BEST SHOTS: WONDER WOMAN, STORMWATCH, OPTIC NEVER, MR STUFFINS, AND MORE

[MattBrady]

by The Best Shots Team, courtesy of ShotgunReviews.com
Your Host: Troy Brownfield

Let’s start with the shameless plugging. Over at the lovely ShotgunReviews.com, you’ll find “Shots in the Dark”, our internet radio program. Yesterday’s show featured Lucas, Janelle, and the gang interviewing guest Jeph Loeb, who weighed in on comics, Heroes, writing, Lost, and even Teen Wolf, Too for well over an hour. Hop right to www.shotgunreviews.com/shots to check out the show.

Also, keep a look out this week as our “Down for the Count” coverage begins! Every day this week on Newsarama, we’re previewing DC’s Countdown event with a series of pieces that checks in on the history of the items covered in those teaser ads and buttons. You want to know about the Fourth World? How about Kamandi and the Great Disaster? Mary Marvel, Trickster, Piper, Jimmy Olsen, and the Atom(s)? We’ll have it.

Not only that, but I’ll be doing a piece bridging the WW3 books to OYL. You may recall that when OYL hit, we did a couple of articles that covered where everyone wound up. Now we circle back to finally cover how some of them got there. Craziness!

(For the record, this coverage will no doubt result in someone calling us DC-biased for the week. I can’t wait for when the Top Shelf week kicks in.)

And, of course, . . . The Column Rules!

1) Be kind to one another and my hard-working team. It’s fine to disagree with the reviews or with each other, but let’s stick to factual points and literary themes and leave the personal stuff out. Intentionally rude behavior isn’t welcome. And for the record, when you signed the terms of service agreement, you acknowledged that your posts can be deleted for inappropriate stuff. So don’t hide behind free speech when you know what you’re doing.

2) Each review is individually credited to the person who actually wrote it. Although Matt Brady’s name is on the post at the upper left, that’s because he is the Sly of Newsarama and the rest of us are just the Family Stone.

3) If you happen to catch a factual error or a typo, drop me a personal message and I’ll correct it. In a column that can often run up to 20 pages in Word doc form, things do sometimes squeak through. I’d rather you just zap me a mail than derail the entire discussion. I’ll delete any post about grammar, mainly because that means that the person could find a mistake but couldn’t be bothered to read the top of the column.

We now get you to the regularly scheduled reviews . . .

Spirit Archives vol. 20
Written & Illustrated by Will Eisner
Published by DC
Reviewed by Michael C Lorah

This volume collects all of The Spirit Sunday sections from January through June of 1950. Will Eisner had been at it for ten years by this point and in slightly more than two years (October 5, 1952), he’d end the strip entirely. He’d begun creating new ideas for comics strips and books, comics with titles like Baseball Comics and Kewpies and John Law. So, after producing the Spirit for nearly ten years (excepting only a few years when he was in the army during World War II and his assistants were left to ably carry on in Eisner’s stead) and with his attention diverted by various efforts at creating even newer material, you could forgive Eisner if the quality of The Spirit dipped a little bit in the section’s later years.

Impressively, that hasn’t been the case at all. By the end of Spirit Archives v.20, Eisner and his assistants had produced over 3500 pages of Spirit stories, and you can’t find a trace of creative slack in this volume. Perhaps it is, as the introduction to this volume states, the increased role of Eisner’s pupil, one Jules Feiffer, who wrote a chunk of stories in this volume (though always under Eisner’s supervision, and always with Eisner’s visual storytelling mastery imprinted on every page, every panel, of the final product). Perhaps Eisner’s well of ideas simply never ran dry, but whatever the case, the stories in this volume are not only the best 1950s comics I’ve ever read – they’re among the best comics I’ve ever read, period.

The Spirit’s elasticity allows Eisner to go just about anywhere, including using the strip to answer fan mail (Jan. 1, 1950’s “Fan Mail”), supernatural (Fe. 19’s “The Half-Dead Mr. Lox”), whimsical kids’ stories (May 7’s “Pito”) or noir crime tales (see a crook get his just deserts in May 21’s “Big Arky”). The centerpiece of this volume, however, has to be the introduction of another terrific Eisner femme fatale, Sand Saref. A girl who grew up in the same rough and tumble neighborhood as Denny Colt (later to become the Spirit), Sand took to life on the wrong side of the law, leaving the Spirit torn between his devotion to an old friend and his desire for justice. After her introduction in a two-part strip in mid-January 1950, Sand leaps back into the Spirit’s life in February 26’s “Blood of the Earth,” and she stays by the his side for the next five strips. (Both Sand and the Spirit are off-page for two delightful and amusing strips, as well, another testament to the flexibility of Eisner’s creation.) The Spirit and Sand trek across southern Pacific islands, trying to outfox each other in pursuit of the Jewel of Gizeh, while staying a step ahead of backstabbing villain Mr. Carrion, pirates and oil barons. Each strip is an engaging and exciting battle for survival, but taken together, you have one of the great Spirit epics of all time.

The Spirit’s hallmarks, Eisner’s amazing splash pages and unparalleled page layouts remain as strong as ever. “Sand Saref,” “The Half Dead Mr. Lox,” “Blood of the Earth,” and “Sammy and Delilah” are just some of the superb splashes in this volume, while “Water” has some of Eisner’s best slapstick work. “Carrion” is an impossibly gorgeous piece, with its dark jungle setting, use of an explosive gunshot BANG, and dramatically paced entry into a half-underwater freighter. The story should be the textbook for dramatic comics.

There aren’t too many superlatives that haven’t been lavished on The Spirit at this point, but it’s always good to remember why the strip has earned every one of them. Eisner’s dramatic staging and page compositions, use of lettering to enhance the mood of each piece (and nobody lettered better than Eisner), willingness to move between terse drama, silly humor or haunted scare stories all combine to give The Spirit a quality of creativity and imagination that may never have been surpassed in the 55 years since Denny Colt last donned his blue mask under his creator’s guidance.

Wonder Woman #7
Written by Jodi Picoult
Drawn by Drew Johnson
Published by DC
Review by Sarah Jaffe

Wonder Woman is a mainstream superhero comic and Jodi Picoult is a decorated mainstream writer of what one reviewer called “women’s fiction.” I am not familiar with the past however-many years of Wonder Woman comic-book history, my experience being limited to a couple of kids’ books that I read probably 20 years ago, and I have never read any of Picoult’s work, but I wanted to give this somewhat unlikely combination a shot because Picoult is one of a string of big-name novelists joining the comic world, and the first to take the helm of a major female character. Poor Tamora Pierce was saddled with a third-rate superhero in White Tiger, and Denise Mina had better luck with Hellblazer, but she was handed a male antihero. I would never dare to forget Gail Simone, but with women writing comics, as far as I’m concerned, there can never be too many.

The combination of a respected lady novelist and a much-loved character with a rabid (and mostly male) fanbase may not be the sign of a new era at DC Comics, but to me, it’s long overdue. Wonder Woman is a woman, after all. She’s a woman who kicks a lot of butt and doesn’t spend her time thinking about Prada shoes or relationships, but she’s still a woman. Currently, as OJ pointed out, Picoult’s got kind of a mess to clean up. Agent Diana Prince has been assigned to arrest her alter ego, her partner has been kidnapped and has a Lois Lane-like crush on Wonder Woman, and her fame as a superhero has plummeted. Picoult gets to show her skills with plenty of thoughtful internal monologues, and inject some humor into the process with the banter between Nemesis and Wonder Woman, but that just serves to remind me of one of the things that always irritates me about superhero books—how on earth does no one recognize these people? How does the man who works with Diana Prince each day really not see that the woman who’s rescued him is the same person? Wait, I’ve figured it out—that’s why she wears that outfit. Men are too busy staring at her cleavage to notice her face! (OK, fine, that wasn’t that funny.)

This storyline thus far reminds me of Bill’s speech in Kill Bill Part 2. You remember, the one where Bill points out that for Superman, Clark Kent is the disguise and Superman is who he really is, and thus Clark Kent is his commentary on humanity. Well, Agent Prince hasn’t really gotten a chance to comment on humanity because she appears to still be figuring it out, but her enemy here is calling her on her lack of humanity. Not exactly the most original of superhero tales, but Picoult’s writing shines here in a way that some other novelist-turned-comic-writers could only wish for. There’s more humor in this book than in her debut issue, MySpace jokes and cracks at Jessica and Ashlee Simpson, and the flirtation between Wonder Woman and Nemesis is cute. For good measure, there’s even a scene with echoes of Guantanamo.

