Category: Blogathon

Okay, I admit it — I enjoy doing the TPB reviews because I like all the pretty little Amazon pictures.  Except for the odd one where either no image is available or, for some strange reason, the normal picture link code fails.

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

Rann-Thanagar War (DC) [3/4/1/1] (collects #1-6)
w. Dave Gibbons; a. Ivan Reis, Marc Campos 

Just to demonstrate that DC can produce Massive Cosmic Wars that are ultimately as “sound and fury, signifying nothing” as Marvel, this “Countdown to Infinite Crisis” tale didn’t really have any impact on the Infinite Crisis, nor am I aware that we’ve revisited that whole situation since then.

The artwork is detailed, even dynamic, though sometimes murky and overly busy.  Gibbons pulls in, with some complexity, nearly all of the major space-faring races into the big war between these two worlds.  We get plenty of Hawkman/girl action, Adam Strange action, and Green Lantern action, not to mention the Omega Men … and it’s still not a hill of beans by the time it’s done.  Indeed, the final page is a cliff-hanger that basically says, “You know all the stuff you just went through? 
You’d be in the same situation if you’d just sat on your thumbs and done nothing.” 

Not encouraging.

Sandman Mystery Theatre: The Scorpion (Vol. 4) (Vertigo) [4/4/4/4] (collects #17-20)
w. Matt Wagner, Steven Seagle; a. Guy Davis

Continuing the long-belated reprinting of this classic noir series, this arc involves the grisly whip-and-poison deaths of wealthy investors — investors who are seeking Wesley Dodd’s participation, too.  Will the Sandman crack the case before Dodds becomes the next victim? (Cue organ music.)  While the plot in this installment was a bit threadbare, the overall quality of this series, with its gritty Depression-era NYC, corrupt yet sensuous, and the growing relationship between Wesley and Di, remain
engaging.  I hope DC keeps publishing these.

Superman: The Greatest Stories Ever Told (DC) [*/*/4/1]

w. various; a. various

It’s a mook’s game to define the “greatest’ Superman tales, but this is a good cross-reference of some of the major tales from the 30s onward.  We get Superman bringing Hitler and Stalin to justice; the classic “Last Days of Superman;” Supes on trial before the Guardians of Oa who convince him not to make the world a better place; a bizarre Steranko tale of Superman’s descendents across time; Byrne’s reboot of the character; and Superman’s nightmare of what might have happened had all of Krypton evacuated
to Earth.

The last story in the book is the new classic, “What’s so funny about Truth, Justice, and the American Way?” where Joe Kelley stacks Supes up against a thinly-veiled Authority.

It’s still an mixed bag — trying to compress seventy years of a character into a dozen key stories.  The best that can be said is that the ones given here are at least interesting glimpses of some of the key takes on Supes over time.  Folks who are interested in his history could do worse than this volume.

(listening to: McKennitt, Loreena, “Marrakesh Night Market” from Mask and Mirror)
(listening to: Courage, Alexander, “Star Trek End Title” from Star Trek Orig TV Sdtrk – II)
(listening to: Bangles, “I’ll Set You Free” from Everything)

(listening to: Sting, “Fragile” from Nothing Like The Sun)

(listening to: Armstrong, Louis, “We Have All the Time in the World” (Barry) from Best Of James Bond – 30th Anniversary Limited Edition)
(listening to: Mediaeval Baebes, “This Ay Nicht” from Salva Nos)

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

Planetary: Leaving the 20th Century (Vol. 3) (Wildstorm) [5/5/3/4] (collects #13-18)
w. Warren Ellis; a. John Cassaday 

Ellis’ tale of cross-genre wonders and conspiracy continues.  We learn therein more about John Snow, of his early training, about his early adventures with Planetary against the Four and the consequences that established his rediscovery at the beginning of the series.  We get tales wrapped up in Australian myth, Chinese martial arts, lost African cities and the English Lords who are adopted by them, and of a Vernean attempt to reach the moon a century ago.  As always, thrilling and intriguing and
just damned fine reads.  Planetary is always a “bottom of the stack” (saving the best for last) for me.

Power Girl (DC) [3/3/4/1] (collects Showcase #97-99, Secret Origins #11, JSA #32, 39, JSA Classified #1-4)
w. various; a. various

Power Girl was originally the Earth 2 version of Supergirl, but DC’s desire to retain the character while getting rid of the whole Earth 2 thang meant that her origin’s been tweaked and changed so many times since that it’s not surprising they tell stories about her being confused at to what her powers and lineage are. 

This volume gives some of the key tales in the PG canon — her original 70s solo stories in DC Showcase where she was a Kryptonian refugee; her 1987 stories where she abruptly became the grandchild of Atlantean sorcerer Arion, moved to the present to escape his evil brother; and the 2006 tales that very self-referentially incorporated all those suggestions and many more plausible ones … and eventually led to the final (?) truth in the Infinite Crisis series, making her once again the last survivor of Earth
2 from before the Crisis. Until another writer gets a burr up his butt about her.

One can’t talk about PG without noting that she’s consistently drawn with huge assets besides her muscles.  That’s always been the case, though it’s not clear when it became a matter for humor and fan-boy panting.  I will say that, bust size aside, I very much like the physical appearance of the character — her costume is basic, simple, yet dynamic, and she and her appearance is the (ultimate) basis for my CoH character Eliza Dee.

