PhotoJones
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It just looks like him. Chueng clearly had Gaiman in mind when he drew his "human" form. That makes it twice now that Gaiman's doubled for a Marvel character.
BOUGHT/THOUGHT May 30
- Thread starter Zaptoitnow
- Start date
It just looks like him. Chueng clearly had Gaiman in mind when he drew his "human" form. That makes it twice now that Gaiman's doubled for a Marvel character.
PhotoJones
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Silver Surfer: Requiem #1 - This is both amazing and predictable at the same time. It's very strange, that way. On one hand, the story is beautiful and full of grace and nobility. It's almost like a love letter, but I'm not sure who it's being written for. Rarely does anything fictional make me tear up, but this one came close (and if you want to know what makes PhotoJones get all misty eyed, it's the entire second to last page).
However, on the other hand, the reprecussions aren't going to last. The Surfer is not going to die. That fact makes it very hard to really invest myself in the story. But even then, it's written so well that it's worth it to continue reading the rest of the series.
There's some Reed Richards-y science in here. The way the Surfer's powers (and really, his whole existence) are scientifically explained is equal parts cool and weird. Again, on one hand the science of it is interesting. JMS does a good job of making it seem both practical and extremely advanced. On the other hand, is it necessary? I honestly don't know the answer. Would it be better to just explain the Surfer's powers as what they are: the Power Cosmic? I don't know. Marvel seems to be in the mode of making their characters seem more grounded, and Norrin's no exception. I think maybe I wish I didn't understand how his powers worked.
If you haven't figured it out by now, the Surfer is dying. Richards equates his powers to that of a machine, albeit a very advanced machine. And as machine do, he's breaking down. The problem is that his "shell" is tied in with his central nervous system. Once the shell goes, Norrin's going to go, too. Reed thinks he's got a month, tops.
See what I mean? Doesn't that sort of take away from the....I don't know...."mysticism" of the Surfer? I think so, anyway. It's almost like saying, "Oh the Silver Surfer's nothing but an old junker". Thankfully, JMS' characterization of Norrin is so spot on, you almost forget the other parts. Like I said, it really is devastating to see Norrin's wonderfully, positive outlook on his life despite everything that's happening to him. It's so beautiful that for this story to not end in his death would be a disservice. If this is in fact the "Death of the Silver Surfer", than I hope Marvel has the guns to follow through with it and let him rest.
And I can't believe I've gotten this far without mentioning Ribic. His pages are beautiful. His storytelling is perfectly in synch with JMS' words. The way he makes the Surfer move with such grace and fluidity (is that a word?) is amazing. This is the best work of his that I've ever seen. If you look closely, you'll see that he signs every page, as if it's a masterpiece, and they are. And if you look even closer, you'll see something Ribic inserted that makes him look like a prophet; something very timely.
I'm glad I picked this up. After Spider-Man: Reign, my faith in the Marvel Knights line was a little shaken. But despite it's flaws, this puts the bar back up where it should be.
However, on the other hand, the reprecussions aren't going to last. The Surfer is not going to die. That fact makes it very hard to really invest myself in the story. But even then, it's written so well that it's worth it to continue reading the rest of the series.
There's some Reed Richards-y science in here. The way the Surfer's powers (and really, his whole existence) are scientifically explained is equal parts cool and weird. Again, on one hand the science of it is interesting. JMS does a good job of making it seem both practical and extremely advanced. On the other hand, is it necessary? I honestly don't know the answer. Would it be better to just explain the Surfer's powers as what they are: the Power Cosmic? I don't know. Marvel seems to be in the mode of making their characters seem more grounded, and Norrin's no exception. I think maybe I wish I didn't understand how his powers worked.
If you haven't figured it out by now, the Surfer is dying. Richards equates his powers to that of a machine, albeit a very advanced machine. And as machine do, he's breaking down. The problem is that his "shell" is tied in with his central nervous system. Once the shell goes, Norrin's going to go, too. Reed thinks he's got a month, tops.
See what I mean? Doesn't that sort of take away from the....I don't know...."mysticism" of the Surfer? I think so, anyway. It's almost like saying, "Oh the Silver Surfer's nothing but an old junker". Thankfully, JMS' characterization of Norrin is so spot on, you almost forget the other parts. Like I said, it really is devastating to see Norrin's wonderfully, positive outlook on his life despite everything that's happening to him. It's so beautiful that for this story to not end in his death would be a disservice. If this is in fact the "Death of the Silver Surfer", than I hope Marvel has the guns to follow through with it and let him rest.
And I can't believe I've gotten this far without mentioning Ribic. His pages are beautiful. His storytelling is perfectly in synch with JMS' words. The way he makes the Surfer move with such grace and fluidity (is that a word?) is amazing. This is the best work of his that I've ever seen. If you look closely, you'll see that he signs every page, as if it's a masterpiece, and they are. And if you look even closer, you'll see something Ribic inserted that makes him look like a prophet; something very timely.
I'm glad I picked this up. After Spider-Man: Reign, my faith in the Marvel Knights line was a little shaken. But despite it's flaws, this puts the bar back up where it should be.
Dread
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It has been a long, wild day for this poster, so I will try to get these reviews out before I collapse from fatique. Last week's reviews were surprisingly positive from me. This week is a small week to finish off May, but also a week where two late books graced us with their prescence. Plus, next week looks to be heavy, so it balances. As always, full spoilers ahead.