I can’t say that it’ll be easy to pick up Wonder Woman in midstream like this, even if it is near the beginning of a new storyline. It’s not easy for me—I absolutely hate not knowing what’s going on and thus almost never pick up books mid-series. But as many people have pointed out, Wonder Woman hasn’t gotten the respect she deserves for a long time now, and even if DC wouldn’t let Picoult take her out of the bustier, it’s great to see a real woman taking on Wonder Woman. DC really seems to be taking strides to attract more female readers, and in addition to a line of books aimed at young women, Picoult’s good start to this arc and her name recognition could do more to draw women to mainstream comics.

Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four #1
Writer: Jeff Parker
Artists: Mike Wieringo and Wade Von Grawbadger
From: Marvel
Review by J. Caleb Mozzocco

I’m hard-pressed to decide which is a better team-up. Good old red-and-blue-tights-wearing, secret identity-having Spider-Man and the ever-lovin’ Fantastic Four (complete with pre-fascist Reed Richards), or writer Jeff Parker and artist Mike Wieeringo. What’s that, I don’t have to choose? Whew!

Parker, who’s been writing some of Marvel’s most fun comics of the past few years with Agents of Atlas and Marvel Adventures Avengers is ideally-suited to the wise-cracking Spidey, the bickering Human Torch and Thing and surprise guest-star the Impossible Man. Each and every character note sounds just right, and Parker deftly points out the differences of the characters and their places in the Marvel universe with subtle background action (check out the differing responses crowds of New Yorkers give Spidey and the FF when they show up to tackle an alien menace).

And that’s the big conflict, an alien invasion. It might not sound very dramatic given the regularity with which the FF have dispatched Galactus and Skrulls, but this alien is powerful enough to do the seemingly imposible to the Impossible Man, so there you go.

Wieringo has had plenty of experience drawing both Spidey and the FF, so it should come as no surprise that he continues do very well with both, tonally striking a perfect note between the light, optimistic fun of the characters’ personalities (and I.M.’s ever-shifting sight gag of a countenance) and the genuine menace of some guy threatening to destroy Earth (and making a pretty good start on Spidey’s face).

My sole disappointment isn’t with the issue itself, but with the fact that I’m reading this in mid-April instead of January. Not only would it have made much-needed counter-programming to the Civil War business, but it seems like a trade featuring Marvel’s big two summer movie stars getting together that is both very well-written and very well-drawn would have been something nice to see on shelves for Free Comic Book Day and awaiting parents whose kids are looking for more adventures featuring Spidey and the FF.

Which isn’t to say this is a book for kids or newbies (although it should appeal to both groups as well as hard-core Marvel zombies). This definitely seems to be in-continuity (look, there’s Franklin and Valeria), simply set during Marvel’s antebellum period.

Hack/Slash #1
Written by Tim Seeley
Illustrated by Emily Stone
Published by Devil’s Due
Review by Koben Kelly

After a variety of one-shots and limited series, Hack/Slash is now debuting as an ongoing series. This issue serves to re-establish Hack and her back story, while serving up a new slasher tale for the faithful. And, what an issue it is.

Instead of opening with a small retelling of her origin, things start off with the establishing of the current situation. That is, Hack is screwed. She’s tied up and at the mercy of the delusional undead slasher referred to only as Doc. The historical bits are dripped in throughout the issue as flashbacks for the reader. This style of delivery, new for the series, works quite well exploring the boundaries of sequential storytelling.

Hack’s past was a horrible and torturous one to suffer through. However, one roots for the underdog as incidents displaying the trials of a childhood nerd give way to the blossoming of the goth beauty. I adore the fact that Hack can be a hot and sexy character without bowing to the clichés of overabundant cleavage and hiked-up skirt shots. Granted, the covers give in to the traditional flesh appeal, but, how can I not love panties emblazoned with a skull graphic? Add fishnets, and stir.

Doc is a manifestation of psychology gone wrong. To get to the real man inside himself, he has peeled away all of his skin and tissue covering his musculature, tendons, and bone. He has fantastic aspirations of dissecting the psyche of his victims with verbal analization, but, in truth, he is merely a self-absorbed prick with a shrink’s degree. He simply uses what he knows about how the mind works to make the torture of his victims seem noble. I’ve never seen the protagonist, Hack, in such a vulnerable position before, with all the saving grace of a damsel in distress. Perhaps this is Seeley’s personal commentary on the state of horror fiction devolving back to its 1970s/1980s women-as-victims roots.

The flashbacks in question serve up a wonderful intro to Hack’s life and what put her on the path of hunting slashers. Some schoolgirl bits and the death of her mother are followed by her initial teaming with her trusty behemoth of a sidekick, Vlad. And, yes, Vlad’s English is still atrocious.

Seeley’s humor is not absent in this issue. The juxtaposing of Vlad with the coffee/net bar he stops at to utilize his laptop internet connection is priceless. The idea of concealing a tracer in Hack’s typical attire was an unforeseen yet clever inclusion, as well.

The new artwork from Emily Stone is delightful. She has an amazing style that crosses animation with realism for a wonderful fit with the book’s vibe. Just realistic enough to matter. The skinned Doc is quite gruesome, while Cassie is attractive without being unreal. Case in point being the panel of her sitting on the toilet, sobbing. This may seem nitpicky, but she has a little bulging tummy. So many artists in this business are under the impression that the six-pack never folds or ripples, and I find this attention to detail refreshing. My favorite moment, artwise, is the paralleling of two panels, one with the foreground in focus and the background out, with the next panel featuring the opposite. It’s a cinematic bluff, but it works wonders.

I thoroughly enjoyed this initial stab at a regular series, and I’m on board for issue two.

I give Hack/Slash issue one seven Savinis out of ten.

Stormwatch: Post Human Division #6
Written by Christos Gage
Illustrated by Doug Mahnke
Published by Wildstorm
Review by Koben Kelly

Seeing as how I’ve gone on and on about how much I dig this series, I’ll try to make this short and sweet.

This issue starts off with a *BANG*, as an undressed Gorgeous is found in the office of John Doran. She’s hot to trot, and making no bones about it. I’ve got to give Christos and Doug credit, I did not see that coming. Shock value… sure. But, it hasn’t been used in this series as of yet, so, no harm, no foul. Proving himself the leader he was born to be, John makes the right decision, keeping his family and job in mind.

From there, it is revealed that a member of the team is doing back-room deals with the opposition. They have been giving up Stormwatch secrets for the promise of gaining their heart’s desire. You’ll be absolutely taken aback by who it is. A total Lost moment.

Various bits and hints are dropped about the goings on in the lives of all the team members. This is a technique that Gage is a master of. While keeping the story on the track of the main plotline, he feeds the reader just enough about all the characters to keep them fresh in the reader’s mind.

While I thought that Mahnke’s work had peaked with the cover of this issue… I was wrong. The interior splash, largely the same image, takes the cake. Displaying Defile and all those currently in his employ, I have never seen a more darkly wicked and evil bunch of super-miscreants before. The villains launch into a full-scale attack on Stormwatch headquarters. Fans will recognize many of the attackers from former Wildstorm titles. The trick the female Cooler utilizes to trap everyone inside is fantastic, and I don’t recall it ever being used before.

Fans of Dr. Shaw will be upset, as Defile… um… encourages the emergence of the Monstrosity. The hideous alter-ego is ready to kick ass and take names. To bad the floor isn’t reinforced.

Like I stated already, John is a born leader. This is never more evident than on the last page of this issue, where the respect and admiration he commands gains him a small army for the battle to come.

It just keeps getting better and better.

I give Stormwatch: Post Human Division issue six eight filthy primitives out of ten.

All Star Superman #7
Writer: Grant Morrison
Artist: Frank Quitely
Inked & Colored: Jamie Grant
DC All Star
Review by Steve Ekstrom

Of all the genre-bending comics tearing up shelves in stores, All Star Superman is the finest example of widescreen, super-heroic adventure and surreal science fiction. Morrison’s retro-homage to “your father’s Superman” is just that—he’s not the modern Superman—weighted down by the morass of modernity’s minutia. This Superman is majestic and innocent; this title has singlehandedly restored a great deal of my childlike wonder that has been lost in my adulthood to the post-modern era of comic books. It’s not just Morrison’s strange, quixotic storytelling—its Frank Quitely’s Man of Steel—who resonates like an ode to Curt Swan, strapping and farm boyish.

