Weekly Round-Up #3

Reviews

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone.  This was another heavy week at the comic store, and below are my thoughts on the books I read.

Best Book of the Week:

Unknown Soldier #15

Written by Joshua Dysart
Art by Alberto Ponticelli

The first thing that hit me with the new issue of Unknown Soldier (okay, after the gorgeous Dave Johnson cover) was the new approach to colouring by Oscar Celestini. Ponticelli, the book’s usual artist, has returned after a two-issue hiatus, and his work has never looked better, as Celestini is using a new digital technique – or Ponticelli is inking his own work differently – I’m not sure what is being done, only that I really like it.

The story this month is excellent as well. Moses has stayed in the camp Paul took him to. He’s not staying with the boy, as he wants to ‘normalize’ his life, but he’s in contact with him, and when rebels mysteriously raid the camp’s medical supplies, Moses sends Paul to investigate on his behalf. With the events of the last couple of pages, it would seem that this new arc is a bit of a mystery story, set within the context of the Ugandan war.

Dysart’s script continues to score in all areas. Moses is trying to make a new start for himself, after last month’s ritual, but can still feel ‘the voice’ inside of himself. The camp doctor, however, neither likes nor trusts him, although Moses can’t drag himself away from the man – he even follows him at times, imagining that he is him. It is clear that Moses has not reconciled himself to what has happened to him, and you can see his longing to return to his old life.

What really makes this comic great though, is the way that Dysart weaves in the reality of early ’00’s Uganda. The life of the camp residents is treated with dignity and realism, reminding me of much of Dave Egger’s incredible book “What is the What?”. Paul’s aunt (?) goes about her business of raising her grandchild, but when that infant dies, her reaction is quite informative of Acholi superstitions and beliefs.

This comic really is unique, and deserves much more attention (and sales) than it has been receiving.

Other Notable Books:

Battlefields: Happy Valley #1

Written by Garth Ennis
Art by PJ Holden

Garth Ennis’s war series returns, with another well-crafted tale of the Second World War. I feel like that’s all I have to say about the book – Ennis really knows how to write these things.

This time around, he’s focusing on an Australian bomber crew flying missions into the German industrial zone, dubbed ‘Happy Valley’ by the bombers. This particular bomber crew has flown together for a while, and have only three missions remaining in their tour. However, they receive a new pilot to replace their injured former one, and he’s right out of flight school.

At first, the veterans are loathe to take on a newbie, but they have no choice, and he proves himself to them. It’s the standard war story stuff, but Ennis elevates the material through his strong attention to technical detail (I learned a few things about bombers), character development, and humour.

Holden’s art is nice. His characters look a little cartoony, but he draws military equipment and flight suits in a more detailed, almost Kubertesque style. This is a good book.

Beasts of Burden #4

Written by Evan Dorkin
Art by Jill Thompson

I really feel like this was the best mini-series of 2009, and it came as a total surprise to me. I had never read the ‘Book of…’ shorts (still haven’t despite their being available on-line for free), and wasn’t a fan of Evan Dorkin’s comedic work. I picked up the first issue for Thompson’s art, and was blown away by the level of quality in this comic.

Now, with this fourth issue, we get more of the same greatness. While each of these issues has told a done-in-one story, we see here that they build on each other, and paint a picture that shows that bad things are happening in Burden Hill. This time around, the gang investigates some strange goings on in a cemetery, which includes a resurrected human, who the animals can talk to.

Central to this comic is the strong character work from both Dorkin and Thompson. These animals are individual characters, and the creators have a really good feel for who they are, and what they each bring to the story.

I strongly urge anyone who hasn’t been buying this to either snatch up the single issues, or buy the trade when it becomes available.

Chew #7

Written by John Layman
Art by Rob Guillory

This is a pretty decent issue of Chew, as Tony heads down to the Micronesian island of Yamapalu in search of the strange fruit he discovered last issue. As it turns out, his brother is headed there too, as the island has a pretty liberal policy towards the cooking of chicken, and he’s going to work there as a celebrity chef.

