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July
Comics
by Mike-oh
Here's a quick review of the comics I'm reading this month. Updated
each week. Descriptions are pulled from Midtown
Comics' web site (New York City's finest comic book shop). Editorial
is what I write.
Week
of July 26
Action
Comics #841
DC
Writer: Kurt Busiek
Artist: Pete Woods
Description:
Superman is back — but is it really him? As Earth faces a
powerful new menace, Superman contends with heroes wary that he
might not be who he says he is. Guest-starring the Teen Titans,
Nightwing and Firestorm!
Editorial:
I thought I was done with Action Comics after the Up Up & Away
arc but then I saw Superman fighting a giant robot on the cover
of this issue and had to pick it up. Not only does it include a
giant robot but it also has a Zorax inspired alien robot as well.
It certainly looks like a job for Superman. A worthy read.
52
Week #12
DC
Writer: Various
Artist: Barrows
Description:
Black Adam finds love in the arms of mythology. Isis is here! Plus
the debut of the new SECRET ORIGINS backup by Dan Jurgens and Norm
Rapmund!
Editorial:
I used to watch Isis on Saturday mornings. It was live action adventure
show that came on TV right after Shazam! Now Isis has found her
way into the pages of 52 and it looks like she'll be marrying Black
Adam. But she refers to first finding her brother at the end of
this issue. I looked it up and I think her brother is Osiris. I
can't tell if he's going to be a good guy or a bad one. I can't
wait to see.
Batman
#655
DC
Writer: Grant Morrison
Artist: Andy Kubert
Description:
After a harrowing battle with the Joker high atop Police Headquarters,
Batman decides to let Bruce Wayne step into the light. But just
who is watching billionaire Bruce Wayne? And what does their plan
have to do with Man-Bat?
Editorial:
Batman has rid all of Gotham of its super-criminal element. So Alfred
helps him brush up on his playboy skills. And all of this leads
us to Man-bat Ninjas. The story is funny so far. And certainly intriguing.
With great art from Andy Kubert, I'm totally hooked no matter how
slow Grant decides to take it. I just wish more was happening in
the first issue.
Annihilation
Ronan #4
Marvel
Writer: Simon Furman
Artist: Jorge Lucas
Editorial:
I'm just glad this is over. As I said last week, this series was
50/50. Silver Surfer and Nova were good. Ronan and Super Skrull
were bad. Very bad.
Daredevil
#87
Marvel
Writer: Ed Brubaker
Artist: Michael Lark
Description:
It’s the heightened senses-shattering conclusion of “The
Devil in Cell-Block D” and many questions are answered! Who
is the man behind the Daredevil mask running around Hell’s
Kitchen? How will Matt get out of the corner he’s been painted
into? And will he be jumping right out of the frying pan and into
a fire of his own making?
Editorial:
Daredevil's breakout with the Punisher was given short shrift. But
a lot of questions were answered. Like, yes, that's obviously Matt
Murdock in disguise with Captain America et al in Civil War 3. And
who the other Daredevil is. All in all a great wrap up to this story
arc. Plus, it ends with a jaw dropping revelation - Foggy Nelson
is alive and well in protective custody. And I guess what's up with
that is what the next arc is all about.
Week
of July 19
Conan
#30
Dark Horse
Writer: Mike Mignola
Artist: Cary Nord
Description:
Conan battles a gelatinous abomination older than history itself
in this continuation of Robert E. Howard’s “The Hall
of the Dead” adapted by Hellboy creator Mike Mignola and drawn
by Cary Nord.
Grasping,
groping tentacles meet cold, hard steel as Conan struggles to avoid
the churning gullet of an adversary unlike any he’s faced
before. In an abandoned city long lost to the hearts and memories
of man, where will the Cimmerian turn for refuge? The haunting dead
of this ancient place offer no solace, but they want nothing more
than for Conan to join their dank and lifeless company.
Editorial:
I'm fairly certain that Cary Nord's art has improved immensely since
the Conan series started. There are parts that remind me of Eric
powell's take on Conan. Which is a good thing. But the real story
isn't the art. It's the writing. No surprise that Mike Mignola's
take on Conan kicks ass. Maybe Hellboy has been a replacement for
Conan all along. Maybe.