DREAD'S BOUGHT/THOUGHT for 5/31/07:
BLUE BEETLE #15: A somewhat quirky issue as neither Giffen or Rogers, who launched the book and co-write it before Rogers seemed to take over full time, are on this. Instead we get Torres from TEEN TITANS and Williams II on art, a new creative team for the book. However, Roger & Alburquerque return next issue, so in layman's terms this is a "fill-in" issue, something DC has had issues with lately. Fortunately, BLUE BEETLE isn't plagued by chronic lateness nor is cut off mid-storyline, so this is a rather harmless fill-in, which is how it should be. Torres tells a story where Jaime has nightmares about the wonky alien armor bug powers that he's had for the past year or so, and suddenly decides he is potentially dangerous and needs to contact someone for guidance and help. It does seem awkward as some of the past issues saw Jaime, who is still in the "awkward rookie hero" phase, at least accepting his powers enough to want to do some good with them. This story might have fit in better half a year ago, but Torres at least uses past issue continuity and, again, as a "filler", it really is harmless. Besides, Jaime has had to battle his armor for control all series and sometimes it comes and goes, so some fear of losing control is justified. Jaime has always had some stock teen angst so on that level of the genre it can be acceptted. He ponders the fate of the last Beetle, as well as his meeting with Guy last issue and the fact that the creators of his armor are still playing their "To Serve Man" bit, so his net-friends convince him to contact STAR Labs for aid in keeping himself in control. Unfortunately, this seems to prove the cliche to never listen to 'net friends, because very quickly he is engaged in a random battle with Livewire. I was aware of Livewire from the SUPERMAN ANIMATED SERIES for which she was created, and knew that Gail Simone intro'd her into DC canon, a good decade after she was created (got to love how "current" DC can be...oh, wait, they're STILL relying on "remake the universe" bits from 21 years ago? Never mind). It sort of presumes you know Livewire from her past appearences, which I don't. From what I gathered, she apparently fought Superman but was brought and kept at STAR Labs for testing. Much like in BB #9 (when someone else's powers reacted badly to his), her powers react badly to Jaime's and she is able to "absorb" his energy, until Superman breaks things up and gives Blue Beetle a cheesy little speach about being responsible without really addressing the issue of Jaime fearing for his control. The ending sort of falls flat and relies on Rogers picking up on this bit in the next issue. I mean if Jaime scheduled lessons at STAR or something, I could understand, but basically it ends with Superman going, "Well, just coming here means you're responsible, so good luck, son!" and he flies off without every seeing if BB didn't just fly on home. By that logic, a drunk is responsible if they just show up to an AA meeting building, but don't read any literature or take part in any activity because "just showing up proves strength", which is baloney. Still, for a filler I guess this is overanalyzing it a bit, especially since even the core BLUE BEETLE issues aren't really anything groundbreaking, just standard, albeit enjoyable, teen hero stuff. The next issue is a tie-in to COUNTDOWN, which stinks for anyone not reading it, and seems to be the last gasp of a book selling well below the Top 100, and may struggle to make it past issue #18. Still, nothing to prevent me from seeing it through, as a stress-free superhero comic.
FRESHMEN II #4: Shipping about 3 months after the prior issue, I would be lying if I said my anticipation for this book hasn't suffered. I would sometimes forget when issues were shipping even when they were timely, after all. And while FRESHMEN II, much like FRESHMEN I, is enjoyable teen hero fluff, it, like BLUE BEETLE, isn't anything groundbreaking or even something heavilly hyped, so it is at risk of falling through the cracks. Meltzer's cover blurb about cover blurbs, however, is priceless. The issue is narrated by Beaver as the gang find Brady (one half of the Drama Twins) brutally beaten in the forest and Puppeteer missing, abducted by cyborg warriors. Green Thumb is still flirting with suicide and tormented by plants, but so far there is no explaination for how he seems to be surviving these attempts to off himself. Luck? Part of his powers? Or what? The issue was very busy as the gang mounts a rescue, finding out that Puppeteer's father is involved because he wants the machine that created their powers, as his own research has been attempting to make "new men". It is a bit of a generic ploy and the gang only finds out via a dues ex machina type clue on the scene. In the last volume, the team encountered superstrong jock brutes, who had no personalities besides for being really violent, and this time they are replaced by cyborg musclemen that pretty much serve the same purpose; it gives it the feel of a beat-'em-up video game where the minions may have different colors or designs, but basically the same style and mannerisms. The art at times seemed rushed, as well. But Sterbakov still manages some fun dialogue, especially some exchanges between Long Dong and Adhesor, as well as "Scarlet Knight"'s new girlfriend tagging along on their adventure, only to learn he obviously still pines for Puppeteer, who Brady is into. Mr. Fiddlesticks also turns out to be the super-powered psychic alter ego of the kid who went missing from their origin last volume, off panel. Mr. Fiddlesticks manages to keep his creepy, Sam Keith-esque charm as he seemingly pulls Puppeteer into his twisted mind, and the story offers what one would expect from the genre; some wonky powers, teen angst, and action. It's hardly the best out there, but enough to keep me aboard, especially since issues ship every 2-3 months anyway. The series seems to shift between darkless and light, between depth and fluff, and hopefully it manages to mesh both into a decent ending. Beaver seems to not be obsessing about dams so much, which sort of takes away his immediate charm, but may hint that the mascot is growing as a character. And hey, Quaker actually used his powers!
