BEST SHOTS: GREEN LANTERN, DMZ, FRANKLIN RICHARDS, WISDOM...

[MattBrady]

From the Cast and Crew of ShotgunReviews.com
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Holy crap; we’ve done this thing 90 times? Actually, we’ve had a couple of special editions, a couple of bonus installments, and a year-end-best-of, but this does indeed mark the 90th week in a row that we’ve brought you Best Shots. That’s just a little crazy. That’s 90 times that I’ve sat down to compile our stuff, 90 times that we’ve had the “who’s covering what?” discussion, about 40 times that I’ve asked Richard if he has anything to turn in, and about 75 times that I’ve adjusted Koben’s margins. Insanity. What’s even more insane is that by the time we hit the 100th installment, I’ll be a dad for the second time. Yikes. With that, the rules . . .

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 once shot a man in Reno just to watch him die, his name only appears at the left because he’s stuck in Folsom Prison, not because he wrote the reviews.

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 because I missed an apostrophe while I was keeping one eye on the 1pm games.

Later this week, I mentioned that I planned to bring you a bonus installment that would feature a number of trade and catch-up reviews from two particularly strong “smaller” publishers, Dynamite and Devil’s Due. Things got away from me, and that will now run this week instead. As for this week, here you go . . .

Civil Wardrobe
Writer: Rich Johnston
Artists: Johnston and various
From: Brain Scan Studios
Review by J. Caleb Mozzocco

Spoiling upcoming storylines and relating the occasional unflattering rumor isn’t the only way Lying in the Gutters columnist Rich Johnston has to irritate Marvel Comics—there’s also this occasionally savage parody comic, which I’d have reviewed here a few weeks ago if it didn’t take so long to find a copy.

Give Johnson plenty of points for market savvy, as he surfs on the wave of Civil War interest by swiping the crossover’s cover design and logo font and uses it as an excuse to skewer today’s Marvel Universe.

In the crudely drawn opening scene, which is drawn by Johnston himself (I think), the Old Fanboy Warriors are in the middle of railing against the current state of Marvel (“A Valiant artist for an E.I.C., Scottish interlopers, indie wannabes…Hollywood writers who destroyed our movies now destroying our comics”), when their basement is blown-up by a villain. This heinous act leads President Bush to sign into law “The Decompression Act,” which would make it mandatory for “all stories to appear in six issue arcs to make for easy collection into trade paperbacks.”

Cap is opposed, Iron Man is in favor, and they fight. (No, I don’t know how Johnston is getting away using their likenesses either; I’m more surprised that he dared a Scientology joke than the Marvel jokes though). To help out his pal the president, Tony Stark thus decides to “create a new universe of heroes from the old,” and dress up the Marvel Universe in new costumes (hence the title).

This leads to a long sequence of splash pages by (vastly superior) guest artists, each redesigning a familiar Marvel property. And so we get Kaare Andrews’ Osama Bin Hulk, Bagwell’s Captain Beckham, Frazier Irving’s Iron Manufacturer, Darick Robertson’s Nick Fury, Bad Transvestite of SHIELD and so on. Some jokes work much better than others, and some just don’t work at all (Brokeback Mutant, for example, is a joke whose shelf life expired last year, and turning the Punisher into The Probation Officer is a joke that expired about 25 years ago).

While it’s the Marvel characters who get the parody treatment, the true target seems to be today’s comic industry—creators, companies, readers, Internet columnists—that is the true butt of the jokes. Johnston’s skewer is rather sharp, but the book’s very timeliness should make for a very short shelf life. So read it right now, while it’s still funny.

Green Lantern #14
Written by Geoff Johns
Art by Ivan Reis and Oclair Albert
From: DC
Review by J. Caleb Mozzocco

A crime-fighter who refuses to kill the very same bad guys who are always trying to kill him and/or innocents might seem ridiculous in the real-world; a soldier and hero who kills is certainly more realistic than one who refuses to do so under any circumstances. And yet, here I am already reading a comic book about a space-cop with a magic ring. Obviously, I’m not part of an audience that demands total realism in my comics. So while having Hal Jordan kill a bad guy here might be realistic, it didn’t strike me as particularly heroic, particularly after reading Batman’s speech to Damien al Ghul about not killing opponents in Batman just before cracking the cover of GL.

I understand that Hal was a soldier held captive in a P.O.W. camp by terrorists and all, but it just didn’t seem becoming of a member of the Justice League (remember how hard Bats and Supers took Wonder Woman’s last use of lethal force?) and a law enforcement agency that has such a strict code against killing that they program their greatest weapons to be able to do everything except kill. In the context of the story, it makes perfect sense, but it highlights a problem with the context of the story—a modern superhero like Hal Jordan probably shouldn’t be serving in the U.S. military in any capacity, let alone as a fighter pilot.

Oddly, watching Hal Jordan killing wasn’t even the weirdest moment of the book. It wasn’t even Geoff Johns having Jordan and his fellow pilots being tortured by terrorists (odd behavior for the bad guys in a Hal Jordan story, given that a dozen issues or so ago Jordan himself was torturing a captive). No, it’s hard to top a Green Lantern quoting Republican Senator John McCain for sheer cognitive dissonance.

Despite a tick mark here or there on the negative side of the balance sheet, this particular issue was overwhelmingly a positive read, with a lot of story happening between the covers, even with all the splash pages.

Much of the issue focuses on detailing Jordan, Cowgirl and Rocket-Man’s P.O.W. experience, an experience Cowgirl is set to repeat when she’s taken captive by the same terrorists. Jordan returns, this time with his ring, and goes Guy Gardner on their asses, however he doesn’t kill a single one of them…or does he? His foes are evaporated in bursts of green light, which he doesn’t think he did, but the new Global Guardians are pretty sure he did. (Look, Jet has fire for hair! Freedom Beast is barefoot and bare-chested in the snow! See what I mean about realism in Green Lantern?)

Incredibly, Jet seems to have authority to prosecute perps on the spot, as she tells the U.N., “Green Lantern has just murdered two dozen prisoners we were about to take into custody. Permission to bring war crime charges against him.”

This is only the first issue of a story arc, and already it’s got a full head of steam going, with several sets of some pretty powerful foes all gunning for Hal simultaneously. Johns does a great job of wringing the drama out of the superhero fights and the imprisonment plot, and he writes the ring like no one else. It’s really too bad DC can’t find an artist who can keep this book on a monthly schedule.

Get more hot Caleb action at everydayislikewednesday.blogspot.com.

The Fountain
Written by Darren Aronofsky & Illustrated by Kent Williams
Published by DC/Vertigo
Reviewed by Michael C Lorah

The bastards hung me in the spring of ’25, but I am still alive
— Kris Kristofferson

For those who missed out on the story behind this book – A filmmaker named Darren was preparing a movie when the movie studio balked at the project and shut the film down. Believing in his story, Darren secured the rights to publish it in comics form, selected Kent Williams to illustrate, and thus, we have this extremely attractive book to experience.

