BEST SHOTS: IRON FIST, ONSLAUGHT, FLASH, & MORE...

[MattBrady]

by The Best Shots Crew, a happy little subdivision of ShotgunReviews.com
Your Host: Troy Brownfield

Yeah, my promised bonus column is almost its own running joke at this point. I totally promised that for this week without banking on a number of extraneous circumstances. I have dutifully tried to throw in some catch-up pellets, and I will be doing (this week!) a completely separate bonus feature spotlighting a number of fine trades and other longer form entries. Among these will be the extremely impressive George Perez: Storyteller and other entries from the fine people at Dynamite, not to mention Devil’s Due and Alternative Comics.

The Column Rules:

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

2) Each review is individually credited to the person who actually wrote it. Although Matt Brady’s name is on the post, that’s because he’s The Grand Marshall of the Black Parade, 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 dreading the grading of final papers.

Update! By popular request, here's Caleb's take on the historic meeting of Batman and The Spirit from his blog, Everyday is Like Wednesday: here.

Crossing Midnight #1
Written by Mike Carey
Art by Jim Fern & Rob Hunter
Published by DC/Vertigo
Review by Sarah Jaffe

The phrase “Comics for adults” doesn’t just mean comics with sex and violence in them. It’s more than just an R-rating, that “suggested for mature readers” tag in the corner of most Vertigo books. Comics for mature readers don’t have to be as gory and sexual as Preacher or The Boys. More important than that is the content of their stories. Rather than the simplistic metaphors of the books aimed at a teen audience, these books tell stories with layers of meaning, more sophisticated than your average good guys/bad guys tales. Sometimes they are blatant about their attempts to make a statement, and some are happy just to give you things to think about in between beautifully drawn pages of gore, battles, or magic. Comics are escapism, sure, but they’re also literature and myth.

Mike Carey has shepherded several mythologies in his comic-writing career, but Crossing Midnight may be the first one that is truly his own. The former writer of Lucifer and Hellblazer, among others, here starts out a story in the Japanese city of Nagasaki in the present day. Nagasaki, of course, was the second city that fell victim to America’s atomic bombs, still to this day the only atomic bombs used in actual combat. (Knock on wood.) A pair of twins is born at midnight, one just before, one a few minutes after. The girl twin, the second and unexpected one, finds herself with strange powers that confuse and frighten her affectionate brother, who feels himself left behind.

And so begins a new series, a story of magic and war and history and family love—and who knows what else may come along. Japan and its stories are things still largely unknown to many Westerners, and Carey’s ability to dig up and use bits and pieces of the lore of different cultures in his stories has already been shown to great effect in other books, albeit ones whose worlds had already been pretty much established by earlier writers. Here, perhaps, we get to see him use a focus on one particular culture to dig deep not only into its myths and legends, but into the very human side of its past and present as well.

The art, by Jim Fern and Rob Hunter and with pale-spring color by Jose Villarubia, lulls the reader into a false sense of security with lemon yellows and soft greens and blues. The drawings bring us into a world full of the dreams and fantasies of children, and then wake us up with a final-page splash of horror that feels like a preview of what’s to come. Its sudden intrusion of blood and darkness makes you feel the first instance of real violence in the lives of these children who have grown up in a place with such an underlying history of violence.

Being a teenager is inherently terrifying anyway. Imagine not only your body and your friends changing with puberty, but the sudden appearance of a new and threatening character with revelations about your past—who can you trust then? Maybe it would be a little easier with a twin to go through all of these experiences with you. This is one layer of Crossing Midnight, as are the history of Nagasaki, the folk traditions of the Japanese, and the family history of Toshi and Kai. What will happen to them next, and will they rise to the challenge? As the last panel of this issue makes clear, you probably won’t see what’s coming next.

Sarah’s right about the whole teenage thing. Geez . . . junior high alone . . .

How to Create Comics: From Script to Print
by Danny Fingeroth and Mike Manley
Published by TwoMorrows
Reviewed by Michael C Lorah

Danny Fingeroth produces the magazine Write Now!, which offers tips and insight to aspiring (and professional) comic book writers. Mike Manley provides a similar service to artists in his magazine Draw!. How to Create Comics compiles an issue of each magazine, as Fingeroth and Manley put their heads together to show potential creators how the creative process unfolds from the very first germ of an idea to the final printed book. Such How-To books are a dime a dozen, but How to Create Comics manages to make itself a worthwhile volume by giving a complete overview of the entire process. While they don’t go into much depth covering any single part of the creative process, Fingeroth and Manley provide you the roadmap. If you need additional help to understand the markers on the map, they’ve thoughtfully provided an appendix that offers another few dozen books and websites that can help.

Their idea, The Thief of Time, isn’t terribly remarkable. It’s fairly rote, honestly, but it works for the purposes of demonstration. Readers can see transcribed conversations wherein the two authors discuss their intentions for the character and story, see small (and large) changes in the tone and content, and compare the initial ideas to the final comic.

Although you can find this sort of material in about a hundred other locations, Fingeroth takes the time to breakdown and show the differences between an outline, a plot and a full script. Manley breaks down the layout stage, full pencils and then goes into detail with his inking technique. More interesting, however, are the sections on lettering and coloring. (Many, many indie and online comic book creators NEED to look at the section on lettering, because nothing kills enthusiasm faster than sloppy, halfass lettering that looks more like a ransom note than a narrative.)

