A new week, a new column, and a guest editor in the awe-inspiring Ben Morse (please hold your applause until the end of the column) (Don’t listen to him, make with the clapping…whoa, sorry, channeling Daron there. –B). I have got to thank my good friend Ben as well as Janelle, Tim, Dan, and a host of others for making my 23rd birthday most excellent. (I’m as amazed as all of you that he’s not taking the time to brag about how well he did in Laser Tag. –B) I thank no one else at 411mania. NO ONE! A pox on you all for not acknowledge my birth. Well, all except Mathan. I just can’t stay mad at Mathan.
Alright then, let’s get this post-birthday, pre-comic Wednesday party STARTED!!
Take a Swim…In the IDENTITY CRISIS DEATH POOL!!!
A month away, and it’s getting closer to the time when the bets are due in to the bookies. Who’s gong to buy it in Identity Crisis? We’ve got a thumbnail guide on some pros and cons, and just for fun, we invited IC writer Brad Meltzer to weigh in with his opinions on the death pool.
Starting at the top then, with tongue firmly planted in cheek…
Get the blood lust up at Newsarama
You can check out The Roundtable this week for 411’s own take on the death pool if you are at all curious. There are some interesting thoughts there. Of particular note is Ben Morse’s. He predicts Spoiler (now Robin) will be at least one to bite the dust. Now, Ben and I don’t disagree much, but I have to say, unless he has some sort of inside info on this, I cannot begin to guess where he get this idea. I will say, right here, right now, if Spoiler dies in Identity Crisis, I will buy Ben any trade paperback he wants. That’s how confident I am that he is wrong. (At this point I will note that not only did I purchase Tim two trades for his birthday, I also gave him my extra copy of The Death of Captain Marvel just because. Yet it takes a DCU-changing crossover and the death of an innocent character just trying to do good to move his heart of stone to buy me anything. I think that speaks for itself. –B)
As far as my predictions? Well, I am going with Connor Hawke, sadly, going to the Zen Monastery in the sky. Since the project was announced, I just can’t shake that it is him going down. Makes me sad, but it is my guess. I would also point to Arsenal as a possibility after reading this article’s line about “killing your darlings.â€
Dealing with some of the others that are often mentioned: I expect Kyle will not die in the series, or at least I hope not. Not because I like Kyle (although I do), but rather because everyone is predicting that Kyle is not long for this world. I don’t want this death to be such a foregone conclusion.
Similar feeling with Firestorm. Plus, how do you kill the Nuclear Man?
By far the most promising death I’ve heard (what a ghoulish way to think about it) is Sue Dibny, Elongated Man’s wife. But would that pack enough of a wallop to get fandom to care about EM again? Would it make Supes cry? I have my doubts. But, as the next article will attest, the death really isn’t the point.
That Other Identity Crisis Article I Just Mentioned
Oh yeah, like we were only going to touch on Identity Crisis again. With Brad Meltzer under the hot lights, we hit him with a few more questions about the upcoming miniseries, and he was up for giving a few more thoughts.
First off, as Meltzer sees it (and yes, some of his view is shaped by knowing who did it), the identity of the murder victim isn’t the big secret. “The whole fun of it isn’t who’s in the casket,†Meltzer told Newsarama. “As in any good mystery, the hows, the whys, and the huge secret that’s being carried – that’s what people are going to be talking about.â€
But that’s not to say that the writer hasn’t been keeping an eye on the guessing. As he mentioned yesterday, he’s had some head-scratching moments in regards to the front-runners of the death pool from time to time. All in all though, the amount of buzz Identity Crisis has going for it right now has had an effect.
Find out why Identity Crisis is going to be a whole lot more fun than those “Murder on the Connecticut River†cruises at Newsarama
See, what did I tell you? The murder is not the key, the mystery is.
All joking aside, it is this attitude of Meltzer’s that gives me great hope for the project. The fact that the death of a hero is a mere starting point for the story as opposed to the entire point of it is a nice change and does not smack so heavily of marketing dictating story. Sure, of course, the point is to sell issues and lift up DC’s bottom line, always is. I get that. But at least it seems creativity is in the driver’s seat on this crossover.
