Today was one of those days that I call a "wallet buster", as it nearly hit the $40 mark; most weeks I average about $20-$25 worth of comics. It also was a week where a lot of important books came out, especially on the Marvel side.
As always, full unprocessed spoilers:
Dread's Bought/Thought for 11/14/07:
ALL-STAR SUPERMAN #9: Pink covers are VERY flamer. Is this a Superman comic or Nancy Drew? Aside for that, though, this is another typical issue of the series; those who enjoy it will again do so, and those who shrug their shoulders and go, "Wasn't CRISIS supposed to undo cornball stuff like this?" won't. The issue technically is part of an "arc" within the mini as Superman arrives back home after escaping Bizarro-World, only to find that in the 2 months he has been missing, another pair of Kryptonians have replaced him. They are Bar-El and Lilo (no, not Lilo of LILO AND STITCH), two Kryptonian astronauts who naturally were in space when their homeworld exploded and arrived while he was gone.They've decided that they should remake Krypton on Earth, and that Superman has pretty much been wasting his time catering to "human apes". Essentially, the sort of thing Eradicator talked about in the 90's, or the stuff that Zod or a few other "new Kryptonians" from various mediums (even the 90's cartoon) have said. The only major difference is that Bar-El and Lilo aren't evil like a lot of those folks are; they simply view humans as being beneathe them and show about as much concern as humans would for anthills. The pair also proudly wear costumes in urine-yellow and royal purple as if the Modern Age never arrived, bless them. Some funny bits are had at the Daily Bugle as Jimmy tries on "Kryptonian style" and Steve Limbardi (Lombardi?) naturally spreads his maniless around. This is another one-and-done story of the series, as the pair beat the crap out of Superman and declare the planet their's, before a random plot device (a gas cloud of Kryptonite in space) makes it's effects known and slowly begins killing them. Superman offers them kindness and they are touched by his mercy as he sends them into the Phantom Zone to save their lives (and to restore order to a dimension filled with criminals). I enjoyed the story but even with Morrison playing with Golden Age plots in the modern day, the "gas cloud" thing seemed almost ridiculously convient, and all the people who complain about Frank Miller writing Superman like a wuss in DK2 have got NOTHING on Morrison. This is, what, the 4th time someone has beaten Superman to a pulp? I know this is supposed to be an "old style, iconic" Superman who prevails with wisdom, kindness, and intelligence, but it is 2007 and that won't jazz up ANY audience; if it did, SUPERMAN RETURNS would have rivaled SPIDER-MAN 3 at the box office, instead of relying on outside nations and DVD's to pull a profit and making the WB officially declare any solo hero franchise aside for Batman dead. Now I liked SUPERMAN RETURNS but I understand it's many flaws and why the common movie-goer didn't embrace it, and I don't really blame them. I did like how the pair literally broke the moon and then "stapled" it together with extention bridges; it just seemed amusing to see rendered if you didn't take it seriously. Naturally the theme is that it isn't right to impose outside values on someone else, a moral I have heard to death since, mysteriously, 2003. Golly, I wonder why? Still, it is an old style moral and Morrison's take on an overdone storyline for Superman is interesting because his antagonists aren't outright villains, so their point seems more valid, if only for a few panels. Quietly art is what it is; brilliant with landscapes and backgrounds and with people, has the ability to make anyone look ugly in the name of realism (his fans will defend him by pointing to the other extreme, artists who draw people as flawless supermodels. Can't we find an in-between? I believe those artists do exist), but he always fits in well with Morrison and as this is another universe, it doesn't matter. You couldn't picture ALL-STAR SUPERMAN without him, and Quietly take on Kent's design is interesting. Frankly I feel awarding an Eisner to this series was a bit much, but it is good for what it is, a rare comic on the racks that nails down the fundamentals and isn't bleak, and seems to enjoy playing with 50's style sci-fi fantasy in the modern day. A break from covers that scream, "GUESS WHO DIES INSIDE!" and whatnot. Every issue has a clear theme and message, and that is good. Still, I wonder if this series would have more oomph with a more suspenceful pace and some more modern themes, instead of spit shining the old. I like this series, but when I want superheroics done well with a modern twist, I can get that from INVINCIBLE, or DYNAMO 5, or THE ORDER, or several other titles I enjoy more than this. But it's still good Morrison/Quietly work.
