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October 25, 2005
Subway Reading: Ultimate Fantastic Four
First things first, this week I reviewed She-Hulk 2 #1 on Buzzscope. As underwhelmed as I was with that book, it's Citizen Kane, The Watchmen, and The Grapes of Wrath rolled into one compared with this putrid stain:
Ultimate Fantastic Four #24 - Sue & Johnny Storm's mother, previously thought to be dead, has returned. Surprise, surprise, she looks like a porn star. She's the "sexy librarian" type, see, with the thick-rimmed glasses and the pulled-back hair. In Greg Land er, land, this qualifies as the visual clue to her job as a research scientist. Instead of instantly making out with her equally stripper-esque "daughter," and I use the term loosely since the way they're drawn indicates that they're the exact same age, she sends the Fantastic Four under the sea to find the lost city of Atlantis. Which apparently looks exactly like ancient Egypt, complete with a Sphinx and pyramids. Apparently the idea of inventing anything is a waste of Greg Land's time; after all, there's a LOT of porn out there that he has to dig through to find tracing material - I mean, reference.
Meanwhile, Mark Millar handles the complicated emotions of a family reunited after 15 years of lying about the mother's death with all the nuance and grace of an errant sledgehammer. Sue's mad! She busted everybody's coffee cups! She has the pouty stripper face! But the mom needs her to go to the bottom of the ocean? Well, OK, maybe she'll stop being mad long enough to do that, but then she's going to be really mad again!
Another lowlight is the panel of young Sue Storm after she finds out her mother died. I guess that's not really a scene for which you can find reliable photo reference; as a result, the snapshot from which that one was cribbed might have been of a grumpy baby who is late for her nap.
Is this the worst comic book I've ever read? To be fair, no, it's not. For all his "drawing" transgressions, Greg Land has a good eye for storytelling and page design. The blatantly traced source material in his splash pages is always nicely arranged, with effective manipulation of scale. I've mentioned the superb inking and coloring on this title before, and this issue is no exception. The subtle textures and finishes are a nice fit for Land's photo-swipe style. However, these bright spots don't even begin to make up for the execrable mess that is the rest of this book. The only question that remains is why I am still exchanging hard-earned American money for this train wreck. Trust me, that's a problem that will be corrected from here on out.
Posted by jdonelson_nyc at 11:41 AM | Comments (2)
October 20, 2005
Subway Reading: Fin Fang Four
Fin Fang Four - The third entry in Marvel's month-long Monsters Group line, Fin Fang Four gets my highest compliment: it forced me to laugh out loud on the subway this morning. No small feat, considering that a mysterious "earlier incident" doubled the length of my ride. But instead of sitting there stewing while the train idled in the stations for what seemed like forever, I was biting my lip in a futile effort to contain my chuckles and snorts.
Roger Langridge, creator of the comedic masterpiece Fred The Clown, collaborated with Scott Gray on this book. Their roles aren't clearly defined, though Langridge clearly did the art. I suspect he was also responsible for at least some of the scripting, especially the particularly Fred the Clown-like silent sequence where Elektro is wooing the robot secretary. Langridge's comedy relies on beat-perfect reaction shots and expressive character acting; check out Sue Storm's body language after Reed (more specifically, Reed's head) abandons her at the restaurant table or Fin Fang Foom's constantly smoldering slow burn.
When my interminable subway ride finally ended, I exited the station, still smiling from this charming book. I was met by a scene that seemed like it could have sprung from one of Langridge's comics: a dainty old woman was marching down 8th Avenue - in the street, not on the sidewalk - angrily lifting her arm and giving the finger to every passing car.
Posted by jdonelson_nyc at 12:50 PM
I KNEW IT!! CAPTAIN AMERICA IS REAL!!
Frozen Body May Be WWII Airman
Posted by jdonelson_nyc at 11:21 AM | Comments (1)
October 18, 2005
To Buy or Not To Buy
Firstly, please make with the clickety-click and check out my review of Marvel Monsters Group: Where Monsters Dwell on the Buzzscope site.
Secondly, do you know what I do? I buy way too many comic books. Look at this week's spread. There are starving children in Africa who would give their left arm to eat one of these books, and here I am blowing through them like they grow on trees. I disgust myself.
Astro City The Dark Age #4 - The fact that this is a big, fat 12-issue series makes me six different kinds of happy. Busiek wins. Always and forever.
Seven Soldiers Klarion The Witch Boy #4 - I'm going to make a wild prediction here: Jog is going to write such an incredible review of this book that I'll have no choice but to bow down before him and link to it.