The story itself is that of Thomas, and Izzi, and Thomas’ quest to save the life of his one, true love, no matter how long it may take. In this case, it takes a few centuries, as Aronofsky skillfully weaves together three different narratives – Thomas’ time as a conquistador in 16th century Spain questing for the Fountain of Youth, his life as a modern scientist researching aging and cancer technology, and his future as a studier of the heavens.

Although some of the transitions are jarring (and repeating a signature doesn’t help the flow - pages 19-26 are in the book twice, but fortunately, no pages appear to be missing), Aronofsky does a very good job building the tension across the distinct time periods. As each era has its own specific focus, the overall theme of the story does not come into focus until the very end, and everything that Thomas has felt and experienced to that point plays well into the resolution. The build up of Thomas’s helplessness to save Izzi is done very well, slowly building to a frenetic explosion in the middle of a hospital, a scene that is sure to punch most readers squarely in the stomach.

Getting Kent Williams to illustrate this book was a major coup. Williams mixes styles amazingly well, using specific color palettes, or chunky black lines, or grey-toned art to achieve emotional reactions in the readers. The entire book takes on a certain dream-like quality, fitting into Thomas’ growth and his learning to accept the limits of reality. Kent Williams remains one of comics most under-utilized and under-appreciated revolutionary talents.

The Fountain isn’t a perfect book. Thomas’ rant about death as a disease is juvenile, although not entirely unfitting with his behavior in the modern-day portion of the story, and the 16th century political pieces feel underdeveloped to the point of being unclear in their intent.

Nevertheless, The Fountain stands as a remarkable story about a man’s learning to accept the consequences of life, and death.

And that film Darren started out wanting to make – well, it got made after all, if in a slightly lower-budgeted form. You can see it in theatres on November 22.

Ever wondered what it would be like if our resident “indie guy” went all super-hero on us? Check the second set of Pellet Reviews. . .

Superman #657
Writer: Kurt Busiek
Art: Carlos Pacheco & Jesus Merino
From: DC Comics
Review by the Rev. O.J. Flow

Can you fault me for feeling just a little like I, as a reader, have been down this road before? About a couple of pages into it, Superman felt like it was covering familiar territory, and I have to say that the number one reason is due to the very attractive art of Carlos Pacheco. It was Pacheco who was on assignment for one of the more interesting "Future Gone Bad" DC Universe stories almost two years ago in Superman/Batman (#s 14 through 18). That story was certainly helped by a killer cast of DCU characters. With the superlative start Busiek & Co. got off to in issue #654, I was borderline disheartened that the creative team was so quick to jump into this sort of story. It's not like I haven't seen the template used more than once in Superman's own animated series, and it was used (very well, to be fair) in the more recent Justice League program. To be honest, it's been my overall enthusiasm for the creative team's output to date that allowed me to get over the initial hang-ups I had over the theme of this new story arc, but my patience was rewarded for the most part.

I've been in the camp of readers who has dug the streamlining of the Man of Steel's universe and the way they have incorporated elements from the character's other mediums in doing so. While this title has been more subtle in its approach compared to Action Comics, it is certainly appreciated by this longtime Superman fan. Before I get to the nuances in particular that tickled my fancy, I should probably give all an idea what this new Superman tale, "Camelot Falls," is about. Busiek has taken an opportunity to dust off an old Eighties chestnut, the sorcerer Arion, and have him act as the forbearer of a dire future for the DCU. I only familiarized myself with him back in the day through his appearance in Crisis on Infinite Earths, so he may as well be a new character from my vantage point. That Busiek uses the Arion of 1659, whatever that means, may also lend to that. This mage has come from the past to our present day because of visions of the Earth's demise at the hands of Superman himself. An issue ago, Arion made his first appearance in the modern day, dispatching the Subjekt 17 threat that Superman was handling in central Europe, and the character's extremely snobbish personality is a hoot. I, for one, cannot WAIT to use "clotpolls" in conversation real soon. That'll show those South Siders. By the way, when I looked it up, I found it as "clodpoll" (-noun Archaic. a stupid person; blockhead). Anyway, Arion shares visions of what is supposedly going to happen with Superman and his closest supporting cast conveniently on the roof of the Daily Planet. It would seem that Earth is in store for another worldwide supervillain uprising that makes the Infinite Crisis look like an episode of 7th Heaven. The lead conspirator in this even greater threat to civilization, not to mention the superhero community, is a Muslim-based evildoer named Khyber (kudos to Busiek for steering clear of politics with this angle). In a quick aside, the creative team, again, has established a heavy in this series as someone who likes to adorn themselves with pliant, scantily-clad women. First Arion (#655), now Khyber, and I'm again reminded how hot Pacheco has rendered Lois Lane and Lana Lang on his run. At least in those two's cases they're portrayed as strong, independent thinkers.

[POTENTIAL SPOILERS AHEAD] Going back to Khyber, the villain ultimately handles Superman in a final battle so effectively that he pretty much defaces (for lack of a better word) the planet and kills potentially millions of people. The splash page that Pacheco and Merino do for this is the mother of all money shots, and Busiek's accompanying description of the damage only enhances things. Fast forward to the year 2014, and Metropolis is a shell of its former self, as a coastal city, it’s literally tipped over and half submerged into the sea. Count this as one of those instances where I recalled Superman lore from elsewhere: the New Krypton created by Lex Luthor in Superman Returns and the devastation that came from said creation. Speaking of whom, I was very much reminded of an older Michael Rosenbaum (Smallville) with the Luthor of this story, of all things a would-be savior of his city and allies with Lois, Jimmy Olsen and the Parasite. Whatever the story is behind Parasite, in this future the group's own sort of Chewbacca, it has potential. We don't have an explanation yet, but two questions came to mind so far: when and how did he overload on Superman's power (the assumed reason why he's huge) and if he's really Rudy Jones but referring to himself as Clark, who in the mix knows that Superman and Clark Kent are/were one and the same? The Metropolis gang convenes upstate with other survivors that include the likes of Wonder Woman and the Flash, or what's left of them, and civilians. Years later it appears that surviving despite Khyber's dominance of Earth is the name of the game, and not even the return of a certain caped wonder in red and blue is enough to give anyone a sense that things with get better. As awe-inspiring as Superman's demise is, his revival is even more so. Pacheco is a real prize in the DC camp, and his material here is a knockout.[END SPOILERS]

This issue overall was a pretty fun read, for as bleak as the content was. Not sure if anything here is going to really stick in terms of what happens in the Superman universe, but I do like how this title reconciles itself with the work that Geoff Johns, Richard Donner & Adam Kubert are doing in Action Comics. The first thing I thought of when I read that other book was how the two titles could possibly work with each other, they feel that different in look and tone. For one thing, both titles currently lack the useless subplots from even more useless minor supporting characters that always marked when it was time for me to drop a Superman book in years past. The stories so far are on a grand scale with its cast rendered in an almost timeless fashion. Factor in All Star Superman with Action Comics, and you got three books all presenting a classic Man of Steel for a modern audience. Right now it feels like there's a little something for everyone.

