Talk About An Eye For Talent

Today, Joe Quesada announced that the great Simone Bianchi is now a Marvel exclusive artist.

Yes, that's right, of the SEVEN artists hand-picked by Grant Morrison to draw his Seven Soldiers mini-series, FOUR of the artists have been given a Marvel exclusive after their mini-series (some DURING their mini-series) finished. TWO of them, Cameron Stewart and Doug Mahnke, were already DC exclusive.

That leaves only Fraser Irving "available," although his most recent project has also been for Marvel (and it has looked amazing).

Talk about an eye for talent!

Pantha's Legacy Will Never be Forgotten

I saw a thread with this title on a messageboard, and it gave me the inspiration for the following.

Enjoy!

We walked on the beach beside that old hotel
They're tearing it down now, but it's just as well.
I haven't shown you everything a man can do
So stay with me baby, I've got plans for you


Pantha came into all of our hearts with 1991's New Titans #73, and instantly, she was everyone's favorite character.

And why not?



With winning lines like, from her second apperance, "Save your pretty speeches for the ladies club, mister. Like I said - I work alone!," who could blame us for falling in love with her feral spark?


This are the time to remember
Cause it will not last forever.
These are the days to hold onto
Cause we won't although we'll want to.
This is the time, but time is going to change.
You've given me the best of you,
And now I need the rest of you.


Soon, Pantha became an integral part of both New Titans AND our lives.

This would soon to change when she made that certain leap...the leap from classic character...to LEGENDARY character!!


Did you know before you came into my life,
Some kind of miracle that I survived.
Someday we'll both look back and have to laugh
We lived through a lifetime and the aftermath

Soon, Pantha developed a maternal relationship with Baby Wildebeest, who was clearly the best character in New Titans.

Baby Wildebeest was a baby, which you could tell from his hiLARious dialogue.

Look!



He's saying BAUW instead of BALL!

COMIC GOLD!!

Soon, the Pantha/Baby Wildebeest relationship would be the centerpiece of every issue of New Titans.


This are the time to remember
Cause it will not last forever.
These are the days to hold onto
Cause we won't although we'll want to.
This is the time, but time is going to change.
I know we have to move somehow,
But I don't want to lose you now.


However, while she and Baby Wildebeest were the concrete holding the book together, things were not right in the New Titans universe...




Sometimes it's so easy to let a day slip on by
Without even seeing each other at all
But this is the time you'll turn back to and so will I
And those will be the days you can never recall

Sadly, we did, indeed, let the days slip on by, and soon...



... Pantha LEFT the New Titans!!

It comes as NO surprise that the title was cancelled only about 16 issues after she left the book.

Without the center, the Titans could not hold.


And so we embrace again behind the dunes.
This beach is so cold on a winter afternoon,
But holding you close is like holding the summer sun,
All warm from the memory of days to come.


However, there were a few cameos over the years, washing me in the glow of the greatness of Pantha.

She even got a Vs. card!!



However, DC choose to spit in the face of FIFTEEN YEARS of comic book memories by, in the pages of Infinite Crisis #4, killing off both Pantha AND Baby Wildebeest!!

Why does DC continue to kill off classic characters with gigantic fan bases?

Do they WANT to piss off every fan in the business?!?


This are the time to remember
Cause it will not last forever.
These are the days to hold onto
Cause we won't although we'll want to.
This is the time, but time is going to change.
You've given me the best of you,
And now I need the rest of you.



However callous DC is now, I know that, as long as there are those of us with Pantha-love in our hearts, Pantha's legacy will NEVER be forgotten.



Besides, always try to remember what Pantha would always say..."Don't you damn fools understand? The damned Beasts programmed that...THING to find us! They sent it to kill us! Grr! That's the problem with you dimbulbs! You don't know an enemy when you see it!"

Sage words, Pantha, sage words...."Grr" indeed...."Grr" indeed....

(Special thanks to Titans Tower for Pantha pics and to William Martin Joel, for providing the deeply powerful music to match the feelings in my soul)

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Comic Book Urban Legends Revealed #39!

This is the thirty-ninth in a series of examinations of comic book urban legends and whether they are true or false. Click here for an archive of the previous thirty-eight.

Let's begin!

COMIC URBAN LEGEND: An artist who wrote and drew a comic book adventure of fighter pilots became an actual flying ace himself during World War II.

STATUS: True

Like many of the creators of the Golden Age, Bert Christman's name has become almost unknown, which is a shame, for not only his creative contributions to comics, but also for the work he did in real life.

Christman is probably best known today as being the co-creator, with Gardner Fox, of the original Sandman in 1939.



His other claim to fame were the stories he did backing up Superman in Action Comics starring "The Three Aces," Whistler Will" Saunders, "Gunner" Bill and the British "Fog" Fortune.



The three men were initially soldiers of fortune, and Christman actually drew the serial WHILE flying for the Navy! He would presumably send them in while on leave.

With the advent of World War II, the Three Aces went to China to fight against Japan, and so did Christman as well. In 1941, Christman ceased his work on the Three Aces strip, as he was now in China, fighting on behalf of the “American Volunteer Group” of pilots made famous in the films of the time.

Christman was shot down in early 1942, and was wounded in his escape from the plane. However, he recovered and was back in the cockpit by the end of the month.