This issue is strangely haunting—Morrison’s Bizarro(s) are reminiscent of the terrifying surefooted zombies from the re-make of “Dawn of the Dead” mixed with a campy “Invasion of the Body Snatchers”—chasing down their victims and infecting them like a virus, turning their skin to something akin to melted wax—absorbing their traits to mirror them darkly. This sci-fi absurdity is summed up perfectly in a panel that has a knife wielding Bizarro Santa Claus chasing a helpless bystander down a street while a couple of roof top Bizarros reverse the letters of a local McDonald’s. Also, the notion of Lombard’s immunity to the Bizarros being attributed to his use of “male enhancement drugs” garnered a good laugh.

Readers are jarred right back into the deadly “sur-reality” of this alien invasion as the proximity of the cubed Bizarro Earth begins to cause immediate gravitational damage to the Earth. All the while, the hyper-powered Superman fights a Bizarro duplicate of himself to a standstill. Aided by Jimmy Olsen, solving the puzzle of the Bizarros’ onslaught and attacking the Bizarro Earth; Superman becomes stranded as the Bizarro Earth rockets through space to its Bizarro solar system powered by a cubed red sun.

Morrison restores a great deal of the “fictional” aspect back to Superman; further Morrison’s Superman is truly “super” in that he embodies a totality heroics in an almost over the top fashion. Frank Quitely’s strapping, broad-chested rendition of Superman “represents” the diamond encased ‘S’ on his chest—and doesn’t disappoint. Quitely’s work is vividly executed by the talented Jamie Grant—whose job as inker and colorist give this book a vibrant warmth that resonates of the page. His bright cooler tones of Earth in the month of December are quickly juxtaposed by the warm muted toil of the Bizarro Earth’s Metropolis—as the red Bizarro sun slowly sucks the life out of our Superman.

Not that Superman wasn’t dying anyway…what?!? You didn’t know that? Hurry, go pick up the last six issues—so that you can feast your eyes upon an epic tour de force of one of the industry’s most time-honored and revered superheroes.

After the Cape #2
Written by: Howard Wong and Jim Valentino
Artist: Marco Rudy
Image Comics/ Shadowline
Review by Steve Ekstrom

The second issue of the After the Cape has a hard act to follow after the initial offering from Wong, Valentino, and Rudy last month. The previous issue set a rather bleary-eyed, chronologically complex story of a substance abusing, down on his luck superhero, Ethan Falls. This month, the fit hits the shan as Ethan’s turn down a darker path brings him to the attention of his former heroic associates.

His substance abuse, the central crux of the first issue of this three issue mini, is almost an afterthought in this issue—focusing on the repercussions of Ethan’s willingness to turn to a life of crime. Wong and Valentino do a sufficient job of storytelling this issue but the story itself seems to have started to limp—in that the premise of this story has been ushered out to its fruition—readers know that Falls is an alcoholic and they know that he’s troubled. The backdrop of Falls’ tale is almost generic with an Asian “Triad-esque” villain that bears a decent amount of stereotypical unoriginality. The developments made towards Ethan’s financial woes are dramatically taken from zero to sixty and the delivery of Ethan from reluctant bank robber to full-on pseudo-mob villain is not very credible. The plot seems serve as a victim to the limited nature of three issues of storytelling space.

The melodrama of the Falls household is segued to briefly—as one of Ethan’s former associates enlightens Ethan’s wife, Ellie, of his wrong doings. Distraught—Ellie trips down a flight of stairs, ending her fall with a terribly clichéd image of a shattered family portrait.

The true prize of purchasing After the Cape #2 lies in the artwork of Marco Rudy. This black and white tragedy is given a really throbbing underscore by the profound, brooding quality of Rudy’s inking and heavy use of contrast. There is an image of Ethan taking flight away from his wife that grounds Ethan’s heroic stature—with bird’s eye precision. The visuals of the Falls’ one-time partners—Cyber Fire, Shadow Stalker, Lady Machine, and Paladin offer much visually only to be stunted by the stories lack of depth outside of the one tricky pony of substance abuse.

The only other concern presented by the second issue was the third huge cliché: the cover image. Juan Ferreyra’s iconic idea—the usage of a mirror to see the past reflections of the self or to see the lie the viewer tends to cast upon themselves is unnecessary for this book to sell itself. The somber image on the first issue was, by far, much more effective and stark. I also liked that it kept one color involved with the book: red. The color red would’ve been a well thought out drop towards the internal human crisis of conscience driving the message of this book.

The only way to know if this mini will deliver a resounding finale will be to stick around for the third issue. The falling action of the third act seems to be a telegraphed confrontation with Falls and the other heroes. I hope that Wong and Valentino can deliver a one-two punch from out of nowhere to sweep readers back off their feet like the first issue did.

Mr. Stuffins #1
From: Boom! Studios
Written By: Andrew Cosby & Johanna Stokes
Drawn By: Lee Carter
Colored By: Pablo Quiligotti
Reviewed By: Kevin Huxford

If a cover with a teddy bear doing his best James Bond impersonation (with a suction cup gun, glass of water (shaken, not stirred), and Oreos piled like poker chips) doesn’t grab your attention at the comic shop, nothing will.

And so, with that, Mr. Stuffins started off on the right foot immediately.

The premise in the book feels like it could be straight out of a bad 80s movie (and, believe it or not, I mean that as a compliment). There’s some kind of big, bad defense contract computer program that someone is trying to keep out of the hands of bad folks everywhere. In a last ditch effort to protect it, the disk gets swapped with the happy, sing-song CD in the back of a Teddy Ruxpin knock-off. The teddy bear winds up with a helpless, hapless, possibly-prepubescent young boy…and we’re off to the races.

Bad 80s movie premise or not, this book executes it well. The kid’s fractured home life doesn’t feel even a fraction as heavy handed as you’d normally see in a film of this sort of thing. The school scenes are a bit uninspired, but still effective. But, in all scenes, once the bear is kicking around with his new programming, there’s entertainment and laughs to be had.

As you can guess, the two most important characters are the kid and the bear. Both are written with distinct personalities. The bear starts off strong with his military style and certain fish-out-of-water bits. The kid takes a little while to get a handle on. He seems to be a little more mature for his age than you’d expect. Kids going through what is happening with his parents tend to. On top of that, he seems to be a bit of a sponge, as evidenced by his parroting his dad’s answer about whether he’s going through a divorce or not.

The art here is solid. I really think the colors make it work here. In many spots, the level of detail is a bit on the minimalist side, until the color is laid in. I find more and more artists tend to have faith in the colorist to provide the depth and shade without the penciler having to take matters into their own hands. It really pays off with Lee and Pablo here.

If I had to pick a weak spot, I guess it would be that it is so easy to see this issue as a comic-book-sized pitch to Hollywood. Maybe I’m just hyper-aware of such things, in these times of Cowboys & Aliens, but it practically shouts, “coming to a theater near you in 2008!!” Maybe less cynical readers won’t get caught up in thinking “CGI or animatronics bear?” like I did.

Cynicism aside, it was a damn entertaining read…I’d give it seven and a half “if you’re gonna be a bear, be a grizzly” exclamations.

Optic Nerve #11
From: Drawn & Quarterly Publications
Written & Drawn By: Adrian Tomine
Reviewed By: Kevin Huxford

This issue of Optic Nerve is the first I’ve ever read. I share this little fact with you, because this is the finale to a three part story. That’s not normally the place you want to come in as a first time reader of a property…and not likely the best place to start with a $3.95 book that you want to review for The ‘Rama. I credit Sam at MacGuffin for making sure I knew I was coming in during the middle of an arc, but I was too determined to try the book to be warned off that easily.

When you’re in the middle of a storyline in a creator-owned property you know nothing about (and I mean absolutely nothing), you can easily get lost. Your head will spin from trying to figure out who everyone is, what their relationships are, what is going on now, what has gone on before, and about a hundred other things.

Oddly enough, I really dug the book, regardless of all those possible concerns.

From what I can gather, this three part story is all about Ben Tanaka’s relationship with his girlfriend/ex-girlfriend (depending on who you talk to). Due to an early comment from his Alice saying all Asian girls looked alike to him, I was surprised by the revelation of his name several pages into the book. That’s about the only tidbit that was really affected by my being new to this title (and that’s almost negligible in its impact).

