MattBrady
08-02-2003, 10:42 AM
It’s time for a quick look at some of the good, bad and ugly works on the comic stands.
<img src="http://www.newsarama.com/sangiacomo/ff501.jpg" width="165" height="256" border="0" align="right"> <b>Fantastic Four #501</b> or #72 depending on who’s counting.
The countdown to 508 and losing Mark Waid continues. After reading this I was more convinced than ever that Marvel execs were out of their freaking minds for letting Waid go. The story is gripping and easily the most powerful work in that comic in a decade. Art by Casey Jones really helped. I know Mike Wieringo has lots of fans, including Waid, but his cartoony work only diminished the power of Waid’s writing. After all the hoopla, Ringo’s redesigned Dr. Doom looked ridiculous. Was that goofy costume, stolen from the supply closet of the last <I>Robin Hood</I> movie, supposed to instill fear in anyone?
Jones is a step in the right direction, but even his Jones’ art could be tougher. Paul Mounts’ colors are too bright and bouncy, lending an overall unreal look to the story. I find it hard to care about characters when they look like Saturday morning cartoons, there’s no realism there. It’s Waid’s work that shines.
In the previous story arc, young Franklin Richards was trapped in Hell by Dr. Doom. Normally, even something as traumatic as this is glossed over the following issue, but Waid wisely showed that being trapped in Hell will screw up a kid.
This issue, Reed begins to cope with his own disfigured face, a parting gift from Doom, while Sue, Franklin and Ben talk a walk on Coney Island. Waid is a master at showing different and unusual ways of using Sue’s powers that no previous writer ever thought of. It’s a shame that Waid is leaving the book, especially after seeing what he is capable of producing.
<img src="http://www.newsarama.com/sangiacomo/pic_lrgtrinity2cvr.jpg" width="165" height="260" border="0" align="left"> <b>Trinity #2</b> (of 3)
Don’t let the price throw you. This masterpiece written and drawn by Matt Wagner is one of the more powerful stories of the year. Wagner rethinks the story of DC’s three iconic characters, Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman, and presents them in a new and exciting way.
It’s not labeled an Elseworlds saga, but it feels a little like it is. Though the world where this trio resides is just around the corner from their regular digs.
Wonder Woman in particular comes across as a fascinating character, not as restrained and self-conscious as her regular DC counterpart. Superman and Batman are more typical as they track down Ra’s Al Ghul who’s out to destroy most of the world as usual.
<img src="http://www.newsarama.com/sangiacomo/pic_lrgjla83cvr.jpg" width="165" height="260" border="0" align="right"> <b>JLA #83</b>
The story is meant to draw parallels with current events in Iraq, and it does a pretty good job. Writer Joe Kelly paints an excellent President Luthor and the underlying conflict faced by Superman who is unsure if he can trust him.
Unfortunately, the whole thing feels unfocused and clunky at the end as Kelly uses an old dodge to insure that the status quo has not really changed.
Two questions remain: Why are Faith and Major Disaster members of the League and isn’t Wonder Woman acting a little too touchy feely with the married Superman at the end?
<img src="http://www.newsarama.com/sangiacomo/torch4.jpg" width="165" height="260" border="0" align="left"> <b>Human Torch #4</b>
Someone recently pointed out that art like Skottie Young’s is meant to convey the same kind of youthful exuberance as graffiti. That makes sense in a weird way, both have that angular quality and art that makes no attempt to make characters look human. Beyond the art, Karl Kesel has a heck of a story to tell about Johnny Storm confronting past mistakes. It turns out that back in high school, he got into an argument with an annoying jerk and accidentally burned the guy, leaving him with major facial damage.
But Mike Snow did not become a super-villain swearing revenge, that would be Dr. Doom.
Instead Snow became a fireman, a darn good one. The storyline is that he now asks for Johnny Storm’s help in tracking down the source of some highly unusual fires. It’s a powerful story that could be better with a different artist.
<img src="http://www.newsarama.com/sangiacomo/snake.jpg" width="165" height="260" border="0" align="right"> <b>Snake Plissken Chronicles</b>
What do I care about some throwaway character from an old John Carpenter movie?
Take 10 minutes and read this comic and see how quickly all that changes. It even made me go out and rent “Escape From New York.” This just proves that any concept can work in the right hands. Author William O’Neill and artist Tone Rodriguez are amazing. There is a real story here and handsome art that makes it a pleasure to read. I’ll be watching this series closely.
<b>Terra Obscura #1-#2</b>
I’m a sucker for old super-heroes, ask anyone. I love to read about characters from the 1940s trying to make it in today’s bizarre society. This series written by Alan Moore and Peter Hogan and brilliantly drawn by Yanick Paquette looks at the Golden Age superheroes released from stasis “last year” - in comic time - it’s been a little longer since they made their ABC debut in the pages of <b>Tom Strong #13</b>.
<img src="http://www.newsarama.com/sangiacomo/Terr00.jpg" width="165" height="260" border="0" align="left"> What happened when they returned to their Earth after so many years? Suffice it to say that things have changed for the worse since the science heroes left town.