As of next year, Tara will no longer allow The Rev. to adorn himself with scantily clad women.

Franklin Richards, Son of a Genius: Happy Franksgiving!
Created by: Chris Eliopoulos and Marc Sumerak
From: Marvel
Review By: Lucas Siegel

Remember when comic strips were cool? You couldn’t wait ‘till Sunday, when that big 8 page grouping of your favorite adventures and comedies were laid out in front of you. Sadly, most newspapers have only about a 4 page section of Sunday comics now, and they’re half filled with ads. In step Chris Eliopoulos and Marc Sumerak (of whom I’m apparently now his personal cheerleader) to fill the hole.

There’ve been a few tales of Franklin Richards, the boy who’s destined to be one of the greatest powers the world will ever see, before. What Chris and Marc do here is add some fun and comedy to the boy’s life, and actually make him a BOY. He’s just a kid, and he has access to all sorts of cool gadgetry and experiments and creatures- who wouldn’t have loved that?

We get 5 extended-comic-strip style stories in this package. We have morphing madness, a mystery to solve, a high speed adventure, inter-species sea love (yeah, you read that right), and finally a look at Robert Kirkman’s next limited series for Marvel.
I usually like to keep my reviews pretty spoiler free, so I’ll say about the first four stories that they are fun, funny, and perfect length and structure. With this style of story telling, you run the risk of going too long or using one gag too many, but these gentlemen carry it off without a hitch. Story five: Turkey Trouble! is freaking hilarious. As entertaining as the first four are, it rolls into the fifth and then some. The FanTurkstick Four are funny to see, and almost made me feel bad about eating turkey this thanksgiving (then I got over it).

Overlooking this as “kid’s fare” is a serious mistake. It’s a great escape from the dire, serious tone of most of the Marvel and DC books being published right now, and gives the comic strip a relevant place in today’s world again. I’d love Marvel to serialize this in papers, if the gentlemen creators would be up to it. This one gets 4 pieces of turkey out of 5. I’m keeping the last one for myself.

Lucas is pretty darn sure all the credits are right.

DMZ #13
Written by Brian Wood
Art by Riccardo Burchielli
Published by DC/Vertigo
Review by Sarah Jaffe

You all know I love DMZ. It’s the most politically astute book out there as well as an entertaining read. The premise of bringing the war and its obscure terminology home to our country, our most famous city, is a great one, allowing us to picture, maybe, what it must be like in Iraq, invaded by a country claiming to do the right thing. Except in the DMZ, they do get Liberty News and they get to hear firsthand their own government’s spin.

There’s a new storyline starting here, with Matty working undercover to gain information on Trustwell, a Halliburton-like company with reconstruction contracts in the DMZ, including sensitive spots like Ground Zero, still untouched since 9/11. If ever there was a subject deserving of an undercover investigative report, it’s the no-bid contracts awarded to many companies that were friends of the administration after war was declared in Iraq and Afghanistan.

However, I’m not quite sure what Brian Wood is getting at with his resistance group and Muslim suicide bombers. If the point of the comic is to bring the war home, why are we suddenly seeing a suicide bomber with a Muslim name and day laborers in turbans? I’m sure that New York has a sizable Muslim population, like it does almost every other ethnic minority, but would it make more sense to have a non-Muslim suicide bomber?

Still, I trust that the DMZ has been free of stereotyping so far, and that there will be a reason, perhaps a closer look at what’s driven these people to suicide attacks. They’re blowing up the obvious bad guys—Trustwell, shown beating their prisoners and killing suspects, as well as the obvious war profiteering. There’s also a hint that Wood may be addressing the idea of torture and the government’s lax attitude toward it.

Anyway, Matty Roth is still a voice of reason in a crazy world, and a believable kid—he says things like “Wilson’s totally a crime boss,” while taking on forces a lot bigger than he is, in a place that would terrify most sane people who don’t yet have a price on their head.

Riccardo Burchielli is back on art duty for this issue, after taking a break for the stand-alone issue #12 (which you should buy, stat. No less than Warren Ellis says it was the most groundbreaking comic of the year. But I digress…). His art is, as always, expressive and evocative, bringing out the menace in the Trustwell security forces and the determination on the faces of the resistance cell that Matty’s found.

It’s a great time to pick up DMZ. You can grab the trade to catch up on what you’ve missed, and then start right up with this book and a new five-part storyline. I’m fairly certain that it won’t lead you down some sort of “terrorists bad, USA good,” dull path. Unless that’s what you’re looking for, of course. But I hear you can still find Captain America books. . .

The Nightly News #1
Words & Art by Jonathan Hickman
Published by Image
Review by Sarah Jaffe

The subtitle of this book is “propaganda-trust-activists-war-coffee.” This caught my eye on the wall at the local shop, along with the cover drawing of a man pointing two guns and screaming angrily. I paged through the book, spotting the subtitles and computer graphics and charts of “globalization” and “consolidation,” and thought—hmmm. Then I read the author’s note in the back.

To sum all of this up—this is not a fun little fantasy. (Try Nextwave. You’ll like it if you want that.) This book will make you think and think hard. It will make you learn things. And it will make you want to kill things.

The Nightly News is, in theory, a story of an underground cult-like group out to take revenge on the news media and while doing so, open the minds of the people. Now, you might wonder how a group with members titled “the Hand” and “the Voice,” organized along religious lines, can be a tool for such mind-opening. So do I. That’s why this book is fascinating. The leads are not your heroes. They should be questioned just as much as the media that they’re out to destroy.

I am a political junkie, but a nonaligned one. I am also a small-time media critic and part-time journalist. And, of course, a full-time comic book nerd. All of these things make this book vastly appealing to me. In addition, I admire anyone taking a sort of meta-approach to comics, layering meaning and art in different levels so that the book can be read for all those different levels. You can enjoy the basic story, or you can take the information given to you in the book in various ways, from signs carried by protesters to charts, graphs, and sidebar comments, and analyze the story in relation to them.

Or you can just enjoy random violence. I know you do.

Anyway, The Nightly News is unlike anything I’ve ever read—the closest thing to it that I could name is Channel Zero—and it’s writer-artist Jonathan Hickman’s first comic. I’m jealous. I know that this book will probably piss off a lot of old-timey comic book fans—at least the ones who will even bother to read it—but I like my sequential art thought-provoking and envelope-pushing as well as violent and escapist. Here I’ve got the best of both worlds: a book I could learn something from, that also satisfies my secret desire to see broadcast journalism get a bullet to the head.

I mean that metaphorically. Sort of.

Sarah Jaffe voted on Nov 7th. Did you?

