Various comics, recently read. Catwoman #1 (DC): New writer, new artist, new costume — but nearly enough new to warrant the tired old trick of restarting with issue #1, after…
Various comics, recently read.
Catwoman #1 (DC): New writer, new artist, new costume — but nearly enough new to warrant the tired old trick of restarting with issue #1, after the old series had reached nearly 90. I mean, jeez, I thought folks had figured out these cheap tricks don’t work to spark interest. The art is serviceable in the sort of cartoony/sketchy/noir way. Decent story, but … really, not that much new.
War Machine #12 (MAX): The art is stiff, the writing is kind of off-beat, but this Alternative Iron Man series is still strangely compelling, and the trick of doing it weekly, with limited pages, is a good one. Still, this may be going off the menu soon.
X-treme X-Men – Savage Land #3 (MarvPG): Continuing to sadly demonstrate why Chris Claremont should never be allowed near the X-titles again. I mean, it’s really sad how such a seminal influence could be turning out this turgid, twisted, tangled mess. I literally could not follow what was going on. The art was half-way decent, albeit a bit heavy in the mammary department.
Flash #180 (DC): Something of a filler issue, as we discover more nastiness about the Iron Heights prison, and various subplots wend their way along, and the Flash discovers that not all bad guys are really bad guys. Ho-hum, but I’m willing to cut them some slack.
The Punisher #6 (MarvPG+): Rather than Ennis usual “souped-up Road Runner cartoon wiith added armalities” (his words), we get a dark, sad story. This will probably completely turn off the Ennis fan-boys who love his Grand Guignol farce, but it provides some much-needed leavening to what was in danger of degenerating into a parody of itself. Not that I don’t want to see the hilarity resume next month — but this one’s a definite reader.
Action Comics #785 (DC): Mercifully nobody’s suggesting renumbering this series. This is a Bizarro story, which is something I’ve never gotten into, but it advances Supes’ growing post-WAW stresses, including Lois on “sabbatical” and the mystery of General Zod. A decent read.
Young Justice #40 (DC): A Christmas fable from Peter David. Amusing, but nothing to write home about. Wait — I just did.
Of course, that was all on the top of the stack. The good stuff from the last two weeks is yet to come …