Tomorrow Stories Book 2 TP - Can somebody explain to me why this is the only place that I can find comics drawn by Kevin Nowlan? Don't get me wrong, I love the Jack B. Quick stories that he does, but I would be the first in line for a regular monthly dose of his expressive line work.
Top Ten Beyond The Farthest Precinct #3 - It's not Alan Moore and Gene Ha, but I'm digging this series nonetheless.
Transformers #0 - Attention Transformers fans: IDW's attempt at the licensed property that won't die kicks off this week with 4 variant covers and a 99-cent price tag. Transformers fans with buckets of disposable income should take note that there are two additional "dealer's incentive" covers to find. Midtown Comics is asking $100 and $200 for them, which translates of course to $300 and $600 for those who need the requisite three copies.
Amazing Joy Buzzards Vol 2 #1 - It's not because I'm still ticked about that whole "save the conclusion of the story for the trade" move that they pulled with the first series. I'm passing on this because I found the first one to be a little too cute, a little too dark (as in too much ink, not as in "tiny footprints on the brain"), and trying a little too hard to be offbeat. And OK, maybe I am still a little ticked that I bought all the monthly issues, boosting their sales enough to make a trade feasible, and was then asked to buy the trade in order to see the end of the story. That sh!t was weak.
Daredevil vs Punisher #5 - The inclusion of the diner-owning family has made this into a bit of a Punisher/Daredevil/Stray Bullets crossover, which is most certainly not a bad thing. Less bleeding from the eyes is also a good, and the reigned-in coloring has gone a long way towards making that happen.
Marvel Monsters Fin Fang Four - Roger Langridge of Fred the Clown fame wrote this week's installment of Marvel's October monsters celebration. I'm actually looking forward more to the back-up Jack Kirby reprint: the first appearance of Fin Fang Foom!
Nick Furys Howling Commandos #1 - The inescapable preview that has been running in every Marvel book has completely killed any interest I may have had in this title. Is it too much to ask for decipherable art? Shouldn't that be the first rule of comic art: clearly show exactly what's going on? Apparently the first rules here were to make everything the same color and point the word balloons in random directions.
Runaways Vol 2 #9 - Is it just me or does it seem like this book is now coming out twice a week?
She-Hulk 2 #1 - Dan Slott's She-Hulk was the best book Marvel published last year. Seeing it return gives me a glimmer of hope that the world is not such a bleak, inhospitable wasteland after all.
Ultimate Fantastic Four #24 - Is Greg Land still tracing - I mean drawing - this book? The impressive coloring job helps the medicine go down, but man, that art does nothing for me.
Conan #21 - Did I mention that Busiek wins?
Frank Millers Sin City Spanish Ed Vol 4 Cobarde Bastardo - That Yellow Bastard TP - I don't particularly care for Sin City. I don't even speak Spanish. But I need to find a way to work "Cobarde Bastardo" into my daily vocabulary.
Garth Ennis 303 #6 - Ennis is being a touch too heavy-handed with the politics in the middle chapter of this 9-book trilogy. But the action has been crisp and tense, and Jacen Burrows is doing a great job with an art style that just shouldn't work. Plus, it's an Avatar book, so there are always at least 4 variant covers. I admire their audacity.
Shaolin Cowboy #4 - I'm not skipping this series. Honestly. I'm, uh, waiting for the trade! Yeah, that's it. I knew all along how well-received it would be. Definitely.
Complete Peanuts Vol 4 - They're only at #4 and I've already fallen way behind. I haven't even read #2 yet, much less bought #3. I hope Fantagraphics makes it to the end but I don't know how many people are going to stick with them until #20 or whatever.
Banana Sundays #3 - Colleen Coover can draw cartoons like nobody's business, but this series is starting to teeter towards the Amazing Joy Buzzards side of the too-cute line. What can I say, sometimes I'm the Cynical-tarian.
Black Hole Collected HC - I've been hoarding my pennies for this collection for a loooooong time. I happened to read one issue a few years ago, and liked it so much that I decided to wait for the collection. Little did I know how long that would take. If you aren't familiar with Charles Burns' horror masterpiece, here is a brief rundown from Pantheon Books' web site. Not to be missed.
Posted by jdonelson_nyc at 01:58 PM | Comments (4)
October 17, 2005
Pour Out a Little Liquor for Rampage!!!
