Comics from 12/09/2007 : part 1

And now, this week's books...

X-Men: Emperor Vulcan #1 (of 5) : Far better than I imagined. Brubaker's Uncanny arc was surprisingly light in characterization, so it is a pleasant surprise to see some personality kick in (especially Lorna). Not sure about the "Enemy Mine" plot, but we'll see. A Good start.

New Avengers #34 : Still milking the Skrull paranoia, but it more or less works. The explanation for the superbly bizarre cover is pretty much what I expected, but doesn't disappoint too much. On the other hand, we have a crossover with a Mighty Avengers plot that won't start for nearly three months, which is groan-inducing at the very list. Okay on the whole.

Nova #6 (AC) : A lot of fun, as the titular characters are put in a ridiculously hopeless situation. Some clichés (of course she had to die, she showed us a photo of her daughter !), but the momentum carries it all. I have no idea how this will not tie-in with the main mini in two months, but we'll see. A Very Good guilty pleasure.

X-Factor #23 : Oh, come on. The villain was behind all the events from the last two years ? Very annoying, and bringing down a bit an otherwise Very Good middle chapter.

Thor #3 : Guest-staring the Fascist Iron Man, and thus not fun at all. There are some interesting ideas, but confronting Thor to New Orleans is not one of them. Crap soapboxing.

Heroes for Hire #13 (WWH) : Ignore the infamous cover : this is just a barely Okay issue of a dying title without any direction (as characters helpfully start complaining about the plot).
And the Scorpion back-up is a bit too clever and cryptic for its own good.

JLA Wedding Special : Wow, a fun JLA comic. Who knew DC could still do these ? Nothing much to do with the actual wedding, this is mostly the first part of the Injustice League arc. Very Good.

Comics from 06/09/2007 : part 2

Yeah, I know this is already the next week, but life happens.

Daredevil: Battlin' Jack Murdock #4 (of 4) : An interesting ending, with Jack figuring out Matt is Daredevil, deciding he can care for himself, and deliberately "suiciding" himself by winning the fight. It doesn't really redeem the boring previous issues (do we really need yet another retelling of Daredevil's origin, even from his father's perspective ?) or the high price point, but the twist is Okay enough.

Captain America: the Chosen #1 (of 6) : Boring, though the ending twist might indicate that things will pick up next. Awful opening, though.

Iron Man: Enter the Mandarin #1 (of 6) : No interest, and already forgotten anything about it. Eh.

New Excalibur #23 : Wow, this series has really lost the plot. I don't care at all for the alternate evil X-Men, and the regular cast barely appears. And still one issue to go... Crap.

Fantastic Four & Power Pack #3 (of 4) : Fun, and a nice old-school twist. Good.

White Tiger #6 (of 6) : A bit anticlimactic, especially after the months of wait. Fun team-up, though. Okay.

All-New Atom #15 : And now, after a pointless Countdown tie-in, we resume the ongoing story. Problem : though there are nice gags, Simone tries too hard, and the result is not so funny nor fun. A low Okay.

Supergirl #21 : Resuming the ongoing story after Amazons Attacks... Oh, wait, it's a Countdown tie-in. And one of its most boring threads, too : Karate Kid. Shame for the good art and the decent script. Awful.

Infinity Inc. #1 : This could go either way. Milligan is in his element, what with the neurosed former heroes ; on the other hand, I don't see much plot or compelling characters yet. Okay for the moment.

Y the Last Man #58 : Very mawkish issue, and the closing cliffhanger is a bit melodramatic. I'm not sure how Vaughan can pull off a satisfying ending in the last two issues, but we'll see. Okay.

Comics from 06/09/2007 : Part 1

Now, let's get back into the rhythm...

Incredible Hulk #110 (WWH) : End of the Mastermind Excello WWH tie-in arc, on a relatively satisfyingly note. Pak walks on a fine line on the question whereas Cho has a big master plan from the beginning or is just making it all up on the fly, and he pulls it off. Not really a complete story by any standard, but a Very Good WWH tie-in which succeeds in setting up a new supporting cast for the Hulk (which does not bode well for those aliens).

