BEST SHOTS: DONE TO DEATH, BATMAN, XENA, HIGHLANDER, AQUAMAN PILOT [Archive]

View Full Version : BEST SHOTS: DONE TO DEATH, BATMAN, XENA, HIGHLANDER, AQUAMAN PILOT

MattBrady

07-31-2006, 06:22 AM

<img src="http://www.newsarama.com/BestShots/July06/Done2DeathCvr01.jpg" align="right">From the Cast and Crew of ShotgunReviews.com
Your Host: Troy Brownfield

Greetings, once again! Hope you’re all well and enjoying Convention Season. For our part, about 33% of the squad will be at Wizard World Chicago this coming weekend. The Rev. OJ Flow, Koben Kelly and I will be there, as will various and sundry other Newsarama personalities (like Super-Articulate contributor Jim Beard). Most of us will probably be wearing one of our two styles of Best Shots T-shirts, or the world-famous Newsarama Tee. If we’re lucky, Koben will also be wearing pants. I’m only mentioning this (the Tees, not the pants) because we’d be happy if you’d simply stop us and say hello. I think it would be great to meet some of the regular readers and posters, as long as it doesn’t turn out like the end of Talk Radio. Furthermore, I’ll likely be spending some time in the Fangoria booth as well, so please drop by, check out the stuff, and enjoy the show.

And now, let’s start this week up with the return of our “Lost Boys” group’s answer to Wendy, Sarah Jaffe . . .

Done to Death #1
From: Markosia
Writer: Andrew Foley
Art: Fiona Staples
Review by Sarah Jaffe

I got a sneak preview of this wickedly fun little book months ago, and still didn't manage to get the review in on time. Still, you'll have to forgive me, and get yourself a copy of it before it's really too late.

Andrew Foley is out to skewer vampire fiction once and for all--though of course it won't REALLY die. The subtitle of this book is "A stake through the heart of the whole bloody genre," and it certainly seems accurate. This is just the first issue, but already there's been plenty of murder, mayhem, and laughs.

You all know that guy from high school (or maybe you were that guy...) who wore lots of black, even as eye makeup, read lots of Anne Rice, and maybe even changed his name to something suitably spooky--Raven, perhaps, or Louis. His face was usually buried in a book. Imagine that guy grew up and started writing bad novels. Then picture yourself as the editor or publisher, reading that hundredth or thousandth purple, blood-soaked manuscript. Wouldn't it just drive you to do something. . . drastic?

Now picture that guy getting his wish, becoming a vampire--but it's not quite what he had in mind. Not quite as sexy, not quite as romantic or easy.

If you like the gore in vampire stories, but think they've been taking themselves just a wee bit too seriously lately, you should give this a shot. Dramatic lines and splashy color bring to life the characters in just a few panels, drawing you in for the punch--or stab, or bite, as the case may be. It's got an indie-comic feel but professional-level quality, and I want to hunt Miss Staples down and enlist her to draw my own noir comic. (Yes, boys, pretty girls not only read comics, they draw them, too!)

Sarah Jaffe is not dead, or undead. She's just been busy for a while. Don't hate her too much. 

<img src="http://www.newsarama.com/BestShots/July06/BP_18_VARIANT.jpg" align="left">Black Panther #18
From: Marvel
Writer: Reginald Hudlin
Art: Scot Eaton, Klaus Janson and Kaare Andrews
Review by J. Caleb Mozzocco

Writer Reginald Hudlin’s Black Panther relaunch has been a hard book to read and a harder book to like, certainly harder than it needed to be. It seems to have re-booted Black Panther continuity to a certain extent (and don’t tell me the first arc was a “Year One” story unless you’re ready to explain Klaw, the Black Knight and Condoleeza Rice’s presence in it!), but every other Marvel book simply ignored the fact that it did.

That coupled with the ever-changing art teams has kept me from being entirely faithful to the book (it’s a lot easier to stick with a book that John Romita Jr.’s drawing, that’s for sure), but almost every time I have picked up an issue or trade, I’ve been pleasantly surprised. (Not counting the X-Men crossover, which also re-booted the Red Ghost and his apes, for some reason).

This issue was no exception and, in many ways is the climax of Hudlin’s run on the title, tying several themes he’s worked in previous arcs together. The fact that the issue is something of a homerun is actually quite a relief—I was awfully worried going in.

Marvel seemed to start hyping the issue way too early, with the typo-bearing wedding invitations and announcement that an Emmy winner would be designing Storm’s dress long months ago, before Civil Warstarted sucking the oxygen out of the Marvel Universe (In fact, this issue bears a “Civil War Cease-Fire” banner).

From Frank Cho’s fantastic cover to the dress design sketches in the back, this is a winning comic book full of old-school superhero fun, and a Marvel wedding destined to be one of the classics (despite how awkward it was making T’Challa and Ororo into soulmates all of a sudden, in the build up).

Even Civil War fits fairly naturally into the story, with Luke Cage and Spidey having an extremely awkward conversation, Luke asking Jessica about maybe moving to Wakanda (Probably should have checked with Bendis before including that panel) and T’Challa trying to broker peace between his guests Iron Man and Captain America.

The guest list is a corny mixture of Marvel celebrities and real ones—Oprah, Bush, Prince and some BET veejayes mingle with the X-Men and Avengers— but has some really nice, memorable moments, including Professor X’s chat with his daughter figure, Spider-Man and a drunken Man-Ape coming to blows (“Now it’s a superhero wedding!”) and hints of “The Black Avengers” (Come on Hudlin, pitch it! They gave Bendis a second Avengers book, surely they’ll let you write a third one!).

If I have any complaints, they’re just little ones—I still have a hard time looking at Wolverine in his stupid yellow and blue costume and not chuckling, and I can’t fathom why he’s using it as formal wear here, for example—and they are all easily made up for by nice little touches, like Kaare Andrews’ art during a journey to meet the Panther god and Cho’s Bishop and Namor on the back cover.

Past Panther and Storm continuity were stacked against Hudlin here, the current state of the Marvel Universe (Civil War, the X-books, New Avengers) was stacked against him, but he still managed to make this wedding issue work.

Caleb caught the bouquet after it slid through Kitty Pryde’s intangible fingers.

<img src="http://www.newsarama.com/BestShots/July06/BirdsOfPreyCv96.jpg" align="right"> Birds Of Prey #96
Writer: Gail Simone
Artists: Paulo Siqueira & Robin Riggs
From: DC
Review by Corey Henson

With all the excitement of their first post-One Year Later adventure behind them, the Birds (minus the conspicuously absent Lady Blackhawk, who must’ve had a pilates class or something) gather to celebrate Black Canary’s return from her adventure in the jungles of Vietnam by enjoying a little downtime and eating lots of pancakes, then visiting the heroes memorial to the late Blue Beetle. It’s moments like these in particular where Gail Simone’s scripts shine. In the opening pages where these scenes take place, we get some neat character moments with Canary’s surrogate little sister, Sin, who’s never had the chance to be a normal little girl (growing up in Vietnam as an assassin-in-training is bad enough, but the poor dear’s never even seen pancakes, which is a tragedy unto itself); as well as a long overdue tribute to the Beetle. Simone’s affection for Ted Kord is obvious, as Canary shares fond memories of her time spent with him in the JLI, and we learn that Oracle enjoyed a few cyber-booty calls with the hero before his death (Canary’s merciless-yet-friendly teasing makes an already hysterical moment into a classic scene).

But there’s no rest for the wicked or the fabulous, as the Birds stumble into a plot by the ubiquitous Society to manipulate the uber-powerful teenage member of the Shadowpact, Black Alice (introduced in BoP #76). The Birds understandably want to prevent the Society from sinking their claws into Alice, as her power to temporarily borrow the powers of the DCU’s magic users makes her potentially the most powerful member of whichever side she ends up. The team travels to Alice’s home in Ohio to try and get to her before the Society, but unfortunately for them (and rather fortunately for the local building contractors) they’re just a little too late. Meanwhile, a familiar face from a Bird’s past makes a surprise return, and while it isn’t explicitly stated as such, the character’s appearance reeks of a devious plot masterminded by the Society.

Paulo Siqueira is the perfect artist for Birds of Prey, since he can draw stunningly beautiful, curvaceous women without choking the pages on cheesecake. However, like most artists working today, he only seems to be capable of drawing one female body type--don’t any of the women in the DCU have b-cups? It‘s a minor complaint, however, because unlike many artists I can name, his women look like real women, and not broomsticks with boobs. I don’t know if it’s intentional, but I’m starting to notice a little Amanda Conner influence creeping into Siqueira’s work. Conner excels at drawing a wide range of facial expressions and capturing humor, and Siqueira has a pretty good knack for both as well. The similarities really stand out on the page where Black Alice makes her first appearance, as the page’s layout, and the close-ups on Alice’s eyes in particular, looks remarkably similar to something Conner herself could have created. Robin Riggs, one of the industry’s most under appreciated embellishers, adds a slick, clean ink line to Siqueira’s pencils. The duo complement Simone’s writing better than perhaps any other art team she’s worked with in recent years. If they ever need an issue or two off to catch a breather, might I suggest Jerry Ordway, who supplies this issue’s rather terrific cover, as a fill-in artist?

While I love the introduction of Sin to the book, as it creates an interesting dynamic amongst Canary and the rest of the team, I hope the little tyke gets a real name soon, because I can’t imagine it’s going to be easy to set up playdates for a girl named Sin. And can you imagine how catastrophically a game of “Duck, Duck, Goose” will end if she’s a sore loser? I envision a circle of bloodied, broken eight year old bodies, and it ain’t pretty.

More than any other writer working for DC, Simone makes great use of the Society of Super-Villains. It’s no surprise, really, as she was responsible for defining the concept in her excellent Villains United mini-series. While the Secret Six have ostensibly been set up to be the Society’s arch-foes, the Birds actually work better in the role. Oracle and the Society’s Calculator are essentially opposite sides of the same coin, and the recent machinations between the two foes makes the rivalry between the two factions more bitter and personal than the one between the Society and the Six.