Powers: Psychotic (Vol. 9) (Icon) [5/3/3/3] (collects Vol. 2 #7-12)
w. Brian Bendis; a. Michael Oeming

This book continue to evolve.  In a world where Powers (superheroes) are now outlawed, only supervillains use their abilities — except for heroes who defy the ban, or people who blur the line between hero and villain.  In this volume we get someone who buys the powers of a retired hero; a cop whose capture and torture by a super-villain leads to some power suprises of its own; and a hero who not only crosses the line, but decides the line doesn’t really exist.

All through this, the emphasis (despite occasional gouts of gore) is not on the fisticuffs or the powers, but on the people and principles and emotions and what people talk about.  It’s part of what’s made this series so long-lasting and so well-regarded.

Queen & Country Declassified: Vol. 3 – Sons and Daughters (Oni) [4/3/4/4] (collects #1-3)
w. Anthony Johnston; a. Christopher Mitten

Though Greg Rucka only serves as a consultant on the series, this tale, part of the background of Minder Nicholas Poole, focuses on “the Troubles,” the violence in Northern Ireland, and Poole’s time in the SAS.  It’s occasionally as muddled a mess as the Northern Ireland situation itself, but the tale is still tense and exciting, as conflict across generations, political idealism, and duty surmounting orders leads to a spiffy climax.

Not as good as one of the normal Q&C tales, but solid entertainment nonetheless.

(listening to: Knox, Buddy, “Party Doll” from Best of the Boppin 50’s) 
(listening to: Death In Vegas, “Song for Penny” from Lost In Space – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
(listening to: McKennitt, Loreena, “Come by the Hills” from Elemental)
(listening to: Baez, Joan, “No Expectations” from Joan Baez – The First 10 Years)

(listening to: Pet Shop Boys, “This Must Be the Place I Waited Years to Leave” from Behavior)
(listening to: Isaak, Chris, “Forever Blue” from Forever Blue)

(listening to: Sting, “The wild wild sea” from The Soul Cages)

Took a moment to close extra Firefox tabs, close and open the browser, and close and open ecto.  Get some nice, cool breezes blowing through my computer’s RAM.  Helped a lot.

And back on the TPB  bus, just to keep things moving.

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

Nodwick Chronicles: Tour of Doodie (Vol. 5) (Dorkstorm) [4/4/3/4] (collects #25-30)
w/a. Aaron Williams

Typical D&D-style jollity with Nodwick & Co.  If you like humorous fantasy of a gaming bent, you’ll enjoy it (and probably already do). 

In this volume, the Clerics in Black explain to Piffany why her companions have been erased from Reality; the party protects a critical weapons cache supposedly stored in safety in an inaccessible mountaintop monastary; all the henchmen are vanishing, and when will Nodwick may be next; the reason why people are so dumb compared to the gods is examined, with object lessons of what happens when they’re not; Nodick and Co. have to go on the Game Grid, when bits are being solen from the universe’s resolution; and
the comparative advantages and disadvantages owning a dragon are determined.

Williams’ art varies in quality oddly between installments, as though he’s either experimenting with styles or else has varying access to different tools.  But despite the constraints of the genre, he actually manages fairly sophisticated renditions, not to mention stories, even if they have the standard slapstick. 

Penny Arcade: Attack of the Bacon Robots (Vol. 1) (Dark Horse) [4/3/4/4] 
Jerry Holkins & Mike Krahulik 

In many ways, the same as Nodwick — geeky genre jokes (though the genre here is mostly computer gaming) — and in more ways the opposite (foul humor, non-sequitur humor, mean-spirited humor).  Still, ton o’ chuckles amid the head-scratching and the rolled eyes.  This volume includes all the installments of this web comic from 1998-2000, and as with all such efforts, the story-telling and graphics are a work in progress.  Those who like computer games, or Penny Arcade, will enjoy this volume. 
The rest will probably quickly throw it away before your child or parent see it.

(listening to: Stevens, Leith, “Toss Me a Scalpel” from Crime Jazz (Music in The Second Degree))
(listening to: McKennitt, Loreena, “Between the Shadows” from Visit, The)
(listening to: Briggs, E. Power, Gregg Smith Singers, Edward Tarr Brass, “Beata es, virgo Maria” from Gabrieli in San Marco)
(listening to: Giacchino, Michael and Tim Simonec, “The Glory Days” from Incredibles)
(listening to: “Stingray” from Television’s Greatest Hits – V)
(listening to: Motels, The, “Suddenly Last Summer” from Greatest Hits of the 80s)
(listening to: Symphonic Cast, “The Runaway Cart” from Les Misérables (Symphonic))
(listening to: Washington, Dinah , “Is You Is Or Is You Ain’t My Baby” from Classic Jazz Cocktail Hour)

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

Black Panther #18 (Marvel) [4/3/3/1] (w. Reginald Hudlin; a. Scot Eaton)

The wedding of T’challa and Ororo.  A fascinating mix of romance with mysticism, politics, pomp, partying, and plotline.  Amidst everything going on, Black Panther brings Iron Man and Cap together on neutral ground to at least have them at the wedding.  And the results are what one would expect …  Good stuff, and it will be interesting to see if the profound geopolitical impact of the wedding within this title translates at all to other titles.  Now that would
be cool …

Captain America #20 (Marvel) [3/4/1/2] (w. Ed Brubaker; a. Steve Epting)

Despite having followed along this series and despite the intro page “previously” text, this is still overly complicated.  Plots, counter-plots, parallel plots, and other such bits, as we have Cap and company vs. General Lukin (cum Red Skull) vs. Bucky / the Winter Soldier vs. Crossbones and Sin.  Who’s trying to assassinate whom, and why?  It’s a mess.

