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October 14, 2004
Subway Reading
So today I finally dug into that fat stack of books that followed me home from the store yesterday. Is it just me or does it seem that all the good books are getting clumped together into the same weeks each month? Bears further observation...
(I will be grading the books using a traditional 5-star rating system.)
She-Hulk #8 - Slott, Bobillo, & Sosa do not disappoint this month. Southpaw has turned into a great foil for Shulkie (an awful nickname, one which not only sounds bad but contradicts its entire raison d'etre by being the same length as the original name). The timing of her sarcastic remarks is spot-on, and it keeps She-Hulk from having to be the comic relief as well as the protagonist. Also hilarious is the final page, where the toad-like Skards start to brawl overwhich one of them gets to be the new king: "Ah! But I have deepest thoughts... because I have biggest hat!" Bobillo & Sosa's art used to grate on me. I always enjoyed the breezy, shape-based cartoony style, but Juan seemed to have a problem with character consistency from panel to panel and page to page, not to mention some awkward proportion problems. But the art team really seems to be hitting its stride with this issue. The drawing problems seem to have vanished, and the storytelling and design contribute quite a bit to the fun of the book. Unfortunately for them, I understand they are soon to be replaced. All in all another great chapter in what is easily Marvel's best new book of the year. 4 stars.
Powers Vol. 2 #5 - I thought the relaunch of this series took a while to get off the ground. Even though there was a long delay between the end of the first series and the start of this one, I felt a little burned out on the continuing adventures of Deena & Walker. The continually shifting status quo was starting to dull the excitement of each spectacular change. But the pace picks up with this issue... until the end of the book, that is. The suspenseful hunt for Deena, some graphic brutality, and a bit of misdirection add up to another trademark engrossing ride from Bendis. Then at the end of the issue, what do we get but another giant earth-shaking development for one of the main characters. I'm not against the idea of a changing status quo. But there has to be a middle ground if the landmark events are going to have any weight behind them. 2.5 stars.
Gotham Central #24 - I bought and liked the first trade, then waited and waited for the second before cracking and getting back into the monthly swing of this series. Now I wish I had made that decision sooner. Greg Rucka is an incredible writer. Last issue featured a tense, gripping action sequence that was the definition of a page-turner. This issue is just as engrossing, but for completely different reasons. Here we get a nuanced look into the lives and personalities of the cops that were involved in that action and the effect that their line of work has on them. It's not as simple as that, however. Rucka is examining the nature vs. nurture, chicken and egg question about these people. Is it something in them that drives them to their brutal and dangerous work? Or is it the job that makes them jaded and violent? It's similar to the subtext of Rucka's other masterpiece, Oni's Queen and Country.
I should also mention the art. Michael Lark does a great job of communicating the grounded, non-superhuman nature of these characters while shrouding them in the gritty darkness that is the city of Gotham. 4.5 stars.
Hard Time - I'm not usually this much of a gusher, I swear! I can be harsh when it is deserved. I'm not here to kiss butts or drool. Really! That being said, Hard Time is an outstanding book. Brian Hurtt is maybe the most underappreciated talent in mainstream comic art. I don't know where to begin. His style. His storytelling. His design. His inking - check out the splash page on page 2 of this book. Look at the variation in textures on the ground, with the reeds and grass sticking up from the shallow water. Contrast that with Curly's heavy, silhouetted leg splashing down into the middle of it. The amazing thing is that he pulls all this off without any dry-brush or cross-hatching. He is strict about sticking with evenly-weighted lines and spotted blacks. This is one of the few books that, after I read it, I go back and flip through the pages, gazing at the art.
Speaking of reading the book, I'm amazed that it's so good. I mean that as a tribute to the talent of Steve Gerber. Put this many major story elements into the hands of a less capable writer and this book would be all over the place. Not only does he make it work, he manages to keep it going month to month by introducing new characters and stories (such as the tragic hero Turo) while doling out small helpings of various subplots (such as Ethan's reaction to the relationship between his mom and his lawyer). Like a composer in front of an orchestra, Gerber deftly directs an ensemble cast and a cornucopia of plot threads. The result is a seamless blend of audience-pleasing beauty. 4.5 stars.
Posted by jdonelson_nyc at October 14, 2004 10:18 PM