This was a huge week at the comic store, as it would seem publishers are trying to flood the shelves in advance of the Christmas skip week. Here’s what I bought:
Best Book of the Week:
Underground #4
Written by Jeff Parker
Art by Steve Lieber
Parker’s Underground continues to be a very exciting and rewarding title. His story of park rangers being chased through a massive cave by employees of a local businessman who wants to open the cave for tourism deftly balances strong characterization, ecological sensibilities, and a suspenseful rhythm.
Lieber’s work is great throughout. As Wes and Seth have to travel through deep water, with only a narrow pocket of air along the roof of the cave available for breathing, his art becomes very claustrophobic, helping the reader feel the tension of the moment.
Ron Chan’s colours work exceptionally well – the underground scenes are monochromatic, but the establishing shots and scenes involving the people outside the cave are so brightly coloured that the reader feels as if he has just come out of a dark cave himself.
Other Notable Books:
Air #16
Written by G. Willow Wilson
Art by MK Perker
This is a very good, if not momentous, issue of Air. Wilson chooses to focus this month on the relationship between Blythe and Zayn, as Amelia Earhart tracks him down and brings him to her bedside, while she is suffering the effects of withdrawal from her medication.
While this issue doesn’t advance the hyperprax plotline, it does reveal a few interesting things about the central characters. We get some understanding of why Zayn has been so cold towards Blythe, and Blythe is visited by a few different hallucinations. It’s interesting that one of the people she sees is Luc, the boy from issue #10.
As usual with this comic, McLuhan-esque statements like “The map is the territory” get tossed around, and I’m hoping that this will start to make more sense as the title progresses. The notion that Blythe is addicted to iconography, as well as pills, is an interesting one.
Days Missing #5
Written by Phil Hester
Art by Frazer Irving
This has been an interesting series, a key attraction of which has been the rotating creative teams. Wisely, the final issue of the first volume ends as it began, with work by Hester and Irving, the most accomplished of the creators of this comic.
The Steward has been attempting to fix a huge issue – the sudden appearance of a sentient nanite colony which threatens to destroy the Earth in the usual ‘gray goo’ scenario. Each time he folds a day, erasing it from history, he fails at his mission. This issue chronicles his ninth attempt, and how he deals with “a nuclear weapon having an acute existential crisis”. That Hester takes a more philosophical than action-based approach to this story is what makes the book interesting, as does the revelation of the ending, which I imagine opens the door to a possible Volume 2 (which will hopefully not have Dale Keown on covers).
Hester and Irving turn in some great work here, although I’d still prefer to see them working on Firebreather and Gutsville (respectively).
Elephantmen #23
Written by Richard Starkings
Art by Moritat and Chris Burnham
This is a particularly strong issue of Elephantmen. The comic is usually quite good, but often not a lot happens in any particular issue. This time around, Starkings has packed the book with some pretty big events, from Simms and Vanity’s unwelcome entry to Horn’s apartment, to sabotage at Sky Cab, and an attack on Hip Flask.
It’s nice to see Moritat back on this comic for this issue. His art is fantastic. The back-up, by Chris Burnham, also looks terrific.
Ex Machina #47
Written by Brian K. Vaughan
Art by Tony Harris
Immediately upon opening this comic, I thought that there had been a change in the art team. It was still obviously Tony Harris, but I expected to see a new colourist or perhaps an inker pitch hitting. According to the credits, things are status quo, yet Harris’s art looks different in this issue; more finished and textured than usual. As much as I’m a fan of his work normally, I think it looks fantastic here.
As this book moves closer to its conclusion, big things are happening. One character I was quite fond of makes his or her exit in this issue, and it’s something that is going to have a huge effect on Mitchell when he finds out about it. The finale for this book is going to be massive.
At the same time, Vaughan has not lost what makes this book so special. There’s a great scene where Hundred and Bradbury are all caught up in the main plot, and are slinking around Gracie Mansion in super-hero mode, when they are interrupted by Mitchell’s lawyer. Instantly, he turns back into a politician, and the abortion pill debate continues. It’s nice work.
Fables #91
Written by Bill Willingham
Art by Mark Buckingham, Steve Leialoha, and Dan Green
This book has been on fire again lately. The ‘Witches’ arc has been all about power plays among the more magical Fables, and in this issue, Geppetto makes his move for power, claiming that he should be in charge not just of the ‘fifth floor’, but of all of the Fables. This causes Ozma to up her game even more. Meanwhile, Rose Red is still getting visits from pig heads.