Stormwatch: Post Human Division #1
Written by Christos Gage
Illustrated by Doug Mahnke
Published by Wildstorm
Review by Koben Kelly

Stormwatch has been something of a non-entity to me for quite a few years now. I was only really into it during Warren Ellis’ run, most notably during the run drawn by Tom Raney. It had a wonderful over-the-top quality to it, and never took itself terribly seriously. I followed it all the way to its graduation into The Authority. While I regretted the loss of the former team to an infestation of the cinematic Aliens, what it became outshined the straightforward superheroics with the force of an oncoming locomotive.

I happened upon the news of Christos Gage’s new vision for Stormwatch in an article, ironically enough, here at the ‘Rama. The simplicity of his concept was striking. Where former incarnations had focused on the unit as a paramilitary superhero team, the new version would be made up of unpowered experts on the powered. They would be not so much fighting fire with fire, as fighting raw force with tactics and logic. Less an army than a security measure. While I am a complete, unabashed fan of big-time superhero brawls; the concept of mere mortals functioning as watchdogs over the metahuman community was appealing.

As par on the course of first issues, this one serves as an origin tale of sorts for the Post Human Division. Jackson King is assembling what he sees as the answer to the skyrocketing cost of the tech and maintenance needed to maintain a force that can go toe to toe with superpowered, alien, and mystical threats. One by one, he pieces together his vision via simple, conversational appeals to each necessary element of the whole. The fascinating thing is that these interviews are scattered across the world over an undetermined period of time, yet the story has a uniting, consecutive current. With only these meetings, the story would seem like a collection of vignettes, missing any cohesion. Ah, but each prospective member is connected to the whole by their involvement in what can only be described as a metahuman massacre… the impetus for King’s creation. The story of this day of tragedy is told in flashback in answer to the questions King poses before extending his invitations. As the story is presented, more and more is revealed, creating a viable timeline for the incident.

The individual characters are a combination of former team allies, enemies, and new creations; united for various reasons under Jackson’s leadership. Some have experience, some have knowledge, and some simply need what King can offer. How their unique skills will add to the team dynamic will play out in future issues. Based on the character identities set up in the premier, personalities will be severely clashing before long.

Most interesting to me is new character, Gorgeous Durst, the former flame of super-criminal The Walking Ghost. It seems she’s made a career out of being an eye candy moll for many of the villainous metahuman elite. With a degree in psychology, she’s been quite aware of how to wrap these men around her fingers, all the while playing the dumb blonde. She even makes an attempt to manipulate King during their conversation. In all her years of experience, she’s wracked up quite an extensive amount of information on the mastermind type. In a clever bit of his own manipulation, Jackson explains how she can benefit from using this intelligence to help the team.

Gage’s work on this new tale is in stark contrast to his fast-paced balls-to-the-wall style used for his work on Marvel book Union Jack. I’m not saying I don’t love the Brit’s adventures, but Stormwatch: PHD is a whole different beast altogether.

Doug Mahnke’s art is the icing on the cake. Shocking during the bloodbath of a battle, intimate during the interviews, and even sexy when needed, it fits perfectly. I must state that while I do greatly enjoy his work, I am resistant to the Bisley-like scribbly, cartoony influence creeping in. His work seems to be most successful when given a more defined tone. The newer style was appropriate for Morrison’s Frankenstein, but I hope he makes the effort to ease it back a bit. Mahnke and Gage vibe off of each other brilliantly.

I give Stormwatch: Post Human Division issue one eight out of ten Mignolas.

At first glance, I thought Koben gave it eight out of ten “Magnolias”. This is something that happens.

Wisdom #1 (of 6)
Writer: Paul Cornell
Artists: Trevor Hairsine and Paul Neary
From: Marvel
Review by Corey Henson

Britain is under attack from the denizens of Otherworld (the “British collective unconsciousness,” which sounds better than “place where all the faeries and trolls live”), with thousands of pissed-off faeries slaughtering unsuspecting humans, and a human
child has been kidnapped by the King of the faeries to be raised as an ambassador between the two worlds. Only British Intelligence agent Pete Wisdom and his
motley crew of assorted freaks (including a peace-loving Skrull, a faerie dissident, an elderly British super-soldier, and a telepath with self-confidence issues) are weird enough to rescue the child and stop the little buggers from invading.

Pete Wisdom was introduced 10 years ago at the beginning of Warren Ellis’s tenure on
Excalibur, and is known primarily for being the prototype for the writer’s Mary Sue-ish chain-smoking, surly bastard with a heart of gold characters, as well as for being the lucky mutant who deflowered Kitty Pryde. He’s always been a fun character to read (well, maybe not during X-Force), and this six-issue mini-series takes Wisdom out of his usual comfort zone and places him into the spotlight, where we’ll get to see if he’ll sink or swim without the trappings of the X-Men franchise. So far so good, I say.

British writer Paul Cornell does a fine job of matching the tone of Ellis’s hip-but-snarky writing style without plagiarizing or parodying Ellis. Like many good British comics, Wisdom elegantly blends various genres like horror, fantasy and superheroes into an infectious read. Cornell’s affection for Wisdom’s character and Marvel’s version of Britain is obvious, as the book never takes itself too seriously, yet never treats the proceedings as a joke. Wisdom is a competent, impressive comic book debut for Cornell, who is best known for his work with Doctor Who.

Trevor Hairsine provides the artwork for Wisdom, and his style is looking more like a cross between Alan Davis and Bryan Hitch than ever before. That’s not surprising, since Paul Neary, who frequently works with Davis and Hitch, provides Hairsine an assist with the inks. The art looks great despite a few penciling missteps, like a woefully out of proportion panel with Tink and Merlin, and a rather unsuccessful attempt to make the Skrull look like John Lennon (too much scowling). The script features quite a few scenes featuring long conversations between the various cast members, but Hairsine draws the quieter scenes as capably as he does the action sequences.

Wisdom doesn’t make much use of the looser content restrictions the MAX label allows; the series could have been published under the Marvel Knights banner after only minor changes and not skipped a single beat. The violence is a bit graphic, but no more so than in other non-Max titles like Ultimates. The small bit of profanity in the script serves little more than to provide a few funny lines. This is not a complaint, mind you, I just find it odd that Marvel isn’t making better use of the MAX label’s content guidelines.

My biggest complaint about Wisdom is the presentation. The book’s cover price is $3.99, and as far as I can tell, the only added value comes from the completely unnecessary cardstock cover. You would think the abundance of ads (1 page of ads for every 1 page of story) would equate to a less-expensive cover price, but I guess not. The X-Men brand doesn’t guarantee high sales for spin-offs anymore, especially series starring niche X-Men characters like Wisdom. At that price point, I fear for the book’s success, which would be a shame, since the series has quite a bit of potential. Marvel could definitely use a decidedly British-flavored book on their publishing schedule every month.

