does a good job of recapping their origin and showing their powers, but once you get into the meat of the story, things start falling a part. For one thing, I simply can’t get into Boodika’s back story; it’s not that it doesn’t make sense, it’s just not a story I found myself caring that much about (basically, she was a bounty hunter that was shunned from her “tribe” for becoming a Green Lantern). It doesn’t help much that Gates shifts how he writes Alpha Boodika’s dialogue; at times she is completely robotic and mechanical in her responses, at other times this “tone” goes away and she speaks with more personality and inquisitiveness. The art by Nelson is good, but his cartoony style simply doesn’t match the somber tone of the issue. Additionally, when he makes alterations to his style for the flashbacks, the art looks more unfinished than anything else. In the end, Gates and Nelson are tackling an ambitious idea with this issue, I just think they are taking the wrong approach.
11. Fantastic Four #554 (--)
Written by Mark Millar
Art by Bryan Hitch (pencils), Paul Neary (inks), and Paul Mounts (colors)
Letters by Rus Wooton
Cover by Bryan Hitch
The much hyped Millar-Hitch era of Fantastic Four begins with this week, which was cause enough for me to pick up the issue, despite having previously dropped the series from my pull list. While it isn’t the worst issue of Fantastic Four that I’ve ever read, it really doesn’t live up to the high standard that I normally associate with the creative team. First and foremost, this issue is amongst the worst work I have seen from Hitch, though it isn’t entirely his fault. He does have a great handle on certain characters, especially Sue and Ben, but his take on Reed is too inconsistent in design and his Johnny Storm is laughable horrible (perhaps the worst design I have ever seen for the character). Paul Neary looks to be inking pretty tightly over Hitch’s pencils, so I can’t complain much there; however, the coloring by Paul Mounts brings absolutely nothing to the art. Much the issue is simply too light and flat, looking extremely faded and adding no depth to the art whatsoever. The tones are so light (and somewhat creamy---seriously, it looks like all of the colors were mixed with a light tan tone) at times that it images simply blend together. The writing wasn’t much better. The dialogue is strong and its obvious that Millar knows the characters and has a good idea for a plot, but there are very little transitions between scenes, giving the book a very disjointed feel. Additionally, there are some ideas that are thrown out but don’t really go anywhere (the “Old West” stuff at the beginning of the issue, Johnny Storm’s get-rich-quick schemes, Sue’s “all girl charity” group). In the end, while I do have a love for the characters and I am normally a huge fan of the creative team, if this issue is indicative of their run, I’m not sure if I want to start picking this title up again.
10. Amazing Spider-Man #550 (10)
Written by Marc Guggenheim
Art by Salvador Larroca (art) and Stephane Peru (colors)
Letters by Cory Petit
Cover by Salvador Larroca
I have to admit, I really thought that I would have been ready to drop the thrice monthly Amazing Spider-Man by this point, but I’m still enjoying the series and, despite the fact that “One More Day” was so ridiculously bad, I really like the new direction of the series. With that in mind, this week’s issue was a lot of fun thanks to Marc Guggenheim’s playful approach to the characters and plot; he writes the down-on-his-luck Peter Parker very well and builds some great chemistry between Jackpot and Spider-Man that was quite enjoyable. That’s not to say that there isn’t faults with the writing, as there are some awkward bits of dialogue (Peter’s conversation with Harry’s girlfriend stands out the most) and a few plot points aren’t quite clicking just yet. While I’m warming up to the multiple threats to the titular character, they themselves are a very mixed bag; some of these threats work especially well (such as the policeman betraying Spider-Man to further his investigation) while others are simply stretching my suspension-of-disbelief too far (most notably, Spider-Man being sued). While I like Menace better than I did Mr. Negative, he is simply too Goblin-esque for my taste, especially when “One More Day” opened the door to just bring back the various Goblins (who were much better villains). Salvador Larroca’s art is still quite enjoyable with his great mix of modern depth and storytelling sensibilities melding well with his classic design sense. In the end, this week’s issue of Amazing is a mixed bag, but the good edges out the bad on this one.
09. Wolverine #62 (--)
Written by Jason Aaron
Art by Ron Garney (art) and Jason Keith (colors)
Letters by Joe Caramagna
Cover by Ron Garney and Jason Keith
Having been chased away from the Wolverine series by the likes of Jeph Loeb and Howard Chaykin, I picked this week’s issue up with caution, hoping for a return to greatness that the book once held. While I’m not exactly blown away, I will say that things are looking much better with this creative team than they have in quite some time. First and foremost, this issue is amongst the best art I have ever seen from Ron Garney. His take on Wolverine is iconic, but the level of detail he adds to the design gives it a very unique look. The great amount of detail carries through the rest of the book as well, giving the art a very complete look. The coloring by Jason Keith compliments the line work nicely without being distracting. The writing by Jason Aaron is also impressive, as he’s got a great take on Wolverine and Mystique’s relationship, which makes the story all the more compelling. The only major problems that I have with the issue is that it is really hard to see Wolverine being so blood-thirsty while inadvertently killing innocents and that the plot is a little thin at this point (though Aaron pad is with some strong flashbacks). As far as simple revenge stories go, though, this one is worth a read for Wolverine fans.