While all of this is happening, Blufkin makes his big move on Baba Yaga, showing that he is indeed a powerful flying monkey.
Absent from this book are Bigby and Snow, which seems a little odd. There is too much going on for them to not be getting some stage time. Other than that, this was a fantastic issue. The appearance of a character not seen in some time at the very end makes me look forward to the next issue.
Forgetless #1
Written by Nick Spencer
Art by Scott Forbes and Marley Zarcone
Forgetless appears to have been influenced by elements of Phonogram, Local, and Final Crisis Aftermath: Dance. That’s a pretty eclectic mix of comics, but it works here.
Forgetless is some kind of club night/event in New York City, and the Forgetless event in question is the last one (although people have heard that before). The comic is split between two stories, with vastly different subject matters and art styles, although both are concerned with people going to Forgetless.
The first story, drawn by Forbes (in a style that is equal parts Luna Brothers and Waltz With Bashir), concerns two smart-assed models, who post endlessly on Twitter, and who moonlight as assassins. This is the first contract for one of the girls, whose prey is planning on attending Forgetless. Therefore, they go too. There’s also a guy in a koala suit.
The second story, drawn by Zarcone, is about a trio of teens living somewhere in Jersey, who are desperate to escape to New York in general, and desperate to attend the final Forgetless in particular. The only problem is that they are under-age, and under-funded. Zarcone’s art reminds me a little of Cloonan and Lolos, and chronicles the kids as they go about attempting to purchase fake ID.
I’m not sure if each issue of this mini-series will be divided into these two stories, or if other tales will also be told, but I’m definitely intrigued enough to stick around for the rest of the run, and recommend this to anyone looking for something a little different.
Gødland #30
Written by Joe Casey
Art by Tom Scioli
This is another typical issue of Gødland, which means that parts of it don’t make a lot of sense, but the story itself is a lot of fun. Adam and Neela deal with some drama at the far end of the universe, while Nickelhead’s assault on the American government becomes a piece of performance art improvisation.
To be honest, it’s the Nickelhead scenes that I read this book for. I’ve grown tired of the more cosmic aspects of the story, and much prefer the truly bizarre villains that Casey has populated this comic with.
Hellblazer #262
Written by Peter Milligan
Art by Giuseppe Camuncoli and Stefano Landini
Milligan’s ‘Constantine in India’ storyline continues to please, as John faces off against a demon from colonial times, meets up with an old mage in a loincloth, and scares his white guru friend. Milligan has managed to introduce a number of new characters over the last couple of issues, my favourite being the two Indian cops that tail John, thinking that the serial killer they were denying the existence of last issue, might be advantageously white.
I feel like Milligan’s put himself on very familiar ground, and he’s able to use that as a definite strength in this story. As always, Camuncoli and Landini are turning in good, solid work as well.
Okko: The Cycle of Earth #3
by Hub, with Emmanuel Michalak
I had pretty much given up on this title, so it was a nice surprise to see that Archaia released it, with it’s conclusion to come next week.
This is an enjoyable tale of a group of samurai journeying through some mountains to find out about a mysterious clan, for reasons I don’t remember (it being more than a year since issue 2 was published). I no longer have much recollection of who these characters are or what their relationships to each other are like, but the book reads well in terms of action and lovely artwork.
This is very much a European take on a Japanese style, translated to English. For all of that, it does read quite well. Hub crams a lot of detail into each page – both visually and through his script.
While I’m not particularly invested in the story anymore, I look forward to its conclusion.
The Last Resort #5
Written by Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray
Art by Giancarlo Caracuzzo
Palmiotti and Gray finish off their sexy tropical vacation zombie comedy series the only way such things can finish, with a lot of bloodshed, explosions, the odd decapitation, and less nudity than any other issue of this series so far.
This has been a fun romp through disaster and zombie movie clichés that has elevated itself through strong characterization and a depraved sense of humor. Caracuzzo’s art has been sketchy in places, but has held up quite well over the course of the series. Darwyn Cooke’s covers have thematically fit quite well, even though they don’t really echo the style of the comic.
I figure this is one mini-series that will read really well when published in trade. Recommended.
