Bought Thought, July 2nd, 2008

[CaptainCanada]

Astonishing X-Men #25

So that talk about retitling/renumbering as Astonishing X-Men: Second Stage came to naught; not that it really matters. Whedon and Cassaday's Astonishing X-Men run occupied a sort of null zone in continuity; the first issues of the second half are clearly written to be pre-Civil War, soon after M-Day, but by the end it had dragged forward into a sort of between-scenes story in the final pre-MC issue of Mike Carey's X-Men. Now we've jumped ahead to the new San Francisco status quo, which gets trailed here, making AXM, for once in its existence, at the head of the line introducing changes (though included among these are some costume redesigns which I think we could have done without). So the X-Men have settled in a sort of generic-looking metal fortress (Bianchi's not great in terms of establishing shots), and are on friendly terms with the locals, which has been a constantly-emphasized aspect of this pitch; the cops call them in as consultants on weird cases, in this case, the discovery of a floating, burning corpse in the street. The team sets out to essentially an alien junkyard in Indonesia (Chaparanga Beach) at issue's send. Most of the story is taken up by Ellis slowly introducing everybody chit-chatting in the morning and setting up who he'll be using: take the old roster, subtract Colossus and (obviously) Shadowcat, and add Storm, who shows up and explains to a skeptical Emma that she's incredibly bored with being Queen of Wakanda and wants some action. We haven't had Cyclops and Storm on the same team in a good while, so I'm all for having her around. All in all, it's a pretty good debut; Ellis' writing is what you'd expect from him (lots of science talk (including a discourse on how the X-gene works), a sort of real world idea that makes a lot of sense (Chaparanga Beach), and amusing dialogue).

Avengers/Invaders #3

This issue seemed to promise the New Avengers getting really involved, but, in fact, the sum total of their involvement is contained in the previews: they meet with Doctor Strange and Queen Spider-Skrull to discuss busting the Invaders out of SHIELD to return them to their proper place in the timeline (Doctor Strange is focussing all his magic on preventing the timeline from reorganizing itself)...which is exactly what SHIELD wants to do, so this is really counterproductive, right? Eh, whatever, Luke Cage is an idiot. Meanwhile, Namor arrives back at the ruins of Atlantis, meets his future self, beats him up, and assumes leadership of all the other Atlanteans in the area, demanding they come help him rescue the Invaders. The most pertinent information we get here is that Older Namor remembers Young Namor's exploits, though he sheds no light on the proceedings before his younger self beats him into unconsciousness. Bucky continues his escape plan and frees Cap, whereupon they are surprised to discover they're actually on a flying aircraft carrier (and they still haven't accepted that they're in 2008) and Bucky steals Cap's shield from Tony. There's a weird subplot going on with the various SHIELD robot agents and the Human Torch which I still don't understand. So far, this has been a decent story, though the main plot hasn't really kicked into gear yet, whatever brought them here. There have been a lot of complaints about Sadowski's art from fans who want Ross or someone like him, but I think it works pretty well. Very clever final line, there, where Bucky says "But there's only one person who gets to carry this shield." Who's got it in the present day, Bucky, I wonder?


Fables #74

Part Two of the three-part "War and Pieces" arc, pitting the Empire against Fabletown in the final struggle that's been building basically since the series started, continues here, and I continue to find that things are going way, way too well for the Fables. The title of this issue is even "A Very One-Sided War", and Willingham is obviously aware of this, and the issue ends with Blue the narrator promising that the final day will be a "horror" where, obviously, something must go wrong for the invasion force, but so far I still find this story just way too easy. Willingham actually has the Snow Queen and the Emperor-figure give a page or two's worth of analysis over why the Empire turned out to be so vulnerable, and to an extent it feels like Willingham talking straight to the audience and explaining why the series' big bad as has so far been a whimpering mouse. Obviously, whatever happens next issue might change my view of this whole story, but the past two issues have had the feeling of filling out a checklist, rather than a really epic war of worlds, and I have to say I'm a bit disappointed.

Northlanders #7

"Sven the Returned" hits its penultimate issue, and from what I can see, the plot has basically been resolved. Last issue ended with the Saxons arriving just as a battle between Sven's group and Gorm's was about to start, and so the two unite to fight the Saxons; in the midst of battle, Sven gets his revenge on Gorm (who was trying to flee) and mercy-kills Thora to send her to Valhalla (something he explicitly denies Gorm, in a moment that reminded me very strongly of Derfel's dealing with Lancelot in Cornwell's Excalibur). Unexpectedly, the Vikings lose, and retreat before the Saxons, although there's been a large death toll. Sven isn't sticking around for the fight, leaving Hakkar, Gorm's much-smarter thug-in-chief, in charge; Hakkar just three issues ago presented Sven with his girlfriend's head in a sack, so the interaction between them here is a bit too friendly, though Sven notes he can't forgive him for it. The next issue would seem to mostly be about where Sven and Enna end up. This has been a pretty good story arc so far, and here there are some impressively gory battle scenes, mixed in with discussions about who really owns the land (there's a variation also of the "People should know when they're conquered." line from Gladiator).