The comics blogosphere is significantly emptier today, thanks to the passing of Fanboy Rampage. Like the best blogs, Graeme's site was both witty and informative. He took it two steps further, though. First, he took on the thankless yet uniquely entertaining task of monitoring the big comic message boards for the most egregious examples of fanboy mania. Secondly, the comment threads were easily the most entertaining I have ever come across. There were frequent visits by pros such as Brian Wood, Gail Simone, Warren Ellis, Kurt Busiek - who always won - and many more. When a message board learned that it had unwittingly been "rampaged," its most vociferous members often showed up in the comments section, initiating crossover battles more legendary and entertaining than anything you would find in Marvel Team-Up. The snarky commentary from regular commenters was usually laugh-out-loud-at-work hilarious, sometimes degenerating into the same absurdly breathless rampages that the site itself was created to mock. The general self-hating aspect of the site - fanboys mocking other fanboys - is usually cited by the site's foes as its principal flaw. I think this tension was the magical spark that brought this often beautiful, sometimes frightening monster to life. It's crucial to have a sense of humor about this ridiculous obsession that we all share. Fanboy Rampage embodied the attitude that allows me to look at myself in the mirror after a long day of considering whether it was wrong or right of Bendis to kill Hawkeye. Thanks for the hours and hours of entertainment, Graeme. Your site will be sorely missed.
Posted by jdonelson_nyc at 11:25 AM
October 13, 2005
Subway Reading: Infinite Crisis
SPOILER ALERT!!!
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Infinite Crisis #1 - Was it good? Speaking as a superhero fan who didn't read any of the lead-in material: it wasn't bad, per se. Various superheroes that I've never heard of get killed, one at the hands of Bizarro (remember when he was comic relief?); Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman stand around and share their feelings; and there's a big last-page reveal of Golden Age Superman flying in to save the day, which seems to serve as commentary on the generally ineffectual nature of the "real" heroes. Events from the various lead-in series appeared, though there wasn't any more connection made between them than the fact that they're all happening simultaneously and they're all unpleasant. Did I mention that Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman stand around and talk about their feelings? They have the kind of "heavy" discussions that I kind of remember having with my 7th-grade girlfriend: "I don't even know who you are anymore." Oy vey.
Phil Jimenez and Andy Lanning do a nice job on the artwork. The level of unnecessary detail that you've come to expect from Jimenez is here in full force. Take a look at the two-page spread of the team of super-villains (I don't know what they're called collectively; it's the gang that features Bizarro, Sinestro, etc) to see how effectively this kind of detail can render an otherwise dynamic scene inert and lifeless. But that's a style that always seems to tickle the fancy of the tights & capes crowd, so there it is. The complex panel arrangements were expertly laid out, clearly presenting an unusually heavy load of story information. One thing you can't accuse this book of is decompression. The amount of activity and the crowded pages do a nice job of establishing the urgent pace that the story calls for.
All in all, this book delivers exactly what it sets out to. There was a legitimate feeling of, dare I say, CRISIS, albeit a crisis that the big 3 heroes might have alleviated by taking some kind of action. Once you get over the plot-hammering, the fanboy wankery, and the pervasive misery, there is a kernel of an engaging superhero epic to be found in this book.
In case you missed it, check out Rich Kreiner's "5,137 Pages of Brian Michael Bendis." It's an exhaustive critical analysis of Bendis' writing from the latest issue of The Comics Journal.
"His is a mannered verbal mimicry of a narrowed, imaginary social American stratum, that of pop-culture street level."
(brought to my attention by BeaucoupKevin)
Posted by jdonelson_nyc at 02:14 PM | Comments (2)
October 12, 2005
Happy Picky-versary To Me!
Random thoughts for today, my one-year (and one day, oopsie) blogoversary...
I saw a woman reading Perspolis 2 this morning on the subway. I briefly considered asking her if she had read the first volume, and if so, whether she agreed with my assessment of the sequel as being significantly inferior. But my mama taught me not to talk to strangers. And I'm sure this woman's mama taught her that comic book nerd strangers who approach her on the subway must be immediately sprayed with Mace. So I kept my distance.
From an article in today's New York Times about Infinte Crisis and the general "grim fin-headed arserape" direction of DC Comics:
"I think people feel it's dark because it's so compelling," Mr. DiDio said. "They don't know how our heroes are going to get out of the danger."Mr. Rucka agreed: "When they're saying 'it's too dark,' they're saying, 'I'm scared.' "
He added, "It's not a crisis if they know they're going to win."
