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| Wednesday, October 1, 2008 01:08 PM |
| The Take |
 by Fëanor |
Fëanor's weekly comic book review post.
This covers new releases from the week of September 24th, plus yet another TPB from the library.
Back issues and old data
The Goon Volume 5: Wicked Inclinations
This collection of the adventures of everybody's favorite giant gangster who hits things opens up with the Buzzard where we left him, sleeping in the roots at the foot of a tree. But as he lies there communing with the spirits, they show him visions of the past and the future, and he finally gets the motivation he needs to climb back out of his self-imposed prison and reenter the world. He and the Goon go to war against the zombies and start getting real results. Sensing impending defeat, the Zombie Priest puts into action a truly heinous last ditch plan (which cleared up for me some confusing things that I've seen in more recent issues of this title). Meanwhile, the Goon and Franky have some extra time to unwind, so they watch The 13th Commandment, starring Chuck Weston as Moses!
Funny stuff. The peace doesn't last long, though, as they soon find themselves having to help Norton and his family escape terrible punishment under gypsy law by invoking some other laws: union laws! Hilarious and brilliant. Next, the Goon and Franky have to deal with some Godfather-like mobster troubles. Then the Zombie Priest's hideous new gang of zombies makes its first appearance, in the form of a wonderful parody of The Birds. These zombies are being born sort of like face-grabbers in Aliens and in a particular disturbing, disgusting, and hilarious scene, the Zombie Priest wears their mother like a hat.
Between stories, there's an interesting note included in the text about a Goon story called "Satan's Sodomy Baby," which ended up not getting published because some religious kook got it into her head to protest it. (Apparently the comic was eventually published, but does not appear in any collection; I'll have to track it down some day.) Instead of "Satan's Sodomy Baby," we get the story that follows up on a line in a previous issue about Lagarto getting his medication. As one might have expected, without his medication, he turns into a feral monster. The Goon and Franky are dispatched to take him down. In the meanwhile, Franky talks a guy into killing himself, there are lots of funny postmodern references to "Satan's Sodomy Baby," and, in a particularly hilarious sequence, Franky and the Goon think back on all the good times they had at Norton's. Oh, and who could forget the unforgettable scene with the horde of zombie circus midgets?
In the back of the book is a series of short Goon stories, all of them drawn by someone other than Eric Powell, and a number of them written by someone other than Powell, too. "Under the Sink" is a nasty little story by Powell, with just-okay art by Neil Vokes, that seems straightforward at first, but makes a rather horrendous reversal right at the end. "Lagarto Diablo" takes the form of an amusing meditation on Lagarto's rampage after turning into a monster, with breast-obsessed narration similar to that included in the story that originally introduced the character. This one is again written by Powell, with decent art by Kyle Hotz. In "Spike," by Tom Sniegoski with art by Michael Avon Oeming, the Goon and Franky, in the hopes of making a quick buck, head out to rescue a baby that's been kidnapped by some seemingly well-meaning zombies. Our heroes end up failing rather spectacularly. I'm not sure how "Satan's Sodomy Baby" could have been any worse than this little story, as it ends with a baby being killed by a character who is ostensibly the hero of the tale - and the scene is played for laughs! Good lord. "It's All Fun and Games 'Til..." has writing and art by Mike Hawthorne, and is indeed about somebody losing an eye. It's a pretty simple, mostly wordless retelling of a bar fight between the Goon and a big nasty dude. Then there are a couple of pieces of art in the very back of the book to round things out.
This is not my favorite Goon collection, but it's still The Goon, which means it's twisted, funny, and a joy to look at and to read. Although the thing with the baby was maybe going a bit too far...
Thumbs Up
New releases
All-Star Batman & Robin the Boy Wonder #10
This is the controversial comic that was held back from release at the last minute a couple of weeks ago due to the fact that the curse words in it had not been properly censored out. DC reprinted the book with black bars firmly in place and I was finally able to purchase it.
