Category: Blogathon

Hey, as of this post (at 1 a.m my time), the Blogathon is three-fourths over. It’s just a short coast of 6 hours to the end. Woot!

Having both the following come up this interval is pretty cool, because they are both fantastic books that have nothing to do with superheroes in spandex, and everything to do with people and their feelings.

RThe Complete Strangers in Paradise, Vol. 3, Part 8 (Abstract) [collects #83-90]
w/a. Terry Moore 

Writing		New reader?
Art		Non-comics reader?

This tome wraps up the massive SiP saga, resolving who gets together with whom, and why and where and how. 

There is indeed Happily Ever After, dammit.

Of course, the three-chapter “Molly & Poo” tale is also included, which sets a bit different tone.

SiP was a long, hard trip. I need to reread the whole thing again some time. Soon.

The Sword, Vol. 1, “Fire” (Image) [collects #1-6]
The Sword, Vol. 2, “Water” (Image) [collects #7-12]
w/a. The Luna Bros. 

Writing		New reader?
Art		Non-comics reader?

Three preternaturally powerful individuals break into a young woman’s home, brutally kill her family, and leave her for dead. But when she finds the ancient sword her father had hidden in the basement, she discovers it gives her tremendous strength, heals her of her handicapped legs — and that it’s both what the killers wanted and what they fear most.

This has been a great series to date (I’m reading the monthly issues as it goes along, getting the TPBs for easy rereading in the future). The Luna Bros. drawing style is open and expressive; their writing provides both complex plot and realistic dialog. Triffic stuff here, blending myth, magic, and the triumph of the will. Highly recommended.

Listening to: Elfman, Danny, “Ungodly Experiments” (Mars Attacks!)) 

This post puts me 3/4 of the way through my TPB stack, which, all things being equal, I would have been targeting to be at by 1 a.m., putting me 90 minutes ahead of schedule.

On the other hand, I’m running at about 75% efficiency right now, I think, so I expect I may be slowing down soon. Plus, I have much else I can write on.  

She-Hulk, Vol. 6, “Jaded” (Marvel) [collects #22-27]
w. Peter David; a. Shawn Moll, Val Semeiks 

Writing		New reader?
Art		Non-comics reader?

With the publisher demanding a more sales-friendly change of pace for Shulkie, Peter David took over and changed her into a bounty hunter, working alongside an exiled Skrull. A darker and more bitter She-Hulk than the last go-around, but David pulls things off pretty well, laying the groundwork for how some mysteries to be revealed later on — why Jen was disbarred, as well as how she picked up a nigh-immortal Skrull as a partner. Good stuff. 

Shortpacked, Vol. 1, “Brings Back the Eighties” (MTA)
Shortpacked, Vol. 2, “Pulls the Drama Tag!” (MTA)
w/a. David Willis 

Writing		New reader?
Art		Non-comics reader?

 Collections from Willis’ web comic, centered on a toy store. Full of toy store (esp. action figure) jokes, but with plenty of other geek humor (and surreal soap opera). I don’t read it as much as I’d like to; I should do something about that.

Listening to: Shore, Howard, “The Ring Goes South” (LOTR1: The Fellowship of the Ring)) 

Absolute Sandman, Vol. 2 (DC) [collects #21-39]
w. Neil Gaiman; a. Various 

Writing		New reader?
Art		Non-comics reader?

I tend to by paperback/softcover collections of most of my graphic novels and TPBs. But for some things I find it worth spending the money on hardcover (which, to be honest, has gotten not all that much more incrementally expensive vs. paperback). And for a very few things … volumes like DC’s Absolute editions — oversized (to show off the art), slip-covered, extra thick (19 issues here), plus supplementary materials.

This volume includes the Seasons in the Mist story, which not only introduced the Endless more fully, but gave us Lucifer leaving Hell (and Morpheus having to decide what to do with the place). It is, to my mind, the place where Sandman really hit its stride. Elsewhere we get Joanna Constantine, the Emperor Norton, Werewolves, Marco Polo, and the creepy-scary Game of You.