08. Wonder Woman #17 (09)
Written by Gail Simone
Art by Terry Dodson (pencils), Ron Randall (pencils and inks), Rachel Dodson (inks), Alex Sinclair (colors), and Pete Pantazis (colors)
Letters by Rob Leigh
Cover by Terry and Rachel Dodson
Gail Simone concludes her opening arc, “The Circle,” with this issue and it ends quite well. While I was never quite sure where Simone was going with the conflict between Hippolyta’s Circle of protectors and Wonder Woman, Simone makes its clear in this issue that the conflict was only a means of setting up her take on Wonder Woman. We see in this issue who Wonder Woman is as an Amazon and, through a brief scene at the end of this issue, who she is to the rest of the DCU. It all serves as a nice setup to what I’m hoping will be meatier storylines to come. That being said, this issue is filled with strong action and stronger dialogue, both of which should appeal to Wonder Woman fans who have been looking for both since the book launched nearly two years ago. My only major complaint with the writing is that Etta Candy’s role, which seems much different in this issue than in those previous, is never fully explained. The character has had a vary retcon-heavy history and with these being her first appearances since Infinite Crisis, Simone could do everyone a favor by giving us a recap and explanation. If she is going to have a major part in the book, I imagine we will get that eventually. The art is as strong as you’d expect from Dodson and Randall. Randall apes Dodson’s style well enough that there are no jarring transitions between artists, which is always a plus. As is often the problem with Dodson, there are times where the art is very posed-looking, especially in larger panels and splashes. However, the iconic look of Dodson’s design (beautiful, noble, and extremely powerful—one of the all-time best takes on the character) more than makes up for the somewhat pin-up nature of the art. In the end, while this issue doesn’t cap off an epic debut for Simone, it’s probably the best issue of her run thus far and shows a lot of promise for the stories yet to come.
07. GI Joe: America’s Elite #32 (06)
Written by Mark Powers
Art by Mike Bear (art), Pat Quinn (art), and Jean-Francois Beaulieu (colors)
Letters by Crank!
Cover by Mike Bear and Jean-Francois Beaulieu
Things go from bad to batsh*t crazy in this issue of GI Joe: America’s Elite, as the full effect of Cobra’s massive plan is explored in greater detail than we have seen previously. Powers, an exceptional character writer, goes in a different direction in this issue by focusing more on plot than interaction, but it works give the sheer amount of action and chaos in this issue. While there is little forward movement with the story, the issue is non-stop action from cover-to-cover with the only interludes being snapshots of chaos across the globe as the world reacts to Cobra’s hostile takeover of…well...everything. This does kill the momentum of the book a bit, as the story had been moving at a breakneck pace for the last several issues, however, it does serve as a nice breather before the “World War III” storyline moves into its second half. Mike Bear and Pat Quinn does a great job with the art; their line work is very fluid and energetic, with a great amount of impact and a very cinematic approach to the storytelling. This is the “summer blockbuster” storyline of the comic book world; don’t expect it to change your life, but do expect lots of excitement and a lot of entertainment.
06. Green Arrow/Black Canary #5 (04)
Written by Judd Winick
Art by Andre Coleho (art) and David Baron (colors)
Letters by Pat Brosseau
Cover by Cliff Chiang
First and foremost, as an editor myself, I really frown on the glaring error between the cover and interior on this book. The amazing Amanda Conner was not only solicited as the artist on this issue, but also given credit on the cover, however, if you crack open the book, you’ll see that its actually Andre Coleho who handled the art chores. While I understand that last-minute changes do happen, there is no reason for the cover not to have been updated to reflect the change. Yowch! On the subject of the art, while Coleho is a capable artist whose style fits in the same general realm as regular artist Cliff Chiang, this book was clearly meant for Amanda Conner and really suffers because of the art. Had Conner or Chiang drawn this book, it would have most certainly been a Top 5 book and probably would have taken a run at the top spot. That being said, Winick is doing a wonderful job writing this heart-wrenching story, this time fully exploring the revisions to Ollie’s history with Connor and the way in which it affected the lives of both men. While these retcons are a bit jarring, they do add greater depth to both characters, explains a lot of the Ollie-Roy dynamic, and makes for an excellent story. These are some continuity changes that are for the absolute betterment of the characters. There are some aspects of the writing that I felt could have been done better, most notably the pacing of certain plot points that simply come and go too fast (SPOILER ALERT—Ollie and Dianh’s wedding, mostly). However, in the end, Winick is still writing a great story here that is a great combination of emotional character work and exciting action. This one gets a strong recommendation, even if I am a bit disappointed in the bait-and-switch with the artists (Also, where the heck is Speedy? If Winick isn’t going to use her, McKeever needs to add her to the Titans, she is too strong of a character to be ignored).