 

[Dread]

Turned out to be a costlier week than I expected, but not too bad. I didn't buy anything controversial so there's less chance of me getting into a 2 page quote war with someone. Especially since I only got two Marvel books this week. Yeah, I passed on ASTONISHING X-MEN by Ellis. July seems to start off a bit slower than June ended.

As always, full spoilers ahead.

Dread's BOUGHT/THOUGHT for 7/2/08:

BLUE BEETLE #28: Presumably, the last issue of Pfeifer's 2 issue "guest run" on this title now that a regular writer has been selected. The plus side is that apparently the format of BLUE BEETLE is simple enough that writers besides Giffen & Rogers can write it decently. That is a testament to the foundation they began with the first 24 issues. The downside of this is that the format is a little generic, and while you often get a solid story from even a first time writer (as in one fill-in issue with Specter), this series lacks the sort of development it had during the Giffen & Rogers era. To be fair, the continuity in this book has usually been solid.

Considering Jaime Reyes is also a member of the TEEN TITANS (a book I wouldn't touch with a 10 foot pole and a hazmat suit), when I saw that cover, I expected the "Beast of El Paso" to be Beast Boy/Changeling/Gar Logan, maybe brainwashed somehow. It wouldn't have been unusual to include Beetle's Titans allies in this book now and then; he first met the team here after all. However, it simply turns out to be a somewhat predictable "misunderstood monster" story. A mad scientist from the Golden Age, when the original Blue Beetle Dan Garret was in action, seemingly returns in El Paso when his signature green monster creation starts terrorizing random areas. Jaime's pal Hector is scared stiff of the monster and soon the Beetle is on the case. Learning the details of "Dr. Mephistopheles", a minor level "mad scientist" type (who were truly a dime a dozen back in the Golden Age) from Peacemaker and Dani Garret, Jaime goes off to fight it. After a quick scuffle, he finds out that the "beast" is simply the old doctor's dog, and doesn't mean any harm; the old fart just wants to retire in peace. The old man has a remote that reverts the monster back to his dog, lays out the story to Jaime, and he lets him off.

It is a simple and straightforward story; Blue Beetle has had a few of these, and while this one was hardly bad, it wasn't as good as some others. The resolution also leaves out a bit of a detail; while I can understand the idea of Dr. Mephistopheles being connected to the last Beetle (hence why legacies can be fun) and Jaime figuring the coot is punishing himself worse than anyone else, nothing is done to resolve the "beast" situation. The dog would apparently run off at night and return the next morning. If it was as simple as a remote, why did the "beast" get loose in the first place? The dog isn't depowered and the doctor makes no plan to "leash" the mutt. He just explains his story to Jaime and Jaime goes, "Oh, alright, I'll go easy on you." What is stopping the monster from wrecking more stuff? While the doctor isn't deliberately sending the monster out to attack stuff, he clearly was unable to halt the thing without assistance, and logically speaking, wouldn't be able to for long. The old man has a right to continue to exile himself and retire, but the residents of El Paso don't need to have to withstand the assault from his "beast" just because he can't control the mutt. It just was a shame that Pfeifer didn't eliminate this loophole with one token line about "fixing" the mutt or something.

What did work were the snippets depicting "old" Beetle and "new" Beetle and naturally the differences between them. Dan Garret obviously regretted killing the "pooch" back then, and at least Beetle found a better resolution.

Not as good as past issues, but still a solid, fun read, and one of the highlights of DC right now. I mean, this book launched from IC and OYL and is still intact and entertaining. Few DC titles can claim that, even if it's sales are in the dumps. I wonder if it will last until a 3rd year. That'd be incredible for a Big Two book that struggles to outsell INVINCIBLE.

DYNAMO 5 #14: The only bummer about this series is paying $3.50 for, on average, under 22 pages worth of story. But that is about the only bad thing I could say about Jay Faerber's clever superhero team/family. Yildiray Cinar draws half the issue for regular artist Asrar, who appears to be buckling under a monthly schedule (especially on the heels of working on the Annual cover). This book was frequently late, so a second artist was probably inevitable, and he supports Asrar well.

