BEST SHOTS: JSA, SPIDER-MAN: REIGN, FRIDAY the 13th, & MORE

[MattBrady]

From the Cast and Crew of ShotgunReviews.com
Your Host: Troy Brownfield:

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The Bonus Edition is almost done. It’s been an epic project. So is our Year-End Special. Much will be the sequential love. Until then . . .

Justice Society of America #1
From: DC
Written by: Geoff Johns
Drawn by: Dale Eaglesham
Reviewed by: Troy Brownfield

Further down in the column, you’re going to see a review of this book that, while positive, has a few problems with the overall issue. I’m just warning you of that ahead of time, because quite frankly, I didn’t have any problems. In fact, I don’t think that I’m crawling out on a limb to declare the following: Justice Society of America #1 is the best first issue this year.

Why? For one thing, Johns and the gang remember a thing or two about making fun comics. Within the framework of the first issue, most of our (admittedly sprawling) team is already assembled, and are quite literally thrust into mystery and action by a surprise entrance by a legacy character. It’s been so long since we’ve seen a team together in a first issue that I’ve almost forgotten what it felt like.

Actually, the preceding paragraph contains two words that explain why the book works so well: legacy and mystery. Set-ups and new characters abound. Consider this: within the 40 pages, we are given the following questions to ponder: the nature of Damage’s face, powers and direction; a number of items about one of the new legacies, Mr. America; is Starman who the hell I think he is; everything on that final page; and more. The creative team throws in more hooks that a Kareem retrospective, and I have a legitimate interest in seeing where they all lead.

In an article that I wrote a couple of weeks ago, Geoff Johns hinted that the last page would be something new, but obvious. He’s right, and it’s a damn smart idea. Why? Because it has people furiously discussing and debating. That page has given the book a life beyond itself, and that’s incredibly sharp of all involved. Not only is the discussion dominated by what actually happened in the book, it carries weight with what might happen and what will happen. But how? Ah-ha! Read the book! Brilliant.

Of course, none of this would be executed quite so well if you didn’t have an artist like Dale Eaglesham at the penciling helm. Though he’s had fine runs on [b]Green Lantern[/i] and recent villain-centric titles, this first issue readily points to the fact that Justice Society should be the work of his career. Taking on a cast this large and making them into individuals is a huge accomplishment. Doing it with shadings of action, horror and humor is almost unbelievable. Tremendous work, sir.

The most important quality of this issue is that I had a good time while reading it. We get so wrapped up as a fan community in various issues and psychodramas that we sometimes forget to just slow down and enjoy a book. The creative team and the entire structure of the issue made that easy. If I had to boil this first issue down to one concept, that would be “fun”. And there are few higher compliments.

ACME Novelty Library #17
By Chris Ware
From: Drawn and Quarterly
Review by The Rev. O.J. Flow

If you are any kind of Chris Ware fan, the place to live is Chicago. For several years now, the seminal graphic artist's full-color work has been available for free in one- to two-page, full-color installments, first in Newcity Chicago, and currently in the Chicago Reader. If anyone here can help me with this, I'm curious as to what other newspapers around the country are carrying this (I hear the New York Times is one such publication). Though it speaks volumes about an artist when you have what amounts to complimentary access to the work and you still pay full price when the work is produced in a comprehensive collection. The Oak Park, Illinois, resident's newest release, ACME Novelty Library #17, is again a rewarding sequential art experience, and Chris Ware is one of those creators where I'm pretty sure I'll be following his work for the rest of my life. What's also nice is getting a Ware tale that was literally told over the course of four to five years, sporadically at best, mind you, and have it available now to read in one sitting. In this case, the focus is the work Ware produced revolving around "Rusty Brown" and the Nebraskans in bleak, suffocating wintertime who came in and out of a young boy's life.

It's always a lesson in self-reference with Chris Ware stories. Anyone who has followed his work knows that he often infuses his own personal experiences into the characters, not to mention those of his family. In this edition of ACME Ware himself, or a facsimile thereof, is actually a featured player. Of course it can't be Ware since the action loosely takes place in the 1970s (think The Ice Storm). But those in the know may be aware that other characters reflect some of Ware's own experiences, including Rusty Brown, the boy doomed to a life of eternal loneliness whose only sanctuary is a fantasy life as Supergirl's only true love (granted this Supergirl is a Mego figure, and this book is anything but a DC Comics-approved tale); Alice and Chalky White, Michigan transplants who are anything but comfortable in their new surroundings; and Rusty's father, Mr. Brown(off), a teacher at this town's local school where all of the lives intertwine. Also worth noting is that the story of the school's lead bully, Jason, is being fleshed out in better detail in the publications like the Chicago Reader as we speak, the latest full-page chapter just coming out the other day. Rusty, as indicated by the title, is the lead character, but all of the other characters have their moments to shine.