05. X-Force #1 (07)
Written by Craig Kyle and Chris Yost
Art by Clayton Crain
Letters by Cory Petit
Cover by Clayton Crain
I really wouldn’t have expected a book centered on some of the most violent X-Men characters to be an excellent character study, but X-Force #1 is exactly that. X-Force, as much as it is about the new wetworks arm of the X-family, is essentially a study of Wolverine’s ideas on killing and his protective nature—a key to his character that is too often ignored. His interactions with Cyclops and the rest of his team (Warpath, Wolfsbane, and X-23) are written fantastically by Kyle and Yost, who have been known for juxtaposing action-packed brutality with strong character-focused writing. Despite being so character-focused, Kyle and Yost are also writing a great action book. The wetworks operations are handled well, thanks to a great team dynamic and very strong pacing with the storytelling. The book ends on a truly shocking cliffhanger and an absolutely gruesome and brutal series of pages that were equally as shocking in their level of violence. Clayton Crain’s best work of the issue can be found in these pages, as he does a great job of handling the brutality and violence of the scene. However, the rest of the issue is a little less impressive because his art is a little too rendered, giving it a very awkward, slick quality in some places. Additionally, while I really like the black/silver outfits the team wears, the red eyes on the costumes really don’t work for me. In the end, X-Force #1 is a fantastic debut for what could be a surprisingly thought-provoking book. Even if you were a little turned off by the premise, I highly recommend this issue—it may surprise you.
04. Booster Gold #0 (01)
Written by Geoff Johns and Jeff Katz
Art by Dan Jurgens (pencils), Norm Rapmund (finishes), and Hi-Fi (colors)
Letters by Randy Gentile
Cover by Dan Jurgens and Norm Rapmund
Booster Gold continues its winning ways with issue #0 this week, a surprising tie-in to the Zero Hour storyline of a decade ago. Interestingly enough, the book actually works well with the original Zero Hour storyline thanks to a well handled appearance by that storyline’s villains, Extant and Parallax. The book also follows suit with the #0 issues that were launched after Zero Hour by reexamining Booster’s origins, but throwing in a few new twists to build from in upcoming storylines. With a new mission in tow, Booster and Beetle head back to the present to learn that the Future Beetle was wrong—things will change thanks to Beetle being alive. While I can’t say that I’m surprised, I’m glad to see that Johns and Katz didn’t take the easy way out by keeping Ted around for good; this does fit perfectly with the comedically tragic tone the series has taken since launching. My only complain is that Dan Carter, who was building a nice little side story early on in the series, seems to have been completely abandoned. I fear that when he returns to the book, his story will have lost considerable momentum. While the writing in this issue is strong, its really the art by Jurgens and Rapmund that is the highlight of the book. I’ve been saying all along that this is the best work of Jurgens’s career, but this issue has gone above and beyond the fine work from the earlier issues. This is a simply gorgeous book, with great storytelling and striking consistency. While many artists of Jurgens’s era have fizzled out these days, Jurgens keeps getting better. Overall, another huge win for this series, which I’d consider to be, hands down, DC’s best solo title. As with all Booster Gold issues, this issue comes with the highest of recommendations.
03. Tiny Titans #1 (--)
Written by Art Baltazar and Franco
Art by Art Baltazar
Letters by Nick J. Napolitano
Cover by Art Baltazar
I’m normally not one to pick up any of the comics that are clearly meant for the younger crowd, but there was something about the preview art for Tiny Titans that really caught my attention and demanded that I pick it up; I’m very glad that I did. Tiny Titans, while written to be accessible to kids, is clearly a written for longtime Teen Titans fans. There are a number of in-jokes for fans, great cameo appearances by Trigon and Deathstroke, and some nice meta-commentary on the Teen Titans of the DCU proper (the bit on Wonder Girl’s costume change is fantastic). Baltazar and Franco do a fantastic job of playing with the readers’ expectations to build their jokes and throw out some great one-liners. I’m also absolutely crazy for the designs and art of this book. Despite having such a simple and playful look, it has a great sense of subtlety that works perfectly in executing the humor of the title. While I’m sure that this book will pass under the radar of most readers, I highly suggest that any fan of any era of the Teen Titans hunt down a copy, you will not be disappointed. Awww yeah Titans!!!
02. Gotham Underground #5 (02)
Written by Frank Tieri
Art by J. Calafiore (pencils), Jack Purcell (inks), and Brian Reber (colors)
Letters by Travis Lanham
Cover by J. Calafiore
While this week had some amazing books, none stood out as much as the top two books on the Rankings. In fact, both books were so incredibly good that they nearly tied for the top spot. But, alas, there can only be one, so an amazing issue of Gotham Underground, the best of the Bat-titles, sits at #2. I almost feel bad for Frank Tieri with this issue. He does a fantastic job with sharp dialogue, great character writing, and incredible use of flashbacks to fill in the mysteries that were building over the previous issues while still creating further mysteries to be explored in the second half of the series. Tieri does an amazing job of exploring the ins-and-outs of the Gotham crime scene and has an amazing handle of the huge number of characters in the book (most notably, he writes one of the best Joker scenes in years in this issue). But still, even though he does such a great job, his efforts are completely overshadowed by J. Calafiore’s stunning artwork. As we’ve seen in previous issues of this miniseries, Calafiore, like Tieri, can definitely handle the large cast of the book and is amazingly consistent in the quality of his output. This issue is nothing new in those regards. However, for those of you who haven’t seen the issue, Calafiore does something incredible in this issue; he formats all of the pages by replacing the panels with individual, interlocking puzzle pieces. Thematically, this is a great idea, as the book is entirely told in flashbacks, filling in pieces to the plot puzzles that Tieri had been building. Aesthetically, its just as great, with Calaifore really playing with the concept. In one great example, Calafiore draws a mid-ranged panel with a missing section where someone’s face should be, only to follow it up with a close-up of the character in a panel shaped exactly the same as the piece missing from the previous panel. Later in the book, there are more panels missing where faces should be, giving the reader new mysteries to consider. If executed any other way, I would consider doing the panels as puzzle pieces to be gimmicky, however, because Calafiore does so much with this idea in such an innovative way, that I consider it to be brilliant instead. So brilliant, in fact, that it nearly carried the book to the number one spot. Without a doubt, this book comes with my highest of recommendations (for those interested, the reason that I put this book at #2 was simply the fact that I really didn’t like Calafiore’s design of the Joker (hey, I had to use something as the deciding factor)—otherwise the book was nearly flawless).
