Please note that I will RETURN to podcasting in time. For the moment, I am writing individual posts reviewing recent purchases/watches/whatever. I'll be posting a few at a time, divided by subject. It should be set up so that everything viewable on this page is from the same day.
Following are a couple of reviews of some comic books I've recently purchased. Rating system is out of five-stars, with five being GREAT, and zero being worse than "The Chevy Chase Show."
Gotham Central
I had my doubts about this book. I bought it on a week where I think there was only one or two issues on the stands that caught my attention. A couple of the guys at the store recommended it, with one of the clerks telling me he was so confident in it that if I didn't like it, he'd buy it back. Didn't have anything to lose, so I picked it up.
It's a Batman book that isn't about Batman. It explores the inner-working of the Gotham City PD. There is a plot of one of the characters being "outed" to her coworkers as a lesbian that I felt was tact on and pandering. (I'm cool with it if someone wants to be gay, and I'm cool with a gay character in comics...but it just felt inorganic.) But otherwise, this was a shockingly good read, and I think I'd pick up another book if they choose to explore the world a little bit deeper. I like the concept of the cops trying to out-do Batman (which, let's be fair, in the age of Batman International, that shouldn't be too hard to do--I mean...I don't even RECOGNIZE the Batman series anymore, and I LOVE Batman...it's sad). I grew to care about the characters, and even found myself laughing along with them on their inside jokes. It was very well done.
Rating: ****
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FF
The aftermath of the Fantastic Four's loss of the Human Torch has produced the Future Foundation (FF). I haven't regularly been reading the Four, but I did pick up the "death" issue. The death of the Human Torch was really, really poorly done with it not even really looking like he was killed (the actual death happened out of frame and of course, there was no chance of recovering the body...so he'll be back in like a year or two). Still, I wanted to know what happened afterward, so I picked up FF #1.
Now... There are a BUNCH of characters I don't know. I don't understand what's going on. Spiderman is there for some reason (even though we're now leading up to the Death of Spiderman...but whatever, I guess). Doctor Doom has been invited to live on the compound. Things are confusing and apparently poorly organized with too many plot-lines crammed into a limited space... But I wasn't disappointed. It was pretty well written and DOES have possibilities, even though I felt like a comic outsider picking up a random issue, instead of a comic FAN picking up an issue-one.
All said, I'm going to give it another 3-5 issues...let it get through its first arc, and see how I like it. I might end up raving about how great it is. For now, it got my attention, and that's good enough.
Rating : ***
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Justice League: Generation Lost
Easily the best "League" title to come out in YEARS. There's a definite "Brightest Day" tie-in, but it's also built its own world. I really like this series. But the last two issues have been a little bit "fool-me-once"-ish. They have killed and resurrected the Blue Beetle (again) over the past few issues, and it just felt a little bit cheesy...but that does not diminish the series overall. It's a great read, and a great accompaniment to the "Brightest Day" arc, and I recommend that everyone pick this thing up in the trades. I really hope it keeps going on WAY past "Brightest Day" (don't know if there are plans for that or not).
Rating: ****1/2
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Darkwing Duck
DW has been one of the most entertaining reads on my list since it launched last year. It's funny. It's a cartoon-book for grown-ups, but would still play to kids. It's nostalgic for those of us who grew up watching that show (and Duck-Tales, for that matter), and it makes me laugh time and time again. Right now, DW is preparing to fight the conjured spirit of--are you ready?--Duck-thulhu! That's right! The Lovecraft Mythos is being honored in the pages of Disney. And I love it. (And so far, it's more appropriately and more honorably done than Alan Moore's "Neonomicon"--see a different post for that). Fun, silly, yet still engaging...one of my favorites on stands.
Rating: **** +1/2
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Caligula
From the same people that brought us "Neonomicon" we have a re-telling of the Caligula story. It's done as a true horror story. Caligula is an unstoppable, apparently immortal monster of a man, and his debauchery knows apparently no limits. It's a creepy, creepy read, but so far not horrifying. A little gory. A little gruesome. A little naked (though in a completely un-arousing way). All in all, I'm interested to see where it goes. I'm not totally engaged yet...but I might get there. This could be fun. Or it could be wholly disturbing and cringe inducing in both the good and bad way at the same time. Either way, I'm at least giving it another couple of issues. (I think it's a six-issue run, I'll know if I'm "in" by issue 3, I'm sure.)
Rating: So far, **1/2 as a series (because I'm being careful). But ***1/2 as an ISSUE.
