Something a little different today, kiddie cops. I’ve read a couple books since the last post, but instead of more reviews, today I’m gonna tell you a little about giving comics as presents, specifically at Christmas, but birthdays or just whenever work as well.
The idea isn’t a new one. I’ve been reading the suggestion and discussions about the pros and cons online for a couple years now. Handing out single issues of kid-friendly titles as Halloween treats is another variation. Especially when kids are involved, the giver might just be helping to create another generation of comics readers.
I don’t know any young children I can give comics to at the moment, but I do know some friends and family members who have expressed mild interest in comics before or who I feel might be willing to try them if the subject matter was of interest. Most of these intended recipients aren’t going to care much for superhero stories unless there was something else to it, but that’s not all I read either.
I’ve selected four titles I think these people might have an interest in (I can’t tell you who is getting what, they might be reading) and decided to go with the first trade paperback collection from each series. And I decided to post about them in case someone out there might also be inspired to try one of these books, if he/she hasn’t already.
Transmetropolitan
The first title is one we haven’t talked about here before because I don’t actually own a single copy of the book. Transmetropolitan was a series created and written by Warren Ellis. Most often, the artist was Darick Robertson. The series lasted for 60 issues between 1997 and 2002 and has been collected into, I believe, 11 trades. I’d always been curious about it, and finally had a chance to borrow the entire series from a co-worker. I was both surprised and revolted by what I found, enough so that I plan to buy myself copies of the trades, and figured a few of my more twisted friends might enjoy sampling the series.
The Comics Buyers Guide Standard Catalog of Comic Books describes the series thus: “Taking its title from a rowdy song by Irish rockers, the Pogues, and basing its main character on legendary “gonzo journalist” Dr. Hunter S. Thompson (author of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and the model for another famous comic strip character, Doonesbury’s Uncle Duke), Transmetropolitan positions itself squarely at the acid-etched edge of 1990s hip culture. Transmetropolitan follows the adventures of psychotic writer Spider Jerusalem in a nightmarish near-future, cyber-nightmare world of drugs, aliens, androids, mutants, technology gone mad, and lots more drugs.” I’d add that my favorite character, next to Spider himself, is the two-headed, chain-smoking cat he adopts in the series.
Fallen Angel
This next book has had an interesting life. Fallen Angel, written by Peter David and originally illustrated by David Lopez and Ferdinand Blanco, was never part of the mainstream DC Universe, but it was not published by DC’s more mature Vertigo imprint, either. That made it hard for the series to find an audience, and DC finally called it quits after 20 issues between 2003 and 2005. But just this last year, IDW Publishing picked up the series. To date, they have published 10 issues from David and new artist David Woodward.
Here’s how DC described the series: “Welcome to Bete Noire ... where dreams come to die. Quiet, almost mundane by day, Bete Noire’s shadows seem imbued with life by night. Criminals conduct their business unafraid, and the uncommon is commonplace. And moving through it all like broken glass — smooth, yet cunning — is the woman called the Fallen Angel, who helps people in need when they find themselves at a crossroads in their lives. But the Fallen Angel’s help isn’t always what it seems. If she deems you worthy, she can be your savior. If not, you’ll walk away from her worse off than you were before ... if at all.” The series explores just who and what the Fallen Angel is, and while she isn’t the typical “hero,” her exploits in Bete Noire are quite entertaining.
Fables
This DC Vertigo series, of course, came from the mind of Bill Willingham, and involves many of those famous fairy tale characters secretly living in New York among the rest of us Mundanes. Familiar faces are given added dimensions in these modern tales of the Fable folk, and readers learn that their lives really aren’t always “happily ever after,” especially when you consider most of these Fables have been around for centuries. And there’s also the little matter of why they are living here, having been driven from their Homelands by the mysterious Adversary.
The first arc of this ongoing comic book introduces us to the hierarchy of Fabletown with the capable administrator Snow White, constable Bigby Wolf, lothario Prince Charming, perennial con-man Jack Horner and a host of others as they are confronted by the disappearance, and probably murder, of Snow’s sister, Rose Red.
Boneyard
And lastly we have the first collected volume of Richard Moore’s great monster tale, Boneyard, from NBM. This quarterly comic started in 2001 and explains how everyman Michael Paris comes to inherit a cemetery which just happens to be filled with talking gargoyles, a biker werewolf, a card-playing skeleton, a bumbling witch, a wise-cracking raven, a vampish sea creature and a thoroughly enchanting vampiress. The denizens of the cemetery — or boneyard — try to convince Paris to save their home, while the townsfolk hope to buy the property and bulldoze it under.
So, there’s some of the comics-themed presents I’ll be giving this year. Maybe there’s something for you in there, too.
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Sunday, November 26, 2006
Lightning Round
Hey, kiddie cops. I know it’s been over a week since I had a chance to post something. But that doesn’t mean I haven’t been reading. In fact, since last time, I’ve finished the rest of the books received in my last shipment. So, without further ado, let’s dive right in and catch up a bit.
52 Weeks 24 and 25 (DC Comics) — I’ve said it before; I’ll say it again. Individual issues are not always great, but the overall story line this series was designed to tell is interesting. I’m curious where Ralph is headed. I like the story line with Montoya, Question and the Black Marvel family. The Steel/Luthor story seems to be old news, but is maybe going somewhere interesting. Green Arrow’s cameo was nice. Super Chief didn’t last long, did he?
Action Comics 844 (DC Comics) — This wasn’t a bad beginning, but it almost seems more a sequel to the Donner films so far more than a continuing story of the comic book Superman. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but is this story gonna “fit” in continuity? I mean, Jimmy isn’t an inexperienced photographer anymore.
Birds of Prey 99 (DC Comics) — Black Canary’s departure. I agree with scribe Simone that it feels right for Dinah to leave now, even though I’ll miss her. As far back as Longbow Hunters we’ve seen that Dinah wants children but wrestled with the issue of raising one while adventuring. Now she has one. It makes sense for her to step back now.
Captain America 23 (Marvel Comics) — A nice interlude with Winter Soldier/Bucky and Nick Fury in the middle of the Civil War tie-in. It updates us on the ongoing story line with Bucky, but doesn’t interupt the flow of the Cap Civil War events. Very nice.
Checkmate 7 (DC Comics) — I wanna like this title, but it just doesn’t seem to be as good as it should be. I know the Suicide Squad has its fans, but I can take it or leave it. I think this title should include some superheroes on the periphery, but for the most part, avoid overt superhero action and costumes.
Civil War: Front Line 7 (Marvel Comics) — Typical stuff here. The first two stories following the reporters and the former Speedball are excellent storytelling, while the Sleeper Cell bit does little for me, and the final bit just seems pretentious. I think one of the reasons Sleeper Cell is uninteresting to me is there is no tie-in to the Civil War. I assume this Atlantean faction is merely trying to take advantage of the strife above for their own ends, but that is just a guess on my part, not something we’ve been told.
Criminal 1 (Marvel Icon) — Not sure if this is a mini or an ongoing. Not even sure if I like it yet or not. But it was an OK beginning from I writer I really like, so I’ll hang around.
Daredevil 90 (Marvel Comics) — This issue seemed to slip just a bit. Matt is trying to track down who had Foggy killed because he doesn’t know Foggy isn’t really dead. Forget that Matt would be very hard to fool on that point, but I don’t like how easily he’s gotten sidetracked by this woman, even if she does have a power that explains why.