01. Nova: Annual #1 (05)
Written by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning
Art by Mahmud A. Asrar (pencils), Wellinton Alves (pencils), Klebs (pencils), Juan Vlasco (inks), Nelson Pereira (inks), and Guru eFX (colors)
Letters by Cory Petit
Cover by Nic Klein
As stated above, Gotham Underground #5 and Nova Annual #1 were nearly tied for the top spot in my Rankings, as both were near perfect books. However, Nova Annual #1 just edged out Gotham Underground for the top spot, making this amazing issue my pick for Book of the Week. This book is everything that an annual should be. It’s a story that actually warranted a larger page count, ties-into the regular series but still makes for a great stand alone, and provides some interesting insights on the title character. Check, check, and check. Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning do an amazing job of recapping and expanding on the origin of Nova, but also show exactly why he is such an fantastic character though this story that stretches through the past, present, and a possible future, all while tying into the Annihilation: Conquest storyline and building off of the concepts that have been percolating in the Nova solo series, with a Rip Van Winkle-esque future Nova recounting his origins as he prepares for a final assault on the Phalanx. The transitions between the time periods are executed well, with subtle changes in the tone of the writing being backed up by three amazing artists who each handle a particular time period. Klebs takes on the shortest section, the present, with unbridled intensity that really captures the current situation that Nova is facing. Wellinton Alves, who is one of the best sci-fi artists today, draws the future Nova’s last stand against the Phalanx; he builds a great sense of impending doom, plays with the visual conventions of the sci-fi genre, and gives everything a great claustrophobic feel that is perfectly in-line with that plot. The best of the art, though, is done by Mahmud A. Asrar, who handles the story set in Nova’s past. His energetic art harkens back to the original Nova stories of the 70s, while maintaing a very contemporary feel. Fans of Asrar’s work on the amazing Dynamo 5 series will not be surprised by how great his work here is, but for those who are seeing his art for the first time, you should be amazed by his talent and storytelling prowess. While this is only his mainstream debut, Asrar is clearly a superstar in the making. It’s clear after this issue that we should expect big things from him! In the end, Nova Annual #1 hits all of the right notes. It’s a prime example of what an annual should be, it’s written fantastically, and it is beautifully drawn by three amazing artists. Fans of Nova should not miss this issue, but fans of superhero action or great sci-fi should definitely pick this up as well. This is definitely one of the best books of 2008 thus far and barely, just barely is the best book of the week!
Below are the books I picked up this week, counting down from worst to best, creating my “power rankings” for this week. The numbers in parentheses represent where the book was pre-ranked. Let me know what you all think and feel free to post your own list. I attempt to keep everything as spoiler free as possible, but keep in mind that there may be the occasional minor spoiler that I overlook.
If you have any questions about the Rankings or just want to drop me a line, you can email me at ryanreviews@gmail.com (ryanreviews@gmail.com)or you can always PM me through the message boards. I have been asked recently if I accept review copies; I most certainly will. Any book sent to me will be reviewed. Just drop me a line if you want me to check out your book. I’d be glad to give it a look.
-Ryan “the Iowan”
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14. New Avengers #38 (11)
Written by Brian Michael Bendis
Art by Michael Gaydos (art) and Jose Villarubia (colors)
Letters by Albert Deschesne
Cover by Marko Djurdjevic
New Avengers continues to flounder this week with issue #38, which was clearly written with the best intentions, but falls flat in its execution. The issue centers around the marital issues of Luke Cage and Jessica Jones (the latter having recently defected to live safely at Tony Stark’s Avengers Tower). It’s one of Bendis’s infamous “talking heads” issues, which normally I don’t take issue with (I’ve always enjoyed Bendis’s methodical approach to storytelling). However, there are too many problems that plague this issue that I simply I cannot overlook. The most glaring problem is that the artwork simply does not match the tone of the dialogue; characters are smiling when they really shouldn’t be, an absolutely stone-faced Jessica Jones screams at a bored looking Luke Cage, etc. For an issue that is mostly dialogue, the artist has to carry the load to make things fresh and interesting. It honestly looked like Gaydos was drawing from a completely different script. It doesn’t help that Gaydos’s art is completely lifeless and stiff, accented by flat, dull colors by Jose Villarubia. In what should have been a heart-wrenching issue, I found myself bored, which is not a good sign. Also, as a side note, either we can count Echo as being a Skrull or Bendis knows nothing about the character; she is deaf, so she shouldn’t be able to hear people that are behind her and she shouldn’t be able to read Hawkeye’s lips when he is wearing the Ronin mask. Which is it Bendis?! On the bright side, at least this dud had absolutely no appearances by The Hood (so, there is a silver lining…sort of).
