What Fires Leaves Us (BoM #14). A nice bookend to Summonings, a great character piece for Tim, Tim's Dad, and Gwen, and a great example of how a smallWhat Fires Leaves Us (BoM #14). A nice bookend to Summonings, a great character piece for Tim, Tim's Dad, and Gwen, and a great example of how a small act can create a large change [5/5].
Playgrounds (BoM #15-20). This is certainly the story where Rieber lets his imagination go wild. So we get a trip to hell, Sir Tim as a Dragon, purple dinosaur things, and much more. It's at alternative times weird, wacky, and bizarre. We get an interesting Tim and Molly plot, and some interesting Sir Tim resolution, and it's all around a fun story, though not as touching as some of its predecessors [4+/5]....more
Sacrifices (BoM #6-8). Rieber nicely combines the threat of the Cold Flame with Tim's home life and some very enjoyable characters. However, he reallySacrifices (BoM #6-8). Rieber nicely combines the threat of the Cold Flame with Tim's home life and some very enjoyable characters. However, he really shows his strength in characterization by demonstrating what Tim will and won't do. The result is wonderful. [5/5]
The Artificial Heart (BoM #9-11). This is the first Books of Magic arc that's a little disappointing. That might be because it's a bit overstuffed: Rieber simultaneously brings back Auberon and characters from The Children's Crusade (which is great continuity!). But the real problem is that (1) Slaggingham isn't very interesting; and (2) he's dealt with in a very inconclusive way. Still, there's great interactions between Tim and Molly and Marya that are extremely memorable, even if the conflict is dull [4/5].
Little Glass Worlds (BoM #12-13). Basically, the end of "The Artificial Heart", finishing off the stories of Auberon and Daniel (and [spoiler] finally getting Molly her ice cream). It's a bit better than its predecessor because it's tight, because it gives us insight into the character of Auberon, and because it ends on a rather startling reveal. Still, not as great as the more Tim-centric arcs that preceded it. [4/5]....more
The final volume of White Sand neatly closes up its plotlines while also demonstrating that the world goes on. However, even moreso than the first twoThe final volume of White Sand neatly closes up its plotlines while also demonstrating that the world goes on. However, even moreso than the first two volumes in this series, it's very obvious that this was a somewhat amateur writing attempt (which is obviously why Sanderson has never published it as a novel). Infodumps fill the book, suddenly revealing motives about characters; this then leads into resolutions, which are often too pat and too heavy-handed.
It's great to get this lost story of the Cosmere published, but in the end it's a somewhat mediocre bit of writing, not up to the strength of the rest....more
Bindings (BoM #1-4). Rieber takes faerie as his entry point to the Books of Magic series, and it's a great choice, because it was the strongest and moBindings (BoM #1-4). Rieber takes faerie as his entry point to the Books of Magic series, and it's a great choice, because it was the strongest and most coherent element of the original series. The questions about Tim's parentage are terrific, but so is his battle against the manticore. Altogether, a great intro to the series proper [5/5]....more
G. Willow Wilson's take on Wonder Woman is entirely OK. She really grabs at the classic mythology of Wonder Woman, bringing characters like Ares, AphrG. Willow Wilson's take on Wonder Woman is entirely OK. She really grabs at the classic mythology of Wonder Woman, bringing characters like Ares, Aphrodite, and Nemesis into the story: some classic and some newer. There's also a mystery involving the disappearance of Themyscira.
And that's all the problem too, which keeps this first volume from flying high. The main storyline, about Ares, really doesn't have much new to say about the character. Oh, he theoretically has a whole new viewpoint, but he's still the same arrogant ass. And Themyscira disappearing seems like something that happens every few months. Even the plotline of the gods scattered across the world seems like we've seen it before (and we have, whether it was Amazons in Wonder Woman or gods in Thor).
So there's a lot same 'ole same 'ole here, and thus far, not anything to really grab our attention....more
What do you do after the horrific character assassination of Wally West in Heroes in Crisis? Apparently, you have Scott Lobdell write a story trying tWhat do you do after the horrific character assassination of Wally West in Heroes in Crisis? Apparently, you have Scott Lobdell write a story trying to redeem him.
I'll admit, I wasn't really optimistic about a book by mediocre Lobdell, but this is OK. Not good, not great, which means it was about what I expected from Lobdell.
