Reviews of Comics from Wednesday 1/16 Part 1

I have had weeks where I've struggled to get three to five comics to review on here, but this past week there were so many good comics I actually am going to divide the reviews over two days. So check out today and stay tuned for more reviews tomorrow.

Archer & Armstrong #6
Story: Fred Van Lente
Art: Emanuela Lupacchino

In the original Valiant days, my favorite title/character was the Eternal Warrior, so I was glad to see him back in the title of his brother, the warrior/poet Armstrong, and the story has been as well paced and fun as this title has proven to be in its six issue run. Last issue established the conflict between the brothers (and Armstrong's companion, the naive young assassin Archer) and the character of the Gilad, the Eternal Warrior. This issue spends little time with our protagonists, but instead focuses on Kay McHenry, the spokeswoman for Zorn Capital. Kay is having a problem: the dying houseplant in her office is talking to her. It's not hard to figure out from there that Kay is the new Geomancer, the voice of the Earth that our heroes are searching for. Over the course of just one issue, Van Lente gives the reader a good view inside Kay's head, making her a sympathetic and interesting character. Van Lente ties Kay's origin in with The 99%, a group of villains established in the first arc, and The Null, a new faction of The Sect. With her life in danger, Archer, Armstrong, and the Eternal Warrior come on the scene, but Kay saves herself, showing our first glimpse of the power of a Geomancer. Van Lente doesn't slow down in this issue, packing a ton of great story and character in it. I like that it seems Kay has accepted her mantle of Geomancer without a lot of hemming and hawing, but instead embraces it, although we'll have to see how that works out next issue when she's out of mortal peril. And if none of that has convinced you to check this issue out, how about this: Monkey dressed as Mother Nature. Resist that.

Batgirl#16
Story: Gail Simone
Art: Ed Benes & Daniel Sampere

What could have been Gail Simone's final issue of Batgirl instead simply becomes the final issue of the series crossing over into "Death of the Family"  and would have been a great issue one way or the other. Joker has brought Batgirl to a church so he can marry her, and take her off the chessboard of Gotham so she is no longer a hindrance to Batman. And he is holding her mother hostage to insure her cooperation. But a factor Joker had hot planned for comes into play: James Gordon Jr., Batgirl's psychopathic little brother. James comes in telling Batgirl he has saved their mother, and allowing Batgirl to move against the Joker and her men. The opening scene of the issue is a flashback to a Barbara shortly after she was shot and crippled by the Joker, and we see her recurring dream of killing the fiend, and throughout the issue she comes close to embracing this homicidal urge. Simone has a wonderful handle on Batgirl, giving her so many layers, and more rage than she has ever been presented with. I don't want to say anything about the end of the issue, about the final confrontation between James Jr. and the Joker, because I have to say I can see James becoming the next Joker, a character without remorse and with a gamesman's mind. When James Jr. was reinvented by Scott Snyder, I wasn't sure if any other writer could handle him just right. I'm happy to say Simone hits all the right notes to make him a character who is equally as creepy as the Joker.

Batman #16
Story: Scott Snyder/ Scott Snyder & James Tynion IV
Art: Greg Capullo/ Jock