The issue isn’t perfect, however: Most of the team have distinct, vibrant personalities, but a handful of issues into her stint with the BoP, Gypsy still reads like a blank slate to me. If I’m meant to care at all about the character, I’m going to need to learn a little more about her. Also, Simone’s explanation of Black Alice’s powers in this issue is a bit vague. I haven’t read any of the character’s appearances outside of this title, and I still needed to do a little research to remind myself that her ability to wield others’ powers is only temporary. I can only imagine how confusing it must be for readers who may be completely unfamiliar with the character.

All things considered, this is another great issue from one of the market’s most consistently entertaining superhero books.

All this talk about pancakes has made Corey Henson hungry.

<img src="http://www.newsarama.com/BestShots/July06/SAmaratin.jpg" align="left"> Astro City: Samaritan Special # 1
From: Wildstorm Signature
Writer: Kurt Busiek
Artist: Brent Anderson
Review by Koben Kelly

Every archetypal superhero has their opposite number. An arch enemy, if you will. Superman has Lex Luthor. Captain America has the Red Skull. Batman has the Joker. Hell, even Dr. Venture has the Monarch. It stands to reason that the Samaritan from Astro City would have a main nemesis, and his name is Infidel. Infidel was created by Busiek and Alex Ross for a feature on super-villains in Wizard's Dark Book, nearly a decade ago. It's taken this long to bring his story to light.

You might think that a hero and his enemy could do nothing but fight after both have presented their required monologues filled with threats and promises of assured success. Not these two. No, they seem satisfied with an annual get-together for dinner and conversation. This time around, the Samaritan comes to Infidel's extradimensional stronghold, and is presented with what is, most likely, the most luxurious meal he has ever had.

The majority of the book is filled with flashbacks, showing us the ups and downs of Infidel's life. As a boy, Infidel grew up in a small, African town where the native peoples could not answer his unending questions about the whys and hows of their gods. He left at an early age to seek out the solutions to the mysteries of life. A naive and inexperienced child, he was soon abducted and sold into slavery. Not even this misfortune could end his constant pondering. As luck would have it, he was sold to an alchemist: a crazy slave for a crazy man. Doing his masters bidding, he watched... and he learned. Studying his master's books and papers, he absorbed information whenever he had the chance. Still a young man, Infidel worked his first magical feat. He made himself immortal. When his master found out about his studies and his conjuring, the local authorities were instructed to arrest him as a thief. Big mistake. The boy was now well-versed in the ways of magic, and summoned the means to end the soldiers attack permanently. After it was over, he realized he must set out into the world and make his mark. For his riches, he merely transmuted base metals into gold, and soon he had a great tower and workers to do his bidding.

Over the years, many forces of the ruling class came to punish him for his deeds. He was called many things, but settled on the label of Infidel for a name to last through the ages. To keep himself from being disturbed, Infidel decided upon living in a post-apocalyptic wasteland, cut off from any form of interruption. This came to a crashing halt when the Samaritan's humanitarian efforts altered the natural progression of events, resulting in ripples of change throughout all of time. Again and again, Infidel's attempts to manipulate others for his gain were defeated by direct interference by the hero in red. Eventually, the two realized that they were canceling each other out with every action and reaction. Neither of them would ever be able to rid themselves of the other. A decision was reached to maintain the peace. Both would make the world the most enjoyable and satisfying environment possible. As an annual event, both would enjoy supper together, sizing up the other under the guise of pleasantry. An exchange of some sort would usually take place, Samaritan bringing scientific journals and magazines, Infidel handing over scrolls detailing his newest schematics.

It is worth noting Infidel's seeming obsession with a specific woman who once defied him, helping the Samaritan to defeat his efforts. Infidel has created many homonculi to assist him and cater to his every whim. This inclusion called to my attention the similarity to Superman's silver age robots. The telling feature is that each of these conjured servants are identical to the Lois Lane-esque focus of his attention. Infidel obviously suffers from wanting what you can never have syndrome.

I'm not quite sure why, but a side effect of Infidel's tampering with reality made me chuckle a bit. Maybe because it fits the pattern of silver age influence. Samaritan wakes up to look in the mirror and see that the color scheme of his blue hair and red costume have been reversed. I guess it makes me think of the quirkiness of stories where purple kryptonite, or whatever, has turned Superman into a caveman... something like that.

I really envy Busiek's ability to take archetypal conventions and add enough of his own modern-day sensibility to create a fresh, new story. I'm hoping that down the road we see more of these Astro City single character origin issues.

I give Astro City Special # 1 seven out of ten Kojaks.

Kojaks! Ha! Koben’ll be here all week, folks. Tip your waitress.

<img src="http://www.newsarama.com/BestShots/July06/YNGAVNRUNWY_Left_col.jpg" align="right"> Civil War: Young Avengers/Runaways #1
From: Marvel
Writer: Zeb Wells
Art: Stefano Caselli
Review by Kevin Huxford

Both the Runaways and Young Avengers series are fairly personal creations. Coming into this mini-series, I don't know if anyone (other than Vaughn, maybe) could think of these characters being written or drawn by anyone else. Now...not having been enthused about Zeb Wells' New Warriors #1, who'd have thought it would come out this good?

This crossover mini really does seem to combine the writing sensibilities of both writers. This isn't to say that Zeb apes each team with the same style the original writer uses. For instance, I think Zeb brings a touch more humor to Young Avengers than Heinberg does, but not in a manner that puts the characters in a light that would contradict previous work.

I like the use of FlagSmasher here. It is used to further make it clear which side of this Civil War is the evil one, of course...as our Runaways do something that is heroic AND patriotic...and then have the soldiers apologize that they're about to be attacked to detain.

Where Zeb doesn't wow, however, is in the fairly standard "two heroes/groups meet, they fight, then team up" yarn. While the actions and motivations of the characters make sense for the most part (even if YA is capable of much better communication than what happened upon their arrival at the Runaways hideout), it doesn't change that it is a very formulaic method used.

The art in the book looks great and has the feel of being somewhere in the middle of the spectrum between Cheung and Alphona, which is just a perfect choice. I think editorial has picked a team that really can blend the two properties together so that it shines in its own different-yet-somehow-similar way.

<img src="http://www.newsarama.com/BestShots/July06/BatmanCv655.jpg" align="left"> Batman #655
From: DC
Writer: Grant Morrison
Art: Andy Kubert
Review by Kevin Huxford

I can see what is going to happen for months now. Every time I get ready to compliment the artwork on Batman, I'm going to have to open the issue to jog my memory as to which "name beginning with the letter A" Kubert I'm supposed to be praising.

Many have already seen the previews of the first five pages or so of the issue. Andy's artwork really shines throughout the book in a way that matches Grant's writing. This is saying a lot, because Grant pulls off some of his better mainstream spandex work here without coming off as too weird and strange to be working on one of DC's premiere franchise.

I'm not saying that Grant is the picture of perfection here. Batman's handling of Joker, while understandable and realistic, isn't consistent with how the character has been written in the past. Maybe this is how the New Earth would treat a fallen villain that could still be saved. Maybe this is how Bruce reacts to Jason telling him that the only problem he had with Batman was that Joker is still alive. I don't know. It is minor enough of a concern that I can easily leave it behind until Grant comes back around to deal with it again.

The rest of the other beats in this book are amazing. I will admit that part of my enjoyment might be nostalgic. I think Grant and Andy capture the whimsy of the old Batman, Detective Comics, and The Brave & The Bold series and merged it with modern sensibilities more than a little bit. Andy throws a little touch to the England scenes where the backgrounds and clothing look like something out of From Hell, which feels so similar to how they might have been drawn in ‘70s and ‘80s Batman stories to make sure to scream out to the reader that they weren't in America.

The single most important aspect of this book is the reclamation of Bruce Wayne as an important aspect of the Batman character. You get the feeling from this one issue that Batman, as a character, is on the path to shedding many of his more dysfunctional aspects. He's spending time joking with Gordon, working on his tech, admiring Tim's progress, and working with Alfred to build back the international playboy persona. This might turn out real nice.

All this and I haven't even really addressed the title of this arc: Batman & Son. That, Talia's appearance, and Grant's fulfilled promise of an army of Man-Bat ninjas. Grant setups enough interesting developments for our hero to wow you a bit, delivering straight explanations in just the right number of these setups to satisfy you, yet have you come back for more next month. I'm excited to see where he takes it from here.

I understand Kevin’s Kubert confusion. As I’ve said before, between Caleb, Corey, Koben, and Kevin, I’m happy to have any other consonant sound represented.

<img src="http://www.newsarama.com/BestShots/July06/XENA1_Neves_Cover.jpg" align="right"> Xena: Warrior Princess #1
From: Dynamite Entertainment
Writer: John Layman
Art: Fabiano Neves
Review by Troy Brownfield

Dynamite Entertainment definitely appears to be making a run at Dark Horse’s crown of King of the Licensed Properties. With a stable that already includes Red Sonja and Army of Darkness, Dynamite keeps making deals, adding familiar properties, and launching them with solid creative teams. Merely one of the latest examples of that dynamic is Xena: Warrior Princess, which manages to capture the tone and attitude of the show in the first issue.

Xena always walked a tightrope between action-adventure and full-on camp. The comic seems to strike the necessary balance between action sequences and character-based humor. Several familiar characters appear in addition to Xena and Gabrielle, and the scenes of the Greek Pantheon give us a warm reminder of the late Kevin Smith (not Silent Bob, but the actor who essayed Ares on all of the Raimi-Tapert “Hercules Universe” shows of the ‘90s.)

Art-wise, the book is another predictably good effort from Dynamite. Neves catches some of the more memorable details of the actors, such as Lawless’s perpetually narrowed eyebrows, Ted Raimi’s goofy Joxer grin, and Bruce Campbell’s Yes-I-Am-A-BS-Artist smirk.

The plot involves the choosing of a champion to settle a war between rival Greek and Egyptian deities, and the choice for Greece isn’t as obvious as you’d think. This one’s good launch pad for an ongoing, and if Layman can continue to balance the action and humor without letting one drown the other, then this could easily claim a spot as a fan favorite.