There are several issues of Wally bobbing around Multiversal worlds, fighting dark shadows. We see some fun alternative versions of DC heroes, but that's really all that's of interest.
And does Lobdell redeem Wally? Yes and no. He resolves some of the worst problems of Wally's appearance post-Flashpoint, but simultaneously leaves all of the horribleness of Heroes in Crisis in place, and then takes Wally off the playing field. Sigh....more
This is very much a continuation of Aaron's Avengers, which means that we get a little characterization + a lot of spectacle.
Actually, more than charaThis is very much a continuation of Aaron's Avengers, which means that we get a little characterization + a lot of spectacle.
Actually, more than characterization this time, we get history: a history of the origins of the Star Brand on Earth, which also reveals its first two holders. It's a great single-issue story that, of course, dovetails into the Avengers 1 Million BC.
The spectacle is a story of the Avengers going into space, and unlike some of Aaron's other spectacles, he actually makes it interesting, in part due to an en media res entry, and in part due to the fact that it's so over-the-top that you can't help but enjoy it (which I suspect is what he's mostly going for: he's just not always getting there).
So, overall, this is a fun volume. Aaron's Avengers is never going to be deep (with the exception of the 1MBC backstory), but this is clearly what it aspires to....more
Riri continues to be a great character, but this volume is in all honesty a bit of a mess.
First, Ewing sabotages the prior setup for Riri, working outRiri continues to be a great character, but this volume is in all honesty a bit of a mess.
First, Ewing sabotages the prior setup for Riri, working out of a lab at MIT. Meanwhile, she also can't settle on what type of comic she's writing. It starts out being a local, hometown super comic, then becomes a Champions teamup, then becomes Team Wakanda. There are theoretical connections between these stories, but some of them (like the super-powerful magic cult using kids to pick pockets) never make a lot of sense.
But really, the worst problem is that the comic just doesn't maintain my interest. There are new supporting characters that never really become enthralling, and a lot of plots that just seem like monster-of-the-week. That only changes with the last issue or two, which start delving into something more interesting ... and then it's over....more
When you have four different authors collaborate on a crossover miniseries, you likely get a bit of a mess. Which this is.
On the bright side, when HicWhen you have four different authors collaborate on a crossover miniseries, you likely get a bit of a mess. Which this is.
On the bright side, when Hickman writes, it's great. That's especially true in the final issue, which makes up for some of the problems in the rest of the series. Also, we get a focus on the Scarlet Witch, who has been mostly ignored since the Dawn of X (because maybe she isn't a mutant any more? Who knows.)
On the crappy side, most of this story is pretty dull fighting, and it seems to all have been premised around the idea of having plants fight zombies. YOU KNOW. LIKE THE VIDEO GUY. HEHEHEHE. Yep, it's exactly that not funny....more
The latest Rivers of London comic is a mash-up of street racing and the fey.
The street-racing aspect of the comic is beautifully illustrated, but otheThe latest Rivers of London comic is a mash-up of street racing and the fey.
The street-racing aspect of the comic is beautifully illustrated, but otherwise dull, which is a shame because it takes up an entire issue (#2) and then some.
The fey aspect is a neat extension of the series' world, but it gets pretty shallow attention here.
Overall, one of the less-important books in the series: a quick and forgettable read....more
This comes dangerously close to not being the Legion, which is really the worst thing you can say.
THE GOOD:
Bendis does a good job of making his storyThis comes dangerously close to not being the Legion, which is really the worst thing you can say.
THE GOOD:
Bendis does a good job of making his storytelling feel modern, both in its dialogue and style, something the Legion can only benefit from.
Bendis also edges around the idea of teenage rebellion, always a good topic for the Legion.
(Of course, both of these things were done 15 years ago by Mark Waid in the threeboot, so that makes them a little less notable.)
THE BAD:
The Legion is close to unrecognizable. I'm not talking about the decision to change the race and sex of various characters. But the characters themselves are unrecognizable too. I mean, the Jo Nah in this comic is nothing like any of the previous Jo Nahs with his soft, emotive ways. Why even bother to pretend he's the same character? And you have a universe rich with adversaries and you make up some one-note monstrous race?
It has none of the depth of the classic Legion. This is just bone-headed fighting and racing about. No characterization. No subplots.