Tragically, on January 23rd, 1942, Christman was part of a squadron sent to cut off an attack on Rangoon in Burma. Christman was shot down and killed in the battle.

Let us do our best to keep Christman in our minds.

Thanks to Andrew Glaess for the info.

COMIC URBAN LEGEND: A change in postal laws led to the elimination of letters pages in DC comic books.

STATUS: False

In the early days of comic books, one of the more intriguing aspects of comics was the presence of text pages in the midst of comics. People used to have a number of theories as to why they were there, some figured that perhaps the publishers wanted to add a bit of culture to their readers.

The truth of the matter is, to qualify for the second class bulk mailing rate (the same rate given to newspapers and magazines), periodicals were forced to include at least two pages of text.

Therefore, an amusing side effect occured. Desperate for text strips, the publishers would often print whatever was given them, which has led to some DREADFUL fiction over the years (this was Stan Lee's first work in comics, churning out text pages for Timely when still in his teens).

However, as time went on, and fans became more involved in comics, publishers realized that letters pages could just as easily serve this purpose, so that is why comic books all went to include letters pages - so to achieve their mailing rate.

In 1996, the United States changed their postal laws, eliminating the "Second Class" mailing rate. Now there is just a single "Periodical" rate. A company can qualify for this rate by being just comic books.

DC Comics does not have letters pages anymore.

However, by 1996 (thanks to Steven Rowe), DC had already switched over to a different mailing rate, thereby negating any impact the change would have upon their decision.

In addition, DC did not eliminate their letters pages for another four years, and their stated reasons (The internet has become the easiest way to interact with fans and they figure they could save some money on having no letters pages) are quite reasonable (especially as DC fired two design workers at the same time they eliminated letters pages).

COMIC URBAN LEGEND: The Comics Code Authority once banned not the content of a comic, but the art style of the artist.

STATUS: True

Like many of his peers, in the 1980s, artist Kevin O'Neill tried to make his way in the higher-paying world of American comic books, where his fellow countryman, Alan Moore, was making a nice go of it.

O'Neill's first work appeared in 1986's Tales of the Green Lantern Corps Annual #2, in a tale written by Moore.



However, the issue was not without its problems.

Says O'Neill (in a SubMedia interview with Tom Coates in July 1999),

"I was working on an Alan Moore story," he says, suddenly serious. "The CCA objected - not to the actual story but to the style that it was drawn in. I had aliens being crucified and stuff like that. My editor asked if we could run it with a code sticker if we toned down the crucifixion. They said there was NOTHING they could do to the artwork that would help. I loved that! I loved the idea that these old grannies were sitting in an office in New York poring over every comic page. It was 1950s.

Eventually, DC decided that, as it was an Annual, to just print the issue without Comic Code approval.

Please note that, since then, O'Neill has never even attempted to draw a Code-approved comic.

Makes sense, eh?

Well, that's it for this week, thanks for stopping by!

Feel free to drop off any urban legends you'd like to see featured!!

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What I bought - 22 February 2006

Not a bad day in the comics world. Won't you come along as I rant about ill-shaped comics, lousy comics, and comics that are chock full of politics! We might not agree on politics, but I trust you'll allow me to rant about them!

The American Way #1 by John Ridley, Georges Jeanty, and Karl Story
$2.99, DC/Wildstorm

The "hook" of this (mini-)series is that the main character, Wes, gets a job in the Kennedy White House as the PR man for the government-made and -sponsored supergroup, the Civil Defense Corps. Through Wes, the authors imply, we will gain perspective on these super-people and we will also learn how the people of the early 1960s lost their innocence about their government. Oh, the cynicism!

If this all sounds vaguely familiar, it is. There is quite a lot that's derivative about The American Way. Of course, there is quite a lot that's derivative about most fiction, so that shouldn't stop us from buying it. The question is, of course, is it done well?

For the most part, yes. It starts off with nothing but clichés, as we see an attack by an alien invasion that is defeated only at the last minute by the hero "Old Glory" after all his comrades have fallen. As this takes place in 1961, Wes is full of awe and wonder at these heroics (because these days we would be looking around for someone to sue), but that soon turns sour when he loses his job and then gets a call from the Attorney General, someone named Bobby Kennedy (was he, like, famous or something?). Kennedy offers him a job "selling" the CDC to the public, and Wes finds out that not only are they not heroes, but all their fights have been stage-managed. Kennedy insists it's "practice" for the day when the Russians come up with their own superheroes, but for Wes, it's a particularly depressing look at realpolitik. He takes the job, but only because his wife is pregnant. The twist at the end is another standard theme - someone dies! - but, because it's supposed to be stage-managed, it makes it more interesting than if it's just another superhero fight.

Where the book falls a bit flat is in the rather ham-fisted attempts at social commentary. It's kind of shoe-horned in, and while the exposition about Russians is okay because the book skews to the political side of the spectrum, but the other things - about the problems with racism, for instance - feel just tacked on to make the book more "relevant." It's not that annoying, but it feels like Ridley just wanted to throw it in there to let us know that he knows racism is bad. Yeah, we get it.

And you must love "The East Coast Intellectual." He's freakin' excellent.