Triffic stuff. Worth the price, and high on my list of rereads.

Sandman Mystery Theatre, Vol. 6, “The Hourman and The Python” (Vertigo) [collects #29-36]
Sandman Mystery Theatre, Vol. 7, “The Mist and The Phantom of the Fair” (Vertigo) [collects #37-44]
w. Matt Wagner, Steven Seagle; a. Guy Davis 

Writing		New reader?
Art		Non-comics reader?

 The continue dark-underbelly-of-society adventures of Wesley Dodd, the gas mask-garbed crime-fighter of the 30s known as the Sandman. He encounters spies and sabateurs, mass murderers, science heroes and villains, prejudice, corruption, and a shadowy truckload of noir elements — all the while driven by Dreams, and trying to reconsile his secrets with his love for Dian Belmont.

Good stuff — if brutal as the era was. The whole series has been excellent, and I’m glad they have resumed collecting them.

Serenity, Vol. 2, “Better Days” (Dark Horse) [collects #1-3]
w. Joss Whedon, Brett Matthews; a. Will Conrad 

Writing		New reader?
Art		Non-comics reader?

An example of a TV tie-in done well, “Better Days” gives us the Serenity’s crew coming, unexpectedly, into a huge pay-off, with much (amusing) fantasizing ensuing. Until, that is, someone comes gunning for Mal, and the crew has to band together to save him.

A decent plot, reasonable art, and a true ear for the characters. Shiny!

Powers, Vol. 10, “Cosmic” (Icon) [collects #13-18]
Powers, Vol. 11, “Secret Identity” (Icon) [collects #19-24]
Powers, Vol. 12, “The 25 Coolest Dead Superheroes of All Time” (Icon) [collects #25-30, Annual 2008]
w. Brian Bendis; a. Michael Oeming 

Writing		New reader?
Art		Non-comics reader?

These three volumes wrap up the current run of Powers, resolving the Powers plague that Pilgrim suffers from (and flees IA because of — or because she killed her boyfriend with the power she’d gotten), bringing into the open Walker’s new status as a Green Lantern-like cosmic cop. The Powers storyline has suffered a bit, I think, from the success of the two principals, slowing down its production and making it harder (except in volumes like this) to keep track of the story. 

Bendis, as in his mainstream books, is a master of dialog. Oeming’s art has problems here at times, though — it’s far too easy to confuse different people. On the other hand, I can’t imagine the book without Oeming on it, so hopefully the break before the next Powers series will do him good.

Project Superpowers, Vol. 1 (Dynamite) [collects #0-7]
w. Alex Ross, Jim Krueger; a. Carlos Paul, Alex Ross, et al. 

Writing		New reader?
Art		Non-comics reader?

PS is apparently an attempt to write something with Golden/Silver Age feel, using the more sophisticated art (and storytelling) of the current era. As such, it’s fairly successful, with heroes (and villains) both modern and “Golden Age” interacting and performing their derring-do.

Unlike the closest analog I can think of, though — the Astro City series — PS just never feels very approachable. The stories are about the story, not about the characters. That’s not a fatal flaw, but when you’re starting with characters made up from whole cloth that the reader is unfamiliar with, it makes it a lot harder to get into the tale, or care about it.

I won’t be buying any more of these, but your mileage may certainly vary. Certainly there’s some good talent here, and a lot of good press.

PvP, Vol. 5, “Treks On” (Image) [collects #25-31]
w/a. Scott Kurtz 

Writing		New reader?
Art		Non-comics reader?

The usual high (and low) humor from Kurtz’s web comic strip, which are republished as individual comic books, then collected here. A whole bunch of themes and events, most notably the “Jade Pregnancy” series. Good stuff, very often funny, sometimes touching.

