Well, no, nobody’s been betrayed (though Margie and Katherine have gone out for ice cream), but it’s a great Lee-era title, no?
Review code format (ranked 1-5, blah to faboo): [writing / art / new reader? / non-comics reader?]
Order of the Stick: Dungeon Crawlin’ Fools (Vol. 1) (Giant in the Playground) [5/3/5/4]
w/a. Rich Burlew
Pee-in-your-pants D&D funniness. The art is surprisingly sophisticated for stick figures, and it’s damned funny, too. Includes over 100 strips from the online comic, plus bonus material. I repeat — this is really, really funny. Really. Alas, the first print run is all sold out, and Vol. 2 isn’t ready to order yet, but you can go to the web page and read them from the beginning. I have, and never regretted it.
Point Blank (Wildstorm) [2/2/2/3] (collects #1-5)
w. Ed Brubaker; a. Colin Wilson
I went on a brief Ed Brubaker/gritty noir comics stint about a a year ago, and this was one result. But, ultimately, there’s no closure in the Wildstorm universe between various characters like John Lynch and Cash Cole and the like. And the subsequent Sleeper series didn’t help things any. for what it is, it’s okay. For what it could be, it’s unnecessarily murky and bound to a backstory that’s already overloaded.
Powers: Legends (Vol. 8) (Icon) [4/3/4/3] (collects Vol 2, #1-6)
w. Brian Bendis; a. Michael Oeming
After the Powers world went to hell in a handbasket last series, all powers use is illegal. Expected result? Super villains rule. But when Deena gets kidnapped and tortured by some illegal Powers, events are set in motion that will seriously screw up her career and her partnership. Meantime, there’s a new Retro Girl on the scene. And some of the heroic Powders who allowed themselves to be put out to pasture are beginning to lose patience. Good stuff, all, and nobody does dialog better than Bendis. That said, the book seems to be still finding its way from the time the original status quo was established. Not sure where Bendis is taking things, but I hope he does so, soon. As it is, he seems to just be piling complications higher and deeper.
Punisher: In the Beginning (Vol. 1) (Marvel MAX) [3/3/4/3] (collects #1-6)
w. Garth Ennis; a. Lewis Larosa
Reconstituted as a MAX series, nothing much changes here in Ennis’ Punisher run save that we get to see more blood and gore. That said, this arc about Castle’s old chum, Microchip, trying to recruit him back to work for the government — and the various other factions involved that are for and against the offer — is still good, violent fun, with more of an emphasis on drama and action than much of Ennis’ earlier Punisher work. And — damn — there’s some actual story/character advancement here. Wow. That’s almost unheard of with the Punisher.
(listening to: Philharmonica Slavonica, “Beethoven – Romance No. 2 in F Op.50” from Classic Gold)
(listening to: Nylons, “Stepping Stone” from Seamless)
(listening to: Beethoven, “Sym No. 2 in D, Op. 36 – Adagio molto. Allegro con brio” from Complete Symphonies (Birmingham) – I.2)
(listening to: Enya, “Pilgrim” from A Day Without Rain)
Oh man, Order of the Stick is so great. I’ve only read it online, but knowing there’s a book out… I may have to pick it up.
They evidently had some serious production and shipping problems, so it shows up as “out of print” on their site. Worth tracking down a copy from somewhere, though. Triffic stuff. I try to visit at the site every week.