Rusty is basically the kid you went to school that you knew was going to spend many a year lonely and living in Mom & Dad's basement. Not meaning to gear this toward any specific readers of Best Shots here, but Rusty could be any of us if we failed to outgrow the Mego dolls or Super Powers figures and realized that there's an amazing world that goes beyond the adventures of G.I. Joe (the original, naturally) Supergirl (Bronze Age, thank you, Mr. Ware), and funny books. Even when it looks like he might have found a kindred spirit in Chalky White, he's too immersed in his fantasy world and self-absorbed beyond comprehension. Alice's story is followed closely, that of a girl in her early teens who is plucked out of one school and placed into another one in another state at the worst time imaginable, yet her awkwardness and insecurity knows no gender or age limit, and credit Ware with the penchant for tales of alienation and despair that transcends these things. Talk about being able to relate!

Every issue of ACME Novelty Library appeals to the perfectionist in me who appreciates immaculate attention to detail, clean lines, and expressive use of color. From the inside cover to the price label on the back, every single nook and cranny of this gorgeous hardcover (at $16.95, by the way) speaks to the care and thoughtfulness Ware puts into his work. I also love this issue's cover because it looks like something an untrained reader might pick up for someone younger as a holiday gift not knowing what mature, heady material lay within. Underscoring the geometrical detail that Ware puts into this book is the few pages toward the end devoted to "Branford -- The Best in the World." Ware's more cartoony look at family life by way of the life cycle of a bee colony is as amusing as it is informative. Chris Ware has said before that it is not his intention for readers to get an "antiseptic sensation" due to the meticulous nature of his artistry. If you're like me, that is, a reader with a conscience and an appreciation for soulful graphic art, you'll love every remarkably hand-crafted page of ACME Novelty Library #17.

Coincidentally, The Rev. also orders his jet packs from ACME.

The 9/11 Report: a Graphic Adaptation
by Sid Jacobson & Ernie Colón
Based on the Final Report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States
Published by Hill and Wang
Reviewed by Michael C Lorah

I’ve often felt that comics, in order to reach out to new audiences, needs to create more diverse material. There is a lot of diversity right now, but to seize a greater portion of the 10% of Americans who read anything at all, I’d like to see even more. The 9/11 Report leaped out to me as a comic project that had tremendous crossover potential (and the delay in Amazon filling my order suggests that it had some success as well) due to the obvious topicality of the subject. Couple nonfiction, nonpartisan politics and public education elements, three areas in which there are not enough comics, and you have just the sort of book that can provide a terrific face of comics to casual and potential readers.

Now the question becomes, does this book present a good face to those readers?

For the most part, yes, it does. According to 9/11 Commission chairman Thomas H. Kearn and Vice Chair Lee H. Hamilton, the book adheres “to the findings, recommendations, spirit, and tone of the original commission report.” Factually, it reports the events that occurred leading up to the attacks, detailing internal breakdowns and failures of communication, while explaining the creation and mobilization of al Qaeda’s plot.

Using visual iconography – the emblems of American law enforcement agencies, strong likenesses of the people involved, indelible images from that day, and other clear visual cues – Jacobson and Colón steer the reader easily and clearly through a maze of names (foreign and domestic) and acronym-intense organizations. Although many readers will undoubtedly want more insight into certain aspects of the book, all of the material receives enough page space to have impact.

Possibly the hardest hitting portion of the book is the opening, where Colón puts together a six-page foldout, followed by another four-page foldout, so that readers can track the timeline of the morning of September 11, 2001. By stacking four timelines on each other, Colón and Jacobson reveal each flight’s status in relation to the circumstances of the other three flights, and windows of opportunity when the situation could have been exposed are presented directly. (For example, Flight 93 was still on the ground when hijackers took Flight 11.)

The only major shortfall of the book comes from a handful of questionable storytelling choices. By layering images and captions over one another, in several instances the creators make it unclear how readers are to move through the page. These awkward pages are not frequent, but in a book that will expose many readers to comics for possibly the first time (not to mention a book that presents the facts behind such a tragic event), clarity should be the utmost goal.

(Also, the cartoony “SHOOM!” lettering that tracks a billow of smoke [page 71] is an oddly humorous image that doesn’t quite fit against the text describing the immolation of the 77th floor and elevator banks of the north tower.)