Listening to: Barry, John, “Necros Attacks” (The Living Daylights)) 

First off, a hearty thanks to all my donors. With my latest sponsorship, I’m now at $616 for the Denver Dumb Friends League. I feel great that I’ve been able to gather so much support for them — again, my deepest thanks.

The Order, Vol. 1, “The Next Right Thing” (Marvel) [collects #1-5]
The Order, Vol. 2, “California Dreaming” (Marvel) [collects #6-10]
w. Matt Fraction; a. Barrry Kitson 

Writing		New reader?
Art		Non-comics reader?

Post-Civil War, Tony Stark started the Fifty State Initiative, to put a super-hero team in every state. The Order is California’s team, powerful and pretty — but with performance clauses in their contracts, mandatory retirement after a year, and, of course, the chance of dying in the meantime.

Fraction does a good job dealing with how a team like this would work together — relative strangers, drawn together by a paycheck and chance of glory, and not necessarily all compatible. Kitson’s art is, as always, clean and lovely. 

The Order was — by design or circumstance, short-lived, but it wraps up well by the second volume. Not the world’s most amazing comic, but a respectible one nonetheless. 

Essential Painkiller Jane (Dynamite) [collects #0-5 (Event Comics)]
w. Joe Quesada, Jimmy Palmiotti, et al.; a. Rick Leonardi, et al. 

Writing		New reader?
Art		Non-comics reader?

Reissued while the short-lived SciFi series was running, the book demonstrated that … well, there was pretty much nothing in common between the two, except for the protagonist’s name and the premise that she can heal from everything, even though she feels the pain ..

There’s not much to recommend here. The stories are trite and violent. The art is generally sloppy. Bleah. This one is probably going to go on the discard queue.

Penny Arcade, Vol. 5, “The Case of the Mummy’s Gold” (Dark Horse) [collects #1-6]
by Jerry Holkins & Mike Krahulik 

Writing		New reader?
Art		Non-comics reader?

Going through 2004’s cartoons of this webcomic, I realize it’s an acquired taste. Holkins and Krahulik talk a lot about computer games, are generally irreverent and mocking, and engage in more-than-occasional character asssassination. But “they were all bad,” and I find the strip highly entertaining at least 70% of the time. The notations for each cartoon explain jokes that might no longer be topically obvious (the nature of the game industry being as it is). Some stuff here is very funny; some isn’t, but that’s almost always the case, unless you’re Bill Watterson.

 Listening to: Madonna, “Die Another Day” (Limited Edition 007 Sampler)) 

It’s funny — I can’t say that either of the below are so profoundly wonderful that they deserve 5 stars … but both are among my favorite comics in the stack. Take that as you will.

Nextwave: Agents of HATE, Vol. 1, “This Is What They Want” (Marvel) [collects #1-6]
Nextwave: Agents of HATE, Vol. 2, “I Kick Your Face” (Marvel) [collects #7-12]
w. Warren Ellis; a. Stuart Immonen 

Writing		New reader?
Art		Non-comics reader?

I believe someone walked up to Ellis and Immonen and dared them, on a bet, to create a team book with a membership of second bananas, a villain worthy of Frank Miller in his Elektra absurdist phase, and some of the funniest lines in mainstream comics in the last decade. And this is how they did it.

Photon, Machine Man, Meltdown, Elsa Bloodstone, and the Captain are recruited by a secretive government (or possibly corporate) organization to … oh, never mind. There is much exploding, much misanthropy, much mockery, and much amusement over many, many comic book tropes. It’s all done with such fiendish glee that you almost have to smile along with them.

(And, apparently, this is somewhat canonical, because Machine Man was behaving just the same way when he ended up over in Ms. Marvel.)

Very fun stuff. Highly recommended, especially with a few shots of something in you.

DC: The New Frontier, Vol. 1 (DC) [collects #1-3]
DC: The New Frontier, Vol. 2 (DC) [collects #4-6]
w/a. Darwin Cooke 

Writing		New reader?
Art		Non-comics reader?

