BEST SHOTS: JSA, MS MARVEL, SUPERGIRL, ZIPPER, DETECTIVE AND MORE

[MattBrady]

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

Welcome back! Here’s a quick run-down of our advance reviews and Best Shots Extras that ran between last week’s column and now:

Superman vs. Hollywood

Hey, that was quick. By the way, our vlog returns next week; we’re finally getting around to passing that thing around, too. I believe that our resident married couple, Lucas and Janelle Siegel, will take it next time, and there’s a decent chance that Chanel Reeder and I will take it the following week.

But that’s then; this is now . . .

Justice Society of America #12
Story by Geoff Johns & Alex Ross (written by Johns)
Art by Dale Eaglesham & Ruy Jose
Published by DC Comics
Review by Rev. O.J. Flow

I don't doubt for a minute that Justice Society of America is the best superteam book DC's producing right now. I just wish this was THE issue that I could use to argue my point. I loved everything about Justice Society of America #12, I just can't say that all of the components that make this book rock could be found here specifically -- I would have to go back to previous issues to do that -- and it's only my responsibility to tell you what works about this latest chapter of "Thy Kingdom Come," and if there's any instance where it comes up short. Ultimately, the only shortcoming of the issue, if you ask me, is that the action is fleeting, but there are some strong indications that that'll be rectified in #13.

So what worked in this latest installment, as the JSA continues to recruit team legacies and infuse the team with fresh blood? Well, for starters, we get yet another batch of excellent art from Dale Eaglesham. Not sure how the editorial process works around there, but it's quite apparent that DC is always going to partner writer Geoff Johns with the best artists they've got. I haven't seen the kind of expressiveness Eaglesham brings to each and every character since the likes of Kevin Maguire. It's quite a feat what he's accomplished, too, since Johns keeps adding to the lineup at a frenetic pace. The roll call here tells us that the team's up to eighteen members now, and by the time the story's wrapped, four more heroes enter the fold. And in an artistic sort of manner, Eaglesham brings a fresh and distinctive voice to every Society member and prospect. And he runs the gamut too in terms of moods and emotions. Early on, Jakeem Thunder returns to the team, and the boys club that's hanging out at the JSA headquarters when he arrives are good for bringing the laughs (Wildcat Sr. calling Jakeem "Webster" was a personal highlight for me). But he's just as adept at the topical drama seen in New Orleans where we're introduced to the newest generation of Amazing Man (Johns' brief but detailed retelling of said hero's story much appreciated, by the way), as well as the impending menace behind "The Heartbreak Slayer," a bad guy I knew was coming even if I hadn't had the benefit of recent DC Comics solicitations for this book.

What also works are the various scenarios with the JSA finding new prospects to join their ranks. While I'm not quite sure what to make of the fact that DC editorial seems content rewriting Black Lightning's history with every other series they got, I am looking forward to seeing what Johns, along with co-creator Alex Ross can do with the new Lightning, that is if that's the name she goes with. Speaking of which, it's funny how the Society now has no shortage of young(er) ladies, and the team in general is as culturally diverse as any I've ever seen from any publisher. Nothing wrong with that at all. And, as a history major, I was pretty tickled by the concept Johns has brought to the table with the recruit approached by JSA founding fathers Green Lantern, Hawkman and the Flash in the hills of Northern Afghanistan. A lot of signs were pointing to a new version of Captain Triumph, but it turns out Lance Corporal David Reid is a whole other kind of legacy. Didn't see this one coming, I'll tell you that much.

Now if only Mr. America, no matter who is wearing the costume, can get some love, we might be getting somewhere. He's been like the book's resident punching bag. Pains me that, to paraphrase the off-his-rocker Starman, we've got déjà vu all over again with a retread of events from the first issue of this title, but Johns & Co. have a pretty robust account of goodwill from which to draw. Shoot, I'm just impressed that it's almost become not a big deal that there's another Superman flying around. It really seems like Johns has thrown a ton of ideas against the proverbial wall with Justice Society of America, even more than the last volume, and I'm impressed with how well so many of them have stuck.

Detective Comics #841
Writer: Paul Dini
Artists: Dustin Nguyen and Derek Fridolfs
From: DC
Review by J. Caleb Mozzocco

The two main Bat-titles have seemed rather troubled since their “One Year Later” re-launches, surprisingly so given the A-List talent in the writer’s chair on both Batman and Detective.

In the case of the former, Grant Morrison has had a couple of interruptions in the form of a fill-in arc and the a crossover, and hasn’t been given a regular artist who has lasted longer than a single story arc to work with, and is now saddled with Tony Daniel, who seems to need more work the fundamentals of storytelling.