Nevertheless, The 9/11 Report: a Graphic Adaptation is a very commendable comic book, providing a nonpartisan look at the most momentous event of recent American history. Jacobson and Colón have done more than create a strong comic – they’ve contributed to the awareness of the American public and the ongoing debate about national security. Beyond that, I hope that more creators will look at the many sections of their local bookstore and continue to offer titles that reach out to readers who seek “Current Events” (or politics, or sports, or self improvement, or…)

Mike’s recent craziness rival’s Troy’s own. We could tell you, but you’d never believe us.

Multiple Shots: Justice Society of America #1
From: DC Comics
Written by: Geoff Johns
Drawn by: Dale Eaglesham
Reviewed by: Kevin Huxford

There will be a lot of praise for this book…and deservedly so. This issue is, in my opinion, what a One Year Later book should look like at its best. There are cast changes and we’re jumping into things where you feel desperate to pick up what the new status quo is. It is obviously not a OYL book, but it has that formula down, as far as I’m concerned.

But since there will be more than enough praise for the high points, I’m here to beat up its weak spots.

Liberty Belle and Hourman seem to have had personality transplants. I originally through I could say that applied to entirely how they were presented, but I realized that the totality of this impression is taken from how they are drawn. Geoff could have directed Dale on this or this could be Dale riffing. But in recruiting Damage, Rick comes off like a flippant, party-hard frat brother and Jesse is falling all over Rick in public…none of which rings true for how they’ve been presented in the past. This doesn’t even get into the impossible anatomy of Jesse in the panel where Rick is holding the car. Look at the belt line…below the belt, both left and right have equal amounts of hip and questionably equal amounts of leg. Then look at how the torso ends at the belt; it appears she was born missing a chunk on her left (the reader’s right) side. I wouldn’t be devoting time to this point if I wasn’t already dissecting it for the faulty body language, mind you…but it turns into a two-for-one opportunity. Editor’s Note: I sure that part of that is her unflattering choice of pants, adhering to the her mom’s historic costume style.

I’m glad to see Mr. America here, particularly because his anti-hero style appears to mark him as an actual adult hero that the Justice Society might have to take under their wing for guidance (if they continue to have him in the series after this). But that is the only positive about his anti-hero portrayal. His pursuit of Catalyst just came off a little…for lack of a better term…cliché.

Moving along, let me take a brief moment to spread some praise. Add me to the chorus on liking Cyclone. I was dreading Maxine in this book, but she surprised me. Her energy is infectious. Starman was someone I was worried about, too…in as much as I feared that the mystery about him would overpower the character. Who knew that his lunacy would make him shine? My God…the whimsy that Eaglesham captured with Starman dancing down the hall, away from the reader…I’m in awe. Probably the only Starman aspect I’m disappointed in was the apparent chucking (at the end of the book and in interviews) of so much of the mystery that we were being sold on for months leading up to the issues. Thankfully, with the entertainment value this character brings, I’ll survive.

The one thing I’m not really going to touch is the Obsidian issue. I’ve never seen so many people read so much into a one or two panel appearance. People have used Ma Hunkel’s comments to say that Johns is writing Obsidian out of character from how he is being handled in Manhunter. I believe it is just a bunch of people who are hyper-sensitive to anything done with Obsidian in the book, based on Alex Ross’s questionable comments about him.

All that said, the book sucked me in. I’d have to give it 9 out of 10 rutabagas.

Spider-Man: Reign #1
From: Marvel Comics
Written & Drawn by: Kaare Andrews
Letterer: Chris Eliopoulos (couldn’t resist)
Reviewed by: Kevin Huxford

There has been a lot of talk that this mini-series is to be the Dark Knight Returns moment for the Spider-Man franchise. One issue into it and I’d say we’re well on our way to just such an occurrence.

Now, mind you, I’m not making the comparison in order to imply that it is derivative. Sure, we have a bleak future, a somewhat fascist government (albeit localized), and the apparent absence of costumed avengers. But the difference is in the execution, which involves staying true to the Peter Parker character (well…mostly). This isn’t Peter being shoe-horned into a story better made for someone else.

The book really concentrates on setting the stage here. A world is introduced, with its darkness painted on a micro level (the stormtroopers tacking the vandalizing kids) and macro level (the high tech locking down of the entire city). There is even the appearance of setting up the big bad with the shady, backroom behavior of its mayor. It does a lot to build your curiosity for what the future holds in this scenario.

The other concentration in this book is the desperate, pathetic life that we find Peter trapped in. You practically want to cry for the guy, while wondering how he got here (even if the cover and apparent hallucinations seem to give a strong indication of what’s got him this bad). Like you’d expect, though, he manages to retain enough of his humor to chuckle at one of the vandal kid’s smartass answer to a stormtrooper. Like I said, Kaare manages to hit all the right spots he needs to hit to make this feel like a Spider-Man story with DKR parallels, rather than someone trying to cut and paste Petey into a Batman story.