After the events of the last arc, the Dynamo 5 are seemingly no more. Maddie is in a coma, Spencer was revealed as an alien and no longer trusted, and Slingshot & Visionary are having issues with their parents. Livvie Lewis is doing damage control with her father, who not only was kidnapped and nearly killed, but found out that he isn't her biological father. Hector Chang is angry with his mother for not only disapproving of his superhero life, but "selling them out" to their enemies back in the aquarium. Mrs. Chang did it to try to save Hector, but c'mon, super villains are never to be trusted. Gage is back in high school, trying to repair a life that not only has been effected from his absences, but Myraid taking his form for a day or so. Myraid, for his part, has returned to idle womanizing. Scrap is the only one who is still wearing a costume, but doesn't seem to have the desire to be a solo heroine.

That leaves another heroine, named Vigil, to try to pick up the slack and defend Tower City, which is now overrun with super-crooks (including a loose cypher of the Wrecking Crew, and some rogues from GEMINI). FLAG agents don't know who she is, but she is nearly killed before Scrap, convinced to follow her heart by Zephyr Noble. In some ways this seems like a sister book to NOBLE CAUSES, which I haven't read. The "archives" are out but I prefer color to black and white. While you really don't have to read NC to appreciate this one, I still get the feeling of missing something. Maybe because I would probably enjoy it; the only real complaint I've heard is the inconsistent art. Vigil has a design that seems both generic and complicated at the same time, but she likely has a purpose for a mystery. I wonder if she is Synergy or another character who appeared before. A shame Capt. Dynamo's insane ex-sidekick Quake (I think that was his name) hasn't returned yet.

This book is still one of the titles I anticipate every month, and I look forward to every arc. The characters are good and the art is rock-solid, and this issue is more of the same. Now if only it could sell better so it could go back to being $2.99 (which it was for all of 2 issues). Seriously, it is a shame that this, INVINCIBLE, and a slew of other Image books can't crack the Top 100. They've got to be better than SPAWN. Does anyone even read that? Or can retailers be unable to let McFarlane's baby slip too far?

ASTOUNDING WOLF-MAN #7: Kirkman promises this book will become "monthly" after this issue. Uh-huh, just like INVINCIBLE is monthly. Hey, don't get me wrong, I love the guy's superhero books, but schedules have often been his bane. Getting out more than 9-10 issues of INVINCIBLE a year seems to be a Herculean task sometimes, and WOLF-MAN has suffered from that, too. The book's been around for about a year and we're just getting issue #7. That can ruin a lot of momentum. Still, the schedule has improved and this issue, hoo boy, ends things in a bloody stain.

As Kirkman says in his letters page, the tone of WOLF-MAN is cemented in stone in this issue. It is a cross between INVINCIBLE and WALKING DEAD (which I don't read, because I'm not into the zombie genre). It has superhero stuff but also a lot of horror-genre shocks, gore, and whatnot. It also could easily have a tagline such as, "no one is safe". If you didn't really get into INVINCIBLE until the issue when Omni-Man betrays him, then man, you should love this issue of Wolfy.

The Actioneers are in the middle of avenging their fallen comrade Sgt. Superior by beating Wolf-Man to a pulp, only for the hero to turn up very much alive. Or, at least, an undead vampire thanks to Zechariah. Naturally, when the other werewolves revealed some of Zach's sins a few issues ago, I figured it was obvious that Gary would eventually discover that no vampire can be trusted, even as a mentor. Furious that Zachariah not only vampirized the hero, but allowed him to believe he had murdered him, Wolf-Man cuts Zach out of his life. Gary returns home to his "Wolf-Cave" to find Rebecca on the verge of leaving him. His assets are cleared and the house is their's again. The mess is too much and she wants a separation, although not a divorce. Gary eventually submits, but promises her that he will make things right.

Unfortunately, he never has the chance. Zach shows up and gets into a fight with Rebecca, and let's just say the guy has a hair-trigger temper. Soon Gary is accidentally framed for a murder he didn't commit (this time) and his life is officially in shambles. Oh, and Zachariah has turned the rest of the Actioneers into vampires (aside for the robot girl, who just seems torn up). Que the end of the first arc.

Frankly, things are coming together faster than they did in INVINCIBLE and better than in some of Kirkman's other superhero-ish works, TECH-JACKET and CAPES. I didn't expect some of the final twists to come, but they did. Vampire Superheroes! Unlike zombies, not played out! This naturally is shaping up as one of those stories where no sure is really "pure". The werewolves have their curse, and one may not doubt that Zachariah is right to call them "hypocrites". Of course, Zach himself dismisses his own violent actions. True, it has become a bit typical for a Kirkman mentor figure to turn "evil" at the end of the first major arc or so, but it is a storyline staple (see BATMAN BEGINS, which only scored a few hundred million).

