Another week, another half dozen books, along with the always studly OFFICIAL HANDBOOK OF THE MARVEL UNIVERSE A-Z UPDATE. That's always worth the cash. As always, full rants/spoilers ahoy.
Dread's Bought/Thought for 10/20/10:
BATMAN BEYOND #5: For DC, this is a modest success story. What was once going to be a six issue mini has proved to sell well enough to warrant an ongoing attempt next year with the same creative team of Adam Beechen, Ryan Benjamin, John Stanisci and David Baron. Despite being canceled to make way for JUSTICE LEAGUE a decade ago, there seems to be life and excitement in the BATMAN BEYOND franchise yet. But is it for the Beyond franchise proper? Or simply because it's another extension of the Bat-family that hasn't been mined to death lately? At any rate, it beats BATGIRL. At this point, Beechen is adding more DC Universe proper elements and isn't exclusively cribbing from the TV show; the TV show is where the premise is from, and he uses the continuity from it when it works. But the parts that don't jive with the rest of the DCU are being tossed out. The idea is to have this book appear as a legitimate, or almost legitimate, alternate future reality that others could visit and fits into the DCU as a whole. I mean, next year, DC may want this book as part of it's next inevitable Green Lantern event named after a part of the oath, likely titled NO EVIL or something close (INFINITE NO EVIL CRISIS WAR RETURNS A-GO-GO?). So this issue has elements of HUSH in it, as well as name dropping a character's name that I had to look up, because I am not a DC nerd and know who the first villain Firestorm ever fought was.
The plot unfolds, or rather dumps out it's contents all at once. Amanda Waller and Cadmus had wanted to clone themselves a new Batman, as Wayne was getting old. As cartoon fans may know, that actually ended up being Terry McGinnis (who is genetically Wayne's son; I know, that retcon didn't make any sense, either). However, because Wayne was often combative and resistant to authority, Waller settled on some DNA of someone similar, but not as extreme. So, she picked Dick Grayson, the former Nightwing. Unfortunately, like every Frankenstein style experiment, it broke loose and now is the new Hush, with a screwed up mind and all of the skills and memories of Batman. The new Catwoman turns out not to be someone Spliced, or even someone in any way remotely related to anyone from Batman lore. She's the daughter of Danton Black, the FIRESTORM villain called Multiplex. Yes, he is named after a style of movie theater. It was 1978, I guess those were still new back then. I looked it up, but it usually comes close to taking me out of a story when I have to venture onto GOOGLE to translate some Nerd French I can't compute. Therefore, this new Catwoman can create multiples of herself like her father could; the problem is that it's a name drop moment that felt a bit random. Like Beechen wanted to try too hard to not be obvious, so he picked someone totally random. Imagine if I was writing a SPIDER-MAN 2099 adventure, and I had Miguel fight a new Shocker. Only it turns out he's not in any way related to the original, but is in fact the grand nephew of Dillon Zarro, the Bullet Biker (a very very minor Hawkeye & Mockingbird villain). Would you be impressed or just go "meh"? It is like the new Executioner from DARK REIGN: YOUNG AVENGERS having absolutely nothing to do with Skurge and is just the son of Princess Python. I appreciate the effort, but when it feels like a writer just spin a DC WHO'S WHO in the air and picked a name at random, it can backfire.
On the positive, this adventure involves the middle aged Grayson a lot more than the cartoon ever did. He's sort of like Nick Fury now, missing an eye but still being more kick-ass then man half his age and twice his size. And the artwork is good. Overall it does feel as if Beechen has captured the spirit of the show, even though he seems eager to shove it into the DCU proper with as much force as possible. Characters from the actual Beyond universe like Mad Stan, Spellbinder or Max are tossed in for cameos just to remind us that they exist, while Beechen is busy focusing on doing a psuedo sequel to a Jeph Loeb story and having some the no name villain of a D-List hero show up as a new legacy. It works better than it should, but part of me wonders if half the point of the story is the exercise to insert it into the universe proper. It isn't my favorite book, but I probably felt more of a sense of urgency about the story than I do for BOOSTER GOLD, the other DC book I buy. I will be trying the ongoing series, I just hope Beechen won't lose me with trying to shower BEYOND with DC lore I can't penetrate or care to. I sort of have to expect that from a DC book, just as I imagine new Marvel fans may feel that way about many other books.