Outsiders #50 : This is more like it. The five preceding one shot had the redeeming value of disposing of the worst plot-hammered elements of the new setup, helping this issue feel less contrived. I'm not sure I buy the "vaguely help criminals once, become outlaws immediatly" idea (it would have been nice to see references to the previous storyarcs, which did establish the Outsiders' poor PR), but it is merely a transition bug : the overall direction of the new series remains promising. There's a few continuity glitches (why would Batman think that Catwoman would not recognize Matches Malone ? It was a plot point in War Games that she knew about him and clued Spoiler in to her mistake...), but I remain cautiously optimistic. A high Okay.

She Hulk #21 : And thus ends Slott's run on the title. It's a fun little issue : the solution to "continuity glitches" works well as a joke, and offers lots of good characterization. Slott can be a bit mean-spirited at times, but it stays bearable here. And there's enough closure for most of the cast here for me to give a Very Good.

Ms. Marvel #19 : After a very promising first arc issue, this one slows down a lot, resulting in a slightly less enjoyable issue. Very predictable, too. The Puppet Master is less creepy, and even Machine Man felt a bit subdued. Still fun, but down to Good after the riot of last issue.

Uncanny X-Men #490 : After the superlatively good plot twist of last issue, this one is back to more of the same : not really bad, but not very interesting either. This does not feel like a team book at all, just random cast members thrown together. Rise and Fall of the Shi'Ar Empire had a bit of this problem, but the removal of half the cast cinched it. I hope whatever recomposition of the teams after Messiah Complex will correct this problem (Adjectiveless fares better thanks to its momentum, but its cast IS down to three members...). Pending some serious changes, Eh.

Black Canary Wedding Planer : A cute filler story, but not charming enough to go beyond Okay. This marriage still isn't very compelling, which is not good news after three full months of buildup...

Amazing Spider-Man #544 (OMD) : Finally, after six months of time-filling, the May plot looks like it will finally be resolved. Well, there isn't any progress yet in this very Eh opening issue, and the art rubs me in the wrong way. Still, silver lining : in three issues, this will at last be resolved.

New Warriors #4 : The plot progresses incrementally, and a few more members are identified (most already guessed). Not the one who (supposedly) dies, though, which is a bit of a shame. Still, there are nice moments, and I like the direction a lot (though the Night Thrasher mistery is getting a bit annoying). Good.

Comics from 29/08/2007

Amazons Attack #6 (of 6) : Wow. And Pfeifer is such a good writer usually. Well, this is an abject mess, with lots of characters acting like idiots, and an utterly silly anticlimactic ending. The Deus Ex Machina doesn't work at all, while the "disparition" of the Amazons is stupid beyond words. And the final "revelation" (that this was just a prelude to Countdown plots) is a nice kick in the groin for those who expected a real ending. Crap.

Batman Annual #26 : Milligan strikes again : faced with the remit of "the Origin of Ra's Al Ghul", only he could write a story where the given origin is obviously fake, Ra's doesn't appear, and Batman is in a subplot completely missing what really happens in the plot. Good, because I enjoy Milligan's sense of humor.

World War Hulk: X-Men #3 (of 3) : Credits to Gage for his showmanship, but the stupidity of the plot still makes this Awful.

Outsiders: Five of a Kind: Grace/Wonder Woman : This is somehow a Countdown tie-in. I fail to to see how : it does reference the "Amazons disappearance" plot (mainly by dismantling a good chunk of it the very week it is established !), but Countdown itself has not referenced it at all yet. Whatever. Some good points and a few potshots at WW's current characterization raise the grade to Okay, but just barely : the overall plot and random team-ups still feel forced.

Comics from August 2007 : catching up

Um. Holidays + lots of work have put a damper on the time I could spend on this blog. However, this is a VERY slow week (fitfth weeks in a month often are), so I'll do a bit of catching up. I have no intention of reviewing the whole hundred or so comics I've missed, but some highlights will do.

First, special congratulations to the Marvel Adventures books this month. Avengers #15 was as Good as ever, Iron Man #3 shows how fun this character can be and shares the same rating. Even Fantastic Four #27 was part of a Good patch thanks to Van Lante. But what surprised me most was Hulk #2 : I still have my doubts on the general direction of the title, but that hilarious Madrox guest appearance made this issue Very Good.