It's yet another *)(#$@ed reboot. I mean, there are certainly things I've liked about every incarnation of the Legion, but it's gotten _@)#$@ing old. Stick with a set of characters and a universe. Explore them. Build them. That's the power of serialized entertainment, and I'm sick to death of seeing DC piss it away, perhaps nowhere worse than in their Legion comics.
ALSO:
What was the point of that Millennium comic? It showed a bunch of DC futures, supposedly strung together in a chronology, but with no attempt to explain how you got from one unlikely state to the next, and it focused on a characters who is barely even a background character in the main comic.
And why in the world is the big intro to the comic an unintelligible four-page bit in a Superman comic? (Fortunately, I'd previously read it.) I mean muxh of the problem is DC's collections department not knowing how to put together a coherent collection, but the other part is DC's decision to not have LoSH #1 actually start its own storyline.
It's good to have one of Steve Gerber's final books finally available in its complete form, even if it took 15 years.
This is pretty much Oz the comicIt's good to have one of Steve Gerber's final books finally available in its complete form, even if it took 15 years.
This is pretty much Oz the comic, with two big twists. First, our protagonist is a teenager found guilty for his participation in a Columbine-style shooting (in which he did none of the shooting). Second, he also has the psychic power to send forth his spirit.
The book manages the balances between those different elements quite well. it's a great character piece, an intriguing prison drama, and a weird new-age story. It was unlike almost anything being produced in 2004-2006, before the rise of the new Image, and it remains a strong book today, even if it might have less of an overall arc that similar crime books like 100 Bullets.
The second "season" (issues #13-19 in this collection) is weaker than the first, primarily because it discards most of its original characters, and their replacements are never as enthralling. The last issue, which had to rather suddenly wrap up the series (after DC reneged on the issue 12-issue contract for Season Two) comes off surprisingly well: it's a good finale for the series.
A minor masterpiece from master creator Steve Gerber (and Mary Skrenes, who did all of the later writing after Gerber sickened)....more
Hey, it's the new Mutant bad-boy book, much better than the old Mutant bad-boy book (the equally purple Fallen Angels, Vol. 1). This time around, our Hey, it's the new Mutant bad-boy book, much better than the old Mutant bad-boy book (the equally purple Fallen Angels, Vol. 1). This time around, our characters are positively villainous, and they're interacting with one of the darkest sides of the Marvel mutant universe: Mr. Sinister and his various clones. (As that suggests: there's great attention to continuity here too.)
The first two issues of this volume are great. We get beautiful insights into the various members of the team, with Scalphunter of the Marauders (of all people!) really getting some standout characterization. Unfortunately, that all descends into two issues of overly extended fighting, which drag things down a bit. Still, I love the questions raised about clones and their place in the new Mutant-resurrection civilization.
Overall, this is a hopeful start, much better than the misfire that it replaces. I hope to see more of the characterization of the first two issues than the fighting of the last two. ...more
Duggan's Marauders continues to be great. In fact, if you want to measure by quality of storytelling, instead of pure ideas, it's edging into becomingDuggan's Marauders continues to be great. In fact, if you want to measure by quality of storytelling, instead of pure ideas, it's edging into becoming the best X-Men book as we move through this second set of releases.
And that's with V2 suffering a huge disadvantage: the lack of Kitty Pryde. But Duggan makes us really enjoy the other characters too, especially Emma, but really everyone, even Pyro, who gets to shine in issue #9 or so.
Everything really comes together in the last few issues, which are most excellent....more
Well, I said that Percy's previous work was uneven, and this seems to be headed in that direction. The first volume was much more cohesive, while thisWell, I said that Percy's previous work was uneven, and this seems to be headed in that direction. The first volume was much more cohesive, while this one is scattered. It barely even feels like a team, alternatively focusing on Domino, Colossus, and a few other members, who only occasionally come together. And the story is likewise fractured, jumping from Xeno to Russia to that plant country. Maybe it'll all read better as a complete whole? The first volume was certainly a good start....more
DC through the '80s: The End of Eras Vol. 1 is a delightful snapshot of DC in the early '80s, especially focused on how it was different from what we DC through the '80s: The End of Eras Vol. 1 is a delightful snapshot of DC in the early '80s, especially focused on how it was different from what we have now. This collection of stories includes some that are mediocre, and some that are great, but trends toward the good side of things, and also offers a great overview of the time.