The outrage over Mr. Parker’s kibble and bits showing up in the book seems much ado about nothing. It is a silhouette and nothing more. No big deal. It neither adds nor takes away from the book. Any concerns about this really have nothing to do with this book as a piece of graphic fiction.

The one thing I’m still trying to work on digesting is the ending of the book. When J. Jonah shows up with a surprise, I’m good with it, with just a slight touch of a quizzical reaction. I’m not sure how he managed to hold on to that surprise without it getting away from him, but I can let that go. The bit I have a harder time dealing with is the violent end that seems a bit out of character. After further inspection, I’m thinking that possibly there is some feeling that, if the surprise hadn’t been held back for so long, much of what has gone wrong in Peter’s life would have turned out very differently. That…or the surprise itself is, let’s say, overpowering Peter’s control over his emotions. All that to say that: if it takes so much effort to just come up with possible explanations, the creator left something fairly essential out of the scene.

I’d give this introduction to Petey’s Inferno 8 out of 10 lens caps.

Despite his insistence to the contrary, we all know that Kevin finds jodhpurs to be quite enticing.

Friday the 13th #1
Written by Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti
Illustrated by Adam Archer and Peter Guzman
Published by Wildstorm
Review by Koben Kelly

Do you think of hockey when you see a goalie mask? Or do you, like me, instantly think of the masked, undead butcher, Jason Vorhees from slasher film franchise, Friday the 13th?

This makes Wildstorm’s third comic book translation of a major horror movie staple in recent months. I haven’t read the Nightmare on Elm Street interpretation, as I simply don’t care about Freddy Krueger, but I was blown away by Abnett and Lanning’s vision for The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Again, with this film, Wildstorm’s attempts do not disappoint.

Gray and Palmiotti are an interesting team when it comes to the variety of genres they pursue. As shown most recently with both Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters and Jonah Hex, they are adept at both superheroics and western tales. I had not doubt they were up to the task of tackling a horror title, but the two have also succeeded at bringing the dread from a film of this style to life in sequential form. All the right elements are present, except for the notable lack of a gory death. However, I have no doubt this absence will be altered in future issues.

The opening of the first issue is pure cinematic gold. A young, blood-splashed girl, in a state of undress, is being followed through the woods by the machete-wielding Vorhees. Stumbling onto an open road, she is happened upon and taken in by a couple traveling in a Winnebago-style camper van. With an obviously overwhelming sense of an impending threat to their safety, the couple quickly leaves the scene of the rescue. As the van speeds away, our homicidal menace steps out onto the road, watching as the vehicle containing the three disappears into the night. Boom! Opening credits finish off this spectacularly filmic introduction to the world of this continuing legacy.

The main story of the first issue revolves around several young adults who have been hired to renovate Camp Crystal Lake. For those not in the know, Crystal Lake has a long history of bloody death. In the fifties, young Jason Vorhees drowned while swimming in the titular lake while counselors catered to their romantic inclinations. In the seventies, Jason’s mother went on a vengeful killing spree, creating what she considered due justice by hacking and slashing her way through many of the camp’s sexually active directors. She, in turn, was killed, and in the eighties, a re-animated Jason began a mission of indiscriminate, violent homicide in his decapitated mother’s name. The camp had obviously earned a dark reputation, and with no one eager to keep the place up to par, has gone to ruination. It seems that investors want to rehabilitate the place with the intention of banking on the place’s history. The idea is that teens will be filled with desire to actually take part in attending a real, live camp that has become the stuff of urban legend.

The writers do a fantastic job of making the twenty-somethings hired for the renovation believable and three-dimensional. Each has their own set of personality traits, and the dialog is spot-on.

Near the end of the issue, an incident involving swimming seems to indicate that Palmiotti and Gray have every intention of expanding on the supernatural nature of Crystal Lake. The event makes one think that the undead Vorhees’ unending campaign of bloody death may be tied to the place itself, instead of to his unfortunate demise. It would be extremely satisfying for this reader were the story to create its own mythology in coming installments. I am delighted that this will not be yet another excuse for overindulgent depictions of gory violence in comic book form. Horror fiction can be horrible, yet have well-developed plot, story execution, and rounded characters, as well.

Adam Archer’s work is a wonderful surprise to happen upon. I don’t recall ever seeing his previous work, but I may now search it out. Slightly cartoonish, but successful at storytelling and character design in many ways. I am reminded of the all-too-rare work of Jason Pearson, yet Archer has a unique beauty to his style that brings a pleasing addition to my enjoyment of this book. Moments where the desired effect was to instill an ominous fear work spectacularly, yet his depiction of the female form is attractive in a non-insulting way.