In the case of the latter, Paul Dini has takes frequent breaks, and the art teams have changed at a sometimes bewildering rate. Many of them have been quite good, but the book has yet to really establish a consistent aesthetic, and the the stream of incompatible fill-ins (nearly a third of “Dini’s run” has been written by someone other than Dini) and the recent “Resurrection of Ra’s al Ghul” has frustrated the book’s momentum.

Well, things finally seem to be turning around for ’Tec, with the addition of penciller Dustin Nguyen to the mix. Last issue’s done-in-one tale was a pretty strong one, even if it was concerned with what seemed like the third ending of the “Resurrection of Ra’s al Ghul” story. With this issue, Dini’s back to telling Ra’s free done-in-ones with an emphasis on Batman using his noodle to unravel a Gotham City mystery. It also introduces some new villainous faces and is beautifully illustrated, making it probably the first issue to fulfill the promise shown in Dini’s very first issue, the one illustrated by J.H. Williams III.

This story focuses on an alliance between some of Batman’s (historically) oldest foes who share an affection for Lewis Carroll—Jervis “The Mad Hatter” Tetch and the Tweedles. They’ve built up a small army called The Wonderland Gang, including Carroll-themed henchpeople March Harriette, The Carpenter, The Walrus, The Lion and the Unicorn.

Some of the designs for these villains are less-than-inspired—the March Hare-inspired villain is just a Playboy bunny for example, and there’s something that just seems wrong with the Tweedles wearing hoodies, track pants and tennis shoes. But some of that lame-ness is intentional, a clue to what’s really going on. (And the final confrontation between The Carpenter and the Batman is played for laughs).

Other of the designs are pretty winning, however; the Unicorn and Walrus are pretty, awesome, for example, and none of them stick around long enough to wear out their welcome.

Beyond his design work, Nguyen brings some much-needed visual flair to the title, with bolder images and more kinetic panel lay-outs than previous penciller Don Kramer. I do hope Nguyen can keep a monthly schedule, as it would be great if the book could assert a consistent visual identity.

And as good as his interior work is, his covers are even better. It seems like an absolute crime to have to slap a logo and UPC symbol over his Batman not enjoying his mad tea party one bit.

Oh wait a minute, I guess things haven’t quite turned around just yet, after all—the very next issue will be a fill-in written by Peter Milligan, dealing with more Ra’s al Ghul business. Well, at least having Nguyen on board is a step in the right direction.

Beyond Palomar
Written & Illustrated by Gilbert Hernandez
Published by Fantagraphics
Reviewed by Michael C Lorah

From 1981 to 1996, brothers Gilbert and Jamie Hernandez published 50 issues of the acclaimed, award-winning comic book series Love & Rockets. They’ve since reunited under the title that made them famous, telling all new stories, but their long-time publisher Fantagraphics has recently been collecting all of the storylines from the original run of L&R into a series of attractive, affordable book editions.

Beyond Palomar collects two of Gilbert’s best stories – Poison River, the dystopian biography of his longtime protagonist Luba, beginning with her birth and concluding with her arrival in Palomar (the story of which can be found in the hardcover [b]Palomar[/]b – the first comic I’ll save if my home ever burns down – or in the two-volume softcovers Heartbreak Soup and Human Diastrophism). The second Beyond Palomarstory, titled simply Love & Rockets, is the American melting pot story, a tale of multi-racial, ethnically diverse young people in Los Angeles meeting, separating, and invariably influencing each others’ lives in undeniable ways.

Poison River is a bleak piece, telling of a young girl left behind by her mother, her father perhaps killed not much later, raised by a revolutionary cousin and a blind aunt. Luba marries young, to Mafioso Peter Rio, and the story is marked with seedy characters, dubious motivations, nebulous criminal and political entanglements, transsexuals, drug use, and infidelities. Hernandez drives the story with his keen understanding of each character’s motivation, particularly Luba’s tough exterior and sullen determination, which cracks only occasionally to allow glimpse of the emotional turmoil beneath.

Hernandez’s handling of the criminal elements is particularly noteworthy. He rarely does more than suggest when type of activities Peter is involved in, and the politics are painted in broad strokes. Suggesting a tense atmosphere without allowing the plot to focus on the specifics, he is able to keep the characters in the front of the story, their struggles remaining the core of the story.

