Another week, another batch of books, only one of which is $3. Behold for some spoilers, rants, and a surprise!
Dread's Bought/Thought for 11/17/10:
ASTOUNDING WOLF-MAN #25: This is the “fashionably late” final issue to this supernatural hero series by Robert Kirkman (Image’s main man these days) and artist Jason Howard (with colors by FCO Plascenia). By “fashionably late”, that is about three months behind issue #24 (which was itself late). Robert Kirkman’s monthly titles have fallen off schedule since he began work for AMC’s “WALKING DEAD” TV series, but Wolf-Man likely had it the worst since it struggled to even handle a bi-monthly schedule for most of it’s run. The announcement that issue 25 would be the series finale has been known for most of the year, something that Kirkman and Howard have chalked up to “creative reasons”, rather than low sales. For the record, ASTOUNDING WOLF-MAN is probably the lowest selling of Kirkman’s recent Image titles, but it outsells quite a few others, such as Erik Larson’s SAVAGE DRAGON. Kirkman claimed an inability to top this current story line; however, at the end of this issue, it is revealed that he and Howard have another project in the works that they are more excited for, so they are ending Wolf-Man at a decent juncture to get to that. This final issue is $4.99, and for that one gets a 28 page finale by Kirkman and Howard, along with a six page back-up strip from Howard that has been running for the past few issues. Frankly, the cover price is at least one or two quarters too steep for that page count, and it borders on hypocrisy as Kirkman has criticized Marvel’s pricing policy, yet he is releasing more comics above the $2.99 price tag recently.
What does the faithful furry reader get for their final investment? A story that does offer a satisfying conclusion to the series, although it is not without flaw nor does it tie up every loose end. It actually comes close to ending on a double cliffhanger, which is almost baffling. The major villain of the series, Zechariah the vampire, is dispatched with immediately so that the true “mastermind”, the Elder Wolf, can establish himself with a lot of monologue and clawing. This either is an effective twist or a misstep, depending on one’s opinion. There are some page layouts that seem to attempt too much to eat up page space, such as three panels spread over a two page splash. On the positive, however, is that Gary Hampton becomes more of a master of his own destiny and ends the series taking the werewolves into a new and interesting direction. Howard’s artwork is, as always, great for the series, even with some over-indulgences.
This isn’t exactly the end for Wolf-Man; he will be appearing in GUARDING THE GLOBE #3, which should be on sale next month. And as the character did once have a crossover with INVINCIBLE, Kirkman’s main Image superhero title, a subsequent one isn’t impossible. This is, however, the end of Wolf-Man having his own ongoing series. If HAUNT has replaced it in Kirkman’s schedule, then Image is likely happy, as that vastly outsells this. If one reads between the lines of the final editorial column of the series, one might wonder if the fact that the creators of this series were seeking to end it so they go onto a project they were more interested in showed through in the script. While this isn’t a finale that should irritate anyone, it won’t win any “best of” lists for series finales, either. The story almost seemed in a rush to end, and establishing additional subplots for stories that will never happen is rather short-sighted.
In summary, ASTOUNDING WOLF-MAN was easily the best werewolf comic book that was released by an American comic book company in some times. In many ways it was WEREWOLF-BY-NIGHT DONE RIGHT, referencing Marvel’s werewolf franchise. It had many clever ideas and managed to straddle that line between superhero action and supernatural horror, in a manner not far removed from GHOST RIDER. It had some great battles, and many memorable sequences and characters. On the other hand, it was a bit inconsistent compared to some of Kirkman’s other titles. There were times when it seemed the writer changed his mind on a whim, or when the story was drug out a bit too long. This final story, “LEGACY”, was five chapters and perhaps could have been tighter at four. Still, for interesting werewolf comics, this was easily the best of the decade, even if it had little competition.
HAUNT #11: This is actually the first Robert Kirkman comic book that I've bought in a month that was still $2.99. I never want to hear one of his moral high horse lectures about prices in comics again. In this issue, Haunt and the rest of his allies have to try to defend themselves against an army of monstrous "super soldiers" who have been created with the notes from that egghead that Kurt Kilgore killed in his final mission. They're there to free Hurg, the crime boss who was apprehended last issue. Naturally, this is still a jam by Kirkman on script with Greg Capullo on pencils, and Todd McFarlane & Jon Glapion on inks.