That's right, gents, I don't like it because it scares me. I have also been losing a ton of sleep lately wondering if Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman are really going to win this time. It's such a crisis! The disconnect from reality among these gents is almost George W. Bush-like. These are reasonable and intelligent men, though, and I suspect that they know full well that ham-handedly slapping some over-the-top melodramatic rape and murder into a comic book does not make it "mature." What they do know is that it will sell like gangbusters, but they can't exactly say that in their publicity interviews. They're crying about my complaints all the way to the bank, I'm sure.
To be honest, I am considering picking up Infinite Crisis this week. At the very least, it would give me ammunition for some snark. Unfortunately, I haven't bought any of the lead-up crossovers or mini-series. I also haven't bought any of the 60 years of backstory that will surely be integral to the plot. But I sort of feel like it isn't fair of me to complain so much about something I haven't read. I'll be like those moral majority hypocrites who closely monitor every R-rated movie to keep close track of every single moment of prurience.
I've listed another stack of comics on eBay! I've got a couple 12-book lots of "indie" comics up there, and I will be shocked if they go for more than $2 or $3 per batch. Take a look and try out something new: issues of Daisy Kutter, True Story Swear to God, Teenagers From Mars, Temporary and more can be yours for mere pennies! For the less adventurous types, I've also got recent runs of books like The Ultimates 2, Fantastic Four, and The Losers. I've also got a group of Evan Dorkin books up there, including the ultra-valuable fourth printing of Milk & Cheese #1. How can your money possibly stay in your pocket?
Posted by jdonelson_nyc at 01:46 PM | Comments (1)
October 10, 2005
Subway Reading: Express Line
Hie thee unto Buzzscope.com to read my review of Fantastic Four/Iron Man: Big In Japan #1! I'll wait patiently until you return...
...and that's enough long-winded, well-reasoned, thoughtful analysis for one day. Let's dive into some quick takes on last week's books, shall we?
Devil Dinosaur #1 - This book was a brightly-colored, one-and-done delight, featuring solid laughs and the Hulk fighting dinosaurs. It also included the best Hulk dialogue I've ever seen, hands down. Marvel should give Eric Powell and Tom Sniegoski a truckload of money and sign them up for a monthly Hulk title immediately.
Grounded #3 - There is a lot to like about this title, not the least of which is the distinctive art. The setting of a high school for kids with super powers is a little tired, but the creators manage to squeeze a couple of clever ideas out of it. My complaint is that the story seems a little disjointed and non-focused; ever since we left the real-world setting of the first issue, I've had a hard time getting my bearings with regard to the characters' motivations and goals. I suspect that all may not be as it seems, however, so I will reserve judgment until the end of the miniseries. The sharp-looking visuals will tide me over until then.
Bart Simpson's Treehouse of Horror #11 - The idea was inspired: get a selection of classic horror comic creators to do Simpsons Comics' annual Halloween anthology. The result, unfortunately, was a bit of a disaster. The Dracula parody by Marv Wolfman and Gene Colan fell particularly flat. The sketchy, uninked art was confusing and muddy, and the real horror of the story came from the frighteningly ugly clash between Colan's naturalistic drawing style and the flat, stylized design of the Simpsons characters. The remarkable lack of humor in both this story and Len Wein and Bernie Wrightson's Swamp thing send-up did not help. The EC parody, with art by John Severin, Angelo Torres, Al Williamson, and Mark Schultz worked a little better; the art styles generally matched up a little better with the look of the property, and the punchier writing provided a couple of genuine laughs. All in all, the $4.99 cover price and the level of expectation turned this into the disappointment of the week.
Posted by jdonelson_nyc at 03:50 PM | Comments (4)
October 03, 2005
Is this the end for... The Pickytarian?!?!
It's happened. I've moved up to the big time. Well, maybe "big" isn't entirely accurate, but I have indeed moved. After months of hectoring and cajoling on the part of loyal Pickytarian Guy LeCharles Gonzalez - or, OK, maybe it was just two emails - I've joined the roster of writers for Buzzscope.com. Click on over there to see my reviews of Action Philosophers #3 and Peng.
What does this mean for the future of this site? I'm not sure. I only have so much reviewing in me each week, and Mr. Taskmaster Gonzalez demands more than my usual three sentences of picking out panels of badly-drawn backgrounds. On the other hand, it's fun to have a place where I can write whatever I want, whenever I want. There will almost definitely be less reviewing on this site. Will that be replaced by anything else? Time will tell...
Posted by jdonelson_nyc at 04:01 PM