Yes, Corey Henson knows Marvel publishes New Excalibur. And yet, his statement about Marvel needing a British style comic book still stands.

Beg The Question: A Minimum Wage collection
From: Fantagraphics
Writer/Artist: Bob Fingerman
Reviewed by: Kevin Huxford

Man…sometimes there are books that are so near-and-dear to you that they are extremely difficult to try to review and put into words.

Minimum Wage was a book I first read years ago when it was initially released in single issues. The book was simply a semi-autobiographical yarn about an artist struggling through his days while living with his girlfriend. I was living with someone in Los Angeles when I first read it. The book hooked me immediately (but not just because of the domestic similarities).

Fast forward many years ahead, where Fantagraphics has now collected it all under the new title of Beg The Question. It’s a collection of every single scattered Minimum Wage issue to have come out, plus some original material. The book weighs in at a hefty 230 pages of graphic novel work, plus a few pages of prose (including an introduction by Penn Jillette (of Penn & Teller fame).

In addition to all of that, Bob Fingerman has gone back to touch up every page (and nearly every panel). He had gotten feedback about how the star of the book, Rob Hoffman, had an inconsistent look regarding his age. So he went back to touch it up for this collection and it shows. I remembered Rob Hoffman fluctuating in looks pretty often and not looking to be in his 20s many times. It’s nice to see a collection of the work that really seems, at this point, to have defined Fingerman’s career wind up getting this sort of treatment.

As mentioned, this book is semi-autobiographical. Both Bob and “Rob” worked doing strips for porn and satire magazines. This is evident through the story itself and the artwork. Bob’s evokes memories of some of the best style of art you’ve seen in Cracked (where he worked) and MAD magazines. There is a gritty-yet-cartoony feel to his artwork that I’ve always enjoyed. Thinking about it made me remember how Fingerman doesn’t draw a lot of “pretty” people…he draws real people. Don’t get me wrong: Rob’s lady in the book, Sylvia, looks extremely hot (for a cartoon chick) many times. But I’m trying to emphasize that he draws real people, warts and all.

He writes them that way, as well. Every character has their flaws and weaknesses. The star of the book, like many of us, seems to see more of the bad in him than the good. In fact, I think that much of the best qualities in him are communicated just by the suffering that he has the strength to get through and the quality people that obviously appreciate having him in their lives. Since he’s basically writing himself here, that seems pretty brave.

There are many things about this book that make it difficult to review. The 230 pages worth of material doesn’t really help. But I think what makes it the most difficult is that it really has a bit of that Seinfeld “it’s a show about nothing” syndrome. While it is true that the story really walks us through the relationship of Rob and Sylvia (through dating, living together, engagement, and eventual marriage), you can’t say that the book is about that. There is so much else going on that has little to do with that journey. There’s Rob’s struggle to succeed with his art career, his relationship with his friends, and then the idiosyncrasies of all his friends displayed separate from their relationship to Rob.

The only thing that every chapter has in common throughout this book is its honesty. It deals with unplanned pregnancy (and subsequent abortion), death, career stagnation, illness, uncertainty, neurosis, jealousy, and “the wandering eye”. Through it all, it makes you laugh and occasionally touches your heart. The only complaint I have about the book is in Bob Fingerman’s address to the reader where he states he has more of this story to tell, but he plans on telling it anywhere BUT in a comic book. Sadly, I don’t know that he’ll get the chance or that any other format will ever be able to match this work here.

I give this 10 out of 10 “Bam, I gotchoos”.

Kevin always believes that his reviews are late. That’s sort of like my recurring dream that I’ve gone the whole semester and there’s one class that I somehow never went to.

Freshmen II: Fundamentals of Fear #1
From: Top Cow
Writer: Hugh Sterbakov
Art: Will Conrad
Review by Troy Brownfield

I enjoyed the original Freshmen series quite a bit. It arrived with a solid concept by co-creators Sterbakov and Seth Green (Oz, Robot Chicken, Richie Tozier, Scott Evil, etc.) and took on more depth and complexity as it went forward. Essentially, while we have a rather large (and well-drawn, in all senses) ensemble, it’s Norrin’s story of how being a seemingly ordinary person in extraordinary circumstances can sometimes make you the most heroic.

That’s not to say that it’s all Campbellian archetyping. First and foremost, the Freshmen concept is a lot of fun. Sterbakov nails the collegiate life milieu so thoroughly that you almost smell the mix of old laundry, long empty bottles and cloves (or not cloves) in the air. Despite the cast’s already prodigious size, a few new characters begin to creep in. A couple are very obvious protagonists, which also points to another theme of the series: mistrust of authority.

Will Conrad performs his usual strong work on the art chores, taking care to differentiate each character with expression and nuance. Drawing big ensembles is not an easy job, but Conrad seems more than capable. He also does a great job in making The Beaver (a . . . wait for it . . . Beaver with genius intellect and the ability to speak) believable in context.

This is a good, solid entry in the super-hero genre, buoyed by nice concept work, great art and sharp writing. I’d easily recommend to fans of the form and similarly themed television fare.

Pellet Reviews!

Civil War Thunderbolts: Swimming With Sharks (Marvel; by Caleb) I don’t know how the line-wide “Civil War” is working out for Marvel exactly, but I know on my end it seems like a raging success—they keep getting me to buy more and more titles I wasn’t previously buying. This special reprint of Thunderbolts #103-#105, like the similar Amazing Spider-Man collection, was something I wouldn’t have even considered if I weren’t so intrigued with what’s going on in Civil War proper (any chance of a Wolverine collection like this?). And like the ASM reprint, it has me planning to stick with the title for the foreseeable future. Offering $9 of comics for just $4. 99, Swimming With Sharks is a hard to resist value, and Fabian Nicieza’s story merely sweetens an already sweet deal. Marvel’s Pro-Reg brain trust recruits Baron Zemo and company to start taking down Anti-Reg villains, which they eagerly agree to do, since each villain they take down joins their ranks, and Zemo assembles an army for himself. The book offers a nice crash course of lame Marvel D-Lister villains, all wonderfully rendered by Tom Grummett and Gary Erskine, and plenty of old-school, straightforward superhero comics fun. And it looks like you can add Baron Zemo and Radioactive Man to the list of guys who seem less evil than Iron Man and Mr. Fantastic these days.