BOOSTER GOLD #4: Well, I'll be! Not even 6 issues in and some mysteries are actually revealed. Normally books wait until issue #6 for this sort of thing, and it is good to see this entertaining series break some conventions. Despite the complicated elements of weaving through time and continuity, Johns & Katz keep the tone light and enjoyable with some great lines, and Jurgens & Rapmund's art fits things perfectly and classically. After running into Barry Allen and Kid-Flash in the time-stream because Booster Gold was drinking & driving, Hunter tracks down their enemy to Central City's past, where his next target is Flash, who is being targetted for non-existance. The baddies are revealed as Rex Hunter, a Rip Hunter rival, and Supernova is none other than Booster Gold's petty crook father, plucked from the time stream and off to do some misguided, selfish hero-dom. Not only do the pair want to alter history to "prevent" threats, they want to eliminate all superheroes so they will get all the glory, playing on Booster's own themes of heroism vs. glory. It isn't evil to want to be appreciated, but one can always go too far. Supernova also has a more evolved version of Skeets, named "Maximillion" (alluding to Maxwell Lord? Who knows). Naturally, attempting to mess with the timestream to alter events one sees as "wrong" always has butterfly effects (Hunter notes that killing Lex Luthor before he become a threat would have caused the death of millions because his clone Superboy never saved them, of course linking Luthor's DNA to Superboy was itself a retcon, but, HUSH, (both a word and a storyline that also had a retcon)). The great part about this book is that it is mired in DC continuity, but it doesn't make it seem as complicated as it is, and usually summarizes the basic information for those not in the know, presuming that new readers jumped onto the #1 issue. This sort of curtesy is sometimes a lost art so it is worth mentioning. Rex is stopped, but his main "backer" is still unrevealed; Supernova is lost in time, and Booster Gold is pressuring Rip to save Ted Kord, but first...he has to save Barbara Gordon from being crippled, and that cliffhanger has me wondering whether issue #5 will actually be a big DC deal. It is NO secret that DC won't allow any other heroine to become Batgirl without eventually ripping her down, yet Barbara has remained the crippled Oracle for a while because, A). Alan Moore wrote it, and undoing something he wrote is seen as a sin, and B). The BIRDS OF PREY franchise relies on Oracle as she is, much as Professor Xavier is always re-crippled. That said, Dan DiDio's attempts to overcome Marvel have caused some of the actions of his line to grow more and more desperate at times, so with the option of returning the cape to Barb next issue presents itself, I'd be lying if I said I didn't believe it could ever happen. If DC won't let anyone else be Batgirl for long, then it seems inevitable, especially as they chase the Silver Age memories along. BOOSTER GOLD is a solid superhero book with a sense of history, good characters, and great art. And each issue can change scenery or villains. What's not to like?
WORLD WAR HULK #5: Usually I read and review books in alphabetical order to keep things tidy and efficient, but this is the finale of Marvel's big 2007 event, so as the big green elephant in the room, it seems fitting to mention it first. Firstly, the ending offers few real surprises; fans have theorized for months that Miek was behind the tragedy at Sakaar, and he was. Naturally, the Hulk is defeated and the heroes go about having to rebuild stuff. That said, that doesn't make any of it bad or not enjoyable to read. Something doesn't need to be a suprise to be entertaining, and if you properly build on stuff, it makes sense. The fact that Miek had evolved into someone who had become a sadist and could never allow any sort of peace in his life, and the lives of his allies, once becoming free from bondage was obvious at the end of PLANET HULK and this brings it to a conclusion. Still, the issue does have some surprises to it; Hulk actually