Meanwhile, among the X-Books...
- Astonishing X-Men #22 was too little, too late, and thus Eh. I can't be the only one counting the months until Whedon finishes this arc and we can finally move on to more momentous stories ?
- X-Men #202 was quite Good, though Ramos' art borders on the very irritating. I like Carey trying to integrate disparate elements of the 90s and 00s to a coherent whole, and the X-Men actually figuring the plot out. Some logic jumps were a bit much, but on the whole it works.
- X-Factor #22 ? As Very Good as ever.
- On the other hand, New Excalibur #22 seems to have lost the plot. Awful. And New X-Men #41 concludes a crap arc with a Crap ending. Am I really meant to care for Pixie or fake Illyana ?
- Wolverine #56 is a lowish Good story whose main merit is to be much more competent and fun than any other Wolverine story published this year. Faint praise indeed. Meanwhile, for some reason Wolverine Origins #16 also reprints the old Claremont/Lee story it cannibalizes, and this is not a comparison that does it any favor. Crap.

Marvel team books... The Order #2 was quite Good, and the media/celebrity angle was quite good. Omega Flight #5 (of 5) concludes with a whimper (Eh) : what was the point again ?

Marvel solo books... Immortal Iron Fist #8 starts its new arc with a bang (Very Good). Amazing Spider-Man #543 plays for time (Eh), but at least it is less aggravating than the former arc or the Awfully preachy Sensational Spider-Man #40.

Meanwhile, over in the DC Universe...
- Batman #667-668 is quite an improvement thanks to the superb art, but I can't go above OK : Morrison's obsession with Batman duplicates leaves me entirely cold.
- The utterly bizarre Outsiders: Five of a Kind (#1-4 of 5) mini is overall Awful : the random pairings and unsuspenseful outcomes don't work at all, and the Countdown tie-ins destroy whatever focus the plot had. I want to like this relaunch, but the signs are not good.
- Meanwhile, Bedart does his best to keep the spirit of Birds of Prey #109, but the random Death of the New Gods Countdown tie-in brings it down to a low Good.
- Again Bedart : the Black Canary (#3 & 4 of 4) concludes on a Eh note, with a awfully predictable twist which leads to a nonsensical ending.
- And Bedart yet again (how many books is he writing ? Ok, most are fill-ins, but it sure mounts up...) : Supergirl #20 finally features good art and an decent take on its title character, but is brought down to Awful by the Amazons Attack tie-in, in which she behaves like a complete idiot. Sigh.
- The less said about Countdown and Amazons Attack #5, the better. Crap.

And that's it for the high points. Next, some thoughts on this week's books.

Comics from 01/08/2007 : part 1

World War Hulk #3 (of 5) : Very strange scheduling : barely a fortnight after last issue, and it will be nearly two months before next issue. Also, it seems to be double-sized for some reason. Anyway, Gen. Ross takes his shot, and nearly succeeds thanks to Dr Strange's interference. We also learn what the Hulk is up to with all the captured heroes, and it is wonderfully insane. On the other hand, it hammers a bit too much that the Hulk really is a monster, and three straight issues of fighting is getting very repetitive. Let's say OK, but I really hope for a change of pace next issue.

Uncanny X-Men #489 : Let's be frank : this title has not really worked for me thus far. There is no sense of these X-Men being a team, as opposed to random protagonists selected because they are relevant to this storyline (especially with guest star Storm). I mean, the "team" is down to Xavier, Nightcrawler, Warpath and Hepzibah, and they split apart ? Also, three issues in I still have no sense of what Masque is up to and how Magneto fits into all this, which makes me dread that this is just a prologue for the winter crossover. On the other hand, there is an awesome cliffhanger that redeems a bit character whose characterization had sounded false up to now, so I'll mark it up to Good.

She-Hulk #20 : The "these are all the plots I was planning to go into, but I'm jumping ship to write Spider-Man" issue. And, taken in this regard, it works : it is a shame these will not go beyond outlines, but the issue is fun and self-conscious enough to make me smile. A low Very Good.

New Warriors #3 : Finally picking up, as it centers on Jubilee and the Night Thrasher mystery. Very good points are made, and the Registration's effects are interestingly explored. Sure, it is very melodramatic and very high on past continuity, but it works. A high Good.