Donald Duck & Friends 345 (Gemstone Publishing) — Just good Disney fun. I’ve always liked Donald, and the mix of classic and newer tales is great. Plus, there’s always one story featuring someone else, this titme a great Goofy tale. Shouldn’t we all laugh more?
Fables 54 (DC Vertigo) — Sons of Empire continues. I didn’t think things could get much creepier than the Snow Queen’s plan for destroying both Mundies and Fables. I was wrong. Hansel is so far beyond creepy that he belongs in his own Mundie slasher series.
Jack of Fables 4 (DC Vertigo) — The promos for next issue seem to indicate this won’t happen, but wouldn’t it be too funny if after all this planning and helping all of the other escapees, Jack himself doesn’t make it out?
JSA Classified 18 (DC Comics) — The back half of a two-parter featuring Hourman, both the modern version and the Golden Age one. A solid tale from Tony Bedard, as usual. And besides, it isn’t necessarily that hard, but its always fun to watch someone out-think Bane.
The Lone Ranger 2 (Dynamite Entertainment) — I stand corrected from my criticism of last issue. Black Bart is an enforcer, not the criminal mastermind. This issue hints that the individual who pulls Bart’s vicious strings is none other than Butch Cavendish, the villain from Ranger lore. Brett Matthews, you have my apologies for doubting you. Carry on.
Martian Manhunter 3 (DC Comics) — Enter the Justice League, which was good to see. After all the divisiveness stemming from Identity Crisis and leading into Infinite Crisis, it’s nice to see these heroes acting like colleagues and friends once again. Oh, wait. Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman don’t seem to want to listen to J’Onn about what is going on. Right now, I’m willing to assume that maybe this wasn’t really the three heroes it appeared to be. So much subterfuge has been going on in this story dealing with shape-shifting Martians, that’s what I’m hoping anyway. Otherwise, this story might’ve worked better before IC.
New Avengers 24 (Marvel Comics) — This Civil War tie-in is the Sentry entry, but seems to be more about fallout from the House of M and the Inhumans than Civil War. It’s sad that the interaction between books that I love from DC is one of the things I don’t like about Marvel because I buy fewer of those books and am less interested in the intermingling there.
Omega Men 1 (DC Comics) — My knowledge of this team is limited to their interaction with the Titans in the “olden” days, but I liked their recent cameos in Adam Strange and Infinite Crisis, so I decided to give this a try. Andersen Gabrych’s usually great writing didn’t hurt either. But I have no clue what is going on in this title right now. That’s not good.
The Perhapanauts: Second Chances 1 (Dark Horse) — OK, this mini DOES seem to pick up right after the trade I just read, as I assumed it should. But the letters column has a bunch of people commenting on issue #104. Now, I could just assume the first mini was numbered funky and move on, but the letters also mention a story titled “The 28th Anomaly.” There’s no story with that name in the trade. Am I missing something here?
Secret Six 5 (DC Comics) — Did they really just kill the Mad Hatter?!?
Stan Lee Meets the Thing 1 (Marvel Comics) — Much better than the Spidey one-shot, the only other one of these I read. It’s been long enough now that Ben has come to grips with his appearance. Heck, most New Yorkers have, too. He’s a celebrity, not a monster now. Good to see that reflected here.
Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes 23 (DC Comics) — Cosmic Boy decides the Legion needs to deal with the superpowered delusional in their midst. So, does that mean Supergirl is going to be going away soon? Dunno if I trust these “Kryptonians.”
Superman/Batman annual 1 (DC Comics) — This is a totally bizarre story, but it’s a fun one. Accept it for that and it works. Look for more and it falls apart.
Tales of the Unexpected 1 (DC Comics) — I’ve heard this mini isn’t getting much interest online. Truthfully, it wasn’t great. But it was intriguing, and I liked Crispus when he was alive, so I’m intrested enough to hang with this one a bit longer. The Dr. 13 story left me cold, but then I’m not as familiar with the character.
Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters 4 (DC Comics) — I thought this might be the exception to the mostly so-so minis DC is spitting out right now, but I’m starting to lose interest in this one big time, too. This is supposed to be an alien suddenly sitting in the White House and part of a shady government operation spitting out new metahumans like they’re no big deal, and no other teams notice? No Titans, no JSA, no Superman, no GLs. Just doesn’t ring true.
Whew! That was a bunch, but that’s all of the October releases I have. See ya next time.
52 Weeks 24 and 25 (DC Comics) — I’ve said it before; I’ll say it again. Individual issues are not always great, but the overall story line this series was designed to tell is interesting. I’m curious where Ralph is headed. I like the story line with Montoya, Question and the Black Marvel family. The Steel/Luthor story seems to be old news, but is maybe going somewhere interesting. Green Arrow’s cameo was nice. Super Chief didn’t last long, did he?
Action Comics 844 (DC Comics) — This wasn’t a bad beginning, but it almost seems more a sequel to the Donner films so far more than a continuing story of the comic book Superman. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but is this story gonna “fit” in continuity? I mean, Jimmy isn’t an inexperienced photographer anymore.
Birds of Prey 99 (DC Comics) — Black Canary’s departure. I agree with scribe Simone that it feels right for Dinah to leave now, even though I’ll miss her. As far back as Longbow Hunters we’ve seen that Dinah wants children but wrestled with the issue of raising one while adventuring. Now she has one. It makes sense for her to step back now.
Captain America 23 (Marvel Comics) — A nice interlude with Winter Soldier/Bucky and Nick Fury in the middle of the Civil War tie-in. It updates us on the ongoing story line with Bucky, but doesn’t interupt the flow of the Cap Civil War events. Very nice.
Checkmate 7 (DC Comics) — I wanna like this title, but it just doesn’t seem to be as good as it should be. I know the Suicide Squad has its fans, but I can take it or leave it. I think this title should include some superheroes on the periphery, but for the most part, avoid overt superhero action and costumes.
Civil War: Front Line 7 (Marvel Comics) — Typical stuff here. The first two stories following the reporters and the former Speedball are excellent storytelling, while the Sleeper Cell bit does little for me, and the final bit just seems pretentious. I think one of the reasons Sleeper Cell is uninteresting to me is there is no tie-in to the Civil War. I assume this Atlantean faction is merely trying to take advantage of the strife above for their own ends, but that is just a guess on my part, not something we’ve been told.
Criminal 1 (Marvel Icon) — Not sure if this is a mini or an ongoing. Not even sure if I like it yet or not. But it was an OK beginning from I writer I really like, so I’ll hang around.
Daredevil 90 (Marvel Comics) — This issue seemed to slip just a bit. Matt is trying to track down who had Foggy killed because he doesn’t know Foggy isn’t really dead. Forget that Matt would be very hard to fool on that point, but I don’t like how easily he’s gotten sidetracked by this woman, even if she does have a power that explains why.
Donald Duck & Friends 345 (Gemstone Publishing) — Just good Disney fun. I’ve always liked Donald, and the mix of classic and newer tales is great. Plus, there’s always one story featuring someone else, this titme a great Goofy tale. Shouldn’t we all laugh more?
Fables 54 (DC Vertigo) — Sons of Empire continues. I didn’t think things could get much creepier than the Snow Queen’s plan for destroying both Mundies and Fables. I was wrong. Hansel is so far beyond creepy that he belongs in his own Mundie slasher series.
Jack of Fables 4 (DC Vertigo) — The promos for next issue seem to indicate this won’t happen, but wouldn’t it be too funny if after all this planning and helping all of the other escapees, Jack himself doesn’t make it out?