Fingeroth provides several more mini-lessons – theme, pitching, character development – all of which deserve a lot more space. His points are salient, and most writers should have at least an intuitive understanding of these things anyway, but if you want to delve deeply into these subjects, you can again check out some of the books in this volume’s appendix.

The most interesting (on an often-overlooked subject) article is publisher John Morrow’s lesson on dealing with publishers. In addition to suggesting how to find a good printer, Morrow delves into binding, format and page counts. He also details the file formats, software, methods of file sending and more (trapping, resolution, page ordering, bleeds and gutters and proofs) that you absolutely need to be aware of to make sure that your comic looks like it is supposed to look! Then there’s Diamond Distributors. If you’re serious about creating comics, particularly on your own, these four pages are must read material.

How to Create Comics is not the deepest or most detailed book on this subject, but it does a terrific job mapping out the whole process. If you’re working on your own comic, you could do worse that to check in to make sure that you aren’t overlooking a tiny, but vital, step in the creative process.

Thanks to Mike for covering some of the excellent books from TwoMorrows; Troy will be doing an extensive piece on their Companion series soon.

The Immortal Iron Fist #1
Written by Ed Brubaker and Matt Fraction
Illustrated by David Aja
Colors by Matt Hollingsworth
Published by Marvel
Review by Koben Kelly

I have been a fan of Iron Fist for a long, long time. I remember the days of my thirteen-year-old youth, riding my bicycle into the downtown area near my father’s house, to buy the newest Power Man and Iron Fist from the local drugstore. Those were the days. At the time, I was shocked and quite saddened by Daniel Rand’s apparent death and Luke Cage’s reaction in the final issue.

Ed Brubaker has been scorching the racks, lately, with the hotness of titles like Criminal, Daredevil, and Captain America. His talents are unquestionable at this point in time. Matt Fraction has recently made his mark on the comics world with his Image title, Casanova, and has moved on to a job writing Punisher: War Journal for Marvel. The latter being close to a mainstream gig, but the former, in the slimline format, being as far away from that as imaginable. Before reading this issue, I was concerned that the two’s styles wouldn’t gel. Would we have an oddly staggered tale with the scribes obviously taking turns from beat to beat? I guess I should have had more faith in them being willing to work with each other from the start.

The idea of the series is fantastic. What if Daniel Rand is not actually the Iron Fist, but rather an Iron Fist? What if his alternative moniker is actually a title that has been held by many over the centuries, only taken up by the worthy newcomer every so many decades? It seems that Rand is actually the currently active incarnation of the Fist, in a long line of champions. This introductory issue opens with scenes of Bei Ming-Tian, the Iron Fist of 1227. A different artist is even used to differentiate the tone from that of Rand. Apparently, the intention is to continue to depict the various heroes of K’un-Lun all throughout history. The man we have come to know and love as Iron Fist still has the same history as far as I can tell. He still got his powers from the defeat of an ancient and deadly dragon. He still was a parentless child taken in by the monks of K’un-Lun. It’s just that now there is a great history to unearth and detail as the series progresses; and it’s a history that I am, for one, completely excited about learning.

Without going too deeply into details, let me state, for the record, that there is a great deal of action involved. The detail put into the intricacy of panel-to-panel martial arts fighting is amazing. The story doesn’t skimp on Marvel-based villainy either. Do the words cut off one head, and two will grow in its place mean anything to you? Well, it certainly does to our boy Danny… especially now. While investigating a multi-million dollar company interested in RandCorp., Daniel steps in the doo-doo bigtime. The writers have a little fun Tarantino-ing the story progression to draw you in and then hit you with the details. And. It. Works.

As far as the artwork is concerned, everything is aces. First and foremost, Aja’s pencils and inks are fantastic. Dramatic scenes are well drawn and clear. Action scenes are fluid and easy-to-follow. While reading this issue, I was often reminded of Maleev’s work minus the annoying photocopy-like shading he employed. His cover work and splash pages are chock-full of the same intensity that Seinkiewicz used to bring to every page. I also see a bit of a Jae Lee influence, but that’s mostly in his cover work. Aja’s one issue of Daredevil had me interested, but with his work on this, I am now a full-fledged fan. Keep your fingers crossed that he can keep up with the demands of a monthly book.

Also on the artistic side, I must mention the spectacular work of Matt Hollingsworth. This guy is one of the most underappreciated digitally-skilled men around. His understated hues bring a touch of class and restraint to Brubaker’s Daredevil every month, displaying how well a gritty book can be accentuated by a less intense color pallet. In this book, however, it’s when and how to use flashes of color and light during a pouring rainstorm that really stands out. His casting of Daniel’s original moment of truth in shades of red, without washing it all out in crimson monochrome, is a pleasing accent as well.

This book is set up to become the next huge title for Marvel fans in the coming year.

I give The Immortal Iron Fist issue one eight out of ten Norrins.

Koben shaved. We’re still not all sure how we feel about that.