Black Widow: The Things They Say About Her ... #6 (of 6) by Richard K. Morgan, Sean Phillips, and Bill Sienkiewicz
$2.99, Marvel

This is the kind of comic we need more of. That's not to say it's a great comic - it's certainly good, but it's not something you need to sacrifice your mother to own. We need more of these kinds of comics because Morgan actually has quite a bit on his mind, and he uses the story to get his opinions out without sitting down and bashing us over the head with it. You may disagree with what he's saying, but at least he's not just writing another dull shoot-'em-up. In the two mini-series (this one follows closely behind the first one he wrote) he has delved into cosmetics and what they mean in our society, the U.S. government's alliances with big business and the consequences of those actions, the manipulation of memory, and the way women are viewed in this male-dominated world and what they can do about it. Through it all, Morgan and his artists have kept the cheesecake to a minimum, and when a woman is dressed provocatively, she either calls out the guy ogling her or she is doing it specifically to manipulate men. It's quite well done, especially when you consider this is the Black Widow, a character known for wearing leather all the time.

This mini-series ends with, well, a big fight, as Natasha and Sally Anne, with help from Yelena and Matt Murdock, escape from the big complex in Panama. It's brutal and disturbing, but considering what Natasha and Sally have been through, justified. Like the previous mini-series, Morgan leaves the door open for a sequel, and although I was annoyed that the Navy Seal who hates Natasha was just a red herring throughout the series, he looks to be a prominent player in the next series, whenever that might come out. At the end of the book, Natasha still has not cleared her name, and she's on the run from the American government. This situation could lead to a lot of different plots in the future, and it will be interesting to see if Marvel lets Morgan write another series.

Like I said, some people might object to Morgan's politics, especially as regards to the way the U.S. government colludes with big business in such an outrageous manner. Well, that's a point - this is certainly not a terribly patriotic book, even though, as a Russian, Natasha is under no compulsion to support the Americans. However, the eerie timing of this book, coming out as it does during the week when our president is planning on selling the maintenance rights of six high-volume ports to an Arab company, makes us step back and consider whether Morgan's scenario is really that far-fetched. I would have liked the book regardless of what was happening in the real world when it came out, but it adds a nice little edge to the fiction when we compare it to what our government is actually doing. Maybe Richard Morgan is behind the port deal ...

Catwoman #52 by Will Pfeifer and Pete Woods
$2.50, DC

"Just when I think I'm out ... they keep pulling me back in!"

Damn you, Will Pfeifer. Damn you. This is the last issue before EVERYTHING CHANGES!, and I was going to buy it and more than likely drop the book because, frankly, it was decent enough but just not grabbing me. And the Pfeifer drops this gem on us. Yes, it's a big downer. Slam Bradley is in the hospital after last issue's events, and his son soon joins him. Selina doesn't know where to turn to deal with Black Mask. So she takes him on herself. The results are ... well, unexpected. At least to me, since I'm stupid and don't often try to guess what's going to happen. It makes it more fun.

Anyway, Selina does what she has to, and then at the end of the issue, the world turns wacky and (presumably) a year passes. What will happen when next we check in on our heroine? Well, I certainly don't know, but Pfeifer has made me interested. So I'll have to pick it up. Damn you, Pfeifer!!!!

Mouse Guard #1 (of 6) by David Petersen
$3.50, Archaia Studios Press

This comic book is square. I feel like I have to explain to the fine folk at Archaia, who brought us this nifty little piece of comic book literature that those of us who don't really care whether their comics are in "mint" condition still like to preserve them for future years of enjoyment, and finding a freakin' square Mylar bag is no easy task. Either make your comics standard size, or print them on more durable materials so that they don't go to shit in the future. I have kept my two copies of Big Numbers in reasonably good shape, but this book is even flimsier than those are. Sheesh!

Because, as Brian points out, this is a good comic (I haven't read his review, so as to not sully my own thoughts, but from the title of his post, I'm going to make some assumptions). It's beautiful to look at, and while the story treads familiar ground in the fantasy realm - mice who are intelligent and organized, defending their borders against predators - as usual, it's in the execution, and Petersen gives us some nice scenes of the mice and develops their characters enough that we're willing to go along for the ride. A mouse merchant disappears on the road, and the Mouse Guard are sent out to investigate. They soon discover what happened to the merchant - a snake got him - but that's not the end of the story, and they uncover something that could threaten their very existence!!!! It's a nice set-up issue. Petersen throws some darkness into his cute little fantasy world, as when the mice stumble across the snake's nest and her eggs, and, of course, when they fight the snake herself. These mice are bad-ass because they have to be, and it's a good way to establish both their credentials as warriors while showing us that they're still mice.

This is a six-issue mini-series, and I highly recommend it. However, although I hate to say this about a small independent series that might die if nobody buys it, you might be better off waiting for the trade in a year or so, because then the squareness of it won't be as annoying. Or you could buy the individual issues and hunt down appropriately-sized bags. Either way, you won't be disappointed.

Supreme Power: Hyperion #4 (of 5) by J. Michael Straczynski, Dan Jurgens, and Klaus Janson
$2.99, Marvel

I know I said I was going to save mini-series until all the issues were out before reading them, but I just don't care all that much about this to do that. This is certainly not as bad as the Nighthawk mini-series, but it's just kind of dull. Hyperion from the alternate world speaks to Mark Milton of our world and tells him that he has to take over. Whoopee. I worry about the new Squadron Supreme series, which is the only reason I'm buying these minis, because if this is what we have to look forward to, I'll lose interest right quick. I enjoyed Supreme Power despite its slowness because it felt like Straczynski was building to a monumental experience, but if it's another series about superheroes taking over and other superheroes taking them down, what's the point? Seriously. Blah.