52
Week #11
DC
Writer: Various
Artist: Joe Bennett
Description:
This issue sheds light on the mysterious woman protecting Gotham
City...wearing a very familiar uniform!
Editorial:
Batwoman digs on chicks. I'm sure that makes a lot of over stimulated
fanboys happy. But I'm not sure the charater's been introduced in
a way that helps us beleive in her willingness to risk life and
limb in a fight against crime. Surely we will be told her motivation.
Unless this is just a poor attempt to make Montoya's character more
interesting... And the art is still bad in this series.
Justice
League of America #0
DC
Writer: Brad Meltzer
Artist: Various
Description:
Superman. Batman. Wonder Woman. The core heroes of the DCU are back
— but after Infinite Crisis, where do they stand with each
other? Here's the definitive answer, brought to you with the brilliant
art of Ed Benes, George Perez, Jim Lee, J.H. Williams, Gene Ha,
Dick Giordano, Eric Wright, Tony Harris, Kevin Maguire, Dan Jurgens,
Howard Porter, Luke McDonnell, Rags Morales, Ethan Van Sciver, Phil
Jimenez and others. Join us for this historic and unforgettable
new beginning of the Justice League of America as we look at the
past, present and future of the World's Greatest Super Heroes!
Editorial:
O is for "oops." I thought this was going to be great.
I wasn't even too worried about the crowd of artists working on
this issue. Afterall, DC pulled it off just a month ago with the
Sam Loeb memorial issue. But not this time. Half of the artists
totally mailed in their work. I continue to be shocked out how DC
continues to put lousy artists on high profile projects when they
have so many great artists available. Don't waste your time with
this one. It does nothing to move the story forward. It's just designed
to take your money.
Rush
City #1
DC
Writer: Chuck Dixon
Artist: Timothy Green II
Description:
When someone is lost in Manhattan — and time is running out
— there’s only one person to call: Rush! Who is the
man behind the wheel? How do the scars of his past guide his future?
And what is his secret to rocketing through the world’s most
exciting city?
In
this action-packed first issue, Rush is called in to rescue a young
diabetic girl who must be found...before death finds her first!
Editorial:
Rush City kicks ass! It's the story about a guy named Diego Rush
who is an expert at finding lost people. This first issue has him
hunting down a diabetic little girl who was lost on the subway.
In one issue, Chuck Dixon takes us from a wild car chase through
the subway tunnels of NYC to an apathetic clerk to the apartment
of some creep and then wraps it up in a street brawl between Rush's
machine gun equipped Pontiac Solstice and the bad guys' generic
SUV )I won't be surprised to find out that Pontiac has paid to have
their logo appear in no less than eleven panels plus the cover).
It's a fantastic first issue that wraps up the action in a single
issue but teases us with a new threat to keep us coming back next
time. So much better than other first issues (like Flash #1, All-Star
Batman & Robin) that hardly make any strides in their first
three issues much less their first issue. Rush lives up to its title
in its first issue with non-stop action, a great introduction to
our main character, and his boss set of wheels.
Annihilation
Nova #4
Marvel
Writer: Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning
Artist: Kev Walker
Editorial:
I made a mistake. No. Really. I have been saying all along that
the only title in this Annihilation event worht reading is the Silver
Surfer series. My bad. Nova is also officially kick ass. I believe
I did say in my earliest review that my hesitation might have something
to do with my unfamiliarity with the character. And I guess that's
my only excuse. This series finished super strong with the final
confrontation between Nova and Annihilus.
Civil
War #3
Marvel
Writer: Mark Millar
Artist: Steve McNiven
Description:
The battle lines are drawn as the conflict between the Super Hero
Registration Initiative and the Underground Resistance fighters
explodes in a live fire fight as the future of the Marvel Universe
is decided! But before the dust settles, a familiar figure will
emerge from a strike of lightning to change the odds--and the sides!
Witness teams and families torn apart as the Civil War touches all
and the momentous events of last issue changes the world as our
heroes understand it!