Sort of the polar opposite of Nextwave, The New Frontier is an earnest, nostalgic, but socially sensitive retelling of the origins of the modern DCU (or some version of it — it’s not really canonical so far as I know). Written with all the hope and aspirations of a book from the Golden Age, it also acknowledges the McCarthyesque anti-hero paranoia, racial tensions, and some of the uglier elements of that period. Nevertheless, it’s a positive and upbeat tale, when all’s told (and a fine animated feature was made from it), and a fine addition to one’s comic library.

Listening to: Newman, Thomas, and Bill Bernstein, “An Unpleasant Incident Involving a Train” (Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events)) 

New Avengers, Vol. 5, “Civil War” (DC) [collects #21-25]
w. Brian Bendis; a. various 

Writing		New reader?
Art		Non-comics reader?

A series of stand-alone stories, each with its own artist, on Avengers choosing sides in the Registration Act Civil War, delving into both motive and the circumstances that forced their decision. Captain America, Luke Cage (and Jessica Jones), Spider-Woman, Sentry, Iron Man. Good writing, good art; one of the better iteration of Civil War stuff.

New Avengers, Vol. 6, “Revolution” (Marvel) [collects #26-31]
w. Brian Bendis; a. Alex Maleev, Leinil Yu 

Writing		New reader?
Art		Non-comics reader?

Hawkeye searches for Wanda … Ronin fights Electra and the Hand, which draws the rest of the New Avengers in … which leads to the revelation (a key to the Secret War to follow) that Elektra is really a Skrull. Yikes!

The art is dark and artsy, but works well with the mood here. Bendis manages to give each of the players a personality so that both the ninja battles and the discussions over the Civil War flow quite well. Good book.

New Avengers, Vol. 9, “Secret Invasion” (Marvel) [collects #43-47]
w. Brian Bendis; a. Tan, Cheung, Gaydos 

Writing		New reader?
Art		Non-comics reader?

The Secret Invasion proceeds apace, as the NA find some Old Avengers down in the Savage Land. Or … are they Skrulls? How are the criminals in New York dealing with the Invasion? And how did the Skrulls figure out how to infiltrate without anyone being able to detect them? 

This is a bridge volume — little stands alone, but it all slips in key details to the Secret Invasion story line. Bendis does his usual excellent job while the artists hold up their end well.

New Avengers: Illuminati (Marvel) [collects #1-5]
w. Brian Bendis, Brian Reed; a. Jim Cheung 

Writing		New reader?
Art		Non-comics reader?

A brilliant post hoc conceit: some of the greatest mind and powers on Earth have been working behind the scenes around various crises that imperil the planet. Reed Richards, Namor, Professor X, Tony Stark, Black Bolt, Doctor Strange are the Illuminati.

This book shows how the group formed — basically going to warn off any Skrull retaliation against Earth after the Kree/Skrull War, only to be taken captive (and, as it turns out, studied for weaknesses that led to the the Skrull infiltration prior to the Secret War — see above). Apparently the Illuminati also danced around with Thanos’ Infinity Gauntlet, the Beyonder, a highly amusing “women in the Illuminati’s lives” episode — and finally the episode that breaks up the group for good.

Despite some odd retconning, the book works very well. I wouldn’t take it as canon for very long, but at the moment it’s an interesting part of Marvel Universe History.

Listening to: Jarre, Maurice, & the London Philharmonic, “The Voice of the Guns” (Lawrence of Arabia – Original Soundtrack)) 

Hey, this post represents my half-way point for the Blogathon! Woot! Twelve hours ago or so I was posting the first entry. In twelve more hours, the last one. Piece of cake!

I’m feeling a bit fatigued — shoulders are stiff, head’s a bit muzzy with writing so much. Not tired yet at all, just somewhat drained. It’s getting a bit difficult to concentrate and cogitate — in some ways the reviews are easy, it’s posting or researching anything else that’s tough.