The most shocking thing about this book is its protagonist. Ben Tanaka is very unlikable. He’s awkward at his best and a rude jackass at his worst, normally settling into an off-putting mixture of the two. This serves to make him one of the most human characters I’ve read in a long time.

Tomine does an amazing job at making you feel the awkwardness emanating from Tanaka. You know those times in your life where the discomfort in a conversation is so palpable…the air is so thick with it that, as the saying goes, “you could cut it with a knife”? I’d swear that it oozes out of the page and fills the air around the reader.

Ben Tanaka is a character that you’ll either see some of yourself in or you’ll have known someone like him at one time. He’s so uncomfortable with his own mistakes that he tries to find ways to pin them on others. I’d hazard a guess that almost everyone has either done this or had it done to them in an intimate relationship. I’m sure most of us wouldn’t have flown across the country to stalk our ex and confront her with how she wronged us by making out better with their end of “taking a break from our relationship” than we did, though.

Adrian excels at making three dimensional characters in short spans of time. Ben feels real for the traits listed above and others. His friend Alice is well-defined, through many of Ben’s more awkward conversations and the glowing praise of her girlfriend, Meredith. Heck, even Meredith…introduced in this issue only…was fleshed out more than you’d expect via the unenlightened, bitter ramblings of a drunken and beaten Ben.

But with Ben’s questionable-status girlfriend, Miko, I feel that Tomine does his best work. She is so calm in how she deals with Ben’s raving that it says something about how beaten down her spirit was in their relationship, while showing Tanaka’s frustration from trying to argue with someone who doesn’t want to argue. He occasionally gets a rise out of her, but it is short lived and doesn’t appease him. She shows the most disturbing trait for Ben to see from her in this situation: apathy towards their relationship.

Artwise, Adrian’s work is very comparable to something you’d see in Love & Rockets. It is very satisfying to the eye, especially in black and white. The characters look as real as they are written here. The image supports what the written word gets across. There are a few of Ben’s awkward moments where the way that he is drawn sells is verbal stumble just as well as the dialogue does.

I’d give the issue eight and a half photos, though I’m tempted to go higher.

Wormwood: The Gentleman Corpse
From: IDW Publishing
Written by Ben Templesmith
Art: Ben Templesmith
Reviewed by Tim Janson

Wormwood: Gentleman Corpse is the product of 30 Days of Night artist, Ben Templesmith, who not only provides the art, but wrote the story as well. This 152 page trade paperback collects the four issue mini-series along with the Wormwood: The Taster which served as a prelude to the mini-series. If I could pick just one word to describe Wormwood it would be…squishy…that tends to sum up both the look and feel of the book. Wormwood is a sentient worm that lives inside the eye-socket of a rather dapper English gentleman corpse. I’ve heard Wormwood described as actually being a maggot but no, he’s definitely longer and, uh, squishier than a maggot.

Wormwood is never without his sidekick Mr. Pendulum, a mechanical construct with a bad attitude who looks like one of the members of ZZ Top. He’s also frequently in the company of a lazy ghost detective named Trotsky, assistant Phoebe Phoenix, and former girlfriend Medusa who runs a local strip club and guards a gateway to hell. A pretty eclectic band of characters, no doubt about it!

Wormwood is like the John Constantine of the worm/maggot world. He’s known to associate with various demons and deities, often over a multitude of beers. The opening prelude takes place in Medusa’s club which suddenly becomes infected with demonic plants which have a nasty habit of bursting out of the customer’s mouths. Wormwood and crew have to find the sporefather and destroy it before all of the customers become hothouses four more of the beasties. “Birds, Bees, Blood, and Beer” is a four-part story making up the bulk of the book. Someone is selling men what amounts to tainted viagra…improving their sexual performance, but also causing their seed to quickly germinate until a many-tentacled creature explodes out of their partner’s belly. Yes…squishy is definitely the word for Wormwood.

By his own admission, Templesmith’s art is love it or hate it. I have come around and you can count me in the “love it” category. His sketchy, abstract style is a perfect marriage to visual horror genre. Few artists today make use of color for style and setting a mood they way Templesmith does. Even the word balloons take on distinctive characteristics for the various characters. Templesmith weaves the horrific elements with dry humor for a masterful series. The book concludes with a spectacular cover and pin-up gallery featuring art by Templesmith, Grant Gould, Colton Worley, and Art Grafunkel.

Blue Beetle Companion by Christopher Irving
From: TwoMorrows Publishing
Featuring art by the likes of Steve Ditko, Jack Kirby, and Cully Hamner
Cover by Cully Hamner
Review by Troy Brownfield

I love the TwoMorrows “companion” series. Assembled with care by strong writers and suffused with primary accounts, interviews, and rare art, each installment is an absolute treat for comic fans. If TwoMorrows didn’t already have a champion group of magazines and books going, this line alone would be enough to seal a reputation. What’s particularly interesting is that even as they produce companions for the big guns in comic history (Superman, the Legion, the JSA, the JLA, etc.), they still take time for those that would be considered lower-tier characters. Case in point? This extremely well-done and entertaining look at the legacy of the Blue Beetle.

There’s an avalanche of information to be found in these pages. Many people would likely be stunned to learn that the original incarnation of the Blue Beetle debuted in 1939; that means that Dan Garret actually precedes Wonder Woman, the Flash, Green Lantern and Hawkman, among others. Technically, there are even two Dan Garrets; the original one differs in many significant ways from the Dan Garret Blue Beetle relaunched by Charlton in 1964.

Certainly, part of the impetus behind this volume is the fate of Blue Beetle Ted Kord and the debut of Blue Beetle Jaime Reyes, but much of the truly fascinating material concerns the early days of the character. Blue Beetle appeared in radio dramas and in newspaper strips and had more of a public profile than casual fans might have believed. Still, the renaissance the Ted Kord version had in the ‘80s is covered (with input by Keith Giffen), and Alex Ross even offers comments on his version of the character from Kingdom Come.

This book is thorough, and thoroughly enjoyable. As are all the TwoMorrows Companions, this is an excellent historical reference and an entertaining read. Credit Irving with taking an unconventional choice and really delivering. A must for fans of Dan and Ted, and all the budding comics scholars out there.

Pellet Reviews!

Sandman Mystery Theatre Sleep of Reason #5 (Vertigo, review by Sarah): With this issue the Sleep of Reason story ends and wraps up somewhat neatly. The nightmares left behind by Wesley Dodd have saved one man and destroyed another, but the real heroes in this story are a young girl and her brother. Kieran Marshall was the man who stumbled across Dodd’s weapons, but he didn’t have the one strength that Dodd had, the one thing that kept him fighting even when he was old and weak—his love. Marshall didn’t love anyone, but Alia and Omar helped him to be strong and to use his skills to help people, not just to win himself glory. For those of you who didn’t bother with this series, I’d recommend buying the trade—it might be easier to keep track of which parts are dreams and which are waking, but the feeling of the whole endeavor evokes the confusion of a war zone. It works on a different level than the similarly-themed DMZ, bringing noir and magic to a war story, but it works nonetheless.

Fables #60 (Vertigo, review by Sarah): Is the savior of Fabletown to be the perennial background character Flycatcher? It would be justice for janitors and small-time criminals everywhere if this unlikely hero is the one to lead the Fables to victory. Fly’s story was the most touching of all the backgrounds detailed in 1001 Nights of Snowfall, and this issue nearly had me in tears six pages in. This issue sets up what could be the climax of the series, so if you aren’t already reading Fables, you might not have too much longer to start. I regret all the time since its inception that I wasn’t reading the series, so I am quite sure your life would be better with Fables in it.

JLA: Classified #37 (DC; by Caleb): Remember a couple of years ago when DC announced an original graphic novel by Peter Milligan and Rob Haynes called Kid Amazo, about the half-human son of the evil android who’s reluctant to carry out his pre-programmed path of vengeance against the JLA? Remember when DC solicited it to appear as a story arc in JLA: Classified last summer, but it was pre-empted by a couple other arcs? Well, they’ve finally gotten around to publishing it. After such a long wait, it can’t help but be somewhat disappointing, and if there was anything controversial behind the push-backs, I didn’t see it (although there is more talk about religion than your standard DCU book, I guess). Carlos D’Anda is now the pencil artist, and the Green Lantern is now John Stewart instead of Kyle Rayner (continuity fiends can place this sometime between “Obsidian Age” and Infinite Crisis. Our protagonist is the aforementioned “Kid Amazo,” who thought he was just an ordinary atheist philosophy major at Berkley whose biggest problem was what his Jewish girlfriend’s parents would think about him, at least until a badly damaged Amazo crosses his path and gives him the whole “Luke, I am your father” spiel. It’s paced like a graphic novel, which means we’re not given a whole lot beyond set-up here, but so far it seems like the most interesting Amazo story since Tom Peyer and Rags Morales’ Hourman was cancelled and, heck, where else are you going to see Wally West and old-look J’onn J’onnz these days?

