Welcome to the 88th instalment of the new Leave Your Spandex @t the Door! Wednesday is Comic Book Day in the U.S., and LYS@D is here again with this week’s Early Bird Reviews, so you can catch up on what rocks and what flops this week before you head to your local LCS! Many thanks to Travelling Man Manchester for providing the advance look copies for review!
In other news, LYS@D now has its own MySpace at www.myspace.com/lysad , so be sure to drop by and add me to your friends list!
Panel of the week:
A new format this week, making the column more interactive. I realised how every single week I’ve been torn between two panels to feature. The solution: U Decide (eek). Come back to this space next week (10/10/06) for the popular vote results!
Panel A: Fellhatio (sic) (Secret Six #4)
Panel B: Leave Your Sweater At the Door (Stan Lee Meets Spider-Man)
Wallpaper of the week
September ‘06 HOT Grade
1. Pride of Baghdad
2. Hero Squared #3
3. NEXTWAVE Agents of H.A.T.E. #8
4. Astonishing X-Men #17
5. Local #6
6. American Virgin #7
7. Supergirl #10
8. Casanova #4
9. Ultimate Spider-man #100
10. Secret Six #4
The week in (advance) review: Super-Nurses, SHIELD poker nights, spastic pickpockets, pocket labs, sacrificial strippers, mutant esophagii, Frankenstein at the prom, zombie twins”¦ and the Other?
Dr. Strange: the Oath #1
Marvel
Writer: Brian K. Vaughan
Artists: Marcos Martin
Review Content: By the Vishanti, we have a winner!
Dr Strange has long been a poisoned chalice for writers, with no one managing to provide a version of the good doctor to stick. He even became the butt of many jokes when Marvel’s latest epic incarnation rose and imploded a few years ago, with the editors cracking jokes about how every writer who approached them had his own pitch for Dr. Strange!
Doc Strange had been quite busy the past year, with a new origin series, a prominent role in the Illuminati fiasco, and more recently his co-starring role in the Dead Girl mini (where Milligan presented another good take on the doctor, stating that all it takes to ground his character is an affliction of haemorrhoids and a crush on a dead chick). BKV doesn’t reference any of these takes on the character, instead crafting a story accessible to even people who may have never even heard of Dr. Strange before; he returns him to the classic status quo and the familiar outfit, recaps his origin and pays homage to Ditko (spot it and win a Nexus no-prize).
The first issue takes place entirely in the hidden clinic of the Night Nurse (now a Civil War anti-reg hero), where Wong takes a gravely injured Strange. While Night Nurse operates on his broken body, Stephen through astral projection explains his origin to her and how he got P0wned into this condition; when Wong was diagnosed with a form of Cancer, Strange clung to his Hippocratic Oath (he is an actual doctor) and obsessed over finding him a magical cure. This in turn led him into a demonic dimension in the pursuit of a cure, and later on face to face with a deadly assassin who is after the same cure.
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By the Vishanti, we have a winner! |
BKV gets Dr Strange. Like most of Stan Lee’s 60s superheroes, Strange is made up of conflicting elements: a surgeon who paid for his arrogance with the crippling of his hands, and then sought enlightenment leading to his becoming the Sorcerer Supreme. Vaughan understands the dichotomy between Science and Magic inside Dr Strange and uses it as the basis for the series, as it becomes evident later on. The story packs the tattletale signs of a Vaughan comic: obscure characters redefined, light-hearted but concise dialogue, continuity geek jokes, sly humour and an impeccable taste in splash pages and cliff-hangers!
Marcos Martin has been hailed by Vaughan as the greatest storyteller he’s worked with. I can’t really argue that by looking at these pages. His style is clean and simple, bringing out the iconic imagery of the characters and experimenting with page structure and perspectives. He packs every page with interesting details I picked up on the second read, like Strange’s red cloak of levitation wandering around with a mind of its own between panels or it trying to grab on to something to steady Strange’s body when Wong first takes him into the clinic. Lastly, it is worth mentioning the update on the classic Ditko, as Martin has retained the shirt and cape elements but replaced the spandex with tailor-cut trousers and formal shoes which looks more appropriate on Dr Strange and again illustrates the science-magic duality.
The final word: the Doctor is in good hands. Here’s to hoping this one sticks around for the long run!