<img src="http://www.newsarama.com/BestShots/July06/RS12_JimLee_Cov.jpg" align="left"> Red Sonja #12
From: Dynamite Entertainment
Writer: Michael Avon Oeming
Art: Mel Rubi (flashback scenes by Stephen Sadowski)
Review by Troy Brownfield

Now we’re talkin’. I’ve been extremely pleased with this series so far, equally impressed with the writing skill of Oeming and the tremendous art of Rubi (and Sadowski). However, we finally see the adversary that Sonja’s been seeking since day one. And while some of us may have predicted it, it’s still great to see such an appropriate character make an entrance.

The fleshing out of Sonja’s origins continues, including a harrowing depiction of an earlier assault that speaks volumes without actually showing much. Her attacker’s reflection in her young, horrified eye is really all we need to convey the brutality of Sonja’s backstory. Sadowski does fine work here.

One of the ways that Oeming succeeds with his writing is his use of clever supporting characters to play off on Sonja. Presently, her two male companions appear to be feeding a brewing resentment of one another, a situation that I suspect will pay off richly. Sonja, by her nature, has to be aloof and implacable. It’s good that we have these other characters to offer us more insight into Sonja as a person, rather than a collection of traits.

Red Sonja continues to be a well-made book. This new storyline will likely draw in some new fans, or some Marvel-heads from the day. That’s a great thing, as this book deserves to be read and supported.

<img src="http://www.newsarama.com/BestShots/July06/Highlanderfinalpaint-low.jpg" align="right"> Highlander #0
From: Dynamite Entertainment
Writers: Brandon Jerwa and Michael Avon Oeming
Art: Lee Moder
Review by Troy Brownfield

The brand-new Highlander series does something brilliant right off the bat: they set the comic just after the first movie and completely ignore Highlander 2: The Suckening. What was best about the original film (apart from Sean “Are you Connor MACK-Lao-ED of CLAN-UGH MACK-Lao-ED?” Connery and tunes from Queen) was that it introduced a whole new mythology of characters and concepts, but kept it elegantly simple (Immortals, beheading, The Gathering, “Quickening”, check).

By jettisoning the later stuff (Flying harnesses! Immortals are aliens! There’s a bunch of Gatherings, just like Homecoming weekend!) and focusing on the most memorable elements at the outset, Highlander is already walking on steady ground. Bonus points then for connecting the new threat to the Kurgan, the villain so brilliantly portrayed by fan-fave Clancy Brown.

Twelve pages isn’t a lot of room to establish characters and backstory, but Jerwa and Oeming do it skillfully. The potential for this series, given its set up for flashbacks, international characters, and of course, Duncan, is vast. All involved do a convincing job in terms of getting the reader back for the “first” issue.

<img src="http://www.newsarama.com/BestShots/July06/Hotwire.jpg" align="left"> Hotwire Comix and Capers
by various writers and artists
From: Fantagraphics
Review by Troy Brownfield

Hotwire might be a textbook example of what people think of when the consider “alternative” comics. It’s a mix of humor, drama, gross-out gags, and more, marshaled into 130 pages containing nearly 40 short tales or pin-ups from a huge roster of talent. There will be things here that you don’t like, and there will be things here that you love. It just depends on you and your sensibility. That wide-ranging approach is the goal, as the text intro shows that Fantagraphics is mainly interested in capturing the raw, dangerous feel that underground comics used to have.

For my part, my favorites were more on the serious side. “The Drive Home” by Tim Lane, which details a man’s struggle to regain his lost family across years of hurt and turmoil, really hits some strong emotional keys with spare writing and tight art. “My Gun is Long” by Mack White turns the tale of Lee Harvey Oswald in Dallas into a noose-tightening noir, the kind of which that might have starred Robert Mitchum in the day. I was also struck by the wordless tale by Danny Hellman, “Joy is a Jewel”. Hellman manages to construct a riff on “Rosemary’s Baby” and dump on wasteful extravagance at the same time.

Some of the bits just didn’t go with my tastes or humor, and that’s fine. An anthology is supposed to represent different pieces of the spectrum, and this one does that in spades. It does carry a vitality, and, in its own way, a purity that is refreshing.

<img src="http://www.newsarama.com/BestShots/July06/normal_itunes-aquaman.jpg" align="right"> Special Multi-Media Best Shot from The Rev. OJ Flow
Aquaman/Mercy Reef Pilot
iTunes, Warner Bros. Television -- Produced by Alfred Gough & Miles Millar

Incorporating the first of what promises to feature plenty of seafaring puns, this show can be best summed up as the one that got away. Since the character's successful guest appearance in a 2005 episode of Smallville, producers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar tried bringing another classic DC Comics character to television with a lot of high hopes. I probably wouldn't even be talking to you right now about this show in this context were it not for the recent merger of the WB and UPN networks into an all-new channel. Producing a show for Aquaman was definitely on the agenda before that business venture happened, but ultimately they could not find an available slot in the wake of two networks holding on to their best shows for the 2006-07 season. Putting it simply, an Aquaman show would've been a full-time reality had viewers still had the option of two struggling networks instead of one (and don't even get fans of Everwood started). I could've easily seen an Aquaman show paired with Smallville on Thursday nights, especially because the Superman-themed show isn't getting any younger. Realistically the WB's biggest current hit has two more seasons in it tops (I'm a fan of the show and actually support the idea of this next season being the last, but that's for another article), and if DC and its sister company network wanted something to carry on the mantle of comic-based action/adventure, this was probably going to be it.

So last spring a pilot was shot in order to set the table for a new fall series, but once we got The CW, the show was sunk when it didn't get picked up. While a few people got a chance to view this show that never made it to TV by way of internet bootlegs, it was pretty much assumed that this never-ran Aquaman show was going to be just another long lost sea fable. In a surprising move, though, iTunes scored a deal with Warner Bros.' television division for making their shows past and present available for relatively inexpensive downloads. In this initial offering was the commercial-free pilot, entitled Aquaman, for a mere $1.99 to hold onto for keeps. I decided to christen my new iBook with an iTunes account and made this my first-ever purchase. Better deal, I think, than an issue of the current Aquaman title that just does not work for me. I've always connected with the JLA stalwart who has a foot on land with ordinary civilian affairs (Sub Diego) and a foot into the water where he's clearly, apologies to Jerry Seinfeld, the master of his domain. The more the character gets submerged in Atlantean mysticism and sorcery, the more I tune out.

So I got to watch this show, and while it is not going to get the benefit of the "Lauren Graham" rule in term of Emmy consideration, a respectable foundation was laid down in terms of a show potentially on par with Smallville, but we'll never really know for sure. I can say with confidence that Mercy Reef, as I'll refer to it going forward, gets off to a better start than the failed Birds of Prey a couple of years ago, and it really could've found it's own little niche had it a chance to find its sea legs (told ya earlier). Justin Hartley stars as too-cool-for-school (Stanford, that is) Arthur, or A.C., and as we find out in the show, some know him as Orin. We're introduced to him as a child out on a flight with his mother, Atlanna, and their relationship comes to an abrupt halt when it appears that the Bermuda Triangle is more than a myth. Fast forward to the future ten years and A.C. works at a happening seaside coastal Florida hot spot. He's got a habit of getting into trouble with the law due to his eco-warrior tendencies, plus he's tormented over what really happened to his mom. Lou Diamond Phillips is his adoptive father, Tom, an officer in the coast guard, and his role in A.C.'s life is summed up in the one choice scene between the two that's pure exposition in a bigger story that's all setup.

Ving Rhames enters the scene as the (lighthouse) keeper to the secrets of Atlantis, where it turns out A.C. is from. T'would appear that those responsible for Atlanna's disappearance are making a return to reclaim those lost to the underworld realm of Atlantis over the years. Besides A.C., there are others who display physical attributes (underwater breathing, etc.) to this long-forgotten place, including some civilians and military whom may have been lost to the Bermuda Triangle decades earlier without showing any signs of aging. Oh, and there are sirens, though not half as cool as the kind like Elle MacPherson portrayed in a movie a few years ago, and they'd just as soon slice you open as they would skinny dip after a cocktail. Going back to Rhames character, McCaffery, half the problem with the story is that it seems like any secrets that could keep this series afloat were uncovered or elaborated about in-depth in this 42-minute program. While A.C.'s mother's fate is a mystery, we get a pretty good idea why he got to this point along with most everyone else, and when you compare that to Smallville in how they've stretched out Kal-El's story over five seasons and there's still things to be uncovered to even the most well-versed Superman fan, you can't help but feel like Mercy Reef laid all their cards out on the table early.

The characters and the talent behind them overall are exactly what we've come to expect from a lot of the WB's programming, fluffy and pretty to look at, and questionable in terms of range and depth. Hartley is like a beach bum Affleck-lite, and I'm dying to see what he brings to the character of Oliver Queen this fall on Smallville (Hartley's reportedly on board for a few episodes). He delivers a lightweight take on Arthur Curry here, so it'll be interesting to see what he brings to a decidedly different hero in Green Arrow. None of the supporting cast exactly lights things up, though his confidante Eva (Amber McDonald) is good eye candy. The show's two best-established actors, Phillips and Rhames, deliver surprisingly listless performances, too bad since the first thing it tells me is that they weren't sold on the material. Apparently neither was the CW, which was clearly less hopeful than this Aquaman fan was when the character finally got his big break. Ultimately I thought it was a solid premise that was undone by the chiched trappings that befall too many live-action comic book adaptations in film and TV. While the material is understandably far out, producers and directors are too often compelled to saddle flesh and blood characters with dialogue and artistic direction that come off cheesier than even on the comic book page. If it doesn't work for a fanboy, it's not going to work for a mainstream television audience.

I give Mercy Reef 6 out of a possible 10 Tuskys.

Maybe next time we’ll ask OJ to write-up the mid-‘90s JLA pilot . . . if his eyes don’t rebel and stab his brain. I know mine tried to.

Pellet Reviews!