Onslaught Reborn #1
From: Marvel
Writer: Jeph Loeb
Artist: Rob Liefeld
Review by: Lucas Siegel

Wooooooooooooooooooooooo hoooooooooooooo!!! It’s fun, it’s very fast paced, and it is without a doubt the best artwork I’ve seen from Rob Liefeld- ever. That’s this first issue in a nutshell.

When the mutant powers of Xavier and Magneto leave their bodies at the conclusion of House of M, they re-combine to form Onslaught once again. Chaos ensues. That’s pretty much what this series will be . . . in a nutshell.

The story falls somewhere between House of M and Civil War. That’s continuity . . . in a nutshell.

You would be nuts not to read this, in my humble opinion. To be straight with you, dear reader, I am an unabashed Jeph Loeb fan and an unabashed Rob Liefeld fan. I don’t think he’s the best technical artist in the world, but he makes comics look fun. The over the top signature Liefeld style has just been aching to draw the embodiment of over the top 90s: Onslaught. These are the crispest lines I’ve seen from this founding father of big guns and shoulder pads, and the character faces are very distinct. I’m finding myself very glad that Liefeld took his time on this one, and hope he can keep it up throughout the book. The cover doesn’t begin to reflect the level he’s at in this book. Don’t get me wrong, though, if you don’t like his signature screaming open mouths, and get all hung up on the occasional large calf, you’ll probably still be complaining about his art here. One last thing and I’ll move on to the writing- Franklin Richards still, holding his pocket universe- fantastic. I wish he’d try drawing an entire story in that style.

I’ve been anxious for Jeph Loeb to start actually writing for Marvel after signing his exclusive. This story won’t make you cry. I don’t think, based on the first issue, that it’s out to teach you a philosophical lesson, either. However, it is a good, classic ride. In an age of decompression, this story was at a breakneck pace: 3 pages of setup- bam. Action, action, small exposition, action, action, ACTION. I got through the issue quickly, and went back to read it again right away because it made me want more.

In short, if you liked the Onslaught saga, you’ll probably dig this book quite a bit. There’s a decent enough amount of exposition for you to pick up and read it if you weren’t into or missed Onslaught’s first appearance. Basically, all you need to know going into this is that Onslaught was a physical manifestation of the combination of Charles Xavier and Magnus’ psyches, and he hates Franklin Richards for beating him down last time. I’m giving this first issue 5 nutshells out of 5. I greatly enjoyed it, and I can’t wait for more.

Yes, we know that Lucas’s lack of enthusiasm is a problem.

Curses: Comics By Kevin Huizenga – Advanced Reader’s Copy
From: Drawn & Quarterly
Written & Drawn By: Kevin Huizenga
Reviewed By: Kevin Huxford

Curses is a collection of works by Kevin Huizenga that appeared in places as varied as Drawn & Quarterly Showcase & Time Magazine (albeit the Canadian edition). The Comics Journal gave him Minimalism Cartoonist of the Year in 2001. Impressive credentials, to be sure.

But he’s not the most consistent cartoonist in the world, judging by this reprint. That might not be the most fair assessment, given that aren’t any dates attached to the stories, I can’t tell where it is in his creative genesis. Some of his work is actually lacking a story or doesn’t have an original story. But I can tell you that the book is front-loaded on the good stuff.

The first four are amongst the most sizable and best of the works appearing in this collection. Green Tea (Glenn Ganges Remix) is one of the stories that don’t appear to be an original story, but Huizenga’s art is able to capture a mood that really fits the story. He conveys the sense of foreboding that would seem to fit a story about people being haunted by demonic-looking pets after drinking copious amounts of green tea (trust me, it has much more depth and much less bad horror movie aspects than it sounds). Lost & Found reads like a really great effort at a creative writing exercise where it appears Kevin used those lost children/advertising mailers that you find in your mail so often.

But one of his best works here is 28th Street, a story that spins a new bit of mythology. In order for Glenn and his wife to be able to have a baby (with them having comical fertility issues), he needs to snatch a feather from some weird creature. Along the way, there are people with all kinds of ailments that believe they’d be healed by the power of that feather and aid him. It seems like a fully original tale and he really makes it sing.

Where the book flounders is with the items that are way too abstract or where he has to take from pre-existing literature so much that he has to provide citations. Case 0003128-24 is the story that suffers from being too abstract. There is no storytelling to the imagery, appearing to be just be random pretty pictures of nature to accompany words seeming to discuss the parentage of a child (possibly orphan or given up for adoption). It just sits there. To be fair, the copy I have is in black and white whereas the final copy will be in color. Those aforementioned “pretty pictures” might be more effective in capturing my interest with color added.

The two most frustrating features are Not Sleeping Together and Jeepers Jacobs. Not Sleeping Together, as put together in this advanced copy, is just a jumbled collection of panels as far as I can tell. When they’re in a diner, all of the stuff that people spout out seems to be fractions of unconnected conversations that make little-to-no sense when presented this way. It makes for a story that is hard to keep interest in reading.

Jeepers Jacobs is one that starts out like a story. Glenn and his brother go golfing with another two guys, with one of those guys being the Reverend Jeepers Jacobs. Jeepers is one of those types of religious people that are aghast when they find out the new likable person they met doesn’t have the same faith as them or any particular faith. Almost immediately after introducing Jeepers, we have him sitting in the basement, writing about theological concepts of the existence of hell and its occupancy. This is the one where he has to consult so many sources (and pull their arguments from them) that he had to provide citations. Citations for one character having a theological argument in his head. It doesn’t really make for a gripping narrative.