stops the Illuminati from killing each other, wanting justice, not revenge. The Sentry manages to shine when someone other than Bendis writes him, at least now that his plot convient, dues ex machina psychological syndrome allows him to ONLY try to save the day literally when that last chapter comes and he magically "feels like it". Romita Jr.'s showcase of their godly showdown is too awesome for words and was worth the long wait for this final issue (which may have taken some steam off the buzz, which also isn't bad as CW collapsed under it's own hype). If you thought Hulk vs. Iron Man was bad-ass, you ain't see nothin' yet. And in the end it even looks like Sentry will save the day when he uses his powers to revert them both back to human beings, Renolds and Bruce. Unfortunately, Miek again stokes the fury by spearing Rick Jones and seemingly killing him (explaining why Reed kept saying he was "unavailable" for CAPTAIN MARVEL). I suppose there are some that will be angered by Rick's death, but at least it had some meaning in exposing Miek, and it mattered to the story, and the final act. Hulk gets angry again and seems set to pretty much stomp the Earth to bits (starting with Manhattan), like a child with a temper tantrum, and Tony Stark saves the day with his death-satellites. No, Hulk doesn't die, just is defeated. Marvel wouldn't dare kill him with a movie next year. The fact that this was the best ending of a Marvel event in 3 years goes without saying; HOUSE OF M #7 and CIVIL WAR #7 both seemed like wastes of time in comparison, and less about ending a story than preluding new ones. This felt like a THE END stamp, even if obvious sequals are showcased. The Warbond all live save for Miek, Hulk's son somehow rises from green ooze on Sakaar, and Banner is still alive somewhere, ready to become the Hulk again whenever it is convient. I like that Pak was able to showcase Hulk as many things without going too far in either direction; he had him be monstrous but not so much so that he was killing the innocent or even any of the heroes in the end. All of the characters here, from Hulk to the Illuminati had areas of gray, but the heroes saved the say and the true threat was exposed. It certainly wasn't the first time someone tried manipulating the Hulk's emotions for their own ends, but it was among the most bitter for the Hulk. And it dug out all his old hatred of the other heroes, so that made sense. WWH, naturally, also worked as a popcorn action movie, not unlike TRANSFORMERS, were you sit back and watch things blow up. On that level it also succeeds. The lesson? Anyone is better at writing events than Bendis or Millar, and Marvel has a full roster of writers up to snuff; Pak among them. Who is writing the event for 2008? Bendis. All together now: AARRRAAGGGHHH!!
In the end, WWH wasn't as big as CW, but in that way it worked out better. It had a clear beginning, middle, and end, it followed up from Hulk's core title naturally, it allowed the heroes to unite again after CW and attempted to wipe some of the Nazi out of Iron Man, and some of the best art of Romita Jr.'s long and legendary career. Ironically, Pak wrote a story that seemed more "direct" and less "naunced" than CW, but he showed that he had more than enough talent for a naunced story, a talent that Millar lacked. WWH may have been the little green brother compared to CW, but it worked as a story much better, and thus is better overall. Pak's also been trying to clear things up after Bendis in ILLUMINATI SPECIAL upped and decided that Hulk ate civilians, and the challenge of overcoming the things Bendis does to the Marvel Universe always need to start somewhere. In the end it may have been another "Hulk fights all the heroes" stories that have been done from the 60's, 70's, 80's, 90's, etc., but it was a very entertaining one. No complaints. Black Bolt got punk'd, but he was a Skrull anyway. And Hulk did go down a little easy, but he has always waxed and waned from being invincible vs. a required defeat. I still enjoyed it. Not the best, but a better ending than the last few events, thank goodness.