Once on the island, Tony runs into a rather buxom agent of the USDA, who feels he is horning in on her case. Oh, and there might be vampires.

Layman and Guillory are basically still setting up their newest arc, and it looks to be an interesting one.

Criminal: The Sinners #3

Written by Ed Brubaker
Art by Sean Phillips

It’s another issue of Criminal. As usual, it’s a masterpiece.

In this installment, Tracey keeps working the case he’s been given by his boss, as two more bodies are dropped. We get a little more sense of who’s behind it, as the military gets closer on Tracey’s tail, and Hyde begins to suspect he’s screwing around with his daughter (while it’s really his wife).

This is one of the consistently best comics out there.

Hellboy: The Bride of Hell

Written by Mike Mignola
Art by Richard Corben

Lately I’ve found myself drawn to Hellboy, and I’m not sure why. I bought and read the earliest few series back in the day, and liked them well enough, but never stuck with the book. For the last year or so, I’ve become curious about it, and figured this one-shot was a good way to test the waters again.

And it’s okay, but not really blowing me away. In this issue, Hellboy tries to free some girl from some demon. He then gets a history lesson, and there’s an interesting twist. I kind of feel like I’ve read it before; it’s definitely not breaking new ground.

On the up side, Corben’s work is as good as Corben’s work always is. He’s a really talented artist, who continues to impress.

Last Days of American Crime #1

Written by Rick Remender
Art by Greg Tocchini

This is an interesting comic. Remender is writing a genre crime comic, albeit one set in the near future, with some science-fiction elements. He’s much more controlled than he usually is in his creator-owned comics, keeping things very close to the vest. He leaves it to the reader to figure out a lot of what is happening in the world – specifically the details of the API broadcast, which will make it impossible for people to conduct criminal or terroristic activity. This has set off a nation-wide crime spree, as people try to get their kicks in before the well runs dry.

In the middle of all of this is Graham Bricke (Rory to his mom), who has plans for one massive last score, involving government ATM-like machines and the shift to a cash-less society, which is taking place at the same time as the broadcast. He needs to outsource some of the work, and gets hooked up with a pair of criminals that are also a couple, and clearly working their own, individual, agendas.

It’s a good start to the series (even if I did have to read the interview with Remender at the back to confirm a few of the main details). I like this $4.99 prestige-format approach that Radical is taking to their books. It’s a very satisfying chunk of comics; for the same price as a Marvel annual, you get twice the story, and no reprints.

Tocchini’s art works well with this type of story. It’s rough, but colourful.

Northlanders #23

Written by Brian Wood
Art by Leandro Fernandez

Wood and Fernandez are doing a great job on the Plague Widow storyline. Where the first two issues were very much focused on Hilda and her daughter, this issue is concerned with the entire town, and how it has been dealing with its self-imposed isolation.

Supplies are running thin, and the winter has been harsh, so when a few abandoned-looking ships get stuck in the pack ice, Gunborg decides to drag them to shore. The ships, of course, are Viking Trojan horses, and soon the town finds itself under attack.

Wood and Fernandez maintain a level of tension throughout this issue. This is strong work.

Quick Takes:

Avengers The Initiative #31 – Since I was a kid I’ve felt that the Taskmaster has been under-utilized, so I like the amount of screen time he’s given in this issue – Gage has been doing some really good work fleshing out both him and the Constrictor.  Good character work all around in this issue, especially since its plot is clearly being dictated by events in other titles.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Willow – Really not sure what to say about this.  Even though I’ve seen every episode of the show and read every issue of ‘Season 8’, I’m not sure I follow this.  Even worse, I don’t think I care either…

Detective Comics #860 – This is another stunningly beautiful issue of Detective Comics, with a pretty decent story explaining Kate’s motivations for donning the cowl.  The Question back-ups have been decent too – I like the camaraderie between Renee and the Huntress.