From Batman to Midnighter
After copious speculating and guessing by fans, WildStorm has confirmed for Newsarama that Dustin Nyguen is the new penciller of The Authority, coming on board for upcoming writer Ed Brubaker’s run.
The move will mark Nguyen’s return to the WildStorm Universe following his five-part Batman story, “As the Crow Flies†with Judd Winick, which is slated to wrap in July. Prior to Batman Nguyen had been the artist on Wildcats 3.0, which had recently been cancelled.
Join the “Welcome Back to Wildstorm†parade at Newsarama
I had forgotten that Nguyen penned that fill-in Authority arc way back in the day. I’ll have to dig that guy up and give it a second look. There were so many issues (pun not intended) with that last arc plus fill-in that I read through it pretty quick and put it away never to be thought of again. Hopefully, now that some time has elapsed and I can read it all at once instead of with the inconsistent releases, I can actually view it with a critical eye, not just an “I am so angry right now†eye.
Regardless of that first arc, this is a smart move. As Brubaker put it, Nyguen has some “heat†on him right now and, in addition to those who love Brubaker, you are sure to get some Wildcats fans coming over to the title in support of Nyguen. I am quite pleased to be reading Authority again.
Chuck Austen: International Man of Action
Chuck Austen is a man of action. And he’s soon to be creating painful moments for the gods.
If you’ve been living in comic book limbo, well, other than writing X-Men for Marvel and self-publishing WorldWatch, Austen is also the new Action Comics writer, and come July, his six-part bi-weekly “The Pain of the Gods†arc starts in JLA #101.
Love him or hate him, the uncanny action man is set to tackle a large portion of the DCU in two fell swoops. Austen agreed to speak with Newsarama about his current and upcoming work in the DCU.
Read the interview with comic’s most beloved creator at Newsarama
You know, I hate to gloss over this interview and crack some jokes while not really dealing with the subject matter.
A Touch of Craig
The DC Focus line is showcasing some of the best new comics talent around! Although this is artist Wes Craig’s first comic work, if the first few issues are any indication, this won’t be the last we see of Craig’s work. He’s working with writer John Francis Moore to bring this story of greed and powers in the real world to life.
“Focus†(guffaw at my genius pun. GUFFAW I SAY!) on this article at The Pulse.
Last week I complained that the color scheme for the Focus universe was driving me away from titles that I had otherwise found intriguing. I found someone who said it better (I know, I know. Say something better than Tim Stevens? Unheard of! Yet, there it was) over at Comics Worth Reading. Johanna Draper Carlson described it perfectly saying, “Apparently one signals more mature comics by dimming down the colors until everything blends.†(Ms. Carlson’s website is also well worth checking out for her quick takes on the major comic company releases of that week and “Chick Check†which looks at the amount of women working on each title released).
The opening line of this article is a touch over the top (complete with exclamation point!), but Craig’s work is actually quite good. I’m not sure if he lives up to the hype on that sentence, (the color hurts the art, darn it), but he has talent and it will be interesting to see where he goes with it. Anyone out there know if he has done anything else worth checking out? Anyone out there want to recommend a Focus title to me that is NOT Hard Time? Write me at parallax2@juno.com or hit up the message boards and let me know.
Mainstream Press Beats Comic Community to Embracing One of Its Own
Normally, the paradigm runs something like this: a comic book produced from outside the mainstream is released, touches on a topic that is usually more heady, personal, or just too different for the “mainstream†comic fan, and sinks like a stone in comic shops (if it even gets into comic shops), but is lauded from hither to yon by critics – mostly in the outside press. Marjane Sarapi’s Persepolis, Will Eisner’s Fagin the Jew, and the works of Joe Sacco are good examples.
