JiC: LOOKING OVER THE JANUARY RACK

**MattBrady** · 01-25-2003, 10:50 AM

by Michael Sangiacomo

Television calls it counter-programming when you deliberately air a show completely different than the other stations are showing. Since everyone has heard about all the new titles and such coming from Marvel thanks to their back-to-back press conferences, few are talking about other books. So I’ll dip into the old review pile and piss everyone off.

Gotham Central #1, #2

It’s been said before, but you should be reading this book – if not for anything else, to see two writers and an artist finally ditching some of the silliness that has remained in the world of Gotham since the Adam West series.

Case in point - one thing that has always annoyed me about villains with freezing powers is the complete ignorance of science and common sense. Look, if Captain Cold freezes someone in a giant tidal wave of ice, THE GUY WILL DIE. Lack of oxygen, hypothermia equals death. He doesn’t revive when the ice melts.

The opening arc of Gotham Central looks at the police department’s ordinary boys and girls in blue dealing with an extraordinary villain, Freeze. In this taut adventure written by Ed Brubaker and Greg Rucka, Freeze is a stone cold killer. His victims don’t warm up and feel better with blankets and hot soup. The scene in the morgue on page four where police realize the full implications of Freeze’s power is very powerful. And sad.

Artist Michael Lark’s frequent reliance on eight panels per page means a lot of information in a single issue without sacrificing style or clarity. He’s a solid penciller on what is meant to be a writer’s book.

Dicks 2 #3

So what’s a “Spide” anyway? Must be an Irish or British thing since Garth Ennis’ character keeps calling his buddy is one and it cheeses him off.

This is a mature reader’s book for sure, lots of bad words and fart jokes and a couple of good lines. John McCrea’s unrestrained artwork is reminiscent of the Furry Freak Brothers, and I mean that in a good way. The whole book is pretty silly but with an actual plot about Penis Men taking over the world. Wait a minute. This can’t be a Garth Ennis comic. There’s not a single anal rape reference in the whole book!

Killraven #4

Hey, I want Marvel to use my quotes in their advertising blurbs, too! Following are a few that are tailor-made to slide just under the title:

Killraven hasn’t been this good in more than 20 years!
Malodorous Martians. Misguided mutants. Bad girls in skimpy leather. This book has it all!
Killraven is non-stop thrills and action from cover to cover!

Actually, Alan Davis and Mark Farmer are doing a fine job of refining and updating the classic series. Though quite a few folks had their hand in the original run back in Amazing Adventures, it was the words and pictures team of Don McGregor and P. Craig Russell that made my tentacles twitch. This retelling and revamping of a classic is solid sci-fi adventure, and a fun read that’s getting overlooked by a lot of Marvel fans because there’s not a Spider or an X on it.

The Best of the Bunch

Supergirl #78 and Amazing Spider-Man #49

Both books ask the same question: Will she stay or will she go?

Peter David said he had some cool plans for the final chapter of Supergirl, but I never expected anything like this. If he does what I think he may do (none of which I can talk about without screwing up the final few pages of #78) David will have my undying, everlasting, awe, admiration and gratitude.

After years of tediously complex plots about Earth Angels and double Supergirls, confusing plots and downright annoying secondary characters, David has redeemed himself. The last page of this issue, and the earlier revelations about the identity of the new/old Supergirl, made it all worthwhile. It’s going to be a long wait for the penultimate issue #79.
He can’t really do it, can he?

Writer J. Michael Straczynski said issue #50 of Amazing Spider-Man will resolve the question of Peter Parker and Mary Jane’s relationship. Issue #49 is a poignant, witty and satisfying story in a very Hollywood movie sort of way. I could hear the music swelling up in the
background. Now don’t take that to mean that something is resolved in this issue, no way.

The best testament to JMS’ writing is that I have no clue which way the marriage will go next month. And that is really cool. I can’t wait to be surprised.

Ironically, no matter what Straczynski does, at least half of the readers will hate it.

There’s a moral there somewhere.