My stack of TPBs is about 60% down, which means I’m ahead of the curve. I suspect I will be, like in the past couple of times, left with all sorts of subjects I wanted to do but missed out on the time for. I guess that’s a good problem to have, considering the alternative.

Margie and Katherine have had a nice relaxing day, pretty much, aside from snapping to attention whenever I need something. 

After this post goes up, I’m going to wrassle up some real food for dinner. I know what I want to do for the post for the half-hour, and it will be fairly quick.

Ms. Marvel, Vol. 4, “Monster Smash” (Marvel) [collects #18-24]
w. Brian Reed; a. Aaron Lopresti, Matt Ryan 

Writing		New reader?
Art		Non-comics reader?

 The Ms. Marvel series has just been fun — dealing with her desire to be an A-list hero while fearful that she’s not, and the complications of both old and new villains (and personal problems) tying up her efforts in knots, has been good old entertainment. That the book has had some pleasant cheesecake aspects to it hasn’t hurt, either. 

This volume includes struggle against the Puppet Master where he’s retired to Chile to open up a human trafficking business, specializing in clay-dominated super-heroes, with Ms Marvel going into action with her SHIELD team alongside (including, fresh from NEXTwave Aaron Stack). That segues into an examination of why her powers have been glitching for quite a few issues, revealing a secret that has to do with the Brood (eek). Again, some great combat scenes, some humor, and some chance for Carol to show she has what it takes.

This one isn’t going to win any Eisners, but it has good rereadability (and not just for the pictures).

Myth Adventures Collection (Airship) [collects #1-8]
w. Robert Asprin, Phil Foglio; a. Phil Foglio, tim Sale 

Writing		New reader?
Art		Non-comics reader?

 This is a fine hardcover edition of the classic adaptation Foglio did of Asprin’s Another Fine Myth. It’s early Foglio, crude compared to his Girl Genius work,  but still well crafted and funny as all hell (through both men’s contributions). I just wanted to have it to replace my relatively tattered Starblaze Graphics two volume set. Great fun.’

And, yes, this may be the only book I’ve given five stars in each category. So there.

 Listening to: Jarre, Maurice, & the London Philharmonic, “Miracle” (Lawrence of Arabia – Original Soundtrack)) 

Madame Xanadu, vol. 1, “Disenchanted” (Vertigo) [collects #1-10]
w. Matt Wagner; a. Amy Reeder Hadley, Richard Friend 

Writing		New reader?
Art		Non-comics reader?

Taking a character who started off as a mysterious tarot card reader and horror book introducer and telling her story to make her a compelling character is no easy task. Wagner accomplishes it with polish, taking Nuada from among the Fae in Arthurian England, to Khanate China, to Revolutionary France to 1930s New York, each time locked in frustrating opposition to the mysterious Phantom Stranger, her own attempts at intervening at impending tragedy often making things worse.

Good stuff, and a good setup for a character who can doubtless play more than a color role in future DC spookiness.

Manhunter, Vol. 3, “Origins” (DC) [collects #15-23]
w. Marc Andreyco; a. Javier Pina, Fernando Blanco 

Writing		New reader?
Art		Non-comics reader?

 Manhunter is one of those series I wanted to like, to the entent of following it along in three TPBs. The idea of a vigilante DA is not new (see: “Vigilante”), but arming yourself with super-villain gear from the evidence room was clever, and seeing how Kate Spencer could try (and fail) to keep it all in balance should have been fascinating.

Alas, no, even though there’s all sorts of personal and equipment origins tied into in this new volume. Just didn’t click for me (though there are two more TPBs out there, so obviously someone has liked it). Oh, well.

Mighty Avengers, Vol. 1, “The Ultron Initiative” (Marvel) [collects #1-6]
Mighty Avengers, Vol. 2, “Venom Bomb” (Marvel) [collects #7-12]
Mighty Avengers, Vol. 3, “Secret Invasion, Part 1” (Marvel) [collects #13-18]
w. Brian Bendis; a. Frank Cho, Michael Bagley, Ivan Reis, Alex Maleev (et al.) 