Civil War: Runaways & Young Avengers #4 (Marvel; by Caleb) The miniseries putting Marvel’s two top teen teams (sorry, New X-Men) through the company’s traditional meet, fight, team-up crossover ritual comes to an end with this issue, and how successful the series was likely depends on why you were reading it in the first place. For Runaways fans, it was a chance to get an extra helping of your favorite characters, plus a chance to see them interacting with other heroes in their age group. For Young Avengers fans, it was the only game in town, and beggars can’t be choosers. I imagine both fan bases would be relatively pleased (I put myself in the former category, but lapsed from the latter). I dug the way writer Zeb Wells had the Runaways bust on the teen Avengers’ costumes, codenames and wannabe status. I also dug artist Stefano Caselli’s take on the characters; his style is dramatically different from the artists who we usually associate with either team. Even Marvel Boy’s inclusion ends up working quite well, once you get to the last panel. For those who picked this book up simply for the Civil War tie-in, however, I imagine it would be something of a disappointment, as it has next to nothing to do with the “Civil War” storyline. All we really learn is that the Runaways don’t want anything to do with the war (no real surprise there), and the last few issues of Civil War apparently occur after this series ends, so all it really does is detail the heretofore unknown second of the three times Wiccan was captured by the feds.

The Last Christmas #5 (Image; by Caleb) In which Santa Claus and his elves use machine guns and tree ornament-shaped bulbs to finish off the marauders and zombies in what is unarguably the very best ultra-violent Christmas story of the week. Writers Gerry Duggan and Brian Posehn have made Santa into one hell of a bad-ass action hero. As long as one child believes in him, he can’t die, making him a nigh unstoppable killing machine! The art by Rick Remender and Hilary Barta is perfectly suited to the subject matter, which is no small feat considering the Jekyll-and-Hyde nature of said subject matter.

Nexus Archives vol. 4 (Dark Horse, by Mike): Politically astute, morally dubious and emotionally charged, Nexus remains as relevant, smart and challenging as it did when these stories were first published nearly twenty years ago. Mike Baron’s scripts smoke, and Steve Rude’s standard for comic book illustration remains the bar for all artists to aspire to. Simply put, this is one of the great series of all time.

Doom Patrol vol. 4: Musclebound (DC/Vertigo, by Mike): You should know: Flex Mentallo changes the shape of the Pentagon by the sheer power of his flexing! Superhero comics would be a more thrilling place if more of them were this adventurous, hilarious and imaginative.

Jonah Hex: Face Full of Violence (DC, by Mike): Six stand-alone western stories, at least four of which are unqualified winners, two merely decent. Sharp, Eastwood-inspired scripts with good twists and a hero with a seriously dark streak. Maybe controversially, while the pencil art is terrific, and the colors lush and gorgeous, this reviewer still finds the process of coloring pencil art to be extremely unappealing to the eye.

Batman: Face the Face (DC, by Mike): A very classicist approach to Batman. This book reinvigorates Batman’s (recently neglected) relationships with Commissioner Gordon and Robin, tells a solidly gripping mystery (right up until the ridiculously out-of-left-field reveal) and reminds you that Batman is an old friend. This is the Batman that is ingrained in public consciousness, and there is a reason that he has connected with so many people for so many years. You don’t improve on classics.

Batman #658 (DC; by O.J.): I'm going off of pure feel here. I'm not sure what to make of the first four issues of Batman under Grant Morrison's stewardship. Artwise, this issue's got the best work Andy Kubert's done. It felt to me like it was getting more polished per issue. But it's supposed to be a big deal that Batman seemingly has a son, and when it was all said and done it didn't feel like much of anything. And Damian tore a lot of s**t up in the Batcave and got but a slap on the wrist. Huh? Not totally sold on the megalomaniacal Talia either. Portrayed as more over the top than her own father, and she always interested me more as someone conflicted by her love for the Dark Knight and loyalty to her father. Better work has been found lately in Detective Comics and I'm still trying to figure out what Morrison is doing to rock my socks off in All Star Superman that he's not doing here. Not bad, but just "meh."

Teen Titans #40 (DC; by O.J.): It's "Fear of a White Martian" that oils the wheels of deceit here, and it's nifty stuff for an old school Titans reader. I'm just glad Johns, Daniel, Conrad & Co. found an engaging way to bring some "Season One" material to the fore, namely the return of Raven and "Encyclopedia I-L entry" (masterstroke, by the way). With some of the plotlines invoked here, Johns made me all but regret skipping on the Titans books in the Nineties, so that's saying tons. If I had any caveat with things in this issue, it'd be the way the heavies (Cyborg, Robin, and, save a certain team rescue, Wonder Girl) are almost the lightweights in this story. I appreciate that the regulars to a team book typically take lead over characters featured in other titles (i.e. Senor Drake), but try to make 'em useful if they're here. I'm jus' sayin.'

Gen 13 #2 (Wildstorm; by Koben): I was hoping that my pure enjoyment of the first issue wouldn’t be a one-time thing, and my prayers were answered. Gail and Talent’s sophomore installment more than delivers on the promise of what’s to come. The team, who actually aren’t a team yet, are individually put through the wringer, having their personal mettle tested. Whether this is to see if they’ll respond with powered fighting, or just to attempt to find a breaking point, I’m not sure. In a bit of clever characterization, what begins as anger and resentment soon becomes mutual admiration, as the individuals gel. The high point of the issue would have to be when a measure taken by their captors is used to defend an endangered and helpless member. The low point, and by that I mean the saddest moment, comes when the one physical variation on the 13’s original appearance is changed as a means of mental abuse. Gail continues to imbue the teens with more spot-on definition and dialog than ever before. She seems to have a firm grip on who these kids are and where she wants to evolve them to. Talent Caldwell’s work is inked with more of a tight style in this instance, and is evocative of Art Adams and manga at the same time. While the Asian influence is not something I always welcome, in this case, it provides a perfect housing for the youthful rebellious tone. A former ally and mentor to the team appears as a villain in this Worldstorm rebooted universe tale. The origin of his previously-established handicap at the hands of Rainmaker this time around was a welcome shock. All-around well-told and a pleasure to look forward to.

Tales of the Unexpected #2 (DC; by Koben): As far as horror-flavored titles in the DCU proper go, this book can’t be touched. After the deadly events of the last issue, Crispus’ spirit is repeatedly drawn to the apartment building where the murder took place. A particularly violent tenant’s trespass against his girlfriend and her children is played out in distinct contrast to a love affair taking place between two teenaged dwellers. Again, the Spectre will have his revenge against the wicked, but is Cris being swayed to his horrifying ways? One of the most satisfying things about this series, so far, has been the adherence to tradition in respect to the Spirit of Vengeance’s sense of deadly irony. Eric Battle’s art is both expressive and original without getting too far into hard-to-follow territory. I’m excited about the possible return of a Spectre ongoing featuring Lapham and Battle as the creative team. Also included is the second portion of the Dr. 13 backup. I’ve never experienced Brian Azzarello’s work when his humor is running full speed ahead. This story of a disbeliever surrounded by the undeniably supernatural is quirky, goofy, and funny while paying homage to DC’s horror characters’ past. I mean, how cool is it to see the classic I, Vampire drawn by Cliff Chiang? Extremely cool. To be honest, I feel that Azz has struck gold with this, and should try his hand at more comedy work. If you have a love or respect of horror comics, this book is worth checking out… even just for the funny.

