Yeah, no kidding.
More comics reviews below. Read at your own peril.
Remember, the grade is in three parts: [writing / art / stack tercile], where the “best” is 3 and the “worst” is 1. And stack tercile refers to the third of the stack, where the stuff on the bottom (3) is “saving the best for last,” except that trade paperbacks always get saved for last.
- JLA: Divided We Fall TPB (DC) [2/2/*]
Collects issues 47-54, written by Mark Waid, and drawn by a variety of cool cats, including Bryan Hitch. The banishing of Batman from the team (in the previous TPB collection), and the tensions that causes, are the focus of the first half of the book, ending with a surprising, but very natural, conclusion. The Queen of Fables storyline, as well as the Split Personalities storyline, are both good, but somehow unfocused. This is not the best of Waid’s work, though that’s like pooh-poohing a “lesser” Rembrandt. Waid brought a more human view of these iconic warriors, as crafted by Grant Morrisson, but lost something in the translation. - Glory #1 (Avatar) [2/2/2]
Alan Moore takes on Wonder Woman, without quite the mystical self-consciousness (or the profundity) of his Promethia. Good stuff, not great. - Mystic #20 (Crossgen) [1/2/2]
Big Mystic Battles. Ho-hum. Looks like things will be returning to More Interesting real soon now. - The Thessaliad #1/4 (Vertigo) [3/2/2]
Ever want to get in the head of one of those Incredibly Powerful Mystical Beings Who Really Doesn’t Care About The Human Crowd? Bill Willingham not only does it for you, but has the protagonist focusing on another one of the same type, the Thessalian (from Sandman days). Good, brutal, disturbing stuff, just as Willingham usually produces. - Green Lantern #146 (DC) [2/2/2]
Judd Winick’s tale of Kyles nigh-omnipotence should be spine-chilling, enthralling, or moving, but he manages to miss all three marks. It’s not a bad story, by any means — it’s just a rehash of many similar tales. I trust Judd has a rabbit up his sleeve on this. I also trust that he will quickly retire the really dorky/meaningless “Ion” name for our hero. - Action #786 (DC) [2/2/1]
Superman acts heroic, inspiring heroism in others. Ho-hum. I may start reducing my Supes consumption. - Catwoman #2 (DC) [2/2/1]
Ed Brubaker is turning Catwoman into a vigilante protector of prostitutes. That seems both fitting and slightly limiting, since it requires that Selina see everyone around her — even Batman — as ignoring or adding to the plight of sex workers in Gotham. Still, a good read so far. - Nightcrawler #2/4 (MarvPG) [2/3/1]
Continuing the character profile of Kurt as he tries to reconcile his life in the Church and his life as a “hero” — especially when the question comes up of what a hero really is. - Black Panther #40 (MarvPG) [2/2/2]
I’m trying. Really. Christopher Priest is running so many series-long plot threads, that it’s still extremely difficult to keep track of the cast as they come and go. Good, but confusing, stuff. - Suicide Squad #5 (DC) [2/2/2]
Keith Giffin keeps us sympathetic toward criminals so deep in it that they’re willing to work out their parole through suicide missions. Even a psychopath like Deadshot (who returns this issue) garners some strange sympathy — and a few laughs. - Fury #5 (MAX) [2/2/2]
Ennis continues his blood-n-gore-fest with Nick Fury, who, after coming off as a real schmuck the first few issues, is now beginning to seem like a hero again. Probably means Ennis is going to pull the rug out from under us again next issue. - Young Justice #41 (DC) [2/2/2]
More young folk hi-jinx, as the Ray gets asked to join, some of the kids go off to a concert, and Secret gets a new — and terrifyingly appropriate — mentor. - American Century #10 (Vertigo) [2/2/2]
More cynical meanderings from Howard Chaykin about post-War US life. Ho-hum. Onto the drop list. - Tom Strong #15 (ABC) [2/2/2]
More Silver Age stories about the science hero and his family. Ho-hum. Onto the drop list..
And that’s just half the stack I’ve plowed through since yesterday …
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