Love and Rockets, featuring Luba’s now-estranged daughter Doralis – born during Poison River - and cameos by two women who come to play much larger roles in Luba’s later life, showcases Hernandez’s ability to juggle a massive ensemble cast. Gay screenwriters, black gangbangers, Latin lesbians, stoners, metalheads, bulimic high school girls, and more, all exhibiting myriad prejudices, ambitions, styles and body languages. That Love and Rockets might actually be slightly more ambitious than realized is only a miniscule criticism, because it’s still probably the single best look at the multi-cultural United States. Hernandez does a good job capturing the characters’ speaking voices, all slangy and full of racial epithets, and he mixes them in organic, compelling ways to create romance, tragedy and comedy.

Artistically, Gilbert Hernandez may not get the credit that his brother has earned, but he’s a terrifically versatile artist. His characters each capture a unique humanity, distinct in his or her body language and body type, quickly recognized even after in-story years have passed, clothes have changed or hair been cut.

I’ve often said that Gilbert Hernandez’s Palomar is comics’ ultimate portrait of humanity in all our glory and debauchery, and though the two stories in Beyond Palomar lean toward the darker aspects of life, both tales are worthy peers to Hernandez’s masterwork.

Supergirl #26
From: DC
Writer: Kelly Puckett
Art: Is it Drew Johnson? We keep forgetting . . .
Review by Brian Andersen

Supergirl is on a one-way crash course with cancellation-ville, which is such a shame really since I (and many others apparently) adore the idea of a Supergirl. But perhaps therein lies her problem; Supergirl is loved as an idea, but never really as a fully fleshed out character (with exception to the all-too-brief character infusion from comic scribes Peter David and Jeph Loeb’s runs on her book, all of which ended up quickly swept under the continuity rug). DC just never seems to know what to do with Supergirl. The Girl of Steel has enough fan interest and support to bounce back from both a “so-bad-it’s-totally-awesome” major motion picture and her total continuity annihilation from the DCU.

So with all she’s been through, how does the Maid of Might get paid for not becoming another footnote in forgotten comic lore? Why with a totally sucky comic book of course. I have absolutely no idea what the heck is going on in Supergirl, and what’s worse, neither does writer Kelly Puckett. The book is an awful mess: a directionless, pointless, and utterly lost series that is coasting on its short-lived hype after this current incarnation of Supergirl appeared a few years ago. There’s no vision and zero energy, from the author right on down to the “penciler” - who supposedly is Drew Johnson, but seeing as how he has only managed one full issue of art since he “took over” the book with issue #23 (four whole issues ago!) I’m not sure we can rightfully call him a chief creative force on the comic.

The worst part of this series is that Kara Zor-El lacks a voice; she is being written as an empty, blond, dunder-head who Superman coddles and talks down to, like in this issues ridiculous scene where Supergirl has trouble saving 127 people from a building about to collapse? Huh? What happened to the gal’s supposed super “super-speed”, the one that rivaled Superman in the beginning of the series? Suddenly Superman has to take over for her cause she can’t cut it? Totally shameful and completely wrong for the book - going against what has been established before - and also for the “star” of her own series.

With all the indie comic talent out there busting out some major badass comics why doesn’t DC pull someone totally new, totally fresh and totally excited and dying to work on a major comic character? I am more than sure a newbie would hungrily dive into the book and produce something worthy of such an endearing character and give her, like, I dunno, maybe some definition and meaning? Supergirl is still around today for a reason; now let’s give the girl a chance to prove it.

Ms. Marvel #24
From: Marvel
Writer: Brian Reed
Art: Aaron Lopresti
Review by Brian Andersen

I really and truly want to like Ms. Marvel. I love me the lady heroes way more then I like any of the male ones. So when a female character somehow manages to get her own title I am on it like the paparazzi on Britney Spears. With each female driven comic, I maintain this lingering hope that I will finally find the book that is able to not only hold its own against all the Wolverines (over-used) and Spider-Mans (don’t even get me started) but that is also able to rise above all the male dominated superhero clutter. Bring me a lady hero that is strong, smart, vulnerable, funny, sexy, human and boss enough to bring all the boys to the yard (and buy her book) and I’m way stoked.

But other than the grand dame of female superheroes, Wonder Woman, most female-driven hero books just don’t make it that far. Sales are generally horrendous and the comic is eventually shelved for yet another long-running Batman comic. Ms. Marvel is just such an example. She has tremendous potential and yet the book just doesn’t click with that desperately needed coolness factor, it lacks that extra “wham” that is so imperative for a female book to survive, to break through and entice the guys. I can’t point fingers at writer Brian Reed, who is the rare creator who has managed to stay on a female-headed book for over 24 straight issues, and who seems to be throwing everything he can into making the title interesting and exciting. And I surely can’t blame talented artist Aaron Lopresti, who also has managed to stick around the comic past four whole issues.