Editorial:
Last issue we had Peter Parker expose his secret identity. This
issue features the return of Thor who apparently is working for
SHIELD. Clearly not behaving like Ultimate Thor at any rate. McNiven's
art is awesome. Check out how the finishes are totally pumped on
the panel featuring the explosive clash between Cap and Iron Man.
The story is good. The art is great. The surprises are sensational.
The
Eternals #2
Marvel
Writer: Neil Gaiman
Artist: John Romita Jr
Description:
There are no Eternals. There never have been. Then what do Mark
Curry’s dreams of strange gods and monsters mean? And what
does the mysterious man with the strange eyes want with him?
Editorial:
This series just keeps getting better and better. It's pretty amazing
watching these guys putting Icarus through thr ringer, trying everything
short of a nuclear weapon in an effort to kill him. He's pretty
resiliant. But his time may be up if the good doctor doesn't quickly
come to his senses. This story is full of intrigue, action, suspense,
and great character development. Romita Jr's art is the perfect
compliment to Kirby's original run. And Gaiman's story is one of
his best so far. I'm hooked.
Haunt
of Horror Edgar Allen#2
Marvel
Writer: Rich Margopoulos
Artist: Richard Corben
Editorial:
Richard Corben just doesn't do enough of this as far as I'm concerned.
Or I don't seem to be doing a very good job of keeping up with his
work. I first saw his stuff in Banner. Then it was The Punisher
The End. And also Hellblazer. I think his work is amazing. I just
can't get enough of it.
Week
of July 12
The
Escapists #1
Dark Horse
Writer: Brian K. Vaughan
Artist: Various
Description:
Discovering his late father’s decades-spanning vault of Escapist
memorabilia at the age of six, Max became a fan of the Master of
Elusion almost overnight. After exhausting the extensive stash of
Golden and Silver Age comics, he needed more — and started
writing his own Escapist stories. Now nineteen, he’s determined
to make the character a sensation once again, but where is he going
to find an artist — in Cleveland? Meet Maxwell Roth and Case
Weaver, latter-day versions of Joe Kavalier and Sam Clay, in part
one of The Escapists!
Editorial:
Everyone who has been reading these reviews (both of you) have read
how Howard Chaykin recommended to me Michael Chabon's The Amazing
Adventures of Kavalier and Clay which I have now been reading
for the last week and have nearly finished. Chabon's book wasn't
my first exposure to the Escapist. Earlier this year, I had picked
up The Escapist issue 6 because it had Will Eisner's last
story published in its pages. At that time, I had no idea that the
Escapist owed its origins to Kavalier and Clay. At any
rate, the book has been great and when I saw that The Escapists
would be written by Brian K. Vaughn with cover art by Jim Miller,
naturally I had to pick up an ish. The Escapists has started
off on the right foot. And in a refreshing turn, the story is not
so much about the Escapist as it is about the fictional comic book
creators responsible for bringing back the depression era hero to
the pages of comic books. With this approach, Vaughn cleverly ties
the story back to its roots with Kavalier and Clay instead
of simply hatching more yarns about the Escapist. Bravo.
52
Week #10
DC
Writer: Various
Artist: Chris Batista
Description:
Featuring the debut of Supernova, the new guardian of Metropolis!
Editorial:
Clark Kent pulls a Lois Lane and throws himself out a window in
order to be saved by Metropolis' new hero, Supernova. It's pretty
discomforting to watch. I remember reading a similar story in the
pages of Plop! comics back in the seventies. Anyway, Supernova saves
his hash and, as a result, Clark saves his job at the Planet. This
issue is basically a Superman story with a brief appearance from
Black Adam and an even briefer scene with Booster Gold. The story
is still good and the art is still bad.
Annihilation
Silver Surfer #4
Marvel
Writer: Keith Giffen
Artist: Renato Arlem
Editorial:
The Surfer is once again the herald of Galactus. And he appears
to be more formidable than ever. Meanwhile, Thanos appears to be
more aggressive than ever. I'm particularly intrigued by the revelation
that Thanos' little pixie friend has a secret past that goes back
to the beginning of time. Of all the Annihilation books, this one
has been the best.