Writing		New reader?
Art		Non-comics reader?

 Post-Civil War, Tony Stark reconstitutes the Avengers as perhaps the most powerful iteration of that team (which is saying something): himself, Sentry, Wonder Man, Ares, Ms Marvel, and with Wasp and Black Widow to round out the pack. Over these 18 issues, they fight Ultron (who’s taken over Tony’s body and armor and, it appears, a StarkTek infested world), a city full of Venoms, Doctor Doom on his home turf, and thus into the paranoia of the whole Secret War / Skrull invasion series.

Bendis is always a delight to read, between his imagination, sense of humor, and gift for dialog. He also brings back the thought balloon to comics, mostly for characters to give snide comments to what they’re saying. On one level, it’s irreverent to the glory of Avengers past, but it also works very well.

The artwork is also pretty darned fine — Cho (one of the things he’s been doing instead of Liberty Meadows) is clean (and bodacious), Begley (workmanlike), and Maleev (perfect for the gritty spy flick of the Secret War, moreso than the other artists in that volume).

Good series, the heart of Marvel, and worth my picking up the collections.

Listening to: Serra, Eric, “The Severnaya Suite (Among the Dead / Out of Hell / The Husky Tribe)” (Goldeneye)) 

Liberty Meadows, Book 4, “Cold, Cold Heart” (Image)
w/a. Frank Cho 

Writing		New reader?
Art		Non-comics reader?

I need to look up Liberty Meadows some time next week, because I’m not sure whatever happened to this title — originally a comic strip, then a web comic, and collected and reprinted, it seems, multiple times. I know Cho has done some mainstream comic book work — I’ve just lost track of him.

Anyway, here’s the 4th (and last, per Amazon) collection of LM strips. Cho’s a great artist, and makes the transition between cartoon characters and faboo pin-up class girls effortlessly. The battle between Jen and Brandy for Frank plays off with sitcom perfection against the return of the Cow. Great stuff.

Gotta remember to look up more info.

The Lone Ranger, Vol. 1 (Dynamite) [collects #1-6]
w. Brett Matthews; a. Sergio Cariello, John Cassaday 

Writing		New reader?
Art		Non-comics reader?

A good, solid retelling of the origin of the Lone Ranger. Not much more I can say than that. For whatever reason, my interest was not piqued enough to continue on with the series, but not through any particular identifiable fault of the book itself.

Loveless, Vol. 3, “Blackwater Falls” (DC) [collects #13-24]
w. Brian Azzarello; a. Werther Dell’edera, Danijel Zezelj 

Writing		New reader?
Art		Non-comics reader?

 Azarello’s dark post-Civil War tale of the town of Blackwater — its many sins and secrets — comes to a close here, in flame and gunfire and betrayal, everyone a villain differentiated only by the sympathy one has for their need for revenge. A dark tale is unfortunately further muddied by artwork that makes it close to impossible to recognize many of the myriad characters, discernible only in context or by speech pattern. It’s a good tale for what it is, but what it is isn’t very good, and doesn’t live up to the promise of the first volume.

Listening to: Howard, James Newton, “Sykes’ Apt.” (The Fugitive)) 

The League of Extraordinary Gentlement: Black Dossier (ABC) [collects #1-6]
w. Alan Moore; a. Kevin O’Neill 

Writing		New reader?
Art		Non-comics reader?

 I thought the first LoEG was brilliant. The second was less so, though still head and shoulders above 95% of the comics produced out there. But with the Black Dossier, Moore, frankly, loses it, losing sight of a coherent narrative to let atmosphere and trivia and Promethea-style musings take over, complete with 3-D glasses. We get all sorts of literary bric-a-brac and inserts to give the feeling of a real dossier, but Moore ends up with too much tell, and too little show.