I see a lot of potential in this guy’s work. This might just not be the best collection of his work. It is a bit of an enjoyable read at times, but it leaves you wanting better from its weak spots.

I’d give it six out of ten bad words.

The last time Kevin used ten bad words, it had something to do with a Civil War delay. Or was that a Sectarian Violence delay? Can’t be sure.

The Flash #6
From: DC
Writers: Danny Bilson and Paul Demeo
Art: Ken Lashley and Art Thibert
Review by Troy Brownfield

Regular readers probably know that I love the character of The Flash. The Flash was the first Super Powers figure that I got when I was roughly eleven years old. Only super-hero T-shirt that my wife has ever given me as a gift? The Flash. When I got to pick my toddler son’s Halloween costume this year after my wife had him as a Dalmatian last year? His name was Connor Brownfield, and he was the Fastest Baby Alive. If you think that all of that makes me predisposed to like a Flash title, you’d probably be right. If you think I actually like it, well . . .

Without exception, The Flash has been the most consistently disappointing of any of the One Year Later relaunches. While the lag on Wonder Woman has been annoying, and The Adventures of Hawkgirl’s Bra has been pretty gratuitous, Flash has been, well, pedestrian. I enjoyed the Bilson and Demeo TV series, and I’ve enjoyed checking out some of their other work (like Bilson’s daughter; yeah, cheap laugh, but true), but their first six issues here have been wholly uninspired.

In their defense, maybe they weren’t happy with Bart as their choice of Flash. I know that I wasn’t. I was pretty happy with the Bart-as-Kid-Flash/Wally-as-Flash dynamic, and the only reason that it seemed to be altered was for the value of whacking a Flash during Infinite Crisis. Unfortunately, by aging Bart and making him struggle against a legacy that he once fought for, the writers made him into bland protagonist that possessed none of the rambunctious nature or occasional drive (remember how he made himself smart?) that the old (er, young) Bart had.

**spoilers on**

All of this may seem like throwing brickbats after the hammer has come down. After all, we already know that the writing chores will be changing hands soon. Still, I think that it bears repeating that this series has seemingly gone off the rails early. Nothing quite illustrates that as much as the final sequence where Bart suddenly blurts out the facts of his restored memory. In a rather (here’s that word again) bland expository passage, Bart reveals (spoils, even?) that a) there’s an alternate Earth, b) there’s a young Jay Garrick on it, presumably indicating that there are other young versions of old heroes present, c) there’s a Barry Allen alive there, d) Wally and Linda and the twins are there and fine, and e) Max Mercury is okay too. (No mention or glimpse of fellow Superboy jailer Johnny Quick; maybe he was off with Alternate Liberty Belle). And how does our Jay Garrick react to any of this info? By saying, “Well, there’s certainly no doubt now, son. You truly are The Flash - - The Fastest Man Alive.”

Well, Jay, that’s very sentimental, but come on! Shouldn’t he be saying, “Holy crap! Another Earth?! Barry’s friggin’ alive?! Max is alive?! There’s another me?! Wally’s okay?! Are the multiple Earths back?! Can the Anti-Monitor be far behind?! Is Dan Jurgens there?! I’ve got to hide Rex!!” But instead of reacting as anyone else would, Jay (again) blandly pronounces Bart the new Flash. It’s almost a half-hearted, “Hey, I guess you’re what we’ve got.” Which, I guess, is what I have to say. I’ve never been against change in the big universes, but it seems that this one was particularly unfounded. I would have been quite happy to see a book built around a middle-class-dad type hero; Wally could have fit that bill very well. And hey, for all I know, that could be one of the long-term goals for the future. As it is, for the near future, for the first time in well over a decade, and after giving this a good six months, I don’t think that I’ll be buying any more issues of The Flash. I’ll always dig the Barry and Wally years, but for me, for now, this book has run its course.

Army of Darkness #12
From: Dynamite
Writer: James Kuhoric
Art: Fernando Blanco
Review by Troy Brownfield

Ash has an origin? Who knew? It’s tales like these that keep the ongoing book in the “fun” category. Ash’s propensity for drawing zomb—er, deadites is finally explained, with some truly hilarious flashbacks to his days as an infant, a school boy, and a high school student. The fact that all of these incidents happened to Ash without him ever establishing a pattern is part of the charm of the character; he likes to think that he’s the smartest guy in the room, but he’s usually just the biggest mouth.

The big switch in this issue is that Fernando Blanco is in on art, and he does a solid job. I had really grown to like Kevin Sharpe’s art on the book, and I credit him with helping turn it from the cartoony tale it was in the beginning to a more consistently enjoyable read. Blanco works in that same mold, but with just a touch of Ty Templeton (or maybe Tony Harris by way of Bruce Timm). Either way, it looks good.

As this is part one of an arc called “The Death of Ash”, you can expect dire turns in the near future. I have a pretty good guess for that mystery antagonist, and it likely ties in with the cover that’s rather reminiscent of Ash’s third celluloid adventure. If you like the movies and gonzo horror, then these books are a good time. Besides, where else are you going to see the words “hot dog-themed dominatrix”? New Avengers?