So what’s wrong with Ms. Marvel and why isn’t she a top-seller and a must-read book each month? Blame my fellow men and me. Comics are such a male fantasy medium, with a predominately male driven readership, that a powerful, self-sufficient female - who isn’t barely covered with a “cork and two Band-Aids” (thank you Cher for the quote) – has to break through the Ginger Rogers Syndrome (having to do everything Fred Astaire did but in heels and backwards) just to even attempt to succeed. I have three young nephews and they readily ignore any and all female comics I send their way. Their rejection is an ingrained reaction cultivated on the playground and carried over into adulthood: most men look at solo woman superhero books as “comics for girls” (one nephew even called Spider-Girl “Spider-Man-Girl”). A solo series starting a women hero has to be three-times as awesome, sexy and badass as their male counterparts just to try and snag a morsel of popularity.

So, until the many comic buying guys out there can get past that “girl comic” stigma, and embrace a woman hero and enjoy her as a strong, powerful character, I fear a female-driven comic is doomed to fail. No matter how radical or amazing the series, a woman hero is utterly at the mercy of decades of male super-woman-ignoring buying habits, and that my dear friends, is utterly disappointing.

Zipper #4
From: IDW/Simmons Comic Group
Written by: Tom Waltz
Art By: Casey Maloney, Marc Rueda
Reviewed by Tim Janson

The product of KISS bassist, Gene Simmons, Zipper is the tale of alien Xeng Ral, who has fled from his world where individuality is a crime. Escaping to Earth and to the city of Detroit (my hometown), Xeng Ral is befriended by a small time hood, Ronnie, as well as Detroit Police Detective Linda Maki. Xeng’s race, the Etherians, have tracked him to Earth and set four hunters on his trail. They are intent on bringing Xeng back so their collective can be made whole again. With the aid of his friends, Xeng managed to elude the hunters in the third issue. Xeng and the hunters all where cybernetic Exo battle-suits which can cloak their true appearances.

The fourth issue opens as the Tang Fe, the Etherian leader, gets an update from his security forces on the status of Xeng Ral. He is none too happy to hear that not only has the fugitive eluded the hunters, but is getting assistance from Earthlings. In order to repair their collective, and send a message to any other member of their race who might seek the same kind of freedom, Tang Fe now orders his hunters to destroy Xeng Ral.

As Xeng, Ronnie, and Maki take a breather in a Ypsilanti (that’s a city in Michigan about a half hour outside of Detroit where Eastern Michigan University is located) bar, we finally learn a little bit about the Etherians and Xeng’s function before escaping. He had been an elite planetary guardsman whose sole purpose was to train and defend. We also get to learn a good deal about Detective Maki and her background. While the first three issues of the series featured quite a bit of action, Tom Waltz slows the bus down a bit to develop his main characters and forward the plot. What I though was going to be a somewhat light story has become progressively darker and more violent. The hunters are through playing games and they intend to kill Xeng and will let no one, human or otherwise stand in their way.

This book continues to surprise me. It’s well written with fresh and witty dialog. The characters talk and act like real people, not caricatures. Casey Maloney and Marc Rueda’s art continues to impress. I love the stoic, never changing expression on Xeng’s face when he is cloaked as a human. Also had to love the old, chubby waitress in the bar wearing a “Winger” t-____. That’s gold!

Halloween: Nightdance #1
From: Devil’s Due Publishing
Written by: Stefan Hutchinson
Art By: Tim Seeley
Reviewed by Tim Janson

The Halloween film franchise has been wildly uneven. The first film was a masterpiece of tension and atmosphere that didn’t need gore or gruesome kills to scare its audience. The sequel didn’t approach the first film’s sense of suspense, but as a direct continuation, still manages to rise well above the other entries. After the third film made a complete departure from the Michael Myers character, the next few films skidded off the road, blowing continuity and introducing unneeded supernatural elements. The franchise tried to get back to its roots with Halloween H20 and while not awful, it couldn’t recapture the spirit of the first film, even with luring Jamie Lee Curtis back as Laurie Strode. Halloween Resurrection was awful and Rob Zombie’s remake…sorry, it may say Halloween but it’s not Halloween.