I wonder if Gary is going to start hitch-hiking to the theme of the INCREDIBLE HULK "Lonely Man" theme.

Once again, Kirkman has created a bit of a "universe" in his own book and once again it is very entertaining, and an example of good comics writin'. It is so much so, that one continues to be amazed why he bombed so badly on Ultimate X-Men.

FRESHMEN: SUMMER VACATION SPECIAL #1: I was wondering if Top Cow left this franchise for dead. Originally launched by Hugh Sterbakov, Seth Green (yes, THAT Seth Green) and Leonard Kirk a few years ago, this series has seen two minis and now two one-shot specials. Sheldon Mitchel is the latest on art and he does a good job with the wonky cast as they do battle with Green Thumb's evil plant, who is like an obsessive girlfriend and who has grown to some fifty feet tall. It gives us a chance to get familiar with these kids again after a break of what feels like a year since their last adventure. The love triangle between Puppeteer and the Drama-Twins is still a sordid mess. Wannabe is distrought over the murder of the only girl who genuinely liked him last arc and is retreating into himself. And the Beaver is still friggin' hilarious.

The threat is averted by, holy Captain Planet, POLLUTING A LAKE to kill the evil plant, and as usual, the ending is a downer. The series has a theme of having some genuine laughs and weird powers, but has a darker tone under the surface as their characters are in perpetual angst. True, it can seem repetitive, but the X-Men have only been relying on that for the past 35 years. And how could they neglect Long-Dong, the guy whose power is, literally, having a 10' schlong? That's comedy gold.

The rest of the special has looks at sketches and a statue of Puppeteer. No new mini was announced, although Sterbakov and Green have noted that they have planned a "trilogy" at the least, which means we need a RETURN OF THE JEDI to complete the triangle.

I suppose one could call the FRESHMEN (who should be THE SOPHMORES next arc) a middle of the road series. It isn't really innovative or offer too many things you haven't seen before. But it is written well by Sterbakov who mixes comedy and tragedy, and is entertaining unto itself. It is the typical 3rd party series that I manage to get without recommendations or following a writer I know well; something that is hardly critically acclaimed (I never discover something like ATOMIC ROBO on my own), but which is still a decent read. Whenever the next mini comes out, I'll probably nab it.

PATSY WALKER: HELLCAT #1: Finally, something from the Marvel House of Ideas. Continuing where she left off from the first four issues of MARVEL COMICS PRESENTS (which will be dead in the water after #12, as it hasn't been solicted for August and it barely sells above 10k), Katheryn Immonen pens another saga starring everyone's favorite buxom ex-Defender, Hellcat. Her husband, the artist Stuart Immonen, draws the cover, and probably helped get her foot through the Marvel door. Which isn't so bad because she isn't too shabby. She clearly has excitement for this heroine, and it shows.

Patsy Walker has a longtime history at Marvel; in the Golden Age she was basically their version of a Betty/Veronica type character. Y'know, fun teen comics. She met the FF in the 60's when Stan Lee created the modern Marvel universe, but in the 70's she officially became a super heroine, joining the Avengers for a spell and ultimately the Defenders for a very long stretch. She had adventures, married the Son of Satan, got turned into a demon, watched him go crazy, went crazy herself, died, came back a few times before returning for good, and then joined the Initiative. More or less in that order.

Despite being a longtime heroine (one of Marvel's longest lasting one, predating quite a few of their others, at least technically), Hellcat has never really clicked with me. I WANT to like her, but she often seemed a bit generic. There are certainly other cat-themed woman in comics who are more memorable. Her angle I suppose are her more supernatural powers, stemmed in magic and the occult. With a name like "Hellcat", you almost expect a goth, not someone in golden spandex with a sash and mask-eyebrows from the Adam West school of costumes. It doesn't help that she started off quirky and good tempered, but like with many characters, got bogged down in over-the-top darkness, misery, and angst. She LITERALLY married Satan's Son. She went to hell. She shaved her hair off. That kind of stuff. It is good that she is back, but she's never really found a niche or a firm place.

Katheryn Immonen's MCP storyline amounted to Patsy being split into different "versions" of herself via a magic book from Gargoyle; these versions tied into her past stories as a teen heroine. 616 usually claimed these stories were simply fictional, but Katheryn seems to want to "merge" them. She also depicted Hellcat as a trippy, chippy, and chipper gal.