The end game begins here. Everything Scott Snyder has been building to in "Death of the Family" starts to play out as Batman enters Arkham Asylum to confront the Joker on turf both of them seem to view as a place where they have an advantage. The issue is a tense trip through Arkham, with Batman's narration adding to the tension. He address himself as Bruce the whole time, speaking to himself in the third person. He seems more worried than he ever has, moving through the Asylum, working his way through the Joker's traps, and using everything he has to keep edging forward. He uses his brain to save Arkham guards Joker has had dancing non-stop for days and he uses his brawn to defeat a legion of armed maniacs. Joker has Dollmaker imprint images on the skin of a group of tied up men, showing scenes from Batman and Joker's history in a creepy living tapestry. After facing down some of Arkahm's more famous rogues, in the end, Joker is waiting in a room. Within that room, Joker waits with three of Batman's other greatest rogues, Penguin, Riddler, and Two-Face, and although Batman seems to be able to stop Joker from killing his victims, Joker has one final scheme. He shows Batman his family, all waiting for Joker to kill, and this proves Joker right: the allies and family Batman has made make him weak, make him susceptible to Joker's scheme. In the end  save his allies, and seems to be dead, although we all know there's more to come from that. Still, the final moment sends shivers up my spine. The back-up this month mainly features Joker dealing with the one rogue in his court not spotlighted yet: Two-Face. When Two-Face wants Batman just killed after the final scene of the main story, Joker stands him down. He addresses Two-Face as Harvey, showing contempt for Two-Face. He points out to Two-Face that his coin, his view of justice, is pointless, which he views as perfect for Gotham. Joker leaves even the greatest rogues behind, and is left alone with Batman holding the mysterious covered dish that he holds on the last page of each of these final "Death of the Family" tie-ins. With one part to go, the stakes have never been higher, and I have never been more excited.

Batman and Robin #16
Story: Peter J. Tomasi
Art: Pat Gleason

Damian is a character who has been evolving and growing since he was first introduced. This issue seems to be a turning point for the young Robin. Facing down a man who he believes is Batman, controlled by a psychotropic Joker venom to kill him, Damian does his best to not kill his father. The verbal abuse and taunting from the Joker continues, trying to convince Damian to cross the line. Damian leads "Batman" on a merry chase through the Gotham Zoo on another of Joker's little merry chases. In the end, when Joker tells Damian it is either Damian's life or Batman's, Damian is willing to sacrifice himself. Joker is disappointed, naturally, and a little surprised. And while Damian does let his temper slip when he faces down Joker, he still is acting more controlled, and has come to understand self-sacrifice. While the story is impressive, what really blew me away with this issue, as with the last, was the art from pat Gleason. His Joker is equally as creepy as those from Greg Capullo and Jock, but his use of the flies that surround Joker's rotting face is extra disturbing. His Joker is bizarrely gangly, moving like a marionette on strings controlled by a mad puppeteer. And the look on Damian's face as he thinks Batman has died is heartbreaking. To be able to do that with a character who is wearing a mask and has no visible eyes shows a mastery of his craft. Tomasi and Gleason are a team that have worked together for some time, and at this point they are one of those teams whose work blends together to form a whole even stronger than the sum of their parts.

The Black Beetle: No Way Out #1
Story & Art: Francesco Francavilla

In my recommended reading for Dark Horse Presents I talked about the serial I was most excited about, The Black Beetle: Night Shift, and how I was looking forward to the mini-series featuring Francesco Francavilla's pulp inspired crimebuster. And now that the first issue has come out, I can say that anticipation was well deserved. What seems to be a simple mob meet up turns into something more when the location blows up, killing all inside and nearly taking Black Beetle with them. As Beetle digs into the explosion and who might be behind it, he finds the killer, although who (or what) he is remains a mystery. The beauty of the pulps and stories inspired by them is that they are seemingly simple formula stories that are made distinct by atmosphere and style. Francavilla's use of page layout is jawdropping. The double page spreads flow beautifully. The setting is lovingly researched, with all the touches and the characters looking perfectly 30s. I like the fact that we never see the Beetle unmasked, adding to his air of mystery. This is an excellent first issue, with no baggage to draw it down, no continuity to hamper it. If you like crime and mystery comics, this should be at the top of your buy pile.

Creator-Owned Heroes #8
Story and Art by Various

And sadly ends the experiment that was Creator-Owned Heroes. The combination comics anthology and comics magazine was an admirable attempt, and I have enjoyed all the issues and all the stories. This issue does nicely wrap up the two serials that have been running. Steve Niles and Scott Morse's "Meatbag" is a sci-fi/horror/noir mashup, where the PI finds out what happened to his agent, and faces down the people who hired him, and as happens to many noir detectives, winds up on the wrong end of the story. Palmiotti and Gray's "Killswitch" has been my favorite serial, and this conclusion leaves the character with room to appear, as the game of death among hitmen is resolved and Killswitch proves to be as brilliant a manipulator as he is a killer. "The Spirits of the Harbour" is the final piece for the series by Matt Signal favorite Darwyn Cooke, a peice he originally crated as a gift to guests at his wedding. It is a touching story about a man, a talking dog, and finding love. Wrapping the series up with profiles of some of today's hottest creators and a couple of legends of the industry, I'm sad to see Creator-Owned Heroes go. I can only hope that Palmiotti & Gray come back with more in this vein soon.