NEW AVENGERS: THE ILLUMINATI #3: Last issue having shipped end of Feb., this series is also at least 2 months late. Cheung is normally a slow artist, and Marvel does this mini no favors by delying Cheung by having him do covers for other books, like AVENGERS: INITIATIVE and whatnot. Sort of how they yanked Cassaday from the already-sluggish ASTONISHING X-MEN to do more CW stuff. It makes all of Joe Q's occasional speaches about the inevitability of late comics seem hollow, when it seems like simply mismanagement or shameless "trading of audiences" in priority sometimes is to blame. Anyway, despite my usual Bendis-Bias and the fact that this series can be an awkward retcon machine combined with Bendis' pet fetish of having superheroes fail, all the time, in whatever they try to accomplish, this series (co-written by Brian Reed, who likely does the research stuff that Bendy usually couldn't be bothered with) overall has been a decent read. Ironically I probably give it more of a pass than I have usually done for MIGHTY AVENGERS, despite this series seeming way more pretentious while MA begs to be taken as light action fluff. I guess it is because the cast of MA still haven't answered for their sins during CW and over in NEW AVENGERS are treated as outright *****ebags, so they don't gell together (imagine if Darth Vader is treated as a hero in one book, and a villain in another). Anyway, this issue weaves itself between SECRET WATS in 1984 and SECRET WARS II in 1985-86, when the Beyonder decided to come to Earth wearing some white get-up that not even Micheal Jackson would be caught dead in. This series attempts to retcon his "cosmic mystery" origin and claims that Xavier's attempts to probe him suring the original SW revealed that he was just a mutant empowered by Terragin Mists; a Mutant Inhuman, sort of like Quicksilver is now. This somehow made him more powerful than many Elders of the Universe and caused him to forget most of his origin, and for Black Bolt to forget his existance. Finding out that Beyonder is active again, the group, sans Iron Man (who was having his own issues around this time) rushes off to find him. In true Bendis fashion, little fighting actually takes place and the heroes seemingly talk their foe into submission...only don't. After proving his godmoder powers, Namor seems to speak for Black Bolt to get him to cease, but he doesn't, and visits Earth in SECRET WARS II (which was a crime unto itself). Once again, the Illuminati fail. But isn't that the point of the series? It is, but as well told as some of these stories are, it is getting rather thin. I am not sure what retconning Beyonder's origin really accomplished, aside for giving the team an easy excuse to go talk to him (and a connection to one of their ranks). Still, Cheung has nice art and even manages to make 80's Hair Band Beyonder almost look passable. Almost. Namor of course comes off well and as for why he spoke for Black Bolt rather than Charles, it may be because both are monarchs with histories of being aggressive and on that level may be more simular than dissimular. And for all the hassles, this is Bendis playing to what he seems to like to do; have self-indulgent retcons to feel important, have a lot of characters talking, and have heroes exist only to endlessly fail, and the stories at least have been interesting to read. This formula hasn't worked as consistantly on NEW AVENGERS historically, but it is working here. Maybe Reed makes a good co-writer? Or what? While late, much like ALL-STAR SUPERMAN, the stories are one-shot and fairly self-contained, so the lateness doesn't effect the flow much, if not the anticipation. If any series shows that Bendis is better at one-shot tales than arcs, it is this one.
ULIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR #42: After a little break, Ferry returns to art for this continuation of Carey's run, which looks to be another shameless tie-in to a comic film. USM did it with SPIDER-MAN 2, the 616 Spidey books are doing it with SPIDER-MAN 3, and even DC attempted to draw blood from a stone with taking some SUPERMAN RETURNS elements to their books. These sorts of things almost never bring in new readers and just irk the old ones, so it can get grating. However, and this is a major point, I will give Carey the benefit of the doubt for this SILVER SURFER arc for one reason; because the Surfer's more official introduction in Ellis' ULTIMAT EXTINCTION stunk. It just was poorly handled and Ellis perhaps being too unique for his own good. The guy always felt like some generic metal warrior, never like a Surfer. This is a chance to bring in a more straightforward Surfer, even if the end of the issue pretty much ripped off half of every FF2 trailer you have ever seen. Much like with Ultimate Diablo, Carey is able to overcome some quibbles by having prior versions being so terrible as to lower expectations (616 Diablo is friggin' stupid, so anything is an improvement). Twice in a row is no accident so I think Carey is trying to pick his spots, which can work. Overall, I have always felt that Carey has an idea of what to do here, it is that sometimes his arcs were bogged down by the cons that kept the pro's from leaping out as they should have. The God War arc was ambitious, but bogged down by conveluted sci-fi babble and whatnot. The Diablo story had a good recreation and some neat battles, but was bogged by some stale mages and the fact that to me, magic in Ultimate doesn't seem to fit because after some 2-5 years of overindulging on genetics, technology, black leather and "psuedo-realism", simply shoe-horning magic in as a universe staple seems too forced (like when Vaughan, all of a sudden, throws in a magical gem of Cytorrak into ULTIMATE X-MEN ANNUAL). It is not the fault of the writers, but the expectations build on the foundations of the original creators of Ultimate, which were Bendis & Millar. Carey's two 2-parters on Ultimate Mad Thinker were fun actioners and he got a good tale out of Mole Man for the second annual. Unlike Bendis on USM, which destroyed all of my goodwill, or Kirkman, who at times has seemed aimless on ULTIMATE X-MEN until recently, Carey at least comes off as having some sort of idea of what to do here, and just may need experience to work off the cogs. This arc builds on the last with Reed having his Thanos-inspired quest to build that cube and Thing, his sister and whatnot still recovering from their time-travel adventure, so this issue had the past gelling together and I guess like the last issue of NEWUNIVERSAL, it clicked for me more than some past issues and I liked it, despite some movie rips. If Carey can finally get a good version of Ultimate Silver Surfer, so be it. This one hails from "another universe". I just wonder if another Gal Ahk Tus is on the way? Because that might be pushin' it. That was only a year ago and the wounds are fresh. If Carey can pull off a good version of Surfer without attaching him to Galactus as expected, it could be quite interesting. Sure, this is another "Reed meddles and creates a crisis" adventure, but isn't that a normal F4 staple? Ever since the beginning? Carey will never be Millar on this book, but I get the feeling he is trying to get his ducks in a row. I've had more patience with him than Kirkman on Ultimate X-Men, and that is considering I all but worship Kirkman's other works like ANT-MAN and INVINCIBLE.