JSA Classified 18 (DC Comics) — The back half of a two-parter featuring Hourman, both the modern version and the Golden Age one. A solid tale from Tony Bedard, as usual. And besides, it isn’t necessarily that hard, but its always fun to watch someone out-think Bane.
The Lone Ranger 2 (Dynamite Entertainment) — I stand corrected from my criticism of last issue. Black Bart is an enforcer, not the criminal mastermind. This issue hints that the individual who pulls Bart’s vicious strings is none other than Butch Cavendish, the villain from Ranger lore. Brett Matthews, you have my apologies for doubting you. Carry on.
Martian Manhunter 3 (DC Comics) — Enter the Justice League, which was good to see. After all the divisiveness stemming from Identity Crisis and leading into Infinite Crisis, it’s nice to see these heroes acting like colleagues and friends once again. Oh, wait. Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman don’t seem to want to listen to J’Onn about what is going on. Right now, I’m willing to assume that maybe this wasn’t really the three heroes it appeared to be. So much subterfuge has been going on in this story dealing with shape-shifting Martians, that’s what I’m hoping anyway. Otherwise, this story might’ve worked better before IC.
New Avengers 24 (Marvel Comics) — This Civil War tie-in is the Sentry entry, but seems to be more about fallout from the House of M and the Inhumans than Civil War. It’s sad that the interaction between books that I love from DC is one of the things I don’t like about Marvel because I buy fewer of those books and am less interested in the intermingling there.
Omega Men 1 (DC Comics) — My knowledge of this team is limited to their interaction with the Titans in the “olden” days, but I liked their recent cameos in Adam Strange and Infinite Crisis, so I decided to give this a try. Andersen Gabrych’s usually great writing didn’t hurt either. But I have no clue what is going on in this title right now. That’s not good.
The Perhapanauts: Second Chances 1 (Dark Horse) — OK, this mini DOES seem to pick up right after the trade I just read, as I assumed it should. But the letters column has a bunch of people commenting on issue #104. Now, I could just assume the first mini was numbered funky and move on, but the letters also mention a story titled “The 28th Anomaly.” There’s no story with that name in the trade. Am I missing something here?
Secret Six 5 (DC Comics) — Did they really just kill the Mad Hatter?!?
Stan Lee Meets the Thing 1 (Marvel Comics) — Much better than the Spidey one-shot, the only other one of these I read. It’s been long enough now that Ben has come to grips with his appearance. Heck, most New Yorkers have, too. He’s a celebrity, not a monster now. Good to see that reflected here.
Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes 23 (DC Comics) — Cosmic Boy decides the Legion needs to deal with the superpowered delusional in their midst. So, does that mean Supergirl is going to be going away soon? Dunno if I trust these “Kryptonians.”
Superman/Batman annual 1 (DC Comics) — This is a totally bizarre story, but it’s a fun one. Accept it for that and it works. Look for more and it falls apart.
Tales of the Unexpected 1 (DC Comics) — I’ve heard this mini isn’t getting much interest online. Truthfully, it wasn’t great. But it was intriguing, and I liked Crispus when he was alive, so I’m intrested enough to hang with this one a bit longer. The Dr. 13 story left me cold, but then I’m not as familiar with the character.
Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters 4 (DC Comics) — I thought this might be the exception to the mostly so-so minis DC is spitting out right now, but I’m starting to lose interest in this one big time, too. This is supposed to be an alien suddenly sitting in the White House and part of a shady government operation spitting out new metahumans like they’re no big deal, and no other teams notice? No Titans, no JSA, no Superman, no GLs. Just doesn’t ring true.
Whew! That was a bunch, but that’s all of the October releases I have. See ya next time.
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
He’s Back! He’s Back!!!!
Probably a short entry today as time of late — both for reading and posting — has been a little in short supply, but I want to lead off today’s post with the return of Marv Wolfman to the life of Richard “Dick” Grayson, aka Nightwing, formerly the original Robin, the Boy Wonder.
Nightwing 125 (DC Comics) — Wow!
I don’t like some of the things Devin Grayson did with the character near the end of her run, but I can chalk them up to Dick feeling guilt over his role in Blockbuster’s death and, despite what he told other heroes he ran across at the time, that he had not really gone rogue prior to the destruction of Bludhaven but was instead weaving an elaborate trap for Deathstroke and trying to salvage Ravager. C’mon, is all of that any more of a stretch than the “rogue” behavior he is showing over in the Outsiders right now?
But then the Crisis (Infinite Crisis) occurred, and all other plans were abandoned in an effort to save everything from destruction. Then, as depicted, he went off with Bruce and Tim to train and re-dedicate himself.
I’m not overly fond of the confusing storyline Bruce Jones brought Nightwing back with One Year Later, either. I can buy the re-animated and slightly off-kilter Jason Todd/Red Hood confronting Nightwing, but the rest of the story line was just bizarre, including, when did Dick start jumping into bed with every girl he meets?
But all of that is over. Now, the writer who re-imagined the Teen Titans and got me interested in comics again, has taken the reins of one of those characters. This isn’t a return to the character the way he was 20 years ago, nor should it be. Dick has grown and experience much since last he led the Titans. I see those characters as always having emotional ties, bonds, to each other, but these characters are no longer teens or members of the current Titans roster. Life moves on.
But Marv doesn’t settle for “erasing” everything either. Like any true writer should, he takes the work of previous creators and incorporates it with his own as part of the character’s history while still finding his own direction. This Nightwing is still in New York, but still getting to know the city as his encounters with Jason, Cheyenne and the rest in the previous arc didn’t leave him much time to get acclimated. He meets some new people, including one young woman who seems particularly interested in him, yet does not hop into bed with her right away. He’s acting like the well-trained, confident, capable pro he is after all of his years of crime-fighting, and he is showing the detective skills he has displayed in the past as the protoge of the Batman.
This new direction with the new creative team (Dan Jurgens’ art is great, too; too bad he isn’t sticking around) is full of new people and new situations, but a recognizable main character and an overall positive attitude that has been lacking for some time. Kudos.
Fallen Angel 9 (IDW Publishing) — Lee is back in town just in time for the big reveal at the end as this story is suddenly and surprisingly tied into her first adventure as a fallen angel on earth. Along the way, the mystery that is Bete Noir is heightened. This is a fun book to read. So much so, that I think I will be giving some Fallen Angel trades as gifts to people I think might enjoy this series.
Detective Comics 824 (DC Comics) — Another great Paul Dini story, this time featuring Penguin, more from the Riddler, cameos by Lois Lane and Zatanna. I am loving his run on this book, including the touches he brings to the series from the Animated universe.
Justice league Unlimited 26 (DC Comics) — Speaking of the Animated universe, this comic is like having new episodes of the series, this time with Aquaman, Dr. Fate, Superman and Booster Gold confronting Felix Faust and Black Manta.
52 Week 28 (DC Comics) — Black Adam takes another page from the Marvel family by granting a portion of his power to Isis’ brother, Amon, creating Osiris, and we see where all the evil geniuses have ended up as Will Magnus is kidnapped to their island. Each individual issue of this series is giving what seem to be smaller and smaller pieces along the way, but this is truly a great ride.
Green Arrow 67 (DC Comics) — Continuing the look at Ollie’s missing year, we see him training with an assassin to further hone his fighting abilities. We also see the beginnings of his mayoral campaign as news reaches him of events back in Star City. Unfortunately, we also learn that the money he raised to finance his adventuring and campaign were not gained through strictly legitmate means. Not new ground for the character for anyone who has read the Longbow Hunters, but somewhat more disturbing than that event.