Annihilation
Super Skrull #4
Marvel
Writer: Javier Grillo-Marxuach
Artist: Greg Titus
Editorial:
I'm just glad it's over. I will never bother to pick up anything
illustrated by Greg Titus again. I can't even tell if this was a
good story or not (although I'm pretty sure it was not) because
I'm so repulsed by the terrible artwork. What an awful way to eliminate
a classic character (created by Kirby and Lee, no less).
Ultimate
Fantastic Four #31
Marvel
Writer: Mark Millar
Artist: Greg Land
Description:
It’s the battle for the Baxter Building as the zombified F.F.
break free and wreak havoc! Meanwhile, an alien object Johnny brought
back from the N-Zone begins to grow...and will soon consume every
living thing on Earth. Only man on Earth who can stop it —
Doctor Doom!
Editorial:
Classic. Doom has switched bodies with Reed Richards without the
other members of the Fantastic Four's knowledge. Add to that the
clever escape of the FF zombies and the earth threatening virus
growing inside of Johnnie Storm, and Mark Millar is weaving an explosive
tale that I can only hope ends as smashingly as it has been set
up.
Week
of July 6
52
Week #9
DC
Writer: Various
Artist: Various
Description:
After the INFINITE CRISIS and before One Year Later, the DCU spent
a year without Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman. A year in which
those heroes were needed more than ever as the fate of the world
hung in the balance. Who stood up in their absence?
And
who sat out?
Editorial:
I sure hope Grant Morrison and Geoff Johns can keep it up. The art
on this series is already starting to fail. The last few issues
look like Kurt Shaffenberger sit-ins for Curt Swan's Superman. It
just makes the book look too cartoony. I fear that despite the bad
art this book continues to hold my interest for another 30 issues
just to fall compeltely to pieces before the very end. Can you imagine
what a huge steaming pile this series could turn into. Right now,
the writers are keeping it going. I'm sure the artists are being
told that speed comes before quality. But I think DC has access
to enough great artists where quality really shouldn't be an issue.
With any luck, the last few weeks have been helping the really good
art get produced for the upcoming issues.
Omac
#1
DC
Writer: Bruce Jones
Artist: Renato Guedes
Editorial:
Wizard hyped this as DC's Hulk. I'm not too sure about that. It
does have the Hulk's writer, Bruce Jones. And Mr. Jones has definitely
started this tale off on the right foot. Like with his Hulk stories,
Jones is weaving a tale of intrigue and dark secrets. It's a good
start. The art is terrific also. I also read the prelude to this
story in the Brave New World comic that came out last month. I'm
still having a hard time remembering what happened in that story
that is connected to this.
BPRD
Universal Machine #4
Dark Horse
Writer: Mike Mignola, John Arcudi
Artist:Guy Davis
Description:
While searching for an arcane text that could hold the secret to
bringing Roger back to life, Dr. Kate Corrigan is trapped in a mysterious
French village where a collector of occult objects has terrible
plans for one of the B.P.R.D.'s most valuable assets. Meanwhile,
back at B.P.R.D. headquarters, Johann Kraus reveals secrets from
his past life as a medium, and a bizarre turn taken during one of
his séances.
Editorial:
This issue has the usually creepy story and art with a bonus, Hellboy.
Granted, it is in a flashback story being told by Abe. But it is
Hellboy nonetheless. Written by Mike Mignola and drawn by Guy Davis.
Hellboy, what a stinker.
Ares
#5
Marvel
Writer: Mike Oeming
Artist: Travel Foreman
Editorial:
This great series comes to a close. It is awesome. I can't believe
how close I came to not picking this up. It turns out that this
series is a fabulous, heart warming story about a father's love
for his son. Who would've expected it from the God of War. And who
would have expected such a deep story with such real human emotion
from Mike Oeming. It's his best work to date.
Awesome.
Incredible
Hulk # 96
Marvel
Writer: Greg Pak
Artist: Carlo Pagulayan
Editorial:
Part two of this event has now begun. The art is great and the story
is just getting better. It's funny, because the Hulk takes a back
seat in this issue but he's not terribly missed. The character development
of the whole cast has been so effective that when Pak devotes a
whole issue to the weakest member of the cast, Miek, it's still
a great story. My hat's off to Greg Pak. Kudos.
So,
what do you think? Agree? Disagree? Give
us your feedback.
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