Reviews of Comics from Wednesday 12/5

Creator-Owned Heroes #7
Story: Various
Art: Various

I reviewed the first issue of this anthology/comics magazine when it came out, and have thoroughly enjoyed each subsequent issue, but as things go, never got around to featuring another issue here. Tragically, the most recent issue was released the day the cancellation of the series was announced. And this issue was hands down the best issue so far. Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray continue with their serial, "Killswitch," my favorite of the various serials that have appeared over the seven issues. The hitman called Killswitch is trapped in the middle of an open contract on himself and all hitmen. Artist Jerry Lando does a great job with this action packed story, and the writers are developing a great, multi-faceted character, with some really unusual mental quirks, who I hope has a future beyond this serial. Steve Niles and Scott Morse start "Meatbag," the story of a PI who seems to have gotten involved in a case with something supernatural. Niles does a great gumshoe, and Morse's art is beautiful, a style all his own with gorgeous splash pages. There are some fun interviews with Witch Doctor's Brandon Seifert and the always entertaining Evan Dorkin (C'mon Dorkin, I'm dying for that Eltingville collection you talk about). Aside from the main comic features, there are a couple short horror pieces very much in the style of classic EC Comics, with nice twists at the end. "Blood + Brains" by Jerry Burandt with art by Dean Haspiel is a zombie story with a nice little narrative twist. But the highlight of the book for me, not shocking to anyone who knows my love of certain creators, was "The Deadly Book," a five page horror/crime story by Darwyn Cooke. A thief steals a book that supposedly kills whoever reads it. Between Cooke's masterful art as the thief flees the site of the theft and the history of the book, and his clever narration, this is a perfect short story. And there's a bunch of other stuff in the issue I don't even have room to talk about! I'm going to miss this series after it ends next month.

Detective Comics #15
Story: John Layman
Art: Jason Fabok & Andy Clarke

The "Emperor Penguin" storyline meets the Batfamily crossover "Death of the Family" in another outstanding issue of Detective Comics. Batman spends much of his time on page fighting Clayface, and then using those all important detective skills to figure out exactly what Poison Ivy has done to Clayface. I really am loving how Layman is spotlighting Batman's nature as the world's greatest detective. The tie-in to the crossover was fairly minor, picking up some threads from the back-up in Batman #14, but Layman's use of the Joker is excellent. His presence just looming in the background of Penguin's office, half in shadow, made me initially wonder if he was really there, or just metaphorically. He doesn't say anything, but those mad eyes and wide smile standing out against the darkness, so well drawn by Jay Fabok, sent a chill up my spine. The best part of the issue for me, though, was seeing Penguin's seemingly loyal right hand man, Ignatius Ogilvy, come into his own and decide it's time to start running the show himself. Layman has spent a couple issues developing Ogilvy, so to see the end of the issue, and his decision, was a great moment. His conversation with Poison Ivy, and the logic he showed in working out how to deal with her, was excellent, proving Ogilvy to be possibly on par with Penguin, whose return after he's done with Joker is going to be not as good for him as he hoped. The back-up story shows Clayface's "courtship" by Poison Ivy, and gives a sympathetic look at the big ball of walking clay. Between what Layman is doing here and Snyder is doing in Batman, I feel we have most of the Batvillains back in fine fighting shape in the New 52.

