The Comic Bloke’s Review Block #6 – 4/7/06
By: Chris Delloiacono
First off, is anyone going to the Pittsburgh Comicon April 21-23?
Daron and I will be in town enjoying the comic book goodness. Hopefully we’ll see quite a few readers. I just wrote a piece taking a look at the past and current iterations of the show. It was posted yesterday, so if you haven’t already, take a look.
As for the reviews, this was a better week than last.
Moon Knight #1
“The Bottom” Chapter One
Writer: Charlie Huston
Penciler: David Finch
Inker: Danny Miki
Colorist: Frank D’Armata
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Let me start by saying, I’ve never read a single issue of Moon Knight, at least that I can recall. I’ve read books he’s appeared in, so I only have a passing knowledge of the character. David Finch’s artwork and the buzz surrounding this book got me interested. Not to mention the fact that it’s a fresh, at least for me, superhero to enjoy.
As debuts go, this issue is a bit above average.
I have to hand it to writer Charlie Huston for getting us into the head of Moon Knight right away. His internal monologue is outstanding. The issue, though, is a bit light on plot. It’s really just an extended fight sequence leading into a “stunning” revelation about Marc Spector (Moon Knight) and his current predicament. I think this would have been better as a zero issue. The story is set up now, so I’ll expect a bit more weight in the next few issues.
David Finch definitely puts up his A-game for the debut of Moon Knight. As I stated, there’s tons of action, and Finch renders it with kinetic magnificence. Getting Finch on this title is a shock. He’s one of the best artists in Marvel’s stable. Putting him on Moon Knight shows tremendous support from the powers that be. That’s certainly a good sign for the future.
My favorite part of the whole comic was the text page at the end.
That’s weird, but it’s true.
Charlie Huston explains the origins of Moon Knight, and more importantly his passion for the character. That’s really important. This apparently goes beyond a paycheck for Huston. He’s vested in telling great stories. I certainly am sick of reading a character when the writer would rather be writing something else.
Cool.
Score: B
Ex Machina #19
“March to War” Chapter 3
Writer: Brian K. Vaughan
Penciller: Tony Harris
Inker: Tom Feister
Colorist: JD Mettler
Publisher: Wildstorm > DC Comics
Ex Machina is making a play to be my favorite current comic. Y: The Last Man has long held that distinction, but this other Brian K. Vaughan book has continually improved. Plus it’s dissimilar to everything else. There just aren’t any comics about the mayor of New York, or the mayor of anywhere, for that matter.
BKV is spot on with everything he does in Ex Machina. There isn’t a writer in the industry that deals with contemporary problems in such an unobtrusive way. Mayor Hundred is dealing with a gaggle of issues pulled from the real world, yet I don’t feel like I’m reading a civics lesson, a badly concealed editorial, or a political soapbox stand.
It’s just another Ex Machina dealing with: people, issues, and heroism (in all of its forms) better than anything else.
Damn, this book is %*#$ing brilliant!
Score: A
Hard Time: Season 2 #5
“Bodies and Souls”
Writers: Mary Skrenes & Steve Gerber
Artist: Brian Hurtt
Colorist: Lee Loughridge
Publisher: DC Comics
Continuing the backstory of Cindy from last month, as well as the current problems facing series lead Ethan. This was a great issue up until about the 2/3 point. Then we got heavily involved in the mumbo jumbo surrounded Ethan’s super powers.
Now, I’ve enjoyed the “mumbo jumbo” up until this point, but considering this is the third to last issue of the now cancelled series, I want more resolution to character conflits.
I think.
To be honest, I just want more Hard Time. It’s cancelled and that sucks!
It sucks almost as much as those incessant friggin’ One Year Later ads.
What an absolute annoyance. If DC had put one fiftieth of the advertising into Hard Time it would have found a greater audience. It certainly deserved to.
What a bummer.
Score: B
Spider-Girl #97
“Here Comes Hobgoblin”
Writer: Tom DeFalco
Penciler: Ron Frenz
Inker: Sal Buscema
Colorist: Gotham
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Another favorite racing to cancellation.
And I do mean racing. Tom DeFalco doesn’t suffer from the long winded approach most writers at Marvel take. As fast as things have been going, this issue is actually a breather. Not much action, but plenty of excellent situation building. With only three issues to go it’s probably the last breather we’ll get.
The Scriers have been great villains. The evil organization has provided some excellent drama over the past few months. DeFalco seems to be holding out until the very end of the book for the final conflict, but that doesn’t mean the baddies aren’t still making SG’s life miserable.
This month, they break Roderick Kingsley, the classic Hobgoblin, out of prison and send him after Spider-Girl. All that, and Mayday dons the classic black togs again. I only wish we could get Spider-Man back in the black outfit. Those are some wicked threads! They certainly beat that ghastly golden metallic mess he’s wearing now.
Yucko!
Much like Hard Time this week, I’m actually kind of down reading the book. So little time left!