Legion of Monsters: Man-Thing #1 (Marvel; by Caleb): Call me immature if you will, but I’ve always found the name “Man-Thing” inherently hilarious, and his “burn at the touch” slogan even moreso, and I’ll take just about any chance I get to snicker at one of Marvel’s weirdest all-time title characters. Charlie Huston writes the Man-Thing lead story, which features a rich guy and his guests eating a very unappealing dish, and then, um, burning at the touch of the Man-Thing. It’s a decent little horror story, with nice Klaus Janson art. That’s followed by a tale of the original Marvel Zombie, Simon Garth, in a tale written and drawn by the incomparable Ted McKeever. Predictably quirky art, and an unpredictable love story of sorts make it a standout.

The Jungle Book (Marvel; by Caleb): A handful of comic book stories adapting portions of Rudyard Kipling’s classic story about a boy adopted by wolves, and the wild animals he fought with and against, are Rescued from some twenty-plus-year-old issues of Marvel Fan-Fare and reprinted in a nice, thick, floppy collection. Having seen these stories of Mowgli and company in several different media over the years, I would have passed on this project were it not for the irresistible creative team involved—Gil Kane on pencils, with P. Craig Russell inking him and providing covers. It’s a hell of a gorgeous-book book, and at sixty-some pages (including a prose intro by Roy Thomas and a preview of Marvel’s upcoming illustrated classics adaptations) for just $2.99, it’s a nice value.

[/b]Big Bang Comics Presents #5: Teen Rex (Big Bang Comics; Caleb):[/b] The latest issue of BBC, a series which creates meticulous analogues to beloved comics characters and then tell sstories featuring those characters in the styles of their actual creators, takes a loving look at late Kirby. The result is Teen Rex, a rather inspired (and timely!) pastiche that takes a little Kamandi, a little Devil Dinosaur and a little Eternals/Inhumans to give us a teenage boy with long blonde hair who can transform into a Tyrannosaurus Rex and who lives in the ruins of an abandoned, ancient, advanced civilization. It’s a nice character design and a cool back-story; honestly, Teen Rex is a neat creation that I wouldn’t mind following in straight stories. This reads exactly like what it is though, a Kirby homage, without anything new to add other than the obvious, that Jack Kirby was awesome, he had awesome ideas, and he sure made some awesome comics. It’s a well made but ultimately shallow bit of hero worship.

Friday the 13th #5 (Wildstorm; review by Koben Kelly)
Just when you thought the poop was going to hit the fan… along comes more poop. I totally thought the mystery of Jason Voorhees was going to be wrapped up this issue, but, after reading it, there’s more questions. Who shot the arrow? Why is she in a hospital? Why did the stoners bodies have bite marks on them? Was it the hippy under the mask, initially? If your head was bisected, would you be alive long enough to realize what had happened? Why did she strip down to her birthday suit? Why did Jason give her the machete? Do Jimmy Palmiotti, Justin Gray, and Adam Archer know how addictive this series is? As for the last question, I’m betting the answer is yes. If Wildstorm, or DC in some capacity, don’t sign these three up to tackle another title together as soon as this is done… they’re out of their minds. This is the best horror-film-to-comic adaptation I have ever read. It’s not just the story, but the vibe. These guys understand what is needed to replicate the feel of a quality slasher epic (and, no, that’s not an oxymoron). If I’m correct, next issue will be the last one, at least for a while. It’s really too bad, as I wouldn’t mind seeing this as a continuing. Hell, I’d love to see them tackle something like Phantasm or Candyman.

Thunderbolts #113 (Marvel; review by Koben)
I don’t understand what everyone is bitching about. I love this book. It’s a bit of dirty fun. I got over the Tommy Lee Jones as Norman thing after the first issue. Seems as though the Steel Spider, a delusional fanatic of Spider-Man, is taking it to the streets, and is getting up some powerful people’s noses. Robbie’s now so surrounded by his despondent depression that dying might be the best option. Ug… I didn’t realize the bizarro nature of the Swordsman’s relationship with his sword. Moonstone is power-hungry and doesn’t care who she screws to get her way. Wish I could say that I didn’t see that coming. Marvelites, forgive my unreliable memory, but, who is Jillian Woods in the costumed community? Doesn’t matter, I guess, as I’m intrigued by what will become of her new deal. Deodato’s artwork is much more aesthetically pleasing this issue. Less blotchy inking, less hurried figure work, more effort toward composition and character. One small request, Mr. Ellis… more Venom and Bullseye, please? I know it’s a good idea to pump up Venom’s exposure currently, in light of the film, but more nutbag antics from the man who doesn’t miss would please me as well. Overall, a wonderfully indulgent and satisfying series.

B.P.R.D.: Garden of Souls #2 (Dark Horse; Review by Steve Ekstrom): Lots of establishment happening this issue—The story was set up in the first issue; now Mike Mignola and John Arcudi seem to be baiting us for mystery with the setting up of several plot points for this latest mini. Abe Sapien and Captain Daimao seek answers to Abe’s past as the scientist and occult investigator, Langdon Everett Caul. Liz Sherman is plagued with strange visions. Johann Kraus finds long lost files bearing the mark of a certain crustaceous hero thought long dead. And Dr. Kate Corrigan pretties herself up by wearing a dress! All this and Guy Davis delivers another stylistically beautiful issue—who needs Hellboy? B.P.R.D. is better off without him.

Wolverine: Origins #13 (Marvel; Review by Steve): Two years in and I’m still here. Daniel Way’s storytelling has been slower at times but the intrigue and the desire to understand Logan’s newly infused past from the events of HoM have me here—in it, to win it. I will say this however: I don’t know how many ‘bait and switch’ disguise moments I can take. I do LOVE how Daken has taken the place of the de-clawed, neutered villainy of Sabertooth as Logan’s newest foil character. The pacing in this issue goes from almost steady-cam slow-mo to full on hyper-violence in no time! This minimalist book is on a steady roll; I just hope Logan’s newfound Fatherhood hasn’t softened him past his prime.

Loveless #17 (Vertigo; Review by Steve): This monthly from the mind of Brian Azzarello easily compares to HBO’s Deadwood with its brutal truth about the frontiers of the post-Civil War United States. The newest arc—“Blackwater Falls” has an interesting couple of character beats set for a bloody convergence as this storyline comes to a head. I’m still under the impression that Azzarello had the balls to eliminate one of his leads on a whim—but the aside involving Ruth and her prisoner may just prove to me that Azzarello’s story is trickier than he’s led me to believe. His character Atticus still has me frazzled with his eerie anti-heroics in spite of all the racial stigmatism he encounters. Wrap all this up in the garishly simplistic styling of Werther Dell’Edera this month and you have another great episode of a Western playing a close second to Jonah Hex in terms of blunt trauma storytelling that really packs a wallop. Give this book a read—it’s worth it.

Green Arrow #73 (DC; by Lucas): This was a very well written issue. You can tell things are beginning to wrap up, leading to the final issue (75) of a series that has had its ups and downs. Based on this one, it looks like we’ll see a good, strong, culmination point in this particular journey of Ollie’s. A certain “pretty bird” shows up at the very end to lend a helping hand to Team Arrow. Honestly, this was the best written issue of this series in a long time- I’m officially excited for this last arc. However, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the art. The art in this issue was just plain bad. McDaniel and Owens looked like they were either trying to ape someone else’s style or pulled a rush job here. Proportions were off, faces were uncharacteristically flat, and there were several moments throughout the book where it actually took me out of the story. I enjoyed McDaniel’s run on Robin and his work on this book hasn’t been bad, so I don’t know where the breakdown happened in this issue. Winick’s writing saved this one, still, and this last arc will be a must buy for people who want to know the future of some of DC’s biggest characters.