Coundown #39 : Still not working. Most subplots are barely advanced, with the exception of the Rogues thread. I could do without Trickster's homophobia, though. But hey, the Question and Batwoman guest star, which slightly raises my interest (Rucka's statements that he was not consulted does not fill me with confidence, though). Meanwhile, the Monitor backup does not even bother with tedious recaps of past storylines and just tediously recaps its own "plot". It is still "To Be Continued", which makes my heart (and this comic's grade) sink. Crap.

Comics from 25/07/2007 : part 3

And now, the remainder from last week, just in time before New Comics Day :

Onslaught Reborn #4 (of 5) : Okay, I give up. Overlong delays + incoherent plot + consistently awful art = Crap. I don't even have any idea what the heck is meant to be happening beyond boringly generic mind control non-stories.

Sensational Spider-Man #39 : This Eddie Brock two-parter was OK : nothing actively bad, a nice insight into Eddie's situation nowadays, what with his inconsistent characterization in recent years. However, the stupidly static "Will May die ?" subplot is as annoying as ever, bringing down this issue's note by several marks.

Spider-Man Fairy Tales #3 (of 4) : Oh, the "angry Spider-Man" plot even managed to contaminate this ! Eh, but nice art.

Supergirl and the Legion of Superheroes #32 : Oh, a 6-part run divided into single- or two-issue miniarcs ! How quaint ! And it works : 6 straight issues of searching for Cosmic Boy would have been insanely boring, but a small two-parter exploring the Rands' home planet hijinks is a nice change of pace. Good.

Teen Titans #49 (AA) : This is even worse than last issue. Every single character acts like an idiot at some point, and the "happy" ending only underscores how insanely stupid the concentration camp plot was in the first place. And what little decent characterization shown in the main book is consistently ignored here. Crap.

Wonder Woman #11 (AA) : Last issue promised a potentially conclusive fight between Diana and Hippolita ; but there are two more months to go, so we actually have Superman telling Diana that it's too early to resolve the plot. Then, more insanity, and Circe comes back yet again from the dead. At this stage, the plot is becoming more and more insulting, and it's baffling to see ordinarily decent writers putting this Crap out.

Ultimate Fantastic Four #44 : Wow, the Psycho-Man as an impressive threat ? Quite a feat. This may event start overcoming my strange apathy to this title ever since Carey and Ferry took over. For now, just OK.

Wetworks #11 : The "Ab-Death is Awesome" Issue. And indeed he is. Pretentious narration excluded, this is barely a step below Carey's run, and I'll stick around for now. OK.

X-Men #201 : On the one hand, it's fun, action-packed, and very energetic. On the other hand, Ramos's art sometimes borders on the unintelligible. But overall, Good.

Comics from 25/07/2007 : part 2

Catching up...

All-Star Batman and Robin The Boy Wonder #6 : Is there even a plot to this ? There's far too much guest stars (Batgirl and Black Canary), which destroys any momentum this might have still got. And the "goddamn Batman" joke is wearing very thin. Crap.

Batman #666 : Well, this is certainly a change of pace. Problem is : I still don't care about Damian, and I'm baffled by Morrison's regular use of Batman impersonators, which is more confusing than interesting (especially with Kubert's muddy artwork). Awful.

Black Panther #29 : Guest-starring the Marvel Zombies (and the Fantastic Four, of course). And it's, well, OK. It's not as fun or inspired as its "parent" title, but not bad either.

Blue Beetle #17 : That Bruce Wayne cameo was very contrived, in the sense that hotel receptionist was far too much of a jerk for it to really work. Very low on the supporting cast too, which is a same. Hopefully this title will be back on form next issue. Eh.

Deathblow #6 : I still have no idea what the plot is supposed to be, and the storytelling borders on the incoherent. However, it's insane enough to warrant a Good rating from me.

Fantastic Five #2 (of 5) : Doom defeats everyone but the Thing, and it's very traditional indeed. Exactly what it says on the tin : OK.

Fallen Angel #18 : Part 2 of the story guest-staring Shi, who is heavily snarked upon by Lee. Very fillerish, but OK on the humor's strength.

Heroes for Hire #12 : Everything goes to hell, which will lead to the infamously-covered next issue. I don't care much for the final betrayal, though : it's been as arbitrary as everything else that happened to this character recently. Meanwhile, the Scorpion backup does whatever it can with its low page count : an adequate fight scene without much plot. Eh.