Find out what book has been embraced by the “mainstream†at Newsarama
And this, ladies and gentlemen, is why comic books and comic collections in bookstores are a damn good idea. With little to no push publicity wise from DC, retailers had little interest in picking up the hardcover. After all, who wants to stock a hardcover that no one knows about? Bookstores, on the other hand, can afford to make such moves as the diversity of their stock (and the amount of money they pull in) gives them a certain cushion to do such things.
Why else didn’t “It’s a Bird†catch on for comic fans first? Part of it certainly is its straddling of two worlds. Superhero comic fans read the description and pushed it aside. Those who enjoy less traditional comics read of Superman’s connection and discounted it from that point on. Those issues, coupled with Seagle’s so-so to not very good run on Superman, further undermined the book’s chances. If the retailers are not ordering copies and few are interested in tracking the book down, it does not have much of a chance. Sad, but true. Hopefully, with the host of good reviews coming down the pike, retailers will be given a second chance to order it and fans might be persuaded to pick it up.
A Novel Concept for Bats
Del Rey Books, a division of the Random House Publishing Group, announced a major new creative partnership with DC Comics to develop an original fiction publishing program tied into DC Comics’ phenomenally successful Batman franchise. The comprehensive program also includes the novelizations for the forthcoming Warner Bros. Pictures film Catwoman, starring Halle Berry, and Batman Begins, starring Christian Bale, scheduled for release in 2005. The Catwoman novelization, written by critically acclaimed novelist Elizabeth Hand, will be available in stores on June 1st.
Thrill to the written word, sans pictures, at The Pulse
I went through a phase about the time that Batman Forever came out where I snapped up every novel that dealt with comic book characters, be they novelizations of other stories (i.e. Batman Forever, Knightfall, The Death of Superman, etc) or original stories for novels. To show you how involved I was with this phase, I have one phrase for you: Batman and Robin novelization. Even after I saw that horrific film I still read it. Oddly enough, it was better than the movie. Then again, what could be worse?
The importance of that autobiographical sidenote is this: even though I was heavily into that phase, the novels, original or otherwise, always were a disappointed when compared with the comics. I don’t know if the writers felt like they were slumming it so they didn’t need to turn in a great effort or the books were being churned out too quickly or what it was. The short stories collections were usually best (The Further Adventures of Batman, The Ultimate Super Villains, etc) because even if only half the stories were good I still felt like I got my time and money’s worth. The full length novels, nine times out of ten, had a promising start that quickly fell apart as the story continued.
I do think that comic characters can be just as compelling in pure prose format as they are in their 4 color world, but they need to be treated as legitimate endeavors, not a chance to turn a quick buck. If the books are written with a level of seriousness and sophistication, this would be a great thing for DC to try.
Sook Takes Hawkman Onward and Upward
Ryan Sook is bringing the world of Hawkman to life each month for DC Comics. He’s working with writers Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray to continue the action and adventure in Hawkman previous teams set the pace for. The artist has said his work here is along the lines of the work he did on Arkham Asylum. “More detail and a slightly less abstract approach than I’ve done in the past.”
Ride the jet stream over to The Pulse
Although Sook compares his Hawkman work to what he did on Arkham, I have to say they seem much different to me. Sook’s style on both titles fits their tone very well, but, for my eye, that would be just about all they share in common. Perhaps it is a combination of his line work with the inking and the coloring, but Arkham boasts a style that is a cousin to Mignola’s work. Hawkman, on the other hand, does not share this approach. I don’t mean that as a criticism, but rather a compliment. Sook adapted his style to two different titles with two different tones and did so with nods to others without simply monkeying them. The art is fitting in both cases, I just think Sook is selling himself short by saying either is like the other.
Champagne? Nah, It Isn’t Cristal or Dom, It’s Keith
While the end is coming for the Legion of Super-Heroes in Gail Simone and Dan Jurgens upcoming “For No Better Reason†(issues #35-#38), the team gets one last blast of nostalgic glory in issue #34 with “Childhood’s End†illustrated by Legion legend Steve Lightle. The issue also marks the writing debut of Keith Champagne, best known around comics for his inking skills – specifically and most recently, on JSA.
Yup, Keith Champagne is the new Jimmy Palmiotti.