Civil War: Frontline #4 (Marvel; by Caleb) In “Embedded,” Paul Jenkins’ lead story with Ramon Bachs and John Lucas art, Ben and Sally compare notes, and it certainly seems that there’s more to the “Civil War” than a political disagreement between Captain America and Iron Man. In the Steve Lieber-illustrated story “The Accused,” Speedball finally gets to dish out a lot of what he’s been taking in prison. Both stories remain invaluable companions to the main Civil War series, and the reason to pick this title up at all. The five-page, Lee Weeks-illustrated “Sleeper Cell” teases out a storyline that’s connection to the war is hard to see at this point, and, as always, the book closes with a waste of paper that insultingly compares and equates Marvel’s superhero crossover with a real-world war. Didn’t anyone at Marvel raise their hand during a meeting and say, “Wait, if we explicitly compare our story to the Vietnam War, won’t that be sort of tasteless?”

New Avengers #22 (Marvel; by Caleb) If you consider that fact that writer Brian Michael Bendis spent 16 issues bringing the current line-up of the Avengers into being (before we got to “The Collective” and the annual), it seems almost comical that they’re being broken up already, but no way can this line-up survive the Civil War, seeing as the Avengers’ two leaders have each become figureheads of different factions. This issue focuses on Luke Cage. We already know he joins Cap’s team, but this issue explains the hows and whys of it. Bendis opens with Iron Man and Ms. Marvel pressuring he and his wife Jessica Jones to sign the Act, but Cage refuses to commit, and gives an eloquent speech about his attachment to his neighborhood. As soon as the Act becomes law and SHIELD makes a house call, Cage picks up his couch and wades into battle. Bendis clearly demonstrates how well he’s gotten to know Cage, and this issue offers a wonderful character study of the one-time Hero Fire Hire, who now refuses to sell out. Leinil Yu’s art is fantastic; some of the action scenes are a little hard to read, but Yu makes up for it with some beautiful page lay-outs in the dialogue heavy beginning. Clearly this is the strongest story with the words “Avengers” and “Disassembled” in it that Bendis has ever written.

Daredevil # 87 (Marvel; by Koben): Can't say I care much for his space opera, but Brubaker continues to wow me with his work on this book. Last issue was the final installment of the life in prison story. With the assistance of Frank Castle, Matt is now out of jail and free to track down those responsible for Foggy's death. Right off of the bat, Murdock solves the mystery of who Hell's Kitchen's replacement Daredevil actually is. The ringer is a believable substitution, well-versed in martial arts and multiple opponent combat. I think everyone will be pleasantly satisfied with his identity. I also love the fact that Dakota North is becoming a regular in this series. Viva 80s Marvel! Also included is a last page shocker that will silence critics who think Bru relies on shock value to tell his stories. Lark's art is a well-matched gritty fit for this book. Phenomenal stuff. Comedy fans will also enjoy the Brian Posehn cameo on pages two and three. While the book coasted for a while before the new creative team came aboard, it has really become one of my highly-anticipated favorites in the past months. Not necessarily a new take on Murdock's life, but simply a well done take that rings true.

American Way # 6 (Wildstorm Signature; by Koben): This book is a bold, unflinching look at racism and civil rights in the early 60s of an America that retains its pride through its superpowered defenders. After a visit with his now crippled brother, black hero New American sets out to find and punish the masochistic psychopath, Hellbent. Not taking no for an answer, he beats the maniac's location out of some of his racist supporters. While this is going on, the CDC (Civil Defense Corps) is split into northern and southern divisions over the New American's inclusion in their ranks. When Hellbent is found hiding in a woodland shack, the New American takes his revenge. Let's just say his old baseball cap won't be fitting him anymore. After finding the maniac's body, the newly minted SDC (Southern Defense Corps) decide to burn the American at the stake for killing a white man. This series continues to push all the uncomfortable, embarrassing buttons of the time period, often making it a hard, but necessary, read for any fan of the superhero genre. John Ridley and Georges Jeanty continue to prove that they are creators to keep an eye on for future works.

Jack of Fables # 1 (Vertigo; by Koben): A spin-off of the hugely popular Fables, this book feels like a storyline in its parent title. Jack, now somewhat rich due to the movies of his life story making a killing at the box office, has been kicked to the curb by his fellow fables. With only the clothes on his back and a briefcase full of cash, he sets out on the road for further adventures. It doesn't take too long before he is abducted and taken to a stress-free prison camp for fables. While having the rules explained to him by a once popular character who has been forgotten, Jack is taken to his new place of residence. Along the way, readers will notice many obvious stars of legend and tale passing by. Who is the sexy seductress waiting for Jack in his new bed? All will be explained as the story continues, I'm sure. This issue serves as a wonderful set-up, defining Jack's world but not bogging the reader down with to much storyline to keep up with. A light but enjoyable read.

Army of Darkness #9 (Dynamite; by Troy): Here’s a place where messing with the premise just a little bit has yielded great results. Of course we want to see Ash kicking zombie ass, but the notion of having him mix it up with Dracula, werewolves, and the Frankenstein monster is downright inspired. Things got off to a wild start in #8, but they quickly and shockingly deteriorate for our hero in this one. Ash suddenly finds himself on a rescue mission, and that damn flesh-bound book may be the only thing that can help. This is a consistently fun read, and Kevin Sharpe’s innovative Dracula visual deserves special mention.

Witch Hunter (www.witchhuntercomic.com; by Troy): Vincent Ferrante is the writer, letterer and creator of Witch Hunter, an intriguing self-published title that has a lot of interesting ideas in it. Starting with the Salem Witch Trials, Ferrante and company posit a character that will do battle with evil forces and those who would harm positive witches. The art is average, but there are a lot of strong concepts floating around inside the larger story.

Troy Brownfield writes for Newsarama, Fangoria Comics, and runs ShotgunReviews.com. He’s a professor of English, journalism and communication and a freelance writer. Anyone wishing to submit their titles for review can contact Troy at psikotyk@aol.com. If you’re interested in taking a class with Troy via the miracle of Distance Learning, check out the program here http://www.smwc.edu/cgi-bin/site.pl?futureDistance , and specifically mention him or his areas (Journalism, Professional Writing, Creative Writing, Film Studies) when you call. The other plugs: www.shotgunreviews.com and www.myspace.com/shotgunreviews

SeanMurphy

07-31-2006, 08:05 AM

Daredevil # 87 (Marvel; by Koben):
...... Also included is a last page shocker that will silence critics who think Bru relies on shock value to tell his stories.

This line made me laugh. Maybe it is just my warped sense of humor but I'm not sure how delivering a shocker will convince anyone that Brubaker doesn't rely on... shockers. Sometimes negating one shocker is a shocker.

I also don't happen to agree with this criticism... the shockers are there but those aren't why I keep coming back.

gokujam

07-31-2006, 08:15 AM

As far as I'm concerned Brubaker can write every book in the Marvel U.

I'd stop buying food.

spike

07-31-2006, 08:21 AM

The five-page, Lee Weeks-illustrated “Sleeper Cell” teases out a storyline that’s connection to the war is hard to see at this point, and, as always, the book closes with a waste of paper that insultingly compares and equates Marvel’s superhero crossover with a real-world war. Didn’t anyone at Marvel raise their hand during a meeting and say, “Wait, if we explicitly compare our story to the Vietnam War, won’t that be sort of tasteless?"

HAHA! Very apt criticism of Frontlines. It was a decent idea, the whol juxtaposing thing, but to be honest, it just isn't working. Especially here. Comparing the anti-heroes to the VC is stupid, irrelevant and inappropriate.

New Avengers #22 If you consider that fact that writer Brian Michael Bendis spent 16 issues bringing the current line-up of the Avengers into being (before we got to “The Collective” and the annual), it seems almost comical that they’re being broken up already.

It's poetic justice that they are disassembled once more - for the love of God, just drop the whole New schtick. New Avengers goes from the ridiculous (Wolverine and Spiderman on the Avengers - WTF?, as well as taking forever to actually get a team) to the sublime (XORN? XORN? XORN? WHAT THE %$#!????)

Daredevil # 87 I think everyone will be pleasantly satisfied with his identity. I also love the fact that Dakota North is becoming a regular in this series. Viva 80s Marvel! Also included is a last page shocker that will silence critics who think Bru relies on shock value to tell his stories. Lark's art is a well-matched gritty fit for this book. Phenomenal stuff.

Agreed. Fake DD made sense, and last page reveal was a nice touch. Art is excellent. This cements Brubaker's place in the seat as one of Marvel's, if not the industries', best writers ATM. Definetly agree that I would buy only minimal amount of food to get Brubaker.

Skyrider

07-31-2006, 08:25 AM

The five-page, Lee Weeks-illustrated “Sleeper Cell” teases out a storyline that’s connection to the war is hard to see at this point, and, as always, the book closes with a waste of paper that insultingly compares and equates Marvel’s superhero crossover with a real-world war. Didn’t anyone at Marvel raise their hand during a meeting and say, “Wait, if we explicitly compare our story to the Vietnam War, won’t that be sort of tasteless?”

THANK YOU so much for saying that Caleb! :)

I found that comparison horribly inappropriate to the point where I considered dropping frontline in general. :mad:

CitC

07-31-2006, 08:28 AM

I was really surprised at how much I liked the Luke Cage NA story. I haven't liked the title as much lately, but this one turned it around. The page where he explains to the boy what he is going to do was excellent. I liked the sin city/Marv moment as well.

FireLight

07-31-2006, 09:05 AM

Hey - Oswald Patton cameod as well with Posehn in Daredevil, too.

Xero

07-31-2006, 09:19 AM

Spoilers

Yep keep going

Okay

Did Koben read the same Astro City special that I did? Infidel destroyed everything, I mean EVERYTHING on earth. And when everyone was dead he and Samaritan decided to rebuild the earth by repairing the timestream, but only because they were the only ones left. Infidel didn't help him create a paradies and then retire, Infidel wants to bring order to humanity. They are both the most powerful beings in the Astro City universe simple because they are immune to alterations to the timestream due to their access to the Empyrean flame, and both are also time travelers. Whenever Infidel changed the timestream, Samaritan was unnafected and recognized the changes, whenever Samaritan put Infidel in prison he just stepped through time and escaped. The whole book was about them each trying to sway the other to their cause.