"Smell of Brimstone, Stench of Death" (B&B #200). The final issue of The Brave & The Bold is a pseudo-teamup between the Batmen of Earths 1 and 2. Pseudo in that it's the same villain, making appearances in (brand-new) Golden Age and Bronze Age stories. Mike Barr does a good job of contrasting the two eras, having a silly riddle-y story for the Golden Age and a darker, more serious one for the Bronze Age. It's pretty neat having Barr create a believable new Golden Age villain, and the Earth-1 and -2 crossovers were always fun, but ultimately the stories are relatively shallow because of their foundational conceits [3/5].
"Gremlins" (WW #311-312). I'm not quite sure why these comics were chosen, except maybe to show that the late Bronze Age was just as silly as the Silver Age, but perhaps with the silliness given a bit of a realistic basis. Here we get gremlins, but they turn out to be a slave alien race trying to escape Earth. The most charming thing is probably Steve and Diana working together as equals; the least charming thing is Steve refusing to know who Diana really is, lest he respect her less. [2+/5]
"The Man Who Was Cursed to the Bone" (Flash #296). Although this story has lots of Bronze-age silliness, such as Flash being forced to spin into the Earth, it's also got a great twist of villains who aren't [3/5].
Multiplex (Flash #297-298). I've always though the early Firestorm stories were quite innovative for the time, and this short two-parter does nothing to disabuse me of the notion. It's basically DC doing Marvel, and creating a whole new rogue's gallery at the same time. This Multiplex short is thus a lot of fun [3+/5].
"Once Upon a Time ..." (Batman #500). A two-page story that's a poem, or something. Maybe it's supposed to be ironic. I don't even really know what I read, but hey, it was just two pages [2/5].
"Crisis on Three Earths" (DC Comics Presents Annual #1). Ah, this is a classic Bronze Age story, well-told. The Luthors of Earth-1 and Earth-2 switch off to try and defeat the other Supermen, then everyone goes to Earth-3 where the first hero shows up: Luthor. A fun story, with fun usage of the pre-Crisis universe [4/5].
Horror Stories (HoM #286, 294, 295, 300, 308). At their best, DC's horror anthology shorts were little Twilgiht Zone episodes, told in graphical form. That's basically what we have here, made all the more delightful by the variety of genres, including science-fiction, historical horror, and of course modern-day stories [4/5].
"I ... Vampire" (HoM #290). The idea of a continuing House of Mystery series was a good one, and "I ... Vampire" had some good characters and a strong premise. With that said, this first issue is so focused on setting everything up that it's not a particular good story [3/5].
War Stories (Sgt. Rock #345, 347, 368, 387, GI Combat #288, Weird War Tales #93). The strength of DC's war comics was that they had very human characters and human emotions, and that's the case of these stories, with "30 Years of Dogtags" perhaps being the best. It's also interesting again to see the breadth, with the WWII tales supplemented by Civil War tales and Revolutionary tales, and of course the supernatural brethren: the Haunted Tank and the Creature Commandos (though I think those are the weakest of the set, the first because it's quite muddy, the second because it's a shallow setup). [4/5].
"War" (Warlord #42). This is one of those comics that makes you want to read the series. It's deep in the story of Warlord, but that story is enthralling enough that you're willing to dive right in. There's heavy captioning here, but it's put to great use, and the Mike Grell art is terrific too. I'd love to read more. (The problem is that to date very little of it has been collected, and most of what has been was in a crappy black & white book.) [5/5]
SF Stories (Time Warp #2-3). I'd always been curious about this book, DC's last stab at a science-fiction anthology. It's got more Twilight Zone-ish stories, but with a futuristic focus. They're not as good as the Horror stories collected here, but maybe that's because editor Paul Levitz had slimmer pickings, since Time Warp lasted just 5 issues. [3/5].
Against the Parrot (Jonah Hex #54-55). Like Warlord, this is a wordy genre comic, but it didn't hold my attention as much. It's got some of the same good elements as DC's war comics, but at much more length. [3+/5]
"Warhead Strikes at Gotham" (Super Friends #36). Plastic Man tries to catch a villain with a head shaped like a bomb, but the Super Friends keep messing it up. Haha! I never liked this TV tie-in comic in the '80s because it was decidedly juvenile, and that's still the case [2/5].