Doctor Who #3
Story: Brandon Seifert
Art: Philip Bond

I'm not as big into the tie-in material with Doctor Who as I am with, say, Star Wars, and I've only been reading the IDW comics occasionally. However, this newest series, using some pretty A-list creators, was something I had to check out. The first two issues, by Andy Diggle and Mark Buckingham, were a fun story that sets up the arc of the series. This issue feels like the beginning of a fun one off episode of the series. Amy Pond is sick of "her boys," The Doctor and her husband Rory, sniping at each other, so she orders them to go to a pub without her and spend some time together. Of course, the pub happens to be in 1814, because this is Doctor Who and why not? Well, since neither of them want to do it, the Doctor tries to jump the TARDIS a few hours into the future and... well, you know that isn't going to work, and the usual hijinks ensue. Writer Brandon Seifert has the dynamics between each of these characters down pat. Rory is one of my favorite of the Doctor's companions (probably second only to the inimitable Donna Noble as played by Catherine Tate), and it is nice to see him and the Doctor on an adventure where it's just the two of them and Amy is not in peril (well, ok, maybe by the end she is, but its not the whole thrust of the thing). Amy is also perfectly written, jumping into something with her usual confidence. Philip Bond is an artist I feel like we should see more of in general, and I like his work here. The characters are clearly in his more cartoony style, but they are all clearly them. The issue ends with the London Beer Flood, which is a real historical event. I can't wait to see how Amy gets out of this one...

Hellboy in Hell #1
Story & Art: Mike Mignola

Mike Mignola back on Hellboy with story and art. Do I really need to say anymore? I probably don't need to, but I will anyway. I'll get the heaping of massive praise out of the way first: Duncan Fegredo and Richard Corben have been excellent hands at it, but Mignola was born to draw Hellboy, and it shows. The look of the issue is tremendous, using color, light and shadow, and all the tricks in an artist's bag to make a visual symphony. Special shout out to a scene where Hellboy witnesses a marionette performance of the scene from A Christmas Carol where Jacob Marley comes to Scrooge to warn him that he can save himself. Hellboy also fights an armored adversary last seen back in The Wild Hunt, sees all sorts of tentacled monstrosities, and is aided by a mysterious cloaked and masked man. Monsters, magic, and a protagonist with a surly sense of humor: this is Hellboy as it is meant to be.

Legends of the Dark Knight #3
Story: Steve Niles
Art: Trever Hairsine

When people talk about inspirational superheroes, there's usually a lot of talk about Superman, and even some of Spider-Man, but Batman doesn't usually make the list. This issue, "Letters to Batman," touches on how Batman effects the lives of the people he encounters. After the Joker escapes from custody again, Bruce begins to wonder exactly what it is he's doing, and if he's just part of a revolving door. But when Jim Gordon gives him sacks of mail that have built up at GCPD headquarters mailed to Batman, Bruce reads them and begins to see things is a new light. Back in the 90s, there was an annual issue of Superman under Dan Jurgens where Superman read letters sent to him over the course of the year and tried to help the people who really needed it. This isn't the same grandiose formula, but it has the feel of a hero trying to do more than just pummel a bad guy. All the letters wind up tying into each other in the end, and Batman helps the people in a very simple, day to day sort of way. I like to see the humanity of Batman, see that he still considers the people that he interacts with; that is what makes him different from the Punisher. I also want to give a shout out to artist Trevor Hairsine, who draws a creepy Joker with his face still attached. I'm glad to see the anthology Legends of the Dark Knight working, and hope that it keeps going for a while; Batman is one of the most malleable characters out there, and I like seeing these different interpretations.

Stumptown Vol.2 #4
Story: Greg Rucka
Art: Matthew Southworth

As the second volume of Stumptown races to its conclusion (you'll pardon my pun if you have or plan to read the issue). Dex has found Baby, the guitar belonging to rockstar Mim, but it's currently in the hands of a pair of skinheads, and so the chase is one, in this case a car chase that would make the Duke Boys pass out. Rucka gets off some great zingers throughout the issue, but this issue os artist Matthew Southworth's star turn. As the story moves, the issue transitions from a normal portrait design to landscape, making you flip the comic on its side. Whenever Dex is in her car chasing the skinheads, the comic is landscape, and when she gets out it flips back to portrait. It's a great effect that takes advantage of the different layouts to draw some really dynamic action scenes. I love that Rucka can write both intelligent, fun characters, engaging mysteries, and then these great action issues, and I hope that he and Southworth enjoyed working on this issue as much as I enjoyed reading it. With one issue left, I'm curious to see exactly what's going on. I have to say I don't know exactly what's going on, and I look forward to getting the answers.