The Warlord #1 by Bruce Jones and Bart Sears
$2.99, DC

I wanted to like The Warlord. Despite its ending, Jones' run on The Incredible Hulk showed that he could really build suspense, and maybe in the last few years he's figured out to pay off on that. I've always enjoyed Sears' art, but the past few years, starting with his work on The Path, it's gotten a lot more interesting. And what the heck, I'm always on board for some good old-fashioned "sword-and-sorcery excitement," as the cover promises.

So why didn't I like it? Well, I'm not sure. I was confused about why Morgan wasn't already in Skartaris. I guess this is a new origin issue, but even though I know absolutely nothing about any previous iteration of the Warlord, I wouldn't mind picking this up in the middle of the story. I honestly don't know why or even if that would work better, but it seems like a better idea. The action was fine, and the politics I can handle, but the whole thing just felt off. Sorry, but it's just a gut feeling - I can't articulate it any better.

I'm waffling about the next issue. I want to give this more of a chance than just one issue. We'll see. I should probably just pick up the trades of Busiek's Conan.

X-Men #183 by Peter Milligan and Salvador Larroca
$2.50, Marvel

Milligan is really zig-zagging around on this series, as he follows a very strong issue like last one with one that just kind of sits there. Maybe it's because Marvel wants five issues out of this. Maybe it's because Milligan is leaving the book. Whatever - this is just a dull issue. Apocalypse shows up at the X-mansion, sics his Horsemen on our heroes, then promises them they won't be hungry anymore (because of Famine, don't you know) if they pledge eternal fealty to him and drink his blood. Eeeewwwww! Yeah, I guess they're starving, but that's just icky. It took the Crusaders trapped inside Nicomedia months before they starting drinking each others' urine! However, it's one of those horrible little details that Milligan excels at, so I'll let it go. Some X-students rush to Tall, Dark, and Gruesome, while others deny him. It's so very Christological! Meanwhile, Apocalypse fights the sentinels, the X-Men attack him and argue with their students about how they just can't follow Apocalypse (sound familiar?) and Gambit sneaks into Apocalypse's stronghold and offers to serve him. Ah, Remy - once a traitor, always a traitor, right? I'm sure it will all work out in the end.

Some stupid things abound in this book. For instance, are all the mutants that are left in the world at the Xavier Institute? Cyclops seems to think so. Or are the "198" something else? I don't know and I don't care? And why are some mutants so affected by hunger and not others? Cyclops and Beast mention that they're hungry too, but they don't seem to be bothered, while others are literally falling over. Did Scott and Hank have a nice, satisfying meal just before their foe showed up? I wonder ...

I've spent too much time on this already. It's a shame. I had high hopes for Milligan on X-Men, and although he's given us some interesting scenes, that's all they really are. Nothing coheres. We'll see if Mike Carey can do something with these leftover mutants.

Mini-series I bought but did not read:
Robotika #2 (of 4) by Andrew Sheikman
$3.95, Archaia Studios Press

Another gorgeous issue. I flipped through it and was amazed. I didn't read it because that's my policy, but I still recommend this book. If it's around, grab it, and if not, I'll let you know if and when a trade gets solicited. This is really a cool book.

Well, that's it for this week. By the way, I decided to order neither the Astonishing X-Men 12-pack nor the Omnibus. I will probably get the trade of the first six issues of Astonishing, and I may hunt down the Omnibus in the future, but Matthew's point about the binding made a lot of sense. I'm scared to open Absolute Watchmen, and that's probably a lot thinner than the Omnibus will be. Thanks for your opinions, especially with regard to the "Dangerous" story in Astonishing.

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Comics Should Be Good NYCC Meet Up!

This Saturday night, when the con is through, and before everyone heads off to the parties, why not come by and have dinner with the New York contingent of Comics Should Be Good? Okay, it's just me, but not JUST me! Me, Mordechai (from What WERE They Thinking?), Michael (from Tales to Mildly Astonish), plus other online comic fans that you all may or may not know. This Saturday at 8pm at Heartland Brewery (it is at the bottom of the Empire State Building, which is on 34th Street, which is the same street that New York Comic Con is being held on!! Okay...a few avenues over, but still, the same street!!!). Just drop me a line here, or send me an e-mail (cronb01@aol.com, natch) so I can keep the nice folks at Heartland Brewery abreast of how many people they should be expecting. Or, in the alternative, just stop by Heartland Brewery at 8pm and say you're there with the "Brian Cronin" party.

Tofurky Not Funny!

I enjoyed Ultimate Wolverine vs. Hulk #1 for the most part. I thought it was an interesting enough issue, but I think I would have preferred something with a little more heft to it. Luckily, writer Damon Lindelof answered the call with the second issue, a book that manages, in one issue, to examine Bruce Banner and the Hulk's relationship to an extraordinary degree, all the while managing to be laugh out loud funny at many times. Leinil Francis Yu is good on the art, as well, but, well, I bet you figured that already.

The gist of the story is thus: We discover, in this issue, just what Bruce Banner has been doing from the moment he woke up trapped on a aircraft carrier about to be nuked.