Grade: A
Criminal #1
Marvel
Writer: Ed Brubaker
Artists: Sean Phillips
Review Content: Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips, the co-creators of the Sleeper series from Wildstorm, reunite on a new crime comic for Marvel’s Icon imprint. Sleeper was a cult-hit among fans for its unique brand of superheroes and crime stories. Not wanting to retread old ground, Criminal is a pure-form crime comic without any superhero or supernatural trappings: just the story of Leo, a second generation thug who is trying to wise up after a botched bank heist a few years back cost the lives of his partners. When an old ‘business associate’ approaches him with a crooked cop for an inside job to make millions, he has to decide if it’s worth the risk to end up like his pops in jail.
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the comic equivalent of a Danny Boyle movie |
Even though the book is set in the ‘mundane’ world, it’s filled with colourful characters, making some tough decisions and learning to live with the outcome. The success of crime stories hinges a great deal on the main character and how empathic the reader can be to him. Leo is as down-his-luck as you can get, living day by day, taking care of his late dad’s amnesiac crime partner and trying to avoid mishaps, by carefully planning each of his moves. Even with all the depth of this character, my favourite from the issue was the spastic pickpocket, who fakes seizures in train wagons to pick wallets from the passengers. Ed Brubaker has reported that each story arc will feature a rotating cast between the main characters, making me look forward to his feature story.
Sean Phillips returns to his crime roots, after making a big name for himself drawing zombies of all things. He easily relaxes back into his thick inked style fitting the rugged-edged city these criminals operate in. Surprisingly (given the freedom allowed from the Mature Readers label), he holds back on the portrayal of violence and blood, thus making the book more grounded and realistic.
Criminal balances well between the best crime comics, avoiding the excesses of Sin City and focusing on the characters like the comic equivalent of a Danny Boyle movie in both characters and setting.
Grade: A
Beyond #4
Marvel
Writer: Dwayne McDuffie
Artists: Scott Kolins
Review Content: Wasp, Dr. Pym, Firebird, Deathlok, Gravity, Medusa, Kraven Jr, Venom and the Hood have been abducted to the Beyonder’s planet for a fresh and updated take of the classic Secret Wars. The solicited cover for this issue had spoiled last issue’s reveal that the Space Phantom was posing as the massacred Spider-Man of the first issue, negating my biggest qualms about the first issue.
The Space Phantom is one of the oldest Avengers villains, and McDuffie acknowledges the rich history of the group here; the space Phantom, with his ability to rake the form and powers of any superhero/villain by placing their body in Limbo, is a truly formidable opponent for the team, giving them a good chase for the entire issue, as the assembled supers hunt him for answers. Beyond is steeped in fun little continuity secrets and super-power tricks, making it an unmissable read for old-school Avengers and Deathlok fans.
My wish? Take Bendis off at least one of the two Avengers books, and let McDuffy and Kolins take over, with this exact line-up of Pym, Wasp, Deathlok, Gravity and Firebird as the West Coast Avengers. Beyond is what the real Avengers book should be about, taking some disparate heroes and making them click, exploring their powers in new ways and building some meaningful and fun interactions and relationships between them.
Grade: A
the Irredeemable Ant-Man #1
Marvel
Writer: Robert Kirkman
Artists: Phil Hester
Review Content: More like irreverent, irresponsible and incorrigible! Marvel wisely admits with this series that a straightforward Ant-man by-the-numbers book would be a guaranteed flop. Wisely again, they decide to turn the concept on its head, keeping only the basic concept of the shrinking hero and reimagine it as an original anti-hero for a new era.
The only peek at the Ant-man we get is from the opening sequence, where he rescues a girl from a purse snatcher; when she goes through the necessary ‘I don’t know how I could ever thank you’, the Ant-man’s quick to hit on her and ask her out. Now that’s a hero I can appreciate! Being a major fan of books like X-Statix, Guy Gardner and Giffen’s Justice League, I understand the appeal of flawed heroes, who don’t live on a pedestal but are ultimately more relatable and interesting to read about as they present a more grounded ‘gray’ persona.