Powers 20 (Marvel Icon) — My only complaint about this book is how much time passes between new issues. This book was easier to read in trade form — the way I first discovered it — so you can get a complete arc at once. Otherwise, it is hard to remember what happened last time by the time a new issue arrives.
That’s it for today, kiddie cops. Happy collecting.
Nightwing 125 (DC Comics) — Wow!
I don’t like some of the things Devin Grayson did with the character near the end of her run, but I can chalk them up to Dick feeling guilt over his role in Blockbuster’s death and, despite what he told other heroes he ran across at the time, that he had not really gone rogue prior to the destruction of Bludhaven but was instead weaving an elaborate trap for Deathstroke and trying to salvage Ravager. C’mon, is all of that any more of a stretch than the “rogue” behavior he is showing over in the Outsiders right now?
But then the Crisis (Infinite Crisis) occurred, and all other plans were abandoned in an effort to save everything from destruction. Then, as depicted, he went off with Bruce and Tim to train and re-dedicate himself.
I’m not overly fond of the confusing storyline Bruce Jones brought Nightwing back with One Year Later, either. I can buy the re-animated and slightly off-kilter Jason Todd/Red Hood confronting Nightwing, but the rest of the story line was just bizarre, including, when did Dick start jumping into bed with every girl he meets?
But all of that is over. Now, the writer who re-imagined the Teen Titans and got me interested in comics again, has taken the reins of one of those characters. This isn’t a return to the character the way he was 20 years ago, nor should it be. Dick has grown and experience much since last he led the Titans. I see those characters as always having emotional ties, bonds, to each other, but these characters are no longer teens or members of the current Titans roster. Life moves on.
But Marv doesn’t settle for “erasing” everything either. Like any true writer should, he takes the work of previous creators and incorporates it with his own as part of the character’s history while still finding his own direction. This Nightwing is still in New York, but still getting to know the city as his encounters with Jason, Cheyenne and the rest in the previous arc didn’t leave him much time to get acclimated. He meets some new people, including one young woman who seems particularly interested in him, yet does not hop into bed with her right away. He’s acting like the well-trained, confident, capable pro he is after all of his years of crime-fighting, and he is showing the detective skills he has displayed in the past as the protoge of the Batman.
This new direction with the new creative team (Dan Jurgens’ art is great, too; too bad he isn’t sticking around) is full of new people and new situations, but a recognizable main character and an overall positive attitude that has been lacking for some time. Kudos.
Fallen Angel 9 (IDW Publishing) — Lee is back in town just in time for the big reveal at the end as this story is suddenly and surprisingly tied into her first adventure as a fallen angel on earth. Along the way, the mystery that is Bete Noir is heightened. This is a fun book to read. So much so, that I think I will be giving some Fallen Angel trades as gifts to people I think might enjoy this series.
Detective Comics 824 (DC Comics) — Another great Paul Dini story, this time featuring Penguin, more from the Riddler, cameos by Lois Lane and Zatanna. I am loving his run on this book, including the touches he brings to the series from the Animated universe.
Justice league Unlimited 26 (DC Comics) — Speaking of the Animated universe, this comic is like having new episodes of the series, this time with Aquaman, Dr. Fate, Superman and Booster Gold confronting Felix Faust and Black Manta.
52 Week 28 (DC Comics) — Black Adam takes another page from the Marvel family by granting a portion of his power to Isis’ brother, Amon, creating Osiris, and we see where all the evil geniuses have ended up as Will Magnus is kidnapped to their island. Each individual issue of this series is giving what seem to be smaller and smaller pieces along the way, but this is truly a great ride.
Green Arrow 67 (DC Comics) — Continuing the look at Ollie’s missing year, we see him training with an assassin to further hone his fighting abilities. We also see the beginnings of his mayoral campaign as news reaches him of events back in Star City. Unfortunately, we also learn that the money he raised to finance his adventuring and campaign were not gained through strictly legitmate means. Not new ground for the character for anyone who has read the Longbow Hunters, but somewhat more disturbing than that event.
Powers 20 (Marvel Icon) — My only complaint about this book is how much time passes between new issues. This book was easier to read in trade form — the way I first discovered it — so you can get a complete arc at once. Otherwise, it is hard to remember what happened last time by the time a new issue arrives.
That’s it for today, kiddie cops. Happy collecting.
Friday, November 10, 2006
Combo Platter
OK, we’ve covered several months’ worth of all the regular titles I have from 1986. Today we’re gonna look at a few “odds ‘n’ ends” books I have mixed in here, such as ...
Batman annual 10 (DC Comics, 1986) — This story is a classic Hugo Strange tale, at least for me. The evil genius sets about not so much defeating Batman nor Bruce Wayne, but almost erasing them from existence as he slowly takes everything away from the Wayne Foundation to the manor to freezing all bank accounts and assets, making Batman realize how much he depends on the wealth of Bruce Wayne to function. Then things get even more personal when Strange takes away Alfred and Jason.
Aquaman 1-4 (DC Comics, 1986) — Now this story is a little bit different. I was a little disappointed with this miniseries when it first came out in 1986. At that time, I liked Aquaman, but wasn’t as familiar with the character. I didn’t know about his fiery temper as that wasn’t how he was depicted on the Superfriends or in the issues of Justice League of America which I’d read. And I didn’t much care for the new blue camouflage costume. And I didn’t know who these other underwater races were. I didn’t even know who Ocean Master was at that time. So, I just didn’t care for this series much initially. In fact, I even committed the horrible sin of parting with my original copies of this series at some point, only to have to hunt down the back issues when I decided to give the series another try a few years later.
Series writer Neal Pozner takes some factual information about Atlantis, combines it with supposition and various other fictional depictions of Atlantis and combines them all into the back story that forms the basis for this series. Then he uses that tapestry of information and previous story-telling to completly destroy Aquaman’s current status quo. New Venice is destroyed. Aquaman is despised in Poseidonis. And his half-brother, Orm, is collecting mystical artifacts in an effort to finally best Arthur. In trying to hunt down Ocean Master, Aquaman comes across some savage underwater races, some mystical ones, and even learns some new things himself along the way. How could I do any less? This still isn’t my favorite Aquaman story, but it is an important part of the history of both Atlantis and the King of the Seven Seas.
And that brings us to the fall of 1986 with our retro-reviews, but in case you haven’t noticed, in the real world, we’re almost halfway through the month of November. Most recent batch of new comics has arrived, and I have started digging into those, although not as far as I’d like to be. So, here’s a few quick thoughts on some more timely books:
52 Week Twenty-Two (DC Comics) — OK, I just gotta ask: Who the hell is Super-Chief? I remember an Apache Chief from the Super Friends show, but no Super-Chief or any other American Indian super characters, not in DC’s stable, anyway. The evil versions of the Metal Men were kinda interesting. Has that been done before? All the evil genius robotics experts, seems like someone would’ve thought of it before ...
Jalila 5 (AK Comics) — Overall, I was a little disappointed in the AK Comics this month after giving them some hype last time around. The writing seemed slightly more disjointed in this title compared to last month.
Rakan 5 (AK Comics) — This title still holds a little promise. This was the first of a two-part story where the lone warrior joins a gang of thieves. It isn’t explicitly stated, but I assume he infiltrated them to break the ring up.