What you have is months and months of Bruce trying to come to terms with his life. Lindelof (as I am sure he is used to by now, writing Lost) uses passages in time very well, as he manages, in just a page or two, to effectively get across Bruce's attempts at inner peace, while also his constant frustrations at being unable to achieve said peace. This is punctuated by his transformations into the Hulk, which, as we all remember from Millar's The Ultimates, can be used for comic relief quite easily, and Lindelof does not shrug away from this usage.

He offers us such choice pieces as the title to this entry, which is the reaction after some Irish farmer give Bruce too much of a hard time over eating tofu instead of actual meat. There is also a very funny scene with Bruce/Hulk's reaction to being psycho-analyzed.

The issue ends with perhaps a breakthrough, perhaps not, but either way, for an issue that is essentially putting off the actual "Wolverine versus Hulk" thing for another issue, it was widely engaging and interesting and FUN.

Meanwhile, as mentioned before, Yu does a fine job, but I just wish to give a special nod to his ability to keep up with Lindelof's changes in time, as each change requires a new look for Bruce, as well. Yu is never left behind on the changes, and gets across nuances quite well.

Very fun comic.

Oh, and Dave McCaig deserves a shout-out for his colors.

But I dunno....



it IS kinda funny...hehe.

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The Portent #1 - Comic Opera

In a piece by Gary Cole, Jr., Peter Bergting, writer/artist of The Portent, described his comic as thus, "The story, and the way it’s told, is a bit different from most comics. It’s a sweeping story and I have quite few surprises planned. I believe it doesn’t look or read quite like any other comic, it's certainly more verbal and brainy, I see it more like an opera played out on the printed page. It has all the action of an action film and all the melodrama and tragedy of a great stageplay as well. Some would describe it as Shakespeare with Kung Fu I guess. I’m very into Tsui Hark and you can certainly pick up on a few things that have inspired me from his films. I would best call it melancholic but there is a lot of humor in there as well." While this description may be a bit high-falutin', it is also fairly accurate. I think that The Portent #1 (you'll love this) is a portent of more good work to come in this series.

First off, any fans of Hellboy should be advised to pick this series up, as it is clear that Bergting and Mike Mignola share a lot of the same visual influences (I cannot speak to whether Bergting was influenced by Mignola, as well). Check out these samples from issue #1.



and



As you can see, Bergting's work flows with a very moody, shadowy style that works for stories steeped in fantasy.

These two pages also include the most striking lines of dialogue from the series. The first page includes the phrase, "Between Heaven and Earth exists no place where there isn't also good and evil." And the second page includes the line of dialogue from a dead spirit, “It’s not right that the living should fear their ancestors, men and spirits should live together as they always have. But that time is no more."

That is the world of The Portent, a world where a young man named Milo may or may not be a hero who must save all of mankind against the forces of evil. It does not help that Milo does not seem to believe in his mission, nor that, even if he DID, he does not seem to be all that inclined to very much CARE. However, when it comes down to being killed by the forces of evil or being a hero, the option is fairly clear.

The story is only beginning, and I do not yet have much of a read on where Bergting is going with the plot, and his hero is still basically a blank slate, but the basic concept is interesting, and I especially love the throwback that Bergting does to classic adventure literature where he is very willing to have comic relief mixed in the book.

The art, on the other hand, as you saw above, is excellent.

If the story continues well, and the art continues its excellence, The Portent could be a very fun book to follow.

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Signs You're Taking Your Comic WAAAAY Too Seriously

So, reading through this week's releases, there were two moments that made me think, "Man, this dude is taking this comic waaaaay too seriously." One each from Marvel and DC.

Enjoy!

First off, we have J. Michael Straczynski, who devotes an entire page from the latest issue of Amazing Spider-Man to addressing some continuity error during "The Other" storyline (by the by, wouldn't it have been neat if they could just have explained The Other away during one page of a Spider-Man comic?).

I am not sure, though, if the fact that Straczynski has Tony Stark and Peter Parker turn to the reader, breaking the fourth wall, and raise their eyebrows (as the explanation given, that the reason Mary Jane arm was broken in one issue but fine in another is because Tony Stark has this high-tech patch-up kit that he uses because he breaks so many bones, and it uses flesh-colored latex so that it makes the bandage look like skin, is fairly on the hokey side) MITIGATES the hokiness of it, or exacerbates it.

I'm leaning toward mitigates it, as it makes it seem like a joke.

However, "joking" or not, if you devote one page of a comic to what essentially amounts to being a "No Prize," then you are devoting one page too many.

This, though, PALES in comparison to this week's Green Lantern, which is essentially a tribute by Geoff Johns to the writings of....Geoff Johns!!

I understand that, perhaps, Geoff Johns lays awake at night thinking about the ramifications of past Geoff Johns' stories, and, heck, I will admit, I know for a fact that there ARE people out there who were quite upset that, in Green Lantern: Rebirth, Hal Jordan punched Batman in the face. And those people who really want Batman to FINALLY accept Hal Jordan as the Greatest Hero Ever Ever Ever.

But does anyone really think we needed a comic designed to:

A. Let Batman punch Hal Jordan in the face

and

B. Win Batman over to the love of "The Greatest Superhero Ever Ever Ever"?

Well, Geoff Johns apparently thinks so, so that is what we got with this week's Green Lantern.