Michael Sangiacomo is a statewide news reporter for the Plain Dealer newspaper in Cleveland, Ohio. His syndicated "Journey Into Comics" weekly column on the state of the comic book business, can be found in newspapers and at the Newsarama website. His monthly comic book column appears the first Saturday of each month in the Plain Dealer Arts page and is syndicated through Newhouse Newspapers. He also writes a twice-monthly audiobooks review column covering crime thrillers and mysteries that can be seen at www.audiobookstoday.com

Graeme McMillan · 01-25-2003, 10:59 AM

[quote]Originally posted by Matt Brady:
So what’s a “Spide” anyway? Must be an Irish or British thing since Garth Ennis’ character keeps calling his buddy is one and it cheeses him off.

A spide is what you call someone who has such a crap moustache that it looks like a spider has crawled onto their top lip and died.

So now you know.

Jonas.Vesterlund · 01-25-2003, 11:05 AM

Talking about KILLRAVEN and advertising. Has this book got ANY ad support from Marvel? It is probably the best book they have and instead they spend 1 or half a page every month in and out promoting the ULTIMATE line?

Why constantly push this line? It can't be all that sucessful if they constantly have to push it.
This is not yeat another anti-Ultimate books post. I really enjoy THE ULTIMATES but Marvels marketing strategies makes no sence.

KILLRAVEN really rocks!!! With movies like LORD OF THE RINGS and STAR WARS tearing up the box office....this would make a good movie!

Jonathan · 01-25-2003, 12:02 PM

[quote]Originally posted by Jonas.Vesterlund:
Talking about KILLRAVEN and advertising. Has this book got ANY ad support from Marvel? It is probably the best book they have and instead they spend 1 or half a page every month in and out promoting the ULTIMATE line?

Why constantly push this line? It can't be all that sucessful if they constantly have to push it.
This is not yeat another anti-Ultimate books post. I really enjoy THE ULTIMATES but Marvels marketing strategies makes no sence.

KILLRAVEN really rocks!!! With movies like LORD OF THE RINGS and STAR WARS tearing up the box office....this would make a good movie!

I can't say I really agree with you or Mike about Killraven, its pretty much standard fare. Alan isn't a bad writer or anything but his work can sometimes be a bit formulaic. When it comes to alien invasions I think League of Extraordinary Gentlemen does it better.

However, I love Alan Davis's artwork and he is still the only case where I would buy a book just on art alone.

His 2nd run on Excalibur was far better and I'm suprised that it hasn't been reprinted yet.

Hap Collins · 01-25-2003, 12:15 PM

There's a moral there somewhere????

What the hell does that mean? Does it mean that half the audience could care less about the all new, all daring spider-totemed Spider-man? That, maybe, what JMS is doing on the book isn't all that great? That some people have tastes contrary to Mike's? That maybe issue #50 will be another c-tease and resolve nothing like Peter and MJ's meeting previously in JMS's run. I've tried to enjoy this book, but other than Aunt May finding out (which any other writer could've written, but wasn't allowed to) I find it to be hackneyed and dull and overly sentimental. Not to mention, that for a writer who supposedly has such a great take on the character, can any of you explain to me why in his first run JMS has Peter let a murderer go free? Hmmmm... anyone?!? Cause we all know how well that worked out the last time Peter let a criminal go free. Not letting bad guys go is like... Spider-man 101. It just isn't done. JMS is such a naked emperor. I've tried to enjoy his work (Midnight Nation, Rising Stars, Amazing, etc.) and I just don't see what the big deal is at all.

And as for Peter David's Supergirl story in #78, with regards to the ending... (without giving it away and while trying to not sound like the uber-dork that I am) at what point does that solution not cause reality to totally unravel?

Hdefined · 01-25-2003, 12:43 PM

In regards tgo JMS Spider-Man, I've picked up 4 of his issues: 30, 36, 38, 40. At no point was I hooked or given reason to stay. Now, I haven't read enough to go right ahead and bash his work, but it just didn't feel like Spider-Man. It felt MORE like Spider-Man than a lot of the 90's shlock (coughcoughMackiecough), but it didn't do anything for me. I'm not sure if I want to buy #50, as it seems pretty obvious they're getting back together. If the reviews of this book come out and go like "Whoa! This was totally a shock ending!" then I'll be interested, otherwise . . .. eh. It feels like they're still cleaning up Spider continuity. Let's bring out some real stories.

I don't have anything against the "spider-totem" either, it just doesn't sound that interesting.

