You know, I will run out of relatively new comics before this is over. Fortunately, I have other ideas too.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Review code format: writing <\/b>(3-1, faboo to mediocre), art <\/b>(3-1), suitability for jumping on as a new reader <\/b>(3-1), suitability for hooking a a non-comics reader <\/b>(3-1), and eagerly waiting the collected TBP <\/b>(Y\/N).<\/p>\n
Scars<\/i> #6<\/b> of 6 (Avatar) [3\/3\/1\/2\/Y]
\nScars is a Warren Ellis tale of a traumatized police detective having to face a horrific child killing — and the even more horrifying possibility that the man he thinks is guilty will get away. It all grinds down to an inevitable conclusion this issue. Jacen Burrows B&W art is simple, expressive, and effective. Ellis doesn’t pull any punches, and while this could have been an exploitative bloodbath, it comes across as something … well, not more profound, but certainly less cheap than that. And the afterword by Steven Grant (himself no stranger to violent comics) is almost worth the issue itself:<\/p>\n
Some scars happen by accident, some are ritual. All are there to remind us of what we’ve learned. What we do with what we’ve learned is what makes us monsters and bastards, or not. God gave Moses the Ten Commandments: rules of behavior that were supposed to make people moral. Ten was too much to remember. Jesus knew this. He brought them down to two: Love God and Love Thy Neighbor As Thyself. Still too much to remember, if the last 2000 yearfs is an indicator. So let’s bring it down to a simple four words: Don’t be a bastard.<\/i><\/p>\n
Not bad for a cheap black-and-white comic.<\/p>\n
JLA<\/i> #82<\/b> (DC) [1\/1\/1\/1\/N]
\nAs the stats indicate, I’m about this <\/i>far from cancelling my sub to this. Only inertia from past glories keeps me on (and not for long). Joe Kelly, frankly, is an awful writer. His characterizations suck, and he seems to glorify in dragging down everyone he writes. The art here from Duncan Rouleau and Aaron Sowd is dreadfully mediocre. The actors go through their paces, the bad guys eventually are taken down, dire and darksome threats remain, and you end up feeling just a bit sticky and dirty from the whole experience.<\/p>\n
Flash<\/i> #199<\/b> (DC) [3\/2\/2\/1\/Y]
\nJoe Kelly needs to learn from Geoff Johns. Johns writes dark, but he also writes well<\/i>, and there’s purpose behind what he puts our heroes through. Just as the original Professor Zoom brought down Barry Allen’s Flash from grace, so the newest Professor Zoom — a different person, very different motivation, and a stunningly different power — threatens to do the same. I’d dropped this title for a while, but I’m back, and glad I am.<\/p>\n
Formerly Known as the Justice League<\/i> #1<\/b> (DC) [2\/3\/3\/2\/Y]
\nKeith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis, with Kevin Maguire and Joe Rubinstein on the art, have successfully brought back the classic 80s (!) Justice League. You remember — the crisp clean art, Maxwell Lord, Oreos, self-lampooning humor, intelligent writing. Oh, sure, it eventually all became just too silly, especially as other folks tried to extend the franchise, but it was groundbreaking stuff. And bringing it back looks like it may be a lot of fun. Yes, there’s a bit of goofiness, but so far it’s in check and in service to the story. Besides, nobody else was doing anything with Blue Beetle, Booster Gold, Captain Atom, Mary Marvel, Green Flame (or whatever she’s calling herself these days — and her establishing money-making scheme is worth the price of the whole issue), or the Elongated Man. Fun stuff, both for the nostalgic and for those looking for a bit of fun.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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Thought I posted that last item at the bottom of the hour, but just did it now. So I'll quick whip up another post. Doyce headed back out. Many...","rel":"","context":"In "Blogathon"","block_context":{"text":"Blogathon","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/blogging\/blogathon"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":4728,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2004\/01\/16\/hey_kids_comics.html","url_meta":{"origin":4658,"position":1},"title":"Hey, Kids! Comics!","author":"***Dave","date":"Fri 16-Jan-04 4:17pm","format":false,"excerpt":"[N.B. This review was started but never finished or published at the time.] Been a while ... Review code format: writing (3-1, faboo to mediocre), art (3-1), suitability for jumping...","rel":"","context":"In "Comics & Comic Books"","block_context":{"text":"Comics & Comic Books","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/media\/media-comics"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":15308,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2009\/07\/25\/bt09-and-so-it-begins-blogathon.html","url_meta":{"origin":4658,"position":2},"title":"BT09 – And so it begins … (#blogathon)","author":"***Dave","date":"Sat 25-Jul-09 7:00am","format":false,"excerpt":"Everything's ready to rock. Showered, coifed in 2006's Blogathon shirt (they didn't release one this year until this week, alas), coffee made and poured, materials sorted, everything's a go, go, go. The plan is to have my little timer set on the 5-minutes-of mark, to finish up posts before they\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blogathon"","block_context":{"text":"Blogathon","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/blogging\/blogathon"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":4656,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2003\/07\/26\/bt03_and_there.html","url_meta":{"origin":4658,"position":3},"title":"BT03 – And There Shall Be … a Comics Review!","author":"***Dave","date":"Sat 26-Jul-03 2:58pm","format":false,"excerpt":"Getting hotter and hotter ... fortunately, it should be nice and cool tonight. One more round of reviews, and then it's time for a snack....","rel":"","context":"In "Blogathon"","block_context":{"text":"Blogathon","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/blogging\/blogathon"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":15310,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2009\/07\/25\/bt09-a-is-for-aberration-blogathon.html","url_meta":{"origin":4658,"position":4},"title":"BT09 – A is for Aberration (#blogathon)","author":"***Dave","date":"Sat 25-Jul-09 7:26am","format":false,"excerpt":"Hmmm. My iTunes installation is showing Trojan Horses? What the --? No time to work on it right now, but I may need to later on. Gotta have my tunes sooner or later. UPDATE: Hrm. It's my AV program, dammit. Fixed. Abe Sapien: The Drowning\u00a0(Dark Horse) [collects #1-5] w. Mike\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blogathon"","block_context":{"text":"Blogathon","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/blogging\/blogathon"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/images\/stars4.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":15328,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2009\/07\/25\/bt09-c-is-for-complex-blogathon.html","url_meta":{"origin":4658,"position":5},"title":"BT09 – C is for Complex (#Blogathon)","author":"***Dave","date":"Sat 25-Jul-09 10:20am","format":false,"excerpt":"I really do read a lot of things by Warren Ellis. By the way, Doktor Sleepless, below, is one of the potential prizes that my sponsors can win. How about giving up some love for the animals? \u00a0 Crecy\u00a0(Apparat) w. Warren Ellis; a.\u00a0Raulo Caceres\u00a0 Writing New reader? 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