Review code format (ranked 1-5, blah to faboo): [writing / art / new reader? / non-comics reader?]

Global Frequency: Detonation Radio (DC/Wildstorm) [4/3/4/4] (collects #7-12)
w. Warren Ellis; a. various

The second (and, to date, final) collection of tales of the worldwide rescue organization Global Frequency, 1001 individuals around the world called on for jobs too big for any government or group to handle.  This go-around isn’t quite as quirky and enjoyable as the previous one — a bit more violent, a bit less imaginative — but it’s still good stuff.

There was a TV series under development for this, but the pilot didn’t sell.  The pilot did make it out onto the Net, which apparently killed any chance that it would be released on DVD.  Too bad, that …

Gotham Central: Half a Life (Vol. 2) (DC) [4/4/4/4] (collects Batman Chronicles #16, Detective #747, GC #6-10)
w. Greg Rucka; a. Michael Lark (et al.)

A collection of tales about Renee Montoya and Two-Face, the first two of which are from earlier series, which climaxes in the arc from GC.  Rucka’s taken a lot of heat for this story, in which Detective Renee Montoya is outed.  While it did seem to take over the series for a while, it’s still an excellent tale, winning an Eisner, a Harvey, and all sorts of other comics awards. 

Lark’s art is rough, dark, and gritty, and the colors give a noir neon to the streets and offices of Gotham.  Well done and perfect for the book.

GC was, itself, a great series, focusing on the lives of cops and detectives in the corrupt and crime-ridden city of Gotham.  How can you be a good cop when Batman’s looking over your shoulder?  This series answered this question (both negatively and positively), and it’s a shame that it finally ended. 

Gotham Central: Unresolved Targets (Vol. 3) (DC) [4/4/2/4] (collects #12-15, 19-22)
w. Greg Rucka, Ed Brubaker; a. Michael Lark, Stefano Gaudiano

The “Soft Targets” storyline has city officials being assassinated around Gotham.  But if the Joker’s responsible, why does he let himself get captured?  And how far will the cops go to find out what else he has up his sleeve.

“Unresolved” has a long-past crime returning to haunt the present, as disgraced cop Harvey Bullock thinks he has the answer — despite the efforts of his former colleagues to keep him off the case.

Two typically dark tales of imperfect justice and sacrifice.  Nicely done.

(listening to: Symphonic Cast, “The Wedding Chorale – Beggers At The Feast” from Les Misérables (Symphonic))

(listening to: Mancini, Henry, “Mr. Lucky” from Crime Jazz (Music in The Second Degree))

(listening to: Frente!, “Dangerous” from Marvin the Album)

(listening to: Prado, Pérez, “A Go Go (Rondo Brothers Remix)” from World Groove III)

(listening to: Lehrer, Tom, “Who’s Next” from That Was the Year That Was)

(listening to: Post, Mike, “A Rough Wolf” from Inventions from the Blue Line)

(listening to: Darin, Bobby, “A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square” from Nordstrom at Home – Together Tonight)

(listening to: Williams, John, “Javelin” from Summon the Heroes)

Review code format (ranked 1-5, blah to faboo): [writing / art / new reader? / non-comics reader?]

Castle Waiting (Fantagraphics) [5/5/5/5]

w. Linda Medley; a. Linda Medley 

Yeah.  A perfect 5.

Every now and then, you hear buzz about a book.  “Oh, this is fabulous.” “The greatest thing since sliced bread!” “A modern classic.”  The book shows up at award ceremonies.  It gets mentioned by other reviewers as an exemplar of everything that’s good about the medium.

If you’re like me, that creates an odd reverse pressure.  “It can’t be that good.”  It’s a reverse anti-popularity snobbery, in a sense.  At least it is for me. 

And more than once, I’ve had to see the error of my ways.  Bone was an example of that.  And Castle Waiting is yet another.

This is really two books.  The first is the story of a young woman, pregnant, fleeing in a fairy tale setting to a place known as a refuge, the Castle Waiting.  This locale, populated by a charmingly diverse set of characters, is the former castle of Sleeping Beauty — who, of course, left to go off with her prince after being revived, leaving behind castle and retainers. 

There’s a lot of books going around these days that do the fairy tale thing, in setting or in the modern world.  They’re often good (Fables is a great example, and one I’ll be reviewing in a bit), but they often apply modern, somewhat cynical sensibilities to the whole thing.  Medley doesn’t, at least from the cynical side.  It’s not that everything is all peaches and puppies, but there’s such a good nature behind the whole tale that even the cynic is swayed. 

It would be a great tale to share with a kid or with an adult.  And for many of the same reasons, which is even more unusual.