AVENGERS: THE INITIATIVE #7: Considering how big this issue would be to the Spider-verse, it is amazing it wasn't given the same promotion as, oh, ONE MORE DAY (which has become late, which has to embarass Joe Q that he's so inept that he can't even compensate a shipping date FOR HIS OWN PENCILLING SCHEDULE! If he doesn't know how busy he is and how hard it would be to draw interiors, NO ONE DOES!). But, wonky promotions aren't uncommon in Joe Q Marvel; random FF specials can be solicted as if they were major when they're not, and major issues of other titles are left to their writers to promote. Awesome, guys. Suffice it to say, A LOT more happens than merely reveal the identity of the Scarlet Spiders. The issue picks up after WWH, with no mention of the Gauntlet stuff from last issue (that is being picked up later). The Vulturians have stolen a briefcase from Dr. Baron Von Blitzschlag, and the Scarlet Spiders are forced to expose themselves to the media to recover it, lest information about Gamma Bombs falls into evil hands. Again. This city-chase happens to attract the attention of a very frustrated Peter Parker, who joins the fray. Meanwhile, Justice is furious about the lack of answers regarding MVP's fate, so he literally bursts his way out of some walls with Cloud 9 to track down some answers. They return to MVP's house again, only instead find it completely abandoned; since Justice got MVP to join the Initiative, he feels personally responsible for his fate and wants to see, err, justice done. Can't argue with that. He's really the only one with any authority in the program who gives a spit about the trainees as people and not weapons. Sure, Hank Pym feels bad sometimes, but still follows orders anyway, so it feels hollow (like when Iron Man would lock up his own friends and ally with murderers but whine, "Oh, I didn't want it to be this way!" or when Spider-Man spent half of CW doing the same, etc. The moral is apparently doing rotten things because you are ordered to can be relieved of your responsibility so long as you whine and angst about it). Justice, on the other hand, is ACTIVELY TAKING ACTION. That is what seperates him from the pack and makes him one of my favorite characters here. There's more to being in Avengers class than making the team; even D-Man made the team. It takes standing up for morality even when everyone else, the media and your bosses, say no or give excuses, and Justice is showcasing that here. I just hope he doesn't burn down too many bridges and wind up in the N-Zone. But the biggest event that occurs is the meeting of the Spiders; the trio turn Peter's own words from issue #3 against him to convince him to unite against the Vulturians. Oh, yes, while I am here, I should note this issue employs footnotes skillfully, thus proving that every time Joe Q feels it "takes you out of a story", he is merely showing how terrible his opinion is on some matters. And Slott, as always, masters continuity that isn't merely his own. The Scarlet Spiders literally don every costume Spider-Man ever had in his career and then reveal their existance to the media, claiming that Peter Parker was merely one of "several" Spider-Men and now he has been de-commissioned. Betty Brant brings up ASM #12 when Peter dressed as Spidey to try to save her from Doc Ock, only he was powerless due to a 24 hour virus and was so convincingly defeated that no one believed he was really Spidey. What this issue does is it does what Brubaker recently did in DAREDEVIL; it shifts Peter's identity as Spider-Man from "public knowledge" to "highly suspected", and allows enough cover that Peter, one day, could actually have a CIVILIAN LIFE again (who'd have thunk? Spider-Man having a civilian life!). And one doesn't have to worry about writers following from this too much as Slott will be WRITING ASM soon, and so thus it will eventually be accepted into other books. Of course this still means every hero and villain knows who he is and will call him "Parker", but it is a step in the right direction. Exposing his identity backed Spidey into a narrative corner and pretty much negated what made him distinct once upon a time, but this issue was a step in the right direction, without any spells from Loki or Dr. Strange. Compared to this, the revelation that the Scarlet Spiders are all clones of MVP (each one with one of his three names, Michael, Van, and Patrick (or "Pat"), and that MVP could have been influencing their behavior from the grave (maybe being noble is in his DNA, to go along with his physical prowess) almost seem minor. I know there are some who dislike this book, and it still seems to be losing some 10-20% of it's readers every month without tie-in's, but I find it rivetting, a perfect way to play upon the pandora's box of The Initiative, create some new characters, embellish some older, forgotten ones, and naturally all of it done from a FanBoy Master like Dan Slott. The issue also showcases another one of those 50 state teams, the Action Pack from Kentucky, filled by Vox, Prima Donna, and Frog-Man (and likely others). Slott said in interviews that to avoid any "Armadillo Situations", he will try to fill many of the 50 state teams with new characters so they can stick for a while; plus he also figures no one will want to use Frog-Man anytime soon. Froggy was only on-panel about a page or so, but Slott is always fun with characters like this ("Jeepers!"). Caselli returns on art after his break as if he never left, proving once again that he, too, is a natural for a book like this. Great with character design, fancy costumes, and action. No, it isn't always as "feel good" as Slott's other books like THE THING, but I feel it works because of that, because he doesn't go the MIGHTY AVENGERS route and just assume that as soon as CW ended, all the dark stuff would, too. But even in that darkness, there are heroes to root for, to rise to the occasion. And plenty of characters for creation or exposure here. Still one of my most anticipated titles from Marvel, a list that actually has grown within the past year. Plus, next issue has Eric O'Grady. Thanks for saving him from limbo, Dan...at least for now.
). But, on the plus side: Aquanewb's joining up next issue, if the cover is any indication. Then I think there's only one or two more issues before the permanent team is put in place.
t: 8/10