As always, Ryan Sook’s cover is to die for.

I give Friday the 13th issue one eight Mings out of ten

Damned #1-2
Written by Cullen Bunn and Brian Hurtt
Illustrated by Brian Hurtt
Published by Oni Comics
Review by Koben Kelly

If any of you read Hard Times from DC, you’ll remember the work of Brian Hurtt. He is responsible for all of the art and character designs of that series. With Damned he serves as both storyteller with Cullen Bunn, but provides artwork as well.

Damned takes place in a world where mobsters and monsters co-exist with each other. Families are manned and headed by demons, and no one bats an eye. I suppose you would call it demonic crime fiction.

Eddie is a low-level gun-for-hire who doesn’t take sides. Back in the day, a curse was placed on him disallowing him to ever experience eternal rest. Any time his body is killed, it doesn’t stay that way for terribly long. This makes him a valuable man to the major crime families. Suppose you need him to do some work that might get his throat cut along the way? Never fear, as he’ll be willing to take that chance, as it’s only an inconvenience.

The two major families involved in the story have come to an understanding. There is to be a truce made ending years of warfare. To make everything official, some big demonic muckety-muck is to oversee the actual event. Problem is, he’s gone missing, and the trail is completely cold. If the heavy isn’t located, things will go back to the way they were. Eddie’s been hired to track down the overseer as a favor to the boss he’s in debt to.

Hurtt’s artwork is what totally makes this book work for me. His major character designs imply the supernatural, yet never go overboard in their depictions, distracting you from the storyline. Eddie is a skinny but tough individual, with a face full of scars that are never fully explained. I can’t even begin to explain the complexity of family heavy, The Worm. Hurtt’s grey tone usage is wonderful for creating the noir sensation the story seems to drip with.

Again, Oni pleasantly surprises me with the variance of styles they okay to publish. I would have expected this to be something Dark Horse would put out, along the lines of B.P.R.D. or somesuch.

I give Damned issue one seven out of ten Orloffs.

If someone ever offers to give you the Full Orloff, Koben says run away.

Pellet Reviews!

Yotsuba&! vol. 3 (ADV, by Mike): There’s a nice storytelling trick in the first chapter, using a word balloon to hide a secret gift and build anticipation. It’s just a little thing, but it’s emblematic of the sort of fun that is found in this series. A naïve, green-haired, six-year-old girl discovers the wonders of riding buses, flowers, souvenirs, grandparents, fireworks and more. Creator Kiyohiko Azuma has a terrific sense of comic timing and wonderfully expressive art, and draws the cutest doe-eyed little girl you’ve ever seen. Yotsuba&! is hilarious fun for all.

52 Week Thirty-One (DC Comics; review by Kevin): Ladies and Gentlemen: 52 is back! Yes, I know it was here last week, technically…but this week, it is really here. This issue captures your attention with the introduction of Lady Styx and her army. That is the undeniable lead of this issue and it really had the legs to carry it. With a page or two, the crew was, also, able to get me to care again about the question: WHO IS SUPERNOVA? I was even entertained by the latest episode of REAL WORLD: EVERYMAN with the Puck of the group introduced. My faith in this book looks like it is paying off. If you jumped off the 52 train recently, it’s not too late to jump back on.

Hero Squared #4 (Boom Studios; review by Kevin): Another great issue from Keith, J.M., and the absurdly underrated Joe Abraham. The only bone I’d have to pick with this issue is that, on a week that I was looking forward to it for the funny, it was slightly imbalanced towards the serious. That’s not a real complaint with the title, because the series would still need another issue or two like this in order balance out the hilarity of the All Therapy Issue. Still, the Sloat moments were enough to lift my spirits on a draining day. That and who doesn’t love a dig at the infamous clone saga? If you have to read only one Hero Squared issue…read the All Therapy Issue…then buy up the rest. You won’t be disappointed.

Outsiders #43 (DC Comics; review by Kevin): Yes, I’m still buying this. Yes, it still isn’t very good. I really want to love it for how it ties together far more of the history of this incarnation of the Outsiders and tracks it back to Sivana, but I can’t for at least two reasons. The primary reason is that it manages to come off so lackluster. There is just something in Winick’s execution that misses the mark (which isn’t aided by the book being saddled with a two-headed pencil monster while Matthew Clark rebuilds his stamina and puts health first). The less important reason is that Sivana still being the one leading the Outsiders around by their nose during the missing year stretches logic too thin, given his being preoccupied with working for Intergang in 52. I’ll be dropping it now and browsing it on the shelf, which is nothing short of a Herculean effort for a completist/OCD reader like me.

