A very slow week in comics; it seems they often have lull periods before weeks where nearly everything comes out, which is usually the first or last week in a month. So far May was the most balanced month for me; 5-6 books every week, not 10 one week and 3 the next. I miss that sometimes.
On a better note, despite having two $3.99 books this weeks, they both were worth it via page count.
At any rate, full spoilers ahead.
Dread's Bought/Thought for 7/8/09:
BOOSTER GOLD #22: Second part of Jurgens & Rapmund's new storyline, or continuation of a prior one if you prefer, as well as the second issue of the BLUE BEETLE BACK-UP era. Man, I did miss getting both of these books instead of only one when BEETLE was canceled, and it's great to get both in one package. Especially as both seem intertwined in some ways. The obvious being Booster's enemy, the Black Beetle. He'll supposedly become Jaime Reyes' enemy in the future and the path to his birth was in the final issue of Beetle's ongoing some months back. Now he's a time-stealer working for his own mysterious boss, much as Booster does heroic time missions for Rip Hunter.
The first page of this issue recaps the cliffhanger of the last, which is good for anyone who may be new to the series (which likely happens less in modern comics than many writers and editors would like; frankly, in the modern market of diminishing returns, it is no longer true that, "every issue is someone's first", it usually is more like every issue is someone's last, as even hot books lose 2-4% of their readers a month, every month, without variants or crossovers or creative team spikes). Booster had arrived to the Batcave to reclaim photos of one of his time missions from Batman now that Wayne is "dead". Dick Grayson, however, is the new Batman and they had a brief scuffle before being attacked by Black Beetle. Now it seems the fiend has went back in time and made sure that Grayson had died as Robin, and thus there was no longer a Batman. It is now up to Booster and Skeets to fix things.
To be honest, while BOOSTER GOLD in theory has time missions that can cross paths with any DC franchise, such as the Western era of Jonah Hex, it seems the great majority of the missions involve dealing with the Beetle or Batman legacies, at least by a 2/3rds ratio. It isn't a big deal to me and considering Batman's popularity it makes a degree of sense, but it is something I have noticed. This issue makes some attempt to blur this by involving the history of the Teen Titans, where Robin came to form. It seems Black Beetle has made sure Grayson and the Titans were murdered by Deathstroke and his ill fated son Ravager in one of their earliest adventures; it is some long reaching goal to destroy the JLA of the future by removing Batman from it, who is supposedly their best tactician. This of course haplessly ignores the many rosters of the League that didn't have Batman across history, including right now, but whatever. Martian Manhunter may have been a more ideal target for that goal, albeit a harder one to kill and with a less well known history and cast of allies. As always, Jurgens writes great banter between Booster and Skeets, and sometimes comes up with creative ways to avoid mucking up time while trying to save it. Emerging in STAR Labs before Cyborg, Skeets plays them off as part of STAR, with Booster as a security guard (much to Booster's pride's chagrin). They manage to prevent Ravager from icing Cyborg, and there is a cute cheesecake scene with Booster scoping out Starfire in a bikinni. The story ends with another climatic cliffhanger in which it seems Booster and the Titans of the past have been killed thanks to Black Beetle's aid to the villains. Deathstroke is on the cover but his son Ravager does more in the actual story, which is worth noting for those who are justifiably tired of Deathstroke, who has long ago been overused and overpowered.
The art by Jurgens and Rapmund is solid and iconic as always; timeless with enough detail yet not too much, and while some faces are repeated it doesn't seem quite like when Mark Bagley does that. If I have one art quibble it is one panel of the Booster/Ravager/Cyborg fight that seems mundane from the camera angle. There is a part of me that once scimmed "HOW TO DRAW THE MARVEL WAY" by Lee & Buscema where they would have suggested a more dynamic angle or two for a few of those panels. Jurgens is an industry pro but it was one minor bit where he maybe could have tried a little better. Beyond a page nitpick like that, though, no one draws or even seems to write this character and run like Jurgens, and every issue with him on the credits is a pleasure. It's his character, after all.