This all brings us to Devil’s Due and their treatment of the franchise in the new series Halloween: Nightdance. An opening prologue relates Michael’s killing of his sister in 1963, the subsequent incarceration into a mental hospital, and his eventual escape and killing spree in Haddonfield in 1978. In a recent interview here at Newsarama, Hutchinson noted that the continuity of their series only takes into account Halloween 1 & 2, H20, and Resurrection. I hate to make such a big deal about it but the continuity of the Halloween films is a topic that has been hotly debated by fans over the years so I think it was important for Hutchinson to let fans know where his series starts.

The Devils’s Due series is set in another small Illinois town, Russellville. Lisa is a teenager who is afraid of the dark, still traumatized by an event when she was a child. It’s not stated what happened to Lisa but we can surmise someone played a cruel joke on her by locking her in a dark closet or some such place. Much of the story is told from her first person perspective. Meanwhile Michael Myers has settled into town and begun doing what he does best with a couple of teenagers he’s trapped and the motorists who are in the wrong place at the wrong time.

The story was a little jumpy for a first issue. As we bounce between Lisa, the girl Myers has trapped, and the motorists who come upon him accidentally, it’s hard to get a feel for any one of the characters. The girl trapped in the house sees a drawer filled with several of the trademark “shape” masks which suggests a level of premeditation and planning that is out of character with the “Boogeyman”, force of nature, spirit of Myers. I mean, where the hell did all those Shatner masks come from, anyway?

Seeley’s art is always solid and liked his use of deep shadows to convey an overall sense of dread. Halloween: Nightdance didn’t quite hit third gear for me but it moved well enough to get me to read the next issue.

Pellet Reviews!

Fall of Cthulhu TPB (Boom Studios; by Janelle Siegel): The trade of this mini ships next week, and I would say if you were interested in the story but didn't have the time or means to pick it up in single issue format, it's worth checking out in trade. It's a dark horror story that delves into some pretty disturbing areas, with imagery to match. The writing is good, if not remarkable. The art on the "real world" sequences is not something I really enjoyed and felt too much like quick sketches rather than serious art. The "Dreamland" sequences, however, by Andrew Richie, were fantastic. I would have been happy if the whole book could have been in Dreamland. The bottom line is that it's an entertaining story that is work looking at if you are interested but if you're not, it's not going to do anything for you.

Albert and the Others (D&Q; by Mike): Animator Guy DeLisle spins 26 multi-page strips commenting, mostly, on masculinity and sexual politics. Beginning with Albert and ending with Zoltan, each strip follows an alphabetically arranged protagonist through often surreal encounters and/or dreams with jobs, women, life’s travails and more women. Though there are a few intriguing ideas, little about the book demands attention, and unfortunately even the small format cramps DeLisle’s lively, open cartooning.

I Shall Destroy All the Civilized Planets! (Fantagraphics; by Mike): After all the hype, I expected… crap, honestly, but entertaining crap. Crap fantasticness. Craptasticness. Alas, despite much ballyhooing from the comics blogosphere, I found only the first half of that always difficult-to-complete equation. Collecting crudely drawn, logic-leaping inanity from the 1940s, all written and illustrated by the oddball (and apparently abusive drunk) Fletcher Hanks, this book is certainly an intriguing document of its time, and I can see the “what the hell was he smoking” appeal on some level, but for me, this book just couldn’t bring the goods home. I may have to revisit it sometime.

Uncanny X-Men #495 (Marvel; by Troy): A breather after the craziness of “Messiah Complex”, this issues works its way slowly toward the next major iteration of the X-mythology. As the group scatters to deal with various issues, Cyclops and Emma Frost take a brief vacation to a familiar locale so that Cyclops can sort out what he might want to do with Xavier’s dream. It’s a solid-jumping on issue, and the cover and the contents both suggest that our Uncanny team may be fairly old school (Cyke, Emma, Wolverine, Nightcrawler, Colossus, and Angel). Whether that remains the roster is immaterial; the X-books haven’t been this enjoyable as a family is quite some time.

Jonah Hex #28 (DC; by Troy): Still managing to exist below the sales radar, Hex continues to draw plaudits because it’s a ridiculously good book. With the exception of a three-part “origin” tale and a two-parter, this book has essentially stuck to the “done-in-one”, and done it brilliantly. Palmiotti and Gray have the character down cold; they crank out tales of icy revenge and unsettling justice with apparent ease. This issue deals with a more contemporary problem, but it’s interesting to see it against the western backdrop. Some might not be happy with the outcome, but in these stories of a substantially dangerous time, the ending is rarely happy.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer #11 (Dark Horse; by Troy): Whedon’s on this one before “Ultimate Drew”, Drew Goddard, arrives, and he answers a question pending since the first story arc: namely, who gave Buffy that kiss of true love? It’s an intriguing little number that also pits Buffy against Twilight for the first time; before you consider that as too spoilery, anyone that was a fan of the show knows how Buffy’s Round Ones with the Big Bads usually go. More superb Jeanty and Owens art rounds out another solid issue.