GUARDING THE GLOBE #2: The first part of a double dose of Robert Kirkman this week from Image. This he co-writes with Benito Cereno, who he has collaborated with in the past on BRIT and the two INVINCIBLE PRESENTS: ATOM EVE mini's. I suppose if one was being cynical, they might state that one reason for this mini series to exist is to tie up some loose subplot details that had been left dangling in INVINCIBLE, or rather abandoned. How long? One footnote makes reference to INVINCIBLE #15, which was about 60 issues and five years ago. In practice, though, you get a lighthearted team superhero book delivered in that distinctive Kirkman style that fleshes out some older supporting characters while introducing new ones. The artwork is by Ransom Getty, with inks by Thomas Mason, and it looks quite good. The gist is that while Invincible and his family are in space (again), events are happening on earth, and Cecil goes about finally reorganizing the Guardians of the Globe team after they find themselves short staffed. Brit is still leading the team and is recruiting new members from across the globe so that it has a more international flair. Last issue, we met Yeti, who is a monster from Tibet but is in fact a total fanboy for superheroes; according to the letters page, he isn't well liked, but I like him. This issue, we meet Kaboomerang, from Australia, and El Chupacabra from Mexico, as well as a female member who has yet to be introduced. Meanwhile, the rest of the team, that includes stalwarts like the Martian Shapesmith and Black Samson, have to deal with one of Invincible's spare villains, Octoboss, in the realm of Atlantis.
In a word, this is fun. There's zero angst or whining here. No hero is afraid of marriage, or hates women, or shoots up on drugs and fights with a dead cat. They feel like real characters without having to be miserable or depressing. The series isn't afraid of providing one action scene an issue (this one has two) nor is it afraid to poke fun at certain cliches while executing them properly. For instance, like many heroes from other nations, they rely on stereotypes. Of course a guy from Tibet will be a Yeti. Of course a guy from Australia will use boomerangs and literally fight dingos. Of course the guy from Mexico will dress like a luchadore. Heck, we literally have guys named Brit and Black Samson. It's all part of the fun. After all, if you made a list of every Marvel hero that wasn't set in New York City, especially in the southern U.S., you get equally stereotypical types like Razorback or Texas Twister.
The fight with Octoboss was a lot of fun, the art and banter are great, it's a break from Kirkman's occasional gore or grim jaunts on other books, and the finale of the issue has a slew of villains from Kirkman titles assemble under the Order. Some are new, and most are from INVINCIBLE (or, if you are being generous, CAPES), but one is even from ASTOUNDING WOLF-MAN.
Speaking of which, Kirkman's schedule has now all but ruined the finale of that title. ASTOUNDING WOLF-MAN has one issue left, and it likely should have shipped by now. I do not know if the delay is due to Jason Howard's art (maybe SEA BEAR & GRIZZLY SHARK was a bad idea, schedule wise) or due to the fact that Robert Kirkman has been busy writing for his WALKING DEAD TV shows for a while. Perhaps a bit of both? All of Kirkman's books that I read have all seemed to quickly and quietly slip into a bi-monthly schedule, which sounds worse than it does since he writes 3-4 of them. He at least puts the books out at a faster rate than Allen Heinberg did for years with YOUNG AVENGERS. At any rate, we know that Gary Hampton survives ASTOUNDING WOLF-MAN #25, a fact that was not assured. It might have been better to just not have that issue cover in the back, but the letters page even gives it away. It isn't a major concern, but a case of bad timing due to late comics. There's another GUARDIAN GAGS by Chris Giarrusso that, suffice it to say, is harmed by this title not coming out at least a month or two ago. What next; a joke about the miners from Chile in an issue that ships in March? The problem with humor based in current references is just that; it has to be current.
It is a shame that the book is $3.50, but it has sold well, and at least it isn't $3.99 and is thus cheaper than many Marvel or DC titles. I expected a fun little INVINCIBLE spin off, and I am far from disappointed.
HAUNT #10: This is apparently on a sort of bi-monthly schedule, either because of the art by Greg Capullo, as well as the inks by Jonathon Glapion and co-creator Todd McFarlane take time, or because writer (and co-creator) Robert Kirkman is busier now than about a year ago, when this series launched. He is writing or co-writing at least three or four other books for Image as well as a TV show for AMC based on one of them, THE WALKING DEAD. The fact that he gets stuff out even close to a monthly schedule is impressive considering many Marvel and DC creators seem to look for any excuse to fall behind, especially when Hollywood calls (such as Allan Heinberg). The origin phase of the story is over and ex-priest Daniel Kilgore is fully immersed in the world of being agent Haunt alongside his slain, ghostly brother, Kurt, with whom he merges with for supernatural power. Last issue, Haunt was captured by his enemies and currently faces interrogation about his secrets. As the cover shows, he finally goes toe to toe with the criminal boss behind all of the brothers problems, Hurg.
