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The Savage Critic: February 27th, 2002 By Brian HibbsWelcome back, my friends, to the show that never ends. Goddamn, that’s a big week of comics! Thanks to the wonders of Diamond’s billing system (huge restock last week, extended billing on Dark Knight, the magazine consignment program that doesn’t seem able to properly credit returns, publishers who can’t seem to schedule – THREE ABC books?! FOUR Essential volumes?!) this was the biggest invoice I’ve had in a single week in more than a decade. In February. That’s insane. So, if I’m testy, you now know the reason why. 100 BULLETS #33: I’m enjoying this arc. Not sure what it has to do with the main story, though. Good. ACTION COMICS #788: Sorta wraps up the Japan storyline, but the more interesting bit was wrapping up the Lois on vacation plot thread. Which seemed to me to be more of a we-don’t-know-what-to-do-with-her excuse than anything else, but at least the wrap up was decently done. OK AGENCY #6: This is such a poor and awkward fit with the rest of the Top Cow line, you have to wonder what they were really thinking. Violence-as-porn, but without any heart that might potentially redeem it. Awful. BART SIMPSON COMICS #7: Very so-so. I don’t really get this book – I assume it’s aimed at the "younger" Simpson’s audience, but since there really isn’t any way that they differentiate between the two, and since I’ve always believed that the BEST "kids" comics are the ones that speak to adults, too, this just comes off as Simpsons Lite. Eh. BATMAN #600: Whoa. I... don’t know what to think. I’m pretty fucking shocked that DC would actually publish this, with the DEEPLY status quo changing nature of it. I’m not even specifically talking about the plot of "I don’t need Bruce", but the specific and detailed confirmation that ol’ Batty is actually insane, stating "There NEVER WAS a ‘Bruce Wayne’ – that was just another mask I wore." It’s one thing when creators say they think that is so in interviews, or fans speculate that’s the case, or even when supporting cast members wonder and worry if that’s so... but for Bats to come right out and boldly state it, and then to go on and on and on, page after page, completely reinforcing it... I think this is the single largest change in the mythos in like forever, and I really wonder if Levitz or Carlin approved it. Very well told, hitting all the right notes, the only thing that mars this issue is the fairly lame "looks back at Batman history", especially given the nature of the lead. Like those Dick Sprang stories could have even happened anymore... A solid, but nervous Very good. BATMAN GOTHAM ADVENTURES #47: Another issue. Eh. BROTHERHOOD #9: "Hey, if we’re going to get cancelled, let’s be really cynical and tie ourselves into a GOOD comic" Fuckin’ Awful. CAGE #1: Not sure what to think – as a Luke Cage comic it pretty much fails, way even more so than the Fury from Max. As a "blaxploitation" comic, it sorta succeeds. It kinda feels like white guys trying to be "street", though. I’m still on the fence, overall. Eh. CAPTAIN AMERICA DEAD MAN RUNNING #2: Decent enough, though much grittier than anyone would expect a Cap comic to be. Lots of casual death, and pretty much a downer. Well told, though. OK CAPTAIN MARVEL #29: More Spidey-2099 crossover stuff. Wake me when Peter’s done indulging himself. Eh. CATWOMAN #4: Not sure what I was expecting, but this really wasn’t it. "Street-level" for three issues, then, boom! A Clayface knockoff. Nice art, but very uneven tone. OK CODENAME KNOCKOUT #10: Adequate, but I can’t imagine this book having life for too much longer, it’s totally uneven and sells pretty poorly. I can’t really see a TP coming to rescue it either.... Eh DAREDEVIL #30: Well done, but showing very little that we didn’t see in the first 2 (3?) parts. I’d call that padding, even if it’s quality padding. OK DEADPOOL FUNERAL FOR A FREAK #3: Don’t see the appeal, myself, but it is one of the few Marvel books that is actually growing it’s audience (no, really – check out the sales charts for the last nine months, and you’ll see that a lot of Marvel’s claims of growth are overstated to say the least). Eh DEFIANCE #1: Slightly nice art, but not much going on that’s interesting in the story. Eh DISTANT SOIL #34: I haven’t really looked at this in a few issues – it’s a little too, oh, "girly" fantasy for my tastes. But when did Colleen start drawing like... like... Nestor Redando? Yah, that’s it – her style has mutated into 70s Warren house-style. Which is not a prejorative, by any means. Just not what I expected. Way way too many text pieces and what not though, even if the cover price isn’t too high for the page count. OK FLASH #183: Not much other than showing off the new Trickster. Not as much fun as the Captain Cold issue (heh, never expected to ever type THAT sentence!) OK GREEN ARROW #12: Not like it is a surprise for Matt Wagner, but that’s a helluva nice cover, ain’t it? Some wonderfully fun why-did-we-ever-change-these-characters? stuff, marred a bit by creating a new hero just to die to introduce a new villain. That’s a bit sloppy, you ask me. Very good. HELLBLAZER #171: Still no John, and a "mystery" that isn’t very compelling. I get the feeling Azarello simply doesn’t like Constantine. Nice art, though. OK HELLSPAWN #11: This was supposed to ship in June of 2001. It is now February of 2002. That’s pretty bad. Also, no sign of Miracleman at all, which is how it was solicited. Makes you