It's a simple story; Haunt tries, and fails, to beat the soldiers, while Beth gets mortally wounded. The soldiers go out on the open market to both other mobsters as well as evil Islamic terrorists, and Haunt doesn't have long to shut things down before the entire face of war changes. I would like to point out this is the first American comic book I have seen in years that actually had some Islamic terrorists (or at least mullahs who presumably fund them) in it. I mean, if one read Marvel or DC, one might assume we are still fighting Germans, Russians, or "Orientals". At any rate, like many issues of HAUNT, it does remind one of the 90's and it isn't the best thing on the racks, but it is solid. I have liked this second arc more than the first, and feel the title is on more of a roll now.
It is easy to criticize Haunt's design as being heavily influenced by Venom, or that this is basically "Kirkman does Spawn" in many ways, but more of Kirkman's tics are shining through. For one, there is more of a sense of humor among the gore, especially from Hurg, who is an extreme vegan and health junkie as well as a cultured criminal psychopath. Cobra, probably the most absurd villain of the decade, at the very least is not treated seriously, which I was afraid he was for a while. And naturally, Kirkman is a fan of having his star hero work for some sprawling yet mysterious government type agency. I did prefer ASTOUNDING WOLF-MAN to this, but this is still a pretty enjoyable ride. It's not my favorite book, but it's far from one I am losing interest in, such as INVINCIBLE IRON MAN or THOR.
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #648: Not a typo or a misprint! Admittedly, this is somewhat of a cheat; this comic actually came out last week. There are quite a few decent and perfectly fine comics to be had this week, but out of curiosity, this selection from last week was picked up, and it proved to make the biggest splash of this week's comic heap. It is the first of Marvel's latest major promotion of the AMAZING SPIDER-MAN line, which has been through no end of upheavals and promotions over the past few years. The two that got the most media play was when he "unmasked" to the public, and when his entire marriage was erased from continuity via a bargain with the demon Mephisto. While the "unmasking" has been mostly undone (many of his heric allies know who he is, but not all, nor does the public or even many of his enemies), the banishment of the marriage after twenty years has likely divided his fans the most since the Clone Saga of the 90's. For fans who like Spidey as an eternally swinging single, it was a step in the right direction, even if one had to be in their mid to late 30's to have been reading Spidey much pre-marriage. For fans of the marriage or even fans who came of age in the 80's and simply accepted it as a major block of canon, it was a jarring experience. Spider-Man's two secondary ongoing titles were merged with AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (the "primary" title) and shipped three times a month since January 2008 (with a few rare hiccups for lateness). This proved to be a Herculean task for the editor as well as the rotating cast of writers who handled the title. BIG TIME is the latest promotion, which has two major aims. The first is to have a lone writer handle the title exclusively, and to alter to format to twice a month, bi-weekly schedule rather than three issues a month. The second is to attempt to get Spider-Man out of the spin cycle of his normal adventures.
The marriage, many argued, made his stories predictable and cyclical. However, a rotating cast of girlfriends that never last and a supporting cast who come and go, along with Peter Parker having the same "everyman" struggles month in and month out, even as he is on a first name basis with the Avengers and the Fantastic Four, at best stretches belief quite a bit. It is by itself predictable and cyclical. Spider-Man is a hero who supposedly cannot commit to marriage because he is too focused on being a superhero (at least circa 2007), but he cannot simply ditch his civilian life and decide to be Spider-Man 24/7, perhaps as a federal agent of some kind working under Steve Rogers or even with the Fantastic Four, for the pure reason of franchise expectations. Dan Slott, who was the first writer of the last major shake up in 2008, is the sole writer in charge now, and BIG TIME is his way to tie up some loose ends of the past two years while bringing all of Spider-Man's life elements together. The result is a 39 page lead story drawn by Humberto Ramos that seeks to catch up someone who has been away from the book a while as well as keep any fans who had been along for the ride feeling as if nothing is being derailed. Aiding Ramos are Edgar Delgado on colors and Carlos Cuevas on inks. There is also an eight page SPIDER-GIRL story by Paul Tobin and Clayton Henry, the same creative team who handle her new ongoing series (see below).