The second tale focuses on the life of one of the supporting cast, a nun of a very unusual order and background.  It’s equally charming, but left me wanting even more of the other characters.  It’s the only ding I can come up with for this otherwise marvelous tale, and now that it’s out of my “to be Blogathonned” stack, I’ll be loaning it to any and all of my circle who are interested.

This particular volume, as the picture indicates, is published the size and shape of a Real Book (sort of like a Readers Digest Condensed Books volume in size) — which, of course, means that it isn’t a TPB.  It’s an interesting approach, and may make it easier to slip this to friends and family who aren’t into those comic book thangs.  There are also smaller chunks of
the tale available in more traditional TPB format.  And the tale is once again continuing in monthly form, which is great news.

I won’t be waiting for the next collection.  I’m reading this new stuff now. 

 

Champions: Classic (Marvel) [2/3/4/1] (collects #1-11)
w. Isabella, Mantlo, Claremont; a. Heck, Tuska, Hall, Byrne

From the sublime to the ridiculous.

I got this TPB because I have fond memories of collecting these in the early 80s as I tried to pick up anything I could find with Byrne art.  I respect all the creators involved a lot, but these 1975-76 tales exemplify so much that was awful about this particular age of comics.  The dialog is florid to the point of being an Amazon Rain Forest.  The art is dynamic enough, but often rough (even the Byrne stuff) and can’t make up for plot lines that leap and pounce and punch and twist and turn
in a truly awful fashion.

If you have a particular fondness for any of the characters here — an odd mix of Angel, Ice Man, Hercules, Ghost Rider, and the Black Widow, set in Los Angeles — it’s worth looking up these stories.  Maybe.  It’s not like any of these characters were really affected by this continuity, nor that they ever refer back to these days any more.  It’s not just water under the bridge, but water that’s gone under the bridge, been evaporated, turned into clouds, and been stolen by aliens.  Approach
at your own risk.

(listening to: Barenaked Ladies, “Grade 9” from Gordon)

(listening to: “Bluff Eversmoking” from Unreal)
(listening to: Bangles, “Everything I Wanted” from Bangles – Greatest Hits)
(listening to: Barry, John, “Mountains And Sunsets” from You Only Live Twice)
(listening to: Runga, Bie, “Sway” from Lilith Fair, Vol. 2)

(listening to: Bach, P.D.Q., “1712 Overture (S.1712)” from The Ill-Conceived Anthology)

Okay, think I got it figured out.

(Les is having annoying cable modem problems.  Go over and give him an encouraging word.)

Oh, two more words on the reviews, related:

1. One of the advantages of TPBs is that they’re carried by Amazon, persistently.  So I can do links to the Amazon images and to Amazon so you can go over and buy these little lovelies.
2. And, on that note, by means of disclosure, I do get a (very small) commission when you do so (as an Amazon affiliate).  That’s not why I’m doing this, and anything I make over the course of the Blogathon, I will donate to the EFF, too.  So there.

Review code format (ranked 1-5, blah to faboo): [writing / art / new reader? / non-comics reader?]

Amazing-Spiderman: New Avengers (Marvel) [4/4/3/2] (collects #519-524)
w. J. Michael Straczynski; a. Mike Deodato Jr. 

JMS and Marvel continue their redefinition of the Spidey status quo.  In this volume, Spider-Man’s been invited to the New Avengers already, and when an old/new foe destroys Aunt May’s house, Tony Stark invites him and MJ and May to move into Avengers Tower, further making Peter (and family) a fish out of water.  Meanwhile, as MJ and May struggle with their new digs, Spidey’s fighting a Hydra plot to poison a major Mid-West aquifer.  Hilarity and fisticuffs pursue.

The story’s not all that memorable, but JMS has a great sense of dialog and small plot twists keep things interesting.  Deodato’s style and Matt Milla’s colors are a bit murky, but still attractive. 

What’s ironic, or irksome depending on your perspective, is how much has changed since this volume — Spidey’s powers, his costume, and, of course, the whole Civil War thing.  Things really are changing …

Sorry for just the single review — I was distracted by a few other things.  More next time, really.  Otherwise, I’ll be here all night … oh, wait …

(listening to: Cash, Johnny, “Ring of Fire” from Johnny Cash 16 Biggest Hits)

(listening to: Guttler, Ludwig & Friedrich Kircheis, “Herzlich Lieb Hab Ich Dich” (Krebs) from A Festive Christmas)
(listening to: Sinatra, Nancy , “You Only Live Twice” (Barry) from Best of James Bond – 30th Anniversary Limited Edition)