Zein 5 (AK Comics) — The writing in this title also suffered somewhat, which makes sense since the writer of this title and Jalila are the same. But Zein is even worse than Jalila was. Early in the book, a villain previously captured escapes. Zein is there in his secret identity, but spends almost 4 1/2 pages doing little other than talking to himself. Part way through the fight, he makes the decision to not change to Zein but let the villain escape and follow him. Two panels later, he thinks to himself, “If I could just change into Zein, I’d stop him!” So, why can’t he change, other than his own decision not to. I hear that this line of books is going to graphic novel form in a few months. Maybe bigger will be better, but this month was not a good showing for AK.
Mystery In Space 2 (DC Comics) — Or maybe I’m just being overly critical, because the first issue of this series was good, but this one just left me feeling ... I don’t know what, but not much of it.
Outsiders 41 (DC Comics) — This book was a little better. We’re still moving veeeeeeerrrrrrrryyyyyy slowly, but we do seem to be moving toward some resolutions to how and why the Outsiders were believed dead? how this book interacts with the rest of the DCU? just what is Grace’s secret that they keep alluding to? how and why Sivana has been manipulating the group since Day 1? just what Winick is thinking?
Agents of Atlas 3 (Marvel Comics) — And finally, we end on a high note. This comic remains fun. Maybe I’d feel differently if I was familiar with any of these characters from before, but I’m not. So I don’t care as some history is likely rewritten. I’m just enjoying the modern story of a group of one-time heroes re-uniting to save the world once again.
That’s it for today. Thanks for stopping by, and see ya next time, kiddie-cops.
Batman annual 10 (DC Comics, 1986) — This story is a classic Hugo Strange tale, at least for me. The evil genius sets about not so much defeating Batman nor Bruce Wayne, but almost erasing them from existence as he slowly takes everything away from the Wayne Foundation to the manor to freezing all bank accounts and assets, making Batman realize how much he depends on the wealth of Bruce Wayne to function. Then things get even more personal when Strange takes away Alfred and Jason.
Aquaman 1-4 (DC Comics, 1986) — Now this story is a little bit different. I was a little disappointed with this miniseries when it first came out in 1986. At that time, I liked Aquaman, but wasn’t as familiar with the character. I didn’t know about his fiery temper as that wasn’t how he was depicted on the Superfriends or in the issues of Justice League of America which I’d read. And I didn’t much care for the new blue camouflage costume. And I didn’t know who these other underwater races were. I didn’t even know who Ocean Master was at that time. So, I just didn’t care for this series much initially. In fact, I even committed the horrible sin of parting with my original copies of this series at some point, only to have to hunt down the back issues when I decided to give the series another try a few years later.
Series writer Neal Pozner takes some factual information about Atlantis, combines it with supposition and various other fictional depictions of Atlantis and combines them all into the back story that forms the basis for this series. Then he uses that tapestry of information and previous story-telling to completly destroy Aquaman’s current status quo. New Venice is destroyed. Aquaman is despised in Poseidonis. And his half-brother, Orm, is collecting mystical artifacts in an effort to finally best Arthur. In trying to hunt down Ocean Master, Aquaman comes across some savage underwater races, some mystical ones, and even learns some new things himself along the way. How could I do any less? This still isn’t my favorite Aquaman story, but it is an important part of the history of both Atlantis and the King of the Seven Seas.
And that brings us to the fall of 1986 with our retro-reviews, but in case you haven’t noticed, in the real world, we’re almost halfway through the month of November. Most recent batch of new comics has arrived, and I have started digging into those, although not as far as I’d like to be. So, here’s a few quick thoughts on some more timely books:
52 Week Twenty-Two (DC Comics) — OK, I just gotta ask: Who the hell is Super-Chief? I remember an Apache Chief from the Super Friends show, but no Super-Chief or any other American Indian super characters, not in DC’s stable, anyway. The evil versions of the Metal Men were kinda interesting. Has that been done before? All the evil genius robotics experts, seems like someone would’ve thought of it before ...
Jalila 5 (AK Comics) — Overall, I was a little disappointed in the AK Comics this month after giving them some hype last time around. The writing seemed slightly more disjointed in this title compared to last month.
Rakan 5 (AK Comics) — This title still holds a little promise. This was the first of a two-part story where the lone warrior joins a gang of thieves. It isn’t explicitly stated, but I assume he infiltrated them to break the ring up.
Zein 5 (AK Comics) — The writing in this title also suffered somewhat, which makes sense since the writer of this title and Jalila are the same. But Zein is even worse than Jalila was. Early in the book, a villain previously captured escapes. Zein is there in his secret identity, but spends almost 4 1/2 pages doing little other than talking to himself. Part way through the fight, he makes the decision to not change to Zein but let the villain escape and follow him. Two panels later, he thinks to himself, “If I could just change into Zein, I’d stop him!” So, why can’t he change, other than his own decision not to. I hear that this line of books is going to graphic novel form in a few months. Maybe bigger will be better, but this month was not a good showing for AK.
Mystery In Space 2 (DC Comics) — Or maybe I’m just being overly critical, because the first issue of this series was good, but this one just left me feeling ... I don’t know what, but not much of it.
Outsiders 41 (DC Comics) — This book was a little better. We’re still moving veeeeeeerrrrrrrryyyyyy slowly, but we do seem to be moving toward some resolutions to how and why the Outsiders were believed dead? how this book interacts with the rest of the DCU? just what is Grace’s secret that they keep alluding to? how and why Sivana has been manipulating the group since Day 1? just what Winick is thinking?
Agents of Atlas 3 (Marvel Comics) — And finally, we end on a high note. This comic remains fun. Maybe I’d feel differently if I was familiar with any of these characters from before, but I’m not. So I don’t care as some history is likely rewritten. I’m just enjoying the modern story of a group of one-time heroes re-uniting to save the world once again.
That’s it for today. Thanks for stopping by, and see ya next time, kiddie-cops.
Saturday, November 04, 2006
Titans Together!!!
In the last couple days, we’ve discussed several month’s worth of The Warlord and Jon Sable, Freelance. As far as the regular titles I have from 1986, that just leaves us the Titans. Things were not looking good when last we checked in with this band of young heroes, and 1986 was not a great year for the group, as they were put ever more through the wringer. Today’s wringers involve The New Teen Titans #18-23 (DC Comics, 1986) and Teen Titans Spotlight #3-6 (DC Comics, 1986-87).
NTT 18 begins with the revelation that Starfire, her parents and her brother did NOT die in the explosion of their starship. Loyalists on board knew of Blackfire’s plan to kill them, and secretly transported the royal family to Okaara, a nearby moon, where they will train and regroup. Dick is emotionally distraught after Kory’s wedding, then thinking, however briefly, that she had been slain, that he and Joey decide to return to Earth. Checking in with the other Titans, Raven is still missing; Donna and Terry are fighting because Donna has been too busy of late to help Terry with a writing assignment he must finish or lose his job; and Victor and Garfield discover that Steve Dayton, Gar’s step-father, has gone slightly crazy once again from the use of his Mento helmet. Sounds like a soap opera when you boil it down like that, huh? But then, having lives and problems outside of superheroing is one of the things that made me love Marv Wolfman’s take on the Titans. It made them seem more like real, complex, three-dimensional people.
Issue 19 takes these growing problems team members are experiencing and uses them to drive wedges between the Titans and force them in separate directions. The group’s new tower headquarters is built, but is there still a group to use it? Dick returns to Earth angry and hurt over what he sees as Kory’s betrayal of him. He goes to Wayne Manor and finds Batman and new Robin Jason Todd in the middle of a case and too busy to talk with him. Joey learns that Kole died in the Crisis while he and Dick were away. Donna and Terry’s problems grow, prompting her to turn down Vic and Gar when they come to her seeking help in subduing Mento. Instead, she feels she must go and comfort Dick, which leaves Terry, Vic and Gar all feeling abandoned. When she arrives at Dick’s apartment, Donna finds him ready to lash out at anyone because of his own hurt. Donna makes a prime target when Dick starts to berate her leadership of the team in his absence. Meanwhile, Kory is still on Okaara, forming a small army of loyalists ready to take the planet Tamaran back from her sister, Blackfire.
