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The Comic Bloke’s Review Block #1-3/3/06
By: Chris Delloiacono

Welcome to the first installment of The Comic Bloke’s Review Block. The Bloke, Chris Delloiacono, will be your humble master of ceremonies on this somewhat stream of conscious attempt to view a weekly block of new comics.

Speaking of blocks, an extra special thanks to my girlfriend, Patti Maillaro, for designing the spiffy logo seen at left. I wasn’t sure if she’d have the time to get the logo done before this premiere, but she beat the deadline and exceeded all of my expectations. Unfortunately, I dropped the logo in my haste to get up the stairs. My fault entirely, folks. The liberty bell’s cracked, so why not my block too!

You’ll notice that my stack doesn’t include many of the mainstream titles from Marvel or DC. I do promise there will be a nice variety each and every week. I’ll also toss in occasional trade reviews as well as some extra features. I’d also like to hear your comments, so send ‘em in! I love to talk comics.

One final note before I get down to business, I’m willing to accept review submissions of any kind. Contact me at acegecko@comcast.net and I’ll send you my snail mail address. Any comic you submit to me for review is guaranteed inclusion in a future column.


Jonah Hex #5

“Christmas with the Outlaws”
Writer: Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti
Artist: Tony DeZuniga
Colorist: Rob Schwager
Publisher: DC Comics

Over the last year or so I’m more surprised when a book published from the main branch of DC Comics isn’t an absolutely unreadable crapfest. I am in the minority on this one, but I feel that DC has ruined their entire line of superhero titles and destroyed years of work by other creators. Their failures are irreparable and unforgivable.

Somehow, for five months straight, Jonah Hex, a book with the DC bullet, wait that’s not right, a book with the DC detergent logo, stayed astride the bucking bronco and didn’t plummet into the unending sub-mediocrity oozing from most every other pore of mainline DC.

That’s a major accomplishment.

The magic act of Justin Gray & Jimmy Palmiotti continues this month. The pair has crafted another entertaining all-in-one issue without the foulest six letter word in comicdom, Crisis, soiling the proceedings.

The book even jumps forward ten years at the end to ensure the villain receives his just desserts–I’m amazed that DC’s brain trust didn’t decide every week of this ten-year jump wasn’t fodder for a 520-part epic that could run concurrently with the ongoing Hex.

Tony DeZuniga fills in admirably for regular artist Luke Ross. DeZuniga is highly qualified for this fill-in since he was the artist on the earliest Jonah Hex appearances over thirty years ago. It’s tough to follow Ross, whose work over the past year (I’m talking the first four issues of Jonah Hex and the mesmerizing Samurai: Heaven and Earth) has catapulted him to the tippy-top of his profession.

My only major problem is that DeZuniga’s Jonah Hex looks more like Two-Face in a cowboy hat than the titular hero.

All told, this was a solid Christmas themed issue (a little late in production perhaps?), but not the best in the series thus far.

Score: B

Y: The Last Man #43 Chip of the Week!!!

“Kimono Dragons” Part One
Writer: Brian K. Vaughan
Penciller: Pia Guerra
Inker: Jose Marzan, Jr.
Publisher: Vertigo > DC Comics

Yorick and his angry band of misfits continue their hunt for everyone’s favorite monkey since those rollicking B.J. and the Bear yarns of yesteryear.

Even after all these years, Greg Evigan still rocks!

This month, their path takes them to island of Japan. The crew runs into street performers and anime chicks. Plus they discuss the awe-inspiring fact that bicycle chains aren’t necessary in Japan. Most importantly, Yorick disguises himself as a woman, like that’s new, but this time he does it in Michael Jackson guise! Eerily fitting!

To the thirty-seven comic fans that don’t read Y as a monthly or in trade paperback, get your act together!

Score: A

Ex Machina #18

“March to War” Chapter 2
Writer: Brian K. Vaughan
Penciller: Tony Harris
Inker: Tom Feister
Colorist: JD Mettler
Publisher: Wildstorm > DC Comics

Mr. Vaughan is at it again!