Jumper: Jumpscars (Oni Press; by Troy): I went into this one with no expectations, so I’m pleased to say that I really enjoyed it. An entertaining suspense piece that prefigures the pending Jumper film, this one follows a paladin, one of the group tasked with chasing down these teleporting “jumpers” who tug at the fabric of reality with their power. Brian Hurtt (and Chris Schweizer) deliver smooth art (somewhat reminiscent of Jeanty, in fact), and the script by DeFilippis and Weir keeps things moving.

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[Blind Assassin]

Where was the review for Ms. Marvel....?


There was just an essay on why men don't buy comics with female leads......

[Albert]

Don't blame me about Ms. Marvel. It having a female lead has nothing to due with why I don't buy it. It sucking does.

[miamiu]

Marvel will never allow Ms. Marvel to be a great book. She has been shoehorned into the hero that will never meet her own expectations box. Similar to what they are saying for Spidey. She will always be the selfdoubting loser we have seen in her series. And Marvel doesnt seem to have a problem with it. Ms. Marvel should be spot on and no dummy, but then would she be relatable who knows. All I can say is we can blame both the editor and Reed on her less than stellar run. Ms. Marvel's original villains makes Sleepwalker's villains masterpieces. The book is just not great and there isnt much reviewing on it going on in the article. Just some spiel how men dont buy super women comics, but we all know that is false due to the bad girl craze that went on a few years ago.

[MrGreenGenes]

Originally Posted by Blind Assassin

Where was the review for Ms. Marvel....?


There was just an essay on why men don't buy comics with female leads......

I was thinking the same thing. That was inexcusable. How do you claim that to be a review of a specific comic if you never actually speak on anything about the issue in question? Do these features have an editor?

[miamiu]

Here is my review

This has to be one of the best issues in awhile because it basically showed Carol kicking @ss being center stage for a change. Something she should have been doing since issue 1. Anyway the issue is mostly Carol vs. the brood queen and I thought the way the character devised to defeat the queen was decent. Showed Carol could think on the spot. The good news is Cru gets dipped in a molten pit of lava. Yay!! The last part of the book shows Tony saying he has information that Carol is a skrull and wants Agent Sum to take her out. Everyone else seemed to have bit parts this issue and it was mostly Carol. I really wasnt feeling the whole family thing they tried to equate Carol with her team mates Anya, Machine Man, and Sleep Walker. Kind of hokey if you ask me.

[Blind Assassin]

Originally Posted by MrGreenGenes

I was thinking the same thing. That was inexcusable. How do you clam that to be a review of a specific comic if you never actually speak on anything about the issue in question? Do these features have an editor?

I normally wouldn't care, its just that I saw the cover to the issue and thought "holy crap....is ms. marvel back to her BINARY powers/identity....and I read the 'review' exptecting it to let me know what was going on with the issue.

Guess I'll have to go to the comic shop later to see what this was/is all about.

[MrGreenGenes]

Originally Posted by miamiu

Here is my review

This has to be one of the best issues in awhile because it basically showed Carol kicking @ss being center stage for a change. Something she should have been doing since issue 1. Anyway the issue is mostly Carol vs. the brood queen and I thought the way the character devised to defeat the queen was decent. Showed Carol could think on the spot. The good news is Cru gets dipped in a molten pit of lava. Yay!! The last part of the book shows Tony saying he has information that Carol is a skrull and wants Agent Sum to take her out. Everyone else seemed to have bit parts this issue and it was mostly Carol. I really wasnt feeling the whole family thing they tried to equate Carol with her team mates Anya, Machine Man, and Sleep Walker. Kind of hokey if you ask me.

Hey, nice job miamiu. Someone's got the right idea...

[C20Percent]

Originally Posted by Albert

Don't blame me about Ms. Marvel. It having a female lead has nothing to due with why I don't buy it. It sucking does.

I buy Wonder Woman because I like the character. I buy Birds of Prey because I like the characters. I buy Catwoman because I like the character.

I do not buy Ms. Marvel because I do not like the character. Plain and Simple.