Quick Takes:
Astonishing X-Men #33 – This story has gotten a little over-the-top, with its Krakatoa clones, gigantic ionosphere ships piloted by the dead brain of a forgotten mutant, and Whedon-esque dialogue that doesn’t really fit with the settings. Phil Jimenez’s artwork is very nice to look at though.
Captain America Reborn #5 – I’ve been enjoying this title well enough, but I wish it had stayed tried a little harder to be less of a wide-screen action movie, and relied a little more on the stellar character work that Ed Brubaker’s being doing the last few years. I also wish it had come out on time, so that it’s epilogue (which is being released next week) could have come out after it ended, like it’s supposed to.
Daredevil #503 – I like the new direction that Diggle is taking this book in, but felt this issue is hurt by the inconsistent styles of the two artists. De La Torre’s pages look great, but don’t vibe with Checchetto’s.
Dark Avengers #12 – This is a decent issue, as Bendis probes the psyches of Osborn, the Sentry, and the Molecule Man. Hand gets some nice moments, and Deodato turns in some good work. It felt a little decompressed though – the Greg Horn painted pages might have been better used to expand the story than just fill in space in a $4 comic.
Doctor Voodoo #3 – I’m still on the fence about this title. On the one hand, I like Remender’s work usually, and am liking the art of both Palo and Hardman, but this issue didn’t really grab me. Actually, I can’t think of a single time I’ve ever liked a comic with Nightmare in it (except maybe an old Mignola issue of the Hulk)…
Green Lantern Corps #43 – Often, this title has problems juggling its gigantic cast, especially as DC has been adding so many different ‘colour corps’ to their roster. This particular issue manages all of these disparate situations remarkably well, as Soranik works to save Kyle’s life, Guy gets a red ring and suddenly seems like he belongs in an issue of Ghost Rider, and the rest of the Corps, and everyone else, pitches in to help. There are a lot of strong moments in this comic, capped off by a terrific ending.
Mighty Avengers #32 – The third-tier Avengers book continues to be a fun read. This issue has Pym’s team square off against Osborn’s team, in an event manipulated to occur by Loki. It’s mostly set-up for Siege, I imagine, but it does have some great character moments, mostly attributed to Hercules.
Thunderbolts #139 – Another strong showing from Jeff Parker this week, as he seems to be subverting yet another Marvel book into a continuation of his canceled ‘Agents of Atlas’ title. Is it wrong to care more about the guest characters in a title than the central ones? Osborn wants revenge on Jimmy Woo, and he send the T-bolts to blow up a chemical weapons plant to draw the Atlas Foundation out. Fantastic writing and great art – this is becoming one of Marvel’s better books again.
Vengeance of the Moon Knight #4 – This would be the other Marvel title I’m on the fence about. On the one hand, I was a big Moon Knight fan back in the day, and Jerome Opeña’s artwork is incredible. On the other, the story isn’t moving too quickly, and I think its way too soon to bring Bushman back. Something big needs to happen, and quickly.
X-Factor #200 – Well, X-Factor gets re-numbered, and another ‘bold new direction’ which isn’t that different from its last two. That this book is able to maintain such a high quality while constantly suffering from editorial interference is tribute to Peter David’s skills. This is a fun comic, and new artist Bing Cansino is a welcome addition. I could have done without paying a buck for a reprint of Madrox #1 though…
X-Force #22 – As over the top as it is, I enjoy X-Force a great deal. This is another good issue, as Selene’s forces continue to wreck random havoc on Utopia (is anyone controlling this), Eli Bard gets himself in trouble with his queen again, and Kyle and Yost prove that their knowledge of obscure and forgotten characters rivals Geoff John’s. There is a completely pointless Cable and Hope back-up that raised the cost of the book by a dollar, while contributing nothing in the process, except proving to me that I don’t need to read Cable’s title at all – nothing important is allowed to happen there.
X-Men Legacy #230 – This wraps up the Emplate arc nicely, with some more good character moments for Rogue, and an increased spotlight on some of the extended X-Men cast. Acuña’s art looks great, as do the epilogues by Mirco Pierfederici. There’s another pointless Cable and Hope back-up that cost an extra buck, without adding anything of value (on no level do I have a desire to see Cable fight robot wolves on a frozen lake). I’m tired of these stunts, Marvel.
