B.P.R.D. Universal Machine #2 (Small Image Optional)
Dark Horse
Written by: Mignola and Arcudi
Artist: Guy Davis
This is the stuff! Horror comics can scare, reflect reality in an intelligently skewed way, or merely entertain. This issue of Universal Machine does all three. Readers witness the horrific manner in which Capt. Ben Daimio was murdered and yet rose again. The plot also touches upon the mystical abduction of Kate Corrigan, and the ongoing anomie of Abe Sapien. While this issue has thrills aplenty, (invisible jungle monsters, shamanistic visions, bloodshed, and alternate dimensions) it excels equally in its small human moments. Johann’s petty interruptions during the Captain’s story are classic, improving the issue’s characterization and pacing. Wrap a cool well-told vignette in this skewed and occasionally all too realistic art style, and it’s a complete winner. Hellboy stories have meandered too far away from this formula lately; it’s good to see the B.P.R.D. stories still retain the proper balance of (heh!) heart and soul.
Score: A
JSA #85 
DC Comics
Writer: Paul Levitz
Artists: Morales, Ross, and Meikis
An interesting contradiction concerning this arc: the less the villain of the arc (Gentleman Ghost) appears, the more enjoyable the issue. It’s not like Craddock is a complete waste of a villain, he’s just nowhere as interesting as most the repeat JSA villains; Vandal Savage, Roulette, Black Adam, and the Ultra-Humanite spring to mind as far better foils/foes. The sequences regarding his origin have ambience, and a bit of flavor, but that’s hard to get enthusiastic about when the final product is so mediocre. More impressive is the showcase of stressors that Ghost’s actions have placed on those JSA members and friends that were already attacked. The scenes with Alan Scott, Stargirl, Flash and Mister Terrific all ring truer than the limey flashback sequences. The undead interlude/battle between JJ Thunder, T-Bolt, and the ghosts is a surprise, but a welcome one. No real notion of how the appearance of Wes Dodds in the afterlife effects his recent reappearance in JSA Classified but I hope the living one is an imposter.
The art by Rags Morales is still some of the most enjoyable pop in comics. Everything has that internal sheen that befits heroes of this scope without ever lapsing into parody or overstatement. The Ghost interludes have the opposite vibe, and it fits as a narrative hook, so his collaborators should be given equal accolades, despite the workmanlike necessity for exposition in their sequences.
Score: B
Detective Comics #819
DC Comics
Writer: James Robinson
Artists: Kirk, Clarke, and Faucher
An issue of Face the Face reviewed ON TIME? It can’t be! It’s Inconceivable!
Or maybe not…
Forgetting for a moment, that this reviewer never got to read part four of this story, part five reads very well. There’s action, detection, several interesting settings, and the dialogue improves considerably as the issue progresses. The internal monologue of Jason Bard is Robinson writing his finest personable noir. Any reader would recognize Bard’s steel as well as his cynical humanity. Those two aspects of characterization are very hard to juggle believably. It’s only slightly unfortunate that little to no headway is made in the mystery (how many B-list killers can readers thump into without a deductive crumb being thrown their way?) as enough goes on to shift the reader’s focus to the action in this segment. The appearance of The Tally Man, especially out of costume, is a strange note to end this installment. While the character has been around since the mid-nineties, the idea that he could be responsible for the death of all these metahumans seems absurd, as he lacks any known superpowers and was not really all that bright in his other appearances. Hopefully, he’s just the triggerman, or a cut out for the real mastermind behind this killing spree.
The art in this issue continues the moody half-lit though realistic vein of the entire story. Kirk’s depiction of Robin in his new togs still needs some work, as he looks either chubby or buffoonish. The other characters all seem much more well rendered, especially Com. Gordon, so having one recurring character look bad just serves to accent the error. Otherwise, the settings, layouts, colors, and level of details fit the story snugly, if a trifle unimaginatively.
Score: C
Infinite Crisis #7
DC Comics
Writer: Geoff Johns
Artists: Jiminez, Perez, Reis, Bennett, Lanning, Ordway, Parsons, Thiebert
The question on every reviewer’s mind: was it worth it? Was rehashing/refitting/reexamining twenty years of stories, histories, and character development worth this finale?
Not.
To.
Me.
There was a lot to like in this story, plenty of action and moments where the odd semi-neglected character or five got a moment to shine. The art, while not personally my style, certainly lived up to the epic vistas and gargantuan cast of this tale. But the same problems that dogged this story from issue one completely mire its conclusion. There was too much Superman/Superboy/Superman interplay. There were unnecessary and ludicrously illogical deaths; the Green Lanterns operate in the cold vacuum of space so super-cold breath is not only impossible (there’s no air, dammit!) it wouldn’t be any colder than the vacuum they are completely accustomed to as spacefarers. The way Alexander Luthor (easily the smartest and most complex character to come out of this series in view of his actions in Villains United) gets punked by the Joker is both tragically wasteful and pathetic. How a being who can somehow marshal the forces of matter AND anti-matter would even be affected by acid or electrocution is beyond me. And add to that the manner in which Superboy both survived and is laughably contained (however temporarily) and I was severely dissatisfied by this last serial chapter and the story as a whole. OYL has thus far given us some excellent stories, and 52 might be the next big thrill ride, but the story that kicked off all the “important/epic” change in DC Comics wasn’t written well enough or paced effectively to justify either, let alone its own seven issues.
Score: D