Squashua

07-31-2006, 09:24 AM

New Avengers: Civil War: Considering that they've met multiple times, the way in which Iron Man referred to Jessica Jones in this issue makes me wonder if that really is Tony Stark behind the mask.

tiso_spencer

07-31-2006, 10:14 AM

Skyrider

07-31-2006, 10:19 AM

So you finished figuring who they look like? Jay-Z and Beyonce.

Blarg. It was cool when they did it with Samuel L Jackson, it was humorous when they did it with Angelina Jolie...but enough is enough already. :rolleyes:

StevieCool

07-31-2006, 10:37 AM

With every last two pages of Frontline I read, I find myself more appalled.

Way to go Marvel! I had thought "History of the DC Universe" installment was the biggest waste of paper in years, but an absence of compassion wins out over plain-@ss-boring every time.

I propose a campaign. Rip out those last two pages, send them back to Marvel. Seriously. That book's not going to be worth more than the Death of Superman. You don't need it in near mint. It's not paying for your college (or kid's college).

izzatrix

07-31-2006, 10:38 AM

ParisCub

07-31-2006, 10:41 AM

I think a lot of people misunterstand Jenkins's back ups in Civil War Frontline.

He is certainly NOT comparing the Anti-Regs to the viet Congs, and he wasn't comparing the Civil War situation to historical events before that, and those texts are certainly NOT insulting to anyone.

Those texts (not written by Jenkins, I may add) are historic pieces that were written about the historical event being depicted... And they apply neatly to the situation being shown in Civil War each time, that is all. I think that people read far more into it than there is... Simply read the text and check the Civil War story, don't pay attention to the historical events depicted, and you'll see that the text fust fits to the Civil War story.

Nobody is compared to Viet-congs or to Japanese Americans being put in camps during the war and those texts are very far from being insulting. They are part of YOUR American history and just happen to fit the new situation of the Marvel Universe, for better or worse. I, for one, think it's interesting to see a British writer using US history quotations in such a clever manner.

As a matter of fact, Front Line is so much more interesting that what I expected it to be.

ParisCub

07-31-2006, 10:42 AM

Skyrider

07-31-2006, 10:46 AM

cook

07-31-2006, 11:11 AM

He is certainly NOT comparing the Anti-Regs to the viet Congs, and he wasn't comparing the Civil War situation to historical events before that, and those texts are certainly NOT insulting to anyone.

Maybe he's not literally saying "Hey, these anti-registration guys are a lot like the Viet Cong, and S.H.I.E.L.D. troops are just like American GIs!" but when you juxtapose the images the way he does, that's what readers are going to take from it. And while Billy Joel may have provided the words themselves, it was Paul Jenkins who wrote the script that drew parallels between a very real, very bloody conflict and a fictional scuffle in a comic book.

Personally, I don't find it offensive, just pointless. I easily can see how others would be offended, though.

MurrayC

07-31-2006, 11:54 AM

I can see what is going to happen for months now. Every time I get ready to compliment the artwork on Batman, I'm going to have to open the issue to jog my memory as to which "name beginning with the letter A" Kubert I'm supposed to be praising.

Try word association:

remember "BatmAndy" and you'll get it every time :D

jonnynyc

07-31-2006, 12:11 PM

anything that uses billy joel lyrics to tell a story is offensive
but
seriously
the internment camp comparison in issue one actually worked
cause that could be an actual outcome of "civil war"
but comparing super hero fights to the viet nam war is just kind of stupid
especially when we have a similar situation with real people dying going on right now
the circumstances are just not similar at all

Jef

07-31-2006, 12:26 PM

New Avengers: Civil War: Considering that they've met multiple times, the way in which Iron Man referred to Jessica Jones in this issue makes me wonder if that really is Tony Stark behind the mask.

You didn't get it or are reading way too much into a simple interation. Luke and Jessica recently got married, so Tony called her, "Mrs. Cage." Obviously she hadn't announced that she was keeping her maiden name, so she corrects him, and he just decides to informally call her "Jessica." Nothing more.

Batdevil

07-31-2006, 12:44 PM

Wow, what I think should be compared with Civil war is the war going on in threads like these. :)

I can't say anything about What was in frontline compared to Vietnam War since I'm not really familiar with American History. I only know them through movies, but I'm sure even those aren't 100% true.

Anyway, I loved the Batbook. At first it feels weird... but when you think about it very deeply. You'd say, "Hey, that was cool!", all over again.

This is the first Bat ongoing I've bought since I came back to comics. And so far, I have not a single regret! Thank you Grant Morrison!

maniacmatt

07-31-2006, 01:07 PM

Bird Flu Man

07-31-2006, 02:13 PM

Actually 22 issues is a long time for any Avengers line-up. The original line-up changed after just 16 issues. Noone at the time thought Cap + Scarlet Witch + Pietro + Hawkeye
would work but it did.

But if you account for decompressed storytelling, this "New Avengers" run only equates to roughly 10 issues of the classic Avengers run.

Edit: And now I see ParisCub already beat me to this observation.

jmyoung

07-31-2006, 02:28 PM

It's poetic justice that they are disassembled once more - for the love of God, just drop the whole New schtick. New Avengers goes from the ridiculous (Wolverine and Spiderman on the Avengers - WTF?, as well as taking forever to actually get a team) to the sublime (XORN? XORN? XORN? WHAT THE %$#!????)

Sublime? To paraphrase the Princess Bride, I do not think that word means what you think it does - unless you meant the Xorn storyline was nearly perfect.

Joe

caleb

07-31-2006, 02:43 PM

Actually 22 issues is a long time for any Avengers line-up. The original line-up changed after just 16 issues. Noone at the time thought Cap + Scarlet Witch + Pietro + Hawkeye
would work but it did. .

Twenty-two issues is a respectable run for a line-up, I suppose, but I think the fact that it took so long just to gather that line-up and get it up and running is what makes the team seem so short-lived. It took them 16 issues to introduce everybody and for the announced team to all start working together. They had one mission together ("The Collective") and one wedding/fight with a supervillain (The Annual), and now begins the five-part part breaking up of the team. I'm sure a great deal of it is out of Bendis' hands, but he never got to do anything he set up to do previously (that whol Savage Land/Rogue SHIELD plotline) before his cast needs rejiggered.

BamaRainbow

07-31-2006, 02:45 PM

Actually 22 issues is a long time for any Avengers line-up. The original line-up changed after just 16 issues. Noone at the time thought Cap + Scarlet Witch + Pietro + Hawkeye
would work but it did.

The Avengers have been split down the middle on multiple occassions in the past. While this split may last longer than those because of the decompression in current comics, I predict that in a couple of years, we'll be right back to the status-quo.

Of course, that first line-up change wasn't the first line-up change. The Hulk (a member at the end of issue #1) left at the end of issue #2.
That having been said, the first *wholesale* change was done with a rational explanation (at least in my opinion anyways). The Wasp wanted a vacation, so Giant-Man naturally became concerned for her health--her being a "mere woman", after all (I believe his wording was something like, "Honey, I never thought how hard this would be on you"). Then Thor basically seconded the idea, largely because he was concerned about all the absences that Dr Don Blake would have to explain. Iron Man admitted he too felt he needed some time off (either his health or Stark Industries was at the heart of needing the time off). But, all were ultimately concerned at there not being an Avengers which led to the ad being placed for replacements. (At this time, the good Captain was fighting Zemo--again--in the middle of the Amazon; of course, his input wasn't needed since he hadn't been with the team as long.)
Considering all the action that the remaining Original Foursome had dealt with since losing Hulk--there was the Lava Men and Zemo and Kang and Wonder Man and Immortus and the Red Ghost and Nefaria, all in a year's time--it's no wonder the Wasp was so tired. And, all this doesn't even take into consideration what the members were doing in their own books.
But I still remember the look of shock on Captain America's face when he thought the group was completely disbanding. He had to be reassured (by Iron Man, IIRC) that the *group* would continue, just that Iron Man, Thor, Giant-Man and the Wasp wanted some time off but would be in "reserve" if any of them were needed.
Now, compare THAT reasoning and level of action in 16 issues to the current Bendis-devised line-up's "disassembling" after 22 issues and decide for yourself if you can honestly compare the changes (especially in light of the previous team's Bendis-devised "disassembling"). I'd also point out that both Giant-Man and the Wasp were pretty much back in the full line-up within a year after they left (they made a couple of guest shots about a year after leaving, which resulted in their full-time reinstatement, though Pym spent less time "in the field" as I recall), largely due to a fair amount of pressure from the fans who didn't feel the teaming of Cap and the newcomers were really The Avengers.
As for the team's being "split down the middle" in the past, I don't recall any time they were THIS "split" (at least, not without some external factor as the source). Yes, the team split to form a second branch but even when the second branch went in another "direction" (the error that was "Force Works"), there wasn't the same kind of split we've seen courtesy of Bendis. Even when the government devised its own line-up under Gyrich's watchful eye, the resulting team still worked pretty well together, reserving their real ire towards the government's interference.

caleb

07-31-2006, 02:47 PM

That Black Panther #18 was stupid and I could even justify telling someone to read through it just to get to that cool little exchange between Captain America, Iron Man, and Black Panther. The Spider-Man and Giant Ape fight was predictable if only to have the "superhero wedding" aspect of it. Lastly the most offensive was the issue being "way too black" for it's own good. I wonder how Aaron McGruder would have wrote this issue, but every page I turned just angered me more to see how "black" they made it. No seriously, go ahead. I will give you 5 seconds to look at the first page with BB and Storm together and how comes to mind when you see it. Then Fidel Castro? The crew from BET? Oprah? Where was the black guy from MTV News with that head turban thing? So you finished figuring who they look like? Jay-Z and Beyonce.

Wow, how great would it have been if Huey walked in in the middle of the ceremony? Given McGruder's distatse for BET (I wonder if he's had more strips making fun of BET or of the Bush Administration over the years?), I'm sure he would have made for an awesome interaction.