There’s tons of brilliance here, but it’s all gotten mixed up in the junk drawer, which has been dropped on the floor with half the contents rolling under the bed. Disappointing.

Legion of Super-Heroes: An Eye for an Eye (DC) [collects #1-6]
w. Paul Levitz, Keith Giffen; a. Keith Giffen, Steve Lightle, Joe Orlando 

Writing		New reader?
Art		Non-comics reader?

It’s impossible to know what folks consider “classic” Legion stories, but this comes close — 1984, and LoSH gets its own high-end paper and printing Direct Market version. This is pre-any reboots of the series, and if it sometimes seems like two decades of history itself will topple over and crush the characters, it beats the heck out of not being able to count on LoSH continuity longer than the next writing team. Plus — Legion of Super-Heroes vs. Legion of Super-Villains, and a Legionnaire will Die! It doesn’t get much better than that.

Loki (Marvel) [collects #1-4]
w. Rob Rodi; a. Esad Ribic 

Writing		New reader?
Art		Non-comics reader?

This thin tome is a lovely and essential addition to anyone’s collection of Marvel’s Thor comics. It basically tells the story of Thor and Loki’s rivalry from the latter’s point of view. There’s no question that Loki’s a rat bastard here, but Thor doesn’t come out looking all that great (think of every popular jock you always despised and been bullied by). And even when Loki wins the throne of Asgard, he discovers that wanting is not the same has having. Can he take the opportunity of his success to break the cycle of bitterness and hate? What do you think?

No, really, this is a fine tale, lushly painted, and some of the best Thor material out there. Highly recommended.

JLA/Avengers (DC) [collects #1-4]
w. Kurt Busiek; a. George Perez 

Writing		New reader?
Art		Non-comics reader?

 This book is seventeen kinds of awesome. Decades in the making (mostly due to wrangling between DC and Marvel), Busiek’s love for the characters here is matched only by Perez getting the chance to draw every single Avenger or JLAer to date, and in many of their different costumes. With Krona and the Gamemaster starting things rolling with lethal cosmic bets, there are plenty of opportunties for the heroes of both Earths to go toe to toe with each other, until they eventually fight side by side against all their erstwhile foes.

This makes the geeky fanboy in me so happy, I bought the overside “Collector’s Edition.” Highly recommended for anyone who appreciates comics the way they use to make ’em, dagnabbit. And, clearly, still can.

Justice League Elite, Vol. 1 (DC) [collects #1-4, JLA Secret Files 2004]
w. Joe Kelly; a. Doug Mahnke, John Byrne, Tom Nguyen 

Writing		New reader?
Art		Non-comics reader?

(For some odd reason, Vol. 1 isn’t listed at Amazon.)

JLE was an odd experiment in the DCU, an outgrowth of the movement (with Joe Kelly in the fore) to make DC’s glossy heroes more grim and gritty (in the post-Authority era). Some more activist heroes from the JLA decide to join with Vera Black’s Elite to infiltrate a super-powered assassination ring under deep cover. Insert moral dilemmas and “what lines will you cross for the greater good” here. 

There’s some good stuff involved here, some real chances to take a different look at heroism and what lines should be crossed, and by whom.  Not spectacular, but some solid writing and decent enough art. 

Listening to: Edmonson, Greg, “Out of Gas – Empty Derelict” (Firefly – Original Television Soundtrack)) 

Invincible, vol. 8, “My Favorite Martian” (Image) [collects #36-41]
Invincible, vol. 9, “Out of This World” (Image) [collects #42-47]
Invincible, vol. 10, “Who’s the Boss?” (Image) [collects #48-53]
w. Robert Kirkman; a. Ryan Ottley 

Writing		New reader?
Art		Non-comics reader?

Invincible remains a steady and powerful performer. While on one level Kirkman is producing a four-color Silver Age title, with wacky (if evil) super-villains and big fight scenes, part of what makes the book special are the pieces between the lines. 