"The Death of Blackhawk Island! (Blackhawk #258). A pretty serious comic about the development of atomic technology, well told with some emotional resonance [4+/5].
"The 'too Many Cooks ...' Caper!" (Detective Comics #500). A fun team-up of many of the also-ran detectives from Detective Comics, with a pretty neat mystery too [4/5].
Superman Comic Strip. Even in their limited, constrained form in the '80s, serialized comic strips could be fun. This Superman strip is well-done, especially with its focus on characters other than Superman (here: Jimmy Olsen). [4/5].
"Fate is the Killer" (Masters of the Universe preview). DC did a good job here of taking kids' action figures and giving the characters depth. This was a strong intro to the whole universe [4/5].
"Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?" (Superman #423, Action Comics #583). A generation later, Alan Moore's era-ending story of Superman is still a great read, and today it gets bonus points for its revelation of Bronze-age villains now long gone [5/5]. ...more
Hickman has done great with one-off and two-issue stories about a wide variety of mutants in the main X-Men comic, so I naturally assumed this would bHickman has done great with one-off and two-issue stories about a wide variety of mutants in the main X-Men comic, so I naturally assumed this would be more of the same, but with more space.
Unfortunately, not so much.
At best, Giant-Size X-Men is a place to give some artists a chance to shine, and at worst it's a cash grab. In either case, these stories are mainly mediocre and skippable, which is pretty shocking given they have Hickman's name all over them.
Jean Gray & Emma Frost. Seriously? Morrison already did the "'nuff said" psychic journey thing, and much better. Hickman relies much more on words and reveals much less in a tale that ends up telling us not much about Jean or Emma [2+/5].
Nightcrawler. A nice reminder of the Mansion, and a good return of a critter from the '80s, but this another very shallow story that doesn't highlight its protagonist. I suspect that's going to be the story throughout [3/5].
Magneto. This is a delightful little adventure between Namor and Erik and a fun bit of plot development from Emma, but there's as usual very little story [3/5].
Fantomex. Oh my gosh, a Giant-Size one-off that's actually about these the character in question. Yes, it's repetitive, and it leans on the art, just like the rest of these books. And, I'm not entirely sure I can square it with previous visions of The World (though I gotta trust Hickman here, he's great with continuity). Mind you, this is just a middle-part of a story, but it's better than anything else so far in this volume [4/5].
Storm. A Plot-ty ending to the story begun in Jean Gray & Emma Frost and Fantomex. It's entirely pragmatic and by the end feels entirely skippable [2+/5]...more
It's interesting that Hickman continues to use the core X-Men book to tell very scattered short tales, but on the other hand it's delightful to see hiIt's interesting that Hickman continues to use the core X-Men book to tell very scattered short tales, but on the other hand it's delightful to see him focus on members of the very large cast that are usually neglected.
The best of this volume is "Lifedeath" (#7), which focuses on the Guthrie clan, the Summers clan, and the resurrection protocol. Every part of that is terrific, but especially the repercussions of the protocol. The other great issue is "Fire" (#10), because it gives some of the best attention ever to Vulcan, and even connects things up to his last appearance in the War of Kings. (We also get what I suspect will be the best crossover between the lack-luster Empyre and the well-lustred X-Men.)
The other issues are all fine. The two-issue Brood storyline has some nice background. The final Empyre story really pays some attention to whom the X-Men are in bed with.
Hickman is doing a great job of really examining this weird, wonderful new state of the X-Men....more
White Sands continues on much like the first volume, although this one feels a bit repetitive. Kenton goes to various Lords who don't really want to sWhite Sands continues on much like the first volume, although this one feels a bit repetitive. Kenton goes to various Lords who don't really want to support him, then gets attacked by assassins. Rinse, later, repeat.
The volume is at its best when it looks at the needs and secrets of a variety of characters, though that work is definitely in the minority.
The magic in this volume undergoes the highest level of Sandersonian scrutiny, as various characters try to investigate how it truly works. Not sure I love that, though making rational magic systems is definitely Sanderson's Modus operandi.
Overall, a fair volume, just like the one before it, but very much a middle volume.