Pellet Reviews!

American Virgin #9 (DC/Vertigo; review by Sarah Jaffe)[/b]: Adam Chamberlain has his revenge, a lot to think about, and maybe not much time left to think in. One chapter of American Virgin is being wrapped up here, and another appears about to start, if Adam’s lucky. This issue does an able job of showing what happens when two religious people argue that God has told both of them to do something that conflicts with the other—stalemate. Unfortunately, both for Adam and his adversary and for religious wars worldwide, the two sides are rarely willing simply to agree to disagree, and like many similar arguments, this one ends in violence. And on a completely different note, Joshua Middleton’s cover art makes this book the best-looking one on the stands.

Modern Masters vol. 8: Walter Simonson (TwoMorrows, by Mike): Master of the explosive comic book page layout, architect of staggeringly gorgeous and complex landscapes and structures, sci-fi artist without peer, and a hell of writer (plus, he’s a true gentleman), Walter Simonson deserves this (and a few more) celebration of his talents. He’ had legendary stints on Manhunter, Alien, Thor (still just about the best thing Marvel’s ever published),Star Slammers, Orion (one of the two best series out of the DCU in the past ten years) and more. Simonson’s catalog of comics is a who’s who of thrilling, adventurous and exciting comics with moving stories and unparalleled art, and this book is a terrific way to see the highlights, behind-the-scenes events and creative inspirations through Simonson’s own eyes. Recommended for any student of comics.

Dreadnoks: Declassified #1 (Devil’s Due; by Koben): This was an unexpected pleasant surprise. I haven’t been in touch with anything G.I. Joe-related since I was a child watching the animated show every day after school. This issue focuses on the life story of the man I’m guessing is responsible for the accentuated abilities of Zartan’s crew of hell-raisers, the Dreadnoks. A sad tale of a man whose mother and father had no time for child rearing up until their moment of death. A ward of orphanages who, at a very young age, learns how to go from identity to identity to get what he wants. His life is filled with double-crosses and back-stabbing… mostly on his part. It’s not until near the end of the issue we actually see the titular gang. Josh Blaylock does a stellar job of making me care about a manipulative free agent primed to have an important role in the genesis of one of Joe’s most fan-favorite group of villains. The story progression is engrossing, the characters multi-dimensional, and the action intense. Even though I’m not a huge fan, I am very interested in where Josh takes things from here. As odd as it may sound, I’m glad to see that lives are lost. In this depiction of the Joe-niverse, ain’t no one jumping out of exploding planes. A very welcome deviation from my childhood afternoons.

Teen Titans #41 (DC; by Koben): Despite complaints I hear from other fans decrying this book as too far a deviation from the original blueprint, I am totally loving it. I enjoy the fact that Johns uses it as his chance to experiment and have a bit of fun. Sure, it was nice to have a constant core team for a while, but this whole rotating-cast style has me hooked. Bring on the East Coasters, I say! The main thrust of the issue is Jericho’s return to active life without the influence of Azarath, and the battle with temporary member/traitor, Bombshell. The good: the team dynamic, use of the battle cry, Ms. Martian’s insight, and Rose’s revelation. The bad: the endless barrage of old-school Image stock poses and hatching, and the annoyingly disruptive animated-style Teen Titans/Sara Hunter insert. Yuck. All in all, I enjoyed this issue immensely. I absolutely hope that the current line-up, as shown on the classically Titans-ish cover, sticks around for a while. Along with the veterans, I feel that Kid Devil, Ms. Martian, and Ravager are wonderful assets to the team. Kid represents the unsure, unproven aspect that needs a team’s guidance to blossom into independence. Ravager is the grim aspect that symbolizes the salvation of redemption. Ms. Martian may be annoyingly naïve in a Mary Marvel kind of way, but as this issue shows, she has some tricks up her sleeve and the ability to come through for the team. Simply put, a top-notch story.

Green Lantern #15 (DC; by Koben): Nothing can top the raw quality of last issue, but this one comes pretty close. Hal has to take on the overtaken Global Guardians, as well as sub-atomic bounty hunters, and the Rockets Red. So many superb beats in this issue, I can’t pick a favorite one. Although, I did particularly enjoy the new Crimson Fox’s near seduction of Hal as rendered by the approaching-AH!-status Ivan Reis. Whew! There’s also the insight into the development of the impending Sinestro Corps. And what do the Oans need the cyborg for? Johns is on a roll with this book. Whereas Titans is his chance to try things out and test himself, it’s easy to tell he’s pouring all of his ideaspace (TM Alan Moore) into this book. Sensory overload!

Black Panther #22 (Marvel Comics; by Kevin): I’ve been away from this series for awhile. I didn’t like the concept of sticking Black Panther and Storm together just because. But this issue was one of the more entertaining Civil War tie-in books I’ve read. Storm being involved with Black Panther was crucial to this story, so I wonder if part of the motivation for the move wasn’t the Civil War ramifications. The penciller needs to improve, though…there are some butt-ugly panels in this book (specifically the Iron Man moments). I’ll be back for the next few issues to give it a chance and to see one of my favorite character’s take on the war.

Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #14 (Marvel Comics; by Kevin): Peter David finds a fairly interesting way to tie-up some of the consequences of Peter Parker not being able to teach without being a threat to the students’ welfare. The humor really comes across and fits the character very well. The artwork fits very well, too. It’s solid stuff that has more than enough storytelling to get the job done. Though, I don’t know how they are going to pull off the way the next issue is heading, but I guess I should remember to put my faith in PAD.

Nextwave: Agents of H.A.T.E. #10 (Marvel Comics; by Kevin): It is only now that I’m really going to be sad that Nextwave won’t be continuing in its present form after the 12th issue. The current episode is really a great example of the wild creativity that Warren Ellis employs for the title and Stuart Immonen’s ability to answer his every challenge. The several page alternate reality episodes that the two gave nearly each member of the team was such a genius stroke of cynical whimsy that I fear might never be captured again anytime soon. If you’re not reading this book, you’re too late and you suck.

Batman #659 (DC; by Caleb): Pity poor John Ostrander and Tom Mandrake. They’re a superlative creative team, and together they’ve produced one of the DCU’s best monthly series, but here they have the thankless task of filling-in the industry’s hottest writer and one of its hottest artists. Even as a fan of Ostrander and Mandrake (as individual creators and as a team), I was severely disappointed in this issue, so I can only imagine how it will be received by those picking it up to see Morrison and Kubert handle a Batman vs. Joker. There’s a new bizarrely-themed rogue in Gotham named “Grotesk” who, in addition to not being able to spell very well, is cutting parts of his victims’ faces off and then burning what’s left alive. Mandrake’s art is fantastic, some of the best of his career, and Ostrander’s story is serviceable, but it’s a little cliché-ridden. You know, villain says we’re really on the same side Batman, Bats says that’s vengeance not justice, villain imperils innocents to get away, saying you’ll have to save those people’s lives or stop me, and so on.

Stan Lee Meets Doctor Doom #1 (Marvel; by Caleb): I love the way that Stan Lee is portraying his semi-retirement in these special one shots, writing himself as an old guy puttering around on a series of hobbies like baking superhero-shaped cookies or taking a bike tour of NYC. Here, it’s miniature ship-building. The Lee-written lead-ins have been hit-or-miss, but this one’s a definite hit. Stan the Man is pulled away from his ship-building to visit Latveria at the behest of Doom, who’d like to have a little chat with him: “ I am displeased by the manner in which I am portrayed in American comic books.” Lee points out that these days he’s just a guy who cameos in superhero movies and earns his freedom. The art on this piece, by Salvador Larroca, is just drop dead gorgeous—I don’t think I’ve ever seen Latveria and its doombots look so good. Back-ups include a Jeph Loeb and Ed McGuinness story about Lee once again goading his creations into playing their roles and a classic Fantastic Four story by Lee and some guy named Jack Kirby.

Superman/Batman #30 (DC; by Caleb): In the latest issue of The Completely Random Adventures of the World’s Finest, penciller Ethan Van Sciver once again demonstrates what an incredible artist he is. Have you ever a better Kilowog than Van Sciver’s humanoid rhinoceros design? Or how about Van Sciver’s Plastic Man, whom he gives such a strong sense of realism and three-dimensionality that he hero’s cartoon-ish shape-changing seems all the more super. When this Plas is at rest, he seems as real as Batman, Alfred or Superman, but when he stretches a limb, all the detail and line-work fades away, and you can practically see him stretching his molecules (Check out age 18, panel 2 for one of the best Plas panels of all time). Van Sciver’s skills are, unfortunately, a huge liability to a (supposedly) monthly comic book like this, as the constant delays not only keep a best-seller off the shelves, but also do little to help all the randomness go down any smoother. Writer Mark Verheiden finally seems to be getting somewhere with the story, but not until the last few pages. Guest stars include Lex Luthor, Hal Jordan, something taking the shape of Starfire, the aforementioned Kilowog, and Plas, in his first-OYL appearance (and mentioning his now back in continuity son; you know, a superhero who is a reformed thief I can take, but a superhero who is a reformed deadbeat dad?).

Catch-Up Pellet: G.I. Joe: America’s Elite #14-16 (Devil’s Due; by Troy): This book is a real love letter to fans of the original ‘80s series. Sure, everything is different, but hey, everything is the same. There’s still the same feel, there’s still the same heavy lean on the great stories of Larry Hama, and there’s still counterstrike teams and ninjas. Credit Joe Casey, Josh Medors and others for doing strong, entertaining work on what some have written on as a mere licensing title. If you’ve ever enjoyed these characters, check this book out.

Catch-Up Pellet: American Splendor #2 & 3 (Vertigo; by Troy): Harvey Pekar’s work is an acquired taste, but I have indeed acquired it. If your only exposure to our man’s work is through the superlative film with Paul Giamatti . . . that’s fine. These issues are tailor-made for novitiates to jump into the world of Pekar. From small triumphs (like fixing a toilet or completing a to-do list) to larger ruminations of the state of his city or parenthood, Pekar always has something interesting to say about everything. And his murderer’s row of great artists (everyone from Dean Haspiel to Richard Corben and Eddie Campbell) do their best to give our man’s thoughts brilliant form. Pekar is a Hall of Fame talent, and these are some rockin’ singles.