Books I Would Have Bought This Week If They Weren’t $4 (Publishers Take Note!):
Farscape (Ongoing)
Realm of Kings: Inhumans
Ultimate Comics Armor Wars
The Week’s Graphic Novels:
Dark Entries
Written by Ian Rankin
Art by Werther Dell’Edera
This is the first of Vertigo’s new “Vertigo Crime” sub-imprint, and I have to say that it’s an attractive little book. The spine evokes other crime book imprints, and the cover pops out at you. The paper quality is poor, but that’s the type of thing I can overlook.
I don’t understand why Vertigo chose to make this comic their first in this new line though, mainly for the reason that it’s not a crime comic, and it’s not exactly a mystery, as the cover proclaims. It’s a John Constantine, haunted mansion, trip to hell comic. As such, it’s a decent one. It is definitely not a crime comic though.
This book is written by Ian Rankin, who I suppose knows the difference between crime stories and supernatural stories. He’s written a pile of the former, and, to my knowledge, none of the latter (it’s probably worth pointing out that this is the first work by him I’ve ever read, so I might not know what I’m talking about – I did work in a bookstore for four years a decade ago, and I like to make ‘High Fidelity’ style proclamations from time to time still).
Okay, leaving labels aside, the question is whether or not the book is good. And it is pretty decent. Constantine is hired to enter the closed set of a reality show that deals with fear – contestants occupy a ‘haunted’ house, and have to face their fears to find a secret room with a treasure in it. The only problem is, the show has gone off the rails, and the contestants are being frightened by things the producers didn’t intend. Enter Constantine.
From there, the story follows pretty well-established Hellblazer patterns. There is some connection to a dark time in John’s past, and things aren’t what they seem. This could easily have been an arc in his series, fitting in at almost any point over the last several years.
Dell’Edera’s art is pretty rough in places – I much preferred his work on the too-short lived Loveless series a couple of years ago. At times, I found it difficult to figure out who was who, and that always detracts from a story.
Filthy Rich
Written by Brian Azzarello
Art by Victor Santos
This is the other ‘first book’ published under Vertigo’s new ‘Vertigo Crime’ imprint, and it has the benefit of being an actual crime comic, although again, it is not a traditional one.
“Junk” is an ex-football star who never got his chance in the majors, and who has shuffled through life ever since. He’s a horrible used car salesman, his only assets being his fleeting brush with fame and his ability in the bedroom. His boss decides he’s better suited to keeping an eye on his daughter Vicki, a spoiled rich girl who ends up in the newspapers from time to time, but never for positive reasons. He’s not exactly a bodyguard – she’s not to know he’s there – he’s more of a fixer.
Junk is quickly drawn into her world, interacting with her and her friends, as they prowl what I assume is mid-50s New York. This being a crime book, of course something bad happens, and Junk and Vicki both start to look for something more from the other.
It’s an interesting premise and set-up, although Azzarello fails somewhat in the execution. The story feels a little too convoluted in places, with a few too many characters that aren’t easily differentiated. The art is serviceable, looking like a strange mash-up of Frank Robbins, Eduardo Risso, and Jordi Bernet. On some pages, the art is very realistic, but then a few pages later, it becomes almost cartoonish. The shift can be jarring.
I do like the choice of setting the story in that span of time between the war and the civil rights movement. It allows Azzarello to rely on a number of social constructions that don’t exist anymore, which is necessary, because this story could not be set in our instant-media world.
30 Days of Night
Written by Steve Niles
Art by Ben Templesmith
I’ve come at this series rather backwards, having previously read David Lapham’s wonderful mini-series, and the trade with the only so-so Matt Fraction story. I figured it was time to check this out from the beginning, and see what the original premise is.
It’s a good idea. A group of vampires decide that a town in Alaska that doesn’t receive sunlight for one month of the year would be a good place to be able to eat and rampage in the open, and so they go there. The local sheriff and his wife offer up the only resistance available. That’s basically it.
What I’ve noticed about my few forays into this series, is that there is a lot of politics involved in being a vampire, and the older, more established ones will always tell the younger ones what to do. This leads to fighting, which seems to be the core of the drama for this series.
Templesmith’s art is at it’s messiest best, and while some pages are not particularly clear, they all carry his unique, yet Ted McKeever inspired, approach. This is a decent comic, although I’m not sure I’m in a huge rush to pick up the rest of the volumes. They’d have to be pretty inexpensive, as I don’t feel like there’s much here that’s new.
Album of the Week:
While this was a heavy week, it would appear that next week’s pile is going to be even bigger!
