It was a slow comic book week, as I only got three books this week. Next week I believe is only about 4-5, which is closer to average. I expect a wallet buster sometime soon.
As a bit of bad news, COMICS CONTINUUM reported today that BLUE BEETLE #36 will be the final issue. I know the low sales for it made that inevitable (it struggled to outsell INVINCIBLE within the Top 140), but it is a shame. Still, a 3 year run in this day and age is an accomplishment, especially for a "new" character.
As always, full spoilers (and opinions) ahoy.
Dread's BOUGHT/THOUGHT for 11/12/08:
BOOSTER GOLD #14: With BLUE BEETLE a dead book walking, that leaves BOOSTER GOLD as the lone DC book that I consider worth bothering with. Despite three creative team shifts so far, it continues to be an entertaining time-traveling superhero story. Perhaps not ironically, it continues to be good and apparently easy for new writers to dive into while being virtually cut off from what the rest of DC is doing at any given moment. There is a lesson in that, but DiDio doesn't learn it.
The fill-in run by Remender, Olliffe, and Ordway continues (or does it conclude?) as Booster Gold continues his struggle against Starro throughout time. Managing to escape being possessed himself in the future, he manages to free a female Chronos and is able to get her to assist him in his quest to save the future from Starro, although for a price. Realizing with Skeets that cold weapons are a weakness to Starro, Booster Gold seeks out Mr. Freeze's freeze-gun, producing two rather funny bits (although they were THIS CLOSE to "trying too hard/FAMILY GUY" territory). Booster and "Lady Chronos" (also called Jia) manage to defeat Starro and save Rip Hunter from his control, which had been the major reason for the crisis. The price, of course, was allowing her and Chronos to escape into the time-stream with data taken from Rip's lair.
The only caveat was that Booster's just-returned sister was virtually dropped from the script, and I did like her. Remender keeps the tone light, sometimes too light, but Katz & Johns launched the book and hardly kept the outlook overly bleak, which is part of why I like the book. No Wonderdogs or Torture Porn stories here.
And the cover looks a little awkward to me.
Dan Jurgens is set to return to the character he created, and that looks promising. BOOSTER GOLD isn't the best title out there, but one of the best DC is offering and I wouldn't mind it lasting another two years like BLUE BEETLE has if it can maintain quality. The plots remains loosely tied together without being too rigid into the "6 parts or bust" formula most times, and I don't mind a round robin of bad guys like Starro.
CAPTAIN BRITAIN AND MI-13 #7: Easily the best book out of the trio I bought this week, the cover reminds me of some dime store romance novels, and is itself a bit sweet. Although the t-shirt/jeans look still sometimes makes Black Knight look a little lazy. Granted, the "hunk in jeans" is a staple of romance novel covers.
In part two of Cornell's latest UK hero adventure, the titular heroes are still in the middle of a struggle against mystical being Plokta, a being who spreads "hellfire" around areas like a building and draws magical strength from possessing people via offering their hearts desires. It is standard territory for a demon/mystical threat here, but Kirk's art alongside Cornell's banter and knowledge of continuity provide the proper execution that makes the "typical" plot stand out more. Brian has been offered his "dead" wife Meggan; years ago, she sacrificed her life for him, but Brian's memories were wiped a bit and he no longer seemed to recall her. Now, he does, and immediately bets on his new "confidence" level powers to be able to save her without submitting to Plokta. Unfortunately, because Pete Wisdom didn't have the proper intel until saving Captain Midlands (a bit of a silly hero, but the tone of the story never takes itself 100% seriously, which is part of the charm; it's more serious than BOOSTER GOLD, but it isn't a bleak mire), Brain is managing to feed Plokta even more since he is a magically empowered being. So he is seemingly trapped in an idealized dreamworld in which he and Meggan are on a lovely leave of absence (after Brian "saved" her, of course). However, his super-villain brother crashes the party and seemingly kills him. Sheesh, Brian seems to die more often than Jean Grey.
Back in the real world, the conflict between Blade and Spitfire goes as predicted last month; she holds back from killing Blade at the last second to showcase her control. She manages to explain herself with some spunk (arguing that Blade is far more bloodthirsty than she is). Blade, for his part, offers to avoid killing her until they've survived the encounter. Plokta is using his stolen magical energy to create Mindless Ones, which are formidable warriors.
Another highlight of the issue is Pete Wisdom's seeming desire, which involves Kitty Pryde; Cornell even remembers details like the Breakworld rocket and so on. Black Knight's desire is to be free of the ebony blade, although the final page reveal brings into question whether he may actually be a bit mad (that is, the blade's bloodlust is all psychological). Faiza's desire isn't shown, but I am curious if it was the basis for the cover art.
Kirk's art is incredible as always, featuring virtually anything from Brian & Meggans embrace in space to the battles against the Mindless ones and so on and it all looks great. I do hope Spitfire's arm grows the flesh back, though; looks nasty.