DREAD'S BOUGHT/THOUGHT for 5/31/07:
BLUE BEETLE #15: A somewhat quirky issue as neither Giffen or Rogers, who launched the book and co-write it before Rogers seemed to take over full time, are on this. Instead we get Torres from TEEN TITANS and Williams II on art, a new creative team for the book. However, Roger & Alburquerque return next issue, so in layman's terms this is a "fill-in" issue, something DC has had issues with lately. Fortunately, BLUE BEETLE isn't plagued by chronic lateness nor is cut off mid-storyline, so this is a rather harmless fill-in, which is how it should be. Torres tells a story where Jaime has nightmares about the wonky alien armor bug powers that he's had for the past year or so, and suddenly decides he is potentially dangerous and needs to contact someone for guidance and help. It does seem awkward as some of the past issues saw Jaime, who is still in the "awkward rookie hero" phase, at least accepting his powers enough to want to do some good with them. This story might have fit in better half a year ago, but Torres at least uses past issue continuity and, again, as a "filler", it really is harmless. Besides, Jaime has had to battle his armor for control all series and sometimes it comes and goes, so some fear of losing control is justified. Jaime has always had some stock teen angst so on that level of the genre it can be acceptted. He ponders the fate of the last Beetle, as well as his meeting with Guy last issue and the fact that the creators of his armor are still playing their "To Serve Man" bit, so his net-friends convince him to contact STAR Labs for aid in keeping himself in control. Unfortunately, this seems to prove the cliche to never listen to 'net friends, because very quickly he is engaged in a random battle with Livewire. I was aware of Livewire from the SUPERMAN ANIMATED SERIES for which she was created, and knew that Gail Simone intro'd her into DC canon, a good decade after she was created (got to love how "current" DC can be...oh, wait, they're STILL relying on "remake the universe" bits from 21 years ago? Never mind). It sort of presumes you know Livewire from her past appearences, which I don't. From what I gathered, she apparently fought Superman but was brought and kept at STAR Labs for testing. Much like in BB #9 (when someone else's powers reacted badly to his), her powers react badly to Jaime's and she is able to "absorb" his energy, until Superman breaks things up and gives Blue Beetle a cheesy little speach about being responsible without really addressing the issue of Jaime fearing for his control. The ending sort of falls flat and relies on Rogers picking up on this bit in the next issue. I mean if Jaime scheduled lessons at STAR or something, I could understand, but basically it ends with Superman going, "Well, just coming here means you're responsible, so good luck, son!" and he flies off without every seeing if BB didn't just fly on home. By that logic, a drunk is responsible if they just show up to an AA meeting building, but don't read any literature or take part in any activity because "just showing up proves strength", which is baloney. Still, for a filler I guess this is overanalyzing it a bit, especially since even the core BLUE BEETLE issues aren't really anything groundbreaking, just standard, albeit enjoyable, teen hero stuff. The next issue is a tie-in to COUNTDOWN, which stinks for anyone not reading it, and seems to be the last gasp of a book selling well below the Top 100, and may struggle to make it past issue #18. Still, nothing to prevent me from seeing it through, as a stress-free superhero comic.