Spawn: Godslayer (TMP; by Troy): A book with epic battles and monsters shouldn’t be boring. Compared to the crazy-ass goings on of the regular book, the medieval world-shaking found within seemed like needlessly ponderous fantasy ramblings. While the whole package is undeniably attractive, I just wasn’t moved at all. It may appeal to the most die-hard Spawn fans or Frank Franzetta cultists, but the casual fan (like me) might not find much there.

Monster War (Dynamite; by Troy): This trade collects the Top Cow event that pitted Witchblade, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, The Darkness (Jackie, not the band) and Magdalena against Dracula, Frankenstein, Mr. Hyde, and werewolves. It sure looks good (fans of big boobs will be particularly happy), and the story by horror collaborators Christopher Golden and Tom Sniegowski is familiar monster-mashing fun. G&S telegraph their endgame early (the inclusion of a completely different kind of . . . mythos along with the headliners and monsters), but darn it if it isn’t all a big good time. If you dig this, you might also like Roger Zelazney’s novel A Night in the Lonesome October; it involves some of the same classic monsters, some of the same endgame, but by virtue of being a novel, fewer visible boobs.

Savage Red Sonja: Queen of the Frozen Wastes #4 (Dynamite; by Troy): Speaking of which, Red Sonja concludes her mini-series adventure that pits her against the titular tyrant. It’s more fun stuff from Frank Cho and Doug Murray, but the really stellar work is provided in the art by Homs. That guy draws the kind of polar bears that would give Sawyer nightmares.

Troy Brownfield founded ShotgunReviews.com and serves as the Editor-in-Chief. He’s a professor of English, journalism and communication and freelances for a number of print and online sources. 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 , and specifically mention him or his areas (Journalism, Professional Writing, New Media) when you call.

[Kevin T. Brown]

No Batman/Spirit reviews...??

[roony]

First Post! W00T!

EDIT: Sigh, alas, it isn't true.

And Iron Fist Sounds Cool. Guess I'll look for the trade.

[Teambrian]

Originally Posted by MattBrady

When the mutant powers of Xavier and Magneto leave their bodies at the conclusion of House of M, they re-combine to form Onslaught once again.[/i]

I thought the mutant powers combined to form that Michael "Collective" guy that killed Alpha Flight in New Avengers. Does "Onslaught" tie into that at all?

[Stromboli]

Excellent Flash review - I could not of said it any better. Unfortunately, that is very depressing. I'm done with the Flash too and will just have to re-read the old comics to get my Flash fix.

[pfunk70]

As for the Flash, Troy, my sentiments exactly.

[fanboy d]

rob liefeld is the rabbit's foot

[FireLight]

BAH!! Had to get that out. Why? I frakkin' HATE Liefields art. Don't give a hoot about his professional career issues - but his art just always bothered me (too many hash lines for one).

So - with that - damn - I actually enjoyed Onslaught. It read like a fast paced first act of an action movie and I haven't read something like that in a while - last-best issue of anything like that was the Superman/Batman Annual #1.

Nextwave: Phooey - best comic getting cancelled ever.

Flash - waiting till 2007 (is that two years later?)

Titans: eh - s'ok. Not great - not bad - could be better. A little confusing in terms of some panels and dialogue. Maybe it's time GJ gave this up to someone with more energy for it.

Iron Fist - Very good first issue - although I am TIRED of the 'legacy' themes. I mean from Spider-Man to Moon Knight to Buffy to Hourman - it gets a little old. I'm sold on IF tho - great art and we'll see where the writing goes.

[Spaz_Monkey]

Originally Posted by Teambrian

I thought the mutant powers combined to form that Michael "Collective" guy that killed Alpha Flight in New Avengers. Does "Onslaught" tie into that at all?

Dude, don't mention logic when talking about Marvel & House of M. The plot holes left over from that are big enough to fly a [random Marvel alien race] War Cruiser thru.

[Tater Salad]

The Onslaught review has to be a joke.

[bolt]

I didn't like it.

I mean, man, I'm really a fan of Jeph Loeb's minis since The Long Halloween, even that rarely talked about Wolverine/Gambit mini. Its just that Liefeld's art didn't bring any appeal to the comic. My bro has a copy, I tried reading it, but I gave it up after 2 balloons. I'm not a fan of Liefeld ever since. Even if its Jeph Loeb writing it, I can't read it. Comics is mostly visuals (it isn't comics if it wasn't), so no matter how good the story is, the art will always make it shine or drag it down. Sorry, but for me, Onslaught Reborn isn't worth it.

[bolt]

Originally Posted by Teambrian

I thought the mutant powers combined to form that Michael "Collective" guy that killed Alpha Flight in New Avengers. Does "Onslaught" tie into that at all?

GOOD POINT!

And why aren't there any Batman/Spirit reviews? I think it was cool.

[Colonsus]

Sweet merciful crap, the first issue of Iron Fist was AWESOME!!!

Everyone should be reading this comic- there is no excuse not to pick up a book this good!

[Spaz_Monkey]

Troy, I have to agree with you regarding The Flash, and that just breaks my heart.