As for Spidey, he just doesn't get along with dudes who dress in head-to-toe animal skins with their faces sticking out of where the animals' mouths would have been (The Rhino, The Grizzly).

Don Mega

07-31-2006, 03:17 PM

I don´t know what to think about Morrisons´ first Batman issue.

It´s totally out of character to have Batman throw a deadly wounded Joker in to the trashcan.

Newsflash Mr. Morrison, that dark ´n gritty Batman was BEFORE OYL. One year passed and it supposed to have changed the BIG 3.

And by the way. Batman cleaned Gotham from "Supercrime"? Ah yeah? When did that happen??? Last issue there where more than enuff Supervillains. Was there a special I didn´t read?

Of course one thing is saving this book and that is art-god Andy Kubert. Each page a masterpiece.

That art is so good, it even makes this "story" tolerable.

tiso_spencer

07-31-2006, 03:56 PM

The problem I had with Batman is that it looked pretty, but read ugly. It was confusing at the start of the issue. There was too much that was supposed to be explained and were just to accept it, Batman throwing Joker with a gunshot wound to the face into the dumpster was so out of character, especially when he could have killed him countless times over the years. Personally, Detective Comics spoiled me. I see no reason to bother with Batman, ninja-bats, and his new son the amazing "Ninja kid who probably hates his daddy because Talia said so" storyline.

bluebird

07-31-2006, 03:58 PM

Groovie Mann

07-31-2006, 04:02 PM

Da_Black_Goku

07-31-2006, 05:52 PM

zeraze1

07-31-2006, 06:39 PM

The Spider-Man and Giant Ape fight was predictable if only to have the "superhero wedding" aspect of it.

Actually, no. What made the fight funny is Spidey's moment of self-awareness. He tries to talk Man-Ape out of a brawl because it would be such a cliche.

Lastly the most offensive was the issue being "way too black" for it's own good.

Wakanda is an overwhelmingly Black nation as is the case with most African countries. So, of course, it's going to be "too Black."

It's no different than Reed and Sue Richards wedding was "too White" because it was set in NYC, which is (gasp!) mostly White people.

I wonder how Aaron McGruder would have wrote this issue, but every page I turned just angered me more to see how "black" they made it.

McGruder doesn't care to write for comic companies so we'll never know.

No seriously, go ahead. I will give you 5 seconds to look at the first page with BB and Storm together and how comes to mind when you see it.

A happy celebrity couple?

Then Fidel Castro?

Hey, Storm's grandfather wasn't thrilled with President Bush being on the guest list, but T'Challa invited both Bush and Castro for the sake of international relations and being polite.

It is a shame we won't see how Bush and Castro would interact in the same room. I'm betting it would go about as well as T'Challa mediating the Cap/Iron Man argument.

The crew from BET?

Black Panther and Storm are Black superheroes/political figures/celebrities.

Like every other Black media outlet, BET covers stories about political figures and celebrities.

Ergo, BET along with magazines like Black Enterprise would cover Black Panther and Storm getting hitched.

Besides, Black media usually does a better job cover events in Africa besides famines, wars, etc. than most of mainstream American mass media.

Oprah?

Why not? Considering her humanitarian efforts in Africa, Oprah would be a logical pick for T'Challa and Ororo's guest list.

Besides, Oprah's really great at attracting a broad cross section of TV viewers. If Oprah used even a little of that pull for comics, the industry would lose its "for White male geeks only" image overnight.

Jay-Z and Beyonce.

Oh, no. Not the "all Black people look alike" syndrome again.

If Black Panther were drawn by Greg Land or even Bryan Hitch, then I wouldn't be surprised since those artists' depictions of superheroes are based on real celebrities. By contrast, Scot Eaton (Black Panther) draws superheroes as they have traditionally appeared in previous comics.

Thus, Ororo and T'Challa look like Ororo and T'Challa.

zeraze

Rene

07-31-2006, 06:39 PM

Nobody is compared to Viet-congs or to Japanese Americans being put in camps during the war and those texts are very far from being insulting. They are part of YOUR American history and just happen to fit the new situation of the Marvel Universe, for better or worse. I, for one, think it's interesting to see a British writer using US history quotations in such a clever manner.

If people were so "sensitive" back in the 60s, Lee and Kirby wouldn't have done a tenth of all the Cold War stuff they did in the core Marvel books, not to mention the WWII stuff. Hell, I can see how Claremont would have been for crucified for putting the Holocaust in Magneto's origin story in the 80s.

I'm not sure where all this stuff comes from, but this sort of criticism raises its head again and again nowadays. For a portion of people out there mixing fantastic fiction with real world stuff is kinda like, I dunno, as if they were doing something like writing porn fan fiction with Jesus and the Apostles.

But the Marvel Universe was founded on this sorta stuff. It has always been Marvel's way. There were Vietnam stories when the Vietnam War was actually going on. One of the things that differentiated Marvel from DC. Back then people thought this kinda stuff was great, today everyone is so stuck-up and sensitive.

If we take things to its logical conclusion, superhero comics would always be about Krypton and talking apes, as more and more themes are judged "sensitive" and "not adequate" to a superhero comic.

zeraze1

07-31-2006, 06:50 PM

Wow, how great would it have been if Huey walked in in the middle of the ceremony? Given McGruder's distatse for BET (I wonder if he's had more strips making fun of BET or of the Bush Administration over the years?), I'm sure he would have made for an awesome interaction.

Huey would give BET a break since they were covering the wedding of two Black superheroes who share his many beliefs like having Black pride, defying U.S. "regime change," defending civil liberties, supporting human rights, and cracking down on the exploitation of Africans by foreignors and their African lackeys.

Storm's criticism of the US Superhero Registration Act alone would be enough to get a "Preach, sister!" from Huey:

http://www.popcultureshock.com/reviews.php?id=5625

As for Spidey, he just doesn't get along with dudes who dress in head-to-toe animal skins with their faces sticking out of where the animals' mouths would have been (The Rhino, The Grizzly).

Yeah, especially when the animal supervillains try to sucker punch Spidey.

zeraze

JLAJRC

07-31-2006, 06:52 PM

Maybe he's not literally saying "Hey, these anti-registration guys are a lot like the Viet Cong, and S.H.I.E.L.D. troops are just like American GIs!" but when you juxtapose the images the way he does, that's what readers are going to take from it. And while Billy Joel may have provided the words themselves, it was Paul Jenkins who wrote the script that drew parallels between a very real, very bloody conflict and a fictional scuffle in a comic book.

Personally, I don't find it offensive, just pointless. I easily can see how others would be offended, though.

While I have yet to read Civil War #4, I got to admit I also think that these pieces are kind of pointless. They just seem like filler. Ok, so this particular fictional event is like some real historical event. Mildly interesting, so what?

zeraze1

07-31-2006, 06:56 PM

Don't worry, "the South" will be back soon. :rolleyes:

Too true.

One of the pluses of Hudlin's Black Panther and the reactions to it is the ease with which you can seperate the truly tolerant from the bigots putting up a front.

On that note, here is Hudlin's take on all the racial brouhaha over Storm marrying Black Panther:

For the small but vocal contengent who write stuff like OOC, and expect everyone to understand what that means.... what it really means is "why would Storm choose Black Panther?" He's doesn't have superpowers, he's not a mutant, he's not as popular as her...and the big unspoken one - he's black. To readers like those, Storm is the kind of black woman who, regardless of who she might really be, is percieved to be a white man's woman more than a black man's woman. So for Storm to pick a man like T'Challa over Wolverine or Gambit or Forge makes them feel betrayed. OJ level betrayed. Like they found out the black person they liked...was black. Like all those other black people out there they don't like.

You can read the full interview here:

http://itsthejoint.net/Exclusive:_Interview_w/Reginald_Hudlin

zeraze

Brother Zag

07-31-2006, 06:57 PM

New Avengers #22 (Marvel; by Caleb) ...Cage refuses to commit, and gives an eloquent speech about his attachment to his neighborhood.

I thought Luke Cage's speech was brilliant. Bendis makes great use of comics' ability to mirror reality, to function as metaphor. This goes well beyond the comic book page:

LUKE CAGE: The world ain't a nice place. If it was, WE wouldn't be who WE are. You're trying to make the world something it ain't. And worse, you're selling yourselves to do it. And who are you selling to? Huh? What you're trying to do -- it can't be done. It's not human nature.
TONY STARK/IRON MAN: Luke, I need to know. Will you sign on?
LUKE CAGE: Guess we'll find out at midnight.
TONY STARK/IRON MAN: Luke, they will come to your home and they will take you out of here. And if that doesn't work, they'll call US in next. Do you WANT that? Is THAT what your goal is?
LUKE CAGE: Oh. Is it Mississippi in the 1950's now?
TONY STARK/IRON MAN: Oh, come on!
LUKE CAGE: The difference is?
TONY STARK/IRON MAN: Stop it! Will you stop?
LUKE CAGE: Getting pulled out of your HOME in the middle of the night for being DIFFERENT is the same now as it was then...
JESSICA JONES: Does have a TIMELESS quality to it...
LUKE CAGE: Don't it?
TONY STARK/IRON MAN: No. THIS is about breaking the law.
LUKE CAGE: Slavery used to be a law.
JESSICA JONES: Luke...
TONY STARK/IRON MAN: You're TWISTING this. And I won't hear it!
LUKE CAGE: You SHOULD hear it. You should turn those robot ears on real loud, because it is what it is, baby. You're perverting it all. You're DISTORTING the ideas YOU said we stand for to the point that when you're DONE with all of this... the ideas won't mean ANYTHING. You'll stand for NOTHING, except whatever "THEY" tell you to.

What a great piece of writing, relevant and real. I know I could hear Luke Cage loud and clear in my head when he was telling Stark to turn up his "robot ears" "real loud" (there are some Republicans I wish would turn up their "robot ears"...). The simple beats of Luke and Jessica's conversation as she and the baby prepare to leave read like real life, too, the see-saw between the mundane and profound. Oh, and there's lots of punching and smashing, as well, if that's important to you. Bravo, Mr Bendis. I know it's fashionable to bash the guy, but really, this is top notch writing, folks, no matter the genre. And kudos for Leinil Yu, too. Cage's facial expressions sell the script, and Yu manages to make Iron Man emote through position, framing and shadow. "Civil War" is a cool crossover concept, but better than that, its relevance to today's America is allowing, or pushing, the writers and artists at Marvel to create some of their best work to date.