A couple notes:

I was sent this excellent novel about what I like to call myth of the fake geek girl over on cracked. Great reading.

I also am sad to see Gail Simone off of Batgirl, and so I plan this Friday to be a recommended reading of some of my favorite Gail Simone work. Gail, I hope to see some new books from you soon!

Reviews of Comics from Wednesday 6/6

Before Watchen: Minutemen #1
Story & Art: Darwyn Cooke

So, here it is: the first issue of Before Watchmen. I went in with some trepidation, I admit. As much as I love Darwyn Cooke's work, and I LOVE Darwyn Cooke's work, this project has raised more dander than pretty much anything that I've seen among comic fans, and all the vitriol is a major reason why I wanted to create this snark free zone. And now having read the first issue, I have to say... I'm glad I did. There is something of a case of what I like to call "first-issue-itis" here. There's a lot of information, a lot of set-up, and not a ton happens to forward what I assume will be the plot of the rest of the mini. But it was done so darn well, and the art was so beautiful, that I barely noticed.  Basically, this issue felt like a really well done handbook, giving you profiles and background on who each of the Minutemen are. If you haven't read Watchmen in a few years, which I hadn't, it was a nice way to remind you who each of these characters are, especially since none of them are from the main cast of the original. Being that it's set in the 30s and 40s, it speaks to Cooke's artistic sensibilities. I'm sure Cooke can do stuff set in the present and the future, he was after all a designer on Batman Beyond, but between DC: The New Frontier and his Parker work, Cooke's style makes me think of a bygone era. I am looking forward to the rest of this series, and to the other Before Watchmen minis. I hope they can all live up to this opening.

Creator-Owned Heroes #1
Story: Steve Niles / Jimmy Palmiotti & Justin Gray
Art: Kevin Mellon / Phil Noto

The same week that Before Watchmen, which has caused one of the most polarizing debates one creators rights in comics history, came out, we also get the first issue of this, Creator-Owned Heroes, which is, like it says, a book that spotlights work that is, well, creator owned. I picked this up partially because I like to support creator owned books no matter what, partially because I found it appropriate to buy it because of when it was released, and partially because I happen to really like the work of Palmiotti & Gray. Toss in a story by Steve Niles, master of modern horror comics, and an interview with Neil Gaiman, and I was sold. The book lives up to the sum of its parts; a comics anthology that also features interviews and articles, all of which are interesting and fun. We get the first chapters of two serials, both of which have me curious.  American Muscle, the Niles story, with art by Kevin Mellon, is a group of people wandering a ruined and dystophic future story. Nothing new there, but Niles has always been good with character, which shines through, and there seems to be a twist coming in what caused this particular collapse of society that is hinted at here. Trigger Girl 6, by Palmiotti and Gray, is a spy/action/thriller. Again, this is just a short chapter, but it sets up an interesting premise, and makes me want to know the origin of the Trigger Girls. Phil Noto's art is dynamic and the aerial battle scene, that I don't want to talk about too much so as not to spoil it, it really a thing of beauty. Aside from the interview with Gaiman, there are also various articles about the origin of this project, an interview with cosplayers who have crafted a real world Trigger Girl costume, and some convention photos. This is a great package, where you get a lot of bang for your $3.99, and is well worth picking up.