This issue (and mini) carried on that theme, only Patsy's chipperness is notched up to 11. Seriously, it seemed like every line, Katheryn is trying to make Patsy adorable, but being too adorable just, well, makes you Nermal from GARFIELD, which is annoying. That isn't to say that it fails; I did find myself drawn in and liking a lot of it, maybe 70% of it. But by the end of the issue, I was wondering if Mrs. Immonen has confused Patsy Walker with Squirrel-Girl. If she had to write the two of them in one story, they'd probably be almost unidentifiable (aside for SG's animal companions and a hankering for nuts). On the other hand, they'd probably have a lot of fun.

The story is somewhat straight-forward. Patsy, a former model, is helping her fashion-designer chum by trying on one of his dresses when she is tapped by Iron Man to go play more of a role in The Initiative. She's shipped off to Alaska, which apparently has too low of a population to warrant more heroes than her. Still, Iron Man wants SOMEONE there, so there she is, making hyper dialogue with the locals and smacking around dirty old men. Hellcat soon runs afoul of some evil Eskimos who are summoning magic polar bears with antlers to fight her. Yeeeeaahhhh. It sounds pretty weird, and I will say actually reading it and seeing the energetic art of David Lafuente (who matches the mood perfectly) works better than reading a summary. But even reading it, it's an odd duck.

Considering all Hellcat has been through, it almost seems weird, and perhaps a step backwards, that she is acting almost like an overly energetic teen heroine when she should be in her late 20's at least. Compare this issue to her guest appearance in the last issue of THE LAST DEFENDERS and they are entirely different characters. In that story, Hellstorm wakes her up seeking to rekindle their romance (post divorce), and she tells him to get packing. She speaks like a normal woman and whatnot. Katheryn Immonen almost writes her like a schtick. Like a Sailor Scout.

Katheryn's point in some interviews was that she is merely trying to merge the "chippy teen stuff" from the 40's and 50's, which was how Patsy started, with the superhero she became in the 70's and onward. That is a fair theory, but it clashes with the notion that too many writers simply twist characters into what they want them to be, rather than work with what is given. Yet there is a caveat; I actually kind of liked this Hellcat. Sure, she may be too "Hello Kitty as a heroine" in some ways, but at least she isn't generic, or literally drowning in demonic angst. This is a polar opposite (pun intended) when a happy medium may have worked, but happy mediums don't get much attention. Maybe the shortage of heroines who are actually FUN and not either b**ches, ****s, generic, or Femizons has made me a bit too lenient here. Maybe she does act too much like Squirrel Girl here, but y'know what? An issue with the two of them hanging out would probably be more entertaining than, say, Black Widow and Ms. Marvel. Plus, the other characters in the story are aghast at how wonky Patsy is, so at least Katheryn has some sense of how this reads.

It is an odd choice; picking a Hellcat who is faithful but boring, or not-faithful but entertaining.

Still, this is one of those titles that Marvel spits out that is destined for low sales. The creative team isn't big and the character is a virtual unknown for many fans. This will debut in, oh, the Top 70 and be off the 100 by issue #3. But at least it doesn't take itself too seriously, and maybe in the middle of an SECRET INVASION CRISIS season, that is worth something.

(Oh, and while Patsy technically has peak-human strength, I don't know how she swung around that polar bear, either. Magic?)

 

[Dread]

ALL-NEW IRON MANUAL: Missed this a few weeks ago, an IM themed Handbook. Naturally, Iron Man and a lot of his allies and enemies have been covered in the A-Z Handbook and in AVENGERS 2007, but there still is plenty here. I just wonder if the Head Writer, Micheal Hoskin, thought up a title like "Iron Manual" all by himself or if someone helped him, and how proud they are of it. Seriously, "Iron Manual". Surprised we never got a Spider-Manual, and he's had two.

And while we're at it:

Batmanuel feels slighted. (Note: I HATED this show. I never got past the pilot).

Aside for the title, though, it's solid Handbook stuff, and I always enjoy that. But, still...Iron Manual...*snicker*...

The cover by Greg Land is cool, you can't see what he digitally ripped off as easily here.

PUNISHER WAR JOURNAL #21: While HELLCAT may have been a mixed bag, at least it was fun and light-spirited. This is Fraction doing a less "dark humor" story like his better ones on this book and going more straight-forward. Between Fraction's over-the-top narration and Chaykin's art, it almost reads like a Frank Miller draft. Anyone who has seen THE SPIRIT trailer probably knows that for all the giggles that "fun comics" got, man, "dark urban" comics can all seem just as predictable and monotonous.