Ok, wait. It seems a lot of people on newsarama don't like it when people make judgments OF previews based ON the previews and then say they won't buy the book. Well, tell me if you've heard this before . . .

Me: Hm, I saw that Terminator 3 preview. It didn't look interesting, it didn't show me anything I haven't seen anywhere else or might get excited about, I have a bad feeling it might not be good. I don't think I'm going to see it.

Newsarama folk: What? You can't judge the movie based on the preview. It hasn't even come out yet!

Me: I'm not judging the movie, I'm judging the preview, and it doesn't make me want to see the movie, so I don't think I'll see the movie.

Newsarama folk: But you have to see the movie to know whether it's good or not!

Me: But the preview is supposed to get you to want to see the movie, and it just didn't work for me. I don't HAVE to see the movie.

Newsarama folk: then you shouldn't be so negative about it since it hasn't come out yet.

Me: I can make any conclusion I want based on the preview, because it's trying to hook me and I'm HONESTLY NOT HOOKED.

Have you guys seen/heard this before? Sound familiar? Yeah, I thought so. Think about it.

1.5 · 01-25-2003, 01:09 PM

i think what mike is saying is that everyone has their own (and sometimes VERY narrow minded) visions of what "their" super heroes should be like, and that when any writer makes a big decision that drastically changes a characters current status quo that at least half are gonan hate it because it doesnt vibe with what they think "their" super hero would do/should be. but im sure you all knew that

2nd asst to the lt. govenor of guam,
1.5

Minute Man · 01-25-2003, 01:15 PM

Hi,
I loved issue one of Gotham Central and the tone it took but was totally let down by issue two. Wasn't the whole point that the police force didn't want the Batman involved? I mean that is what they kept saying over & over again in issue one and then for the second issue to end the way it did. It undermined everything the book said it wanted to do. I went ahead and dropped the book.

1.5 · 01-25-2003, 01:16 PM

Hdefined,
that was a very good and articulate arguement. and while i do think that movie trailers and comic previews are analogous, they are not exactly the same thing. I would make the argurment that trailers have a much easier job of bringing people in for the simple fact that more can be shown about the style/look/dynamic of the movie can be shown in trailers, also most movies have 2-4 different trailers where comics usually only have 1 preview.
Im not saying your wrong for telling people to get off others backs about making decisions to buy/jugde a book based on the preview. Just that i think your arguement might be slightly invalid because of the analogy

jawaplumber · 01-25-2003, 01:22 PM

[quote]Originally posted by Hdefined:
Well, tell me if you've heard this before . . .

Me: Hm, I saw that Terminator 3 preview. It didn't look interesting, it didn't show me anything I haven't seen anywhere else or might get excited about, I have a bad feeling it might not be good. I don't think I'm going to see it.

Have you guys seen/heard this before? Sound familiar? Yeah, I thought so. Think about it.

Ok, I'm sure I'm opening a LARGE can of worms here, but here goes..let me just say, to begin, that you make a good point about needing to be hooked by a preview in order to shell out your money and that others shouldn't bust your chops for simply saying you aren't hooked by something. However, in my personal experience with giving crap to others when they prejudge something based on a preview or a teaser, it's when their statement isn't as fair or intelligently presented as "...it didn't show me anything I haven't seen anywhere else or might get excited about, I have a bad feeling it might not be good..." When I myself have questioned someone for prejudging something based on a preview, it's when they say, for example, "this (preview) sucked, nothing new here, it's gonna suck, I could care less" It's when they say "it's gonna suck" that burns my biscuits, and more often than not, those who prejudge something phrase their posts in such a manner (and often do so with a ton of spelling mistakes, but that's just me being nitpicky, heh). They rarely ever use the words "might" or "maybe" or the like, and these are the reasons why these folks come off like they think they are omniscient and holier-than-thou, only making themselves look ignorant and stupid. So, my brother, I ask YOU to think about it

Peace...

Jeffbot · 01-25-2003, 01:43 PM

[quote]Originally posted by Hap Collins:
There's a moral there somewhere????

What the hell does that mean?

He's referring to the "catch 22" situation that's going to result from the ending of the storyline. Regardless of how the story concludes, a lot of people will like it, a lot of people will hate it.

Kind of "you're damned if you do, you're damned if you don't."