Grant Morrison and "BatmAndy" Kubert (I liked that one...) do a great job on the new Batman, too. Morrison channels Alfred: Hello? Yes, archetypal Alfred? What would you say to the Bat Man if you could? What was that? Oh! Lighten up, get laid, and work on your alter ego (or you're cruisin' for an identity crisis?). Go to Paris!?

If I've learned anything reading the work of Mr. Morrison, it's this: if something strikes you as odd, there's usually going to be a reason for it. Everybody's piling on complaints about Joker's dumpster dive:

I'm not saying that Grant is the picture of perfection here. Batman's handling of Joker, while understandable and realistic, isn't consistent with how the character has been written in the past. Maybe this is how the New Earth would treat a fallen villain that could still be saved. Maybe this is how Bruce reacts to Jason telling him that the only problem he had with Batman was that Joker is still alive. I don't know. It is minor enough of a concern that I can easily leave it behind until Grant comes back around to deal with it again.

Leave it behind! I betcha it'll come back around. You'll find out the "why?" and then be, like, "oh, that's so cool!" Morrison isn't stupid. Give the man some credit. I'll credit him this: The world of Batman has become too claustrophobic. Morrison opens Batman, and Bruce Wayne, back up to the world. He brings out qualities in the characters that have faded. He splinters in pieces of the past... even referencing the days when the Batman carried a gun. And BatmAndy Kubert aids and abets Morrison well.

Now if we could only get Grant Morrison to write Super... oh, yeah, he's kicking ass on that, too, isn't he?

Finally, I've got to defend Paul Jenkins' Frontline back ups featuring wars throughout human history placed next to panels of superhero action. You can harp on him for comparing comic book stories with real wars, but doesn't that show a certain inferiority complex at work? Why aren't comic books fit territory for contemplating the horrors of war? I submit that they are fit, they're what we make them, and if we don't allow our books to address grown-up issues, we're not going to get books fit to be read by grown-ups. What's wrong with adding a human dimension? Jenkins artfully uses the work of other writers reacting to war's horrors to cast the comic book war in a new light. Methinks it makes many uncomfortable. Sometimes Great art makes you uncomfortable. That's okay! That seems forgotten in these days of Life, Comfortability, and the Pursuit of Truthiness.

Colossus2420

07-31-2006, 07:04 PM

I'm not sure where all this stuff comes from, but this sort of criticism raises its head again and again nowadays. For a portion of people out there mixing fantastic fiction with real world stuff is kinda like, I dunno, as if they were doing something like writing porn fan fiction with Jesus and the Apostles.

Isn't Jesus and the Apostles the next Alan Moore project? Yeah, it's about JC and the boys before they were big, just a garage band really, getting stoned and discovering their "sexuality" with each other. It's all good until Yoko--uh, Mary Magdalene--comes along....

Brother Zag

07-31-2006, 07:15 PM

Isn't Jesus and the Apostles the next Alan Moore project? Yeah, it's about JC and the boys before they were big, just a garage band really, getting stoned and discovering their "sexuality" with each other. It's all good until Yoko--uh, Mary Magdalene--comes along....

It's Called "All The Acts of The Apostles"...

Brother Zag

07-31-2006, 07:18 PM

I missed this first time around...

That Black Panther #18 was stupid and I could even justify telling someone to read through it just to get to that cool little exchange between Captain America, Iron Man, and Black Panther. The Spider-Man and Giant Ape fight was predictable if only to have the "superhero wedding" aspect of it. Lastly the most offensive was the issue being "way too black" for it's own good... every page I turned just angered me more to see how "black" they made it.

Let me quote from NA 22 again:

LUKE CAGE: Oh. Is it Mississippi in the 1950's now?

Devster

07-31-2006, 08:26 PM

I'm not saying that Grant is the picture of perfection here. Batman's handling of Joker, while understandable and realistic, isn't consistent with how the character has been written in the past. Maybe this is how the New Earth would treat a fallen villain that could still be saved. Maybe this is how Bruce reacts to Jason telling him that the only problem he had with Batman was that Joker is still alive. I don't know. It is minor enough of a concern that I can easily leave it behind until Grant comes back around to deal with it again.
Apologies in advance for my pseudo-spoiler formatting attempt.
Maybe it's just me, but I thought this was cleared up in the 3rd panel on page 12, which had Gordon explaining it wasn't Bats, that "it was the other guy, the nut in the batman suit. Ex-cop. Seems like he just snapped and took it upon himself to clean up the city." - Does this not jive with everyone else's reading? and then later, Robin's comment and Bruce's reply hinted it wasn't bats after all, but he understood the value of the word on the street about it. shrug. Maybe I read it too simply for Morrison. :p

Koben Kelly

07-31-2006, 09:52 PM

Did Koben read the same Astro City special that I did? The whole book was about them each trying to sway the other to their cause.

I believe you were reading issue # 1B. Issue 1A was about defining Infidel as a character.

I can't wait for next week's Xero attack. *yawn*

Thanks
---Koben:rolleyes:

bolt

07-31-2006, 10:34 PM

Why isn't there a review on Nightwing#122??

I would've loved reading a review on it! It's just sooooo awful I don't know what else to say! :mad:

Anyone care explaining what happened in that book? Wassup with Jason Todd???:confused: Now i want a toll free number where I could vote and kill him all over a million times! I hated the idea they brought him back, and the idea how he was brought back, and what he is right now!:mad:

caleb

07-31-2006, 11:16 PM

It is a shame we won't see how Bush and Castro would interact in the same room. I'm betting it would go about as well as T'Challa mediating the Cap/Iron Man argument.

Ha! That would have been sweet if T'Challa was like. "Well, that went well." Then crossed the hall, and starts talking to Fidel, and then Bush walks in, and they both go "T'Challa? What's he doing here?"

caleb

07-31-2006, 11:23 PM

If people were so "sensitive" back in the 60s, Lee and Kirby wouldn't have done a tenth of all the Cold War stuff they did in the core Marvel books, not to mention the WWII stuff. Hell, I can see how Claremont would have been for crucified for putting the Holocaust in Magneto's origin story in the 80s.

I'm not sure where all this stuff comes from, but this sort of criticism raises its head again and again nowadays. For a portion of people out there mixing fantastic fiction with real world stuff is kinda like, I dunno, as if they were doing something like writing porn fan fiction with Jesus and the Apostles.

But the Marvel Universe was founded on this sorta stuff. It has always been Marvel's way. There were Vietnam stories when the Vietnam War was actually going on. One of the things that differentiated Marvel from DC. Back then people thought this kinda stuff was great, today everyone is so stuck-up and sensitive.

If we take things to its logical conclusion, superhero comics would always be about Krypton and talking apes, as more and more themes are judged "sensitive" and "not adequate" to a superhero comic.

There's nothing wrong with talking apes...

I don't think the subject matter should necesarrily be off limits, and certain Marvel and DC can and should address real-world wars and horrors (Mark Millar's WOLVERINE issue about the Nazi concentration camp is a good recent example). The thing about the FRONTLINE stories though is they're not set in these time periods and they don't address those events in any way other than to compare them to what's going on in CIVIL WAR.

I didn't mind the first one, which seemed more or less parallel, and didn't really have anythgn to do with the Marvel Universe anyway...there were just drawings of Spider-Man crawling around the story.

The second one though, made no real sense. It was basically "Caesar once faced a big decision there was no going back from. So did Iron Man." So what?

The next one compared WWI to Bantam and Thunderclap fighting...?

And this issue's was about how the arrest of Typeface was like the Vietnam War? Typeface?! Vietnam? I don't think Vietnam's off limits (it's integral to the Punisher, for example, and BORN is a great Marvel comic book story set during the Vietnam War), but I think Marvel should have thought this through a little better. The whole point of the backups is to blatantly, explicitly compare their supehero crossover with real world atrocities, and I just find it an incredible reach in every instance (one that gets more frustrating each issue).

jonnynyc

07-31-2006, 11:25 PM

Finally, I've got to defend Paul Jenkins' Frontline back ups featuring wars throughout human history placed next to panels of superhero action. You can harp on him for comparing comic book stories with real wars, but doesn't that show a certain inferiority complex at work? Why aren't comic books fit territory for contemplating the horrors of war? I submit that they are fit, they're what we make them, and if we don't allow our books to address grown-up issues, we're not going to get books fit to be read by grown-ups. What's wrong with adding a human dimension? Jenkins artfully uses the work of other writers reacting to war's horrors to cast the comic book war in a new light. Methinks it makes many uncomfortable. Sometimes Great art makes you uncomfortable. That's okay! That seems forgotten in these days of Life, Comfortability, and the Pursuit of Truthiness.

I think no one would care about the Civil War back ups if they actually were "great art" but they aren't.
Yet again I say he quoted a Billy Joel song. The HORROR!
I even defended the first story earlier cause it kind of made sense as a possible outcome of the Civil War but the back-ups are getting worse each issue and are starting to feel like a waste of space it what otherwise is a decent read.
THAT is what makes them tacky.

eyendasky80

08-01-2006, 12:13 AM

Apologies in advance for my pseudo-spoiler formatting attempt.
Maybe it's just me, but I thought this was cleared up in the 3rd panel on page 12, which had Gordon explaining it wasn't Bats, that "it was the other guy, the nut in the batman suit. Ex-cop. Seems like he just snapped and took it upon himself to clean up the city." - Does this not jive with everyone else's reading? and then later, Robin's comment and Bruce's reply hinted it wasn't bats after all, but he understood the value of the word on the street about it. shrug. Maybe I read it too simply for Morrison. :p

This is how I read it as well. And I was surprised no one else picked up on that. It was there in black and white. Did I miss something that negates Gordon's claim that it was a different person in the suit?