wonder why Todd’s even bothering. Eh. HOWARD THE DUCK #2: Not as biting as the first issue, I’m afraid to say. Way too many pages dedicated to shapeshifting, and way too few dedicated to satire. OK JIST WITH JOHN BYRNE CREATING ROBIN: Poor Stan Lee, reduced to an acronym, and an improperly abbreviated one, at that. Pretty generic origin for Robin, journeyman art from Bryne, and Reverend Darrk is nearly one of the worst antagonists ever. Awful JLA #63: A Grant Morrison level idea, with Don Heck level execution. Leave the "big ideas" to people with the affinity and passion for them, yah? Eh. LEGION #5: Solid, if uninspiring. Eh. MIDNIGHT NATION #10: Also solid, but I think I need to see how he’ll wrap this up before I can judge it properly. As a single read, not that exciting, but I’m liking the mini overall. OK NEW X-MEN #123: I’m loving it. Very good. NIGHTCRAWLER #4: Solid ending after a mediocre beginning. Probably the best of the "Icon" mini-series yet, that actually leaves Kurt in a slightly different place than he began. Good. ORDER #1: Not much here other than setup. Competently done, but how many times a week is the world "taken over" in the Marvel universe? Eh. PROMETHEA #19: No real surprise: Excellent. I’m actually ready for the walk-through the Tarot to be over, but there is remarkable wisdom and sensitivity in these pages. Like I said, Excellent SPIDER-MAN TANGLED WEB #11: Darwyn Cooke isn’t for everyone (Gary said it was the worst Marvel comic he’s ever read, and he’s a walking poster-child for Marvel Zombie) – but I liked it lots. I don’t for one minute buy the whole Peter-has-two-dates thing, though. Other than that, Good. SUPERBOY #97: Not a good comic at all – John McCrea is the wrong artist for certain. Awful TOM STRONG #16: A longer story, and lead-in to a multi-parter. That’s been missing for awhile in Tom Strong. Alan Moore’s mind must be the most fertile one in comics – how does he come up with all of this stuff and keep it straight? Excellent. TOMORROW STORIES #12: Two-story crossover between Cobweb and Greyshirt, and it works much better than I could have imagined it would. Excellent Jack B. Quick story, and I even liked the Fighting American bit for once. Very good. ULTIMATE MARVEL TEAM UP #13: I don’t much like this version of Strange. I do love Bendis’ Spidey, though ("I won? Really? I never win..."), so it all comes out in the wash. And Ted McKeever was just about the perfect choice for art. Good. ULTIMATE X-MEN #15: Not sure how much I buy the whole "We feed the homeless" thing, but this was quite a fine issue, showing heroism in the face of prejudice. Interesting to compare this to New X-Men, to see how close Millar and Morrison are in thinking, although Rich Johnston claims they haven’t talked in months.... Very good. ULTIMATES #2: Here is all of the potential that was hyped in Wizard and whatnot. "Post-Authority" superheroes, and it works on just about every level. However, structurally one really gets the sense you’re not MEANT to read this as a monthly comic – this is TP material in all ways. Very good. WOLVERINE #173: What’s the point of bringing in Alpha Flight if you’re just going to waste them? Yah yah, Shadowy-villain hunts my friends. Blech. Read that one a million times. Awful. WOLVERINE HULK #1: Hahahahaha. Gotta love Sam Kieth. This won’t sit well with the fanboys, will it? Still, not unlike Four Women, there’s not really enough in these 22 pages to judge whether or not the story works. OK WONDER WOMAN #178: Nice art. Competent story. OK
For Sake of Completeness, here’s a list of all of the OTHER comics that CE got in this week, that I did NOT read (and, therefore, am unlikely to review!). Note, that in most cases this is limited to 1) Manga, which I try to read as it is collected; 2) "Kids" comics like most of the Archies; 3) titles that were subs-only, either by design or accident; 4) Porno [oh, like you need me to REVIEW it!], 5) Things that looked SO bad on the racks that I didn’t bother, and 6) stuff that I’ve assessed before, and I care so little about that I don’t want to waste my time reading anymore. You decide which is which. ALULA #3 PUNISHMENT ISLE
And, for even MORE completeness sake, here’s a list of books, TPBs, GNs, magazines, and other things that CE got this week. I generally haven’t read any of this by the time I post these reviews. Though I generally attempt to give at least one recommendation amongst the TPBs each week, since I HAVE read the material at SOME point. ALISON DARE LITTLE MISS ADVENTURES TP This Week’s TPB recommendation is: Duh. The Essential Howard the Duck. The Man-thing stuff doesn’t date well, AT ALL, but otherwise, this is the wisest use of $15 that I can possibly imagine. |
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Average Rating for the Week: 39 books "reviewed" for an average rating of 4.03 (out of a possible 7.00). I’d have to check, but I think that’s the highest overall rated week since I’ve started doing Critic Mark II. Pick of the Week: Not the highest rated book, but the one that dropped my jaw the most: Batman #600. I wonder how they’ll get themselves out of this one? Pick of the Weak: Hardly anything I hated THAT much this week... so let’s give it to Agency #6 in the what-the-hell-were-you-thinking? sense.
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© 2001-2005 by Comix Experience (except the graphic, which was appropriated
from Tales of Suspense #21,
and is probably
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