Frank Castle has been beaten to a pulp by The Hand, hired by Jigsaw to kill him. He is fighting three femme fatales who have superpowers and less clothes then the last, all going on about how cool it will be to die and be revived. Almost to the point of fetish. Then come in G.W. Bridge's squad of Punisher hunters; Silver Sable, Domino, and Fontaine (who is a Skrull; thanks Bendis). So you have a few babes fighting each other on mean streets with guns and swords and a male protagonist mumbling narration like, "Take it to him, old man" or "Ribs crushed", "slow your breaths", etc. and I almost expect Marv and Hartigan to come around the next bend. At this point this kind of thing is almost comical, but Fraction's not playing for laughs this time.

The best bit was Castle narrating why he hasn't killed Jigsaw and why this time he just might, but that is early on.

I think I have figured it out. This and the HATE-MONGER story were Fraction playing Castle straight, and it just seems boring. When he does VENTURE BROS. type stuff, like the WWH story and the last Kraven one, the book is a load of dark comedy gold. But when he does more straightforward stuff, it falters a bit and just reads like every single dark, violent, urban anti-hero story you have ever read. Not saying it doesn't work for THE PUNISHER, but that a lot of grim, urban comics blur after a while via the same techniques and details. Maybe after over 30 years of being one note, is this what the Punisher has become?

(Random Rant; is that an ad for ASM for yet ANOTHER Kraven!? What is this, the 4th? 10th? There're almost more Kraven's than Goblins for ****'s sake! Esecially since Kraven III is STILL ALIVE!)

I am losing interest in this storyline, and the arc had better deliver if I will remain beyond it. Or the solict for the next story promises more dark humor stuff.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

You hated The Tick? What is wrong with you?

American Dream #5: The conclusion to American Dream's (the MC2 Captain America mantle-bearer) mini is about as predictable and pat as every '80s comic you grew up on--and I loved it. The MC2 universe has a unique way of capturing the fun, light spirit of that era while still featuring stories that can resonate with modern audiences, and while both this mini and Spider-Girl are about as subtle as a sack of hammers to the crotch, it's still novel to see good old-fashioned morals and values being injected into comics again. Which, on some level, is kind of sad, but I'm content with short, sweet bursts of it from the MC2 fare rather than a wholesale return to that status quo. This comic most definitely fits a very specific niche, but if you happened to have grown up in that niche, it's well worth your time. Nauck's art goes a long way toward making the comic look more like a modern comic, too. It's a refreshing change from Frenz's good but often stale art on Spider-Girl.

BPRD: The Ectoplasmic Man: It's Johann Kraus' origin. Now, I still have yet to read a bunch of earlier Hellboy and BPRD trades, so I don't know if this is a first telling or a retelling or what, but I suspect it'd work either way. It fits right into the Hellboy universe perfectly (probably because, like everything else in the Hellboy universe, Mike Mignola had a hand in it), but there's a facet that I, at least, had never heard of before to keep things fresh and new. I don't want to spoil anything because the story is a wonderful done-in-one piece that leaves you feeling very satisfied, so just pick it up if you're at all interested in the Hellboyverse.

Hellboy: The Crooked Man #1: A flashback tale from Hellboy's early days in the late-'50s. The best way I can describe this is kind of like a "What if Hellboy met Johnny Blaze." Basically, Hellboy winds up in some podunk country town investigating a strange bewitching. But the real story begins when a guy named Tom shows up. He knows all about the case and offers to help Hellboy out by leading him to the witch in question. He does so, and then we learn that he knew all this stuff because the witch was a childhood friend of his who made a deal with the devil--just like Tom himself. The plot unfurls bit by bit and the pacing is excellent. By the end of the issue, the story you thought you were going to get is tossed out the window for a far more interesting one--Hellboy and Tom vs. agents of the devil himself. I have no idea where it'll go in the next issue, but I'm looking forward to it. Oh, and some dude named Richard Corben drew this; he's pretty good.

House of Mystery #3: I'm really liking this series. The issues are split into about 2/3rds ongoing story within the House of Mystery itself and 1/3rd story told by one of the House's patrons. This time it was a mobster named Jimmy Spats, who relates a tale about how he can worm his way out of anything. It's a good story with fantastic art by Zachary Baldus, but the thing that keeps me coming back to this series is the ongoing story with Fig and the other characters who've found themselves trapped inside the House. It's great to see Fig basically work her way through accepting that she even is trapped, and Sturges does a great job of making her journey to that point eminently human. Here, she deals with outright denial. She's not trapped, no, sir--and to prove it, she's going to escape. Her various escape attempts are chuckle-worthy, especially the one Ann, the pirate bouncer of the House's bar, 'helps' her with. The humor is balanced well with mystery and, towards the end, horror, as we learn bits and pieces about another girl who was trapped in the House and eventually see what ultimately became of her. It's nothing gross, just enigmatic and creepy, and it sets up even more mysteries for future issues. Kudos to Sturges and Willingham (who I think has all but faded out of the book by this point, since Sturges is the only one credited for either of the two stories inside this issue) for making the fact that I know so little about what's going on so entertaining. Also, Luca Rossi's art is wonderful--his faces are very expressive and everything is well rendered yet retains a bit of a cartoonish bounce to it that gives off just the right air of fantasy and something approaching reality for this book. No offense to Scalped and DMZ and such, but when I think of Vertigo, this is the kind of stuff my mind immediately goes to. It's great to see the supernatural roots of Vertigo making such a strong comeback.