Earth 2 #2
Story: James Robinson
Art: Nicola Scott

This issue marks the real beginning of the new Earth 2. Last issues was a solid comic, but it was really the last stand of the Trinity and didn't do a lot to introduce us to the main cast of the book. This issue, though, is a vast improvement. I really like the new Jay Garrick. I know a lot of people were making slacker speedster jokes after the last issue, but it looks like he's less a slacker and more just a twenty-something who isn't sure what he's going to do with his life. I do miss the old costumer with the Mercury helmet, but seeing this costume drawn by Nicola Scott on the internals made me like it a bit more. And the idea of a speedster who uses his speed in conjunction with parkour (the French art of roof running) is a very cool idea and a striking visual. Seeing Michael Holt, Mr. Terrific of Earth 1 arrive and be confronted by his Earth 2 counterpart was cool, and the seeming villainy of Terry Sloane, the original Mr. Terrific, leaves a lot of questions to be answered in a good way. No point in revealing everything right off the bat. And now for the elephant in the room: Alan Scott. This seems to be the week of books that raised a hoopla somewhere, even though most comic people really didn't react too much to the whole, "Alan Scott is gay," thing. Frankly, I really liked his portrayal. He and his significant other are together for most of their pages, and nowhere does anyone say any word meaning homosexual or acknowledge that they are anything other than a couple. The dialogue was natural, and I found the scenes between them charming. I hope Robinson can keep that up in future issues.

Swamp Thing #10
Story: Scott Snyder
Art: Francesco Francavilla

Swamp Thing has been a title with a slow build since it's return as part of the New 52. It took nearly six full issues before Swamp Thing showed his mossy hide. This isn't a complaint, as a lot happened in those six issues, but just a statement of fact. This issue, though, even with Swamp Thing back, is not even narrated by him. This issue is narrated by Swamp Thing's arch nemesis, Anton Arcane. There are some fairly major tweaks to Arcane's backstory here, but he's still pretty much the same creepy demon guy he was in his previous incarnations. The story begins with Arcane talking to an unseen person, and as the story continues, it winds up looping around to reveal who that is, in a great little storytelling twist. What makes this issue really pop is the artwork from Francesco Francavilla, an artists whose work on Black Panther and especially his run with Swamp Thing writer Scott Snyder on Detective Comics made him one of the breakout talents of 2011. His art has a wonderfully creepy feel in this issue, and the opening pages of Arcane talking sent a shiver up my spine. The fact that Francavilla colors his own work is impressive, and is clearly part of his overall style, which works to great affect throughout this issue. I hope that he does some more work on this title, or one maybe one of the Bat titles soon. As we get closer to the big Animal Man/Swamp Thing crossover, the stakes in both the books get higher, and this issue does a great job of ratcheting up the tension.

X-Factor #237
Story: Peter David
Art: Neil Edwards

X-Factor is one of the oddest super hero comics on the market, and possibly has been since it came back a few years back under Peter David's pen. It feels at times like the home for mutants and characters that no one else knows what to do with. It has an expansive cast, a continuing story that has last nearly one hundred issues, and that strange sense of humor that Peter David does so well. I've been with the book since the beginning of Peter David's first, early 90s, run on X-Factor, and so am very fond of a lot of these characters. This issue is one of those issues that Peter David is known for: a small character piece that tackles "issues" without turning into a very special episode of Blossom. Over the course of this series and her time away in X-Force, Wolfsbane has been put through the ringer in a way few comic book characters have; she has killed people, been brainwashed, killed and eaten her own father, impregnated by an Asgardian wolf god, given birth to his feral child, and then rejected it. And this issue she's forced to confront that. It's harrowing to read, seeing all that raw emotion dragged to the surface. The issue even plays a similar trick as the one in Swamp Thing, with a scene from the end of the story inserted at the beginning to really sock you in the gut and get you immediately into the story. Another plus for long time X-Factor readers is the return of Rev. John Maddox, the wayward Madrox dupe who has become a minister. Maddox has often been used by Peter David to discuss thorny issues, usually theological, but often personal and psychological, and is a favorite supporting character of mine. And not to have an issue go by that's all doom, gloom, and theology, David still gets to work in the funniest Thelma and Louise gag I've ever seen during the road trip to Rev. Maddox. All this happens, plus a set up for a future arc. More happens in one issue of X-Factor than most arcs of other comics, and I don't think I (or other fans) would have it any other way