No other writer in comics can pull disparate themes together like BKV. This month, Mayor Hundred’s adventures past and present feature: quibbling over car alarms, war protests, al Qaeda, the war in Iraq, those ever popular (yet, oh so hard to find) weapons of mass destruction, and vampires.

Couple Vaughan’s inherent talent with dialogue and situations with Tony Harris’s monthly artistic gift to comic readers and we’re talking the stuff of legends!

Score: A

Spider-Girl #96

“Shadows from the Past”
Writer: Tom DeFalco
Penciller: Ron Frenz
Inker: Sal Buscema
Colorist: Gotham
Publisher: Marvel Comics

Even though the book is seemingly headed for the chopping block Tom DeFalco is drawing things to a close with a bang. After teasing us for several months, DeFalco finally brings us the first encounter between Spider-Girl and the Scriers. These new pasty creatures don’t disappoint as a foil to our favorite super-heroine. Besides all of the antics with the Scriers, DeFalco carries out some great drama surrounding several fathers in various levels of distress.

Strong characterization, solid plotting, and action, action, action, and that’s just a normal month in these parts.

There is some hope for the future of Spider-Girl. While on one hand Tom DeFalco recently said that Last Planet Standing might be the end of the MC2 Universe, rumors are swirling that a new Spider-Girl title will be showing up soon after this series ends at #100.

The reports of Spider-Girl‘s demise just might have been premature…again. The comic world wouldn’t be the same with the continuing adventures of May Day Parker.

Score: B

The Last Days of El Rey #1

Writer: Kyle Morton
Artist: Nick Morton
Publisher: Low Key Comics

The second release from Low Key Comics sets the bar even higher than their self-titled anthology debut. The Last Days of El Rey worked well in its truncated appearance in the anthology, but it’s even better this time out.

Anyone familiar with the Jim Thompson story The Getaway (The film adaptation featuring Steve McQueen and the gorgeous Ali MacGraw is a personal fav) or even the Robert Rodriguez/Quentin Tarantino collaboration From Dusk Till Dawn will recognize the name of El Rey, as the criminal Shangri-La the crooks seek in Mexico.

The struggle to reach El Rey serves to drive the narrative of both those films, and the book, but it’s never been explored as a setting. Until now!

The pace is brisk, there’s action, solid character moments, and a story that works as a standalone, and promises a captivating future. The storytelling both written word and sequentially is so good, it’s hard to believe they’re self publishing.

El Rey wouldn’t be the first vacation spot I picked, but I would choose it over a hunting trip with Vice President Cheney. Thanks to the Morton brothers I don’t have to leave my house to reach El Rey, and as luck continues to be on my side, I won’t be out in the crab grass with the V.P. either.

Score: B


Ad o’ the Week: Red Sonja/CLAW: Devil’s Hands
I saw it in: Jonah Hex & Ex Machina

To the thirty-seven of you out there that aren’t reading Y: The Last Man, do you think it’s acceptable to pick something like this up instead?

A more appropriate title: Double D Meets Z-Lister: Sh** Makes the Wallet Grow Lighter.

The ad touts variant covers by Alex Ross and Jim Lee. As if buying one copy wasn’t bad enough, apparently DC and Dynamite expect people to buy multiples of this rubbish.

Kick to the Bollocks:

To end this week’s column, I’d like to send out a hearty kick in the bollocks to comic fans.

Ladies and gentlemen, wake up and step beyond the norm. Don’t buy into the endless hype brigade put out by the Big Two. Just pick up one less book each week from those guys (52 would be a great start) and find something else worth reading!

I may sound harsh, but the endless mega events sunk this industry once before. The constant hype stream by DC and Marvel, not to mention ludicrous sales demands from Diamond are making it very difficult on nearly every other publisher in the business. Speakeasy went down this past week and too many others have disappeared the past few years.

Redirect a small portion of your weekly purchase to something independent and help keep the whole comic industry viable!

Bloke’s done. See ya next Friday!