I’m down, but the book is top notch.
Score: A – Chip of the Week!!!
Y: The Last Man #44
“Kimono Dragons” Chapter Two
Writer: Brian K. Vaughan
Penciler: Pia Guerra
Inker: Jose Marzan, Jr.
Colorist: Zylonol
Publisher: Vertigo > DC Comics
Last month’s debut part of this arc was outstanding, but this second part is only really good. Vaughan sets things up for next issue, all the while building towards the final issue that’s only a year or so away.
Not a bad issue at all.
This is one of the few comics that a B is actually a down issue.
Score: B
Revolution on the Planet of the Apes #3
“Intelligent Design”
Scripter: Joe O’Brien
Story by: Ty Templeton & Joe O’Brien
Penciler: Tom Fowler
Colorist: Bernie Mireault
Publisher: Mr. Comics
Over the first two issues, the biggest weakness faced by this return to the original Planet of the Apes universe was in the art. It seems that the gentleman at Mr. Comics have fixed that this month by bringing in Tom Fowler to cover the penciling duties. Original artist Salgood Sam wasn’t bad, but he didn’t translate the human characters very well, Fowler doesn’t have that same problem.
The plotting is quite good even though the book gets a bit silly at times, but that’s in keeping with the original series of films. They had their moments that didn’t quite click, just like what’s going on here. Still, it’s quality storytelling that is suitably filling in the gaps between the fourth and fifth films in the POTA series (Conquest of… and Battle for the Planet of the Apes.
I truly never thought there’d be a quality continuation of the original POTA series, especially after Tim Burton’s iffy filmic “reboot.”
These guys continue to hold my interest. I’ll be here until the end.
Score: B
Jonah Hex #6
“Goin’ Back to Texas in a Box”
Writers: Jimmy Palmiotti & Justin Gray
Artist: Luke Ross
Colorist: Rob Schwager
Publisher: DC Comics
Luke Ross returns this month on the art end, but this isn’t a great issue.
There’s a lot going on this time and none of the elements really come together. Gray & Palmiotti throw Jonah Hex in the middle of whole slew of problems including: evil nuns, a plague, Apache’s with a score to settle, and a lost love.
The story pulls together in the end, but it’s extremely rushed. I’m a major proponent of all-in-one issues, but this story needed to unfold over the space of two issues. If a writer has something to say, and there’s a need for it, I love multiple part stories. This was a case where it would have helped.
This is still one of the better series to debut in the past half year. Check it out and diversify that pull list.
Score: C
Advance Review:
Big Max #1
Writer: Dan Slott
Penciler: James W. Fry
Inker: Andrew Pepoy
Colorist: Twilight Graphics
Publisher: Mr. Comics
Dan Slott’s one of the funniest writers in comics. His work on She-Hulk has reinvigorated a C-level character. Slott is extremely capable at writing superheroes and making the story funny without destroying the superhero genre in the process, which is something many other comedic writers can’t seem to handle.
Mr. Slott was kind enough to provide Manolis, of Leave Your Spandex @ the Door fame, with PDF copy of Big Max #1 to provide to any interested reviewer. I was anxious to take up Mr. Slott’s kind offer.
As a debut, Big Max left me flat.
There was quite a bit to like. I especially enjoyed the concept of Big Max being an ape that fights crime with a monkey sidekick. He really is an ape. His secret identity consists of working for the Gorilla-Grams messenger service, which he does with a human mask. That’s a neat little spin.
The book has a strong old-school flair. It’s written like a classic comic book and we’re thrown right into the storytelling, just like the book’s been going on for years. I’m thrilled we don’t need to start at the beginning. That gets so old.
On the other hand, the comic isn’t all that funny. The issue centers largely on Big Max’s fight against a “super mime.” I may be in the minority, but I’ve never found mime humor to be that funny. The confrontation has its amusing moments, but there’s nothing hilarious going on. The dialogue is well done, the situations are set up nicely, but it’s only kind of funny. At least to me.
Artistically, I did enjoy James Fry and Andrew Pepoy’s sequentials. There are tons of little details in every panel. The world of Big Max seems fully realized right from the get go. That goes back to my point about this feeling like a classic comic where you could pick up just about any issue and enjoy what was going on.
Not a bad debut, but I was hoping for a bit more.
Score: C
Kick to the Bollocks:
An easy one this week.
I send out a mammoth bollocks shot to a collection of James Bond fans bashing Daniel Craig before he even debuts in the role. Most of the bashing amounts to Craig being either too short or too blond to play the part.
What stupidity.
Give the guy a chance to prove himself. The problem in Hollywood today is that all people care about are looks and not acting chops. Too many times if a person looks good, he/she lands the part.
That’s a great way to make a bad movie.
Having seen Craig in Layer Cake last summer, I can unequivocally state he’s an excellent actor and the part has been well cast.
Contact me at acegecko@comcast.net if you have a book you’d like me to review.
Bloke’s done. See ya next Friday!