Skyrider

08-01-2006, 12:24 AM

redskindavyd

08-01-2006, 12:33 AM

i thought the YA/Runaways comic was terrible myself. the art felt too murky and the story just seemed so rushed to get the two teams together while bombarding the reader with everything about civil war and especially where the runaways were at the moment.

I didn't mind it, follows along with the current order of things at Marvel right now (RE: Civil War stuff). The art was so-so, the story was pretty good. It appears that it will be a descent limited series. I did however hate that Flag Smasher appears just a couple months after he was killed in the Cable/Deadpool series. Especially when this story obviously takes place after the Cable/Deadpool one in continuity. :mad:

Brother Zag

08-01-2006, 12:47 AM

No. People just don't always pick up on sublety. :(

Certainly, the Bats w/the gun was the ex-cop, pseudo Bats. But real Bats shows up immediately, and his mask is not torn. Look again as Bats picks up The Joker, it's definitely the real Batman that picks the body of the Joker up... and then tosses it.

And I'm thinking Grant Morrison is gonna blow our minds with the explanation. Or f w/us by never explaining it. All that crap aside... What a Way to start an issue, huh?!

beta-ray

08-01-2006, 12:50 AM

The problem I had with Batman is that it looked pretty, but read ugly.

I'm wonder tiso_spencer, is there ANY comic that you actually like? I don't recall the last time I ever saw a comment from you that was positive.

Re: The Frontline back pages... I haven't read them yet (yeah yeah I am behind), but if you like the comic overall and you KNOW the last two pages are crap, is it that hard to just skip them? Seems people are getting theirs in a twist for something not directly tied to the story...

tyopot

08-01-2006, 01:00 AM

well, i haevn't seen any previews for batman. i wud like to see some andy kubert batman.

khuxford

08-01-2006, 11:58 AM

SPOILER

It´s totally out of character to have Batman throw a deadly wounded Joker in to the trashcan.

Newsflash Mr. Morrison, that dark ´n gritty Batman was BEFORE OYL. One year passed and it supposed to have changed the BIG 3.

And by the way. Batman cleaned Gotham from "Supercrime"? Ah yeah? When did that happen??? Last issue there where more than enuff Supervillains. Was there a special I didn´t read?

First of all, please take the time to avoid spoilers if we've avoided them in our reviews.

Second of all, Grant's Batman is no more grim/gritty than James Robinson's Batman was. He laughed at the same thing Gordon was laughing at earlier and he expressed the same "softer side" pride in Tim.

Lastly, maybe you read a different James Robinson arc than I did. You know...the arc where half the villains were killed and the other half jailed ('cept for the newly reborn Two-Face).

But I'm glad that we both agree that the art is superb. :)

khuxford

08-01-2006, 12:08 PM

This is how I read it as well. And I was surprised no one else picked up on that. It was there in black and white. Did I miss something that negates Gordon's claim that it was a different person in the suit?

I didn't catch the implication that the Batman who tossed the Joker in the trash wasn't Bruce, but it makes sense. I only followed it to say that the fake Batman was the shooter, but it does follow that it could be the one who chucked the body, as well...only that I don't remember nearly enough costume damage.

khuxford

08-01-2006, 12:09 PM

And I'm thinking Grant Morrison is gonna blow our minds with the explanation. Or f w/us by never explaining it. All that crap aside... What a Way to start an issue, huh?!

That's how I read it as well, but you have to allow for the idea that Andy just had a momentary lapse of scene continuity, too. :)

Kolimar

08-01-2006, 04:56 PM

<img src="http://www.newsarama.com/BestShots/July06/BP_18_VARIANT.jpg" align="left">Black Panther #18
From: Marvel
Writer: Reginald Hudlin
Art: Scot Eaton, Klaus Janson and Kaare Andrews
Review by J. Caleb Mozzocco

Writer Reginald Hudlin’s Black Panther relaunch has been a hard book to read and a harder book to like, certainly harder than it needed to be. It seems to have re-booted Black Panther continuity to a certain extent (and don’t tell me the first arc was a “Year One” story unless you’re ready to explain Klaw, the Black Knight and Condoleeza Rice’s presence in it!), but every other Marvel book simply ignored the fact that it did.

Agreed.

That coupled with the ever-changing art teams has kept me from being entirely faithful to the book (it’s a lot easier to stick with a book that John Romita Jr.’s drawing, that’s for sure), but almost every time I have picked up an issue or trade, I’ve been pleasantly surprised. (Not counting the X-Men crossover, which also re-booted the Red Ghost and his apes, for some reason).

This issue was no exception and, in many ways is the climax of Hudlin’s run on the title, tying several themes he’s worked in previous arcs together. The fact that the issue is something of a homerun is actually quite a relief—I was awfully worried going in.

Marvel seemed to start hyping the issue way too early, with the typo-bearing wedding invitations and announcement that an Emmy winner would be designing Storm’s dress long months ago, before Civil Warstarted sucking the oxygen out of the Marvel Universe (In fact, this issue bears a “Civil War Cease-Fire” banner).

From Frank Cho’s fantastic cover to the dress design sketches in the back, this is a winning comic book full of old-school superhero fun, and a Marvel wedding destined to be one of the classics (despite how awkward it was making T’Challa and Ororo into soulmates all of a sudden, in the build up).

Even Civil War fits fairly naturally into the story, with Luke Cage and Spidey having an extremely awkward conversation, Luke asking Jessica about maybe moving to Wakanda (Probably should have checked with Bendis before including that panel) and T’Challa trying to broker peace between his guests Iron Man and Captain America.

The guest list is a corny mixture of Marvel celebrities and real ones—Oprah, Bush, Prince and some BET veejayes mingle with the X-Men and Avengers— but has some really nice, memorable moments, including Professor X’s chat with his daughter figure, Spider-Man and a drunken Man-Ape coming to blows (“Now it’s a superhero wedding!”) and hints of “The Black Avengers” (Come on Hudlin, pitch it! They gave Bendis a second Avengers book, surely they’ll let you write a third one!).

If I have any complaints, they’re just little ones—I still have a hard time looking at Wolverine in his stupid yellow and blue costume and not chuckling, and I can’t fathom why he’s using it as formal wear here, for example—and they are all easily made up for by nice little touches, like Kaare Andrews’ art during a journey to meet the Panther god and Cho’s Bishop and Namor on the back cover.

Past Panther and Storm continuity were stacked against Hudlin here, the current state of the Marvel Universe (Civil War, the X-books, New Avengers) was stacked against him, but he still managed to make this wedding issue work.

Good points.

ziza9

08-01-2006, 06:19 PM

"Eventually, the two realized that they were canceling each other out with every action and reaction. Neither of them would ever be able to rid themselves of the other. A decision was reached to maintain the peace. Both would make the world the most enjoyable and satisfying environment possible. As an annual event, both would enjoy supper together, sizing up the other under the guise of pleasantry. An exchange of some sort would usually take place, Samaritan bringing scientific journals and magazines, Infidel handing over scrolls detailing his newest schematics."

An allegory for Marvel and DC perhaps?

ziza9

08-01-2006, 06:40 PM

That Black Panther #18 was stupid and I could even justify telling someone to read through it just to get to that cool little exchange between Captain America, Iron Man, and Black Panther. The Spider-Man and Giant Ape fight was predictable if only to have the "superhero wedding" aspect of it. Lastly the most offensive was the issue being "way too black" for it's own good. I wonder how Aaron McGruder would have wrote this issue, but every page I turned just angered me more to see how "black" they made it. No seriously, go ahead. I will give you 5 seconds to look at the first page with BB and Storm together and how comes to mind when you see it. Then Fidel Castro? The crew from BET? Oprah? Where was the black guy from MTV News with that head turban thing? So you finished figuring who they look like? Jay-Z and Beyonce.
"way too black" for it's own good---wow, you actually said that. wow. I'll stop responding now before I get uncivilized and act way too black for my own good. wow.

Koben Kelly

08-01-2006, 09:41 PM

"way too black" for it's own good---wow, you actually said that. wow. I'll stop responding now before I get uncivilized and act way too black for my own good. wow.

Yeah, I have to say that I myself am sometimes way too black for my own good. Even though I'm an ivory-skinned Irishman... I just can't help it.

Ziza, the level of obtuse racism in reply sections never seems to amaze me. You have jackasses calling Firestorm Thugstorm. You have one certain genius (no names, but he knows who he is) claiming that ethnic diversity in comics is a way of pandering to the Hip-hop Generation (gag). The guy even made the illogical leap that a black Firestorm and a latino Blue Beetle would be followed by DC Direct releasing action figures of current hip-hop artists. Now, you have this guy complaining about the wedding issue being too black. Someone already made mention of this, but how many damn comic books are too white? As if there are such things. It makes perfect sense that a Wakandan leader and a former African goddess would have a wedding where the majority of those in attendance are black. If someone is offended by this, maybe they need to worry more about their racial phobias, and less about comic book weddings.

Thanks
---Koben:)

ziza9

08-02-2006, 03:51 AM

Yeah, I have to say that I myself am sometimes way too black for my own good. Even though I'm an ivory-skinned Irishman... I just can't help it.

Ziza, the level of obtuse racism in reply sections never seems to amaze me. You have jackasses calling Firestorm Thugstorm. You have one certain genius (no names, but he knows who he is) claiming that ethnic diversity in comics is a way of pandering to the Hip-hop Generation (gag). The guy even made the illogical leap that a black Firestorm and a latino Blue Beetle would be followed by DC Direct releasing action figures of current hip-hop artists. Now, you have this guy complaining about the wedding issue being too black. Someone already made mention of this, but how many damn comic books are too white? As if there are such things. It makes perfect sense that a Wakandan leader and a former African goddess would have a wedding where the majority of those in attendance are black. If someone is offended by this, maybe they need to worry more about their racial phobias, and less about comic book weddings.

Thanks
---Koben:)

Very well stated my friend. If he had used the words 'overly cheesy' or something like that in regards to what he perceived as a likeness I wouldn't have cared, but statements like "way too black" smack of ignorance and intolerance disguised as a comic book rant.