Bullet Points #1 (Marvel; by Koben): This premier issue takes things in a completely different direction than I was ready for. I assumed (and we all know what that does) that this would be a What if…-style tale. You know, one incident throws a monkey wrench into the path of fate, and everything is irrevocably altered to the south a bit. No terribly so. This is more of what I’d call a remix. Yes, one specific incident does change the course of history in the Marvel Universe, but instead of everything veering off-course, the order and qualities are shaken up. The cast of this history is essentially the same, as are the main heroic identities. It’s just that Citizen A becomes Hero B, Citizen B becomes Hero C, and Citizen C is simply not involved. If I haven’t confused you yet, deaths that occur still occur… just days or years earlier or later, causing the origins they inspire to happen to the wrong prospective heroes. It’s the oddest concept for an alternate reality I’ve ever come across. Almost as if it’s been pre-ordained what mere mortals the fates are going to play with, and what heroic icons must arise, but the pieces of that puzzle can be fit together in several different ways. At first, I wasn’t sure I liked the premise, but the more I thought about it, the more I admired the novelty. JMS hasn’t really had me drawn in for a while, but I’m quite curious how many more ingredients will be added to the already confounding mish-mash of a stew. While the whole cover-swiping scandal is regrettable, Tommy Lee Edwards provides the tale with gritty, scratchy illustration that roots the fantastic elements in an earthy reality. The image of the new Iron Man storming Guadalcanal was most striking. This first issue definitely impressed me far more than I expected.

Fables #55 (Vertigo; by Troy): Another great issue of one of the most consistently entertaining series in comics. Pinocchio finally gets to speak at the war council, and he lays it to down as to exactly how shocking the vengeance of Fabletown and the Mundys would be if the Adversary goes with the Snow Queen’s plan. This is virtuoso concept work by Willingham, Buckingham, Leialoha and Pepoy, particularly with the images of the soldiers in the clouds and fields that recall footage of LRRPs from VietNam. Brilliant work. Also great fun is a back-up story featuring the Three Blind Mice. For my money, Fables never disappoints.

Spawn #161 (Image; by Troy): There are so many twists and turns as this book riffs on Armageddon that it’s mind-boggling. A major Spawn-verse character apparently buys it early on, the world is in shambles, Spawn’s got wings, and creation is coming unglued. The book looks great, but David Hine deserves kudos for an ambitious, and often, balls-out crazy storyline.

Red Sonja #16 (Dynamite; by Troy): They had me at mastodons with glowing eyes. Seriously, battle is joined in a BIG way as Sonja and her allies bring their might to bear on the army of Kulan Gath. The battle barely gets underway in this issue, which is remarkable because it’s wall-to-wall action. Sonja remains a gem in the sword & sorcery comics crown.

Xena #4 (Dynamite; by Troy): Showing the company’s depth, that other famous warrior woman works in a completely different way. Yeah, she’s a tough chick swinging a big sword too, but the wit and playfulness of the TV show are perfectly captured by writer John Layman.

Battlestar Galactica #3 (Dynamite; by Troy): Even within the rigid confines of a complicated and brilliant continuity, Greg Pak manages to write the characters and situations into new directions without upsetting the balance of the dictates of the show. The character work here is particularly impressive (especially if you know the show and can “hear” the voices from your sense memory). Honestly, I think that Dynamite is doing a great job with their licensed books; hooking readers up with familiar concepts is one way that comics will be able to keep pulling in new readers.

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

[Barry Strange]

It says something about Marvel when their best book on the stands is the Franklin Richards special...

[Odjn Ouen]

Yeah it says the Franklin Richards special is awesome.

[Colossus2420]

Rev, I completely agree with your assessment on Batman this week. This is a new Talia that I'm not so sure I like, seeing since she's become just like every other egomaniacal sociopath that Bats faces. Her conflict between love and duty always made her interesting and if that's been written (or forgotten) from her equation then she's basically worthless as a plot point and if Bats keeps falling for her machinations, well, then he's an idiot. And the whole thing about Bruce's son, well, everyone with two functional brain cells knew how THAT was going to end before the ink was even dry on the solicitation: death or disappearance. For Bat Bastard to nearly put Robin in the morgue (although that was NEVER a concern), deliver a healthy dose of collateral damage to the cave and a bitch-slapping on Alfred and then merely have his ear figuratively pulled for being a bad boy....come on. Hard to believe, harder to accept.

Let's hope the next arc gets better.

[skinnyboy23]

Originally Posted by Barry Strange

It says something about Marvel when their best book on the stands is the Franklin Richards special...

Wow. First post and the Marvel hate already comes gushing out.

[VocalMan81]

Did I miss something in this week's issue of Green Lantern? It was my understanding he DID NOT KILL the perp, as was evidenced by his shocked expression. It read to me like the Global Guardians are setting him up. Or someone else, and the Guardians witnessed it. I hope I'm wrong, because it seems to be the main premise of the review. An othewise typically great week from the Shotgun crew.

[jedifish]

The Franklin Richards special was a blast this week. Fans of Calvin & Hobbes should check it out. And it's perfect for the kiddies and adults.

The reviewer said he got the first part of the Kirkman mini-series. I got an 8 page installment from The Guiding Light story - "A New Light" - I believe it was called. (which was really bad, FYI)

[jedifish]

Originally Posted by skinnyboy23

Wow. First post and the Marvel hate already comes gushing out.

Boo hoo hoo. Poor baby.

[jedifish]

Originally Posted by VocalMan81

Did I miss something in this week's issue of Green Lantern? It was my understanding he DID NOT KILL the perp, as was evidenced by his shocked expression. It read to me like the Global Guardians are setting him up. Or someone else, and the Guardians witnessed it. I hope I'm wrong, because it seems to be the main premise of the review. An othewise typically great week from the Shotgun crew.

I thought he was framed, too.

[Beefy McHuge]

Originally Posted by skinnyboy23

Wow. First post and the Marvel hate already comes gushing out.

Want a tissue?

[CitC]

I haven't ben to the shop yet, so I didn't know that Franklin Richards, Son of a Genius: Happy Franksgiving! was out yet. I can't wait to read it.

I'm wondering why it came out so late though. Really defeats the purpose of putting out a holliday themed book. (That was a little joke just for the Canadians )

[TinMan]

Originally Posted by VocalMan81

Did I miss something in this week's issue of Green Lantern? It was my understanding he DID NOT KILL the perp, as was evidenced by his shocked expression. It read to me like the Global Guardians are setting him up. Or someone else, and the Guardians witnessed it. I hope I'm wrong, because it seems to be the main premise of the review. An othewise typically great week from the Shotgun crew.