But it turns out there's not just a lot of curse words in here; there's also a lot of words, period. I think it has more words in it than all the other books I bought this week combined. Seriously! Some panels are so full of narration boxes and word balloons, you can barely see the picture around them all. Storywise, the thing opens up with Jim Gordon passing a cryptic note from Catwoman to Batman, a note which ultimately helps reveal not only that Batman and Catwoman have made love multiple times, but that Catwoman has been terribly injured, possibly by the Joker. Meanwhile, Gordon gets drunk-dialed by his wife, and shortly thereafter she goes driving, crashes her car, and lands herself in the hospital. At the same time, Jim's daughter is out trying to deal some justice as the Batgirl, but things get out of control and she ends up being arrested. Fun night for Jim Gordon! To ease his mind, he calls up the woman that he's apparently having an affair with. In yet another subplot, Black Canary has just brought down a ring of internet snuff purveyors, and is thinking about putting together an all-girl team of crime-fighting bruisers.
Yeah. I'm really just about on the verge of dropping this book. The writing is just so corny and ridiculous and overdone. And like I said, there's just so much of it! This comic took me twice as long to read as the average comic because it's so overloaded. And hey, what's this about Jim Gordon cheating on his wife? And his wife being a drunken mess? And are you kidding me with the internet snuff purveyors subplot? And why in God's name does Black Canary have to think so much in that horrid Irish brogue?
Ugh. What with this and the trailers for The Spirit, I really think Frank Miller is losing it.
Thumbs Down
Angel: Revelations #5
This miniseries, set during Warren Worthington III's senior year in private school, comes to an end in this issue. Warren and friends put their differences aside and work together to survive the big showdown with the creepy psychotic religious guy. Then there's a little epilogue and a bit of foreshadowing of what's to come for Angel. Sadly, it's all a bit melodramatic and cliched. When this series started out, I found it original and unique, but as it's gone on I've gotten used to the art and started focusing on the quality of the writing, and it's come up lacking. The foreshadowing at the end of this issue is neat, and it's interesting to see this part of Warren's life. But overall this series ended up being a bit of a letdown.
Thumbs Sideways
Black Panther #41
I'll admit it, I was starting to lose faith in Jason Aaron's Secret Invasion tie-in storyline in this book. It's not that it was bad, it just wasn't as awesome as I wanted it to be. Well, he took things to the next level in this final issue. This comic rules so hard it's ridiculous.
The issue is told almost entirely from the perspective of the Skrull commander, who is actually a rather sympathetic character - tired of war and bloodshed, and focused only on getting this final invasion done with so he can get back to his life. The problem is, he's up against Wakanda. He's up against the Black Panther and Ororo. He and the Skrulls never had a chance. As the issue opens, it seems that Black Panther and Ororo are likely to be tortured to death. But then T'Challa's plan is finally revealed, in all its brilliance, irony, and brutality. The final bloody images, contrasted with the accompanying narration (which takes the form of a letter that the Skrull commander was writing to his wife), are just incredibly awesome and bad-ass. Great, great comics.
Thumbs Up
Captain America #42
In this issue, Ed Brubaker's multi-act, multi-part epic "The Death of Captain America" finally comes to an end. And it's exciting. But not all of the storylines come to a conclusion, and not everything gets explained. I for one am left confused as to what exactly the Skull and Zola were doing to Sharon with that machine, what the hell the Skull was laughing at before he got shot, and why Zola said Sharon's actions were futile. Ultimately things seem to end with a series of victories for the good guys, but they're all kind of frustrating and unsatisfying victories, in that they are all incomplete; most of the villains escape, and we're left with all these lingering questions and problems. Still, I think that's kind of the point, and it's also generally the way comics work anyway. And it was at least good to see the new Captain America stand victorious before the crowd, and get some well deserved applause.
Thumbs Sideways
Fantastic Four: True Story #3
In the penultimate issue of this miniseries (written by Paul Cornell with art by Horacio Domingues and Rick Burchett), more of the origins of the evil plague affecting the world of fiction are explained, and the author of that evil makes his move, seemingly utterly defeating our heroes. But I'm betting they'll come back and win in the last issue. It's just a feeling I have.