First, Batman decks Hal Jordan, and it is hard to see that as being "fair," as the two weren't even arguing when Batman did it. Which is a really weird way of getting "even."

But the end of the issue, where Batman tells Hal how happy he is that Hal has returned?

I am sure there are people out there who wonder how Flash goes to the bathroom, who was Batman's 2nd grade teacher, whether Kryptonians have flatulance or what kind of moisturizers Black Canary uses.

Doesn't mean you should write stories to appease those ten or so people.

Heck, I'm pretty sure you shouldn't write stories to "appease" people period.

It's taking comics waaaay too seriously.

That being said, if Marc Andreyko doesn't show me what kind of tampons Kate Spencer uses, I swear, I will set myself on fire.

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This Comic Is Good - Mouse Guard #1

Today saw the release of Archaia Studios Press' Mouse Guard #1, by writer/artist David Petersen. It is the story of a world where a group of mice band together to protect the other mice in the territory. "Hail all those who are able, any mouse can, any mouse will, but the Guard prevail." Petersen's art is very impressive, but what stood out in this #1 was how good of a story it was, as well.



The format of the comic is closer to that of a children's book than a comic book, and it really works for Petersen's art, as it allows the scope of his drawings to really come across to the reader. The lettering is not all that good, but it gets the job done, I suppose.

In any event, in this first issue, a mouse traveling rice merchant disappears, and the Mouse Guard, namely Lieam, Kenzie and Saxon, investigate the disappearance. Ultimately, they come across a great danger, but even after they defeat this danger (in a beautifully illustrated action scene), there is a second, hidden danger to face. What REALLY impressed me by Petersen's writing is how, like a good writer, early dialogue that seems ONE way seems a whole other way based on further revelations. That's great. I love it when dialogue can work two different ways. Especially in the first issue by a new writer. That's very impressive.

Anyhow, when all is said and done, Mouse Guard has spectacular art (as you can see below), and a good story, too.

What more do you need for a number one issue?

Here's some sample art (not from the issue, but just sample Petersen Mouse Guard art)



and



Nice, eh?

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Current Comic Conversation - Ultimate Colossus

Jake and I had a little conversation the other day at Comic Book Resources regarding Ultimate Colossus and his sexuality, and I figured I'd share the convo with you folks (Warning! Profanity follows!). Enjoy!

Brian: WHAT

THE

FUCK?!?!

ULTIMATE COLOSSUS IS GAY?!?!?

Jake: IT TOTALLY RUINS THE COMIC!!!

Everyone knows that a big, strong, masculine MAN like COLOSSSUS can't be GAY!

It's so STUPID!

WHY DO THEY ALWAYS RUIN MY FAVORITE CHARACTERS???

Brian: Not only that.

I mean, THAT'S bad, but here's what's worse.

IT'S A FUCKING ALL AGES COMIC BOOK!!

WHAT

THE

FUCK?!?!?!?!

How is Ultimate X-Men NOT a MAX title...there's a goddamn HOMO in the book!!!

Brian: Actually, fuck THAT!!

MAX is not a good enough warning sign, as MAX could mean some nice lady boobies, which is good.

Marvel should have a NEW warning system for their comics!

A big Q for QUEER!

THAT would help me buy my comics and help warn the poor children who have to get exposed to this FILTH!!

Jake: FUCK ALL THAT!

The comic should be BANNED and not sold ANYWHERE until they make the MASCULINE, MANLY COLOSSUS STRAIGHT LIKE HE SHOULD BE!!

Brian: THINK ABOUT IT!

The dude is made out of METAL!

METAL!!

METAL!

The most ungay thing in all of God's creation!!

Jake: GOD CREATED COLOSSUS TO BE STRAIGHT AND MANLY AND HAVE SEX WITH WOMEN LIKE KITTY PRYDE.

NOT NORTHSTAR!!!!

I just can't accept anything GAY like that!! It's not what I want to see!!

Brian: Adam and EVE, not Adam and STEVE!

It's Piotr and Katya, not Piotr and Logan!!!

Thank you, folks, we'll be here all week.

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Help me, Obi-Wan!

Yes, I'm asking our excellent readers for help again.

In Previews for April, two X-Men books are solicited. I'm waffling. I beg for your expertise.

First is the hardcover of Astonishing X-Men by Whedon and Cassaday. 30 bucks for 12 issues of gorgeous art. I know the art is purty. I basically know what happens. Is it worth it, good readers of this fine graphically rendered periodical?

On the very next page, we have the monster Uncanny X-Men Omnibus. It collects Uncanny X-Men #94-131, Uncanny X-Men Annual #3, and Giant-Size X-Men #1. Newly colored, original letter pages, other groovy "extras." I own every issue except #120-122. But I don't own issues #94-119 in single form, so I don't have the letters (not that I care that much, but it would be kind of cool). 100 dollars. I'm leaning toward getting it, just because I often don't feel like tracking down those few issues I have and the single issues I do own (#123-131) are, of course, printed on that crappy paper from back in the day. What say you, fine readers of classic comics everywhere?

Thank you for your assistance.

The Two Choices

Holy Shit! Are you people nuts or something? Dark Knight Strikes Again RULES!