Kabukiman · 01-25-2003, 01:55 PM

[quote]Originally posted by Minute Man:
Hi,
I loved issue one of Gotham Central and the tone it took but was totally let down by issue two. Wasn't the whole point that the police force didn't want the Batman involved? I mean that is what they kept saying over & over again in issue one and then for the second issue to end the way it did. It undermined everything the book said it wanted to do. I went ahead and dropped the book.

As much as I hate to overuse the cliche, I just think you missed the point entirely. The book is not about cops, it's about cops in Gotham City. They want to be like regular cops, they want to think that they CAN solve all the Gotham City crime and see that the offender is brought to justice. But, there comes a point when they know, they just know that they can't! As much as they hate him for taking away their successes, they know that they need Batman. They hate him because they know that he does much of what they are supposed to do, while at the same time they know that he has to help.

theodoros · 01-25-2003, 01:55 PM

[quote]Originally posted by Hdefined:
[QB](coughcoughMackiecough)
QB]

If Howard Mackie was free from the editors to do the stories he wanted he would be the writer of ASpiderman today. He is far better than JMStrawsomething. But the editors were too controling. I love JMSomething. He is great writer. I looooooooooove his TV shows. I watched Bab5 from the day it aired on TV. I just wanted Howard Mackie had the same freedom from Marvel to write the stories he wanted, just like JMSomething. JMS said that if they try to change something without his oppinion he would leave Marvel. Mackie... was not so big name, to let him do whatever he pleases.

AForceOfOne · 01-25-2003, 02:19 PM

I agree with the statement that half the readers will hate what JMS is doing in Spider-Man. If only because it's not constant fighting in spandex with no plot whatsoever. What JMS is doing is something that takes time to evolve and you can see that in all of his books. It's a book written for trade format so you get more out of it reading the storyarc in it's entireity. This is probably the reason why it's on mostly a bi-weekly schedule...people can't wait. It unfolds like a movie. Ever read Ultimate Spider-man and notice you don't even see the costume for a good 3 issues? That's the kind of storytelling I personally like...but not everyone does.

I tell you one thing though...the totem thing at least has some footing in history and makes you think. It's not just making a clone or because a writer can't ever write a good relationship Peter and MJ are forced into a divorce, then supposed death, then return to only again...leave because giving a happy sort of ending would not be good. Crap happens to Peter...alot of crap. But MJ and his love for her, and vice versa is the anchor into sanity. Wether the two will get back together is still up in the air but either way...MJ is back to stay. JMS understands this need and why it's just as essential to the book as the death of Uncle Ben.

I would rather read a bi-weekly from a man who knows this then what we had as a bi-weekly in the 90s...undeciperhal art and even worse storytelling. Just my opinion. I have friends who don't like the book at all...and that's fine. We have the same kind of discussions offline. This is probably why each Spider book now has a different taste. So there's something for everyone. I just personally like JMS as one of the top two next to Ult. Spidey.

AForceOfOne · 01-25-2003, 02:24 PM

[quote]Originally posted by theodoros:

If Howard Mackie was free from the editors to do the stories he wanted he would be the writer of ASpiderman today. He is far better than JMStrawsomething. But the editors were too controling. I love JMSomething. He is great writer. I looooooooooove his TV shows. I watched Bab5 from the day it aired on TV. I just wanted Howard Mackie had the same freedom from Marvel to write the stories he wanted, just like JMSomething. JMS said that if they try to change something without his oppinion he would leave Marvel. Mackie... was not so big name, to let him do whatever he pleases.

Wether he's better in your viewpoint or not, it's already been proven he got tired of writing the book and that he was slipping ALOT. Remember back when Jenkins took over Peter Parker and had the conversation with him? He admitted all this. Now I've read some of Mackie's work honestly and I know it wasn't his best. But from what I have read, and that being the ending part of his run among other things, he just doesn't have that cinematic style to his writing. He doesn't have that drama. Now that's not a bad thing. It's just a different way of writing. With the spider movie out and Amazing being pretty much the main spider book I'm sure they wanted that feel.