That said, there’s some nice characterization, and the artwork is appropriately murky.  If the book is too complicated for its own good, that’s a shame, and it would be nice to see a Captain America “Civil War” comic — but I’ve more or less enjoyed the grittier CA world of the last couple of years, so I’m willing to let it ride for a bit.

Castle Waiting #1 (Fantagraphics) [4/5/3/5] (w/a. Linda Medley)

Volume 2 of this series starts up back at the castle, picking right back up from the collection I reviewed earlier.  In many ways, it’s a settling-down volume, reintroducing the characters and the setting, but it’s also a large cast, and who’s behaving in what way why wouldn’t always be obvious to the first-time reader.  On the other hand, it’s a full 32 pages of beautiful drawings and story, with house
ads only inside the covers, so you definitely get your (hefty) money’s worth.  A fine place to start the book, if you’re willing to work at it a bit.  I certainly plan on reading it regularly from here on out.

Catwoman #57 (DC) [4/3/1/2] (w. Will Pfeifer; a. David Lopez / Alvaro Lopez)

Mid-story, we have the real Catwoman returning home to discover her secret identity — and her baby — have been discovered by a psychopath and his henchman.  Meanwhile, the woman Selina is training up to be her replacement is picking up pointers, even as her identity and association with the death of the Black Mask is also about to be blown.

This has been an interesting “One Year Later” reboot, as Selina tries to move on and is finding circumstances, and her own instincts, fighting against her better judgment.  Right now anyone new to the title would be completely confused, but I look forward to how the story arc resolves.

Checkmate #4 (DC) [4/4/1/2]  (w. Greg Rucka; a. Jesus Saiz)

If there’s one person who should be able to write well about espionage and the organizations behind it, it’s Greg Rucka.  He’s trying all the right things here, but the book isn’t big enough to hold metahuman/super-agent slugfests, character studies, international politics, and organizational politics.  Oh, and tie it all into what’s going on in the DCU.  Rucka can do any of this well, but not all at once.  Plus, the book has a cast of multiple dozens, and if you have to keep identifying by
little boxes who they are and what role they play in Checkmate, you’re in trouble.

That said, I’m sure going to stick with this book, at least until it gets canceled.

Civil War #3 (Marvel) [4/4/3/1] (w. Mark Millar; a. Steve McNiven)

Spidey unmasks.  T’challa turns down an offer to join Iron Man’s team.  As does Doctor Strange.  As do the X-Men — mostly.  The “rebels” make their plans, but get pulled into a major trap, which turns into a major slugfest — despite an attempt by IM to talk Cap into laying down arms (Cap still gets the sympathy vote for his reasoning).  And that slugfest in turn gets interrupted, and half of Cap’s team taken down by …

Well, as Stan Lee would say, “The most unexpected Guest Star of all!”

A bit less talky than previous issues, which is exactly what this series doesn’t need.  Big slugfests can be shown anywhere — this book should be hammering the issues involved.  After all, hero vs. hero is old hat, if you think about it (how does every superhero team-up start?). 

McNiven’s art is crisp and pretty, but also a bit static, which also argues against making this a big fight title.

(listening to: Lanchester, Elsa, “When a Lady Has a Piazza” from Sings Bawdy Cockney Songs)
(listening to: Arnold, David & David McAlmont, “Diamonds Are Forever” from Shaken And Stirred – The David Arnold James Bond Project)
(listening to: Beatles, “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da” from Blue Album 1967-1970)
(listening to: Tyler, Bonnie, “Total Eclipse Of The Heart” from Billboard Top Hits – 1983)
(listening to: Lauper, Cyndi, “He’s So Unusual” from She’s So Unusual)
(listening to: Fitzgerald, Ella, “You’re the Top (from Anything Goes, 1934)” from Sings The Cole Porter Song Book)
(listening to: Riepl, Kevin, “1938SF-mission” from Strike Force)
(listening to: Baez, Joan, “Bachianas Brasilieras No. 5 – Aria” from 5)
(listening to: Hogwood & AAM, “Amen” (Handel) from Messiah)
(listening to: Jackson, Joe, “Prelude” from Heaven & Hell)
(listening to: Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, “Roll The Stone Away” from Will the Circle Be Unbroken, Vol. III)
(listening to: Hogwood & AAM, “Then Shall Be Brought to Pass / Duet: O Death, Where Is Thy Sting?” (Handel) from Messiah)
(listening to: Birmingham, “Sym No. 8 in F, Op. 83 – Allegro vivace” from Beethoven – Complete Symphonies – Vol. II)
(listening to: Peter, Paul & Mary, “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right” from Best of … – Ten Years Together)
(listening to: Symphonic Cast, “At The Barricade (Upon These Stones)” from Les Misérables (Symphonic))
(listening to: Mamas & the Papas, “Monday Monday” from Mamas & the Papas – 16 of Their Greatest Hits)

Back to the “monthlies.”

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

Annihilation: Silver Surfer #3-4/4 (Marvel) [2/2/1/1] (w. Keith Giffen; a. Renato Arlem)

Annihilus has invaded the Positive Universe and is destroying plants and civilizations and bad stuff like that.  He’s also (by proxy) hunting down former heralds of Galactus, like the Silver Surfer.  Oh, and there are a couple of Galactus-class folks looking for the Big G, too.    Oh, and Thanos is here, too, making deals with anyone who will pretend to trust him.  And by the end of the third book, the Surfer is actively serving Galactus again.