Get tore up at Newsarama
It is great that Mr. Champagne is getting to give it a go as a writer, but for me, the best news about this arc is that Sno-Cone is getting some work. GO SNO-CONE!
So, in this business of new and views, some weeks you have it and some weeks you don’t. This week, like last, I am just not feeling it. Maybe it has been the news I have been responding too, or maybe it is a bit of post-end of semester depression, but it just has not been clicking. Thus, I offer up, humbly, these reviews. Take them and enjoy them as a sign of good faith and entertainment and know that soon, The Grimace will storm back, all the more exciting and entertaining. Now, without further ado…
OPINIONS ON THE WORK OF PEOPLE FAR MORE TALENTED THAN I
Aquaman #18
Alright, stop your snickering. Yes, I am reviewing an issue of Aquaman. No, I have not sold out, thank you very much. Will Pfeifer has done some great stuff over on H.E.R.O. (see later in these reviews) and thus, him doing something else bears a look, Aquaman or not.
That said, this is the most disappointing of his brief run. I was not in love with the book yet, it was still teetering toward drop and add on the ol’ file list, but I was digging it enough to keep giving it a look. Now, I am less sure.
It is not all bad. There are some great moments involving puppies and whales and later, Aquaman mourning the loss of an aquatic friend. That has kind of been the story of the title thus far for me. There are great moments (that floating panda is still one of the most intense images of this year in comics to me) but often the action that links them together is found wanting.
This time around, the monstrosity from last issue is dealt with too quickly and gives Aquaman too much of an edge too easily in his investigation. Fine, decompressed storytelling’s time has come and gone. That does not mean making up a vaguely defined ability to progress the storyline should be an acceptable device.
Bottom line, this is Aquaman better than he has been for some time. I am just not sure that’s good enough to hold my interest.
Gotham Central #19
We’ve all told you enough that you should get it by now. This is a great book. Brilliant, really. If you aren’t picking it up by now, chances are you won’t. Even if I mention that this issue takes a silly Batman villain and makes him cool again. Even if I tell you Harvey Bullock, one of the best cop supporting characters in the DCU, is coming back. Heck, even if I told you that it was nothing more than page after page of hot, hot men or women, (depending what you prefer). So the truth (the first two sentences, everything else I have said about the book to date) and the lies (that whole hot men/women thing) don’t seem to be enough. And that is sad. Because, honestly, this book just keeps getting better.
Green Arrow #38
I like the way Winick writes Oliver Queen. He seems a natural fit for DC’s most outspoken liberal firebrand. I’m just not sure I like the way Winick writes “Green Arrow†the title. Since the title began under Kevin Smith we have been treated to no less than 3 stories involving demons or brainless zombie/monster things (four if you count Solomon Grundy’s brief appearance during Archer’s Quest). Of those 3, two have been penned by Winick. I’m not sure Ollie should be fighting demons, and certainly not so consistently.
Ill fitting story or not, I do have to cop that Winick’s take on the demons and their purpose is unique. With Star City cut off from the rest of the world by a mystical bubble, all broken rules are met with swift justice by flaming beasts that repeat the mantra “Peace or Perish†over and over again. With all technology being obliterated by this magic bubble, people are quickly running out of cash which means stealing to survive. Stealing leads to the flame creatures showing up which leads to death. So, Green Arrow has turned to the only people left in the world who deal largely in cash and rarely with banks, mobsters, to keep the flow of cash coming. Also on board are some of the SCPD’s toughest. This army Ollie has raised is poised to raid the house of the man who has caused this all by fighting through a horde of his personal demon bodyguards.
Like I said, I like that demons have been brought to Star City by this grief stricken man to create a crimeless utopia. It is a neat twist. However, the rules are inconsistently enforced to say the least. GA talks down a criminal from hitting a cop to save his life from the demons but when GA and Mia engage in a prolonged bout of fisticuffs, the demons are nowhere to be found. If theft and vandalism bring them forth, shouldn’t assault and battery?