Unfortunately, something very bad happens with the art in this volume. The sixth and final chapter is by a new artist, who is a rather shocking departure. Our dark, moody art is suddenly replaced by very cartoonish art that isn't just a too-big change, but also is not that great, with character expressions being really overwrought. Sigh: it's a grave disappointment....more
This volume has two perfect issues: "Love" parts 1 and 2 reveal what's going on with Daniel, but do so very artfully by telling stories about revisitiThis volume has two perfect issues: "Love" parts 1 and 2 reveal what's going on with Daniel, but do so very artfully by telling stories about revisiting old friends. They're a perfect continuation of Sandman.
The rest of the volume is perfectly OK, but like the volume that came before. The denizens of the Dreaming MacGuffin quest while forces move against them, and it all occurs pretty slowly. It's an enjoyable read, but sadly not up to the quality that Spurrier reveals in those two perfect issues....more
I am shocked by how little I cared about a Jeff Lemire Question comic.
I mean kudos for really replicating the feel of the O'Neil series, by returning I am shocked by how little I cared about a Jeff Lemire Question comic.
I mean kudos for really replicating the feel of the O'Neil series, by returning to characters, locales, and themes.
But.
The whole theme of good and evil was as subtle as a brick in the face, particularly in the fairly horrible Old West issue, which was just ruined by its captioning.
The whole idea of The Question being reincarnated, maybe, might have been interesting if it weren't totally apart from anything ever written about The Question before. And Lemire's storytelling is so muddy that he never really commits to it anyway.
In fact, I'm really not sure what he committed to, because so much of the story is a muddy mess. Yes, yes, that's clearly some of the point, given the final dialogues in the story. But Lemire doesn't tell the whole unreliable-narrator story in a way that actually leaves you with a very fulfilling story.
I think this comic also came up short because it was being released at the same time as Greg Rucka's Lois Lane: Enemy of the People, which also focused on the Question, but in a way that respected his continuity and tried to rebuild it after the disaster that was the Nu52. This instead just throws a whole bunch of new stuff at the wall while ignoring questions from Lois Lane like Vic's death pre-Flashpoint.
Also, really, did you have to make the comic an annoying shape just to prove how cool you were?...more
A delightful short story by Lemire. It's about kids and AIs, about families both genetic and chosen. It's about doing the right thing. This is a lovelA delightful short story by Lemire. It's about kids and AIs, about families both genetic and chosen. It's about doing the right thing. This is a lovely, emotional piece, particular the first few issues and the last. It raises questions about what's right and what's not, about who's good and who's not.
Being the lover I am of serialized storytelling, I wish this were set in the Descender universe; a lot of the major tropes line up. But even absent that, it's well worth sitting right next to that masterpiece....more
Zdarsky's Daredevil continues to be the best since the Bendis/Brubaker era. In fact, this feels like a very natural continuation, modulo the awful decZdarsky's Daredevil continues to be the best since the Bendis/Brubaker era. In fact, this feels like a very natural continuation, modulo the awful decision about Matt's secret identity that occurred thanks to Charles Soule (and which Zdarsky has to follow).
This volume is an amazing character study of both Matt and his arch-nemesis Wilson Fisk. We get to see how both are built up or dragged down. That's the heart of this volume. It's laid out against a background of a gang war, and though it's the Nth gang war to happen in Marvel's New York, Zdarsky makes it interesting by turning one of the factions into a set of real characters who are intersecting with Matt's life.
Overall, an amazing volume, for its story, for its characters, for its art, for its covers, and for its respect for continuity. Everything you want in a comic....more
Though I'm thrilled to have this era of Swamp Thing v2 is an attractive omnibus, I must admit that I've always considered it the nadir of v2, and thatThough I'm thrilled to have this era of Swamp Thing v2 is an attractive omnibus, I must admit that I've always considered it the nadir of v2, and that has not changed on a reread.
The biggest problem is that Collins didn't want to write about Moore's Swamp Thing. Certainly, the Veitch and Wheeler eras that bridged between Moore and Collins might not have been as technically strong (though I can't entirely say for sure, as I haven't read them in many years), but they at least followed on from Moore's ideas and continued to expand his story. Veitch reused Constantine to good effect and oversaw the birth of Tefé, then homaged Moore's journey through space with a journey through time, then Wheeler introduced the Grey to the mythology (if I remember correctly who did what).