I am not big on the ol' "What's with all the ____ hate?" vibe. I think stuff like that is just people trying to disguise "You disagree with ME?" as a question to others, when it really IS simply "You disagree with ME?!" I really do not mind that Dark Knight Srikes Again gets treated fairly poorly in the cultural subconscious. I really do not mind that not only does it get ripped on a lot, but it gets ripped on in that casual sense where people rip on it without any fear of hearing someone disagree with them, because there is a certain sense of confidence that no one WILL disagree with them. No, I really do not care about that stuff, so the whole "are you guys nuts or something?" stuff is just me messing around. With that being said, Dark Knight Strikes Again is really quite good.

I personally had not read Dark Knight Strikes Again since it was released, in 2002. Which is a long time to not read a Batman comic by Frank Miller (I have re-read both Year One and Dark Knight Returns within the last year or so). What I was taken aback by was just how NORMAL the comic was. It was just so....pretenseless.

It's funny...when reading about Dark Knight Strikes Again, you often will hear about all the commentary Miller is making. But, really, the level of commentary is fairly thin in scope. I mean, it is interesting and all, and fun to see stuff like a fictional president controlled by businessmen (who the people, even though they're pretty sure he is not even REAL, still re-elect), newscasters who report the news nude, commentary on the celebrity aspects of manufactered bands like the Spice Girls (only done with Superchix), a John Aschcroft parody. In addition, the main plot of Dark Knight Strikes Again is a larger commentary about how, since Dark Knight Returns, superheroes are seen as "lame." So, therefore, with this project, Miller has Batman bring BACK superheroes to the world, in all their glory, thereby saving the world from its drab existence. All this commentary is THERE, but the commentary is not all that deep. So while it is fun to see, it is not that important.

No, the fun part about Dark Knight Strikes Again is just how Miller tells this complete story with a good plot and a lot of great scenes mixed together.

Okay, so while I really do not mind that people dislike this series, let me address two issues that pop up a lot in the critique of Dark Knight Strikes Again.

1. The crude art - I really don't see this. His is certainly different from Dark Knight Returns, which is much tighter, but his art still looks really good in this series, too. His art and Lynn Varley's coloring is a good deal loose, which is clearly an intentional move on their parts, but at the same time, I do not believe it negatively affects the overall art at all. The art still looks really good. It looks good in a different way than his art looked good on Dark Knight Returns or his Daredevil, but it is still remarkable art, I think.

There IS a depiction of Brainiac's ship that is bad, and I remember that depiction being singled out, and I will agree there, but that only appears on, like, six out of four HUNDRED panels, so I cannot begrudge the guy that.

2. Dick Grayson - One of the things that struck me in this comic was just how RESPECTFUL Miller was to all the heroes. Sure, he has Superman go through a lot of crap, but for the most part, Miller only does so because he wants Superman to be BETTER by the end of the series, and he IS. In fact, Batman even points out at one point that he understands Superman's action a bit (Superman is being a tad too subservient because he is trying to protect the 10 million Kandorians who are held hostage by Brainiac).

However, one hero who does NOT get respect is Dick Grayson.

So, yeah, if you are a huge Dick Grayson fan, then I can understand how you would not like this comic (and, okay, J'onn J'onnz doesn't fare that well, either).

But it did not bug me that much. Especially because the Dick as villain scenes are only a few scenes in the overall comic, so while yeah, I get how people could have a problem with those scenes, I do not get it being a major impact upon the overall series.

The overall series has, in my view:

1. Cool art

2. A good story about Batman deciding to bring back the "age of superheroes" that has been lost since Dark Knight Returns.

3. A number of really clever, dramatic scenes that further the overall plot (the 10 million Kandorians all getting super powers, although still small...the Atom scenes...the Flash scenes....the Plastic Man scenes....the Superman/Wonder Woman sex scene...TONS of scenes, really).

Well...what more does a comic really NEED?

I dug this comic a lot.

I think I still liked Year 100 better, but it is a close fight.

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This Comic Was Good - Jeremiah Harm #1

Different creators have different track records when reunited together for projects that evoke past works the creators have done together, so it is often a crap shoot. Therefore, Kieth Giffen and Alan Grant teaming up for a new series involving both an alien prison break (their L.E.G.I.O.N. series) and a hardass mercenary (their Lobo series) could go either way. Luckily for us, Jeremiah Harm falls in the camp of "good comic book."

While the real stars of this comic are Keith Giffen and Alan Grant, artist Rael Lyra and digital artist Joe Prado do a good job, as well. One of the hard things when drawing "alien" comics is to depict the aliens as looking, well, like ALIENS, while still having the scenes make sense to us. Lyra achieves this feat quite nicely. You can understand what is going on in the alien prison, but it is about as "out there" as you can stand.

The basis plot of the story is VERY straightforward. A group of aliens escape from an intergalactic prison. The warden frees the mercenary who brought in the toughest one of the bad aliens (and was arrested with the bad alien when the merc brought him in for the bounty) to go bring back the bad guys. It is about one of the most cliched-sounding plots one can imagine, so for the comic to succeed under such terms, the HANDLING of the plot has to be top-notch, and I think it was in this issue.

The personalities of the villains are handled well by Giffen and Grant, especially the one alien who managed to pull out the device that neutralized her powers, even though the device was attached to her entire central nervous system. As one of the guards says, when the warden is stunned that they actually have cameras recording her doing so, because the computer warning systems did not register such actions as a threat, as no one could actually DO what she was trying to do. Clever stuff.