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More like irreverent, irresponsible and incorrigible! |
After the brief intro the narrative jumps back in time to show the origins of the mysterious new Ant-man. Kirkman plays a trump card to keep the reader interested throughout the heavily-dialogued pages, by purposefully splitting the focus of the story evenly between two characters; both of them are rookie SHIELD agents, both are screw-ups in their own way, and both are equally likely to be the man behind the ant-helmet in the intro. One is a trademark loser with no luck in women and a conspiracy theory hobby. The other a gambling, cheating womaniser, but equally inept as an agent. Both receive the same face time and neither is written as the lead over the other. I’ll admit I’m hooked to find out how Kirkman takes the reader from A to B and explain the real identity of the Ant-Man.
Hester is a hero in this book, trying to squeeze art in the panels between the word balloons, especially in the opening poker scene. Kirkman gives him some room to breathe later on, but his job isn’t made any easier when he is called to draw a story where all the characters live in an iron-walled espionage facility and have to wear the same blue jumpsuit. (the number one reason I never got into SHIELD stories). Then again, the new Ant-man suit doesn’t seem a preferred alternative; the design plays to Hester’s strengths (as it should), but I can’t wear off the ‘Micronauts’ sense that it would make a better action figure or Saturday morning cartoon character than a Marvel superhero.
Grade: B
Agents of Atlas #3
Marvel
Writer: Jeff Parker
Artists: Leonard Kirk
Review Content: Agent Jimmy Woo, Gorilla-Man (the star of this week’s wallpaper), M-11 the Human Robot, Marvel Boy and Venus were a team of Timely Comics superheroes banded together in 1958 in a classic What If story as the original “50s” Avengers to fight the Fu Manchu-esque Yellow Claw. Agents of Atlas brings the concept back, retro-planting it in continuity, though without the Avengers moniker. Almost 50 years after their last mission, the team is now brought together again by some mysterious situations to face the threat of Yellow Claw and the mysterious Atlas Foundation.
At the end of last issue, the team has recovered Venus in a Wakandan village, while Agent Jimmy Woo has been cornered by Yellow Claw and an army of ninja flunkies. After the mess is dealt with (in a kung fu showdown Bruce Lee would be proud of) the reunited team take off for their next team-mate recovery: Namora of Atlantis (the original 50s version from which the also late Namorita was cloned from) who lies trapped in a block of ice under the ocean. Before they get there it’s time for Marvel Boy to recount his origins and fill some holes in his continuity.
Marvel Boy was created in the 50s as an Atlas/Timely Comics character, a kid who was raised in a Uranian colony, receiving powerful quantum bands and a telepathic headpiece to fight evil on Earth. He was later briefly revived in Fantastic Four where he died as the rampaging Crusader and his costume and quantum bands were passed onto the cosmic hero Quasar. So what is he doing prancing around in a spacesuit in this series? That’s what his teammates and the readers have been waiting to find out, and Parker weaves an original behind the scenes story to explain away the continuity faults; the story involves cloning, nevertheless it’s plausible and doesn’t come across as a forced retcon (even though it actually is)!
AoA i a quirky sci-fi espionage adventure series filling the void left for old-school Avengers stories after A. Disassembled, much like this week’s Beyond. Parker has succeeded in taking a What If concept (that was even erased from continuity altogether in Avengers Forever) and making it work not only in Golden Age continuity, but also in the context of the current Civil War Marvel Universe. Leonard Kirk has updated the looks of these classic characters but still keeping a retro feel. The only update I wasn’t happy with was Venus’, who has lost her voluptuous looks in favour of a thin starlet figure. The art on every page has a pop art quality to it, with Kirk doing the best work of his career, thanks also to the capable inker and colourist who make each panel stand out on its own.
As a bonus, Marvel.com has been running a series of prose novel chapters starring this team in the 50s, written by Parker himself. The prose contained clues that led readers on a scavenger hunt around the internet and to various comics shops to uncover clues about the comic and gain ‘rank’ in the Atlas Foundation, led by Mr. Lao. In the end of this issue, the ranked online agents are mentioned by name, including yours truly (it doesn’t take much to guess what my codename is). The stories fit in perfectly with the current series, even intersecting the comic in issue 2 and offering clues about the mystery of how the team got back together. An excellent exercise in cross-media promotion that is a great template for future series!
Grade: A
Briefly:
The Savage Brothers #2
Boom Studios
Writer: Andrew Cosby and Johanna Stokes
Artists: Rafael Albuquerque
Review Content: The Apocalypse has come and gone, America is a flaming cesspit, the dead are reverting to old habits and two redneck brothers are out to make a profit by killing and capturing zombies! While completing their latest retrieval mission they’ve stumbled upon an arcane ritual involving your usual head-of-a-satanic-priest, tied-up strippers and pagan zombie worshippers. Of course, they botch the sacrifice and rescue the girl, setting off a wild chase in true Hollywood fashion.