Immortal Iron Fist #7 : Filler issue covering the history of the last female Iron Fist. Very Good, though this title is in danger of losing its momentum.

Invincible #44 : The Eve/Mark reunion scene, and it is very awkward indeed. Not much impressed by the Viltrumites' new move, though. OK.

Marvel Adventures Iron Man #3 : Wow, a fun and interesting Plantman story. Who would have known ? Tony is still a jerk, but he's a fun jerk, and his streamlined supporting cast (goofball Jim Rhodes and hardcore Pepper Potts) works wonderfully. Very Good.

Comics from 25/07/2007 : part 1

And now, this week's comics.

Incredible Hulk #108 (WWH) : A very obvious fill-in story : nothing happens at all, and it is just a comparative recap of Rick Jones and Miek's history with the Hulk. Shame, because I wanted to know where the Amadeus Cho plot was going. This is just time-filling, and very Eh.

Iron Man #20 (WWH) : Now that Tony has been captured, it's up to Dugan to run SHIELD in absentia, and face tough decisions about what to do about WWH. There's a decent amount of plot progression, and Tony's ultimate backup plan is suitably hardcore. I'll go with a low Good.

Annihilation Conquest: Starlord #1 (of 4) : Giffen writes, so of course this quickly becomes an intensive snarkfest. However, he is genuinely funny, and the art shows a suitably deadpan Starlord faced with the increasing absurdity of the plot. This amused me, so Good.

Countdown #40 : I can't even remember if anything significant happened apart for from tiny advancements in each of the subplots. The atrocious Monitor backup is still ongoing, so let's go with Crap.

Wolverine #55 : A disaster. Sabretooth dies in a most undignified fashion, Wild Child does nothing but spout exposition, and I'm apparently supposed to care about this "Romulus" having masterminded Wolverine's whole life up to now. Thankfully this was only 6 issues, but this plot is supposed to continue into 45 further issues of Wolverine:Origins. Crap.

Cable & Deadpool #43 : Well, mostly Deadpool, since the other guy is pushing daisies for the moment. I happen to like Nicieza's Deadpool jokes, so this works for me. Weasel working for Hydra is a joy to read, in a very lowbrow way. Wolverine guests stars and looks like he's completely insane, but then I would too if I was subjected to the writing of his solo titles. Good.

X-Men: First Class #2 : A two-part story, which allows Parker to make the founder X-Men blunder around a death-trap island for a whole issue while not having a clue as to what the heck is happening. Nice, but I hope there's a good explanation next issue. Good.

Mighty Avengers #4 : Still fighting Ultron ? Wake me up when something happens. Eh.

Green Arrow: Year One #2 (of 6 ?) : Is this a 4- or 6-issue mini ? Covers say 4, but 6 have been solicited. Whatever : this is a Very Good retelling of GA's origin, with superb Jock art and a decent enough script.

Amazing Spider-Man #542 : Peter beats off the Kingpin for a whole issue. Color me duly unimpressed : 5 issues, 7 months of build up for just this ? "Behave, or else !" ? This illustrates why the "Angry Spider-Man" angle is such a dead end : Spider-Man cannot cross the line without losing his soul, and any other end comes as an anticlimax. That the "Aunt May may be dead !" plot is still stagnating after half a year makes the whole thing Awful. The relaunch cannot happen early enough.

Comics from 18/07/2007 : part 5

Yeah, so much about daily. A few leftovers from last week :

The Spirit #8 : Cooke's art is as good as ever, but it's his writing that really shines here : a compelling done-in-one story continuing the arcs set-up in earlier issues. It's fun, it's smart, and returning guest star Silk Satin is still awesome. Excellent, and probably the best comic out last week.

Marvel Adventures Fantastic Four #26 : A cover version of the Galactus story, and quite a Good one at that. However, Van Lante's top notch script is a bit marred by the not-ready-for-prime-time art.

Giant-Size Marvel Adventures The Avengers #1 : Actually a normal-sized story with two reprints as back-ups. The main story is an old-fashioned time-traveling Kang story, but guest stars Agents of Atlas are tragically underused, and Kirk's art is uncharacteristically rushed and minimalistic. Meanwhile, the reprints of Namora and Venus's first appearances are of historic interest only. An Okay package, on the whole.


There was also that Black Knight oneshot, but I haven't even bothered reading it yet. Maybe this week.