So Kory’s alone in space, Dick sets off alone to find Raven and Gar and Vic are left alone to deal with Mento. So who is left for Donna to call when the government needs the help of the Titans? The “original” team — Speedy, Aqualad, Hawk, Flash and Robin. But they aren’t exactly a great team either, as each has his own issues to deal with. While Robin has always been the leader of the group, this Robin is new hero Jason Todd, not experienced Dick Grayson. Flash is now Wally West, trying to honor the memory of his uncle, Barry Allen, who died in the Crisis; but Wally’s powers are reduced from what they once were, and he is afraid of failing to live up to Barry’s ideal. Hawk, always the more militant half of the brother duo, no longer has Dove to temper his violence; Dove was another casualty of the Crisis. As was Aquagirl, lover of Aqualad. So, he is pretty dispondent, as well.
That leaves Speedy. We find out in issue 20 that the reason the government called the Titans specifically is because the assassin the group is trying to stop is Cheshire. We also learn that in his off-panel relationship with the goverment, Speedy had a heretofore undisclosed relationship with Cheshire — an actual relationship. An intimate one. In fact, we learn in this issue that Roy has fathered a daughter, Lian, with Cheshire.
Further complicating matters, Cheshire tries to drop a few hints that things are not what they seem. She is not really there to kill anyone; she is being paid to make it seem like she is targeting ambassadors and force the Titans to act. This will expose the heroes’ presence at a secret summit that was supposed to have no security whatsoever. The revelation that the Titans are there makes it look like the U.S. has not complied with the rules of the summit and forces the talks to break up, all of which means the Titans are now in trouble with the government.
So where’s Joey during all of this? He’s on a solo adventure of his own in the pages of Teen Titans Spotlight #3-6. While waiting to see what will become of the Titans, Joey has been working with his mother, Adeline Wilson, and her company, Searchers Inc. In this story, we learn that shortly before joining the Titans, Joey had met a girl, fallen in love with her, become engaged, then lost her when she died in a boating accident. Unbeknownst to Joey, the girl’s father was actually one of the main council behind the H.I.V.E., a criminal cabal from early Titans issues. The man wanted to leave the H.I.V.E. and had hired Searchers Inc. to fake his and his daughter’s deaths so they would be safe from the H.I.V.E. So, Penny, Joey’s fiancee, isn’t really dead. Joey learns this when Penny shows up on his doorstep, asking for help from Joey and Searchers Inc. She explains what happened before and reveals that the H.I.V.E. has found her and her father again.
This is a good story, but be warned, it is very convoluted and detailed. There are a number of twists and turns, some predictable, some unexpected, that make this story hard to break down without revealing too much. It might have been better as a slightly shorter story. At the time, I thought four-issues was a bit long. But again, it is a good story.
Back to making the other Titans’ live miserable, NTT #22 presents three separate stories following Dick, Vic and Gar, and Kory, as well as a wrap-around that serves as a nice epiogue to the Jericho story from Spotlight. Dick has found Raven: she, Arella and Azrael are all at the Church of Blood. Mirroring his plan from the earlier Teen Titans book, Dick disguises himself to gain entry into the Church of Blood. Unbeknownst to him, Mother Mayhem knows he is there from the start, and sets about capturing and brainwashing Dick again. Vic and Gar, still trying to find a way to help Steve Dayton, are assaulted by Mento in the form of him assuming mental command of Victor’s metal body and pitting the two heroes against each other. And Kory, her family and the loyalists with them launch an assault on Blackfire in a bid to reclaim Tamaran.
These stories culminate in NTT #23, which focuses on the civil war on Tamaran. Kory is fighting to restore her parents as the rightful rulers of the planet. Blackfire is fighting to retain control of the planet she now rules. Odd thing is, many of the Tamaranean people support Blackfire. They had grown tired of King Myand’r’s tendency to keep peace by making concession to their enemies. Blackfire is cold and ruthless, but she is also an excellent administrator, and in her short rule has done much to improve the lives of her people and strengthen political ties with other races to benefit Tamaran. In the end, the people chose to follow Blackfire, with her parents held as esteemed advisors. Kory cannot believe that the people would embrace Blackfire and leaves the planet in disgust, heading for Earth in the hopes of putting her life back together there.
Most definitely not happy days for the Titans right now.
NTT 18 begins with the revelation that Starfire, her parents and her brother did NOT die in the explosion of their starship. Loyalists on board knew of Blackfire’s plan to kill them, and secretly transported the royal family to Okaara, a nearby moon, where they will train and regroup. Dick is emotionally distraught after Kory’s wedding, then thinking, however briefly, that she had been slain, that he and Joey decide to return to Earth. Checking in with the other Titans, Raven is still missing; Donna and Terry are fighting because Donna has been too busy of late to help Terry with a writing assignment he must finish or lose his job; and Victor and Garfield discover that Steve Dayton, Gar’s step-father, has gone slightly crazy once again from the use of his Mento helmet. Sounds like a soap opera when you boil it down like that, huh? But then, having lives and problems outside of superheroing is one of the things that made me love Marv Wolfman’s take on the Titans. It made them seem more like real, complex, three-dimensional people.
Issue 19 takes these growing problems team members are experiencing and uses them to drive wedges between the Titans and force them in separate directions. The group’s new tower headquarters is built, but is there still a group to use it? Dick returns to Earth angry and hurt over what he sees as Kory’s betrayal of him. He goes to Wayne Manor and finds Batman and new Robin Jason Todd in the middle of a case and too busy to talk with him. Joey learns that Kole died in the Crisis while he and Dick were away. Donna and Terry’s problems grow, prompting her to turn down Vic and Gar when they come to her seeking help in subduing Mento. Instead, she feels she must go and comfort Dick, which leaves Terry, Vic and Gar all feeling abandoned. When she arrives at Dick’s apartment, Donna finds him ready to lash out at anyone because of his own hurt. Donna makes a prime target when Dick starts to berate her leadership of the team in his absence. Meanwhile, Kory is still on Okaara, forming a small army of loyalists ready to take the planet Tamaran back from her sister, Blackfire.
So Kory’s alone in space, Dick sets off alone to find Raven and Gar and Vic are left alone to deal with Mento. So who is left for Donna to call when the government needs the help of the Titans? The “original” team — Speedy, Aqualad, Hawk, Flash and Robin. But they aren’t exactly a great team either, as each has his own issues to deal with. While Robin has always been the leader of the group, this Robin is new hero Jason Todd, not experienced Dick Grayson. Flash is now Wally West, trying to honor the memory of his uncle, Barry Allen, who died in the Crisis; but Wally’s powers are reduced from what they once were, and he is afraid of failing to live up to Barry’s ideal. Hawk, always the more militant half of the brother duo, no longer has Dove to temper his violence; Dove was another casualty of the Crisis. As was Aquagirl, lover of Aqualad. So, he is pretty dispondent, as well.
That leaves Speedy. We find out in issue 20 that the reason the government called the Titans specifically is because the assassin the group is trying to stop is Cheshire. We also learn that in his off-panel relationship with the goverment, Speedy had a heretofore undisclosed relationship with Cheshire — an actual relationship. An intimate one. In fact, we learn in this issue that Roy has fathered a daughter, Lian, with Cheshire.