Collins, instead returned to stories that might have been appropriate in Swamp Thing v1. Oh, she admits the existence of Tefé and the Green and the Parliament of Trees, but she's more interesting in writing about a ghost pirate and a ghost jazz player and no less than three different purple monsters that Swampy must fight.
I also am not entirely convinced that Collins' technical skills are great, especially at the start of the run. A lot of her stories are somehow glacially slow, despite the fact that they're mostly single issue one and dones. There's also some really heavy-handed characterization of the ST-Abby relationship near the end, where Swamp Thing makes a promise that he'd never make, and then Abby reacts in a way that she never would to it being broken, just so that Collins can move the storyline in the direction she wants.
The last half-year or so is a big improvement, as Arcane and Sunderland are both used to good effect and offer some nice continuity. Collins finally accepts that she needs to tell longer stories too. But the first three quarters of this volume were and are a drag.
PS: great art, especially the covers, handsome collection, apparently good binding (which would be a first for DC), and I'd agree with other reviewers that the Louisiana setting is strong, but this wasn't the right story for the Swamp Thing at the time it was written....more
Peter David's second Omnibus starts off as a bit of a meander, but with issue #377, we get to the second big arc of David's time on the Hulk, as BrucePeter David's second Omnibus starts off as a bit of a meander, but with issue #377, we get to the second big arc of David's time on the Hulk, as Bruce gets psychoanalyzed into reintegrating his personalities, resulting in the smart green Hulk.
The whole idea of Banner being psychologically damaged was entirely new in the early '90s, and issue #377 was the strong culmination of that plotline, something that might not be as obvious from a generation later.
As for the new status quo: it's great, not just because we get a smart Hulk, but also because we get the introduction of the Pantheon, a fun group of mythically themed characters operating in semi-secret doing semi-black-ops stuff. It's a good new direction for the Hulk, and as unique of a direction as when he was a legbreaker in Vegas.
In the last half year (issues #395-400), the Hulk even returns to greatness. We get a great two-issue return to Vegas, and a great four-issue return of the Leader, allowing one of the Hulk's greatest foes to also bring this second volume to an end, as if he were ticking off each of the arcs in David's time. There's so much going on in this second Leader storyline that it's impossible to comment on it all, except that it's David at his best....more
The main arc is yet-another Future-Marvel-Reality. Cates goes pretty over the top with King Thanos and Dark Surfer, but the memorable heart of the stoThe main arc is yet-another Future-Marvel-Reality. Cates goes pretty over the top with King Thanos and Dark Surfer, but the memorable heart of the story is Cosmic Ghost Rider. He's a lot more nuanced (and funny) than in his later appearances, which makes him fun here (as opposed to just maniacally destructive). As for the rest of the story: it's OK, but Cates doesn't give us a lot of reason to care about the future, and then it's just over.
The volume ends with an annual which reads like The House of Mystery starring Thanos. It's actually got some delightful short stories in it....more
i am shocked by how little I cared about this Marvel crossover.
Alien race invades the Earth? This could have been Avengers: Infinity War, but without i am shocked by how little I cared about this Marvel crossover.
Alien race invades the Earth? This could have been Avengers: Infinity War, but without the humor and the characterization. It could have been the first volume of The Ultimates, but without the satire. It could have been any number of stories that have already been told.
Oh, there was an attempt to tie it into deep Avengers lore, from the original Kree-Skrull War to the ongoing story of the Young Avengers, but there was very little depth to that – just too much fighting, half of which ended up having major beats happen off-stage.
Ever so briefly, François Froideval was Gary Gygax's right-hand-man. He could have been a great silver age author at TSR, except he ended up orphaned Ever so briefly, François Froideval was Gary Gygax's right-hand-man. He could have been a great silver age author at TSR, except he ended up orphaned when Gygax went west: Froideval's Oriental Adventures ended up written by Zeb Cook instead, and his additions to Greyhawk, maybe on a continent to the east, maybe to the west, never appeared.
Jump to 1989. Froideval has been back in France for a few years, translating TSR games, but he's now left the company entirely. One of his first independent endeavors was a fantasy comic that he would write through 2008: The Black Moon Chronicles. This is the first volume.