FRESHMEN II #4: Shipping about 3 months after the prior issue, I would be lying if I said my anticipation for this book hasn't suffered. I would sometimes forget when issues were shipping even when they were timely, after all. And while FRESHMEN II, much like FRESHMEN I, is enjoyable teen hero fluff, it, like BLUE BEETLE, isn't anything groundbreaking or even something heavilly hyped, so it is at risk of falling through the cracks. Meltzer's cover blurb about cover blurbs, however, is priceless. The issue is narrated by Beaver as the gang find Brady (one half of the Drama Twins) brutally beaten in the forest and Puppeteer missing, abducted by cyborg warriors. Green Thumb is still flirting with suicide and tormented by plants, but so far there is no explaination for how he seems to be surviving these attempts to off himself. Luck? Part of his powers? Or what? The issue was very busy as the gang mounts a rescue, finding out that Puppeteer's father is involved because he wants the machine that created their powers, as his own research has been attempting to make "new men". It is a bit of a generic ploy and the gang only finds out via a dues ex machina type clue on the scene. In the last volume, the team encountered superstrong jock brutes, who had no personalities besides for being really violent, and this time they are replaced by cyborg musclemen that pretty much serve the same purpose; it gives it the feel of a beat-'em-up video game where the minions may have different colors or designs, but basically the same style and mannerisms. The art at times seemed rushed, as well. But Sterbakov still manages some fun dialogue, especially some exchanges between Long Dong and Adhesor, as well as "Scarlet Knight"'s new girlfriend tagging along on their adventure, only to learn he obviously still pines for Puppeteer, who Brady is into. Mr. Fiddlesticks also turns out to be the super-powered psychic alter ego of the kid who went missing from their origin last volume, off panel. Mr. Fiddlesticks manages to keep his creepy, Sam Keith-esque charm as he seemingly pulls Puppeteer into his twisted mind, and the story offers what one would expect from the genre; some wonky powers, teen angst, and action. It's hardly the best out there, but enough to keep me aboard, especially since issues ship every 2-3 months anyway. The series seems to shift between darkless and light, between depth and fluff, and hopefully it manages to mesh both into a decent ending. Beaver seems to not be obsessing about dams so much, which sort of takes away his immediate charm, but may hint that the mascot is growing as a character. And hey, Quaker actually used his powers!
NEW AVENGERS: THE ILLUMINATI #3: Last issue having shipped end of Feb., this series is also at least 2 months late. Cheung is normally a slow artist, and Marvel does this mini no favors by delying Cheung by having him do covers for other books, like AVENGERS: INITIATIVE and whatnot. Sort of how they yanked Cassaday from the already-sluggish ASTONISHING X-MEN to do more CW stuff. It makes all of Joe Q's occasional speaches about the inevitability of late comics seem hollow, when it seems like simply mismanagement or shameless "trading of audiences" in priority sometimes is to blame. Anyway, despite my usual Bendis-Bias and the fact that this series can be an awkward retcon machine combined with Bendis' pet fetish of having superheroes fail, all the time, in whatever they try to accomplish, this series (co-written by Brian Reed, who likely does the research stuff that Bendy usually couldn't be bothered with) overall has been a decent read. Ironically I probably give it more of a pass than I have usually done for MIGHTY AVENGERS, despite this series seeming way more pretentious while MA begs to be taken as light action fluff. I guess it is because the cast of MA still haven't answered for their sins during CW and over in NEW AVENGERS are treated as outright *****ebags, so they don't gell together (imagine if Darth Vader is treated as a hero in one book, and a villain in another). Anyway, this issue weaves itself between SECRET WATS in 1984 and SECRET WARS II in 1985-86, when the Beyonder decided to come to Earth wearing some white get-up that not even Micheal Jackson would be caught dead in. This series attempts to retcon his "cosmic mystery" origin and claims that Xavier's attempts to probe him suring the original SW revealed that he was just a mutant empowered by Terragin Mists; a Mutant Inhuman, sort of like Quicksilver is now. This somehow made him more powerful than many Elders of the Universe and caused him to forget most of his origin, and for Black Bolt to forget his existance. Finding out that Beyonder is active again, the group, sans Iron Man (who was having his own issues around this time) rushes off to find him. In true Bendis fashion, little fighting actually takes place and the heroes seemingly talk their foe into submission...only don't. After proving his godmoder powers, Namor seems to speak for Black Bolt to get him to cease, but he doesn't, and visits Earth in SECRET WARS II (which was a crime unto itself). Once again, the Illuminati fail. But isn't that the point of the series? It is, but as well told as some of these stories are, it is getting rather thin. I am not sure what retconning Beyonder's origin really accomplished, aside for giving the team an easy excuse to go talk to him (and a connection to one of their ranks). Still, Cheung has nice art and even manages to make 80's Hair Band Beyonder almost look passable. Almost. Namor of course comes off well and as for why he spoke for Black Bolt rather than Charles, it may be because both are monarchs with histories of being aggressive and on that level may be more simular than dissimular. And for all the hassles, this is Bendis playing to what he seems to like to do; have self-indulgent retcons to feel important, have a lot of characters talking, and have heroes exist only to endlessly fail, and the stories at least have been interesting to read. This formula hasn't worked as consistantly on NEW AVENGERS historically, but it is working here. Maybe Reed makes a good co-writer? Or what? While late, much like ALL-STAR SUPERMAN, the stories are one-shot and fairly self-contained, so the lateness doesn't effect the flow much, if not the anticipation. If any series shows that Bendis is better at one-shot tales than arcs, it is this one.
ULIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR #42: After a little break, Ferry returns to art for this continuation of Carey's run, which looks to be another shameless tie-in to a comic film. USM did it with SPIDER-MAN 2, the 616 Spidey books are doing it with SPIDER-MAN 3, and even DC attempted to draw blood from a stone with taking some SUPERMAN RETURNS elements to their books. These sorts of things almost never bring in new readers and just irk the old ones, so it can get grating. However, and this is a major point, I will give Carey the benefit of the doubt for this SILVER SURFER arc for one reason; because the Surfer's more official introduction in Ellis' ULTIMAT EXTINCTION stunk. It just was poorly handled and Ellis perhaps being too unique for his own good. The guy always felt like some generic metal warrior, never like a Surfer. This is a chance to bring in a more straightforward Surfer, even if the end of the issue pretty much ripped off half of every FF2 trailer you have ever seen. Much like with Ultimate Diablo, Carey is able to overcome some quibbles by having prior versions being so terrible as to lower expectations (616 Diablo is friggin' stupid, so anything is an improvement). Twice in a row is no accident so I think Carey is trying to pick his spots, which can work. Overall, I have always felt that Carey has an idea of what to do here, it is that sometimes his arcs were bogged down by the cons that kept the pro's from leaping out as they should have. The God War arc was ambitious, but bogged down by conveluted sci-fi babble and whatnot. The Diablo story had a good recreation and some neat battles, but was bogged by some stale mages and the fact that to me, magic in Ultimate doesn't seem to fit because after some 2-5 years of overindulging on genetics, technology, black leather and "psuedo-realism", simply shoe-horning magic in as a universe staple seems too forced (like when Vaughan, all of a sudden, throws in a magical gem of Cytorrak into ULTIMATE X-MEN ANNUAL). It is not the fault of the writers, but the expectations build on the foundations of the original creators of Ultimate, which were Bendis & Millar. Carey's two 2-parters on Ultimate Mad Thinker were fun actioners and he got a good tale out of Mole Man for the second annual. Unlike Bendis on USM, which destroyed all of my goodwill, or Kirkman, who at times has seemed aimless on ULTIMATE X-MEN until recently, Carey at least comes off as having some sort of idea of what to do here, and just may need experience to work off the cogs. This arc builds on the last with Reed having his Thanos-inspired quest to build that cube and Thing, his sister and whatnot still recovering from their time-travel adventure, so this issue had the past gelling together and I guess like the last issue of NEWUNIVERSAL, it clicked for me more than some past issues and I liked it, despite some movie rips. If Carey can finally get a good version of Ultimate Silver Surfer, so be it. This one hails from "another universe". I just wonder if another Gal Ahk Tus is on the way? Because that might be pushin' it. That was only a year ago and the wounds are fresh. If Carey can pull off a good version of Surfer without attaching him to Galactus as expected, it could be quite interesting. Sure, this is another "Reed meddles and creates a crisis" adventure, but isn't that a normal F4 staple? Ever since the beginning? Carey will never be Millar on this book, but I get the feeling he is trying to get his ducks in a row. I've had more patience with him than Kirkman on Ultimate X-Men, and that is considering I all but worship Kirkman's other works like ANT-MAN and INVINCIBLE.
TheCorpulent1
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Are you sure? Cheung doesn't look like he puts that much thought into his faces. I just figured he drew his standard, unisex face on the Beyonder and made his hair flatter, since we're now 20 years removed from the '80s' "bigger is better" hair ideal.
Also, I don't think anything was wrong with the Beyonder's original origin, either. He was the collective mind of an alternate dimension that had no concept of desire, so when he managed to peek through to ours and witness desire via a cosmic fluke, he was intrigued and physically manifested to explore the concept. Sounds like good space opera to me.
PhotoJones
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I think he looks like Nail Gaiman. And think about is. The Beyonder. Neil Gaiman. Sounds about right to me.
deathshead2
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There both super-powered beings. Who can mess with energy to do what ever they want.
Dread
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Shouldn't you be tossing caps and shaking hands right about now?
I did that early afternoon.
TheCorpulent1
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I do believe I've seen pictures of Gaiman in a jacket that looks surprisingly like the Beyonder's. Or possibly Michael Jackson's jacket from "Beat It."
TheCorpulent1
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I can't help his choice in jackets. 
Simple, I'm prone to rash and irrational hatred of individuals. I personally believe that Martha Stewart is a hell being that cannot be killed until the end times when the one who was sent to deliver us from her wicked salads and decopage with deepfried donuts and butter soaked shell fish. That deliverer is Paula Dean.
Neil Gaiman is simply lead down the wrong path, and may convert if he pledges his soul to Brian K. Vaughn
Neil Gaiman is simply lead down the wrong path, and may convert if he pledges his soul to Brian K. Vaughn
PhotoJones
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I did that early afternoon.
Congrats!
Being the Beyonder is what Neil does inbetween books. It's as close as he can get to relating to us common folk.
Darthphere
Kneel before 'Drox!
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So Medusa didn't give Maximus a ******* in this issue?
Darthphere
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I know, but there's always time for blowjobs.
PWN3R
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Exactly, and this week only got an 8. Restraining orders are only worth so much then they're no good.
A nip slip would have given it ten.
BrianWilly
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Countdown #48
Of course, it's all so clear now...Jimmy is the bastard child of Elongated Man and Jesse Quick.
The way I'd describe the status of this book right now is...interesting, but damn slow. I know, I know...a weekly book like this probably can't help how slow it feels...but then, 52 did alright with pacing, didn't it? Comparing this book to 52 all the time is probably robbing me of some enjoyment, but I can't help it. I just think that when Mary Marvel begins the issue speaking timidly to a scary-lookin' Black Adam and ends the issue still speaking timidly to the same scary-lookin' Black Adam, you're doing something wrong.
Jason has...a surprising amount of chemistry with Donna, and I'm actually looking forward to where they go with this. Still, I'm feeling an upsetting lack of Kyle Rayner in this title, and they promised me Kyle Rayner dammit. I want my threesome!
DC Continuity fck-up of the week part 1! Karate Kid is still in the JLA holding cell, which means that we're still in midst of the Lightning Saga crossover. So...what the poop is Superman doing in Vega or whatever? Shouldn't he be with the League and Society figuring out the Legion of Superheroes stuff?