The lead story, even with 39 pages of material, seems to cover two issues worth of development, at least; Dan Slott has always been a pro at giving readers their money's worth per page. The story opens with Spider-Man, alongside the rest of the Avengers, seeking to once again save the city from Dr. Octopus and his "octopus drone" robots. It is all apparently part of a longer range plot by him and the rest of his Sinister Six team. Unlike most of Spidey's adventures in AVENGERS or NEW AVENGERS, here he is actually written as a veteran hero who has some idea of what he is doing, especially when up against his own enemies. The Fantastic Four, Black Cat, and other heroes also show up (as New York City has a damn lot of superheroes), and Spidey is able to defuse the situation. Alas, his private life is not as easy to settle, as he is once again behind on his rent, and he loses his apartment, which he shares with a roommate (and ex). Slott uses this format to quickly have Peter run into practically every character in his cast looking for a coach to crash on before the main selling point of BIG TIME arises. While the marriage shenanigans often make the biggest cover story, there have been quite a few other major changes in the Spider-Universe in recent years. One of them is that J. Jonah Jameson has gone from running a newspaper to being elected mayor of New York City; another is that J.J.'s father has gotten re-married to May Parker - yes, that May Parker. J.J. himself is romantically involved with Marla Madison, who helped build some Spider-Slayers for him back in AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #165, circa 1977. These are supporting cast developments treated in progress, but it isn't written so densely as to totally throw off a newcomer. May manages to implore on the elder Jameson to utilize his connections to help Parker finally end his merry go round of poor bumpkin existence, so Parker ends up getting an interview for a think tank company that is a cipher for APPLE and PIXAR, where he's there for big ideas, not a nine to five punch-clock.
Past writers have attempted to change Peter Parker's career from "freelance photographer" over the years. J. Michael Straczynski spent years trying to make Parker a high school teacher, although his web-slinging activities often put a dent in that career, and the opportunity was not fully exploited. Going further back, John Bryne also attempted to get Parker involved in a science outfit, but that was undone even faster. It does remain to be seen how long this will last, but as Dan Slott is the lone writer on this, it could last as long as he does. Despite the criticisms over promotion and various stories, ASM has remained a solid Top 20 (or better) seller.
Ramos's art is a matter of personal taste; he excells in a cartoonist style that seems closer to character designs for a cable network cartoon show than superhero comics. He has drawn for ASM before and while he can be hit-or-miss with characters intended to have human porportion, he is rock solid for characters who are supposed to be monstrous or bizarre, and at the very least does well with showing emotion. The villain who is shown in the finale page of the lead story, for instance, has almost never looked better.
The SPIDER-GIRL back up strip is really more of an eight page prelude to her own debut issue (which is out this week) than it is a story unto itself. The gimmick to Spider-Girl, formerly known as Arana, is that she relies on training rather than super-powers and sees herself as a low level heroine, who remains tied into whatever Spider-Man or other heroes he knows are doing. She feels out of place in a battle against giant octopus robots, but is perfectly at home thrashing looters or saving a civilian (in this case a florist) from being injured by said giant octopus robot. It's a quick but effective back-up, and sets the tone for her own series well.
For me, the debut of BIG TIME was a pleasant surprise; for one who was mostly repulsed from ASM in the 90's and was further driven away by the never ending train of editorial misfires (which included ending the marriage, but didn't stop there), it was about as good a debut of a new direction as possible. There are some clunky moments; chief among them a page where Peter runs into MJ and the two laugh over the idea of them living together, complete with marriage mocking dialogue. That is the sort of thing that has to stop, because ASM doesn't sell SO well that it can afford to continue to divide it's hardcore audience. This is a run that seeks to unify them, so the fewer moments that pick at long time fans' wounds, the better. Unlike some other over-priced Marvel comics this week, such as THUNDERBOLTS #150, this at least gives fair value for the money. If one is any way open to the idea of reading about a non-married Spider-Man again, it may be worth tracking down this issue, at the very least to give your decision to stay away a serious rethink.