13. Evil Dead #2 (03)
Written by Mark Verheiden
Art by John Bolton
Letters by Steve Dutro
After blowing me away last issue, Dark Horse’s retelling and expansion of Evil Dead continues this week, but in a considerably more disappointing manner. While longtime Evil Dead fans like myself will still enjoy the additions to the characters’ back stories, this issue offers little else. Mark Verheiden, who had an excellent take on Ash in the first issue (writing very much in line with Bruce Campbell’s performance in the first Evil Dead film), falls prey to the “Army of Darkness Ash” approach to writing the character (which really ruined the Dynamite Entertainment Ash comics for me). Ash’s dialogue, especially his inner monologue, is simply too-cartoony and repetitive, which doesn’t feel with the tone of the book or this version of the character (plus seriously, how many times does he say “No way, Jose” in this issue?). John Bolton’s art is also a step down in this issue. While he still brings the creepy in full force, his style goes from surreal to sloppy the moment the Deadites really start going crazy, making the action hard to follow. While I was amazed by how much I really loved the first issue of this miniseries, I’m now amazed by how disappointed I was by this one.
12. Green Lantern Corps #21 (08)
Written by Sterling Gates
Art by Nelson (art) and Guy Major (colors)
Letters by Steve Wands
Cover by Nelson and Guy Major
Sterling Gates begins a in-depth look at the Alpha Lanterns in this issue with extremely mixed results. On one hand, if the Alpha Lanterns are to be as big of a part of Final Crisis as it has been hinted, I’m glad that we are going to get the opportunity to learn more about them. Gates does a good job of recapping their origin and showing their powers, but once you get into the meat of the story, things start falling a part. For one thing, I simply can’t get into Boodika’s back story; it’s not that it doesn’t make sense, it’s just not a story I found myself caring that much about (basically, she was a bounty hunter that was shunned from her “tribe” for becoming a Green Lantern). It doesn’t help much that Gates shifts how he writes Alpha Boodika’s dialogue; at times she is completely robotic and mechanical in her responses, at other times this “tone” goes away and she speaks with more personality and inquisitiveness. The art by Nelson is good, but his cartoony style simply doesn’t match the somber tone of the issue. Additionally, when he makes alterations to his style for the flashbacks, the art looks more unfinished than anything else. In the end, Gates and Nelson are tackling an ambitious idea with this issue, I just think they are taking the wrong approach.
11. Fantastic Four #554 (--)
Written by Mark Millar
Art by Bryan Hitch (pencils), Paul Neary (inks), and Paul Mounts (colors)
Letters by Rus Wooton
Cover by Bryan Hitch
The much hyped Millar-Hitch era of Fantastic Four begins with this week, which was cause enough for me to pick up the issue, despite having previously dropped the series from my pull list. While it isn’t the worst issue of Fantastic Four that I’ve ever read, it really doesn’t live up to the high standard that I normally associate with the creative team. First and foremost, this issue is amongst the worst work I have seen from Hitch, though it isn’t entirely his fault. He does have a great handle on certain characters, especially Sue and Ben, but his take on Reed is too inconsistent in design and his Johnny Storm is laughable horrible (perhaps the worst design I have ever seen for the character). Paul Neary looks to be inking pretty tightly over Hitch’s pencils, so I can’t complain much there; however, the coloring by Paul Mounts brings absolutely nothing to the art. Much the issue is simply too light and flat, looking extremely faded and adding no depth to the art whatsoever. The tones are so light (and somewhat creamy---seriously, it looks like all of the colors were mixed with a light tan tone) at times that it images simply blend together. The writing wasn’t much better. The dialogue is strong and its obvious that Millar knows the characters and has a good idea for a plot, but there are very little transitions between scenes, giving the book a very disjointed feel. Additionally, there are some ideas that are thrown out but don’t really go anywhere (the “Old West” stuff at the beginning of the issue, Johnny Storm’s get-rich-quick schemes, Sue’s “all girl charity” group). In the end, while I do have a love for the characters and I am normally a huge fan of the creative team, if this issue is indicative of their run, I’m not sure if I want to start picking this title up again.
10. Amazing Spider-Man #550 (10)
Written by Marc Guggenheim
Art by Salvador Larroca (art) and Stephane Peru (colors)
Letters by Cory Petit
Cover by Salvador Larroca
I have to admit, I really thought that I would have been ready to drop the thrice monthly Amazing Spider-Man by this point, but I’m still enjoying the series and, despite the fact that “One More Day” was so ridiculously bad, I really like the new direction of the series. With that in mind, this week’s issue was a lot of fun thanks to Marc Guggenheim’s playful approach to the characters and plot; he writes the down-on-his-luck Peter Parker very well and builds some great chemistry between Jackpot and Spider-Man that was quite enjoyable. That’s not to say that there isn’t faults with the writing, as there are some awkward bits of dialogue (Peter’s conversation with Harry’s girlfriend stands out the most) and a few plot points aren’t quite clicking just yet. While I’m warming up to the multiple threats to the titular character, they themselves are a very mixed bag; some of these threats work especially well (such as the policeman betraying Spider-Man to further his investigation) while others are simply stretching my suspension-of-disbelief too far (most notably, Spider-Man being sued). While I like Menace better than I did Mr. Negative, he is simply too Goblin-esque for my taste, especially when “One More Day” opened the door to just bring back the various Goblins (who were much better villains). Salvador Larroca’s art is still quite enjoyable with his great mix of modern depth and storytelling sensibilities melding well with his classic design sense. In the end, this week’s issue of Amazing is a mixed bag, but the good edges out the bad on this one.