Detective Comics #826 (DC; by J. Caleb): This tightly-wound, done-in-one story about the Joker taking Robin for a joy ride through the snowy streets of Gotham City is by far the best of Paul Dini’s run. It’s no surprise that the writer knows his way around Mr. J’s twisted brain so well—just see his Mad Love one-shot or any of the superlative Joker episodes of the Dini-produced Batman: The Animated Series—but here he manages to get into Robin’s head just as effectively, contrasting the different ways in which their brains work. As a killer, the Joker thinks like a stand-up comedian; as a crime-fighter, Robin thinks like a detective. Just make sure you stop reading after the third panel on page 21—the dénouement is pointless space-filler after such a wonderfully constructed story.

Emo Boy #10 (Slave Labor Graphics; by Caleb): Something tells me that this will end up being the least-read holiday special on the stands this week, which is really too bad, as it’s also the funniest. Steve Emond’s comic about an emo boy named Emo Boy with mysterious emo powers is always hilarious, but this particular issue may just be the most hilarious (and accessible) to date. As Christmas approaches, Emo Boy goes on a hunger strike to protest the rampant consumerism of the holiday, and he is all too ready to talk smack on Christmas to anyone who’ll listen. He runs into Santa Claus and runs his mouth off, resulting in the not-so-jolly old elf literally beating the spirit of Christmas into E.B.

The Irredeemable Ant-Man #3 (Marvel; by Caleb): This issue’s irredeemable moments include Eric “Ant-Man” O’Grady trying to sleep with his dead best friend’s ex-girlfriend on said friend’s freshly dug grave, hanging around another woman’s apartment until she is forced to say “I’m not going to have sex with you…you’ve been here for almost an hour and I’m getting tired” and sneaking into a woman’s apartment at ant-size to watch her shower. Oh Ant-Man, you little scamp you! Between Robert Kirkman’s panel-packed script of uncomfortable moments and Phil Hester and Ande Parks’ smooth, clean artwork, this is pretty much a perfect comic book. And as far as battle cries go, is there any better than, “You ready for a full-sized punch from an ant-sized man?!”

Marvel Holiday Special (Marvel; by Caleb): I’m not entirely sure I got my money’s worth with this $3.99 purchase, considering the amount of filler in it—reprints of old holiday special covers, a letter from Ralph Machio, three pages of cut-out ornaments—but I enjoyed two of the three stories within. In “A.I.M. Lange Syne,” a low-level AIM employee brings a date to the terrorist group’s annual office party, and in “How Fin Fang Foom Saved Christmas,” Fin Fang Foom saves Christmas (with some help from Wong). The third story is a weak one from Mikes Carey and Perkins, a rhyming tour of the alphabet entitled “A is for Annihilus.” Rounding out the book is your “Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe” entry on none other than Santa Claus.

Stan Lee Meets Silver Surfer #1(Marvel; by Caleb): Never let it be said that Stan Lee can’t laugh at himself. His lead story in this issue is all about how insufferably pretentious and annoying the Silver Surfer and his pseudo-philosophic dialogue is. In the Mike Wieringo-illustrated story, Galactus sends Lee to hang out with the Surfer on his board for a bit just so he can experience firsthand how irritating S.S.’s dialogue is. Next up is a Paul Jenkins story in which Lee visits a young Jenkins and inspires him to create a superhero of his own. When Jenkins’ first try fizzles, Lee advises him “to think in the mighty Marvel style,” and out pops a fully formed knock-off of DC’s flagship character. D’oh! Rounding out the book is a two-page tale of Stilt Man, Paste Pot Pete and some of the MU’s other lamest villains seeking revenge on Stan Lee, and a classic reprint of a Spidey vs. Silver showdown written by Lee and drawn by John Buscema.

Invincible #37 (Image; review by Koben Kelly): Every single issue, this book never disappoints. Last issues battle with the Re-animen continues here from page one on. What a great fight; even Mark’s suit gets all ripped up. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him unload that heavily on a relatively-human person like that before. I mean, the dude’s jaw… oops, that’s spoiler enough. Do I sense romantic drama in store for Mark’s future? Well, I hope so, because I’ve wanted him with Eve since day one. We’re also treated to two of the Guardians of the Globe going on a date, and it’s not Dupli-Kate and the Immortal. It seems like Unca Wya’s artwork is loosening up a bit, or maybe he’s just coming into a bit more of his own style. People are depicted in a little more of an animated style, and it totally works. My only beef, again, is the non-story of Capes. I assume it’s like hitting a pillow for Kirkman. Just an indulgence. Overall, a highly entertaining issue.