Next naturally is the 10 page back up strip of BLUE BEETLE, part two of his tale, "Armor Plated". Unlike BOOSTER GOLD, the stakes of Beetle's stories are a little lower key right now, perhaps as contrast. He's not trying to save a timeline or a major hero, he's mostly embroiled in some drama about a mad scientist family with a fetish for rampaging robots. Part of the real meat of the story is what happens in-between the superhero beats, which is always where this incarnation of Beetle has shined. In this story's case, Jaime awkwardly feels in the middle of his two best friends Paco and Brenda now dating, and especially now that they are bickering as many teen couples do. In between this drama of course is dispatching with the robotic Unimate, who have freed their mad scientist creator from prison (seemingly against his will) and are trashing El Paso. With Beetle's alien scarab now being more brutal than before, Jaime works a creative manner to beat the army of robots, although it still damages his school a bit. When Paco goes missing investigating the family, Brenda and Beetle naturally unite to save him, and it seems the daughter of said scientist isn't quite the "harmless teacher" he claimed. She's a robot herself, seemingly. Or a cyborg.
Paco and Brenda are fighting basically because Brenda laughed at one of Paco's romantic overtures for their first date and he didn't like it, and it snowballed. Such a thing could easily make one or both characters seem unlikeable but Sturges manages to make it work in a very human, very teenager way so that it doesn't, and even is a little humorous in a way. Mike Norton's art rocks, and I am very pleased that he's landed a gig on something worthy of his talents after GRAVITY.
Much like the Booster story before it, the Beetle story is also a pleasure and even at $4 this title is quite an appealing package. You'll notice the goodwill DC has had with $4 books after it announced actually giving fans their money's worth with extra content of "fan-favorite" (i.e. low selling) cult characters. Marvel is full of horse feces when they claim they "also always intended to do that" but it is a good idea. Whether it "boosts" BOOSTER GOLD with what is left of Beetle's audience of some 10k around cancelation remains to be seen. BOOSTER GOLD barely sells over 24k a month and could always few a few thousand readers. DC has more editorial patience than Marvel so even if BOOSTER GOLD slips from the Top 100 it could still exist for another 6-12 issues after that, or more. Marvel these days seems to be canning everything that sells under 20k that isn't boosted by digest or trade sales (like the steadily slipping RUNAWAYS does).
One extra DC comment, which has nothing to do with this issue but I saw no reason to post it elsewhere. There is a JUSTICE LEAGUE mini called "CRY FOR JUSTICE" that has an advert here, and it's perfectly fine. The subtitle, "CRY FOR JUSTICE" has a distinct font and color and size, and you can't misread it. The actual first issue, as seen in my shop this week, though, is different. Different color and font, and if you scim it really quick, it all but reads, "GAY FOR JUSTICE". It's unintentionally hilarious, especially when you take into account some of the dire reviews the issue has gotten, especially that it is a story that takes itself very seriously (and has Green Arrow say something like, "Remember back in the day when I lost my millions and became Liberal?"). I could imagine a more humorous, Giffen & DeMatteis style JLI would gladly call itself "GAY FOR JUSTICE" and make such a subtitle work wonderfully.
UNCANNY X-MEN: FIRST CLASS #1: Yes, technically this should be "SECOND CLASS", or even Third for the X-Men if you consider that when their series went to reprints in 1970 for 4-5 years, Havok and Polaris had more or less joined the team (and Beast went on to star in AMAZING ADVENTURES for a while, get furry, and join the Avengers). This is the continuation of the franchise launched and written by Jeff Parker, who has since gone on to other pastures like an AGENTS OF ATLAS ongoing (which is holding steady at 25k sales the last two months). Scott Gray, best known for his FING FANG FOUR stories is now the regular writer, and after co-writing a special to stem the gap last month, is now flying solo. Roger Cruz and Val Staples return as regulars on art and colors, so there is some consistancy between volumes.