(7.6 out of 10)
Speaking of which...
Justice Society of America #6
"Our devotion to each other was unexplainable."
"You were kids."
"No, Batman. We were Legion."
I swear, sometimes it feels like Geoff Johns was selectively bred to write ensemble books. Every single character gets a moment, and in a cast of more than twenty that is an insane feat (Where's Alan Scott, though
?). Hell, I only know about these Legionnaires on a peripheral level and within a couple of pages Johns gets me to care deeply about what happens to them all.
Also, kudos for the massive tentacle ********!
What's gonna happen next? Well a theory has been mentioned on these forums regarding the identity of the dead Legionnaire that they're trying to revive, and...well, color me very, very interested.
(8.9 out of 10)
Amazons Attack #2
I literally started laughing my ass off at the "shocking" twist ending. Oh, great idea Pfeifer. Seriously, this was a great move. So very original. Good thing this EXACT SAME EVENT JUST HAPPENED a few years ago in Our Worlds at War. Like, the exact same event. I think Superman even has the exact same expression. There's no way that Pfeifer or at least his editors aren't aware of this.
Nothing here is original, and nothing here makes sense. They keep telling us that nothing makes sense. They have Amazons walk right up to the camera to say "Wait, why are we doing this again? We don't act like this. This is very strange." and then, with the finesse of a drunken crocodile, proceed to completely ignore this incredibly vital question and have the Amazons continue acting exactly the way that they themselves tell us they don't act. Wow. Writers being written into a ridiculous corner by other writers is somewhat common, but it's not every day that writers will write themselves into a ridiculous corner.
Hippolyta is still acting like a megalomaniacal womb-crazy supervillainess, for anyone keeping track. I wish I could say I've been so numbed by her acting so completely out-of-character in the past month that her act of squirting crazy b*tch juice all over Donna's face (visual!) wasn't surprising at all...but no. Pfeifer continues to write bullsht, and I continue to be shocked by it.
Is the art pretty? Yes, incredibly. Is the action good? The action is great. And for what it's worth, there truly is a sense of heightened suspense and apprehension and drama going on here; the DCU is faced with an attack from a formidable foe, and what happens from here is anyone's guess. But all of this is interspersed amidst a backdrop of plots that make no sense, characters that make no sense, and a complete lack of anything remotely resembling originality or subtlety. So, yes, I imagine that if you've never read a single appearance from any of the Amazons -- and especially Hippolyta -- before in your lives, you'll probably find things to like here and probably won't think it's the most offensively incompetent piece of work within recent memory. Personally though, I can't imagine any trait more insulting to a comic than for its quality to be based on ignorance of the characters involved.
DC Continuity fck-up of the week part 2! -Hippolyta wants Donna to bring Diana to her to discuss things, except that she should have met Diana already; it was depicted during the latest Wonder Woman (which we know precedes this issue because of Nemesis' knowledge re: Everyman and the fact that Hippolyta mentions killing Circe) and, uh, during the first issue of this series. Batman wonders where Diana is and which side she is on, except that he just met her and she made her allegiance pretty clear during, again, the latest issue of WW. Wow. This isn't Infinite Crisis, people! There are so far only two books here that you need to keep continuity between, and you can't even manage that?
(2.9 out of 10)
Blue Beetle #15
A pretty uneventful issue, oddly considering that a lot happened. Maybe the inclusion of anything Livewire-related *shudder* is enough to give me an inverse *****. If you've never seen Livewire's episode in the Superman cartoon...count yourself lucky.
What does come across really well here is Jaime's personality, which is still great. His actions, decisions, and reactions here all feel incredibly true to his character, almost as if a writer is taking the time to evaluate the characters that they're writing. Yeah, I know, crazy. And the book continues to sing the praises of Ted Kord, for anyone still following.
(8 out of 10)
Teen Titans #47
Much better than the last issue, which is of course not saying much since Beechen could have turned in blank pages and it would have been better than the last issue.
We do get some nice moments of characterization here, in characters like Cassie and Donna and even Jason. A bit cliche and nothing to sing about, but they're nice.
Robin kicking Jason's nuts was meh. I mean, guys don't do that. Girls do that, but not guys. It's so...girly. But then again, the definition of someone who fights fair against people who could kick his ass is "loser," so *shrug*
The quicker McKeever comes on this title, the better. I frankly don't trust Cassie near Beechen for too long. Especially with her crossing over to Amazons Attack in the next issue...it's like two trains coming at each other at ninety-nine miles per hour.
DC Continuity fck-up of the week part 3! Cyborg was shown in Countdown as being at Duela's funeral. But here, it is a fairly significant plot point that he doesn't go, since he's helping Jericho deal with Match. Good job guyz!
(6.7 out of 10)
Of course, it's all so clear now...Jimmy is the bastard child of Elongated Man and Jesse Quick.
The way I'd describe the status of this book right now is...interesting, but damn slow. I know, I know...a weekly book like this probably can't help how slow it feels...but then, 52 did alright with pacing, didn't it? Comparing this book to 52 all the time is probably robbing me of some enjoyment, but I can't help it. I just think that when Mary Marvel begins the issue speaking timidly to a scary-lookin' Black Adam and ends the issue still speaking timidly to the same scary-lookin' Black Adam, you're doing something wrong.