As far as being able to do what he wanted. The man's been in the business for years. Sometimes things happen in the middle of a run with editors or vice versa. It was most likelt a contractual obligation so that he could finish out his story at least. Anybody would have done the same if they were in the position to do so. However Marvel editorial now is alot different then it was back then when JMS signed on. But we don't know. That is just my speculation. Doesn't matter either way to enjoy the book or not.

AForceOfOne · 01-25-2003, 02:31 PM

[quote]Originally posted by Hdefined:
I don't have anything against the "spider-totem" either, it just doesn't sound that interesting.

Ok, wait. It seems a lot of people on newsarama don't like it when people make judgments OF previews based ON the previews and then say they won't buy the book. Well, tell me if you've heard this before . . .

Have you guys seen/heard this before? Sound familiar? Yeah, I thought so. Think about it.

Yeah but there's one slight difference. Comics cost $2.25 and with a discount I can get it for alot less. Movies cost $9.00 at full price and most theatres don't give out discounts. Even then you can only get it as a student or a senior. So the majority of the people aren't going to spend that full price on a mediocre sequel. Comics however are another thing entirely. You can also flip through the book in most places you get them from wether it's a newstand or a store. Some stores have them in the plastic sleeves but a person can ask to take them out and look at it on the counter near the clerk. It's not a problem. If it is then you shouldn't be shopping at that store. I'm not going to lie and say I haven't said the same thing. It's hard even to factor in another book and I know about that all to well. I see your comparison but it's a big stretch in my eyes. Doesn't mean I think you're wrong but I just see it as more overwhelming factors not to see a movie then to buy a comic.

Tom Daylight · 01-25-2003, 02:57 PM

[quote]Originally posted by Hap Collins:
There's a moral there somewhere????

Yeah, two actually:

You can never please everyone
You can't please some people

[quote]What the hell does that mean? Does it mean that half the audience could care less about the all new, all daring spider-totemed Spider-man?

I guess you haven't been reading it properly then... even though the first three pages of the latest issue spell it out for you

[quote] That, maybe, what JMS is doing on the book isn't all that great? That some people have tastes contrary to Mike's? That maybe issue #50 will be another c-tease and resolve nothing like Peter and MJ's meeting previously in JMS's run.

It won't be. Back then JMS was told not to alter the situation between them because Marvel wanted Kevin Smith to do it, expecting bigger sales and a more memorable issue. But Smith fell behind and this coupled with the fact that issues of Spider-Man/Black Cat were outsold by Amazing Spider-Man meant that JMS is being given the opportunity himself. JMS had planned to do it sooner but until now has only been able to "touch around the edges".

MichaelCoughlin · 01-25-2003, 03:02 PM

I've loved JMS's work on Spidey. Great stories that are plain fun to read. They move at a good clip, and he seems to be going somewhere with everything.

As far as the comment earlier, what Mike S. was talking about is there are two opinions right now on Peter/MJ. 1) get back together 2) stay apart. One side will be happy with the next issue. One side won't. He wasn't referring to the entire run.

Tom Daylight · 01-25-2003, 03:07 PM

[quote]Originally posted by Hdefined:
Have you guys seen/heard this before? Sound familiar? Yeah, I thought so. Think about it.

Well, there's the old saying "don't judge a book by its cover", so I suppose there's also a saying "don't judge a film by its preview". The people who put together the preview are completely different from the people who put together the film. Think about it.

Tom Daylight · 01-25-2003, 03:10 PM

[quote]Originally posted by theodoros:

If Howard Mackie was free from the editors to do the stories he wanted he would be the writer of ASpiderman today. He is far better than JMStrawsomething. But the editors were too controling. I love JMSomething. He is great writer. I looooooooooove his TV shows. I watched Bab5 from the day it aired on TV. I just wanted Howard Mackie had the same freedom from Marvel to write the stories he wanted, just like JMSomething. JMS said that if they try to change something without his oppinion he would leave Marvel. Mackie... was not so big name, to let him do whatever he pleases.

I don't suppose you know how Howard Mackie broke into Marvel?

It certainly wasn't anything like the way JMS did. And would explain why he isn't working there any more.

qnetter · 01-25-2003, 04:33 PM

[quote]Originally posted by Matt Brady:
[QB]by Michael Sangiacomo
Killraven #4

Killraven is non-stop thrills and action from cover to cover!

...which is what's wrong with it.