Although there is a coloring error on the cover regarding Wolverine's nose.
Jeff Parker wrote or co-wrote X-MEN FIRST CLASS for about 30 issues of material, across two sets of mini's, an ongoing series that made it 16 issues, and 2-3 one shots and annual/special style issues, alongside Cruz and Staples on art. It proved to be a charming run of stories with a much lighter approach to the X-Men. Loosely dated in continuity and spirit with the 60's material, it detailed the "First Class", the founding five X-Men. Some of the continuity was dodgy and there were hiccups now and then, but by and large it was so entertaining that it could be forgiven. If Parker's run had any problems, it is that he overrelied on team-up's and guest stars to carry stories. Doing a "set in the past" series is hard because it is naturally impossible to suspend audience belief that anyone could be killed or maimed or altered dramatically in a series when you know they go on to further adventures in others. While some of these stories still spoke to what makes, say, Cyclops or Iceman or Angel work, they did heavily rely on a team up adventure with Machine Man or Thor or Gorilla Man and so on. They were still fun and there were a few more personal, X-Focused tales, especially the 4 issue finale, FINALS. But I always wondered if the format could have worked without doing that, relying on team-up's. They happened a lot in the 60's, but not at a 75% ratio for a series. Still, considering there was that 5 year period of time between "classes" of X-Men in real time, once plugged by John Bryne's HIDDEN YEARS (a more serious and continuity heavy project, canceled at the start of the Joe Q/Bill Jemas era), it had it's place. The biggest question I had with this new version is whether the "Giant Size" team of X-Men could work under such a format. After all, by then Claremont was redefining the book and you could argue started the trends of angst and brooding. Very quickly in stories, even HEARING the word "tomb" during a fight with the Juggernaut could reduce Storm to an emotional wimpering mess, and Colossus could go berserk and start smashing things just by being in a rocket ship over his "missing" brother. It was that run that cemented the X-Men as being more than quirky heroes having wonky adventures, but was about something more. It was a direction that has been taken to extremes lately, usually for the worst. The X-Men became a darker, more serious place where no one had fun for long, they were too busy being killed or mutilated or turned into demons or cyborgs or whatever. The modern reaction of that run was the Kyle/Yost FINAL DESTINATION murder grind of NEW X-MEN, where the teenage cast was so busy being traumatized they usually ceased to be characters more than powerful hunks of meat. Finding a proper middle ground between approaches has arguably plagued the X-Books since Claremont left in 1991, and even Claremont himself.
The last special with Gray and Parker convinced me to give this new 8 issue mini a try, and this issue makes me glad I did. Those who abandon the book out of loyalty to the true "first class", nitpicks about the title, or oversaturation of some of the X-Men in canonized books, like Wolverine, are missing out on something that is quite good. Scott Gray manages to keep enough of Parker's tone in his first issue that this doesn't seem jarring when compared to, say, X-MEN: FIRST CLASS FINALS #4, while probably working in his own niche. The Inhumans guest in this issue (and presumably the next), but the story is really about Nightcrawler coming to terms with his lot as a mutant and his quest for acceptance. This has been done with Nightcrawler before but this is a return to an era when he was a swashbuckling acrobat rather than a priest, when that era of X-Men were still "new" being trained by the veteran Cyclops. It has some mature moments but it isn't handled in a way that is dripping with angst, as many stories of this type with Kurt can be. There are many fun moments and one bit between Wolverine, Banshee, Karnak and Gorgon that is hilarious.