Fantastic Four #574 – Hickman’s really brought the heart back into this title.  This issue is mostly concerned with Franklin’s birthday party (without explaining why he never seems to age), and is a lot of fun.  It’s nice to see Artie, Leech, and the Power kids (I don’t know why Jack and Katie don’t age while Julie and Alex do) show up, although I don’t understand why anyone would invite Dragon Man.  The last few pages save things from being too sentimental, as Hickman sets up some cool looking stuff.

Green Lantern #49 – Two stories this issue – one dealing with John Stewart and the Black Lantern-ified planet of Xanshi that felt like a lot of filler; and one featuring the Atom, Meera, and Black Jean Loring Lantern.  Kind of a forgettable issue…

Guardians of the Galaxy #21 – This is such a consistently good comic, that even it can handle the more bizarre plot elements introduced here by Abnett and Lanning without going off the rails.  How many times must Moondragon be possessed by alien entities?  And when are they going to bring back all the characters they killed off a few issues back, because that happened way too quickly for my liking.

Incredible Hercules #139 – I usually love this book, but I feel like Pak and Van Lente are juggling a few too many characters, and trying to give them all some screen time, to the detriment of the story.  There is a very nice moment shared between Zeus and Quicksilver though, and Hardman’s art for the Agents of Atlas back-up is fantastic.

Invincible #69 – This book has been really good lately.  In this issue, Invincible is facing off against two threats – some random interstellar warrior queen, and the Sequoid plot finally comes to fruition, after many years  on the slow boil.

Justice Society of America #34 – My two favorite teams of all time are the Justice Society and the Legion.  I’m willing to put up with a lot of tampering and poor editorial decisions, because I have such an affection for the characters in those two books.  That said, I think I’m done with the JSA.  Willingham does not have a handle on who these characters are, and so much of what he’s doing does not make sense within the context of the way Geoff Johns has developed them over the last few years.  This book is a train wreck right now.

New Avengers #60 – When did this team last fight a bad guy?  They’re always going up against the government, be it Tony Stark or Norman Osborn.  Just saying….  Another decent issue in what has been a remarkably consistent (aside from Secret Invasion) run.

New Mutants #8 – Aside from acting as an excuse to resurrect some old characters, I’m not sure what we’re supposed to be getting from the New Mutants tie-in to the Necrosha X story.  It’s all a little supplemental feeling to me.

Powers #2 – The pacing feels off here.  They’ve just relaunched the comic, which presumably means they are looking for some new readers, yet the story is not clear.  As someone who has been reading Powers since it’s beginning (okay, the 3rd issue), I can follow things just fine, but still wouldn’t mind more story and less lengthy flashback action scenes.  This doesn’t seem to be living up to the level of quality I expect from this comic.

Punisher #12 – Remender and Moore really do work well together.  This reads like the wildest of their Fear Agent comics, yet it’s starring the Punisher.  Just, the Frankenstein’s Monster version.  This is a really weird direction for an in-continuity Marvel book (now that it’s not the 90s), but it’s a lot of fun.

Secret Warriors #11 – I normally really enjoy this book, but this month’s issue feels hugely disjointed.  I get it that Hickman has a lot of balls in play, but this issue’s a bit of a mess as he tries to check in on so many different sub-plots, without having a central hook.  Also, there’s no mention of the stuff going on with Phobos and Ares last issue.  It is really nice to see Caselli back on art though – I hope he sticks around.

Spider-Woman #4 – This book does not have a lot happening in it right now.  The art is great, but Bendis needs to compress his story a little more.  Also, is it believable that Jessica’s never seen a Skrull before?  I’m sure I wouldn’t have to dig too hard to disprove that.

Superman #695 – I am starting to like this rendition of Mon-El more, and I’m glad they finally addressed the Jimmy Olsen thing, but I still feel like this book is treading water until next year’s big event.  Bernard Chang’s art looks nice – I assume he’s the new regular artist?

Uncanny X-Men #519 – Fraction’s run has not been without its controversy, but I like a lot of what he’s done with the franchise.  This issue deals with the Void, has Magneto and Namor come to an agreement, has a cameo from Fantomex, and has the Beast take a leave, in a silent, but well-written scene.  Also, no Greg Land, so that’s a huge plus.