Don McGregor's KILLRAVEN was a book deep and thick with narrative and philosophy. His characters weren't the SF archetypes Davis' are, and the action was almost incidental.

Telling a straight-out SF invasion opera using the Killraven cast is a lot like an animation-style WITCHFIRE ADVENTURES would be: throwing out the style and keeping the schema is pointless when the style *is* the substance.

And that's why I think KILLRAVEN is a book that didn't need to be published...

Minute Man · 01-25-2003, 04:37 PM

[quote]Originally posted by Kabukiman:

As much as I hate to overuse the cliche, I just think you missed the point entirely. The book is not about cops, it's about cops in Gotham City. They want to be like regular cops, they want to think that they CAN solve all the Gotham City crime and see that the offender is brought to justice. But, there comes a point when they know, they just know that they can't! As much as they hate him for taking away their successes, they know that they need Batman. They hate him because they know that he does much of what they are supposed to do, while at the same time they know that he has to help.

well, if that is the point and I missed it, then its not the comic I'm interested in. I wanted to see "real" people finding ways to beat the super powered criminals w/o having to rely on the Batman. If that is the point of the book, then what separates it from other Bat titles, outside of having a different character focus? It just means that its going to end the same way. Either way I was let down.

Morlun · 01-25-2003, 05:07 PM

[quote]Originally posted by theodoros:
If Howard Mackie was free from the editors to do the stories he wanted he would be the writer of ASpiderman today. He is far better than JMStrawsomething. But the editors were too controling. I love JMSomething. He is great writer. I looooooooooove his TV shows. I watched Bab5 from the day it aired on TV. I just wanted Howard Mackie had the same freedom from Marvel to write the stories he wanted, just like JMSomething. JMS said that if they try to change something without his oppinion he would leave Marvel. Mackie... was not so big name, to let him do whatever he pleases.

Wha'?

Go back in time. Read "The Name of the Rose" (Web of Spider-Man #84-89), 1992. He had all the freedom there. It was one of the worst pieces of crap ever produced. Heck, it rivals "Get Kraven".

As for Mackie doing what Harras and Byrne wanted after the reboot, that's true to some extent. He deliberately went against every clue he planted with the Stalker. He gave us Shadrac. He made the mistery Green Goblin a clone. He gave us Hunger. He gave us Venom defeated by a lighter (!!!). He gave us Venom killing Carnage off-panel. He gave us a lot of stuff off-panel, actually. He gave us Kasady finding a copy of the symbiote in the Negative Zone (tired of looking for that shirt you lost? Your wallet? Your killer symbiote? Come to the Negative Zone! We have a backup for you!).

Mackie's skills were never above par. When he tried to do a birdie he usually screwed up really bad. Like that time when he tried to take over all of Spidey's titles...

KingStalin · 01-25-2003, 05:46 PM

[quote]Originally posted by 1.5:
i think what mike is saying is that everyone has their own (and sometimes VERY narrow minded) visions of what "their" super heroes should be like, and that when any writer makes a big decision that drastically changes a characters current status quo that at least half are gonan hate it because it doesnt vibe with what they think "their" super hero would do/should be. but im sure you all knew that

2nd asst to the lt. govenor of guam,
1.5

your a hundred present right. we all have our own ersions of heroes we grew up with. we see them in the same light as we did as a kid and when something challenges that we get pissed because OUR hero isn't the way we believe he should be.

mauer · 01-25-2003, 07:17 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Morlun:
[QB
As for Mackie doing what Harras and Byrne wanted after the reboot, that's true to some extent. He deliberately went against every clue he planted with the Stalker. He gave us Shadrac. He made the mistery Green Goblin a clone. He gave us Hunger. He gave us Venom defeated by a lighter (!!!). He gave us Venom killing Carnage off-panel. He gave us a lot of stuff off-panel, actually. He gave us Kasady finding a copy of the symbiote in the Negative Zone (tired of looking for that shirt you lost? Your wallet? Your killer symbiote? Come to the Negative Zone! We have a backup for you!).
QB]

Ok So some questions, totally unrelated, but oh well. First, is Carnage dead? Or just the symbiote? Who did Mackie set up the Stalker to be? I totally missed out on that. I know who it ended up being, but who were the hints pointing at? And when is the last time they touched on the baby May issue?

m.