 

[RockSP]

Bought:

Astonishing X-men #25
Marvel Comics Presents #10
The Boys #20
Thunderbolts #121
Squadron Supreme #1
Proof #9
Uncanny X-men #299
Fantastic Four #558
No Hero #0
1985 #2
Ultimates 3 #4
Lobster Johnson: The Iron Prometheus (trade)

Thought:

My first thought is after seeing Dread's post I'm pissed that my shop somehow forgot to put Dynamo 5 and Wolf-Man in my box

Squadron Supreme - This was still on my list from the uncompleted last series. It will now be removed from my list.

Marvel Comics Presents - Said it before and I'll say it again. Give Vanguard a mini.

Proof - NOOOOO!! How are they gonna cut off Elvis' "Elvis"?!!! That's it. I'm dropping this tee hee. Also...Proof is an old mofo.

Lobster Johnson - Haven't finished it yet but so far it is the shiznit.

 

[SouLeSS]

I feel like I missed an issue of Batman RIP.

Or that theres huge chunks missing.

Or that Morrison is trying to put too much plot into the book and can't show us everything that's happening and we're supposed to just go with it.

 

[Doc Destruction]

Squadron Supreme was just awful.

GREAT moment in Rann-Thanagarian War #2 where the Weird suggests to the group that they should form a comic level team and everyone blatantly ignores him. Cute Guardians of the Galaxy reference.

Astonishing X-Men was amazingly good. I felt like I was FINALLY reading a quality X-book. May it continue long time.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Am I the only one who thinks Storm's new costume and the gigantic X's on everyone's chest are horrendous?

 

[Doc Destruction]

Better than jeans and a leather jacket, IMO.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Well, yeah, but not as good as plenty of her other costumes.

 

[Darthphere]

Storm is black.

 

[Brainiac 8]

Since when?

 

[MyPokerShirt]

Amazing Spider-man 564 was totally missable. To think I actually bought this instead of downloading it because it was a stand-alone story. It's still got the Brand New Day title on the cover and it's still playing on the whole Parker-luck crap.

The characters were well drawn, although I hate it when Spider-Man doesn't seem to have a nose (TANGENT:and when they make his ears stick out actually, but that's not too relevant here...) and some of the backgrounds felt lazy while some of the other pages felt too cluttered. There was no balance. Also Overdrive's costume is pathetic and his powers suck: "School Bus" changing to "Skool Buss"?? Puh-lease.

On a side-note it was nice to see Pete trying to get a scientists job, but seeing two guys in a garage inventing something way cooler than Pete has done in eons was kinda depressing. He should really put his inventing cap on. Anyone else want to see some cool Parker inventions?

The issue was a definite 6/10. Y'know, one of those 'meh' issues, though I thought they tied the three writer's stories together quite well and so would consider the experiment a success as a whole. They just needed a better plot...

 

[fifthfiend]

At this point X-costumes change so often it's not worth giving a **** about any particular one.

 

[Bubonic]

I didn't really read your review of the Hellcat book because I don't want too much spoiled, but could you tell me if she's solo in Alaska, or is she part of the Alaskan Initiative team?

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Both. She is the Alaskan Initiative team. Apparently not enough happens in Alaska to warrant more than one superhero.

 

[Bubonic]

Thats silly, I like the initiative teams, the way the system works seems reliant on there being a team so it doesn't end up being all one person making the decisions.

Well I will check it out anyways.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

After reading some of the reviews, I think I may check it out myself. I wasn't too jazzed for it initially, but what I've seen of the art looks great and, upon further consideration, Kathryn Immonen's Hellcat story in MCP wasn't really that bad.

 

[Max J Power]

Astonishing X-Men #25

This is the first book I've read by Warren Ellis that used long-established characters, so I was a little apprehensive toward it. Fortunately, Ellis didn't change characterizations to fit with what he wants, so my number one concern is out of the way (at least for now). The issue lays a solid foundation for what looks to be a promising story and has a lot of funny lines. And Bianchi's art is good too.