Ho.  Hum.  Regardless of what’s going on here, I’m bored to tears.  The characters are uninteresting, posturing powerhouses, acting not particularly interestingly (or characteristically, in some cases).  I assume there’s some sort of follow-on event coming (there are also Annihilation tales featuring such highly popular characters as Nova, Ronin the Executioner, and the Super Skrull), but I have near-zero interest in it — especially if it features murky, sketchy art like this.

Anthem #3 (Heroic) [3/3/3/1] (w. Roy Thomas; a. Jorge Santamaria Garcia)

The Axis won WWII.  German super-planes pummelled the East Coast.  Japanese Giant Monsters took over the West.  And reborn into an Occupied America are seven heroes, super-soldiers with just hints of their memory, reawakened to beat back the Axis and free America.

Decent enough premise, and if the whole story is a set of Silver Age stereotypes, that’s the intent.  It’s just not all that intersting.  And the printing process used makes all the art unforgivably fuzzy.  On my drop list, I fear, for all I like Roy Thomas.

Astonishing X-Men #14-15 (Marvel) [4/5/2/2] (w. Joss Whedon; a. John Cassaday)

Emma shows her true colors (maybe), helping to disable the key X-members while the rest of the Hellfire Club invades — which, in #15, they do, and appear to do a very fine job of it thank-you-very-much — though there’s almost a sense that it’s partially a setup for the final panel, which still made me squeal like the fanboy I am.

Whedon and Cassaday just won an Eisner for this book, and it’s deserved.  Despite some timing problems, and some fuzzy interaction with main continuity, it shows the imagination and innovation of the Ellis/Quitely days, while still remaining true to what the series is about.  Triffic stuff.

Astro City: Samaritan #1 (Wildstorm) [4/4/4/2] (w. Kurt Busiek; a. Brent Anderson)

A one-shot special, focusing on Samaritan — well, kind of.  It’s actually more about the Infidel, Samaritan’s arch-foe, and the odd relationship the two of them share.  It’s well told, and interesting, and even though 90% of it is flashback, it’s still an active — well, battle and conflict aren’t quite the right words, but there’s an adversarial relationship going on there despite the pleasant social setting.  Nicely done, and if it’s not the most profound of tales, it’s still
a lot of fun.

Any sort of Astro City tale is welcome.  Wish they were more often …

Birds of Prey #95 (DC) [3/3/1/1] (w. Gail Simone; a. Joe Prado, Dick Giordano)

Conclusion of “Progeny,” as on the one side the BoP team, including the “Jade Canary” (Lady Shiva), tries to defeat master combatant Progeny, while Black Canary is in SE Asia busy going through the course of training that Lady Shiva has suggested.  It’s way too confusing for a newcomer, and it’s not clear to me it’s terribly well-based in the characters thereof (though it wraps up decently enough).  BoP’s an interesting title — a bit cheesecakey to be sure, but also a good showcase for a variety of
female heroes in the DCU. Hopefully it will improve after this oddly claustrophic and unpleasant arc.

And — that’s the half-way mark on the Blogathon! Fantastic!

(listening to: Baez, Joan, “Silkie” from Volume 2)
(listening to: Simon & Garfunkel, “The Sounds of Silence” from Wednesday Morning, 3 AM)
(listening to: “It Takes a Thief (arrangement A)” from www.mythemes.tv)
(listening to: Handel, “Concerto Grosso in F op 6,2 – Largo” from Treasury of Baroque)
(listening to: Cirque Du Soleil, “Fil De Fer” from Cirque Du Soleil)
(listening to: Nervous Norvus, “Transfusion” from Dr. Demento 20th Anniversary)
(listening to: Yankovic, Weird Al, “Smells Like Nirvana” from Off the Deep End)

Okay, enough blogging about unpleasant debates.  Let’s get back to those TPBs.

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

Mage: The Hero Defined (Image) [4/4/4/3]

w/a. Matt Wagner 

In my distant youth, I was convinced that the original Mage series, “The Hero Discovered,” from the mid-80s, was one of the greatest comics ever written.  I was so enamored of it that when this sequel series came up, I was disappointed in it precisely to the extent that it differed the original

Given the glowing paeans to the book on the back from Greg Rucka and Brian Bendis, I should have known my opinions would evolve.

Today, when I reread the first series, I’m still amazed by the raw power of the story and art, but I can see where it’s a very early, unpolished creation on Wagner’s part.  “The Hero Defined” takes the original to the next stage, and does it well.

Kevin Matchstick, revealed as the current avatar of the Pendragon, the King, continues his hunt of supernatural “nasties” around the world.  He’s been joined by Joe Phat, the Coyote, and for much of this series he also works with Kirby Hero, a strong-man who been set Twelve Labors by his Dad …  There are other avatars out there as well, of greater and lesser power — and there’s a dark force, too, gathering, drawing Kevin toward it, seeking vengeance for past wrongs.  And Kevin’s own personal
weaknesses will both lose him his allies and make him all the more tempting a target.

It’s really good stuff, very Campbellian in its way, full of magic and wonderment as well as sweat and blood and pain and people acting like jerks.  Heroes with feet of clay.

Triffic stuff.  And I await the planned third volume with eagerness.