Further complicating matters, Cheshire tries to drop a few hints that things are not what they seem. She is not really there to kill anyone; she is being paid to make it seem like she is targeting ambassadors and force the Titans to act. This will expose the heroes’ presence at a secret summit that was supposed to have no security whatsoever. The revelation that the Titans are there makes it look like the U.S. has not complied with the rules of the summit and forces the talks to break up, all of which means the Titans are now in trouble with the government.
So where’s Joey during all of this? He’s on a solo adventure of his own in the pages of Teen Titans Spotlight #3-6. While waiting to see what will become of the Titans, Joey has been working with his mother, Adeline Wilson, and her company, Searchers Inc. In this story, we learn that shortly before joining the Titans, Joey had met a girl, fallen in love with her, become engaged, then lost her when she died in a boating accident. Unbeknownst to Joey, the girl’s father was actually one of the main council behind the H.I.V.E., a criminal cabal from early Titans issues. The man wanted to leave the H.I.V.E. and had hired Searchers Inc. to fake his and his daughter’s deaths so they would be safe from the H.I.V.E. So, Penny, Joey’s fiancee, isn’t really dead. Joey learns this when Penny shows up on his doorstep, asking for help from Joey and Searchers Inc. She explains what happened before and reveals that the H.I.V.E. has found her and her father again.
This is a good story, but be warned, it is very convoluted and detailed. There are a number of twists and turns, some predictable, some unexpected, that make this story hard to break down without revealing too much. It might have been better as a slightly shorter story. At the time, I thought four-issues was a bit long. But again, it is a good story.
Back to making the other Titans’ live miserable, NTT #22 presents three separate stories following Dick, Vic and Gar, and Kory, as well as a wrap-around that serves as a nice epiogue to the Jericho story from Spotlight. Dick has found Raven: she, Arella and Azrael are all at the Church of Blood. Mirroring his plan from the earlier Teen Titans book, Dick disguises himself to gain entry into the Church of Blood. Unbeknownst to him, Mother Mayhem knows he is there from the start, and sets about capturing and brainwashing Dick again. Vic and Gar, still trying to find a way to help Steve Dayton, are assaulted by Mento in the form of him assuming mental command of Victor’s metal body and pitting the two heroes against each other. And Kory, her family and the loyalists with them launch an assault on Blackfire in a bid to reclaim Tamaran.
These stories culminate in NTT #23, which focuses on the civil war on Tamaran. Kory is fighting to restore her parents as the rightful rulers of the planet. Blackfire is fighting to retain control of the planet she now rules. Odd thing is, many of the Tamaranean people support Blackfire. They had grown tired of King Myand’r’s tendency to keep peace by making concession to their enemies. Blackfire is cold and ruthless, but she is also an excellent administrator, and in her short rule has done much to improve the lives of her people and strengthen political ties with other races to benefit Tamaran. In the end, the people chose to follow Blackfire, with her parents held as esteemed advisors. Kory cannot believe that the people would embrace Blackfire and leaves the planet in disgust, heading for Earth in the hopes of putting her life back together there.
Most definitely not happy days for the Titans right now.
Friday, November 03, 2006
Going Into The Wild Places
Last time we checked up on Travis Morgan, the Warlord, a character created by Mike Grell. Today we’re going to look at the next six issues of the book Grell was working on in 1986, Jon Sable, Freelance #34-39 (First Comics, 1986).
One of the first things to note is that the book becomes a First Comics Deluxe Series with issue #34 meaning that it gains a few extra story pages and the paper quality used is better. The first two issues we’re looking at today form a somewhat gritty arc as Jon shows up in a small Idaho town where he meets up with a Native American guide and sets out on a “hunting” trip. In the wilderness, Jon explains to his guide that they are there to do more than shoot animals. “Not just to hunt ... to learn,” he says. “And to get back some of what I lost.”
His guide, Winter Wolf, replies sagely, “There are things a man can only find in himself ... but sometimes you have to go to the wild places to look.”
There are some truly wonderful wildlife illustrations in this first issue as Jon relearns about the woods and the pair explore the wild world. The violence comes in when John and Winter Wolf stumble across a camp of survivalists who have kidnapped several women.
Issue #36 is somewhat lighter in tone. Jon is back home in New York, and Grell uses the opportunity to move him around the city, checking in with various supporting cast members and seeing how everyone is getting along. Along the way, Jon and Myke “accidentally” run into a woman named Claudine Jobert who hires Jon as a guide/tracker for an expedition to Africa in search of a legendary ivory ape statue. Jon is somewhat reluctant at first, doubting the statue even exists, but sees the trip as a chance to show Myke his former home. This issue sets up the next arc which plays out over issues 37-39.
The African safari story line offers some more gorgeous wildlife art. As far as plot, Madame Jobert quickly reveals herself to be a self-important, selfish woman with no regard for nature or other people. Jon prevents her from needlessly killing an elephant, but later, she wounds a jaguar, forcing Jon to track it down and finish it off. Jon is very seriously wounded in his effort to dispatch the wounded cat, but this tragedy works in his favor. While he is laid up and the little band is forced to make camp for several days, Jon notices a series of “secret messages” being send between Madame Jobert and someone else.
After Jon recovers from his injuries, he first proves that the ivory ape was indeed a hoax, then must take desperate measures to save his own and Myke’s life from Madame Jobert, who is really the person responsible for the murders of Jon’s family. She has brought him here to Africa in an effort to trap and kill him, as well. Overall, these are some truly excellent comics, both in terms of art and story.
One of the first things to note is that the book becomes a First Comics Deluxe Series with issue #34 meaning that it gains a few extra story pages and the paper quality used is better. The first two issues we’re looking at today form a somewhat gritty arc as Jon shows up in a small Idaho town where he meets up with a Native American guide and sets out on a “hunting” trip. In the wilderness, Jon explains to his guide that they are there to do more than shoot animals. “Not just to hunt ... to learn,” he says. “And to get back some of what I lost.”
His guide, Winter Wolf, replies sagely, “There are things a man can only find in himself ... but sometimes you have to go to the wild places to look.”
There are some truly wonderful wildlife illustrations in this first issue as Jon relearns about the woods and the pair explore the wild world. The violence comes in when John and Winter Wolf stumble across a camp of survivalists who have kidnapped several women.
Issue #36 is somewhat lighter in tone. Jon is back home in New York, and Grell uses the opportunity to move him around the city, checking in with various supporting cast members and seeing how everyone is getting along. Along the way, Jon and Myke “accidentally” run into a woman named Claudine Jobert who hires Jon as a guide/tracker for an expedition to Africa in search of a legendary ivory ape statue. Jon is somewhat reluctant at first, doubting the statue even exists, but sees the trip as a chance to show Myke his former home. This issue sets up the next arc which plays out over issues 37-39.
The African safari story line offers some more gorgeous wildlife art. As far as plot, Madame Jobert quickly reveals herself to be a self-important, selfish woman with no regard for nature or other people. Jon prevents her from needlessly killing an elephant, but later, she wounds a jaguar, forcing Jon to track it down and finish it off. Jon is very seriously wounded in his effort to dispatch the wounded cat, but this tragedy works in his favor. While he is laid up and the little band is forced to make camp for several days, Jon notices a series of “secret messages” being send between Madame Jobert and someone else.