There is enough action here to sate even the neediest fan of the genre, and the plot is executed in a cinematic fashion. What I failed to notice in the first issue but is more so evident here is the TV sensibility in the ‘editing; of the plot, the pacing and the dialogue; some of the scene cuts are textbook examples, while the banter between the rescued and the brothers brings back font memories of Whedon’s Angel and Buffy series (which is not to say it’s a rip-off, but rather it’s enjoyable on the same level). Checking the co-writers’ credits, none of it comes as a surprise, as both Stokes and Cosby are newcomers to comics writing after starting to make a name for themselves with the Sci-Fi channel’s TV show Eureka.
Grade: B
Friendly Neighbourhood Spider-Man #13
Marvel
Writer: Peter David
Artists: Todd Nauck
Review Content: The multi-Mysterio storyline wraps up with Spidey and the two Mysterios in a purely 3-way fight. Meanwhile the original (dead) Mysterio has appeared in front of the school-nurse-with-a-secret Miss Arrow providing a truckload of cryptic innuendo about her real nature before the shocking reveal in the end of the issue. Everything points to PAD keeping Peter as a teacher in the school, although I’m unsure how he’s going to justify it in Civil War continuity, especially with Spidey now on the wrong side of the law.
Todd Nauck has done a praiseable job as a fill-in artist for this arc, but I don’t feel his style lends to the title in the long run as such as someone closer to Wieringo’s open style would, like Marcos Martin, Mike Norton or Dead Girl’s Nick Dragotta. Nauck, although a proven talent and professional works better on a teen title, like Young Justice or Teen Titans where he can let loose creatively.
Grade: B
Marvel Adventures Spider-man #20
Marvel
Writer: Peter David
Artists: Mike Norton
Review Content: Spidey teams up with Hawkeye to stop Frankenstein’s monster from thrashing Peter’s Halloween school dance.
With PAD’s run on this title coming to a close soon, I’ll miss these old school adventures; there’s a certain charm to seeing Liz Allen spending the night hitting on Frankenstein, and seeing a definitely alive Hawkeye used in action, instead of a recurring ‘Dead is Dead’ gag.
I never cared for Peter’s high school friend Liz in the past, as years of bad continuity have dragged her: with Harry’s death and Foggy Nelson’s recent death in Daredevil, she is now a twice widow, a single mother and the ex CEO of Osborn Corporations. Her character has long lost any semblance of fun. After seeing David use her character to such good effect in this series, I’d like to see her join Flash as the regular supporting cast of F’N Spider-man and see how their interaction will have changed in the current continuity.
Grade: B
X-Men: Phoenix: Warsong #2
Marvel
Writer: Greg Pak
Artists: Tyler Kirkham
Review Content: The Stepford Cuckoos have become the new Phoenix host, they have revived their two dead sisters and are heading back to their birthplace in The World to uncover the secret of their origins.
This mini, much like its predecessor relies heavily on Grant Morrison’s New X-Men run for characters, situations and locations. It makes sense to exploit the fertile seeds Grant left during his tenure, but I would prefer they didn’t assume everyone was so intimately familiar with that run that they wouldn’t even need to reference or explain what the World and the Weapon Plus program is, or who is John Sublime.
The story is appropriately revealing and mysterious at same doses, teasing with the reveal that the Cuckoos are a creation of the Weapon Plus program. Mind you, Morrison had already covered that in his final future storyline, which I guess no one in Marvel is willing to acknowledge after the mix-up with the multiple Cassandras, Xorns and No Girls…
Tyler Kirkham continues to un-impress, this time credited as ‘art by Top Cow studios’. I hope Top Cow fills their assigned issue quote after this issue, and Marvel take sa chance on talented new artists who haven’t confined themselves to a passe house style.
Grade: C
CURRENTLY
listening to:
in the cinemas
on tv
reading
Aaaaand that’s a wrap for this week! I’m waiting your comments and feedback through email to Manolis@gmail.com. If you self-publish your own comics or represent an indy comics company, add me to your press release list, and I will run your news in this space every week.
Manolis Vamvounis
a.k.a. Dr. Dooplove