The Ministry of Space (Image) [4/4/5/5] (collects #1-3)
w. Warren Ellis; a. Chris Weston

What if England had found the wherewithal to spearhead a space program that outstripped the Americans and Soviets.  How would the exploration of space, and the dynamics of world power today, be different?  That’s the story that Ellis tells here, and, typical with Ellis, it’s full of glorious flights of imagination, coupled with backgrounds of terrible secrets and hidden blood.

The series is not a story so much as an illustration, a biography of Sir John Dashwood, and what he did to make it happen, from the last days of WWII to the dawn of the new millennium.  As such, the story ends somewhat abruptly (and on a discordantly negative note, again not expectedly.

It’s a short read, being only three issues long (the third of which was long delayed), but any fan of Ellis will find this thought-provoking and … well, not enjoyable, but engaging.

New Avengers: Breakout (Vol. 1) (Marvel) [4/4/4/2] (collects #1-6)
w. Brian Bendis; a. David Finch

After Disassembling the Avengers, Bendis put together a new team of his and the fans favorites’ characters — Captain America, Iron Man, and oddball members Spider-Man, Spider-Woman, Wolverine and Luke Cage.  The odd team worked, as this introduction showed, though there’s plenty of mystery, threat, and conspiracy to fill three books this size.  The scenery jumps from a massive breakout at Rykers, to the streets of New York, to the Forbidden Land, as the team slowly gels despite itself.

The irony, of course, is that within six months of this book coming out, Civil War has made it certain this particular group of Avengers will never join together again.  Not what Bendis had planned, certainly, but the churn is a bit disturbing.

Bendis, as always, is a master of dialog.  His action scenes are fine, but it’s just a joy watching him let people talking provide just as much characterization and dynamism as any sort of super-battle.  Finch’s art is crisply detailed and nicely realistic.  Anyone looking to build a new team book would do worse than examine this collection on how to get one jump-started.

(listening to: Silver Screen Orchestra & Singers, “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly” from Spirit of the West)
(listening to: McKennitt, Loreena, “All Souls Night” from Visit, The)

(listening to: Baez, Joan, “I Still Miss Someone” from 5)
(listening to: Horton, James, “Stairway Chase” from Fugitive, The)
(listening to: Giulini, A. & Mozart Festival Orch, “Piano Concerto No. 20 in D min K.466: Romanza” from Great Piano Moments)

(listening to: Springfield, Dusty, “The Windmills of Your Mind” from Dusty in Memphis)
(listening to: Lehrer, Tom, “The Folk Song Army” from That Was the Year That Was)
(listening to: Cash, Johnny, “Legend of John Henry’s Hammer” from Johnny Cash 16 Biggest Hits)

Civil War is a cheat.

Here’s the situation.  Plenty of people are nervous about super-heroes already.  Fantastic powers, limited accountability — especially for all those masked and secret-identitied heroes. A disaster raises a call for heroes / vigilantes / metahumans to be registered with the government. Some heroes agree. Some thing it’s the least worst outcome. And others think it’s an infringement of their liberties. A civil war ensues.

It’s a fascinating subject, with a lot of relevancy to modern life and arguments about security and liberty and good stuff like that. I blogged about this at length back here.  Go ahead and read that — I’ll wait.

(whistles tunelessly while he waits)

Okay, my concern there was that the writers and editors behind this wouldn’t play fair. That the tough way to handle this would be to take the unpopular course, or even admit that it’s a tough situation that defies a simple answer. And here’s what I suggested would be the way it would instead probably run.

First, the story will spin as the Governent/Control Sorts vs. Freedom. Goliath vs. David. The Sheriff vs. Robin Hood. The British vs. the Sons of Liberty. The Fascists vs. … well, you get the idea. It’s a theme that resonates with most people, certainly in the US. Heck, even a fun-loving Bonnie & Clyde get sympathy against those nasty cops. That already puts a strike in the sympathy game against the regulators. Heck, framing it as “regulation” already presiposed folks against it.

This is made even worse in the present circumstances. The idea of governmental control of super-powers is kinda scary, in the right light. The idea of George W. Bush having control of super-powers is outright terrifying for a lot of people, I suspect.

This will be, I predict, enhanced by the tactics used by the “for” camp in the story. If this is truly a civil war, the betrayal, already hinted at, will come from the folks taking the thirty pieces of silver from the Feds. We’ve already seen that, with attempts being made to arrest and detain Captain America (always a silly thing to try, as well as a guaranteed sympathy-gatherer for one rhetorical side, as well as an anticipated betrayal by Iron Man (and others) cropping up at the end of the first volume.

Indeed, it seems that play will be to the emotions, with Captain America representing (very literally) the side of freedom and liberty and emotional power, and the other side being represented by the side of logic and intellect, as embodied (on the last page) by Iron Man, Mister Fantastic, and Yellowjacket.

So the argument comes down to patriotism, on the power of the individual, individual responsibility and freedom, arrayed against the dangerously pragmatic, practical, logical, functional.

In the polemical opera which is comic books, there’s no question where the sympathy, and the result, are supposed to lie.

And … that’s pretty much what’s going on.