Nova #1 (Marvel; by Lucas): I have to start by saying, holy $#(* to Adi Granov’s cover to this issue. Man, that is one tasty image. Marvel, I want a poster of that cover, NOW! Anyway, I have been highly anticipating this book. Annihilation took a character I knew next to nothing about (Nova) and made him my favorite Cosmic character! This issue was fantastic. The Worldmind’s translator was hysterical. The dialogue between it and Nova was always on pace and entertaining. The whole issue was a fantastic read. Nova is truly a universal-class power and hero now, and I can’t wait to see how things go down when he visits Earth. Sean Chen was up to his usual snuff with stellar art, supported by Scott Hanna and Guru EFX. I cannot wait until the next issue. What do these guys think they’re trying to do? Make Nova not just my favorite cosmic hero?

Xombie Reanimated #1 (Devil’s Due; review by Tim Janson): Xombie Reanimated isn’t your typical zombie comic story. You’ll notice this right away by the more animated look of the art and the bold colors. Rather than go the usual grim walking dead route, writer James Farr and artist Nate Lovett, instead go for a lighter, more action-oriented story. Set in the year 2033, zombies have overrun the world and people live in small settlements. Several soldiers at one settlement have been killed and their transport that brings them supplies has been hi-jacked by an intelligent zombie. Unless they can get the transport back, the humans of the Acropolis settlement are doomed. But how do you fight an intelligent zombie? You fight him with another intelligent zombie. Zoe was just six years old when she was rescued from zombie territory by Dirge. Now the leaders of the settlement want Zoe to find Dirge and enlist his aid. Xombie Reanimated is light and fun. Lovett’s art has a mild Anime look to it that makes for a refreshing change in what is usually a very dark genre.

52 #49 (DC; by Troy): This issue contained some serious fun as the Oolong Island plots wrapped in huge style. It’s pretty much mandatory after this that Morrison should be on a pair of Chang Tzu & The Science Squad and Metal Men books. Elsewhere, but close by, the Great Ten faced off with the JSA. In a long-term sense, perhaps the greatest achievement of 52 is that it’s managed to open a number of new concepts (the aforementioned Great Ten) and revitalize about a dozen others. The lingering question now is how well will World War 3 and the final issue pay off after a year of build-up?

Spawn #165 and #166 (Image/TMP; by Troy): Writer David Hine wiped the canvas with the utterly insane “Armageddon” storyline (a raucous, sprawling, shocking and violent affair, now collected in two trades). With the new status quo in place, he offers #165, a pallet cleanser that steps out and tells a tale of Mandarin Spawn. Incredibly sharp art by Lan Medina highlights this smart stand-alone about willful cruelty and rough justice. The regularly scheduled new direction picks up again in #166 (with equally strong art by Brian Haberlin) and helpfully explains all that’s gone down in an effective exchange between Spawn and Twitch. The value of Hine to this title is hard to estimate. I frankly hadn’t cared about this book in years, but his mad inventiveness and willingness to recreate everything top to bottom has made it an interesting read.

Highlander #6 (Dynamite; by Troy): Fabio Laguna should stick around; he does a mean set of immortals. Connor begins to grapple with a growing darkness within as he recounts surprising events to Duncan. Brandon Jerwa has managed to synthesize the various takes on the characters from the films and TV series and his beginning to build a convincing continuity. This arc should reconcile a few loose ends and help establish the book as its own entity.

Battlestar Galactica : Cylon Apocalypse #2 (Dynamite; by Troy): Credit multi-media talent Javier Grillo-Marxuach; he imbues this Classic BSG-style mini with some of the depth and characterization that marks the current television series. Herein, the question is posed regarding an ultimate weapon, and the ethics of using it against one’s foe. If that meant completely annihilating an entire lifeform, what would you do? The characters spin their own convincing cases and ideas are approached on a complex level above that of the original TV show. Strong art by Carlos Rafael helps to complete the sale.

Battlestar Galactica: Zarek #4 (Dynamite; by Troy): The “origin” of one of the new BSG series’ most interesting characters concludes. From the beginning, this has been a politically charged mini, looking at several of the questions posed by both Zarek’s presence in the TV show and in the subsequent “occupied Caprica” episodes. What is, then, the difference between terrorist and idealist, and where is Zarek on that continuum? Jerwa (again) and Adriano Batista have done some strong work on this book, and it should not be overlooked by fans of the show or the main, ongoing BSG book.

Warning Shot! (Advance Review- book out April 25th)

One Last Song #1
Writer: CJ Hurtt
Art: Shawn Richter
From: Themselves, Punk Rock style!
Review by: Lucas Siegel
I got the opportunity to check out this book early, and as I’m always up for a good indy read, I jumped at that chance.
This is one of those myriad of self published or small publisher books that gets overlooked in Previews, and really shouldn’t. CJ and Shawn have put together a compelling tale of a not-to-distant future. The Department of Homeland Security is now actively patrolling our streets, and in a caricature of our current state of affairs, Free Speech has gone the way of the dodo as the DHS can arrest, detain, and even execute at their sole discretion.

This political thriller could have been a heavy-handed commentary on today’s administration, but it thankfully did not come off as such. At no point during this did it feel like the creative team was trying to say, “THIS IS GOING TO HAPPEN! AHHHH!” They are merely presenting a story in a future world. There is just enough action to keep the pace up while introducing the major players and showing just how high the stakes are. Unfortunately, due to the number of characters being introduced, we don’t get to delve too deeply into our main antagonists’ and protagonists’ minds. However, the fact that I want to is clearly a good thing- they left me wondering what happens next in these people’s lives, and why it is they’re living the way they do.

Shawn Richter has a very clean art style for someone so fresh and new to the comics business. His face widths are a little inconsistent, and his eyes have a bit too small of pupils to do any real expression, but the action is smooth and his “sets” for lack of a better word, hold up very well. I looked at some of the pencils he has posted on his website, and it made me notice most of the issues I have with his art come in the inking stage. This is something that will improve over time for Shawn, and/or an experienced inker could really help out on. If you need an example, look for the close up panel of Brennan’s face- especially the eyes. Overall, we get recognizable characters, and when they are doing anything it is clear exactly what they’re doing. A lot of artists, especially in a story like this, would be tempted to use lots and lots of black and gray tones inked in, and Shawn stays away from this- and that’s a very good thing.

Politics and even political thrillers are all over the media right now. This one stands out because of its ability to distance itself just far away enough from reality. If you’re looking for a solid read from a pair with a lot of potential, check out this book on April 25th. I’ll be looking for the 2nd issue in 2 months. This gets 4 basic human rights out of 5: a solid first effort with a lot of clear potential for greatness.


Your Best Shots host Troy Brownfield founded ShotgunReviews.com and serves as the Editor-in-Chief. He’s a professor of English, a writer for Fangoria Comics, and a journalist for a number of print and online sources. Anyone wishing to submit their titles for review can contact Troy at psikotyk@aol.com. For other relevant info, visit www.smwc.edu, www.myspace.com/shotgunreviews and, of course, www.shotgunreviews.com.

[boomboom]

Originally Posted by MattBrady

Hack/Slash #1
Written by Tim Seeley
Illustrated by Emily Stone
Published by Devil’s Due
Review by Koben Kelly

After a variety of one-shots and limited series, Hack/Slash is now debuting as an ongoing series. This issue serves to re-establish Hack and her back story, while serving up a new slasher tale for the faithful. And, what an issue it is.

Instead of opening with a small retelling of her origin, things start off with the establishing of the current situation. That is, Hack is screwed. She’s tied up and at the mercy of the delusional undead slasher referred to only as Doc. The historical bits are dripped in throughout the issue as flashbacks for the reader. This style of delivery, new for the series, works quite well exploring the boundaries of sequential storytelling.

Hack’s past was a horrible and torturous one to suffer through. However, one roots for the underdog as incidents displaying the trials of a childhood nerd give way to the blossoming of the goth beauty. I adore the fact that Hack can be a hot and sexy character without bowing to the clichés of overabundant cleavage and hiked-up skirt shots. Granted, the covers give in to the traditional flesh appeal, but, how can I not love panties emblazoned with a skull graphic? Add fishnets, and stir.

Doc is a manifestation of psychology gone wrong. To get to the real man inside himself, he has peeled away all of his skin and tissue covering his musculature, tendons, and bone. He has fantastic aspirations of dissecting the psyche of his victims with verbal analization, but, in truth, he is merely a self-absorbed prick with a shrink’s degree. He simply uses what he knows about how the mind works to make the torture of his victims seem noble. I’ve never seen the protagonist, Hack, in such a vulnerable position before, with all the saving grace of a damsel in distress. Perhaps this is Seeley’s personal commentary on the state of horror fiction devolving back to its 1970s/1980s women-as-victims roots.