After Jon recovers from his injuries, he first proves that the ivory ape was indeed a hoax, then must take desperate measures to save his own and Myke’s life from Madame Jobert, who is really the person responsible for the murders of Jon’s family. She has brought him here to Africa in an effort to trap and kill him, as well. Overall, these are some truly excellent comics, both in terms of art and story.
Thursday, November 02, 2006
Enter The Lost World ...
I decided that themed post from last time worked rather nicely, so I’m going to continue it with this batch of Retro-Reviews while we wait for my next shipment of “new” comics to arrive. And, if you’re at all familiar with today’s header, you know that today’s topic du jour will be The Warlord, specifically The Warlord # 103-107 (DC Comics, 1986).
Following the epic battle to reclaim Shamballah in #100, Travis Morgan returns from battle to find his daughter, Jennifer, rapidly aging and seemingly near death. In the next issue, new writer Michael Fleisher has Morgan set out in search of a powerful wizard who might be able to help Jennifer. Readers of this blog will recall that I was less than impressed with the first two issues by Fleisher. The tales just weren’t as engaging as previous issues had been. That changes in issue 103, due in part to Fleisher exploring possible origins for Shakira, Morgan’s shape-shifting ally.
Still on the trail seeking the wizard who may be able to help Jennifer, Morgan comes across a seemingly abandoned village and is attacked by a huge cat. Narrowly escaping death, Morgan learns that the tiger is a woman who transforms under the moonlight, and that this ability/curse is the deliberate work of one man who has experimented on several people in the past leaving them with similar abilities. Morgan also notices that the collar worn by the woman in both her forms is identical to the one worn by Shakira, and that the villain of the story gave all of his test subjects such collars. After escaping from the “mad scientist,” Morgan is met by Shakira herself. She has been following Morgan the last two issues, trying to catch him and travel with him during his quest for the wizard who can help Jennifer. Naturally, Morgan wonders if Shakira is the result of a similar experiment by the recently deceased madman.
This makes for an interesting theory of Shakira’s origins, and a much better story, but there are holes in this theory, as pointed out in a letter by “T.M. Maple” printed in issue 107. Among “Maple’s” points, Shakira can change at will from feline to human and back whereas the subjects in this tale cannot; Shakira is the size of a house cat while those in this tale are larger felines; and Shakira is aware of her actions and retains her intelllect in either form unlike the experiment subjects. But again, for a red herring, this was an entertaining tale. And an ongoing one.
Issue 104 picks up where 103 left off: Morgan explains his theory to Shakira, who, as always, is coy and avoids giving a straight answer about her abilities. But she seems amused by the idea. During this exchange, the two travelers are beset by brigands, and Shakira is kidnapped. Morgan is only able to help his friend with some assistance from a none-too-friendly allosaurus.
The pair next meet another group of strangers in issue 105. The mantra throughout Skartaris is to “expect the unexpected,” so Morgan and Shakira suspect the worst from the strangers, who later turn out to be not quite so bad. Each of these issues also include briefs snippets of Machiste and Mariah, two more of Morgan’s allies, returning to the kingdom of Kiro, where Machiste is king. Unbeknownst to the pair, however, in their absence, a coup has been launched in Kiro, and the conspirators attempt to prevent Mariah and Machiste from returning.
Warlord 106 introduces a new character, Daimon, a thief with the ability to change back and forth from a small cat to human. In his cat form, Daimon looks identical to Shakira, and the two obviously know each other. Daimon steals a black diamond, and at first, Morgan suspects Shakira of the cat-crime. When he learns the truth, Daimon is wounded, and Shakira convinces Morgan to help Daimon escape.
With Daimon now having joined Morgan’s quest, the trio arrive at a village where they are offered food and shelter for the night. Grudgingly accepting the invitation, Morgan awakes the next morning to find Shakira missing. He and Daimon must rescue Shakira, the intended bride of Yaug, before they can journey onward.
Each of these five issues, while not perfect, are closer in tone to the earlier Warlord tales. I will allow that it took Michael Fleisher a few issues to get his bearings in Skartaris and acclimate himself to the lost world. Once he was able to do that, he was churning out some pretty decent comics. Unlike the previous two issues or the 1986 annual, these books all get my recommendation.
Following the epic battle to reclaim Shamballah in #100, Travis Morgan returns from battle to find his daughter, Jennifer, rapidly aging and seemingly near death. In the next issue, new writer Michael Fleisher has Morgan set out in search of a powerful wizard who might be able to help Jennifer. Readers of this blog will recall that I was less than impressed with the first two issues by Fleisher. The tales just weren’t as engaging as previous issues had been. That changes in issue 103, due in part to Fleisher exploring possible origins for Shakira, Morgan’s shape-shifting ally.
Still on the trail seeking the wizard who may be able to help Jennifer, Morgan comes across a seemingly abandoned village and is attacked by a huge cat. Narrowly escaping death, Morgan learns that the tiger is a woman who transforms under the moonlight, and that this ability/curse is the deliberate work of one man who has experimented on several people in the past leaving them with similar abilities. Morgan also notices that the collar worn by the woman in both her forms is identical to the one worn by Shakira, and that the villain of the story gave all of his test subjects such collars. After escaping from the “mad scientist,” Morgan is met by Shakira herself. She has been following Morgan the last two issues, trying to catch him and travel with him during his quest for the wizard who can help Jennifer. Naturally, Morgan wonders if Shakira is the result of a similar experiment by the recently deceased madman.
This makes for an interesting theory of Shakira’s origins, and a much better story, but there are holes in this theory, as pointed out in a letter by “T.M. Maple” printed in issue 107. Among “Maple’s” points, Shakira can change at will from feline to human and back whereas the subjects in this tale cannot; Shakira is the size of a house cat while those in this tale are larger felines; and Shakira is aware of her actions and retains her intelllect in either form unlike the experiment subjects. But again, for a red herring, this was an entertaining tale. And an ongoing one.
Issue 104 picks up where 103 left off: Morgan explains his theory to Shakira, who, as always, is coy and avoids giving a straight answer about her abilities. But she seems amused by the idea. During this exchange, the two travelers are beset by brigands, and Shakira is kidnapped. Morgan is only able to help his friend with some assistance from a none-too-friendly allosaurus.
The pair next meet another group of strangers in issue 105. The mantra throughout Skartaris is to “expect the unexpected,” so Morgan and Shakira suspect the worst from the strangers, who later turn out to be not quite so bad. Each of these issues also include briefs snippets of Machiste and Mariah, two more of Morgan’s allies, returning to the kingdom of Kiro, where Machiste is king. Unbeknownst to the pair, however, in their absence, a coup has been launched in Kiro, and the conspirators attempt to prevent Mariah and Machiste from returning.
Warlord 106 introduces a new character, Daimon, a thief with the ability to change back and forth from a small cat to human. In his cat form, Daimon looks identical to Shakira, and the two obviously know each other. Daimon steals a black diamond, and at first, Morgan suspects Shakira of the cat-crime. When he learns the truth, Daimon is wounded, and Shakira convinces Morgan to help Daimon escape.
With Daimon now having joined Morgan’s quest, the trio arrive at a village where they are offered food and shelter for the night. Grudgingly accepting the invitation, Morgan awakes the next morning to find Shakira missing. He and Daimon must rescue Shakira, the intended bride of Yaug, before they can journey onward.
Each of these five issues, while not perfect, are closer in tone to the earlier Warlord tales. I will allow that it took Michael Fleisher a few issues to get his bearings in Skartaris and acclimate himself to the lost world. Once he was able to do that, he was churning out some pretty decent comics. Unlike the previous two issues or the 1986 annual, these books all get my recommendation.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)