1. The unregistered heroes are outnumbered and outgunned.  They are bold, grim freedom fighters.
2. The registration forces have the numbers.  And they tend to beat up on people trying to run away.
3. The non-heroes in the mix — the law enforcement types — are tending toward brutality and nastiness toward the captured heroes.
4. Iron Man, the guy who’s the symbol of the pro-registration forces, keeps playing fast and loose with the rules.  Half the time he’s cold and ruthless.  Half the time he’s got the mask on, faceless and inhuman.  Half the time he’s thinking three steps ahead as to how to control or take out even the folks presently on his side.
5. There are villains trying to take advantage of the Civil War by launching crime sprees.  The only people seemingly stopping this are the unregistered heroes.  There are also villains trying to co-opt or exploit the registration side.
6. The younger heroes are on the unregistered side.  Huzzah for youthful idealism!
7. We’re getting a lot more into the heads of those fighting The Man than those who aren’t.  That’s not entirely true, but the pro-registration types seem to come across as shallow, truckling, uncertain, and/or operating out of fear.  The Rebel Alliance unregistered heroes are thoughtful, noble, brave, etc. 

The only questioning I hear coming from the anti-registration sorts is where they should hide or how to get away from SHIELD, not, “Am I doing the right thing?  Or am I just acting from fear, or selfishness?”  The sort of self-analysis that, say, Spider-Man is doing. 

I don’t buy it. There are very few major political debates of this sort where the virtue is all on one side.  “People of good will can disagree” … but that’s not what we’re seeing here.  The deck is stacked.  Iron Man’s being an asshole and Cap’s being a hero.  As long as that’s the case, it’s all just a straw man argument.  Might as well have Doctor Doom or the Red Skull in charge of the registration movement.

I want to see villains trying to exploit the anti-registration folks (“Come with us — the good guys have betrayed you.”)  I want to see self-questioning among the righteous defenders of liberty.  I want someone to address the issues that are driving this.  Let’s debate the message, not the messenger.  Let’s not make this Iron Man vs. Captain America.  And let’s acknowledge that there probably isn’t a nice, neat answer that doesn’t mean pain and sacrifice and compromise for someone.

It’s a decent story.  It will make a difference.  I’m glad they’re doing it.

I just wish they’d been honest about it.

(listening to: Disney, “The Singing Dog” from Pirates of the Caribbean)
(listening to: Beatles, “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” from Blue Album 1967-1970)
(listening to: “Night Gallery (arrangement A)” from www.mythemes.tv)

(listening to: Yankovic, Weird Al, “The Alternative Polka” from Bad Hair Day)
(listening to: Pet Shop Boys, “I Wouldn’t Normally Do This Kind of Thing (7″ Mix)” from Disco 2)
(listening to: Yankovic, Weird Al, “King of Suede” from In 3-D)

Hmmm … that almost worked.  Let’s try a few more.

Well, maybe we’ll just get one more in this time, as it raises an interesting topic in and of itself.

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

Amazing Spider-Man #533 (Marvel) [5/4/4/2] (w. Joe Straczynski; a. Ron Garney)

One of the “Civil War” issues.  I’m going to take this section by section, just because.

1. Spidey has unmasked in front of the nation.  This is huge.  This is more huge than the Avengers, the funny origin stuff, the odd powers, the costume change.  This is a fundamental change in the character and his relationship to the rest of the world, that, short of some massive mind-control magical thang (don’t laugh, it’s been done before) affect the character forever.
        Is it a good thing?  A bad thing?  Hard to say.  Mess with the status quo at your peril.  Stick to the status quo at your peril.  I don’t know who decided on this change, but JMS takes it and runs with it.
        It’s huge.  And it was the centerpiece of many of the Marvel “Civil War” comics of that month.
2. I read several of those comics, and what was interesting were the different ways that J. Jonah Jameson handled the news.  Rage. Fainting. Here, he’s coldly furious, filled with a sense of betrayal that Parker has (gleefully, he thinks) lied to him all these years.  Nicely done.  And there will be consequences before the issue is over.
3. Peter deals with instant fame/infamy, as protesters (and fans) swamp his limo.  We also get an entertaining set of cell phone calls with Mary Jane, Mr. Fantastic, Sue, Aunt May — and as well as showing some of the fractures in the FF already over the Registration Act, it’s just a fun relief.
4. Peter’s being sued by the Bugle.  All those shortcuts are going to come back to haunt him — unless, between Tony’s money and some sort of government amnesty, he gets out from under.
5. Different people in the Spideyverse react.  Flash Thompson.  Various villains.  Pete’s now clearly a target.  And his family.  He knows it — but he doesn’t really know it.
6. MJ supports the decision, and him.  That’s nice.  And realistic.  We’ll see how that goes, too.
7. Heh.  Pete’s getting pulled further into the game, as Iron Man announces his task force for rounding up rogue unregistered heroes — and names Spider-Man to the team, on national TV, without consulting with him first.
8. The first assassination attempt — even if it’s just a kook with a gun.
9. Spidey confronts Iron Man on the above.  Tony acknowledges, ultimately, he should have handled it differently.  And then we see the rest of the team:  heroes such as the FF (minus the Torch, who’s in hospital), Yellowjacket, Wasp, She-Hulk, Doc Sampson — and reformed villains such as the Thunderbolts.  Interesting …

Solid writing, good characterization, secondary and tertiary characters all contributing, and a nice focus on Peter and his feelings over what he’s getting himself into.  The art is highly reminiscent of John Romita, Jr., and workmanlike and professional.

Let’s hit the next issue before we natter about C.W.

Amazing Spider-Man #534 (Marvel) [4/4/3/2] (w. Joe Straczynski; a. Ron Garney)

A more compressed story than 533, so not quite as good.  But still, well done. 