The team is set in the late 70's model, after Karoka and after Thunderbird's death in their second mission to Count Nefaria (which isn't mentioned), and after their adventure with Lang's Sentinels when Jean Grey became Pheonix. Right now Jean is trying a career and rooming with Misty Knight and Colleen Wing, probably because Claremont was also writing POWER MAN & IRON FIST at the time. The X-Men are being trained in the Danger Room by Cyclops, and they still aren't up to par with him and the original five. Nightcrawler, though, ducked a session to go explore the city, only to be attacked by a mob after saving some children from falling bricks in Manhattan. Dismayed upon having to rely on a holographic image inducer much as he relied on a facade in the circus, Kurt laments to Colossus (who Gray remembers is supposed to be one of Kurt's best friends; sadly two generations of X-Men cartoons since 2000 have forgotten this) about his ordeal and his frustration at "waiting" to be accepted. When the Inhumans show up at the Mansion, Kurt is fascinated at Triton's tales of their home, Attilan. The city is a mix of bizarre Inhumans and Kurt even meets Crystal's then husband, Quicksilver (who steals his cameo scene excellently, and still goes by "Pietro Frank", when it was believed he was the son of the Whizzer). Colossus sees the situation as a test of Kurt's resolve, while Kurt feels it is an opportunity. It reminded me of Parker's story and minor subplot with Angel finding a hidden amazon city where he could freely fly with his wings and not have to bind them behind a shirt, only executed a little better with a different character. As with any society, though, Attilan has a dark side that Kurt misunderstands; the Terrigen Mists initiation, learning that Inhuman children are not born that way, but are "mutated" at a time of age. Not agreeing with the religious aspects of Randac, Kurt attacks the Inhumans, but the cliffhanger page suggests it may get painful.
I expect the "moral" in issue #2 will be that just as Kurt is frustrated at human society's unwillingness to understand him before assuming he is a monster, he ended up doing the same thing with the Inhumans, assuming their Terrigenesis is hurting the innocent. I suppose an aetheist, who sees all religion as fooling the innocent and/or easily led under traditions run by those in power, could feel Kurt has a point. At any rate it is an interesting situation. Continuity hounds may note that X-MEN: FIRST CLASS had the X-Men meet Medusa, so it makes sense that the Inhumans would later visit the X-Men after Medusa found herself. Moira and Lilandra are also present. There are many fun bits that nod to current stories, such as Lilandra's "respect" for the Inhumans, and many delightful moments. The banter between the X-Men for the Danger Room sequence is humorous and light hearted, and the meeting between the Inhumans and the X-Men is also a blast. The mixes of seriousness that Gray inserts into the story do not seem unnatural, nor are they bleak or depressing. Every character on the cover appears and has at least 2-3 lines, but this is a Nightcrawler story, with Colossus as main supporting character. I assume subsequent stories will focus on others. Gray has a voice for all the characters and gets a lot of good beats out of them. Again, the Wolverine/Gorgon bit is good fun, especially Cyclops' reaction to the climax.
It is a shame that the "first class" never had an issue or two with more organic guest stars, such as members Mimic, Havok, and/or Polaris. The sub-title doesn't make technical sense. And you could go back to your Claremont/Cockrum/Bryne trades and nitpick all the continuity niggles that exist, as you could have done with the last FIRST CLASS with the first ESSENTIALS volume or two. But for those on the bench I really enjoyed this issue. It carried the themes of the X-Men without the post-modern bleakness. It has a good mix of characters and the art is energetic. Staples sometimes makes everyone look plastic-glossy with his colors, but that's really my only complaint. As fun as Parker made the founding X-Men, these are the X-Men that I fell in love with via reprints as a pre-teen, and it's great to see them handled properly, but without Claremont's tics. Even the characters who don't have starring roles in the story get moments and are written well. Furthermore, Scott Gray has shown an ability to mix comedy with some serious moments, as well as being able to juggle many characters in 22 pages. In his first issue he's used the gimmick of a "team-up" to tell a story proper about one of the X-Men, which is something that Parker usually made work with his endless guest stints. Don't let other X-Men comics of the past and present prevent you from giving this a try if you like them in general or if you liked X-MEN FIRST CLASS.
Plus, despite being billed as an 8 issue mini, the price is still $2.99. A pleasant surprise.
D) in the foreground in one panel, and she just looked an awkward "kid" version of herself compared to Albuquerque's spunky look for her. It's hard to explain. Anyway, Norton still does a good job.