[Linkara]

I raised an eyebrow or two at JSA #12. I absolutely loved the issue and the review's spot-on that Geoff Johns knows how to juggle this many characters and make them all unique (I see JSA as a kind of non-DCAU Justice League Unlimited). What got me surprised was the revelation of the original Amazing Man's role in history (who really did what is claimed in this issue?) and Lance's own superheroic legacy. Anyone have the family tree on that one to see where they got that from? I mean, I find that all sorts of awesome, but that seems like the kind of thing DC would get sued over if any of the descendants were still arond...

[miamiu]

Originally Posted by Linkara

I raised an eyebrow or two at JSA #12. I absolutely loved the issue and the review's spot-on that Geoff Johns knows how to juggle this many characters and make them all unique (I see JSA as a kind of non-DCAU Justice League Unlimited). What got me surprised was the revelation of the original Amazing Man's role in history (who really did what is claimed in this issue?) and Lance's own superheroic legacy. Anyone have the family tree on that one to see where they got that from? I mean, I find that all sorts of awesome, but that seems like the kind of thing DC would get sued over if any of the descendants were still arond...

Has black lightning always had this many kids? They seem to be popping up everywhere. Seems lame if you ask me.

[Bender-braü]

Originally Posted by Brian Andersen

Wolverines (over-used) and Spider-Mans (don’t even get me started)

Truer words have never been spoken.

Originally Posted by Brian Andersen

So, until the many comic buying guys out there can get past that “girl comic” stigma

I think you are placing the blame in the wrong place. I certainly don't have a "stigma" against "girl comics". I do however have a stigma against "bad comics". I don't care if it's Ms. Marvel or Batman, if the writings crap I'll drop it either way. If the numbers are showing that fewer comics with female leads sell then my guess is that people just don't know how to write for female characters.

Amanda Tapping from Stargate once said that when the series started the writers complained that they didn't know how to write for a female lead. She told them to just write her character as a person and let her add the femininity herself, if solely by virtue of her gender visually. Maybe comic book writers need to understand that better?

[DaVeO]

Good Female Hero Comics.

Wonder Woman After Gail took over.
Catwoman Woefully overlooked, excellently written and penciled.
Manhunter Read the trades, await the inevitable return. I have it on good authority.
Birds of Prey Still fun and intelligent post-Gail Simone.
Green Arrow/Black Canary Black Canary is NOT taking a backseat in this comic.
Hack/Slash For the girl who loves horror.
Spider-Girl Fan passion has to count for something.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer A truly great continuation.
Red Sonja Yeah, the clothes are skimpy but Sonja can stand up to any man.


The big question I put to Marvel. Is it possible for them to have a female hero star in her own title and not be a derivitive of a male hero? Spider-Girl, X-23, Ms. Marvel, Spider-Woman. All were females stuck in the suit (powers, abilities) of their male counterpart. Can we please get an original female hero with a good creative team?

[I-Ching]

Wait...what?...what happened with the Ms. Marvel review...I get the "review" statements on female driven titles not getting the respect and attention afforded to other titles but then he doesn't even afford the issue a review?

I'm sure he's well intentioned but I want to know how he thinks this issue measured up because it's the culmination of a whole mess of stuff that's been brewing in the title since #1.

I'm hoping this issue is rock solid entertainment because this series has been a true gem since it kicked off. I'm hoping Marvel will afford this title a lot of support and hopefully readers will come around because...until Gail Simone...it's better a more enjoyable title that Wonder Woman and Carol has been written so well and so real and has been a real treat overall.

Any chance we could have the reviewer go back and add another paragraph for his take on the issue?

[CitC]

How do you claim that to be a review of a specific comic if you never actually speak on anything about the issue in question?

That's funny to me personally. I haven't read the Ms. Marvel review, but the line I quoted above is sort of how I tend to write reviews I get to my actual opinions of book around 2/3, 3/4 of the way through. They are more fun to write that way. Since I am my own editor (which the grammar mistakes will attest to) I get away with it.

[Cicero]

Originally Posted by MattBrady

Ginger Rogers Syndrome (having to do everything Fred Astaire did but in heels and backwards) just to even attempt to succeed.

In fairness to Fred Astaire (and accuracy to Ginger Rogers), he was usually the one dancing backwards (on usually just his toes, no less) - which means that most of the time, Ginger Rogers danced forward. (Astaire also usually executed more complicated steps in the course of performing the same movement.)

[TakumProti]

Originally Posted by Albert

Don't blame me about Ms. Marvel. It having a female lead has nothing to due with why I don't buy it. It sucking does.