09. Wolverine #62 (--)
Written by Jason Aaron
Art by Ron Garney (art) and Jason Keith (colors)
Letters by Joe Caramagna
Cover by Ron Garney and Jason Keith
Having been chased away from the Wolverine series by the likes of Jeph Loeb and Howard Chaykin, I picked this week’s issue up with caution, hoping for a return to greatness that the book once held. While I’m not exactly blown away, I will say that things are looking much better with this creative team than they have in quite some time. First and foremost, this issue is amongst the best art I have ever seen from Ron Garney. His take on Wolverine is iconic, but the level of detail he adds to the design gives it a very unique look. The great amount of detail carries through the rest of the book as well, giving the art a very complete look. The coloring by Jason Keith compliments the line work nicely without being distracting. The writing by Jason Aaron is also impressive, as he’s got a great take on Wolverine and Mystique’s relationship, which makes the story all the more compelling. The only major problems that I have with the issue is that it is really hard to see Wolverine being so blood-thirsty while inadvertently killing innocents and that the plot is a little thin at this point (though Aaron pad is with some strong flashbacks). As far as simple revenge stories go, though, this one is worth a read for Wolverine fans.
08. Wonder Woman #17 (09)
Written by Gail Simone
Art by Terry Dodson (pencils), Ron Randall (pencils and inks), Rachel Dodson (inks), Alex Sinclair (colors), and Pete Pantazis (colors)
Letters by Rob Leigh
Cover by Terry and Rachel Dodson
Gail Simone concludes her opening arc, “The Circle,” with this issue and it ends quite well. While I was never quite sure where Simone was going with the conflict between Hippolyta’s Circle of protectors and Wonder Woman, Simone makes its clear in this issue that the conflict was only a means of setting up her take on Wonder Woman. We see in this issue who Wonder Woman is as an Amazon and, through a brief scene at the end of this issue, who she is to the rest of the DCU. It all serves as a nice setup to what I’m hoping will be meatier storylines to come. That being said, this issue is filled with strong action and stronger dialogue, both of which should appeal to Wonder Woman fans who have been looking for both since the book launched nearly two years ago. My only major complaint with the writing is that Etta Candy’s role, which seems much different in this issue than in those previous, is never fully explained. The character has had a vary retcon-heavy history and with these being her first appearances since Infinite Crisis, Simone could do everyone a favor by giving us a recap and explanation. If she is going to have a major part in the book, I imagine we will get that eventually. The art is as strong as you’d expect from Dodson and Randall. Randall apes Dodson’s style well enough that there are no jarring transitions between artists, which is always a plus. As is often the problem with Dodson, there are times where the art is very posed-looking, especially in larger panels and splashes. However, the iconic look of Dodson’s design (beautiful, noble, and extremely powerful—one of the all-time best takes on the character) more than makes up for the somewhat pin-up nature of the art. In the end, while this issue doesn’t cap off an epic debut for Simone, it’s probably the best issue of her run thus far and shows a lot of promise for the stories yet to come.
07. GI Joe: America’s Elite #32 (06)
Written by Mark Powers
Art by Mike Bear (art), Pat Quinn (art), and Jean-Francois Beaulieu (colors)
Letters by Crank!
Cover by Mike Bear and Jean-Francois Beaulieu
Things go from bad to batsh*t crazy in this issue of GI Joe: America’s Elite, as the full effect of Cobra’s massive plan is explored in greater detail than we have seen previously. Powers, an exceptional character writer, goes in a different direction in this issue by focusing more on plot than interaction, but it works give the sheer amount of action and chaos in this issue. While there is little forward movement with the story, the issue is non-stop action from cover-to-cover with the only interludes being snapshots of chaos across the globe as the world reacts to Cobra’s hostile takeover of…well...everything. This does kill the momentum of the book a bit, as the story had been moving at a breakneck pace for the last several issues, however, it does serve as a nice breather before the “World War III” storyline moves into its second half. Mike Bear and Pat Quinn does a great job with the art; their line work is very fluid and energetic, with a great amount of impact and a very cinematic approach to the storytelling. This is the “summer blockbuster” storyline of the comic book world; don’t expect it to change your life, but do expect lots of excitement and a lot of entertainment.