Faiza's Excalibur literally "tells" her where to go and whatnot, which is an easy plot convenience, but it manages to work into the story without seeming contrived.
CB&MI13 is a solid team adventure book with tons of character moments, action, and consistently great artwork. In terms of sales, it debuted selling about 43k and even with a SI tie-in (and monkey variant cover) in September it had dropped to 32k, which is enough to sell within the Top 70 above RUNAWAYS, MOON KNIGHT, ETERNALS, NEW EXILES, both of PUNISHER'S books, and GHOST RIDER. In theory, it should be selling decently in the UK as well, although no evidence backs that theory up. Still, 32k is solid IMMORTAL IRON FIST level territory, so if it can maintain that level, it should be with us for a few years, which is what anyone who reads the series wants. More of it.
BIG HERO 6 #3: Debut sales for this mini-series (although the trade dress doesn't mention it being a 5 issue mini), on the other hand, are fairly terrible. In September, the first issue debuted at #155 of the Top 200 comics at barely over 13k; that's worse than many Image comics. Even at $3.99, that is easily a dud as the sales will dip even lower. The years when the name Claremont could ensure at least 25-30k to anything he wrote are long, long gone. NEW EXILES barely squeaks out 22k and that is his most well known book. Of course, the market is saturated a bit with Marvel team books, and Big Hero 6 is a team that virtually no one has heard of or demanded.
Still, for what it is, it isn't that bad. It is a team adventure story that doesn't take itself too seriously that covers most of the basics. Unfortunately, this issue has two story details that have cropped up endlessly in Claremont's works, especially within the past 6 years; Mind Control and Awkward Bondage Sequences. Anyone who stuck it through X-TREME X-MEN (or even The Neo arc on UXM in the late 90's) had to endure a few of such stories, usually involving Storm or Rogue. While everyone's fetish is unique, considering Claremont's pushing 60, it does get a bit awkward at this point.
The team, which is in New York for really no good reason (they are a Japanese superhero team, why not stage a story in Japan!?), is protecting an important scientist (and his daughter Marys, who the young Hiro has a crush on) while covering on a local high school football team. The first act of the book continues with the football stuff from issue #2, and honestly I don't know why it is there. Themes of teamwork and impressions are stated, but I can't help it feeling like filler (which, for a 5 issue mini, is disturbing). The sexy Honey Lemon is ambushed in the locker room by Bondage Tentacles and Mind-Controlled by the off-panel mastermind villain, for, if Claremont continues to repeat himself may end up being Shadow King. Manga style artist Nakayama maintains a proper mix of good humor art and action art, although there is a bit of "fan-service" with Honey Lemon. Reminded me of, oh, just about every Jim Lee panel of a female X-Man, circa 1992.
Despite the fact that Honey Lemon has only changed her clothes and added some glasses, only Go-Go catches on that she is now calling herself Whiplash and is their enemy, along two other random goons named Gunsmith and Brute, who the team battled in Japan. After they blast Baymax to bits, the issue ends in a cliffhanger.
To give the series credit, they have been trying to add back-up material to justify the extra dollar in price, which makes me feel a little bit better than Marvel just going, "Um, paper is expensive, so rather than cut back on random, under-promoted, poorly selling mini's, we'll just gouge you an extra buck or so, sucka!" This month it is the first part of a "prose" story by the editor that details an adventure with two castoff BH6 members Ebon Samurai and Sunpyre. It comes with some illustrations and isn't that bad, but seems a bit like glorified fan fiction. The football explanation bit is so pointless I didn't even read it. But at least the attempt is made. The last few issues had sketches, reprints, and Handbook Bio's.
Overall, the series is fun for a lark for me, but I have odd tastes and I wouldn't really recommend it. Unlike CAPTAIN BRITAIN & MI-13, it makes no use of the fact that their team is based in another country. Claremont falls back on old habits like overwhelming narration endlessly. But the art is fun and the tone of the adventure isn't terribly melodramatic. Plus, new members Wasabi and Fred are interesting enough, although add Fred to the "lazy costume" department, and he obviously can turn into a big magic dragon but is sitting on it until it is most dramatic. With perhaps a better plot and a more Japanese centered approach (as well as some more modern storytelling), this could have been a cult hit; as it is, it's a quirky superhero work that hardly anyone buys, no one asked for, and likely won't be remembered beyond Handbook buffs. But it serves me well on a ride back home on the subway.
While it has little to do with this week's reads, I saw an ad for a ASM arc in Dec. 2008 that promises the secrets behind Harry's rebirth. It will thus be a full calender year since OMD/BND started and Spider-Man's hap-hazard post-Crisis continuity is STILL being explained. If that isn't a sign of "making it up as you go", I don't know what is. I don't blame the writers, though, I blame the editorial direction.
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