The coolest part of the series, sadly limited to six issues, is that these are real characters from defunct 1940s and 1950s companies that have fallen into public domain. Track down the <b>comprehensive article</b> (http://198.65.99.89/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1026) on the subject that appeared here on Newsarama earlier this year.
The comic has the feel of <b>Kurt Busiek’s Astro City</b> and more than a little <b>Watchmen</b> thrown in. This is in the running for my vote as one of the best series of the year. It’s so good, I won’t even give away a smidgen of the plot. Go buy it.
<b>Silver Surfer #1</b>
Lastly, anyone who has not grabbed the first issue of the new <b>Silver Surfer</b> series by Dan Chariton and Stacy Weiss with art by Milx, is missing something serious. Milx was discovered by Marvel during the early Epic search for new talent. He was so good that he was pulled away from Epic and given a monthly book.
One look at the interior and you’ll see why.
In the first part of the story arc called "Communion," Norrin Radd is only seen in the last two pages, taking a cue perhaps from the "Less is more" concept running through "The Hulk."
<img src="http://www.newsarama.com/sangiacomo/ss1.jpg" width="165" height="260" border="0" align="right"> In <b>Silver Surfer</b>, his absence makes him more mysterious, more unearthly. The story by Chariton and Weiss forces the reader consider, if only briefly, what it might be like to see a glowing, silver alien in your living room.
Perhaps part of the problem with the Surfer's previous series was that he had become too common, just another super-hero in a world where you couldn't go two blocks without seeing one. "Communion" is really the story of a single mother who supports her autistic child by reading palms and playing the role of the Voodoo Queen in New Orleans.
She doesn't believe in anything and pays no mind to the dozens of drawings her daughter is making of oval-eyed aliens.
The writers are allowing the story to develop slowly and carefully. By the end of the first issue, we have no idea where the Surfer fits into any of this, or even what the "this" is.
The latest version of <b>Silver Surfer</b> is not a comic to drop in on with the second or third issue and expect to catch up. You need to get in at the beginning.
Michael Sangiacomo is a statewide news reporter for the Plain Dealer newspaper in Cleveland, Ohio. His syndicated "Journey Into Comics" weekly column on the state of the comic book business, can be found in newspapers and at the Newsarama website. His monthly comic book column appears the first Saturday of each month in the Plain Dealer Arts page and is syndicated through Newhouse Newspapers. He also writes a twice-monthly audiobooks review column covering crime thrillers and mysteries that can be seen at <a href="http://www.audiobookstoday.com" target="_blank">www.audiobookstoday.com</a>. He currently is developing Nowhere Man...er, <b>Phantom Jack</b> for Marvel’s Epic imprint.
<img src="http://www.newsarama.com/sangiacomo/ff501.jpg" width="165" height="256" border="0" align="right"> <b>Fantastic Four #501</b> or #72 depending on who’s counting.
The countdown to 508 and losing Mark Waid continues. After reading this I was more convinced than ever that Marvel execs were out of their freaking minds for letting Waid go. The story is gripping and easily the most powerful work in that comic in a decade. Art by Casey Jones really helped. I know Mike Wieringo has lots of fans, including Waid, but his cartoony work only diminished the power of Waid’s writing. After all the hoopla, Ringo’s redesigned Dr. Doom looked ridiculous. Was that goofy costume, stolen from the supply closet of the last <I>Robin Hood</I> movie, supposed to instill fear in anyone?
Jones is a step in the right direction, but even his Jones’ art could be tougher. Paul Mounts’ colors are too bright and bouncy, lending an overall unreal look to the story. I find it hard to care about characters when they look like Saturday morning cartoons, there’s no realism there. It’s Waid’s work that shines.
In the previous story arc, young Franklin Richards was trapped in Hell by Dr. Doom. Normally, even something as traumatic as this is glossed over the following issue, but Waid wisely showed that being trapped in Hell will screw up a kid.
This issue, Reed begins to cope with his own disfigured face, a parting gift from Doom, while Sue, Franklin and Ben talk a walk on Coney Island. Waid is a master at showing different and unusual ways of using Sue’s powers that no previous writer ever thought of. It’s a shame that Waid is leaving the book, especially after seeing what he is capable of producing.
<img src="http://www.newsarama.com/sangiacomo/pic_lrgtrinity2cvr.jpg" width="165" height="260" border="0" align="left"> <b>Trinity #2</b> (of 3)
Don’t let the price throw you. This masterpiece written and drawn by Matt Wagner is one of the more powerful stories of the year. Wagner rethinks the story of DC’s three iconic characters, Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman, and presents them in a new and exciting way.
It’s not labeled an Elseworlds saga, but it feels a little like it is. Though the world where this trio resides is just around the corner from their regular digs.
Wonder Woman in particular comes across as a fascinating character, not as restrained and self-conscious as her regular DC counterpart. Superman and Batman are more typical as they track down Ra’s Al Ghul who’s out to destroy most of the world as usual.
<img src="http://www.newsarama.com/sangiacomo/pic_lrgjla83cvr.jpg" width="165" height="260" border="0" align="right"> <b>JLA #83</b>
The story is meant to draw parallels with current events in Iraq, and it does a pretty good job. Writer Joe Kelly paints an excellent President Luthor and the underlying conflict faced by Superman who is unsure if he can trust him.