I continue to dislike the blocky, cartoony art in this title (although there is a cool visual moment where Ben turns into a giant Cthulhu/Swamp Thing monster), and the story is getting less interesting the more it's being explained. It doesn't help that Nightmare is a boring, stupid-looking villain. Still, this issue does have some neat bits. Reed's terrible injury results in a few moving moments, and it's great to see the characters from The Wind in the Willows make an appearance. Plus the map of the world of fiction, and the description of Nightmare's conquest of it, is pretty funny. And that ending is quite dramatic! Seeing as how there's only one issue left, I might as well stick with this one.
Thumbs Sideways
Hellboy: The Crooked Man #3
This mighty creepy Hellboy tale set in late '50s Virginia comes to its conclusion here, as Hellboy, Tom, and an old blind priest find themselves holed up in an old church, under siege by an army of witches led by the devil himself. The Crooked Man tries to tempt each of them into coming out and returning Tom's lucky bone, but they stand fast, and the preacher finally thinks of a way out of their predicament, which thankfully involves Hellboy hitting the devil in the face with a consecrated shovel. Bah ha ha ha! But that's not the end; Tom still has one more task to perform, and a bit of unsettling revenge to be had.
This was a truly great little series, with unique and seriously creepy art from Richard Corben, and a very different and effective story from Mignola. This is less a Hellboy story than it is a story of the religion and magic of the American South which just happens to have a small role in it for Hellboy. And I'm totally cool with that. That being said, I'm also looking forward with great anticipation to the upcoming Hellboy: In the Chapel of Moloch, the first Hellboy comic written and drawn by Mignola in quite some time.
Thumbs Up
Jack of Fables #26
This issue does indeed contain monster trucks, girls in bikinis wrestling cheetahs, and laser battles, just like Jack promised last issue! Sort of. In fact they appear only as posters in the background on the first page, as our erstwhile narrator Eliza Wall jumps back into the story of the Page sisters, this time focusing on Priscilla Page. Priscilla has had a pretty tough life; finding that she was not loved or liked as herself, she chose to live a lie and become someone else. This way, everyone loved her - except herself. But now that her boss is pissed at her, not everyone loves her anymore, so her fantasy self is cracking apart and she's totally losing it. At this delicate moment, Kevin reveals a truth to her about her and her sisters that could either push her completely over the edge, or pull her back together; we'll have to wait and see which. Meanwhile, Jack and his gang, and Bookburner and his gang, are all heading straight towards the Golden Boughs for a big showdown. Unfortunately Jack's group is going to be slowed down by the intervention of an old friend who's now become an enemy. This issue is full of the clever postmodern comedy we've come to expect from Matthew Sturges and Bill Willingham's work on Jack of Fables, plus plenty of action, surprises, and character development. And that's not to mention Russ Braun's wonderful, whimsical art. In short, I'm still loving this title.
Thumbs Up
Marvel 1985 #5
Toby has made it to the Marvel Universe! But how does he find the heroes and get them to listen to his story? Use his extensive knowledge of Marvel comics, of course! After some amusing missteps at the Avengers mansion and the Baxter Building, he finally hits on the right person to approach, and starts getting somewhere. Then it's time to cut back to Earth to see how things are going there. Toby's Dad has risked life and limb to find his ex and is trying to get her out of town (and she's being almost unbelievably bitchy to him about it) when the worst Marvel villain of all shows up. Oh crap! Good cliffhanger ending!
Yep, still really enjoying this one. It was great to finally step into the Marvel Universe and see it from the perspective of a fanboy from our own world. And I also love how Millar is still keeping up the sense of awe and fear surrounding the Marvel villains, and the way said villains seem so much more terrible and horrifying when you move them and their activities into a realistic setting. Good stuff!
Thumbs Up
The New Avengers #45
Brian Michael Bendis uses this Secret Invasion tie-in issue to go back and explain what the embedded Skrull agents were doing during House of M and Annihilation Wave. And it's actually really interesting and cool, believe it or not. It turns out the Skrulls were the only ones besides Wolverine who were aware of the change to the world after Wanda did her thing, and it understandably freaked them out. But the Queen manages to keep her head and help the Pym Skrull pull himself together. Then she heads out to assassinate Wanda. But instead of that happening, Wanda makes her next huge change to the world, which ends up being even better for the Skrulls than they could have imagined. In the midst of their celebration, they mourn the news of the loss of many Skrulls in the Annihilation Wave.