1. It picks up on the big Unregistered Hero Ambush battle we’ve seen bits and pieces of elsewhere, and the aftermath of transporting the captured rogue heroes to holding facilities.  Iron Man’s debriefing the group, and, anticipating an ambush, he readies them for the mission.
2. Peter’s feeling pretty conflicted over the folks he’s had to fight (Falcon, most obviously in the art).  He’s beginning to feel very “just following orders” and is unhappy over it.
3. The general public is conflicted, too — protesters about “Registration is Tyranny” and protesters against heroes who hide their identity.  Spidey, expecting now that he’s in the open and fighting on the right side, was expecting to feel much more accepted.  Again, conflict.
4. Spidey learns Iron Man knows about his spider-sense, which he doesn’t think Tony should know about.  (Spidey’s nattered about his spider-sense for decades, so why he thinks it’s supposed to be a secret is unclear, but never mind.)  That makes him wonder what sort of information his brand new uniform is feeding his “boss.”
5. The expected attack by Cap and company takes place, on Yancy Street (cue bottles and brickbats).  The issue then focuses on an encounter between Captain American and Spider-Man.  It’s one of the best of such battles I’ve seen, because Peter’s internal dialog rings so true, whether analyzing his feelings about fighting Cap, about the cause he’s in, or tactics.
6. The battle breaks off for reasons that are mildly artificial, but also lead to a scene that rings even more true.  Cap’s left his shield behind, webbed.  Local punks want to steal it.  Spidey scares them off, then readheres it to the side of the building up where it will be safe — but where Cap can get to it.  “Because I want him to know I left it for him.  When he finds it, I hope he understands.  I hope he gets the message — that the shield represents the country, and the
   laws of the country decide who’s right.  Even the laws we don’t like.  Even the ones that suck.  Cap thinks in terms of right and wrong, but this isn’t a matter of right or wrong, moral or immoral.  It’s legal vs. illegal.  At least, that’s what I tell myself in the middle of the night, when I wonder what the hell I’m doing here.”

It’s another good issue, and in many ways is getting to the heart of Civil War better than the actual CW title. And that’s good.

Because Civil War is shaping up to be a cheat.

More on that (apparently) later.

(listening to: “Best of Both Worlds: Humanity Taken” from Star Trek TNG – II)
(listening to: Dixie Chicks, “Without You” from Fly)
(listening to: Pet Shop Boys, “My October Symphony” from Behavior)
(listening to: Yankovic, Weird Al, “When I Was Your Age” from Off the Deep End)

Okay, now for something marginally different.  Rather than TPBs, I’m going to do some of the regular comics I’m reading today.  I went and grabbed stuff I’d received and read in the last couple of months and threw it (alphatically, natch) into a box.  Here’s what I have.

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

52 #2-12 (DC) [4/4/2/1] (w. Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka, Mark Waid; a. Keith Giffen, Joe Bennett)

With a list of writers that long, this ought to be a train wreck, and sometimes it does get a bit crazy, but these are all masters at the craft, and their integrated tales looking at what happened to the DCU in the aftermath of the Infinite Crisis and prior to the “One Year Later” everything got rebooted to is working remarkably well.  Some of the stories are gelling well, others are merely interesting sidelights, but coming as they are on a weekly basis (the 52 weeks of the year the series will run, hence
the title), it’s turning out okay.  At the very least, it’s good for DC triviameisters, if not for the more casual reader.

Backing up all of this has been an odd retelling of the DCU History, w/a. Dan Jurgens, featuring Donna Troy chatting with Harbinger’s sphere, and, evidently, ushering in a corps of Monitors in the near future.

Action Comics #841 (DC) [4/4/3/1] (w. Kurt Busiek, Fabien Nicieza; a. Pete Woods)

After the “Up, Up, and Away!” storyline, where we learned that Supes was basically powerless for most of the “Year Later” until he’d recovered from the big duke-out at the end of Infinite Crisis, Supes is now back.  It’s either a bizarre coincidence or an odd marketing play that just as Superman Returns comes out, Busiek and Action deal with “how does the world react to Superman coming back after being gone a year?”

The answer is an interesting one, as quite a number of people actually wonder if it’s really him, or someone faking him.  A fair question, given both the disappearance and what happened with Supes was dead previously.  It does mean reestablishing some professional relationships again, not to mention getting back whatever security clearances he once had with the governments of the world.  A fun twist.

Meanwhile, Supes is lending a hand with heroes across the US in fending off an alien <s>invasion</s> acquisition of the planet’s treasures.  How soon will the status quo return?  We’ll see.

All-Star Batman & Robin #4 (DC) [4/5/3/1] (w. Frank Miller; a. Jim Lee)

Miller has gotten a fair amount of heat for this not-really-continuity retelling of Batman’s adoption of Robin, his Bats seeming to be overly brutal, sadistic, and nasty.  And that’s just to the bad guys.  He’s even worse to the newly orphaned Dick Grayson.

The criticism seems to be correct, for what it’s worth.  It’s an interesting take on the character, but I sure wouldn’t pass this comic on to an impressionable kid, no matter how nice Lee’s art is (and it’s some of his best) or how engaging (within the parameters above) Miller’s writing is.  I’ll probably keep reading it, just to see where Miller’s going to take it (and because of Lee’s nice art), but I’m not really enjoying the process.

All-Star Superman #4 (DC) [4/5/3/2] (w. Grant Morrison; a. Frank Quitely)

Another non-canonical alternate take on an iconic hero. Morrison does his take on a classic style Superman/Jimmy Olson team-up, but with the sort of cosmic uplift that you’d expect from his JLA run a few years back.  Black Kryptonite, ultra-sophisticated research satellites, Doomsday potions, lots of technobabble and goofiness.  It’s a beautiful book, in look and craftsmanship, but there’s still a vague sense, when all is said and done, that you’re being laughed at by Morrison.