Batman #678

A little confusing, but very compelling. Morrison really creates a feeling of instability with his ongoing Batman "novel." I'm impressed with RIP so far, and I think it will play out well.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Madame Xanadu #1: Much like House of Mystery, this title seems to be channeling early '90s Vertigo and I love it. I'm not too familiar with the Madame Xanadu character from the mainstream DC stuff, but here she's Nimue, lover of Merlin, protector of the natural world, and sister to the Lady of the Lake and Morgana La Fey. Although the cover depicts her in modern (kinda) clothing, the issue itself takes place entirely in the time of Camelot--specifically, the final days of Camelot. Nimue tries to stop her sister Morgana from going ahead with her plans to kill Arthur and place Mordred on the throne of Camelot, but various problems arise. Mostly, this issue is about the things that take place around the actual action of the plot--Nimue's first meeting with the Phantom Stranger (who appears in period-appropriate clothing but is still pretty much his usual, cryptic self), Nimue's relationship with her sisters, Nimue's relationship with Merlin, Merlin's effect on the world, Camelot's effect on England, etc. Wagner's essentially worldbuilding here, and it's cool because it turns out this is a pretty interesting world. I love Arthurian legend, and I like this approach of Arthurian legend through Nimue/Xanadu's eyes. The fact that I know this will all somehow lead up to the present-day and Nimue will still be around is intriguing and adds a new dimension to the Arthurian stuff. Amy Reeder Hadley's art is gorgeous. It's delicate and expressive and subtle and I found myself wondering why I've never heard of her before. Seriously, beautiful, beautiful work, and pitch-perfect for the story, too. It reminded me a bit of Hiyao Miyazaki's animes, only without the anime-looking people and terrible, forced humor that all animes seem required to have.

 

[Dread]

You hated The Tick? What is wrong with you?

For the record, I LOVED the original TICK cartoon of the 90's, and own it on bootleg. What I disliked was the live action version from 2001. When a live action show tries to imitate a cartoon from some 7 years prior, and fails in every way, I lose interest fast.

Both. She is the Alaskan Initiative team. Apparently not enough happens in Alaska to warrant more than one superhero.

Thats silly, I like the initiative teams, the way the system works seems reliant on there being a team so it doesn't end up being all one person making the decisions.

Well I will check it out anyways.

Yeah, apparently (assuming the continuity is acknowleged) Iron Man wouldn't allow Hellcat to be a part of Kyle Richmond's NJ Defenders (in THE LAST DEFENDERS) team because he felt she was better suited to go to Alaska. Much as Devil-Slayer was better suited for Hawaii, apparently.

Iron Man also states that Hellcat hasn't been stationed at Alaska permanently, but it is more of a "recon" mission to assess the threat level. Presumably, if Hellcat found evidence of needing more heroes up there, Stark would send more.

After reading some of the reviews, I think I may check it out myself. I wasn't too jazzed for it initially, but what I've seen of the art looks great and, upon further consideration, Kathryn Immonen's Hellcat story in MCP wasn't really that bad.

It wasn't that GOOD, either. It was fun and quirky but also confusing and overrated at times. Still, I was interested enough to give the mini a chance.

The debut issue isn't perfect, but it is quirky. You'll either like it or you won't. At the very least, Katheryn is passionate about the character and has an in with her husband with Marvel. Who says nepotism is dead in comics?

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Can't fault her for that. If I knew someone in comics, I'd pester them 'til kingdom come to get me in.

Anyway, that Tick live-action show worked well enough for me. It wasn't as frenetic and crazy as the cartoon because there's no way it could be, but I thought it was a lot funnier than 99% of the sitcoms that were on at the time. Patrick Warburton is hilarious in pretty much everything I've ever seen him in, too.

 

[Darthphere]

Hellcat sucks.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Like a vacuum, according to Daimon Hellstrom.

 

[DBM]

Astonishing X-men
I liked Whedon's run for the most part but in all honesty his stories were pretty weak. The only thing that kept me buying it was that his dialogue and character interaction were superb. I hadn't planned on picking up issue #25 but got it any way because it was on my pull list and I forgot to have it taken. But after reading it, I'm on board for at least the first arc. Ellis managed to make me interested in the story (and actually pack more story in a single issue than Whedon did in 3 issues) and introduce fun new ideas like the space ship graveyard. He seemed to really click with the characters too. Emma's a bit of a ***** but not too much. Storm comes off as regal but still down to earth. Beast is a genius and funny. Etc. I don't usually like Ellis on Marvel books, but he's done well so far on this.