Manhunter #26 (DC; review by Koben): It’s finally back! One of my favorite books to come along in the past few years has returned from the brink of destruction, and it’s firing on all cylinders. Wonder Woman has enlisted Kate to be her attorney when she’s tried for killing Max Lord. The story is interspersed with fight scenes of Diana battling Manhunter. Andreyko uses a back-and-forth style with the chronological setting to tell two stories at once, finally revealing the cause of the confrontation in the end. Pina and Riggs’ depiction of Wonder Woman is amazing. One of the best I’ve ever seen. The art in general is top-notch. It could sell this book alone. As always, sub-plots abound. Another Manhunter journeys through a foreign land. Also, Chase gets a threatening message from someone who could use a decent bit of orthodontry. If you’ve never read Manhunter, this is an excellent place to start. There’s almost no need for any background knowledge, and to retain active status, the book needs the sales. Trust me, you won’t be disappointed.

The Walking Dead #33 (Image; by Troy): I’m not sure that I can properly discuss this harrowing, disturbing and gripping issue without spoiling it, but I’ll try. Kirkman placed a lot of demands on Adlard and Rathburn with this issue, and all parties did a fine job. As a long-time fan of horror, I’m used to brutality. But seeing it visited upon a character (no matter how despicable) by one of the core cast was a real eye-opener. Kirkman has an “anybody is fair game” attitude that serves him well in this kind of epic post-apocalyptic tale, and he stretches the nastiest of the landscape to the extreme here. You can tell that this was in the cards from day one of this storyline, especially after the shocking treatment that Michonne received earlier in the arc. By allowing a measure of revenge, but forcing us to examine our own discomfort, Kirkman has proven once again that the “zombie” genre has more brains than those being eaten.

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

[seethruhero]

I couldn't disagree more with the review for Reign.

I felt Peter was mischaracterized throughout the entire book. I didn't once feel like I was reading a story focused on one of my favorite characters in comics. I understand the bleak future, but I kept thinking to myself, how could this get this bad? It's just too unbeleiveable that Peter would just let his liffe slip by him like that, and allow himself to turn into such a shell of the person he once was. No matter how bad things are for Spidey, he always finds humor and the strength to go on. I can't imagine him turning into a crippled, odd little man.

[nickmaynard]

great reviews. i disagree about the sentry jab, but everything else was great.

[JohnnyZito]

I agree with both JSA reviews.

Weird.

[Sunless]

It’s been so long since we’ve seen a team together in a first issue that I’ve almost forgotten what it felt like.

Stormwatch PHD number 1 that came out afew weeks back

[Beefy McHuge]

Originally Posted by nickmaynard

great reviews. i disagree about the sentry jab, but everything else was great.

Why? The Sentry has everything to do with Superman and merely adds "insanity" into the mix, which had already been done to some effect in Gruenwald's Squadron Supreme.

[Beefy McHuge]

Originally Posted by MattBrady

Probably the only Starman aspect I’m disappointed in was the apparent chucking (at the end of the book and in interviews) of so much of the mystery that we were being sold on for months leading up to the issues. Thankfully, with the entertainment value this character brings, I’ll survive.

Should you really be "reviewing" the interviews in a review of the first issue?

[shadowchaser]

i still don't understand how peter is this frail old man and JJJ is still alive, that still really bugs me

[RoiVampire]

Originally Posted by nickmaynard

great reviews. i disagree about the sentry jab, but everything else was great.

where was the sentry jab

[Eric Palicki]

Originally Posted by RoiVampire

where was the sentry jab

In the review of STAN LEE MEETS THE SILVER SURFER.

I had to search for it, too.

--E

[The Guvnor]

I thought the Marvel Holiday Special was very funny in most parts. "My real name is MODOF, Mental Organism Designed Only For Fun!" and the two factions of Hyrda fighting with each other.

It certainly got me in the festive mood. I wish a Merry Christmas to everyone and a safe, great New Year.

[KyleCowstar]

Yea, what's up with the overally positive Reign review? That book was pretty sad.

[matchesmalone]

In my opinion the "Reign" artwork was hideously ugly, it combines all the worst of computer art techniques. Too bad because Andrews is a great artist.

[Darthphere]

Starman gives me Genis-Vell vibes.

[khuxford]

Originally Posted by Beefy McHuge

Should you really be "reviewing" the interviews in a review of the first issue?

Hence the mention of "at the end of the book" where there is a panel previewing that Dawnstar will be coming after him.

[Skyrider]

How did Meltdown get completely ignored this week? Especially after the huge article that Newsarama had for it a few months back.

[khuxford]

Originally Posted by seethruhero

I couldn't disagree more with the review for Reign.