Most of these comics that have retold recent events from the perspective of the Skrulls have been really interesting, and this one is no different. It helps that Jim Cheung's art is really excellent. The mind-blowing two-page splash of the helicarrier flying over the city accompanied by two sentinels is particularly memorable, but Cheung is equally good at character work, especially on the Queen.
Thumbs Up
Skaar: Son of Hulk Presents - The Savage World of Skaar
I'm not entirely sure why this comic has been presented as a one-shot, separate from the numbering of the main Skaar: Son of Hulk series, as it is in fact a continuation of the main story of that series, plus some extra flashback tales that some characters tell each other around the campfire. The first of these campfire stories fills us in on the history of Axeman Bone; the next is a tale of Caiera the Oldstrong; the third is a story about the son of Hulk when he was young. After these stories are all told, we return to the present, wherein Hulk must lead the people through some deadly vines and then kill the monster at their heart. In the back is a quick summary of the events of Planet Hulk and World War Hulk, and then some preview art from a couple of upcoming Hulk-related books.
I remain unimpressed by Skaar: Son of Hulk. It's pretty much just a boring, mediocre title. I think I might finally be ready to drop it now.
Thumbs Down
Solomon Kane #1
Conan wasn't the only character Robert E. Howard wrote! He also created an insane Puritan from England who went around killing vampires and the like. He's the titular character of this new Dark Horse series. The first issue opens up with Solomon having to take down some nasty bandits in brutal fashion. Next he cuts down and sets free a young boy that he finds choking to death on a gibbet. Then he meets a good-natured traveler, also an Englishman, and takes up with him. They've both heard evil tales about the most powerful lord in the area, so when they come to the road to his castle - known as the Castle of the Devil - Solomon says he's heading there, to determine whether the Baron is good or evil, and if he is the latter, to kill him. His fellow traveler is impressed by this insane plan, and decides to come along. They're cordially greeted at the castle and given lodging, but there's clearly some evil mystery there that no doubt will come to light in future issues.
I love Mario Guevara's eerie, detailed art in this title, and Dave Stewart does his usual excellent job on colors. I suspect much of the dialogue and narration is lifted whole from the source material, which is both good and bad; good because it means the writing is intelligent and literate, but bad because it feels a bit stilted and out of place plunked down in a word balloon on the page of a comic book. I also have to say this is pretty boring for a first issue. It just kind of trails off at the end, instead of providing the usual shocking cliffhanger designed to force us into picking up the next issue. I wouldn't have thought that kind of thing was so effective or necessary, but the fact that this comic didn't have one may very well keep me from buying the next issue in the series!
Thumbs Sideways
Star Wars: Legacy #28
I dropped this series a little while ago, but my addiction to the Vector storyline, which crosses into this book for the next couple of issues, forced me to pick it up again. And now I remember why I dropped it! The writing, by John Ostrander and Jan Duursema, is just so very, very poor. They take what has been a really interesting story with really interesting characters and somehow turn it into something stupid and boring. Part of the problem is all the ridiculous future slang. Anyway, since last we met Celeste, she's commandeered a Star Destroyer and is just hanging out there while her rakghouls eat each other. (I'm a little puzzled as to how she's still managing to not age even outside the confines of the Sith preservation casket, but whatever.) Cade and his gang, who are out to assassinate Darth Krayt, just happen to drop out of hyperspace right next to Celeste's Star Destroyer. She senses Cade and pulls the ship aboard. Cade and his Imperial Knight friend get scratched by a couple of rakghouls and appear doomed, so Celeste keeps them imprisoned and tells them the entire story of Vector so far while waiting for them to turn. But upon learning that the rakghoul plague is in fact a disease, Cade somehow manages to cure both himself and his Knight friend using the Force. Celeste is impressed and resolves to go with Cade on his quest to kill Darth Krayt.
And I have to admit, I'm curious to see Celeste and friends go up against a lord of the Sith, and thus I will probably buy the next issue. I just wish the writing wasn't quite so awful.
Thumbs Down |
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