The flashbacks in question serve up a wonderful intro to Hack’s life and what put her on the path of hunting slashers. Some schoolgirl bits and the death of her mother are followed by her initial teaming with her trusty behemoth of a sidekick, Vlad. And, yes, Vlad’s English is still atrocious.

Seeley’s humor is not absent in this issue. The juxtaposing of Vlad with the coffee/net bar he stops at to utilize his laptop internet connection is priceless. The idea of concealing a tracer in Hack’s typical attire was an unforeseen yet clever inclusion, as well.

The new artwork from Emily Stone is delightful. She has an amazing style that crosses animation with realism for a wonderful fit with the book’s vibe. Just realistic enough to matter. The skinned Doc is quite gruesome, while Cassie is attractive without being unreal. Case in point being the panel of her sitting on the toilet, sobbing. This may seem nitpicky, but she has a little bulging tummy. So many artists in this business are under the impression that the six-pack never folds or ripples, and I find this attention to detail refreshing. My favorite moment, artwise, is the paralleling of two panels, one with the foreground in focus and the background out, with the next panel featuring the opposite. It’s a cinematic bluff, but it works wonders.

I thoroughly enjoyed this initial stab at a regular series, and I’m on board for issue two.

I give Hack/Slash issue one seven Savinis out of ten.

[/i]

OK!!! That is one cool review and worth everything!! This is such a cool series...not normal anymore!!

[darrenmdr]

Re Thunderbolts 113, I loved it. Especially Norman asking Robbie if he was going to break into a chorus of "I'm Not Okay". That was hilarious and I am a big MCR fan.

Really enjoyed Spidey/FF. I do think it is a book for kids though. I don't however think that is a bad or a negative thing though. I find that a lot of media aimed at children is far superior to that which is purposely aimed at a more adult audience. Be that in books, comics, cartoons or TV.

[Lex]

Sounds like you have good stuff coming up this week with the Countdown and WW3 articles. I'm looking forward to them.

[The Guvnor]

Thanks for the reviews as usual guys.

Originally Posted by Steve Ekstrom

Wolverine: Origins #13 (Marvel; Review by Steve)

For me the star of this issue was Steve Dillon. I found this issue to be the best work he has done on this title, it was superb. I only hope that the upcoming Logan/Daken/Cyber confrontation doesn't drag on for the next few issues.

Other stuff I got was New Avengers #29 which was very good. Bendis and Yu are on top form again in this issue. The other book I got was Iron Man #16 which was also enjoyable and featured the Mandarin. I'd say this is a title to keep an eye.

[Blackhawkaaaa!]

I hate to harp on the consistently screwed up revamps of all three of DC's big titles as it really would do no good...obviously the pooch is screwed at this point, Dan Didio& Paul Levitz are not going to accept the blame like men, and we should all just save our money and wait for the inevitable markdown bins for all of these tanked issues to show up. Hell, we're going to wait months as it is to read the end of these stories in some Annual issue (at an inflated price of course .. but they'll probably throw in a few pin-ups and a meaningless filler back-up story to offset the extra 2 bucks).

As far as this Jodi Picoult run....if I never see Circe in a DC comic again it will be too soon. Talk about overused...and inconsistantly handled. This villain chick changes personalities and abilities with every appearance...sometimes within the same storyline!

Wonder Woman is portrayed as a societal misfit that cannot grasp the intricacies of Starbucks. Hello, she can run the freakin' JLA headquarters, she's an ambassador that has attended many diplomatic ventures, etc. How about a little research here Ms. Picoult, or would that take time away from booksignings at Borders?

Having a big-name writer can work with a little effort on the behalf of the writer/editor team.
I thought that Tamora Pierce's run on White Tiger was actually pretty good, a straight-forward superhero saga reminiscent of 70s style Marvel Spotlight. No glaring continuity errors, no mis-characterization of the guest-star heroes & villains. Does no one at DC act as an EDITOR these days? Would it have been too much to ask for somebody to blue-pencil a few corrections? Or am I guessing that perhaps it is in the contract of Ms. Picoult that no one change a word of her precious script or maybe no one dare to to avoid pissing off the hired help?

Nemesis...great character...read the old stories from the Brave & the Bold. Enjoy his appearances on Justice League cartoon. . Ignore the oblivios idiot being paraded through the pages of Wonder Woman.

It's a shame that this book is in such a shambles. Gail Simone (arguably the best writer DC has) cannot come on board soon enough.

[Sean McKeever]

Originally Posted by MattBrady

Also, keep a look out this week as our “Down for the Count” coverage begins! Every day this week on Newsarama, we’re previewing DC’s Countdown event with a series of pieces that checks in on the history of the items covered in those teaser ads and buttons. You want to know about the Fourth World? How about Kamandi and the Great Disaster? Mary Marvel, Trickster, Piper, Jimmy Olsen, and the Atom(s)? We’ll have it.

Awesome! I've been meaning to research that stuff all these months but now I don't have to!

[0bsessions]

Personally, I haven't much cared for Thunderbolts since the revamp. I've just never been much a fan of Ellis. I wouldn't say it's bad, by any means, just not nearly up to par with what was going on under Nicieza's pen. The difference is even more sharply contrasted when it comes out close to Born Better, which is, in my mind, a much better book.

[khuxford]

Originally Posted by Sean McKeever

Awesome! I've been meaning to research that stuff all these months but now I don't have to!

Cool. I can't wait to see how you bluff it through a few issues while waiting to read the articles here. Then we can feel special as we see the difference we make.

[SpyGuy]

I don't think it's possible for me to disagree more with Sarah Jaffe's WONDER WOMAN #7 review. Jodi Picoult's story arc has been, in my opinion, a meandering trainwreck filled with cliched storytelling and two-dimensional, misrepresented characters.

What particularly annoys me about Picoult's arc is her depiction of Nemesis as a shallow, David Addison-esque horndog. Are we honestly expected to believe this is the same Tom Tresser that was featured so brilliantly in BRAVE AND THE BOLD and was a serious field agent in SUICIDE SQUAD? The supervillain "bar with no name" was especially bad as well and came off like a cheap attempt for laughs.

[Lord Ice]

Originally Posted by Blackhawkaaaa!

Wonder Woman is portrayed as a societal misfit that cannot grasp the intricacies of Starbucks. Hello, she can run the freakin' JLA headquarters, she's an ambassador that has attended many diplomatic ventures, etc. How about a little research here Ms. Picoult, or would that take time away from booksignings at Borders?

Guess Busiek forgot to do the research too, since he characterized WW the same way in her guest appearance in Superman.

[Sunless]

Stormwatch review was spot on.

[khuxford]

Originally Posted by Blackhawkaaaa!

Wonder Woman is portrayed as a societal misfit that cannot grasp the intricacies of Starbucks. Hello, she can run the freakin' JLA headquarters, she's an ambassador that has attended many diplomatic ventures, etc. How about a little research here Ms. Picoult, or would that take time away from booksignings at Borders?

Ummm...do you know how many Presidents don't know the approximate cost of a gallon of milk? It is comparable. She generally hasn't ever had to do any of the stuff you're talking about her having problems with.

[steven_eks]

Edited by author.

[Sean McKeever]

Originally Posted by khuxford

Cool. I can't wait to see how you bluff it through a few issues while waiting to read the articles here. Then we can feel special as we see the difference we make.

First few? We're farther ahead than that!

[khuxford]

Originally Posted by Sean McKeever

First few? We're farther ahead than that!

LOL...well...I didn't know how many issues you did yourself so far. I figured the rest of the team already did all of their research, as they haven't been spending so much time here on Newsarama.

[Innercaine]

Originally Posted by khuxford

Ummm...do you know how many Presidents don't know the approximate cost of a gallon of milk? It is comparable. She generally hasn't ever had to do any of the stuff you're talking about her having problems with.

Instead of disagreeing with someone.. I'll trying agreeing instead! That way maybe I won't make so many people annoyed..

I can add to Khuxford's comment. My wife is British and immigrated to the United States when we got married. She didn't know how to operate a gas pump (ahem.. petrol pump). Yes, she sure as hell knew what one was. She'd operated them many times in the UK. The ones in the United States confused her. It only took one or two times and she got the hang of it.. but some initial confusion was real and legitimate.

My wife has never used a Drive-Thru ATM. They don't really exist where she comes from. She's done it now of course, but it's been almost 8 (happy) years she's been in the States.