Mark’s struggles with his academic career harken back to Peter Parker, but ring more true vs the old 60s soap opera. Dealing with his mixed Viltrumite heritage — both in how much he’s (mis)trusted by some, as well as dealing with Viltrumite agents coming to Earth — remains a constant challenge (often associated with a fair amount of blood). Dealing with a girlfriend or two, with a corrupt government handler (or is he?), Martian invaders … it’s all a lot for a teenager to handle. Watching that all play out has been a joy, and kept Invincible at the bottom of my weekly read stack (saving the best for last) for quite some time.

JLA Confidential, Book 1: “Ultramarine Corps” (DC) [collects JLA Classified #1-3, JLA Secret Files #1, JLA/Wildcats #1]
w. Grant Morrison; a. Ed McGuinness, Dexter Vines 

Writing		New reader?
Art		Non-comics reader?

Morrison can do much better than this rather muddled tale of the Ultramarine Corps, the JLA, Gorilla Grodd, Robot JLA substitutes, and an odd JLA/Wildcat backup story. McGuinness’ cartoony art doesn’t help. There are some interesting images and ideas here, but an overall disappointment.

JLA: Salvation Run (DC) [collects #1-7]
w. Matthew Sturges, Bill Willingham; a. Sean Chen, Joe Bennett 

Writing		New reader?
Art		Non-comics reader?

This was one of the big Summer Events at DC last year — all the big villains shuffled off to a wilderness planet to survive or fall on their own. Arkham Asylum meets Lord of the Flies, but even the Joker-as-Chaos vs. Luthor-as-Order conflict never really gels, the deaths come across as gratuitous inventory cleaning, and in the end none of it ever seems to matter. Seriously disappointing.

Listening to: Gold, Murray, “The Cybermen” (Doctor Who – The New Series – Original Television Soundtrack))

Hellboy, Vol. 4, “The Right Hand of Doom” (Dark Horse) [collects a whole bunch of stuff I’m not going to type]
w/a. Mike Mignola 

Writing		New reader?
Art		Non-comics reader?

Ah, the golden days of the mid-to-late 90s, when Mignola was first introducing Hellboy to the world (I was there at one of his first Comic-Cons, and picked up one of the first Hellboy t-shirts). This book collects a lot of those early stories, both dark and light (Pancakes!), and demonstrates why Hellboy got so popular to begin with — and why the book isn’t the same when Mignola’s not drawing it (let alone writing it). Highly recommended.

John Constantine, Hellblazer: “Bloodlines” (DC) [collects #47-50, 52-55, 59-61]
w. Garth Ennis; a. Will Simpson, et al. 

Writing		New reader?
Art		Non-comics reader?

Some early tales by Ennis showing, as well, how it is that Constantine became such a popular figure at his hands. The intro of Kit Ryan is here, as are demons from hell, and a disturbingly familiar serial killer … The artwork is a bit of a mess (save for when Steve Dillon fills in), but Constantine’s at his con-the-devil best. Good stuff.

Hulk Visionaries: Peter David, Vol. 5 (Marvel) [collects #3564-372, Annual #16]
w. Peter David; a. Purvis, Keown, Kieth, Medina 

Writing		New reader?
Art		Non-comics reader?

David’s run on the title was an amazing one, and this volume from around 1990 spans two important eras: starting with the Gray Hulk (and the Count-Down story line), segueing quickly to the revelations of the multiple Hulks in Banner’s head, and return of Betty Ross as a novitiate. The folks from the Mount begin to make an appearance, too.

Good fun, and some finally getting to the heart of David’s concept of the Hulk’s multiple personalities.   That’s about a dozen retcons ago of what’s going on inside the Hulk’s brain, but that’s comics for you. Recommended as part of a reread of the whole era.

Listening to: Gold, Murray, “Rose’s Theme” (Doctor Who – The New Series – Original Television Soundtrack))