06. Green Arrow/Black Canary #5 (04)
Written by Judd Winick
Art by Andre Coleho (art) and David Baron (colors)
Letters by Pat Brosseau
Cover by Cliff Chiang
First and foremost, as an editor myself, I really frown on the glaring error between the cover and interior on this book. The amazing Amanda Conner was not only solicited as the artist on this issue, but also given credit on the cover, however, if you crack open the book, you’ll see that its actually Andre Coleho who handled the art chores. While I understand that last-minute changes do happen, there is no reason for the cover not to have been updated to reflect the change. Yowch! On the subject of the art, while Coleho is a capable artist whose style fits in the same general realm as regular artist Cliff Chiang, this book was clearly meant for Amanda Conner and really suffers because of the art. Had Conner or Chiang drawn this book, it would have most certainly been a Top 5 book and probably would have taken a run at the top spot. That being said, Winick is doing a wonderful job writing this heart-wrenching story, this time fully exploring the revisions to Ollie’s history with Connor and the way in which it affected the lives of both men. While these retcons are a bit jarring, they do add greater depth to both characters, explains a lot of the Ollie-Roy dynamic, and makes for an excellent story. These are some continuity changes that are for the absolute betterment of the characters. There are some aspects of the writing that I felt could have been done better, most notably the pacing of certain plot points that simply come and go too fast (SPOILER ALERT—Ollie and Dianh’s wedding, mostly). However, in the end, Winick is still writing a great story here that is a great combination of emotional character work and exciting action. This one gets a strong recommendation, even if I am a bit disappointed in the bait-and-switch with the artists (Also, where the heck is Speedy? If Winick isn’t going to use her, McKeever needs to add her to the Titans, she is too strong of a character to be ignored).
05. X-Force #1 (07)
Written by Craig Kyle and Chris Yost
Art by Clayton Crain
Letters by Cory Petit
Cover by Clayton Crain
I really wouldn’t have expected a book centered on some of the most violent X-Men characters to be an excellent character study, but X-Force #1 is exactly that. X-Force, as much as it is about the new wetworks arm of the X-family, is essentially a study of Wolverine’s ideas on killing and his protective nature—a key to his character that is too often ignored. His interactions with Cyclops and the rest of his team (Warpath, Wolfsbane, and X-23) are written fantastically by Kyle and Yost, who have been known for juxtaposing action-packed brutality with strong character-focused writing. Despite being so character-focused, Kyle and Yost are also writing a great action book. The wetworks operations are handled well, thanks to a great team dynamic and very strong pacing with the storytelling. The book ends on a truly shocking cliffhanger and an absolutely gruesome and brutal series of pages that were equally as shocking in their level of violence. Clayton Crain’s best work of the issue can be found in these pages, as he does a great job of handling the brutality and violence of the scene. However, the rest of the issue is a little less impressive because his art is a little too rendered, giving it a very awkward, slick quality in some places. Additionally, while I really like the black/silver outfits the team wears, the red eyes on the costumes really don’t work for me. In the end, X-Force #1 is a fantastic debut for what could be a surprisingly thought-provoking book. Even if you were a little turned off by the premise, I highly recommend this issue—it may surprise you.
04. Booster Gold #0 (01)
Written by Geoff Johns and Jeff Katz
Art by Dan Jurgens (pencils), Norm Rapmund (finishes), and Hi-Fi (colors)
Letters by Randy Gentile
Cover by Dan Jurgens and Norm Rapmund
Booster Gold continues its winning ways with issue #0 this week, a surprising tie-in to the Zero Hour storyline of a decade ago. Interestingly enough, the book actually works well with the original Zero Hour storyline thanks to a well handled appearance by that storyline’s villains, Extant and Parallax. The book also follows suit with the #0 issues that were launched after Zero Hour by reexamining Booster’s origins, but throwing in a few new twists to build from in upcoming storylines. With a new mission in tow, Booster and Beetle head back to the present to learn that the Future Beetle was wrong—things will change thanks to Beetle being alive. While I can’t say that I’m surprised, I’m glad to see that Johns and Katz didn’t take the easy way out by keeping Ted around for good; this does fit perfectly with the comedically tragic tone the series has taken since launching. My only complain is that Dan Carter, who was building a nice little side story early on in the series, seems to have been completely abandoned. I fear that when he returns to the book, his story will have lost considerable momentum. While the writing in this issue is strong, its really the art by Jurgens and Rapmund that is the highlight of the book. I’ve been saying all along that this is the best work of Jurgens’s career, but this issue has gone above and beyond the fine work from the earlier issues. This is a simply gorgeous book, with great storytelling and striking consistency. While many artists of Jurgens’s era have fizzled out these days, Jurgens keeps getting better. Overall, another huge win for this series, which I’d consider to be, hands down, DC’s best solo title. As with all Booster Gold issues, this issue comes with the highest of recommendations.
03. Tiny Titans #1 (--)
Written by Art Baltazar and Franco
Art by Art Baltazar
Letters by Nick J. Napolitano
Cover by Art Baltazar
I’m normally not one to pick up any of the comics that are clearly meant for the younger crowd, but there was something about the preview art for Tiny Titans that really caught my attention and demanded that I pick it up; I’m very glad that I did. Tiny Titans, while written to be accessible to kids, is clearly a written for longtime Teen Titans fans. There are a number of in-jokes for fans, great cameo appearances by Trigon and Deathstroke, and some nice meta-commentary on the Teen Titans of the DCU proper (the bit on Wonder Girl’s costume change is fantastic). Baltazar and Franco do a fantastic job of playing with the readers’ expectations to build their jokes and throw out some great one-liners. I’m also absolutely crazy for the designs and art of this book. Despite having such a simple and playful look, it has a great sense of subtlety that works perfectly in executing the humor of the title. While I’m sure that this book will pass under the radar of most readers, I highly suggest that any fan of any era of the Teen Titans hunt down a copy, you will not be disappointed. Awww yeah Titans!!!