Meanwhile, Jeremiah Harm, the "protagonist" of the story, is very much in the mold of Lobo, except he seems not as insane. Giffen and Grant create a certain mood, and Harm inhabits said mood perfectly. For instance, Harm goes to an alien who betrayed him and requests information. In exchange for said info, Harm promises to kill him quickly and painlessly. The alien, at the end, is thankful to Harm for keeping his promise. It's so out there that it works.

Anyhow, Giffen and Grant have given us some fun comics in the past, and it looks like they're doing it again with Boom Studios's Jeremiah Harm. Worth giving a look see.

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This Comic Was Good - Batman: Year 100 #1

Paul Pope is a stunning artist. Batman: Year 100 is a stunning work. It really is a shame that Frank Miller already did a story about Batman showing up in the future after not being around for awhile, and did it well, because for as amazing as Year 100 is, it always has to live with the thoughts of Dark Knight Returns flickering in the back of our minds, which is really a shame because Year 100 deserves to stand alone as a remarkable comic work. However, it may still be the best Batman comic SINCE Dark Knight Returns' follow-up (and the name inspiration for Year 100), Batman: Year One, so that's something going for it, no?

As a quick aside, to BE the "best Batman comic since Year One," exactly what would Pope's competition be? I don't want to appear to be damning with faint praise, as I highly enjoyed the comic book. It's better than Grant/Breyfogle, Dark Knight Srikes Again, Moench/Jones, Rucka's run, Brubaker's run, Milligan's run, Gotham by Gaslight and I think even Mad Love, but I could see someone making a good case for Mad Love being better...so maybe it's not better than Mad Love, but that's not an insult...am I missing anything of note?

I don't believe so. On, though, to the comic itself!

The basic gist of the comic, the "high concept," as it were, is as follows: It is the year 2039 (one hundred years since Batman was created, wink wink nudge nudge), and technology is so pervasive that nothing is unknown by the government...nothing except for this mysterious "Batman" who has sprung out of seemingly nothingness. Now, a federal agent is dead, and this "Batman" is wanted for the crime. James Gordon (you-know-who's grandson) tries to maintain order in Gotham and find the REAL killer, while the feds are just obsessed with finding this Batman, and why he can exist off the screen.

That's the great high concept that forms the basis of the comic, and it is going to be quite a thrill watching it all unfold over the next three issues.

Pope, along with coloring visionary Jose Villarrubia, create a staggering world of the future, where technology is everywhere, yet, rather than being a gleamy Epcot Center-esque look, Gotham City looks even grungier than ever. Blade Runner would be the closest comparison, but I think Pope does a great job of making it look even more realistic than that. Basically the worst case scenario of what our actual world will look like in thirty-three years.

And inside this dystopian future landscape, Pope populates the world with characters familiar to anyone who has ever read any of Pope's previous works. Characters of real flesh and blood, whose very "realness" leaps out from the pages. It is when Pope uses this take on the very UNreal Batman that the work really leaps from the pages. Imagine Batman's feats in the real world - that is what Pope achieves here, and it's every bit as amazing as you would think if you saw a man leap from one rooftop to another, or any one of the feats achieved in this issue.

It's awfully good fun watching the government freak out over the sheer impossibility of what is going on in the comic (especially the agent who takes a bathroom break to compose himself - classic). At the same time, Pope introduces new characters who we will learn more about in the future, and rightfully so, as they are intriguing. Like the mother and daughter who care for Batman and the top agent sent to track him down.

Year 100 is impressive.

You should give it a try.

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This Comic Was Good - Runaways #13

Recently, in the pages of Runaways, Julie Power, of Power Pack, guest-starred. Now, as someone who actually enjoyed the old Power Pack stories, I do not think Julie fared that well in the comic. However, in this stand-alone issue of Runaways, Brian K. Vaughan and Adrian Alphona created a tale that evoked the best issues of Power Pack.

The issue stars, perhaps, the most popular (and certainly the strongest) Runaways character, the young mutant Molly Hayes, who goes by the "codename" Princess Powerful. During a battle with a bad guy, Molly gets separated from the rest of the group, and ends up in a group of children being used by a Fagin-esque bad guy to commit crimes.

Ultimately, Molly must call upon everything she has learned about being a superhero to save the day, and the end result is well handled.

The key to the issue, however, is not the plot, which is fairly straightforward. No, the key is the characterization, and it is here that not only does Vaughan shine, but especially the art team of Adrina Alphona and inker Craig Yeung and colorist Christina Strain. This is the best I can remember Alphona's artwork looking, and the issue easily loses a large chunk of its characterization without Alphona's highly expressive artwork.

Throughout the issue, Alphona does a stand-out job of getting across character's thoughts just by their facial tics. It is a great help for the story, as Vaughan does not have to waste dialogue getting ideas across, as Alphona's drawings do the work for him. However, the rest of the story, Vaughan's dialogue does an excellent job of setting up the conflict and letting these well-developed (in just one issue!) personalities interact, especially the most-developed, Molly.

In addition, there are tons of funny lines in the issue, and the overall pervasive sense of "cute" was extremely strong. Well-written and well-drawn, it was a real treat. Just like classic Power Pack.

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