She wasn't keen on grocery shopping, not because they don't have grocery stores in the UK, but other than Coke or Pepsi, and maybe Ritz crackers, there is very little brand name product recognition.

Crazy coffee sizes.. yeah.. maybe that is an old joke, but yes- that's an American phenomenon.

And not to pick on my wife, she figured all this out after a few tries. It's not hard stuff, I grant you. But some of it is fairly cultural, to the degree that it's fair to ask "how Americanized is Wonder Woman?"



I'm not a comic historian, if someone can legitimately say that she should know Amercian commercialism and culture quite well.. I'm not the guy who is going to be able to counter-argue.

However, if you think globally- I don't think her being a little rusty on some facets of American life and culture is that outlandish. In fact, I'd really question her knowledge of automobile traffic laws..

[Sean McKeever]

Originally Posted by khuxford

LOL...well...I didn't know how many issues you did yourself so far. I figured the rest of the team already did all of their research, as they haven't been spending so much time here on Newsarama.

They just have lives, is all.

[AaronStC]

Originally Posted by MattBrady

Hack/Slash #1
Written by Tim Seeley
Illustrated by Emily Stone
Published by Devil’s Due
Review by Koben Kelly

After a variety of one-shots and limited series, Hack/Slash is now debuting as an ongoing series. This issue serves to re-establish Hack and her back story, while serving up a new slasher tale for the faithful. And, what an issue it is.

Instead of opening with a small retelling of her origin, things start off with the establishing of the current situation. That is, Hack is screwed. She’s tied up and at the mercy of the delusional undead slasher referred to only as Doc. The historical bits are dripped in throughout the issue as flashbacks for the reader. This style of delivery, new for the series, works quite well exploring the boundaries of sequential storytelling.

Hack’s past was a horrible and torturous one to suffer through. However, one roots for the underdog as incidents displaying the trials of a childhood nerd give way to the blossoming of the goth beauty. I adore the fact that Hack can be a hot and sexy character without bowing to the clichés of overabundant cleavage and hiked-up skirt shots. Granted, the covers give in to the traditional flesh appeal, but, how can I not love panties emblazoned with a skull graphic? Add fishnets, and stir.

Doc is a manifestation of psychology gone wrong. To get to the real man inside himself, he has peeled away all of his skin and tissue covering his musculature, tendons, and bone. He has fantastic aspirations of dissecting the psyche of his victims with verbal analization, but, in truth, he is merely a self-absorbed prick with a shrink’s degree. He simply uses what he knows about how the mind works to make the torture of his victims seem noble. I’ve never seen the protagonist, Hack, in such a vulnerable position before, with all the saving grace of a damsel in distress. Perhaps this is Seeley’s personal commentary on the state of horror fiction devolving back to its 1970s/1980s women-as-victims roots.

The flashbacks in question serve up a wonderful intro to Hack’s life and what put her on the path of hunting slashers. Some schoolgirl bits and the death of her mother are followed by her initial teaming with her trusty behemoth of a sidekick, Vlad. And, yes, Vlad’s English is still atrocious.

Seeley’s humor is not absent in this issue. The juxtaposing of Vlad with the coffee/net bar he stops at to utilize his laptop internet connection is priceless. The idea of concealing a tracer in Hack’s typical attire was an unforeseen yet clever inclusion, as well.

The new artwork from Emily Stone is delightful. She has an amazing style that crosses animation with realism for a wonderful fit with the book’s vibe. Just realistic enough to matter. The skinned Doc is quite gruesome, while Cassie is attractive without being unreal. Case in point being the panel of her sitting on the toilet, sobbing. This may seem nitpicky, but she has a little bulging tummy. So many artists in this business are under the impression that the six-pack never folds or ripples, and I find this attention to detail refreshing. My favorite moment, artwise, is the paralleling of two panels, one with the foreground in focus and the background out, with the next panel featuring the opposite. It’s a cinematic bluff, but it works wonders.

I thoroughly enjoyed this initial stab at a regular series, and I’m on board for issue two.

I give Hack/Slash issue one seven Savinis out of ten.

Wait... Did this actually come out?

[tim seeley]

H/S issue 1 ships May 9th!!
The FCBD preview of this issue ships May 5th!!
Tell your retailer to order you this series.

[AaronStC]

Originally Posted by tim seeley

H/S issue 1 ships May 9th!!
The FCBD preview of this issue ships May 5th!!
Tell your retailer to order you this series.

Oh, good, I thought I missed it.

[Gladiator X]

Originally Posted by Innercaine

But some of it is fairly cultural, to the degree that it's fair to ask "how Americanized is Wonder Woman?"



I'm not a comic historian, if someone can legitimately say that she should know Amercian commercialism and culture quite well..

Well,aside from the fact that she has been active in the USA for at least 10 years time in continuity and that a huge part of her mission here was to get to know our culture so she could better bring her message of peace to our culture I'd say figuring out some of the basic things in that culture would have been part of that.
There is also that time she worked at Taco Whiz and lived just like any other wage-slave were I would assume she was exposed to quite a bit of American commercialism.

[kingofcities]

Great reviews everyone. Random comments...

- Props to Koben for continually showing the love to Stormwatch. Everyone should be reading this.

- Dammit, I knew I should have snagged that Blue Beetle companion!

- I hope that when 52 wraps up you folks give it some sort of oversize column where you review the story as a whole. I know a lot of the issues have mostly received Pellet reviews for understandable reasons. I would really love to see an overall impression though once everything comes to a close.

[Blackhawkaaaa!]

Originally Posted by Innercaine

Instead of disagreeing with someone.. I'll trying agreeing instead! That way maybe I won't make so many people annoyed..

I can add to Khuxford's comment. My wife is British and immigrated to the United States when we got married. She didn't know how to operate a gas pump (ahem.. petrol pump). Yes, she sure as hell knew what one was. She'd operated them many times in the UK. The ones in the United States confused her. It only took one or two times and she got the hang of it.. but some initial confusion was real and legitimate.

My wife has never used a Drive-Thru ATM. They don't really exist where she comes from. She's done it now of course, but it's been almost 8 (happy) years she's been in the States.

She wasn't keen on grocery shopping, not because they don't have grocery stores in the UK, but other than Coke or Pepsi, and maybe Ritz crackers, there is very little brand name product recognition.

Crazy coffee sizes.. yeah.. maybe that is an old joke, but yes- that's an American phenomenon.

And not to pick on my wife, she figured all this out after a few tries. It's not hard stuff, I grant you. But some of it is fairly cultural, to the degree that it's fair to ask "how Americanized is Wonder Woman?"



I'm not a comic historian, if someone can legitimately say that she should know Amercian commercialism and culture quite well.. I'm not the guy who is going to be able to counter-argue.

However, if you think globally- I don't think her being a little rusty on some facets of American life and culture is that outlandish. In fact, I'd really question her knowledge of automobile traffic laws..

Ok, I can buy that ... it does make some sense for her not to have dealt with some things like that in her day to day activities. I hadn't thought of it that way- it just struck me as a jarring reversion to early George Perez issues where she couldn't speak English very well. I'll agree that things like tall coffees in small cups makes little sense. I guess as ambassador she did have staff for such.

But maybe a caption or thought balloon to that effect would have helped the point along. Again, a good editor might have brought the point out a bit more for a comics audience if this is the current direction. I can't remember this ever being a part of the WW story before this (but I could be wrong).

I do find it odd that someone could become a top-secret government agent without having raised a few eyebrows along the way by being unfamilar with bits & pieces of day-to-day daily life, but I guess Bruce Wayne's financial donations can buy a lot of eyebrow raising.

And while I think Kurt Busiek is a fantastic writer, I really haven't followed Superman since he got hitched. Which is a long, long time. Perused the Richard Donner story a bit as that writing coup got my interest, but just as I was getting interested in the book...again, DC derailed the train. Probably try it when it gets trade paperbacked in late 2008 (a week after the final issue of the arc comes out).

[Nite Auditor]

I agree that Wonder Woman' s restart has been less than wonderful.
And as far as not handling the Starbucks experience well, I can state from personal
experience that as a former New Yorker who used to get coffee from delis, 7-11's and Dunkin Donuts, if it ain't "give me a large light", I don't know how to order it.
And more times then naught, it was and still is, "The usual,darlin'.'
And I await Ms. Simones' WW issues, knowing that the Secret Six just have to make
an appearnace. Maybe even a BOP/SS/WW crossover?