02. Gotham Underground #5 (02)
Written by Frank Tieri
Art by J. Calafiore (pencils), Jack Purcell (inks), and Brian Reber (colors)
Letters by Travis Lanham
Cover by J. Calafiore
While this week had some amazing books, none stood out as much as the top two books on the Rankings. In fact, both books were so incredibly good that they nearly tied for the top spot. But, alas, there can only be one, so an amazing issue of Gotham Underground, the best of the Bat-titles, sits at #2. I almost feel bad for Frank Tieri with this issue. He does a fantastic job with sharp dialogue, great character writing, and incredible use of flashbacks to fill in the mysteries that were building over the previous issues while still creating further mysteries to be explored in the second half of the series. Tieri does an amazing job of exploring the ins-and-outs of the Gotham crime scene and has an amazing handle of the huge number of characters in the book (most notably, he writes one of the best Joker scenes in years in this issue). But still, even though he does such a great job, his efforts are completely overshadowed by J. Calafiore’s stunning artwork. As we’ve seen in previous issues of this miniseries, Calafiore, like Tieri, can definitely handle the large cast of the book and is amazingly consistent in the quality of his output. This issue is nothing new in those regards. However, for those of you who haven’t seen the issue, Calafiore does something incredible in this issue; he formats all of the pages by replacing the panels with individual, interlocking puzzle pieces. Thematically, this is a great idea, as the book is entirely told in flashbacks, filling in pieces to the plot puzzles that Tieri had been building. Aesthetically, its just as great, with Calaifore really playing with the concept. In one great example, Calafiore draws a mid-ranged panel with a missing section where someone’s face should be, only to follow it up with a close-up of the character in a panel shaped exactly the same as the piece missing from the previous panel. Later in the book, there are more panels missing where faces should be, giving the reader new mysteries to consider. If executed any other way, I would consider doing the panels as puzzle pieces to be gimmicky, however, because Calafiore does so much with this idea in such an innovative way, that I consider it to be brilliant instead. So brilliant, in fact, that it nearly carried the book to the number one spot. Without a doubt, this book comes with my highest of recommendations (for those interested, the reason that I put this book at #2 was simply the fact that I really didn’t like Calafiore’s design of the Joker (hey, I had to use something as the deciding factor)—otherwise the book was nearly flawless).
01. Nova: Annual #1 (05)
Written by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning
Art by Mahmud A. Asrar (pencils), Wellinton Alves (pencils), Klebs (pencils), Juan Vlasco (inks), Nelson Pereira (inks), and Guru eFX (colors)
Letters by Cory Petit
Cover by Nic Klein
As stated above, Gotham Underground #5 and Nova Annual #1 were nearly tied for the top spot in my Rankings, as both were near perfect books. However, Nova Annual #1 just edged out Gotham Underground for the top spot, making this amazing issue my pick for Book of the Week. This book is everything that an annual should be. It’s a story that actually warranted a larger page count, ties-into the regular series but still makes for a great stand alone, and provides some interesting insights on the title character. Check, check, and check. Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning do an amazing job of recapping and expanding on the origin of Nova, but also show exactly why he is such an fantastic character though this story that stretches through the past, present, and a possible future, all while tying into the Annihilation: Conquest storyline and building off of the concepts that have been percolating in the Nova solo series, with a Rip Van Winkle-esque future Nova recounting his origins as he prepares for a final assault on the Phalanx. The transitions between the time periods are executed well, with subtle changes in the tone of the writing being backed up by three amazing artists who each handle a particular time period. Klebs takes on the shortest section, the present, with unbridled intensity that really captures the current situation that Nova is facing. Wellinton Alves, who is one of the best sci-fi artists today, draws the future Nova’s last stand against the Phalanx; he builds a great sense of impending doom, plays with the visual conventions of the sci-fi genre, and gives everything a great claustrophobic feel that is perfectly in-line with that plot. The best of the art, though, is done by Mahmud A. Asrar, who handles the story set in Nova’s past. His energetic art harkens back to the original Nova stories of the 70s, while maintaing a very contemporary feel. Fans of Asrar’s work on the amazing Dynamo 5 series will not be surprised by how great his work here is, but for those who are seeing his art for the first time, you should be amazed by his talent and storytelling prowess. While this is only his mainstream debut, Asrar is clearly a superstar in the making. It’s clear after this issue that we should expect big things from him! In the end, Nova Annual #1 hits all of the right notes. It’s a prime example of what an annual should be, it’s written fantastically, and it is beautifully drawn by three amazing artists. Fans of Nova should not miss this issue, but fans of superhero action or great sci-fi should definitely pick this up as well. This is definitely one of the best books of 2008 thus far and barely, just barely is the best book of the week!