I felt Peter was mischaracterized throughout the entire book. I didn't once feel like I was reading a story focused on one of my favorite characters in comics. I understand the bleak future, but I kept thinking to myself, how could this get this bad? It's just too unbeleiveable that Peter would just let his liffe slip by him like that, and allow himself to turn into such a shell of the person he once was. No matter how bad things are for Spidey, he always finds humor and the strength to go on. I can't imagine him turning into a crippled, odd little man.

OK...my turn in the barrel...unexpected, since it wasn't like Liefeld was drawing this issue (sorry, Lucas ).

Can't understand why things are so bleak for our hero? It is, ostensibly, on its way to tell us about that over the course of the series. Where you are upset that there is no explanation, I'm looking forward to seeing it unfold in future issues.

But what we do know that MJ appears to be dead. The second love of his life died. The cover implies that it is possibly a violent death.

We get to see his sense of humor come out with the vandals getting arrested. Then we get to see him really come back around to his old self after getting something back.

[O.J. Flow]

...that JSA had some of the best art I've seen in ages.
Dale Eaglesham is an absolute wonder right now.

[khuxford]

Originally Posted by Skyrider

How did Meltdown get completely ignored this week? Especially after the huge article that Newsarama had for it a few months back.

I flipped through it at the shop. The artwork looked great but nothing to the story seemed to shout out "it's worth $5.99 for a creative team that I have no track record with".

Tell ya what...if there are any copies left at my shop on Wednesday, I'll try to find a way to review it just for you next week, Sky.

[Skyrider]

Originally Posted by khuxford

I flipped through it at the shop. The artwork looked great but nothing to the story seemed to shout out "it's worth $5.99 for a creative team that I have no track record with".

Tell ya what...if there are any copies left at my shop on Wednesday, I'll try to find a way to review it just for you next week, Sky.

Clean deal!

I very much enjoyed the book so I'm wondering what other people thought.

[khuxford]

Originally Posted by O.J. Flow

...that JSA had some of the best art I've seen in ages.
Dale Eaglesham is an absolute wonder right now.

I guess I should have worked that into my review somewhere, seeing as how I agree and all. I just knew that the book was going to get all its praise here and elsewhere, which left me feeling freed up to shine a light on the few parts that weren't my favorites. The body language given to Hourman and Liberty Belle does kinda tick me off, because it seems so counter to where those characters had been. Though, maybe we'll see something from their relationship that establishes that they changed each others' outlook on life in profound ways in future issues.

Edit: I'm not talking about how Hourman and Liberty Belle act towards each other only. But the way Eaglesham has him interacting with Belle and Damage seems out of character. Belle, also, never once appeared to be the kind of woman that would hang all over a man as eye candy. S'just weird to me.

[kingofcities]

Random thoughts...

- Hey khux, you're really reaching if the only thing you have to complain about is Jesse Quick's pants. I loved this issue. I've read it four times now and it gets better with every pass. Justice Society has my vote for issue of the year.

- I bought Friday The 13TH on the strength of the recent Gray and Palmiotti work. I'm glad I did. This book was very cool. Also, where the hell did Adam Archer come from? This guy is fantastic! I can't believe I haven't seen his work before. Terrific inks by Guzman as well. The art actually creeped me out which rarely happens in any book. There's a panel with a hand and the lake that just skeeved me out. Really great work here. I'm in for the first arc at least.

- I think I may be the only person on the planet who feels this way but I'm about three seconds from being done with Dini on Detective here. I don't care how great a story you write or how emotionally invested I become with what's happening. You have to write an ending!!! Seriously, 21 pages of fantastic writing and then one page of nothing that for myself at least almost ruins the rest of the reading experience. And this seems to happen every single issue of his run so far. A great issue with a fun story that just rushes too fast to wrap up and clearly it's the new done-in-one nature of this book that's causing it. I was just SO hooked on this issue and then the last page ruined it. It's too bad too because Don Kramer is doing the work of his career here. I want to like this book but if Dini doesn't blow me away in the next issue or two tops, I'm out.

[BatmanBegins]

I got the Dark Knight Returns vibe from Spider-Man Reign as well. Is that mask that Spider-Man is wearing the symbiote? That is the only way I could explain how a weak older Peter Parker could be so active when the mask came on. My god what happened to Mary Jane.

[Hokeyboy]

If I want to read The Dark Knight Returns, I'll pick it off the shelf and read it again. I don't want to look at a half-assed "homage" featuring Spider-Man with cruddy art and inconsistent writing. A pathetic issue.

[CodeGuy]

JSA: For the most part I liked the interactions between Hourman and Liberty Bell. They're newlyweds just back from their honeymoon. A lot of people act differently at that point than they do normally. However, there was one panel where Liberty Bell looked oddly drunk. Her expression in that one panel seemed a little odd.