And here's the roleplaying secret: this could be set in Greyhawk. The prime piece of evidence is a map of Greyhawk's continent of Oerik from Dragon Annual #1, which featured an Empire of Lynn, cousin to the Empire of Lhynn in this comic. Mind you, it's probably just a name drop, like the Blackmoor found in Greyhawk, but if you prefer you can consider this a secret Greyhawk comic.
As for the comic: it feels very much a piece with some of the cartoons in White Dwarf at the time. There's rough and ugly artwork (in its depiction of characters; the art is still attractive), there's brutish, dumb, and/or evil characters. There's a world at war. This first volume is a little too small to be notable, but it introduces some interesting characters and some large-scale events, and makes you wonder what's coming next....more
Sacred Vows (425-426). This story wrongfoots it almost immediately, as Alex prepares to dump Lorna because he's been dreaming about Annie. It's soap-oSacred Vows (425-426). This story wrongfoots it almost immediately, as Alex prepares to dump Lorna because he's been dreaming about Annie. It's soap-opera BS. Until Austen offers an explanation for it all. That answers the wrong-footing, but doesn't do away with it. Lorna going absolutely crazy, meanwhile, is really in character [3/5].
The Dead Have No Rights (427). Austen couldn't be more transparent in his correlation between mutants and gays in this story of religious bigotry. And then the big "twist" at the end? Ugh. [2+/5]
Exiles (28-30). The resolution of the evil-Alex plot, though that just means evil Alex tries to kill everyone; and a return to the Lobo plot, though that just means the Lobo try and kill everyone and continue to push their theory that they are super-wolf mutants or something. A fighting mess. [2+/5]
The Draco (428-434). This is a hard story to assess, because it's such a mix of the good and bad. The backstory on Mystique in the prologue, showing her manipulated before she was the manipulator: that's great. The acknowledgement that Kurt is her son: also great. And the "B" story bringing some resolution to the Juggernaut/Sammy plot is strong too. But the whole Kurt/Azazel plot is deeply problematic. The worst part is that this is where Austen really doubles-down on his idea of "mutated" species, such as the angel mutants, the demonic mutants, and the feral mutants. Bleh. Everyone else has pretty much rightfully ignored this. But Azazel isn't actually a demon here, no matter what later writers have said. He's an ancient mutant who apparently led to the stories of the devil in the bible. That could have been good. But mired with all the other luggage of Austen's bad take on mutants, it's instead forgettable [2+/5].
The Trial of the Juggernaut (435-436). The rehabilitation of the Juggernaut was always Austen's best plot. This one takes some crazy turns (like shacking up with She-Hulk and fighting a 10-year-old Juggernaut), but otherwise gives some nice conclusion to this plot [3/5].
Animals (XMU #40). A nice sequel to Mystique's origin story in "The Draco". Yeah, Austen doesn't do nuance, but this is a good intro to Mystique and Sabretooth and their journey to the New World. [4/5]
Control (XMU #48). Mystique as SHIELD spy [3/5]....more
This feels like an intent to reinvent Identity Crisis: a kind of shocking, dark story that would get people talking, even if some portion of the audieThis feels like an intent to reinvent Identity Crisis: a kind of shocking, dark story that would get people talking, even if some portion of the audience hated it. I don't know how it went so terribly wrong: though Identity Crisis was controversial, Heroes in Crisis is just bad. Despite being written by one of comic's top talents.
The main problem is that it's decompressed within an inch of its life. There's at best two issues worth of plot here, strung out over eight issues. Most of the comic is then talking heads: various heroes (and a few villains) giving endless monologues to the camera. It gets old really quickly, then it gets ancient, then it goes on and on. The "investigation" is a joke: we're eventually just told an answer.
Then there's the central plot of a certain character losing control of his power (in a way totally unsupported by 65 years of comics), then going murder-suicidal afterward (in a way that's totally unsupported by this particular story, and that honestly doesn't make very much sense).
Then there's the sacrifice of all kinds of characters for no particular reason, in a way that's a pretty disgusting murder fest.
It feels like King came in with a clever idea, about how to characterize someone traumatized by the horrifically unknown state of DC continuity. And then fell, hit his head, and let this storyline bleed onto the paper. After finishing it, I feel like I need to go to Sanctuary.
(So glad I finally opted to read this on Hoopla rather than purchase this travesty, which would likely have gotten thrown in the trash afterward.)...more
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