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Sigil
It's one of those "This girl's in high school, but there's more to her than anyone knows, including herself!" things... I like it...but I think I'm more interested in the high-school story than I am in the mythological, fantasy part. There's only been one issue, and I DID like it...but it sort of feels like something that might've been better done as a trade/graphic novel. Still...good read, and I'm going to be picking up the next issue.
Rating: ***
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Morning Glories
The BEST thing on stands. Pretty much always tops my list every issue. The last issue left us knowing that Jun's twin brother is on campus, raising hell. There have been creepy murders. We're digging deeper into the characters, deeper into the surrounding mythology, and getting weirder and weirder. (And also, there was a NICE "LOST" reference in the last one!) No complaints about Glories. Pick up the trades, get caught up and start collecting. It's gold, gold, GOLD.
Rating: *****
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Scarlet
I like Scarlet a lot. It's about a girl who is shot by a dirty cop, who is out for something not wholly dissimilar to revenge...but rather than wanting classic "revenge" (which she DOES get), she wants to change the world...and she just might do it. It's a wonderful, engaging read...but I do have some issues with both the series and especially the most recent issue (#5).
The series just plain takes too damn long to come out. There's a two-month wait between issues. That's forever in comic-book terms. I don't know if anything can maintain much interest with that LONG a gap between issues...especially with issues like this last one. The last one was HORRIBLE. It was an "ending" to the story so-far...like the end of a chapter in a book, or the end of the first trade in the series... On that level it kind of worked... But after a TWO MONTH wait after issue four, then paying $3.95 for the issue, (whereas DC Comics is doing us all the favor of stopping their prices at $2.99) I expected a FULL issue. I didn't get that. I got about half an issue of story, then half an issue of letters and ads. Seriously. There are about 40 pages in the book 24 of those were the actual comic story! Several of THOSE were the lazy full-page frames that are used for dramatic purposes, but frankly take up a full page for what could have been done in one FRAME. Then the remaining pages were taken up with letters to/from the writer (mainly pimping his OTHER projects and not the book at hand) and ads.
That's just shit. I waited two months and paid double the price of a good DC issue for THAT. Not. Worth. It. that sucked so bad, I don't even know if I'm going to keep reading it...I don't want to get screwed every time I pick up an issue.
Rating: Series - ****; ISSUE #5 - *
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Captain America - 70th Anniversary
Friends of the Podcast know that Captain America is one of those things I never THOUGHT I'd read, but that I now love. The 70th Anniversary issue celebrates the history of the character, gives us a taste of some of what may be on the horizon, and in general provides a fun, different, wholly enjoyable read of several different stories, with a little something for everyone. (Personally, I found one of the stories really cheesy, but I actually think that was sort of the goal.) It was a fun look at the character through the eyes of multiple writers, and left me wanting to move ahead with the stories of both Bucky and Steve Rogers. Well done. Probably the best thing coming out of the "Big Two" (DC/Marvel) these days, and I can't wait to see what the next 70 years brings!
Rating: *****
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Fear Itself - Prologue
With the first issue of "Fear Itself" coming out tomorrow, I just re-read the prologue that came out a couple of weeks ago. It's great. I'm almost jittery with anticipation for the event. I decided to go into it blind and didn't even read what it was going to be about. At the end of the prologue, we find out that it is apparently less about Captain America as it is about Thor (and the other Gods?). I've always had a special place in my heart for Thor, even though I don't actively read the book. I'm looking forward to spending the summer immersed in some Norse mischief with this story. The prologue was a PERFECT lead-in to what looks like an EPIC story.
Rating: *****
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Flashpoint
This is DC's answer to the "Summer Story" that Marvel's doing with "Fear Itself." Now...this seems like it will be less interesting and less gripping that "Fear Itself," but frankly maybe it NEEDS to be. Some people don't like epic tales with winding back-stories. Some people like the Flash. (Of course, the Flash has his own back-story and is capable of maintaining the "epic" thing as well as anyone...but he's no Norse God.) From what little I've seen of Flashpoint so far, it looks like it could go anywhere. It looks like there are a bunch of story threads out there... In fact it looks a little muddy... But, hopefully, that's leading toward all of the strands coming together--though to the cynical eye it just looks like it might fall apart. I have high hopes for this story. I like the Flash, and I like fun reads just as much as I like epic ones. Plus, I TRUST DC and I like what they do to reward long-time readers...and I really like their prices ("Drawing the line at $2.99!"). So this has potential. And based on the prologue, it looks like that potential could be LOADS of fun.
Rating: **** -- with anticipation!
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