The next issue of BIG TIME should come out next week, and I am still debating getting it. I didn't want to dive into ASM full time again after OMD, but on the other hand, I can say without hesitation that I enjoyed this issue more than the last 1-2 issues of THOR, which is sold for the same price without any reason like a back-up strip. Dan Slott seems to be trying to move away from relying on the same merry go round of Parker's social life and seeks to elevate him a bit while capitalizing on the fact that he is at the center of the Marvel Universe in his own title, which is often not done or utilized well. It is very likely I'll at least give this an arc based on this issue. Let it never be said I never listen to recommendations; after all, if I didn't, I would be reading INVINCIBLE, CAPTAIN AMERICA or INCREDIBLE HERCULES. I am still convinced that Marvel chose to end the marriage in the worst way possible, and continues to confound the problem every time they attempt to address it (while denying there are any problems). But this launch at least gets into the idea of finding something else to have Parker move on to, at least for a while.
CHAOS WAR: DEAD AVENGERS #1: Not even deceased Avengers can stay out of a comic book these days! While it is easy to groan at the fact that Marvel is probably exploiting and stretching their Avengers line now as much as they expanded and exploited their X-Men line in the 90's, this is actually a side mini series to CHAOS WAR, being written by one of that event's co-writers - the always reliable Fred Van Lente. Aboard for pencils is Tom Grummett, who is fresh off runs on X-MEN FOREVER, with inks by Cory Hamscher and colors by Andy Troy. This issue takes place during the start of CHAOS WAR #2, with all of the mortal heroes who were led into space by Hercules against the Chaos King being laid out in comas. Six previously deceased Avengers (Captain Marvel, Vision, Dr. Druid, Swordsman, Deathcry, and the Rita DeMara Yellowjacket)have found themselves alive together, and in the midst of the cosmic disaster. Rather than take the easy way out with some recently deceased Avengers, such as Wasp or Brother Voodoo, Van Lente has gone with mostly a cast of lessor known Avengers who have been dead for years, and often by mundane, accidental, or embarrassing ways. For most, their deaths have become almost afterthoughts to the land of the living; Rita even comments on her death being virtually ignored. Initially confused, they decide to do their part to aid the civilians (and souls) being caught in the middle of the chaos, but may be pawns revived by another Avengers villain, who has also walked the line between death and life.
This may be a bit of a confusing debut for one who is not reading CHAOS WAR nor doesn't care about B and C List characters, some of whom have been dead longer than some fans have been reading comics (or reading, period). For those who enjoy those lower tier characters, though, this is a treat. Van Lente is able to shape continuity like a clay, utilizing it for lore without being bogged down. Grummett's art is a solid, timeless style for superhero comes, and frankly it is stunning he isn't on JSA or a comic similar. They won't be the only dead heroes coming back during CHAOS WAR, but this is the only mini being written by one of the architects of the event, and thus it is probably more important.
Some of the highlights are in the details, such as the interesting flashbacks for Vision and Swordsman, and the fact that Dr. Druid actually brings up how a robot really shouldn't have a soul that could come back or be resurrected. The choice of Vision's flashback is especially interesting, and deeper than it seems. Apparently one of the first lessons Ultron taught him was that something could be made that was greater than it's creator. While Ultron meant that to mean his mechanical superiority over Pym, it also works to describe why Vision is a better creation and closer to "human" than Ultron ever will be. I am curious how much we may get to know or re-learn about these characters within the few issues the series has.
. BUT, Let me say that I've only read about 3 comics with Rulk in them and none were written by Jeff Loeb, so I don't have any built up hatred for the character. That being said, the issue was alright. Everybody's favorite villain, The Hood, or more accurately, Parker Robbins begins his quest for the Infinity Gems and comes away with 2 of them by issues end. The yellow Reality and the Red Power gems. 