While Todd McFarlanes influence on every issue is probably lesser than that of Kirkmans, this series still feels very much like it is the answer to the question, what if Robert Kirkman created SPAWN? The answer is that while it would still involve a supernaturally empowered hero, a lot of gore and gritty panels, and some vague-yet-complicated origin involving the dead and black ops work, it also has more of a sense of humor. Hurg, whose name sounds like a retch sound, may be a large bruiser of a crime boss, but he is also a health and organic food fanatic to the point that offering him a normal sandwich with preservatives is considered a torture attempt. His main assassin and lackey, Cobra, is perhaps the most clichéd member of the cast, a castaway from the 1990s from name to uniform, but this issue proves that this is intentional. Not even his girlfriend takes him seriously, despite the fact that in theory he should be scary. Kurt Kilgore is a ghost that only Daniel can see and speak with, and while he is always eager to offer advice or combine for a battle, he is quick to vanish when a blabbering co-worker emerges. Thus, while on the surface this work may seem to derive from McFarlanes bygone 90s era, Kirkman injects enough self-aware 21st century style quirks and humor that it works a lot better than a bit of the early, humorless SPAWN material.
Capullo had some big shoes to fill, taking over for INVINCIBLE artist Ryan Ottley as of issue six, but he alongside the inks fills that void so well that it sometimes is hard to tell that the regular artist changed for this arc. There are some indulgent panels that just seem to be trying to stretch a scene an extra page, but by and large things move along at a brisk pace, at least compared to something like Marvels INVINCIBLE IRON MAN. Nearly every issue has an action sequence and takes many of the bizarre subject matter with earnest seriousness, but things are never too serious that a one liner or a comedic scene are out of place, either.
This is very gritty material when placed beside GUARDING THE GLOBE #2. But it usually has more amusing bits than SHADOWLAND has lately. While this series isnt perfect, it is still $2.99 per issue and the first trade was priced at a near bargain rate (as Image often does with initial trade volumes). If one was ever into SPAWN but fell off after a while (like many have), or enjoys supernatural heroics with some wet-works thrown in, give this a try. It is a bit of an acquired taste, however. Not Kirkman's best, nor his worst (that would have been his run on ULTIMATE X-MEN, sold at the same price per issue and selling thrice as well).
CHAOS WAR #2: This was my top book at Examiner, and how could it not be? It's Marvel's latest "mini event" (and in terms of spin-off material, it is only slightly smaller than HOUSE OF M was) that ups the stakes of the adventure to cosmic level, has all sorts of fun characters, and while more serious than PRINCE OF POWER, it is nowhere near as humorless as SHADOWLAND. When Eternity shows up and lays out some fortune cookie cosmic gibberish, the characters call him on it. Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente look to polish off their years on INCREDIBLE HERCULES was as spectacular an adventure as possible. It's hard to not be impressed with a threat like the Chaos King when he essentially drops every single Marvel team on earth at once with relative ease within the opening pages. Khoi Pham returns on art chores to cap off the series, with Thomas Palmer on inks and Sunny Gho just knocking it out of the park with color work.
After killing Nightmare and taking over the realm of dreams, Chaos King is able to incapacitate every mortal hero he faced, as well as a slew of the mortals across the globe. That's only a warm up, though, as he invades Pluto's underworld to add to his conquest. It is established that only gods, or those enchanted by gods like Cho (and to a degree, Venus) are immune to the effects of the King's attack. But after that, it get trickier. Sersi is immune, as is the Silver Surfer; it is assumed that Eternals and Heralds are close enough to gods that they're immune. Galactus is also perfectly fine. But then how is Damian Hellstrom, the Son of Satan immune? Marvel can't ever agree as to which demon they have in hell is really the real Satan or just knock off versions. At any rate, a bold new God-Squad is quickly assembled, and I probably like this version more than the last. Hercules and Cho are the only returning members, which sort of puts it on par with the average new Avengers team. The downer is that many casual readers will not "buy" this series as being "important", so I do wonder if calling this AVENGERS: CHAOS WAR would have been better; Thor, Hercules, Cho, and Sersi were all Avengers. We have the DEAD AVENGERS mini coming up, of course. Sersi is back to acting like her usual self, which is a lot of fun. Silver Surfer has gone from "boring" to "raging asshat", but fortunately he settles in. At any rate, Hellstorm has proven to be very adept at showing up at little promoted yet vital events; he helped save God in GHOST RIDERS: HEAVEN'S ON FIRE, and will be pitching in his fork in this one.
Perhaps the only downer is Chaos King's redesign once he takes over the realm of the dead. He reminds me of a villain Mark Millar made for FANTASTIC FOUR, the Muppet Of Desperation (or if you prefer, Marquis Of Death), only with the bed-sheet hood trades for some steroids. It certainly opens the door for that flood of CHAOS WAR material featuring currently deceased characters. I am genuinely interested in who will be resurrected, and who won't.
And at the end, we have more Cho vs. Mikaboshi Twitter feeds, and some haikus from Marvel fans that are hilarious.
I like big adventures, I like eclectic team ups, I like good dialogue, epic stakes and a tale that is serious overall but also knows what to chuckle at itself. CHAOS WAR provides all this, and I'm definitely game for more. Not much more to say other than to continue with the good stuff, and why can't they all be this entertaining?