Unfortunately, the whole thing feels unfocused and clunky at the end as Kelly uses an old dodge to insure that the status quo has not really changed.
Two questions remain: Why are Faith and Major Disaster members of the League and isn’t Wonder Woman acting a little too touchy feely with the married Superman at the end?
<img src="http://www.newsarama.com/sangiacomo/torch4.jpg" width="165" height="260" border="0" align="left"> <b>Human Torch #4</b>
Someone recently pointed out that art like Skottie Young’s is meant to convey the same kind of youthful exuberance as graffiti. That makes sense in a weird way, both have that angular quality and art that makes no attempt to make characters look human. Beyond the art, Karl Kesel has a heck of a story to tell about Johnny Storm confronting past mistakes. It turns out that back in high school, he got into an argument with an annoying jerk and accidentally burned the guy, leaving him with major facial damage.
But Mike Snow did not become a super-villain swearing revenge, that would be Dr. Doom.
Instead Snow became a fireman, a darn good one. The storyline is that he now asks for Johnny Storm’s help in tracking down the source of some highly unusual fires. It’s a powerful story that could be better with a different artist.
<img src="http://www.newsarama.com/sangiacomo/snake.jpg" width="165" height="260" border="0" align="right"> <b>Snake Plissken Chronicles</b>
What do I care about some throwaway character from an old John Carpenter movie?
Take 10 minutes and read this comic and see how quickly all that changes. It even made me go out and rent “Escape From New York.” This just proves that any concept can work in the right hands. Author William O’Neill and artist Tone Rodriguez are amazing. There is a real story here and handsome art that makes it a pleasure to read. I’ll be watching this series closely.
<b>Terra Obscura #1-#2</b>
I’m a sucker for old super-heroes, ask anyone. I love to read about characters from the 1940s trying to make it in today’s bizarre society. This series written by Alan Moore and Peter Hogan and brilliantly drawn by Yanick Paquette looks at the Golden Age superheroes released from stasis “last year” - in comic time - it’s been a little longer since they made their ABC debut in the pages of <b>Tom Strong #13</b>.
<img src="http://www.newsarama.com/sangiacomo/Terr00.jpg" width="165" height="260" border="0" align="left"> What happened when they returned to their Earth after so many years? Suffice it to say that things have changed for the worse since the science heroes left town.
The coolest part of the series, sadly limited to six issues, is that these are real characters from defunct 1940s and 1950s companies that have fallen into public domain. Track down the <b>comprehensive article</b> (http://198.65.99.89/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1026) on the subject that appeared here on Newsarama earlier this year.
The comic has the feel of <b>Kurt Busiek’s Astro City</b> and more than a little <b>Watchmen</b> thrown in. This is in the running for my vote as one of the best series of the year. It’s so good, I won’t even give away a smidgen of the plot. Go buy it.
<b>Silver Surfer #1</b>
Lastly, anyone who has not grabbed the first issue of the new <b>Silver Surfer</b> series by Dan Chariton and Stacy Weiss with art by Milx, is missing something serious. Milx was discovered by Marvel during the early Epic search for new talent. He was so good that he was pulled away from Epic and given a monthly book.
One look at the interior and you’ll see why.
In the first part of the story arc called "Communion," Norrin Radd is only seen in the last two pages, taking a cue perhaps from the "Less is more" concept running through "The Hulk."
<img src="http://www.newsarama.com/sangiacomo/ss1.jpg" width="165" height="260" border="0" align="right"> In <b>Silver Surfer</b>, his absence makes him more mysterious, more unearthly. The story by Chariton and Weiss forces the reader consider, if only briefly, what it might be like to see a glowing, silver alien in your living room.
Perhaps part of the problem with the Surfer's previous series was that he had become too common, just another super-hero in a world where you couldn't go two blocks without seeing one. "Communion" is really the story of a single mother who supports her autistic child by reading palms and playing the role of the Voodoo Queen in New Orleans.
She doesn't believe in anything and pays no mind to the dozens of drawings her daughter is making of oval-eyed aliens.
The writers are allowing the story to develop slowly and carefully. By the end of the first issue, we have no idea where the Surfer fits into any of this, or even what the "this" is.
The latest version of <b>Silver Surfer</b> is not a comic to drop in on with the second or third issue and expect to catch up. You need to get in at the beginning.
Michael Sangiacomo is a statewide news reporter for the Plain Dealer newspaper in Cleveland, Ohio. His syndicated "Journey Into Comics" weekly column on the state of the comic book business, can be found in newspapers and at the Newsarama website. His monthly comic book column appears the first Saturday of each month in the Plain Dealer Arts page and is syndicated through Newhouse Newspapers. He also writes a twice-monthly audiobooks review column covering crime thrillers and mysteries that can be seen at <a href="http://www.audiobookstoday.com" target="_blank">www.audiobookstoday.com</a>. He currently is developing Nowhere Man...er, <b>Phantom Jack</b> for Marvel’s Epic imprint.