I also don't buy because it simply sucks. A low point for me was Carol assaulting Rogue for no viable reason and then being all tortured about it. It would've made a hell of alot more sense if Carol got in any real trouble for doing that. But that's whne I realized that this wasn't a book about a good heroine, instead it's a book about some egomanical overpowered schmuck whose not much of a superhero. That's why I'm reading Spider-Girl and not Ms. Marvel anymore.

[Blind Assassin]

As far as female comics go, I have to rave about Terry Moore's "Strangers in Paradise", whose two main characters Katina Choovanski (Katchoo), and Francine kicked more butt than any woman dressed in spandex.

A wonderful series showcasing not just great female characters, but great characters in general, and ones that I found myself getting wrapped up in over their decade long run.

[miamiu]

Ms. Marvel is the only series where I think her supporting cast Agent Sum, Anya, Machine Man, and SleepWalker usually out shine her and are more interesting than her which is sad considering it is her book.

[BJK]

Hey Rev; there's no need for you to work so hard. Just write "JSA is awesome" and you're done.

As for Ms. Marvel, I've really felt that Brian Reed has grown as writer, and the comic is very close to going from "good" to "great".

[samnoir]

I agree that more consistency in the art teams would help give Batman and Detective a shot in the arm that they so desperately need given the strong writing teams of Dini and Morrison.

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[CitC]

In fairness to Fred Astaire (and accuracy to Ginger Rogers), he was usually the one dancing backwards (on usually just his toes, no less) - which means that most of the time, Ginger Rogers danced forward. (Astaire also usually executed more complicated steps in the course of performing the same movement.)

Now, this is why I come here - serious. I didn't know there was that opinion of Astair out there.

[jedifish]

Originally Posted by Albert

Don't blame me about Ms. Marvel. It having a female lead has nothing to due with why I don't buy it. It sucking does.

Yeah, I found the writing in the first few issues incredibly bad and found Carol incredibly unlikable. And then she went pro-reg, which was the death knell for me. Just not an interesting book.

[Stormbreaker]

On Ms. Marvel, I don't read it because I don't like the character. 'Nuff said. I don't have anything against female comic leads. They just haven't given any good ones (that I'm interested in) their own titles lately.

I don't like Ms. Marvel. I don't like She-Hulk enough to pay monthly for her. I don't really like Catwoman. I tried Wonder Woman but I just don't like her in her own title (to me she's best as a team player).

I did, however, ADORE the first six issues of this Supergirl volume (the Loeb-written ones. I left when he did and am glad I did, based on reaction to the later stories). They should just cancel her ongoing and keep her on Teen Titans. McKeever had her working well there.

One Marvel character that I'd love to see in an ongoing is Phyla-Vell. If she's in the new Guardians of the Galaxy, that'd be amazing.

But enough about that. Uncanny was surprisingly good (though I am not sure about this whole 60's San Fran deal. It seems like it could get really silly...). Brubaker seems to finally be hitting his stride on this title (he's number two on the best current X-Writer list. Mike Carey takes the number one slot HANDILY).

[Crusader K]

What? No love for "The ClanDestine"???

Argh.

Ok - if you haven't read "The ClanDestine" before - go out and read it now! The story of the Clan stretches nearly 1000 years and if you're a fan of the history and pathos of "Highlander" or the family dynamics of "Fantastic Four", you will LOVE this book!

It boasts excellent art from Alan Davis (its creator) and Paul Neary. I won't go too much into the artwork because, lets face it, its Davis and Neary and well . . .it's Davis and Neary! Did you love "The Nail"? Their run (the BEST) on "Excalibur"? "The Avengers"? "The X-Men"?? You'll love this. I will say it helps if you were a fan of the short lived but much loved series in the miasma that was the '90's, but there's enough backstory given by the villains of the story that will give you a feel for who's who. The first issue tends to throw most of the cast at you but without knowing what came previously, you'll get feel for how the characters act.

Although the characters of the Clan appear to be superheroes, they really aren't and for most of them thats fine. They just want to live their lives in complete anonymity with some of them using their abilities a little...selfishly. But the actions of the youngest family members keeps drawing them into situations that require more proactive superheroics. The character to watch the most tho is Cuckoo with whom Alan has barely scratched the surface and Hex's abilities are more of a curse than a power to be desired.

If you've bought a copy cause you were a fan, then you have a responsibility to buy ANOTHER copy and give it to someone who's never read "The ClanDestine" before. And if you haven't bought a copy but were thinking about it...what are you waiting for?!