I was curious about that myself, I don't think Hal killed anyone when he had his ring on (the ring won't let him kill anyway), so I'm pretty sure the GGs set him up. The reviewer may have been refering to Hal's, Rocket-man's, and Cowgirl's initial escape though, because Cowgirl and Hal were both shown shooting a couple guys when rescuing RM. Even in that situation though, I have to disagree with the reviewers assessment and say that Johns did a good job of writing this issue. I don't care who you are, after living for weeks as a POW and being tortured, you're gonna do whatever you have to do to get out of there, and Hal did, so if he offed a couple terrorists in his escape, more power to him.

[whitemarkd]

Originally Posted by TinMan

The reviewer may have been refering to Hal's, Rocket-man's, and Cowgirl's initial escape though, because Cowgirl and Hal were both shown shooting a couple guys when rescuing RM.

I think that's what he was talking about - I don't have the issue in front of me, but didn't he kill a guy right after he got loose - that's the impression I had, at least.

[Kevin T. Brown]

Originally Posted by VocalMan81

Did I miss something in this week's issue of Green Lantern? It was my understanding he DID NOT KILL the perp, as was evidenced by his shocked expression. It read to me like the Global Guardians are setting him up. Or someone else, and the Guardians witnessed it. I hope I'm wrong, because it seems to be the main premise of the review. An othewise typically great week from the Shotgun crew.

No, you didn't miss it. It was mentioned in the book that the ring won't allow him use it to kill them, but he can make them wish he had killed them.

[kingofcities]

Great reviews. I agree with Koben that Stormwatch was just fantastic. I really, REALLY recommend it. This book is all that is right and good in the world.

[xdemon]

Originally Posted by jedifish

The reviewer said he got the first part of the Kirkman mini-series. I got an 8 page installment from The Guiding Light story - "A New Light" - I believe it was called. (which was really bad, FYI)

I think he was referring to the Turkey story.

[EvilErnie13]

I really like the Franklin issues. They tap into the younger side of us all. Good stuff. The only way they can screw this up is by making it monthly.

[zeraze1]

Originally Posted by skinnyboy23

Wow. First post and the Marvel hate already comes gushing out.

Marvel bashers are as impotent as neocons after last week's mid-terms elections. They know they're powerless and make lots of noise to compensate.

Ignore 'em.

zeraze

[Jim Connick]

"Wisdom is a competent, impressive comic book debut for Cornell, who is best known for his work with Doctor Who."

It's not his comic book debut either.
Cornell has written 3 series for the Judge Dredd Megazine, Pan-African Judges way back in 1993, Deathwatch in 1995 and XTNCT in 2003.

A collection of XTNCT is due for release at the end of December.

[vfxdammerung]

The Batman "Damien" arc was unbelievably disappointing. The review is correct to point out--Batman having a son should be a big deal, especially when Superman and Lois are already having a fit just FINDING/SHELTERING a boy. I mean, Bats just accepts it without any moment of reflection, like he doesn't really care. But in the end, Damien showed up mainly to kick the living snot out of Tim (what a way to destroy the credibility of Tim's training/martial arts skills), and not much else. Not to mention that when Talia's involved (and I assume she's still with the Society), the stakes should be extremely high. But no, the only image I got from her was a disgruntled ex who wants child support.

But my biggest "fanboy" concern--and I am definitely in the minority here--Andy Kubert's art. For one, everyone he draws looks Asian. It's not just his Batman art, but all of his other stuff as well. I wouldn't have brought this up if only the characters were Asian, but they're not! Did anyone else here notice that Damien changes wardrobe mid panel? From one panel he's wearing the Robin retrofit, the next he's wearing something completely different. Huh? Oh, he draws terrible gags (no, not the joke, the cloth). I don't think he looked at any reference for those, and that's just plain lazy especially when he's had three issues where he's had to draw them.

I will be expecting a backlash from Kubert fans....

[The Guvnor]

Review by Corey Henson

My biggest complaint about Wisdom is the presentation. The book’s cover price is $3.99, and as far as I can tell, the only added value comes from the completely unnecessary cardstock cover. You would think the abundance of ads (1 page of ads for every 1 page of story) would equate to a less-expensive cover price, but I guess not.

I agree with you Corey in regards to the cardstock cover issue. It happened me this week with Earth's Mightiest Heroes and it just seems unnecessary. There was also a large amount of ads in the book and as you say, it should make the book cheaper but I guess common sense doesn't apply when Marvel can rake in all this extra money so easily. Civil War #2-4 all had cardstock covers but at the usual price of $2.99 so why can't these books be at a regular price. I see card stock covers and higher prices more often these days and that worries me.

Really good reviews as usual by the way and congrats on making it to a milestone of 90 columns.

[jayvee]

The Franklin Richards Special was freakin' horrible.

[O.J. Flow]

Originally Posted by vfxdammerung

Did anyone else here notice that Damien changes wardrobe mid panel? From one panel he's wearing the Robin retrofit, the next he's wearing something completely different. Huh? Oh, he draws terrible gags (no, not the joke, the cloth). I don't think he looked at any reference for those, and that's just plain lazy especially when he's had three issues where he's had to draw them.

I will be expecting a backlash from Kubert fans....

I meant to point that out too, the lack of Robin tunic for part of the Batcave sequence.
What was up with that???
Thanks for bringing that up.

[von Doom, M.D.]

Originally Posted by skinnyboy23
Wow. First post and the Marvel hate already comes gushing out.

Wow. Fourth post and the ignorance already comes gushing out. They have an opinion, and they stated it. There was no hate present in what was said.

[HG_studios]

Originally Posted by vfxdammerung

The Batman "Damien" arc was unbelievably disappointing. The review is correct to point out--Batman having a son should be a big deal, especially when Superman and Lois are already having a fit just FINDING/SHELTERING a boy. I mean, Bats just accepts it without any moment of reflection, like he doesn't really care. But in the end, Damien showed up mainly to kick the living snot out of Tim (what a way to destroy the credibility of Tim's training/martial arts skills), and not much else. Not to mention that when Talia's involved (and I assume she's still with the Society), the stakes should be extremely high. But no, the only image I got from her was a disgruntled ex who wants child support.

But my biggest "fanboy" concern--and I am definitely in the minority here--Andy Kubert's art. For one, everyone he draws looks Asian. It's not just his Batman art, but all of his other stuff as well. I wouldn't have brought this up if only the characters were Asian, but they're not! Did anyone else here notice that Damien changes wardrobe mid panel? From one panel he's wearing the Robin retrofit, the next he's wearing something completely different. Huh? Oh, he draws terrible gags (no, not the joke, the cloth). I don't think he looked at any reference for those, and that's just plain lazy especially when he's had three issues where he's had to draw them.

I will be expecting a backlash from Kubert fans....

You are not alone.

I was very dissapointed in Kubert's artwork this issue...

It felt like I was looking at his stuff from back in X-men 14, when he first started on that title.

I'm not sure if he's rushed (though, it seems that way with a fill-in artist on the next issue already), but it just seemed sub-par, especially when compared to the fantastic work being done by his brother over on Action.