I was introduced to The Flash comics during the final years of Infantino's series, and I was hoooked immediately. I was crushed when Barry died during Crisis, but thrilled when Wally took the reigns. Thinking back at some of the great names attached to Wally's book over the years is like who's who of DC comics. The end of Wally's series, tho, was anti-climactic at best. Worse yet, it just really didn't matter. When Barry's series ended, his trials and tribulations came to an end, and he closed the series back with Iris, the love of his life. Wally's series ended on Wednesday. That's it; it was just another day. Then in IC, he went away. No heroic sacrifice, no tragic death, nothing. Just gone.

With that total lack of closure, we're intorduced to Bart Allen as the suddenly-grown-up Flash. And he's the victim of some of the worst writing I've seen in a mainstream comic in years. It's not that it's 'bad' per-se, but just slow and plodding. None of the dynamic energy that should be part of a Flash book. I've read the first 5 books, and yet find myself unable to recall much of what happened in them. Roommates getting super powers, 20-year-old characters brought back for no real reason, and... meh. I feel like I've seen more interest and passion put into the Newsarama boards than into the current run of The Flash.

I'm dissapointed beyond my ability to express. I was a huge fan of Impulse, one of my favorite books of the 1990s. I loved Bart as part of Young Justice. I dug the hell out of him as the new Kid Flash in Teen Titans. But as The Flash, I just can't take it. I've heard that there'll be a new creative team taking over - I'll read the first couple of their issues and see what happens. But for now, I'm ending my almost 30 years of being a loyal fan of The Flash.

[Beefy McHuge]

Originally Posted by Kevin T. Brown

No Batman/Spirit reviews...??

Why promote good comics when we can pretend Onslaught Reborn (or as the topic is calling it as I post, "Onsluaght") is worth even writing a review of more than ten words?

[Beefy McHuge]

Originally Posted by Lucas Siegel

[b]Onslaught Reborn #1

You would be nuts not to read this, in my humble opinion.

The only part of this review I agree with is the word "nuts".

[AnthonyL]

Originally Posted by Tater Salad

The Onslaught review has to be a joke.

Yeah, cuz if you don't like it or any of the creators involved...nobody should.

Anthony L

[kingofcities]

Damn, is there anyone who didn't like Iron Fist? I can't remember the last time I saw a new book so well liked all around. So of course my shop frigging sells out before I can grab a copy.

Oh, and screw Spirit/Batman...what about Avengers Next?

[Beefy McHuge]

Originally Posted by AnthonyL

Yeah, cuz if you don't like it or any of the creators involved...nobody should.

Anthony L

I don't care how much you like the creators, this is not a "perfect" issue under any definition.

[Sesshomaru]

no ...
simply no ..

While i have no personal beef against the man himself (i dont know him and dont care about him ) , i just hate his work . Its a major dealbreaker . I only tolerate his stuff right in the middle of a crossover , over the span of a few issues ... otherwise no...

I loved Marvel's 90s comics . I still do , its something that even the mess of the Clone Saga's end and a far too important part of Onslaught couldnt change . So yeah i'm happy to see onslaught and the "heroes reborn" world , but not uder Liefeld's pencils .

Anyone actually disliking his work should just "boycott" the book , instead of endlessly making fun of him , his art (or lack of ;p) and his mistakes . Thats pretty much the only way to ensure that he would get less gigs at Marvel , or any maybe .
Of course his fans are everybit as free to buy the book and support him .

I actually wish him more success , i just selfishly wish he'd stop working over Marvel characters .

[kingofcities]

Originally Posted by Spaz_Monkey

Troy, I have to agree with you regarding The Flash, and that just breaks my heart.

Ditto.

Two thoughts though. First, it seems like DC wised up pretty fast to fan reaction. Wally West is my all time favorite character but I'm not going to drop the book. It's only a couple issues until Guggenheim. I can be patient that long.

Second, I'm not sure what happened on this book (smells like an execuitive change for changes sake?) but I won't just blanketly condemn Bilson and Demeo. I read the recent debut issue of Red Menace which was written by this same creative team along with Adam Brody and I can't say enough good things about this comic. I'm not an apologist for the misfire on Flash but I think these guys were just a couple pieces of a bad puzzle. Bad circumstance all around.

[The Guvnor]

Black Panther was better than the most recent issues. Now if there could only be a decent regular art team on it and the level of "blackness" got toned down a bit then this title will soon be back to its best.

After this tie-in there can be surely no way that the Pro-Reg side can still be shown in a good light as Stark was willing to let his best friend Jim Rhodes be killed/sacrificed.

[Tater Salad]

Originally Posted by AnthonyL

Yeah, cuz if you don't like it or any of the creators involved...nobody should.

Anthony L

A forum is open to opinions. Not just your own. Incase you didn't notice, I'm not the only one who felt that way. I'm a fan of Jeph Loeb's writeing but the art is so bad it brings down the whole book. I'm not turning this into a Liefeld Bash party but his artwork didn't click at all on this book. Same could be said for Allstar Batman and Robin. The art is good but the story is pretty bad. Instead of the Dark Knight, he's the Dark Jerk.

[HG_studios]

I like Jeph Loeb...

That being said, I am now very worried about Ultimates Vol 3...

[bolt]

The Flash sucks right now. I totally agree with Troy