Folks who like Morrison, or Morrison’s reimagining of comic book conventions, will love this.  Big Superman fans might very well not.

(I suppose we’re lucky — or unlucky — that with Miller on Batman and Morrison on Superman, we didn’t get Warren Ellis doing Wonder Woman … and, upon consideration, why didn’t we?)

(listening to: Derbyshire, Delia , “Extended Theme (1967)” from Doctor Who (various))
(listening to: Riepl, Kevin, “Hide-n-Seek-v3” from Unreal Tournament 2003) 
(listening to: “Theme4” from City of Heroes)
(listening to: “James at 15” from Television’s Greatest Hits – VI)
(listening to: Cash, Johnny, “Ring of Fire” from Johnny Cash 16 Biggest Hits)
(listening to: “The Beverly Hillbillies” from Television’s Greatest Hits)
(listening to: Barry, John, “Moviola” from Moviola)
(listening to: Battlefield Band, “The Port of Call” from Anthem for the Comman Man)
(listening to: Stone Edge, “Yesterday’s Child” from Stone Edge)
(listening to: Monkees, “Monkees’ Theme” from Monkees – Greatest Hits)
(listening to: Isham, Mark, “Down the Alley (With You)” from A River Runs Through It)

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

JSA: Black Vengeance (Vol. 10) (DC) [4/4/2/2] (collects #66-75)
w. Geoff Johns; a. Don Kramer, Leonard Kirk, Steve Sadowski, et al. 

The JSA encounter their 1950s counterparts at the height of the McCarthy Era, and reexamine their own heroism.  Meanwhile, the Spectre is going nuts and meting out vengeance.  And in the midst of all this judgment, what about Al Pratt (Atom Smasher), or his mentor, Black Adam?  Is there a difference between Justice and Right, and on which side of that divide must a hero walk?  Or is there just one right path.

And etc.  The art, despite the diverse hands, is all good.  The stories by Geoff Johns are, not surprising, penetrating and dark.  JSA has been one of the best continuing DC series out there — which makes its current status … well, we’ll leave that for the individual issue reviews.

Legion of Super-Heroes: Teenage Revolution (Vol. 1) (DC) [3/4/4/4] (collects #1-6)
w. Mark Waid; a. Barry Kitson 

I really want to love this series.  Really.  Waid and Kitson are both stellar talents.  But, damn, the LoSH as a “youth movement” meme just falls oddly flat, and Kitson’s art (and costume design) is incredibly stiff.

Part of it may be that I just resent to hell yet another reboot of Legion continuity, without any compelling reason behind it than that, as far as I can tell, Waid and Kitson wanted a clean slated and nobody at DC cared enough to say no.  That anyone continues to read this title is a testament to the underlying appeal of the concept and the characters, but after a while, you just start stop caring about what happens to X or Y because, sure as shooting, next year someone’s going to come along and rewrite
X and Y again.  Feh.

Stand-alone, these issues aren’t bad.  But both from wasted potential and wasted continuity, they’re greatly disappointing.

Manhunter: Street Justice (Vol. 1) (DC) [3/3/4/2] (collects #1-5)
w. Marc Andreyko; a. Jesus Saliz, Jimmy Palmiotti

This title owes less to the  previous DC characters of this name, and more to DC’s Vigilante — a DA/Prosecutor who decides to take the law into his/her own hands to punish the guilty.  It’s a bit more grim and gritty than that title was, and some of the practical issues of vigilanteism — broken bones and broken equipment — are dealt with in this slender volume.  Still, it’s all old hat.  I might pick up the next TPB, if it ever comes out.  Or I might not.  But I’m not going to
go out of my way to do so.

And with that, we are one-third done, 8 hours (7 a.m. to 3 p.m.) into the Blogathon!  Woot!

I’ve been fairly diligent about recording the music I listen to, for your edification as to my electic tastes if nothing else.  I’m irked that the iTunes interface doesn’t pull over Composer as well, since Artist is not always the key creative talent involved in a particular piece of music.  Ah, well.

(listening to: Tygerberg Children’s Choir, “Skorro Korro” from We Call It Afrika)

(listening to: “Falcon Crest” from Television’s Greatest Hits – VI)

(listening to: Blue’s Clues, “Putting It All Together” from Blue’s Big Musical Movie (Nick Jr))

(listening to: “Otoko to Megami no Love Song” from Aa! Megami-sama – Complete Vocal Collection)

(listening to: Beethovenhalle Bonn, “Sym 33 in Bb, K.319 – Andante Moderato” from Mozart – Two Salzburg Symphonies) 

(listening to: Holiday, Billie, & Teddy Wilson Orchestra, “I Wished on the Moon” from Artist’s Choice: Tony Bennett)

(listening to: Newman, Dave, “Going For a Ride” from Serenity)

(listening to: Simon & Garfunkel, “The Dangling Conversation” from Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, And Thyme)

(listening to: Enya, “Oriel Window” from Oíche Chiún [EP])

(listening to: “Twilight Zone Main Title” from Twilight Zone)

(listening to: Raine, Nic & Prague Philharmonic, “Under Fire – Suite – Prelude” from Jerry Goldsmith – 40 Years of Film Music)

(listening to: Shore, Howard, “The King Of The Golden Hall” from LOTR2: Two Towers)