Jason has...a surprising amount of chemistry with Donna, and I'm actually looking forward to where they go with this. Still, I'm feeling an upsetting lack of Kyle Rayner in this title, and they promised me Kyle Rayner dammit. I want my threesome!
DC Continuity fck-up of the week part 1! Karate Kid is still in the JLA holding cell, which means that we're still in midst of the Lightning Saga crossover. So...what the poop is Superman doing in Vega or whatever? Shouldn't he be with the League and Society figuring out the Legion of Superheroes stuff?
(7.6 out of 10)
Speaking of which...
Justice Society of America #6
"Our devotion to each other was unexplainable."
"You were kids."
"No, Batman. We were Legion."
I swear, sometimes it feels like Geoff Johns was selectively bred to write ensemble books. Every single character gets a moment, and in a cast of more than twenty that is an insane feat (Where's Alan Scott, though
?). Hell, I only know about these Legionnaires on a peripheral level and within a couple of pages Johns gets me to care deeply about what happens to them all.Also, kudos for the massive tentacle ********!
What's gonna happen next? Well a theory has been mentioned on these forums regarding the identity of the dead Legionnaire that they're trying to revive, and...well, color me very, very interested.
(8.9 out of 10)
Amazons Attack #2
I literally started laughing my ass off at the "shocking" twist ending. Oh, great idea Pfeifer. Seriously, this was a great move. So very original. Good thing this EXACT SAME EVENT JUST HAPPENED a few years ago in Our Worlds at War. Like, the exact same event. I think Superman even has the exact same expression. There's no way that Pfeifer or at least his editors aren't aware of this.
Nothing here is original, and nothing here makes sense. They keep telling us that nothing makes sense. They have Amazons walk right up to the camera to say "Wait, why are we doing this again? We don't act like this. This is very strange." and then, with the finesse of a drunken crocodile, proceed to completely ignore this incredibly vital question and have the Amazons continue acting exactly the way that they themselves tell us they don't act. Wow. Writers being written into a ridiculous corner by other writers is somewhat common, but it's not every day that writers will write themselves into a ridiculous corner.
Hippolyta is still acting like a megalomaniacal womb-crazy supervillainess, for anyone keeping track. I wish I could say I've been so numbed by her acting so completely out-of-character in the past month that her act of squirting crazy b*tch juice all over Donna's face (visual!) wasn't surprising at all...but no. Pfeifer continues to write bullsht, and I continue to be shocked by it.
Is the art pretty? Yes, incredibly. Is the action good? The action is great. And for what it's worth, there truly is a sense of heightened suspense and apprehension and drama going on here; the DCU is faced with an attack from a formidable foe, and what happens from here is anyone's guess. But all of this is interspersed amidst a backdrop of plots that make no sense, characters that make no sense, and a complete lack of anything remotely resembling originality or subtlety. So, yes, I imagine that if you've never read a single appearance from any of the Amazons -- and especially Hippolyta -- before in your lives, you'll probably find things to like here and probably won't think it's the most offensively incompetent piece of work within recent memory. Personally though, I can't imagine any trait more insulting to a comic than for its quality to be based on ignorance of the characters involved.
DC Continuity fck-up of the week part 2! -Hippolyta wants Donna to bring Diana to her to discuss things, except that she should have met Diana already; it was depicted during the latest Wonder Woman (which we know precedes this issue because of Nemesis' knowledge re: Everyman and the fact that Hippolyta mentions killing Circe) and, uh, during the first issue of this series. Batman wonders where Diana is and which side she is on, except that he just met her and she made her allegiance pretty clear during, again, the latest issue of WW. Wow. This isn't Infinite Crisis, people! There are so far only two books here that you need to keep continuity between, and you can't even manage that?
(2.9 out of 10)
Blue Beetle #15
A pretty uneventful issue, oddly considering that a lot happened. Maybe the inclusion of anything Livewire-related *shudder* is enough to give me an inverse *****. If you've never seen Livewire's episode in the Superman cartoon...count yourself lucky.
What does come across really well here is Jaime's personality, which is still great. His actions, decisions, and reactions here all feel incredibly true to his character, almost as if a writer is taking the time to evaluate the characters that they're writing. Yeah, I know, crazy. And the book continues to sing the praises of Ted Kord, for anyone still following.
(8 out of 10)
Teen Titans #47
Much better than the last issue, which is of course not saying much since Beechen could have turned in blank pages and it would have been better than the last issue.
We do get some nice moments of characterization here, in characters like Cassie and Donna and even Jason. A bit cliche and nothing to sing about, but they're nice.
Robin kicking Jason's nuts was meh. I mean, guys don't do that. Girls do that, but not guys. It's so...girly. But then again, the definition of someone who fights fair against people who could kick his ass is "loser," so *shrug*
The quicker McKeever comes on this title, the better. I frankly don't trust Cassie near Beechen for too long. Especially with her crossing over to Amazons Attack in the next issue...it's like two trains coming at each other at ninety-nine miles per hour.
DC Continuity fck-up of the week part 3! Cyborg was shown in Countdown as being at Duela's funeral. But here, it is a fairly significant plot point that he doesn't go, since he's helping Jericho deal with Match. Good job guyz!
(6.7 out of 10)
PhotoJones
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It's off panel. But you definitely see the...aftermath...all over Medusa's face.
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