Ollie is great as the leader of this motley crew and Winick hits him right on every beat. I would, however, like to request an entire year’s worth of non-demon related GA stories starting with issue #40. This is my solemn plea.
H.E.R.O. #16
A serial killer has found the HERO device and he has set off to use it as creatively and brutally as possible. Robby Reed (the longtime possessor of the device) and Jerry Feldon have set out to stop him, aided by Reed’s visions of a coming apocalypse. The only problem? Somehow the events have become accelerated. Oh yeah, also, Reed’s ex-wife has just called the cops on him.
What started out as a series of barely connected stories about a device and what it did to people’s lives has revealed itself to be a series of barely connected stories about a device that were, in fact, very connected. The anthology feel on the series in the beginning made it stand out, but anthologies are not well known for surviving long in the comic book industry. Wisely, Pfeiffer has used the time to build the mythology of the device while telling interesting self-contained stories. Now, he is free to cut loose some and show how all these events are connected and how much worse (and better) the device is than we were first led to believe. With Eaglesham on art, this series is hitting on all cylinders and has quickly risen from intriguing promise to, quite simply, a great read.
JSA #61
All you need to know is that the best new character introduced in comics in the past two decades is introduced in the pages of this issue. Screw that 90’s poseur Spawn. This is the real new comic icon: Zombie Ben Morse. A great issue is made even better by his appearance. With his already skyrocketing popularity, you’ll be hard pressed to find an issue of this at your local shop. Snap it up now or be prepared to pay through the nose at conventions. You’ve been warned. (Buy this issue now or my new regular series next year won’t make any sense. –B)
Nightwing #93
Kevin S. Mahoney was kind enough to tear this book apart on this very site and he raises some good points. In particular, he writes that the Nightwing is not Nightwing at all, but rather a Grayson construct that exists to propel the story but ignores all of Nightwing’s history or previous characterization. To be honest, in analyzing the issue, I am not still sure what side I come down on in regards to that criticism.
I do know that I liked it a whole lot better that Kevin did.
If Nightwing is so wildly out of character (like I said, jury’s still out on that for me) then Kevin’s disgust with this issue is logical. However, for me, it was an intense ride. This storyline has reinvigorated my interest in a title that I was drifting away from even before Dixon departed. Nightwing’s rape by Tarantula is a powerful moment that demonstrates how broken he is by the events of the past several issues. Dick should have no problem flattening her, but he is simply too crippled by his own guilt to do so. I can barely wait for Nightwing to return to his confident self and confront and banish Tarantula, who has essentially become his inner demons given human form.
His momentary hesitation, giving Tarantula the window of opportunity to commit murder, dovetails nicely with his loss of control all those months ago with the Joker. His life has become setback followed by setback, guilt piled upon guilt. He just wanted it to end. And the result? The realization that there is no end, easy or otherwise.
Can I read a title about Nightwing that is always going to be this brutal to its lead? No. But I don’t anticipate that Grayson has any interest in keeping this assault going. I do think we are about to see Dick rebuild himself and retake his life and city by facing down Tarantula and shaking her hold on him.
Teen Titans #11
Turns out we weren’t done with Deathstroke’s son and that could not be better news. During A Kid’s Game, Jericho’s shocking appearance and abrupt departure were both cool and disappointing. Why waste such a great twist on such a quick resolution? Turns out, there was no quick resolution, we just thought there was.
Besides that news, this issue felt a bit thin to me. We do get some nice character moments between Robin and Starfire and Beast Boy (Changeling, Garfield, whatever) and Raven. Brother Blood and his Oedipal obsession remain quite creepy. And of course, Deathstroke and Ravager anti-dynamic duo is still uber-bad ass. Note, however, the use of still and remain. In other words, we get lots of confirmation here on prior thoughts, but not much new. It is a Johns issue so it is still a great read, but it does feel a bit stalled out. However, with the late issue twist, the pace seems to be quickening once more.
In brief, it is a good issue that could have advanced the plot a bit more.
Where’s Un Gajje’s whiskey? He’s about to get tore up!