X-Men Legacy #231 – I wasn’t too impressed with this issue.  Carey’s book feels like it has been shoe-horned into the Necrosha X storyline, as an odd mix of characters (Husk?) get sent to Muir Island to investigate Blindfold’s vision from the X-Necrosha special.  Things don’t really add up here, and the last page reveal confuses me.  Carey usually does a better job with this title, so I have some faith this is leading somewhere.

Books I Would Have Bought This Week If They Weren’t $4 (Marvel Take Note!):

Dark Avengers Ares

Wolverine Weapon X

The Week’s Graphic Novels:

Johnny Hiro

by Fred Chao

I read the first three stories in this collection in their original, single issue format, and was instantly drawn to Fred Chao’s charming characters. When I saw that the collected edition had two new stories, as well as some ‘deleted scene’ style single page stories, I knew I had to pick it up.

Johnny Hiro is ‘half-Asian, all hero’. He’s an early 20s busboy at a sushi restaurant who lives in New York with his wonderful girlfriend Mayumi. Stuff happens to him. In the first issue, Gozadilla (a Godzilla stand-in) kidnaps Mayumi out of their bed in a bizarre plan for revenge. In the second, Hiro (no one except his parents call him John or Johnny) has to steal a lobster from another sushi restaurant, and is pursued by knife-wielding kitchen staff. The third involves 47 ronin accountants and the Metropolitan Opera. The fourth involves another sea-food related chase across the city.

The final story, which I guess would have been the fifth issue, features the cast of Night Court (with Judge Judy acting as a stand in for Harry) dealing with Hiro’s legal troubles, which stem from the damage done to their apartment by Gozadilla.

Chao’s stories are whimsical and often sentimental. His humour is easily enjoyed, and the reader begins to really like Hiro and Mayumi. At the core of this book, it is about a young couple struggling to make ends meet in New York. The giant lizards and other strange threats are incidental to the story of their love for each other. At times, Chao’s writing may get a little too sentimental, but he clearly loves his characters.

Also of interest in this book is the way in which it is very much a product of New York. The city is as central to the story as it is in a Brian Wood comic. Mayor Bloomberg makes a couple of appearances, and hints at his third term plans (this comic came out before the election). Also on hand, in addition to Judge Judy and the Night Court crew, are Gwen Stefani, David Byrne, Grand Puba, and Coolio.

Chao’s artwork is clean and straight-forward, sometimes showing manga influences. The book is a great read, and easily one of the best of 2009.

Wildcats Version 3.0 Vol. 2: Full Disclosure

Written by Joe Casey
Art by Dustin Nguyen and Richard Friend

So, having finally read most of the earlier parts of Casey’s run on Wildcats, I figured it was a good time to re-read Volume 2, and then move on to the single issues that were never collected in trade. It turns out I’m missing a few, so now I know what I’ll be hunting for come Boxing Day…

In this volume, Casey almost completely abandons the trappings of a superhero comic, choosing instead to focus on the corporate aspects of life at Halo. There is the lengthy scene wherein Dolby, the accountant, is trained to replace Grifter, who was crippled in volume one, but his mission feels tangential – there is never even any follow-up with the child that he ‘rescued’ from the FBI.

The rest of the book is all about Spartan’s machinations in the business world. Sure, that still involves accounting firms that are fronts for the CIA, but it is just as much about hostile takeovers of major media corporations. What makes this book so great is that the corporate stuff is just as exciting and well-drawn as the few action scenes.

Casey was really on to something with this book. I’m looking forward to re-reading (or reading for the first time) the rest of the series.

Album of the Week:

Tom Waits – Glitter and Doom Live

Next week:  No new comics, so I guess that leaves more time for trades, and whatever I end up getting at Boxing Day sales.

This is only my third column at the Nexus.  Let me know how I’m doing – please comment.

Get in touch and share your thoughts on what I've written: jfulton@insidepulse.com